How many of you have ever been in a difficult situation?
Raise your hand..
Wow, quite a few of you...
So as you can see, being a Christian, is not a get out of adversity free card.
Isn't that true?
Often times, it seems that the intensity of our trials increase when we become a Christian.
Can I get a witness?
But you can't know how good God is, how much power God has, how sufficient his grace is, unless you go through difficult times. You don't know that you can count on God to come through until you reach the end of yourself and you have no one to count on except God. Then you learn something about the awesome God that you worship. You know when you get into that trial, you get in those storms, your anchor holds.
It is through our times of trial, we learn the four basic principles of our theology on adversity:
God is able.
God is unlimited.
God is all powerful.
God can do anything.
Say that with me:
God is able.
God is unlimited.
God is all powerful.
God can do anything.
Can I get an AMEN!?
I don't care what's wrong with you.
I don't care what your situation is.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!
Say that with me:
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!
Over the years, I've had many people ask me..
Pastor,
I've been praying.. and praying, for years, and nothing!
God hasn't answered my prayers, is it time to quit?
When is it time to give up hope?
My response is always the same:
It's time to stop praying for a miracle..
It's time to give up hope, when one of two things occur..
When God dies or you do!
Until then, never stop praying for a miracle!
And NEVER give up hope!
Waiting on the Lord, means God is at work!
God works on His timetable, not yours or mine!
He feels no obligation to reconcile His timetable with ours!
"Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God."
Psalms 42:11
I want to begin with a fun scientific fact..
Now many of you know, I'm not much into science..
Though I do find parts of it fascinating.
According to the theory of aerodynamics, as demonstrated through wind tunnel tests, the bumblebee should be unable to fly. Because of the size, weight and shape of his body in relationship to his total wing spread, flying is scientifically impossible. But the bumblebee, being ignorant of the negative conclusion of scientific theory, goes ahead and flies every day!
I know some of you are probably asking, what does that have to do with faith?
It has to do with our attitude towards our faith!
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!
Say that with me:
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!
Its roots are inward but its fruit is outward.
It is our best friend or our worst enemy.
It is more honest and more consistent than our words.
It is an outward look based on past experiences.
It is a thing that draws people to us or repels them
Our attitude is the librarian of our past, the speaker of our present, and the prophet of our future!
A Harvard psychologist, by the name of Jerome Bruner says,
“You’re more likely to act yourself into feeling than feel yourself into acting.”
Be like Nike, "JUST DO IT!"
Let your SPIRIT REVIVE within you!
When Jacob heard the MESSAGES from Joseph, his spirit revived and he made a decision to go to Egypt! You can hear God’s MESSAGE and make a decision to rediscover the dream God has placed in your heart!
"But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked."
Psalms 73:2-3
"When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me
Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end."
Psalms 73:16-17
And that bring us to today's message:
Faith Under Fire - Joseph Is Still Alive!
"So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?”
And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him."
Genesis 37:31-35
It would be twenty long years before Jacob will see Joseph again. But, worse than that, he will spend those years agonizing over the death of a son who is not really dead! That is the ultimate torment of mind – a needless agony, a pointless sorrow, a senseless despair.
Can you see it?
JACOB’S DREAM WAS NOT DEAD, IT WAS ONLY DELAYED!
Scripture teaches:
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."
Proverbs 13:12
DISAPPOINT:
to “fail to come up to the expectation or hope of”
to “frustrate”
to “NOT APPOINT”
Jacob was disappointed because his expectations and hopes were dashed, his plans for his favored son were frustrated, and God did not arrange the events of his life or provide him with the fulfillment of his dreams in the way that Jacob thought best. But God was still at work, and one day he would hear the words, “Joseph is still alive!”
EVEN WHEN WE ARE DISAPPOINTED, GOD IS STILL AT WORK BEHIND THE SCENES. YOUR DREAM IS NOT DEAD, IT IS ONLY DELAYED!
THE DREAM IS STILL ALIVE!
Say that with me:
THE DREAM IS STILL ALIVE!
The dream is still alive, even when someone has tried to KILL or SILENCE the dream!
Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, his dream. Joseph’s brothers threw that dream in a pit and sold it into slavery, in an attempt to snuff it out. Potiphar’s wife hated the dream, falsely accused it and sent it to an Egyptian jail. But the dream wouldn’t die!
A dream from God cannot be killed or silenced by external forces! Only you can choose to let the dream die, by killing it from within!
"Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name.”
But His word was in my heart like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And I could not."
Jeremiah 20:9
"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
1 John 4:4
Every one of us has done something from time to time that let God, others or ourselves down. Sometimes, we have hindered the will of God in our lives by our own actions. But God doesn’t hold that against us; He waits for us to step back into His plan.
THE DREAM IS STILL ALIVE!
Rest assured, God’s purposes may be delayed, but they will not be denied.
You may have done something that delayed the dream,
you may have done something that hurt the dream..
But God's DREAM FOR YOU IS STILL ALIVE!
"If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself."
2 Timothy 2:13
YOUR FAILURE IS NOT FATAL!
I recall a old saying my great grandmother once told me...
"It doesn't matter how much milk you spill, as long as you still own the cow."
Maybe you're in a season of personal famine..
The famine in Canaan was one of the hardest things Jacob’s family had to go through – people were dying all around them. But what Jacob didn’t realize was that God had allowed the famine in order to make him look toward Egypt and Joseph for help.
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way."
Psalms 37:23
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28
The dream has remained alive for twenty years, but Jacob did not know it. Jacob, thought the dream had died, with his son Joseph.
But finally, he has a chance to rediscover his dream …
"Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Genesis 45:25-28
YOUR DREAM IS NOT DEAD, YOU JUST NEED TO REDISCOVER YOUR DREAM!
Though Jacob had long since stopped inquiring about Joseph, but Joseph was still inquiring about him!
Your dream is still CALLING YOU!
You must go back and pick up the pieces of your dreams, they will be right where you left them!
But you have to take the first step in order to make the journey!
"I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."
Revelation 3:8
You have to turn your attitude from MOURNING to FAITH...
Jacob had to believe the report about Joseph AND STOP MOURNING!
He had to change an attitude he had for 20-years if he wanted to rediscover his dream!
Your dream is still alive, it's still waiting for you to come rediscover it..
Are you willing to take the first step?
A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step...
Only you can change your attitude and turn a FAITH UNDER FIRE TO A FAITH ON FIRE!
And now may the the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries