The Confusing Experience of Faith, Part 2

Jeannie Greer faith means you believe the extravagant goodness of God which was demonstrated of the cross. Humility realizes how unworthy and how undeserving you are of that love. And when you are overwhelmed with humility when you believe in the God revealed himself on the cross and in the endowment disappear like the morning. This another day that are teaching here on my pastor and author Jeannie Greer. I'm your host Molly, but abets to say that when life is going well to announce that we trust God's plan. When everything seems to be falling apart. When you lose your job or your home where you're diagnosed with a terminal illness. How you trust God in the situation to face. Just mean that we skip along and pretend everything's fine pastor Jenny addresses those questions today continues our series called the whole story looking at one specific chapter from Psalms that captures the theme Celeste. I Psalms 73 Saul about the universal problem of doubts, a Psalm of a salvation affidavit worship pastor verse one Shirley God is good Israel to those who are pure in heart.

That's his statement of faith. That's what he believes, with his mind. But now he's about to tell you in the next several verses what he feels.

What is our is not always the same thing but as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff equivalent on believe my feet were slipping and I was almost gone right MVD arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. The psalmist confesses that his doubt began within the which is almost always the case in the years of course we want somebody else's life you want their possessions you want there opportunities you want. Their looks. You want their talents in this Psalm helps you label MB for exactly what it is doubt in the goodness of God toward you.

First, for they have no struggles, their bodies are healthy and strong. Their beautiful there free from common human burdens. Verse five they got house cleaners and assistance to make wear designer clothes and the kids go to school on scholarship and then they get awesome jobs because they know people therefore verse six. Pride is there necklace. What really galling is that they take credit for it all. The reason they have all the stuff is because they're just more awesome than the rest of us. They don't seem to be aware of the fact that it's just because their parents are rich and is not because they're smarter than we are just opportunity to clothe themselves and with violence, their pride makes them hateful disdainful toward others.

They really feel either better than everybody like they deserve all the perks like they deserve their status they thought they should get the make all the decisions for everybody else and then they oppressed people trample people just as they get away with it. Nobody stops them. Verse eight basalt they speak with malice with arrogance. They threaten oppression where malls lay claim to have been in their tongues take possession of the earth does God even realize was going on. They ask verse 12 this is what the wicked are like always, free of care. Just go on amassing well that's the only thing that they're worried about is not a how to get more so he says I'm the one that's envious. Verse 13 about and waste my time. Why even take the trouble to read your call I get out of this trouble will all the day long every day all day all this… For God to try to obey him. But if I'd spoken. I like that I would betray your children something something something about verbalizing that statement that woke him up so he hears himself verbalizing this statement and realizes he hears himself admit that the reason that he had been serving God was so that God would make his life easy in the spirit of God very quietly whispered to him, why are you serving me you serving me because what you think you can get from me or are you serving me because you want more of me because those are two entirely different reasons. Verse 17 he continue so one day I went into God's sanctuary to meditate and then I thought about the future of these evil men in the midst of his doubt, he comes into the presence of God in this is what he sees. He sees two things. First, verse 18.

What a slippery path they are on. Suddenly God will send them sliding over the edge of the cliff and down to their destruction and instant end with all their happiness of eternity, of terror, their present life is only a dream, they will awaken to the truth is one awakens from a dream of things and never really were. Here's number one eternity he says is going to restore the balance.

Scripture presents this life is so quick it's like a dream, right but it seemed so real in the moment the writer a savage like that's what life is like the if you if those outside of God that this can be a sudden awakening from their illusion of success and power like some you wake about a dream and what seemed so real was all just an illusion. And it's over.

And the way one guy says that the rich without God are on their way to being eternally poor celebrities without God are on their way to be eternally ignored this like that awful scene where Steve Harvey crowned the wrong Miss universe.

Remember this thing now. I read about in the news, which meant when I watch YouTube video I knew what was coming and you're watching this poor girl who gets crowned Miss you. This is her lifelong dream she always want to be Miss universe and you're watching is the elation on her face and you're just going to say. One will be happy. This is not real, it's a just a minute to turn in the worst moment your life gets Steve arm is walking back on stage with that goofy look on his face and even to be like Michael Roberson will Michael take it off your head and put on his other girls. It in your joys, trying to disaster. What this writer ASAP is saying is CR resulting on the stage and always joy you think you God is going to just disappear because you had to choose the second Miss universe not verse one because the first one it last for just a second and then a crown of gold. Why don't you labor for the crown but does not fade and never taken away you see on the flipside for the believer.

