When God Seems Silent
Larry Kreider
09/14/2014
Key verse (Job 23:8-10 NLT):
“I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him.
I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.
But he knows where I am going.
And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.”
Intro:
EX. 2 weeks in Malaysia and Indonesia and a week in India this summer
EX. India is a country of 1.2 billion people made up of 80 percent Hindus and 15 percent Muslims. In
Malaysia has more than 60 percent of the population is Muslim. In Indonesia, the largest populated
Muslim country in the world, there are more than 200 million Muslims. Literally billions of people need
Jesus.
EX. When I arrived in Malaysia the first thing I saw when I walked through immigration was Hershey
Chocolate. If Hershey kisses and Cocoa Cola can reach the nations, we can expect the Name of Jesus to
cover the earth!
EX. I met a man in Malaysia who was kidnapped by two guys. They drove his car into a traffic jam and an
angel showed up and opened the car door and it scared the tar out of the driver who ran off the road
and wrecked the car in front of two police officers. Seriously! Kidnappers arrested, my new friend set
free, praising God!
EX. Samuel is my translator in Indonesia. He had been abandoned by his father and was a Buddhist at
age 15, searching for God. Jesus appeared to Him one day. The Lord told him of His great love for him
and he came to Christ. A few years later he was in a Christian meeting and an American speaker came to
minister, but the translator never showed up. The Lord gave Samuel the English language instantly and
he translated that night and hundreds of times since. Seriously! He could not speak one word of English
before God instantly supernaturally gave him the English language.
EX. A friend told me in Indonesia that he was asleep on a bus and someone stole his electronic bible
organizer. He asked the bus driver to stop the bus. My friend used the bus microphone telling everyone
on the bus what happened, and he is asking the thief to return it to him. A few minutes later, the digital
device was returned. The man sitting next to him was a Muslim and asked him, "How did you know the
thief was still on the bus?" “The Lord told me,” he replied. The Muslim then said, “I sense the Lord is on
this bus.” Within the next few minutes my friend led this man to faith in Christ.
EX. Indonesia is the most populated Muslim nation on earth. Currently 200 million Muslims live in this
nation. But here is the good news! Every 15 seconds a Muslim becomes a follower of Jesus in Indonesia!
Last year, 2 million Muslims received Jesus Christ as Lord in this nation! God is mightily at work, one
person at a time. I was told that if this pattern continues, by 2035 Indonesia would no longer have a
Muslim majority.
EX. The pastor of the church I spoke at in Jakarta, the capital city, told me a Muslim woman just showed
up in front of their church building, not knowing what to do. After a few people from the church
welcomed her she told them a kind man approached her and told her to come here. She walked into the
building and saw a picture of Jesus on the wall. “Who is that man,” she asked. When she was told his
name is Jesus, she replied, “That is the man who told me to come here.” She received Christ and was
baptized.
EX. These kinds of stories are told again and again in this nation. The Scriptures speak of a rock that will
become a huge mountain and fill the whole earth (Daniel 2:35)! Daniel the prophet saw the days we are
living in, a season of time when the Kingdom of our God is filling the whole earth. So do not be alarmed
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by the news reports you hear. These events and conflicts are just a sign of the times we live in. There is
also good news happening, behind the scenes, where our God is working, person by person in the
nations. His Kingdom will fill the whole earth as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14)!
Message: When God Seems Silent
1 – We have a dream (Gen. 37:2-9)
EX. Joseph at age 17 had 2 dreams…sheaves bow to his sheaf and the sun, moon and 11 stars bowed to
him
EX. He was just sharing his God-given dream. We know it was God because it came to pass in his life
many years later but God had a work to do in his life (Mary pondered her God-given dream in her heart)
EX. Acts 2:17-18 tells us God gives us visions and dreams
EX. At age 18 I had a dream to be a pig farmer…at age 20 I had a vision to be a missionary…at age 22 I
had a vision to help with a youth ministry…at age 29 I had a vision to build a team to start a new
church…at age 42 I received a vision to write a book…at age 58 I received a vision to start a business
with my son…
EX. We all receive dreams and visions to do something or to help someone else do something to fulfill a
dream God has given to them
2 – God becomes silent (Gen. 37:19-24)
EX. Joseph had issues in his family (his brothers hated him)
EX. He was dad’s favorite and had a special coat to prove it!
EX. Joseph ends up in a hole and is sold to slaves
EX. Often those close to us cause us the most pain and God seems to be silent
EX. We try to bury it in our work or church activities or by an addiction…
3 – God remains silent and we face unmet expectations (Gen. 37:28)
EX. Joseph sold as a slave – a totally new experience for Joseph (protected by dad and big brother
Reuben before)
EX. Joseph faces unmet expectations
EX. Proverbs 13:12 describes the pain of unfulfilled expectations, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.”
