The Personal Tension Faith Produces
October 15, 2007 – 5:02 am
Having faith in God through His son Jesus Christ solves many tensions in a typical life. It solves those tensions in numerous ways. It gives a person’s life both an immediate focus and an eternal focus–the whole of life is not focused on the here and the now. It gives meaning and significance to a thought, or a motive, or an act that goes far beyond the moment. It magnifies the significance of purpose and intent. It measures the significance of life in factors that far surpass physical achievements. It provides purpose when physical existence is totally inadequate in insufficient.
At the same time, faith in God creates a personal crisis. Pure faith in God is totally unselfish. The goal of having faith in God is to aspire to that unselfishness. Yet, seeking that unselfishness is totally contrary to our physical existence as we understand physical existence. We had rather mask selfishness with “correct appearances” than to destroy selfishness. It is very difficult to realize that faithfulness to God is 100% about devotion to God and 0% about devotion to self.
While faith in God solves many personal crises, faith in God also creates at least one primary crisis in the believer’s life. Faith creates a genuine crisis by producing tension. The tension becomes increasingly obvious as the Christian grows in his or her awareness that serving God is all about God and not at all about me.
This evening, first I wish to fix your attention on the personal tension faith produces. Secondly, I want you to see from Jesus what the solution to that tension or crisis is. As we consider this aspect of faith, I want to remind you again that faith in God is a lifetime journey, not a momentary destination.
I. I want to begin with what I regard to be the first leg of this faith tension in a Christian’s existence: the temptation to put God on trial.
A. I wish to call your attention to what the gospel of Matthew presents as Jesus’ second temptation when Jesus meets Satan in the wilderness as Jesus prepares to begin his ministry.
1. This temptation is seen in Matthew 4:5-7.
Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
2. The setting was geographically the holiest place on earth for an Israelite.
3. The request seemed to carry the full weight of God’s authority.
a. Satan quoted scripture.
b. He seemingly invoked a divine promise.
c. He told Jesus that if he had full confidence in his identity as God’s son, he should place unquestioning confidence in God’s promise.
d. On the surface of the request, it seemed Satan was challenging Jesus to demonstrate his faith in God’s promise to the Messiah.
4. Jesus quickly saw through Satan’s temptation, perhaps much more quickly than most of us do.
a. Jesus saw something so obvious that in its prominence it was almost invisible.
b. (Satan never, never challenges us to get closer to God! With Satan, appearances always will be deceitful!)
c. Jesus saw the temptation for what it was–a temptation to bolster his feeling of insecurity about his identity by demanding that God perform because he felt insecure.
d. Thus Jesus responded that the true issue involved was not trusting God, but making God perform like a puppet.
e. To submit to Satan’s directive would not be a declaration of faith in God, but a demand for God to perform to eliminate Jesus’ feeling of insecurity about his identity and purpose.
5. The source of Jesus’ rebuttal is more than interesting.
a. Jesus did not just quote any old scripture regardless of the statement’s context.
i. He did not take a verse and make it mean what he wanted it to mean.
ii. The context of the verse is as significant to me as the verse itself.
b. There is an enormous difference between showing confidence in God and putting God on trial.
i. Jesus seems to be referring to Moses’ statement in Deuteronomy 6:16 which is a reference to Exodus 17:1-7.
ii. Israel was at Rephidim and was thirsty, because there was no water where they camped.
iii. They quarreled with Moses to the point that it was getting dangerous for Moses.
iv. They asked, “Why did you bring us out here to die of thirst?”
v. God through Moses provided the people water from a rock.
vi. The place was named Massah (which means test) or Meribah (which means quarrel).
vii. They did not express confidence; they expressed doubt.
c. Jesus said, “If I jump, I do not show confidence in God; I show doubt. I am asking God to perform for my benefit.”
