Adrian Rogers: When Nothing Seems to Make Sense [#2248]

welcome to love worth finding with Pastor teacher and author Adrian Rogers reaching out with God's love bringing people to Christ touching lives around the world and helping you find the answers you need today join us as we prepare to open God's Word and discover how your life can be changed forever by his great love worth finding be finding justice chapter 39 would you please and the time of the message today practicing the presence of God when nothing seems to make sense I didn't say when nothing makes sense when nothing seems to make sense practicing the presence of God there's an old story but a good one about a man who was a brick mason bricklayer and he had too many brick on top of a building so he decided to retrieve the bring them down to the ground he went up to the third or fourth storey wherever it was put a yard arm out from the roof and to put a pulley in it tied a rope to it hoisted a barrel to the roof loaded the barrel with the extra bricks went down to the ground and untied the rope mm-hmm at that time he realized that a barrel full of bricks was heavier than a man so when the brick started down he started up well he said he made a mistake that he forgot to let go of the Rope he held on until it was too late and so halfway up he in the barrel met the barrel struck him on the shoulder gave him a severe wound but he said I managed to hold on until I reached the top and then he said I wedged my fingers in the pulley said at that time the barrel hit the ground and the bottom came out left all the bricks therefore making the barrel lighter than I he said then I started down and the barrel started up this time the barrel met me at the shins and gave me another severe wound but he said I still managed a hole until I fell on the ground and hit that pile of sharp cornered brick he said it was then that I lost my presence of mind let go of the rope the barrel came down and hit me on the head the man applied for a few days off now I think sometimes we feel that wait we're up and down we don't know whether to hold on or let go and we're getting hit from every side now with this man his problem was easily discerned number one he wasn't very good at physics number two he wasn't very bright and his problem was his own problem he made his problem but what do you do when you're doing nothing wrong when you're applying proper principles and nothing seems to make sense you're being battered from every hand what do you do when life doesn't make sense now we have a lot of little cliches when you get to the end of your rope tie knot and hold on that's a real blessing isn't it or somebody says just grin and bear it are cheer up it could be worse generally it does get worse doesn't it no what do you do well this chapter in the book of Genesis chapter 39 is going to tell us some things that we can do are some principles that we can apply when life doesn't seem to make sense this is a chapter I say in the life of Joseph Joseph who was a man of God who loved God with all of his heart found himself in great difficulty he had been sold by his brothers as a slave he's carried down by a caravan into Egypt and there he is bought by man named Potiphar and there he is a slave in Potiphar's household and let's look if you will in Genesis chapter 39 verses twenty and twenty through and I believe that will give us what we're talking about and Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison a place where the Kings prisoners were bound and he was there in the prison but now notice verse 21 but the Lord was with Joseph there is in prison but the Bible says but the Lord was with Joseph I want to give you some prison principles how to practice the presence of God when you are in a dungeon in a prison and it is not your fault at all Joseph's here as I say was a slave he was bought by Potiphar he was put in charge of Potiphar's household Joseph was such a man of integrity and such a man of industry that even as a slave Potiphar found himself trusting Joseph more and more and Joseph is rising higher and higher in Potiphar's house until finally he is taking care of all of the affairs of mr. Potiphar Potiphar so trusted Joseph that he said the only thing I know that I really own is the food in front of me it's all in Joseph's hands Joseph was an incredible individual and even as a slave a God was with him and he is ascending higher and higher and higher but Joseph was a young man handsome the Bible tells us and virile and Potiphar's wife began to lust after Joseph and tried to seduce him Joseph refused Potiphar's wife she took him by the coat and tried to drag him into bed with her he refused with such vigor that he left his coat and escaped fled she was so insulted and and so embarrassed that she decided she would get even with the young man and she began to scream that he had assaulted her and she disheveled her hair she perhaps tore clothing a little bit maybe even scratched her face I don't know but she still had Joseph's coat in her hand and she told the other men there this young Egyptian tried to do this terrible horrible thing to me when Potiphar came home it was reported to Potiphar and Joseph has now cast into prison he is totally innocent he has been serving God and now nothing seems to make sense there he is in prison now I want us to look at this story today I want to give you five principles if things happen to you one day that do not make sense they