A Faith That Sustains When Life Falls Apart

When he gets older, he'll sleep to remind me of when I was in seminary. There's a past we had a visiting Pastor there, talkin to us and he said one day, he was preaching one Sunday morning. And said, there was a young couple sitting up front and said the little child had something in his hand. He thought it was a toy gun. He said, because a little child. We keep going like that point, you know, like up there at the preacher like that. And so when the service was over, he was greeting, everybody in the family come out. And he said, He looked at little boy. He said, are you trying to shoot me with that gun and his mom, so, it wasn't a gun said, it was a TV. Flipper said, he just loves flippers and we take the batteries out. He likes to press the buttons and I like that she said so he wasn't trying to shoot you. He was just trying to cut you off. So if I see some of y'all out there today, I know what you do is you not trying to shoot me trying to cut me off so but it is good to be here in the Lord's house today. Any Sunday, you can have the help to go to church and the stand up reach. It's a good Sunday. Amen. It is a good Sunday. Well, today, if you remember last week.

We talked about suffering. And I gave you the three landmines to avoid when suffering. And the first one was a landmine of doubt. And how Satan will come in your life when something happens when you're suffering, either physical or emotional Financial, whatever it is, when you're suffering and he'll come in and he'll try to get you to doubt, God. So at the doubt, the goodness of God will then. Secondly, we talked about worry how he'll try to get you to worry and when you worry you or you're questioning the presence of God in your life, but when you start doubting God's goodness and then start doubting whether he's even with you or not. And then thirdly we said he'll will start to Envy other people what they have that we don't or we'll start throwing a pity party. And so what that is is Satan will get us to question the wisdom of God whether or not this is really right for my life. And so, what I want to do today is to continue that thing. But I want to show you if this is the right way to say it, how to suffer. The proper way to suffer. Of a Biblical understanding. Of suffering info today. The sermon is entitled to face that sustains when life falls apart. You ever been there when you lie feel like it just fell apart. It's over. And I said, I don't know how many times I said that I said, it's over. I can remember when I was in seminary and I had to have heart surgery. And I started doubting wanting to World, call me leave my home, sell my home, go to school at 38 years old. And now, you bring this.

