Pastor Donn Moomaw was preaching in Bel Air, Maryland, where a lady came up to him after a sermon and said, “Oh, Reverend Moomaw, I just have to tell you that every sermon you preach is better than your next.”
He thanked her and then went home to think about it. It’s not really a compliment any preacher wants to hear, because it means that every sermon is worse than the last. It’s a compliment that only a pessimist can give, and that’s the way some people look at life: “Every day is better than the next,” or “Every year is better than the next.” (Earl Palmer, “A Durable Hope,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 47)
How sad, because we don’t need to live that way. Rather, we can live with the confidence that the future is better than the past if we look to the Lord and not to ourselves.
If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Genesis 49, Genesis 49, where old Jacob blesses his family and gives them a vision of their future. Now, that vision is not only for Jacob’s family, but for all of us who by faith in Christ are a part of God’s family.
Genesis 49:1-4 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel. “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it. (NIV)
Reuben was strong, but he was weakened by his lust. He gave into his passions so he could “no longer excel.” This happened after Israel, Reuben’s father, had been cheated by his uncle Laban for 20 years. It happened after Israel had wrestled with God, and aafter his beloved wife, Rachel, had died. After Israel had returned with his family to his childhood home, Genesis 35 records, “While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it” (Genesis 35:22).
Israel knew what had happened, even though nobody else did until now, several decades later. What Reuben did was in secret, and maybe he thought he got away with it, but his sin was exposed and now his whole family knows what he did.
As a result, he has lost his position in the family as the primary heir. He is disqualified to lead the family, even though that was his right as the first born son.
He gave into his passions so he could no longer excel, and that’s what happens when we give into our passions, as well. You may think you’re sinning in secret, but the Bible is very clear: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). What is done is secret will eventually be revealed and it could have serious consequences. So if you want your future to be better than your past…
DON’T GIVE IN TO YOUR PASSIONS.
Don’t yield to your appetites which lead you away from God. Don’t surrender to those strong feelings which steer you in the wrong direction. Don’t give into your lusts like Reuben did, because that weakens any person.
Author and pastor, Bob Russell talks about the days when he was a teenager. Then, his mother had a rule: don't ever bring your girlfriend to our house when no one is here. And Bob would always say, “Mom, why? Don't you trust me?”
She always had the same answer. “No. That's too much temptation.” She did not say, “It looks bad to other people. I don't trust her; I do trust you.” She just said, “No, that's too much temptation.”
Bob says, “I would act like I was really hurt. My own mother doesn't trust me. That's terrible.” He'd walk away and deep inside he would think, “My mother's pretty sharp. She knows what I'm thinking.”
You see, Bob’s mother believed in the sin nature – that it needed to be restrained more than her child’s self-esteem needed to be boosted. “Otherwise,” Bob says, “maybe I wouldn't be here today.” (Bob Russell, “When Teens Rebel,” Preaching Today, Audio Tape 207; www.PreachingToday.com)
Gary Thomas, in his book Holy Available, talks about a friend of his who on a business trip found an attractive young woman knocking on his hotel door. When he opened the door, she pushed through and walked right into his room.
“You can't be in here,” he said.
“Why not?” she asked teasingly. “Are you scared?”
The woman started acting seductively. She made it very clear that she was available for any sexual favor of his choosing. When he insisted that she leave, she finally did something … [that] was over-the top provocative.
Immediately afterward, Gary’s friend wisely told two business associates exactly what happened… Gary says, “My friend is a godly man, but he's human. He admits he slept very little that night… He couldn't get this woman's words or related images out of his mind. He tossed and turned, thankful he hadn't fallen but exhausted from being so provoked.”
Two months later, Gary’s friend returned to that same city, working with the same company, when the [same] young woman pulled him aside.
“We have to talk,” she said.
The man’s heart started racing as he feared the worst, but her first words put him at ease.
“I can't thank you enough for being the first man who has ever cared about me more than my breasts.”
She told him that she had been abused earlier in life. This led to her promiscuous behavior ever since her early teens; and because of her physical appearance, no man had ever been willing to walk away from her advances. Thus she kept reliving the moments of her deepest hurt.
“I'm going back to church,” she told him. “I need to get my life back together. When I finally met a man like you who was more interested in me than in my body, it showed me how messed up I had become.” (Gary Thomas, Holy Available, Zondervan, 2009, pp. 66-67; www.PreacingToday.com)
When a man controls his passions, he can be a influence for good in people’s lives. But uncontrolled passions can ruin a man (or a woman for that matter) and take away any opportunity to lead people in the right direction.
So if you want your future to be better than your past, don’t give into your lusts like Reuben did. And don’t give into your anger either like Reuben’s brothers did.
