What to Do When Life Sucks - Psalm 105:9-11, 16-22 - Levi Lusko

go ahead and have a seat please sorrow has once again invaded our church community and we are honoring today the memory of a dear brother uh two nights ago on Friday night there was a tragic death of one of our staff members our security team Daniel Bourne out in the East parking lot and because of that we thought it was only fitting to not only give you that announcement but to make this service about that about that in this sense we know that death happens we know that tragedy happens but this has affected our church family and even more importantly it has affected a family in our church who will be grieving this for the rest of their lives and the Bible says when one member of the body suffers we all suffer together and because he lived to protect us when we gather on this campus we wanted to not only acknowledge Him but we wanted to make counselors available we have grief chaplains trauma counselors well trained in this they've been doing it for years they're going to be available after the service up here on the front out in the foyer as well as the amphitheater why well because so often when a tragedy like this occurs it stirs up for some a tragedy that has occurred in your life previously maybe it's like a a scab has been torn off a wound whenever you you hear this and you have the tendency to be very afraid and then be paralyzed by fear that's the danger um the Bible says that our God is our refuge our strength a very present help in trouble therefore therefore we will not fear we will not fear so we're going to have counselors here to talk to you if you want that if you want to process through that but also we want to take time and we want to pray pray for this family you know this weekend was originally about a weekend of generosity we were going to celebrate your generosity but you know in a in one way nothing has changed God is still a very generous God and we are highlighting and celebrating the fact that he has been generous to us he has generously uh brought one of his servants into his presence by that same generous Grace of what Jesus did on the cross for him and so this is a tragedy but for anyone in Christ anyone in Christ there is an element of victory in that so what we're going to do is just break up in groups for the next few minutes find a friend next to you hold their hand pray with them if you don't know the person next to you you're about to get very well acquainted pray with that person pray for the family pray for God's comfort the Bible calls God a God the father of mercies the God of All Comfort who comforts Us in all our tribulation so yes this is a tragic death but now we want to come together as a church thanking God for his goodness because God is still on the throne God saw this coming and you're about to hear a message that our guest speaker is going to give and it's not by accident that all this happened on this weekend and Levi is here as you are going to be comforted greatly and and instructed and challenged by this message but let's break up in in some groups of how many ever you want to do that 2 3 4 10 and pray together for this family and for our community thank you foreign foreign [Music] thank you for your prayers I'm going to introduce our guest speaker now I've known our guest speaker for a long time I met him about a week or two after his birth he doesn't remember but I do he was just this little prune-faced little baby named Levi thankfully he has changed much since then but God's hand is on his life he pastors a church in Montana Fresh Life Church God has done a great work in and through him he has been on this staff before but he speaks uniquely in this situation we find ourselves in because he had his own loss he and Jenny the family had a loss several years ago which he may share with you but would you please welcome a son of this house a true son in the faith Levi luska [Applause] well Calvary it is such a joy to be with you and I'm not even going to say you know I wish it wasn't under these circumstances because we are family and these circumstances are all we have life is full of light and dark and beauty and Ashes and joy and mourning in Ecclesiastes says there's a time for both and here's the great thing God is good even when life is bad and it is it's an honor to to be with you to pray and to hurt and to be confused and to be in shock while our hearts are at half-mast and there feels like there's a tension in it because it is hard to have pain and to have something so violent so terrible have happened out of nowhere but at the same time we get to celebrate as Pastor skip said this Resurrection Life that triumphs over even brutality and we are a part of a lineage of Jesus followers who would walk from the Coliseum seeing someone they love having had their their flesh clawed apart by an animal or being burnt alive in one of Caesar Nero's parties but to still say that the God of Peace is going to crush Satan swiftly under our feet and he defuses in us the fragrance of life in every place so it's that tension it's we're hard for us but we're not struck down we're we're we're we're we're confused but we're not despairing so on one sense we we lift up Daniel this is the guy who served our country in the Coast Guard he served as a firefighter and he died protecting our church are you kidding me so we're gonna honor him pray for his family grieve and feel the depths of the sadness of that but then at the end of the day say God still wins he is the resurrection and the life and so even if it feels like wait a minute which one is it it's both ant and that's how suspension bridges stay up it's that being pulled in in both sides but what I love and what I've been saying all weekend and what you guys are modeling so well is that what better place is there to bring our grief and confusion and sadness than to the house of the Lord and I'm so grateful