Peter Tan-Chi - When Life Doesn’t Make Sense, Worship God
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Summary
In this sermon, the preacher teaches that when life feels confusing, unfair, or discouraging—especially seeing the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer—we must choose to worship God anyway, as it recalibrates our perspective and spiritual health. Drawing deeply from Psalm 73, where Asaph nearly stumbles in envy but regains clarity upon entering God’s sanctuary, he shows how worship acts as both thermometer (revealing our spiritual state) and thermostat (adjusting it). Ultimately, true worship shifts focus from circumstances to God’s eternal goodness, leading to the realization that God Himself is our greatest treasure and the best is yet to come.
When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
The message today is something like this: When life does not make sense, what must you do? Why do I say that? Because there are times when you do not feel like worshiping. There are times when you are completely discouraged. In the midst of sickness, in the midst of disappointment, you don’t really feel like worshiping. So what do you do? What’s the topic today? When life does not make sense, what must you do? Worship God.
You know what people do when life does not make sense? They sulk. When life does not make sense, they withdraw, they stop worshiping, they are angry, or they are indifferent; they lose heart. Do the opposite. When life does not make sense, what must you do? Worship. Can I tell you something about worship? Worship is both a thermometer and a thermostat.
Worship as Thermometer and Thermostat
What is a thermometer? A thermometer reveals, it measures. So worship is a measurement of your spiritual condition today. It reveals your relationship with God. So I ask people, how is your worship life? If your worship life is vibrant, you worship God everyday. The first thing you do in the morning is you worship Him, you worship Him throughout the day. When you serve Him, you worship Him. That’s called healthy. You are spiritually healthy. Vibrant. That’s thermometer.
What is thermostat? Thermostat. Example when the room is cold or hot. What do you do? You adjust the thermostat. Do you know worship is a thermostat? It will impact your spiritual health. It can help you. It’s like a guiding— It’s like G.P.S. When your life is not in order, you decide, «I will worship God, I will focus on God». It will recalibrate, it will fix your inner life. That’s what I will teach you today. Worship as a thermostat, when life does not make sense.
Disappointment is Inevitable
How many of you have experienced life does not make sense to you? You are disappointed. Remember, disappointment in life is inevitable. What you do with what you are going through is everything. Let me repeat: what happens to you is outside your control, but what you do with what happens to you is your responsibility. You can either turn on my God or you can turn towards God.
Somebody shared this with me years ago. When there’s a problem, I make sure the problem does not come between me and God. You know what I do? I make the problem get behind me so that the problem will push me towards God. I don’t allow the problem to come in between my relationship with God. I do the opposite. If I have a problem, I will let the problem push me towards God. I wouldn’t allow a problem to come in between. And many of you, you allow problems to come between you and God.
One Simple Message: Worship God
So today, one simple point, one simple message: When life does not make sense, what must you do? Worship God. Are you ready? Psalm 73, let’s read together. The psalmist— this is written by Asaph. Asaph is a Levite, he is the song worship leader in the time of David. He was appointed to be the choir master, the song leader, so he is close, intimately acquainted with worship. He wrote the psalm. So let’s find out what he wrote about, together.
«Surely, God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart! As for me, my feet came close to stumbling, my steps almost slipped. I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked». (vv. 1—3) Do you see the irony? The conflict? He begins by saying, «I believe God is good». «I believe God is holy». «God is wonderful». «Except, I have a problem». «If God is good, why does He allow the wicked to prosper»?
The Dilemma of Unfairness
Do you understand his dilemma? «If God is good, why does He allow the righteous to suffer»? «If God is good, why does He allow good people to have pain, and then He allows bad people to be blessed»? Has that ever bothered you? Yes or no? Well, it bothers me. However, I have learned something. When life doesn’t make sense, what do I do? I worship. Because what they do is outside my control, but what I do is within my control. My responsibility is to worship God, no matter what.
So that was his problem. He’s very honest. He said, «My goodness, I was envious of the arrogant». «I have a problem, » he said. So how do you explain this reality? How do you explain the fact that good people suffer and bad people prosper? I will give you a short theological discussion of how to answer the most often-asked question. «If God is good, why is there suffering»? «If God is good, why does He allow suffering»?
Why Does a Good God Allow Suffering?
Maybe He has no power to stop suffering? If God has no power to stop suffering, then God is good, but not almighty. But if God is good, and God is God, He’s almighty, can He stop suffering? Louder. Yes, but why not? How do you answer that? That is the dilemma. You better learn how to answer this question, because sincere seekers will always ask, «How can a good God allow suffering»?
