The Discipline of Darkness

Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers.

Sometimes we as God's people go through darkness.

Sometimes We can't see ahead.

Sometimes nothing. seems to make sense. Maybe we have a wayward child. Maybe there's been a financial. Reversal.

Maybe there is a broken fellowship. And we just don't seem to be able. to make sense of anything.

Now we've listened to our preaching. We studied our lessons. We've learned our little formulas. We've written down our promises. And just about the time we have it all figured out.

We are plunged into deep. Deep. perplexity and despair. I suppose a question that pastors ask more than any other question is this. Why?

Pastor Tell me why. Should such a precious little girl die? at such an early age. Pastor, tell me why. I could not carry this baby.

Determine. Pastor, tell me why. My wife has treated me this way and walked away from me. perfectly wonderful marriage. and her children.

Tell me, Pastor, why? Why? Why? Well, after preaching for a long time, I found out that why is not our question. God has the answer to that.

How? is the important thing to us. How are we going to react? What do we do when the lights go out? When nothing seems to make Sins.

Well, you know. We feel like we could bear up under almost anything if we just knew why. But when we're suffering and it doesn't make sense. Then that's hard.

Well, our scripture today is a wonderful, wonderful scripture. And I pray God he'll write it upon your heart. Isaiah chapter 50, beginning in verse 10. Who is among you? that feareth Good lord.

that obeyeth The voice of his servant.

Now, let's just stop right there, and we would say: if somebody's fearing God and obeying God's servants, We would think they would be walking in the light, wouldn't we? We could say, well, the next step is that they'll be walking in the light. But listen to it. Who is among you that feareth the Lord? that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness.

And half No light. Let him trust in the name of the Lord. and stay upon his God. Behold, All ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks. Walk in the light of your fire.

And in the sparks that ye have kindled, This shall ye have of mine hand. Ye shall lie down in Sorrow.

Now, here's the thing. Here's the question. What do you do? when the lights go out. What is the discipline?

of darkness. Mm-hmm.

Well, I want to give you some propositions. Number one. those of greatest devotion, may know the deepest darkness. those of greatest devotion, may know the deepest Darkness.

Now if you look at verse 10 again, you're going to find out that God is not talking to someone who has wandered far away from home and needs to come home, as we've just heard. We're talking about someone who fears the Lord. That doesn't mean he cringes at the idea of God. Fear is love on its knees. It is a reverential awe for Almighty God.

a person who has great respect and reverence for God. and who obeys the voice of God's servant when the word of God is preached. He says, yes, Lord. I will obey you. And yet he seems to walk in darkness.

Now, there's no fine print in the contract. And I want to tell you: if you're considering becoming a Christian, it is not all sweetness and light.

Sometimes I think we over-promise in order to somehow get people to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a distorted idea that if you become a Christian, It will be all joy and all light and all sweetness and just roses all through life. There'll be no sickness, there'll be no sorrow. We're just going to go through life in an ever-ascending scale of health and success, and then we're going to die at a serene old age and then have a glorious exit and go to heaven. Be nice if it happens that way, but folks, it generally does not.

It generally does not. There's no need to deny it. There are thousands of saints that fear God and obey God. who are walking in darkness.

Now as we study the Bible, we're going to find out that was true of the Bible saints. For example, Job. The Bible says Job was an upright, a perfect man. He feared God. Yet Job was in darkness.

Put in your margin Job 19 verse 8. Job said, he hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass. Modern English, he's headed me off at the pass. And he hath set darkness in my paths. Who has done that?

God has done that. God set darkness in the path of good old Job. And Job said, Lord, I just don't understand this. I was reading about Habakkuk the prophet. Habakkuk went to God, wanted to get some answers, things that he could understand.

Habakkuk chapter 1 and verse 2, he says, Oh Lord. How long shall I cry? And thou wilt not hear. even cry out unto thee of violence. But thou wilt not save.

Habakkuk says, God. I have stained heaven with my prayers. Where are you guy? God, it doesn't make sense. I read in the Bible about John the Baptist.

Was John the Baptist a great man? You better believe it. Jesus said there was not a greater born of woman. than John the Baptist. And yet John the Baptist got down in a dungeon?

