A Gospel Response to difficulty

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Introduction

Children dismissed
It’s always great to be at church. I love being able to gather with you all. I’m looking forward to our family night where we can gather together and have our church family at home participate as well. We are observing the Lord’s supper that night and if you’d like to take part in that but can’t make it out, please use the digital worship guide and the announcements section to let us know and we will get you what you need.
We are working at making our website the central hub for all that we do. If you want to volunteer for something, if you want to let us know your attending something, it’s going to be through filling out a page on the site. This helps us keep the info all in one place and prayerfully not have anyone slip through the cracks. We are still developing our systems for these things as we grow so we can scale with the growth.
We are continuing in Genesis today and moving from Jacob to his favorite son Joseph today.
Joseph had a tough life that Ill highlight more as I preach. What was great about his difficulties was how he faced them and responded in a God honoring way that you will see has an enormous effect on not just our lives but on the lives of those around us.
How do you respond to difficulty? That’s the question I’d like for you to ask yourself today.
Follow along as I read please.
Genesis 45:4-8
Genesis 45:4–8 KJV 1900
4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
PRAY

I. Your Perspective on Life Depends on Your Belief about God.

Joseph has been through the ringer by this point in his life.
He was cast into a pit and sold into slavery by his brothers, then got to be the manager of his masters house, then went to prison because the lady of the house accused him of adultery, while in prison he gets forgotten about by a couple people he helps to get out, he also becomes the manager of the prison.
He hasn’t had it easy.
His life before slavery was great though. He was his fathers favorite son, he got the coat of many colors, and we really aren’t made aware of any difficulties he had.
Your life ever been that way? Everything is going fine and then all of a sudden BOOM…a phone call, text, meeting with the boss, changes your life.
That’s what happened with Joseph. Maybe it wasn’t something as big as being tossed into a pit and sold into slavery for you…maybe it was a spouse, maybe it was a child gone astray, maybe it was a medical issue, maybe it was a financial issue.
Whatever it was if you are here today and over the age of 13, you have faced a difficult time of life. Some worse than others.
It’s during those times that we find what we believe about God. Do we believe God is good? Then why do we think the reason something happens to us is so something bad can come from it?
Do we believe God is Sovereign? Then we know that what has happened to us was, at a minimum, allowed to by Him.
So if a Sovereign God allows for a bad thing to happen does that mean He is still good?
This leads to a question many have asked over time. Why does bad things happen to good people?
That’s a fair question. Let’s explore it biblically and then I want to ask you another question:
The premise we must choose to believe if we are asking the question, “why do bad things happen to good people” is that there are such things as good people.
Well…ever read this verse
Luke 18:19
Luke 18:19 KJV 1900
19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Wow. Now, here is the first gospel truth…we are not good. You are imperfect, you are a sinner. Only God is good. It’s because of how not good we are that we need a Savior, that’s Jesus.
So if Jesus says none of us are good then we cannot hold to the idea that bad things happen to good people.
Now we must ask a different question:
Why do good things happen to bad people?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63BsTpTMZkI&feature=emb_logo
Please include above link in digital worship guide outline as a hyperlink with the text “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
See, that’s the biblical perspective on our lives.
Now, does that mean God is up there just doling out bad things to happen to you because you deserve…absolutely not. Jesus took all of that on the cross. If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior then you can know that he bore your sin and took the punishment so you wouldn’t have to.
See, your perspective on life must be shaped by the Bible. Not your Bible shaped by your life.
Your perspective on life will be dependent upon what you believe about God. You will find what to believe about God in your Bible.
Too many people are finding what the believe about God based upon some religion or pop culture.
What do I mean by that? Well, if your a catholic you see God as this judgmental deity who is constantly waiting to punish you unless you repent and pay.
If your Mormon you see God as someone requiring your work to attain his greatest love.
If your Jehovah’s Witness you see God as separate from the Son and Holy Spirit. You see Him as someone who has only a select few that will be with Him for eternity in Heaven and you probably are not gonna make it.
but if you are a bible believer. You see God for the merciful, just, loving, jealous, good, and wrath having God that chose to send His Son to die for you because you are not worthy, but Jesus was. And instead of punishment on you, He freely gave His love to you in the form of Christ on the cross.
And that God, the one who allowed a discomfort and maybe even a tragedy into your life… didn’t do it because he hates you.
What I’m about to say is a hard truth to accept. I don’t want you to think it diminishes any tragedy or loss you have suffered, but this is a biblical view of trials.
James 1:2-3
James 1:2–3 KJV 1900
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Romans 5:3-5
Romans 5:3–5 KJV 1900
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Some of you in this room have went through some amazingly difficult times. I’m in awe of many of you and the trials you have faced and how you have remained faithful to the Lord.
It’s in those trials and tribulations that our faith in God can grow stronger. Many of you have told me stories where you faced difficulty but God got you through it. It’s through those experiences that you faith in God was strengthened.
When our faith in God is strengthened it helps our perspective on life.
Because your perspective on life depends on what you believe about God.

