Storms Of Loss, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. Exactly as long as God would like it to go eat his desires is always that way. But the most important thing is that we have to remember this. God always has the ending and not always the process to him is just part of what he says is the endgame to say it this way. He always has bigger fish to fry than you were me always got everything in a related altogether. All at once, and we need to trust him through this entire process for joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our work, and I think we can all give a sigh of relief because of that, but it did get the people of Lake Charles and Western Louisiana.

If you remember there was talk that it was a small storm. It did get bigger then he said was a category one, it could be a two and then the nation will tend to be a two and it could be a small three when it made to the shoreline and it hit the Louisiana shoreline with winds of 155 miles an hour in the aftermath as you see through newscaster online the damages overwhelming devastating. All those people had their lives change in a day just one day. What a difference a day makes. Not unusual for us. December 7, 1941 as FDR said, a day that would live in infamy. I lives changed in one day. November 22, 1963. The assassination of Pres. Kennedy. I lives changed in one day. September 11, 2001 with the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and on the twin towers our lives changed again in one day and year living in New Orleans don't we still say now was that before or after Katrina because our lives were overwhelmed in a single day, see what happens when we suffer from what I call the storms of loss I don't mean some storm some storms. We have a brutal little bit painful but the loss is very great, but there are other storms where there's tremendous loss for all of us. Usually those events occur quickly and are suddenly over bread not always, if you think of this pandemic that were under it started quickly but here we are six months down the road and it's still going on in all of us have experienced loss of some sort.

Income freedom health all kinds of ways in which we have lost some loss, some some loss more. Someone stole them in their life. The question is how do we prepare ourselves for the storms of life or the storms of loss. How do we prepare for that and I think some of us think what that what really happened to me you may have lived that way. Up until this pandemic.

Now you might be without work, but that's naïve because the live in this world there will always be storms of loss. There will always be another terrorist attack, another earthquake, another hurricane, another senseless murder another terrible car accident and a myriad of other unfortunate events. They will always occur in our lives and we will always suffer loss. Sometimes, just like now you have to remain faithful to God.

Over the long haul. I want you to open your Bibles to Psalm 105 verse 16 Psalm 105 verse 16.

Not sure what to Psalm it's it really interesting song that deals with the history of Israel, but I want to drop in on verse 16 and it says and he called for a famine in that word. He is a pronoun describing God, he says, and he called for a famine upon the land he broke the whole staff of bread. In other words, this is going to be an extremely difficult thing. He sent a man before them. Joseph who was sold as a slave. Don't miss this.

He sent a man before them.

His name is Joseph.

We know the story pretty well.

They afflicted his feet with fetters. He himself was laid in irons most important word you can read right now until the time that his word came to pass the word of the Lord tested him until this is the story of Joseph and this is about the storm of loss experienced by Israel and what they lost was an ability to eat. There is a famine in the land and noticed way ahead of the family been coming into the land. God has already made provision in the person of Joseph, but I can't just read over that was his life like he's hated by his own brothers. He's hated by effect they wanted to kill him, and they didn't. They just sold him into slavery know what would that be like you're taken out of your land. You'll never see you, think again. Your father, your family, your friends, you're out there sold as a slave and so he finds himself a slave in Egypt, he finds himself in an Egyptian prison.

You know all the events that I want you to imagine what's going on in his mind. If you Joseph what's going on in your mind how this happened to me I'm Hebrew, you know, I know that my father told me that God made a covenant with him to his grandfather, his grandfather Abraham, what am I doing in Egypt when my doing in prison. What I do wrong, you have to covertly victimized, then you know the story of Potter for we finally got out and start having some responsibility and then Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. He ran out and fled from her meds he still accused them enemies back in prison again, what would how would you feel about your life up till then. What a wasted life.

How I cope with this one-way door that some not even in my own country. Remember gotcha that I prepared you for this. Way back. He doesn't know that. So he finds himself interpreting a dreamer to in the next thing you know he's the Prime Minister of Egypt. Now, by the way, please understand, though, even though that sounds like a wonderful story in and of itself is not Egyptian is a Jew good. Glad to have him rise to power so that he could bless Joseph I don't think so.

This is why God had him rise the power until the time that his word came to pass into that time Tony Evans writes this until that time until the time God was ready with all the pieces of the puzzle to carry out his perfect plan in history. One reason God has us waiting for various things and desires in our lives is because he's always doing something bigger than you. It's always bigger than you. I know you're the one going through it. I know you're the one feeling and experiencing it. Being pained by what he is doing is bigger than you is going to always be bigger than you like the strands woven together to create a tapestry of an image.

No single-strand has the ability to display itself. We are all interconnected through God and his divine plan. He is the one hooking things up. You are simply one strand and as you wait your destiny realize that one of the reasons that you are waiting is because God is up to something way bigger than you in involves time because there is more to deal with than just you over and over again. He says the same thing no matter what storm you're going through the storm of loss.

