Breach of Trust.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] My name is Steve one of the pastors here. I’m so glad [0:03] to see each and every one of you this morning on [0:08] probably [0:08] 90% of the Sundays. I’ll I do the the teaching here at the village [0:14] But just to let you know on top of what Nate has already let you know what’s going on here [0:19] We exist to be a community of people who are passionate about the gospel of Jesus and we’re here to do it together

[0:27] Not as people who are just nameless faces in a crowd, but rather we are a community at least we’re striving [0:34] To be a community of believers who join together and unite [0:40] Under the banner of the gospel and some of the ways that we do that are through community groups [0:45] So I just kind of urge each and every one of you to join a community group [0:50] So that it can go from just a monologue [0:54] To a dialogue where we actually

[0:58] strategize with each other how we as a community can take the life-saving [1:04] life-changing message of Jesus Christ and actually take it out into the culture around us because I don’t know if you’re like me I’m [1:12] Not that creative and sometimes. I just don’t know how to do it, and I need help I [1:17] Certainly can’t do this on my own and if you’re honest neither [1:22] Can you but one of the ways that we are going to in the coming weeks? [1:27] take this belief and this trust in the gospel and take it from up here and

[1:34] And put it right here in our hands and serve the community as Jesus said [1:39] Which is the way that people will know that we’ve come from him is that right here at Tomahawk Creek Middle School [1:44] They’re having a canned food drive [1:46] And so in a couple of weeks [1:48] They’re going to be collecting cans and we have asked them if we could partner with them on this to fill our food banks [1:55] Which if you watched the news around Thanksgiving or around Christmas you undoubtedly saw a few

[2:02] reports about how our food banks that take food to the needy to the less fortunate among us and actually help them actually [2:10] Have food that they can’t afford we’re gonna partner with them and on I believe it’s February the 6th [2:16] If it’s not February 6 just ignore what I’m saying I do a lot of this from memory [2:21] But I’m on February 6 is we when you come here, and we’re actually going to give out [2:27] Grocery bags and what we are asking you to do as a church is to actually go to the grocery stores and [2:34] Put it I’d love it if you filled it up, but put as much as you can in that bag and then on February 13th

[2:42] Bring that bag back to the church [2:45] And we will collect all the food and we will help Tomahawk Creek as they strive to serve the community [2:51] We’re gonna strive to serve it alongside of them so that when they ask why we can say because Jesus loves us [2:59] so we’re loving you and [3:01] So we ask that you begin now to prepare for that [3:05] Maybe plan out your paycheck if you’re on a strict a budget as I am because I’m a church planner

[3:09] And there’s no money in this so we’re on a pretty strict budget [3:12] Plan out your paycheck so that you have a little left over to maybe buy a few cans for people that

[3:20] That can’t I [3:22] Preach at a retirement community sometimes right down the road and a pastor from another church [3:27] They have their own food bank [3:29] And I heard one of the ladies [3:30] Look to this pastor last week as we were all there just kind of meeting with them and she told that pastor [3:35] She said I’m so thankful for you because if it wasn’t for what you do on Mondays bringing us food

[3:40] I don’t know where my food would come from [3:42] All right, and that’s an elderly woman in our communities who’s a widow and she’s on a fixed income and [3:49] guys [3:51] People want the gospel I believe that they do [3:56] But we’re just saying it [3:59] We’re not doing it

[4:01] We’re not feeding the poor we’re not helping the weak we’re ignoring while we entertain ourselves [4:09] And so we want to be a different kind of culture. We want to set a different kind of culture here [4:14] So in the coming weeks, please prepare for that [4:16] Please partner with us on that please march as a community with us as we just try to do this one simple thing [4:24] Okay, that hopefully will lead to a great number of other things [4:29] But this morning if you have your Bibles go ahead and turn to Habakkuk chapter 1 and if you can find it you get a prize

[4:38] Habakkuk is one of those books. I we sent mailers out and I know some people in here were like that’s a book [4:44] Is he preaching from the Apocrypha? I thought these were people were Protestants [4:49] but I know Habakkuk’s actually a minor prophet in the Old Testament so I’m gonna go Old Testament on you guys for a while and [4:56] Habakkuk’s one of those books that is very short three chapters [5:00] We don’t know much about him outside of the book of Habakkuk [5:05] Other than the fact that he has a name that is very uncommon to us and many of you as you were driving in

