Note; this is the second sermon that actually deals with new Christians who experience doubts as they are learning faith.
I drew upon a Theology Today essay I found on-line by L. Rebecca Propst. Pts that are numbered 1 and 3 come directly from her essay.
I also drew upon an article entitle; Power Made Perfect in Weakness by Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung - that came from an ethics journal published by; Center for Christian Ethics and Baylor University.
I think that covers everybody who deserves credit.
Intro:
Last week we began to look for answers to the question; ‘what do I do when I’m not feeling it.’ What do we do when we have doubts about our faith, when questions about the love and/or power of God go unanswered, when prayers seem pointless and we begin to wonder if our faith and if our God really exists.
So we talked about David and Saul and Goliath; specifically how Saul, when faced by Goliath and the Philistines (his own doubts and fears) relied on his own strength to find answers, and was ultimately disappointed. Saul could only see the world through the lens of fighting and winning or fighting and being destroyed. He did not or could not think of the world a different way, so he could not imagine or believe that God might open up a different way for him….
You recall that the story of David and Goliath was written when Israel was in Babylon, and being in Babylon caused questions similar, we safely imagined to some of our own questions today; where is God, is there a God, Why is there such suffering, why does it seem as if our faith and our prayers have failed us? The point of telling you all of that was to show you how Israel handled the questions and the doubts and discouragement. They told themselves a different story… the remembered a time when God did something amazing and unexpected, with David, and that gave them the courage to continue to hope in God’s goodness instead of falling into dismay.
What do we do when we are not feeling it? We remember the stories of God’s amazing and powerful interruptions of Israel’s life to show them his love… and then we wait expectantly and patiently for those moments…. Look for them everywhere we go. And I think that believing in them changes our view, so that we can have courage and not be afraid.
Then thankfully and without any planning [a church member] got up and shared a testimony about how in a time of suffering and fear, God had revealed power through her and in her that she never knew existed so that she could care for [spouse]. Instead of being caught in the rut of not speaking and not disagreeing and not asserting her point of view… God opened up a new possibility for [same church member] where she found her voice…
This past week I got a phone call from someone, wanting more on this topic… and I’m glad because although the answer to the question…what do I do when I’m not feeling it is… remember the good things God has done… is really biblically… its what the bible shows over and over again… I think perhaps we may want a little more of an answer than ‘REMEMBER’
And so we turn to 2 Cor 12: 7-10
Now the topic that Paul is addressing here is suffering. And you may be wondering what this has to do with questions and doubts. Now here is my experience and my assumption. In my experience, we rarely have doubts in a vacuum. Doubts don’t usually appear without some form of fears, disappointments or some form of suffering (maybe not the suffering of people living in poverty in South America or Africa suffering) but some pain or discomfort of heart or soul or mind that puts us in this place of having doubts, wondering why? Or where are you God?
For me it was divorce that put me in the tail-spin of questions; where are you God when I need you? I try to follow you and this is the thanks I get? Do you really love and care for me? What is the point of faith if I have to put up with this….. ‘stuff’?
So I want to talk about a difficult topic this morning… suffering.
I cannot say all that needs to be said about suffering; such as the pain we feel when a loved one dies, or why a holocaust?
We read something very strange from Paul today….
for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We live in a world in a culture in which avoiding pain, alleviating pain, medicating pain; is the norm. It is so assumed that we wish to avoid pain, that the Bible’s witness about suffering and pain will sound to us… just…. Odd…
1. Because…throughout the Bible Suffering is not always avoided… as a matter of fact, suffering freely chosen in order to accomplish a purpose is a strong theme in Christian tradition.
Jesus described his own life and specifically death by saying… John 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
Jesus saw the purpose of his own life as voluntary suffering for a greater purpose… he laid down his life that his sheep might find life. He also says in Matt 16:24-25 "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me . 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Now, lets just be clear about what Jesus is talking about. Jesus is not talking about suffering that is unexpected, incidental, or seemingly random… Jesus isn’t addressing the suffering of a disease, such as cancer, or the physical or emotional abuse of a spouse or family member.