II. Your Belief about God affects those around you.

Joseph is at a highest point in his life. He is fulfilling a prophecy given to him in a dream of his brothers bowing down to him. These are the brothers that have thrown him into slavery. The brothers who are responsible, humanly speaking, for his time in prison. These are the ones that separated him from his father for all of these years that he will never get back.
Can you imagine being him in this moment?
What would you do? All of your pain and suffering in life could be laid at the feet of these men.
What would you do? Every bad day you had that had been filled with the thoughts, if they hadn’t done that I wouldn’t be here.
What would you do?!
What did Joseph do?
Gen 45:1-3
Genesis 45:1–3 KJV 1900
1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.
Gen 45:14-15
Genesis 45:14–15 KJV 1900
14 And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
Jacob cried and told them that he loved them and wanted them to bring Israel down to him.
In verse 3 you see the word troubled…that means terrified. In that one short sentence “I am Joseph,” their world was turned upside down.
Jospeh is often called a “picture of Christ” in the Old Testament. That means we find traits of Jesus in an allegorical way based upon the things Joseph did.
Well, here in this section, the impact of recognizing and discovering who Joesph is is one of those allegorical pictures.
When we realize who Jesus is, we can be troubled. It’s a realization of sin. A realization of guilt and the need for Jesus in our lives. That could be terrifying.
John Phillips says it this way
“ The revelation of Jesus to a human heart is bound to awaken thoughts of sin. The first work of the Holy Spirit in a human soul is the work of conviction (John 16:7–11). Salvation is not a matter of raising one’s hand in a meeting for prayer, or walking down an aisle; it is a matter of facing up to personal guilt expressed in a lifelong rejection of Christ. There can be no true conversion without conviction.”
We feel that conviction and then once we respond by faith to Jesus we get the same response the brothers received.
He told them not to be grieved or angry with themselves over what they did.
WHAT!?!?! Don’t be grieved or angry?
Joseph is the one who should be angry. He should be upset at the circumstances of his life and all that happened to him. Jospeh should be furious and ready to throw bows with these guys. That’s not what he does though is it?
He loves on them. He forgives them. He blesses them in such a great way that you would think nothing ever happened.
How was he able to do that?
Because Joseph saw that the bad things that had happened in his life, God intended for good.
This is the Old Testament equivalent of
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:28 KJV 1900
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Now, I want to first say that balancing the sovereignty of God and free will of man is a tight rope we all walk and sometimes get it right and sometimes don’t.
I’m not going to dive into all of that right now but will give you a surface level explanation of where I currently stand on the issue.
God’s will for our lives, biblically speaking is two or three fold.
First
2 Peter 3:9
2 Peter 3:9 KJV 1900
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Second
Isaiah 43:7
Isaiah 43:7 KJV 1900
7 Even every one that is called by my name: For I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
Third
Matthew 28:19-20
Matthew 28:19–20 KJV 1900
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
While listed in numerical order I do not believe there is a more important or less important. I believe they are all on the same level.
