I Am Not Forsaken

We're starting a new series called The Wonderful Cross. The Wonderful Cross. Man, there's a beauty in the cross, but there's also death in the cross. In fact, in that context, the cross symbolized death. It symbolized something gruesome.

It symbolized a horrible, horrific way to die. But we're going to look at what the cross is really all about. We wear the nice chains around our neck, and we wear them on our shirts, and we walk around. But what is the significance of the cross? What does that bring to us?

What does the cross offer us? The cross can be best understood by Jesus' last words. As He's hanging on the cross, He mentions words that carry with us even to today. Powerful words. And perhaps, let me just start off by saying this for week one.

How many of you have ever went through a time in your life where it was just really, really, really hard to trust God? Really difficult to see God, to trust God, to know He's there, to know He's doing something in the background? How many of you have been through there? Through that? I've been there.

Have you been there? Perhaps some of you are experiencing that right now. You're like, God, I'm going through a really hard time. Where are you? What's going on?

Sometimes it's just hard to trust God, because things happen. Storms come in life. Today, we could be on top of the world, and in a matter of minutes, in a matter of hours, things could shift. The tides could change. Life is unexpected.

Things happen. Bad things happen. Hard things happen. Betrayal. How many of you have ever been betrayed before?

How that feels? Suffering. You've been through suffering. Maybe you know what that feels like. And if you're living the Christian life, it shouldn't feel that way, should it?

In fact, for us, we think it should look like this. I mean, look at this. It's just beautiful. We can sleep, and look at the greenery around. I'm reminded of the psalm, you know, the pastures and the fields.

He leads me by still waters. I sleep under the shadow of his wing. It just, that should be what life is like, right? When I'm a Christian. But instead, for a lot of us, and for most of us, we've experienced this.

I mean, like, I'm just barely hanging on. I'm just, life is just, is just tough. Chaos. Confusion. It's, it's very, very difficult at times.

And, and, and sometimes you just feel very, very spiritually exhausted. You're just spiritually exhausted. Not only mentally, physically, but you're just like, God, I feel perhaps forsaken. Did you know Jesus felt that way? You know, Jesus felt That's cool.

\par That might be helpful. He was completely forsaken. He was abused, beaten, brutally, bloody, and he's hanging on a cross. So I want to carry you, if you've got your notes with you, you can pull up the Bible app or pull out that little piece of paper in your bifolds and follow along with me. We're going to talk about this cross for a minute and what it brings to us.

Let's see what Jesus was experiencing on the cross. It says, Above Jesus' head, they placed a written charge against him. This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. They were mocking him. This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

Two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. We'll deal with that in a few weeks. It says, Those who passed by him hurled insults at him, shaking their heads, saying, You who are going to destroy the temple and build it up in three days, come down from that house if you are the Son of God. If you're the Son of God, prove yourself. They were just laughing and mocking.

How many of you have been there before where you've been in a place where you feel like you laughed at, you're mocked at, you're not taken seriously? That's what was happening to Jesus here. And then it says, In the same way, the priests, the chief priests, the religious people, the church people, and the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. And it says, He saved others, they said, but he can't save himself. He's the King of Israel.

Let him come down from that cross, and we will believe him. Let him come down, and we'll then believe him. Mocking him. Talking about him. And then they asked this question, or they said this.

And maybe this is a question we all have. This is so instrumental in this passage. It really comes out. He trusts in God. He trusts in God.

Look at him. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. For he said, I am the Son of God. Where are you now, God? Where is God?

Where is he coming from? What is he going to do in your case? As they looked upon Jesus, they mocked him and thought, What a ridiculous thought to think that this man is the Son of God. And admittedly, we would probably think the same thing. Let's just be honest.

If we saw him hanging on a cross, it would deeply disturb us just looking at the nature of his body. Whipped 39 times with glass and bone until his organs were exposed. Hanging on a cross. Signet rings to the face. A crown of thorns placed on his head so tightly and so brutally that the blood ran down all the way to his skull.

It stuck into his head. They kicked him. They spat on him. They put him on a piece of wood. Nailed through his flesh into the...

And hung him up like an animal. And they looked to him and said, who is this guy who claims to be the Son of God? Admittedly, we would think the same thing. You trust God. Do you trust God?

Forsaken or trusted? Forsaken or does he trust? The word trust, pytho in the original Greek, means to convince, to rely on with inward certainty. Have full confidence and complete trust. Full confidence and complete trust.

And it's easy to trust. Here's the thing. It's easy to trust God when we're in the light. When things are good. When we're on top of the mountain, right?

But when darkness falls, when life goes dark, it's harder. It's much, much harder to trust in God. Do you really trust God? And at some point, we all have to ask that fundamental question. That question there, we all have to ask somewhere and somehow in our life, do I trust God?

Do I really trust God? Because this happened from the beginning. This has been a temptation from the evil one from the very beginning. In the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, he convinced Eve in the form of a snake. The evil one came and convinced and tried to convince and tried to manipulate the situation.

Do you really trust God? Do you really believe he has the best for you? Do you think he might be holding something back? He's got there something better for you? Do you really believe that?

Do you really trust God? Because it's easy to trust him in the light. But when the darkness comes, when life goes dark, it's much harder to trust him. It's much, much harder to trust him. In verse 45, it says, From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness came over all the land.

Symbolic of darkness as darkness at times fall over our life. Here Jesus is on the cross and darkness falls over him. Symbolic of the darkness of life. And he said this, about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out and he screamed out, Aloi, Aloi, lama sabachthani. Which means, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

My God, my God. Jesus himself, the Son of God, looked up to heaven. Looked to the Father and said, Why have you forsaken me, Lord? Why have you turned your back on me? And that moment, we look at that.

And never once did he complain when man did their worst. Never once. But when God withdrew, he asked why. Why, God? And the other places in the Gospel, when we look at the other points in the Gospel, we see, when he uses the term Father, there's Abba, Father, Daddy.

A close, endearing term. A beautiful term to explain the closeness of his Father. But instead in this, aloi, which instead, why God? Why? Why?

The saddest verse in the Bible possibly, one of the saddest places, and also one of the most confusing. How does God forsake God? How does that even work out? I don't know. That's the answer I have.

I don't really know how that. There's so many theological challenges just in that one verse. I can't begin to explain how God forsakes Himself. But all of us will ask this question, which Jesus asked that very question. The point of the scripture is He embraced the one question we all will ask.

We all end up asking, why? Why? Hi, my name is Lisa, and my husband and I went in for a routine ultrasound at 20 weeks. And we found out then that our baby didn't have a heartbeat. Hi, my name is Scott.

About, it was an early morning, I got a phone call, and it was about my grandson being taken to the hospital. And he was my little buddy. He was, he was the world to me. I have other grandkids, but, but Nova was, he was special. My name is Deidre, and my father sexually abused me until I was eight years old.

And he also beat the living daylight out of my mother. And when we got there. And when we got there, and they had just, had just gotten him resuscitated, they admitted him into his room. And, and it was at that point that I was like, God, why? Why?

He's not even three years old. Why would you take this precious boy? Made me feel betrayed by God. It made me feel dirty. It made me feel like God left me, um, out there by myself.

Um, and I asked why. Um, I couldn't understand why God would allow something like that to happen to me. It was, it was about a week when, when, when he finally, uh, passed away. So, that was the hardest thing that we ever had to go through. And it was the hardest point in my life.

And I questioned and questioned and questioned why, why was this baby taken from us when I never got to hold him or kiss his face. When we hear stories like that, it, it, it really hits the heart. It hits the heart. Why? Why?

These real life stories, why? Brandon and I have had to deal with that very question here recently as, uh, a tragic death of, of my son's best friend at 12 years old. Just. Accidental death. Why?

Why? Why would this happen to such a good kid? Why would this happen to people every day? Why? I don't understand.

That's where we live at sometimes. I don't understand. The truth is this, and this is the truth, is that we have to understand we won't always understand. We have to understand we won't always understand. And when we can't understand, even if we understood, we wouldn't comprehend it anyway.

My buddy Peter, who is on our board here at the church, lost his child, three years old, of cancer. And one of the most powerful statements I ever heard him say is, I went right past the why, because even if God could tell me exactly why, I still wouldn't understand it. It wouldn't make sense to me, so I went right past the why. I went over that into the next point of going through this process. Because we only know part of the story.

We only know a part of the story. We don't see it all. Even if we understood, it wouldn't make, the story still would be vague to us. Paul speaks of this when he's comparing now to eternity. He says this, Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror.

We barely see it. Then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part. Then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. I only see part of the picture.

I can't understand it all right now. It's all that I see. It's all that I can make out. It's all that I can perceive right now. And it's much like a word that I'll put up right now.

Now, looking at this word, all these capital letters, from different perspectives, you see it in different ways. Some of you are like, nowhere. I see nowhere. But others of you are seeing now here. Now here.

Many who go through hard times, all they can see when they look at God is nowhere. He's nowhere to be seen. Where is God? I don't see Him nowhere. But those who truly know God, although they don't understand and they trust Him, they see now here.

That He's still here. He's still good. He's still working. He's still in the background. He's always here.

