But God (When your But Meets God)

Genesis 50:20(NIV) You intended to harm me, But God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done the saving of lives.

In this life we will experience many MEET UPS!!

Meet ups that can be good or meet ups than can be bad... meet ups that can have a positive or a negative disposition. Meet ups that can nourish you or meet ups that can destroy you..

I believe that it is safe to say that from the time we are born until the time we leave this earth we will experience many meet ups.

Meet ups between Parents and a child…siblings…neighbors… teachers and classmates… employers and colleagues… Pastors and fellow church members.. Can I get a Witness????

In fact meet ups will come so often that it will become a natural part of our day to day living. You see we have been groomed and have grown so, that meets will just happen so often that we will never really give thought as to what is taking place...

You know when your in the grocery store line and strike up a conversation with a total stranger..... MEET UP!!!!!

Or Riding on the tarc to or from your destination and you speak to someone… MEET UP!!!!

Or Going to the Dr.’s office … MEET UP!!!!

Or Going downtown to rally with other supporters of Black Lives Matter movement.... MEET UP!!!

Or Even coming to church this morning...... MEET UP!!!

We all will experience meet ups… Can I get a witness?

But I need to serve notice on us this morning!!!!!

That some of our meet ups will be Bad meet ups

You know those meet ups that will leave you empty and drained… confused and irritated… that will have you walking away wondering how in the world did I get myself in to this mess?…

I’m talking about BAD MEET UPS!!!!!

Those meet ups where you make a long-term decision based on your short term circumstance.... when you thought it was a one night stance but now you stuck dealing with that self centered, selfish, complacent, low self esteem jealous rascal for the next 18 plus years..

Those meet ups that will leave you staring down the barrel of a loaded gun...

Those meet ups that will have you judged according to the melanin in your skin....

Those meet ups that will have you in a hospital fighting for your life only because of your inability to afford good health care....

Do I have anybody in this building who is willing to admit that they have had some BAD MEET UPS!!!

Somebody ought to shout MEET UPS!!!!!

And since we all have experience some bad meet ups it goes without saying that There certainly has to be some good meet ups. Am I right about it?

Yes There will be some good meet ups!!!!!

You know those meet ups that leave you revived and rejuvenated.... full and content… safe and secure…

Those meet ups where you leave a better person.

Those meet ups where you walk away wondering where that person has been all of your life

I’m talking about good meet ups

Like the day you decided to make Jesus your choice....

If Donald Vail was here he would say:

Since I met Jesus ... He saved this old Soul of mine; makes me wanna run shouting Hallelujah right to the end.

Somebody shout MEET UPS!!!!!

There are many examples of “But God MEET UPS'' throughout the word of God.

Here in the backdrop of our text we found several instances where God illustrates to us His authority to control every phase of our lives.

He uses Joseph to teach us how He is able to take us from a life of arrogance and entitlement to a life of patience, humility and compassion.

By now Joseph has seen some bad Meet ups

By now Joseph has seen some bad days y’all.

He has been hated on by his brothers…

Thrown in a Pit….

Sold into slavery…

Put into prison on trumped up charges…

And by the time we get to this text Joseph is having to deal with and process the lose of his father....

I tell you my brothers and sisters Joseph has seen some bad meet ups.

And like Bro. Joseph All of us will experience times in Our lives where we will desperately be In Need of a” BUT GOD Meet up”

CAN I GET A WITNESS…

Whether it's an unresolved conflict…

Financial trials…

Unexpected health challenges…..

Marriage difficulties…

Workplace stress…

The list can go on and on and on.

Simply put there will come a place in your life where there is seemingly a cloud of hopelessness over your head… Can I get a witness

As a matter of fact

Paul says it like this:

When I would to do good, evil is present with me

Is there anybody here who has ever been in a place where it seems like everything you do is met with opposition…

As a matter of fact sometimes you don’t have to do a thing...

Well brother preacher How do I get my “But to meet up with God?

I’m glad you asked

In order to get your “But to meet up with God “

KNOW THAT IT’S ONLY A TEST

Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers and essentially left for dead. When they learned that he was not only alive but was now leading Egypt they assumed that they would be put to death.

However, here in our text Joseph tells his brothers “ You intended to harm me!!!

The word intended here comes from the hebrew word zâmam Which simply means to have a thought, devise, plan, or to consider

In other words You planned to harm me

James( as practical as he is) admonishes us to count it all Joy, when we encounter various trials, know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

I believe my beloved that at some point Joseph had to come to the reality that his faith was being tested.. can I get a witness?

Somewhere between him being put in a pit and becoming 2nd in command he had to get a glimpse of the bigger picture… if you will

I submit unto you my brothers and my sisters that If Joseph was faithful to God no doubt his faith would of had to be tested

Joseph’s faith was being tested through the evil acts of others.

You see you don’t have to go looking for bad meet ups

Bad meet ups will find you!!!!

Can’t you hear Joseph talking to his brothers

You intended to harm me

But it was only a test

You thought that throwing me in a pit would harm me

But it was only a test

You thought that selling me into slavery would harm me

But it was only a test

And I just want to pause right here and let someone know that every now a then God will allow those closest to us to test us. am I right about it?

God sometimes will allow our own family members to test us.

Can I tell you how I know that the intentions where only a test???

Because the evil acts didn’t kill him....

And if you’re sitting here or your listening to my voice

I got up here to tell you that your bad meet ups didn’t kill you… didn’t take you out.

Somebody ought to shout It’s just a test!!!!!!