will sometime happen to you number one number one when you're in a situation like this and things don't seem to make sense don't demand to understand don't demand to understand now Joseph had not sinned against God Joseph had done absolutely nothing wrong what Joseph was doing was right I imagine at this time when Joseph was doing right when he was serving the Lord with all of his heart and he got cast into prison he's lied about falsely accused that Satan whispered in Joseph's ear and said to him now where is your God what good does it do you now to serve God they're going to come times in your life my friend where nothing seems to make sense now I'm not saying that you should not try to understand if difficulty comes your way try to understand but here's a verse I thought about as I was studying this passage of Scripture many people use this verse as their life's verse proverbs 3 verses 5 & 6 the Bible says trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths he shall direct thy paths now notice what it says it says lean not to your own understanding there will be things that you do not understand and do not demand to understand may I give you a companion verse Isaiah chapter 50 verses 10 and 11 the prophet Isaiah asked this question and it's a good question who is among you that fear the Lord that Oh Beth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his god behold all ye that Kindle the fire that can pass yourselves about with sparks walk in the light of the fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall you have a mine hand you shall lie down in sorrow now look at that verse look at it Isaiah 50 listen to it what does it teach it teaches that you can be serving God you can be obeying God's Word and still have darkness you can come to a time of perplexity a time when you don't understand and yet you have done nothing wrong do not get the distorted idea that the Christian life is all joy and sweetness and that you always understand sometimes we give the wrong impression when we tell people they need to come to Jesus as if they're locked their life if they come to Jesus is going to be on an Everest ascending scale of joy and light and victory in youth and a serene dole serene old age and a happy family life and the glorious exit into heaven it does not happen that way and as you study the Bible you're going to find out that many of God's greatest Saints were walking in darkness part of their lives Joe one of the greatest characters in the Old Testament lived in a time of darkness and he was perplexed he couldn't understand as a matter of fact he wanted to argue with God he demanded to understand and he was wrong when he did it it was if he said God you owe me some answers now Jobe did not understand but God understood you can read about the Prophet Habakkuk Habakkuk a great prophet a man of God could not understand why history was doing what it was doing why God was allowing the Chaldeans to get away with all of their sin why there was so much violence and brutality have you ever wondered have you ever picked up the newspaper as we're want to do and read the newspaper and read about what is happening in Hollywood read about the dope device the corruption in politics and we say God where are you God why don't you do something Lord I don't understand a backer was that way John the Baptist Jesus said there was not a greater than a born of woman than John the Baptist John the Baptist was the one who baptized the Lord Jesus a mighty prophet and yet Herod took John the Baptist and put him in prison John was so perplexed in prison he began to wonder if Jesus were even the Messiah the one who had already said behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world John the Baptist sent messengers to Jesus saying are you really the one who should come or should we look for somebody else John the Baptist was perplexed the Apostle Paul wrote more books in the New Testament than anybody else the greatest Christian who ever lived wrote to the Corinthians and said we are perplexed you know what perplex means it means we don't understand now Joe ibaka John the Baptist Paul and you sir and you gentlemen and Adrienne and the rest of us are going to come to times in our lives when friend it will not make sense now if you think is always going to make sense you're going to be in spiritual trouble so matter of fact in this passage in Isaiah chapter 50 says who's my servant that follows me obeys me and walks in darkness and hath no light listen to me the darkness can never put out the light never so therefore if there is no light it is only because the light has been withdrawn the darkness never chases it away now if you're in darkness that does not mean that the devil has prevailed if God takes away the light then you just simply trust God and do not demand to understand if there is darkness you can say this at least that God has allowed it there are some things that we are not meant to understand Joseph did not understand what God was up to when finally we get to the end of this chapter at the end of this book in chapter 50 we'll find out that what happened to Joseph was a part of a great mosaic that God was working but listen to what the Bible says in Isaiah 55 now verses 8 and 9 God says when my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways at the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts now how far is up you tell me you can how much higher are God's thoughts than