So I started doubting some, I started questioning his presence. It's very easy to do when suffering comes in to your life info. Today. I want you to turn if you would in your Bibles to Romans. Romans chapter 4. And this is a very familiar story. If you know, you're kind of Old Testament willing to talk about the story of Abraham and Sarah. Now, if you remember Abraham in the Old Testament, the Lord come to him and he gave him was called The abrahamic, Covenant. And he told him, he said I'm going to make you a great nation your Offspring. That's what God told Abraham that he said they're going to be as many as the sand on the seashore. And then he told him one night. He said go out Abraham and look up at the sky and and try to count the Stars. He said your Offspring is going to be like the stars in the sky. So a whole nation was going to come from this man, and we we know that it did. But before you can have millions before, you can be the father of millions, you have to be the father of one. You have to start somewhere. So Abraham and Sarah State their entire lives. On the promise of God. That they would be the parents of a great nation. That's by stake their lives on that. And when God told Abraham, that they waited decade after decade, after decade after decade and nothing happened. But just think of that God would come to you and say, you going to be the father of a great nation. Your Offspring is going to be more than the sands on the seashore. And at that time, you were 50 years old. And you waited forty more years. And when you were nine 8, or maybe a hundred and nothing happened. Would you doubt God then what you died? What you saying? My wife meant now. Something's going on here. And then when Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah was 90. God said this time. Next year, you going to have a child. That you ladies, if you were nineteen years old and God said this time, next year. You going to be with child, you going to have a child? What would you say? Will you know what to say or did the first thing? She did she laughed when you laugh? God told you that they were. Right, right? Yeah. Well, let's read the story here in Romans 4 and we're only going to look at a few verses 17 through 21. Because what we're looking at today is we going to contrast, the Fate that doubts and worries, and he's envious with the Fate that we ought to have when we suffer. So, let's begin in verse 17 of Romans chapter 4. As it is written. I have made you a father of many nations in the presence of him who he believed God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things, which do not exist. As though they did, what's 2 things? You see about God right here that it says he gives life to the Dead. He can bring something back to life. That was dead. And then it says he calls those things which do not exist as though they did. God can make something out of nothing. That's what he can do. That that there is a message that Abraham needed to hear because Abraham was a hundred years old. And as far as having children, he was dead and Sarah was 90 years old in her womb was dead. This is The Impossible. Italy. Scientifically biologically is impossible, Verse 18. Now, watch what it says about Abraham here. Who contrary to Hope in that little phrase. Contrary to Hope means humanly speaking. There was no hope. Having no Hope in Hope believe so that he became the father of many nations. According to what was spoken. So, shall your descendants be and not being weak in faith. He did not consider his own body already dead since he was 100 years old and the deadness of Sarah's womb. And other words heat when God said this time. Next year, you will have a child. He didn't consider that he was dead. A hundred years old couldn't have a child. He didn't consider the the deadness of Sarah's womb. He trusted and believed, God friends. That's a faith that will sustain you in suffering. When you believe and trust God, even though it doesn't go along with The Narrative of the day, even though it's not scientific. Even though biologically is impossible. He believed God. He believed got that. Look at verse 20. He did not waver at the promise of God, through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. Being fully convinced that what he had promised a child at the age of 190. He was also able to perform. He said, God told me this. I'm going to believe it. I'm on a trusting and God is able to do it. Why? Because God can bring something out of nothing. God can bring life out of death. That's what God can do. But just remember he had never seen God resurrect anybody at this time in the Old Testament. If God did that, it would be unprecedented. But Abraham believed it friends. This is how you suffer. This is the biblical thinking and perspective that we need to have when suffering. So, let me give you three points. They let me give you first one right now and I won't talk about what Biblical faith is. Biblical faith never requires you To deny reality. It never requires you to deny reality. Look at it, verse 19. He says not being weak in faith. He did not consider his own body already dead, since he was a hundred and the deadness of Sarah's Boone. Biblical fate does not cause you does not require you to deny what you see the factual evidence of the data. In other words. Abraham said we can't have a child. She is too old. I'm too old humanly speaking. We cannot have a child together. I mean, he looked at the facts and he says this is what it is Friends. Listen, when you suffer, if you have to talk yourself into believing a certain way, if you have to go to a therapist, who tells you, where, what you need is you just, you just need positive thinking. If you have to do that, what you have is not biblical Faith biblical Faith. Look suffering in the eye and then it turns and looks to God, that's biblical faith. It will trust God and it will believe God. Even though the circumstances says otherwise, you don't see hear Abraham saying what, you know, something, maybe we can, maybe we can have a child, you know, we got all this medical stuff going on now technology. Maybe we can have a job. No. He knew that they couldn't. And he said, as much in this biblical, Faith does not deny the facts of suffering. So if you're suffering right now, for whatever reason, whatever you going through your suffering, don't try to change the narrative and deny that you're suffering. Don't try to put on a face. Don't try to act like everything is, okay, if you're hurting at MIT that you're hurting. If you're questioning God, just admit it biblical, Faith does not require you to deny reality. Number two.

Biblical Faith requires you.

To discern. Where your hope is found? Now I'm going to spend a few minutes on this one, but biblical Faith, a face that will sustain you. When life falls apart. It does require you to discern. Where your hope is found it requires that what was the source of Abraham's meditation. It wasn't on the harsh, reality of the fact. He didn't sit around thinking. Okay. Yeah, we're going to have a baby next year and I'm a hundred and Sarah's naughty. Yeah, right. He didn't sit around and just rehash the harsh reality of of the truth here or of the facts, what he concentrated on was the present and the promises and the power of God. That's what he concentrated on. Look at it and verses 20 and 21. He was in verse 20. He did not waver at the promise of God, through unbelief. So he didn't show any unbelief whatsoever. He didn't waver when God told him that they were going to have a child and it says here, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. And then look at verse 21. He was fully convinced that what God had promised. God was able to perform. You see that is strong sustaining biblical Faith, the source of his meditation. What he thought about was not look what I'm going through. My life is over. My life is falling apart. I will never be the same. Not what he said. No, he looked at God and said, I know, God can bring nothing. He can bring something out of nothing. He can bring the life from Death. I am fully convinced of that. I'm fully convinced. Someone asked you this morning. This

And I want you to be honest when suffering enters your life.