[5:10] I was talking to one about one person outside and he’s like, how do you even pronounce it? All right [5:14] Hope if you listen, it’s it’s in English. It’s a back. It’s not what it is in Hebrew [5:18] But we’re not gonna get into that because that really wouldn’t help you follow Jesus at all [5:22] So go to Habakkuk chapter 1 and [5:26] Let me go there with you right now since it’s already up on the screen and you’re not gonna listen to me [5:30] You’re gonna read the screen

[5:33] Habakkuk start reading in verse 1 of chapter 1. I got a large print Bible [5:38] I know some of you are really excited about that, but I can actually see my Bible this morning [5:42] That was a problem a couple of weeks ago the Oracle that Habakkuk the prophets saw. Oh [5:50] How long shall I cry for help and you will not hear or cry to you [5:58] Violence and you will not save why do you make me see? [6:04] Iniquity and why do you idly look at wrong?

[6:09] Destruction and violence are before me strife and contention arise [6:15] So the law is paralyzed and justice never goes forth [6:22] For the wicked surround the righteous so justice goes forth [6:29] Perverted we’ll stop right there for a few moments. It’s one of those verses that you’ll never see on a coffee cup [6:36] You know where if you know anything out of the book of Habakkuk, it’s the last three verses where Habakkuk [6:44] Revival has taken place in his life, and he’s like God if everything was taken away from you

[6:48] I’ll still love you, but we rarely go to chapter 1 to get the backstory [6:53] So we’re not starting this morning with a few of those verses that you’re gonna take into Monday morning and say I can face [7:00] The week no this is one of those times when you’re like [7:04] Isn’t he a prophet? [7:07] Are they allowed to do that? [7:09] Rarely do we look into the Old Testament and look at some of the problems that the prophets had or some of the less than

[7:17] Extraordinary moments that the prophets had in their lives [7:20] We love to look at Isaiah 6 where he goes up into the presence of God and he sees the seraphim flying around [7:26] Holy holy holy, and then he’s like I am undone and he just worships before God [7:31] But we don’t look into Jeremiah where we see in Jeremiah chapter 20 where a false prophet [7:36] Basically goes UFC all over Jeremiah and just beats him puts him into stocks [7:42] And then Jeremiah’s responses look to God and say God you have deceived me

[7:49] Rarely do we take the time to look and say [7:54] How do they do that? [7:56] Why do they do that and then even less so are we honest to the point where we say I’ve done that?

[8:06] Because if you have lived on this planet for a little while [8:13] You kind of find your place sometimes in life, and you look around and you say something’s not right

[8:20] Clearly something’s wrong with the world around me [8:25] Last weekend we saw a great example of that when a few people that just went to hear from their congressperson [8:32] Lost their lives one of them a nine-year-old girl [8:37] And in those moments [8:41] Sometimes we can’t help but say [8:45] God where are you?

[8:49] What are you doing? [8:51] Because when it comes to me in my life, I know my sin okay, and I hope you know your sin [8:58] I hope you’re not so self-righteous that you’re like I’m a good person [9:02] No, I hope you understand that even in these past few days [9:06] You’ve done something that’s not right if you’re a husband you’re probably very aware of your sin, but [9:13] I’m married. It’s just it no one told me that when I got married

[9:17] I would understand my sin just more and more every year, but I do I do [9:24] I’m lucky she’s not but [9:28] But when I look at my life, I want to see the mercy of God right I want to see [9:33] I’m so glad God’s a god of mercy [9:36] All right, because I need his mercy [9:39] But then when events that I don’t like and then I don’t appreciate

[9:45] Take place outside of me and someone does something [9:49] So horrendous that the whole world such as last weekend that the whole world stops and says there’s something wrong [9:57] here [9:58] The world’s not right [10:00] but even more so when it’s me and [10:05] Someone that I don’t like or someone that I’ve got a grudge against

[10:09] Does something and it hurts me and it seems like they’re getting away with it and more than that it seems like they’re [10:17] profiting off of it [10:19] Then it’s like I thought you were a god of justice forget mercy I [10:24] want justice

