Winners Keep God At The Center

Some of you may remember the lines in the August 9, 1994 and the local network affiliate after the special report that ran for most of the week. At the end of the report. The coanchor who was sitting there on the desk who claim to be a Christian and claimed to be a churchgoer looked at the reporter and said the following things to her now. The report was about the feminization of God and about goddess worship that is sneaking into the mainline church and now has taken over whole denomination and then the woman who claims to be a Christian said to the woman she said to the effect I don't understand the fuss is all about your God, my God, is God who got what is a fuss all about he/she doesn't merely make any difference. It does make a difference.

Indeed, this kind of thinking is more common than you realize. Right in the very pews of churches in this age of pluralism. It is fashionable to accept all views about God. In this age of relativism is politically incorrect to see God as the only one true God, the God of heaven. The God who said in the 10 Commandments that I am the only one God and there is no other God next to me and that is why the removing the 10 Commandments out of the walls of public office. Even churchgoer's receive God the way they want to perceive him, not necessarily the way he revealed himself in the Scripture most often Christians will take one of God's characteristics and they lifted right out of context and elevated to the detriment of all the rest of the characteristics of God, the dog must go together and ultimately they fall into idolatry. Because that's nothing short of other Christians can find God to one hour a week or two hours a week or five minutes a day, or confined to certain areas in their life and not all areas of the life most people view God in the way they were brought up children who grow up in a stern angry, abusive parents most often MSA are instructed in the word of God MSA become to know the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, the God, the father of the Lord Jesus Christ they will immediately think of God as a stern angry constantly ready to punish it was Martin Luther that Dominican monk who God used single-handedly to bring Reformation to the whole world. It was him before he discovered the absolute biblical truth of justification by faith alone of salvation by grace alone.

Before that happened.

In his cell, he would weep and cry all day long. Why because he saw a window right there in the Monastery of God standing with a sword in his hand and every time he had a wrong thought he would run to the father confessor and he will confess.

Some days up to 10 or 15 times until he drove the father confessor crazy every time in the wrong thought come to his mind he will gone confessor.

That is why was Martin Luther who said he said when you're tempted, in the thought comes to your head is like a bird that is flying over your head. You can do anything about it. But the moment start getting into your hair and make it building a nest. You can do something about it and stop it was Martin Luther who would finally discover the great truth, and he realized that the fact that is being halted by this image of God with the sword in his hand, ready to zap him anytime he had a wrong thought it was him who brought us the Reformation and back to the Bible back to biblical theology. And yet there are some Christians who call themselves that we are God's with a small G and therefore whatever we perceive ourselves.

That's God as long. Yet there are still some others who are so self-righteous they are so holy they think they are so right there do not want to be confused by biblical facts about God. Wonderful stories told about Queen Victoria, who used to love going to have a moral castle in Scotland on a one beautiful sunny Sunday. She was being rode in the river. Balmoral was right in the river be in Scotland and the crowd was standing on the bank there watching and cheering the Queen. One of those holy people so sanctimonious look that a minister who standing nearby and she said, isn't that dreadful and the minister said or what what is dreadful about it. She said the Queen. She's rowing the boat on the Sabbath of the minister, looked for a moment and said what he said. You may remember that Jesus was in the sea of Galilee on the Sabbath. She drew herself up with total indignation and she said two wrongs don't make it right. You know people like that and that is why all views of God that are not anchored in Jesus Christ are one-sided. They are out of context they are incomplete and inaccurate. The Bible said that God revealed himself fully in Jesus Christ.

The Bible said that if we want to know what God is really like take a very good long hard look at Jesus and that is why we must insist those of us who believe in the Scripture as the word of God and his personal revelation we must refute this reams of paper that seem to be saturating the churches today that's coming out of the mainline from the head offices of the mainline churches who are declaring that God was in Jesus with Jesus in a Special Way, Jesus Christ was fully God, yet fully man. We must insist that Jesus alone is a full expression of God. No one like him know whatever you like him. There is one thing about God that everybody must understand and it is this that he would not settle for anything and being at the very center of your life and mine is either a dissenter is not there at all. He doesn't like to be kept on the perimeter of our life.

He doesn't like to be kept on the peripheries of our life. He doesn't like to be kept outside the doors of our lives feels like to sit on the fence of your time in the use of your time. He doesn't like to be on the fence of your decision-making process or your thinking he wants to be at the very center of all you will be or he's not there at all. And that is why in the book of Exodus of three chapters 25 all the way to 28 God insists when he tells Moses how to build the tabernacle. He said I want my tabernacle to be in the midst of the camp and not the guesswork to get the guesswork out there measuring. It has to be at the very center, but that's not all. At the very center of the tabernacle. There is the holy of holies.