Even when I go through very difficult times, He's still here. He's still here. I'm reminded of my daughter, Savannah, who just was terrified of the doctor. She hated to go to the doctor's office. And any time we prepared to go see the doctor, we'd have to work her up and tell her it's going to be okay.

There's not going to be any shots this time. I promise there won't be any shots. And I told her that one day, but what I didn't realize as I was taking her in to her checkup, there were two shots that were due. And I had to eat my words because I told her, no, it's going to be okay. It's going to be safe.

But as she's in that office, and if you know my daughter, oh, man, she will fight to the bitter end. And I watched her as she cried, Daddy, Daddy, no, don't let them do that, Daddy. Daddy, Daddy! Daddy, please. Please, Daddy.

Please, please. It's okay. I'm telling her, it's okay. She's crying, and all I want to do is take her out of that seat and take her out of the office, but I know this is the best for her. She needs this.

That's how God sees us. He says, when we cry out, Daddy, when we cry out, Abba, when we cry out, Father, Father, why have you forsaken me? Why are you allowing this? God is, with every part of his heart looking at us saying, I so want to help you, but this, you don't see the whole story. You don't see everything, and this is the best for you.

That's why Isaiah 55 says, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher. They're higher than any circumstance that you're going through, than any of your ways, and my thoughts, than your thoughts. We only see part of the story, but the good news is, God gives us some things. That helps us walk through those times when dark sets in, those days that dark sets in.

He helps us remember some things, some unchangeable things about who God is. We can hold on. What to remember when you don't understand? What do we do? First of all, we know that God is good.

That God is always good. Mark 10, 18 says, no one is good except God alone. Praise God, he's good, because we aren't good. We can't get through life on our own, right? We do things wrong all the time.

We steer off the course all the time, but God is always good. And what we do is, when we get angry, when we get frustrated with people, with the world, what do we do? We project our problems on God. It must be God's fault that I'm going through this. God, I've prayed.

God, I've asked. And we project it on God. It must be God. But the problem with that is, we have a limited view of God when we see God that way. We make God very, very small when we focus on our problem and blame God for that.

Because God has a much bigger picture. God transcends our circumstances. God is doing something bigger and something greater and something better than you can even imagine, as I talked about last week. It's better than you can even imagine, but you don't know because you only see part of the story. But we know that God is good.

When cancer comes, God is good. When death comes, God is good. When war comes, God is good. When genocide happens, God is good. Whatever the situation, we can proclaim with every unction within us that God is a good God.

No matter what I'm going through, what I'm facing today, am I preaching to myself today? I've got to say it from the bottom of my heart. I've got to reach out to God and say He is good no matter what I'm going through. And I will proclaim that. The devil will not manipulate me into thinking that He is not.

Because He is good. And I can hold on to that with everything that's in me. The second thing is, God is for me. Somebody needs to hear that today. That God is for me.

Because you don't feel like God is for you. But the scripture says, if God is for you, who can be against us? He's not asking you to decide who's against you. He's saying, hey, nobody's against you. If God is for you, this world is not against you.

Nothing can be against you. Because he who did not spare his own life, boom, the cross. That's what the cross provides for us. To know that God is for us. And God is a good God.

But he gave him up for us all. How will he not also along with him graciously give us all things? Do you believe that today, church? That God is absolutely for you. It transcends your circumstances.

And God is absolutely for you. He cares for you. He's by your side. He's pulling for you. He sees you.

He smiles on you. Did you know that? When you're doing his work. When you're living righteously. And you're working hard for his kingdom.

He sees you. He gets you. He knows what you're doing. And he appreciates you. And he loves you.

And he's like, get it, my son. Get it, my daughter. I love you so much. Thank you so much for what you do. I love you so much.

Did you know that? That he is always for you. God is for you. And thirdly, God is with you. God is with you.

These fundamental points are so true, so real. We can remember that God is with us. He says, he'll never leave you. He'll never forsake you. Never will I leave you.

Never will I forsake you. Somebody may need to hear that today. You feel like God has forsaken you. But you know what the cross offers to us? That we are not forsaken.

We are not forsaken. We are not lost from God's eyes. Do you trust God? Because it's easy to trust God in the light. But much more difficult to trust God in the dark.

Are you in the dark? Are you in the dark? Here's what Proverbs 3 says. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge.

That word acknowledge, yada, in the original language is to know. To know. To know God. We need to know God. We need to know Him more, right?

And in all our ways, know Him. Know Him in all our ways. And He will make our paths straight. He will make our paths easier. And it might not be easy in the physical, but in the spiritual, He helps straighten our paths.

We need to get to truly know God and who He is. And even when we don't understand, I know. I know. I know who He is. Even when I'm going through difficulty, I know who He is.

