3 Truths from Psalm 88:

   Truth #1: Darkness may last a while

   Truth #2: Darkness helps us see that God is sovereign & sustaining

   Truth #3: Darkness is somewhere God is willing to go with us.

Psalm 88

Lord, you are the God who saves me;

May my prayer come before you;

3 

I am overwhelmed with troubles

4 

I am counted among those who go down to the pit;

5 

I am set apart with the dead,

6 

You have put me in the lowest pit,

7 

Your wrath lies heavily on me;

8 

You have taken from me my closest friends

9 

    my eyes are dim with grief.

I call to you, Lord, every day;

10 

Do you show your wonders to the dead?

11 

Is your love declared in the grave,

12 

Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,

13 

But I cry to you for help, Lord;

14 

Why, Lord, do you reject me

15 

From my youth I have suffered and been close to death;

16 

Your wrath has swept over me;

17 

All day long they surround me like a flood;

18 

You have taken from me friend and neighbor—

Sons of Korah: Numbers 16 led a rebellion because they didn’t like there assigned tasks in the tabernacle. Moses called for clarity & the Sons of Korah were swallowed up by the ground.  After seven successive generations, the prophet Samuel arose from the line of Korah. One group of Korahites (1 Chronicles 12:6) joined King David in various military exploits and won the reputation of being expert warriors. However, the most remarkable thing to note about the sons of Korah is that during the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle. Heman the Korahite had a place of great importance as a singer.

SLIDE Heman (hay-mawn) name means “Faithful”

If you only read Psalm 88, you’re reading the Bible wrong.

If you never read Psalm 88, you’re reading the Bible wrong.

Today is just setting the foundation for 7 lessons. Kind of like how a movie ends & you can tell there will be a sequel. Don’t check out early. Do stay attentive each week.

SLIDE  Next few weeks at church: (outline sermon series)

Feb 12    Heal My Anxious Mind

Feb 19    2 Truths to Remember in the Dark

Feb 26    Why Do I Always Worry? 

March 5    Silence Your Negative Thoughts

March 12    3 Ways to Seek Healing From Trauma

March 19    Beating Burnout

Series Motivation & Intention:

SLIDE 2 Myths about Mental Health

   Myth #1: Christians shouldn’t struggle with mental health.

   Myth #2: God helps those who help themselves. (quickly)

3 Truths from Psalm 88:

   Truth #1: Darkness may last a while

   Truth #2: Darkness helps us see that God is sovereign & sustaining

   Truth #3: Darkness is somewhere God is willing to go with us.

  Myth #1: Christians shouldn’t struggle with mental health.

[story] A few Februarys ago my son, Samuel, & I explored the cave at Enchanted Rock. The cave is a long, pitch-black, narrow crack in the granite rock. Over the years, I have successfully crawled & contorted through the cave dozens of times. This time was different. Maybe it was a narrower part of the cave I had never explored? Maybe it was the layers or bulky clothes I was wearing to combat the February cold? One thing was for certain - I was stuck!

I was stuck in a narrow granite gap where cave floor & cave ceiling rest very close to each other. Little furry creatures (& my teenage son) could scurry through this narrow gap with relative ease. I thought I could make it. Too many of my regrets are preceded by, “I thought I could make it.” I did make it until I got up to my chest & shoulders. At first I giggled & said, “Samuel wait up! I’m stuck!”  Determined to catch up to my son, I let the air out of my lungs & inch-wormed myself further into the narrow gap. Then I tried to breath again but I could only take in half of a breath. The granite ceiling pressed against my chest. I felt a rush of adrenaline & determination to move forward & break free as fast as possible. I attempted to move but my movement was minimal. Anxious thoughts flooded my mind. What if I suffocate? Did the cave just get darker? I knew I could calm my anxiety if I could just take one deep breath. But each shallow breath & each vain attempt to get unstuck turned my anxiety into a true panic trap.  

I prayed. I prayed for the peace of mind to be unafraid & get unstuck. God immediately answered my prayer for peace, but getting unstuck would take longer & it would not be gentle. Idiocracy has consequences. It took me at least 10 grueling minutes, that felt like an eternity, to move a few mere inches. Then finally I was able to move enough to get free. I squeezed forward like the last stubborn glob of toothpaste in the tube. Scrapes & bruises would prove how stuck I was. I lived to tell the tale, but this wasn’t the last time I felt trapped like this. 

Trapped is exactly how I felt for several winter months in 2021. I tend to wrestle annually with what I call my, “February Funk” when the skies are grey & seasonal depression threatens to creep in. But several months in 2021 were not grey, these months were darker. Life seemed dark & bleak for several reasons. We had several deaths in our church family. We had several families leave the church without an explanation. I suffered from imposter syndrome because I didn’t think I was a good enough pastor to lead a church through the covid pandemic & racial & political tensions. I suffered from a depression that left me without the interest or energy to do the most basic responsibilities of being a husband, father & pastor. Somedays all I could manage to do was send one email. (Yes, just one email took a day’s worth of energy.) I would just sit & stare for so long.  

