The Divine Story of Jesus and You: When God Disappoints Us

Sermon Quick Summary
            The scripture text for today is from John 18:1-11 (Section 5.42 of our booklet on the Life and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth).  We will be looking at the story of Joe as an example of a Christian man’s disappointment with God. Judas and Peter had disappointments with God with some similarities to Joe’s story. The question to you is: has God ever disappointed you? Let’s explore what to do when we are disappointed with God’s behavior not being what we expect: (1) Always choose faith over fear. (2) Always trust that God is in control on the throne, remembering that it is the sovereignty of God that is the source of your sanity. (3)There is awesome power in patiently waiting. (4)You must look for lessons learned. (5)There is amazing power in gratefulness to God. (6)You must get ready for the turnaround as God transforms us on the inside for outward action in this world.

Scripture Text: John 18:1-11
1When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, Who is it you want? 5 ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ ‘Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. 8 Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.’ 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: ‘I have not lost one of those you gave me.’ 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.). 11 Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’

The story of Joe is an example of a Christian man’s disappointment with God
            Joe was raised in the church. He attended Sunday school and worship services every Sunday with his family. He had learned all of the famous stories of the heroes of the Bible. He had heard of the times that God had intervened in the lives of His saints to rescue them from the hands of peril. He sang the great songs of the faith and he sang them with passion. “A mighty fortress is our God: A bulwark never failing." "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." Joe knew them all, he believed them, he recalled them whenever trouble would come knocking at his door.
            Joe grew up and began a family of his own. The Lord blessed him and his wife with a little boy whom they loved with a love they had never experienced before. They would travel to Sunday school and church every Sunday in order to worship God for His goodness and to teach their son about the faith that had given them stability and strength.
            One Christmas when the little boy was four years old, Joe and his family traveled to grandma's house to celebrate the birth of Christ with the family that he treasured. It was an unusually warm Christmas and Joe's son had gone outside to play in the front yard. He had only been outside a few minutes when Joe decided to go out and check on him.
            Joe put on his jacket and went outside when suddenly his horrifying nightmare began. Little Joseph was hanging from grandma's picket fence by the hood on his jacket. Joe rushed to help his little son, but the boy's body was lifeless. Joe lifted the hood off of the picket fence and tried to frantically revive his son while he screamed for help.  An ambulance was called and the paramedics tried to breathe life back into the child, but life was gone.
            For the next several months Joe cried out to the heavens seeking some kind of answer from God, but the heavens were silent. Why? Why? Why, didn't God do something to stop the death of his little boy? Why was God so silent while Joe and his wife were agonizing over their loss?
            Finally, Joe gave up. He had stopped hating God for His silence, and His seeming lack of concern, so Joe simply stopped believing in God. His disappointment had drifted to despair from despair to defeat from defeat to simply denying the existence of the God from whom he had once drawn so much strength and comfort.
            Joe's disappointment with God caused him to walk away and forget everything he had learned and believed. It is not just the Joe's of the world who go through horrible nightmarish experiences, and find themselves disappointed with God. It is also those whose very lives have been spent teaching others about the Lord, but who deep down have had their faith worn away with little, antagonizing disappointments.

