"Riding the Roller Coaster of Faith"
Palm Sunday 2001
©April 8, 2001 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche
Each year when it comes to Palm Sunday I try to look at the celebration from a little different angle. I do this because I know the way I am. Familiar stories tend to cause me to drift into a mode that says, "Yeah, Yeah, I know that one."
This year rather than zooming in and looking at particular details of the story like the owner of the donkey, or the details of the journey from Bethany to Jerusalem, I’ve taken a step back. Rather than looking more closely at the events I’ve tried to see the bigger picture. I’ve looked at the events leading up to this day as well as the events that follow. What I’ve noticed is several things. Think about what it was like for the disciples
with every miracle Jesus performed there was a building sense of anticipation in the disciples
the cheering crowds as the disciples came into Jerusalem must have made the disciples feel that the moment they had been waiting for had arrived. Jesus would soon take his rightful place as the Messiah.
the celebration of Passover on Thursday must have added to this special time. Passover was a family celebration and the disciples were considered to be "family" by Jesus.
but during the supper there were the troubling words about betrayal
there was the refreshing retreat to the garden
there was the confusing anguished prayer by the Lord
this was followed by the arrest of Jesus
there was the unbelievable mock trial and tortuous death
this would have been followed by grief, numbness and confusion
the resurrection took this group of devastated disciples and filled them with life and enthusiasm
then there was the sadness of his ascension
this was followed by the empowerment of the coming of the Holy Spirit
there was the adrenalin burst of seeing thousands coming to faith
and then there was the devastating persecution of the church
Do you see the same thing I did? One minute things were great, the next minute things were difficult. There were victories and there were defeats, joy and sorrow, times of feeling very close to God and times when they felt God was far away.
The best way to describe it is to liken their experience to a roller coaster. There are times when you seem to gradually be climbing the mountain of intimacy. Then suddenly you are plunged into confusion and you roll and rise and fall again.
That’s the way your life is, isn’t it? Days of victory seem to be quickly followed by days of difficulty. The highs inevitably seem to be followed by struggles. From this simple observation I want to give you three simple truths today. They aren’t profound, but I hope you will find that they are helpful.
ROLLER COASTER FAITH IS NORMAL
Have you ever picked up a brochure of some place only to find that the place advertised is nothing like the brochure? It may be a brochure for a hotel. The pictures show a modern facility that has every amenity. I remember we checked into a hotel once that had been recommended to us and sounded great on paper. We looked forward to the great rooms, the relaxing atmosphere and swimming in the pool. When we arrived, the hotel was in the midst of a remodeling project. There was the noise of workers everywhere, the air was filled with the smell of paint and the pool was empty. It was disappointing.
The brochure that is often presented about Christianity is just as deceptive. When we are told about the Christian life we are told about the victories, the wonderful intimacy that one can experience with God, and that incredible strength that enables us to overcome anything. We sign up and for awhile we do know peace, joy and victory. But then there is a pothole in the roadway of faith. Other difficulties may come along and we start to wonder what happened. We wonder if we are "doing something wrong". We begin to think that our faith must be deficient. Problems in life must mean that we are being punished for our sin.
But that’s not generally the case. The roller coaster is part of the Christian life. It is easy to trust God when everything is going well. But it is also easy to become lazy and superficial. The dips of life and hard experiences help us to develop roots. Plants need some dry times to force the roots down into the ground to look for water. And dry and difficult times come to our lives in order to help us grow strong as well.
Every time I talk with a couple approaching marriage I want them to understand that tough times come to every marriage. There are moments when you wonder how life would have been different if you had married someone else. I want every young couple to realize that when these thoughts come to their mind they are not failures. They have not made some terrible mistake. They are going through the normal process of growing in love. Knowing this ahead of time helps them not to panic when it happens.
In the same way it is helpful to realize that the roller coaster is normal in the life of faith. Down and difficult times do not mean God has abandoned you, or that you are deficient in your faith. There is no need to panic . . . keep on trusting.
It is so important that we understand this. We must understand it for ourselves, and also for our fellow brothers and sisters. Tough times don’t necessarily mean that a brother or sister in Christ is doing something wrong or is faltering in their faith. And when you are in a good area of your life and they are not it doesn’t mean that they need to be "more like you". It just means that you are on different spots in your journey.
WE MUST TRUST GOD’S PROMISE RATHER THAN OUR FEELINGS
Once we understand the roller coaster effect we must then realize that our emotions are a poor measure of our relationship with God and the quality of our faith. Our experiences and our feelings about those experiences are unpredictable. One moment we’re up, the next we’re down. They are unreliable. The only true measure of faith and experience is God’s Word.
Our emotions might suggest that God has deserted us but God has told us that He will never leave us or forsake us. We may feel that we are facing a situation that we cannot handle, but the Bible tells us that we can "do all things through Christ who will give us strength." We may feel that we are strong and invincible, but the Bible warns us to "pay attention lest we fall." We may feel that we are not "good enough" but the Bible tells us that we are "saved by grace and not by works". Our feelings are blown and tossed by the seas of circumstance. God’s Word is an anchor that holds solid.
This principle is true for all kinds of situations.
You may be overwhelmed by your needs and feel you need to take matters into your own hands to get what you want, but the Bible tells you to trust Him and He will supply your needs.
You may feel that you have "fallen out of love" but the Bible tells you that you are to give yourself to your spouse with the same kind of commitment that God has given himself to us. Love is a decision more than an emotion.
You may feel that you have really messed things up and that you have lost your salvation. But God says that "no one can ever snatch you from His hand."