Think of Joseph Susan about Joseph. This is about God and his divine plan and where it's going to go. How long was Joseph faithful years and years and years. Not now with his family, not his own land. Nothing. Now I know that we been going through this for six months.

I don't know if we can hold up any longer. I mean after all, many of us are just sick and tired of being sick and tired some of us want to get up every morning and say enough is enough.

How long can we go on with this exactly as long as God would like it to go to meet his desires for the it's always that way. But the most important thing is that we have to remember this.

God always has the endgame in mind always the process to him is just part of what he says is the endgame to say it this way. He always has bigger fish to fry than you were me.

He's always got everything interrelated altogether. All at once, and we need to trust him through this entire process. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 50 Genesis 50 verse 15 you know the whole story. Everybody's down in Egypt, not Canada yet. I just love this is is when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead. They said one of Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we had which we had done to him. What about this one of Joseph things just like we think.

See if you were Joseph, what would you be thinking this wasn't fair. I have the power to make it right or vengeance is mine is one of the things like that so they sent a messenger to Joe's visit your father charge before he died saying that you shall say to Joseph. Please forgive.

I beg of the transgression of your brothers and their sin for the did you wrong and now, please forgive the transgression of your servants of God, the God of your father and Joseph wept when they spoke to him the name drop. They drop in Jacob. Jacob really want you to forgive us than his brothers also came, he fell down before him and said, behold, we are your servants didn't years ago Joseph's say that through his own brothers. Then he says can be a time in all bombed out before me.

It is, is exactly right was one of the reasons they hated him and Joseph said to them, do not be afraid to watch for. I am in God's place in your place.

Do not be afraid, for you are in God's place when he afraid of. You see, why do we let the circumstances of the day, but when my afraid up I'm in God's place. This is exactly what God want what God wanted me to be know much.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.

In order to bring about the present result and to preserve many people alive right back to the Psalm. That's why I'm here I'm here to feed my people. You meant it for evil but God made it good.

That's the business of God.

That redemption is. He takes evil, he redeems it and makes a good he says so therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones, so he comforted them and spoke kindly to question the Joseph pass the test from Psalm 105 is a member. It said until the time comes right and it said to the word of God was testing Joseph. He passed and how long the test wasn't years and years and years and years and he passed it. He maintained his faith in God.

He maintained his moral integrity. He maintained his forgiving spirit. He passed completely. Sometimes we have to remain faithful over the long haul and then other times the storms of loss are short, unbelievably painful and intensive turn with me now to Job chapter 1 the book of Job, chapter 1 there was a man in the land of loose others in the land of was whose name was Job and the man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Now the scholars by the way don't even know where it was, is, there's a whole bunch of variety of ideas you going to see that it is and ideally situation. In other words, your life can't go better than Job's life going.

He has everything you and I dream about to have a you and I would call the good life, seven sons and three daughters were born to him, his possessions were also 7000 sheep, 3000 Campbells 500 yoke of often oxen, and five dog 500 donkeys and many servants, and that man was the greatest of all the men in the East provide editors up correctly has 11,000 animals not know when you have 11,000 animals but way back then a beautiful 11,000 animals yet unbelievable wealth and then says he said his sons used to hold a feast in the house of each one. On his day and they would send an invite the three sisters to eat and drink with them and it came about when the days of feasting had completed their cycle to Job's that would send and consecrate them rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all for Joseph said for Job said, perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts they did this continually when a spiritual man or having these family reunion party type of thing for everybody and Joseph mean Job uses intercessory prayer he praised. That's his personal integrity and love. That's the spiritual context of this book, then, is a celestial context of the book. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan was among them and the Lord said to Satan morning you come and Satan answered he said from roaming about on the earth and walking around on it and the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job, there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil. That's a conversation sometimes in the past. One of them this passage.

That's a boy I sure hope God never brags on me for Lucifer because I know the book, but that's what he's doing now you can see this is a sovereign God. You can see that this is without question. I set up by God. God has something in mind here Satan said this Job fear God for nothing.

I got I just am amazed at Satan's goal. He talks to God for you for nothing. And remember, God can eliminate him in any moment at any time, but he doesn't. He said, have you not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side. Have you bless them the work of his hand and his possessions have increased in the land he said, and he said, but put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face. No wonder is happy. I know human beings you give them everything they want are all happy. That's why so happy and I might get out of but you won't let me put edge on the storm brewing that this conversation is there's a low-pressure system somewhere in heaven start to gain strength or the Lord said to Satan, behold, all that he has is in your power only. Do not put forth your hand on him so Satan departed presence of the Lord.

Please understand what this Job know about this. Nothing, absolutely nothing.

He doesn't know this conversation ever took place. Easiest live in his life doing his thing. Now what happened on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house that a messenger came to Job and said the oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them in the sapiens attack and he took them and they slew the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you why he was still speaking, another came also and said the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I have a lot of escaped to tell you and why was still speaking, another came in and said, the Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and so the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you. And while he was speaking. Another came and said your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house and it fell on the young people, and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you one day one day category 10.

Nobody has ever had a daily one day the storm of licensor.

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