When Life is Unfair God is There 07/26/2020

Good to see everyone this morning and we're glad that you're here. We have a lots of lots to pray about don't one lot of things going on. in our world today that

that we need to be mindful of and we need to be praying for special ER. country and the president and this virus and we just need to the people of Prayer well, we're going to continue today in Genesis chapter 39 and we're looking at the life of Joseph.

And today we're still in will we cover the first 12 verses of chapter? 39 last week. Remember we talked about God when God tests our character and we talked about he gave he sometimes he gives us to test a Prosperity where everything like turns out. Well that's what happened for Joseph even though he was a slave he got put in Potiphar's house and everything was going well, but then it turned South again. And then he gives us the test of purity. And we talked about that last week. What what I want to do today as we finish out this chapter. And the title this sermon is when life is unfair God is there. And we all need to understand that because if you look at life, you will see that life is very rarely. Will he would call Fair it seems unfair quite often. But what we need to understand today is that God is working even when circumstances. Seem to be otherwise. And when your life is falling apart, and we talked about some people even in our prayer request today. You think about Tina? And what she's been through. It's hard to see anything good in that. It's hard to see God working. In situations like that many times we ask will God. Why have you abandoned me? Why aren't you answering my prayers? Why aren't you giving me Deliverance? Well, what we need to understand is that God is a providential God. In the God is working in your life. Today is working in my life. Just like he was working in Joseph life, even though circumstances. We're getting worse. So the storyline of what we're studying here today couldn't be any more intentional. And by what I mean by that is four times in 4 verses Moses reminds us that God has his hand upon Joseph. So when you look at Hebrews story or storytelling you'll see a lot of phrases and words that are used over and over you see a lot of repetition. Now, if you are a writer and riding laws today's would say what don't use the same word too often. Don't use the same phrases. If you do that you're riding will become monotonous, but in Hebrew, They were encouraged to use the same phrase in words because they were emphasizing a point. So I want you to see the point here in Genesis 39 that Moses is emphasizing and it really has nothing to do with Purity and the Temptation or leadership skills or anything like that. So let's look at it in versus in verse 3 what the Bible says or let's go to verse two to begin with verse 2 says the Lord was with Joseph. And he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian verse 3 his master saw that the Lord was what was with him and the Lord made all he did the prosper in verse for so Joseph found favor in his sight. Look at verse 5. So it was that time he had made him overseer potiphar made Joseph overseer of his house all that. He had that Lord the Lord bless the Egyptians house for Joseph sake and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the fields of the Lord was blessing potiphar because of Joseph. So we go on and on and we see how it says the Lord was with him. The Lord was blessing him. Well when we were first introduced to Joseph he was looking after his father's house. Remember that chapter 37 now, he's looking after Potiphar's house. Remember when he was looking out of his father's house. The Bible says that the Lord prospered Jacob in all of his shepherding. So he prospered him gave him feels and sheep and now all of a sudden we see that potiphar is prospering because of Joseph. How does that happen? How can just wherever he goes? Everything seems to turn out for other people really? Well, why is that because the Lord was with him? The Lord had his hand upon him. You say when when you look at our country today, and I'm not going to go off on a tangent, but when you look at our country and and you look at all the dissension and you look at what the president has gone through in four years, I don't see how he has accomplished a single thing. But he has accomplished a lot in 4 years and how can he do that when they're so many people against them? It's because the Lord is with him. The Lord has his hand upon him and the Gates of Hell will not stop what the Lord wants to do. It cannot do it. The media can't do it politicians can't do it Hollywood can't do it. The Sports World can't do it education can't do it when God puts his hand on a man or a woman. His purpose will always happen just as God wants it to happen. That's just the way it's going to be what this is the way it is with Joseph here. So the word we use for that. The word we use is the word Providence. When you hear hurt people say when God is a providential god when it was Providence. I swerved to miss that deer and I could have got killed but it would just buy the Providence of God. He saved me. So if someone said you were what what does it mean? What does the Providence of God actually mean? Well, I'm giving us a working definition up here and I want you to look at it and I'm going to read it. So this is God's Providence. It's the unceasing activity of God. God is the Creator God. God still works in this world. He didn't create this world and create humanity and then set down and and fold his arms. Are they? Okay y'all take care of everything know God is still working in this world is the unceasing activity of God, whereby he upholds creation all the laws of creation. All the laws of gravity all the laws of thermodynamics. You look at that. God is still upholding them all these people want to talk about global warming and world is going to burn up. What if I World burns up. It's because God wants it to burn up and if he don't want to he will control that he controls his creation. It's not a bunch of politician. He upholds creation. He guides and governs all events circumstances and free acts of men and angels and I think about that God guides and governs all events. Not only all events in this world all the events in your life. The good and the bad he is governing that. All the circumstances you find yourself in in all the free acts of men and angels not only in the natural world, but he's governing the spiritual world of Angel and directs everything every circumstance in your life. Every event in your life. He directs everything to its appointed gold and he does it for his own Glory. art Then who is God is probably the Providence of God. What does that mean? It means he's the man that you want to put it in our turn. He's the man he governs everything. Everything is here got it. Matter fact Colossians says that he holds everything together. He holds he keeps it from crumbling is what he does and he keeps your life from crumbly the events and circumstances. Although sometimes it seems like that life is falling apart that life is unfair. We lose a loved one or husband or wife walks out on us. We have a child tragically killed or dies. It seems that life is falling apart. Sometimes we do the right thing i e Joseph And we go from the frying pan to the fire.