we don't have to sugarcoat our prayer life we don't have to put germex on our worship and we can be crying be feeling like I'm falling down I don't know what to do with it but here's what I'm going to do with it I'm going to bring it to you Lord and what else in this world has that that offers that the alternative what is perhaps numbing and just you know numbing the pain was something a substance to make you not feel it but what's so great about worship is that we feel to the depths every bit of it but then we allow God to bring us through that and make us stronger and make us better in the midst of it and so hey it's awesome to worship with you in the midst of pain and I'm glad that God allowed in his sovereignty us to be here with you for the 40th anniversary celebration of this church what is what a historic occasion that is that this year represents 40 years I never forget how old Calvary of Albuquerque is because I was born the same year the church started and so turning 40 this year this church turned 40 this year and I say looking back on four decades that this church praise God praise God praise God for what he's done because this is clearly a work of God you can't take credit for what God has done it's like this is clearly God and yet God has raised up people who have led Faithfully LED well and are worthy of honor for that and I add my voice to I know all of your prayers and voices and you know encouragements to say thank you Pastor Skip and lenya for your yes thank you for your long obedience in the same direction thank you for Faithfully teaching Through the Bible chapter by chapter verse by verse and then no matter what's going on in the world just that steady presence of continuing to teach the people of God the word of God and point to Jesus for adapting I'm thankful to God for the spirit of like let's do something new to reach people and that's that that's just a spirit of this has the value of this this house this church and all of its expressions and radio Ministry and TV all the things all the stupid things you guys do in a good way let's just go run a baseball stadium and do an amazing huge Outreach right like you guys are just that way and the Easter sunrises and all the billboard campaigns and let's try this and why because it's worth it to reach lost people for Christ amen we're searching the house for that lost coin we're going out for that one lost sheet we're fighting for that that prodigal son and that's why I loved working here that's why I love always coming back here and and taking part in it and I for one I'm excited to see this next Generation now as God is using Pastor Nathan and such incredible who calls you faster Nathan Pastor Nate in such incredible ways and and nanjanae stepping into their own coming into their leadership chops Nate served alongside me uh in youth ministry was in the youth group that I led and then we served together and just watching God work he's always had a hunger always had Zeal and and we just can't wait to see what God has for them their leadership their calling the whole staff and all of you guys because I believe believe that if the 40 years prior are any indication God is getting ready to do something ridiculous anybody with me on that well if you have a Bible we're going to be in Psalm 105 so you can make your way there excuse me and as you're turning there let me just let you know something pretty cool that's happening in our life my wife Jenny is here in the front row and she and I both write books we love reading books we're always reading something always trying to learn always trying to grow if you stop growing you start dying and a part of the growth process is just learning new things and trying to understand things you didn't understand before so we're always reading and looking for good book recommendations but we've also been adding books out there and been writing and we've by God's grace released eight books out into the the Wild and our newest we just announced uh it's called the marriage devotional I think we have a photo of the cover here and if you have a smartphone you can take a picture of that website it releases Merit November 15th the marriage devotional 52 days to strengthen the soul of your marriage if you're engaged if you've been married for decades if you just need a little you know spruce up uh this will hopefully help you and encourage you uh but our publisher harpercollins we've worked on something special we're going to be flying one married couple to Montana for a weekend to stay three nights in a beautiful mountain Airbnb give you a hundred dollars to our favorite Mexican restaurant have coffee with you and then host you at Fresh Life church for a Sunday uh and that's out there the information to enter into the sweepstakes is there at the marriage devo.com but when this releases we really pray it's an encouragement to marriages all around the world Amen and we're excited about it because that's coming together so we also brought another book our newest one that I've released personally that that you'll hear more about in just a moment but like I said Psalm 105 and if you're taking notes the title of my message is what to do when life sucks [Music] what to do when life sucks because at times it does and I I would have I'd have put that prettier if life was nicer but sometimes it just plain sucks and if you haven't experienced that buckle your seatbelt because it will at times it just won't be a better way to describe it than that excuse me dry Mountain Air Psalm 105 we're going to read verses 9 through 12 and then 16-22 and if you wouldn't mind let's stand out of reverence and honor for the word of God as we read it we find David writing these words the Covenant which he made with Abraham and his oath to Isaac and he confirmed it to Jacob for a statute to Israel as an Everlasting Covenant saying to you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance