It’s a New Day, It’s a New Dawn, etc

I was going to post my usual transcript from Sunday’s sermon, but given the week it is I’ve decided to touch on a verse from my morning readings. It is Psalm 27:1 -
“The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?”

A year ago this week my family came apart at the seams. That one thing which I never thought could happen to us did. And one year later, we are still dealing with the aftermath of the junk that makes human life what it is – imperfect. Top off a month of odd anniversaries with a few business and personal issues and you have the potential for chaos, anxiety, depression, or at least angst. But God sent this verse to me this morning as part of my usual reading/listening. And I reviewed it over and over again today. This Truth from God and the prayers of friends and family today have made a difference. I don’t know how people live life without the promises of God and the love of his family here on earth.

So, in this short blog I say from my heart and my head – “The Lord IS my light and salvation, the Lord IS my fortress and protection! SO I will NOT tremble and will NOT be afraid.” I pray you say the same in your circumstance today.

Pastor Tim

Free Pt 4 – LAWLESS

Watch or Listen Here: Audio/Video

            So we have spent the last 4 weeks trying to get a New start to the New Year with this premise that it is possible for us all to be free! Free from the ravages of sin and death, free to live a new life. We know this subject is on people’s minds, because it’s been on people’s minds for thousands of years. People of every religion and no religion struggle with this quandary the Apostle Paul describes in Romans 7

Romans Romanos 羅 馬 書 7

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.



            If we’re honest, we all know what that feels like. We struggle with these thoughts whether it has to do with right or wrong, or whether or not we are going to live out our addiction to food, anger, or something else. We are taking time to address this thoroughly because our mission as a group follower of Jesus is simply to “lead people to grow in their relationship to God, to others, and to the world around them through Jesus Christ.” The understanding I hope we reach today at the conclusion of this series of teachings can be one of those moments of growth – in all three areas. So let’s review just a little bit and move on to the conclusion.

            Paul contended that the truth of our human condition is that we are all born with an inherent issue: we are born in Adam, therefore we are born in this thing called “sin.” This sin is our standard of operation. We are all basically innately sinners who happen to do good things once in a while. His premise is proven by the fact we struggle to meet our own standards of conduct or goals, so we can easily surmise we will never live up to God’s standards. But Paul goes on to say that we are not stuck in that situation permanently, that God sent a way for us to escape the “power of sin,” not the do it, don’t do it, but the actual power and control over us through of Jesus’ death and resurrection. This historical event allows us to accept God’s forgiveness through Jesus and become God’s child, thereby taking us out of being “in Adam,” and placing us firmly and permanently “in Christ,” in God’s family. Paul said it this way,

18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.



            That’s good news. In fact, this is what we refer to as The Good News. This Good News is completely different than what any of us know of religion, because religion, any religion says this, “You ought to, you don’t, you’re toast.” Religion places rules, regulations, laws, and formulas on its followers to earn the favor of God or the universe or whatever. That’s what Paul was struggling with as a devoutly religious person. That’s what you and I struggle with quite often as well. “I want to, I don’t, I fail, I feel bad.” Or “I don’t want to, but I do anyway, I fail, so I feel guilty.” What religion doesn’t address, though, is the issue of the “power of sin.” People try and try and try and try to do the right things and not to do the wrong things. But until we address the power of sin there is no success. That’s why we need Jesus – his perfect life, his death to pay the penalty of our sin, his resurrection that breaks the power of sin and death, because death follows sin every time.

            Let’s talk about the connection between sin and death. Whenever sin is in charge or is given control over a situation, it is quickly followed by death. Physical death sometimes, but more often than not, the consequences are emotional death, the killing of a relationship or trust, the death of a dream. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living with the impending affects of death on my life and relationships. I’ve had enough of rules, regulations, laws, and commandments. And I’m tired of guilt, shame, powerlessness, failure, and brokenness. Aren’t you?

            So our goal for today is to take the teachings from the last three weeks and connect them with the key component of our relationship with God, the power of being “in Christ,” that also will also affect our relationships to others and the world around us.

            Now – you can hold onto your religious approach to God by following rules and trying to please God and trying to do more and be more like Jesus, but you will always be frustrated, because you can never do it for very long. Or, or you can open your mind to the Truth of God for us today, the lawless truth of being “in Christ.”

Romans Romanos罗马书 8:3 says this,

3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.

            You know what this really means? Do you know what the Law is good for? What is your conscience good at? “You’re bad. Fail.” You have two good weeks than you lose it again – “fail.” Law, any law, is only good to grade your performance. And the grade will always be the same – “F”=”Fail!” Laws just prove how incapable we are of being “good,” of doing what’s right. Worse still – the Law cannot make you a better law follower. It can’t help you be a better person. It only tells you that you’ve come up short – again! The law is a mirror of how awful you are, how powerless you are. The law is a microscope that points out all your deficiencies and defects. In fact, the Law supercharges the power of sin – the power that sin has over you – because it keeps you reeling, and failing, and feeling shamed and insecure. Here’s the good news:

3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.


            So, like we memorize two weeks ago – “Sin is not your master.” Sin no longer has any power over you except the permission you give it. “In Adam” you were “in sin and sin was in control of you, it mastered your decisions. You had no choice but to choose the wrong thing. But “In Christ” sin is NOT your master, and sin can call you, text you, entice you, show up in front of you; sin can say, “Hey, you remember those other times we…?” But now you can reply, “Yes, but you’re not my master any more.” Jump with me to Romans 6:14, because I think Paul says what we need to hear right about now.

¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law (as a slave to the law). Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.


                    This is probably a new concept for most of you, religious or not. We are so used to rules or the Law saying, “You should, you didn’t, you failed.” It’s the old “you get what you get,” “what goes around comes around,” “you reap what you sow.” But that’s not the case in this part of our relationship with God. If you choose to live without the law, to live in God’s grace, you will experience freedom! Sin will have no power over you. So here is where the road divides between the Law and Grace. One path leads to failure, failure, disappointment, never measuring up. The other leads to freedom, a new perspective, and a full and joyful life. But as we will find out next, you have to abandon living under the law to understand the way of grace, the way of freedom. You have to give up control and performance in order to let God work in you. Let me read you a compelling illustration from Jesus’ own teachings.

John Juan 约翰福音 15:5
5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.


