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TEXT:Genesis 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." INTRO:Many a house owner in the Calgary Nose Hill region, gets nervous in the heat of summer. Almost weekly you could see a grass fire burning in the field near their house and rapidly approaching their house. The firefighters arrived and they quickly got it under control. they were really thankful they had seen the fire or it might have burned their house. They were told that the fire did not mean there would be a blackened field in front of their house - there would, in fact, be beautiful grass growing there pretty soon, rooted in soil that would actually be enhanced by the fire. And, sure enough, there's a rich field of green today. Burned Grass = Beautiful Grass." TRANSITION: It's one of those "strange ways of God." The fire that burns also produces beauty later on. If you're going through the fire right now, that's something you probably need to know right now. Because at the moment, you can only see the burning - you can't see the beauty. You will. 1. Joseph’s Flames There is no more amazing life story in the Old Testament than that of Joseph. God's ultimate plan is for Joseph to become the second most powerful man on earth, the assistant Pharaoh of Egypt, the greatest nation on earth at that time. But how will a Jewish boy ever become the #2 man in Egypt? Through the fire. He is betrayed and beaten by his jealous brothers, he's sold into slavery - which gets him to Egypt. He is bought by one of Pharaoh's top military leaders - which gets him in contact with Egyptian royalty. He's thrown into prison for a crime he didn't commit - so he can do a favor for a servant of Pharaoh - whose intervention will ultimately bring Joseph before Pharaoh. Betrayal, beating, rejection, injustice, imprisonment - that's a lot of fire. But it was that very fire that produced an amazingly beautiful outcome - God's man, Joseph, in a world class position where he can save many lives from a famine - including the lives of his own family. Joseph explained to them the divine plan that was being accomplished, even through their sin. He said, Genesis 45:5 "It was not you who sent me here, but God." As in our text Prince Joseph says to the brothers who betrayed him, Genesis 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives 2. Boat Departing When I came to Fox Creek It was more fun, exciting than I thought, But its was also the hardest and toughest too! "I'm sort of a hometown kind of guy." And that's true - I actually have lived most of my life within a relatively short distance of home base. "I sort of had to stretch to do this - but I'm really glad we did." God’s blessings and grace are a greater reality. "God will take you to Where You've Never Gone to See What You've Seen! I actually had to move out of where I felt comfortable to experience some exciting things I'd never experienced before. So do all of us. That is, in fact, a fundamental principle of getting all our Lord Jesus wants us to experience. And maybe it's important we talk about that today - because someone who's listening may be stuck in their comfort zone, missing some scary but exciting things that God wants you to see. I love the picture God gives us of this dynamic in Matthew 14:25 Jesus had told His disciples to go on across the Sea of Galilee without Him. They encountered a violent storm, during which, the Bible says, "Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake." The disciples were understandably freaked out. The Bible says, "but Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.' 'Lord, if it's You,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to You on the water.' 'Come,' Jesus said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came to Jesus." Peter did what no man, other than Jesus, had ever done before or has ever done since - he walked on water! The boat was obviously the safe place to be. But Peter was willing to leave where it was safe on one condition - "Lord, if it's You." And that's got to be our bottom line, too. Is that You, Lord, leading me out of the boat I've been in and out into the "wild water" of something new? If it's You, I'm going! Like I’ve experienced some memorable new things when I moved beyond where I felt comfortable, you will see powerful things you've never seen before if you'll get out of the boat. God is leading you beyond where you feel adequate, where you can figure it out, where you can pull it off. But what a great place to be - you're in the miracle zone! He's leading you into a new episode where you will need Him more than you've ever needed Him before - and have Him as you've never had Him before. It's not the water that's going to hold you up - it's Jesus. You're headed where it's going to be not much of you and a whole lot of God! That is something to be excited about! One day this Peter who dared to get out of the boat would be led by his Lord to preach the Gospel boldly on the streets of Jerusalem, calling to Christ some of the very people who had wanted Him crucified. (Talk about getting out of your comfort zone!) And Jesus would ask him to go where no Jew ever thought he'd go - to introduce those nasty Gentiles to Jesus. Genesis 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." 3. God’s Own What is happening to you right now? Well, it has first had to pass through your Father's hands!! - Yes, God knows and allowed!! Remember, the Father who promised in 1 Cor 10:13 "(He) will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." He will bring something beautiful out of what seems so ugly or uncomfortable right now. He'll use the fire to bond you closer to your loved ones, to take away one thing so He can replace it or return it with something much better, to put you in a position where you can "save lives" by sharing Christ. They'll listen to you now because of what you're going through. He wants you to experience His love and His power and His nearness as only those in the discomfort of the fire ever get to experience. The fire that burns will ultimately produce something amazingly beautiful - if you'll stay close to Him as you walk through the fire. Mr 12:15 (Jesus,) Shall we give (tax unto Caesar), or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. 16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's. 17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. What has God’s image? You. Are rendering Him whats His?! We belong to God, so our accountability is to Him and our Well being is His responsibility! Genesis 50:20, "______ intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Once you start defining your decisions by what's comfortable, once you follow Jesus into a place where He is everything, you have begun to blow the lid off your life. Living by faith turns out to be the only really safe way there is to live! But you'll never walk on water if you never get out of the boat! Genesis 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." |