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you are hey everybody. Welcome to Prairie Lakes church. You've probably heard this already in in the service, but we're gonna say it again and it's important this week and especially for this part of our service. So we're no matter Church. No matter who you are where you've been what you've done what's been done to you?

God loves you and you can look for him here and it's important this weekend because of the series that we're in Pastor chip kicked us off last weekend. We're in the series called solms in real life. There's a lot of real life that we're gonna talk about and and the Psalms are a really a series of of songs that help us navigate real life. And so we're gonna jump into some things we did last weekend and again this weekend so Psalms in real life. Why would we start?

Talking about the Psalms. Well, there's a couple of reasons why but for this weekend, here's one. I just want to get on the table. Okay, we live in an imperfect world. I know that's a shocker for most of us, right because it's so close. Right? But we live in an imperfect world. So what do we do with that?

You know, what do we what do we do with that? The real world real life our lives your life my life. It just it is a lot of times far from perfect. What do we do with that and and this? This is why a lot of the Psalms were written to help us navigate this imperfect world.

That we're in and not just help us but help us to do that with. with God now imperfect and God they don't seem to be to be able to coexist because if there really is this all-powerful God then why why would we live in a world? That is kind of unjust.

Why is there a lot of Injustice in this world? We live in a world where other people they use their power and they use their influence in a way. That's just unjust not fair. And then sometimes we're the target of that. What do we do with that?

Because sometimes you to me we suffer the consequences of that. It's it's not right. It's not fair. It's unjust but apparently there's this God who's in charge of all of it. And so like how's that all work? Does it mean that he's just bad at his job instead the message. We're gonna get in Psalms. Why doesn't God fix all of this?

That's one. How about this one? We live in an imperfect world. It's not only in just we live in a perfect world. It's out of our control. There's a lot in this life. That's just out of our control. What do we do with that in a world where?

Man, like we're mass shootings happen What do we do with that? We're pandemics happen What do we do with that? We're natural disasters happen. Or maybe on a maybe a smaller scale but no less impactful. What do we do in a world where the test results we got back are concerning?

Or world where we get laid off because of whatever market conditions or shifting or inflation or whatever. But what do we do with the world where some of us are increasingly? We're worried about bills getting paid. Because the cost of the most basic things of skyrocketed because you know Wars or Supply chains or policies or fear, whatever none of which are in our control, they're so much in this world right now. We're getting reminders every day.

That's out of our of our control and they and they mess with our security and our comfort. What do we do with an imperfect world? It's out of our control and then with a God who apparently allows some of this stuff all of this stuff. to happen That's kind of a depressing way to start sermon. I'm aware of that and I'm not trying to be just like deliberately Bleak here, but you know facts bro, I guess like this is the real world.

This is the world that we actually live in you and I every single day and if you're feeling a little bit of tension right now with all of that. If you're feeling some tension with this question of why God why why would you let this world go on just being unjust or out of our control? Why why if you're feeling tension with that question, it's probably because you may have already moved.

Past that question and you've already decided what you're going to do with it. You know, what do we do with this imperfect World? Well, some of us here's our approach and we don't need to talk about it anymore because we've just decided we're gonna get mad.

That's our deal. We're gonna get mad about it. It's what we do we rage we get angry. We look some of us look to assign blame and it's usually the other side of the aisle or my idiot boss, or maybe even God himself. call it venting or Rancing or whatever but but a lot of us, we just kind of respond in Anger we make anger our medication and our therapist and like our best friend who always agrees with us. We make anger all of those things rolled in into one. We just get mad now some of us we don't get mad.

We get sad. We get sad. We deal with it in perfect world. I just kind of getting sad about it. And not just sad some of us. It's not just sadness. It's it's almost like a depression.

Hopeless even and and it can feel like for those of us who are in that game. It can feel like this isn't even a choice that I'm making deliberately. To get sad or to get depressed it almost feels like sadness or depression is about our only options the only authentic option.

And it's headline fatigue that contributes to that like just more bad news. It's it's uncertainty that contributes to that. There's just doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel, you know, there's still lots of twists and turns yet to come and not fun kinds like because what that what's that? I'm gonna be tomorrow. I don't know but it's not going to be good.

and all of which serves to undermine any Any real sense of security? Or stability that that we feel like we we need. And so what do we do? We make sadness our companion.