            Great, Tim, more metaphors! Yes, but I brought a plant, too. This is simple stuff, but most of us were never taught it this way. When you walk through an orchard or a vineyard what do you see? Do you see the plants going, “Urrrrrrrr.” Fruit!! No! When you see that it’s not fruit being produced, if you know what I mean. No! There is no struggle for a branch on a well cultivated, healthy vine to produce fruit. “Those who abide in me will produce much fruit.”

            But what do we do when it comes to changing our lives? We try – harder, we try – more harder, and we fail. Jesus says right here, apart from me you can do – what? What? Nothing! That’s actually more good news. We don’t need to try harder – we need to abide, ie, rely on, trust in, give up to, let go of and let God work. Jesus went on to tell his disciples that when he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven that he would leave IN them the Holy Spirit. We’ve talked about that before, that the Holy Spirit of God would actually come and live within and empower every believer in Christ. The power of the resurrection, the power that raised Jesus from the dead, would be at each believer’s disposal. That’s a promise and the truth whether you believe it or understand it or not. That’s why we are here together.

            With that in mind let’s jump to Paul’s letter to the Galatians chapter 5. You can find more about this also in Romans 8, but turn to Galatians 5. Here’s what it says in this regard:

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.


            What are “the desires of the flesh?” We don’t even have to go there. We don’t need a list, we all know them instinctively. They are the natural drives that God created in us, but sin twists for purposes outside of God’s best. So here’s the daily conflict we face – sin offers us the things we desire with a twist, we are enticed by them because they are so natural – but when we give in, we feel like failures, and sin laughs at us. Our conscience berates us. Culture mocks us. “Why did I eat that much? Why did I drink so much? Why did I burst out in anger again? Why did I go there and do that? Arggghh!

            We all know this. But as God’s children, as people who have accepted Christ’s forgiveness of our sins, we are “in Christ,” and we are able “walk by the Spirit.” Another translation says, “walk in the Spirit’s power!” I like that one. After all we’ve already said it’s not about doing more or trying harder, rather it’s about letting God do His thing to produce His fruit through us. Before we decided to follow Christ we had no choice but to follow the “desires of the flesh,” God’s best things twisted by sin. But as God’s children we have a choice – and that’s good news.

            Did you know that Jesus never called anyone to follow him by keeping the law and doing the right things to earn God’s love? Never. Following Jesus isn’t about the law and keeping rules. It’s not about what we do or don’t do or should and shouldn’t do. It’s a personal relationship, not a religion or religious activity. It’s about “being” – being “in Him, with Him,” letting his Spirit live through us. It’s letting him bear fruit in our lives. And our effort? Our only effort should be to abide…to walk by the Spirit.

            It sounds mystical, strange, perhaps complicated, but it’s not. Look at our plant – fruit does not grow because the branches struggle, work harder, or do more. Fruit grows because it keeps connected to the vine. The vine has the nutrients and the moisture. The vine has connection to the ground from which it can draw all it needs. The vine has the power to grow fruit THROUGH the branches. In the same way, the fruit of following Christ is not produced BY us, it’s produced IN us. What are the fruits of the Spirit that should be produced in Christ – verse 22:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.


            So let me warn some of you now – you type “A” people, you rule-followers and law keepers. Because I know what you’re thinking, ’cause I am one. Your thinking, “Ok, God, you’re right. I need to walk by the Spirit and produce fruit. So this week, this week I’m going to produce love – yeah, that’s it. And then, then I’ll work on peace – oh give me peace, give me peace, give me peace. And the week after that – that’s when I’ll tackle self-control, no matter what!!!! I’m going to do this list.” Paul knows what you’re thinking, too. And he would simply redirect all of us and say, “It’s fruit, not a “to do” list. It’s not about the Law and your effort. It’s about simply, daily abiding in Christ – walking with the Holy Spirit.

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.


            You still have to eat, drink, be active, have relationships, a drive to succeed, and all that. But not the warped way or the twisted way that sin and our culture say. Remember how we said that we are “dead to sin” because Jesus died in our place? All of our junk, our stuff, our sin, was crucified – nailed to the cross and buried with Jesus. And, to be perfectly clear, only Jesus rose from that grave. Our sin didn’t – it’s dead. Our habits didn’t – they’re dead. Our old way of thinking didn’t – it’s dead. Being “in Adam” = death. Only Jesus sprang to life – death and sin were buried and rendered powerless for those of us who are “in Christ.

            Jesus really is the vine. He gives us life, nutrients and refreshment through the Holy Spirit. Trying to act like him is useless. Just trying to imitate him is second best. Learning to be with him – that’s how bearing fruit happens. Learning about him through the Bible is a simple and great way to start. Talking about God in a LifeGroup and discussing day to day stuff is another way to grow. Taking time to pray each day, telling God you’re open to whatever He has planned for you that day, that week, that year – it grows you, it cultivates your faith, and it produces the fruit of the Spirit. Vs 25

25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.


            I wanted to close this series by giving you some starters, some practical things to grab onto from these teachings. If you will consider and internalize these truths, it will change your life:

1. Accept your identity “in Christ” – if you have accepted Jesus’ forgiveness and put your faith and trust in him, then you are a new creation; you are forgiven, forever; you are dead to sin and alive to God; and the Holy Spirit lives in you. If you have not – consider doing so.

2. Embrace this new approach to God – make “sin is not my master” a part of your daily mantra. You can’t do anything on your own. Willingly admit to God that you need the Holy Spirit’s power for everything – pray “God, only you can make me fruitful.”

3. Refuse to interact with God based on the Law – quit saying, “Oops, I did it again.” “Man I’m so messed up. I am really screwed up.” Stop that religious talk and simply say to the God who is your Father, “I’m out of step. I’m sorry. Help me step back in line with your Spirit.”

            And my prayer for you is that this is the beginning of a new understanding of the Truth of God’s love for you. If you have never decided to accept God’s love, you can do that today. On your own you can say, “God, I’m trusting you for my forgiveness today. Save me from my sin. I want to be your child.” And God will do that for you – forever. And if you’re stuck living the “christian” life on the basis of the Law and actions and rules, choose to stop it. Choose to live in freedom from now on. Say to God, “I don’t want to try to do right anymore, I want to let YOU live through me.” This is a great time, a great opportunity to be Free. Let’s pray.

Dear God –

            Please, please, please bring us all into the freedom of Christ. Help us to let go of all of our rules and achievements and measurements. Let us rest in the power of your Holy Spirit and rely only on you for the good to come out of our lives. Remind us each day that “sin is not our master,” and that we are ALIVE to you through Jesus Christ. In his name we pray, amen and amen.

Blessing: May you find yourself full relying on God this week. May you be caught in the trap of religion. And may God’s Holy Spirit convict and convince you that you are fully… and finally…free. Be blessed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

 

“The Power of Forgiveness” – Dream Big Pt. 3

(Dream Big was a series based on the ideas of Andy Stanley in The Legend of Joe Jacobson)

Some weeks ago we begin to ask this question as the lens through which we hoped to view all of life and life’s circumstances. The question is: what would someone who is you do, if they were fully confident that God was with them? What would someone with your gifts, your life experience, your situation, your resources, do, if they were fully confident that God was with them. And I challenged us to begin looking for God at work within our everyday situations. Some of you actually wrote down examples of situations where you have seen God working. But I want to take a quick survey. Who would say that they have noticed God working somewhere in your life or the lives of those around you in the last 30 days? Who would say that?

Yes, I agree. I’ve seen it, too. It’s amazing where God is at work. And all it takes is a little effort to begin seeing that, experiencing that on a daily basis. And when we see God at work, it gives us confidence and faith to let God work in OUR life and our situations. It can help us in those times we feel the need to control or manipulate things or people around us; or when we overreact out of fear or anger. Because if God can work in other people lives, maybe just maybe, God will work in my life, too. When we are confident of God’s presence with us it will indeed affect every area of life: our work, our family, our relationships, etcetera.

To get a great picture of this question and principle we have been studying the life of Joseph. Now Joseph’s life was like this: favorite son of his father’s wife, a little spoiled, given a special coat by dad, has some colorful dreams about the future which he shares with his family and they begin to hate him for it; brothers throw him in a well, sell him to slave traders, tells dad that he’s dead, he becomes a servant for an Egyptian official, serves faithfully but gets falsely accused of and imprisoned for rape, gets put in charge of the other prisoners, helps a few get out, is forgotten by the one he helped so much, but later, is remembered, brought before the Pharaoh, interprets Pharaoh’s dreams by the power of God and becomes second in command, the Prime Minister of Egypt. Not much to it!

We are at this point, in Genesis 41, where Joseph is the Prime Minister in charge of famine preparation. You see, the Pharaoh’s dreams warned of 7 great years of harvest but 7 following years of devastating famine. So Joseph did what anyone would do who was confident that God was with them, he did a great job. He organized the growing and gathering of crops, the storage and distribution of the same. All of Egypt was completely ready for the famine to come – and, seven years later, come it did.

Genesis 41

54 Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food. 55 Eventually, however, the famine spread throughout the land of Egypt as well. And when the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told them, “Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you.” 56 So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the storehouses and distributed grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 57 And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.

Genesis 42
1 When Jacob heard that grain was available in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you standing around looking at one another? 2 I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there, and buy enough grain to keep us alive. Otherwise we’ll die.” 3 So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

Joseph had been in Egypt a long time. He was about 40 years old at this point: sold at 17, worked for Potiphar for some years, imprisoned for a number of years, and having worked for Pharaoh for about 9 years now. And it seems that God is now setting up his brothers to get what they deserve.

6 Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. 7 Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.

Here we go. The setup is clear. They don’t know who he is but he knows them. He has all the power and what they need. All he has to do is say, “No,” or “off with their heads.” That’s it. Maybe this is the time God has ordained for Joseph to get vengeance.

I want us to grab onto this. The way life seems to happen, because we reap what we sow, because what goes around comes around, often the people who hurt us the most end up needing us later. Why is it that we get hurt and abused or abandoned by someone, but then they come to ask us for something later in life?

I’ve seen this happen over and over again with parents and children. The parents are abusive or distant or too busy for their kids, then as they get older things don’t go so well. They don’t plan enough. They make some bad decisions. They are in need, but there is nowhere to turn except to those children they abused, neglected or ignored. Many of us will experience this principle of being needed by the very people who hurt us. And at that point we will all be in the same situation as Joseph – we will have the power to say, “No!”

And because we are all sinful, selfish people, most of us think about how we could avenge the wrong done to us. The thought of helping never really enters our minds. We just want to get back. You all know this, hurt people – HURT other people. People who are abused in whatever fashion, people who are mistreated or raged at, or people who are degraded and beaten down emotionally, all tend to do something similar to others. We want someone to pay for the wrong.

Sometimes it’s a simple as my boss or my teacher is a jerk, so when I get home I get to be the jerk, because I have the power then! Have you ever been there, on either side of that situation? Yep.

That’s where Joseph is at. But what is unique about this situation is that he can do anything he wants to his brothers with absolutely no, earthly consequences at all. Frankly, most of us wouldn’t even flinch to read that Joseph took revenge on them and lived out his life happily ever after. But that’s NOT what someone who is confident that God is with them does.

Genesis 42

9 And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”
10 “No, my lord!” they exclaimed. “Your servants have simply come to buy food. 11 We are all brothers—members of the same family. We are honest men, sir! We are not spies!”
12 “Yes, you are!” Joseph insisted. “You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.”13 “Sir,” they said, “there are actually twelve of us. We, your servants, are all brothers, sons of a man living in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is back there with our father right now, and one of our brothers is no longer with us.”

Joseph must have been thinking, “No kidding. I know where he went!” But he did not blow his cover. He throws them in prison for 3 days, probably to decide what to do. God was with him, but that doesn’t mean every decision was easy. After 3 days he agrees to let them go and get Benjamin, the youngest, to prove their story is true, but only if one of them stays. Simeon is, then kept in prison, while the others leave with their grain AND, unbeknownst to them, their silver in their bags.

When they stop for dinner after a day of traveling they open their bags to get some grain and discover their silver in one of the bags. They think God is getting them back. They get real nervous, but nothing comes of it. So they travel until they arrive home.

Jacob comes out to meet them and notices that one of them is missing. They explain the issue with the Prime Minister and how they cannot return to get more grain without taking Benjamin with them to prove they are not spies.

35 As they emptied out their sacks, there in each man’s sack was the bag of money he had paid for the grain! The brothers and their father were terrified when they saw the bags of money. 36 Jacob exclaimed, “You are robbing me of my children! Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!”

