THE RESULTS OF GENUINE WORSHIP

2 Chronicles 5:11-14

Because God is worthy of worship and seeks to be worshiped, everything in our worship services should be designed and carried out not to call attention to ourselves or bring glory to ourselves, but to call attention to God and to cause people to think about Him.
“Then the priests left the Holy Place. All the priests who were present had purified themselves, whether or not they were on duty that day. And the Levites who were musicians – Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and all their sons and brothers – were dressed in fine linen robes and stood at the east side of the altar playing cymbals, harps, and lyres. They were joined by 120 priests who were playing trumpets, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words:
‘He is so good! His love endures forever!’
At that moment a cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their work because the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God.”

What are the results of genuine worship?

I. WE DELIGHT IN GOD
God created us not only to glorify Him but also to enjoy Him and delight in His excellence. We probably delight in God more fully in worship than in any other activity in this life. Worship is an end in itself because we glorify God by enjoying Him forever. Which means we make the joy of worship our goal. It is precisely in confessing our frustrated, hopeless condition without Him that we honor Him. A patient is not greater than his doctor because he longs to be made well. A child is not greater than his father when he wants the fun of playing together with him. Do not presume that when you come to God you come to give rather than get. The only approach to God in worship is the humble approach because it is the only one that comes with empty hands. We must acknowledge that He alone can satisfy the heart’s longing to be happy. Worship is an end in itself because we glorify God by enjoying Him forever.
“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” Psalm 16:11.

II. GOD DELIGHTS IN US
When God first made the universe, He looked on all of it with delight, and saw that “it was very good” Genesis 1:31.
God takes special delight in human beings whom He has created and redeemed.
“Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for a child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on my hand” Isaiah 49:15-16.
God delights in our brokenness. Asaph, one of the writers of psalms, after experiencing depression and discouragement said, “Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever” Psalm 73:25-26.
“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water” Psalm 63:1.
God is not unresponsive to the deep longing of our soul. He comes and lifts the load of sin and fills our heart with gladness and gratitude.
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” Psalm 30:11-12.

III. WE DRAW NEAR TO GOD

A. Worship in the Old Covenant:
“The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But just the opposite happened. Those yearly sacrifices reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” Hebrews 10:1-4.

B. Worship in the New Covenant:
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. This is the new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us through the sacred curtain, by means of his death for us. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s people, let us go right into the presence of God, with true hearts fully trusting him. For our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water” Hebrews 10:19-22.

1. We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus. It is a confidence of free and open access to God based on the unique sacrifice of Jesus.

2. We have a great High Priest over the house of God. Our Great High Priest makes it possible for us to draw near to God together and to share the hope of living for ever in His presence.

IV. GOD DRAWS NEAR TO US
“Come near to God and he will come near to you…” James 4:8.
In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the father waited for the coming home of his son. In fact, every day he stood on the door with eyes on the road hoping that his son would come back. And when his son came back home, while he was still a long distance away, he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
When we come to Him with all humility, He will come to us.

V. GOD MINISTERS TO US
In worship, we ourselves are built up and edified. When we worship God, He meets with us and directly ministers to us, strengthening our faith, intensifying our awareness of His presence, and granting refreshments to our spirits.
“Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” Hebrews 4:16.

VI. UNBELIEVERS KNOW THEY ARE IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Worship is a powerful witness to unbelievers. The atmosphere is electrifying. They feel it. They can sense it. But they cannot explain what it is. They just know that God is present in the midst of His people.

HOW CAN WE ENTER INTO GENUINE WORSHIP?
1. Pray that the Holy Spirit will enable us to worship rightly.
2. See God as He is and then respond to His presence.
“Offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire” Hebrews 12:28-29.
3. Prepare for worship.
4. Make right any interpersonal relationship.
“So if you are standing before the altar in the Temple, offering a sacrifice to God, and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God” Matthew 5:23-24.
5. Everything should be done in an orderly way.

WHAT MAKES GOD SMILE

Genesis 6

The smile of God is the goal of your life.
Since pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that.
The Bible gives us a clear example of a life that gives pleasure to God. The man’s name was Noah.
In Noah’s day, the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God’s. God couldn’t find anyone on earth interested in pleasing Him, so He was grieved and regretted making man. God became so disgusted with the human race that He considered wiping it out. But there was one man who made God smile.

“Now the Lord observed the extent of the people’s wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart. And the Lord said, ‘I will completely wipe out this human race that I have created. Yes, and I will destroy all the animals and birds, too. I am sorry I ever made them.’ But Noah found favor with the Lord.
This is the history of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him” Genesis 6:5-9.

Because Noah brought pleasure to God, you and I are alive today. From his life we learn what makes God smile.

I. GOD SMILES WHEN WE LOVE HIM SUPREMELY
Noah loved God more than anything else in the world, even when no one else did.
“Noah consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with Him” Genesis 6:9.
That is what God wants from us: relationship! It’s the most astounding truth in the universe – that our Creator wants to have a relationship with us. God made you to love you, and He longs for you to love Him back.
“I don’t want your sacrifices – I want your love; I don’t want your offerings – I want you to know me” Hosea 6:6.
Illus: A scene from the film Notting Hill – “I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her.”
God deeply loves you and desires your love in return. He longs for you to know Him and spend time with Him. That is why learning to love God and be loved by Him should be the greatest objective of our life.

II. GOD SMILES WHEN WE TRUST HIM COMPLETELY
“By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told….As a result, Noah became intimate with God” Hebrews 11:7.
God commanded Noah to build an ark because He’s going to send a worldwide flood. God wanted to save the family of Noah and the animal population.
There were 3 problems:
• Noah had never seen rain, because prior to the Flood, God irrigated the earth from the ground up.
• Noah lived hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean.
• There was the problem of gathering all the animals and caring for them.

But Noah didn’t complain or make excuses. He trusted God completely. Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for our life. We expect Him to keep His promises, help us with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.
It took Noah 120 years to build the ark.
In what areas of your life do you need to trust God completely? Trusting is an act of worship.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God” Hebrews 11:6.

III. GOD SMILES WHEN WE OBEY HIM WHOLEHEARTEDLY
God gave very detailed instructions as to the size, shape, and materials of the ark as well as the different numbers of animals to be brought on board.
The size of the ark is equivalent to 20 college basketball courts, its height – 4-storey building.
“So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him” Genesis 6:22.
That is wholeheartedness.
Noah obeyed God wholeheartedly. He didn’t say, “Yes, Lord” tapos binago ‘yong plano nang kaunti dahil mahirap. He didn’t also say, “Yes, Lord” tapos hindi niya ginawa dahil wala namang ulan.
Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We choose the commands we obey. That is not wholeheartedness.

IV. GOD SMILES WHEN WE PRAISE AND THANK HIM CONTINUALLY
Few things feel better than receiving a heartfelt praise and appreciation from someone else. God smiles when we express our adoration and gratitude to Him.
Noah’s first act after surviving the Flood was to express his thanks to God by offering a sacrifice.
“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings on it” Genesis 8:20.
Illus: magpapaprayer …… pagkatapos makuha ang answer hindi na marunong magpasalamat. Sasabihin ‘Ako na gud ni!’
“What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? Psalm 116:12.
By giving our tithes and offerings.
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” 2 Corinthians 9:12.

V. GOD SMILES WHEN WE USE OUR ABILITIES
After the Flood, God gave these simple instructions: “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth…. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.”
God said, “It’s time to get on with your life! Do the things I designed humans to do.”
You may feel that the only time God is pleased with you is when you’re doing “spiritual” activities. And you may think God is unconcerned about the other parts of your life. Actually, God enjoys watching every detail of your life, whether you are working, playing, resting, or eating.
You can wash dishes, repair a machine, sell a product, etc. for the glory of God.
God intentionally gifted us differently for His enjoyment. You don’t bring glory or pleasure to God by hiding your abilities or trying to be someone else. You only bring Him enjoyment by being you. Anytime you reject any part of yourself, you are rejecting God’s wisdom and sovereignty in creating you.
“You have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter. The clay doesn’t ask, ‘Why did you make me this way?’” Isaiah 45:9.

Is pleasing God your deepest desire? If yes, then…
• Love Him supremely
• Trust Him completely
• Obey Him wholeheartedly
• Praise and thank Him continually
• Use your abilities

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GENUINE WORSHIP

John 12:1-8


We enjoy flattery….
Flattery is not genuine….
We can’t flatter God….

“Six days before the Passover ceremonies began, Jesus arrived in Bethlehem, the home of Lazarus – the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus sat at the table with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance.
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples – the one who would betray him – said, “That perfume was worth a small fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor – he was a thief who was in charge of the disciples’ funds, and he often took some for his own use.
Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer.’”

This is a very short narrative. And when you read it, it’s just that: a narrative. But when you try to read between the lines, the teaching is very profound. It teaches about worship – the characteristics of a genuine worship.