when there were few in number indeed very few and strangers in it then in verse 16 moreover moreover he called for a famine in the land he destroyed all the provision of bread he verse 17 and this is really the reason we're looking at this text he sent a man before them Joseph who is sold as a slave they hurt his feet with Fetters he was laid in irons until the time that his word came to pass the word of the Lord tested him the king sent and released him the ruler of the people let him go free he made him Lord of his house and a ruler of all his possessions to bind the princes at his pleasure and teach his elders wisdom and father we thank you for your word thank you so much for giving it to us and that we can look up to you to speak to us here we are on Earth you are God in heaven so we want to do more listening than talking we want to let our Words Be Few being in pain and hardship in difficulty Swift to listen and slow to speak may you bless this church as you have may you continue to bless lives even as you blessed mine I think of coming to know Jesus in this ministry I think of being discipled being told God has a plan for my life here in the walls of this church I think of all the vacation bible schools and youth groups and internships think of meeting my bride here in this church learning to preach I think of having a dream to see what God could do through me and having the faith to take that that step out because of this church and those in it and I pray you would continue to bless this church reaching the Duke City and Beyond reaching this whole Land of Enchantment and as you continue to do so because you're so good showing off through radio and online to the ends of the Earth we thank you for this moment this time with an awareness of the wounds with an awareness of the freshness of the shock but looking to you saying we don't know what to do God but our eyes are on you and though you slay us we will follow you so as we consider your word would you do your will we ask this in Jesus name amen you may be seated I love reading Old Testament stories articulated in passages after the fact a sermon on Joseph is what we're after and there would be easier places to turn your attention to to do so of course I'm talking about the Book of Genesis where we find his story told in great detail but I much enjoy looking to David after the fact looking back and telling the story because you get detail that Joseph didn't get in real time it's the same reason I like even New Testament tellings of Old Testament stories to have you know Stephen or Paul or Peter give us details about the Old Testament the way they compress and condense it helps you to see it differently life in real time is messy and you don't always have those real details so for David to be singing a song and be referring to the works of God in the life of Joseph as a way to bolster his faith and ours which by the way if you don't feel like you have any faith one of the ways to get them is to borrow it by recounting the goodness of God in previous generations so as David's writing a worship song his mind naturally goes to Joseph and he decides I'm gonna I'm gonna talk about my boy Joseph and I just can't even get over verse 17 where he says yeah you know God you sent a man before you to Egypt you were going to bring all your people there to save them through a storm through a drought this all by the way was prophesied by God to Abraham they're going to have to leave the land after becoming a big family and and they're going to end up in Egypt for this period of time and then eventually ultimately they'll get back to the promised land where they will become the nation of Israel where Jesus will come into uh the world and he will die there in that city of Jerusalem but before they needed to leave to be in Egypt for a minute because the iniquity of the amorites was not yet complete that is to say the people living in the promised land hadn't been given enough time to repent yet that is an important distinction because when you read the book of Joshua and you see this battle after battle and all these people being driven out seems like where's the mercy of God he gave them hundreds of years to repent meanwhile he had to keep the nation of Israel in Egypt because they hadn't been given enough time to not get judged yet so God is slow the wheels of God's justice grind slowly but they grind very fine ultimately eventually there comes a point of no return and so so God needs to send the entire family of Israel which was originally just 12 sons their wives their kids it was like 70 or something like that and then it blossomed them to several million when Moses went let my people go and it was time for them to go back into the promised land but before when they needed to go he sent someone as sort of a John the Baptist to get things ready and our text says he sent Joseph before them doesn't that just sound so nice well yeah he bought a Southwest Airlines plane ticket he sent Joseph before them to get things ready like he just went he's like okay you can stay here and this will be the formula he sent Joseph before him that's how it was going in God's perspective Joseph was sent from Canaan to Egypt to just sort of get things ready and then when they uh actually get to the next verse how did it all play out oh he was sold as a slave oh just that he just sold as a slave that but God says oh yeah yeah I sent him before his brothers to Israel sold as a slave by his own flesh and blood that's an unhealthy family dynamic was he in like first class no his his feet were covered in Fetters he was laid in irons and how long did he stay there until the word of the Lord came to pass and once the word of the Lord came to pass after the time of testing was done because the word of the Lord tested him what test was that the test was the dream of greatness that was a test the test was having his head in the clouds because Joseph