I declare to you this morning What don’t kill you has the ability to make you stronger. Can I get a witness??

You see test are not meant to break you.... destroy you....kill you

But, according to Baker’s Encyclopedia of Psychology it says that a test is an assessment to measure a persons performance and/or knowledge in a specific area.

And I stopped by to tell whomever would listen that the MEET UP you are facing right now God is testing your proficiency in that area..

God is allowing us to be tested to see how we are going to respond to our Meet ups in the future..

God is trying to see if our performance and/or knowledge has been elevated.

God is saying I got another meet up planned for you

But i have to see what you are going to do with this meet up

Somebody Shout It’s only a test!!!!!

God is saying...

I gotta meet up with a new job....

The job is waiting on You…

The Job has your name on it....

But I gotta see how you are going handling the job your at right now...

I gotta see if your going to show up for work on time… if your going to do the best that you can

No doubt that this Dreamer thought that his dream was dead… That his goals would never be achieved… That his ambitions would not be accomplished.

You intended to harm me..... BUT GOD!!!!!!

KNOW THAT IT’S ONLY A TEST

KNOW GOD ( it is imperative)

You intended to harm me, But God…..

I believe I can just stop preaching right there…. I can just drop this mike and we all can just go home…

I believe that you would agree with me when I say that everyone can have access to a but….

Anyone can interject a but in thier story…

You see beloved

The word but(in itself) is what is called a conjunction word; it's used to contrast or to be strikingly different from what was mentioned beforehand.

However ( Let me serve noticed on You my brothers and my sisters)when your “BUT” meets up with “GOD” it doesn’t just contrast what was mentioned it CANCELS everything that has happened before the “But God”

Ya’ll Joseph (because he knew God) was more concerned with keeping the faith than he was with anything that anyone would do to him.

Joseph knew that the more he knew God the more he would trust God

The more he trusted God the more he would obey God

The more he obeyed God the more he would experience God

the more he experienced God the more he would love God

The more he loved God the more he would want to know God better.

Joseph was not shaken by Poterpher’s wife because he knew God

Joseph was not deteered by being thrown into jail because he knew God

The Bible says ‘AND THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH”

because he knew God

When you know God

You know that he will never leave nor will he forsake you

Can I get a witness?

Somebody shout But God

i dare you to high five your neighbor and encourage them to get their but to God

When you know God the impossible becomes possible….

When you know God the thing that you find to be the most difficult will work out for your your good

When you know God you can trust Him to do what it is He does…

I Trust in God wherever I may be

Upon the land or on the rolling see

For, come what may from day to day

My Heavenly Father watches over me

I trust in God I know He cares for me

On mountain bleak or on the stormy sea

Tho billows roll He keeps my soul

My Heavenly Father watches over me

When you know God

you can do all things through Him who gives you strength

I wonder is there anybody here who knows God

Is there any body

that knows that he will be your battle axe in the time of a battle

Do you know Him

His character is unchanging

His words remain true

His love endures forever

Do you know Him

He’s El shaddai ( Lord God Almighty)

He’s El Elyon (The Most High God)

He’s Adonai (Lord,Master)

Doo you know Him?

He’s Yahweh (Lord,Johovah)

He’s Jehovah Nissi (The Lord my Banner)

He’s Jehovah-Raah (The Lord my Shepherd)

He’s Jehovah Rapha ( The Lord that heals)

Do you know Him?

He’s Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is There)

He’s Jehovah Tsiskenu (The Lord our Rightiousness)

You’ve got to know Him so that you can get Your but to meet up with God!!!!!

KNOW THAT IT’S ONLY A TEST

KNOW GOD ( it is imperative)

KNOW THAT GOD HAS “A” PLAN

Joseph says “You intended to harm, But God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Y’all Joseph had to know that God had a plan…

Notice I did not say nor did I suggest that Joseph Knew God’s Plan….

Did you here what I said?

Joseph had to know that God had “A” plan because he persevered though all of his difficulties…

Don’t get messed up on the word Persevere

For you see my beloved it simply means to keep it moving in the mist of difficulties

Somebody ought to shout right there

When you know that God has “A” Plan you can keep it moving although you are going through what your going through!!!

How do I know that God has “A” plan???

Well, Because it says it right there in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,”plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

You may not know “THE” plan but just keep on pushing

You may not know what God is up to but just keep in pressing

I’m pressing on the upward way,

New heights I’m gaining every day;

Still praying as I onward bound,

“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

You gotta keep it moving in-spite of your bad meet ups knowing that

Alll things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose…

I know it don’t look good right now

BUT GOD

I know the hellions are on your track

BUT GOD

I know you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel

BUT GOD

I know you have more month than you have money

BUT GOD

And If you keep it moving regardless of what your going through

If you Don’t give up…

If you Don’t give in…

If you Don’t faint…

If you Don't throw in the towel

If Roberta Martin was here she would say

Have you any rivers

that seem uncrossible

do you have any mountains

that you can not tunnel trough

REMEMBER THIS ONE THING:

GOD SPECIALIZES

IN THINGS THOUGHT IMPOSSIBEL

AND HE WILL DO WHAT NO OTHER

POWER CAN DO

LIKE JOSEPH

The reason you are still here is because there are some people who are in need of saving

and they are connected to you because of “THE” plan that God has assigned to your life.

So don’t give up because your experiencing some bad meet ups. The God that you serve is all powerful and all knowing.

He knows where you are… he has your address..

The only thing he want’s is from us (come hell or high water)

Is for us to get our Buts to God