1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: Let us pray, for we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: Second Corinthians five seven, My wonderful Father, I want you 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: to know how much I adore you. You are more 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: real to me than the floor beneath my feet or 5 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: the chair I set. In Your word says that without 6 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: faith it is impossible to please God. It seems that 7 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 1: faith is what blesses you more than anything else. When 8 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 1: I trust you and believe in your goodness by faith, 9 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: it puts a smile on your face. Everything I encounter 10 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: or go through here on earth is designed to build 11 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: my faith and strengthen me. I've been fed so many 12 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 1: lies by this world and its fallen nature that it's 13 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: a great undertaking to break me out of that worldly mentality. 14 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: The people in this world are influence by what they see. 15 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 1: They live for what the world honors, wealth, fame, accolades, 16 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: and success. But I walk by faith and believe in 17 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: the glories of heaven, where my Savior lives. I believe 18 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: there's a crown of glory waiting as a reward for 19 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: those who love you. Living by faith is to act 20 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 1: as if these things were true. Faith is the substance 21 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 22 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: My natural eyes only see mortality, corruption, and misery. But 23 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: by faith I see another more excellent and glorious state. 24 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: And I order my life according to my faith and 25 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: those things that are invisible in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank 26 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: you for listening to today's daily prayer for more inspiration 27 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: and an incredible message from our feature pastor. Stay tuned 28 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 1: to pray dot COM's Sunday service. 29 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 2: Welcome to pray dot COM's Sunday service sponsored by Altrue 30 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 2: health Share. Follow this podcast and listen weekly to receive 31 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 2: godly wisdom and practical advice for daily living. Stay tuned 32 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 2: for Sunday service coming up after a quick word from 33 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 2: our sponsors. There's an innovative, better way to find healthcare. 34 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 2: We're our True a health Share, an affordable and flexible 35 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: way to take care of your family. We're a community 36 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 2: of like minded, health conscious individuals who share in each 37 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 2: other's medical needs, and you can customize your healthcare your way. 38 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 2: With Altrue health Share. You can build your membership based 39 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 2: on your season of life and your family's needs. Head 40 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 2: to my share dot org to find out more. That's 41 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: my share dot org. Altru a health share where we 42 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 2: care for one another. 43 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 3: I mean Psalm Chapter eighty eight. Psalm eighty eight, we 44 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 3: begin a series that is, quite frankly, a very difficult series. 45 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 3: It brought up some memories in my past, some of 46 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 3: the struggles of my own life, and there's no way 47 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 3: I can answer all the questions. It's very similar to 48 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 3: our Holy Sexuality Message series that we did. 49 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 4: Earlier in the year. 50 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 3: There's no way I can answer all the questions in 51 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 3: one And in retrospect, as I look back in what 52 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 3: I've prepared, I've realized that I've approached this kind of 53 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 3: from back to front. This is the type of message 54 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 3: I would usually deliver at the end of a series. 55 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 3: I've decided to put it up front because I want 56 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 3: this message to couch or to be the foundation for 57 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 3: everything we say after this. But make but rest assure 58 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 3: we will cover these issues. Before we get into Psalm 59 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 3: eighty eight, I want to say something specifically to the 60 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 3: next generation, because they are suffering immensely from what we 61 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 3: has been termed mental illness of various sorts. So we're 62 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 3: asking why doctor's physicians are asking why metical centers are 63 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 3: asking why this seems to be a pandemic right now 64 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 3: there seems to be a pandemic of anxiety, of depression 65 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 3: even by polarism and beyond, because mental illness comes in 66 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 3: different phases, different effects, and different degrees. But can I 67 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 3: say something. First of all, I want you to know, 68 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 3: as the younger generation, pep rallies will never sustain you. 69 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 5: No. 70 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 3: You know you've heard me defind pep rallies. It's the raw, 71 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 3: raw part of your faith. And there's nothing wrong with 72 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 3: the raw, raw part. 73 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 4: The raw raw part's good. 74 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 3: It can lift your spirits as long as you understand 75 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 3: that they are temporary fixes. They never cure ultimately the disease. 76 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 3: I know most of this next generation, because of the 77 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 3: entertainment industry, are drawn to these type of things. And 78 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 3: if you find it entertaining, inspiring, captivative speaker, I'm drawn 79 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 3: to them as well. There's nothing wrong with them. Now, 80 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 3: Please don't misunderstand. I like to hear a passionate, extraordinary, 81 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,799 Speaker 3: on fire type of speaker. But that won't I'll sustain 82 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 3: you over the long haul alone. You need information, you 83 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 3: need truth, you need something that's going to internally transform you, 84 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 3: not just make you feel a certain spiritual high in 85 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 3: the moment. My son has a friend that says, I'll 86 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 3: tell you the kind of preacher I like. I like 87 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 3: the kind of preacher that really gets me going. And 88 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 3: that's good, So do I. Everyone does. But sooner or 89 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 3: later you've got to move off the milk and get 90 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 3: into the meat. The Hebrew writer says exactly that this 91 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 3: applies specifically to a series that we're doing on mental illness. 92 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 3: Most of you, if you know my story, I have 93 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 3: a history of anxiety disorder. In fact, preparing for this series, 94 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 3: I found to be somewhat of a kickstarter again, to 95 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 3: start the fire a trigger, I remember, and I reflected 96 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 3: back in the three and a half years, there was 97 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 3: this period I could not leave my house. I was shamed, 98 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 3: a shamed because I disappointed my kids would be out 99 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:57,840 Speaker 3: in public and I was about to take them to 100 00:05:57,880 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 3: dinner in a movie. 