God Has Abandoned You Series

### **Introduction: The Lie That God Has Abandoned Us**

Video Ill.: Sermon Bumper 5

There is a belief that has quietly worked its way into hearts and minds for generations — and it still lingers today.

It is the belief that God created the universe, yes — but then He stepped back.

He set the world in motion like a clockmaker winding a watch… and now He has left us to figure it out on our own.

In fact, several of our nation's Founding Fathers — including men like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin — were influenced by deism, a worldview that believes in a Creator… but not in a God who is personally involved in the daily affairs of His creation.

To them, God existed — but He was distant. Remote. Watching silently from a distance.

To many today, that same God exists for them.

In a recent online blog discussion, someone asked a question that resonated with thousands:

“Does anyone else feel like God is incredibly hands-off?”

The thread filled up quickly — people from all over the world sharing how they, too, sometimes feel like God is passive. Absent. Uninvolved. They look at the pain in the world — the injustice, the loss, the silence — and they wonder:

Where is God?

Why does He feel so far away?

We ask:

Where was God when I was hurting?

Where is God when tragedy strikes?

Why does God seem silent when I pray?

And that is the lie, folks — one of the enemy’s most deceptive whispers:

God is not paying attention.

God has walked away.

God has abandoned you.

Yes, God exists. But He doesn’t want to have anything to do with you.

It is subtle. It is pervasive. And if you are carrying deep pain, grief, or uncertainty, it is easy to believe.

This morning, we’re continuing our series, “Lies the World Tells.” Over the last few weeks, we’ve been confronting the false messages our culture whispers—and replacing them with the life-giving truth of God's Word.

In week one, we uncovered the lie that we have to earn God's love—when the truth is, His love is a free gift of grace, not something we can work for or deserve.

In week two, we confronted the lie that our past defines us. But Scripture showed us that in Christ, we are made new—redeemed, restored, and no longer held captive by shame.

In week three, we addressed the lie that we are not strong enough. The world says we have to do it all on our own, but God's Word tells us that His power is made perfect in our weakness—and His grace is more than sufficient for our struggles.

And last week, in week four, we exposed the lie that we are alone in this world. The enemy wants us to believe that we are out there to do it all on our own. But the truth is, God is near to the brokenhearted, and His promise still stands: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Today, we are going to expose the lie that God has abandoned us — and reclaim the truth. While similar to last week’s lie, there are some significant differences in what the world is telling us.

God has not abandoned His world.

He has not walked away from your life.

He is not passive, or distant, or indifferent.

He is present. He is active. He is Emmanuel — God with us.

And today, we are going to let that truth take root in our hearts.

So if you have ever asked the question: “Where is God now?”

If you have ever wondered: “Why does He feel so far away?”

Then I invite you to lean in — because the truth is better than the lie.

And the truth is this: God is still here. And He has never stopped caring.

### **I. The Struggle: When God Feels Distant**

But this idea—that God has walked away from us—is not new. In fact, it is as old as suffering itself. Let’s look at that struggle of abandonment — when God feels distant.

### **Illustration: The Abandoned Child Who Found Hope**

During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, a young girl named Immaculée Ilibagiza (ee-MAH-koo-lay ee-lee-bah-GEE-zah) was hidden away for 91 days in a tiny bathroom with seven other women. She was just a university student. Her family had been brutally murdered. Her village destroyed. And for those three months, she was completely cut off from the world—trapped in silence and fear.

She later wrote about her experience in her memoir, Left to Tell.

She described how, at first, she felt utterly abandoned. By her country. By her neighbors. Even, for a time, by God.

“I was so angry with God… Why would You let this happen? Where are You? Why are You silent?”