How To Deal With Dark Times
Introduction
A few weeks ago my friend, John, sent to several friends a link to a sermon on Psalm 88 preached by Tim Keller titled “How to Deal with Dark Times”. One friend named Anne replied “Loved this sermon. At this stage in life we have all suffered to a certain extent, with more coming, and I find the suffering does make me better, although if I were God I’m not sure I would have the same plan”, to which John replied, “Yes, I might have a few questions too. A reminder of how this life is the ultimate adventure – so much we don’t know. But as Cat (Stevens) said, ‘we’re on the road to find out.’”
Sermon by Tim Keller
This sermon below was preached about a year before Keller was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died on May 19th, at age 72. Tim was a well-known pastor, theologian, Christian apologist, and bestselling author who served as pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC for nearly 30 years.
Relevant Scripture
John 11:25-26 . . . Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Romans 8:31-32,38-39 . . . If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:51-55 . . . Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”