101 00:05:58,520 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 4: And suddenly I look at my wife and I say, 102 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 4: you got to take me home? Why? Dad? Why? 103 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 3: And I couldn't explain it. I felt like I was 104 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 3: in a tunnel. I felt like the world, the roof 105 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,119 Speaker 3: of the sky was falling, which made no sense at all. 106 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 3: And then there was the overwhelming sense of shame that 107 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 3: a pastor who's supposed to be spiritually well put together 108 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 3: would suffer this. 109 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 4: Kind of mental illness? 110 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 3: Can I tell you that when I suffered the most, 111 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 3: I was at home and could not leave home, and 112 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 3: I read all the time and two sources. I read 113 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 3: my Bible all the time, which turned out to be 114 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 3: better than I ever thought it could be. And second, 115 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 3: I read everything I could about middle illness. I think 116 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 3: I have read thousands upon thousands of articles by doctors 117 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 3: in journals, in medical journals by Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt Hospital, 118 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:43,840 Speaker 3: on and on it goes. And let me tell you, 119 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 3: I could cite all those, but let me tell you 120 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 3: what I've learned in the first part of this series. 121 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 4: Number one. 122 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 3: The medical world simply does not know what causes mental illness. 123 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 4: They have theories, they do not know. 124 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 3: The second thing I can tell you a certain is 125 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 3: only Jesus can heal you. Only Jesus can heal you. 126 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 3: You say, what about medicine. I'm a fan of medicine 127 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 3: to a degree because it masks the symptoms. You think, well, 128 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 3: why would you want to mask something, Because when you 129 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 3: are suffering from mental disability, you need something to stop 130 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 3: the wheels from turning so that you can start to 131 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 3: think logically and practically and put things into your life 132 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 3: that will ultimately defeat the disease, not just treat the symptoms. 133 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 3: Medicine can help you function, but medicine, as long as 134 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 3: you know, will never ultimately heal you. When I was ill, 135 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 3: people would come up to me and say things, suck 136 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 3: it up, pastor Jeff, you can do it. You know 137 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 3: you got Jesus in you. Just try harder, trust Jesus more. 138 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 4: You can do it. 139 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 3: You can overcome. When the outlook is bad, try the uplook. 140 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 3: You know, the victory is in you. It's already there. 141 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 3: All of that is true. God has a plan for 142 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 3: your life. All of that is true. 143 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 4: I get that. 144 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 3: But what people don't understand is when you're in mental illness, 145 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 3: you're not processing properly, you're not thinking properly. And all 146 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 3: these things are true, but they're just band aids. They're 147 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 3: still treating the symptoms. 148 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 4: Rather than the disease. 149 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 3: I just sat in my doctor's office two weeks ago 150 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 3: because I've had to switch doctors because we've switched care providers, 151 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 3: and my doctor wanted to talk to me about my history, 152 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 3: and he noticed I was on zoloft, and he said, 153 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,239 Speaker 3: tell me a little bit about this, and we talked 154 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 3: for like an hour. I've never had a doctor spend 155 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 3: that much time with me. I don't know if he 156 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 3: was intrigued by me, or if he knew I was 157 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 3: the pastor of One and All and just wanted some time. 158 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 3: Who knows, but I can tell you I sat across 159 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 3: the desk from this guy who's been in his specific 160 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 3: practice for over forty five years, well respected, and he 161 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 3: looked at me and simply said, we don't know what 162 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 3: causes mental illness. We just know how to treat it. 163 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 3: And by treating, he means we can control the symptoms, 164 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 3: not cure the disease. Now, I'm not anti medicine. In fact, 165 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 3: I'm a fan of modern medicine. I want to be 166 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:55,679 Speaker 3: careful here, but I'm not a doctor. I'm not a 167 00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 3: fan of the modern pharmaceutical companies and they're greed. I'm 168 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,680 Speaker 3: not a fan of that to get all Americans hooked 169 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 3: on some kind of medication to solve everything. Got a problem, 170 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 3: take a pill. I'm not a fan of that. But 171 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 3: that doesn't mean that all medicine is bad. James Simpson, 172 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 3: The discovery of Chloroform was a dedicated follower of Jesus 173 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 3: and couldn't stand to see women who were having babies 174 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 3: being such pain. James Simpson Chloroform. Jonah Salk, who created 175 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 3: a vaccine for polio saved him many many lives. But 176 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 3: here's what you need to know in this first message. 177 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 3: Mental illness is real. You can't just speak it away. 178 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 3: We know that it is related somehow to pass trauma, 179 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 3: but not all the time to pass trauma. But it's 180 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:46,079 Speaker 3: not the past trauma that causes mental illness. We're now 181 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 3: learning that it's your response to pass trauma. Because everybody 182 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 3: has trauma of some sort. There's not a soul on 183 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 3: this earth that's not carrying some burden. 184 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:54,319 Speaker 4: So how you. 185 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:56,679 Speaker 3: Respond to it has a lot to do with the 186 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 3: chemical makeup of serotonin levels in your head. 187 00:09:59,200 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 4: In your brain. 188 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 3: There is a physical impact from a spiritual life, there's 189 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 3: no doubt about that. We're gonna talk about that later 190 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 3: in the series. Medicine and counseling are good things. But 191 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,199 Speaker 3: here's the thing, mental illness, and we're not gonna like 192 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 3: this is the pathway to greatness. Mental illness is the 193 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 3: pathway to greatness. Even though it's gonna be the darkest 194 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 3: season of your life. Now I want to take you 195 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 3: to Yes, I said that the darkest season of your life. 196 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 3: I want to take you to Psalm eighty eight. Here 197 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 3: is a psalm. I want to read the words to 198 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 3: you first, he says the writer. Lord, you are the 199 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 3: God who saves me day and not. I cry out 200 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 3: to you. 201 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 4: Verse two. 202 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 3: May my prayer come before you turn your ear to 203 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:48,079 Speaker 3: my cry. You have put me in the lowest pit, 204 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 3: in the darkest depths. 205 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 4: Verse seven. 206 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 3: Your wrath lies heavy on me. You've overwhelmed me with 207 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:55,239 Speaker 3: all your waves. 208 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 4: Verse eight. 