How to Deal with Tough Times

I. Introduction

Would you please get your copy of God’s Word…and go ahead and turn to Genesis Chapter 21. We’re going to ultimately be looking at verses 1-21, but we won’t be looking at all of that at once....first we’ll look at verses 1-8, then we will look at 9-21 a little bit later in the message.

We’re talking this morning about how to deal with tough times. I don’t know about you, but sometimes, life can REALLY get you down. I know some people think that Christians aren’t ever supposed to have a bad day, but that’s simply nonsense isn’t it? We all have hard times....we all have seasons of trials that we go through.

I don’t know, maybe some of YOU are going through some tough times. I think of our good brother and sister Jeff and Sharon....they are home now and they are so glad to be, but they have REALLY been through the wringer haven’t they? I think of Mrs. Sally and how ill she was not that long ago…and SO MANY others who have been sick.

I think of my brother and how hard of a time the V.A. has been giving him about getting a home loan....the government is just grand, ain’t it, yall?

I know people having terrible relationship problems as we speak. They are overcoming trust issues with their spouse…I know folks who raised their kids to love the Lord, but those children have become rebellious and are causing problems now for the family....staying in trouble....and I’m telling you, that can happen to the BEST of families can’t it?

I know people overcoming drug addiction....alcaholism....and even addictions to pornography...

I know people who have been in trouble with the law and now they want to try to put the pieces of their life back together....and they’re having a hard time finding work because many folks won’t hire a person with a past....Boy I’m glad God’ll forgive a man with a past even if man won’t, amen?

I know people having terrible financial issues right now....they are barely making ends meet....they are barely holding on.

People are having tough times…and friend, I’m telling you this morning that if you aren’t having tough times at this moment thank God....but I bet you can remember a time when you did go through some hard stuff....and I can assure you: chances are....you’re going to have hard times again in the future....that’s just the way life is in this fallen world, isn’t it?

We have good times....and we have tough times.

The question is: How should Christian people handle these hard times?

Well if two people understood tough times, they were Abraham and Sarah. You’ll remember a while back, Abraham and Sarah wanted to have children....and they were unsuccessful. They made a bad decision....they got a ahead of God and Abraham had a child, Ishmael, with a servant girl named Hagar....and it was wrong, and it caused a lot of problems....

But despit their sin, God still kept his promise to them to have a biological son, and that happens right here in this story…so let’s get right to it, shall we?

a. Scripture: Genesis 21:1-8

Please keep your finger there in that chapter because we will be back to read a few more verses in a little bit.

I’m going to ask you to stand with me, if you are able, as we read from God’s Holy, Perfect, Sufficient and inerrant Word.

<Pray>

Thank you, and you may be seated.

II. Major Points

Tough Times are Around the Corner

The Only Way to Happiness is Obedience

Let God Deal with the Details

III. Point #1: Tough Times are Around the Corner

Explanation - As we learned earlier, Abraham and Sarah made a huge mistake. They got ahead of God. Abraham had a child with Hagar, the servant girl....and his name was Ishmael. We believe, and Muslims also believe for that matter, that Ishmael is the ancestor of most non-Jewish Arabic people. This terrible mistake has caused a divide in the Middle-Eastern world that has persisted even until the present day. The Jews, the descendants of Isaac, and the Arabs (who are mostly Muslim today) the descendants of Ishmael kill eachother in war every single day as they have for thousands of years. Sin has implications, doesn’t it?

Despite their sin, Abraham and Sarah do try to be obedient....but I want you to see somethings here. Abraham and Sarah had seen their fair share of tough times and tests:

A. Abraham was tested by his own father:

Genesis 11:31 (NASB95)

31 Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there.

Abram had been newly married to Sarai and then Terah, Abraham’s father, just up and moved the entire family to Haran....The Bible doesn’t tell us WHY Terah made this decision, but we do know that Haran was a pagan city filled with idolatry....so that was a test…they had to navigate that new pagan world and Terah died there…so Abraham becomes head of the family…and he is tested in how he will react to this situation.....He knew testing.

B. Abraham had been tested by his nephew Lot....remember back in Chapter 13 when Abraham and Lot found that the land they were in would not support both of their families? They had to part ways....they probably thought they’d never see eachother again. Don’t you imagine that was hard? Then in Chapter 14, Lot gets himself captured by a pagan King....and Abraham is tested again…Abraham has to go on a rescue mission and save Lot.....Oh Abraham knew testing didn’t he?