[10:29] How does this combination of God’s justice [10:33] Where he is a god that despises? [10:38] Sin he is a god that is separated from sin [10:41] He is a god that the scripture entertains as this holy other [10:47] Completely sanctified being where sin is not allowed in his presence

[10:55] All right, how does that god of justice mix with this god of mercy [11:02] All right and Habakkuk [11:04] Man, let me tell you this is a book that has ministered to me and understanding. Let me let me just give you a backstory [11:10] I’m good old back it he lives in a time where Israel has been faithful for the first part of his life [11:17] They’ve had a good king a righteous king [11:20] If you know anything about Israel the temperament of the culture totally depended on who the king was

[11:25] They were they were very clear example of sheep that were always led by a shepherd if they had a godly king [11:32] They were all reading their Torah every day. They were worshiping [11:36] But if they had a king that was wicked they were all wicked [11:39] All right [11:41] And so Habakkuk spends part of his life as a prophet in Israel God’s mouthpiece to the nation [11:47] Or God would speak through him and then the king King Josiah who was a godly man is

[11:54] Murdered in battle by a wicked king and then a wicked king begins to rule Israel and during [12:00] Habakkuk’s lifetime he witnesses his nation go from people who loved God people who followed God to [12:08] people who worshiped the false God Baal [12:12] And they didn’t listen to him. They didn’t want a prophet and [12:16] Habakkuk is at a point where he’s like, but I’m a prophet. I’m a good person [12:21] I’ve done what you’ve said God, but they’re not listening anymore

[12:25] I’ve followed you I’ve been obedient to the prophecies that you’ve given me, but they’re not listening [12:31] They’re not following they don’t care what I have to say more than that [12:36] They’ve turned away from you and they’re worshiping gods that aren’t even real [12:42] And they’re following the wicked king

[12:46] And then he gets to a point where it’s like usually we’ll go to the beginning of a book of the Bible [12:51] He’s the ones that will actually go to usually it’s like, you know [12:54] You start in Genesis you finish like in that second chapter of Leviticus when you realize what’s going on here [12:59] And then you go to the book of Matthew and you read the Gospels and then you get confused in Romans [13:04] So you quit so we’re used to the beginnings of books where we’re like man [13:09] He starts and he’s just worshiping

[13:11] You know Paul is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ and then we go to Habakkuk and he’s like God [13:16] I’m mad at you and that’s our introduction to the life of back [13:21] But her back it does this because he’s come to a point where maybe you’re not like me [13:26] But I’ve been there where I’m like, that’s not fair God [13:30] Thought it was gonna be better than this [13:33] And then just breaks and he says God how long am I gonna pray and you’re not going to even

[13:41] My prayers [13:44] Habakkuk has even lost confidence that God even hears him [13:50] This is a guy that has audibly heard the voice of God

[13:56] And he gets to a point where he loses so much trust that he says God [14:03] I don’t even believe that you’re listening to me anymore

[14:07] If [14:08] Habakkuk can get to that point

[14:12] Can you be honest enough to say that you can [14:16] Because I know if you’re anything like me you’ve prayed and you’ve prayed and you’ve prayed for something to happen [14:22] You’ve begged and you’ve begged and you’ve begged for something to happen

[14:30] Nothing [14:31] And you’re just like are you even listening [14:35]

[14:36] Backed though [14:37] He finds himself at a place where everyone around him has turned to God and he wants what I think would be the [14:44] Passion of anyone that follows God. He just wants people to follow God

[14:49] That’s all he wants but tragedy ensues [14:53] Tragedy takes place and here’s here’s where Habakkuk starts. He starts in a place where tragedy

[15:01] tempts [15:02] distrust in God [15:05] Where Habakkuk looks at all that’s taking place [15:07] He looks at everything around him and he says I once thought you were trustworthy, but my present circumstances

[15:17] Deny what I believe about your promises [15:22] It’s one of those things where we read in Romans 8 where we go to really get filled up and says [15:27] You know, we’re more than conquerors what can separate us from the love of God nothing and we’re like [15:32] I’m more than a conqueror and then we get conquered [15:36] All right, I guess you haven’t been there neither have I I promise but uh, you know [15:42] but Habakkuk’s there and