Genesis 49:5-7 “Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel. (NIV)
Reuben, the first-born, had forfeited his ability to lead the tribe because of his lust. Simeon and Levi, the next two in line, forfeited their ability to lead because of their anger.
Years before, a prince in the city of Shechem had raped their sister, so “Simeon and Levi took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male” (Genesis 34:25). Their anger was unrestrained. Their father didn’t have much to say about it then, but now he makes it very clear that he has no respect for their council. Anger had clouded their thinking and made them unfit to give any credible advice, much less lead the tribe.
Now, that’s what happens to anyone who allows their anger to go unrestrained: It clouds their thinking.
In February 2009, a 27-year-old woman from Fort Pierce, Florida, walked into a McDonald's restaurant and ordered a 10-piece McNuggets meal. The person behind the counter took the order and received payment. Then the McDonald's employee discovered that they were out of those bite-sized, warm, tasty McNuggets. The employee told the customer that the restaurant had run out of McNuggets, and she would have to get something else from the menu. The customer asked for her money back. The employee said all sales are final, and she could have a larger priced item from the menu if she wanted.
Well, the customer got angry. She wanted McNuggets – not a Big Mac, not a McRib, not a Quarter Pounder. She was angry, this was clearly an emergency, and she knew what to do in an emergency: she took out her cell phone and called 911 to complain. Apparently the 911 workers didn't take her seriously, because the McNuggets-loving woman called 911 three times to get help!
She never got her McNuggets that night, but later she did get a ticket from police for misusing 911.
That’s what anger does. It twists our perspective. It skews our judgment. Anger makes small things big and big things small. When we're angry, having to eat a burger instead of McNuggets is a disaster, and calling 911 is not a big deal. (Associated Press, Florida woman calls 911 3 times over McNuggets, www.news.yahoo.com, 3-4-09; www.PreachingToday.com)
So if you want your future to be better than your past, don’t give into your anger; don’t give into your lust. In other words, don’t give into your passions. Don’t give into those strong emotions that can steer you in the wrong direction. Instead…
REST IN GOD’S PROVISION OF A KING.
Rely on Christ, the King, who is one of Judah’s descendants. Depend on this Ruler who alone guarantees a wonderful future. Look at what Israel says to Judah, his 4th born son.
Genesis 49:8-10 “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. (NIV)
The scepter here is a king’s scepter, which will remain with the tribe of Judah until the One to whom it belongs comes to rule the world! Then every nation will obey this King from the lion’s tribe, the tribe of Judah.
Revelation 5 identifies this “Lion of the tribe of Judah” as the “Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 5:5-12). In other words, this King is none other than Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins and rose again. He is the one who will rule the world, and look at the opulence of His reign!
Genesis 49:11-12 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. (NIV)
Derek Kidner, in his commentary on Genesis, says, “Every line of these verses speaks of exuberant, intoxicating abundance… It is deliberately the language of excess” (Derek Kidner, Genesis, an Introduction & Commentary, IVP, p.219).
Grape vines are so abundant, they will be used as hitching posts. Wine is as plentiful as wash water, and there will be so much milk it will turn people’s teeth white. There will be wealth and prosperity such as this world has never known! And it’s all because of the rule and reign of this “Lion of the tribe of Judah,” Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
That’s the future of all who depend on this King, so look to Him. If you want your future to be better than your past, rely on Christ despite your past sins. Depend on Him even if you have given into your passions.
Even though Reuben, Simeon and Levi lost their position in the tribe, they never lost their place in the family. They all remained sons of Israel, blessed by their father. Look at verse 28
Genesis 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. (NIV)
Israel blessed them all, every one! He blessed Reuben who gave into lust. He blessed Simeon and Levi who gave into anger. He blessed Issachar (vs.14-15), whose descendants would trade their liberty for peace at any price. He even blessed Dan (vs.16-17), whose name means justice, but whose descendants would choose treachery like a snake. In the book of Judges, they attack a peaceful and unsuspecting city within Israel, kill all its residents, and make it their own, bringing their idols with them (Judges 18).
Even so, despite all their sin, there is deliverance! Look at what Israel says in verse 18: I look for your deliverance, O LORD.
There’s deliverance in the King from the tribe of Judah. There’s deliverance in the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. There’s deliverance in Christ, who died for us and rose again. So look to Him despite your past sins.
When Philip Griffin was just starting a church in Texas, God really blessed the ministry and many people came to faith in Christ. He and his team were just about ready to baptize about 30 new believers in a small indoor, swimming pool, which they had just purchased, when they realized they didn’t have a hose. The only hose available was a leaky one Griffin had at home, so he decided to go buy one.
As He was leaving to get the hose, a guy named John stopped Him and said, “I'm glad I caught you, pastor. I need to talk to you.” Griffin tried to have a conversation with John as he kept aiming for his car, but John said, “No, I need to talk in private.” So they went into Griffin’s office, and John told him, “I want to know if you're for real.”