your thoughts you tell me you cannot as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my thoughts above your thoughts listen to me just because it does not make sense to you does not mean it does not make sense and just because it does not make sense now that does not mean it will not make sense later on not now but in the coming years it may be in the better land will understand the meaning of our tears and there will understand the first principle when life doesn't make sense don't demand to understand try to understand if you can but don't demand understanding number two don't fail to be faithful now look in verses 21 and following in this chapter here but the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison and the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison and whatever they did there he was the doer of it the keeper of the prison look not to anything that was under his hand because the Lord with him that is with Joseph and that which he did the Lord made it to prosper now here's a man for no seeming reason actually for doing good is cast into prison and now he there in the prison is not sitting and sulking but he is serving the Lord he is very faithful so faithful that he is a man of Industry he is a man of integrity and there in the prison in a time of darkness and in time of persecution he is serving God in the next chapter we're going to find him witnessing to the butler and the Baker who have also been cast into prison and we're going to find out that he is a man who in the prison himself could put his arms around these pagans and Kindle in their pagan heart a knowledge of Jehovah God the point being this even when Joseph could not understand he was not a fair-weather Christian he did not begin to pout he did not get angry at God I have seen it so many times in my pastor I've seen church members who are some of the most faithful church members we've had they sing in the choir they witness they tie they're faithful they're happy they're joyful but let a grandbaby die or let a husband die or let a sickness come let cancer come let something happen that doesn't make any sense whatsoever you know what they do they drop out they quit serving they fold up don't do it even when it doesn't make sense continue to serve the Lord keep singing keep praying keep giving keep witnessing keep submitting Joseph did and the Bible says that God was with him in chapter 39 verse 2 when Joseph is in Potiphar's house and everything seems to be fine things have turned for Joseph the Bible says in God was with him but you look now in chapter 39 verse 20 one when he is in prison the same God that was with him in the good times is the God that was with him in the bad times now when it doesn't make sense to you number one don't demand understand number two don't fail to be faithful don't drop out keep on serving God even when you don't understand number three number three don't bow to bitterness don't get bitter now turn to chapter 40 if you will and look in verses 14 and 15 Joseph is now talking to a butler the butler has been cast into prison and he's going to be released from prison and Joseph knows that because he's a butler he's going to serve in the presence of Pharaoh perhaps he can speak to favor on his behalf and here's what he says but think on me when it shall be well with thee that is when you're out of prison and show kindness I pray thee unto me and make mention of me unto Pharaoh and bring me out of this house for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon he said first of all I was sold as a slave and now I'm in the dungeon I've done nothing wrong mr. butler when you when it's things have turned for you when it's well with you would you put in a good word for me because I need to get out of this place as I read that I thought about Joseph's spirit and what a marvelous spirit that he had as you read this there is not a note of bitterness or complaint that is found there at all it is a remarkable statement he doesn't even mention the name of his brothers who sold him into slavery he doesn't even mention Potiphar's wife he doesn't mention Potiphar at all he's content to leave them with God now when things go wrong when you're serving God and you're punished for serving God don't get bitter here's a good verse 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 20 for what glory is it if when you are be buffeted for your faults that you take it patiently but if when you do well and suffer for you take it patiently this is acceptable with God what a great verse to describe the life of Joseph so long again we need to be very careful about this matter of bitterness you're going to find yourself not only dropping out when things don't make sense but if you're not careful you're going to get very very bitter bitter people are not nice to be around sometimes pastors get bitter I know the pastor who served a church for many many years and for some reason the people in that church turned on him and they began to criticize him and finally they dismissed him and this pastor said over and over again how could they do that to me how could they do that to me after all that I did for them after all that I did for them how can they do that it was very bitter I thought the shame is that he didn't say after all I did for God not for them but for God if you look to people to supply your needs if you look for people to recognize your Worth you're going to be disappointed in life and