Genesis #35: The Life - Having What It Takes

4:00Way Maker

Gathering

2:00Welcome - Ed Lynerd

2:00Prayer of Adoration and Confession

3:00Holy Holy Holy (Nicaea)

2:00Announcements - Stewardship

Today we gather for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost to worship God as a community of faith. We gather here at Rock Hall because they are today, kicking off a year long Bicentennial Celebration. For 200 years there has been a church here on Main street. We aren’t sure how long before that, at least i’m not, we might find that out later. And finally we gather as neighbors to thank God and remember those who gave their lives for our nation. That we might never forget that freedom isn’t free. It wasn’t for us to be free from our sins, it cost Jesus his life and it isn’t for us a nation that men and women line up to serve, knowing that service may cost them everything. For that we gather to remember and honor them this weekend.

I’d invite you to use our online worship program. You can find that on our website, if you have a smart phone with you. You can find that at worship.yourrhc.com

4:00It Is Well

4:00Prayer of Intercession - Memorial Day … healing… Lost

200th Anniversary

4:00Choir Anthem

Proclamation

20:00Sermon: The Life - Having what it takes

2:00Next Steps

Response

8:34The Blessing

1:00Prayer of Thanksgiving

2:00Benediction

Memorial Day prayer

Father, today we pause to reflect on the sacrifice made by those who paid the ultimate price on behalf of our nation. We pray that their sacrifices are never forgotten, nor is the pain of their families.

We acknowledge that freedom comes at a cost and pray that we can pursue peace. We hope that, someday, we'll celebrate Memorial Day as just a memory of the time before we started living the peaceful existence You intended for us since the beginning of creation.

Let us turn to You, Lord, in our grief and in our remembrance of the fallen. Guide us toward a harmonious existence as we honor those who were willing to give up their lives that we may gather here today freely.

On this Memorial Day, we pray for peace and for those who gave all. Lead us toward a world where no one must give their lives in pursuit of freedom. May we be receptive to Your guidance, and may we never forget the fallen. Amen.

Having What It Takes

There are a few statements that are really discouraging to hear as when you see someone having going through a tough time and you hear them say… I don’t see the purpose?

We can be talking about troubles in marriage or their finances; But most disappointing is when people are talking about their faith. When they say I don’t see the purpose in all this spiritual stuff I have been doing, I think I’m just going to stop.

It’s really a cry of hopelessness. Nothing is much more saddening than seeing someone losing hope.

What’s the point?

All this struggle isn’t worth it, no one is helping, I”m exhausted. I keep doing the right things, I’m praying, I’m coming to church, but it just doesn’t seem to make a difference.

As a pastor, it saddens me to hear someone say “I don’t see the purpose.”

That’s why I love watching military movies or documentaries. To see what a individuals or groups can do once they have clarity on understanding their purpose is amazing.

One of my favorites is UNBROKEN. It was the story of Louis Zamporini. An unbelievable story of the strength and confidence that faith can give a person.

Another of my favorites that I was just watching the other night BAND OF BROTHERS, in one part of the series, Airborne Command gave Easy Company a mission to cross a river and grab some german pow’s from an observation post. I don’t know much about that sort of mission, but to everyone in Easy Company, it seemed like a pointless mission. 15 men went the first night… and were met with extreme resistance, one of their men was killed by his own grenade, but they did bring back 2 prisoners. Airborne Command thought it was a wonderful accomplishment; so great that they were told to go back again the next night, only this time their company commander, realizing that it was a pointless mission, told them to stay home… refusing the order. They weren’t willing to lose more because the mission wasn’t worth the lives of their men.

Sometimes we too decide the difficulty isn’t worth the mission; but for us its rarely a matter of life or death.

This Memorial day weekend brings us in our THE LIFE message series to a story in the life of Joseph where I don’t see the purpose should be asked because he is going through it and it doesn’t seem to make sense because he’s not doing anything wrong… in fact you are probably familiar with the story and he is doing everything he is supposed to do, yet it seems circumstances keep working against him. But he keeps going.