What rules your heart? And what commands your meditation? What do you think about? What is it? That enters your mind is at the doubt. Questioning God's goodness, question in his presence. That's what Satan will do. Or when your life falls apart, can you continue to stand on the Rock and trust God and believe what he says? Can you do it? Do you do it? Now, what you think right now? Who do you communicate communicate with daily? The most? Who do you talk to the most in your life? Just think about you at work all the time. Maybe your boss or co-worker? If you're home, and maybe one of your children and maybe your spouse. Who do you talk to communicate with the most in your life? Let me tell you who it is. It's not, your spouse is not your children, and it's not someone on your job and it's probably not God.

You talk to you more than you talk to anyone.

Because everything that comes into your life, goes through your mind and you interpret everything that comes into your life. Wonder why she said that to me what she was throwing off on me, or she just compliment me, you know, how we do everything that happens, if it's in our hearts and minds and we go through it and play it over and over and over. No one talks to you. More than you. That's why we not only suffer the things that we're suffering from, but many times we also suffer from our interpretation of the thing. We're suffering from how we see it in our life, in friend, when suffering, hit you. When trouble and Trials, come into your life. If you see yourself as going into panic mode, let me tell you why you do that, you do that. Because your problem is You're gazing at the problem. In your glancing at God. You know, the difference when you gaze on a glance. You gave you check it out, you look at it. You look it up and down. Sideways, what you look, you check it out before you buy a car or a piece of furniture. You walk around at you, look at it, you touch it, you feel it. Some of you do like that way in the grocery store. You pick up everything you buy. I've seen people pick up cans of green beans and turn it and look at it, and there's other 20 other can sitting there just like it, but they think they're, they're just getting, I guess this one's the best. You say. They're there gazing at when we when we enter panic mode, when we start to doubt God's goodness, and when we worry about whether he's present with us or not, what we're doing is we're gazing at our problem and we're glancing at God. We need to turn that around and when your problems, you need to sit here and you need to gaze at God. That's what you need to do. Lansing. And

Daisy. Now the circumstances may change in your life. The friends is one thing that will not change and that's the Lord himself. He never changes. So when the unexpected comes into your life. When your dreams die. When painful things, come your way. Where did your heart run? Does it run to Panic or does it run? To God. You never just suffer what you're suffering from. Many times we suffer based on our interpretation of what we're suffering. Few things the pic but gospel more clearly. Been suffering. And I want you to listen carefully what I'm up? Say here suffering.

Reminds us where life is found. You know, that. You will not understand life, truly. What life is until you suffer? Now, here's the problem.

Life is not found in that big house. Life is not found. In that job.

Life is not found in your spouse.