It doesn't always turn out the way we want it to turn out at least in the short-term. Well, this is God's Providence. He's just controlling everything rent if you don't believe that. If you do not believe that then what's your your life is just going to be a bunch of random events and happenstance. And you going to say well it's luck and sent you a Christian. You'll say well as Christians we know there's no Christian luck. There's no luck. God governs everything circumstances events of men and angels. He's over at all. What I want to do today is show you his providential care and Joseph life in four ways in this chapter and then I'm going to give you five principles to live by so here's what we see the first and we have to go back to last week a little bit. We see Providence and Purity point one Providence and purity. We see that the Lord was with Joseph in verse 2 and I look what it says. It says Joseph was a successful man. He's a Slave. How can he be successful? So it says that he was a successful man. And so we see God's Providence in his life and then all the other person we read well potiphar he saw that he was with him and the Lord was with him and the Lord was with and it said it four or five times in the first 5 versus so we see God's Providence as Joseph maintains his faith in God despite his circumstances. Well, what's his reward will when you're faithful to God got to be faithful you want me? Did not true if I'm faithful to God, he's going to be faithful to me. I think that's true. So if I'm faithful then surely all to get rewarded. Well, what is Joseph reward for staying faithful and for taking care of Potiphar's house in for not falling for Miss potiphar and all that. She says to him day after day live with me lie with me lie with me. Remember the Bible said Joseph was handsome and good-looking. So what does Joseph get for that with his reward was prison? his reward was betrayal that was his reward so he gets a reward but it's not what we would expect we would expect Joseph faithfulness to be rewarded by God with what with Deliverance but that's not what we see. You see God in his Providence. He had other plans for Joseph. Well, not only do we see Providence and Purity. But secondly, we see Providence and passion. You see Joseph had to be enticed by someone. And God just happens to bring Miss potiphar into his life. You say God knew that Joseph needed to be in prison. If the King was going to notice Joseph and put him in second in command in Egypt. He could not stay there and Potiphar's house and be second-in-command. So God said I am going to devise a plan. I'm going to send you to prison and by sending Joseph the prison the king all the sudden recognizes Joseph cause he can interpret dreams and he puts him as Secretary of the State second-in-charge. The only way Joseph got there. He had to go to prison first. Let's see Joseph didn't know that He didn't know that just like we don't when things happen to us. We don't understand why bad things happen. But in God's plan where he is, he is orchestrating all events and circumstances. He sees the big picture but we don't and then when something when we act right, but then something bad happens we get all upset and sometimes we get angry God and we start questioning God and we just want to give up and quit because we can't see the big picture. God is working in Joseph life. Here. We see. Providence and passion Joseph was a man of integrity. He interpreted his situation in light of his moral character. If you want to say it like that, he refused the solicitation of Miss potiphar. He had good intentions and the events. However did not pan out the way Joseph would have liked but he maintained his Integrity none the less you see we don't do right just because the end will justify us doing right if Joseph would have said what I'm going to do, right and if I do right God is going to put me up give me another post higher than what I am. No, he did right and God brought him lower he put him into prison. You see it doesn't make sense. You see we do right? Not because we're looking for a reward from God we do right because God has called us to do right. That's why we do right? All right, so that brings us to our scripture today verses 13 through 23. So we see Providence and