SHOCK25-03 Dark Night of the Soul

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Dark Night of the Soul
Bill Giovannetti
One of the most dramatic scenes in the Bible happens after Jesus and his disciples share the last supper. Jesus is predicting his own death. The disciples want nothing to do with that idea.

Even so, Jesus insists on something... no matter what, he says, you have to make my broken body and my shed blood so personal for you that it becomes one with you, just as close as eating this bread and drinking this cup.

Then this happens:

"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble." Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples" (Matthew 26:30-35).

Peter is about to enter the dark night of the soul... something we all go through.

Welcome to part 3 in our series, Shock to the System.

For this series, we're using a concept from the business world called the Transition Curve.

It has five stages:
Uninformed Optimism
Informed Pessimism
Crisis of Meaning (the crossroads)
Crash & Burn
Informed Optimism

I'm turning those into 5 messages:
Uninformed Optimism (Shiny Promises)
Informed Pessimism (Shock to the System)
Crisis of Meaning (The Dark Night of the Soul)
Crash & Burn (Crash and Burn... Or?)
Informed Optimism (Older Younger and Wiser)

We talked about Stage 1: Uninformed Optimism. That's where everything in your Christian life is awesome and you're unstoppable.

Then, something bad happens. That's Stage 2: Shock to the System. Now you have to figure out your life in light of the bad stuff. But this is complicated because you also have to figure out God. This is hard, so you get to stage 3.

That's the Crisis of meaning and the Dark Night of the Soul.

If you resonate with that phrase today, I want to speak especially to you. I truly hope I can speak to your heart.
"And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him." But he denied Him, saying, 'Woman, I do not know Him.' And after a little while another saw him and said, 'You also are of them.' But Peter said, 'Man, I am not!' Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, 'Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.' But Peter said, 'Man, I do not know what you are saying!' Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So Peter went out and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:56-62)

Dark Night of the Soul

For this series, we've been following the story of a man named Joseph. Joseph went from the heights to the depths in about a minute and a half.

In Genesis 37:3, his father gives Joseph a beautiful coat of many colors. This coat is a sign of Joseph's favored status and privilege in the family. That's the thrill of victory.

In Genesis 37:24, (only 13 verses later) his brothers beat him up, strip off his coat, and throw him into a pit. This is the agony of defeat.

In Genesis 37:25, the brothers sell Joseph as a slave to a Midianite caravan passing by traveling to Egypt. Joseph is literally the first story of human trafficking in the Bible. This is the dark night of the soul.
 
What is happening?

In that moment when faith seems to slip through your fingers, when you're forced to ask the terrifying question: "Am I losing my faith?"

It's overwhelming, and part of that is because I think there's more going on than you might realize... and the surprising thing is that it's not all bad.

Something is being unravelled, like a sweater when you pull a thread and it all comes apart.
When you come to the Dark Night of the Soul, there are 4 unravellings.

Four Unravellings
So you've got Jesus saying, I'm going to suffer and die, and you need to get as close to that fact as you possibly can.

And you've got Peter — sweet, sincere, impulsive Peter — saying, I'll never let that happen to you Jesus.

And then you've got Jesus saying, Peter, not only will you not keep me from dying, but you're actually going to deny that you even know me 3 times before sunrise.

And then you have Peter — self-confident, tough, strong Peter — declaring, I'll never deny you... I'll die before I deny you!

With Joseph, you've got his Father saying, my child I love you...

And Joseph saying, I know you love me... I am special, I am privileged, I am better than my brothers.

In my story, you've got me saying, Hey, we're expecting our first child... isn't that incredible... and a few weeks after that Margi and I are holding on to each other in a doctor's office when we're told the very sad news that there's no longer any heartbeat.
 
And you look up at heaven and simply cannot fathom what on earth just happened... and there is no "why" that can ever stop the hurt.

Prayers that once brought peace now feel empty. Worship that once moved you now feels mechanical. There's simply no good answer. The prayer you thought was answered, wasn't.

You thought a blessing was given, but this is worse than not having it in the first place.

You thought you were special, but now you're — you don't even know who you are.

"And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him." But he denied Him, saying, 'Woman, I do not know Him.' And after a little while another saw him and said, 'You also are of them.' But Peter said, 'Man, I am not!' Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, 'Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.' But Peter said, 'Man, I do not know what you are saying!' Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So Peter went out and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:56-62)

He had banked everything on his own worthiness and even on his own faithfulness.

He didn't know it yet, but this epic failure would reveal something far greater than the power of even his strongest assertions of determination and faith.

God was exchanging one thing for another but Peter wasn't ready to receive it yet.

The first unravelling in the Dark Night of the Soul is The Unraveling of Your Identity.

You think you're one thing, but find out you're something different.
You think you're good, but find some darkness in your soul.
You think you're tight with God, but find that only works in the good times.

But let me do a little edit. The Unraveling of Your Identity should be The Unraveling of Your Self-Defined Identity.

Because your truest identity isn't found in any earthly performance or any earthly privilege.

It's found in your Father's unchanging love. Like Joseph learning that being favored wasn't about him, but about something much deeper. There's a second unraveling to consider...
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