Sermon Audio: "Shattered Dreams" • Romans 8:18-25 (3.18.12)
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In preparation for this Sunday's message in Romans 8:18-25, I'm re-reading Larry Crabb's book, Shattered Dreams. One theme he deals with is how suffering produces a new hunger for God, who is the source of true soul satisfaction and eternal joy. Here is a challenging excerpt:
"If we are satisfied with good health, responsible children, enjoyable marriages, close friendships, interesting jobs, and successful ministries, we will never hunger for [God]. We will never worship. I've come to believe that only broken people truly worship. Unbroken people—happy folks who enjoy their blessings more than the Blesser—say thanks to God the way a shopper thanks a clerk."
A recurring theme I am working through that fits with this quote is how, when I face hardship, I need to know that God is not working against me, but in me—working a deeper satisfaction in Him that will lead to a greater joy. After all, Psalm 16:11 says, "In the presence of God is the fullness of joy."
What Crabb is getting at is that sometimes God will strip away lesser joys in order for us to experience the greater and ultimate joy, which is to know the presence, power, love and grace of God as Abba, Father.
What do you think? Does this resonate with you? Challenge you? Encourage you?
This week's book recommendation is Shattered Dreams by Larry Crabb, which ties in with the message this coming Sunday from Romans 8:18-25. It is a senstivie, helpful, honest, and hopeful study for those who have been, as the hymn says, "bruised and broken by the fall." I have read my copy numerous times for the balm of grace that it has brought to my soul, and trust that it will prove to be as meaningful to you, especially if your heart is raw with the pain of recent suffering. You can order it here.
This past Sunday we talked a little bit about how there are two kinds of trials that actually are both expressions of God's love for us: corrective love and perfective love. The Hebrews 12 and Luke 15 kind of "corrective love" bring us back home through awakening our souls to our need, and the 1 Peter 1 "perfective love" removes the dross from our faith, enabling us to have a purer satisfaction in the one, true source of eternal delight and perfect joy. This means that when we face hardship, God is not working against us; he working in us.
We'll talk more this week on this theme as we prepare to discuss trails, suffering and pain in more detail leading up to this Sunday's message. But did you find the distinction between corrective and perfective love helpful?
If you missed this week's message (What Every Human Wants), you can get caught up by listening here, on the Creekstone website or via iTunes (search Creekstone Church).
Here is the message on Matthew 27:45-50 that I taught on Tuesday, Dec. 6, for the Dahlonega community advent luncheon series, entitled, "Waiting Through the Pain." Both audio and sermon notes are included below. I love teaching in that context, where believers from all over the community come together to celebrate the gospel of Jesus. Thanks to St. Luke's Catholic Church for hosting!
This is a quote from Tim Keller's book, Counterfeit Gods, that provides encouragement for those of us who are being so well loved by our Father that he is tearing our idols away from us (and usually without anesthetic).
Sometimes God seems to be killing us when he's actually saving us... The Bible is filled with stories of figures such as [Abraham and] Joseph, Moses and David in which God seemed to have abandoned them, but later it is revealed he was dealing with the destructive idols in their lives and that could only come to pass through their experience of difficulty... We can't know all the reasons that our Father is allowing bad things to happen to us, but like Jesus did, we can trust him in those difficult times. As we look at him and rejoice in what he did for us, we will have the joy and hope necessary—and the freedom from counterfeit gods—to follow the call of God when times seem at their darkest and most difficult.
