Active Vs. Distant God

Psalms 46:1-11

Introduction:

Our title this morning has been in deep conversation for centuries and decades as to what type of God do we serve? Is He active or is He Distant?

If He is active, then why come He’s not there when I need Him? His scripture says seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened. Or is He active sometimes or does He leave us to figure it out for ourselves? We are continuing our series on shaping our minds through scripture so that we know what is true. This has been a question that all people ask at sometime in their Christian life. You know my reason, because our churches attendance are down, empty and just plain on life support.

One of the most excruciating experiences of human existence is to have to face an overwhelming trial while having a strong feeling that God just isn’t there for you in that dark hour. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever had to walk through a valley of suffering feeling alone with no signs of God anywhere? Do you know what it feels like to sense that God just doesn’t care what you are experiencing and how you are suffering? We will tell people my God will provide, But will He? Have you ever felt like God is there for everyone else except for you? I have been a Christian now for over 37 years, and I have served in ministry for over 25 years. Through these many seasons of life I have learned a few things about these lonely valleys of suffering.

This style of thinking comes from a team of researchers led by Christian Smith which describes the beliefs of many people who consider themselves Christians. It’s called “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.”

Deism- Christian deism adopts the ethics and non-mystical teachings of Jesus, while denying that Jesus was a deity. It positions God as a Creator who set the universe in motion and then stepped back, no longer actively engaging with creation.

This morning in bible class, Bro. French explained this concept in Mark 15,

The passage in Mark gives us the details of Jesus Trial and identity. When you look at this title it comes back to the eyes of the beholder. What do we believe we have in our possession? Who is this guy and how come He call himself the king of jews from the town of nazareth, with no linage of wealth, smartness, because he is the son of a carpenter. No king that we have served ever experience this. He must be an imposter therefore accusing him of blasphemy. They asked that question in Mark and we as christians today ask the same question. Do we really know what we have access too? What do we trust to be true and what do we determine to be false? When you talk about the word “distant God” we must look through the eyes of the beholder. We are trying to obtain something so what is it?

Distant God gives us an excuse or justification to what is going on and making us not responsible for the truth. Albert Tate said in his book Disobedient God “ When we believe that God is distant, we’re giving ourselves a false view of who God is and engaging in a limited relationship with Him.” Bottom line, what we need to understand is that our relationship with God may really be more complicated than we realize or are willing to admit. Remember the attitudes we spoke about last week. How much are we holding on to those views that stricken our relationship with God?

Sometimes God allows a death, and illness, or the loss of a job to disrupt our lives. When that happens, we want to quickly resolve the pain and devastation, because we can’t handle the reality that God did something we were not OK with. Something we didn’t want. Something that hurts. on the other hand an

Active God- The Christian life is a journey, and the trials we encounter require us to strive all the more intently after the prize of God’s rest that is promised to us in the Gospel. If we do not strive with diligence, the suffering we go through will cause us to take our eyes off of Christ and prevent us from entering fully into His rest.

I want to leave us this morning with 4 things to realize.

Mark 15:29–32 (NKJV)

29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

Important Realization #1:  Even when God is “not there,” He IS there.

Read Mark 15:29-32 I am discovering after having experienced many painful valleys that God truly is there even when I don’t sense His presence. He may not respond exactly the way I want him to, but that is always because His plan is much higher and more sophisticated than I could ever imagine. In Mark 15 is an example of how Jesus is challenge as being the king of the Jews, and they do not believe in Him because he doesn’t act like a king they have had experienced in the past. Isa. 53 described the feeling of the jews that we see in Mark 15

let’s checkout our next point turn to psalms 57

Psalms 57:1-3 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. 2 I cry out to God Most High,[b] to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. 3 He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. Interlude My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.

Important Realization #2:  You may never understand the reason for the suffering while in the middle of a storm.

God’s plans are so high and lofty that my small mind cannot even come close to comprehending them. If He was to try to sit down and explain why I am going through a particular experience, He would likely begin explaining to me some events that took place back in the 1500s. He would then trace it through the millions and millions of different lives that were all interrelated over the course of the next several centuries. And then that would bring Him to my life and the specific experience today which then also relates to the next century or two of time.

