Winners Have 50/20 Vision

Going away like I have done recently has done is always one thing for me and that is always elevate my vision always lift me up above the little nitty-gritty goes on in the church with the church pastor I see firsthand what God is doing around the world in a way that I could not imagine just sitting here in my little corner.

One of the most exciting part of the trip was being in three cities in Indonesia. One of the cities Surabaya where it's heavily Islamic populated area one pastor I'm going to talk about the lesion revive a little bit in the body of my sermon of how God can do magnificent things in the midst of pain and agony.

This man Alex is his first name. That's all you need to know last names too complicated even for me to pronounce. He came and picked us up at 5 o'clock in the morning 5 o'clock in the morning, you heard me right because he is been praying all night with his congregation forgot to answer prayer about the new building. Currently they have six services on Sunday and the church seats 3500 people. That is not in the West that's not even a career that is in an Islamic area was so much opposition and God is doing something so magnificent in the lives of so many people as we stood in the early morning dawn on the ground where he is building by the grace of God in the part of God 18,000 seat auditorium. The Islamic governor Venetia said please don't call it the church's call it an auditorium called the convention hall. The goal of the church. We have enough problem with Islamic extremists. We stood there with literally goosebumps and tears in our eyes for the vision and the excitement and the faith of this one man is one of many I could take a long time to tell you about so many of the things of God is doing around the world.

It reinforced that's what really hinders the gospel ministry is my own lack of faith or lack of rigid it is that ability that I want to challenge you about to develop the 5020 vision and I hope that as we have been looking into the life of Joseph.

I hope and pray that you have been able to see and comprehend how the sovereign hand of God has worked in the life of Joseph. And that's true that the sovereign hand of God is working in every life that is represented in front of me today.

That is what I call the 5020 vision seeing and perceiving events in your life from God's perspective, not your own. Not my own is what we have seen in the life of Joseph even in the times when it seemed that the wicked had the upper hand. God was working his purposes even in the times when it seemed that injustice seemed to be rolling like the wave of the ocean. God's hand was working his purposes out even in the times when lies and deceptions have been received and accepted as a true God was working his purposes out even in the times when evil appear to have triumphed over good God was working his purposes out onto to reflectively just for a moment you know when we bomb out.

We often spend a lot of time saying what if you know the what if story. What if I don't know about you, but somehow when things are going right in going well. When God fulfills my dreams. Somehow I don't take time to think about what if that's what I wanted to think about what if introverts not in the darkness of the tunnel in your life but in the sunshine of your planes.

One.

Joseph had gotten away from the Ishmaelites who were cutting him down to Egypt. What if somehow at night time and go to sleep. He was able to get loose and run back and get home. What if well his daddy would have been excited and delighted his brothers with representative even more in the situation were kind of gone along its old ways.

Think of Joseph's dreams. Think of the cupbearer's rethink of above all, Pharaoh's dreams. What if one of Joseph somehow made his way back home. What would've happened. Family were struck the Canaanites and the Egyptians both would've died of starvation.

Joseph's family would've died would've disappeared from the face of their but that's not all Egyptian civilization by the thumbs been at 2000 years of civilization that 2000% civilization back 2000 years ago and I had to tell you there is a likelihood that I wouldn't be here. But that's not all. The Israelite nation would not have existed but that's not all the prophets and the writers of the Old Testament would not have existed but that's not all. The Messiah would not of been born and you and I would not have known salvation.

What if what if you if you and I would Joseph when we really are honest with ourselves, would've been one to run away. The first year the second year the third year and said how long how long was going to be able to get out of this and would try to get out of it one way or the other and we walked away and will run away from the will of God in our lives and that is why I want to challenge you today to begin to think of the 5020 vision.

What is a 5020 vision will turn in your Bibles please if you have them with you to Genesis 50 verse 20. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today.

That is the 5020 vision. I wonder how many of us can truly say in the midst of difficulty. I know I feel I know because I have evidence. I know that in all things God works together for good, because I love him because I am called according to his purpose. Because I know I'm in the very center of his will. Watch how the hand of God was working in the life of Joseph, as I bring the Sears to a conclusion just reflect for a few seconds. Just think, is a young man with dreams finds himself in the pit and then in slavery of all the farmlands that he could've been sold to he was sold ended up in the in Egypt the only nation at this time. Assume the Scriptures not making it up. The only nation at that time that will not intermingle with foreigners because civilized Egyptians did not like to marry Harry Hebrews and others.