I. GENUINE WORSHIP IS A DECISION
“Then Mary took…” v.3.
Worship is a decision. It is not automatic. It is a choice amidst many choices. For others, it is not always an easy choice. To choose between evil and good is easy. But to choose between good and best is difficult (like between WC and USG meeting, WC between group study, CG between research sa Internet, Efest/LDI between NSTP, etc.).
Being present in a worship service is not enough. That is only for the sake of check attendance. Participate in worship. Immerse yourself in the presence of God. Lay down everything at the feet of Jesus. And say, like what Moses said, “Lord, I will not go unless You bless me.”
Decide that regardless of the weather, of your busyness, you will worship. Decide that regardless of who is leading the worship, who is preaching, you will worship. Worship is a decision.
“Praise the Lord, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me” Psalm 103:1-2.
II. GENUINE WORSHIP IS A COSTLY SACRIFICE
“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it…” v.3.
Nard was a fragrant ointment imported from the mountains of India. Thus it was very expensive. The amount Mary used was worth a year’s wages. Nard was used to anoint kings.
The perfume was probably the most valuable possession Mary had. But she gave it to Jesus. What Mary did is an example of genuine worship. She didn’t count the cost. She willingly gave the best she had to Jesus. It was, in fact, an extravagant worship.
David said, “I will not offer anything unto the Lord that cost me nothing” 2 Samuel 24:24.
“…let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise…” Hebrews 13:15.
Genuine worship involves sacrifice – time, money, energy.

III. GENUINE WORSHIP IS FORGETTING SELF
“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it and wiped his feet with her hair” v.3.
The perfume was supposed to be poured on the head. But Mary poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped it with her hair. It was an act of humility with so much love. Mary didn’t care about her reputation. All she cared about was to do this for her beloved Savior and Lord. She was focused. She was determined.
Worship is like that. We cannot enter into genuine worship when we are full of self. Worship involves forgetting self.
John the Baptist said, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” John 3:30.
In worship we do not care what people say. We move out of our comfort zones to be able to enter into genuine worship.
Biblical worship involves the body, the spirit, the heart, the intellect, and the emotions. Worship expressions illustrated in the Bible include…
• Lively and joyous singing involving all worshipers,
• Spontaneous and verbal praises from those present in worship,
• Humble kneeling or lying prostrate before the Lord,
• Hands upraised and stretched forth in worship, and
• Hands clapping in tempo with music and as applause expressed to God.

Psalm 98:4 reminds us to “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song and music.” Joyful sounds ringing forth in worship may take on many forms – including applause, laughter, praise, and singing. And all of these forms express our reverence for God.
There are worshipers who choose to remain indifferent as expressive worship occurs around them. They will never experience the true freedom in worship.

IV. GENUINE WORSHIP IS CONTAGIOUS
“And the house was filled with fragrance” v.3.
Bad smell and good smell are both spatial.
Sars is contagious. As well as chicken pox, flu, tuberculosis, and many others. Expose yourself to people who have these communicable diseases and the probability is high that you will get them.
Genuine worship is also contagious. When people are truly worshiping the Lord, and there is joyful singing and shouting and dancing, even unbelievers can sense the mighty presence of God. The atmosphere becomes electric. The fragrance of worship will fill the place.

V. GENUINE WORSHIP DISPLEASES THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS
“But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples – the one who would betray him – said, “That perfume was worth a small fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor – he was a thief who was in charge of the disciples’ funds, and he often took some for his own use” v.4-5.
The spectators in worship will always accuse the participators of being OA. There are always people who resist spontaneous, expressive, and joy-filled worship.
When David became king of Israel, one of his objectives was to bring the ark of God into Jerusalem. The ark of God symbolizes the very presence of God. As they were marching… “David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic. So David and all Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with much shouting and blowing of trumpets. But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him” 2 Samuel 6:14-16.
There will always be Michal. As a result of her rejection, Michal had to face another kind of music – barrenness (2 Samuel 6:23).
Expressiveness in worship will always displease the self-righteous.

VI. GENUINE WORSHIP BRINGS GOD PLEASURE
“Jesus replied, ‘Leave her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer.’”
Jesus enjoyed the fragrance of the perfume. He rebuked Judas for making those unnecessary comments.
God delights in genuine worship.


How can we enter into genuine worship?

1. Decide to worship God regardless. Focus on God.
2. Be ready to make a sacrifice – time, money, energy.
3. Forget about self.
4. Don’t mind others.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WORSHIP

Psalm 95:1-7

Why should we come before our God with thanksgiving and joyful shouts?
Because our God is great. He deserves our highest praise.
“Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us give a joyous shout to the rock of our salvation! Let us come before him with thanksgiving. Let us sing him psalms and praise. For the Lord is a great God, the great King above all gods. He owns the depths of the earth, and even the mightiest mountains are his. The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too. Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care.”

The psalmist says let us give a joyous shout…let us sing him psalms and praise. It’s about celebration. Worship is celebration of God. But other churches’ gatherings or worship resemble a funeral rather than a festival. In some churches to smile during worship is considered a mortal sin. People are very stiff. They do not clap nor move their body. To do so means getting that ‘what-are-you-doing look’ from other attenders.

In worship we become preoccupied with the Lord. We don’t watch something happen, we participate in it. It’s coming to a place in one’s life, either alone, with a few, or with many, where one ‘connects’ with the living God. It is almost as though you could reach out and touch Him.
What happens when ‘connection’ occurs?
Whether it’s in a gathering of thousands, or when alone, or perhaps with a few, what happens?

I. WORSHIP MAGNIFIES MY GOD
All else is eclipsed in His presence. Nothing else matters. Like a couple who haven’t seen each other for many years, dahil ang isa ay nagtratrabaho sa abroad, tapos uuwi at magkikita sila sa airport….
Nothing else matters….
It’s not that God becomes bigger when we worship Him. He’s not a balloon. But when we worship God, lumalaki Siya sa ating paningin. Although we know that God is Almighty, that He is powerful, that He knows all things, that He is the Creator of the universe, but we need to remind ourselves often of the greatness of God.
“For you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods” Psalm 97:9.



II. WORSHIP ECLIPSES MY FEARS AND WORRIES

When David was being pursued by King Saul, sa halip na matakot siya o mabahala, he worshiped God, “I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints” Psalm 52:9.
Do not allow fear to overwhelm you.
“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” Psalm 55:22.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7.
When you find yourself worrying, try worship. It’s an antidote to fear and worry. Try it. It does great wonders.

III. WORSHIP CHANGES MY PERSPECTIVE
In 2 Chronicles 20, the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was alarmed by this news and sought the guidance of the Lord. He also gave orders that everyone throughout Judah should observe a fast. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord.
“Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever’” 2 Chronicles 20:21.
“At the moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had finished off the army of Seir, they turned on each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, there were dead bodies lying on the ground for as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped” 2 Chronicles 20:22-24.
When things look impossible, try worship. When things are unbearable, try worship. When the future looks gloomy, try worship. When situations look hopeless, worship. When things don’t fall into place and dreams are shattered, worship. I don’t know why but it does great wonders.

IV. WORSHIP REFRESHES MY SPIRIT
“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty” Psalm 91:1.
“How happy are those who can live in your house, always singing your praises” Psalm 84:4.

V. WORSHIP ENHANCES MY WORK
When I put worship to work in my life, my attitude toward things changes. At this point music plays a vital role. A non-singing Christian is like a non-swimming fish.
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, accompanied by the harp and flute and the harmony of the lyre. You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done” Psalm 92:1-4.
Why is it that the song has dried up in our voices? Why are there so few who sing? I mean really sing heartily to the Lord with full voice? How many sing in the shower?
Our singing is limited to the four corners of the church building. Why?

1. The pressures of life squeeze out our song.
Song requires a free spirit within….creativity, relaxation, freedom from tension. We allow pressures to kill our song.
“If there’s a song in the heart, there’s always a way of singing it.”

2. Someone else sings for us.
The radio, the cd, dvd, mp3, cellphone do the singing for us.

Let me encourage you to start singing again. Yes, even when you’re alone. Express your praise in a song.
Rediscover the joy of singing your praise and adoration back to the Lord. Don’t worry if you can’t carry a tune (Just don’t sing with a microphone please or desire to be a worship leader.) If your spirit is in harmony with His, the music will be beautiful…and God will be pleased.

WORSHIP THAT PLEASES GOD

Mark 12:30

God doesn’t want a part of your life. He asks for all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. God is not interested in halfhearted commitments, partial obedience, and the leftovers of your time and money. Hindi pulubi ang Diyos at hindi Siya namamalimos ng pag-ibig. He desires your full devotion, not just your admiration.
A person who is deeply in-love asks, “How can I please the one I love?”
If we truly love God, the right question to ask is, “How can I please God?”