you're going to get bitter after a while one of the greatest tests of life is this not how you react when you're punished for doing wrong but how you react when you're persecuted for doing right Joseph had done right but there's not a shred of bitterness in the life of Joseph why because God was with him and one of the reasons that God was with him was the attitude that he had now number four when you don't understand when life doesn't make sense number four do not be unwilling to wait do not the unwilling to wait God will bring you out in his time notice in Genesis chapter 40 yet did not the chief Butler remember Joseph but forgot him now Joseph had said look when you get up there when you get back into the presence of Pharaoh remember me but now here is Joseph languishing in prison and the butler forgot him and then you go down to Genesis chapter 41 verse 46 and Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt all of his time this boy who had been sold into prison as a 17 year old boy is there year after year after year is passing many of those years he spent in prison now when you don't understand don't get hasty don't get feverish and don't get impatient Psalm 37 verses 5 through 9 listen to it commit thy way into the Lord Trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass and he shall bring forth I righteousness as the light and thy judgment as the noonday rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass cease from anger forsake wrath fret not thyself in any wise to do evil for evildoers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit deer over and over again in the Bible we're told to wait upon the Lord when you don't understand don't be unwilling to wait I was speaking about preachers and other preacher said to me who was in a hard spot he said I know that God put me here I just wonder if he remembers where he put me God knows where you are the very hairs of your head a numbered and the God that was with Joseph when he was a lad the God who was with Joseph when he was serving in Potiphar's house was the God who was with Joseph when he languished there forgotten in prison another good scripture that I found 1st Peter chapter 5 in verse 6 humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time God has his schedule when you don't understand don't demand to understand don't fail to be faithful don't bow to bitterness friend don't be unwilling to wait God is never late but he's never ahead of time the scripture that I read to you from Psalm 37 says that he will bring forth your righteousness as the noonday it's like the Sun coming up one thing about the Sun coming up is you can't hurry it and you can't stop it and that's the way God is God is always on time one time I was visiting was senator Jesse Helms senator Jesse Helms said Adrian I want to tell you a story that Alexander Solzhenitsyn told me Alexander Solzhenitsyn was that brilliant Russian literary genius and dissident many of you have read after Alexander Solzhenitsyn a brilliant and a godly man but because he was a dissident when communism was so powerful he was put into a prison camp later he was released and he told senator Helms this story and Senator Helms told it to me Solzhenitsyn said to Helms I hope you never know what real repression is he told about how he was put into this labor camp and they took from him all books all writing material there was no radio there was no television there was no input from the outside world and the prisoners themselves were not allowed to communicate one with another all day long laborious back-breaking labor with Russian guard standing there armed and ready to shoot anyone who tried to escape Solzhenitsyn said this went on day after day after day I wondered if anybody even knew that I was here much less did they care he said finally I decided that I would in my life but he said my faith would not allow me to do that I knew it would be wrong for me to take my own life but he said my mind then became twisted and perverted he said I had the idea that perhaps if I were try to escape then they would shoot me and I would not have taken my own life they would have killed me he said I know that was wrong but my mind was twisted he said I found the day that I was going to do it I was sitting under a tree they had given us a few moments from the work I was sitting in the shade of a tree I saw the Russian guard with his gun he said I was ready to spring up I'd almost put my hands on the ground ready to spring up and run to be shot in the back when he said another man a man that I'd never seen before and perhaps I will never see a game perhaps was an angel I don't know but he came and stood in front of me remember we were not allowed to communicate not even to talk but he looked into my eyes with a look of compassion and understanding though not able to say a word and he said he had a stick in his hand a twig in front of me on the ground he drew a cross and walked away Alexander Solzhenitsyn said I knew that that was a message from God and what I was about to do was wrong isube back down he said little did I know that all over the world people were talking about me and in three days I would be a free man in Switzerland in three days way don't be unwilling to wait humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God in due time you lift you up when you don't understand friend don't get feverish don't you hurry God now here's the last principle I want to give you when you