Purity Providence and passion. Now, let's read the scripture beginning and verse 13 and we're going to read down through verse 20 in the Bible says, it's not remember Miss potiphar had grabbed joke Joseph garment and he put on his running shoes and kid run out and all the sudden. She's standing there holding His Garment and this is where we pick it up and so it was March 13th when she saw that he had left His Garment in her hand in flat outside, then she called to the men of her house and spoke to them say see he is brought into US speaking of her husband a Hebrew to mock us or to laugh at us. He came into me to lie with me. Well, that's a lie you wanted to lie with him. But she's not going to tell the other men that and she said I cried out with a loud voice and it happened when he heard that I left in my voice and cried out that he left his garment with me. He's already started undressing and then he just flat out and went outside. 416 so she kept His Garment with her until his master came home. Then she stayed to him with words like these say it that Hebrew servant whom you brought the US came into me to mock me and so it happened as I lifted up my voice and cried out that he left his garment me and fled outside. Well, so it was when his master heard two were speaking to potiphar which is why I spoke to him saying your servant did to me after this manner that his anger was aroused Ben Joseph Master took him and put him into prison a place where the Kings prisoners were confined. And he was there in prison Joseph did right? And everything turned out wrong never done that to do the right thing and it just backfires on you and you start playing while I might as well just be like these heathens over here and just live like them. They have it better off and I do you ever notice people that never go to church sometime they live in the biggest house and drive the finest cars. They don't even think about God never even mentioned him or think about it yet. It just seems like they're they're just blessed all the time. And here I am we go to church and we preach and we teaching we tried to give money to the church and we do everything we know to do and we just live paycheck-to-paycheck can't have anyting. Goodnight, something. That doesn't seem right does it well that time of his reward if you remember when he did the right thing in chapter 37, what did his brothers do they kidnapped them and put them in a pit and sold him. So the first time he did what was right. He was sold into slavery in the second time that he did. What was right? In that sucked. I mean everything is going wrong. It seems for Joseph well. He did the right thing, but it looks like something evil happened to him. Well, this is Joseph award for faithfulness impurity, but Trail and getting thrown in to prison. Well number 3. We see God's Providence in prison. Providence and prison I've met men before when I used to work at Damascus home for men with alcohol and drug addiction that they had spent time in prison, and I had one tell me one time that best thing that ever happened to him was going to prison. He said that's the best thing that could ever happen. He said I was out of control in my life seeing addiction violence and everything. He said my life was spinning out of control. The only thing that was left for me to do was die. He said I got arrested and convicted. He said I got sent to prison and I found the Lord and now I'm saved. He said prison save my life is what he said. Well, I think about Jose. His life wouldn't following far. He had it going on pretty well. I think he was a slave yet. He was the head of Potiphar's house. He wasn't on the fast track to death and destruction. Joseph didn't need. He didn't need to be rescued from his situation. He didn't need that never less prism was exactly where he needed to be for God to fulfill his purpose and plan for his life. And he wouldn't know that but for about ten years later a decade God's Providence was still governing his steps. So he was did was right sold to slavery do what's right again betrayed do what's right again put in prison three rights, and he keeps going lower. so surely he's in prison. The Lord had just forgotten about him did not write well as look at what the Bible says in verses 21 to 23.