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”


I. GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS ACCURATE
People often say, “I like to think of God as….. and then they share their idea of the kind of God they would like to worship. But we cannot just create our own idea or image of God and worship it. That is idolatry. Worship must be based on the truth of the Scripture, not our opinions about what God is like.
“How foolish are those who manufacture idols to be their gods. Then the wood-carvers measures and marks out a block of wood, takes the tool, and carves the figure of a man. Now he has a wonderful idol that cannot even move from where it is placed! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. Such stupidity and ignorance. Their eyes are closed and they cannot see. Their minds are shut and they cannot think.” Isaiah 44:9, 13, 16-18.
Lagi din nating naririnig, “Ok lang naman kahit anong relihiyon mo kasi iisa lang naman ang Diyos natin. Doon din tayo lahat patungo.”
That line of reasoning is very wrong. Communism is also a religion. And so are atheism and humanism and animism. Others also think na kung mas marami silang church na mapasukan mas accepted sila kay Lord.
God requires that we worship Him in spirit and in truth:
“True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” John 4:23.

a. WORSHIP IN SPIRIT
Worshipping in spirit is the opposite of empty formalism and traditionalism. That kind of worship can be pointless, and useless and empty.
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” Matthew 15:8-9.
We worship in spirit when it comes from the heart. Where feelings for God are dead, worship is dead.
In the end the heart longs not for any God’s good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul’s final feast.
“In thy presence there is fullness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures forever more” Psalm 16:11.
In worship we become preoccupied with the Lord. We don’t watch….we participate. An amazing thing about worship is that you don’t care what anybody else thinks.
When we come before God in worship, and we do not feel in our heart any grief or longing or hope or fear or awe or joy or gratitude or confidence, then we may dutifully sing and pray and gesture as much as we like, but it will not be real worship. We cannot honor God if our “heart is far from Him.”

b. WORSHIP IN TRUTH
We worship with emotions but those emotions must be based on the Word of God. People are very emotional during MJ’s concerts. And we call that emotionalism.
“They have a zeal for God, but it is not according to knowledge” Romans 10:2.
Freedom in worship is the fruit of truth.
Illus: “Lami kaayo magwali si Pastor ba…..
True worship affects not only the heart but the mind as well. The Word of God must be central in worship.


II. GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS AUTHENTIC
When Jesus said you must “worship in spirit,” He wasn’t referring to the Holy Spirit, but to your spirit. Worship is your spirit responding to God’s Spirit.
When Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart and soul” He meant that worship must be genuine and heartfelt. It is not just a matter of saying the right words; you must mean what you say. Heartless praise is not a praise at all! It is worthless, an insult to God.
Worship engages your emotion. God gave you emotions so you could worship Him with deep feeling – but those emotions must be genuine, not faked. God hates hypocrisy. He doesn’t want showmanship or pretense in worship. He wants your honest, real love.
Worship must be both accurate and authentic. God-pleasing worship is deeply emotional and deeply doctrinal – we use both our hearts and our heads.
Your biggest distraction in worship is yourself and your cellphone – your interests and your worries over what others think about you.
Set your emotions free in worship.


III. GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS THOUGHTFUL
Jesus’ command to “love God with all your mind” is repeated four times in the New Testament. God is not pleased with thoughless singing, or careless exclamations of “Praise the Lord, Hallelujah.” If worship is mindless, it is meaningless. You must engage your mind.


IV. GOD IS PLEASED WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS PRACTICAL
The Bible says in Romans 12:1, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Why does God want your body? Why doesn’t He say, “Offer your spirit?” Because without your body you can’t do anything on this planet.
You have heard people say, “Di n’yo man ako kasama sa katawan, kasama n’yo ako sa espiritu.”
Do you know what that means? Nothing. It’s worthless! As long as you’re on earth, your spirit can only be where your body is. If your body isn’t there, you aren’t there.
Real worship costs. David knew this and said: “I will not offer to the Lord my God sacrifices that have cost me nothing” 2 Samuel 24:24.
When Jesus said, “Love God with all your strength,” He pointed out that worship takes effort and energy. It is not always convenient or comfortable. Worship is a willing sacrifice.
True worship not only requires our body, it also requires our money. Giving has always been part of worship – in the Old Testament and New Testament. The church in Macedonia is an example of generosity in giving and Paul was very proud of them:
“Now I want to tell you, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done for the churches in Macedonia. Though they have been going through much trouble and hard times, their wonderful joy and deep poverty have overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the gracious privilege of sharing in the gift for the Christians in Jerusalem. Best of all, they went beyond our highest hopes, for their first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord and to us for whatever directions God might give them” 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.
“God loves the person who gives cheerfully” 2 Corinthians 9:7.


The deepest level of worship is praising God inspite of pain, thanking God during trial, trusting Him in difficult times, and loving Him when He seems distant.
Worship is a sacrifice.

PLANNED FOR GOD'S PLEASURE

PLANNED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE
REV. 4:11

Growing up insecurities……
You were planned for God’s pleasure. The moment you were born into the world, God was there smiling at your birth. He wanted you alive, and your arrival gave Him great pleasure. God did not need to create you, but He chose to create you for His own enjoyment.
Bringing enjoyment to God, living for His pleasure, is the first purpose of your life. Bringing pleasure to God is called “worship.”

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created” Revelation 4:11.

The Bible says, “The Lord is pleased only with those who worship him and trust his love” Psalm 147:11.

Anything you do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. Anthropologists have noted that worship is a universal urge, a part of our being. It is as natural as eating or breathing. If we fail to worship the one true, living God, we always find a substitute, even if it ends up being ourselves.

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in manmade temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs. he himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need there is….His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist” Acts 17:24-27.

“…We shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. God overlooked people’s former ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him” Acts 17:29-30.

“The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him in spirit and in truth” John 4:23.


What is Worship?

I. WORSHIP IS FAR MORE THAN MUSIC
For many people, worship is synonym for music. This is a big misunderstanding. Every part of a church service is an act of worship: praying, Scripture reading, singing, silence, giving an offering, baptism, listening, communion, and even greeting other worshipers.
If worship were just music, then all who are nonmusical could never worship. Worship is far more than music.
Matt Redman, a worship leader in England, tells how his pastor taught his church the real meaning of worship. To show that worship is more than music, he banned all singing in their services for a period of time while they learned to worship in other ways. By the end of that time, Matt had written the classic song “Heart of Worship.”
I’ll bring you more than a song,
Because a song in itself is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Than the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart


II. WORSHIP IS NOT FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Worship isn’t for your benefit. We worship for God’s benefit. When we worship, our goal is to bring pleasure to God, not to ourselves.
You do not sing para ma-exercise ang vocal chords mo. You do not give for others to see your generosity. You do not attend a worship service to show people that you are a church-goer.
If you have ever said, “I didn’t get anything out of worship today,” you worshipped for the wrong reason.
Of course, most worship services also include elements of fellowship, encouragement, and there are benefits to worship, but we don’t worship to please ourselves. Our motive is to bring glory and pleasure to our Creator.

In Isaiah 29:13, God complains about worship that is half-hearted and hypocritical.
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

The people were offering boring prayers, insincere praise, empty words, and man-made rituals without even thinking about the meaning. God’s heart is not touched by tradition in worship, but by passion and commitment.
III. WORSHIP IS NOT A PART OF YOUR LIFE; IT IS YOUR LIFE
The Bible says, “praise him from sunrise to sunset” Psalm 113:3.
David says, “I will bless you every day, and I will praise you forever” Psalm 145:2.
“I will praise the Lord as long as I live, I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath” Psalm 146:2.

In the Bible people praised God at work, at home, in battle, in jail, and even in bed! Praise should be the first activity when you open your eyes in the morning and the last activity when you close them at night.
Worship is not only during Tuesdays or Sundays. We can worship wherever we are and whatever we do – every activity can be transformed into an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God. The Bible says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” 1 Corinthians 10:31.
This is the secret to a lifestyle of worship – doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying a continual conversation with Him while you do it.
“Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” Colossians 3:23.
Kaya marami sa atin, madaling mag-worry, mag-init ang ulo, wala sa mood, sige yawyaw, kasi pagkatapos ng worship service, tapos na din ‘yong worship life natin. Next time na naman.

Worship is our life – not just a part of our life. It’s not something we do when we’re free. It’s what we do consistently.
Worship is falling in love with Jesus.
Worship is a love affair; it is making love to God.

Theme: GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER OUR PERSONAL HISTORY (part3)
Text: Genesis 37-50


6. Joseph was accused of a crime he did not commit.

“And about this time, Potifar’s wife began to desire him and invited him to sleep with her. But Joseph refused. ‘Look,’ he told her, ‘my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do! He has held back nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How could I ever do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.
She kept putting pressure on him day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. One day, however, no one else was around when he was doing his work inside the house. She came and grabbed him by his shirt, demanding, ‘Sleep with me!’ Joseph tore himself away, but as he did, his shirt came off. She was left holding it as he ran from the house.
When she saw that she had his shirt and that he had fled, she began screaming. Soon, all the men around the place came running. ‘My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to insult us!’ she sobbed. ‘He tried to rape me, but I screamed. When he heard my loud cries, he ran and he left his shirt behind with me.’
She kept the shirt with her, and when her husband came home that night, she told him her story. ‘That Hebrew slave you’ve had around here tried to make a fool of me’, she said. ‘I was saved only by my screams. He ran out, leaving his shirt behind!” Genesis 39:7-18.

After failing to tempt Joseph, she is now trying to represent him as a criminal, to get even.

a. She accused him to his fellow servants and gave him a bad name among them.
b. She accused him to his master, who had the power to punish him.

7. Joseph was imprisoned on the grounds of false accusation

“After hearing his wife’s story, Potifar was furious! He took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held. But the Lord was with Joseph there, too, and he granted Joseph favor with the chief jailer. Before long, the jailer put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The chief jailer had no more worries after that, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him, making everything run smoothly and successfully” Genesis 39:19-23.

Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?
Is He busy now cutting His finger nails that He missed this one event in the life of Joseph?
Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. You’re accused of something you did not do—isn’t that unjust? Would you not be hurt? Would you not fret? Would you not question God?
And to add insult to injury, he was thrown into prison on the grounds of that false accusation.
Isn’t that unjust? To be accused with something you did not do is one thing. But to be imprisoned, your freedom taken away, to suffer for something you did not commit—ibang usapan na iyan! Hindi na masamang biro iyan! Where is justice here?
Prisons were used to house force laborer or those accused and awaiting trial like Joseph. Many prisoners ever made it to the court, for trials were held at the whim of the ruler.

But look at what happened next?

“Before long, the jailer put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The chief jailer had no more worries after that, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him, making everything run smoothly and successfully” Genesis 39:22-23.

God’s will will not lead you where God’s grace cannot keep you!

The Bible says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31. God was with Joseph even while he was suffering in that dark, stinky prison cell. God has never left him nor forsaken him. This is not a detour from God’s plan but a part of God’s overall program for Joseph.

8. Joseph’s kindness was reciprocated with forgetfulness

The baker and cupbearer were two of the most trusted men in Pharaoh’s Kingdom. The baker was in charge of making the king’s food, and the cupbearer tasted all the king’s food and drink before giving it to Pharaoh, in case any of it was contaminated or poisoned. These trusted men must have been suspected of a serious wrong to be thrown into prison.

“Sometime later, pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended him. Pharaoh became very angry with these officials, and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of Potifar, the captain of the guard. They remained in prison for quite some time, and Potifar assigned Joseph to take care of them.
One night, the cup-bearer and the baker each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning. The next morning Joseph noticed the dejected look on their faces. ‘Why do you look so worried today’ he asked.”
And they replied, ‘We both had dreams last night, but there is no one here to tell us what they mean.’
‘Interpreting dreams is God’s business,’ Joseph replied. ‘Tell me what you saw.’
The cup-bearer told his dream first. ‘In my dream,’ he said, ‘I saw a vine in front of me. It had three branches that began to bud and blossom, and soon there were clusters of ripe grapes. I was holding Pharaoh’s wine cup in my hand so I took the grapes, and squeezed the juice into it. Then I placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.’
‘I know what the dream means,’ Joseph said. ‘The three branches mean three days. Within three days Pharaoh will take you out of prison and return you to your position as his chief cup-bearer. AND PLEASE HAVE SOME PITY ON ME WHEN YOU WERE BACK IN HIS FAVOR. MENTION ME TO PHARAOH, AND ASK HIM TO LET ME OUT OF HERE. FOR I WAS KIDNAPPED FROM MY HOMELAND, THE LAND OF THE HEBREWS, AND NOW I’M HERE IN JAIL, BUT I DID NOTHING TO DESERVE IT.’
When the chief baker saw that the first dream had such a good meaning, he told his dream to Joseph, too. ‘In my dream,’ he said, ‘there were three baskets of pastries on my head. In the top basket were all kinds of bakery goods for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them.’
‘I’ll tell you what it means,’ Joseph told him. ‘The three baskets mean three days. Three days from now Pharaoh will cut off your head and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh.’
Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he gave a banquet for all his officials and household staff. He sent for his chief cup-bearer and chief baker, and they were brought to him from the prison. He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, but he sentenced his chief baker to impaled on a pole, just as Joseph had predicted. Pharaoh’s cup-bearer, however, promptly forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought” GENESIS 40:1-23.
Joseph asked for favor but he was forgotten.
Isn’t that unjust? You help others in their misery. But no one helps you when you are in your misery. Isn’t that unjust? You do a kind thing to someone but that someone has selective amnesia – he immediately forgets all about the kind thing you did. Isn’t that unjust?


IV. JOSEPH WAS ELEVATED FROM PRISON TO PALACE (41:1-36)
Pharaoh had a dream. The magicians and wise men of Egypt could not interpret the dream. The king’s cupbearer remembered Joseph and referred him to the king.
“Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was brought hastily from the dungeon. After a quick shave and change of clothes, he went in and stood in Pharaoh’s presence” v.14.
After two full years in prison, Joseph now had the chance to appear before Pharaoh not to stand trial but to interpret a dream.
This was the interpretation of the dream according to Joseph:
“Both dreams mean the same thing,” Joseph told Pharaoh. “God was telling you what he is about to do. The seven fat cows and the seven plump heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. The seven thin, ugly cows and the seven withered heads of grain represent seven years of famine. This will happen just as I have described it, for God has shown you what he is about to do. The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten and wiped out. Famine will destroy the land. This famine will be so terrible that even the memory of the good years will be erased. As for having the dream twice, it means the matter has been decreed by God and that he will make these events happen soon” v. 25-32.

After interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph gave the king a survival plan for the next 14 years.
“My suggestion is that you find the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of a nationwide program. Let Pharaoh appoint officials over the land, and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. Have them gather all the food and grain of these good years into the royal storehouses, and store it away so there will be food in the cities. That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come. Otherwise, disaster will surely strike the land, and all the people will die” v. 33-36.

Joseph rose quickly to the top, from prison walls to Pharaoh’s palace:
“Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his advisers. As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, ‘Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the spirit of God.’ Turning to Joseph, Pharaoh said, ‘since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, you are the wisest man in the land!’ I hereby appoint you to direct this project. You will manage my household and organize all my people. Only I will have a rank higher than yours!’
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh placed his own signet ring on Joseph’s finger as a symbol of his authority. He dressed him in beautiful clothing and placed the royal gold chain about his neck….And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I am the king, but no one will move a hand or a foot in the entire land of Egypt in the entire land of Egypt’” v. 37-44.

Joseph was 17 when he received Gods dream for him and when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. He had spent 11 years as an Egyptian slave and 2 years in prison. For 13 years, he was enrolled in the School of Suffering before moving to the School of Leadership. He was 30 years old when he became governor of Egypt.
When God wants to make a mushroom, He does it overnight, but when He wants to make a giant oak, He takes a hundred years. Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering.
An egg must first be broken and beaten. A garlic must first be minced. Before God can use you, He must first break you.
When suffering comes, it is not an accident, but a necessity; an essential part of the Christian life.
What does God wants to produce in our Christian lives? Patience, endurance, and the ability to keep going when times are tough. Immature people are always impatient. God wants to make us patient because that is the key to every other blessing. The only way the Lord can develop patience and character in our lives is through suffering.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are, and He will increase what you have, and He will not leave you where you are.”

WELCOME TO THE GREATEST ADVENTURE OF YOUR LIFE!



I am convinced that the greatest adventure of life is knowing God and loving Him, and living for His pleasure. Here are just a few of the reasons why:


It shapes our moral and ethical standards.
It directly affects our response toward fortune, fame, power, and pleasure.
It gives us strength when we are tempted.
It keeps us faithful and courageous when we are outnumbered.
It enhances our worship and prompts our praise.
It determines our lifestyle and dictates our philosophy.
It gives meaning and significance to relationships.
It sensitizes our conscience and creates the desire to be obedient.
It stimulates hope to go on regardless.
It enables me to know what to reject and what to respect while I’m in this planet Earth.
It is the foundation upon which EVERYTHING rests!


Knowing God is life’s major pursuit! And loving God is our ultimate response!

Enjoy the ride! Like any adventure, it’s bumpy but bubbly! Mark every spot!

Be ready for the adventure of your life! Safe trip! God bless you!







BLENN B. NIMER

LIVING WITH A PURPOSE

“Lord, we love to obey your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name” Isaiah 26:8
“His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist”
Acts 17:27-28.