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. I’ll be responsible for him, and I promise to bring him back.”

38 But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.”

So, they go on with their life. Simeon is still in prison. And he remains there. But then, the grain runs out again. We don’t know how long it lasted, but the situation is desperate and the brothers try again to convince Jacob to let them go, with Benjamin, to get more food. Judah promises on his life that he will return with Benjamin. And finally Jacob agrees, but tells them to take a ton of gifts to the Prime Minister. So that’s what they do.

Gen 43
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the manager of his household, “These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside the palace. Then go slaughter an animal, and prepare a big feast.” 17 So the man did as Joseph told him and took them into Joseph’s palace.

18 The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”

One interesting thing during all the encounters with his brothers is that as Joseph’s memories seem to flood back to him, he leaves and cries. It happens time after time after time.

Read through these chapters sometime soon and see the turmoil he was going through. It’s the turmoil of memories, just like you and I have at times.

“I can’t believe they did that to me.”

“Why should I give them anything?”

“Really, you expect me to trust you?”

“God won’t care if I get back at them?”

Whatever old memories, old tapes, playback in your mind from those days of deception, abuse, neglect or control, I think we all have a sense of the emotional toll these things take. And Joseph must have been feeling and experiencing those over and over again. Those memories, coupled with his ability to forgive them or kill them, would almost be too overwhelming for most of us. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t easy for Joseph to do the righteous thing. Some of his actions indicate a struggle to know what to do. Here’s what Joseph did this time.

Joseph comes to the palace for dinner and seats his brothers in their birth order. That had to freak them out a bit. Then he gave Benjamin five times more food than any of the others. Finally he had a seat with the Egyptians, while the Hebrew commoners ate together. The next day, Joseph sends them on their way with grain. But he has a servant hide his silver cup in Benjamin’s bag.

After they were a couple miles out of Egypt, Joseph sends the soldiers after them. The brothers plead innocent to the charge of stealing the cup from the Prime Minister. But the cup is found in Benjamin’s bag. And the brothers begin to live out the dread and fear that Joseph must have felt when they threw him in the well, or when they sold him as a slave, or when he was falsely accused of rape and thrown into a dungeon.

The brothers tore their clothes in despair and the soldiers hauled them all back to Egypt and set them before Joseph.

Genesis 44:15-17

14 Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived and they fell to the ground before him. 15 “What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”

16 Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.”

17 “No,” Joseph said. “I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace.”

Finally, someone is coming clean with truthful information. Finally, someone is admitting something out loud for all to hear! Judah continues the plea:

18 Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful as Pharaoh himself.

So Judah tells the story once again of how important this young boy, the son of his old age, the favorite son from his favorite wife, is. He adds the story of the other brother that has gone missing, whom his father believes is dead, and how his father grieves even now for him. And it would be a terrible day, a heart-rending day, if they did not return with this last, young son.

33 “So please, my lord, let me stay here as a slave instead of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. 34 For how can I return to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see the anguish this would cause my father!”

Judah has struck a chord that even Joseph, in the malaise of haunting memories and the internal wrestling with revenge, can’t dismiss. First is the thought of his father whom he has not seen for 23 years. And second, the lie that was told of his own demise and the feelings that were recreated as he listened as if from the bottom of that well. Something has got to give. Something has to change in this family.

So Joseph, filled with the thought of putting his dad through that by keeping Benjamin, wells up with emotion. We read:

Genesis 45
1 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers….2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.

Then it happened. Anger, resentment, disillusionment, perhaps hatred and even loneliness all collapsed under the weight of love and compassion for his aging father.

3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers.

“Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! (NIV says terrified)

They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them.

I bet they were!

4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them.

Who wants to bet they were thinking?

So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.

I’m pretty sure the brothers, like us, wondered how this could be? Does God really let people go through circumstances like this to accomplish His will? Yes. Bad things happen to good people, too? Yes.

But Joseph holds the key for us, the understanding we need to get through it all, the truth that while God might have been “silent” during some of Joseph’s trials, God was not absent – ever. God was “with” Joseph his entire life. And even when Joseph said that God had not “done much for me lately,” Joseph did not give up. Joseph keep on trusting God. Joseph kept on doing his best.

For many of us there are seasons of life, perhaps you are in one right now, when God is very, very silent. It’s not like we have totally lost our faith or our way, but circumstances sure make it hard to see a good end coming. Trust the experience and story of Joseph – God is with you. He may be silent, but He is never, never, never absent. Your life is not surprise to God. Your circumstance has not caught God off guard. We just can’t see the epic ending – yet.

Joseph continues:

6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

9 “Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! 10 You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. 11 I will take care of you there….”

Why? Why would Joseph take care of them and their families? They took his life as he knew it away from him. They deprived him of his father and his little brother. Why would he help them and not just his father? Because – that’s what people in power do, when they are fully confident that God…is…with…them.

So the brothers return to Israel and get Jacob and all their families and move to the land of Egypt. And Joseph takes good care of all of them. The Pharaoh is even pleased to have them there with Joseph…. Some years later Jacob dies – and the brother’s paranoia returns.

15 But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.

16 So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us 17 to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. 18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.

19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 21 No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

Wow. How many lessons can we learn from this story? As an aside let me just say this about the brothers. When we do things that are incredibly wrong, and we do not deal with them completely in admitting our guilt and asking forgiveness from those we have wronged, our life will never be completely secure. We will always be looking over our shoulder for the consequences to grab us, for “that” person to find us or to leave us. We’ll cover that more next week. But I think that’s important here as well.

The real lesson for today, though is this – forgiveness is not for weak people – it’s given by people who have come to grips with the reality of their own junk, their own abuses, their own imperfection and their own sin. It requires extraordinary strength to rely on God when we have been wronged. It requires extraordinary character and faith to look up, to God, rather than look out for revenge.

It is most difficult when you have the power to exact revenge, especially without consequences, but make the decision to forgive anyway.

This is not making the decision to be used, or walked on, or beaten down. This is the decision to forgive and to move beyond the issue. That’s what people do who are fully confident that God is with them.

