When Nothing Seems to Make Sense | Part 1

Rollover funding Studios in Memphis Tennessee umpiring Tyler here with Carrie Vaughn, the CEO of global refining. Today Adrian Rogers looks at when nothing seems to make since this is part one in a message from the book of Genesis chapter 39 verses 20 through 23 and this is the story of Joseph. I'm always captivated when I read the life of Joseph Lovett and his isn't it wonderful picture of the life of Christ as we look in Joseph from the pit to Potter first place to the prison and eventually to the palace.

We we see one common theme God was with him. God was with him.

God was with him in everything he did, prospered, and so I think you know we see here that when nothing makes sense.

We understand that God is still in control any. This was all for the fact he did nothing wrong and I know we have listeners right now there in places. Maybe then their employment where they may be been reprimanded for something that they honestly did not do wrong and so there times when we have our character and were following Christ, and will be an example of Jesus in the workplace on the school campus and you know things happen even more doing with the right things right. That's right. Life happens. But hey, we are faithful were not better that we don't change right we are steadfast.

I think this is the message today that gives us the encouragement that he hears the secret ingredient we look over our shoulder and we see what God is already done right. Hindsight is 2020 and so we go back and we look at God's track record and we realize he's batting a thousand, and he will never ever forsake us or leave us, so why would he do that now.

Why little Adrian Rogers says there's coming a day when God will make everything right, don't lose faith when it doesn't make sense to you, and I really love that a man a man I think will Adrian also said never in doubt. In the darkness what God has shown you in the light will carry this letter from Texas from a listener. I listen to your ministry every weekday. I enjoyed so much. The sermons always touch on things that are going on in my life.

I'm learning a lot.

I pray that God continues to use you to help lead people such as myself to Christ. Wonderful wonderful. What a great message.

What what what a great response and that's exactly the the gas in our tank.

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Also, let me say this when nothing seems to make sense. We know this. There's never any panic in heaven and God is still on the throne a man a man and as we look at when nothing seems to make sense. Here's Adrian Rogers finding Genesis chapter 39 would you please the side of the message today practicing the presence of God when nothing seems to make sense.

I didn't say when nothing makes sense when nothing seems to makes that practicing the presence of God is no story but a good one about a man who was a brick mason bricklayer and he had too many bricks on top of the building so he decided to bring them down to the ground. He went up to the third of four story wherever it was but a yardarm out from roof and pulley and it tied a rope to hoist to the bow to the roof loaded the barrel with extra bricks went down to the ground and untied the rope at that time he realized that powerful bricks was heavier than a man.

So when the brick started down. He started out well. He said he made a mistake that he forgot to let go of the rope. The hell alone until it was too late and so halfway up in the barrel met the barrel struck him on the shoulder, gave him a severe wound but he said I managed to hold on until I reached the top and then he said I wedged my fingers in the pulley said at that time the barrel hit the ground and the bottom came out left all the bricks, therefore making them are lighter than they said. Then I started down the bow started up this time the barrel met me at the shin gave me another severe wound but he said I still managed to hold on until I fell on the ground and hit that pilot shot cornered Rick's.

He said it was then that I lost my presence of mind let go of the rope. The barrel came down and hit me on the head. The man applied for a few days off now. I think sometimes we feel that way were up and down. We don't know whether to hold owner let go and we getting hit from every side met with this man. His problem was easily deserved number 111 negative physics number two wasn't very bright and his problem was his own problem. He made his problem. But what do you do when you're doing nothing will all, when you're applying proper principles and nothing seems to make sense to being battered from every what do you do when life doesn't make sense now have a lot of cliché when you get to them. Zero time not hold all that's a real blessing is somebody says just grand and bare our sheriff. It could be worse, generally does get worse doesn't know what what is chapter in the book of Genesis chapter 39 is going to tell us some things that we can do some principles that we can apply when life doesn't seem to make sense. This is a chapter I save the life of Joseph Joseph, who was a man of God who love God with all of his heart found himself in great difficulty. He had been sold by his brothers as a slave is carried down by a caravan into Egypt and there he is bought by man named Papa who is the head of the Egyptian God, and there he is a slave and father first household less look if you will. In Genesis chapter 39 versus 20 and 23 and I believe that will give us what we're talking about, and Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place with the king's prisoners were bound and he was there in the prison, but now notice verse 21, but the Lord was with Joseph. There is in prison for the Bible says that the Lord was with Joseph. I want to give some prison principles, how to practice the presence of God.

When you are in a dungeon in prison and it is not your fault at all. Joseph here, as I say, was a slave, he was bought by Potiphar. He was put in charge of Potiphar's household. Joseph was such a man of integrity and such amount of industry that even as a slave. Potiphar found himself trusting Joseph more and more, and Joseph is rising higher and higher in Potiphar's house until finally he is taking care of all of the affairs of Mr. Potiphar Potiphar, so trusting Joseph that he said the only thing I know that I really only is the food in front of me.