Well, he was put in prison verse 21. What's the first phrase say? But the Lord was with Joseph and that's something the Lord was with Joseph and showed him Mercy. And he gave not look at this. He gave him favor in the sight of The Keeper of the prison just like he had given him favor in the sight of potiphar. Look at verse 22 and The Keeper of the prison committed to Joseph hand all the prisoners who are in the prison just like potiphar had committed everything and whatever they did their it was in his doing now look at verse 23 The Keeper of the prison did not look into anything. That was under Joseph RT just like potiphar because the Lord was with him and whatever he did the Lord made it Prosper. You see no matter where you are this morning no matter how dire your circumstances are aren't you? Thankful that the Lord is with you. He's always with you no matter how it seems no matter your circumstances. He is with you and he's working these terrible horrible circumstances out for your good and His glory. We need to remember that this morning when life falls apart. When life is unfair, we need to remember that God. Is there just like he was in the life of Joseph. How can you miss this these repeated phrases? The Lord was with him. Again. The Providence of God is evident despite what appears to be disaster just disaster. But God Providence is all over God is working behind the scenes. Well number for

And I call this Providence and perplexity. Providence and perplexity you say what do you mean by that what I mean by that is this it's hard for us to understand what God is doing when our life is falling apart. Because we have always been instructed. At least I think so, we've always been instructed that if you do right if you do what God tells you to do. If you go to church if you read your Bible, and if you pray God is going to bless you. Well in the end he does. but in the meantime We may have to suffer horribly and we don't understand that because we think we'll when I do right? God's out to deliver me. Friends, that's just the kind of the Prosperity Gospel preaching God is in the process of delivering Joseph yet his circumstances continue to get worse. But God is putting him exactly where he needs to be to be blessed but it's going to be 10 15 20 years down the road and it does the same thing in our lives and so often and that's what I talk about these preachers who get up and preach these do good sermon do good. Do good. This these moral platitudes. If you do this do this do this. Don't go here. Don't do that. Don't do that God's going to bless you friend. Sometimes you can not do what you're not supposed to do and you can do what you supposed to do and your circumstances keep getting worse. It just happens that way but God is working and he is preparing this is his Providence and our perplexity. We just don't get it. We have just been conditioned to believe if I do what's right things are going to turn out right? We'll know you do what right? Sometimes. Your brother is a kidnap you and sometimes if you do what's right. People will betray you and sometimes if you do what's right, you may find yourself in prison. That's just that's just the truth of it all so in this chapter. What are some Prince I want to give you five here and I wish I would have known these 25-30 years ago. They would have helped me so much. We've got we going to put them up on the board here and we have them on the back of your bulletin. These are five principles. I see in this chapter for us to live by and to understand if you won't understand these principles you will be ahead of 99% of most Christians. So here's principle number one five principles to live by. Prosperity is not a matter of circumstance. but a matter of character I think of Joseph circumstances he was a slave he was bound to his master yet. The Bible says he was prosperous. The Bible says here that he was a successful man. You think of a man in prison a man? That's a slave you think about person that successful know. We don't think like that we have this idea in America that Prosperity is related to money and possessions the more you have the more prosperous. You are the more you have the more successful you are but prosperity in the eyes of God refers to character not money. That's what it refers to if we're true to the Lord and his word. The Bible says we are rich in the Lord. If we are in his will we have the assurance that all things are going to work together for good something that we definitely see in Joseph life. We just don't see it right now, but we know the end of the story. So it's been said that God doesn't do anything or allow anything to be done to us that we would not choose for ourselves. I think about that you think Joseph would have chose for himself to be thrown in prison. No, not unless he can see the big picture but we can't see it if we could see the event exactly as God does we would do the very same thing that God brings into my life, but say we can't see it Prosperity is not a matter of circumstances if we can see how everything fits together we would see how necessary some of our trials and tribulations circumstances disappointments and hurts are we would see that they're necessary for us necessary for us to go through that. So when scripture says that Joseph was successful Has nothing to do with his material possessions. It's not how much he had. He was successful because of how much of him God had. That's what God sees as successful Prosperity is not a matter of circumstance, but of character number 2. Obedience to God does not guarantee favor with men. Well this kind of goes back to the perplexity right here is where we leave the American dream right here. We've all heard stories like Bill Gates and Oprah and Michael Jordan and Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg how they just kind of grew up in Humble means and they say will you know, if you just have a little Ingenuity and a lot of hard work. If you get a break here in a break there you two can go from nothing to something and what do we tell our children all the time? We'll just work hard be honest do your best and in the end. It'll pay off in the Lord will reward you for your faithfulness. Well, I'm not saying we shouldn't say those things because they're true. They are true in the end. It will pay off. But God has given us an entire book in the Bible the Book of Proverbs. Dedicated to these types of sayings and expressions. But Joseph life is just as real in Michael Jordan's life. Joseph did the right thing and he didn't a send he descended you see a billion sometimes results in hardship. Sometimes by telling the truth. You can get fired from your job. Sometimes playing by the rules will get you the fourth-place medal and the cheaters win bronze and silver and gold. You know, there's a expression it says. Cheaters never win and winners never cheat. That's not true. That's just not true. Sometimes cheaters win. And sometimes I was about to play by the rules we lose. And sometimes refusing to go along with an adulterous can get you thrown in prison. Just like Joseph. I hope you know is in God's ultimate Justice in Providence. We know that for those who love God all things work together for good Romans chapter 8 in the key here is God's purpose not our purpose. And so we see that obedience to God does not guarantee favor with man number three.