This type of person, like Joseph, decides, “I’m going to be like my loving, forgiving, grace filled Father in heaven. I’m going to let God leverage my situation and circumstance to accomplish a good purpose in my life. I may seek legal recourse and wise counsel, but I am not going to extract my own revenge because God forgave me, and he gave me what I didn’t deserve – mercy & grace and forgiveness. While I was still a less than perfect person, while I was still acting out of selfishness and stubbornness, while I was still a “sinner,” God sent Jesus to die on a cross and rise from the dead to give me the eternal gift of forgiveness. I will forgive because God first, forgave me. Now that’s what people do, who are fully confident that God is with them – because He is.

Let’s pray:

God, I stand here today as a person that has held grudges, wished ill on those who have hurt me, and even tried to get vengeance my way at times. But I also stand here as a person who has forgiven others because of your love and forgiveness for me. Would you help us to lean confidently on your presence with us for strength to forgive? Will you move in our hearts and soften them to the point that we don’t write off anyone as unlovable or unforgivable? Would you wrap us in the love of your Holy Spirit while we wrestle and cry through this process? We are confident in You. Father help us. Amen

“Dream Big pt. 2 – Elevate” – sermon transcript

Part 2 of the series “Dream Big” by Pastor Tim Douglas, adapted from Andy Stanley

What would someone who is you do, if they were absolutely confident that God was with them? This is the question we began asking several weeks ago. We talked about a revolutionary principle which says that when we start looking at circumstances and situations as if God is with us we will begin seeing God in all our circumstances. With that in mind I asked us all to apply this principle and begin to write down what we experienced this week. I hope you did that. You can write some of those things down on your connection card even today so we can share them together.

This should become the lens through which we view every situation of life. What if we asked this question in the face of every opportunity, every need; through prosperity, through our temptations to manipulate and control? This question can bring balance and integrity to all your decisions. It can dig out and trench out all your insecurities. Looking for and seeing God in our circumstances can repackage and reformulate your tendencies to react and over react and can help us all with our issues of control, allowing us to focus completely on God.

So what WOULD someone, who is you, do if you were completely confident that God was with you? I hope you had a revelation this week. If not, keep looking for God in your circumstances and get ready to take a walk of faith. That’s what we are seeing in the story of Joseph. We know very little about the religious upbringing of Joseph and his brothers. We do know that God called his grandfather Abraham out from his homeland to become a great nation. Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob, and Jacob had 12 sons, the 11th of which was Joseph. But we read very little about the religious upbringing of Joseph and his brothers. We do know this, however; Joseph was given some significant dreams as a teenager, dreams that his father knew were of God. And Joseph refused to give in to the immoral advances of his masters’ wife because it would be a “sin against my God.”

Despite the challenges of being thrown into a well for dead, sold into slavery by his brothers, being taken to a foreign land as a slave, being accused falsely of rape, being thrown in a prison unjustly and being forgotten by the only ones who could get him out of prison, Joseph chose to trust God, to see God in his circumstances, and patiently wait for God’s plan to work out – as we will see today. What’s so important about today is this – Joseph followed God when things were bad, but he also followed God when things begin to get real good for him. Now it’s hard to see God when things are bad. We all know this. It’s so easy to get down and depressed when things are bad. But it’s REALLY REALLY hard to FOLLOW God in the good times. Because in the good times we kind of don’t need God! Or at least that’s what we reason in our heads. How do you maintain the attitude that “I’m going to stay the course and follow God even in the good times?” Well Joseph is going to show us how to not only keep following God in the good times, but to lean even HARDER on God in these times of prosperity.

Gen 41

1 Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 2 In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. 3 Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank. 4 Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.

5 But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. 6 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. 7 And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream.

8 The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.

Here you have it. The Pharaoh, the ruler and de facto god of Egypt, is disturbed by a bad dream. So he does what every Pharaoh before him did – he called all the wisest people in the country to help him with his problem. Magicians, soothsayers, mediums (and larges)… Magi, politicians, news reporters, but no one can. They are all dumbfounded by these dreams. Then, out of the blue, the cup-bearer, who Joseph helped two full years before has an epiphany, okay, actually more of a “duh” moment. “Maybe this guy that helped me can help the Pharaoh.” So he tells Pharaoh about Joseph and Joseph is sent for out of the dungeon.

14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh.

First of all, the quickly of the Pharaoh was not so quickly for Joseph. Joseph had been waiting for two years for “quickly.” He had been stuck in the dungeon for two more years after he helped out the cup-bearer. And even though he had position of authority in the prison that doesn’t mean his accommodations were palatial. He wanted out! So they came and got Joseph from prison, cleaned him up, which tells us that prison was not the Hilton Inn, and then presented him to Pharaoh.

This is the chance Joseph has been waiting for all these years. He gets an audience with the most powerful person in the known world. Pharaoh has the power of life and death in his hands, and now this Pharaoh needs the little Hebrew boys help, the slaves help. They bring him into the palace. They place him in front of this god-like ruler. Then comes the million dollar question, the opportunity to be the hero, to be THE man.

15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”

The whole room lights up with anticipation. Expectancy is at an all-time high. All the other servants secretly root for this underdog of the dungeon world. And as Joseph opens his mouth to answer everyone gasps with anticipation. He could be THE ONE!

16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”

Then they all gasp in disbelief. “Did you just hear that? He didn’t really just say that? He CAN’T do it? And what’s this about God, Pharaoh is god? This guy is not only stupid, he’s dead.” And they all stood in silence waiting for the Pharaoh to indicate separation of Joseph’s head from his body. But that is NOT what happens. Pharaoh is not phased in the least and simply goes on to tell the story of the cows and the grain. The others in the room can’t believe it. They stare in disbelief as their ruler begins to listen to Joseph, as if Joseph really mattered!

25 Joseph responded, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. 26 The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. 27 The seven thin, scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represent seven years of famine.

28 “This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. 29 The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. 30 But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. 31 This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased. 32 As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.

Here’s the interpretation of your dreams. There is no doubt about it for God has prescribed it firmly with two dreams. And not you, little god, and not one of the other many gods you all worship, but MY GOD, the Hebrew God, the God of my father’s Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who, by the way, hasn’t done much for me lately! So, if you want to survive and keep it all together after these next seven years, you’d better listen to me and the wisdom of my God!