If you are not able to answer that question, you would have a problem. What about Christianity? The Bible has the best answer. The Bible tells us why there is suffering and pain. Because of the broken world, sin. Genesis chapters 1,2,3, tell us how pain entered the world. Because of sin. When you disobey God, there are consequences. God uses pain and suffering redemptively. God will not waste our foolishness, He will use it for His glory and to save us.
God Understands Suffering
Next, God wants you to know, He knows about suffering because when Jesus died on the cross, He suffered unjustly. So God knows about pain. So don’t tell us, don’t think that God doesn’t care. God knows. However, the Bible tells us, one day, one day God will remove what? Pain, suffering, sickness, injustice. In the meantime, I want to assure you. The very question of something that is not fair, something that is not just, unjust suffering.
That very question proves to me there is a God. Why? You will never be bothered by any crooked lines. When you see crooked lines, you know why you know there are crooked lines? Because you are familiar with straight lines. If there is nothing straight, how will you describe what is crooked? If there is no justice, why are you bothered about injustice? Because it presupposes, deep in your heart, God has given you an instinct to know what is right, to know what is wrong.
The Proof of God in Injustice
Where did that come from? God. Without God, forget moral values, forget what is right or wrong; everything can be right, everything can be wrong. But the fact that we are complaining it is not fair, proves to us that there is a God who is fair, who is righteous. Are we clear? Yes. So with that being answered, I want you to continue about what is Asaph talking about.
So in chapter 73, he continues. This is just perspective: «There are no pains in their death, their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men Nor are they plagued like mankind». (vv. 4—5) Do you understand his problem? The unbelievers, the ungodly, they seem to be okay. They don’t have problems, even though it is not always true.
Envy of the Wicked
Read the next verse. «Therefore, pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them…» (v. 6) In other words, he’s saying, «These unrighteous people, they are proud, they boast». What else? «Their eye bulges from fatness; The imaginations of their heart run riot». (v. 7) I mean, these guys. They have no sense of right or wrong. They just keep on doing what they are doing.
Look at the next verse. «They mock, wickedly speak of oppression; they speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens, their tongue parades through the earth». (vv.8—9) They are saying, «These men are not just unrighteous, they brag, they talk about it». «It is not fair». This is his perspective. This is how he described, in his mind, the unbelievers.
Questioning God’s Knowledge
Read the next verse. «Therefore his people return to the place, waters of abundance drunk by them. They say, 'How does God know? Is there knowledge with the Most High? '» (vv. 10—11) He now talks about their brethren. The Psalmist is saying, even his own people, everything seems to be okay with them. And then they say among themselves, «How does God know? Is there knowledge of God»? «There’s no God; eat, drink, be merry».
Read the next verse. «Behold—» everybody read, «—these are—» by the way, when the Bible says, «the wicked», in the Bible, wicked simply means somebody saying, «There is no God». In the Bible, the word 'wicked' means you have replaced God with something else. The Bible described that as wicked. So, wicked is not always doing bad things. It’s about the heart. You don’t recognize God.
Feeling It’s All in Vain
Let’s read the next verse. «Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, washed my hands in innocence». (v.13) Do you notice his problem? When you look at circumstances, then you look at yourself, you begin to compare. And when you begin to compare, you feel sorry for yourself. He felt sorry for himself. He’s saying, «I’m wasting my time. I’m trying to be good. I’m trying to pay my taxes. I’m trying to work hard. But these people, they cheat, they lie, and everything’s okay. Life is not fair».
Do you understand his problem? So what must you do when life does not seem fair? Everybody? When life does not make sense, what must you do? Worship God. Only one point, when you go home today, let it drill down through your mind. When life doesn’t make sense, what must you do? Worship God. Can you turn to your neighbor? Tell your neighbor, «When life doesn’t make sense, worship God». Worship God. I urge you, worship God.
Catching Himself in Complaint
Now, how do you worship Him? I’m going to help you. In the meantime, let’s continue reading. «I have been stricken—» The guy felt sorry for himself. «I’ve been stricken all day long, chastened every morning». (v.14) He’s saying, «My problem is always with me». «If I had said 'I will speak like this, ' I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.'» (v.15)
He caught himself. He caught himself that he should not keep talking like this. He said, «If I keep talking and if I keep complaining, I will affect the next generation». So in Tagalog, «Natauhan siya (enlightened)». In English, «He woke up». He realized, «What am I saying? That the unrighteous are always blessed, and I feel sorry for myself? I will never do that». But he caught himself.
