Woodstock Mountain Bike Fellowship

Faith in the Face of Silence and Struggles

June 17, 2008

Susan and I often talk about how our attitude (or level of contentment) is heavily influenced by our initial expectations. Perhaps I'm just a slacker, but I usually approach things without high expectations, and as such, live a fairly contented life. In recognition of this reality, we actually went on a "B-grade" vacation to Natural Bridge (VA) during the Thanksgiving holidays a number of years ago. We made it clear to the kids that we would be staying in outdated lodging, doing some hiking, visiting a wax museum, and touring a very small cavern. To this day, we look back on that trip as one of our more memorable vacations.

Perhaps you're heard the song that "every day with Jesus, is sweeter than the day before." As Christians, I believe that we often set ourselves up for spiritual disappointment by setting expectations that just aren't Biblically accurate. We listen to radio programs and read short stories of people who seem to always float from one mountaintop experience to another and then wonder why our lives don't seem to work the same way. We read verses like Philippians 4:4 and Psalm 34:1 and set expectations of perfection for ourselves, and then we wonder why we find ourselves doubting God and His promises during times when we don't feel like rejoicing.

I'd like to help us reset our expectations of ourselves by another verse from the pen of Paul - Romans 9:1,2. Is he negating Phil 4:4 in these verses? Not at all - he is simply stating the reality of life in this world. When he tells us to "rejoice in the Lord always," he is commanding us to renew our minds by seeking our delight on those things which are above, a sphere unrelated to the circumstances of life. It is only "in the Lord" that unshakeable joy is possible, in the context of an unassailable relationship with the sovereign Lord of all things.

John Piper says that "our joy is not static. It fluctuates with real life. It is vulnerable to Satan's attacks." And I'm here today to warn you that if you expect your Christian life to be one easy road to the top of the mountain, you are in for some pretty big disappointments. And even more, if you're expecting God to automatically grant you smooth sailing with every prayer answered exactly according to your wishes, you will find yourself disappointed with Him, not because of who He is, but because of your incorrect expectations.

So, am I saying that we should have low expectations of God or of His sovereign ability in the world? Not at all. In fact, I submit that our expectations aren't high enough. I'm just saying that we have the wrong expectations - expectations based upon things that our world tells us will bring happiness. We watch TV or read magazine advertisements and expect that God will make those things come true in the lives of every genuine believer. And when things don't go according to this plan, we begin to question whether God really loves us. We laugh when we consider the frivolity of the old Janis Joplin tune ("O Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz") but if we truly examine our hearts, our stumbles of faith are usually a result of the same philosophy.

So, what do we actually see when we examine the scriptures?

Consider these truths from Scripture:

The Lord chose to stop by for a visit with Abraham and let him know of the pending destruction of Sodom. He didn't really need to "come down and see" if their wickedness was as bad as He had heard, but He did so in order to interact personally with Abraham with regards to this situation. Abraham makes two key points in his pleadings with God:

Abraham probably thought that he had the whole situation figured out until he looked across the plain the next morning (Genesis 19:27,28). Can you imagine how Abraham felt? He probably didn't get a text message from Lot that everything was OK. Have you ever prayed a sincere prayer, knew that God heard you, and then had your faith shaken when it was answered in a totally different way than you expected? Change your expectations!

Consider some of the struggles that Jacob (Israel) faced throughout his life:

Many other difficult situations surrounded Jacob, from wanderings to wars, and sibling rivalry to incest. But in spite of all these things, Jacob's final words in Genesis 48:15 serve as a capstone to his life. Regardless of the ills that he suffered (self-inflicted and caused by others), he declares that God was with him all the days of his life. Do you believe that God has abandoned you because you are facing some really harsh struggles? Change your expectations!

So, what is the secret of a faith that stays solid through the inevitable times of struggle or when we pray to God and He seems to be silent? First of all, remember that you can't see very much with your limited eyesight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Can you see the future? Can you see beyond this room? Can you even see well enough to remember the past? Don't trust your eyes as the basis of your faith.

Second, remember how deceptive your feelings can be. Two things that you can count on when it comes to your heart - it will deceive you (Jeremiah 17:9) and it will fail you (Psalm 73:24).

Third, don't think that your faith will grow based on your brilliant intellect. Don't get me wrong - it's not a bad thing to build your knowledge base and to learn better reasoning skills. Just don't count on your intellect as the basis of a growing faith (1 Corinthians 1:19-21).

There is only one successful basis for a sustained faith: the revealed Word of God. When you can't see God's answer to your prayer, and when you don't feel His presence, and when you can't figure out how to get out of the mess you're in, remember that His word is trustworthy.

Remember that Satan's number one objective is to destroy the joy of our faith. We have only one offensive weapon: the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). You have to wear it to wield it (1 John 2:14).

Now that I've shared this message with you, you can expect this truth to be tested. Be prepared by taking some of the verses that you've heard tonight, meditating upon them, and be prepared to use them.

---

"Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV ?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV ?

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town ?
I'm counting on you, Lord, please don't let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town ?

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