What does it take to keep going in the face of what seems to be senseless struggle? What does it take and how can we have what it takes for going through the things that we have to go through today?

You see, I none of us like to be uncomfortable. None of us want to struggle. But still… we don’t think people hate pain and struggle. I know you don’t because some of you have done some very hard things. But I do believe believe people hate pain and struggle without a purpose.

That’s why when bad happens, when you total your car; when your boyfriend breaks up; your spouse leaves; when you get a positive test; when any of that happens we ask… WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

We want a reason… and without a reason we proclaim LIFE ISN’T FAIR!

It’s not just difficulty, it’s difficulty without purpose.

One of my favorite movies… is Saving Private Ryan

In it there is this scene where the movie takes a turn. If you haven’t seen it, a squad of soldiers have been sent off to find a paratrooper after D-day. They are looking for him to get him home because his 3 brothers were killed in battle. Generals want to get him home to his mother, so they send off this squad. Along the way, they lose one of their friends, actually their medic and it leads to them arguing and fighting amongst themselves because this mission they are on seems pointless to them. Then their leader, Captain Miller, Tom Hanks, says:

I don’t know who this Private Ryan is… and I don’t care, but if finding him and getting him home if that gives me the right to get back to my wife, then...... that’s my mission.

Understanding and accepting that there is a purpose for our suffering for our pain makes it bearable.

The fact is people can endure a lot of pain if we understand the point of it.

Think about it.

Athletes training for competition.

Beating an addiction

Childbirth

Soldiers and the ravages of war which this weekend we honor those who have given for us.

We can endure if we understand the purpose.

What we need to find is the purpose in our difficulties.

Then you will have what it takes, what ever comes your way.

Let’s pray.

In Today’s text Genesis 39, we find a story of exactly this very thing.

Tell the story of

Genesis 39

Joseph… sold as a slave by his brothers

The slave traders sell him to Potiphar an official of Pharoah.

Put him to work and he was great. He was the best slave in the bunch. So much so that Potiphar put him in charge of everything and Potiphar prospered because of Joseph.

Then one day, Potiphar’s wife began to notice Joseph too. “Come to bed with me”

She was trying to leverage her power over Joseph.

But he refused her, pledging allegiance to her husband and to God.

She grabbed him and he ran away, leaving his coat behind. When her husband comes home she accuses him… that slave you brought home… he tried to rape me.

Potiphar was furious, understandably. but instead of killing him on the spot, he had him put in prison.

And can you imagine what happens? Once again Joseph was put in charge of all those held in the prison, he was made responsible for all that was done there… the chapter closes with

Genesis 39:23 NIV

23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

Now if it were us, we might be tempted to think… well if the Lord is with me, why am I in prison? Why is all this terrible stuff happening? Why God? Where are you? Why me?

But Joseph never seemed to question it.

Joseph refused bitterness.

We never see him being resentful, even though he had every reason to be. His brothers… when he was just doing what his father told him. He refused to dishonor his master Potiphar or God, yet he was punished all the same; all the while, he never seemed to be in doubt that God was at work.

Job 2:9–10 NIV

9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Ephesians 4:30-32

Hebrews 12:15 NIV

15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Joseph got busy.

He knew what we proclaim ever week that God had a purpose for him being there. While he may not understand, he accepted that he had gifts to be used right there, right then.

He was too busy doing

1 Corinthians 7:17 NIV

17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.

1 Corinthians 7:20 NIV

20 Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

1 Corinthians 7:24 NIV

24 Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

Philippians 4:12–13 NIV

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

That thing God was up to is what God does in us. Its called sanctification. What we mean when we talk about becoming more like Jesus.