We make it our friend and we do that because we can start to depend on it. I mean, like I know I ought to be said I can almost plan on being sad because hoping for something different especially in some of these times we're walking through hoping for something different not only seems unrealistic.

It kind of seems unwise. Some of us get mad some of us get sad. but for others of us Both of those feel like little extreme, you know. yeah, bad things happen and livestock fair and can't control everything but you know, come on come on.

It's not that bad or it's not all bad or it'll all work out in the end. I mean something in the Bible about that, I think go read it before you bother me again with your feelings, right and there's there is some there's some kernel of Truth in in that approach but here's how it describe that approach.

Okay, here's something to describe that. I describe it as sanitized. When it comes to living an imperfect world what we do with that some of us we just kind of we just want to sanitize it. now there's a word that's gotten a little bit more play in the last couple years. Let's say I think we've We've seen more signs and more places in the last two years with that word on it cleaned and sanitized for your protection or whatever. Here's my favorite one of those. Okay. It's my favorite one. It's right here that my my friends is it's from hurts rental car company. I do a good bit of traveling which means I'm renting cars or at least I did before they required a second mortgage, but I usually use hurts and this is what I see at most airports when I walk through my car and the rent a lot. It's right over the door. Okay, you can kind of see it. It's right over the door. Here's the door. It's right over the door where the door meets the frame.

and and they do that because you know It's sealed right? It's sealed like you open the door and the sticker like breaks the seal. It's so strategically placed there. Why well, besides the obvious. Okay. Here's the purpose of the sticker. The purpose of the sticker is to make you and I feel better.

And that's what it is to feel more safe to feel more secure and hopefully, you know a little bit more likely to spend our money with her. It's the next time we need a car rental and most times. Okay. There's a good reason behind that sign or signs. Like it. It's not just a sign. It's not just a sticker. I mean someone Sprayed something or they clean something that's intended to kill viruses another germs so that we don't get infected when we sit in that car and breathe that air now.

Here's what we know even though all of those sanitation measures are effective to a degree. At lowering our risk of getting sick or getting affected or catching something or whatever. We also know that they aren't. guarantees, right they're not because Very little if anything at all in this world.

Is a hundred percent sure. and yet the sign helps us. Feel better, doesn't it? Here's what I think I think a lot of us respond in a similar way.

to this wild Out of our control often unjust world that we live in we sanitize it. We sanitize it we put some sort of spiritual sign or sticker on the the harder parts to help us just feel better about it that sign could be a verse or a saying or a cliche that probably has some substance man. It probably has some kernels of Truth.

In it, but a lot of times though that approach doesn't doesn't seem to take into account the fullness. Of just how painful. How risky how costly how unjust?

Or out of our control. This world really is and what it's really like to have to walk through it. now let's get you some good news. Okay, here's some good news. Here. It is God.

In his word the Bible. God does not sanitize. anything And and that's good news and more good news. God also he doesn't expect us to sanitize stuff either. He doesn't sanitize and he doesn't expect us to either there's not like every cloud has a silver lining anywhere in in Scripture.

And and this is what I think is so crazy about this sanitized approach. That's become. I don't know a little bit too popular. I think in some Christian circles whether it's Christian radios or our Christian radio or music bookstores Christian social media Outlets, you know, whether they intend to or not.

A lot of those not all but a lot of them paint such a different picture a little bit sanitized of a picture then then so much the of the Bible does take the Psalms for example. Most of the Psalms like Pastor chip was saying last week. Most of the Psalms are our songs. They're the, you know, a lot of them were intended to be to be sung. It was it was Christian radio before there were were radios now when you read the Psalms, When you read them, like like really read them. Here's what you're gonna see you're gonna see that they don't they don't sound or feel like some of the Christian messaging will often get today. In fact, my guess is that most of the Psalms?

They wouldn't sell a lot of albums. Get a lot of plays if they were made into Christian music today. And here's why here's why around 65. of the 150 Psalms our Psalms of lament Psalms of Lament their songs that Are cries to God out of a place of deep distress or pain?

65 of the 150. It's 43% closer to half the Psalms. Aren't overly positive. They're they're not mostly encouraging and and they're not really safe. But here's the thing like neither is this world that we live in?