Everyone’s life is driven by something.
Some are driven by ambition (finish school, marry a rich guy, travel abroad, own a house, own a resort, start a business, etc.). Others are willing to sacrifice everything for their ambition.
Some are driven by things. Their desire to acquire becomes the whole goal of their lives. The most common myth about money is that having more will make me more secure. It won’t. Money can be lost instantly through a variety of uncontrollable factors.
Some are driven by relationships.
Some are driven by the need for approval. They allow the expectations of others to control their lives.
Some are driven by resentment and anger. They hold on to hurts and never get over them. They seek revenge.
But these are not God’s purposes for your life. Focusing on ourselves – our needs, our wants, our dreams, our ambitions, our desires – will never reveal our life’s purpose.
Many years ago newspapers carried the story of a young high school girl from California who did the impossible. 17-year old Karen Cheng scored perfect marks on the National Students Achievement Test, perfect marks on the rigorous University of California Entrance Exam. No one before had ever achieved such a remarkable academic excellence.
As it happens, one newspaper account of the girl’s genius included a question she had been asked by a reporter. It was the kind of question every human being should be able to answer.
The question: “What is the meaning of life?”
Her response: “I have no idea. I would like to know myself.”

Read Text:

In Him we live and move and exist. Without Him there is no living, there is no moving, and there is no existing. God is not just the starting point of your life; He is the source of it.
Before getting into God’s purposes for your life there are things you should know:

I. YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT
Your birth was no mistake. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. You are alive because God wanted to create you!
God prescribed every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your tribe, the color of your skin, your hair, and every other feature.
He also determined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality. God also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. God also planned where you’d be born and where you’d live for His purpose. God also decided how you would be born.
God never does anything accidentally, and He never makes mistakes. You are not an accident.

II. YOU ARE GOD’S SPECIAL CREATION
God was thinking of you even before He made the world. In fact, that’s why He created it! God designed this planet’s environment just so we could live in it.
We are the focus of His love and the most valuable creation.
“We are God’s masterpiece” Ephesians 2:10.
“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it” Psalm 139:14.
God didn’t need to create you. He wasn’t lonely. But He wanted to make you in order to express His love.
God says in Isaiah 46:3-4, “I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you.”

III. YOU WERE MADE FOR A REASON
God made you for a reason, and your life has meaning! We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives.
There are many people out there who are lonely, depressed, and hopeless. Why? Because they’re looking for meaning in the wrong places. They try to find meaning through drugs, alcohol, vices, sex, wealth, fame, religion, good works, achievements, relationships, pleasure and many other things.
God is the starting point because He’s the One who created us.
“His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist” Acts 17:27-28.
“Lord, we love to obey your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name” Isaiah 26:8

God made everything for His glory. Everything created by God reflects His glory in some way – from sunsets and stars to storms and seasons. Creation reveals our Creator’s glory. In nature we learn that God is powerful, that He enjoys variety, loves beauty, is organized, and is wise and creative.
Living for God’s glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish with our lives.

HOW CAN I BRING GLORY TO GOD?

1. BY WORSHIPING HIM
You were planned for God’s pleasure. The moment you were born into the world, God was there smiling at your birth. He wanted you alive, and your arrival gave Him great pleasure. Bringing enjoyment to God, living for His pleasure is the first purpose of your life and it is called “worship.”
Worship is far more than praising, singing, and praying to God. Worship is a lifestyle of enjoying God, loving Him, and giving ourselves to be used for His purposes. When you use your life for God’s glory everything you do can become an act of worship.
At the end of the day we should ask, “Lord, have I given You pleasure today?”
“Use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God” Romans 12:1.

2. BY LOVING OTHERS
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” 1 John 4:11-12.


PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Romans 12:10-21
· Honor one another above yourselves (v. 10)
· Share with God’s people who are in need (v. 13)
· Practice hospitality (v.13)
· Bless those who persecute you (v. 14)
· Rejoice with those who rejoice (v. 15)
· Mourn with those who mourn (v. 15)
· Live in harmony with each other (v. 16)
· Do not be proud (v. 16)
· Never pay back evil for evil (v. 17)
· Do what is right (v. 17)
· Live at peace with everyone (v. 18)
· Do not revenge (v. 19)
· Be kind to your enemies (v. 19)
· Conquer evil by doing good (v. 21)

3. BY BECOMING LIKE CHRIST
The process of becoming like Christ always begins with a decision. When the first disciples choose to follow Jesus, they didn’t understand all the implications of their decision. They simply responded to Jesus’ invitation. That’s all you need to get started: Decide to become like Christ.
“So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go instead and become mature in our understanding” Hebrews 6:1.
“….that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ” Ephesians 4:13.
“We are not meant to remain as children…..but to grow up in every way into Christ” Ephesians 4:14-15.
Cute tingnan si Dagul sa Going Bulilit. Pero hindi cute ang Christian na Dagul sa kanyang spiritual life.
God wants us to grow up. Your Heavenly Father’s goal is for to you to mature and develop the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Sadly, millions of Christians grow older but never grow up. Spiritual growth is not automatic. It takes an intentional commitment. You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow, and persist in growing.

4. BY SERVING OTHERS WITH OUR GIFTS
God intentionally gifted us differently for His enjoyment. You don’t bring glory or pleasure to God by hiding your abilities or trying to be someone else. You only bring Him enjoyment by being you. Anytime you reject part of yourself, you are rejecting God’s wisdom and sovereignty in creating you. God didn’t give you your abilities for selfish purposes. They were given to benefit others.

5. BY TELLING OTHERS ABOUT HIM
God doesn’t want His love and purposes kept a secret. Once we know the truth, He expects us to share it with others. This is a great privilege – introducing others to Jesus, helping them discover their purpose, and preparing them for their eternal destiny.

God made you to love you, and He longs for you to love Him back. He longs for you to know Him and spend time with Him. That is why learning to love God and be loved by Him should be the greatest objective of your life.
Living the rest of your life for the glory of God will require a change in your priorities, your schedule, your relationships, and everything else.
Will you live for your own goals, comfort, and pleasure, or will you live the rest of your life for God’s glory, knowing that He has promised eternal rewards.

THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON IN THE WORLD
James 3:1-12

“Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness.
We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every way. We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn around wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is aflame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks into curses against those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Can you pick olives from a fig tree or figs from a grapevine? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty pool.”

History of wars…. (man-to-man combat, spears, single shot rifles, cannons, automatic rifles, atomic bomb during the WW 11, missiles, nuclear bombs, biological weapons)
According to Apostle James, the most powerful weapon in the world is – the TONGUE.
The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. But with that same tongue he can tell lies that could ruin a man’s reputation or break a person’s heart.

Read text.

The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. But with that same tongue he can tell lies that could ruin a man’s reputation or break a person’s heart.
In order to impress upon us the importance of controlled speech, and the great consequences of our words, James gives us six pictures of the tongue: the bit, rudder, fire, a poisonous animal, a fountain, and a fig tree.

THE POWER OF THE TONGUE:

I. THE POWER TO DIRECT: THE BIT AND THE RUDDER
“We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way. We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong. So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do” (3:2-5).
The person who is able to discipline his tongue gives evidence that he can control his whole body. He proves that he is a mature man.
James presents two items that are small of themselves, yet exercise great power, just like the tongue. They are small but terrible. A small bit enables the rider to control the great horse, and a small rudder enables the pilot to steer the huge ship. The tongue is a small member in the body, and yet it has the power to accomplish great things.
The bit and the rudder have the power to direct, which means they affect the lives of others. A runaway horse, or a shipwreck could mean injury or death to people.

OUR TONGUE HAS THE POWER TO DIRECT. IT CAN AFFECT PEOPLE’S LIVES FOR THE BETTER OR FOR THE WORSE.

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise” PROVERBS 10:19.
“Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” PSALM 141:3.

II. THE POWER TO DESTROY: THE FIRE AND ANIMAL
“And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison” (3:6-8).

A. THE TONGUE IS LIKE A FIRE.
A fire can begin with just a small spark, but it can destroy a city. It can destroy houses. It can destroy lives. It can destroy dreams.
OUR WORDS CAN START FIRES.
“Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and tensions disappear when gossip stops. A quarrelsome man starts fight as easily as a match sets fire to paper” PROVERBS 26:20-21.
A hot head and a hot heart can lead to burning words that later we will regret.

“Speak when you are angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”

FIRE BURNS AND HURTS, AND OUR WORDS CAN BURN AND HURT.
Fire spreads, and the more fuel you give it, the faster and farther it will spread. A person’s entire life can be injured or destroyed by the tongue. We may confess our sins of speech, but the fire keeps on spreading.