It's all in Joseph's hands.

Joseph was an incredible individual and even as a slave I God was with him and he is ascending higher and higher and higher. But Joseph was a young man handsome. The Bible tells us, and zero and father first wife began to lust after Joseph and tried to seduce him.

Joseph refused Potiphar's wife. She took him by the coat and tried to drag him into bed with her.

He refused with such vigor that he left his coat and escape fled, and that was Victor Hugo who said hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

She was so insulted so embarrassed that she decided she would get even with the young man and she began to scream that he had assaulted her and that she disheveled her hair. She perhaps store clothing a little bit, maybe even scratched her face. I don't know, but she still had Joseph's coat in her hand and she told the other men there. This young Egyptian tried to do this terrible, horrible thing to me.

When Potiphar came home it was reported to Potiphar, and Joseph is now cast into prison.

He is totally innocent. He has been serving God and now nothing seems to make sense. There he is in prison now. I want us to look at this story today I want to give you five principles.

If things happen you one day that do not make sense.

They will sometime happen to you. Number one when you're in a situation like this and things don't seem to make sense. Don't demand to understand. Don't demand to understand that Joseph had not sinned against God, Joseph had done absolutely nothing wrong.

What Joseph was doing was right. I imagine at this time when Joseph was doing right when he was serving the Lord with all of his heart and he got cast into prison. He's lied about falsely accused that Satan whispered in Joseph's ear and said to him now.

Where is your God. What good does it do you now to serve God they can become times in your life. My friend, when nothing seems to make sense that I'm not saying that you should not try to understand if difficulty comes your way, tried to understand there is a verse I thought about as I was studying this passage of Scripture. Many people use this versus their life.

Verse Proverbs 3 verses five and six. The Bible says trust in the Lord with all of you, and lean not unto your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path, he shall direct thy paths. Now notice what it says it says lean not to your own understanding. There will be things that you do not understand, and do not demand the understand that I give you companion verse Isaiah chapter 50 verses 10 and 11.

The prophet Isaiah asked this question and it's a good question. Who is among you that fear the Lord that obey the voice of his servant, that walk in darkness, and hath no light trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God, behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compassion yourselves about with sparks walk in the light of the fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand you shall lie down in sorrow. Look at that verse.

Look at Isaiah 50 listen to what is it T. It teaches that you can be serving God you could be obeying God's word and still have darkness you can come to a time of perplexity at time when you don't understand. And yet you have done nothing wrong.

Do not get the distorted idea that the Christian life is all joy and sweetness and that you always understand sometimes we give the wrong impression when we tell people they need to come to Jesus as if their life if they come to Jesus is going to be on an ever ascending scale of joy and light and victory in youth in the serene old age and a happy family life and the glorious exit into heaven. It does not happen that way. And as you study the Bible, you can find out that many of God's greatest saints were walking in darkness part of their lives.

Joe, one of the greatest characters in the Old Testament lived in a time of darkness, and he was perplexed he couldn't understand is matter fact he wanted to argue with God, he demanded, understand, and he was wrong when it did, it was if he said God you owe me some answers. Now Joe did not understand God understood. You can read about the prophet Habakkuk Habakkuk a great profit a man of God could not understand why history was doing what it was doing why God was allowing the child begins to get away with all of this and why there was so much violence and brutality.

Have you ever wondered picked up the newspaper as we want to do and read the newspaper and read about what is happening in Hollywood read about the dope advised the corruption in politics and we say God where are you God, why don't you do something Lord I don't understand.

Habakkuk was that way. John the Baptist Jesus said there was not a greater than John the Baptist. John the Baptist was going to baptize the Lord Jesus, a mighty prophet, yet Herod took John the Baptist and put them in prison.

John was so perplexed in prison he began to wonder if Jesus were even the Maasai, the one who had already said, behold the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world John the Baptist sent messengers to Jesus saying are you really the one who should come or should we look for somebody else. John the Baptist was perplexed bit apostle Paul wrote more books in the New Testament than anybody else. The greatest Christian who ever lived wrote to the Corinthians, and said we are perplexed bit what perplexed me. It means we don't understand math. Joe Habakkuk John the Baptist all and you sir and you gentlemen and Adrian and the rest of us are going to come to times in our lives when friend it will not make sense that if you think is always going to make sense you're going to be a spiritual problem, not a fact.

In this passage in Isaiah chapter 50 says was my servant that follows me obeys me and walks in darkness and have no light, listening, but darkness can never put out the light. So therefore if there is no light. It is only because the light has been withdrawn, but darkness never chases it away, nephew in darkness, that does not mean that the devil has prevail. If God takes away the light, then you just simply trust God and do not demand under stand it.