And that's I think really freeing and so I love so much about the Bible. The Bible isn't some sort of like simple answer book that reduces the painful complexities of this world down. into a few trite clever mostly naive annoyingly over spiritual mottos.

It doesn't do that. In fact, it's it's quite the contrary. The Bible is a book that even to an uncomfortable degree Embraces the complexities of the world that we live in dedicating a lot more space to some of the more difficult Parts, especially those parts where it doesn't seem like God is acting in the way that we we need him to or would expect him to those are you can't throw a rock quote unquote in the Bible without hitting something that touches that It's a book that that doesn't just point the world to this God up in heaven later. But instead it wrestles with these these these beautiful human relevant questions of of why aren't you here now God Why aren't you here now? Why are you letting these things happen to me?

Where are you? Because that's real. right That's real. Part of our experience and it's a huge part of the Bible as well, which makes it simultaneously the most Divine of books I've written.

and the most human there's no fake Instagram images in the Bible. There's no Christian album cover art. It's just it's just real life. So 65 of the 150 are sums of lament and here's here's what most of those psalms of lament all have in common. They all follow a kind of a similar pattern seen in four parts lament Psalms will have you know an address to God.

A part one and then we'll move into like a description of the complaint which is part two and part three. They're the psalmists usually moves into a request for God's help and part four is an expression of trust in God. There's an address to God right? He's not just complaining but he's he's gonna talk to God and then there's a description of a complaint meaning he's not just gonna talk about his circumstances, but he's gonna direct those and like almost like kind of it feels like he's gonna point a finger like God. This is you're not doing something here or you need to do something here. I've asked you to do something here and this is and you're not and I gotta I got a beef with that.

Part two part three, he still requests help and then usually not everybody not in every single one of them, but a lot of times they'll end with a an expression of trust. So the pattern is going to become clearer when we kind of see it and one of these Psalms of lament. So let's let's take a look at one together this we're gonna spend the rest of our time turn with me. If you would just Psalm 13 Psalm 13, that's where we're gonna be. We're just gonna walk through walk down this Psalm together.

And we're going to talk about it and as we do. We won't just see those four parts and we will but but we'll also draw out of those four parts some things that we're going to need so that we can start interacting with them. Because the reality the reality is this I think if you haven't already you're gonna get a turn.

Everybody gets a turn. in this world of walking through something that it'll rock your world. and Psalms of Lament Will give us a framework. For how do we walk through those?

In a way that we can walk through them with God. Okay. So we're gonna do that together with Psalm 13. Let's start with the first part. Of the psalm which is an address to God the address to God three simple words in this one Psalm 13:1 starts. How long Lord how long Lord?

There it is. Right? It's three words. There's the address to God how long Lord and there's actually a couple things that other three words. I want to draw out first is this in the Old Testament in the Old Testament? Which is the first 39 books of the Bible and these first 39 books were written about the time before Jesus.

So Psalms is included in that and the Old Testament whenever you see the word Lord and it's capitalized. Okay, and it's capitalized. It's an all caps like it is here what that is is a translation device. Here's what I mean by that.

The Hebrew word that's being translated into English as capital l-o-r-d. The Hebrew word isn't actually a word for Lord. That Hebrew word is not the word for Lord nor is it a word describing God's lordship either.

It's it's not a word that means to communicate God's Mastery of of the universe. He was capitalized L capital l o r d in the English translation of what it's telling you is that the Hebrew word being translated is actually God's personal.

name And it's going to look like this, okay? In the taxes, there's going to be like four Hebrew consonants, yod. Hay VAV and hey. Those are obviously those are English words, but that there's four kind of Hebrew consonants that are there.

And then the Hebrew written language there were no written vowels. If you ever like open up a Hebrew Bible, it's gonna it's gonna look weird obviously, but like there aren't there aren't characters that are vowels. They're just consonants. And and then when the text was read the reader would add the vowel sounds as they read them.

So if God's personal name would have been pronounced. It would have sounded like like this. yeah way Yahweh that's what it would have sounded like but they didn't do that. They didn't they didn't read it when they read it out loud. They did not utter God's personal name and that's just out of reverence.