You may find yourself fascinated by some of the "new spirituality", but God says not to dabble in the occult or in mysticism because it draws you to the Devil and away from Him.
You may feel completely deserted and alone, but God says, "I will never leave you or forsake you."
You may feel that you have "every right to be happy" even if it means ignoring God’s truth. But God tells you that you don’t understand that true happiness cannot be found apart from Him.
Having said all this, there is an obvious implication. We can’t trust God’s Word unless we KNOW God’s Word. God’s Word is our anchor, our map, our light for the darkness. God’s Word gives wisdom, strength, and direction. And Satan will do anything to keep us from God’s Word.
He’ll try to get us to resist making time for God’s Word like we do other obligations like taking out the garbage.
He’ll try to convince us that we aren’t smart enough to understand the Bible
He’ll try to get us to believe that there will always be time "later" to read.
He’ll suggest that we substitute other reading for the Bible
And he’ll whisper that we already know what the Bible says
We must battle the Devil’s attempts to turn us from God’s Word. It is the only reliable guide that we have. god’s Word is the only way to maintain our balance in the ups and downs of life. Here’s some very practical suggestions,
Find yourself a modern translation of the Bible so you can understand it
Read systematically. Read through an entire book of the Bible at a time.
Start with Jesus. Start in the gospels and get to know the Savior.
Strive to memorize one verse a week and then review often.
Write down what you learn.
Share what you learn with others.
Look for the principle in the passage. Most stories and instruction are designed to teach us something. Learn to ask, "what is it that God wants me to learn". Move beyond information to application.
Learn from the insights of others . . . but don’t substitute those insights for personal study.
IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE, THE ROLLER COASTER CAN BE FUN
I am not a roller coaster fanatic. I prefer the steady and stable to the wild and crazy. But I do ride a roller coaster now and again. There are times when you look at those huge rides and you think that anyone would be crazy to get on one of those things. You are high off the ground. There are steep drops that make you feel like you will fall out of your seat and there are turns that cause you to dangle upside down. Why would you risk such things?
There are a couple of reasons people do this. First, some people are just nuts! But most aren’t. You get on the roller coaster because you trust the manufacturer. You know that amusement rides are very carefully regulated. Safety is the number one priority. You believe that no matter how wild the ride is, you will be safe because the manufacturer built the ride with safety as a first priority.
Second, you trust the restraints that are provided. You trust the harness or the bar that holds you in. That’s always the first thing I check when I get onto one of these rides. I want to make sure my harness is fastened securely. When you know you have nothing to worry about you can enjoy the ride.
In like fashion the roller coaster of faith can be enjoyable. We can trust the Lord. He wants to bless us and not curse us. God is pursuing our good and will not allow anything into the life of a believer that is not intended to foster our growth and prepare us for eternity.
I’m not saying that things still don’t hurt. At times they do. I’m not saying we won’t be disappointed. We will. I’m not saying that we won’t at times be confused. We probably will be. But in the midst of all of this we know that a Sovereign hand is leading us to our final destination. The ride may be wild but the end is sure. And when we are confident of the end we can enjoy the journey.
God has promised that He would get us home. He has given us His Word as a restraint to protect us. He has given us His Holy Spirit to preserve us. He has given us the fellowship of believers to encourage us. God has given us many teachers to guide us. We are well restrained but we must take advantage of those restraints. But all the restraints on a ride are useless if they are not fastened.
If we remember who created life, and we trust the tools He has given us, then we can enjoy the ride. We can thrill at the good times and We can enjoy watching God at work in the tough times. If we have the right perspective we will look for the positive rather than the negative. We will enjoy the journey rather than simply endure it. We will live life the way it was meant to be lived.
CONCLUSIONS
So, where are you in the course of life at this moment? Are you on a peak and enjoying all the good things that surround you? Good for you! Rejoice in God’s goodness to you.
Maybe you are going through a desert time. Your faith feels lifeless and dead. You pray but you feel nothing, you read but nothing seems to be getting through. Trust His faithfulness friend. He has not abandoned you even if He remains silent. Keep doing what is right. Keep moving forward and the darkness will eventually give way to light. He has promised and His promise is sure. Celebrate God’s faithfulness.
And maybe this is a painful time. The world seems to be crashing down around you. You may be in the midst of a fierce storm and you are wondering if you will survive. Let me give you some wisdom that is related by Max Lucado. He was living on a houseboat in Miami when Hurricane David was heading toward him. The single guys staying on the boat wondered how best to protect their fragile home. In the midst of their bewilderment a man named Phil gave them great advice,
Tie her to land and you’ll regret it. Those trees are gonna get eaten by the ’cane. Your only hope is to anchor deep," he said. "Place four anchors in four different locations, leave the rope slack, and pray for the best.
Anchor deep, friend. Tie your hopes and confidence not to the surface things like emotions, circumstances and the approval and gimmicks of men. Drop your anchor and tie your hope to the firm foundation of God’s Word, God’s Character, God’s Power, and God’s Track-record. He will see you through the storms if you let go of the foolish things of the world and cling only to Him.
I suspect the disciples were on a wild emotional ride during the weeks before and after that first Palm Sunday. They didn’t enjoy it at the time, but as they looked back they were able to see that the lowest times were blessed times. That which broke their heart, actually saved their soul. The very experiences that they sensed were destroying them, were actually the experiences God was using to transform them.
So wherever you are on the roller coaster of faith, remember the promises of the one who created the very life we are living. Remember His goodness. Trust His wisdom. Rely on His strength. And throw your hands up in the air and enjoy the ride
