Storms Of Loss, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. How long can we go on with this?

Exactly as long as God would like it to go to meet His desires for the outcome. It's always that way. But the most important thing is that we have to remember this, God always has the end game in mind.

Always. The process to Him is just part of what He says is the end game. To say it this way, He always has bigger fish to fry than you or me. He's always got everything interrelated, all together, all at once. And we need to trust Him through this entire process. Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana.

Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now as once again he shows us how God's Word meets our world. Hurricane Laura missed us. And I think we can all give a sigh of relief because of that. But it did hit the people of Lake Charles in western Louisiana. And if you remember, there was talk that it was a small storm. It did get bigger. Then he said it was a category one and it could be a two. And then then they said, well, it's going to be a two and it could be a small three when it made to the shoreline. And it hit the Louisiana shoreline with winds of one hundred and fifty five miles an hour.

In the aftermath, as you see through newscasts or online, the damage is overwhelming, devastating. All those people had their lives change in a day. Just one day. What a difference a day makes.

Not unusual for us. December the 7th, 1941. As FDR said, a day that would live in infamy. Our lives changed in one day.

November 22nd, 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy. Our lives changed in one day. September the 11th, 2001, with the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and on the Twin Towers, our lives changed again in one day.

And here living in New Orleans, don't we still say now was that before or after Katrina? Because our lives were overwhelmed in a single day. See, what happens when we suffer from what I call the storms of loss? I don't mean some storms. Some storms we have are brutal.

It's a little bit painful, but the loss isn't very great. But there are other storms where there's tremendous loss for all of us. Usually those events occur quickly and are suddenly over.

But not always. If you think of this pandemic that we're under, it started quickly. But here we are six months down the road. And it's still going on. And all of us have experienced loss of some sort. Income, freedom, health, all kinds of ways in which we have lost. Some lost some. Some lost more.

Some lost all, even their life. The question is, how do we prepare ourselves for the storms of life or the storms of loss? How do we prepare for that? And I think some of us think, well, that won't really happen to me.

You may have lived that way up until this pandemic and now you might be without work. But that's naive because to live in this world, there will always be storms of loss. There will always be another terrorist attack, another earthquake, another hurricane, another senseless murder, another terrible car accident and a myriad of other unfortunate events.

They will always occur in our lives and we will always suffer loss. Sometimes, just like now, you have to remain faithful to God over the long haul. I want you to open your Bibles to Psalm 105 verse 16. Psalm 105 verse 16. And we're not sure who wrote this psalm.

It's a really interesting song. It goes with the history of Israel. But I want to drop in on verse 16. And it says, and he called for a famine. And that word, he, is a pronoun describing God. He says, and he called for a famine upon the land. He broke the whole staff of bread.

In other words, this is going to be an extremely difficult thing. He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. Don't miss this. He sent a man before them. His name is Joseph. We know this story pretty well. They afflicted his feet with fetters.

He himself was laid in irons. Most important words you can read right now. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.

Until. This is the story of Joseph. And this is about the storm of loss experienced by Israel. And what they lost was an ability to eat. There is a famine in the land. And notice, way ahead of the famine even coming into the land, God has already made a provision in the person of Joseph.

But I can't just read over that. What was his life like? He's hated by his own brothers. He's hated by them. In fact, they wanted to kill him.

And they didn't. They just sold him into slavery. Now, what would that be like? You're taken out of your land. You'll never see, you think, again, your father, your family, your friends.

You're out. You're sold as a slave. And so he finds himself a slave in Egypt. He finds himself in an Egyptian prison. Now, you know all the events. But I want you to imagine what's going on in his mind. If you're Joseph, what's going on in your mind? How'd this happen to me? I'm a Hebrew.

I know that my father told me that God's made a covenant with him through his grandfather, Abraham. What am I doing in Egypt? What am I doing in prison?

What did I do wrong? You'd have to feel very victimized. Then you know the story of Potiphar, where he finally got out and started having some responsibility. And then Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. He ran out and fled from her.

And then she still accused him. And then he's back in prison again. How would you feel about your life up till then? What a wasted life. How do I cope with this?

What do I do with this? I'm not even in my own country. Remember, God said, I prepared you for this way back. Now, he doesn't know that. And so he finds himself interpreting a dream or two. And the next thing you know, he's the prime minister of Egypt. Now, by the way, please understand, though, even though that sounds like a wonderful story in and of itself, he's not Egyptian. He's a Jew. Did God have him rise to power so that he could bless Joseph?

I don't think so. This is why God had him rise to power. Until the time that his word came to pass. Until that time.

Tony Evans writes this. Until that time? Until the time God was ready with all the pieces of the puzzle to carry out his perfect plan in history. One reason God has us waiting for various things and desires in our lives is because he's always doing something bigger than you. It's always bigger than you. I know you're the one going through it. I know you're the one feeling it, experiencing it, being pained by it. But what he is doing is bigger than you.

It's going to always be bigger than you. Like the strands woven together to create a tapestry of an image, no single strand has the ability to display itself. We are all interconnected through God in his divine plan. He is the one hooking things up.

You are simply one strand. And as you wait your destiny, realize that one of the reasons that you are waiting is because God is up to something way bigger than you. It involves time because there is more to deal with than just you.

Over and over again he says the same thing. No matter what storm you're going through, the storm of loss, think of Joseph. This isn't about Joseph.

This is about God and his divine plan and where it's going to go. How long was Joseph faithful? Years and years and years.