Life is not found in your children. Life is not found in your bank account. None of those places can give you life. Or none of those things can give you life because all of those things can be taken from you. All of those can be taken from you friends. Listen, life is a person. And his name is Jesus. Jesus is our life. Look at Colossians 3 4. When Christ, who is what, who is our life appears? Then you also will appear with him and Glory Christ is our life. So why is it when we lose our house? When we wreck that BMW. When we lose our job. When we lose a spouse through death, or maybe just walking out on us. Why is it so painful Force? Why is that so painful? It's because we Define them as life. That's my life. I'm standing here now, and I'm thinking right now in my head. Cuz remember, no one talks to you more than you. Do. I'm thinking of two women that I know. Who were married for over 50-60 years and lost their husbands. And when their husbands died, they died. They were never the same. One became a Hermit stayed in her house. No one ever saw her and she died alone in her house. Absolutely. Miserable the last five or ten years of her life and the other one was about saying. Now why why why? Why was it that painful that their life ended when their husbands died? It's because To them, their life was their spouse. That was their life and when the spouse was gone, their life Ended as well. Remember what we talked about in Ecclesiastes. Don't turn the gift of God home car. Spouse children job. Don't turn the gifts of God into God themselves because you start worshipping the gift and not The Giver. Biblical faith. Requires you to discern where your hope and life is found. When I was in seminary. We had a guest speaker, one day, in our class. I was in a counseling class and his name was Paul Tripp. Paul Tripp was a pastor, a prolific writer biblical counselor. I just loved his work. Well while he was there, he told us of a story. He said he was going to cancel this woman and her husband. They were having marital trouble. And at the last moment, the husband canceled out and would not come. So, the wife came on her own and he said it was the first session. So they spent about two and a half hours there. Is it while he was counseling? Her husband had three 18-wheelers pull up for their mansion. They had a 22 thousand foot square foot house. With all this expensive art. I mean, they were very wealthy people. He had three 18-wheelers pull up and while she was in counseling, he cleaned out the entire house and left her destitute. He said the only thing he left there for her and he took the two children as well. They had a kitchen table with four chairs. He left the table and one chair. For her and he left in one of the four master bedrooms. They had he left a single bed. And that was all he left. He cleaned the entire mention out, in a matter of hours. And he says, as she found out that and she was just absolutely devastated. Course, we can understand that, but she was just devastated at this and she told him, she said my life will never be the same and he said he looked at her and told her. He said I want to tell you something. He said at the end of this. He said you were going to stand. Because your spouse may be able to take your house and cars and even your children, but he can't take your life. Because your life is in Christ, and he said about a year-and-a-half later. He got a phone call. He said before he can say hello. It was that woman on the other end, and she said, I'm standing. I'm standing like that and she said I come to realize that life is a person, and I will have that person forever. You see, that's life in Christ. All those things. Now, listen, carefully, all these things that God has given you in life, your home, your children, your spouse, your job, your money, all of those things are nothing but fingers. Pointing you to the one who gives you life. The reason that we go to panic mode when we suffer is because we look at these things. As life themselves. We Define our job as our life. We Define our children as our life. But we can't do that bows or just gift from God as a finger that point to where life is found. And let me tell you about this life. Who is Jesus Christ this life. He will never turn his back on you. He will never walk out and clean your house out and he will never quit on you. That's Jesus. He will never do that life. If you are Christian, this morning has invaded your life by grace and it will not leave. Ever. Even when you die. You going to spend eternity with life, you will have him forever suffering. Reminds us where true life is found. And Abraham concentrated on the Promises the present and the power of God biblical Faith requires you to discern where your hope and life is found. It's not going to ask you to deny reality but not going to deny if we're suffering. We're suffering. But it points, us helps us to discern where our hope and life is found. So what some of the qualities of this biblical faith? And this is the last point and will close with this qualities. Of a Biblical faith and let's look at it in the life of Abraham. I've got the scriptures here for you. Number one, biblical Faith conquerors impossibility. Look at it versus 18 who contracted hope where there was no Hope in Hope believe even though there was no, hope they're 100 years old and 90, yet. He had hope because he believed he trust in God and believe. When there was no human reason, he hoped when you have no Grounds for Hope. He still had hope in the promises of God. In spite of the lack of human. Hope Abraham believed God when he told him, you know, you can just count the stars and number them. That's how many descendants you're going to be. So, in other words, this is what he did. He weighed the human impossibility of being a father at 100 years old, against the impossibility of God, going back on his word. That's what he weighed together. And then what he did, he decided if God is God, nothing was impossible. Do you know that he looked at said, a hundred year old man and a 90 year old woman? Having a baby? All right, that can't happen. God, going back on his word. That will never happen. I'm going to believe God. That's exactly what Abraham did number to orbi biblical Faith conquers. Improbability improbability look at it. Verse 19, first part and not being weak in faith for about 40 years. Abraham believed god without any specific evidence of the promise. You see that sustaining