[15:46] it’s because [15:47] He sees everything that seems to say

[15:52] God may not be as good as he thought [15:56] And he’s at a place in his life [15:57] Where he says maybe I have been deceived [16:03] Because look at what he’s talking about here in these few verses. God is not hearing his cry for help [16:10] He sees violence taking place and God does not save him from it [16:17] He says destruction strife

[16:19] Contention and then he says God even your law

[16:25] Is paralyzed [16:28] That law where David says in Psalm 119 your word or law have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you [16:37] All right here. We got a prophet saying you know what it’s paralyzed doesn’t work [16:43] God I’ve read Psalm 119 six times this morning and it’s not working

[16:52] Then he says the wicked [16:54] Surround the righteous so justice goes forth

[17:02] Perverted [17:03] Words everything that is good everything that he’s thought was wholesome everything that he’s thought was righteous is a big [17:12] failure in his own [17:15] Life and his faith, you know like that [17:18] We talked about a couple weeks ago that son stands still faith. He says my faith is worthless

[17:25] He says it’s as if I am paralyzed and it’s as if even you God everything that you’ve told us is for nothing

[17:36] So what do we do with that [17:38] What happens when we’re there? [17:42] All right, what happens? [17:45] well [17:46] thankfully [17:48] God response. All right

[17:51] But his response is not one of [17:55] Habakkuk it’s gonna be all right [17:58] Remember that covenant I made with Abraham gonna make it happen [18:02] Here’s what he says look at verse 5 [18:06] Look among the nations and see wonder and be astounded [18:12] It starts out really cool. This is one of those things where God’s like I’m gonna be God. I’m gonna do some God stuff

[18:19] He says for I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told for behold [18:26] I am raising up the Chaldeans that bitter and hasty nation [18:31] Who marched through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own? [18:36] They are dreaded and fearsome their justice and dignity go forth from themselves [18:40] Their horses are swifter than leopards more fierce than the evening wolves their horsemen press on proudly [18:46] Their horsemen come from afar they fly like an eagle swift to devour

[18:51] They all come for violence all their faces forward they gather captives like sand at Kings [18:57] They scoff and at rulers they laugh they laugh at every fortress for they pile up earth and take it [19:03] Then they sweep by like the wind and go on [19:07] Guilty men whose own might is their God

[19:13] If you weren’t really tracking with me there, let me just break it down [19:17] God says [19:18] Habakkuk you want me to judge Israel because they have been wicked [19:22] All right, but here’s what I’m gonna do and I’m gonna forewarn you that what I’m gonna do [19:29] You’re not gonna be able to comprehend why I’m doing it [19:34] He says I’m gonna take an even more wicked nation

[19:40] And I’m gonna judge the less wicked nation with the more wicked nation and Israel is gonna go under captivity [19:47] To a wicked wicked people and it’s gonna be by my hand that it happens

[19:55] Because we know the Chaldeans that they are [19:59] It’s referenced here who they are is the Assyrian Empire that’s been going on for so long [20:04] It’s beginning to break apart at this point in history and there is this people group in southern Babylon [20:12] Who has risen and become really powerful? It’s like the army from 300 expounded [20:19] They’re just a small people who have just gone out and they live to fight and they feed off of the fear of [20:28] Everyone that as they come in and conquer their town it God says they simply

[20:34] Worship their own might in other words [20:36] They don’t care about the stuff people have they just want to prove that they can beat everyone because they worship [20:44] Their own power God just reveals [20:48] He says they’re not people that even love me that worship me [20:53] I’m not a back it gonna bring a righteous [20:57] justice

[20:59] to Israel [21:01] I’m gonna bring a wicked justice in and I’m gonna judge Israel through these wicked people I [21:08] Don’t know about you, but if I am Habbakkuk

[21:12] Huh?