All the pain they go through is going to seem meaningless compared to the joy that they experience one minute into eternity. One. One minute into eternity is a verse I give you a lot that I should attach to this verse on your heart deftly should have it memorized. Romans 818 I consider me as I thought about it I thought about our present sufferings are not worth comparing bowls of varsity sufferer told you this right. His suffering is not like he was like a shipwrecked bunch and got be forsaken and I got stoned about the times if one, was like those in sticks of iron or 20 guys and rocks and a biker jumps on watches on Monahans. There is something to make you feel unlucky or 20 guys standing there and the bike was hanging off your arm in Paul's account unit goes off. I consider that all that is not even worth comparing input in the same category with the glory that's going to be revealed in us can even say that this is work that I bought in the same sentence. The doleful home in the same sentence. I got a friend, a father of three young children was diagnosed with a rare very aggressive form of brain cancer doctor say his chances of survival. Not good is story is absolutely heartbreaking. And of course he, along with many of us are praying for complete and total healing. But he said something the other day. They just really struck me was quoting CS Lewis's ignoble we get to heaven.

It's not the one to look back and see the reasons that certain bad things happen and say hello. That's why that happened. Oh I get it now, rather he said will look back and will say what bad things, what bad things are you even talking about because in that moment will be so consumed with God's finished product that will scarcely even remember the process that he used, and even the things that were painful in our lives that brought us closer to God will actually find the kind of joy in them because while it hurt us and it took from us things that we love the gate was something that we learn to love even more, you'll realize how short life is. If you think your farm without God, you realize that this life. James 414 says is like a vapor like that. The breath comes out of your mouth on a cold morning that appears for just a minute and then it's gone. Life as I walk around with a backpack that has a time bomb minute that you have no idea what is going to go all that you know that it is going to go off is that's what life is like death is coming at certain is appointed unto you one time to die. God knows the day that is going to be you don't know is appointed for you.

And after that to be a judgment.

The dream is going to be over. Are you prepared to awake to reality believer you might not see it now but all this pain is just temporary and is can be over soon. God is more real than the ground that you're standing on and you're already more rich than if you possessed all the jewels that lie beneath our feet in the earth. In the case.

We haven't discovered yet there already yours and you just seconds away from saying what you talking about for the believer, the brief pain of this world is the closest to hell. They will ever come in for the unbeliever, the brief pleasure of this world is the closest to heaven, they will ever come and it's just seconds away.

Only when you learn the brevity of life.

Are you ever going to look at life the right way, which is why why Moses and the song that he wrote said Psalm 90 verse 12.

Teach us to number our days, and teach us to think about how short life is because only then will we become wise. It is only when you think about the brevity of life is only think about the brevity of life that you ever develop the right perspective on on life itself.

It's only when you think about how short life is that you can gain wisdom, here's what I've noticed almost all the questions and the doubts we have about the goodness of God are predicated on the assumption that life is long. When you realize that you think about life being a vapor that last for just a few seconds and scope of eternity in all these questions about the goodness of God that is disappear because you like this is like a dish. Is it just it just 7089 here's and then there's eternity and it just seems like nothing and so what Moses says what HSS is solely for the dream live from real things live for eternal things so he says, verse 22. I was senseless and ignorant.

I was a brute beast before you, always review you hold me now, but my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel afterward you will take me into glory. I was like a piece before you beast don't think much about future they think about the present is giving beast don't typically love you for you they love you because what you do for their mannerism be with dogs that really offend you, but you know it's a bit typically a dog or any animals more interested in what you do for them.

The thereunder personality. What he says is I've been treating God in ways I would hate to be treated as a person. What if you found out what that was like really rich and people are kind of becoming your friend in summations romantic interest in you. You find out it really has nothing to do with you. It's that they want your dad to do something for them. He was so used so rightly angered and ASAP says that's exactly how been treating God is not of been beautiful to me. He's been useful to me on the Maccabees to him so he begins to pray who I really haven't heaven, but you who I haven't heaven, but you and then there's nothing I desire besides you, the riches that I want and I need a review. It's not just that I'm excited that one day I want to get my Mercedes-Benz know it's that when I get to heaven I will be with you is what makes heaven heaven is not a Mercedes will make haven't heaven is my merciful father and already got you here on earth, which means that already on earth. I got the best for to have it in my heart even if I'm not fully in his presence, yet, and that's the secret of the Christians joy. Yes life is probably pain. Yes, there's lots of disappointment, but I got something that's better than anything like to give in a death can't take away. Here's the question do you believe Jesus really is better than anything else like you give or do you believe you something that's better than whatever death can take away is this so you'll start to look at pain in your life differently.

