It's Complicated: Faith in the Valley

Psalm 23 NLT

A psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. 3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Prayer

Ecclesiastes 1:1–14 NLT

1 These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem. 2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” 3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. 9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now. 12 I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. 14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Are we all pumped up?

Soccer player stuck in the fog.

Sam Bartram, was the goalie for Charlton Athletic - played 579 games.

Dec 25th 1937 was involved in a well reported incident when thick fog closed in on a game he was playing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

"Soon after the kick-off," he wrote in his autobiography, "[fog] began to thicken rapidly at the far end, travelling past Vic Woodley in the Chelsea goal and rolling steadily towards me. The referee stopped the game, and then, as visibility became clearer, restarted it. We were on top at this time, and I saw fewer and fewer figures as we attacked steadily."

The game went unusually silent but Sam remained at his post, peering into the thickening fog from the edge of the penalty area. And he wondered why the play was not coming his way.

"After a long time," he wrote, 'a figure loomed out of the curtain of fog in front of me. It was a policeman, and he gaped at me incredulously. "What on earth are you doing here?" he gasped. "The game was stopped a quarter of an hour ago. The field's completely empty".'

PAUSE

We have just come out of Easter. Singing songs of celebration and hands up and lights and cheers.

When it comes to faith, if we are honest, many of us have felt that.

Like there is some sort of life beyond the fog, but we are not a part of it.

We are stuck here, unaware, alone, while others seem to be living their lives, and moving forward.

And everyone else so know something you don’t.

And once an awhile someone attempting to help you approached you and says.... “Hey what are you doing on this side of the fog.”

And for many we find that there is a disconnect between what we are told and what we experience.

Why is there a disconnect between what we are told and what we experience?

If we walk in darkness long enough we will begin to believe that all there is is darkness.

And it works both ways. If we have been pampered our whole lives, we will assume everything everywhere is good, and we will be blind to the hurt of others and the plight of those in other area of the world.

But if we walk in shadow and depression we will have a concept that everything everywhere is bad.

Winston Churchill has been credited with the metaphor of depression, melancholy and sadness as the black dog.

this description of a wild, dark, constant companion, growling and baring his thick, razor-sharp teeth —

and imposing himself on the one he follows.

Why does Paul sit in prison and burst with joy.

And I cannot even label the source of my pain.

Phil 1:

Philippians 1:21 NLT

21 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.

We sing along, we talk to other Christian and nod about the amazing truths that the spirit has revealed to them and how the word always comes to life, and their prayers are answered and they almost have a physical sense of the presence of Christ in their life. and other than wanting to punch them in the face, we think....I don’t see it, I don’t feel it, and I’m not even sure .....I believe it any more.

And we may arrive at a day where our faith hits the wall

And we cannot see it.

I couldn’t see it. I suddenly couldn’t see God at all. I suddenly saw the world as if God didn’t exist.

As one writer puts it...

“That day I was seized with a Grand Doubt, and scales, rather than falling off, filled my heart-eyes. God disappeared from my spiritual sight for the first time in my memory.”

Jon Bloom

E

Ecclesiastes 1:14 NLT

14 I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind.

Bloom goes on to say, echoing Solomon....

Everything appeared hollow. Work appeared meaningless, rest appeared meaningless, leisure appeared meaningless, the cosmos appeared meaningless. Life appeared meaningless.

Ever been there?

And the question the christian who walks in shadow ask is ......

“Why is my experience so different than everyone else’s?”

Everyone is singing and quoting Psalms, and the pastor reads a psalms as a call to worship but he stops the psalm halfway through, because after that it gets weird, so he doesn’t read the parts that ring true to you....

like

Psalm 44:23–24 NLT

23 Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever. 24 Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?

-34

When is the last time you saw that framed in someones living room?

And the question for us today, and over these next two weeks, is this.....

How do we navigate sorrow in such a way that we not only survive, but thrive?

It is so important that we frame our experience correctly.....this is what I mean.

Three Misguided Beliefs:

Here is the framework you and I live our lives in.

I. Suffering is an affront to your spiritual and emotional health

Something like this:

Something like this:

You should be happy, you should get what you desire, and your ultimate satisfaction and joy comes when desires are attained.

And it follows, that any level of suffering is an affront to your joy.

That is a modern concept.

Greek philosophers believed that suffering led to knowledge.

James 1:2–4 NLT

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Now testing does NOT mean checking whether or not you have faith!!

That is not what is at stake here, James is saying that.

He is talking about the kind of testing that builds strength and purity.

The kind of testing that my daughter does when she does what’s called a mock exam for ballet. She is watched and critiques and her dance is “purified”, she is given endurance and strength.

This idea is foreign today. We are taught to avoid difficulty, and uncertain circumstance.