[21:14] You’re gonna see next week. He kind of does respond that way [21:18] It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense [21:22] Say God what I [21:25] Asked for justice. I want them to follow the Torah. That’s all I’m asking here [21:30] I’m asking God that you would put me back into prominence as a prophet and you respond [21:36] By telling me it’s going to get worse, and I just need to trust you through it

[21:51] Clearly [21:53] It’s not what Habbakkuk wanted to hear what’s interesting in verse 5

[22:00] Is when God points out [22:04] Habbakkuk’s sin [22:07] See because verses 1 through 4 have come from a place not of Habbakkuk’s trust in God [22:13] But if you read it what you’re going to see is Habbakkuk’s trust in himself [22:18] Habbakkuk does not see his own distrust only the distrust of everyone else around him [22:27] And he points out and he says look at what everyone else is doing wrong

[22:33] I’m not doing it though. I’m alright. You love me, right God

[22:41] It’s almost like the false gospel of an entire culture that says trust Jesus obey God and good things will happen to you because you’re good and righteous

[22:52] It’s false gospel by the way [22:56] Clearly we’re seeing that in these types of verses [22:58] But sometimes what we have reformatted the gospel to mean is only a [23:04] Reintroduction of this karma like Zen state that we want to believe we’re going to get to in this life [23:10] And God looks at Habbakkuk and says it’s not going to happen in your lifetime

[23:17] Here’s what God says about himself in Isaiah 55 and this helps us understand why God would say something like [23:25] My thoughts are not your thoughts [23:27] Excuse me why God would say something like I’m gonna do something that you’re not gonna comprehend because in Isaiah 55 what we’re gonna [23:32] See for my thoughts are not your thoughts. This is God speaking through Isaiah [23:36] He says neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth [23:43] So are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts

[23:48] What God is saying through Isaiah in this passage God is saying stop [23:53] Trying to put me on your level where everything that I do has to make sense to you

[24:01] and [24:02] Here’s how God can work in this [24:05] Construct because he’s letting us know first in Habbakkuk through one five there and then in Isaiah 55 [24:12] God just wants us to know that he is in control and we are not God is in control

[24:20] He’s in control and while that should comfort us

[24:29] We even have to believe it in times of grave [24:34] this [24:35] comfort

[24:38] Because you see what we do oftentimes as we say okay [24:41] I believe in Jesus because I know my sins are great and I I believe he paid for them [24:48] So that creates and transforms me into a person that now has the ability to praise God and then we live our lives [24:57] rather than [24:58] Going directly to the source of God’s revelation, which is scripture rather than living our lives [25:04] Believing our present situation based on the promises in the scriptures

[25:10] What we do is is we believe the promises based on the present situations [25:15] And so what happens is is we allow our trust and faith in God to be swayed and [25:23] Dictated by whether or not I’m having a good day or a bad day [25:28] Or whether or not things are making sense or not making sense

[25:36] And God says you can’t do that

[25:42] Because we have a misconception of God [25:46] Because sometimes we view God as if he’s limited just like I am but in Isaiah 55 he says no

[25:54] My thoughts aren’t your thoughts because I’m not bound to the perspective that you’re bound to God being wholly other [26:02] Being creator over creation [26:04] He is not bound to the viewpoints that we live with him he is not bound to our time [26:12] He created it. How can the creator be limited by his creation? [26:19] He can’t be there is not this great one ism where you know, it’s the circle of life

[26:28] All right, no [26:31] There’s us and there’s him [26:35] That’s two perspectives. That’s two ism [26:39] Where God is not bound to our time. He’s not bound to my viewpoint [26:44] He’s not bound to my perspective if he was how could I trust him anymore than I could trust myself

[26:52] Habakkuk isn’t trusting God because he’s bringing God to his level and God responds by saying [26:59] Habakkuk you have no idea what I’m doing behind the scenes. I am [27:07] Absolutely in control. No matter what happens. No matter how things look I’m in [27:14] control [27:16] Proverbs 16 9 says it this way [27:19] the heart of man

[27:22] Plans his way, but the Lord [27:25] Establishes his steps [27:27] Here’s what that means you and I [27:30] We make decisions, you know for better or worse [27:33] I chose this outfit you chose your outfit you chose to come this morning some chose not to come this morning [27:39] We woke up and we began making decisions just like I’ve decided what career to take what wife to take

[27:46] You know when to have a child we’ve made decisions each and every one of us [27:52] But what scripture says is your decisions cannot undo [27:58] God’s plan

[28:03] Because God [28:05] Outside of your decisions [28:08] Is moving everything to bring about his will [28:13] Why here’s what sometimes where we get confused how else do you think God can say at the end in Revelation? [28:21] 7 9 I’m gonna have people from all tribes all tongues and all nations gathered around my throne worshiping me