THE WORDS WE SPEAK HAVE THE POWER TO DESTROY. THEY CAN BREAK HEARTS AND RUIN REPUTATIONS. THEY CAN ALSO
DESTROY SOULS BY SENDING THEM INTO ETERNITY WITHOUT CHRIST.

B. THE TONGUE IS ALSO LIKE A DANGEROUS ANIMAL.
Animals in the zoo are beautiful attractions. But let them out and they are capable of doing great damage, and even killing. Poisonous tongues do just the same. Would you turn hungry lions or cobras in your homes? In your classroom? In your office? In your churches? Of course not! But we let loose our tongues and they accomplish the same results.
Animals can be tamed. Fire can be tamed. The tongue cannot be tamed by man, but it can be tamed by God.
“Let you conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt” COLOSSIANS 4:6.
The important thing, of course, is the heart; for it is “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” MATTHEW 12:34.



III. THE POWER TO DELIGHT: THE FOUNTAIN AND TREE
“Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Can you pick olives from a fig tree or fig from a grapevine? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty pool” (3:9-12).

A. THE TONGUE IS LIKE A FOUNTAIN.
The fountain, of course, provides the cool water that man needs to stay alive. Man needs water not only for drinking, but also for washing, cooking, farming, and a host of other activities so necessary to life.
WATER IS LIFE-GIVING, AND OUR WORDS CAN GIVE LIFE.
“A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook (stream, river)” PROVERBS 18:4.
“The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life” PROVERBS 10:11.
However, if water is not controlled, it brings death and destruction (Tsunami, flash floods, typhoons). In the same way, if our words are not controlled, it can cause death.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” PROVERBS 18:21.

B. THE TONGUE IS ALSO LIKE A TREE.
Trees are very important because they give us oxygen; they help to hold down the soil; they provide beauty and shade; and they bear fruit.
OUR WORDS CAN HELP TO SHELTER AND ENCOURAGE A WEARY FRIEND, PERSON, AND CAN FEED A HUNGRY SOUL.
“The lips of the righteous feed many” PROVERBS 10:21.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Think of it this way: Death words destroy, hurt, create hateful and humiliating feelings. Life words build and increase strength of character. They lift spirits. They center on the truth, therefore they set the person free who would otherwise be in bondage.
Would you like a brief definition of encouragement? According to Chuck Swindoll it is “courage transfusion.” Every time we encourage someone, we give them a transfusion of courage. And only those who are excited about life can transfer courage. People who are unforgiving, critical, fighting, and uncertain about their own self-image, can’t do that.

HOW TO BE AN ENCOURAGER?
· Talk less so you can feel more.
· Be sensitive to the timing.
· Watch your wording.
· Do everything in your power not to judge.
· Examine your motive.
· Guard against sarcasm.

But James issued a warning: a fountain cannot give two kinds of water, and a tree cannot bear two different kinds of fruit.

IF THE TONGUE IS INCONSISTENT, THERE IS SOMETHING RADICALLY WRONG WITH THE HEART.

“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” EPHESIANS 4:29.
“Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes- these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God” EPHESIANS 5:4.
“So put away falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other” EPHESIANS 4:25.
Satan is called the ‘father of lies.’ THE PERSON WHO IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE HABIT OF LYING IS NOT A CHRISTIAN. Revelation 21:8 declares that all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire.
Yet Christians lie and often with great ease. We lie because we fear the consequences of the truth. We lie to cover up our sins and we make further lies to cover up the first one.
There are other ways we lie besides direct distortions. We lie when we fail to keep our word. When we say we will do something and then not do it, we lie. When we say we will not do something and then do the very thing we say we would not do, we lie. The missed appointment. The pledge that isn’t paid. We promised to pay on this particular day, but did not. This sort of thing occurs regularly. White lies, half-truths are lies, nonetheless.
Perhaps the worst and most damaging lie we speak is not the lie we say to someone, but the lie we speak about someone. This is slander or false witness that is forbidden explicitly by the ninth commandment:
“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor” EXODUS 20:16.
THIS IS THE LIE THAT STEALS A PERSON’S REPUTATION AND DESTROYS HIS OR HER NAME.
And that is the favorite sport of Satan – bringing false accusation against the people of God.
For the Christian, we must understand that it is far better to be lied to than to lie,
to suffer broken promises to us than to break them, and to be slandered than to slander. We are to pursue the truth and not give place to falsehood.
The tongue that blesses the Father, and then curses men made in the image of God and tell lies, is in desperate need of spiritual medicine. How easy it is to sing hymns during the worship service, then criticize the singer, the pastor, or the dress of someone on the way home. This is not right!
BUT THE PROBLEM, OF COURSE, IS THE HEART. AS WE FILL OUR HEARTS WITH GOD’S WORD, AND YIELD TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE CAN USE US TO BRING DELIGHT TO OTHERS, AND WE WILL BE REFRESHING FOUNTAINS AND TREES.
There are words that when you say from your heart, they can bless others:

PLEASE…
THANK YOU…
I’M SORRY…
I LOVE YOU…
I’M PRAYING FOR YOU…

Theme: GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER OUR PERSONAL HISTORY
Text: Genesis 37-50

God is sovereign. He is in control. He created and rules the whole universe. He holds the universe in the palm of his hands. In Isaiah 45:11-12, “This is what the Lord, the creator and holy one of Israel, says: ‘Do you question what I do? Do you give me orders about the work of y hands? I am the one who made the earth and created people to live in it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command.’”
“It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers! He is the one who spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing…Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away” Isaiah 40:22-26.

God preserves and governs everything in the universe. He controls and governs the affairs of nations. Nothing happens outside his sovereign will. The hearts of kings, rulers, prime ministers, presidents are in the hands of God. World history is his story.
Not only that he determines and governs world history, he also determines and governs our personal history.
It is amazing to see the extent to which scripture affirms that God brings about various events in our lives. That he in fact governs all aspects of our lives.
God cares about us.

“Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows” Matthew 10:29-30.

The implication is God is never too busy with world affairs that He doesn’t have time to look after us. He looks after us. He deeply cares for us. Each one of us. Does he evn get confused? “Kinsa gani ka? Unsa kahay mayo para kanimo? Hmmm…Mura’g di man mapuslan ning bataa ni!” The answer is solid NO!

Our dependence on God to give us food each day is affirmed every time we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” Matthew 6:11, even though we work for our food and obtain it through entirely “natural” causes.
God plans our days before we are born, for David affirms, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” Psalm 139:16.
God said to Jeremiah, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world” Jeremiah 1:5.

All our actions are under God’s providential care, for “in him we live and move” Acts 17:28. “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” Proverbs 16:9.

Success and failure come from God:
“For no one on earth-from east or west, or even from the wilderness—can raise another person up. It is God who alone judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall” Psalm 75:6-7.

All our abilities are from the Lord:
“What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” 1 Corinthians 4:7.

From these passages we can conclude that God is the God of world history. That He is sovereign; He is in control of our personal circumstances.
Consider some Bible characters whose lives are an object lesson to God’s Sovereignty.

First in the list is a young man named Joseph.

Personal Profile:
· His name is Joseph
· The 11th son of Jacob
· Jacob’s eldest son by his beloved wife Rachel
· 17 years old
· Occupation: shepherd


I. JOSEPH WAS LOVED BY HIS FATHER AND HATED BY HIS BROTHERS.

“Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gift—a beautiful robe” Genesis 37:3.

In Joseph’s day, everyone had a cloak or we call it robe. It is probably equivalent to a modern-day jacket. It was used to warm oneself, to bundle up belongings for a trip, to wrap babies, to sit on, or to serve as a security for a loan (collateral). Most cloaks were plain, knee-length and short-sleeved. In contrast, Joseph’s was probably the type of cloak rich and powerful people wore—long sleeved, ankle length, and colorful. This shows the favoritism Jacob showed Joseph.
It was obvious to the other boys that Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, especially when Joseph received the multi-colored cloak. It was like adding insult to injury. And because of it, his brothers hated him all the more.

WHY DID HIS BROTHERS HATE HIM?
· Because his father loved him (37:3)
· Because he reported to his father their evil deeds.

“But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing” Genesis 37:2.
Joseph did this not because he is “sipsip” or “pa-epal” but because he was faithful to his father.

· Because of the gift he received from his father.
The multi-colored cloak aggravated the already strained relations between Joseph and his brothers. When there is favoritism in the home, there is going to be war.

“But his brothers hated Joseph because of their father’s partiality. They couldn’t say a kind word to him” Genesis 37:4.

· Because of his dreams

PRINCIPLE:
1. When you become parents, the rule should be: NO FAVORITISM!
2. If right now you are your father’s or mother’s favorite, please tell them to treat your siblings the same way. Or if you can’t tell them that, be discreet about it.



II. JOSEPH HAD A DREAM

What is a dream?
Dreams are said to derive from the activities in which the dreamer has been immersed during the day.