Which is difficult if we trust the words of Jesus who said in

John 16:33 NLT

33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Jonh 16:33

There is not if. It is not a possibility, it is inevitable!

Jesus was always very up front, the apostles were always very up front that life would have difficulty.

And that they are not an affront but a catalyst for longevity and strength.

related to that ....

II. Our culture has provided all that is needed for your spiritual and emotional health

We are taught that because of what we have and where we live we can purchase or experience everything we need to make us happy.

Whether it is democracy, capitalism, good food, craft beer, two car garage, or the ability to have a couple vacations each year, sexual freedom. We have created a society and an experience that is perfectly suited to give you happiness and health.

Cars are no longer tools, they are an experience of spiritual enlightenment, sexual freedom to be expressed with whomever and whenever you want is liberating and fulfilling, convenience is everywhere, and you don’t have to wait, we’ve got Prime, as if patience is a negative,

And we have also produced all the gadgets you need so you can capture all your experiences on your iPhone.

Our culture has provided all that is needed for your spiritual and emotional health

A third misguided belief is this.....

III. Your spiritual and emotional health is a personal project

Think of just the implication of that title.

Think of just the implication of the concept of Self-Help.

You got it!

“You got it!”

“Get the right book, get the right attitude, mindset, and get it done.”

“Listen you have all the resources at your disposal, you just need the strength and the will to get it done.”

Sadly this, mindset has made it into some churches, very large, popular, TV, .....

Pastoral confession-----sometimes, some pastors to make a point will find obscure examples, scour the internet to find some incident that helps their point.

I went online to find evidence that this self help, you deserve happiness concept, was around in the church....and it took me 3 seconds to find a tweet from this week.

This week, a very famous pastor tweeted this out....

If you’ll be a prisoner of hope, God promises He’ll pay you back twice for the unfair things that have happened. This is your year for double. This is your year for vindication, for restoration, for new beginnings. You’ve got to get your mind going in the right direction.

Now you will notice that I have changed the name so as to protect the identity of this famous pastor..that was Pastor Boel Joesteen

That is not the gospel.. that is not in this word “you will have trouble but take heart I will overcome the world.”

That is not “consider it pure joy when you face trials."

This is you will get blessings never promised by God, if you get your head straight.

This is “you will get blessings (never promised by God), if you get your head straight.”

Its a formula!

Now here is my point this morning...

And here is the deep dilemma that many find themselves in, and I would say all of us at times.....

If we believe that we should not have to suffer and that our spiritual health is somehow damaged by suffering or deficient if we are having sorrow, if we believe that everything we need to be happy is found in our culture, if we believe that the only thing keeping us from health is ourself,

Then...... whose fault is it when we are unsatisfied, and in spite of all this stuff.......whose fault is it that we are sad, in shadow......it’s our fault; right?

Do you see how this is so dangerous!

We then ask ourselves......what is wrong with me?

We then ask ourselves......what is wrong with me?

See the problem?

See the problem?

Most people I’ve spoken to or listened to who are anxious, depressed, always have a double portion of sadness; why, because according to everything they are told.....they shouldn’t be!!

It bring about unnecessary pressure, unnecessary burden… added to sadness is our sadness about being sad. We shouldn’t be sad! What’s wrong with me?

In danger of sounding like a newsy going on strike i the 1800s.....theres is something wrong with the system.

But… What if difficulty was acceptable? What if the reality of trial and questions is accepted, understood to be inevitable. Then we can eliminate a deeper sadness.

Pause

I recently heard someone tell the story of being in an accident in a cab in NY.

They had been rear-ended, by another cab. And they were surprised by the response.

They were hit. The driver looked in his rear-view mirror. and then.....stepped in the gas and kept driving.

Now if you were in a cab in Coquitlam, and you were rear-ended by another cab, what would the response of the driver be? Probably a few course words, grabbing the

(expectations)

Christianity is not ignorant of suffering.

At least authentic / classical Christianity is not ignorant of suffering and sorrow.

Isaiah 43:2 NLT

2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Now some of you Bible scolars would say, yeah but that is a promise to Israel from God.

Yes, but isn’t that exactly what Jesus promise his church, through his spirit.

“In this world your will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world.”

Isn’t that what Jesus said when he said I will give you my spirit

John 14:26–27 NLT

26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Sorry what? I give you a gift the world cannot. What? But the world is promising me this gift; tells me I should have peace because i have everything I need and want.

and your inclination is not to

If you are the Christian in our midst that has never had a question, the birds are always singing and faith is always strong, keep quiet.

You can go take you proper place next to the unicorn!!

For many of us, we get by on fumes. Promises, a logical understanding that God’s way makes more sense is healthier than a secular one. But that is a safety net!!

When pilots lose their point of reference, fly into dark clouds, ot would be a bad move to trust his physical surrounding and ho he sees them;

He might feel like he is flying straight when in fact he is slowly moving down.

They have some options; they can panic!

The pilot needs to learn to trust what the plane’s instruments are telling him, not rely on his thoughts and feelings. His life depends on it.

Another important aspect would e to trust those flying with you.

Telling your co-pilot everything is fine is a useless tactic.

Faith-ing?

cognitive behavioural therapy ?

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

1 Corinthians 4:16–18 NLT

16 So I urge you to imitate me. 17 That’s why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go. 18 Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again.

If we do not have some level of trust.

“Therefore, 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. No amount of money, power, and planning can prevent bereavement, dire illness, rela­tionship betrayal, financial disaster, or a host of other troubles from entering your life. Human life is fatally fragile and subject to forces be­yond our power to manage. Life is tragic.”

And if that is so......how can all these misguided promises possibly sustain us!?

It comes from resting in something greater than your immediate feeling, or circumstance.

So let’s say you just had a job review, and you were told that your last report was not great. In fact it’s one of the worst ones you’ve done.

If that’s all you got to go on that’s a real difficulty. However, if year after year you win awards, and you are recognized for doing well in your field of expertise, whether it’s selling cars, or teaching kids, or whatever it is. Well then, you have something bigger to rest in. You can accept it and say yeah OK I messed up here, that wasn’t the best I could do, but that’s not ultimately defining me.

When the Bible talks about sadness it always is something fluid because even in our sadness we rest and find meaning and perspective get a larger story. That’s why Paul doesn’t say say stop crying… Hey don’t be sad… He says grieve, but don’t grieve as those who have no hope.

AND do not grieve as those who are alone!!

Notice in Paul’s letters that suffering is always happening as a group! There is a call to encourage each other in our suffering, to spur on and encourage as the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews says.

As we have said at CAChurch for yers, you are not meant to walk into chaos alone.

Luke 5:17–20 NLT

17 One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to take him inside to Jesus, 19 but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they went up to the roof and took off some tiles. Then they lowered the sick man on his mat down into the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.”

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NLT

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Now what stands out in that passage?

Anything?

Luke 5:20–32 NLT

20 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” 21 But the Pharisees and teachers of religious law said to themselves, “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” 22 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 23 Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 25 And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped up, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” 27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. 29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?” 31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

Who’s faith healed this man?

This man, whose name we do not know, surrounded by friends whose names we do not know, who could never get to Jesus on his own, was carried to, laid at the feet of, and brought healing by Jesus, because he relied on the community of his friends to fight on his behalf, to take him where he could not go on his on.

And he had to simply trust them.

No philosophy of self-determination could have got him to the feet of Jesus.

And would never lead him to where he needed to be, and where he was powerless to get on his own.

For many, who just find themselves walking in the fog, or crawling through the fog, I would encourage you, and for some this is seemingly against everything in you (partly because we are still following the script of you ought to be fine, you ought to ignore your the valley your in, and that you should be able to handle it, no one is interested), the church is meant to be a place for the broken, those in the valley being guided, loved, and carried sometimes by those who are able to.

You are part of a larger story and a larger family than what you have been told.

And my ask of you would be to trust those around you, allow others to walk with you and for you.

One of the reason you and I meet together weekly and ought to do so much more than that, is because we need to be diligent to remind ourselves of those things which bring life and those thing that don’t.

To take have handles in the middle of the fog that we can firmly grab as we make our way.

That is one of the reason we practice communion, and why communion is so important to the church.

II Cor 4:16-18

Luke 5:

II Cor. 14:16-18

Communion reminds us of the truth of those things beyond the fog.

Communion reminds us of the community that surrounds us, because we take communion together.

Communion in someways is an aid to get us to the feet of Jesus over and over again in the midst of shadow.

It is our sustenance in the middle of the valley

Your relationship with Christ is personal, we worship a personal God, but it is not exclusively personal and it is not healthy if it is only personal.

As we walk the fog of life we are not stuck alone without community and encouragement and spurring on. That is why a walk in the park will never replace the church community; the ecclessia.

We are reminded that our story individually and as a community is rolled up in the person and work of Christ; and we need to revisit it over and over.

As we approach the Lord’s Supper we do so in humility and honesty; we are all beggars telling other beggars where to get bread. And we approach communion asking for faith to move forward and doing so among brothers and sisters doing the same.

We are revisiting the purest source of our peace together.

Jesus, the son of the living God, who understands pain, who understands temptation, and seclusion, rejection and reaches to us through communion to offer his peace and acceptance.

So let us not jump in without reflection/pleading lament, and invitation to take us over. Let us not take this meal forgetting that we do so together, so rather than simply reflecting on where we are at with God, let us prayer for each other.

Testing does not mean…seeing whether of not you have it!!