Judas and Peter had disappointments with God with some similarities to Joe’s story
            Jesus and Judas in our scripture text found themselves in a situation with some similarities to Joe’s story. Judas had followed Jesus for almost three years. He saw the power, the wisdom, and the miracles done by Jesus.  Judas was convinced Jesus was the Messiah sent by God to deliver Israel from Roman oppression. Judas experienced the power when Jesus sent him out to minister to the people. He thought, surely the people will see what Jesus can do too.  They will follow Him and Rome will be overthrown with one of those miracles Jesus does.
            Jesus didn't do what Judas had expected Jesus would do. Judas let his faith denigrate from disappointment to despair, and thus the deal was made to get rid of Jesus. In the stillness of the night the small crowd of soldiers showed up with lanterns and weapons guided by Judas to the spot where he knew Jesus would be.
            As the soldiers turned up in force, Peter saw it as the time to begin the overthrow of Roman oppression. Peter pulled out his sword and started the defense. An ear came off; Peter was ready for more, but Jesus rebuked him. Jesus said, ‘‘Put up your sword.’’  This stung Peter; disappointment gripped him as he watched them lead Jesus off with a submissive and surrendering attitude. In a short while, Peter’s disappointment would cause him to declare “I don’t know this man.” The truth is that he was right; he didn’t know Jesus. Similarly, there are many people in churches today who don’t KNOW Jesus. Jesus told Peter more than once that he would be taken and crucified. Peter heard the words, but he didn’t hear the message. Just like so many of us, we listen but we don’t hear.
            Peter and Judas were not the only followers of God who were disappointed by him. Throughout the scriptures there are numerous examples of people God disappointed. Moses and Elijah are examples.
 
The question to you is: has God ever disappointed you?
            The bible makes some incredible promises about answers to prayer. But God doesn't always agree with what we want or sometimes God doesn't agree with our timetable. We are then disappointed.
            Some disappointments may instead be God's appointments. When God disappoints us it is not an indication that God loves us any less.  If anything it may be an indication that God loves us more than we realize. Let us explore why we may be disappointed by God and what we can do about it.
            We can be disappointed with God's behavior because God’s behavior is not what we expected.

Let’s explore what to do when we are disappointed with God’s behavior not being what we expect:

(1) Always choose faith over fear
Fight the temptation to fear the worst.  You must choose faith instead. When things don't work out the way you wanted them to, when your plan is not God's plan, when you don't understand what's going on, you must still choose faith over fear. When tempted to panic, choose prayer instead. When tempted to worry, try worship instead. Turn your thoughts to the greatness of God and what He has already done for you. Fear never helps. Worry never solves a problem.

(2) Always trust that God is in control, remembering that it is the sovereignty of God that is the source of your sanity
You may be disappointed, and things seem out of control, but remember that God is in control. Things may look like chaos from a human viewpoint, but God has a bigger perspective. History is God’s story.  Instead of being afraid of what might happen, stand on the reality that God is still on the throne.  Nothing or no one can replace God. The Bible says in Job 25:2 "God is the one to fear because God is in control and he rules the heaven." God is still in control.
You either believe that or you don't. Force your thoughts to remember that God is in control. You trust God because God is in control of everything. God is in control of everything, even when it looks out of control from your viewpoint. Trusting God is recognition of God’s sovereignty that is meant to comfort us, not to discourage us.
God is communicating to us, "I (God) am in charge here. Trust me. I know what I'm doing. You don't know what I'm doing. You can't see what I see. You don't know what I know. Your values aren't my values.”  God’s value system is so much higher than ours. We are concerned about frivolous things that won’t matter 5 years from now. God is making decisions that affect you, your children, and your grandchildren, including your eternity.(3)