“As a dream comes when there are many cares” Ecc. 5:3.
Dreams recorded in Scripture are of two kinds:
1. Ordinary dream phenomena in which the sleeper “sees” a connected series of images which correspond to events in everyday life.

2. Dreams which communicate to the sleeper a message from God (the dream of Joseph the father of Jesus).

The word dream is sometimes synonymous to “vision”. A vision is a dream while you’re awake. Joseph’s dreams fall under number one.

What was the dream of Joseph?

FIRST DREAM:
“One night Joseph had a dream and promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he announced. ‘We were out in the field tying up bundles of grain. My bundle stood up, and then all your bundles gathered around and bowed low before it!” (37:6-7).

SECOND DREAM:
“Then Joseph had another dream and told his brothers about it. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he said. ‘The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” (37:9).

Reactions against his dreams:

FIRST REACTION:
“’So you are going to be our king, are you?’ his brothers taunted. And they hated him all the more for his dream and what he said” (37:8).

SECOND REACTION:
“This time he told his father as well as his brothers, and his father rebuked him. ‘What do you mean?’ his father asked. ‘Will your mother, brothers, and I actually come and bow before you?’” (37:10).

In his excitement, Joseph told his family about his dream. Although the dream was prophetic, something that will happen in the future, it caused his brothers to hate him even more.
Joseph’s dream pictured the prominence that he would eventually have in his family. In the culture of his day, the first born was the prominent one. Joseph’s dream not only insulted his older brothers, it also violated the custom.
Joseph could have been more sensitive to his family’s response to his dreams. No one enjoys a braggart. If you want to tell others about things you have done, share your success in a way that gives the glory to God. Humility is the word.
His second dream was even more alarming. According to this dream, even the sun and moon, presumably his father and mother (though his mother was already deceased), would bow to Joseph. The eleven stars were his brothers.
Now, even his father was insulted by Joseph’s behavior. The son could have talked about his dreams with more tact.

PRINCIPLES:
1. God is the source of dreams.
“For I know the plans I have for you…” Jer. 29:11.

2. Nurture first the dream. Do not announce it immediately. Practice the LAW OF TIMING.

3. Do not share the dream to people who do not share the dream. Practice the LAW OF INNER CIRCLE.

4. THE LAW OF BAMBOO: “The higher it grows, the lower it bends.” Learn humility.


III. JOSEPH SUFFERED A SERIES OF INJUSTICES

“Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Schechem. When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, ‘Your brothers are over at Schechem with the flocks. I’m going to send you to them.’
‘I’m ready to go’, Joseph replied.
‘Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along’, Jacob said. ‘Then come back and bring me word.’ So Jacob set him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Schechem from his home in the valley of Hebron.
When he arrived there, a man noticed him wandering around the countryside. ‘What are you looking for?’ he asked.
‘For my brothers and their flocks’, Joseph replied. ‘Have you seen them?’
‘Yes,’ the man told him, ‘but they are no longer here. I heard your brothers say they are going to Dothan.’ So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.” Genesis 37:12-17.

Jacob asked Joseph to go find his brothers, who were grazing their flocks near Shechem. When Joseph arrived, he learned that his brothers had gone on to Dotham.

1. His kind visit was reciprocated with harsh treatment.

“When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance and made plans to kill him” (v.18).

Isn’t that unjust?
Where is God during this time? Joseph visited them probably to give them supplies but it was received with harsh treatment. If you were Joseph, how would you feel?
Can your jealousy toward someone make you feel like killing him? Before you say, “of course not”, look at what happened in this story. Ten men were suddenly willing to kill their own brother over a colored jacket. Their deep jealousy had grown into an ugly rage, blinding then to what is right. Jealousy can be hard to recognize because our reasons for it seems to make sense. Left unchecked, jealousy can lead to more serious sins. You may not kill but you can destroy by spreading lies or stories about the person you are jealous with.

2. His brothers planned to kill him, but decided to starve him.

“’Here comes that dreamer!’ they exclaimed. ‘Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into a deep pit. We can tell our father that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we’ll see what becomes of all his dreams!’
But Reuben came to Joseph’s rescue. ‘Let’s not kill him,’ he said. ‘Why should we shed his blood? Let’s just throw him alive into this pit here. That way he will die without our having to touch him.’ Reuben was secretly planning to help Joseph escape, and then he would bring him back to his father.
So when Joseph arrived, they pulled off his beautiful robe and threw him into the pit. This pit was normally used to store water, but it was empty at that time” (v.19-24).

Isn’t that unjust?
It was an option that was not right, but would leave them guiltless of murder.

“They pulled off his beautiful robe…” (v.23.).

3. His brothers sold him to slavery.

“Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they noticed a caravan of camels in the distance coming towards them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking spices, balm, and myrrh from Gilead to Egypt.
Judah said to the others, ‘What can we gain by killing our brother? That would just give us a guilty conscience. Let’s sell Joseph to those Ishmaelite traders. Let’s not be responsible for his death; after all, he is our brother!’ And his brothers agreed. So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver, and the Ishmaelite traders took him along to Egypt” (v.25-28).

Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?
Although Joseph’s brothers didn’t kill him outright, they thought he was good as dead (or at least out of their lives) when they sold him to slave traders. They were quite willing to pass the blame to these cruel men. Like what Pilate did during the crucifixion of Christ.

“He sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this man. The responsibility is yours!’” Matthew 27:24.

Joseph faced a 30-day journey through the desert, probably chained and on foot. He would be treated like baggage, and once in Egypt, would be sold as a piece of merchandise or an animal.
A slave is usually considered to be a person (male or female) owned by another, without rights, and—like any other form of personal property—to be used and disposed of in whatever way the owner may wish.
Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time? What would happen to his dream?

4. His brothers made their father believe that has torn in pieces.

“Then Joseph’s brothers killed a goat and dipped the robe in its blood. They took the beautiful robe to their father and asked him to identify it. ‘We found this in the field,’ they told him. ‘It’s Joseph’s robe. Isn’t it?’
Their father recognized it at once. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘it’s my son’s robe. A wild animal has attacked and eaten him. Surely Joseph has been torn in pieces!’ Then Jacob torn his clothes and put on sackcloth. He mourned deeply for his son for many days. His family all tried to comfort him, but it was no use. ‘I will die in mourning for my son,’ he would say, and then begin to weep” (v.31-35).

To cover their evil action, Jacob’s sons deceived their father into thinking Joseph was dead.
Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?

5. He was sold into Egypt to Potifar.

“Meanwhile, in Egypt, the traders sold Joseph to Potifar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potifar was captain of the palace guard” (v.36).

“Now when Joseph arrived in Egypt with the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potifar, a member of the personal staff of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potifar was the captain of the palace guard” Genesis 39:1.

Imagine the culture shock Joseph experienced upon arriving in Egypt. Joseph had lived as a nomad, traveling the countryside with his family, caring for sheep. Suddenly he found himself into the world’s most advanced civilized society with great pyramids, beautiful homes, sophisticated people, and a new language. While Joseph saw Egypt’s skill and intelligence at their best, he also saw the Egyptian’s spiritual blindness: they were very idolatrous people.
Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?

Ancient Egypt was a land of great contrasts. People were either very rich or very poor. There wasn’t much middle ground. Joseph found himself serving Potifar, and extremely rich member of Pharaoh’s cabinet.
Rich families like Potifar’s had elaborate homes, two or three stories tall with beautiful gardens and balconies. They enjoyed live entertainment at home as they chose delicious fruits from expensive bowls. They were surrounded by vases of flowers, paintings, beautiful rugs, and hand-carved chairs. Dinner was served on golden tableware, and their rooms were lit with gold candlesticks. The servants, such as Joseph, worked on the first floor, while the family occupied the upper stories.
Where is God during this time? Has he forgotten Joseph the same way his brothers had forgotten him?

In the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation, God was with Joseph. He has never left him nor forsaken him. God was with him when he was thrown into the pit by his brothers. God was with him when he was sold into slavery. God was with him now in Egypt.

“The Lord was with Joseph and blessed him greatly as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potifar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did” (v.26).

Joseph had all the reason to be bitter, and to sour-grape; to be negative about his predicament. Instead, he chose to be positive. “Life is a matter of choice. Life is not so much about what happens to us, but about how we react to what happens to us.”

“A man had lost a leg in an accident and when he was picked up and discovered what had actually happened, he said to those around him, ‘Thank God it was the leg with the arthritis.’”

If you laugh at your troubles, there’ll always be enough to laugh at.

William Slangster, well-known British pastor, was told he had progressive muscular atrophy and could not get well. He made the following resolutions and stuck by them to the day he died:
1. I will never complain.
2. I will keep the home bright.
3. I will count my blessings.
4. I will try to turn it good.

Joseph was all alone in Egypt, separated from his family and friends. But the Lord was with him. And the Lord prospered him.