And he's in darkness. And he can't understand. He got so perplexed, he even sent messengers to ask of Jesus, are you really the Messiah? Are you really? Or should we look for somebody else?

Now that's not a bad man who was saying that. That was a good man, a man who was deeply perplexed. I read about the Apostle Paul. Not a greater Christian ever lived than the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4 verse 8, we are perplexed.

You say, oh, Paul, come on, man, you must be backslidden. He wasn't backslidden. He wasn't backslidden at all. He said, We're perplexed and troubled on every side. Yet, not distressed.

We're perplexed. But not in despair. Paul knew that darkness need not put him in despair. I'll tell you something else. If you read outside the Bible, just read the biographies, the history of the great saints.

There's not a one of them. or hardly a one of them that does not speak sometime of what we call the dark night of the soul. when they have gone through darkness and despair.

Now we're talking about a man who fears the Lord. who obeys God. If you're in darkness right now, if you're plunged into darkness, if things don't make sense to you, that does not mean that you have sinned or you're out of the will of God. Remember our proposition that those of greatest devotion may know the deepest darkness.

Now let me give you another proposition. Number two. The faith that is born in the light. is often developed. in the dark.

May I ask you a question? When have you grown the most spiritually? when it was all sunlight and roses. or when there was darkness and difficulty. And despair and heartache and tears.

Are not those the times in the darkness? that you've grown the most. Faith like film is developed in the darkness. Let me give you the names of three men named John. And see what happened to these men when they were in darkness.

For example, one is John Milton. Who was blind? John Milton, in the darkness of his blindness, wrote one of the greatest books ever written. Paradise lost. Another was John Munyon.

Who was put in Bedford prison and suffered there and languished there in darkness? and despair. in many ways. But John Bunyan in this time of darkness wrote Pilgrim's Progress. Again, a book.

That is blessed the world. Another man named John was on the island of Patnas. Exiled on the island of Patanos. For the testimony of Jesus Christ. That John there wrote the book of the Revelation.

I'm telling you, folks, there's faith that is developed in the darkness.

Now, God wants to develop your faith. A wise man said, never doubt in the dark. What you've learned in the light. Your faith born in the light Grows in The dark. By the way.

The test of your character is what you do in the dark.

Now, how does God develop our faith in darkness?

Well, look again at verse 10, and it tells you to do two things if you're in darkness. Look right now at verse 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? And here's what he tells you to do, let him trust in the name of the Lord. and stay upon his God.

Let him trust in the name of the Lord. And stay upon his God. Number one, Look to the Lord. Trust in the Lord. Warren Whisby said, We lived by promises, not by explanations.

That is tremendous wisdom. We live by promises. not by explanations. Don't demand that God explain something to you. Just stay on His Word.

Just because it doesn't make sense to you. doesn't mean it doesn't make sense. Just because it doesn't make sense to you now. does not mean it will not make sense to you later on. Another great man of yesteryear, Thomas Watson, said, where reason Cannot wade.

Faith must swim. Just trust God. Just keep on trusting. Just keep on obeying God.

Now if you're praying, And darkness comes, don't stop. Praying, just keep on praying, even when you don't feel like praying. As I've said, don't bring to God the brass of your emotions. Come even in the darkness with both hands filled with the incense of his worth and just keep on praying. If you've been witnessing, and darkness comes and nothing seems to make sense to you.

Don't stop witnessing. Just keep on witnessing. If you've been giving, You ever been a tither? And now everything goes upside down and you lose your job. And everything seems to be wiped out.

Don't stop tithing. Just keep on tithing. If you are A wife And you've been trying to win your unsaved husband to Jesus. And he seems to get meaner and meaner, and more and more difficulty comes. Just keep on loving him.

Just keep on submitting. If you've been praising God and then everything seems to go wrong, Don't stop praising. Just keep on praising. When you don't understand and when you don't feel like it, lift your hands. My feet.

And praise Him. Trust him. Trust him. Look to the Lord and then lean on the Lord. Look again in this verse.

It says, let him stay upon his God.

Now that word stay is the word that is used, it's the root of the word that is used in the 23rd Psalm. when it says thy rod and thy staff They comfort me. A staff was something the shepherd would stay upon, that he would lean upon. Stay upon God. When you're in the dark, You don't need an explanation.