The Turning Point in Worship
And then verse 16, let’s read this together. «When I pondered to understand, it was troublesome in my sight». He was very honest. I don’t know if you have been troubled. I’ve seen situations, I am really troubled, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But one thing I want to share with you, when I do not know why, I have one response. If life doesn’t make sense, what do I do? I worship God. That’s what he did. He could not understand.
So what do you do? Here is the secret. The secret of response. Look at Psalm 73:17. «Until I came into the sanctuary of God…» Grammatically, «Until». You know what he said? «Life doesn’t make sense. I could not understand until I worship». «When I entered the sanctuary of God—» it’s talking about corporate worship. Let me repeat: Private worship is important, but corporate worship is equally important.
Worship Changes Perspective
«Until I entered the sanctuary of God—» what happened? «I perceived…» His perception was changed. Worship is a thermostat. You are down, you are discouraged, you don’t understand. So what do you do? Instead of backing off, what do you do? You worship. Once you worship, something happens to your heart, your mind, your soul. Something is recalibrating. So worship becomes a blessing. I am blessed, I worship. But I also worship, then I experience more blessing.
You see what I’m saying? Worship is a thermometer. Worship is thermostat. You choose to worship. Worship is eventually a choice. Are you aware of that? When you don’t feel like worshiping and you choose to worship, that is very honoring to God. Because when you worship, you are saying, «Lord, I focus on You. I want to praise You. I want to thank You. I don’t understand why, but I trust You. I thank You».
Entering God’s Presence
Worship is entering God’s presence. «Until I entered the sanctuary of God, then I perceive…» Now, how often do you worship God? Daily. Moment by moment. Every waking hour. Worship is a privilege to be able to worship God. Now. Let’s read an example of worshiping God when you don’t feel like it. Psalm 27:4. Psalm 27:4 was the time when David was surrounded by enemies. When David was so afraid, he practiced worship.
Look at what he said. «One thing I have asked from the LORD that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the LORD. To meditate in His temple». What was David saying? Ladies and gentlemen, to worship God, you and I need God’s grace. David prayed about this. «One thing I ask of You, one thing, Lord, I ask you, Lord, help me, that I will seek».
Beholding God’s Beauty
David is occupied with one thing. Not many, one. What is that one thing? «That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life». What will make somebody’s desire to be in the presence of God all the days of his life? What? What will make you do it? Look at David. «To behold the beauty of the LORD». What is the meaning of the word 'behold'? «To behold the beauty of the LORD».
The word 'behold' does not mean just see. It means contemplate. It means focus. You think about it. You gaze upon the character in the beauty of God. Have you experienced the beauty of the Lord? How good He is, how faithful He is, how righteous He is. Is God beautiful or not? My friend, if you do not take time to meditate— and that’s our problem today, we don’t understand worship.
Worship Involves Meditation
It’s not just singing. Worship is not just jumping up and down, which is important, it’s joy, but worship involves meditation. It involves right thinking about who God is. «To behold the beauty of the LORD and to meditate in His temple». Nothing wrong with private worship, But can I tell you why I always enjoy coming to worship with you and me? When I come to worship God on a Sunday and then listen to the message, it recalibrates my mind.
I listen to God’s Word, I listen to God’s perspective. I want to behold the beauty of God. And, you know, as a byproduct, look at Psalm 16 David said, «You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy». (v.11) You see in the presence of God, in worship, you experience joy. In the presence of God, you experience peace. In the presence of God, you experience His embrace.
Come to Jesus for Rest
My friend, I don’t know what’s going on in your life, but I want to tell you something. From this day onward, if you feel discouraged, you feel down, what must you do? Worship God. Worship involves time. Worship involves withdrawing, and spending time with God. Do you know Jesus invites us? Look at Matthew, Jesus tells us. Let’s read this together. «Come to Me—» Notice, come to Jesus. «All who are weary and heavy-laden…»
What is the meaning of being weary? Heavy-laden. I met some of you this week. I’ve talked to some of you, and you are very honest. «Peter, I’m tired». «Peter, I’m overstretched». I have good news for you. All of you who are weary, who are heavy-laden. You are carrying a burden. He invites you, all of you, come to Him. What is His promise? Let’s read together. «Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest». (Matthew 11:28)
Perspective Shift Through Worship
Worship is coming to God. Worship is resting. Worship is experiencing rest. So this is the amazing thing about worship. And you know what’s going to happen? Your perspective will change. Look at Psalm 73:18—19. «Surely—» his perspective was changed. «Surely You set them in slippery places. You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors»!