“…the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did” Gen. 39:3.

“When we have nothing left but God, we find that God is more than enough”.

It is God’s presence that makes all we do prosperous. Those that would prosper must therefore make God their friend; and those that do prosper must therefore make God the praise.
Where was God all this time in the life of Joseph? All this time God is with Joseph.

God has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5.

WHO’S THE BOSS?
Daniel 4:34-35

James Boice writes:
We do not have a strong church today nor do we have many strong Christians. We can trace the cause to an acute lack of sound spiritual knowledge. Why is the Church weak? Why are individual Christians weak? It is because they have forgotten what God is like and what He promises to do for those who trust Him.
For an average Christian, God is a god who would like to save the world but who cannot. He would like to restrain evil, but somehow he finds it beyond his power. So he has withdrawn into semi-retirement, being willing to give good advice in a grandfatherly sort of way, but for the most part he has left his children to fend themselves in a dangerous environment.

Isn’t it true, more often than not, that the God you picture in your mind is old, has a long beard – and maybe leans on a cane? Isn’t it true? He wears a robe, has big toes, sandals. He’s not too sure about modern things like cell phones, advanced nuclear physics, laser beams, and electronic computers.
God isn’t old. He is eternal. He isn’t intimidated; He is All-powerful. He knows all things. He is SOVEREIGN!
Daniel 4 is one of the clearest declarations of the sovereignty of God found in the Scriptures.
When Nebuchadnezzar saw God in all His glory and sovereignty, his whole perspective changed. His sanity and kingdom were restored.
“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshipped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever.
His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He has the power to do as he pleases among the angels of heaven and with those who live on earth. No one can stop him or challenge him, saying, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’” DANIEL 4:34-35.

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY MEANS GOD’S EXERCISE OF POWER OVER HIS CREATION.

I. GOD’S RULE IS EVERLASTING.
“...His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation” (v. 34).
God does not become God by way of election. We do not elect Him. He will not relinquish His position. You cannot impeach Him and He will not resign. He has no predecessor and He will have no successor. There was no one before Him and there’ll be no one after Him
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” 1 Chronicles 29:11-12.
God is the Ruler of all things. Jeremiah asks, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” Lamentations 3:37.
No one can act outside of God’s sovereign will or against it. Centuries ago, Augustine said, “Nothing, therefore, happens unless the Omnipotent wills it to happen; He either permits it to happen, or He brings it about Himself.”
Nothing is too large or too small to escape God’s governing hand.

II. GOD IS IN CONTROL
“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth” (v. 35).
In Rabbi Kushner’s book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Kushner asks, “Can you accept the idea that some things happen for no reason, that there is randomness in the universe?” Speaking of the direction a forest fire takes, he asks, “But is there a sensible explanation for why wind and weather combine to direct a forest fire on a given day toward certain homes rather than others, trapping some people inside and sparing others? Or is it just a matter of pure luck?”
God is in control. Nothing happens by chance or pure luck. If there is a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control then we cannot trust Him.
In his well-known statement about sparrows, Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father.....So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” Matthew 10: 29-31.
According to Jesus, God does exercise His sovereignty in very minute events – even the life and death of an almost worthless sparrow.
If God controls the circumstances that affect the sparrows, how much more does He control the circumstances that affect us? God does not walk away and leave us to the mercy of uncontrolled random or chance events.
That God is, indeed, both good and powerful is one of the basic tenets (doctrine) of Christian belief. We admit that we are often unable to reconcile God’s sovereignty and goodness in the face of widespread tragedy or personal adversity, but we believe that, although we often do not understand God’s ways, He is sovereignly at work in all of our circumstances.
All people – believers as well as unbelievers – experience anxiety, frustration, heartache and disappointment. Some suffer intense physical pain and catastrophic tragedies. But that which should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an All-Powerful and All-Loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God’s eternal plan, and He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good.
God is in control. God never permits people to act contrary to His sovereign will.
Consider the following passages of the Scripture:

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” Proverbs 16:9.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21.

“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord” Proverbs 21:30.

“Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” Lamentations 3:37.

“You ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’” James 4:15.

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” Revelation 3:7.
We make plans, but those plans can succeed only when they are consistent with God’s purpose. No plan can succeed against Him. No emperor, king, supervisor, teacher, or coach can speak and make it happen if the Lord has not decreed to either make it happen or permit it to happen. No one can say, “I will do this or that,” and have it happen if it is not part of God’s sovereign will.
Margaret Clarkson wrote, “The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable (secure, indestructible) rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident. They may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God....All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. God is the Lord of human history and of the personal history of every member of His redeemed family.”
Nothing is so small or trivial as to escape the attention of God’s sovereign control; nothing is so great as to be beyond His power to control it.
But many times we question God’s sovereignty – especially during times of difficulty. When everything is all right, God is good. When we get sick – God is bad. When we have money – God is good. When we don’t have money – God is bad. When we’re happy – God is good. When we’re sad – God is bad.
And we can’t help but ask WHY??? WHY ME???
God is in absolute control. There are many things that we don’t understand. But it’s not our business to understand; our business is to trust. God is in control. He is in charge!
No detail in your life is too insignificant for your Heavenly Father’s attention; no circumstance is so big that He cannot control it.
“All things work together for good to them that love God and who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28.


III. GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY IS NOT ALWAYS APPARENT (clear, obvious)
“A Christian husband flew in a private plane to another city to give his testimony at an evangelistic meeting, taking his son with him. On the way home they ran into an electrical storm that caused the plane to crash. Both the father and son were killed.”
Where was God during this time?
If God is in control, why did He allow this to happen?
One of our problems with the sovereignty of God is that it frequently does not appear that God is in control of the circumstances of our lives. Many times it appears that God doesn’t care. Or busy with other things.
But to believe in the sovereignty of God when we do not see His direct intervention – when God is, so to speak, working entirely behind the scenes through ordinary circumstances and ordinary actions of people – is even more important, because that is the way God usually works.
As the song says, “When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.”
Does God always orchestrate the events of our lives to fulfill His purposes?
According to Romans 8:28, the answer is a solid YES!
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

IV. GOD DOES AS HE PLEASES
God does as He pleases, only as he pleases, and no one can frustrate His plans or hinder His purposes.
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” Job 42:2.
“Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” Psalm 115:3.
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” Isaiah 46:10.
“All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’”
No plan of God can be thwarted; when He acts, no one can reverse it; no one can hold back His hand or bring Him to account for His actions. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and works out every event to bring about the accomplishment of His will.
But God is also infinite in love. He exercises His sovereignty for His glory and for the good of His people.
God has a purpose and plan for you, and God has the power to carry out that plan.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” Jeremiah 29:11.
Although these words were directed to the nation of Judah in its captivity, they express a principle about God. God has a plan for you. Because He has a plan for you, and no one can thwart that plan, you can trust God.
We make plans but are often forced to change those plans. But there are no contingencies with God. Our unexpected, forced change of plans is a part of His plan. God is never surprised; caught off guard; never frustrated by unexpected developments. God does as He pleases and that which pleases Him is always for His glory and for our good.
Our lives are also cluttered with a lot of “if onlys.”
“If only I had this,” or “If only that had not happened.” But again, God has no “if onlys.” God never makes a mistake; God has no regrets.
“As for God, his way is perfect” Psalm 18:30.

Is God sovereign only in the “good” circumstances of our lives? Is He not also sovereign in the difficult times, the times when our hearts ache with pain?
The Bible teaches us that God is sovereign over both the “good” and the “bad.” Consider the following:
“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other....” Ecclesiastes 7:14.
“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things” Isaiah 45:7.
“Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” Lamentations 3:38.
These three passages clearly state what is taught in principle throughout the rest of the Bible. God controls both the good and the bad.
In the earlier story (the death of the father and the son in a plane crash) a Christian friend, in an effort to comfort the bereaved wife and mother said, “One thing you can be sure of: God had no part in the accident.” According to this friend, God was apparently looking the other way when the pilot got into trouble.
God has not looked the other way or been caught by surprise when adversity strikes us. He is in control of that adversity, directing it to His glory and our good.
Trusting in God does not mean we do not suffer grief or go through pain, that our heart does not ache. It means that in the midst of pain, heartache, and grief we can say to the effect of, “Lord, I know You are in control. I don’t know and I can’t understand why You have allowed this to happen but I trust You. Help me glorify You in this.”
We honor God by choosing to trust Him when we don’t understand what He is doing or why He has allowed some adverse circumstance to occur. As we seek God’s glory, we may be sure that He has purposed our good and He will not be frustrated in fulfilling that purpose.
“God is too kind to do anything cruel, too wise to make a mistake, too deep to explain Himself.” – Charles Swindoll
As the song says:
“God is too wise to be
mistaken,
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don’t
understand
When you can’t see His plan
When you can’t trace His
hands
Trust His heart.”