EX. Business partners leave to start their own business…children take a different path than we had
expected… our spouse is not the person we thought they were…
EX. Diane Omondi, from Nairobi Kenya, explains the irony of this perspective by saying, “On a rainy day,
we may say, ‘the sun is not shining today.’ The sun is not shining? The sun, the unimaginable huge,
unfathomably hot ball of blazing fire is not shining? “How quick we are to limit life to our own
perspective and to minimize God. Our perspective of Him may be like our perspective of the sun. We
might say that God is good because my life is good. He has blessed me—so He is good! Yes, but from
that vantage point, do you believe He is also good in the midst of the storms—in the darkest of nights?
For even in the night, the sun is still shining. When we can see God at work even in our crisis, it brings us
to a place of brokenness. This is not a bad thing! When we know that we cannot fix ourselves, we
recognize we need Him desperately.”
4 – We face the dichotomy of living with blessing and living with the difficulty of God’s silence at the
same time (Gen. 39:1-4)
EX. Joseph in charge of Potiphar’s entire household (Gods favor) but still a slave (God remained silent)
EX. Business may be blessed and a relationship may be broken
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EX. In one area of your life you may be prospering, but God may seem to be silent in another area of
your life where you are experiencing great difficulty or great pain
EX. Our friends were prospering in business but their son in a troubled marriage---very painful. The
son’s mother got out of bed every morning and began to say, “Nothing is too difficult for God. He is
calling my son and his wife to surrender to Jesus. He is working. God is able to do amazingly above what
I can ever ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). She began to give thanks by confessing the promises found in
the word of God. Eventually she saw the miracle of restoration in their lives to God and to each other.
5 – Sometimes God remains silent when we are lied about for doing the right thing (Gen. 39:16-20)
EX. Potipher’s wife lied about Joseph when he made a decision of integrity, and he was punished for
doing what was right
EX. It always pays to obey the Lord, regardless of what we are presently facing
EX. Do not run whenever life gets hard… LaVerne read a quote that helped me put it all in perspective:
“Instead of praying, ‘God what do you want me to do next,’ ask, ‘God, what do you want me to do while
I am right here.’ Direction from God is not just for your next big move. He has a purpose in placing you
where you are right now. Begin to understand God’s purposes for your life by discovering what He
wants you to do now.” God says a similar thing. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of
God for you in Christ Jesus” (1Thessalonians 5:17).
EX. One of the tricks of the enemy, aimed at trying to keep us from being fulfilled, is to try to tempt us
to live in the past. If that doesn’t work, the enemy will tempt us to be overly concerned about our
future. God wants us to live to the fullest in the present and allow Him to reign in the midst of our
problems. Matthew 6:33-34 tells us, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
6 – God sometimes remains silent when we are using our gifts and to serve others (Gen. 40: 12-15 &
23)
EX. Joseph was anointed to interpret dreams, but the cupbearer forgot him
EX. Smith Wigglesworth…saw hundreds healed and people raised from the dead but he lived with
infirmity (passed blood during preaching)
EX. Jesus was giving his life on the cross for us, but his heavenly father seemed to be silent - “My God,
my God why have you forsaken me"? (Matthew 27:46)
EX. Continue to serve in the midst of God’s silence. Be responsible. Sometimes we expect God to do the
thing he has called us to do. Missionary Merle Shenk told us the humorous story of a man who brought
his wife to a marriage counselor. After sitting down and discussing the friction and pain that was
happening in their marriage, the marriage counselor got up from behind the desk, walked over to the
man’s wife and gave her a big, long hug. As the wife began to sob from this simple act of kindness, the
frustration and pain that had been pent up for weeks was visibly relieved. The counselor turned to the
husband and with a tone of instruction said, “Do you see that this is all your wife really needs?” The
husband replied with enthusiasm, “Yes, I see! I will bring her back here for a hug every Tuesday and
Friday.” Don’t expect God to do what he has called you to do.
EX. Joseph refused to quit!
7 – God works behind the scenes in his silence to prepare us for his purposes (Gen. 41:1, 14, 39-41)
EX. There were thirteen years of preparation for Joseph in God’s silence
EX. SUDDENLY Joseph was delivered from prison
EX. God is preparing a “suddenly” for you!
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EX. The Chinese Bamboo Tree – first 4 years nothing—fifth year grows 2 ½ feet a day to 90 feet tall in 6
weeks---roots many miles long beneath the surface as a foundation to hold up this tree
EX. LK in early 1990’s – a few years of God’s silence – struggled with Christian leadership – wanted to
quit – realize today God was preparing me for what I am doing today
EX. Jesus said it like this: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it
dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24). Sometimes our present understanding of our dreams needs
to die so the Lord can fulfill them in His way and in His time. The disciples thought it was all over when
Jesus went to the cross, but it was only the beginning! Like the disciples, we find that God often fulfills
our unfulfilled dreams in amazing ways that are above what we can dream or imagine.
