Disillusionment

Disillusionment

Dictionary: To disappoint or embitter by leaving without illusion.

We can get disillusioned with God, with ourselves, with others and this can cause grief.

When you get disillusioned you are unable to celebrate or enjoy what God is doing in your life because all you can see is what is not happening!

In relationships we go through cycles:

1.   Infatuation

2.   Disillusionment

3.   Bail or commitment

Job after job

Relationship after relationship

Religion after religion

Church after church

A faith definition for disillusionment is “the gaining of reality!”

Depression and self pity are the result of not seeing God’s bigger picture of reality.

Ill. The child thinks life is all about me, my success, my comfort. Then reality hits and the child realizes life is not all about me and my comfort. Yet many adults and even Xn adults have not learned this reality yet. Xns should know that life here is about knowing God and making Him known to people around us.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

The disciples had disillusionment with Jesus’ timing, His words, His ways:

Ill. Luke 7 Jesus walking by funeral procession and stops to raise an unknown widows son from the dead. No explanation.

Then in John 11 when Jesus was told Lazarus was sick He stayed 2 more days until after he died before He showed up. Mary and Martha the sisters were disillusioned with Jesus’ timing, words and ways.

-        Mtt 8 Jesus asleep in boat while disciples struggling to stay alive in a storm at sea. “Lord, don’t You care we are perishing?”

Have you ever been disillusioned with God’s timing, His words or ways?

If so then you are in good company: Disciples. Elijah in a cave. Job in suffering.

There will be many times in your life where you can become disillusioned with God. Maybe you are there now. If so, be assured that your disillusionment with God is a wake up call into reality and to shake you from living in an illusion that is not true.

Ill. Remember the cards I gave you a few weeks ago that are an optical illusion. Things are not as they appear. Some things look bigger than they really are!

That is not to diminish the fact that you have real pain, real disappointment in life. Life has not turned out like you planned.

Ill. This past week I talked to some young people (high school and college age) about their plans for the future. I listen then encourage them to put their life in God’s hands because He may have other plans, greater plans than yours.

-        How many of you would say your life turned out to be different than you planned when you were 18?

Have you ever been disillusioned with yourself?

Ill. The disciples were disillusioned with their selves. They overestimated their ability. Mtt. 17 “Lord, why couldn’t we cast out the demon?”

Ill. 1985 called to be on staff as youth minister at FBC Leesburg the top ½ of % of Baptist churches in baptisms and evangelism. Later made associate pastor and preached on TV when pastor away and early morning service. People would tell me “You are really going somewhere big in life.” I started believing my own press releases that surely God was preparing me to lead a big Baptist church. I candidate for a big church in Oviedo but the people said I was too young 32. Finally realized God was not calling me up but down. FBC Astor with 75 people maybe on a good Sunday out in the sticks! What is God thinking by putting me way out here in the middle of no where?

I was disillusioned with God and with myself.

God evaluates things differently than we do. His path for you does not look like anyone else’s path. Comparison and competition cause a lot of misery.

If you judge your life by expecting to see what you expect – you will become miserable. Give God the pen and let Him write His story with your life.

You will stop being miserable about your life when all you want is what God wants – even when you don’t know what that is!

How would you define spiritual growth?

On dry erase board draw a line going upward zig zag.

Or, Draw a spiral like an old fashioned bed spring.

Ill. Sometimes in spiral it looks like we are going around the same mountain with the same issue. It may be the same issue but you can be sure God is taking you to a deeper level each time.

Ill. Skin cancers burned off this past week. My mom has had some but require more than burn off but to go deeper and cut out. Sometimes you have to keep going back until they remove deeper layers until the cancer is gone.

God is committed to removing spiritual cancers from us.

How would you define failure?

Sometimes failure is part of our growth process.

Do you think all failure is sin?

Ill. My first church was little country church of 45 people. I went to a conference and was excited to learn about singing simple choruses. I was determined to bring this back to our church and liven things up with hand clapping and and sing along choruses. The people did not receive my enthusiasm and would not join in with me in worship.

Was this a failure? YES.

But was it sin? No. Not all failure is sin – some is.

God can use failure as part of our growth process.

How do you respond to your failures?

Don’t think about it. Beat yourself up. Try to make up for it?

Become depressed. Refuse to forgive yourself. Sin more. Go to God?

Both Judas and Peter failed Jesus and themselves. Both were disillusioned. In that dark place of disillusionment

-        One died in self pity

-        One buried himself in grace.

Song Defender

Concl: Looking back over my life I am so glad God saved me from getting my way. Life is so much better His way.

Disillusionment = the gaining of reality. But also that God has some other plans and you and I need to trust Him and worship – bow down, praise Him and be still.