Even when all is lost, I know my God. Amen! Yep, Amen! Amen, When the times are good, I know who God is. It's easy.

But when the times are dark, I got to be able to say, I know, I know who God is, and what I've learned is, the better I know God, the less I ask why, and the more I ask what, the less I ask why, why God, why God, but the more I grow and the more I mature in my relationship with God, I say what? What are you showing me, God? What is the purpose? What is the plan? Where are you taking me, God?

What are you trying to reveal to me, God? What are you showing me? You may ask, why did God forsake Jesus? Good question, right? Why did God forsake Jesus?

Here's what the cross tells us. This is why the cross is so wonderful. Here's what the cross tells us. God made Him, who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness. That He actually became sin, the righteous Lamb.

That's why we call Him the Lamb of God. Because He was absolutely without sin, but He bore all the sin of mankind. He became sin so that we could be forgiven of our sins and that God could look upon us. He gave His Son. That's what's so beautiful about the cross, that He bore all our sin.

He bore murder. He bore rape. He bore all kinds of things, you know. He bore it all. He bore everything.

And when no one else around could see when Jesus was up on the cross, all the people mock Him. And when they couldn't see, God made Himself sin to be sin for them and to be sin for you so that He could be the perfect Lamb that was sacrificed, He became righteousness. The cross demonstrates that no matter what you are doing, whatever you are going through, God is good. He is for you, and He is with you. God is good.

He is for you, and He is with you. Whenever you're going through a hard time, God is good. God is for me. He's not against me, and He's with me. He will never leave me or forsake me.

I grew older, and in 2004 I was able to go on a mission trip to Honduras. And in my prayer time in Honduras, I prayed and was still asking God why. And I felt like God revealed to me that He allowed that to happen. So a passion could be birthed inside of me for students, for youth, for young people. We struggled with the why and questioned, and God showed us throughout the whole process that He was with us and that He was holding our Isaiah when we couldn't.

But it was during the time when we knew that He was going to leave us, that He was going to go be with our Father in Heaven, that we knew God was in this. We knew He was, but it was difficult to get to that place. We really wanted Him to be healed, but we began the process of accepting that God was God and God is good. I would never choose to have my Father abuse me, but by God allowing that to happen, I'm able, as a survivor, I'm able to tell my students that they, too, can forgive. They, too, can survive.

They, too, can be healed and live with our true Father. Because of that, man, I can experience the love of my true Father, my Heavenly Father, a love that is pure and unconditional. After trying for a year and a half after losing Isaiah, we found out this past Christmas that I'm pregnant, and I have a peace about this pregnancy, and that's something that I feel that God has shown me and put on my heart, and He's been faithful and He's good. So you may go through hard times. As you can see in these real-life examples that this is everyday for people.

And maybe, perhaps, some of you are in the why. You're asking why. But can I tell you, I got really, really good news for you today. By way of the cross, that why can be complete with a what, and that what can lead to fulfillment in eternal life. It may not take away your problems.

It may not take away the dark seasons that will come. But He says He's good. He said He's for you. And guess what? He even walks through you in those dark seasons.

And if you believe that today, I want you just, whether you're a believer or not in here, just begin to just pour your heart out to God with heads bowed and eyes closed. Just ask God. Just seek God for just a second as we close this message today. God, just demonstrate your love to us, Lord Jesus. Show us, God.

Your presence is here. Show us, God. Speak to our hearts, Lord. Dig deep inside of us, Lord. Touch us in the places that we are in.

Touch us in the places that hurt. Touch us in the places that we've been betrayed. Touch us in the places that we've been disappointed, Lord. Touch us in the places where we can't forgive. Touch us in the places where we can't let go.

Touch us in the places where we can't see the mirror clearly and we don't know the full story. Show us, Lord, your love, your grace, your forgiveness, your completeness through you. Maybe there's somebody here today with all heads bowed and eyes closed that doesn't know Jesus. And you're going through a hard time and you've never given Jesus an opportunity to be Lord of your life. Would you make that decision today?

Give God an opportunity. Because guess what? Jesus knows what you're going through. He cried, my God, why have you forsaken me? He knows.

And he wants a relationship with you. Not a religion. Not a do-gooder thing. He wants a relationship with you. Would you pray it with me and believe it in your heart?

If everybody here can pray together. Father, I believe that you are the Son of God. That you bore my sin. That you died on the cross for my sin. Today I give my life to you.

I want to walk with you, Lord. Would you walk with me? Would you be for me? Would you be for me? Lord, would you be with me?

Come into my life. Make me a new creation. In Jesus' name. Praise God. Praise God.

Praise God. Praise God. Can y'all give God a hand clap of praise?