There is darkness. You can say this, at least, that God has allowed it. There are some things that we are not meant to understand. Joseph did not understand what God was up to. When finally we get to the end of this book chapter 50 will find out that what happened to Joseph was a part of a great rose that God was working. But listen to what the Bible says in Isaiah 55 now verses eight and nine God says so my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways that the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than their so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your how far is a you tell me you can how much higher are God's thoughts than your thoughts. If you tell me you cannot, as the higher than their so my thoughts above your thoughts.

Listen to me just because it does not make sense to you does not mean it does not make sense and just because it does not make sense now that does not mean it will not make sense later, all not now but in the coming years. It may be in the better land will understand the meaning of our tears, and there will understand. The first principle when life doesn't make sense.

Don't demand to understand tried understand if you can but don't demand understand number two though Fabio to be faithful now look in verses 21 and following in this chapter. Here, but the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison and the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand. All the prisoners that were in the prison, and whatsoever they did there. He was the doer of the keeper of the prison look not to anything that was under his hand, because the Lord was with him that is with Joseph and that which he did. The Lord made it to prosper back.

Here's a man for no seeming reason actually for doing good is cast in the prison, and now he there in the prison is not sitting and sulking, but he is serving the Lord. He is very faithful, so faithful that he is a man of industry. He is a man of integrity and there in the present. In a time of darkness and in time of persecution. He is serving God in the next chapter we going to find him witnessing to the last and the Baker who have also been cast into prison and we're going to find out that he is a man who in the prison himself could put his arms around these pagans and Kimball and their pagan heart of knowledge of Jehovah God. The point being, this even when Joseph could not understand. He was not a fair weather Christian. He did not begin to Powell he did not get angry at God. I've seen it so many times in my pastor I've seen church members were some of the most faithful church members we've had. They sing in the choir. They witness they tie their faithful they're happy that joyful but let a grandbaby.1 of the husband.

God let a sickness, wet cancer, let something happen that doesn't make any sense whatsoever. What they do day dropout. They quit serving.

They fold up.

Don't do it, even when it doesn't make sense continued to serve the Lord keep singing, keep praying. Keep giving. Keep witnessing submitting.

Joseph did and the Bible says that God was with him. In chapter 39 verse two when Joseph is in Papa's house and everything seems to be fine. Things have turned up with Joseph.

The Bible says and God was with them, but you look now in chapter 39 verse 21 when he is in prison.

The same God that was with him in the good times is the God that was with him in the bad times.

Now when it doesn't make sense to you. Number one don't demand understand number two though Fabio to be faithful, don't dropout keep all serving God even when you don't understand number three. Don't bow to bitterness.

Don't get better, that turned chapter 40 if you will, and look in verses 14 and 15. Joseph is now talking to the Butler the Butler's been cast in the prison and he's going to be released from prison, and Joseph knows that because he's a Butler he's going to serve in the presence of Pharaoh. Perhaps he can speak to Pharaoh in his behalf, and here's what he says but think on me when I shall be well with a that is when you're out of prison and show kindness. I pray the enemy and make mention of me on the Pharaoh and bring me out of this house for indeed I was still in the way out of the land of the Hebrews and here also. I have done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon, he said. First of all, I was sold as a slave and now I'm in the dungeon. I've done nothing wrong. Mr. Butler would you put in a good word for me because I need to get out of this place. As I read that I thought about Joseph's.

What a marvelous spirit that he had as you read this, there is not a note of our complaint. That is, found that all it is a remarkable statement. He doesn't even mention the name of his brothers who sold him into slavery. He doesn't even mention Potiphar's wife. He doesn't mention Potiphar at all. He's content to leave them with God. Now when things go wrong when you're serving God and you punished for serving God.

Don't get bitter is a good verse first Peter chapter 2 verse 24 what glorious it if, when ye be buffeted for your faults that you take it patiently but it when you do well and suffer for you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. What a great verse to describe the life of Joseph so long. Again, we need to be very careful about this matter of bitterness digging to find yourself not only dropping out when things don't make sense but not careful you going to get very very how do you avoid that bitterness in a pickup with part two of this message tomorrow and find out the answer to that important question.

In the meantime viewing the season when nothing seems to make sense. Perhaps you need a reminder of the truth of the gospel.

If so, go to where discovered Jesus page find it@lwf.org/radio. Also find resources and materials that can anchor your faith in this season of difficulty. Just go to LWF.org/radio click discovered Jesus was so glad you joined us for a study in God's word today. Remember, it's not how you react when you punished for doing wrong, but how you react when you are persecuted for doing sure to join us tomorrow for the conclusion of this insightful message right on my worth