They they They wouldn't speak it out loud. And so the reason they translated as as Lord instead of Yahweh is out of reverence for God's personal name. It was it was to so that would remain sacred and a way to do that was was to not speak it out loud as as they read it and so in the English translation they do they do the same thing. Here's the point that I'm trying to make. Okay. Here's the point that I'm trying to make.

It's almost saying how long Lord and he's and he's using God's personal name how long Yahweh. The psalmist isn't just complaining to complain. He's not just a whiner. He's not just shouting words up into the sky.

He's not talking to some impersonal force or a mysterious being behind the curtain pulling all this all the strings. It's it's not as though he's saying hey God if you're up there no, no what he's saying is no, it's God you are up there. You are up there. What is the deal? I'm addressing my complaint to you personally.

personally the one true God by your name. Let's get a sense of this because how many of us. Had a mom who? sometimes called out to you by your name and not just your name, but like your full name.

right first middle and last Jesse Michael Tink. You're like not you not you but you I'm talking to you, right? There's a little bit of that sense here. Yahweh I'm talking to you I'm talking to you. So what does that mean? Here's what that means for us. See the one.

The one real God of the Bible. wants to personally hear from the real you and the real me. The one real God of the Bible wants to hear from the real you and the real me.

not the cleaned up you not the polite you not just your best. Not just you what you're most trusting of him or your most reverent of him. Now like the real you. And the real you the real me, we're not made up of just the trusting reverent cleaned up parts.

The real you and me. It's also made up of the painful the broken the confused even the angry with God. parts Part who we are to God doesn't just want to connection. He wants an authentic connection a personal.

connection Not just your loyalty. Not just your belief. Not just your obedience. all of you The real God wants to personally hear from the real you.

All of the real you and you can address them by his. real personal name That's the first part. Okay, let's go to the second part of of lament Psalms part 2 which is really the description of the complaint. We got a hint of what that was in the first three words there in the address when the psalmist says how long Lord and so now he's gonna build this complaint out how long Lord so part two description of complaint versus one and two how long Lord Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me how long must I wrestle with my thoughts and and day after day have sorrow in my heart. How long will my enemy? Triumph over me. See he says how long four times in the first two verses In the first one is just in the address, but the next three make it clear why he feels like he has to address God in the first place.

He starts to building out his complaints. So here's where he goes first in the description of his complaint. Number one got how long our relationship is broken because it feels like you're ignoring me. That's where he starts. The imagery there of you know, how long will you hide your face from me?

That's what that means. You're neglecting me. You're ignoring me. I'm trying to get your attention God but it's like you're like deliberately ignoring me like every time I go to you I try to look you in the eye. I try to meet your gaze get your attention. It's like you're deliberately like turning away.

But not only that. Okay how long Lord he goes to this this place? Next you're neglect of me is taking an emotional and mental toll. on me Day after day I saw in my heart.

I'm struggling. I'm wrestling with these thoughts. And I I'm trapped in them. And we don't know exactly what kind of thoughts he's struggling with. But we do know that he's sad he does say that and he just sad he said whatever is happening to him.

And as he's gone to God with his sadness and his as God hasn't done anything about it. Well with that make you think what can I thought what would you think for me? I mean like it's not a short leap from God. You're ignoring me. I'm a prisoner of my sadness my prison my thoughts to like maybe you hate me.

Maybe you hate me. You're ignoring me. Why because that's because you hate me. Well, what why do you hate me? Well, I don't know but probably because I'm done something wrong. You know, I'm me and you're you what have I done. I don't know lots. I mean pick. But but is that who God is I don't think so. You know, he just get mad and we're people I don't know. It's not doesn't seem right but it still feels like I'm being ignored or at the very least God's being silent.

I mean nothing's changing. Why is that? Well, maybe. Maybe God's not who I thought he was. or maybe I'm making all this up. Oh, wow, these are weird thoughts. You know, like you just like that's what the song I'm wrestling with all of these thoughts. I'm drowning in them even and then he finishes complaint by saying this essentially God you do not seem to care.

With what others are doing to me. And what they've done to me? Where were you when they when they did that to me? when they said that to me when that happened to me, where were you? And they seem to be doing fine. By the way, they don't seem to be struggling like I'm struggling.