[28:28] How else would he be so sure [28:31] How much do you trust God? [28:34] Do you trust him enough to believe that he can make that happen because I can tell you right now [28:39] All tribes all tongues and all nations haven’t even heard the gospel yet

[28:47] And there are some people that are gonna make a decision not to live for the gospel

[28:52] And there are some people that are gonna make a decision [28:55] To live for the gospel and God’s still behind the scenes saying they’re gonna hear [29:02] Because I’m gonna make it happen [29:05] I’ll redeem decisions. I’ll do what I want because I’m God and you’re not [29:11] He’s in control and his mission will be accomplished

[29:20] It will be you see how can you be so sure [29:23] Habakkuk was not sure he lived in a time where every situation in the nation of Israel [29:30] Weren’t these God’s chosen people everything taking place around him was denying [29:37] God’s mission would be accomplished and maybe you look at the world around us and you say I don’t believe how could his mission be accomplished [29:43] The world’s going to hell in a handbasket [29:46] All right, this is the worst it’s ever been

[29:50] All right [29:51] historically, it’s not but [29:53] Some people say it is trust me if you lived in third century Rome [29:58] You wouldn’t have liked it better. All right [30:02] Go run a Western [30:05] Telling me it was better than

[30:08] People could shoot you in the streets. All right, at least they go to jail now

[30:14] I’m just glad I didn’t live back then because I don’t think I would win in like a shootout [30:20] All right, I’m not that quick I somebody would say my name and I’m like hey, what’s all I [30:28] Just get distracted so I’m praising God laws got changed for when I was born [30:35] All right

[30:38] But sometimes in life when I look at the life of a back again [30:42] I look at my own life because sometimes my own life doesn’t add up to where I’m like [30:48] Understand how you’re gonna get glory through this

[30:53] Tragedy takes place

[30:57] How God I [30:59] Often find that in the very first book of the Bible book of Genesis between Genesis 37 and 50 [31:06] There’s this amazing story about this guy Joseph. All right [31:11] Joseph was born from the direct bloodline of Abraham [31:15] All right [31:15] And if you know anything about Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 God starts making promises to Abraham God looks to Abraham and says first Abraham

[31:22] I’m gonna raise up a mighty nation out of you [31:25] And if you know anything about the Bible or if you don’t know anything about the Bible the nation that comes out of Abraham’s [31:30] Bloodline is the nation of Israel. Okay, and so out of Abraham’s lineage comes Israel and and God says Abraham [31:37] I’m gonna build a great nation and then later God tells Abraham because Abraham struggling [31:42] Situations and circumstances are kind of denying the promises of God and God says Abraham go outside of your tent and Abraham [31:48] He says Abraham look up and Abraham looks up and he says Abraham. Can you count the stars?

[31:53] And Abraham says no no and God says Abraham. Here’s what I want you to understand your descendants will outnumber the stars in the sky [32:01] He’s a bold promises God’s making here through one guy [32:05] And [32:06] So Abraham has a child and it’s amazing and he’s like wow believe you God [32:10] I’m really old guy and my wife’s really old and I didn’t think she could have kids anymore [32:13] She did and so out of him comes his child

[32:16] And then he has some kids and then his kids have some kids and one of those children’s names Joseph [32:24] And Joseph is born and he’s born to Jacob and he loves his dad and his dad loves him [32:30] he had at this at that point he had ten brothers and [32:33] Out of the eleven of them Joseph was his dad’s favorite and according to scripture [32:39] Favoritism was clear because his brothers hated him and they were jealous of him and they were envious of him [32:46] All right, if you have sibling rivalry Joseph, he understood. All right

[32:50] And so what his brothers do is they do a very wicked thing [32:54] All right, they take him they beat him and they sell him to a band of gypsies [33:01] Which when you’re a kid you read that story and you’re like that’s the plan for my sister

[33:08] All I need is a band of gypsies to come down the street I think I can get her out there I [33:14] Think I can trick her into thinking it’s the ice cream man [33:17] all right, and so his brothers take him and they and they sell him into slavery and