was a dreamer and as a young man you know the story he wakes up one and goes guys I had the craziest dream hey come here Reuben come here come here it's a car hey naturally you'll never guess what uh what I dreamed last night hey God guess what you were totally bowing down and worshiping me you was awesome right it's like simian's like eating his Fruit Loops like super hostile like how dare you you know it's like I hate you you're the worst I mean imagine your kid brother says I bet you'll work for me one day it's like I bet you won't live another day you know it's like and that didn't help dad gave Joseph a coat of many colors right actually the Hebrew is just a coat with sleeves if you are a working-class farmer you are a tunic with no sleeves for Joseph to get a sleeved coat with flowy sleeves meant he's not going to be doing any hard work you see his dad and giving him that outfit basically was giving him a Brooks brother three-piece suit and a briefcase and his brothers when they were opening their presents he was like uh metal lunch box steel toed boots car hearts and a wife beater real discreet dad foreign if you had sleeves it would get in the way so he was saying my son will never have to work his his own speaking over him was saying Joseph's dreams of greatness are going to come to pass and this says that those dreams God gave him as a Young Man were just there to test him test him when when his life sucked AKA when God was sending him before his brothers God might be sending you and getting your destiny ready only in real time it feels like chains on your wrists because that's Joseph's experience God's sending him before his brothers to Egypt being tested by a dream the test was will you keep your head in the clouds when life hurts like hell so that's sort of spoiler alert the answer to the question I asked what to do when life sucks Calvary keep your head in the clouds whereas Colossians chapter 1 puts it continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel what is the hope of the Gospel God's plan God's power God's kindness God's love that it's okay that he has a plan even in difficult circumstances be not moved away from that by the winds that blow be not moved away from that by by all evidence to the contrary of God's goodness C.S Lewis said speaking on behalf of a demon in his allegories the screwtape letters speaking as a demon he said our cause is never more in jeopardy than when a human looks out on a universe and sees no evidence of the kindness of God but still chooses to obey him anyway to the extent that you wake up every day putting on God on trial to see if you're still going to follow him well what have you done for me lately you are you are working towards the enemy's plan but if you can say look God I don't need you to prove yourself to me you already did that at the cross and when you gave me life so if you never do anything through me again if you never if you never if you never do anything for me I'm still going to honor you and trust you to my last breath I am a living sacrifice keep yourself grounded in the goodness of the Gospel don't be sway keep your head in the class don't look at just what's happening on Earth keep your heart and your head in the lift your eyes above do not just be preoccupied by the scroll look you have to have your head down to look at your phone lift your head up who created these things the Sun the moon the stars how powerful is he how beyond our comprehension is he how good is he that a God that big the god of creation beyond our galaxy that he would condescend and come to this Earth take on skin take on your sin take on my sin die be buried and on the third day rise again and then pour His Spirit out into you and say do you want to have hope do you want to be put into a family do you want to have mercy do you want to have heaven don't be moved away from that don't get used to this don't get good at being a Christian continue to be blown away by God's goodness continue to be blown away by how amazing grace is keep your head in the clouds Calvary stay hold of the keep hold of the dream the calling of God enough however improbable it seems when Joseph's in a pit and then sold to potiphar and taken Far Away by these slave Traders and living in Exile he seemed pretty far from greatness but he kept his head in the clouds he never let go of God's dream he never let go of trusting in God never let go of believing God still had a plan God was still up to something and if God had a plan regardless of how impossible it seems he's going to do it in his good time so Joseph never got salty never started a church hurt blog oh you know I can't believe my brothers did this I can't be a part of that no no no no no he just continued to follow God continued to follow God continued to have a sweet spirit and he did these six things you got to jot him down six things you can do when life sucks control what you can number one if you're chained to the wall there's a lot of things you can't control I think we have these written down control what you can those going up oh look at it there it is thank God for those servings they do such things all right no you can do that like actually thank them someone did that they pushed a button I think over there control what you can if you're chained to a wall you can't control a lot of different things but you know what Joseph could control his spirit he knew what you need to know your spirit is always within your control even when life is out of control so you never see bitter talk you never see like anger you never see that that that that out of control in Joseph Joseph approached his misery knowing that God was still giving him Mercy and so you see that that Outlook that Outlook of a person who didn't have a wound inside of him he didn't have a victim mentality you see someone who is still very much in control even when when everything's out of control and he knew that