Tune in- W2

What is up Vertical. We are so excited to come together to worship God. Today we continue on week 2 of “Tune in.” Which is all about tuning into God’s voice.

I asked last week, if you believe that God speaks to you and we talked about how we are bombarded about so many messages, especially the postmodern mentality that calls to question whether there is any absolute truth and if truth can be known.

This is extremely important because today’s topic has caused many to doubt their faith, to question God and to allow the enemy to blind God’s goodness and His perfect attributes.

Have you hear the phrase before: “Perception is reality.” I know I have, but I am here to encourage you to reject that mentality. Reality is reality, even if I perceived it to be different.

But, what happens when you are tuned in, but you are not sensing anything?

What happens when you have asked God for something, but your prayer goes unanswered?

What are you to think when you have asked God for clarity and direction on a situation in your life, but you don’t get a clear answer?

Is it because you aren’t listening?

Is it because God isn’t really listening to you?

Is God holding out just to torture you? Or He just doesn’t care about your situation?

Does a lack of response mean that God is not real or does not exist?

Radio Static: Think of it this way, you are trying to tune into God’s voice but all you hear is static.

This message is so important, because if you are a Christian, there will be seasons in your walk with Jesus when things go a little quiet—and you need to know how to respond.

Inevitably, at one point or another in you life, you will be faced with what it seems to be silence or static from God. So here my main point:

Main Point: When you can’t hear God speaking, don’t forget what He has said.

If you are here tonight and you are not a Christian, then this is important for you, because through this message, you are going to learn more about the God that we serve; and, you are going to learn that a relationship with God is like other relationships, so there can be challenges sometimes.

One point of evidence about the veracity of the Bible, is its embarrassing details. You see, the Bible is infallible and inerrant, authoritative, reliable, and sufficient to meet our needs. (You may hear that the Bible has contradictions or you may read something that is hard to understand- but a difference is not a contradiction and the lack of understanding does not mean that because I do not know the answer, there is no answer.) That is one of the reasons I am always telling you to ask questions, to study, to read. For thousands of years people have brought up accusation against the Bible and there are well thought answers, if you are willing to seek the truth.

However, this is the problem that I see. Often when a skeptic brings a accusation towards the Bible, it is not necessarily about finding the answer but it is about the lack of willingness to surrender to what the Bible has to say.

“I speak from experience, being strongly subject to this fear myself: I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that. My guess is that this cosmic authority problem is not a rare condition and that it is responsible for much of the scientism and reductionism of our time. It is just as irrational to be influenced in one’s beliefs by the hope that God does not exist as by the hope that God does exist.” 1

Nagel, Thomas, The Last Word, pp. 130–131, Oxford University Press, 1997. Dr Nagel (1937– ) is Professor of Philosophy and Law at New York University.

What this philosopher is saying is that while he knows he does not want God to exist and he is influenced in his thinking by that notion. Christians, for example, want God to exist and so we are influenced by that notion. I agree. However, we both cannot be right. This is where post-modern mentality says: well agree to disagree, it is your truth. But is it not.

When I begin to stack all the evidence for God, it takes more faith to believe that there is no God, even when it seems that God is silent.

Anyway, small rabbit trail but as I said: One point of evidence about the veracity of the Bible, is its embarrassing details.

The great thing about the Bible is that it was written by ordinary people like you and like me. The stories are not curated to show the best side of every person. On the other hand, it shows us how humanity is in deep need for a savior, yet our emotions are still real.

The things that the authors wrote are real and raw and authentic.

Le me be honest with you … this subject is not an easy one. I literally just wrote long paper on suffering and how we reconcile evil, suffering and God. Now, let me be clear. I do not think it is impossible to reconcile God’s goodness with the evil in the world. In fact, I believe that pain, suffering and evil highlights God’s goodness but it is impossible for me to explain such a vast topic in 20min.

So I just want to give you some Biblical principles that I pray will prepare when you perceived God to silent.

Before we dive into the chapter from Job, let me give you a quick summary of Job’s life:

· Job was blameless and upright, and well-off financially (Job 1:1).

· Satan (The Adversary) came to God and made an accusation against Job.

· God allows the Adversary to test Job.

· Satan took everything away from Job, including his health.

· The remainder of the book is a back and forth between Job and three friends.

· Each in different ways, the three friends tell Job that there must be some sin in his life that has caused this.

· But the whole time, Job maintains that he has done nothing wrong and that there must be some other reason for it.

Imagine that you wake up one day to find that your entire family has died, your house has been taken away, all the possessions that you valued have been stolen, and you have a rare disease that causes you continual pain.

This is Job. And suddenly, any connection or communion that Job had with God ceased. He’s confused, and he’s literally and figuratively sick by what has happened.

This is the restlessness of a man who, at one point, was tuned in to God— but now, he has suddenly been dealt a blow, and he’s not sure why.

We get to Job 23:8-9 “8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. 9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.”

Job is wrestling with the fact that he is trying to sense and perceive God. He is trying to listen, he is trying to understand, he is longing for clarity, but what does he say? “I do not perceive him.” “I do not see him.”

Have you ever felt like that before? Remember the main point:

Main Point: When you can’t hear God speaking, don’t forget what He has said.

When we have doubts like this, a lot of questions can come to our mind. I can 100% agree with this. There has been plenty of times in my life where I just have questions, doubts but let’s look at Job’s response. And I pray that this would be how you and I react when we experience a hardship.

Job 23:10-12 “10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. 11 My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. 12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.”

Literally Job just said: “I do not know where God is but He has a plan and I will continue to trust in Him.”

What is Job’s response:

Job acknowledges that frustration/doubt/pain/silence of his situation (v. 8-9)

Job proclaims that God still knows what is going on (v. 10).

3. Job resolves that he will still follow God and not turn away (v. 10).

4. Job does not blame God and continues to walk through silence with integrity (vs. 11–12)

Silence does not give us a license to sin and disobey God.

Here is something interesting about this verse. Let me read verse 12 again:

I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

Main Point: When you can’t hear God speaking, don’t forget what He has said.

What “words” is Job referring to?

Think about it. God is being silent. God is not speaking. Things have happened for Job and there is no answer. He is trying to hear, but he’s hearing nothing. So when Job says that he’s treasuring God’s words, what does he mean?

Job is treasuring the words of God that he has heard in the past. He’s holding on to what he knows about God in the silence. Now, this is crazy though, when Job is making this claims, he did not have a clear picture of Jesus and the cross, yet we do.

Some people give up on God when things don’t go the way they hoped, or when they don’t understand what’s going on because they forget to remember what God has done in the past.

They forget how they felt when they encountered Him. They forget what they learned and experienced about Him. They forget how they felt when it made sense that God wanted relationship with and died for them. (Think of camp and d-now) God hasn’t changed. What God has said remains true.

Job 23:13–14 But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind.

The appropriate response to God’s silence is: “Though I don’t understand and though I might feel in agony right now, Father God, I trust in you.”

When it comes to Job, even when he felt that God was silent, and even though they did not understand what was going on—they never stopped tuning in.

Main Point: When you can’t hear God speaking, don’t forget what He has said and trust in Him.

Students, God is worthy of your trust. You don’t have to take my word for it. Put your trust in Him and see how His plan is always better than yours.