[33:23] And Joseph goes from this exalted position as his dad’s favorite [33:27] Mean he’s just him and his father just have this great relationship and now he’s in shackles and [33:34] Then he gets sold by those gypsies to a guy in Egypt named Potiphar [33:37] All right, and so he’s literally in slavery in Egypt [33:43] Not great and he spends years like that [33:46] Then it gets worse

[33:50] Potiphar’s husband [33:52] I mean Potiphar’s wife accuses [33:55] Joseph of a crime that he doesn’t commit it’s actually he spent his life [34:01] Running from that crime saying no, I’m not gonna do it and Potiphar believes his wife

[34:11] And so Joseph goes to prison [34:14] Not for 30 days not for two months for years [34:20] Scripture give us this idea that he was in prison for so long that everyone forgot he was even there [34:26] but the scriptures say in spite of his circumstances he [34:31] trusted God for all of those years [34:36] imagine going from the American dream

[34:41] To slavery in a foreign land [34:43] to prison in a foreign land [34:47] Imagine the hopelessness I’ve never had it that bad

[34:55] Then through this amazing set of circumstances [34:59] We’re able to visibly see redemption take place. Here’s what happens [35:04] But I mean I want you to understand he has not been in prison for a year. He’s been for probably over a decade

[35:12] He’s freed from prison because of a mighty move of God on his behalf [35:18] Goes before the king interprets dreams for the king that God gives him the revelation for and here’s where you’re in the movie [35:25] And you’re like oh, Joseph. It’s like Rudy getting put up on the shoulders

[35:31] and [35:31] Joseph is [35:33] exalted to the second in command of all of Egypt and [35:39] And then God gives him a vision of seven years of abundance and seven years of famine [35:44] Maybe you know the story and said Joseph looks to the king and he says we’ve got to get a storehouse [35:49] Because a famine is coming so they store up all this food and then the famine ensues after seven years

[35:55] They spend seven years in famine and the food around the known world at that point [35:59] Begins to run out to the point where those brothers [36:03] Who sold Joseph into slavery run out of food and Egypt is the only place where there’s any food left [36:09] So the brothers not knowing Joseph’s there they all have to go to Egypt to get food [36:17] And so what happens is they come and they actually come before Joseph and through another series of events. You got to read the story [36:25] Joseph reveals himself and he says I’m your brother and he says go get dad

[36:29] I’m gonna give you guys the best plot of land and the entire [36:33] countryside and you’re gonna survive the famine and you’re gonna flourish because I’m gonna take care of you like a royal family because you’re my family

[36:41] But what’s so interesting about this story is that at the very end of it the last chapter of Genesis Joseph’s father dies and

[36:51] The brothers are exceedingly afraid because they think now that the father has died Joseph will exact revenge on his brothers [37:00] And so his brothers come to Joseph and they’re like on their knees they’re saying Joseph [37:04] We’re sorry because they’re deathly afraid because Joseph he’s powerful

[37:10] And Joseph looks at him in Genesis chapter 50 verse 20 and he says as for you [37:18] You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good [37:25] To bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are [37:33] Today

[37:36] Joseph says [37:38] You did great sin against me [37:41] You did some wicked stuff guys [37:44] Said but what you didn’t realize [37:48] Is that God made a promise to Abraham? [37:53] Great-grandpa and

[37:56] The way he’s keeping that promise was putting me through years of slavery [38:02] years of imprisonment and [38:05] Then I became second in command of all of Egypt and God redeemed your sin to save our entire [38:13] bloodline from starvation

[38:19] God’s wisdom

[38:23] Must be trusted

[38:26] Because ours cannot be do you think Joseph wanted to be in prison [38:31] Do you think he wanted to be a slave? [38:35] Do you think he wanted to go years without seeing the bad he loved so much?

[38:40] But he endured through it and he’s only able to say in Genesis 50 to the brothers that just [38:47] Sinned against him so poorly he’s only able to forgive [38:53] Because of his trust in God

[38:58] What are you going through right now?

[39:03] Where’s your life headed

[39:07] This is other story in the Old Testament by a guy named Job scriptures actually say he’s righteous and I’ll finish with this

[39:15] Job comes to a place in his life where God allows Satan to put him through some serious trials [39:21] Just simply to tempt him to deny God and he never does it [39:26] Loses his wealth [39:28] His family dies his wife abandons him [39:33] Loses all of his health and then finally he’s in the rubble [39:37] Of his old house

[39:39] No roof over his head and he’s taken broken pottery [39:44] He’s scraping the boils off of his skin because it feels better to have an open wound and have those boils

[39:51] and [39:52] What would have only taken a fender bender for me to say?