There's something crazy about Egyptians and shaving you see it in the photonic history because of that God would keep the race from being diluted. God keeps his people is a large number without intermarriage or without disappearing into the walls of Egypt so he ends up in the house of the king's captain of the guard.

There he becomes. Joseph becomes thoroughly Egyptian eyes. Why, because God was making plan that is going be within one step Pharaoh said he was preparing the ground.

Then he gets falsely accused and he gets arrested and he gets thrown into the royal prison and there he meets Pharaoh's Chief of Staff and interprets the dream for him, but the ungrateful Chief of Staff goes back to the palace and for two years. He forgets all about Joseph except in God's timing when the time was right. God reminded him of it. You see those 13 years, nobody can call good. Nobody can cause wonderful here. There were tribal beers that were tragic. It's those 13 years were years of suffering, no use of darkness in the life of Joseph though. Other years it was filled with injustice, with failure and with hate Goodyear. Most of us would've said it's all over for Joseph. The first year after the second year of the fifth year or by the 10th Sears have-nots almost once a decade. The past how in the world is man can ever amount to anything in any good come out of this failure can anything come out of this grief can anything come out of this misery and I'm sure you probably ask yourself when you found yourself in similar situation come out of my pain come out of my suffering, can any good come out of my grief come out of my distortion. You know they are probably just jealous that it is 2020 vision the best vision, but what God is telling us here that it is the 5020 vision that is the best because Joseph combines side with foresight and hindsight and he ended up with a 5020 vision is that your vision can you say in the midst of your pain that was meant for evil value meant it for evil he meant it for evil. She went to for evil.

Even my flash has intended for evil. Can you see the hand of God working in your life even when your heart seemed to be covered by dark cloud even when your pillow is staying with two years.

Can you see the hand of God. When your loneliness is crushing your bone into the spare can you see the hand of God. When your heart becomes so unbearable. Can you see the hand of God. When the pit in which your sitting appears to be inescapable. Can you see when your future seemed to have come to an end. Can you see the hand of God, we fear grips your mind so hard. Can you see the hand of God when what is seen to make you physically ill. Can you see the hand of God, can you truly say that others have meant it for evil but God has meant it for good.

Can you say that in all things. I know even in the worst of things in my life in all things God can work together for good, because I do love him because he is my number one in my life. Can you say that I can do all things through the Christ, who continuously strengthen me. Can you say I know whom I have believed, and I know that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Can you say nothing shall separate them from the love of God, not tribulation, distress, not persecution, not famine, not peril, sword, not these things we more than conquerors through him who loves us.

I want to remind you that when Paul was writing these words he was not sitting on the French Riviera here was being hunted as a wild animal, for I am sure. So the apostle Paul, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come.

The power nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation will ever be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus modeled, can you see the hand of God.

Back in 1915, the Mexican bull weevil invaded the South East section of Alabama and destroyed more than 60% of the cotton crop.

There were literally living on caulking. That's all. The mainstay and other desperation in an almost total loss of hope.

They began to experiment with other things. Finally, they tried to plan peanuts and the new crop brought great wife of unexpected prosperity in 1917 they had the largest peanut crops of anywhere in the country, probably anywhere in the world. So on December 11, 1919 and the city of enterprise, Alabama. They erected a monument to the bull weevil and hear the words inscription that is written below its profound appreciation for the bull weevil and what it has done as a herald of prosperity. What began as a pestilence can end up as praise.

What begins as thought, a tragedy can end up being a great blessing. The 5020 vision will find that the tears of history will turn into laughter. Do you have the vision you know we don't understand why God does things the way he does them. You can read 2000 books and all the stuff about you know what happened and why God does this, and why where is God when things are tough and all you can do all that is fine but I want to tell you the bottom line the bottom line is this God is God and management and just because God privileges us. Just because God elevates us just because God saves us, just because God gives us eternal life. Just because God befriended us it doesn't qualify us to tell him what to do how to do it and went to Paul said we don't understand because we see things. Regards, darkly I can tell you that we are not mentally equipped to know what God knows when not mentally equipped one day we will if God lets us see the future. I want to tell you. Our minds were snapped from the horror and anguish that we will live through in the years to come.