You need God. Stay upon God. Lean upon God. Listen to me. It is better to be in a dark valley leaning on God than on a sunlit peak without Him.

Just stay upon your God. As a matter of fact, sometimes we may not know why in order that we might know who.

Sometimes God removes all the answers. To give us himself is a great gospel song. You know it when answers are not enough. There's Jesus. For example, David in Psalm 23 was talking about his theology when he says, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He's talking about God. But then when he gets in the dark valley, he says, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. He's not talking about God now, he's talking to God. I mean, he's having a relationship with God that he could not have had in the light. Just stay upon God.

Standing somewhere in the shadows, you're going to find Jesus. This is what God's taught in the book of Job. Job said, God, you've hit me off at the past. You've sent darkness into my path. Gone.

You owe me some answers. Oh, Job says. I wish I could see you and talk with you. It's almost like, God, I'd like to bring you into court. Where are you, God?

God, you owe me some answers. The book of Job ends with Job never ever understanding. You understand what happened to Job because you read the book of Job. But Job didn't have the book of Job when Job was going through all that darkness. But at the end, he says, though he slay me, Yet will I trust him, and Job discovered what I want you to discover: that a relationship is more important than a reason.

When you don't have the reason, You just have God. You're walking in darkness. Let him trust. In the name of the Lord. And let him lean.

upon his God.

Now You say, Adrian, I'm not in darkness.

Well, just hold on. Just wait a while. This is some good medicine to keep on the shelf. And there will come a time when you will find out that not only is God necessary, You find out that God is enough. That God is enough.

Now here's a third proposition.

Some things are seen in the dark. that cannot be seen in the light. You're going to understand some things in the darkness that you would never have understood in the light.

Now you're in verses 10 and 11. Just back up to verses 3 and 4 and notice what he says here. God says, I clothe the heavens with blackness. See, it's God who sends the darkness. I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth.

their covering. Sackcloth is just dark Cloth. God says, I've just Pull the veil over the sun. The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned. that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.

He waketh morning by morning. He waketh mine ear. to hear As The learned.

Well, what does all that mean? Uh you're going to wake up. And you're going to realize that in the darkness, You were learning some things. There are some treasures of darkness.

Now when the Bible uses darkness, sometimes the Bible uses darkness as a symbol of evil. But sometimes the Bible uses darkness as a symbol of perplexity and the treasures in darkness. If you were to go backward to Isaiah chapter 45 and verse 3, you would find out that God is speaking to a Persian king named Cyrus. And God said to Cyrus, I will give thee the treasures of darkness. Think of that.

The treasures of darkness. There are some things that are seen in the dark. treasures that cannot be seen. In the light. For example, have you ever heard anybody say, the stars are out tonight?

For in there out in the daytime. The stars do not go away in the daytime, you just don't see them in the daytime. The only time you can see the stars is at night. And the stars are there to praise the Lord. But you would never have a star to praise God if it weren't for darkness.

Those stars that are there like a chandelier on the velvet blackness of night. Those stars are there and you could not see the stars. Were it not for the darkness.

Now. In the light. We see that which is near. But in the dark, We see that which is far away. In the light.

We may see more clearly. But in the night We see further. There's just certain things that you see in the darkness that you can't see in the daytime. You may think your brightest thoughts in the daytime. But you will think your deepest thoughts.

In the night time. In the times of darkness. There are going to be certain treasures of darkness. There are things that are seen in the dark. that you will never see in the light.

Let me give you another proposition now. If these things are true, then it is better for you to be leaning on God in the darkness. Then standing alone in your man-made light. It is better for you. to be leaning on God in the darkness.

than standing alone. In man made like.

Now look in verse 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire. That can pass yourselves about with sparks. Walk in the light of your fire, underscore this, of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow.

Now, one of the great dangers of darkness is that you may be tempted to light your own fire.

Now remember. that if this darkness comes to you and you are fearing God. And obeying God. and then the darkness comes, that means that darkness has been ordained of God. Remember what verse 3 says of this chapter?

God says, I clue. the heavens with blackness. That is, the darkness is ordained of God.

Now, don't ever get the idea that darkness can chase away light. Ha ha ha ha ha. If you're in a lighted room, you can't open the door and let in the dark. No, no. The light always chases away the dark.

The dark can never chase away the light. The only way therefore that darkness can come is what for light to be removed.