[39:57] Job finally looks to God and he says I [40:02] Don’t get it I [40:04] Did everything you wanted?

[40:08] How could you God how could you turn your back on me?

[40:14] And in Job chapter 38

[40:18] God begins a response

[40:23] That’s [40:23] You may think it’s less than comforting, but here’s how he begins it. He says Job [40:30] Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

[40:36] Tell me if you have understanding

[40:45] See [40:47] I’m not trying to say the tragedy is easy to get through or [40:51] That it’s even going to be easy to get to lunchtime tomorrow

[40:55] Here’s what I’m saying

[40:59] Joseph

[41:01] Went through some serious troubles to save his whole family [41:05] Then his family moves to Egypt [41:07] Then more tragedy happens because as a descendants taken into slavery in Egypt again because they’ve forgotten who Joseph was [41:14] but inside of that God perseveres he endures his family is a [41:19] Nation of Israel through suffering and then out of that nation of Israel comes Moses [41:24] So that and this is what the scripture says God says I had you in slavery

[41:28] And then I raised up Moses and then I brought Moses in to bring you out of Egypt [41:33] So that I could show my power over Pharaoh

[41:38] and [41:39] They go and they go into the promised land and then they go into captivity [41:42] Over and over and over and they don’t trust God and God says but I’m taking them into captivity Habakkuk [41:49] Because I’m doing something in your life that you can’t understand and here’s what he’s doing [41:55] He’s judging them for their sins against him [41:58] So that he can persevere them through captivity because they come together and they unite inside of captivity

[42:05] And they won’t go with the people they won’t mix with the people and God perseveres [42:11] And he endures them and he says you’re a nation and I’m keeping you together [42:15] And they keep coming back to God and then going away from God [42:17] But the outcome of that is God endures them as a people so that [42:24] God could send his son through those [42:29] people to die for the sins of

[42:33] Everyone that has ever lived so that if we trust his wisdom in the [42:40] Gospel our sins are atoned for more than that [42:44] God adopts us as his children and he finds pleasure in us and he gives us the ability [42:52] And opportunity to trust him in spite of everything the world throws at us [42:57] Because in a redeemed state under the gospel we can say but I know God loves me [43:04] Because he killed his own son and

[43:08] Look at what he did through the history of those people just to get his son to be born [43:18] for me

[43:22] And when we look at life

[43:26] We can see tragedy and say you know [43:32] Because of everything God has done because of everything that he’s revealed about himself I believe [43:39] That he is somehow [43:42] Beyond my understanding [43:45] Working behind the scenes to bring about [43:50] The good

[43:56] And [43:57] Paul says in first Corinthians every promise God has ever made finds its yes

[44:05] In Jesus

[44:08] And he says trust me for it

[44:16] Father we come before you right now

[44:24] God oftentimes life [44:27] Takes us to a place where we don’t understand [44:31] Where we don’t trust [44:34] We don’t even know how to trust [44:38] But God you [44:40] Have told us and you’ve revealed yourself to us and you’ve said

[44:44] I’m behind the scenes working the good and I’m gonna show you over time [44:49] I’m gonna spread it out more and more what I’m doing what I’m going to do and how I’m doing it [44:56] You just need to trust me because I’m God [44:59] Right now we’re gonna go into a time of reflection [45:04] Time of prayer [45:06] And a time where we invite all of you that are believers in Jesus

[45:11] To come forward and take part in the Lord’s Supper

[45:16] This is an act where [45:19] The bread and the cup represent the body and blood of Jesus [45:25] And if you trust in Jesus today [45:28] Alright if you trust [45:30] What you’re doing is you’re coming forward and you’re proclaiming that trust in the Son of God for your salvation

[45:40] Through this [45:42] If you’re in here and you’re not a believer you don’t trust God

[45:49] You can today

[45:52] You can [45:53] So while those who believe are taking part in communion, I ask you just to ask God to reveal himself to you

[46:03] If he does maybe you should come and talk to me for a minute [46:07] Today could be the day of salvation for you