C. Abraham was tested by his wife....When Sarah suggested this crazy idea that he should have a baby with the servant girl....that was a test....and he failed that one!

D. Now....they continue to deal with being unable to have children. There are many people in this very room who know the heartache of being unable to have children or not being able to have MORE children when you desire to. That is a very real test.

Illustration I believe in being as open with you all as I can be…the reason is: if I keep it to myself, how in the world can you ever pray for me? Like, I understand that some of yall are very personal people, and I respect that.....but I have to confess to you that when somebody says “I have an unspoken prayer request” I am never quite sure how to pray for it....we always say “Well God, we know you know the need…please take care of it”....but you know, I think the Bible says we should bring our requests before God and be specific with what burdens our hearts.

And I have shared with many of you that Hannah and I have been trying to have children from quite a while now....and we have been unsuccessful. And I’ll be real with you: it hurts. Because I see these people out there having 7 or 8 children they couldn’t possibly care less about....they don’t even know who their daddies are....no involvement in their lives....no love for those children....the mama’s couldn’t care less....and it makes me SICK. Because here I am wanting to be a dad with a beautiful loving wife and all we want is to give a child a home....and those sickening good for nothing’s can....and we’re haing such a difficult time....it doesn’t seem fair, does it?

And I know so many of you who went through the same thing....I know so many of you who have had miscarriages....it’s heartbreaking.

Tough times....amen? We’ve all had them....

Application

You know as I reflect on our journey…and how we have even been looking seriously into adoption, I think about ole’ Abraham and Sarah....I know what it’s like to have some well-meaning person say “well yall better hurry up or it’s gonna be too late!” Like I say, I know that person meant well, but when we’ve been trying for years already, gee thanks alot, that’s just what my poor wife needs to hear, right? As if she’s not ALREADY stressed about it.

Here are Abraham and Sarah, they were REALLY past their prime weren’t they? Abraham was nearly 90 when Ishmael was born....boy....I can’t imagine how that poor guy and how Sarah must have been feeling.

Tough times come, don’t they? They just do. They come for all of us, no matter who we are.

The question is: Is there a Christian way to handle tough times and tough situations? I’m happy to tell you yes....the Bible gives us a couple of things in this story…the first is Point Number 2:

IV. Point #2: The Only Way to Happiness is Obedience

Explanation After the events with Hagar and Ishmael, God STILL kept His promise that Abraham and Sarah would have a biological child. Does this surprise anybody?

You know, I think a lot of times folks try to make out the God of the Old Testament like He was too cruel or that He had no heart....that he was a merciless tyrant…and that the coming of Jesus somehow softened His heart.....but look at this situation here: Abraham and Sarah did something terrible....they didn’t trust the Lord....and they deliberately had Abraham commit an act of adultery. Terrible sin....but yet God....who had promise dthem a son....delivere don that promise anyway....isn’t that wonderful?

I’m glad loves failures who mess up like Abraham and Sarah don’t you? Because that means He still loves failures like me and you.

I want you to see something....do you remember what happened when Sarah was first told she would have a child? Genesis 18:12 says that when she heard this, she did what? She…laughed! And God heard her and called her out, didn’t he?....now watch this, this is so cool to me…this is how God works. At the age of 100, Abraham became a daddy to a newborn baby named Isaac....now listen to verse 6:

Genesis 21:6 (NASB95)

Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

When she heard she would have a baby as an old woman....she…laughed....as in, she scoffed....it seemed ridculous…even funny to her....now....as ene even OLDER woman....she actually bears the child....and what does she do? She....laughs. But this is a different laugh....This is a laugh of joy!

You ever been so overwhelmed with happiness that you couldn’t help but smile and laugh? That’s how Sarah felt....

In fact....do you know what the name Isaac means in Hebrew?....It means “Yahweh/God is laughing Now.”

Sarah laughed AT God....who’s laughing now? God....

God always gets the last laugh.

But I want you to pay attention here to what Abraham did immediately after Isaac was born…Look at verse 4:

Genesis 21:4 (NASB95)

Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

What was Abraham’s response? Obedience.

Application Folks....the first response to hard times should also be the first response in easy times: obedience. Just do what God says.

Becuase you see, when times were tough and Abraham and Sarah had no kids....their response was DISobedience. And what did that lead to? Abraham getting another woman preganant....and disaster came after that.