that having Big Dreams didn't need to keep him back from doing little jobs so he's pot of her slave and he says look all I have to control is this little gel cell so it's going to be the best of the Jeff so it's going to be clean and if whatever job he gives me to do I'm going to do it with all my heart and soon potiphar I had to promote Joseph had to give him more responsibility and eventually he's running all of Potiphar's household why because Joseph controlled what he can you're like Levi this is supposed to be a grief message this is the dumbest grief message I've ever heard actually it's not grief makes you feel powerless I couldn't do anything to stop the asthma attack that took my daughter from my wife and I in 2012. I did CPR we called the paramedics we prayed every prayer we could pray and she died in my arms I felt like I had all my agency taken away out of control so when Jenny and I chose to lift our hands to a God who is still good and worshiped and praised you know what that gave us I can still control something I can't control this but I can control this I will not be powerless my God always leads me in Triumph and I see that in Joseph that's why I got up to preach the next week right because it's something I can control there's something I can still do Joseph said I can be I wish I wish I could be back in Canaan I'm in Egypt instead but I'm gonna in Egypt make this little spot where I'm at A Little Piece of Heaven a little a little piece of Israel if you can't get from Egypt to Canaan bring a little bit of land a Canaan to Egypt is what I'm trying to get you to see if you are not able to do the good you would do do the good you can do plan to Garden beautify the little section of of Earth you have outside your home you have an apartment make it as beautiful as you can I'm just saying you can always control some you always have a choice so choose to Rejoice control what you can be promotable be blessable it's it blows my mind how many times in Genesis 39 it says Joseph was successful Joseph and Potter versus successful God was with him the Lord blessed him hold on you just got ripped at 17 out of your parents house and Dragged In Chains Meanwhile your dad thinks you've been killed by a wild animal how are you successful at exactly your life's not going good at all he was successful in suffering so how are you doing with that are you able to be successful in suffering Paul said I know how to be a based and I know how to abound some people are bad at one and some people are really bad at the other big blessing now all of a sudden not honoring God not worshiping God because it goes to their head the other side of it though is you you you're going through a really hard time and you basically give God the middle finger and you say I can only receive good from you and not evil Joseph was successful with his suffering he Steward his he stewarded his misery well and so can you you're not a victim you have a choice secondly jot it down we learn from our mistakes when life sucks learn from your mistakes if there's a mistake because some people will put Joseph in the list of the two biblical figures who there's no sin ever recorded for them and uh and and I don't know I don't know about all that but I think Joseph had some insecurities and it led to some over sharing if you have a big dream about being in charge of your brothers shut your mouth bro you know what I'm saying don't tell them that just keep it in your heart dude play it cool right like your first day serving as the assistant to the regional youth ministry like one day I'm in a bridge on that stage like okay you might have that dream shut up you know like just keep doing your thing like if that if that is God's will it'll happen without you having to make it happen God opens doors no one can shut he shuts doors no one can open so Bloom where you're planted and when God's good and ready he knows how to get you when he's ready to promote you David just did the best job he could taking care of those sheep and when it was time for him to become Anointed The Prophet said time out we ate we ain't eating nothing till David gets here so be like David just be faithful with the few be faithful with the flocks God will get you and when there's a reputation of that sweet Spirit on your life God knows how to promote that so so learn from your mistakes I see that in Joseph because towards the end of his life when you start to to watch him dealing and talking to to Pharaoh dealing and talking with the guard who kept the prison you see a better person at being a people person what am I trying to say Joseph developed his EQ only we talk about IQ but what about your emotional intelligent quotient those who study such things say for every one point you can boost your EQ score you will expect to receive an additional thirteen hundred dollars in annual take-home pay in your career it's not just being smart you can be smart but so dumb you know what I'm saying we all know people are like you're very smart but your foot lives in your mouth and no one wants to be around you because you're you're not you don't have people smarts Joseph went from being bad with people to learning from some of those mistakes God softened some of those edges and as time grew on he Illustrated that he was perpetually learning perpetually improving so do the same number three opt for The Road Less Traveled Joseph had two big tests of the greatness that was developing in him that God knew needed to be tested had God promoted Joseph as a young man it would have it would have been an assault 2.0 kind of thing you know he wasn't ready for it he needed to be seasoned humbled and beat down a little bit so the first test is Potiphar's wife Potiphar's wife he's got that your real housewives of Egypt thing going on she starts coming at him all day long like hey hey hey hey hey and basically she offers Joseph no strings attached sexual encounter my