We are not emotionally strong enough to know the future we can even cope with the present, let alone the future, I tell you my sense of humor so simple that my favorite cartoon character is brother Charlie Brown brother Charlie Brown was in a conversation Lana said well I guess it is wrong always to be worried about tomorrow. Maybe we should just think about today and Charlie Brown. True to his reputation as a certified worrywart who said no, I refuse to give up. I'm still hoping that yesterday would get better. You know, if there's one prayer that I have when somebody is going through a tough time in the life. It is this Lord God developed the 5020 vision and thus the Lord God elevators just a little bit to see partially the big picture all God give us the ability to be able to see things from your perspective and not from the narrow perspective in which receiving it right now him arrived at the darkest moment in your life you need to see that God is always in charge. He never loses control of the situation.

Regardless of what it is he is always working behind the scene carrying out his plan of carrying out his purpose fulfilling his ultimate will using people that you never thought to have the slightest idea that he could even you.

I don't know about you but is absolutely mind-boggling to me. I just got a simple mind and it is mind-boggling. When I read in Isaiah 4428 when God said of King Cyrus. The pagan king, and he said my shepherd who will accomplish all I please know that that that boggles my mind when I read Jeremiah 25 nine worst. He talks about King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the pagan king. He calls it, my servant Nebuchadnezzar know I sometimes will read the Bible again as it will be really mean my servant God accomplishes his purposes.

Even if pagan kings do not acknowledge. I began by telling you how God is using some Christian leaders in Indonesia and in the survival that has been continuing began in the 60s and the 70s and the seem to be continuing this has been the greatest revival of God's Holy Spirit like we've never seen in this century anywhere in the world. How did it happen. It was sure horrible circumstances, it was sure tragic and tragic beyond even our expectation or even imagination and your true that God brought millions and millions of people to embrace the Christian faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in a magnificent way very briefly what happened between 20 years between 1945 and 1965 Presidents O'Connor who was the champion of independence declared independence from the Dutch and what he did. He was not a communist himself, but he was chummy with the communist thickly the Chinese, it was very charming so communism grew in Indonesia and within a matter of 20 years. There were 3 million members of the Communist Party with a secret agreement with China, the Communists in Indonesia, there were going to stage a coup in 1967 and take over Indonesia, but things look so good and things were going so well in the way they decided to bring everything forward and stays the coup in 1965 in October 1965 the communist launch a coup to take over the country that took over the presidential palace and then they took over all the regular installation and they killed six of the top generals except for one man, one general is where he was. He was in the hospital visiting his sick daughter from the hospital. He was able to rally the troops soil the communist and crushed the crew. I want to tell you. Just think about this for a moment talk about what if here's what if the colors that they can control of Indonesia, the fifth largest nation in the world in unity with the largest nation of the world. The China and there the string of islands of Indonesia structures 3000 miles east and west had very come together.

Most of Asia would've gone to communism most likely be Australia and New Zealand as well and the whole part of the world half of the world would've been covered in the communist bloodbath you trust the hand of God. But that's not what it ends. People became so angry that they turned against the communists and inserts rampage in such savagery. They killed 400,000 people in two months he say what possible good can come out of this horrible beyond imagination seen you would say well of Indonesians while the big Muslims. They were just turn back to Islam and everything is fine, but it's not so the population saw that the Communists themselves were Muslim and those who are fighting them are also slaughtered them are also most the Christians meanwhile stayed out of the fry and began straight out of that mess and began to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. The preaching the gospel of peace, preaching the gospel of love preaching the gospel of forgiveness and because the people's disillusioned masses of people become Christians by the tens of thousands of how did it happen in other Muslim military officer when they took over power. They become the new rulers of the country in their desire to change the attitude from hatred to love revenge, the forgiveness they actually ordered the printing of tens of thousands of gospel literature and willing presidents. O'Connor was in power between 45 and 65. He literally forced the nation to go from 5% literacy to 55%. In fact, those who are under 35 years of age had about 90% literacy rate so they were able to read the literature that was distributed to God is in control and when there had the literature they were introduced to Jesus Christ.