But that's not all. At the very center of the holy of holies there is the Ark of the covenant, but that's not all that in the Ark of the covenant is a symbol of the dwelling of the spirit of God. He has to be in the center. He has to be in the middle or he's not there at all. Whenever you and I tried to move God off to the side whenever we tried to shift him off the center whenever we tried to keep him out of the center of our life.

We get into trouble. Why is it like Martin Luther, God is zapping you with his sword absolutely not. It is just like one plus one equal to that of God is out of the center you're in trouble and I'm in trouble. It is that simple. We bring the trouble upon ourselves when we shift them of the center and that is why our nation. I believe that with all my heart and you know my love for this country. I believe we are in the mess that we are in because we have systematically removed out of the center of our nation pray God that we repent before him and that she will honor our prayers and with come back as a nation to God. Joseph knew that when he is at the very center of the will of God. And when God is in the center of his life, regardless what he might be. He will ultimately win when God is at the center. It doesn't matter if he is hated by his brothers. It doesn't matter where he is in the. What does it matter whether he is in the house of slavery. It doesn't matter whether he is in Pharaoh's dungeon. It doesn't matter where you went. God at the center of his life.

When God at the center of your life you will wind you will be a winner. That's what happened to Joseph when I was thinking of Joseph. I thought of an inscription that was found in one of the prison cells in Germany after World War II and hear these inscriptions on the wall of the present so when something like this. I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.

I believe in love even when I don't feel it. I believe in God even when he is silent. This in Scripture characterizes Joseph life in the last message you remember where he has been forgotten in Pharaoh's dungeon for two years. In fact, there is a two-year gap between Genesis 40 and Genesis 41 turn with me please to Genesis 41 there when we left Joseph in the last message. His harps were running high that Pharaoh's cupbearer, for whom he has interpreted a dream that he will remember Joseph and that he will get him out of prison.

This work is hope.

I try to imagine Joseph sitting in the dungeon every time he hears the doors of the prison door open his hopes start rising and he would say now is my chance. I bet this is the good news been waiting for. I would Pharaoh's soldiers are coming out to get me out and release me out of here. I'm in the cupbearer has remembered me and as soon as the doors are shut again.

His hopes were shattered to get some probably every morning and he picks up the permit gazettes and start reading. Pharaoh had a habit of releasing some prisoners on his birthday and the birthday of his family members or public holidays, and he was saved. Newly released today and he read read read read Joseph name was Martha and he put that down in his hope was shattered. One more time, surely it must be government red tape. Surely it must be government bureaucracy that is stopping me from getting out of here not in your life. Do you know who was delaying his release. Do you God. Do you know who was sovereign overruling in the cupbearer's memory God's why think about that some of you are not getting up at you right now because you don't believe that God is in control of everything would just listen to me and human reformatted okay. Just think with me. Suppose Pharaoh gets one evening in the cupbearer comes in and has a required time of his Miranda in the cupbearer being a smart guy spiked at the drink real hard and then Pharaoh keeps him drinking and he gets drunk when he gets real happy bring you so much of that soup that the Egyptian soup that the gets real hilarious.

And then the cupbearer said no my chance.

He said that your Majesty, I have a friend in prison is managers is a Hebrew boy, would you releasing I is drawing his drunken stupor. He'd not even thinking of you know who was he talking about is enough because you let him go.

So happen easily.

Okay now Joseph is released is not great is not wonderful God answered my prayer.

What would he do what will a foreign boy in Egypt will do two alternatives. One will go as a foreigner have to go back to part of his house and somebody like Bodiford back into slavery or as a second alternative, he will hitchhike, ride back to his brothers who hated him so much. As a result of the rope into but now that's not how God works because God was at the very center of Joseph's life. Joseph was not going to just be released. He was not just going to be let go from the prison.

He is going to be honored, to the place of honor at the highest office in the land next to Pharaoh is our God as though he works the cupbearer forgot about Joseph, but God didn't the cupbearer forgot about Joseph for two years. But God is sovereign over the cupbearer's memory. God didn't want the cupbearer to remember to remember until God's timing is right now wanted to hear me out on this one. I believe with all my heart and I'll support what I'm saying from the Scripture is that God wants to bless you beyond your imagination. But not if you keep him out on the perimeter of your business. God wants to bless you beyond your imagination. But not if you keep your mouth on the perimeter of your dating relationship God wants to bless you beyond your imagination. But not if you keep him out of the perimeter of your pocketbook and shoot him out of the ties and offering here will not bless you. God wants to bless your home and your family but not to keep him on the perimeter of your marriage is a weatherman to preacher what you talking about I don't keep got on the permit always pray always ask God to come into my life was as going to come into my family. I always ask God always inviting him.

