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“Life on the Scream Machine”
The Psalms
IPC, September 13, 2009

Over the Labor Day Weekend, Rachel and I went with two of our sons, one future daughter-in-law and our three grandkids to Six Flags.  It has been years since Rachel and I had gone and things have changed.  Some of the old “tried and true” rides were still there…the log ride, Thunder River (where we all got soaked to the bone), and the Mine Train.  But there was the new coaster called Goliath.  (I needed more than five smooth stones to conquer that one. But I rode it.)  And nestled toward the rear of the park stood a Six Flags icon—The Great American Scream Machine!  Yes, I rode it too.  As Rachel and I approached the crest of that gigantic incline, I began to wonder if doing this was such a good idea.  However, at that juncture, there is no backing out!  All in all, we had a real good time together that day.   

My rides on the Six Flags roller coasters reminded me that life is a lot like a roller coaster ride.  It has always been that way, since the Creation—particularly since sin entered into the world.  Scripture is full of examples of men and women of faith who experienced moments a elation followed by periods of difficulties.  Up and down; up and down; a sharp curve with a G-force that pops your neck back; and then, up and down again.  Moses, King David, Mary, Paul and even our Lord Jesus traveled through a variety of experiences that brought satisfaction and also brought struggle. 

Think of Jesus’ twelve disciples.  They were usually at ground zero when Jesus performed His miracles.  They heard His teachings first hand and saw the excited crowds gathering around Him.  Of course, the religious establishment showed up from time to time to test Jesus, asking Him trick questions and generally trying to discredit Him.  And there was the occasional Gerasene demoniac, who would leave his cave and accost Jesus and His followers, but the Lord would send the demons possessing the man into a herd of swine and the pigs go bungee jumping off a cliff without a bungee cord.  Every miracle Jesus performed gave the disciples an increased sense of anticipation.  When the cheering crowds welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the disciples must have thought they had really arrived.  Jesus would soon take His rightful place as the Messiah.  I’m sure that the celebration of the Passover meal was quite special that Thursday evening that week, but during the supper, there were the troubling words about betrayal.  That was followed by a refreshing retreat to the Garden, where some of them heard a confusing, anguished prayer by the Lord, that was followed by His arrest.  That night, there was an unbelievable mock trial, followed by a tortuous death, which left the disciples ridden with grief, numbness and confusion.  Then only a couple of days later the resurrection took these devastated disciples and filled them with courage and enthusiasm again only to be followed by sadness at Jesus’ ascension forty days later.  This was followed by the empowerment of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the adrenalin burst of seeing thousands come to faith and then there was the devastating persecution of the church.  Do you get the picture?  One minute things were great; the next minute things were difficult.  There were victories and defeats, joy and sorrow, times of feeling very close to God and times when they felt God was far away. 

I think you can describe the disciples’ experience to a roller coaster.  There are times when you seem to gradually be climbing the mountain of intimacy.  Then, you suddenly plunge into confusion and you roll and rise and fall again.  That is the way your life is, isn’t it?  Days of victory seem to be quickly followed by days of difficulty.  The highs are often followed by struggles.   

The Psalmist David and other psalm writers seem to express a roller coaster experience with the Lord.  In Psalm 22:1-2 David writes, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, & by night, but I find no rest.”  Sounds like David is having a tough time, doesn’t it?  Have you experienced times when you felt like your prayers couldn’t even get past the ceiling?  In Psalm 11:1-4, David seems to be in a tight spot, but he is clinging onto the Lord: “In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend their bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?’  The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test, the children of man.”  Psalm 32:1-2 expresses David’s joy and relief over receiving God’s forgiveness: “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity & in whose spirit there is no deceit.”   David’s joy overflows in Psalm 100:1-2 “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”  And in the 34^th Psalm (vs. 1) David gives a great insight: “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”  These psalms express a variety of emotions to diverse circumstances.  Life is truly a roller coaster. 

I believe that our walk with the Lord is not always on a level surface.   Our faith journey as Christians is like a ride on a roller coaster. From my ride on the Scream Machine last weekend, I want to give you three simple truths today.  They aren’t profound, but I hope they are helpful.  