What Jesus is talking about is the choice to be his disciple… to put into practice a kingdom way of life, such as; turning the other cheek, forgiving 70 X 7, selling what we own to give to the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned… When we actively choose to let those kingdom values shape us… we will experience sometimes; disappointment, discouragement, perhaps even pain, physical or emotional… but that suffering is for a greater purpose…
And that Idea… of voluntary suffering for a greater purpose is a common theme…
1 Peter 2:20 says: ‘But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
1 Peter 3:17
17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Paul famously asks in Romans, a question we all know quite well; Rom 8:35-36 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Paul expects, in asking this question that those who are disciples will have to face suffering. It isn’t a matter of if we will suffer, but when will we suffer if we have made the way of Christ in the world our way.
And in 2 Tim, Paul even encourages those who read…8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,
How is suffering presented in our culture? Well, it’s a form of entertainment. Horror movies present suffering in such a way as to make it exciting for us to watch… it gives us an adrenaline rush… or action movies even pull us into a plot where someone suffers some form of injustice and then a hero stands up and fight, kills and destroys to rescue the victims…
So part of our culture wants to view suffering, but in the safe and antiseptic environment of the tv or movie screen.
Suffering is also a marketing technique; One of the best ways to get us to buy something is to make us feel inadequate… you are bald and it gets in the way of your romantic life and your business life… so you need to buy a product. You have acne, you have gray hair, your hips are too large, your breasts are too small… all of this playing on our insecurities ( a form of suffering I suggest) so that we will be active consumers of a product.
In both of these examples of suffering in our culture we see expressed the idea of avoiding suffering and here comes the bible with a very different view… Instead of viewing suffering from afar and from a safe distance… we are called to engage with the suffering… In Matt 24 Jesus explains that we serve him, comfort and care for him, when we serve, comfort and care for the poor… we aren’t allowed to keep suffering at a distance, to avoid it… but are encouraged to engage it… get right up close to it.
And we are also encouraged not only to share in the suffering of others, but to take on suffering, for a larger purpose, which is to alleviate the suffering of others, and to make a witness to the larger world of the Love of God that would undergo crucifixion to save us…
The suffering [the Bible and the Christian tradition] endorses, then, is not merely enduring pointless pain in a meaningless world. The suffering the Christian is called to bear is most often the result of try to love others in a world of sin and wretchedness.
pp. 13-14; Power Made Perfect in Weakness - Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoung
So ideally, Christians are prepared to suffer… we are trained to suffer for the sake of the good of others, for living the values of the Kingdom of God. Paul saw it as a way to witness to the larger world. The world would see us choosing to suffer instead of returning evil for evil… the world would see us suffering so as to serve others and see Christ in us…see us illustrating the story of Jesus, who suffered for us… Paul throughout his letters wants Christians to see his suffering, as a courageous witness of the strength of God…
2. What about our pointless pain in a meaningless world? Or… what about the suffering that we do not choose that just happens…. Or… Does God cause us to suffer?
Let’s start with the first question…. Does God cause suffering?
If we look to the Bible, that is not necessarily an easy question to answer although I think most of us immediately respond… no, of course not.
And we have bible verses to back us up….John 9:1-4 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind ?"
Now, the disciples are obviously asking a question about suffering… what happened so that God would cause this man’s suffering? And Jesus responds…
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus,
But we other sources that seem to suggest differently…
Such as Isa 3:18-26 In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings, 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls. Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding. Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle. The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
Now there is no mistaking that Isaiah is describing great suffering for Israel and attributing that suffering to the anger of God because of Israel’s disobedience…
Job 1:6-20
Now there is a lot going on in Job, that we just don’t have time for today… but there is no doubt that although God doesn’t necessarily cause the suffering, God, in the story, allows the suffering.
I have to admit that I still have a hard time with the idea that God would allow or cause suffering. But the alternative just isn’t an option for me personally… the option that says there is no God, or that God does not care, that I am a chemical and biological accident, a random happening due to evolution…
And that is why I think the Hebrew writers in Job and Isaiah present God to us as allowing and causing suffering…. Because the alternative leaves us with our doubts and fears and no way out of them… they would rather believe that God sometimes causes or allows suffering, because then at least God still exists and has the power. Otherwise sickness and disease and violence have more power in the world than does God.