husband will never know uh she wants to make Joseph her side piece but Joseph didn't want none of that because he prioritized inside peace and it's a funny story because she attacks him attacks him attacks him like trying to get him and then eventually he'll have no fury right so she makes up a lie that he tried to rape her and she gets him thrown into an even worse prison than the situation he was in life sucks even more for Joseph and all he did was try and honor God he actually said to her I couldn't do this against your husband and against my God how is this guy still loyal to God when it seems like God's not even loyal to him his heads in the clouds I love the story though because if you know the Bible you know Joseph's dad back in Egypt thinks Joseph has been eaten by a wild animal but it's not true he's in Egypt getting mauled by a cougar and uh and that has been getting last for 20 years and we won't stop now thank you The Road Less Traveled listen anyone can give in to their flesh that's not impressive it's not we're not no one's proud of eating a whole bag of Doritos right and binge watching an entire season on Netflix got no it's inspiring to get up and work out it's inspiring to get up and seek God no no it's it's easy to give in to your flesh it's amazing to serve God faithfully and do so for decades Joseph opted for The Road Less Traveled he did the hard things and he did it consistently and then when he gets ultimate power and Pharaoh says you're my number two I roll in Air Force One you roll in Air Force dose and Joseph had the power of life and death in his tongue his now he sees his brothers they don't know it's him and he could literally have them all executed that would be easy to give in to your revenge to give interrupt to have a vindictive pound of Flesh oh I am Joseph this is fire that I created instead he's humble and kind and he chooses to forgive and prioritize reconciliation he opted if you want to what to do when life sucks don't don't do the easy thing of course it'd be easy to get high and not feel any of it opt for The Road Less Traveled feel that grief bring it to God when you don't feel like going to a small group go anyway when your hands are shaking raise them in Praise or bow on those knees opt for The Road Less Traveled the devil wants you to give in to the broad road that leads to destruction how about finding that way your way to the narrow road that leads to eternal life it's got a name his name is Jesus and you will never regret following him never regret walking with him never regret letting his word set the pace for your life opt for The Road Less Traveled I also think it's interesting that by the end of Joseph's life he's giving what he originally wanted I can't help but think as he sits listening to the the Baker and the the the cup Bearer after a bad night's sleep he says tell me about your dreams at the beginning of his story all he wanted was for other people to listen to his dreams but had he not interpreted their dreams and then he he wouldn't have never gotten the opportunity to interpret Pharaoh's dreams so his final exaltation came not when he got to do what he thought he was meant to contribute but when he was willing to do for others what he wanted other people to do for himself there's something there the secret to Joseph's Destiny came from doing the opposite of what he thought he was going to do it's not about his dream it's about other people's dreams and using my gift to help them unlock their god-given Destiny and so maybe there is something to the whole upside down kingdom and in finding your life you lose it and keeping your life you don't actually get to keep it and the up is really down and down is really up and the way to Greatness is actually serving and laying your life down and being crucified with Christ that is really the path to life number four use your new superpowers use your superpowers yeah because just like Joseph whose brothers threw him into a pit and it actually ended up propelling him into ultimate power so in your life here's the best theological way I can put it pit happens it does you will find yourself in pits and if in pits you have a Psalm 105 lens on it you go hold on I'm being tested I'm being tested to see if I can be trusted trusted with greater levels of opportunity trusted with greater levels of Revelation there are very few people A.W Tozer said this who God has used used greatly without first bruising deeply and he allows those scars he allows that pain to develop us acts 9 read it about the Apostle Paul I will have him speaking to Kings and the nation of Israel and to Gentiles but he will also suffer many things for my name's sake thorns in the flesh trials travails it it is true as Charles Spurgeon said that God gives his his most important assignments to his most trusted soldiers and the most trusted soldiers are the ones who he can treat the worst and they continue to trust him be a mall cop be a Navy SEAL you'll get treated differently have you ever seen the indoctrination the hell week that they endure on the path to being trusted with the responsibility of being a seal it is incredibly bad treatment do you want to ring the bell ring the bell watch out if if God in your life can trust you with hard things and challenging things and dark days in Hebrews 11 type of stuff being sawn in two being beaten be it wondering the world destitute the greatest man ever born of woman was John the Baptist and his head got cut off so this is how God treats his friends and if we can endure that but keep worshiping him like job we will have endured testing and we can be handed true Authority true blessing pain is a microphone and the more it hurts the louder you become Matthew Chapter 5 is full of the Beatitudes which all basically say there's a connection from Pain to greater power new superpowers I see Joseph using those superpowers whereas a result of being developed God