Frustrated With God

FRUSTRATED WITH GOD

Psalm 10:1-18

S: Trust

Th: Prayer: A Passion for His Presence

Pr: WE CAN TRUST GOD IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.

?: Inductive

KW: steps

TS: We will find in our study of Psalm 10, three steps that will help us understand how to handle frustration with God.

The ____ step is (the)…

I. PROBLEM (1-11)

II. PROPOSAL (12-15)

III. PROVIDENCE (16-18)

Version: ESV

RMBC 17 Nov 02 AM

INTRODUCTION:

1. Have you ever felt frustrated?

ILL Notebook: Location (main entrance)

A small storeowner was being pressured to sell his store to the owners of a large department store who had bought every building on the block, except his. Frustrated by the man’s refusal to sell, they eventually opened their huge store on either side of the small one, with a big banner running from one side to the other, proclaiming in huge letters "GRAND OPENING."

Feeling equally frustrated, the small storeowner did finally outsmart the large department store. Below the grand opening sign, across the front of his small store, the man put up a small banner over his door: "MAIN ENTRANCE."

Well, that is one creative way to deal with frustration.

There is an art, you know, in bugging, annoying and frustrating people.

Now if you are into this, let me share with you a few ideas on how to frustrate other people…

ILL Notebook: Annoy (How to bug people) [selected]

1. Whenever you are in public, practice making fax and modem noises.

2. Whenever you go through a drive-through at a fast food place, make sure you emphasize that your order is “to go.”

3. While you are driving, keep your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions to "keep them tuned up."

4. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times: "Do you hear that?” "What?" "Never mind, it’s gone now."

5. Finish all your sentences with the words, "in accordance with prophesy."

6. When you go to an opera, sing along.

7. Ask your coworkers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about psychological profiles.

Believe me…do these things…and you will frustrate people.

Kidding aside though, we are often frustrated by what people do.

But let me ask you this…

2. Have you ever felt frustrated with God?

When things aren’t going right, we often wonder why God lets them happen.

Over a year ago, on 9/11, many of us though that, didn’t we?

We wondered why God would allow men to hijack airplanes that would crash into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and into a field in Pennsylvania.

Why would God allow such evil to go unchecked?

But that is not all…

Why does God allow the hostility in the Middle East to continue?

Why do certain Palestinians feel the need to blow up innocent women and children with suicide bombers?

Or why do people who desire to practice their Christian faith in countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh (and so many, many others) find their homes and churches bombed and burned down, persecuted for what they believe?

Why does God allow that?

Or perhaps you have been going through your own personal tragedy.

Perhaps you have lost a spouse.

Or maybe you have been through a divorce.

Possibly you have strained relationships with your parents or children.

Perhaps you are struggling at work, knowing that as the company downsizes, that you may be one of the victims.

Where is God in all of this?

Why does God allow it?

And how long is it going to take for Him to do something about it?

Well, you are not the only one in history to ask such questions.

In fact, the text of Scripture we are studying today asks some of the very same questions.

So…

3. We will find in our study of Psalm 10 three steps that will help us handle frustration with God.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first step is the PROBLEM (1-11).

Hear the questions and statements of frustration of the psalmist:

[1] Why, O Lord, do you stand afar off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? [2] In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. [3] For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. [4] In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” [5] His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. [6] He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” [7] His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. [8] He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; [9] he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. [10] The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. [11] He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”