He builds out this complaint. Three parts. What does this mean for us? Okay, what does this mean? What means this our thoughts and our feelings are a vital part of who we are they are and a significant part of our relationship with God our thoughts and our feelings.

significant part of that It's okay to express what we really think and really feel about God. It's okay and it's especially okay and maybe even important to express those when we feel like God's not meeting our expectations.

That I think is true now. Looking at that screen. Let's just admit this right now. This is pretty uncomfortable to interact with for a lot of us. It just is it's uncomfortable for a host of reasons for some of us. It's hard to kind of like get there because we've got the emotional intelligence of a rock no offense. What are feelings? I don't know. I don't have those right. Those are just there. Okay, like right some of us awful for others of us.

It's hard because we've got feelings. We know we've got them feelings. But we are super uncomfortable with them, you know, and so what we do we stuff them down. We stuff them way down. We don't trust them because feelings are more like mirages or trapdoors. They're these clouds that look big and fluffy, but they can't hold anything up.

But for others of us, this is hard. To get to because you know, this doesn't feel. right like is this really what we're supposed to do?

I guess that's what God really wants us to do because this feels like we're blaming him and who are we, you know puny finite sinful insertificate human beings. Who are we to accuse God or blame God of anything? No. No, it's way better for us to get down on our knees facing. The dirt. God is above and I am below, you know, if you want to address him you address him as Sir that kind of mentality and yet and yet Here it is in Psalm 13 black and white. It's in there.

It's in there and it's in there because God wants it in there. And it's in there because this is this is what God is is wanting from us. He's wanting what we really think what we really feel even and especially when it feels like we shouldn't say some of those things to him. but that's not all of what he wants from us, though.

Let's get to the third part of the Psalms of Lament. Which is a request for God's help starting in verse 3. Verse 3 says look on me and answer Lord my God, give light to my eyes or I'll sleep in death and my enemy will say I have overcome them and my foes will rejoice when I fall let me ask you this question. Okay, how hard is it for you?

And I how hard is it for you and I to ask for help from someone who you feel like is ignoring you how hard is that? Like writing an email and then leaving a voicemail and then texting someone hey, hey I need this from you. Hey, trying to say hey.

And you just got nothing from them? Would you continue to ask that person for help? I don't think you would I wouldn't because that's the definition of insanity right? It's doing the same thing expecting different results and yet This is where the psalmist goes next after addressing.

God after stating his complaint uncomfortable complaint about feeling the neglected and ignored. He asks the same God. for help why? well to answer that question. We've got to get to the fourth part of our lament Psalms, which is an expression of trust in God.

Because this is the why he's gonna ask for help because of something he still believes. versus five and six it says but I trust in your unfailing love my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's pray for he's been good to me. Why why why would you ask for help from this God that you feel like spending you? Why would you do that when God hasn't met your expectations? Why well, you would continue to do that because of who he is.

Let's say it this way, okay. It's okay to tell God how you truly feel it is. It's not okay. It's not okay to make your feelings the whole truth. As you tell God about how you feel.

tell yourself about who he is. How you feel? plus who God is Is the whole truth? The whole truth is that God is love who he is. Also true, even though you might feel like he doesn't love you. You can trust you can trust that. His level went out. God is love.

The whole truth is that God Saves. It's who he is it is. It's also true even though you might feel like he he hasn't rescued you out of whatever you're having to walk through. You can trust that. He's walking with you through all of that and that he'll rescue from all of this in one day. That's true. Right the whole truth is that God is good. And that's who he is. That's all so true. Even though you don't feel like he's being good to you in the way that you you want him to or maybe even feel like you need him to you right now. What you can do is call to your mind the times that he has been good to you in the past and you can bet your last dollar that he'll be good to you in the future.

Why would you ask for help from a God who you feel like is let you down neglected you forgotten you hidden their face hidden his face from you. You'll do it because you can trust in who God is. your circumstances might change God won't okay.

Psalms of lament let's let's just kind of pray to that end as we move through the rest of our service your father in Heaven. Some of us need permission to share what we really feel got others of us need to call to our mind kind of who you are again. And when we just live in this tension, and we live in this tension because the world that we live in is broken and so are we I'm grateful God that you put these Psalms of lament in.

So we have a framework. for navigating an imperfect world with you move us to do that Jesus we pray this in your name. Amen.