1. Roller Coaster Faith is Normal.

Rachel and I went to Greenville, S.C. on an overnight trip some months back.  We really enjoyed touring their downtown area that contained a wonderful park with waterfalls and restaurants dotting the perimeter.  I went online to find a good deal on a hotel and came across one that caught my eye.  The camera shot of the office area made the establishment look almost like a chateau.  The room description was a suite with a kitchen and a fireplace.  It sounded so romantic.  It was on one of those discounted pre-paid sites so I clicked in my credit card info and booked the room. 

We “map quested” directions to the motel and when we arrived, it was nothing like the picture on the website.  The room was old, but clean.  There was a fireplace…with no wood.  It wasn’t what we expected, but hey, my name is Bratley and although I’m adopted, I suspect I must have been Scottish.  I had prepaid and we’re staying.  We were awakened by noisy water pipes at 5 a.m. the next morning because the folks upstairs turned on their shower.  The place was nothing like the website described. 

In a sense, Christianity’s website can be just as deceptive.  When we are told about the Christian life, we are told about the victories, the wonderful intimacy we can have with God and the incredible strength that enables us to overcome anything.  We sign up and for a while we do know peace, joy and victory.  But then there is a pothole in the roadway of faith. Other difficulties 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.

That is not usually the case.  The roller coaster is part of the Christian life.  It’s always easy to trust God when things are going well.  There is a danger in becoming lazy and superficial.  The dips in life and the hard experiences help us to develop roots.  When plants encounter drought their roots are forced 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. 

When I meet with engaged couples for premarital counseling, I often hear them say something like, “Bill, it sounds like you are trying to talk us out of getting married.”  My answer is, “Of course not.  However, most couples in love go into marriage with an ‘illusion’ of what marriage is going to be.  My job is to ‘disillusion’ you.”  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 you couples to know when they hit those times, that they are not failures.  What they are going through is the normal process of growing in love.  Knowing this ahead of time helps them not panic when it happens. 

I think it is helpful for us to realize that the roller coaster is normal in the life of faith.  Down and difficult times do not mean that God has abandoned you, or that you are deficient in your faith.  There is no need to panic…simply keep on trusting.

It is important that we understand this—partially for our own peace of mind, but so we can share it with our fellow believers.  Tough times don’t necessarily mean that a brother or sister in Christ has done something wrong or that their faith is faltering.  And when you’re in a good spot in your life and they’re not, doesn’t mean that need to be “more like you.”  It means that you are on different parts of the track on the Scream Machine.   

2. We Must Trust God’s Promises 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 or the quality of our faith.  Feelings are unpredictable and often unreliable.  The only true measure of faith and experience is God’s Word. 

Our emotions may suggest that God has deserted us, but if we’re believers, God has told us that He will never leave us or forsake us.  (Hebrews 13:5; Josh. 1:5; Ps. 37:25)  We may feel that we’re facing a situation that we just can’t handle, but the Bible tells us we can “do all things through Christ” who gives us strength.  (Phil. 4:13)  We may get somewhat cocky and think that we are invincible but Scripture reminds us to “take heed lest we fall.”  (I Cor. 10:12)  We may feel that we are not “good enough” and the Bible will agree with us but will encourage us by telling us that we are “saved by grace & not by works.”  (Eph. 2:8-9)  Our feelings are blown and tossed around by the sea of circumstance.  God’s Word is an anchor that holds solid. 

This anchor principle is true for all kinds of situations.  You may be overwhelmed by your needs and feel that you need to take matters into your own hands to get what you want, but the Bible tells you to trust the Lord and He will supply your needs.  You may feel that you have “fallen out of love” but the Bible tells you to give yourself to your spouse with the same kind of commitment that God has given Himself to us.  Love is more of a decision instead of an emotion anyway.  You may feel that you have really messed up and you have lost your salvation but Jesus says that “no one can snatch you out of the Father’s hand.”  (John 10:29) 

You may feel completely deserted and alone but God promises that He will never leave.  You may feel that you have “every right to be happy” even if it means ignoring God’s truth.  However, the Bible reminds us that true happiness cannot be found apart from a relationship with God.   

Having given all these examples, there is an obvious implication.  We cannot trust God’s Word unless we KNOW God’s Word.  God’s Word is our anchor, our roadmap and our light for the darkness.  It gives us 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 trash.  He’ll try to convince us that we aren’t smart enough to understand the Bible.  He’ll try to convince us that there will always be time “later” to read.  He’ll suggest that we substitute other reading for the Bible.  He’ll whisper in our ear that we already know what the Bible says.  However, we must ignore Satan’s attempts to keep us from God’s Word.  It is the only reliable guide that we have.  It is the only way to maintain balance in the ups and downs of life. 