don't understand when life doesn't make sense don't let dreams dissolve don't let your dreams dissolve Joseph had a dream that dream was put in his bosom when he was a teen now what was the dream the dream was that one day the world's resources and the world's rulers would be at his feet his brothers thought it was a foolish dream but I want you to look now in chapter 41 and begin in verse 37 if you will with me and see what happened now I'm going to skip a lot of material for times sake but just remember this that Joseph is now exalted he's out of prison he has now become the prime minister of Egypt and the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants and Pharaoh said unto his servants can we find such a one as this is a man in whom the Spirit of God is and Pharaoh said unto Joseph for as much as God has showed the all this there's none so discreet and wise as thou art thou shalt be over my house and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled only in the throne will I be greater than now and Pharaoh said unto Joseph see I have set the over all the land of Egypt and Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand and arrayed him Investors of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck and made him to ride in the second chariot which he had and they cried before him bow the knee and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt and Pharaoh said unto Joseph I am favored and without these shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt this was the dream that Joseph had had so long ago it was a god-given dream and Joseph never forgot it and God never forgot it I don't know who first said it but a wise man said this and it's one of the greatest statements I've ever heard don't doubt in the dark what God has showed you in the light the dark comes don't doubt in the dark what God has showed you in the light God did not fail Joseph and look up here let me tell you something God will not fail you did you hear that he did not fail Joseph and God will not fail you don't you let your dreams dissolve no longer is his slaves hen a slaves hand he's now wearing a royal ring off is the prison guard on goes the beautiful garments that favour has put upon him off comes the iron chains and on goes a gold chain around his neck God is faithful I wonder I wonder I've thought about it you know what favor said he said listen Joseph nobody in all the land is going to do anything even move the hand without your permission just if you're in charge of everything I remember it was Potiphar who was the head of the Egyptian guard can you imagine after the announcement is given and here comes Joseph riding in the second chariot and a herald goes out there bow the knee bow the knee bow the knee and in all Egypt they're bowing down to this boy this one who did not fail to be faithful this one who did not demand to understand this one who did not bow to bitterness this one who was willing to wait Oh Potiphar goes home he and his wife we're eating he says to mrs. Potiphar wife diamond many years ago that you said there was a house slave that had tried to molest you do you remember that story well yes I remember that story well for your sake I hope you were telling the truth I report to him tomorrow you think about all friend that's coming a day there is coming a day when God is going to make everything right don't you don't you lose your faith when it doesn't make sense to you just because it doesn't make sense to you does not mean it will not make sense one day serve Jesus never quit give him your heart give him your life and don't ever ever ever lose your dream yes I never had a dream get one that one the Bible says your old men shall dream dreams get a dream it's always too soon to quit never too late to start bow your heads in prayer heads are bowed and eyes are closed now friend you need to know Jesus because Jesus is the key to all of this in the Old Testament those Saints look forward to a coming Messiah today we look backward to a messiah who came all of us look upward to Jesus when we're saved would you like to be saved you can be saved today bow your heads and pray this prayer dear God I'm a sinner my sin deserves judgment but I want mercy Lord I do not want to die and go to hell I want to be saved Jesus you died to save me you promised to save me if I would trust you I do trust you come into my heart forgive my sin save me Jesus did you pray that save me Lord Jesus save me Jesus prayer save me Jesus save me did you ask him by faith thank him for doing it say thank you Lord Jesus for saving me I believe you've done it I receive it by faith I don't look for feeling I don't ask for a sign I stand on your word and now Lord Jesus begin to make me the person you want me to be I'm weak but you're strong help me to grow and Lord Jesus I will make this public I will not be ashamed of you your name I pray I'm in we pray that God has blessed you as you've watched this message if you'd like additional copies or information about other resources write to us at love worth finding Bo box 38 300 memphis tennessee 38134 @l w fo RG in the US you can place Visa or MasterCard orders by calling 1-800 two seven four five six eight three Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time thank you and may God richly bless you

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Id: iw-mjL5RmDY

Length: 37min 17sec (2237 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 02 2016