Now that things are good....Isaac has been born....Sarah’s happy....NOW Abraham reacts with obedience....doing the circumcision on the 8th day like God told him to.

You see, it’s EASY to obey God when things are good....but the true tests come during the difficult times. Can you be just as obedient when things are going wrong as you are when things are going well?

If you want to find happiness and relief in those difficult times, that is the first step. Your happiness is found in your obedience because you were created by God to be obedient.

Church: we need to be obedient when things are good and bad. If you can be obedient to god when you get laid off, He’ll certainly bless you when you are obedient when you get a raise at work.

If you be obedient with a little, God can trust you to be obedient with a lot.

It’s simple. Now that’s not a promise that if you are obedient during hard times that God will make you rich or something....I am just saying that God expects your love and obedience at all times. It is the only real key to real happiness in this life.

V. Point #3: Let God Deal with the Details

Explanation Let’s very quickly read verses 9-21 as Abraham faces yet another Tough Time following this good thing happening with Isaac being born...

<read 21:9-21>

So what just happened here....Sarah can no longer handle the sight of Hagar in her home. And let’s be clear here: It was NOT Hagar’s fault. She was a servant....the equivalent of slave. She was doing what she was told to do....her life could have been in danger if she had refused her master in those days....So to be clear, Sarah didn’t like the sight of Hagar because of her own guilt....so she lashes out....and wants both Hagar and Ishmael out of the house.

Now verse 11 tells us, this distresses Abraham....Ishmael may have been born out of wedlock, but he was still Abraham’s son. So Abraham is deeply troubled by this....so God steps in and tells him what to do....He says go ahead and send them away…and he does more than that: God promises to look after Ishmael.

And he does, doesn’t He? They go out to the wilderness and God rescues them....Hagar thought they were going to die there....and God provides a well for them....then they move on…Ishmeal gets married…and is the father of the Arabs…a father of great nations, just as God had promised.

Abraham had to learn a valuable painful lesson here as he let his first born son go: Be obedient…and then let God handle the details.

Illustration Have you ever been in a difficult situation that just sort of....worked itself out? It’s funny how that happens sometimes isn’t it?

You know…I’ve often told you the story of how God put me and Hannah here at Morningside. It was all God....I really believe that. Hannah and I were living in a trailor over in Claxton....I had left a very difficult church I had pastored for two years....then I was Associate Pastor for a church. At the time, the church couldn’t afford to pay me because they were in a bad situation....but I stuck with them because God put me there....at the time, me and Hannah only had Bachelor’s degrees…so we weren’t making much money…our trailor was falling apart....I remember in July, even with the air on full-blast, it was 88 degrees in that place in the middle of the day....and those of you who know me know that was torture....Our tub was dry-rotted and had a hole in the bottom....the neighbors’ dogs had fleas and they wouldn’t take care of it....we’d spray the yard and those things would still be back in a week or so. There was a mean lady up the road scared of Bruce…so we had to put him on a chain, which I hated so bad....

Yall it was terrible....but we lived there, paying rent for three years....

I finished my first seminary degree…and Hannah and I prayed about maybe moving one day....and one day....Louis Pearce called me…he said I want you to go meet these people at Morningside....

The rest is history....We were in a bad spot....but God worked it all out. We’ve been here going on five years now…6 Years ago I was in a flea-bag trailer....now we live over here in this wonderful place with our Morningside family and we love it so much....I didn’t know how we’d get out of that place....but God handled the details.

I’ll be honest, I was a little scared to apply at another church the one before we were in Claxton hurt us so bad....Hannah didn’t want me to....she was scared I’d get chewed up and spat out again....She saw it…she was there....but I asked her to pray about it....and we put it in His hands…and I’m telling you, He set all this up.

Application Church: When you’re going through tough times....and you will....just remember: You can’t control the situation....You can only do what you an do....and then....you have to trust Him.

Be obedient....and then leave those details up to Him. He’ll work it out.

VI. Conclusion

a. I don’t know what you’re going through out there....some of you I actually do know....but for the rest of you, I know something is probably bothering you. Maybe something small....maybe you’re OK just right now....but remember this: You ALWAYS can trust Him....you can ALWAYS leave the details up to Him. Leave thos financial burdesn, relationship problems…work problems…I don’t know! Whatever it is....leave it with Him. Be obedient…and leave the results up to Him.

b. Let’s Pray