Griffin had been talking about how there is nothing we can do or say to make God not love us. He doesn't always love our behavior, but he loves us. So Griffin told John, “Absolutely, it's for real.”
John replied, “Well, I'm struggling with homosexual desires and behavior. I'm in and out of gay relationships. I understand what the Bible says, and I want to do what God wants me to do – but I'm losing this battle. Several months ago, I tried to go to another church, but when I came clean with my struggles, they told me never to come back again. So I want to know if you're for real.”
They stayed and talked, and Griffin connected John with a ministry that helps people battling same-sex attraction. He also connected him with one of their church's small groups, which ended up embracing him. Before John left Griffin’s office, he said, “Now I want to tell you one more thing.”
At that point Griffin is thinking, “I'm not going to have time to get the hose.”
John said, “When I pulled into the parking lot today, I wasn't aiming my car in this direction. I was going to kill myself.” Griffin asked him if he had a plan for ending his life, and John said, “Yes, I did. It was already in motion. I went to the hardware store and bought a garden hose earlier today, and I bought some duct tape. My plan was to drive down this little rural road and tape the hose to my muffler and feed it into my car window.”
Griffin said, “John, for real, you bought a hose?”
John came to faith in Christ that day, and God took something intended for death – that hose – and used it to fill up something that speaks of life – the baptismal pool. (Philip Griffin, A God Who Redeems, www.PreachingToday.com)
Let me tell you, that’s what God can do with your life, no matter how bad you’ve messed up. He can redeem your past and use it for good. All you have to do is put your faith in Christ like John, and let Him put your feet on a different path. If you want your future to be better than your past, rely on Christ despite your past sins.
But not only that, rely on Christ despite your past sorrows, as well. Depend on the Lord no matter how bad the pain has been in the past. That’s what Joseph did throughout his life. Out of all of Israel’s sons, Joseph suffered the most; and yet, Joseph received the greatest blessing. Look at what Israel says about Joseph.
Genesis 49:22-23 “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. (NIV)
This is a reference to the way his brothers treated him and to the 13 years he spent as a slave and a prisoner in Egypt.
Genesis 49:24-26 But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father’s God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. (NIV)
Israel gave Joseph the greatest blessing, the one who went through the greatest suffering. And that’s true of all of God’s people. Those who suffer greatly now will receive great blessing in the future.
So like Joseph, rely on the Lord despite your past sorrows. Look to Him to transform your past into a glorious future. 2 Timothy 2 says, “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure [or suffer], we will also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:11-12). And Romans 8 says, “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
There is a glorious future ahead for everyone who puts their trust in Christ. So despite the pain of the past, look to the Lord to transform it into a wonderful future.
Anson Hui is 12-years-old. At the age of three, he was diagnosed with Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD), meaning his body can't break down or store sugars. He requires frequent daytime feedings (drinking raw cornstarch), and nighttime feedings through a pump that hooks into a surgically implanted tube to his stomach. At the age of five, he experienced developmental delays that doctors feared were connected to autism. At that point in his life, he couldn't speak sentences with more than three syllables. He also became a target for school-yard bullies. It led Anson to ask the question often: “Why did God put me here?”
Then Anson discovered he had a gift. He said, “While everyone else was busy talking, I listened and listened to all the sounds around me.” That helped him develop the gift of perfect or absolute pitch; and with that gift, Anson realized that he could memorize and then master complex piano pieces (such as Mozart's Concerto in D Minor) with astounding speed and proficiency. Anson has won numerous awards and even performed in Carnegie Hall.
Here’s what Anson has to say about his trials and gifts: “I can't decide many things that God has already planned, but I can still choose to work on my dream because I still have workable hands and a body to do it. I believe every single life is unique and special. Each has its own mission and purpose.”
After receiving news a couple of years ago that he had a benign tumor wrapped around his liver, Anson said, “I know [there's] always a reason for God to give me a special body and talent. My dream is to be a tool of God… so in the end, I can hand in a beautiful [report] to my Lord in heaven with honor. And the most important thing is – I will never regret this journey on earth.” (Julie Jordan, “Music as the No.1 Medicine – Part 2, The Epoch Times, 10-14-10; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s faith, my friends, faith that allows a young boy to persevere and excel despite huge obstacles. He looks forward to a glorious future because His trust is in the Lord.
My dear friends, if you want your future to be better than your past, don’t give into your passions. Instead, rest in God’s provision of a King, King Jesus, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, who died to save us from our sins.
Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud, and one the stars. (Frederick Langbridge. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 3; www.PreachingToday.com)
What do you see today? If your trust is in the Lord, you can look beyond the mud to see the stars.
