BUT GOD
And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, (Act 7:9)
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. (Psa 75:6-7)
I. Joseph: (Acts 7:9a) (Genesis 37:23-28)
a. Lonely, rejected, pushed around, abused, and accused
b. You may feel:
i. Despair: feeling that God doesn’t care
ii. Rejected: excluded from social events because your stand for God would be a downer
iii. Pushed around: taken advantage of because of low position
iv. Ripped off: material and spiritual (coat, freedom)
v. Past: devils bring up your previous sins. (Joseph was falsely accused)
II. BUT GOD: (Acts 7:9b-10) (Genesis 41:38-41)
a. When GOD is with you there WILL be a change
i. Despairing BUT GOD will set you to dancing
ii. Rejected BUT GOD will give you radiance that draws friends
iii. Pushed around BUT GOD will place you in power in His palace
iv. Ripped off BUT GOD will restore
v. Past was a problem BUT GOD gives you a pleasant present
b. Circumstances come and go BUT GOD stays the same
i. God made Joseph’s burdens into blessings
ii. This too shall pass
III. Examples of deliverance
a. Abraham at Moriah (Gen. 22:12)
i. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. (Gen 22:12)
b. Three Hebrews (Dan. 3)
c. Distressed father (Mark 9:17-27) (read)
i. Intercession
IV. How to have God with you
a. Love and obey Him
i. Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (Joh 14:23)
ii. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (Joh 14:15-16)
b. Stick with Him
i. … The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. (2Ch 15:2)
ii. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. (Deu 8:19)
iii. Trials may tempt you to deliver yourself through disobedience
1. Get a divorce and remarry?
2. Get out of debt by gambling?
3. Suicide?
4. Wicked friends rather than loneliness?
iv. Be like Abraham
v. Be like the three Hebrews
1. God has some secrets. Good secrets.
c. Believe Him
i. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb 11:6)
ii. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. (Mark 9:23)
iii. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Mat 21:22)
V. Your situation: BUT GOD
a. Despairing, rejected, bullied, ripped off, or guilt-ridden
b. Suffering and Bound
i. Man walking on a lonely and rocky shore at low tide gets his foot caught in a crevice. He cries for help. He watches a bird and is jealous of its freedom. Finally, the waves overtake him.
ii. He doesn’t say, “you got yourself into this mess, now get yourself out”
c. You may be struggling with:
i. A failing marriage
ii. Debt
iii. Poverty
iv. Gambling
v. Pornography
vi. Drugs
vii. Loneliness
viii. Depression
ix. Lost loved ones
x. Fear/Worry
1. BUT GOD!
