The Discipline of Darkness

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Isaiah 50:10-11Sometimes, darkness falls upon even the most devout Christians. What can we do when the lights go out? What is the discipline of darkness? Isaiah 50:10 says, “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God.”First, those of greatest devotion may know the deepest darkness. There is a distorted idea that the Christian life is all joy and light. But Isaiah 50 speaks to those who revere God and respect His authority, yet face deep perplexity and anguish.Second, faith that is born in the light is developed in the dark. In order to develop our faith in the darkness, we must look and lean on the Lord. Adrian Rogers says, “It is better to be in a valley, leaning on God, than on a peak without Him.”Third, some things are seen in the dark that cannot be seen in the light. Adrian Rogers says, “You could not see the stars were it not for the darkness.”Fourth, it is better to lean on God in the darkness than stand alone in man-made light.One of the great dangers of darkness is the temptation to light our own fires. But if the darkness has been ordained of God, we cannot undo what God has done. Man-made fire is deceptive; we see this in the stories of Abraham, Moses, and Simon Peter. When these men of God took matters into their own hands, it resulted in bitter weeping and “lying down in sorrow.”Finally, if our sun has set, we must remember it will rise again. Isaiah 50:4 says, “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned."When we get to a better day, we will be equipped to teach the greatest treasure of the darkness: that in our deepest sorrow, our Heavenly Father’s eyes are upon us.Apply it to your lifeIf you’re in darkness right now, don’t light your own fire; look and lean on God. Remember these words from Adrian Rogers: “God will turn every tear to a pearl, every hurt to a hallelujah, every Calvary to an Easter; your morning will come.”