209 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 3: You have taken me from my closest friends, and you 210 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 3: have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and 211 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 3: cannot escape. My eyes are dim with grief. I call 212 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:08,079 Speaker 3: you Lord, every day I spread out my hands to you. 213 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 3: Do you show wonders to the dead? Do their spirits 214 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 3: rise up and praise you? Is your love declared in 215 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 3: the grave? Your faithfulness indestruction? Are your wonders known in 216 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 3: the place of darkness? Or your righteous deeds in the 217 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:24,079 Speaker 3: land of oblivion? But I cry to you for help. Lord, 218 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 3: in the morning, my prayer comes before you. Why Lord, 219 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 3: do you reject me and hide your face from me. 220 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 3: From my youth, I have suffered and been close to death. 221 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,839 Speaker 3: I have borne your terrors and have been despair. Your 222 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 3: wrath have swept over me. Your terrors have destroyed me 223 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 3: all day long. They surround me like a flood. They 224 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 3: have completely engulfed me. You have taken from me my 225 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 3: friend and neighbor. Darkness is my closest friend. I believe it. 226 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,319 Speaker 3: I'm gonna show you as this develops. We are reading 227 00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 3: the song of someone who had suffered mental illness, probably depression, 228 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 3: from the time of their youth. Why do I believe 229 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 3: that I will unveil that as we go? But first 230 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 3: of all, this is a psalm and prayers in the psalm, 231 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 3: with the exception of two. Now there's hundreds of psalms. 232 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 3: With the exception of two psalms. All the psalms start 233 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 3: in despair and end with hope, except for two Psalm 234 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,720 Speaker 3: thirty nine and Saw eighty eight. Psalm thirty nine ends 235 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 3: by the writer saying, God, turn your face away from 236 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 3: me in this last moment of my life, so I 237 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,440 Speaker 3: can have at least one moment of piece before I die. 238 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 4: And Psaw eighty eight. 239 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 3: Ends with one Hebrew word. You can't see it in 240 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 3: the English, but there's one Hebrew word, and the meaning 241 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:43,839 Speaker 3: is this darkness. That's my real friend. Now, the question 242 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 3: is why did God put this psalm in the Bible? 243 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 3: Why is it here well as well as Psalm thirty nine. 244 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 3: I want to tell you why. And in those four reasons, 245 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 3: I want to tell you to write them down. I 246 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 3: believe we discover something that is priceless. Number one, here's 247 00:12:57,520 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 3: why God put it in to show you that mental 248 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 3: illness can lie for a long time. Lord, you are 249 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 3: the God who saves me, day or not, I cry 250 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 3: out to you. And then he says he's losing all 251 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 3: of his friends, he's facing death. So whatever he's facing 252 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,160 Speaker 3: is pretty debilitating, and he's angry at God. He says, God, 253 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,280 Speaker 3: if I'm dead, I can't praise your name. Do the 254 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 3: dead praise your name? Can I be righteous if I'm 255 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 3: incapacitated like this? And then he says in verse fifteen, 256 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 3: from my youth, I've suffered and been close to death. 257 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 3: So he suffered this from a very young age. Most 258 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 3: of his life he's outwardly afflicted, but where yet he 259 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 3: feels inwardly abandoned. 260 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 4: See this is the point. 261 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 3: If you feel outwardly afflicted, but you feel that God 262 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 3: is close and with you, you can do it. But 263 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 3: he says darkness is the only thing by my side, 264 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 3: And that's the trouble with mental youth. You can face 265 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 3: outer darkness if inwardly you're experiencing His love, But when 266 00:13:56,160 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 3: you're in these positions you don't feel whether it's abjectively 267 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 3: true or not, is not the point. You don't feel 268 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 3: the closeness of God, which means this. You can be 269 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 3: trying and praying and attending church and reading scripture and 270 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 3: doing all the right things and you can still feel 271 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 3: darkness for a long time. Is that depressing, Yes, But 272 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 3: it's also encouraging. And here's why, because as a young 273 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 3: student of the Bible, the thing that impressed me most 274 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 3: about the Psalms was honesty because it's real. Do you 275 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 3: remember that great movie Princess Bride and the great line 276 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 3: where he says life is pain highness. Anyone who says 277 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 3: differently is selling something. The Bible is real Christianity. It's 278 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 3: not trying to sell you something. It's realistic. It tells 279 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 3: you that pep rallies and motivational speeches. 280 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 4: Just won't do it. 281 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 3: By somebody telling you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, 282 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:57,880 Speaker 3: it's not gonna heal you. And sometimes the reality is 283 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 3: life is about extended times of darkness, even when you're 284 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 3: doing things right. And I remain truly concerned by some 285 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 3: of the voices that the next generation is attracted to. 286 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 3: It's almost like, now that you're a Christian, they're being 287 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 3: told nothing bad can happen. Christ is in you, and 288 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 3: you will rise a bob and there's no darkness that 289 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 3: it will ever come upon you. You're righteous. And because 290 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 3: Christ is in you, he's righteous. Therefore God sees you 291 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,520 Speaker 3: as righteous, there will be no more darkness. And I 292 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 3: always like to remind them, oh yeah, so you've heard 293 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 3: of Jesus. Pretty good guy, right, he's pretty righteous. They 294 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 3: killed them. The point is Jesus was clear in John 295 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 3: sixteen thirty three that in this world we have trouble, 296 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 3: and not just physical but mental and spiritual battles. And 297 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 3: the reason I labor this point is half the pain 298 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 3: in our lives comes from false expectations. Job's friends. Do 299 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 3: you know the story of Job? Do you remember what 300 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 3: their answer was to his suffering. They basically said, Job, 301 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 3: you've obviously said against God. God is getting you. 302 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 4: You deserve this. 303 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 3: And Joe's response finally was you guys are a bunch 304 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 3: of wind bags. You're you're not helping me. And then 305 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 3: Elifas the Timanite comes and says an amazing passage. Elafas 306 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 3: the Temanite, who should know better, comes to Job and says, 307 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 3: there's a spirit that glided past my face, and the 308 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 3: hair on my head stood on end. It stopped, but 309 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 3: I couldn't tell what it was. A form stood before 310 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 3: my very eyes, and I heard a voice. Can a 311 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 3: mortal man be more righteous than God? And what how 312 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 3: does that help? 313 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 4: Job? 314 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 3: I remember when my mentor came to my alma mater, 315 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 3: and so I had my mentor and my favorite theology 316 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 3: professor in conversation and they shared a similar story. And 317 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 3: I think I've shared this before. Just quickly, when you're 318 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 3: in seminary and you take a final exam, you take 319 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 3: essays or you write pages and pages, so you're giving 320 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,760 Speaker 3: five questions at the end of the year exam and 321 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 3: you get to choose three and each question will probably 322 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 3: take ten written pages hand written pages to answer the question. 