entrusts to him more in fact by the time Ezekiel wrote Ezekiel 47 13 he wrote that in the tribal allotment Joseph's family is getting two portions of land two allotments of land having passed the test there was greater opportunity in other words and so it often is but Joseph didn't use that for himself he used it to notice other people the most personally convicting part of the entire story is where Joseph wakes up with the two other prisoners who are new to jail while he's been there for decades and he says to them why do you look sad today why do you look sad you look sad today something's off with you he noticed he wasn't going oh you don't know what I've been through I deserve to be in Israel I have God has a great call in my life I don't deserve any of this being here with you criminals this is a guy going why are you sad today he was still perfectly at peace he knew he was in the center of God's will if I'm in a prison God wants me to prison I'm just going to keep following him if I'm being lied about I'm going to keep following him if God puts people in jail it must be because there's something I meant to help them he's using his new superpowers and in your pain God's unlocking new levels of anointing and he wants you to use those not just for yourself but for other people number five hope this is helping you if not it doesn't really matter I'm on a plane to Montana tomorrow so uh Texas actually uh don't bottle your emotion or let them have the last word don't bottle up your when life sucks don't bottle up your emotions or let them have the last word you see because the devil doesn't care which side of the horse you fall off he just doesn't want you to stay in the saddle and ride one unhealthy side of the spectrum would be bottling up your emotion it's okay God's good no Joseph wept loudly the text tells us in his story there was free emotion he would feel it he would get it out don't don't try and suppress that it's a powerful thing it will manifest itself somewhere else down the road something will pop if there's not that release David said I make my bed swim with my tears so cry if you go to Christ cream if you've got a cream crust if you've got a cuss just don't look oh God hang on to him keep following him keep showing up regardless of whether he's choosing to slay you at the moment or not but don't also he's equal and opposite error don't let your emotions have the last word our feelings are not the boss of us so feel your feelings and then preach the gospel to yourself feel the feelings and then take God's word and say hope in God feel your feelings but don't say well I just gotta just wander and be free I can't be in church right now because it's my feelings or I listen your feelings will lead you astray your heart is deceitful and desperately wicked so feel all those feelings I kneel at my daughter's grave and and cover it with with tears my wife and I we've we feel it all we feel it we feel far from her feel like God where was God oh that's great feel it all feel it all fiddle okay now it's time to listen my soul hoping God entrusting proved his love at the cross he gave you his Spirit your daughter is with him in heaven and she's urging you on as a part of the Great cloud of witnesses so now we've got work to do night is coming when no man can work so Joseph felt his feelings he wept loudly but the whole time we find the secret that he knew he was being tested Because by the end in Genesis 50 20 what did he say he said to his brothers you all meant this for evil but God say with me meant it for good that's his secret to keeping his head in the clouds when life sucked all throughout it he said God's up to something God's up to something God means good God means good God means good he's doing something he's doing I know I'll see it I don't need to see it now I'll See It ultimately God's doing something for you ever you ever have a friend we have to say to everybody else he means well usually it means they they don't he's got a heart of gold well if he did it would come out through his mouth because out of the abundance of the heart after all but God really does mean well Joseph knew that God meant this for good he overrided your evil behaviors because he means good God means good if God's in it he's up to something that's good we don't know what that is we've got to wait and see but in his time we will be able to look back and say with Joseph if we don't throw in the towel too early that God gets to last word not our emotions the presence of trouble in your life does not mean the absence of God keep your head in the clouds when life hurts like hell lastly we're done stay Forward Thinking when you would want to say to someone man life sucks right now stay Forward Thinking don't get stuck move through the valley of the shadow of death don't get comfortable there I see this Joseph you know have you ever heard that expression that many men die at 30 but don't get buried till 80. Joseph at the age of 117 finally dies and he's so forward thinking so on to what God's going to do next that he gathers his sons to bless them and then says and don't let me get buried in Egypt bury my bones in the promised land I want to rise he's planning out his resurrection are you kidding me he didn't even have the full revelation of of the second coming but he says don't you bury me in Egypt because when Jesus comes he in the spirit knew there's going to be a rising of the Dead from the ground he's so forward thinking he's so on to what he says my story doesn't end in death my story doesn't end in a pit my story doesn't end because Potiphar's wife lied about me or because the baker forgot about me he says God means it for good and he is up to something and his kingdom is coming it will be full and final so stay Forward Thinking stay on your tiptoes what is God about to do can you see it can you hear it it's about to break out it's happening even now the desert will Bloom like a rose there will be streams in the desert the lion will lie down with the lamb stay Forward Thinking stay Forward Thinking so so to recap we're learning that when life sucks stay in the clouds keep your head in the clouds it was right there the whole time this is what we got to do to keep our head in the club what does that remind me of it reminds me of first Thessalonians 4 the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the to meet the Lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the Lord Comfort one another with these words so let's keep our head in the clouds Calvary if it sucks if it doesn't suck if we're in the penthouse if we're in the Outhouse if we're in the winter Circle or if we're in the loser's bracket let's worship God when we're given an acceptance speech for an award and when we're on our knees weeping in the Intensive Care Unit can we be a people who together will say praise the Lord he gives he takes away but blessed be the name [Music] and I close with this when Joseph was blessing and naming the two boys Ephraim in Manasseh he chose very particular very unique very significant names one of them that means he has made me forget and the other that means he has made me fruitful [Music] can't help but wonder if there's some of you who are reticent to truly let God heal your grief from that divorce from your parents never being kind to you from the cancer diagnosis for whenever the wound was the the suck was the hurt was you're not ready to start naming things I've made I'm not I'm forgetting that I'm behind that's I'm through that and I'm fruitful now in it and I wonder if for some of you it's not out of a sense of loyalty to whatever that Slice of Life was prior to the injury I'll just say it like this there was a part of me that was afraid to be healed because I thought that would be a betrayal to my daughter but then the Holy Spirit told me Levi your healing and connect you to her just as much as the pain does and more and so I can honor her dancing just like I can limping I can honor her worshiping just like I can't hurt it and so I wanted to end just with this time to let God heal you and to not be afraid of that healing and to the newness of that and the way that will honor whatever sense of loyalty you have to that season it's time to turn the page into a new chapter and so father sensing your spirit aware of your presence at a historic anniversary one marked by Bloodshed and pain and death and fittingly so think about Daniel joining the host of heaven and song and worship and we realize in just a twinkling of an eye we'll be standing before you too our time on Earth will be over the question the choice to be made is what will we do to honor you between now and then if if you're here today and this was for you you would say Levi I need to to begin forgetting and receiving that healing and becoming fruitful this message was for me my my life has been sucking lately and I want to keep my head in the clouds can you just raise a hand up so God can see you you're receiving healing you're receiving healing you're receiving healing in Jesus name Spirit flows down like oil like rain like a flood like the morning dew the son of righteousness is rising on you with healing in his wings and this is the Turning of a page it's a new chapter may we endure the testing well enduring suffering as good soldiers of Jesus Christ he's not mad at you he's crazy about you he loves you bless these father shine on them with your mercy and your kindness you can put your hands down and I want to invite anybody who's never made a faith decision to give your heart to Jesus as we continue in prayer you religious or you know a Christian or you're somewhat vaguely aware of like John 3 16 and some stuff and maybe if you had to check a box you'd probably pick the Christian one that's not what it means to be alive to have stepped into the light to have come out of the casket of sin and to be standing in Christ the light of God shining from your eye Born Again born from above if you don't have the spirit of God you're not his and if you come to life in Christ he's going to give you his Spirit give you strength give you the fight on the inside I want to invite some to step into life in Christ so what I'm going to do is I'm going to count to three and when I get to 3 if you're sick of sin and hell and death having sway over you and fear you want to step into peace step into Jesus step into new life I'm going to literally invite you to take a step when I get to three I want you to stand up right where you are in the amphitheater family room Sanctuary balcony just to stand up and to stay standing saying I'm stepping into New Life In Christ into Mercy I'm stepping into salvation today into healing today into Freedom today into Victory today one two three stand up stand up stand up stand up stand up stand up stay standing stay standing station we are for you we see you we celebrate you we are proud of you while standing let me Lead You In A Prayer say this to God he'll hear you church say it with us dear God give me new life I give you mine thank you for the cross thank you for the resurrection thank you for this born-again experience that by faith I believe is happening on the inside help me to follow you and keep my head in the clouds in Jesus name amen amen you may be seated God bless you and keep you we hope you enjoyed this special service from Calvary Church we'd love to know how this message impacted you email us at mystory calvarynm.church and just a reminder you can support this ministry with a financial gift at calvarynm.church give thank you for joining us for this teaching from Calvary Church

Channel: Calvary Church with Skip Heitzig

Views: 11,501

Keywords: Calvary, Albuquerque, Skip, Heitzig, Sermons, Calvary Church, Jesus, How to Study the Bible, Gospel

Id: xvKqbUyM7xE

Length: 56min 10sec (3370 seconds)

Published: Mon Sep 26 2022