I talked to God all the time. I thought during the car at Dr. ministry… Everywhere ago. We may be praying the kind of prayer. This is Yoko. How did I do.

God is like elk on top of prayer. Imagine that I have in overseas gases occasionally redo and I'll say to him, no, my friend. He said here's your guestroom.

You stay here and the we be busy and running around nobody in the house tomorrow when you wake up out of your jetlagged just to feel comfortable feel at home.

Don't be shy, don't be bashful just move around it.

What you need and call us if you need us. When he gets up and gets to the bathroom and the bathroom is locked is a weatherman before God. They lock the bathroom when it goes down as a Roth scene get something to eat and goes in and open the fridge offenders locked all the food is in there he can get coffee going up anything is everything in the fridge is all what kind of a host of my father told him he can, he can do anything he wants us is as he feels freight. Please don't feel bashful but you know what that's how many Christian St., God. They want God to come to do things for them when they want and how they want and whatever they want and however they want.

And there are not willing to obey him in the area were God wants him sober.

They do not want to put them at the very center of the line they ashamed of him so they don't take in weatherman than social occasions.

They have them there for two hours on Sunday morning and that's about it that some people who pray this way. This kind of your computer. Lord help me in my business, bless me a lot in my business, but all Lord when it comes to writing contracts, I can write a killer when I know Lord, I am trained in this, just leave that up to me for some people pray Lord I want you to bless me financial but surely you understand if I don't tie this Old Testament in the Lord, all of you know I got this expensive house is expensive because I got each of my kids to think about and you don't need a floor you're right.

He's does not need it you needed.

I can't afford not to talk some people Prius it all. Lord, I want to marry this person. I really want to marry this person. Now I understand more that he is not committed to you but you know but when you and I get our hands on a moviemaking commitment.

They live the rest of your life, you sorry you married the joker the other day somebody told me that of friends and was asked he said the menu start drinking because she asked you to use it. Yes he said you mean you stopped her carousing, because yesterday you stopped smoking because she has to do is a death stop gambling because she has to do is that's right.

He's walking pneumonia. He said well after all this change of thought I could do better or some prayers are heard people say all Lord getting out of this marriage. It's hard. Lord, I can take it all. Lord, getting out of what the Bible says about marriage, the Bible said about divorce. I know all about this Lord but I am not happy. Lord, I want to be happy and I know you want me to be happy, non-generalizing, of course, and understand our circumstances but all these prayers are saying to you and saying to me that God is not at the center of all will is not a diverse center of our life was God or divert the perimeter of Joseph's life was he sitting there on the perimeter of his life not on your life. No way God had to have been at the center of Joseph's life and what he was at the center no matter where Joseph was physically he was at the center no matter what happens to him externally. No matter who was offended, no matter who gets upset no matter who disagrees no matter who feels that Joseph was not politically correct and it doesn't make any difference with the socially acceptable or not God at the center of Joseph's life. So what happens right on God's timetable, Pharaoh eats a Mexican meal and he gets a barnburner and he gets to nightmares one after them one after the other.

The first one, seven ugly, gaunt cows eating seven beautiful healthy cows when he wakes up goes down the kitchen heat some Egyptian wheat cereal. Try to get the system working again. After the meal from last night and goes back to sleep and while he wakes up against awful similar kind of dream.

Seven heads of grain that are scorched by the east wind and they look ugly and they eating and devour the seven heads of grains at a healthy and good.

So what is he doing what's up the next morning and he calls together his National Security Council and you start talking to them. I suppose I got a drink and eat those in the dream, guess what these fellows were doing. I mean, they looked at each other in this affair we don't do dreams magic for an Egyptian to say we don't do dreams is like an Eskimo saying I've never seen ice and I don't deal with ice. I don't have any ice all the symbolisms of the dreams and Egyptian culture are known to all Egyptian children grow up for thousands of generations kids grow up knowing what the symbolism are all about the wisemen and the magicians of Egypt the Pharaoh kids to grow up knowing as I grew up knowing what the symbolisms of dreams are there were thousands of modern brother myself with them all.

In fact I reprinted from even trying to think of them because I don't think you have biblical by grantor.