So in a strange way… even the stories that portray God as causing or allowing suffering are designed to give hope… because they are saying that your pain, your discouragement, your suffering isn’t random… God has allowed it… God still has power over it… and if God controls it and allows it, then God can and will also bring an end to suffering.
Isaiah and Job could maintain courage and hope in the midst of suffering, if it wasn’t random… if that suffering still remained within the control of God and was just allowed. It still leaves us with a question… why would God allow it?
This gets carried through in the story from John that I read earlier… I only read a part of Jesus response… which in full reads…."Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Which leads to my third point for today about suffering…
3. A Time of suffering in the Bible is the precursor to the opening of new possibilities… the creation of something new…
The Isaiah who described bald women, would also sing a song of God comforting his people in chapter 40 and describing a new day of joy and hope and safety for Israel… the sojourn through suffering was meant to purge the dross… what was waste, dirt…was cleansed so that Israel could in the end, grow closer to God.
God took away everything that Job had… but in the end of the story gives him back twice what he had before…
Suffering, even unexpected suffering or unwanted suffering can lead to something… new…Nothing can stop the creativity of God, not even suffering.
When we endure suffering, we say by our endurance that we are waiting for something better,… a crucible of self-transformation, an opportunity for a new vision
Pg 14 Power Made Perfect in Weakness - Rebecca Konyndyk Deyoun
Rom 5:3-5
but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance ; 4 perseverance , character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us,
the Bible in general, and Paul specifically has this unshakable view of God, who is constantly at work creating, behind the scenes of the world, behind the scenes in our lives. Paul sees the world not in the process of destruction, but sees God in the process of recreating and even our suffering, God is powerful enough and loving enough to fold into his own purpose, which is to re-create in us and through us…
Mother Teresa helps us to understand this process when she says, 'Suffering opens up space within that otherwise would not be there -- that God can come in and fill.'"
And that is what I really want us to focus on for our initial question… for those with questions and doubts… don’t avoid them… The Bible clearly tells us that these times of doubt, of fear, or questions… are the times when God can and will create this space within us… only to fill it with a deeper faith, a sense of closeness to our creator… a calling to a larger purpose… It may be chaos now… but God sometimes allows chaos so as to then create something new within us.
So what do we do? I think one lesson is that we not avoid these questions or doubts… don’t try to fill them with easy answers… with distractions that make us feel better….that is what Saul tried to do in last weeks reading… fill his doubts and fears with the easiest and most accessible answer, swords and armor… Somehow we have to sit with these questions and wait for God to reveal the purpose of our doubts and questions…So be patient…those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength Isaiah says…
Second, share your doubts with someone. When Paul talks about sharing in suffering he is first of all challenging the new Christians to see all of Jesus life as their own story… not just the resurrection, but the life and suffering… but Paul also shares his own suffering… so that he can encourage and be encouraged. So share your doubts and your questions, so that you don’t feel isolated and alone… and also share, as Nancy did last week, the new creation story that comes after the questions and doubts.
Third… This is where the Christian action of prayer comes in…
And I mean a very specific kind of prayer… If our time of doubt is actually a time where God is creating a space so as to grow closer to us, or greater in us.. or to call us or give us a gift… the kind of prayer where we do all the talking wont accomplish anything. When we are doubting or questioning or even hurting we need to do listening prayer… praying with scripture.
Ps 31
Ps 9
Ps 22
Ps 107
A quote from NT Wright, puts suffering in the context of the salvation of the world…
Thus the church is called to be for the world what Jesus was for Israel:
not just a moral lecturer, nor even a moral example, but the people who, in
obedience to God’s strange vocation, learn to suffer and pray at the place
where the world is in pain, so that the world may be healed.
N . T . W R I G H T , in The Meaning of Jesus (with Marcus Borg)
But a verse from the story of Job gives us a first step on the journey to seeing our chosen suffering… even our random sufferings as a part of a larger witness to the world…
After all his suffering, his questions, when God gives back to Job twice what he had before… Job can say
My ears had heard you, but now my eyes have seen you Job 42:5 NIV
As difficult as it may be for us to understand, Job tells us that nothing can strengthen our sense of God’s love for us… like going through suffering, and watching what God can make out of what looks like, feels like, seems like chaos… those are the moments, as we look back, when we can see God…
Lets Pray
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