Experiencing God In a Crisis of Faith
Capstone
We’ve spent the last 8 weeks in a deep dive talking about the reality that:
There’s a difference between knowing lots information about God and experiencing God. That there’s more, there’s depth, there’s an exciting journey we’re invited into as we:
1. Join Him in his work
2. Hear God’s voice
3. Adjust and change our lives in God’s direction
That we can affirm God’s goodness, his promises, and the truths of the scripture as undeniably true because we have experienced them, for real, in our lives
And experiencing God happens in the places that matter so much to us:
- Our relationships
- Our Parenting
- Our Church
- Our Work
- Our Recreation
- Our Finances
Experiencing God… is amazing.
It’s why so many of us are here: celebrating, worshipping, publicly declaring our faith through baptism.
But it’s a journey isn’t it…
And not every single moment of the journey toward experiencing God entirely makes sense or is filled with joy. In fact, at many points along the way it’s disorienting
There are questions that come up, if we’re honest.
- Does God know what He’s doing?
- Is my God story over?
- Is what I have learned about God really true?
- Is hope gone?
- Is God OK that I’m disappointed?
- I don’t know what’s going on.
- Does God really understand what I’m feeling and going through?
- Does God care?
- Can God handle this?
Today we’re going to talk about Experiencing God in a Crisis of Faith
What is a crisis of faith?
A crisis of faith is when we’re willing to ask our deepest, most honest, most important questions about God and allow God to answer for Himself.
Experiencing God in a crisis of faith answers questions we know we have and questions we don’t even realize we might be asking.
Setting Of John 11: 1-44
The work of Jesus is well underway
Jesus is showing his people God the father through his life, modeling the “way” of the kingdom for human interaction – teaching, healing, clarifying, helping
There is a crisis: Lazarus was sick and has died, and Jesus is positioned to do something
There are these three characters: Thomas, Mary, and Martha
With needs and wonders
In this exact moment of time in their human experience
And crisis of faith for each of them has come about
Their questions about God are activated
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. —John 11:1-6
Principle 1: In a crisis of faith, wait on God.
Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” —John 11:7-16
Principle 2: In a crisis of faith, be courageous for yourself and others
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” —John 11:17-27
Principle 3: In a crisis of faith, remember what you already know, but stay open to more.
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” —Luke 11:28-37
Principle 4: In a crisis of faith, run to Jesus. Stay near to Jesus
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” —John 11:38-44
Principle 5: In a crisis of faith, we can expect miracles.
Pastors Challenge
What questions about my current life situation must I face honestly before God?
Am I willing to journey with God, trusting His ability to bring the right amount of healing and breakthrough at the right time, big or small, fast or slow?
Where do I need a miracle?