God was at work in Joseph to teach him humility… how many of us need more of that? God sought to teach him to serve, a good thing to learn. God taught him to use his gifts, and lets face it, Joseph was a gifted administrator, its clear, but he needed to learn to use it to rely on God regardless of his circumstances.

Joseph focused on process.

Joseph focused on process not outcomes.

God had given him a vision of what was ahead, he would trust God to bring it about. he would focus on doing the right thing right now.

Look at how Psalms describes what he went through.

Psalm 105:17–22 NIV

17 and he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave. 18 They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, 19 till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. 20 The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. 21 He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, 22 to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.

Weather it was as a slave, serving his master. If it was as a man faced with temptation. If it was as a prisoner serving his jailers. What was the right thing to do.

1 Peter 4:12–19 NIV

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

The truth of it is, if we get caught up looking at outcomes, we might miss what is really being accomplished in our lives, because what looks like a setback often becomes a setup for what comes next; and we don’t always know what that might be.

God’s desire is to make us more Christlike, one step at a time. That’s God’s process, and his process sometimes looks like failure.

Sanctification sometimes looks like failure.

Knowing that we hated failure and might be tempted to give up, God sometimes gives us a glimpse of the future. That’s why the Lord had given Joseph dreams… to let him know where he was headed regardless of his present situation.

That’s the same thing Jesus did in Matthew 13 when he told Peter that he would be instrumental part of what Jesus was doing, then in Luke 22 when Jesus told him:

Luke 22:31–32 NIV

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus knew Peter would—Fail—Doubt—Cower—Deny Jesus!

Jesus also knew Peter would turn back—STRONGER!

It wouldn’t crush Peter, but refine him.

That’s what was happening to Joseph in his difficulties; God is looking to refine him.

That’s what God is doing when we go through difficulties; so let’s take holy perspective.

A Holy Perspective

What do I mean by a holy perspective?

Romans 8:28 NIV

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

When we look at this world, it’s all we see, it’s all we know. We have limited understanding. Not God. As scripture says, his ways are higher.

When I say get a holy perspective, I don’t mean try to see things like God sees them.... because you can’t. What I mean is to trust God. Trust his love, trust his presence, trust his purpose. Trust God more than you trust your emotions. Because your emotions are limited to your understanding.

A holy perspective: Not according to my discomfort, or my frustration, or my whatever... but according to his purpose.

Don’t have to see it, but choose to believe it by faith.

Joseph was a normal person who had a holy perspective on life. He knew he was a slave, yet God was with him; he knew he was being tempted, but God was with him; he knew he was a prisoner, but God was with him. Did he see God, know, but by faith he believed it.

God’s presence in his life was as real as the hair on his head.

A few years ago, I remember i was in a season of ministry that was really hard. I felt alone, depressed. Nothing seemed to work - everything was a struggle. I shared this with a friend who listened to me then asked me to tell them again why I got into ministry in the first place.

I told the story again and I remembered that I felt compelled to be a part of bringing healing to families, to lead the church to reclaim the position of spiritual influence in our communities.

Could I do that? No way, but by faith I believe that God wants to work through me.

What it takes is God with us… and guess what, you have what it takes.

You have what it takes

When you are faced with difficulty, remember you have what it takes, the Lord is with you and in this he is trying to do something great in you and through you. It may be hard, but maybe this is a season to

Spend time with family - to build up

Invest in your marriage—Devil wants to attack—Guard up!

Launch ministry—Business!

Shake you out of spiritual complacency—Surrender!

I’ve said before that God never wastes a hurt!

God wants to use your pain—Hurt—Fear—Uncertainty—Bring about good!

How can he do that? I’m not God I can only imagine what he is doing through you; but what I know is that it does us no good to look at our lives through our problems.

What I’ve lost, what is difficult, how things aren’t fair.

Seeing problems from a perspective of meaning!

Purpose in our problems!

Joy set before him—Endured the cross!

How did Jesus endure cross—a Holy Perspective