Faith. He didn't become weak and face when time elapsed and he didn't see the Fulfillment of the promise. You see Shirley Abraham had to be just Satan had to just attack him daily. You don't have a baby. It's been 40 years and you haven't had one yet. And now you're 100 years old. Your wife is not it. And you actually believe that you're going to have a child. Shirley Satan. Attacked him like that. But he had a set on attitude. It says, in verse 19 not being weak in faith. See. Faith conquers inadequacy, look at it and verse 19. Again. He did not consider his own body already dead and the deadness of Sarah's. Well, he was inadequate to have a child but it just could not happen. And even when they were told that it was going to happen, the first thing Abraham did in the first thing that Sarah did, was they laughed? But let me tell you, who's got the sense of humor. God has the sense of humor Abraham and Sarah laughed. God said, is there anything too hard for me? So when the child was born, they named them Isaac. You know what, the word Isaac name means laughter is what it means. You see when they were, told you going to have a child. It says that Sarah was in the tent and she just laughed to herself an old woman. Like me going to have a child, right? And Abraham did the same thing. So when they had Isaac, they named them Isaac, it means laughter. So we see God is the one with the sense of humor here, but he didn't fake biblical. Fake conquerors inadequacy. This is what Martin Luther said, listen to this, quote. He said, what could be more irrational and laughable, ridiculous, and impossible. Then God's words to Abraham. Moreover, all the articles about Christian belief are when considered rashly just as impossible and Preposterous as any fate. However, is completely abreast of the situation. It gripped Reason by the throat and strangles the Beast. It affects what the whole world and all that is in. It is impotent to do. But how can fate do this by holding on to God's word and by counting it right. And true. However, stupid or impossible? It may seem that's how what he told Abraham and Sarah seem to be stupid and impossible. But With God, all things are, what possible? All things are possible. You see Abraham and Sarah was probably ready to go out and buy to feel chairs. And God said, no, I want you to go buy a crib and said, one of his $100 90, don't you buy me a wheelchair as you go out and you buy a crib Against All Odds biological, I'd scientific Arts human reasoning. Abraham trust in God, and believe in his word d. Biblical Faith conquers. Inconsistency. Look what it says in verse 20. He did not waver. At the promise of God, you know what that means that word waiver means. He didn't vacillate between God's going to do it. God's not going to do it. I have faith today. I don't have faith tomorrow. No, he didn't. He he was always, he had that fake. He didn't waver going back and forth. He never doubted the promise. And he might not have understood what was happening, and I'm sure, but he never doubted. What does Hebrew say? What Godly faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of Things Not Seen friend. Sometimes you're not going to be able to see it. Can you still believe it? If God says it, will you believe it even though you don't see it in your circumstances? And I know there's a lot of people that I've talked to a lot of people they say, when, you know something. I just have a weak faith. I just don't have this strong faith. That doesn't waver. I just kind of oscillate between. Yes. I believe God didn't know. I don't I'm just kind of wishy-washy. My faith is weak. Let me tell you why people have a weak face. And this is what you need to do. If your faith is weak. You need to get to know God better. Because it's your fate this week. It's because you don't know God the god of the Bible, how he has depicted himself in the Bible. You just don't know, God, well enough because all you have to do is read stories like this and go out to the Bob friend. Your face should never be week. We should never oscillate between faith and Unfaithful. Belief and unbelief when you really know who God is and what he can do. He can bring life from Death. He can create something out of nothing. When we know that our faith will not be weak. And then last e-mail, Biblical fake Concord infidelity. Look what it said. Verse 21 fully fully convinced. That word means persuaded fully persuaded that. What he had promised that child. He was also able to perform that look the faithfulness Abraham fully persuaded. Meets the faithfulness of God able to perform in one verse and he believed God. Look what the Bible says here. Just about faith Abraham not being weak. In faith did not waver at the promise was strengthened in faith. He gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to perform Abraham and had no hesitation. No reservation in God's ability was the foundation of his faith, stability. Print, when you know who God is, when, you know, God's ability. You'll have a fervent firm unshakable Faith, but remember, when suffering enters your house.

What do you say to you? When you suffer. Do you panic when things get bad? Do you question? God's goodness. And his presents?

Biblical faith never requires you to deny reality, but it does require you to understand and discern where your hope and life is found. And when suffering comes, you'll get through it, you two will stand. They meant. Let's pray. Father. We thank and praise you and love you today. Lord for your word. Lord help us those of us that are here today. That maybe we have an oscillating faith. One day. We're okay. The next day. We just can't trust you. Lord help us to know you better. Help us to get into your word and when we come to the realization. That our life is found in you and not the things of this world when we truly understand where our hope and life is found. We will have the faith. And the persevering power. To get through any suffering that we have on this Earth. Lord, we just want to thank you for what you've done and our hearts and life all the wonderful gifts that you've given. All of us family friends. Houses jobs, money. Lord, we thank you for every one of those, and they are important to us. And yes, it is painful when we lose them. But Lord, help us to put our worship on the one who is worthy of our worship and on the one that we can never ever lose. And that is your son Jesus in Christ's name. I pray. Amen.