I told you the story before but Joni Erickson taught up a quadriplegic who lost complete control of her arms and her legs in a diving accident.

She had when she was a teenager she said now is a much older lady. She said I am okay with losing the use of my hands and my feet for the last 60 years and not listen to this I would not change. Think because that accident brought me nearer to God. Can you say that from your wheelchair. Can you say thank God that I lost the use of all this because it gave my heart. Something that was better than anything else like to give this can be said that when your kids in a wheelchair. Can you say you know what is God's will use this to teach them more about his grace and his mercy them will learn to even give thanks for the things in our life that are painful because they are gateways for us to know him suffering drives you like a hammer on a nail deeper into God's love somehow free will drive you like a hammer on a nail deeper into God's love in the anger at God can reveal to you how dissatisfied you are with him and Ellen believing you are about his goodness.

Here's the summary of the Psalm.

To quote John Piper. Jesus really is better than anything life gives us is better than anything the desk and take away from us. Do you believe that you believe that Commissioner named Alan Gardner live in the early 1800s now a long time ago but does an island off the coast of South America that was on evangelizing want to hear the gospel to them.

So he with one other guy went on a ship down to this island and they were supposed to be followed by only two days by a ship that had all their supplies and so they arrived on this island with the other ship never showed up. And so essentially they starve to death about three months later they found Alan Gardner's body and beside his starved body. He was his journal, open Journal and the last entry he had written into his journal how to reference Psalm 3410 and he had written out. I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God. Can you say that when your ship does not show up. Can you say I am still convinced of the goodness of God because the goodness of God is not given to me, primarily as a ship that comes in its given to me in the presence of himself and the promises that he will never take away seemingly on answered prayer can be God's invitation to press more deeply into him, we sometimes look bewildered and evidence I got when you answer this prayer.

But let me use a story from the kind of that were the heroes of prayer Georgie or anybody that's in the prayer will talk about George merely led back in 1800s, the guppy's stunning remarkable answers to prayer just to be truly bizarre. You should read his biography, but I ran orphanage more than once he went on for the orphanage would say not having food for the orphans and he would stand up with them on the yard around the table with nothing on the table is I will thank God for the third is not here because God promises him a supply and he would think God and before the prayer was over more than once might knock at the door.

It was a baker with bread or your smooth milk like a weed just to give us the just amazing anybody knows their stories about George, you're the one I don't know is that when he was in his late 40s early 50s. His wife contracted rheumatic fever and so he prayed for God to do a miracle that God would heal her rheumatic fever because she was his number one I can't help in the ministry that he did.

He prayed earnestly that God didn't heal her. She died but the last mercy read to her and her deathbed was Psalm 8411 no good thing will he ever withhold from those whose walk is blameless, so we said, sweetheart.

If God's good plan included you getting healed and he would give it, but if not that I know that he's got a better plan and my trust in your trust in God is not conditional what he gives or doesn't gives in terms of the physical health are trust in him is gifted are built on the fact that he gave himself to us in the cross of Jesus Christ and you will never take that away. You see, at some point life is gonna let you wander back if it has not already hammer lying there in your back, you can have to ask, is God really good or is he not when the job done come through right wing the body to get better when the cost doesn't go away, you're gonna say do I really trust him to say is his presence and his promise. Are they enough for me when what I thought was going to happen didn't happen. You are really trust that he's got a knee with his right hand. His right hand bodily needs. His hand of strength that promised he will guide you with his right hand fist on the hundred and 66 times in the Bible, will you believe that God is guiding you with his right hand in every situation that there's not one strain molecule that is out of place that he will sustain you will never let you fall, you will never let you perish, you will know why the Psalm says he believes it may be answer hinges on one little word to rewrite over taco but you gotta get a notice back in verse 22 verse 22. I was senseless and ignorant. I was approved these for you yet. That's it for word yet I am always with you. You hold me by my right hand yet, even after I was beastly toward you.

Somehow you leave me you help me even when I didn't trust you. When I think you were good enough you holding on with your right hand of strength even when I put a nail through it because he would rather goes to the cross and be humiliated and tortured and lose you.how great his love is for you see, that makes him more desirable to you than anything else on earth could he says where else might I go on earth, the finite, love poured off on a catalog that would never be taken away half in heaven, but you love me this way. There's nobody on earth that loves me this way. Nothing I desires more than you. You really are better than anything else, like a gift to me are more secure than anything the death could take away for me as it turns out that the antidote to Indian doubt which, again, of the same thing is going to be two things that you see in the Psalm. The answer to Indian doubt is faith and humility.

