How Long? (Part 1)
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In his book “Walking with God through pain and suffering,” the late Tim Keller writes… “No matter what precautions we take, no matter how well we have put together a good life, no matter how hard we have worked to be healthy, wealthy, comfortable with friends and family, and successful with our career——something will inevitably ruin it.”
And not only is it inevitable that we will endure suffering and difficulty in life, but it will be suffering that is long lasting and try our patience all the way to the end of our rope. Even if it might feel like there is soap on the rope. What is more, even if in all honesty we are doing our best to be obedient to the Lord and working hard to glorify the Lord, it seems that we cannot escape the pain and suffering that comes from life. Its seems that no matter what we do, we cannot avoid the inevitable. The inevitability of the testing of our faith. But it is true Shane that it is my hearts desire to live a godly life.
Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
It is inevitable and we should know and accept that it is inevitable. This should not surprise us. Right?
Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
But Shane lets be honest… does it not seem strange that we should be glad when we suffer. Does it not seem like to do this would be the action of a mentally disturbed individual? I think I need a second opinion.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
How bout a third opinion…
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
How bout our psalmist today…
My suffering was good for me,
for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.
Suffering is inevitable and we get it, but what of the long suffering that we endure? Our suffering can go on and on and on. It does not stop it feels like forever. I get that this must happen, but how long or lord how long.
Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak.
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
I am sick at heart.
How long, O Lord, until you restore me?
Is there and answer to our question today? How long O Lord? The answer is already given. Lets check it out today.
I am worn out waiting for your rescue,
but I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes are straining to see your promises come true.
When will you comfort me?
I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke,
but I have not forgotten to obey your decrees.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.
I’m Waiting
2. I’m Saved
The first thing we will look at is the reality of waiting during our time of suffering. Second, we will see the hope and power in salvation that we receive from the gospel of Jesus that will bring us to an everlasting hope on earth as there is in heaven.
Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to lose sight of the truth of Christ and trust in the sovereignty of God when we face trials of many kinds, it is the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the scriptures that will illuminate the everlasting hope that we find in Christ and in Christ alone.
I. I’m Waiting
- You will never know that God is all that you need until the time comes when God is all that you have.
A. A wise theologian once said. “You will never know that God is all that you need until the time comes when God is all that you have.” Our psalmist even worn out from enduring a long season of suffering, sees that the only salvation needed is the salvation that comes from the living God. No other rescue will do. So we see that our psalmist is claiming if he is not rescued by the hand of God then he is not gonna make it. Only the salvation of God will do. So many times our psalmist had come to the place where God is all that he has, thats why he believes that God is all that he needs.
B. It is a journey. It is the paths straight. It is the progression of being a disciple. It is taking up our cross. The only way we will make it thorough this life with true joy and victory is if we really believe that the Lord is all that we need. So how can we ever get to this reality if we never get to the place where God is all that we have? When we get to the place where we have almost nothing left but God, thats when we push the eject button, thats when we jump ship, thats when we give up, thats when we let go. I’m almost to the place where I will have nothing, I gotta get out while we still got something left in life. All I got left is the clothes on my back. So Im gonna get out before I’m naked and nothing.
C. So we never really get to the place where we realize that all we need is God.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
D. What is God is trying to rip us and strip us from all things so that we have nothing left but God? What if He is doing this to get us to realize that all we need is Him? But we will never get this because we are dependent on the artificial recuse of the world, the wooden swords, the momentary distraction relief, the chemical induced relief, and all the broken cisterns that cannot hold water yet make us think we are rescued. Its the oculus virtual reality making us think we are at a birthday party in beverly hills when in reality we are still trapped on a deserted island.
E. Its when all of these things are gone and we truly have nothing left but God, this is when we will see the true providence of God in our lives. It is when we will have true joy. We see that all we need is God and we realize that He will never leave us nor forsake us. How powerful is that. When we really believe that all we need is God.
F. But in any case where else are you gonna go? Nothing else in this world is more than just a broken cistern.
“For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!
And it is like the disciples said…
Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.
G. When it comes to Christ the Lord, waiting is worth it.
Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Even in prayer we are to perservere.
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
H. We gotta wait on the Lord. It is worth it.
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
I. And we do not give up. We do not let go of His word. Our psalmist has put his hope in the Word of the living God. Because God will fulfill the promises that He makes to us. It is Yes and Amen. Truly. God will fulfill His promise, because will not nor cannot break the promises that He was made because He cannot lie. Also, He will not nor cannot expel or disappoint the HOPE that we receive from His Word. His Word gives us hope… And God will not let the hope we get from the scriptures be Void.
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
J. It is because of the Word of God that we can have hope even if there is no hope at all. Our psalmist is worn out… He has nothing left. He has no more energy. He has nothing left but God. He is exhausted from waiting. Yet he does one thing. He holds on to the very Word of God.
K. It is what we have to hold on to. It is the only thing that gives us real hope. It is my definition of truth. It is a reliable collection of historical documents, written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, reporting supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed their writings are Divine and not of human origin. Written by approx 40 men from different backgrounds over the course of 1500 years. Over 25,000 NT manuscripts in Greek Latin Coptic and other languages from the 1st century to the 16th century with numerous variants but clearly not one article of faith or precept of duty is affected at all. With all that there is… the message of the scriptures are not altered in any way. No assertion of contradictions has ever been confirmed. It has survived every skeptic. Survived every attack. Every attempt to annihilate it has failed. Every time it is attacked… when the dust settles the scriptures are still standing. Heaven and earth will pass away but the Word of God will remain forever. Nothing else in this world even comes close. The Bible has clearly made the claim that it is the Word of God and it is showing itself to be and has clearly shown itself to be the Word of God. No way around it. No way. Nothing else in this world even comes close. When all is said and done… it was good enough for our psalmist with limited revelation, it is surely good enough for us complete once and for all.
I. I’m Saved
- The wonder of the gospel of Jesus.
A. And yet the one thing that can give us the hope that God will not let fail is the thing sitting on our coffee table or in our book shelf or on the night stand collecting dust. Some of us got a new Bible for Christmas 3 years ago and the lots of the pages are still stuck together. We continue to seek relief from the broken cisterns that cannot hold water. We continue to seek relief from trials instead of comfort from God’s Word.
B. We don’t like the answers that we get from the scriptures. We don’t like the circumstances that we face. We don’t like the waiting. We don’t like the testing. We don’t like that our purpose is to glorify God. We don’t want any life that we have not decided for ourselves. The culture is our foundation. The culture is our compass. The culture is our guide. Pop culture is our authority. We know more about pop culture than we do the scriptures. We can quote pop culture references more than the scriptures. Many of us today could name 3 of marvels avengers without hesitation yet could not tell me which disciple who Jesus saw under the fig tree. Why? Because we all by nature love the darkness more than the light.
C. This is the reality of sin. It is the reality of deception. It is the reality that we have fallen so much farther than we think. We are more sinful then we could even imagine. And our destiny was the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Our destiny was the place of outer darkness. The fire reserved for the devil and his angels. The wrath of the living God. But Shane can we be saved from this. Yes we can. It is called the gospel of Jesus.
D. There is good news for us today. Jesus came into this world to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. By His wounds we are healed.
E. And the promises that bring us hope continue and cannot fail. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
F. This is the gospel of Jesus the ultimate salvation that we all needed and will ultimately hope for. Our time here on earth is not even a drip in the vast ocean of eternity. No matter what we go though… trust in the Lord, lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.