Do you recall a few verses a while ago, he was jealous? He was envious. But now, what is his conclusion? «I see the big picture». «The unrighteous will suddenly be destroyed». You’ve got to see the big picture. The problem with many of us, we are myopic. What’s myopic? You only see now. You need God to open your eyes to see the big picture of life. Not everything is now.
The Big Picture of Eternity
What’s the big picture? God has a purpose. And God does not operate in the now. He operates in the past, present, future. Don’t sacrifice the eternal for the sake of the temporal. But that’s what he discovered. Let’s read the next verse about the unrighteous. «Like a dream when one awakes, O LORD, when aroused, You will despise their form». (v. 20) Very graphic. God, you will judge them.
«When my heart was embittered, I was pierced within. I was senseless, ignorant; I was like a beast». (vv.21—22) You know when you are in God’s presence, you see yourself. He realized, «I was crazy. The way I’m thinking, the way I’m talking, I’m like a beast, I am not thinking right». God opened his eyes. Why do we need our eyes to be open? Only worship will help you.
Elisha’s Servant Sees the Unseen
Let me give you the story. A simple story, which I love, in 2 Kings 6. The background here in 2 Kings 6, Elisha was surrounded by a hostile army. This is the background because the king of Aram do not like Elisha. They want to capture him. So this is now the background. «When the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, '(Boss) Master, what shall we do? ' He answered, 'Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.'» (vv. 15—17)
So the servant of Elisha was so anxious, so nervous. «Boss, what shall we do? They are surrounding us». What did Elisha say, in Tagalog, «Relax lang». In English, «Relax, don’t worry». Why should you not worry? He said something so funny. I don’t know if you got the joke here. What is the joke here? He says, «Do not fear—» everybody read «—for those who are with us are more than those who are with them».
Open My Eyes, Lord
You know you are the attendant of Elisha, «What do you mean? There are more people with us than those who are with them»? So I think the servant learned how to count. One, two, three… Oh, thousands and thousands. Then he said, «How many are we? You. Me». Two against who? Thousands. Do you see his problem? His problem is he could not see what Elisha saw. He could not see.
In fairness to him, he has every right to be nervous. Then Elisha prayed. You know what was his prayer? He said, «Lord—» He prayed, «O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see». (v.17) That is worship. When you enter God’s presence, you say, «Lord, open my eyes, that I may behold Your beauty, I may behold your majesty, I may see what You want me to see». That is worship.
And God, opened the servant’s eyes. What did he see? «The LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw». What did he see? «Behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha». (v.17) My goodness! If you were the guy, would you still be afraid or no more? Can I show you a picture of what he saw? This imagination of the artist. These are the armies surrounding him. But Elisha opened his eyes. What did he see? The army of the living God.
Those With Us Are Greater
My friend, are we surrounded by the armies of the living God? My friend, let me tell you something. Nothing to fear. Because those who are with us are greater than those who are against us. Amen. But my friend, my friend, you have two kinds of people in this room. Spiritual eyes open or blind. Spiritual eyes, if open, there will be joy, there will be peace, you have restedness.
You love to worship God because you know God loves you, you know God cares for you. But if your eyes are blind, you focus on circumstances. And what’s going to happen to you? You’ll keep worrying. There’s no joy. My friend, is worship important? Because worship will enable you to open your eyes. God will open your eyes.
God’s Secure Hold and Eternal Glory
You know how God opened his eyes? Let’s finish. The psalmist. The psalmist tells us. Look at his conclusion. This is the amazing thing, his conclusion. «Nevertheless, I am continually with You. You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel, You will guide me afterward receive me to glory». (vv.23—24) Look at his perspective. Now, he understands. «I am always with You». «You have taken hold of my right hand.'
The security of every believer, is that God is holding you. You are not holding God, God is holding you. „With Your counsel You will guide me, afterward receive me to glory“. Look at that amazing perspective. Unbelievers, ungodly there will be destroyed. God’s people, your destination is glory.
God is My Greatest Treasure
No wonder the most important verse for the day, memory verse for the day— let’s read chapters 25—26 together. „Whom have I in heaven but You. Besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, God is the strength of my heart and my portion [forever]“. What will make somebody say, „Whom have I in heaven but You, besides You I desire nothing on earth“?