323 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 3: In full, and so if you haven't studied, most students 324 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 3: will participate in what it's called patting. In other words, 325 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 3: they know they don't know any of the answers to 326 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 3: the question, so they'll just right right and write ten 327 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 3: pages of nothingness, just so, hoping that somewhere along all 328 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:16,440 Speaker 3: this fluff they will hint at the truth and they'll 329 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 3: get some credit for the exam. And both my mentor 330 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 3: and both my theology professor said that one time a 331 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 3: student turned in a paper like that, and my theology 332 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 3: professor wrote on the front of the paper, this is 333 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 3: not right. This is not even wrong. I like that, 334 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 3: this is not right, this is not even wrong. What 335 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:36,400 Speaker 3: you've written doesn't even rise to the integrity of error 336 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:39,920 Speaker 3: because you've simply said nothing. It makes no sense. That's 337 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 3: what happens often when we're experiencing something that our friends 338 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 3: do not understand. They mean well, but what they say 339 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 3: makes no sense and gives no encouragement and doesn't do 340 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 3: anything for the healing. It might put a band aid 341 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 3: on the symptom, but the disease is far, far deep. 342 00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 3: So I go back to the question why does God 343 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:01,439 Speaker 3: put them in the Bible? Why does God put a 344 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 3: saw saw eighty eight in the Bible, whether there seems 345 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:06,480 Speaker 3: to be no hope? First to show you that mental 346 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 3: illness can last a long time. Second to show you 347 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 3: the grace of God. Some of the man's prayer in 348 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,160 Speaker 3: Psaw eighty eight is not really a prayer, but an interrogation. 349 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,199 Speaker 3: Look at the sarcasm again. In verse ten and eleven, 350 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:22,399 Speaker 3: do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their 351 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 3: spirits rise up and praise you? Is your love declared 352 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 3: in the grave? Your faithfulness and destruction? In other words, 353 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:29,919 Speaker 3: he says, how can I tell the world about all 354 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 3: your wonders if I'm dead? I want to do so 355 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,359 Speaker 3: much for you, God, I want to spread the joy 356 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 3: of your name. How can I do that? How can 357 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 3: I declare your name if I'm dead? Dead, maybe not 358 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 3: physically dead, but spiritually and mentally decapitated the head. The 359 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 3: thinking has been taken off of my spiritual and physical life, 360 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 3: and I can't process things the way I want to process, 361 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:56,640 Speaker 3: which means I can't declare your glories. And in verse 362 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 3: fifteen again he says I've experienced this from my youth. 363 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 3: He says, basically, God, You've never been with me all 364 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 3: of my life I've suffered, and you look at it 365 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:09,120 Speaker 3: and you think that seems disrespectful, doesn't It almost seems 366 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 3: blasphemous because this man is interpreting all of his life 367 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 3: through his present circumstances. And he ends the psalm by saying, 368 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:19,640 Speaker 3: even darkness is a better friend to me than you, God, 369 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 3: because at least darkness. 370 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 4: Never leaves me. Notice the sarcasm. 371 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 3: Remember I said that. Psalm thirty nine also ends this way, 372 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 3: when the writer says, turn your face away from me, 373 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 3: so that I can have a little piece before I die. 374 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 3: One commentator says this about Psalm eighty eight and Psalm 375 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 3: thirty nine. The very presence of these prayers in scripture 376 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 3: is a witness to God's understanding. God knows how men 377 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 3: speak when they're desperate. Now you think about that God 378 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 3: placed these psalms here. God does not say, you know, 379 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:52,919 Speaker 3: there's no way I'm gonna let this song or psalm 380 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 3: make it into psalms. I don't want people to think 381 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 3: they can talk to me this way. But God doesn't 382 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 3: say that. He says, put it in because he identifies 383 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 3: with those prayers. God is saying, I love this man 384 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,400 Speaker 3: even though he's not getting it right. I fully understand 385 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 3: his depression, even though he can't see the whole picture. 386 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 3: I see his frustration, and therefore I'm going to extend 387 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 3: to my grace and mercy. God says to those who 388 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 3: experience mental illness. And this is not just theory to me, 389 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 3: this is real because this is the case in my 390 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 3: own life. God says to us in the midst of 391 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 3: this that I am your God, not because you get 392 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 3: up every day and put on a happy face, not 393 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 3: because you say and do everything right, not because you 394 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:35,199 Speaker 3: never talk back, not because you never lash out or 395 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,399 Speaker 3: get frustrated with me. I am your God because I 396 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,959 Speaker 3: love you, and I am a God of grace. And 397 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 3: we should find that liberating. That as we go through 398 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 3: this series, all the things we're about to learn, we 399 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 3: should never forget that. So why did God place it 400 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,919 Speaker 3: in the Bible To show you that mental illness can 401 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 3: last a long time, two to show you the grace 402 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 3: of God during the dark seasons of your days, and 403 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 3: three to show you that mental illness is where you 404 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 3: become a person of righteousness. This is hard to fathom, 405 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 3: it's hard to accept. And when somebody told me this 406 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 3: in the middle of it, I didn't appreciate hearing it, 407 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 3: but in. 408 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 4: Retrospect after the fact, it's true. 409 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 3: God put this here to show you that mental illness 410 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:20,439 Speaker 3: is where you become a person of greatness. This the 411 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 3: writer saw media, which again we're gonna unveil just in 412 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:26,320 Speaker 3: a moment. He should not be saying things he's saying, 413 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:28,919 Speaker 3: but at least he's saying them to God. You know, 414 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 3: one day, when I was in the middle of my anxiety, 415 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:34,159 Speaker 3: I finally got the courage to leave the house. I 416 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 3: had to come to the office because I was preaching 417 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 3: again that weekend. Through that season, I continued to preach 418 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 3: and continue to pray and continue to learn. One day 419 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 3: I got to the office and I just my brain. 