So if The light has been removed. That means that God in his sovereignty has allowed you to be in the darkness. That God has a reason for you to be in the darkness. It is God who has clothed the heavens with sackcloth, it is God who's done that.

Now if God has done that. Don't you be so foolish as to light your own fire. When you light your own fire, you're going to get into difficulty because you're going to try to undo what God has done.

Now, the sad thing about the man-made fire is it is deceptive. If you walk in the light of the fire, the sparks that you've kindled, You're not going to have a sure guide. taking your flashlight and going out at midnight and looking at a sundial to see what time it is. You see, God says if you do this, If you do this when you're in darkness, If you light your own fire, This will you have of mine hand. God says, you're going to lie down in sorrow.

You're asking for. You're going to have great difficulty when you In a time of God-ordained darkness, Light your own fire. I want to give you three examples of that. First example was Abraham. God said to Abraham in a time of light, I'm going to give you a son.

And this sun is going to bless the world. And he's going to be a son of miracle. And through this son, all of the promises, Abraham, that I've given you will be fulfilled, and you're going to have descendants. Like the sand of the seashore. Like the stars.

Year after year after year passed and no son. Finally, Abraham and Sarah got together and said, We better help God out.

Now, Sarah had an Egyptian maiden whose name was Hagar. And Sarah said to Abraham, why don't you have sexual relations with Hagar? Maybe she can conceive and then you can have your son. You know what he was doing? When he agreed to that?

He was lighting his own fire. He's trying to help God out. Because it was darkness and he couldn't understand it.

So, what he did was to light his own fire, and Ishmael was born. And for centuries and millenniums past that time, the offspring of Abraham. have been made to lie down in sorrow. Because here was a man. Who could not trust God?

But he took matters into his own hand with no direction, no command from God, lit his own fire, and then. He and his Offspring are lying down in sorrow. Let me give you another example: Moses. God called Moses. And God said, Moses, I want you to lead the children of Israel out of bondage.

But Moses is looking around and he doesn't Seem to understand how God is going to do it. He's in a time of darkness, and then Moses goes out and takes matters into his own hand. He saw.

some people in an argument. Moses steps in and kills one of those. He slays an Egyptian and buries him in the desert sand there, but God's wind Uncovered. Moses mistake. Moses.

who set out to be a missionary. ended up a murderer. And as a result of that, Moses spent forty years. on the backside of a desert. Lying down in sorrow.

He lighted his own fire. I think of Simon Peter. Jesus had told Simon Peter, Simon, I'm going to the cross. Simon says, no, Lord. This will never be.

Jesus said, Simon, Satan has desired you to sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you that your faith fail not. Oh, Lord. I'll go with you to prison and to death. And then that night of dark Gethsemane. when it was dark.

Things didn't make sense. Here was Jesus Christ, the Messiah. They're taking him a prisoner. Nothing is making sense. And rather than believing what God had shown him in the light, in the darkness, Simon Peter draws his sword and goes, to cut off the ear.

of the high priest's servant. A man named Malchus. And as a result, you see Simon Peter off there doing what? Weeping. Bitterly.

Bitterly he wept. Why? He tried to light his own fire. And he's lying down in darkness. Lying down in sorrow.

because of that. weeping bitterly.

Now here's the proposition. It is better for you to be leaning on God in the darkness. than standing alone in man-made light.

Now here's the next proposition I want to give you. This is the final.

So number five. And here it is, friend. If your sun has set, It will rise again. If you're in darkness. Friend, it will rise again.

Notice Isaiah chapter 50 verse 4. He waketh. Morning Bye. Morning. God will waken you in the morning.

The Lord God hath given me The tongue of the learned. that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary. Friend, when you go through darkness and come out, you'll know some things that other people won't know. He waketh morning by morning. He waketh mine ear.

to hear. as the learned in the morning. When the morning comes. When you've gone through that dark night of the soul, when you've been through anguish. I'm telling you, friend.

There's a better day coming. If you're in darkness right now, Trust God. If you're in darkness right now, lean on God. If you're in darkness right now, don't light your own fire. Trust God.

And I'm telling you. He'll turn every tear to a pearl. He'll turn every hurt to a hallelujah. He'll turn every Calvary to an Easter. Your morning.

will come. Psalm 112 in verse 4, unto the upright. There ariseth light in the darkness. He is gracious and full of compassion. and righteous.