The Bible says in these three passages and I believe is coo-berated with others throughout scripture that God’s overall will for us is to be saved, glorify Him, and tell others about Him.
As you go through difficulty, I’m not telling you to not process what has happened. You need to grieve, you need to feel the emotions attached to your circumstances. It’s not wrong to have emotion, it is wrong to be driven by emotion, but feeling emotion makes you human.
Feel your anger, feel your grief, and then go to God.
When we cast all of our cares on Him we don’t stop experiencing the effects of them. We see them and respond to them with a different perspective.
How can we get to this point?
First I want you to know that if you wait until tragedy comes to determine how you will respond, you will most likely find yourself struggling to respond in the spirit. Why? Because we are bent towards sin.
Greg Koukl, a Christian apologist and author wrote an article highlighting a couples tragedy of the loss of a child and their response concluded his remarks with this in 2013:
https://www.str.org/w/how-christians-can-deal-with-tragedy
^^^Please place the above in the digital outline
The observation of my own life—and I think this is something the Mammens would agree with in the trial they’re facing right now—is that God doesn’t usually rescue us out of troubles, but rescues us in them, rescues us through them. Sometimes He does rescue us out of it by some sovereign act of grace. But generally, that doesn’t happen. By His sovereign act of grace, He rescues us through it. And when we look back on it after it’s over, we say, “I’d never want to go through that again.” But isn’t it true that most of the time we look back and say, “I’m glad I did go through it for what God did in me in the midst of that”? And that’s the way He rescues us.
It’s a good thing before trials come to put our thoughts in proper order about how to deal with difficulties and tragedies that God allows in our lives, and not to let them shake us from what the Truth is, if we are in possession of it.
Joseph knew God in such a way before he suffered that he was able to respond appropriately when he suffered.
Most that have lived long lives know that life happens in seasons. Some good and some bad. During the good times its easy for us to trust God but during the hard times…that’s when we find out who we are and what we believe.
And how we respond to tragedy, how we respond to mistreatment, how we respond to the circumstances in life effects more than just us. It affects those around us.
Joseph ability to respond to such heinous acts resulted in his family being restored and cared for during a famine.
Job’s ability to respond as he did gave us the book of Job and the source many Christians turn to when tragedy strikes.
God’s work in the hearts of these men and their yielding to Him show that even through the darkest events of our life we can come out the other side worshipping God. Testifying of his greatness. Spreading the gospel. Bringing Him glory.
I’m not telling you that’s easy. I’m telling you its possible. I’m not telling you that because you trusted Christ this is an immediate response and you a bad person if you don’t. As we saw earlier, your not a good person anyway.
This perspective, this outlook, that I admit I can’t guarantee I would have if tragedy struck, is one that comes from knowing God, understanding His love, humbling ourselves before Him, and willing to have our lives be used for His glory.
Why is this important? Why should we conduct ourselves in such a way? Because when we do, it is the ultimate form of what John the Baptist said about Jesus coming
John 3:30
John 3:30 KJV 1900
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
We humble ourselves to exalt and lift Him up.
Because