420 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:46,520 Speaker 3: It was in that cloud again. It was in that place. 421 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:48,880 Speaker 3: I don't know where you go. It's like Paul, Whether 422 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:50,439 Speaker 3: in the body or out of the body, I don't know. 423 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 3: The only difference was I wasn't caught up in the 424 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 3: third heaven. I felt like I was caught up in 425 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,920 Speaker 3: the third hell. This was terrible and I couldn't think. 426 00:21:56,920 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 3: I couldn't process. 427 00:21:58,720 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 4: You know what I did. 428 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 3: I'm gonna make a confession. I got my iPad out 429 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 3: and I watched Forrest Gump. I don't know why. I 430 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 3: just thought, maybe I need a good laugh. The problem 431 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:10,760 Speaker 3: with Forrest Gump you get some laughs, but you also 432 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 3: get some serious dialogue. And I came to the scene 433 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,920 Speaker 3: where Lieutenant Dan, who had lost both his legs in battle, 434 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 3: who hated Forrest because Forrest got the Medal of Honor 435 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:26,400 Speaker 3: and he felt Forrest was an idiot. And here Lieutenant Dan, 436 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 3: coming from a long series of family members who were 437 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 3: war heroes, got nothing, lost both his legs. Forrest carried 438 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 3: him out of the jungle, and Lieutenant Dan hated him 439 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 3: for it. But not only that, he hated himself. Became 440 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 3: addicted to sex, drugs, alcohol. He was destroying his life. 441 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 3: But he heard that Forrest Gump has a boat and 442 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 3: is shrimping in Alabama, and he promised Forest that if 443 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 3: you ever own your own boat, I'm gonna come and 444 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 3: be your first mate. Holding true to his word, he comes. 445 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,920 Speaker 3: He becomes the first mate Forrest Gump shripping. 446 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 4: Entity. 447 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 3: But they're not catching any shrimp. And one day a 448 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,680 Speaker 3: horrible storm comes and all the boats come in except one. 449 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 3: And the only reason Forrest Gump remained is because Lieutenant 450 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 3: Dan determined. He was determined to. 451 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 4: Die that day. 452 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,160 Speaker 3: So he climbs on top of the mast with this 453 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:27,120 Speaker 3: storm that had the potential to destroy them, to destroyed 454 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 3: every boat that had gone into harbor, and Lieutenant Dan 455 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:35,439 Speaker 3: has it out with God, and in this frustration, he 456 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 3: says to God, you'll never sink this boat. 457 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:39,880 Speaker 4: Is that all you got? God? 458 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,239 Speaker 3: You son of a gun? Is that all you have? 459 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 3: You call this a storm? And he yells, it's time 460 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 3: for a showdown between you and me. God on on 461 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 3: one here I am, Come get me. You'll never sink 462 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:53,120 Speaker 3: this boat. And he screens and. 463 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:54,200 Speaker 4: Yells at God. 464 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 3: And then in the next scene, after the storm subsides, 465 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,919 Speaker 3: here comes Lieutenant Dan the eighth who's been shouting at 466 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 3: God all night long, and Forrest says, he never said so, 467 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 3: but I think he made his peace with God when 468 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 3: I saw that. Believe it or not, God uses If 469 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 3: God can use a donkey, he can use force gum. 470 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,160 Speaker 3: I remember on my couch thinking I got to get 471 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 3: this out, and I let God have it. I'm a pastor, 472 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 3: I'm your servant. I've been serving you since I was 473 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:32,000 Speaker 3: twenty one years old. I have given everything to you. 474 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:33,840 Speaker 3: I went to Africa for you. I went to New 475 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 3: Zealand for you, and here you are. You've got me 476 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 3: in this darkness and you won't answer. The healing that 477 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 3: took place that day, probably more than any medicine at least. 478 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 3: I was still talking to God. And God did not 479 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 3: strike me down and smite me, because He's a god 480 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 3: of grace and mercy. And I began to learn he 481 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 3: was doing something. You know what is Satan Zechi's against Job? 482 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 3: Have you read the Book of Job? Satan says to God, 483 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 3: Job's relationship with you is transactional. Of course he serves 484 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,160 Speaker 3: you because you keep blessing him. Of Course he does 485 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:13,160 Speaker 3: the right thing because you keep giving him more and more. 486 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 3: Stop you withhold that stuff. You stop blessing him. You 487 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 3: wound him internally and externally. He'll curse you. He'll curse 488 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 3: the day he was born, and he'll curse you. 489 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 4: Give him inner and outer darkness, and he will not 490 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 4: serve you. That passage spoke to me. 491 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 3: Because I realized that much of my relationship with God 492 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:45,760 Speaker 3: at that point in my life was transactional. That I 493 00:25:45,800 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 3: had used people in the past as a means to 494 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 3: my end, but now I'm using God Did I really 495 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:54,160 Speaker 3: go to New Zealand and to Africa for God? 496 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 4: Or did I go for myself? 497 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:02,200 Speaker 3: Had I been serving Him for me or for him? 498 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 3: And you have to ask the same question, is Satan 499 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 3: right about us? 500 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 4: About me? About you? 501 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 3: We all begin with that attitude because we come to 502 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 3: God to get something, and that's natural. 503 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 4: We want to be healed, we want to be saved. 504 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 4: Those are good things. 505 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 3: But if you never grow out of that emotionally, you 506 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 3: become a roller coaster because it'll be contingent on what 507 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 3: you think God is doing for you at the present time. 508 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,919 Speaker 3: But God in our lives is trying to move us 509 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,240 Speaker 3: out of egocentrism where everything's about us, into theocentrism that 510 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 3: where everything's about God. And Job speaks to God the 511 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 3: same way that the writer of Saumadia speaks to God. 512 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 3: Let me give you a demonstration. It's in Job nine, 513 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 3: verse twenty two. It's all the same. That's why I 514 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 3: say he meaning God destroys both the blameless and the wicked. 