Once again the room is silent. It’s that calm you often experience before the tornado sirens go off. It’s the silence that comes in the eye of a hurricane. Anticipation. Dread. But not for long. You see, Joseph followed the interpretation of the dreams the same way anyone would who was completely confident that God was with them – he offered advice. Naysayers whispered to one another, “He’ll be dead before he hits the doorway. Can you believe the audacity of that guy? He’s really had some guts.”

Joseph lays out an economic plan complete with supervisors and a description of the person who should run the whole operation. The plan includes how much and when the food should be gathered, where the food should be stored and a warning that failure to do this would result in, well, failure for the whole country. And once again the masses are left wondering how in the world this guy is still alive, who he thinks he is and if, maybe, he was talking about recommending them for one of the jobs.

I’m not sure if this would have been my way of dealing with the Pharaoh. It’s incredible that this young man had the confidence and where with all to stand up for truth, wisdom and God’s directive. Why did he do it? This is what anyone, whose life is on the line, whose livelihood is at stake, whose reputation is at risk, does – when they are fully convinced that God is with them. Joseph didn’t fall for the line that his life was in Pharaoh’s hands. He knew that God was more powerful than pharaoh, knew more than pharaoh and could see into his future. He had BIG God with him while he was interpreting dreams for “little, wanna be” god.

Have you ever been in the situation where you think that he or she controls your destiny, your job, your sobriety, your sanity? Have you ever thought that those bad choices in the past or even in the present have robbed you of the love of God or the love of others; made you unworthy as a person or spouse? I have. Have you ever cowered to someone that, in the end, controls nothing of your life or your destiny but it seems almost impossible to get out from under their influence or control of you? Most of us have been there on some level or another. We need to take a cue from Joseph and finally, purposely, definitively place our life and circumstances in the hands of the God who promises to be with us. In fact, God promised through Jesus to “never leave us or forsake us.”

“Really,” you might say. “Tell that to Joseph when he was in the well or bound for Egypt or sleeping in a musty dungeon. Better yet, tell it to the ones who have been beaten down and trampled by injustice, manipulated and controlled by those in power over them, abused or neglected by their family. Tell it to them.” Well that’s why we’re here, today. God never left Joseph, and Joseph knew it. And when we hold firmly to that truth we will begin to see God at work in our circumstances. We will begin to see God helping us with our children, our marriage, our boss or job, our failures. We can begin to do what anyone who is you would do, when they were completely confident that God was with them – because God IS with you, with us.

Back in the story, after Joseph gives all this unsolicited advice, Pharaoh does the unthinkable –

37 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. 43 Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.”

I might have been tempted to bow out and say, “Sorry, oh great Pharaoh. I don’t think I can help because I really don’t want to get this wrong.” But Joseph had the confidence that God was with him. In essence Pharaoh is saying, “I realize I’ve only known you for say, 30 minutes, but you are the right man for this job. God is with you! And all my advisors agree with me! (He looks around as the advisors stop rolling their eyes and say, “Yes, Pharaoh, good choice. Way to go!”)

So now, you’re in charge. Take the wisdom that your God gave you and do what you have said should be done. And that’s exactly what Joseph did. For the next fourteen years Joseph did what anyone who had been thrown into a well, sold into slavery, accused of rape, thrown into prison, gussied up for the Pharaoh and made second in command of the most powerful nation in the world would do, if they had complete confidence that God was with them. He took the opportunity and did all he could do with the help of God.

Do you know why Pharaoh did this? Pharaoh noticed in him what Potiphar has noticed early on, and what the prison warden noticed, and what the cup-bearer and baker knew first hand – this man’s GOD WAS WITH HIM! And Joseph had the confidence he needed to make wise decisions and make reasonable decisions because he stood on God’s plan.

This is very important:  Do you know what Joseph did for the next 14 years? He did exactly what anyone who was put in charge of a whole nation and economy would do if they were confident that God was with them – he followed the plan and trusted God.

His newfound prosperity didn’t change his reliance on God. He still followed God like when he was in the well, like when he was in prison, like when he was forgotten. Those days and years of desperation didn’t rip his faith from him. But his new wealth and power and position didn’t change him either! He didn’t become arrogant and self sufficient like we might tend to do. He didn’t cling to his rugged individualism and personal power to gather the grain and prepare for the famine. He didn’t let pride and the kudos of the Pharaoh fill his life with a “look at me” perspective. He just kept following God with the confidence that God was with him.

Don’t you want that kind of confidence? Can anyone really ruin what God is up to? Can anyone really stop God’s plan from working in your life – other than you? Does anyone really, really have control over you? Really! We can all learn to respond in godly confidence, just like Joseph did: not with arrogance, not with false humility, not with condescension or dramatic guise, but with humble faith in God!

You might be thinking at this point – could something like this really happen? Did this really happen? Yes, it did. And it will happen again and again, when men and women take their unique opportunities, their unique gifts and talents, their life experiences good and bad, and live totally confident that God is with them – YES! One million times, yes! You have no idea what God might do through you if you lived life focused on Him rather than focused on your problems.

What if, what would happen if those of us in this room or listening on the web, what if we decided to live this way even for a week? What if we decided to lay aside our fears of failure and disappointment? Our thoughts of weakness or insecurity? Our thoughts of being better than or lesser than the people next door? The right to judge and discriminate against others or let them judge or discriminate against us? What if we put away our goals and dreams of climbing whatever ladder society is tempting us with to make us feel adequate, or superior, or successful and asked this question instead?

“What is it that the God who is with me wants to do with: my job, my house, my plans, my dreams, my family, my life? Better yet – what does this God who is with me, this God of all grace and love and power and mercy, have planned for me?” And then we all responded – “That’s what I want to do!” “I’m just going to be God’s woman or God’s man no matter what…my…circumstances.” Can you imagine? I want to imagine that. I want to see that for you, for me, for this church, and for our community.

One of the best things I have ever heard, and a thought that has helped drive our vision at Creekside is this – if you can accomplish your visions, goals, plans or dreams, then they are too small. If you can do IT, whatever IT is, without God, then you’re thinking way too small! God wants to accomplish God-sized visions, God-sized plans, God-sized dreams through us. When we accomplish things that only God can do, then God gets the credit and the glory. Life is too short, to short change God’s plans for you and for me.