Today, not many understand this, not many will confess this. Only people who has encountered the Lord and gone through life will ultimately say, „Whom have I in heaven but You“? Can I ask you a question? Who is most precious to you? For the psalmist, „Whom have I in heaven but you? Besides you, I desire nothing“. What will make somebody say that?
You can only say them when you have discovered that God is of infinite value. The greatest possession, the greatest treasure, the greatest blessing is God himself. You see, if you put your faith in money, in power, in position, in career, in your family, sooner or later, you would be disappointed. And once you’re disappointed, your life would fall apart.
To Live is Christ
But once you know, „Who have I in heaven but You? Besides You, I desire nothing“. Be honest. What is your greatest treasure? Is it your career? Is it your money? Is it your ministry? Or is it God? Look at what he said. „My flesh and my heart may fail…“ That’s reality. Sooner or later, my flesh and my heart will fail. But praise God! He’s the strength of my heart and my portion forever and ever. Praise God!
My friend, now, you understand when the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21, „For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain“. I don’t know what you’re living for right now. Some of you are living for something. „For to me, to live is my career“. „For me, to live is my family“. „For me, to live is mission“. „For me, to live…“ Whatever it is. When you die, you lose everything But if you say, „For me, to live is Christ“. Then you can honestly say to die is gain. Amen.
The Nearness of God is My Good
Okay. Let’s finish. As we close, Psalm 73:27, his conclusion. „Those who are far [from You] will perish“. See? He saw the big picture. Away from God, you will be destroyed. „You have destroyed all those who were unfaithful to You“. There will be a day of reckoning. I guarantee you that God is the judge.
And then, read the next verse. „As for me, the nearness of God is my good“. (v.28) Look at his perspective. The best is God is with me. „I have made the LORD God, my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works“. Did you notice something? His circumstance or circumstances have not changed, but his perspective and his action has completely changed.
He is saying, „I will now make God my refuge. That I may tell of all Your works“. My friend, worship is responding to who God is, entering His presence, knowing how precious He is, and then you are willing to say, „I will now tell everybody the goodness of God“. Amen. Are you ready to worship God? Tell others what God has done for your life.
The Fork and the Best Yet to Come
You know, this lady, when she was about to die, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer. She called her pastor. „Pastor, come. The doctor said I have only a few weeks to live. I want to arrange for my funeral service“. So she told her pastor exactly what to do. But the most strange thing she told her pastor, „Pastor, in the funeral casket, I want you to put this fork in my right hand so that when people look at me, they will see the fork in my right hand“.
The pastor said, „Why do you want a fork“? „Pastor, this is the message. My mom used to tell me, when we have potluck dinner, when the church gathered together, after you are through with the main course, my mom would say, 'Hold on to the fork, the best is yet to come.'“ What is the best to come? Apple pie. Pecan pie. Lemon pie. Buko pie. Maybe they don’t have buko pie. Whatever it is, she was reminding everybody, „At the end of my life, it is not the end. The best is yet to come“.
So when things don’t make sense, what must you do? Worship. Why? Because the best is yet to come. Praise God! Today, I leave you with one simple truth. When life doesn’t make sense, what must you do? Worship. Worship is about coming into God’s presence. Scripture. You have to have time with Him. You have to be conscious of who God is. Amen.
Closing Prayer of Worship
Let’s close with a word of prayer. Father God, I pray for everybody here. There may be some of us here who have not discovered that You are the greatest treasure we have. Remind us, instead of looking for substitutes, how true it is, whom have I in heaven but You. May You be our greatest treasure, our greatest value.
Everybody, I want you now to pray to the Lord privately. And if you mean this, you pray aloud, wherever you are. You say— you listen first— you say something like this to Jesus, to God. „Lord, whom have I in heaven but You“? You tell Jesus, „Lord, You are my greatest treasure, You are my greatest value. Apart from You, I desire nothing else. You, and You alone“.
If you want to make that worship prayer, you want to dedicate that to Jesus, you pray this prayer with me. Raise your hands, if that’s your desire. You want to tell Jesus that He is your treasure, that He is your greatest love. You tell Him right now, wherever you are, say something like this. Together, with your hands raised up.
Lord Jesus, I love You. You are my greatest treasure. Apart from You, I desire nothing. Help me to realize this truth. Help me to live out this truth. I worship You, I love You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen and amen.