515 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 3: You hear what he's saying. God doesn't do any good 516 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 3: to be righteous. You kill us both. When a scourge 517 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:55,199 Speaker 3: brings sudden death, God walks the despair of the innocent. 518 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,680 Speaker 3: You hear what he's saying. An innocent person dies, God, 519 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:01,639 Speaker 3: they're in despair. You do nothing about it. When a 520 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 3: land falls into the hands of the weak and he 521 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 3: blindsfold its judges. If it is not he, then who 522 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 3: is it? Job is saying, you could have straightened this out. 523 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 3: When injustice happens, You could have prevented it. You don't 524 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 3: whose fault is it, then it's got to be yours. 525 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 3: Job talks to God the same exact way in psalmty eight, 526 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 3: and the author talks to God. And yet here's the 527 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 3: key now in all of this. At the end of 528 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 3: the book of Job, God says, Job has honored me 529 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 3: throughout this entire endeavor. And God turns to Job's friends 530 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 3: and says, you better ask Job to pray for you, 531 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 3: otherwise I might smite you. 532 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:40,119 Speaker 4: Job. 533 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 3: After all the things that Job had said to God, 534 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 3: why would he say? Why would God say that Job 535 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 3: had honored him? And the answer is this, Yeah, he's talking. 536 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:53,920 Speaker 3: You might even say he's talking trash, you might even 537 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 3: say he's accusatory, But at least he's still talking to God. 538 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,880 Speaker 3: At least he still communicating to God. He's angry with God. 539 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 3: He's complaining to God. He's accusatory to God, and he's 540 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 3: wrong and most of his assumptions. But at least he's 541 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,360 Speaker 3: still talking to God because he knows God's there. Even 542 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 3: though he does not subjectively feel God, he knows God's 543 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 3: objective presence is undeniable, and Job never walks away from God. 544 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:22,680 Speaker 3: He stays with God until the very end, and as 545 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 3: a result, Satan is defeated. If while you are in 546 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,440 Speaker 3: your darkness, you can tell please hear me. Now you're thinking, oh, man, 547 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:35,280 Speaker 3: I want I want something. 548 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 4: I know what you want. You want stats, you want healing, 549 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 4: you want me to give you a formula. Just stay 550 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:39,920 Speaker 4: with me. 551 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 3: Those things we're going to talk about, but for now, 552 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 3: please understand. If you continue to do good, you continue 553 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:50,680 Speaker 3: to go to church, you continue to feel you're getting 554 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 3: nothing out of it in the middle of this fog 555 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:59,480 Speaker 3: and haze and confusion. If you continue to go to church, 556 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 3: to read the Word, to surround yourself with fraid, if 557 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 3: you continue to do these things, what happens is it 558 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 3: turns you into greatness. 559 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 4: But if you run, and. 560 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 3: You run, the disease grows more intense. It is meant 561 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 3: to turn you from egocentrism into theocentrism, which inevitably produces endurance, stability, peace, 562 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 3: and a centralized joy. At the end of the book 563 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 3: Lord of the Rings the book, not the movie, Sam 564 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 3: and his friend Frodo are headed up to the mountain 565 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 3: of Doom. And as they're headed up, Sam realizes his 566 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 3: strength and energy is gone, are gone, and he's come 567 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 3: to the end of himself. And he's tempted in the 568 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 3: book to crawl up in a little ball and just die. 569 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 3: And yet the writer tells us, even as hope died 570 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 3: in Sam, or seemed to die, it was then turned 571 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 3: into a new strength. And I quote Sam's face grew 572 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 3: stern as the will hardened in him, and he felt 573 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 3: through all his limbs a thrill, as if he was 574 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 3: turning into some creature of stone. And still that neither 575 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 3: despair or weariness, nor endless bar and miles could subdue. 576 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 3: It is in the darkness that you will throw away 577 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 3: the transactional approach to God and begin to know and 578 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 3: serve God the way He's meant to be known and 579 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 3: served pragmatically. Can I show you how this works again? 580 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 3: It was my friend Dan Johnson that came to me 581 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 3: in this mental illness when I was frustrated with God 582 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 3: and I had no understanding, and basically I was panicking, 583 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 3: and Dame came to me, having gone through a season 584 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 3: of depression himself, said this to me, Jeff, when you 585 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:56,200 Speaker 3: can pray to God, God keep me in this darkness 586 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 3: until I have learned the lesson and become the man 587 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 3: you want me to become. When you pray that and 588 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 3: you mean it, because in the beginning, you're going to 589 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 3: pray it hoping it's the kind of the secret code, 590 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,440 Speaker 3: the key that will unlock all this and you'll be free. 591 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 3: But when you pray it and you mean it, two 592 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,800 Speaker 3: things are going to happen. One, you're going to find 593 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,240 Speaker 3: that you love God for the sake of God, you've 594 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 3: become theocentric. And two that's when you'll be healed. It's 595 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 3: almost like in the darkness, God says, all right, here 596 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 3: we are, Jeff. We're going to find out if you've 597 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 3: been serving me or if you think I'm here to 598 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 3: serve you. Right now, you're not getting much out of me. 599 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 3: I know that you've taken so many things for granted 600 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:48,520 Speaker 3: in the past. Will you resign and say, oh God, 601 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:55,200 Speaker 3: I get it? I'm going to serve you, and I 602 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 3: want you to build in me the man or the 603 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 3: woman that you need or want me to become. That's 604 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 3: hard to hear when you're in the middle of it, 605 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 3: because there are many causes, which we're going to talk 606 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 3: about later, But there's only one attitude that brings victory, 607 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 3: the only victory. The only way to get this victory 608 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 3: that we're looking for is to totally yield the entire 609 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 3: illness over to God and to say, God, doing me 610 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 3: what you have to do with me, Be gentle, do 611 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 3: in me what you have to do with me to 612 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 3: make me into the man or the woman of God 613 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 3: that you desire for me to become. Do you know 614 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 3: when I went through the anxiety disorder, James one began 615 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:41,840 Speaker 3: to make a lot more sense to me. Blessed is 616 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 3: the one who perseveres under trial, because having stood the test, 617 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 3: that person will receive the crown of life that the 618 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,720 Speaker 3: Lord has promised to those who love him. I used 619 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 3: to look at that passage as Okay, if I behave 620 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,960 Speaker 3: and I endure, then I'm going to give the crown 621 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:02,840 Speaker 3: of life. What I think James says here, the one 622 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 3: who perseveres is the one who gets eternal life. So 623 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 3: God wants to make sure that we persevere. So to 624 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 3: make sure that we persevere, our whole life becomes a 625 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:16,400 Speaker 3: training ground of endurance, teaching us to endure so that 626 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 3: God can make sure those he's called will receive the 627 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 3: crown of life. Somehow we turn into some creature of 628 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 3: stone and steel that neither despair or weariness nor endless 629 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 3: barren miles can subdue. 630 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 4: Okay, let's end. 631 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 3: Why did God put this in the Bible to show 632 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 3: you that mental illness can last a long time, To 633 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 3: show you that God gives his grace in the darkness 634 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 3: days of your life, To show you that mental illness 635 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 3: is where you become a person of greatness. There's no 636 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 3: doubt in my mind. But here's where some of you 637 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 3: probably wish we would have begun to show you the 638 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 3: darkness is neither objective nor permanent. Now let's talk about this. 639 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 3: Do you know who wrote saw eighty eight? The person 640 00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 3: who said, God, you're not there. This is permanent. The 641 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 3: person who does not say I don't feel you're there. No, 642 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 3: he says you're not there. He doesn't is how I 643 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 3: feel that you've forsaken me? You have forsaken me. You've 644 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 3: abandoned me since my youth. He believes that darkness is absolute, 645 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 3: not relative, that darkness is eternal not temporary, that it's 646 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 3: objective not subjective. But he was wrong. Now who wrote 647 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 3: saw eighty eight? The answer is a man by the 648 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:36,280 Speaker 3: name of Heman, not Hayman. In the extra story Heman 649 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:38,799 Speaker 3: h E M A n. And you will find his 650 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:43,680 Speaker 3: name in first chronicle six. And you will discover that 651 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:49,319 Speaker 3: David put Heman in charge of writing worship music and 652 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:53,920 Speaker 3: songs in the house of the Lord. Now, remember, the 653 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:59,080 Speaker 3: Psalms are one of the greatest works of literature and history, 654 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 3: both history. Whorrian's Christian secular will admit that. And Heman 655 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:10,280 Speaker 3: wrote the psalms that are recorded in the forties forty 656 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:14,719 Speaker 3: through forty nine. In other words, Heman wrote some of 657 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:19,760 Speaker 3: the greatest literary works of art in history. Nobody questions 658 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:24,000 Speaker 3: that millions and millions and millions of people have read 659 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:26,480 Speaker 3: his works, his songs, his music. 660 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 4: No author has. 661 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:35,960 Speaker 3: Had their works and artistic impressions read, contemplated, and discussed 662 00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 3: as much as those who wrote the songs. Heman's darkness 663 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 3: turned him into a great artist. And I go back 664 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 3: to the two Greek words in the New Testament for pain, 665 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:51,920 Speaker 3: Philipsus and Priasmas. 666 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:54,360 Speaker 4: Both words refer to pressure. 667 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,040 Speaker 3: And the image is to stomp on the grapes and 668 00:35:57,080 --> 00:35:59,719 Speaker 3: the wine press, squeezing them until the good stuff comes out. 669 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 3: God had to squeeze Heman to get the good stuff out, 670 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:09,480 Speaker 3: to encourage and minister to millions of people, millions, and 671 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,160 Speaker 3: it goes on through generation after generation. Do you think 672 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:14,279 Speaker 3: Heman would have seen the day when you and I 673 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 3: would stand in this place and talk about his work. No, 674 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:23,240 Speaker 3: his suffering was not relative, it was not absolute. 675 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:23,800 Speaker 4: It was not eternal. 676 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:30,200 Speaker 3: His suffering was temporary, subjective, and definitely relatable. God was 677 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 3: always there, whether he felt like it or not, and 678 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:35,720 Speaker 3: through his suffering he was turned into a great artist. 679 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,760 Speaker 3: If God is your savior, you can know with certainty 680 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 3: this darkness will birth the greatest lot of your life. 681 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:45,399 Speaker 4: I know you don't want to hear that now. 682 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:48,360 Speaker 3: I definitely didn't want to hear it, and I wanted 683 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:51,840 Speaker 3: to smack people who said that, But I cannot deny 684 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 3: the reality of what it does. When you discover through 685 00:36:54,640 --> 00:36:56,520 Speaker 3: this series that there's a lot at the end of 686 00:36:56,520 --> 00:36:58,760 Speaker 3: the tunnel, there is a way you can be healed. 687 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:02,640 Speaker 3: I am confident of it. When you discover that on 688 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 3: the other end of it, you're gonna be You're gonna 689 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:07,520 Speaker 3: be singing a different song. You're gonna be saying those 690 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:10,960 Speaker 3: days were the best days of my life because they 691 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:15,680 Speaker 3: did something in me that changed me for eternity. God 692 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:18,280 Speaker 3: has not abandoned you. He's always working. 693 00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:19,279 Speaker 4: How can I know that? 694 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 3: Pastor Jeff In the end of Psalm thirty nine, God 695 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:23,799 Speaker 3: turned your face away so that I can have a 696 00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 3: moment's peace. The end of Psawm eighty eight darkness, My 697 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:29,879 Speaker 3: best friend is darkness? But what does Matthew twenty seven say? 698 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 3: From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over 699 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 3: the land. About three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out 700 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:37,279 Speaker 3: in a loud voice, My God, My God, why have 701 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 3: you forsaken me? 702 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:39,120 Speaker 4: What's the point? 703 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 3: The point is because Jesus suffered total darkness objectively. You 704 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:48,960 Speaker 3: and I only get subjective darkness because he did suffer abandonment. 705 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:51,600 Speaker 3: You and I only feel like there are times when 706 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 3: God has abandoned us. But the reality is because Jesus 707 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 3: experienced the objective wrath of God, he didn't just feel abandoned. 708 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,560 Speaker 3: He he didn't just merely feel the wrath of God. 709 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 3: He experienced objectively the wrath of God and the and 710 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:10,960 Speaker 3: abandonment from God. He's the only one that can truly 711 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:14,399 Speaker 3: say what the writer human says and saw eighty eight. 712 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:18,759 Speaker 3: Darkness was his only friend. The disciples left him, his 713 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:21,200 Speaker 3: own people left him, even his own father left him. 714 00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 3: Why Jesus suffered the darkness and the abandonment our sin deserves. 