If you aren’t using our daily Bible reading schedule, there are bookmark shaped guides available on our Welcome Center table in the lobby.  Read systematically.  Read through an entire book of the Bible at a time.  Start with one of Gospels and get to know our Savior.  Try to memorize one verse a week.  Write down what you learn from what you read.  Share what you learn with others.  Look for the principle in the passage.  Learn to ask, “What is it the Lord wants me to learn?”  Move beyond information to application.  Learn from the insights of others, but don’t substitute those insights for personal study. 

3. If You Have the Right Perspective, the Roller Coaster Can Be Fun.

Like I said, I rode five roller coasters last weekend.  I like them but I’m not a roller coaster fanatic.  I stood at the base of Goliath and thought, “You’ve got to be crazy to get on that.”  I mean, you’re high off the ground, those steep drops make you feel like you will fall out of your seat and there are even coasters that will cause you to dangle upside down. Why would I risk such things? 

There are a couple of reasons people do this.  First, some people are just nuts!  But most aren’t. (And I had my sons and grandkids calling me a wimp.) We get on roller coasters because we trust the manufacturer.  You know that rides at Six Flags are carefully regulated.  Safety is the number one priority.  You get on because you believe that no matter how wild the ride is, you will be safe because the manufacturer built the ride with safety as a top priority. 

Secondly, you trust the restraints that are provided.  You trust the harness or the bar that holds you in.  I always check that when I sit down on the ride.  I want to make sure I am securely fastened.  When you know that you have nothing to worry about you can enjoy the ride. 

Our roller coaster of faith can be enjoyable.  We can trust the Lord—in the fact that He wants to bless us and not curse us.  He is pursuing our good and will not allow anything into our lives that is not intended to foster our growth and to prepare us for eternity. 

Now, I’m not saying that things still don’t hurt.  Sometimes they do.  I’m not saying that we’ll never be disappointed.  We will.  I’m not saying that we’ll never be confused.  We probably will be.  But in the midst of all of this we can know that the Lord’s 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 will 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.  He has given us many teachers to guide us.  We are well restrained and we must take advantage of those restraints.  All of the restraints on a ride are useless if they are not fastened. 

If we can 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 work in the tough times.  If we have the right perspective we will enjoy the journey instead of simply enduring it.  We will live life the way it was meant to be lived. 

As we close, where are you in the course of life this morning?  Are you on a mountain peak enjoying all the good things that surround you?  That is great.  Rejoice in God’s goodness to you.  Maybe you’re in a desert time.  Your faith feels lifeless and dead.  You pray but feel nothing; your read but nothing seems to get through.  Trust in God’s faithfulness. He has not abandoned you even if He remains silent.  He is faithful.   

Maybe this is a painful time.  The world seems to be crashing down around you.  You may feel like you’re in a fierce storm and won’t survive.  Max Lucado related this story about his living on a houseboat in Miami when Cat 5 Hurricane David hit in 1979.  The single guys staying on the boat wondered how best to protect their small home.  A guy named Phil gave this advice: “If you tie her on land you’ll regret it.  Those trees are gonna get eaten by the hurricane.  Your only hope is to anchor deep.  Place four anchors in different locations, leave the rope slack, and pray for the best.”   

My dear congregation, please anchor deep.  Tie your hopes and confidence on the firm foundation of God’s Word.   Anchor upon God’s character and power and His track record.    Don’t tie them to surface things like emotions, circumstances or the approval of others.  He will see you through the storms if you cling to Him. 

You know something about tough times?  When you look back at them, you often see that your lowest times were truly blessed times.  Things that break your heart may save your soul.  Experiences you thought would destroy you were actually transforming you.   

I read this:

            In happy moments, praise God.

            In difficult moments, seek God.

            In quiet moments, worship God.

            In painful moments, trust God,

            But in every moment, thank God. 

So whenever you are on the Scream Machine of faith…on that giant roller coaster, remember the promises of the One who created this very life that we are living.  Remember His goodness and trust in His wisdom.  Rely on His strength.  And then throw your hands up in the air and enjoy the ride.  Let’s pray. 

Please visit us at our next worship service.

We offer "An Unchanging Word To A Changing World"

In Christ,
Bill Bratley - Pastor