In fact, in Egypt if you wake up and you had a dream of snakes. You know that you have enemies of conspiring against you if you dream of watermelon and Ms. going to be tears now heated you going to cry if somebody else if this is going to cry you dream of raw meat. It music and be death somewhere going to hear the news of death. Thousands of these injuries that are floating around that part in the culture and imagine the Pharaoh's wisemen and the magicians did not know how to interpret the dreams. So what do you think we were doing. They were scared to death. That's where the work they were afraid to tell Pharaoh the bad news because when they tell Pharaoh bad news and he's doesn't feel good about. If you chop the heads off and they looked at each other so we don't do dreams right at this very moment the Lord whispers in the community. Now is your chance to be a big shot. Remember Joseph is all Pharaoh you just let me tell you I know about this guy in prison. He told me everything that happened within minutes Joseph was shaven clean base dressed up and whisked by a stretch camel to the White House, escorted by Potiphar from the prison to the pass from the darkness of Pharaoh's prison to the dazzling light of Pharaoh's palace in a moment from the electric chair to the throne room in a moment from rags to riches. Just like that. Just like that. It wasn't like that was 13 years. You remember as being on hold waiting for God to answer this prayer waiting for God to fulfill the dreams that he gave and I love it when people talk about overnight success never talk about the sweat and blood that went in to that overnight success and Joseph comes in there before Pharaoh needs are angry. On the one hand for the injustice that was done to him, nor was he arrogant. On the other. In true humility and to the glory of God the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He stands before Pharaoh and said I can do it, but my God can't, and he testifies to his God. God, not Joseph interprets the dream for for Joseph recognizes his own inadequacy, but he trusted in God's adequacy. Joseph recognizes his own inadequacy, but he trusted in God sufficiency. Is this what you're Joseph's confidence is not in himself but in Jehovah Jara.

Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream and is Joseph going through and telling about the seven years of plenty in the seven years of famine and then in His Typical Amicable Way, Joseph goes in the 2nd mile, and it is in a plan of how to go about this in a Joseph were stalking you can almost hear the angels singing to God be the glory, great things he has done. Praise the Lord seven year of abundance. Pharaoh are coming up on Egypt, followed by seven years of famine and here is God's economic plan, you know what I think pagan Pharaoh here had more sense than Episcopalians Baptist Presbyterian Catholics and all the colorful pens and all the politicians that we have today.

He had more wisdom than they did. He understood godly wisdom when he heard it. May God grant politician that was.

She understood God sound economic policy when he heard it. Our government can save billions of dollars of economic advised that they follow the biblical model if they follow the biblical principles that understand that the Scripture said you don't spend more than what you get in all of our government had to do. Just follow the book will prosper again like once we did, as a nation want to tell you what the word of God for you and for me today is God is in control of your economy. God is in control of our economy.

This I am yet to see a Christian person or congregation who are faithful.

Tyler's ever not blessed of God.

I have not seen it once anywhere doesn't mean that you will not get a crop failure.

One year that's not what I'm talking about but I'm talking about God's ultimate blessing.

I have seen it in poor countries who are faithful. Tyler's with their little pennies and obscenities in rich countries. It makes no difference. Faithfulness to God produces a whole different set of economics and all economic theories of the armor of Harvard.

I can stand here until your personal testimony after personal testimony, but I cannot think I can hold inside sales without emotionally falling down. God is a faithful God and we get tempted to push them off the center get a matter to our own detriment is my challenge for you today. Ask yourself Lord, how have I shifted you out of my center of my life moment to put you back in center of my life. I want to challenge you for the days to come. Now I'm talking about it for him as a person. I have not arrived. I struggle all day long and five temptation all day long just like you doesn't mean because I'm a preacher of the word of God that I have moment. I think that I literally hunt you down on the floor so I'm talking to. I know what the temptation sometimes they are very good things, not bad things that tempt you to shift God from the center of your life because they crowded all day long all day long is going to take a decisive decision in your heart. God, I may blow it. If not here, but I want you to be at the center of my life, shall we pray it is before you that I recommit myself for Jesus to be at the very center of my own life. Nothing will crowd that not my failures enough my frailty because that's a commitment to Jesus will see to it will be made will be done and I pray for all of us.

Don't let the devil say will yes but down the road listen to the voice of God and obey and father were not asking for worldly wisdom were not asking for any kind of wisdom except the wisdom that comes from above the wisdom that lead us to repentance right now. The wisdom that open our eyes and says here this is where Jesus is not of the first center give us that wisdom and give us wisdom to repent.

Right now, that we will seek to forsake whatever is stopping us whatever crowding him out that father we would walk out of this place with a renewed encounter with you with a new determination in our hearts that nothing but nothing but nothing will shift you out of the center for father.

We know that is in Joseph life that is where our ultimate success is ultimate winning will come when you are at the very center of our lives and we thank your father for hearing our prayers and for answering because we know we praying according to in Jesus name. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that LTW.org