Persistent sadness made my mind numb & my face blank & my shoulders slumped. Several friends said, “It looks like your soul has been sucked out of you!” I shared my struggles openly. I lack the ability to hide my emotions. Some people wear their heart on their sleeve, I tend to wear my heart like a loud 80’s windbreaker. Fellow pastors would often say, “Are you okay? Can I pray for you?”

I prayed. I prayed for peace & clarity & energy to be a healthy husband, dad & pastor. God heard my prayers. God gave me several reminders that He was still in control. I knew God had me covered. But it seemed I would be unable to get unstuck from the darkness & depression anytime soon. I wanted to just snap out of it. Why couldn’t I just snap out of it? Was God using this dark season to teach me something or prepare me for something? Was I suffering the consequences of my selfish ways? I attempted to write down all of my thoughts & feelings but of course that required energy I did not have. Only now, two years later, am I able and compelled to write down a few insights. God did not lift my depression immediately. But God did surround me with family & old friends & new friends to talk, pray, eat & ride bikes with. I can’t mark a date on the calendar when my darkness lifted. I don’t know what month I got unstuck from that particular bout with depression. Things were more gradual than immediate. More similar to a sunrise than a light switch.

Things are better now - for now. I also feel more confident to remain mentally healthy & see the signs & triggers for potential dark days ahead.   I am ready to share some insights from the highs & lows. We are starting a 7 week sermon series called, “Peace of Mind.” The Bible is full of wisdom & honesty & hope for those who are wandering through dark days & wondering if things will ever get better. This is going to be a strong sermon sermon series & I hope you’ll join me in person or online.  I’d love to hear about how you are doing too. God bless you. 

Depression is Your fault

You don’t Not enough faith

You do pray praying enough

Heroes Bible  Elijah so depress wanted die—David—despair.

Jeremiah—(weep prop)—loneliness, insecurity—Cursed day born

Became a Christian & credit score, complexion, posture, 

“Getting help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of wisdom.”  ~ Craig Groeschel 

3 Truths from Psalm 88:

Truth #1 Darkness may last a while

Truth #2 Darkness helps us see that God is sovereign & sustaining

Truth #3 Darkness is somewhere God is willing to go with us. 

SLIDE Matthew 27:45-46 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Tim Keller ~ “Jesus Christ experienced darkness as his only friend so in your darkness you can know that Jesus is still your friend.”

Christ did not abandon you in his darkest moments, so why would think he would abandon you in your darkest moments. 

Heman asked “Do the dead rise up & praise you?”

Matthew 27: 51 [At that moment Jesus died] The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

What is hurting you? Is it anything that the resurrection won’t fix?

Jesus has his own kind of cave story. (but he rolled away the stone) Christ died for us & then was buried for us. 

SLIDE Michael Wilcock on Psalm 88 “This darkness can happen to a believer. It doesn't mean you're lost. This darkness can happen to someone who does not deserve it. After all it happened to Jesus. It doesn't mean you've strayed.  This darkness can happen at any time as long as this world lasts because only in the next world will such things be done away with. This darkness can happen without you knowing why. But, there are answers, there is a purpose and eventually you will know it.”

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Tim Keller https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/heman-s-cry-of-darkness-5556/

[Luke 10:2] Jesus told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."  

Northeast Baptist Church is surrounded with a plentiful harvest but an undeniable shortage of workers. Years ago we witnessed days of growing. In most recent years, we have witnessed stages decline. What is a declining NEBC to do?

NEBC will remain faithful to our foundation as a Baptist church. We will also seek new ways to impact our community in Jesus name. We need to help to do this. Could a church merger be God’s provision for NEBC to get the help we need?

We recently had an amazing night of worship at NEBC. The sanctuary was packed! It was almost surreal to have so many families worshiping together on a Tuesday evening. Pastors & musicians from GracePoint Church, MyChurch & NEBC shared an eager anticipation about what God could be leading us to do together. Could a church merger be God’s provision to bless 3 churches with the new strength & renewed vision necessary to reach our NE neighbors? 

We are praying for wisdom each week as key leaders from each church meet  together to talk about aligning budgets, buildings & by laws. We also are serving together in outreach events & combining our worship services for Christmas & Easter. Staring this February, MyChurch will move their Sunday morning worship service from the student building at GracePoint to the sanctuary of NEBC. This will be a great way for us to grow closer together as we serve & worship together  yet still operate as 2 separate churches sharing 1 building. MyChurch will meet at 9am & NEBC will meet at 11am. We will combine our services this Easter with an incredible celebration that will be sure to embrace our diverse NE neighborhood. (Stay tuned for more details.)

As NEBC continues to prayerfully consider moving forward with the church merger, I am at peace & energized at the same time. Is this what new life feels like? If so, let’s go & be the harvest workers sent our by the Lord or the harvest!

May God bless NEBC with grace & peace. ~ Pastor Shad