Purposeful Prayer in Perplexing Times

Introduction

Welcome/Announcements

Palm Sunday coming up! We’ll observe the Lord’s Supper, sing songs of praise that remind us of Christ’s sacrifice, study Scripture, and we pray be changed by the Gospel. Great Sunday to invite a friend!

Camp/LTN/Guatemala updates

Prayer Requests

Testimony

Overview of what’s coming up:

Over the next 3 weeks, we’re going to be meeting together as a group and on April 19th we’ll split and have 2 options for people to go to as well as a New Members class that I will lead the first 2 or 3 Wednesdays in May for those who have joined since the last time we offered that class. I’ll share the specific class offerings next week as we’re getting that finalized but these studies will be helpful, timely, and most importantly, saturated with Scripture.

Tonight we’re going to do something a little different that our previous study through Church History - we’re going to just have a time to talk about concerns, prayer needs in our immediate lives, events happening in our country and around the world, and how we view it all from a Christian worldview

As we make our way through this, here’s an overview of our study tonight:

Why Are Things This Way?

Sin

Where Are Things Headed?

Restoration/Judgment

What Do We Do Now?

1 Peter 4:19 CSB

19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.

We trust in God’s faithfulness while we live in this life and we do what is good - not based on the standards of secular society, but the standards of our good God

What makes it hard to trust in God’s faithfulness?

Tragedy

Things that don’t seem to fit with God’s character (injustice, evil)

This leads everyone to fall back upon something called a worldview. We all view the world slightly differently based on how we were raised, what our values are, and how we are wired and passionate about. But what doesn’t change is the fact that we all have a worldview that impacts everything about us. How do we know this is true? Think through this with me: Opening Day for MLB is tomorrow! Let’s suppose the Cardinals win the World Series in October. You have 1 fact or reality but you have lots of different reactions. Some people are overjoyed and excited because they are Cardinals fans. Others don’t notice because they don’t care about baseball. Others notice only because they know people who like baseball and are annoyed because those people are too happy. Others will be upset or sad because they don’t like the Cardinals. One event can lead to a variety of outcomes not because the event changed, but because they have different views of the respective event. This is the world in which we live in - we all see things differently and we have to ask the question: Why?

Why are things this way?

Differences are not exclusively a post-fall reality, in Genesis we see plenty of differences between God’s creation. We see differences between Adam and Eve, man and woman. God didn’t create us to all look and talk and think the same way because He is a creative God and creativity and diversity is not a bad thing by itself! But as we ask the question of why is our world the way that it is, we can’t avoid the reality that sin changes things. People view things differently because of their respective worldview. Some have a Christian worldview but many others have a worldview that is contrary to Scripture. The reason for this is sin. The reason that we look around our world and see evil, injustice, sickness, heart break, and tragedies left and right is because of sin. We understand that by and large but let’s dive a step deeper. Have you noticed that not everyone views these types of events the same way? Sin is a universal reality for us all, but some people tend to sweep sin under the rug or try and argue that it really isn’t a big deal at all. Why do some people not view the loss of a child as a big deal?

Because of sin (root)

Because of their worldview (fruit)

Lack of understanding of sacredness of life

Let’s fight against this for a moment. Why should the loss of any life be automatically a big deal?

Genesis 1:26 tells us that we are made in the image of God - so all human life matters!

Jesus wept whenever his friend died

We live in a sinful, messed up, world and it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. The reason that things are the way that they are isn’t because of anything new necessarily, it’s because of our fallen sinful condition. People have been celebrating evil for a long time - that reality shouldn’t surprise us. What we need to do is recognize the flaws with that logic and worldview and to be able to defend our worldview.

Where Are Things Headed?

Some will argue that they’re going to get a whole lot worse which is partly true, but things are also going to get a whole lot better! Lots of people have a very pessimistic view of the world and they are not only concerned about the future but they genuinely fear it. The world is getting crazier and crazier, Jesus take me out of this place now! This is the mentality of many and we know that the world awaiting us is amazing and we can’t wait for it… but God has a purpose for us while we are here. I’ve had people ask me this in relation to having Gabriel and another baby boy on the way: The world is going to be so scary whenever they grow up - I wouldn’t want to be them. Wait a second here. Isn’t Jesus the same? Doesn’t He promise to never leave nor forsake His people? Didn’t He say that in this world we’ll have trouble? Didn’t He say that greater is He who is in you than he who is in this world? Why on earth should we be afraid?!

Sure, things are headed in a bad direction, we could say - but they’ve been bad since Genesis 3 and God has still been faithful! See, so many are terrified about the future whenever we serve a Sovereign God who has a plan and part of His plan is His people stepping up and being salt and light in a broken world. He raises up people for such a time as this as Esther 4:14 reminds us. Should a Christian be optimistic or pessimistic about the future?

Optimistic!

This doesn’t mean that we aren’t honest about where things stand and where they’re headed. There is much evil in this world… but God is still at work. His power still changes lives. His Spirit still lives in us. We still have a purpose. As we completed our church history study, there were seasons in church history where people genuinely tried to exterminate every single Christian on the face of the planet and the Roman empire came close several times… but they couldn’t do it. Why? Because Jesus made a promise to build His church and nothing will ever stand against it. We don’t need to be in fear - we need to be aware and we need to be in prayer that God would use us and others to do His will in the days to come.

Things are crazy and strange - but we should be people of great hope in our great Savior, even in this hopeless world. As Christians we know that Jesus will make all things new and restore us to Himself - we should be hopeful because this world is as bad as it will ever get and this world isn’t permanent.