(3) There is awesome power in patiently waiting
            Whatever you are disappointed over is not the end of the story. Part of our problem is that we look at things in a short-term perspective. We don't see things from an eternal perspective. We're so short-sighted, and we're so impatient. We think that the most important thing that's ever happened in the entire history of the world is happening right now, but it is not. God has been directing history for thousands of years. In fact, thousands of years before you and I were ever even born, God was directing history.
            In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet was watching the decline and the destruction of his nation. Literally, everything was falling apart, and Habakkuk cries out in a long complaint to God. In Habakkuk 1:2, he says this: "How long, Lord?" "How long do I have to keep begging you to help our nation? How long before you listen? Do you see what's going on out there, God? How long before you rescue us from all this violence?"
God actually answers Habakkuk in chapter 2. God says this: "Habakkuk, I know what I'm doing, and I know just the right timetable for it. Habakkuk, you need to trust me. You need to be patient. This is not the end of the story." In Habakkuk 2:3, God says, "The things that I plan won't happen right away. Slowly steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled." God says, "If it seems slow, do not despair for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient. They will not be overdue a single day." "They will not be overdue a single day..." God says, "Habakkuk, trust me.” When you are saying, "How long is this going to go on? When are we going to see the change?” God responds to you, "My plan is a good plan and it will happen, but it won't be overdue, for it takes some time. Just be patient. This is not the end of the story."
            Similarly, the book of James puts a premium on patience. The scripture in James 5:7 says, "Wait, patiently my friends. Think of how patient farmers are, as they wait for their land to produce. They wait patiently for different seasons and rain."  We have a hard time being patient. God’s word gives us a model. James says think about farmers. Notice the phrase, different seasons. You can't skip seasons. You can't go from summer to summer, to summer, to summer without going through winter. God says that there are seasons in life.
            We must learn how to trust God's timing and remember Romans 8:28 has never changed. It is still in force for all things, not just some things. “We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who've been called according to his purpose."  Not everything in life is good, but God says, "I can use it all, even the bad, for good. I can bring good out of bad." Only God can do that. The problem is, we can't see what God sees. Waiting is hard.  This song may help you. Video-Don’t Mind Waiting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hEiGEfm2uE
 
(4) You must look for lessons learned
            Never waste a disappointing situation. When your plan wasn't God's plan, when things didn't go the way you wanted them to go, learn from it. God wants us to learn from everything. God wants us to learn from our fears, our failures, and our frustrations. God even wants us to learn from our sins, as God cleanses us. Deuteronomy 11:2 says, "Remember today what you've learned about the Lord through your experiences with Him." You're going through experiences right now. What are you learning about the Lord?

(5) There is amazing power in gratefulness to God
            For some of us, looking for things to be grateful for may be the most difficult. However, it is what God tells us to do when we're disappointed, discouraged, or depressed. Be grateful for what God has already done.
 
(6) You must get ready for the turnaround as God transforming us on the inside for outward action in this world
Some of us may be disappointed with God right now. This is another song that may help you. Video-Turning Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzbKwcC-Xmo

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDING FAMILY GROUPS
Sermon Quick Summary
-In your relationship with God, have you ever felt disappointed? What was your reaction to those feelings?
Scripture Text: John 18:1-11
-According to John 18: 5-8, Jesus willingly confronted the soldiers as the substitute in the salvation of disciples and believers today, not losing anyone that God had given to Jesus. In following the example of Jesus, what concerns should you have about evangelism in serving others with truth?
The story of Joe is an example of a Christian man’s disappointment with God
-In the story of Joe, why do you think that God was silent when Joe cried out to God on why his son died?
Judas and Peter had disappointments with God with some similarities to Joe’s story
-In what ways did Judas and Peter exhibit disappointment with God not meeting their own expectations? How did Jesus respond to Judas? How did Jesus respond to Peter?
The question to you is: has God ever disappointed you?
-In what circumstances have you felt that God has disappointed you?
-If God’s behavior has not been what you expected from God from your human viewpoint, how has that resulted in your feelings of disappointment with God? Why?
Let’s explore what to do when we are disappointed with God’s behavior not being what we expect:
(1)Always choose faith over fear
-Why must fear based in panic and worry be replaced with faith in prayer and worship?(2)Always trust that God is in control, remembering that it is the sovereignty of God that is the source of your sanity
-When faced with chaos in a fallen world, why may you have difficulty remembering that God is in control?
(3)There is awesome power in patiently waiting
-Why is it so important to patiently wait on and trust in God?
(4)You must look for lessons learned
-What lessons have you learned from your experiences with God?
(5) There is amazing power in gratefulness to God
-Why is it so important for you to remember what God has already done in your life to protect and comfort you?
(6)You must get ready for the turnaround in God transforming us on the inside for outward action in this world
-As you view the video on Turning Around, what lyrics from the song have been helpful to you?