We’ve only got one shot of about 70-80 years to live on this earth, only a short lifetime to live out the hopes and dreams and visions that God has for each and every one of us. Only one shot at impacting our world with the love of God. Only one shot to share the story of God’s forgiveness and grace and mercy with the community around us. And if we are truly confident that God is with us…if I am really confident that the all-powerful, all-knowing, ever present, God of love and grace and mercy is with me…then I want to live that God-sized life. I want to dream that God-sized dream. I want to see the world through a God-sized vision! Don’t you?

And if I, if you, are truly confident that God is with us, then we can live out that life, live out those hopes and dreams on a God-sized scale – because God is in control and God will see it through. That puts God in the rightful place in our life, our job, our family, our plans. So here’s the final question for this week:

Given all that you have – your training, your talent, your job, your resources, your family and your circles of influence – what would someone who is you do if they were totally confident that God was with them? I challenge you, I dare you to ask God for those answers each day, this week!

Let’s pray: God I admit, we admit, that we have a hard time giving up control of our life, our family, our jobs and our dreams. Our dreams and visions are boxed up into things we can do and see. Release us from the tyranny of small thinking and small dreaming. Help us to place simple faith in you each morning this week. Let your Holy Spirit work in us and through us to accomplish YOUR plans. Help us see clearly and give us the willingness to follow you no matter what.
In Jesus Name, Amen

CHARACTERS pt. 4 – “Interview with a Prostitute”

Rahab of Jericho By Tina Hatcher and Tim Douglas
watch the video

Pastor Tim: “I have a special guest here at Creekside Community Church today. It is a rare opportunity to speak to a person of historical and biblical importance. Will you please welcome with me – Rahab of Jericho!”

Rahab: “Thanks for having me today Pastor Tim. I am privileged to be able to tell you my side of the story as to what occurred in Jericho”

Pastor Tim:” Well Rahab, before we go into the historical events, can you please give us a little bit of back ground about yourself?”

Rahab:” Without going into too much personal detail, let’s just say that in my day I was a woman that had a bad reputation among the people in my town. Everyone knew who I was because of my profession. I’m sure that you’ve heard – everyone else has.”

“People usually don’t care enough to want to know why a woman chose to be a prostitute. Even if they have changed their life and are now a different person “

Tim: “We all have a story, and we are very interested in yours. This is a great opportunity for us to learn from you!”

Rahab: “In my culture women were not valued like men. My parents had promised me at a young age to marry a man in my village that was much older than me. I did not wish to marry this man. And I was a bit of a rebel. When I ran away to escape the marriage, I was taken in by some traders. They promised to take care of me, but they abused me, threatened me, and paid me to, shall I say, entertain them. It was nothing that I thought I would ever do, but I was a young girl, too scared, guilt ridden and ashamed to go home. I began believing that this was to be my fate in the world.”

Tim: “That’s terrible. I am so sorry that you were betrayed in such a way. How did you feel about men after that?

Rahab:”I didn’t trust them, I knew that I was just an object to them. My profession meant that others shunned me and mocked me. I was desired and hated at the same time. But at least it put a roof over my head and kept me from starving to death. “

Tim: “How did you go from where you were, to your part in the story of Jericho?”

Rahab: “Eventually I did escape those traders. So I moved to the town of Jericho to be near my family. Not too long after moving I began to hear stories of miracles that supposedly occurred with the people of Israel because of their God. I didn’t have much use for religion but these stories captured my interest. As I heard more and more stories I grew to fear and respect this God of the Israelites. I began to believe that this was the true God; a God that knew his people and had the ability to protect them and provide for them”

Tim:” How is it that you met the Israelites?”

Rahab:” Two spies were sent into the city to scope out what was going on. Somehow their God chose them to come to my house and put them up for the night. I knew in my heart that I could trust these men because they were sent by God. I feared and respected their God and, to tell you the truth, I was afraid of what might happen to me and my family. So I offered to help them but asked them to help me, too.”

Tim: “So what exactly happened when the spies came to visit you?”

Rahab: “When spies came to me I told them where to hide so that the Kings men could not find them. I had taken them up to the roof and hidden them underneath some bundles of flax. I lied and told the king that I didn’t know where they were from and that they had already left. Then I sent the Kings men to search for them by the Jordan River.”

Tim: “Earlier you said you asked the spies to help you. What did you mean by that?”

Rahab:” I was afraid of what their God was capable of doing, and I knew that they had been sent to overtake the land. I knew that if I did not ask for favor from these men then my family and I would die with the rest of the people of Jericho. I didn’t want that to happen, so I asked the spies to save me and my family before they destroyed the city.”

Tim: “That was gutsy. What were your plans if they did help you?”

Rahab:” I didn’t really think much past not being destroyed with the city. I wanted my family to be given a chance to start over somewhere else. I hoped that perhaps I could start over somewhere else, too, where my reputation wasn’t known, and perhaps, I could be someone else besides Rahab the prostitute.”

Tim:” Were you afraid of what would happen to your family if you were found out by the King?”

Rahab:” I was not afraid of being found out. These men had a God that led His people through the Red Sea and closed the sea in on their enemies. They had conquered every nation that got in their way. I believed in my heart that their God would spare me for helping the spies.”

Tim: “So, what happened?”

Rahab:” I asked that the men swear to me by the Lord that they would be kind to me and my family since I was helping them. I asked that they would allow us to live as they conquered the city of Jericho. Believe me my heart was pounding in my chest. I was afraid and hopeful at the same time. Time seemed to stop as I waited for their answer.

Tim: “And they agreed?”

Rahab: “Yes, they agreed. But if my family or I betrayed them the deal was broken and we would not be spared.”

Tim: “Why would the spies trust you not to betray them?”

Rahab: “I don’t know that they did trust me. But I hid them and sent them off to hide for 3 days until the King’s men were done hunting for them.”

Tim: “What happened during those 3 days?”

Rahab:” I didn’t tell my family all that had occurred. I didn’t know if they would believe my story or not. I just told them that some of the Israelite men had come to scope out the city and I had helped them out of fear. I told them that they would protect us if we didn’t betray them. They had heard the stories about the cities of Og and Sihon and their destruction. I think they were too scared to chance going to anyone!”

Tim:” Were you worried at any time that the spies might not keep their promise?”

Rahab:” I trusted the men, they trusted me, and we both trusted their God. They had given me instructions to leave a scarlet rope hanging from the window that they had left from. They said that all of my family must stay inside the house, and if anyone left and went into the streets then they would be killed along with everyone else. They said that everyone inside the house would be protected, as long as we did not betray them. If we did then the oath would be broken”

Tim: “So the men did come back to the city?”

