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"A Faith Like That" |
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On top of the thrill of attending the game (thanks, Melinda!) we got to watch the game from a luxury box suite. There were fancy chairs, lots of food: I’ve decided it’s the only way I ever want to watch hockey! (Which is the reason I will probably never attend another hockey game again; I’m just spoiled!) Once I figured out the game, it was pretty exciting. The last play of the game was the one that really got me going. The Kings were down by one point with about a minute to play when I noticed that their goalie was gone: he was missing. He simply was not anywhere on the ice. So I asked the guy sitting next to me what was going on and he explained to me that they had removed the goalie and replaced him with an extra man on offense. That way they would have the advantage at the opposing team’s goal. I thought that was a pretty gutsy move until I realized that it was the only play they had left. Either make a goal and tie the game – or allow the Sharks to score again which wouldn’t matter anyway. They would still lose. I share that story with you this morning as an illustration of desperation. Sometimes we confuse desperation with faith. I could have easily thought that hockey team had a lot of faith in its players by removing their goalie, but I soon realized that it wasn’t faith in the players, it was simply desperation. Desperation makes us do a lot of things in life. Most of which are not necessarily the best choices. I’m thinking now of the event in the Bible portrayed in Mel Gibson’s THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. Peter, James and John are with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The soldiers arrive to arrest Jesus. Out of desperation Peter takes out his sword and starts swinging and the best he can do is cut off someone’s ear. That was desperation, not faith, not confidence – simple desperation. The amazing thing about that scene is what happened right before it. Those three disciples saw Jesus’ faith demonstrated. Jesus wasn’t desperate in the garden as He prayed that night: He was determined. And He demonstrated great faith. Jesus and the disciples had left the Upper Room where they had observed their last Passover together. It was during that time that Jesus shared with them again that He was about to be betrayed, crucified, buried and then rise again. He spent a great deal of time preparing them for what was to come. Yet in spite of all His teaching, His miracles, His prophesies, they didn’t get it and their faith was weak. …But not Jesus’. His faith was strong! Even in a circumstance that seemed desperate Jesus demonstrated absolute, perfect faith. The kind of faith you and I need when we face desperate times. Sometimes we need faith in FAMILIAR PLACES. “And they came to an olive grove called Gethsemane,” Mark 14:32 As we mentioned last week, the Garden of Gethsemane was located just about a mile from Jerusalem near the bottom of the Mount of Olives (just across from the Easter Gate). The “garden” was actually an enclosed olive grove with an olive press. It was a quite, secluded place to rest from the crowds and the of noise of the city. It’s probably where Jesus and His disciples camped out when they came to Jerusalem. It was familiar, it was peaceful – normally. But that night it was anything but peaceful. A powerful spiritual battle was about to take place. Sometimes the greatest battles of faith we face are in familiar places. We tend to think that faith has to do with going somewhere around the world and living an extraordinary life. The truth is, the life we face everyday is anything but ordinary. And the battles we face are just as difficult in familiar places as they are in the unfamiliar. Familiar places…how about at home? Some of you (some of us!) are facing real battles of faith right at home. We’re not sure what’s going to happen next as we deal with the ones we love who are breaking our hearts. And sometimes it’s our own actions and emotions that are causing us hurt. Familiar places…how about work, school, our neighborhood? Some of the greatest battles of faith take place in the most familiar of places. Yet Jesus was willing to walk into the battle because He was able to demonstrate absolute, pure faith. Sometimes we need faith during times of GREAT PAIN. “and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be filled with horror and deep distress. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.” Mark 14:32-33 Notice those words with me again…horror…deep distress…crushed…grief… Those are not little words. Those are words that hurt. Horror is not a light word. The old English translation says “sore afraid”, newer translations use the word astonished, but I think horror really fits. Have you ever been scared out of your skin? I don’t mean by a movie that you know is fake – I mean by the real thing? Eyes wide, skin like needles? Total astonishment. I believe as Jesus walked into the Garden that night He knew what was ahead of Him and the horror of it was overwhelming. Imagine the worst kinds of sins in this world, the worst kinds of evil. Now imagine taking the penalty for those sins and stuffing them inside you. That’s horror! That’s why Jesus was distressed. The words mean to “be heavy”. Maybe you came into church this morning with that kind of heaviness. The weight of it all is just too much. Have you ever felt crushed? As if the weight of the entire world was pressing against you? Maybe you’re grieving the loss. Whatever the case – it’s great pain. Yet Jesus faced the pain with absolute, pure faith. How did He do it? We’ll see in a moment. Sometimes we need faith when OTHERS FAIL US. “…and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him,…Stay here and watch with me.”…Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. “Simon!” he said to Peter. “Are you asleep? Couldn’t you stay awake and watch with me even one hour?... Then Jesus left them again and prayed, repeating his pleadings. Again he returned to them and found them sleeping, for they just couldn’t keep their eyes open. And they didn’t know what to say…When he returned to them the third time, he said, “Still sleeping? Still resting? Enough! The time has come. I, the Son of Man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. See, my betrayer is here!” Mark 14:32-42 You know the worst part about pain is that it is impossible to really share it with others. When I am in pain I can tell you about my pain, but you can’t feel it. No one can but me. You might be able to sympathize with me over my pain, but you can’t really empathize. You can try, but it’s still my struggle and my pain. But it still helps to have others there with you and for you. That night Jesus had eleven men with Him. He left eight of them by the garden gate and took three with Him into the depths of the olive grove. There He asked them to watch and pray with Him. They realized Jesus was in great pain. They knew he was struggling. However, no matter how hard they tried they still failed Jesus. Sometimes people fail us. Sometimes they let us down. Sometimes it’s intentional, but I believe most often it’s simply because they don’t have the faith and strength to stand beside us as we need them to. So who’s let you down lately? Sometimes we need faith when WE’RE TIRED. “Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you.” Jesus warned them, “For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak.” Mark 14:38. I don’t know about you, but it seems most of my faith battles come when I’m tired. When I’m worn out, stressed out, or depressed I struggle with my faith. My spirit is willing, but my body is weak. But that doesn’t make for a very good excuse when God is counting on me and waiting for me to demonstrate my faith in every situation. Jesus’ words were not an excuse, they were a warning. That’s why He said “Keep alert and pray.” Do whatever you have to do to stay alert and most of all… Pray! There is the key. The key to absolute, pure faith is prayer. Prayer…focused communication with God. How could Jesus demonstrate absolute, pure faith in Gethsemane that night? Knowing all that was about to happen, how could He show that kind of faith? I know what you’re thinking. “Well, Paul, if I was God, if I knew everything, I could have that kind of faith as well!” Don’t be so sure of yourself. Sometimes knowing what’s coming might just weaken your faith. Jesus’ struggle was real. It wasn’t just for show. There’s a reason He left the other eight disciples behind when He went to pray. Jesus fully understood the intensity of the battle and sacrifice He was about to enter. It brought Him horror, distress and grief. And remember, He was still human as well as God. The struggles were as human as they get. But how could he demonstrate that kind of faith? Faith enough to not only walk into that Garden, but walk about of it in chains? It goes back to His words to the three disciples, “Keep alert and pray.” “Pray” Jesus prepared for the battle, fought the battle through constant, focused communication with the God the Father. Notice with me, though, what Jesus communicated to God. And as we look at His prayer I want us to see how His prayer can become our prayer and we, too, can demonstrate that kind of faith. As Jesus prayed… He was CONSCIOUS OF HIS RELATIONSHIP “Abba, Father”, Jesus prayed. Abba, that’s a child’s word for his father, his daddy. “Abba”, more than likely the very first words a child would speak. “Mama…Dada…Abba”. It was a word that demonstrated intense intimacy. My kids don’t call me “sir”, they call me “Dad”. And “father” is way too formal. I want my kids to know they can come to me as “Daddy”. Listen to the words in the Letter to the Galatians near the middle of the New Testament in the Bible, “And because you Gentiles have become his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear (Abba) Father.” Galatians 4:6 You want to develop and demonstrate a faith like Jesus – then realize that God is Your Abba. Talk to Him like He’s that close, like you’re that intimate. You may be wondering how that is possible. Maybe you don’t feel that close to God. Well, here’s the point: that kind of relationship is developed, not conjured up. You don’t have an Abba faith by just pulling it out of your pocket anymore than you have an intimate relationship with anyone else without spending time together. That’s why spending time talking to God and reading His Word, the Bible is so vital. It builds that Abba faith relationship with God. And as you build that Abba relationship with God it will help you with the second key. As Jesus prayed He communicated total CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S ABILITY “everything is possible for you.” (Mark 14:36) An Abba relationship with God builds confidence in His ability. I used to play a game with Benji when He was very little. I would stand him on a fence, or table, stand back and tell him to jump! He would often hesitate, then he would jump into my arms. My part was to make sure I always caught him and I always did. Then the day came when Benji was a little older. We were playing and had lost something on the roof of our house. I boosted Benji up onto the edge of the roof and he climbed on. And after retrieving the ball he walked back to the edge. That’s when the real test came. He had to jump down. Now I was standing there waiting to catch him, but he was older now and his brain was kicking in. ‘What if Dad drops me? What if he can’t hold me?” I stood there telling him to trust me and after a few minutes of coaxing he finally jumped – and I caught him, just like always. I love what Psalm 121:1-3 tells us about God’s ability: “I look up toward the mountains. Where can I find help? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not let you fall.” You want to demonstrate the kind of faith Jesus had? Develop an Abba relationship with God and a confident assurance in His ability. By the way, the only way to become confidence in God’s ability is to allow Him to work in your life. That means you will face struggles and challenges. The only way to know (have confidence) God can catch you is to practice jumping! As Jesus prayed He had a CLEAR UNDERSTANDING of where He was. This is important. It may be easy in the end to believe in God’s power in a situation, but we also need to be honest about where we are at the moment. Notice Jesus’ words… “Please take this cup of suffering away from me…” Mark 14: 36 The passage tells us that Jesus kept “repeating his pleadings” (verse 39). Jesus was God and man. He knew that not only was the cross coming, but so was the resurrection. Yet He still prayed asking that the suffering He was about to face be lifted, carried away. He wasn’t just praying for the strength to go through it – He had that – He was praying for it to go away. Remember He was as much human as He was God. And in verse thirty-five it tells us He prayed, “if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by.” Mark 14:35. He was honest about where He was. It’s important that we are honest with God. Faith does not mean we don’t admit our struggles, on the contrary. Faith is admitting our struggles, our pain, our turmoil and turning them over to God. Faith does not mean that the feelings and struggles go away either. It means acting in spite of our feelings. Notice that Jesus kept praying, kept repeating the same prayers over and over again. It was not a one time situation. We have to keep at it, keep praying, keeping telling God that we know where He is and we also know where we are. The struggle didn’t change – what changed what the determination! Notice the last part of Jesus’ prayer. As Jesus prayed He had a solid COMMITMENT TO GOD’S AUTHORITY “Yet I want your will, not mine” Mark 14:36 This is where we often fail in our own attempts at faith. We have faith in the wrong thing. We place our faith in what we want, not in what God wants. We often pray asking God to get us out of the situation instead of through it. And most often the lessons God has for us are through not out. Look at what 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” Did you catch that? It didn’t say God would show a way around the temptation, instead He would show a way out so you will not give in to it! The way out is by being committed completely to God’s authority: “Not my will, Your will.” Maybe the struggles you have been facing lately are happening because you are still fighting God for your own way and own desires. You have to give up and let go. You have to surrender completely to God’s authority and purpose for your life. I love the quote from C S Lewis we heard during last Sunday night’s Purpose Driven Life Study, here is a paraphrase: “there are two kinds of people in this world, those who say ‘Thy will be done’ and those to whom God says, ‘Ok, then have it your own way.’” I want to be a part of the first group. I want to learn what it means to totally surrender to God’s authority in my life. Because I want a faith like Jesus’. I want a faith like that! At the beginning of this morning’s service we played a song by Jonah33 “I Want A Faith Like That”. Listen to some of the words again… Faith Like That By Vince Lichlyter © 2003 Photon Music CCLI License No. 2367233
I have read about the days of old About the men who followed You And how they saw the supernatural And became the chosen few So I come before You now Tearing off my earthly crowns For this one thing I have found
I want a faith like that To see the dead rise Or to see You pass by I want a faith like that Whatever the cost I'll suffer the loss I want a faith like that
I'm not looking for a miracle Signs and wonders or things thereof I caught a glimpse of what You want for me And what I have is not enough I read the story one more time Of those who gave to You their lives With no fear or compromise
I want a faith That can move any mountain And send them to the seas I want a faith That can break every stronghold That keeps You That keeps You from me
I want a faith like that Whatever the cost I'll suffer the loss I want a faith like that I want a faith like that. A faith that keeps me when familiar places get rough. A faith that strengthens me when I’m in pain. A faith when others faith me. A faith when I’m tired. And that kind of faith only comes… From a conscious relationship with God From a confident assurance in God’s ability From a clear, honest understanding of where we are From a solid commitment to God’s authority – no matter what. I want a faith like that!
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For information on graphics and PowerPoint for this or any other message on our site, contact Paul Newell at paul@familyfellowshipchurch.com. |
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(c) Paul Newell 2003 FamilyFellowship Church P.O. Box 465, Beaumont, CA 92223 |
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