8 – God uses times of silence to conform us into his image (Gen. 50:19, 20)
EX. Joseph told his brothers…You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…to save many
lives (he responded like Jesus would respond…the pride and arrogance was gone)
EX. God calls us “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29)
EX. Jesus to the woman caught in adultery…neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more
EX. Jesus and the Samaritan woman…asked her questions rather than condemn her (He was in the
wilderness for 40 days preparing for his three years of ministry and the cross)
EX. I grew up on farm…pretty prosperous until interest jumped to over 20%...nearly lost the family farm.
Knew it was the grace of God. I understand businesspersons today who struggle
EX. I felt for a season like a pretty successful pastor with a church that grew from 25 to over 2300 in ten
years, until God became silent. Personality conflicts, deep discouragement, wanting to quit…God
silent…today I do not tell pastors to get their act together…deep compassion…experienced the silence of
God
EX. Met with a pastor this week struggling and feeling like he may need to quit. Deep love for him as I
prayed with him…without experiencing seasons of silence I would have been arrogant and proud
EX. Meet with parents who struggled with their children…deep empathy for them…we have gone
though some of our own family struggles over the years.
EX. Let’s look at these key verses one more time:
“I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him.
I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.
But he knows where I am going.
And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.” (Job 23:8-10
NLT)
I WILL ONLY USE THE REST OF THESE NOTES IF I HAVE EXTRA TIME.
EX. I want to remind you of the 12 D’s of the devil:
The 12 Ds of the Devil
Intro
So many in the body of Christ today are being deceived by the enemy. And they are
eventually becoming destroyed in their families, their marriages, their bodies, their
ministries, and in their God-given destiny. We are convinced that there are twelve
subtle steps the devil tries to lead us through to eventually destroy us. We call
these “The 12 Ds of the Devil.” And it all starts with the disappointment of unmet
expectations.
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Recognizing, renouncing, and resisting the “12 Ds of the Devil” (the 12 stages in the
enemies plan to destroy us) is critical in the life of every believer. The key scripture this
entire biblical concept is built upon is Hebrews 12:15: “See to it that no one misses the
grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” At any
of these twelve stages, we can receive grace from the Lord to find steps to freedom. We
can go back to the first stage of unmet expectations and disappointment and forgive,
release, and then walk in freedom. When people see these 12 stages, it is usually very
apparent to them as to which phase they may be in presently. Then they can find
freedom in the grace of God.
So then, what is the plan of the enemy to keep us from fulfilling our destiny? And why
do good people sometimes fall into horrible sin and make terrible decisions? In most
cases, it is directly related to the 12 D’s of the devil. This whole process does not happen
overnight, but through small steps not unlike the proverbial frog in the kettle of water
who doesn’t know he is being boiled.
Here in a nutshell are the 12 Ds of the Devil; the twelve subtle progressive steps the
devil tries to lead us through to eventually destroy us:
1. Disappointment
Disappointments always come from unmet expectations. These could be
expectations of what we felt God would do for us. It could be expectations of our
spouse, our church, our children, or from Christian leaders. It could even be
expectations we have had of ourselves. The list goes on and on. It all starts right
here with the disappointment of unmet expectations. If we immediately forgive and
release and apply the grace of God to our lives, we will never experience steps two
through twelve. But if we do not forgive, we will soon begin experiencing stage two:
discontentment.
2. Discontentment
Then we enter stage two: discontentment. The grass begins looking greener on the
other side of the fence. We begin to become negative. We stop seeing the positive
in our lives and in the lives of others. Those around us may see the glass as half
filled, while we see it as half empty. When we enter into negativity, we are no
longer sure we can trust people again, because of someone who has hurt us. Or we
may find it much harder to trust God than in the past. Perhaps a prayer was not
answered in the way we had thought it should be answered. Again, if we apply the
word of God to our lives and walk in freedom in Christ and go back to stage one and
forgive, we get a fresh start. If not, we will soon experience stage three:
discouragement.
3. Discouragement
When we enter into the stage of discouragement, we wake up dreading the day
ahead. We are beginning to wonder, “Is it really worth it?” Our view of life goes
from full color to black and white. We feel like staying in bed with the covers pulled
up over our heads. And we feel the first stages of depression coming on. Our
motivation for life seems to be draining away. Things we enjoyed in the past have
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lost their zeal and passion. And unless we get a hold of the root of our problem,
which in most cases takes us back to stage one, we will soon enter into stage four:
doubt.
4. Doubt
We are now coming into the danger zone spiritually. It is in this stage that we begin
to become cynical, and we begin to question everything. In this stage, sometimes
we are shocked at what we are doubting, but the doubt feels so real to us. Things
that were completely settled in our hearts in the past are now being questioned.
The bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God, and doubt begins
to open the door to the next step: disbelief, which is the exact opposite of faith.
5. Disbelief
Disbelief, or unbelief, is the final form of doubt. We have trouble believing anyone.
Some people in this stage have trouble believing the scriptures and those who
represent God. Some modern-day cults have been started by Bible believing
Christians who have fallen into the trap of these five steps and they ended up in
disbelief. Some theological seminaries are filled with unbelief, all starting with
someone in leadership in the learning institution in the past who had unmet
expectations. These same seminaries that were founded on the truth of the
Scriptures are now producing church leaders who no longer believe in the authority
of the Scriptures, the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, and we wonder why the church
has lost its power. Unbelief.
6. Disillusionment
The next stage is disillusionment. During this stage we will have feelings of wanting
to quit. It just does not seem worth it to continue on. It may have to do with your
marriage, or a ministry you felt in the past the Lord had called you to. Or it may have
to do with your church or occupation. You feel totally out of sync. You have lost your
God-given vision. You feel like you are in a dark hole. And unless you take steps to
find freedom, you will be set up for stage number seven: deception.
7. Deception
When you enter into the stage of deception, you begin to believe lies about yourself
and about others. And remember, those who are deceived do not know they are
deceived. This is the essence of deception. Deception nearly always starts with an
unmet expectation somewhere in our lives, perhaps from years back. And this small
seed of deception sprouts and roots begin to grow until it becomes a large plant.
Most, if not all, cults that deceive millions today started out with a leader who
experienced some type of disappointment that grew through these stages until the
person or persons who were disappointed initially became deceived and then
deceived many others. And this is not the end. There are still five more stages to go.
Deception always sets us up for disobedience; stage number eight.
8. Disobedience
When we begin to disobey the living God by living in disobedience to His word, we
will eventually enter into a stage of living with bitterness (Heb. 12:15). When we are
bitter, we will experience both the sin of omission and the sin of commission.
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Disobedience to the scriptures is sin. Many who live in disobedience think they are
living an accomplished upright life, because they are following the spiritual teaching
of the latest spiritual guru, whose teachings contradict the word of the living God.
And the wages of sin is death and destruction, the final stage of the devil’s plan for
our lives. But wherever the devil has an open door, there will be discord, stage
number nine.
9. Discord
When we are no longer living by the word of God and being directed by the Holy
Spirit, we will have major areas of discord in our lives. Again and again, the plots of
Hollywood movies center around discord between fathers and sons, husbands and
wives, and brothers and sisters. And these scripts are written by writers who are
experiencing these very things in their own personal lives. When we are in this
stage, there will be major people issues, relationship issues, broken relationships,
etc. But it all started with unmet expectations. Here is the good news. As long as
there is life, there is hope. We can go back to stage one and receive grace and
healing and get a fresh start. If we do not, we are headed for stage number 10:
dysfunction.
10. Dysfunction
Dysfunction takes on many forms. You can be entirely functional in one area of life
and completely dysfunctional in another. Those who get to this stage may find
dysfunction in their personal life, their marriage, their ministry, or in their place of
employment. Most dysfunction in the workplace comes from individuals who are
dysfunctional. When we are dysfunctional, confusion abounds. There is lots and lots
of miscommunication. We find ourselves going through the motions and we are
looking for a way out. And if left unchecked, this will usher us into stage number
eleven; despair.
11. Despair
When you enter into the stage of despair, you lose all hope. It is at this point that
some enter into deep depression. Others have thoughts of suicide. The call and
destiny of God that is on your life is completely detoured. You are desperately off
track and will continue to be so unless you make a decision to get back on the right
road. There is still hope (you can get back to your destiny by going back to #1 and
receive grace to deal with the unmet expectations and disappointments). Again, as
long as there is life, there is hope. There are detour signs all over the place pointing
you back to the main road. But for those who do not follow these detour signs to
freedom, their lot will be the final stage of the devil’s plan for our lives; destruction.
12. Destruction
Jesus tell us clearly in John 10:10; “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”. This is the place where
our God-given vision, our ministry, or our destiny can be completely destroyed by
the devil. This is his plan; destruction! And the final form of destruction is death:
physical, emotional and spiritual death. Those whose lives and ministries have been
destroyed by the devil, have in most cases, walked through these twelve stages of
the devil’s plan that was so strategically laid out for them by the enemy. And the sad
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truth is this, they could have gotten off the path of the enemy’s plan at any time,
gone back to stage one, and received grace and freedom to go on and fulfill their
destiny.
Afterword
Always remember, “ALL things work together for the good of those who love God,
those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). And since our God
gave Jonah a second chance, He will do the same for you! Jesus said; “I have come
that they may have life, and have it to the full”. Let’s live life to the fullest today,
and refuse to fall for the 12 Ds of the devil.
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