What Do We Do Now?

So, if we’re in this already but not yet state where we’re already saved but not yet in glory with Christ, what do we do today? This is a great question and where we’re going to camp out for the remainder of our time this evening and we’ll look at 1 Peter 4 to help us with this problem of suffering in our world today. Before we do that, why do you think many Christians don’t know how to respond when suffering strikes their lives?

Improper understanding of suffering in the first place

View this as a sign of God’s displeasure

Not sold on sovereignty of God

Song by Shane and Shane that’s a few years old now called “Though You Slay Me” that has been on my heart lately with various things happening in and around my life. The song is based on Job’s life as Job has his entire life flipped upside down it seems in the first chapter. He lost his family, possessions, and health… but he still worshipped God faithfully. Eventually we see this in chapter 13

Job 13:15 NASB95

15 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.

Notice, Job doesn’t say though Satan slay me. Though karma slay me. Though random chance slay me. Though God slays me… I will trust in Him. I will place my hope in Him. Y’all, this is the faith that we must have in moments of suffering and that’s what we need during this thing called life! How can we have that? How can we know that God is using all things for our good in moments of tragedy and sorrow?

See, our secular worldview will say that the existence of evil is proof that there is no God or that God isn’t powerful or that God isn’t good and worthy of our worship. What rebuttal can we give? How can a good God allow evil? Look to the cross!

Let’s turn back to 1 Peter 4:12-19

1 Peter 4:12–19 CSB

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. 16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? 18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? 19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.

What do we do while we wait? Well, for one, we shouldn’t be surprised (sadly) whenever bad things happen because we live in a fallen, sinful, messed up world where suffering isn’t just a potential, it’s our reality. We talked in Ephesians 1 that we should be people who pray for the salvation of others and that people would grow in their walk with the Lord - that should be something that we do often in this life while we wait (pray). But also while we live in this life, we have to understand that we’re going to see things that do not align with God’s Word. People will do things that are evil. People will support evil. People will say that evil is not evil. What do we do in those situations? What do we do whenever our faith is tested?

Do: Stand on Scripture (Peter calls these people dear friends, meaning they are Christians)

Don’t: Be Surprised (Christ promised we would have trials and tribulations)

Do: Glorify Jesus (We glorify Him as we trust in Him, even in hard times)

Don’t: Walk by Sight and Do what feels right (Our heart is deceitful and our society is dumb)

Do: Rejoice with those who Rejoice and Weep with those who Weep (Romans 12:15)

Don’t: Act like you have it all figured out - you’re not God, but you can know that God has it all figured out

This week has been rough and our heart and head goes a billion different places. Not only with the Nashville situation but there were several districts in our neck of the woods that were put on lockdown because of active shooter threats. We’re living in a strange, messed up, evil world and we can’t escape it! So what do we need? We need to understand how to engage it. We need to reinforce our Christian worldview with Scripture and God’s people on a regular basis so that we can stand for Scripture and witness to others during events like this week.

Over the last few months I’ve been reading books written by Christians who have suffered greatly. Uncommon Trust by Erik Reed, Seasons of Sorrow by Tim Challies, God Does His Best Work with Empty by Nancy Guthrie are 3 of those books. This is what I’ve walked away with from each book and this has to be our takeaway when tragedy rocks our world. This World is Not My Home. God has a purpose for us here. God has work for us here. There is much good here. But, this world is not our home. Suffering doesn’t last forever. Tragedy doesn’t get to have the last laugh. Sickness and sorrow will be distant memories. Fear will be forgotten. What do we need today to help us keep that in mind?

Proverbs 3:5–6 CSB

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

We need God to wreck our hearts until we trust wholly in Him each step of the way because only then will our paths be made straight.

What does it mean that God makes our paths straight?

Doesn’t mean easy

Doesn’t mean our way

Doesn’t mean it always makes sense

Does mean that it’s a good thing

God makes our paths straight according to His definition of straight which is to become more like Him. In our view, straight means simple and smooth… but in God’s plan and according to His perfect will, our straight path might not always be that way. In our lives that means that our path might become a little bit bumpy, but it means that we become more like Him. Think of the apostle Paul. Was Paul’s path straight?

Yes!

Was Paul’s path bumpy?

Absolutely!

Whenever tragedy strikes in our lives like it did for Paul, what will we do? Paul was

2 Corinthians 11:24–28 CSB

24 Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26 On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; 27 toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing. 28 Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches.

This man knew suffering! But he says in Philippians 1:21 that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Friends, in this life we will suffer and we will experience pain and sorrow and we will weep over the injustice and evil that we see all around us. During a week like this one, our hearts are heavy. We don’t even have the words to say and many don’t even know what to do. But as a Christian, we do know where to turn. In the night of suffering, the light of Christ shines bright. In our suffering, we can still do what is good. We can still pray. We can still know that God is with us. We can still trust that He knows best. We can still know that He has a perfect plan for us. We can still rest confidently that He will make our paths straight. We must pray for guidance for ourselves. We must pray for peace for others. We must pray for understanding for those who do not know Christ. We must pray that Christ would be glorified and use a tragedy for something extraordinary because only He can do something like that.

We live in perplexing times, but we serve a perfect Savior. Even in our sorrow, He is faithful. Even in our suffering, He is able. Even in our sickness, He is stable. Turn your eyes upon Jesus and remember where things are headed, even if we’re not quite there yet.