His plan is so complex that He would lose me on the second or third sentence. So there is no way we could ever truly grasp an explanation from the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

Most of the time I never really “get” why I am suffering until a much later time in my life. Sometimes it can take months, sometimes years, and sometimes I never really have a full understanding. Some things will only make sense when I get to heaven and have a chance to ask God personally. As the psalmist said, But for now I must trust Him.

Important Realization #3:  God always has a purpose, and that purpose is always good.

Psalm 13:1–2 (NKJV)

1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

There is no such thing as random pain without meaning. God uses pain to speak into our world and into our lives directly. He teaches us things through pain that we could never learn through a seminar or book or podcast. Some people reject God, because they can’t think of a reason why God would allow pain or suffering. But just because we can’t think of a reason for the pain does not mean that a good reason does not exist. (Sorry for the double negative there.  I hope you get my point.) God’s ways are perfect, and His love for us is without end. And every single millisecond of suffering is always for a good purpose in our lives. Always!

Psalm 14:1 (NKJV)

1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.

Important Realization #4:  It’s ok to doubt God, but never deny Him.

By reading the verses from Psalm 13 above, we can see that even David at times felt like God was nowhere to be found. But he never got to the point where he denied God’s existence. As a matter of fact, he goes on to say in the very first verse of the next Psalm that “the fool has said in his heart that there is no God.” (Psalm 14:1)

It’s ok to doubt, but don’t allow yourself to sink to the point where you actually deny God’s existence. That will only end in disaster for you. Instead, hang onto God’s hand as you ride out the storm.

In that dark night of suffering, just close your eyes and hold His hand. You will make it through if you hang on. If you let go, all bets are off. So hold tightly to the Rock. Hold to His to God’s unchanging hand

Psalm 46:1–2 (NKJV)

1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

The song of Alamoth, which means high pitch. Is a song for the sopranos the sisters in the church. Psalms 46–48 is said to be written during the attack by the Assyrians on Jerusalem. Assyria was a rising empire in (7BC), Bent on world conquest. They had conquered Israel, Syria, and was headed for Egypt. Only Jerusalem and king Hezekiah in the way. King Hezekiah looked over the wall and saw some of the meanest soldiers. So he prayed, trusted in God, and even asked Isaiah to pray as well. A battle angel was sent in the middle of the night and killed 185,000 of Assyrian troops in one night. The next day, the king looked over the wall and saw the carnage, and was amazed. They won having not to fight the battle. This is when either the king or son of korah picked up a pen, and wrote what God had done.

This morning I have been given the task to to help us believe that. Psalms 46 is true. To help us determine whether or not God is active or is he distant? Psalms 46 is the first of several songs of Zion (Pss 48; 76; 84; 87; 122) that celebrate God’s presence and protection. These psalms focus on Yahweh’s presence in Jerusalem. The word trouble is a Hebrew word that means “tight spot”. Life is full of tight sports, storms and things that can change. Life is like fighting a gorilla, you don’t rest when you get tired, but when the gorilla gets tired.

Psalms 46:1 Verse one ever present means God is readily available when we need him. No red tape, no call that is an answered or voice prompts to press one, two, three he’s a cheerleader can’t rock this house. Thunder can’t rock this house lightning can’t rock this house and you can’t rock this house. The Psalmist is saying bring on my rock in Jesus Christ and he is what we need when we need it. Remember that. No matter what happens. It’s not our enemy that let us know that God is in control and his will and Way will prevail. Though the mountain is taken away, I will trust God even as the storms come, not if they don’t I will trust him even as we flea cancer, eating at my body lose my job my house I will steal know God is in control.

John Frame wrote a book called The Doctrine of God. in his book he describes as the “sheer quantity and variety” of Scriptures that teach that God controls all things – even what appear to be free human actions. Frame says that it’s “quite impossible to escape the cumulative force of all of them…One may avoid a few rocks, but one cannot escape them all.” I tend to agree.

There are 3 questions we need to ask ourselves

If you believe the true story that God is still active, then what changes for you?

What beliefs does it change? What behaviors does it change?

In what ways are you hopeful God will be active in our life?

I believe there is distance from God, but its created by Man and not God

The Bottom Line.

If you’re here this morning or online its not an accident. God drew you here to receive these words. He wants you to trust Him. He wants you to know that He loves you, and He is there for you no matter how you may feel at this present moment.Just close your eyes and hold onto His hand. He will bring you through the darkness.

Read Psalms 46:10-11

Psalm 46:10–11 (NKJV)

10 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah