Purpose Driven Life Lesson 14
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Purpose Driven Life
Lesson 14
When God Seems Distant
When God Seems Distant
Introduction:
17 The Lord has hidden himself from his people, but I trust him and place my hope in him.
This verse alone displays worship at the deepest level.
Remember it is not about you.
What is at the very heart of worship?
You see God wants all of you.
We cannot part time worship
How do you respond when God seems distant?
What have I done?
I love how one person puts it
“You wake up one morning and all your spiritual feelings are gone. You pray, but nothing happens. You rebuke the devil, but it doesn’t change anything. You go through spiritual exercises…you have your friends pray for you…you confess every sin you can imagine, then go around asking forgiveness of everyone you know. You fast…still nothing. You begin to wonder how long this spiritual gloom might last. Days? Weeks? Months? Will it ever end?…it feels as if your prayers simply bounce off the ceiling. In utter desperation, you cry out, ‘What’s the matter with me?’”
To come to the place where you are mature in your Christian walk – Your worship is mature also.
The book puts a big emphasis on worship not being a feeling
As an immature Christian – God will give a feeling and answer selfish prayers. (There is a lot of selfish praying)
What’s going on when God seems distant?
What’s going on when God seems distant?
It’s a test of faith
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
God test us to build our faith and character
We seek an experience
I think about our worship – I don’t want it to be boring – But I don’t it to be a Las Vegas show either
The most common mistake Christians make in worship today is seeking an experience rather than seeking God.
When you seek an experience, the focus is on you
But when you seek God well we can see what happens
God is always present
God is always present
But God will not always manifest His presence
17 The Lord has hidden himself from his people, but I trust him and place my hope in him.
God is alway present
Our character is built when we worship without the manifestation
Here is a Satan lie. “If you are not feeling God then he has abandoned you.”.
Remember the belt of truth.
The quiet silent prayer is just as powerful as the prayer warrior prayer.
Faith, not feelings, pleases God.
What about when I’m in pain?
What about when I’m in pain?
What if God is nowhere to be found?
The situations that will stretch your faith most will be those times when life falls apart and God is nowhere to be found.
How do you praise God when you don’t understand what’s happening in your life and God is silent?
How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they’re full of tears?
Job is our example
He had lost everything
Job 1
Remember God wants to build your character
Three things to do when God is distant
Three things to do when God is distant
Tell God exactly how you feel.
Tell God exactly how you feel.
Pour out your heart to God
This ain’t the Now I lay me down to sleep
Add fasting to your Christian walk
Focus on who God is—his unchanging nature.
Focus on who God is—his unchanging nature.
List some of God’s attributes
Trust God to keep his promises.
Trust God to keep his promises.
We can be faithless
God never is
This is a great reminder
Remember what God has already done for you.
Remember what God has already done for you.
Familiarity breeds complacency.
5 Your lifestyle must be free from the love of money, being content with what you have. For he himself has said, “I will never desert you, and I will never abandon you.”