Faith means you believe the extravagant goodness of God which was demonstrated at the cross. Humility realizes how unworthy and how undeserving you are about love and when you are overwhelmed with humility and when you believe in the God revealed himself on the cross and Indian doubt will disappear like a morning mess notices conclusion usually ends the song verse 27.

Those were far from you will perish, you destroy all who are unfaithful, you he ends the song basically by asking this question was the end by basically saying is not Jesus who where you can return at St. Augustine 15 years ago, the Psalm he said if you like.

God's answers in the Psalm, but sometimes you don't like I want it now okay will turn your God for deliverance and have trouble. Oh, you say Gus is L you say I don't have a God I am my own… Turn yourself in the day of calamity that you know is coming because death comes for us all, and in that day. Once you turn to yourself to deliver you the way I described it to you before like this is, like him when you go into that hospital room and your line on that gurney undertaking you in for open heart surgery and we your family and friends were going to gather around your bed before they will you in the room and were to lie to you, you know, lying to you and we know you're lying to you because what will get you to say hey were with you, and you know that's not true, struggle to mask you and you go underworld staying up drinking coffee in the waiting room and it was a nice Mr. Cutler you're just a cut in Dorchester cut into yours and in that moment, unless you have a God that is bigger than life, a God that is stronger than death alive in your heart and in your soul, and in that moment, you are utterly and totally alone. So the Psalm says where else am I going to go because there's nowhere I can go.

You're the one you the only one stronger than death away reminded me of when Jesus gave a very unsatisfactory answer to his disciples, their estimates, questions and fees. Give Angela we like that answer once and left Jesus turn to the 12 is like you to go away. Also, the apostle Peter in one of his few shining moments in the life of Jesus look to Jesus and was like where else we can ago.

You don't want to the words of eternal life.

I like your answer to make me mad. I wish you did differently underworld to go there because only you have the power to overcome death. You also walking on the way you walk in the ways you raise people from the dead. I'm sticking with you. That's the question you got as well as you can attorn where else you seen a God love you like that. Where else would you see the God raise himself from the dead, if not Jesus, and who, what, you can attorn to where you can ago on the day of trouble Psalm says doubt doubt has driven me to you to follow Jesus. The meaning assisted out. It means you can explain everything to follow Jesus simply means that you come to the conviction that it's worth it, but there's no other alternatives in the one day is what faith is. Faith is acting in a way today but you know one day you'll be glad that you did. It means you'll understand everything now.

But one day you will and you're doing things now because of the treasure, the God is giving you. That's the imitation of Psalm 73 ready to respond to.

If you've never trusted God with your life. We would like to help you take that first step of faith.

Send an email to request Jeannie Greer.com or call us at 866-335-5220 will connect you with some resources to help you get started on this journey. So in addition to these broadcasts. We've also got a lot of other resources on our website great Katie yeah and even some new resources. You can now sign up for a brand-new daily devotional that I get delivered right to your inbox every day.

Something sure that I've written that goes along with whatever teaching your hearing on some a life you know I'm a big fan Molly of layering teaching like Dragon and stereo to that you hear the message your reading will bit of in your quiet time this daily devotional will go a long way and in helping saturate your mind and the screws of a transforming summit life blog will be deal with different topics that are related usually come to messages that I that I preached every month we get a free download available on the website. Sometimes it's a study guide or a set of devotionals in an e-book format. We've also got transcripts for every single message that may be people's favorite thing is word for word what I'm I'm I'm saying here on our show. Some of like, you can find it word for word in our transcriptions and I'm just a footnote that will tell you where some of the original sources are video messages course he asked me anything podcast all these resources probably they're all completely 100% free to check them out.

Jeannie Greer.com and I think some of them will be a help to and while you're on the website. Check out the latest resource to go along with this series where featuring the books of the Bible, what age you are, and you'll enjoy this unique set of cards that will help you make actions when you read the Bible. Even though the design is a principal still appeal to NEH so this is a perfect resource for your you might even give a copy to a friend who's a new believer because the cards help you identify where you are in the grand narrative of Scripture for the books of the Bible cards when you donate today when you can attend monthly giving the gospel partner give us a call at eight 663-352-2866 335-5224. You can get online Greer.com I Molly that event inviting you to join us again Friday.

We continue our series of the whole story and send it my Jeannie Greer my Jeannie Greer ministry