II. To me, the second leg of this faith tension is seen in Mark 9:14-27.
9:14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd about them, and scribes arguing with them. 9:15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and ran up to him and greeted him. 9:16 And he asked them, “What are you discussing with them?” 9:17 And one of the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a dumb spirit; 9:18 and wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 9:19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 9:20 And they brought the boy to him; and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 9:21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has he had this?” And he said, “From childhood. 9:22 And it has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 9:23 And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.” 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 9:25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again.” 9:26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse; so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
Mark 9:14-27 RSV
A. Both Mark and Matthew indicate this incident occurred when Jesus returned with Peter, James, and John following the incident on the Mount of Transfiguration.
1. These four men returned to a crowd and an argument.
a. Jesus asked, “What is going on?”
b. The man who was at the center of the incident spoke up: “I brought my child who is possessed and self destructive, and your disciples could not correct the situation.”
c. After Jesus expressed personal grief, he asked for the boy to be brought to him.
d. The father, after already experiencing great faith in coming and perplexing disappointment in the disciples’ inability to help, begged Jesus to do something if he could.
e. Jesus responded, “If I can? The issue is not my ability but your faith!”
2. The man’s response always has touched my heart–in every way I identify with his crisis: “I believe; help my unbelief!”
B. Jesus cast out the spirit, demanded the spirit never return, and proved the child was alive.
C. The crises involved the father’s faith or confidence, not Jesus’ ability.
1. It was a matter of confidence, not a matter of trial.
2. The man knew he had confidence in Jesus, but he also knew he struggled with doubt.
3. He plainly asked Jesus to work with his doubt to increase his confidence.
4. Do we not all understand the problem?
III. To me, it is in those two incidents we can understand the tension and crisis faith in God produces in each of us.
A. The tension: when am I expressing trust in God and when am I demanding that God destroy my doubt by performing in a manner I declare acceptable?
1. With all of us, there commonly is at least an element of doubt–we all should be able to identify with the father who cried for help with his doubt!
2. The question: when is my doubt a stepping stool to greater confidence in God, and when is my doubt a demand that God perform in ways I demand?
B. The heart of the issue is personal motive.
1. Is my motive a desire to increase my trust in God, or is my motive a desire to use God to meet my needs?
2. Do I serve God, or does God serve me?
3. Are God’s purposes more important than my desires?
4. Can God achieve His objectives in things that I regard objectionable?
5. Does God have anything to prove to me?
IV. That is quite a dilemma! At times what I call faith may in fact be doubt!
A. To me, the perfect guideline and perfect distinction between faith in God and the demand that God perform for my benefit is seen in the physical Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the last night of his physical life.
26:33 Peter declared to him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 26:34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 26:35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples. 26:36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsem’ane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go yonder and pray.” 26:37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zeb’edee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 26:38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” 26:40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 26:42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, thy will be done.” 26:43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 26:44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.
Matthew 26:33-44 RSV
1. In this very familiar incident, we see several things.
a. We see that Jesus did not wish to die by crucifixion.
b. We see Jesus’ desire and God’s will in conflict.
c. We see God’s purpose in conflict with Jesus’ desire.
2. Also in this we see an astounding solution to an astounding tension.
a. Jesus begged his Father not to let him die, and that was okay.
b. Jesus begged, if possible, for God to achieve His purpose in some other manner, and that was okay.
c. Jesus preferred something different to that which God preferred, and that was alright.
d. Jesus’ personal desire and God’s purpose were in conflict, and that was okay.
3. The solution: Jesus surrendered his desire to God’s will.
a. Did that mean that suddenly Jesus wanted to die by crucifixion? No!
b. Did that mean that suddenly Jesus preferred identically the same thing God preferred? No!
c. It simply meant that Jesus understood that God’s purpose was superior to his desire, even if God’s purpose meant a painful, disgraceful death by execution.
4. There was no question in Jesus mind that God’s purpose was superior to his desire!
B. Quite often as humans we will find our desires in conflict with God’s purposes, and that is okay.
1. The issue always is which is superior–my desires or God’s purpose.
2. The fact that I experience conflict and tension at that moment proves little.
3. The issue always is human surrender.
4. The issue always is my understanding that God’s purpose is superior in every way to my desire.
God’s purposes are often achieved by things which happen contrary to my desires. The tension of faith is resolved when I say in genuine surrender, “God, your will be done!”
Used with permission from David Chadwell, West-Ark Church of Christ
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