Psalm 30 and verse 5. For his anger endureth but for a moment. In his favor is life. Weeping. may endure for a night.

But joy cometh in the morning. Don't you love that? Weeping may endure for a night. You may lie down and wet your Pillow with tears. But I'm telling you, friend, there's a better time coming.

One of these days, God is going to pull back. The shades of night. and pin them with a star. and open the door of the morning. and flood your world with the sunshine of His love.

His light. And you're going to see things that you've Never seen before more clearly than you've ever seen them before. When he awakes you in the morning. You will awaken. with the tongue of the learned I was an artist who painted a great painting.

He wanted his friend to to come see his painting.

So he invited his friend to come and see the painting. Mm-hmm.

And so his friend came down the busy street I went in and the artist said, come in here. I want you to sit in this room. And I'm going to turn out all the lights. And I want you to sit in the darkness. for 15 minutes.

before I show you. My painting. The man did it. Then he was taken out of the darkness. and brought into the gallery.

to look at the painting. He said it is beautiful, it's magnificent. He said, why did you want me to just come in this room and and sit in the darkness. And the artist said, It is because you had the glare of the street. In your eyes.

I wanted you to be able to appreciate the richness of my colors. Said you would not have been able. to do it. until the glare was gone. You know, I think sometimes that you and I are just So dazzled by this world.

I think sometimes that There's so much jingle and jangle and so much glare. That God in His love just lets us know something of the treasures. of the darkness. I've been preaching long enough to know there's some people in this room right now. You've got some deep Beep.

Hurts. And you have some big Big. Questions? And you're trying as best you know how to love God. You fear God and you obey God.

And nothing seems to make sense. Trust him. Trust him. Lean on him. Stay upon your God.

A father? And a little girl came from the funeral home. They had just put away into the coal ground. A mother. A wife.

And now this daddy. And this little girl. Had to come home. Without that mother. The little girl said, Daddy, can I sleep with you tonight?

He was glad she said that. because he did not want to be in that lonely bed by himself. She came to lie down by her daddy. He turned out the light. And she said, Daddy, it's dark.

Daddy, it is so dark. Daddy, have you ever seen it this dark before? Daddy? It's so dark, I can't even see you. Daddy?

Daddy Is your face? Toward me. He said, yes, sweetheart. My face is toward you. She said, I'm glad to know it, Daddy.

Good night, Daddy. I'll see you in the morning. And she went off to sleep. And that big man Crawled out of bed. Got on its knees.

And spoke to his heavenly father and said, Father, It is dark.

So dark. Father, I've never seen it this dark before. Father, is your face? Toward me. And from heaven he said yes.

My son. My face is toward you. He said then, Good night, Father. I'm going to sleep. And I'm going to tell you, friend.

in your deepest, darkest sorrow. The eyes of your Heavenly Father. are upon you. Trust him. and learn the treasures.

of the darkness. Now let me say one last word and we're going to have prayer. If you're not a child of God, If you're not trusting God, if you're not staying upon God, There's another kind of darkness. It's called everlasting darkness. For those who do not know Jesus Christ, they go from this life.

into eternal Everlasting. Darkness. Without Jesus. The sun will never rise. you.

So I want you to know Jesus. I want you to trust in Jesus. And if you're not certain that you're saved, Or if you're certain that you're not saved, I have wonderful news. You can be saved for sure and forever by receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. And I want to encourage you to pray this prayer if you can pray it sincerely out of your heart.

Dear God, I know that you love me. And I know that you want to save me. Jesus, you died to save me and you promised to save me if I would trust you. I do trust you. I believe you are the Son of God.

I believe you paid for my sin with your blood on the cross. I believe that God raised you from the dead. And I now receive you as my personal Lord and Savior. I receive you by faith. I trust you once and for all.

to save me. You're now my lord. My Saviour. My God. And my friend.

Begin now to make me the person you want me to be. I will follow you the rest of my life. Not in order to be saved, but because I have been saved by a sheer Gift. of grace. I will follow you.

And by your grace and for your glory, I will not be ashamed of you. Because you died for me. I will live for you. Thank you for saving me. In your precious name I pray.

Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.