perspective comes from seeing God in every circumstance We need to have the right perspective on our circumstances. We've we're told five different times in Genesis chapter 39 that the Lord was with Joseph but his circumstances kept getting worse. When the Great Joys I think of being a Christian is to know that God is with us that he's always there wherever we go, whatever circumstance where in he's with us we go to the end of the Earth. He's with us the Bible says he'll never leave us nor forsake us not think about this contrast that we're seeing here between Joseph and Judah remember Jude and chapter 38 just contrast these two brothers lives doodle has no commitment to God. He indulges in all sorts of sexual sin. Joseph remains close to God He runs from sexual Temptation and where does he end up in prison? Where did you do end up me just running around doing what he wants. Just doing what he wants to do. It's not a choice that most of us would make but the fact did God was with Joseph every step of the way every step of the way and Judah was on his own what circumstances would say. God has abandoned you Joseph know Joseph is exactly where he needs to be in the Bible keeps telling us that God was with him Judah had none of those things perspective comes when we see God in every circumstance when we know that he is there even though bad things are happening with life is unfair God is there we need to know that and we need to believe that number for

Righteousness is not always immediately rewarded Joseph did what was right thrown into jail thrown into prison. He does the right thing twice. He suffers both time, but God was still in charge and so sometimes part of the preparation for greatness.

And this is important. Whatever God is doing in your life and whatever you are going through now or whatever you have experienced. Sometimes God's School of preparation. He wants us to refrain from becoming bitter and angry at our circumstances. You're been angry at God. You ever been bitter because of something that happened in your life. I mean, we probably all have if we are we just can't see the big picture because everything that's happened has happened for good for our good and for his glory and what a great testimony to the world for us to do right and then go unrewarded and not a great testimony and still to trust in God if we can show the world that we've done right and yet we still suffer. What we're doing is we're illustrating the reality of our faith it takes courage to do right but it takes more courage not to whine about not being rewarded when we do right? That's what it takes Joseph set a good example for us there. He did write any waiting on God to bring the reward at God's proper time. Number one number 5 in will close.

Always remember that God is present with us even in the worst circumstances. Now, you know when I said this morning about that young. Family in Chatham County lost a husband and a dad and a 18 year old. But you know that that family is asked questions. Why why would you take them? God why did you do that? Why did you allow that to happen? God have you abandoned us? God where are you? Why did these terrible things happen? Well, I've stopped trying to answer that question for people. You can't answer. I can't see the big picture no more than anyone else. I don't pretend to know the answer to all those questions why tragedy happens? But I do know that God's Providence is about his purpose and not ours. It's about his purpose. Bible says the secret things belong to the Lord his ways are higher than our ways his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We can explain everything that God does. But this is what I know. I know that God was willing to crush and kill. Is sinless Sun? I know that he was willing to do that. For his own Glory.

And for our Salvation, I think of that he was willing to kill his son. So that you and I may live. So when we think of all the bad things that happened in our life, how can we fault God? When a flawed sinful person like me.

Log send for people like us who deserve death and hell if we have to endure some hardship in this life. And frowning Providence is from God in his uncomfortable Grace and we're on our way to inheriting glory and salvation. How could we get angry at that? How could we be angry and bitter if we just have to endure hardship when we know that we are on our way to inherit eternal life. How can we do that? You see Joseph Journey from potiphar to the prison.

and we need to understand this is an example and is a reminder that God does not always balance the scales in the Here and Now matter fact, sometimes he don't even tip them in our favor.

He does but he does work everything according to his counsel in his perfect purpose in wheel for our life and he uses uncomfortable Grace. To accomplish his redeeming work. In what God is trying to do is he's trying to get us all to this point right here. That we with Jobe can say this.

Though he slay me. Yet I will trust in him. Cho was going through just awful difficulty family gone everything destroyed help gone all his money taken away from him his wife's they won't do this curse God and that's what you ought to do. No, man could be an unlucky as you to suffer. Like you just Curse God and die. Joe said though. He slay me yet. I will trust in him friend. That's the place that we have to go there in lies our hope when we can trust God when life is unfair God. Is there a Men Let spray father we do. Thank you and praise you and love you today. For your word and for this chapter Lord is so important that we understand your Providence or we can explain why you do what you do and all the tragedy and hardship and suffering that occurs in this world. We know this because of sin. But when we see horrible things happen to those who are your children and we see people suffer Lord. It just seems like that. Sometimes you're nowhere around. Lord, thank you today for showing us. That you're always with us this year. You are directing the events and circumstances of life. For our good and for your glory Lord help us to accept that. Help us to understand that you are a loving God and then we're going to spend eternity with you. Thank you for your love your grace and your mercy forcing Christ name. I do pray. Amen.