Not with his family, not in his own land, nothing. Now I know that we've been going through this for six months. I don't know if we can hold up any longer. I mean after all, many of us are just sick and tired of being sick and tired. Some of us want to get up every morning and say enough is enough. How long can we go on with this?

Exactly as long as God would like it to go to meet his desires for the outcome. It's always that way. But the most important thing is that we have to remember this. God always has the end game in mind, always. The process to him is just part of what he says is the end game. To say it this way, he always has bigger fish to fry than you or me. He's always got everything interrelated all together all at once.

And we need to trust him through this entire process. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 50. Genesis 50. In verse 15. You know the whole story. Everybody's down in Egypt now.

And yeah, I just love this. It says when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead. They said, what if Joseph bears a grudge against this and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we had do, which we had done to him?

What how about this? What if Joseph thinks just like we think? See, if you were Joseph, what would you be thinking? This wasn't fair. I have the power to make it right. Or vengeance is mine.

What if he thinks like that? So they sent a messenger to Joseph and said, your father charged before he died saying, thus you shall say to Joseph, please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong. And now please forgive the transgression of your servants of God, the God of your father. And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. They name dropped.

They dropped in Jacob. Jacob really wants you to forgive us. Then his brothers also came, they fell down before him and said, behold, we are your servants. Didn't years ago Joseph say that to his own brothers? Didn't he say there's going to be a time when you all bow down before me?

Here it is. He was exactly right. It was one of the reasons they hated him. And Joseph said to them, do not be afraid. Now watch, for I am in God's place.

Let me apply this. Do not be afraid, for you are in God's place. What are you afraid of? You see, why do we let the circumstances of the day block?

What am I afraid of? I'm in God's place. This is exactly what God, where God wanted me to be. Now watch, as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about the present result and to preserve many people alive. Right back to the Psalm. That's why I'm here.

I'm here to feed my people. You meant it for evil, but God made it good. That's the business of God. That's what redemption is. He takes evil. He redeems it and makes it good. He says, so therefore do not be afraid.

I will provide for you and your little ones. So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Question that Joseph passed the test from Psalm 105, because remember, it said until the time comes right and it said the word of God was testing Joseph. He passed. And how long a test was it?

Years and years and years and years. And he passed it. He maintained his faith in God. He maintained his moral integrity. He maintained his forgiving spirit.

He passed completely. Sometimes we have to remain faithful over the long haul. And then other times, the storms of loss are short, unbelievably painful, and intensive. Turn with me now to Job chapter 1, the book of Job chapter 1. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and the man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.

Now, the scholars, by the way, don't even know where Uz is. There's a whole bunch of variety of ideas. But you're going to see that it is an ideal situation. In other words, your life can't go better than Job's life's going. He has everything you and I dream about to have what you and I would call the good life. Seven sons, three daughters were born to him. His possessions were also 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 donkeys. And many servants, and that man was the greatest of all the men in the East. If I added those up correctly, he has 11,000 animals.

Now, I don't know when you have 11,000 animals, but way back then, if you have 11,000 animals, you have unbelievable wealth. It then says, he said, his sons used to hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite the three sisters to eat and drink with them. And it came about when the days of feasting had completed their cycle that Job, he said, would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts, and he did this continually. What a spiritual man. They're having these family reunion parties type of thing for everybody, and Job uses intercessory prayer. He prays for them.

That's his personal integrity and love. That's the spiritual context of this book. Then there's a celestial context of the book. Now, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan was among them. And the Lord said to Satan, from where did you come? And Satan answered, and he said, from roaming about on the earth and walking around on it. And the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Now, that's a conversation. Sometimes in the past when I've come to this passage I'd say, boy, I sure hope God never brags on me to Lucifer because I know the book, but that's what he's doing. Now, you can see this is a sovereign God.

You can see that this is without question a set up by God. God has something in mind here. Satan said, does Job fear God for nothing? I just am amazed at Satan's gall. He talks to God.

You think he fears you for nothing? And remember, God can eliminate him at any moment at any time, but he doesn't. He said, have you not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side? Have you blessed him? The work of his hand and his possessions have increased in the land? He said, put forth your hand now and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse you to your face. No wonder he's happy.

I know human beings. You give them everything they want. They're all happy. That's why he's so happy. And I'd like to get at him, but you won't let me.

You put a hedge around him. There's a storm brewing. That's what this conversation is. There's a low pressure system somewhere in heaven.

It's starting to gain strength there. The Lord said to Satan, behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him. So Satan departed the presence of the Lord. Now, please understand, what does Job know about this? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He doesn't know this conversation ever took place.

He's just living his life, doing his thing. Now, what happened on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, that a messenger came to Job and said the oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked, and he took them, and they slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. And while he was still speaking, another came also and said, the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.

And while he was still speaking, another came in and said, the Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. And while he was still speaking, another came and said, your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you. One day, one day, category 10 hurricane. Nobody has ever had a day like that. One day the storm of loss hits him.

One day, I'm grateful none of us have ever had a day like that. You've been listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the Radio Ministry of Fellowship in the Word. If you ever miss one of our broadcasts, or maybe you would just like to listen to the message one more time, remember that you can go to a great website called oneplace.com. That's oneplace.com, and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online.

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That's fbcnola.org. At our website, you will find hundreds of Pastor Bill's sermons. You can browse through our sermon archives to find the sermon series you are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the message you are looking for, you can listen online, or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own convenience. And remember, you can do all of this absolutely free of charge. Once again, our website is fbcnola.org. For Pastor Bill Gebhardt, I'm Jason Gebhardt, thanking you for listening to Fellowship in the Word. We'll be right back.