715 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:35,440 Speaker 3: Jesus experienced the darkness as his only friend was darkness, 716 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:39,320 Speaker 3: so that in your darkness, Jesus becomes your true friend, 717 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:42,879 Speaker 3: who's always there, who's always working, and who will never leave. 718 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:52,600 Speaker 3: In the garden, Jesus did not abandon his darkness. And 719 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:55,600 Speaker 3: if you think about it, in the garden, Jesus did 720 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:58,120 Speaker 3: not abandon us in the middle of his darkness. When 721 00:38:58,120 --> 00:38:59,759 Speaker 3: the darkness came. He could have flawed. He could have 722 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:01,799 Speaker 3: he could flee, he could have left. He could have 723 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:06,120 Speaker 3: said no, I'm not going to do this. So because 724 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:10,240 Speaker 3: Jesus in the garden did not abandon us in his darkness, 725 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:12,240 Speaker 3: what makes you think he will abandon you and yours. 726 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 3: He's already proving that he is a friend that sticks 727 00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:17,880 Speaker 3: closer than a brother, that he will never leave you, 728 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 3: he will never forsake you. And do you remember that 729 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:24,040 Speaker 3: sarcastic question in Saw eighty eight? Do the dead rise 730 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,239 Speaker 3: and praise you? Do you know what the answer is? Yes, 731 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:31,319 Speaker 3: they do because Jesus rose again and praise the heart 732 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:34,640 Speaker 3: of the Father for his restoration and for the defeat 733 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:38,239 Speaker 3: of sin and death. And that's exactly what you and 734 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:41,040 Speaker 3: I can do. If we trust him, we two will 735 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:44,680 Speaker 3: rise up in our darkness and praise him. If you 736 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:48,720 Speaker 3: run to him, keep running, keep running, you will praise 737 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:52,000 Speaker 3: him for the deepest darkness moments of your life. There 738 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:54,000 Speaker 3: was a lady that used to come just quickly. There 739 00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:56,000 Speaker 3: was a lady that used to come every Easter when 740 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:57,680 Speaker 3: we used to meet at the Felix Evint Center. We 741 00:39:57,760 --> 00:39:59,719 Speaker 3: used to gather all our campuses and meet up at 742 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 3: a and I would see her every Easter. She would 743 00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:04,880 Speaker 3: force her way to make it to the service, and 744 00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:07,280 Speaker 3: I would say how are you? Because she was facing 745 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 3: brain cancer. I mean it was a horrible journey. Beautiful mother, 746 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:14,840 Speaker 3: beautiful daughters and husband, beautiful family. And every time I 747 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:17,520 Speaker 3: ask her that question, how you doing, how you feeling? 748 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:21,279 Speaker 3: Does it hurt and she would always respond nothing, that 749 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:25,960 Speaker 3: the resurrection can't take care of nothing, That the resurrection, 750 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:28,520 Speaker 3: but the promise of the resurrection is not only in 751 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:31,359 Speaker 3: the life to come, but it's here and now that 752 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:35,160 Speaker 3: dead people, that dead bones can rise again, can rise up, 753 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:38,600 Speaker 3: can be lifted up. Michael Wilcock in his commentary on 754 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:41,360 Speaker 3: Psalm eighty eight. This darkness can happen to a believer. 755 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:44,200 Speaker 3: It does not mean that you're lost. The darkness can 756 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:46,200 Speaker 3: happen to someone who does not deserve it. It happened 757 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:50,000 Speaker 3: to Jesus. It doesn't mean that you've strayed. This darkness 758 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,080 Speaker 3: can happen to anyone at any time, because only in 759 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:56,399 Speaker 3: the next world will such things be done away with unnecessary. 760 00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:00,640 Speaker 3: This darkness can happen to anyone without knowing why. But 761 00:41:00,719 --> 00:41:05,160 Speaker 3: rest assured there is a purpose, and eventually you'll know it. 762 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 4: You'll know it. 763 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:09,480 Speaker 3: For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror. 764 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:11,640 Speaker 3: Then we shall see face to face. Now I know 765 00:41:11,719 --> 00:41:13,680 Speaker 3: in part. Then I shall know fully even as I 766 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:21,759 Speaker 3: am fully known. Listen, this darkness stinks. No other way 767 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:25,200 Speaker 3: to paint it. And it's true your friends don't understand 768 00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:29,360 Speaker 3: it until they've experienced it. It's impossible to explain, but can. 769 00:41:29,239 --> 00:41:29,759 Speaker 4: I tell you. 770 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:32,000 Speaker 3: As we go through this series, you have to keep 771 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 3: this in mind. God is with you. God has never 772 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,239 Speaker 3: abandoned you. He is doing a mighty work in you. 773 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:38,600 Speaker 3: You're gonna become a person of greatness. Yes, that's true. 774 00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:40,839 Speaker 3: You're gonna become a person of greatness. You're gonna move 775 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:43,360 Speaker 3: from egocentrism to theocentrism. 776 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:44,600 Speaker 4: Your life is gonna be about God. 777 00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:47,640 Speaker 3: It's gonna move past a transactional relationship into one that 778 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:51,000 Speaker 3: is so real and felt. It's gonna change the rest 779 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:55,080 Speaker 3: of your life if you will run and keep running 780 00:41:55,360 --> 00:42:00,840 Speaker 3: to God even when you don't feel he's there. I 781 00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:05,200 Speaker 3: have so much more to say, keep coming, keep listening. 782 00:42:05,239 --> 00:42:05,479 Speaker 4: Father. 783 00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:09,000 Speaker 3: I pray for all our family members right now that 784 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:11,239 Speaker 3: are going through some top of mental illness. It is 785 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:16,200 Speaker 3: a pandemic of epic proportions in this country and around 786 00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:21,480 Speaker 3: the world. Help me to explain the reasons why from 787 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:22,239 Speaker 3: the word of God. 788 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:26,280 Speaker 4: As we go through the series, encourage those who. 789 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:27,440 Speaker 3: Are in the middle of it right now, in this 790 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:32,120 Speaker 3: deep darkness. Encourage them, if nothing else, to remember they 791 00:42:32,120 --> 00:42:34,319 Speaker 3: should speak to you what is in you? What not 792 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:36,800 Speaker 3: ought to be in them to be honest with you, 793 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,520 Speaker 3: You're pretty big God, you can handle it. But to 794 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:41,320 Speaker 3: keep running to you, even if it's running to you 795 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:45,319 Speaker 3: in anger and frustration. And to remember that you will 796 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:47,759 Speaker 3: never leave them. That because you did not abandon us 797 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:49,680 Speaker 3: in your darkness, you will not abandon. 798 00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:57,040 Speaker 4: Us in ours. Encourage us and let us know. 799 00:42:57,080 --> 00:42:58,800 Speaker 3: There's a lot at the end of the tunnel for healing, 800 00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:02,440 Speaker 3: but it's only in Christ and his name we pray Amen. 801 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:06,960 Speaker 5: The podcast The Bible in a Year with Jack Graham 802 00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:10,520 Speaker 5: is a moving and inspiring Biblical audio experience that will 803 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:13,600 Speaker 5: help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In 804 00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:17,720 Speaker 5: each episode, you'll learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. 805 00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:21,319 Speaker 3: Each cinematic episode is a journey through the Bible's most 806 00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:24,840 Speaker 3: profound stories that will strengthen your appreciation of the Word 807 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:27,760 Speaker 3: and inspire you to keep learning. 808 00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:30,600 Speaker 5: Listen to The Bible in a Year with Jack Graham 809 00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:34,360 Speaker 5: on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.