III. Those around you need to know Jesus, not you.

When we face tragedy we begin to look inward. We begin to see only what is happening to us as though it is not taking place in anyone else’s life. We begin to think we are alone.
The truth is we are not alone. If you are here today you have a pastor who will happily take your call at anytime of day if you need me. I can’t always promise I’ll wake up in the middle of the night because I’m a hard sleeper but I can promise I’ll get in touch with you as soon as I can.
More importantly, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are never alone. There is a great old song by that tile and it proclaims the truth of
Deut 31:6
Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV 1900
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13:5
Hebrews 13:5 KJV 1900
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
You always have the Lord with you. But your ability to lean on Him in difficulty depends on how well you know him when things are easy. Which as we saw last week, to know God we need to be alone with God.
Why is that so important to dealing with difficulties or life in general?
Matthew 15:18
Matthew 15:18 KJV 1900
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Because what you are allowing to influence your heart, will impact what comes out of your mouth. What comes out of your mouth will impact those around you. When you spend time alone with God you are allowing Him to pour into your heart so that you may pour out
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:
These are the fruits of the spirit. They are evidenced in our life as we seek after God and yield to Him. Not by you trying harder at them.
In living for the glory of God and the sake of the gospel, we should strive for our response to life’s circumstances to point others to Christ. Because while we may be able to gain sympathy for a situation and relate to others facing difficulty to help them through…there is no one who can help them or us, like Jesus can.
Let me get real practical with you as I close.
When you must respond to tragedy, to difficult circumstances, to mistreatment by others, I encourage you to take the following action:
Pray. Seek God. Pray not just for yourself and your response, pray for all involved. Pray for wisdom, discernment, understanding, compassion, and a love for anyone who has hurt you. Pray for your ability to process the emotions you face in a God honoring way.
Guard your heart.
Prov 4:23
Proverbs 4:23 KJV 1900
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.
Before you engage in any other way, guard your own heart from your own frustrations, agendas, or biases. Ask yourself, "Why do I feel the way I do about this?" The point is, we are meant to feel the heart of God when such things happen. Our response is not based on frustration toward systems or issues. Nor is it an opportunity to condemn the sin of the world. Our response is deep, loving compassion. See what God sees. Hear what God hears. Feel what God feels. Display these things through your words and actions.
3. Grieve
Rom 12:15
Romans 12:15 KJV 1900
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Process your emotions. Grief, anger, sense of loss, whatever it may be that comes with the difficulty…then
4. Proclaim hope
Rom 1:4
Romans 1:4 KJV 1900
4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Once we come through the tragedy and reach the other side, it is then that we can proclaim the hope of Jesus to others that we can have an influence on.
5. Do Something
Acts 20:35
Acts 20:35 KJV 1900
35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
In my opinion, the quickest way to recover from a tragedy, is to turn your attention to others in need. Whether that’s related to your tragedy or just in general.
Seek to help others so that you may Glorify God, Preach the Gospel, and see them come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Why? because the greatest pandemic that our world, our nation, our state, and our community faces is not COVID, it is sin. And the only answer for sin, is Jesus. What are you doing to help others overcome sin, by faith in Christ?

Time of Response

Each of you have gone through difficulty. Each of you have had troubles in life.
Each of you will face a difficulty or tragedy at some point. How will you respond? Will you respond like Joseph? Will you be able to exalt Christ in your difficulty and be a blessing to others?
You could be here today and you’ve went through tragedy. You have faced difficulties without God. You’ve struggled to overcome what has happened to you.
All of what I have said today starts with a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Are you here this morning or listening online and not sure if you have a relationship with God? What I’ve said today doesn’t make sense to you. Maybe you don’t know if your saved and on your way to heaven.
The Bible says that when we believe by faith in Jesus, we are saved.
John 3:16 KJV 190016 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God does love you. Loves you so much He sent Jesus to die for you.
Now you are faced with a decision…will you continue finding salvation in your own works or in the finished work of Christ?
Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 19008 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Your first have to admit your sinner
Romans 3:23 KJV 190023 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
I’m sure each of us could do that.Next you believe
Romans 10:9 KJV 19009 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Then confess. Confess Jesus as your Savior and call out to Him
Romans 10:13 KJV 190013 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
IF you’d like to do that today I’d like to help.
“Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner, I believe you came to die on the cross and rose from the dead. I put my faith right now in you and ask you to come into my life and change me from the inside out. Amen.”
Christians, respond appropriately to tragedy and difficulty. See God do great things through you when you humbly yield to Him.
PRAY
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