God is on the throne man might try they meant it for evil. He turned this battle. Horrible tragic situation into the greatest Christian revival known of our century. One of the men we met I mentioned earlier is building this church is just one of many of what's going on in the great land value probably see thinking in your mind, and said well you know this is just nice for Indonesia is nice for India's nice for overseas badly I want about my problem right now about my situation right now what about this letter but I want to tell you something that same big picture that I just do for you is working in your life and in my life every single day. If you take time to reflect on if you develop the 5020 version you be able to see the hand of God that is working in your life and his family life. Every second of every day of every month's of every year in the 5020 vision God turns the wiles of men into the will of God in the 5020 vision God turns the scheming of man into the serving of God's purpose in the 5020 vision God turns us a 10 o'clock until his perfect purpose in the 5020 vision God turns evil, the bad and the ugly of the magnificent and the good, the Scripture tells us again and again is repeated. Like it or not, God is calling the shots is running the show, even when suffering in your life. As a result of your foolish choices in my foolish choices. God contact even though he turned around to bring good out of them. When we repent. He's either in full control or his mother on the phone at all. What is asking of us is our perfect love was asking of us are perfect surrender. What is asking of us is our perfect submission and he will show us in his good time how the 5020 vision works and of the problem is most of us at their site. All of us is that we never let God do it. We are anxious to take it back. We handed to him in the morning and by 12 noon we got all back in our desk there with him in the morning.

Nobody's watching get back into the fray things this all back with you added an incredible poem. Just this week as I was looking through some material and I came across this and I said what a magnificent way of describing some of us. Here's how it goes. As children bring their broken toys with tears for us to mend. I brought my broken dreams to God because he was my friend. Then, instead of leaving him in peace to work alone.

I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own. At last I snatch them and cried. How can you be so slow. My child what could I do.

You never did let go. There are no painful circumstances in your life that God cannot turn around and bring good out of it. If you let him. There are no broken dreams in your life that God cannot perfectly fix color perfectly mend if you let him. There are no agreed sourcing in your life that God cannot forgive. Heal and comfort. If you there are no matters that are so dreadful that God, cleanup cleanup, if you and I will is not surprising. As I looked in the life of this God's winner in the past few messages.

It is not surprising for me when I turned to Hebrews chapter 11 there is a list those who mentioned this will Colby the great face Hall of Fame.

Remember the passage by faith Abraham by faith Sarah by faith Joseph is 5020 vision included the daring face to see the hand of God. To see the plan of God. To see the purpose of God being worked out. Even in the most irrational circumstances of his life, trusting in God, Joseph dared to believe that God could take the worst of his materials and produce a beautiful tapestry in order.

I grew up your janitor, who had a business on the side and I used to go around and hang around his business, and watch what he does as a youngster in most homes when the tech troll close it on customer to give them away. They shred them basically about 1 inch long and they roll them into big ball the sender to this man. When you go there and you see if this is Mr. so-and-so's material. This is Mr. so-and-so material has a more labeled and marked, and he will take those long shreds of close and he weaves them into his weaving machine with such speed and by the end of the day all these colors always cut different kinds of material all the shreds of the now beautiful beautiful rugs is what got us with the shreds that you give him with the shreds. If I give him.

If you let him. He weaves them into a magnificent rug trusting in God would make Joseph dared to project meaning in the midst of meaninglessness make him project purpose in the midst of her pleasantness nicely. We don't gloss over pain without gloss over evil, just like the New Age people do but to look at even in the face and say you have meant it for evil but God turned it for good.

If you can see it. He is turning it for good, not because I see it, not because I feel it because I know that in all things God is working together right now for good.

You've heard me often say that this moment after the word of God has been preached as a most sacred moment.

This is a holy moment is always a moment of decision one way or the other on anything if you don't know the Lord Jesus.

So moment of decision for you, Lord Jesus, I come to you, I surrender to you and receive you as my Savior, my Lord, you have been living in worry and fear the Lord. I do want to develop the 5020 vision your be wasting your life focusing on yourself and yourself. The pro problems.

God is telling us in the words of the Lord Jesus seek you first the kingdom of God. You focus on me and I'll take care of these things. Lord help me to develop the 5020 vision. It's a decision between you and your heavenly father is a commitment between you and your heavenly father the most fearful people are the people will be most blessed. Somehow I found this in my experience in the more you blessed them. We are fearful somehow you afraid of the future. Somehow you afraid of this and afraid of that God wants you to develop the 5020 fish in the stillness of this our heavenly father I come to you with my brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ confessing that the world are often grabs our attention that the seeds of anxiety is always assumed by the devil in our lives confess to you the inability and the difficulties of developing the 5020 vision because we try to do it by ourselves.

Father, we know that only you can give us. Thank you for answering our prayers praise him in Jesus name. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way.

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