Rahab:” The men hid for three days then went back and reported to their leader Joshua. He agreed to spare my family because of the oath the spies had made with me. Everything else in the city was destroyed.”

Tim:” What did you take out of the city with you when you all left?”

Rahab: “We were instructed to leave everything behind. Leaving with our lives was enough. Knowing that nothing would be left of our city saddened our hearts, but the fear of the Lord and the gratefulness of being spared sure put things into perspective for us!”

Tim:” Who all was saved from Jericho with you?”

Rahab:” I was fortunate enough to be able to save my mother, my father, my brothers, their wives and children.”

Tim:” So how did your life change Rahab?”

Rahab: “I was able to start a new life. I gave up my profession. I married a great leader of Israel and had a family together. My life was broken and going nowhere – but God gave me hope and a purpose. I am so grateful to God for saving me and my family.”

Tim: “You said that you had children. Would we know any of them?”

Rahab: “I have a few children, but I am sure that you probably have heard of my son Boaz and his wife Ruth, we are very proud of them.”

Tim: “What have you learned through this experience?”

Rahab: “That God is faithful. He always does what he promises to do. He can be trusted. I saw what God can do, and it changed my life forever.”

Tim:”Well Rahab, we have learned a great deal about your life. I think we can all learn some important lessons from your story. Thanks for sharing your story with us. It was very nice to meet with you. I hope you have a safe journey back home.”

Rahab:” Thanks for letting me tell my story.”

Tim: “Would you thank her for coming today.”

(Rahab Exits)

Anytime we can get a gut level understanding of a person or situation is great. Thanks for letting us do something so unusual just so we can understand God a little bit better. Not only was Rahab’s life changed for the better. She has taught us that our definition of faith is experientially accurate

“Faith is the confidence that God is who he says he is and that God will do everything he has promised to do.”

Turn to the book of Joshua 6:22, and let’s read how this entire story played out as recorded thousands of years ago. The setup is this: God told Joshua to defeat the city of Jericho by walking around it, with all the people of Israel, for seven days. On the last day they were to walk around it seven times and the blow their horns, play their instruments and shout praise to God. God promised to destroy the city in such a way that Israel could go in and take over. And that’s exactly what happened. It was during this malaise that we read Joshua 6:22.

Joshua 6

²² Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.”

²³ The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel.

²⁴ Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the Lord’s house. ²⁵ So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.

God kept his promise to Rahab. A promise made by his representatives the spies many days before. This was the certainty that Rahab needed to understand that she mattered to God and that God could be trusted. It was the actions of God’s people that made it all clear. They served with integrity and honor even to a prostitute.

We don’t know how soon Rahab quit her profession. We don’t have a record of her life that tells the story beyond this. But we do know she had a past. She had reason to hate men and not to trust those around her. She was an outcast – rejected by everyone except paying customers. Her life was truly broken, without hope until she trusted in this God of Israel.

God accepted Rahab because of her faith. And that faith and faithfulness to the spies was counted as righteousness before God. That means God saved her for eternity because of her faith in him. That means her past was forgiven and God walked with her in spite of it. God is not interested in our past. God is most interested in our future. And that’s why so much of the Bible is filled with the stories of ordinary, sinful, messed up, broken people like you and me.

We read in a famous list of the Bible, Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Faith, these words:

Hebrews 11:27-32:

²⁷ It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. ²⁸ It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

²⁹ It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

³⁰ It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

³¹ It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.³² How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.

None of these people listed were perfect. In fact, many were outright rebellious at first. It’s pretty incredible. God chose a prostitute over the mayor of Jericho. He chose Rahab over the best dressed, most prominent women of the town. God chose Rahab to help the spies because he was looking at her heart, her potential, her needs, her brokenness and her faith. She was exactly the kind of person that God needed to make this work. In fact, she was exactly the kind of person God chose to be a very special mother, grandmother, great grandmother. You see, Rahab is not only mentioned in the book of Hebrews, written some 60 years after Jesus resurrection. Rahab was so important that she is one of the first persons mentioned in the New Testament – in the book of Matthew.

Matthew was one of the disciples who followed Jesus through his entire ministry. Matthew recorded his thoughts and observations of his time with Jesus not very long after Jesus was killed by the Roman soldiers. Matthew was also a broken and outcast person – a tax collector, most of who were known for what they took from people rather than did for people. This Matthew understood how important Rahab really was to us and recorded her name in Matthew 1.

Matthew 1:1-6

¹ This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:

² Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
³ Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.^[b]
4 Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
⁵ Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
⁶ Jesse was the father of King David.

Skip down to verse 16

16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that just like God – to use a prostitute that doesn’t even belong to his chosen people Israel, to be the great grandmother of His only Son – the Savior of the world?
That’s why I say it doesn’t matter where you are at today. It doesn’t matter what your past was or what your present is. God cares the most about your FUTURE. God wants to make your future the greatest it can be. We are all sinful people. We all have issues and pains that drive us. We are all broken by the junk that life and people have thrown at us. But we don’t have to live in that forever.
Several weeks ago we were challenged to think about God’s purpose for our life, to take time and ask God, “How do you want to use me in this life?” Last week coach Ripp pushed us to “let go” of whatever holds us back from real, true and effective living. And I think that we all know inherently what holds us back from success in both of these arenas – we don’t believe God can use us because of all our junk.
Rahab dares to differ with those thoughts. Her life and the lives of almost every other famous person in the Bible tell a different story. God will accept you where you are, use you where you are and grow you along the way – through the junk, through our sinfulness, through our brokenness – if only we will place our faith in Him. What God really wants is to redeem what was broken in us, to reconcile our relationship to him and others, and restore us to a life that is meaningful, fulfilled and successful in his eyes. Grab on to that. Hold on to that. Make God’s desire the central goal of your life. Together we can all do this! Let’s pray.

God, we know that none of us are anywhere close to being perfect. We all know our own issues, pains and problems. Please forgive us.
Thank you for reminding us, today, that you are willing and able to work around those things. Thank you for reminding us that you love us where we are at this moment and that you only have good intentions for our future. Help us as we look to you in faith. Give us the grace and mercy, the strength and perseverance that you have promised us. Amen

Next week: Jacob the Deceiver