Moraine Valley Church

Christmas at MVC // Week 2

Witness is who we are, testify is what we do
John 1:6-8 December 15, 2019
I. Introduction:
A. Announce Christmas offering
B. How many of you ever had to answer this question before? “Do you swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
1. If you did that means you were a witness – you were someone who had
firsthand, direct, personal knowledge about someone or something.
2. What you did is give a testimony – that is the statement you made regarding
what you were personally aware of in order to provide evidence.
C. Last week we learned that Jesus is God’s perfect message to the world, God’s
light to this spiritually dark world. The world did not understand Him or what He
was trying to communicate to us about God and His ways.
1. That introduced the section we are dealing with this Christmas in John 1:1-18
2. Please turn in your Bibles now – and share with someone who may not have
one.
D. This week the subject changes from the Jesus, God’s perfect light or message that
shined into this dark world, to that of a witness. A man named John who was sent
from God for the very purpose to be a witness of Jesus Christ!
E. Before I read this section let me show you the simple structure of the key verse
we will be looking at, v7.
1. Who he was – a witness,
2. What he did - testified,
3. Why he did it – that I want you to watch for and see if you can figure it out as
we read.
4. Read v1-8
F. Before we jump into this passage, let me remind you that John was sent by God
the Father for the purpose of being a witness of Jesus Christ, the light. Every one
of us here this morning, that is a believer, have been sent by Jesus Christ for the
same purpose of being a witness of Jesus Christ, the light.
1. Acts 1:8
2. 1 Peter 2:9
• So what we learn about John this morning has special relevance to us because it is
also true of you and me! I just want to focus on v7 this morning as we look at the
who, the what and the why of John and you and me! Let’s start by looking at the who
and the what together because they go hand in hand!
II. Who we are, and what we do!
A. A witness is who we are as believers in Jesus Christ and testifying is what we do!
Reread v7a-b
B. Let me unpack that line (a witness is who we are; testify is what we do) for just a
moment as it is crucial for our lives and ministries.
1. The word witness and testify are the exact same word in the Greek, except
one is a noun and the other is a verb!
2. A noun identifies who we are – it tells us something about ourselves, our
identity; it is the distinguishing characteristic that makes who we are distinct
from others!
3. A verb tells us what we do – the activities we engage in.
4. Just like a surgeon does surgeries and a runner runs, so a witness testifies!
C. Who we are and what we do are intimately connected to one another and one
flows out of the other. Let me illustrate that
D. 1. We had our grandson Jonny, who is three, over this week and he was going to
have a baby sister just a day or two from then. He made it very clear to me that
he was not a baby but a big boy!
a) Not long after that Jonny began some behavior that was not fitting for a
big boy so I reminded him he was not a baby but a big boy and what big
boys do. Instantly his behavior switched to fit his identity as a big boy
rather than behavior that fit a baby.
2. When we recognize who we are that identity controls our behavior as our
behavior flows out of who we see ourselves to be!
E. So what is a witness? A witness, who we are, is someone who has personal and
direct knowledge about something who provides evidence in a case. The witness
is the person, the testimony is what we do - makes a statement about what they
personally know or have seen and that statement becomes evidence in a case.
1. A witness swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
because their job is not to add anything to what they know, or subtract
anything from it. Their job is not to give their opinions or speculate on the
facts.
2. Their job is to tell the truth about what they personally know!
3. Our job is to tell other the truth about what we know about Jesus and have
experienced of Him. That can come from what we know of Him from the
Bible or what we have seen Him do for us in our personal lives!
F. John was sent by God to be a witness, that is who he is, a person who had direct
knowledge about Jesus, and he testified about Jesus, that is where he told people
what he knew about Jesus! A couple examples:
1. John 1:19-23 – A “voice” that is a witness
2. John 1:29-34
G. So God created us or better said recreated us, caused us to be born again as new
creatures who are witnesses or a synonym to that is ambassadors,
1. We see who we are issuing into what we do in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
a) v17 new creatures
b) v 18 – he gave us something to do – ministry of reconciliation
c) v19 – explains this ministry – Jesus did the work of reconciliation and
we spread the word
d) v20 – therefore – in light of all of this – this is who we are
“ambassadors”
(1) we are God’s official representatives in this world
(2) as if God Himself were speaking through us passionately calling
people to come to Christ
e) v21 – the message
• So John was sent by God to be a witness, telling other people what he knew about
Jesus. Next he tells us why witnessing is so important in God’s kingdom. Let’s look
back at the end of v7 and …
III. Why we witness
A. Read v7 again.
1. Yes, it is a big deal to be a witness because it is through witnesses telling
people what they know about Jesus that people come to believe in Jesus!
2. God has chosen us to be His agents, His ambassadors, His instrument, His
means, His witnesses to tell others about the light so that they can believe
through what we testify to them, about what we know directly from our
experiences and the Bible, about Jesus.
B. We have been entrusted with the most powerful and life changing message in the
world. – The gospel of Jesus Christ.
a) Read 1 Corinthians 1:18
• So what do we do with this recognition that we are witnesses who testify of what we
know of Jesus so others can be saved
IV. Final Exhort
A. Ron Hutchcraft years ago taught us here at MVC the three open prayer that when
it becomes part of our prayer life as witnesses it will get us right in the middle of
the mix of eternal and kingdom activity.
1. It has been amazing how when I pray this way God has done exciting things
in light of it.
2. Maybe even more amazing is the question why I do not pray like this every
day!
B. Three open prayer
1. Open door – Colossians 4:2-3
2. Open mouth – Ephesians 6:19
3. Open heart – Acts 16:14
C. Are you ready when God opens that door?
1. Are you ready to talk about what you personally know or have experienced
with Jesus, especially how you came into a relationship with Him?
a) That would be time well spent to think that through for the sake of others
and the glory of God!
2. Are you ready to tell someone how they can come into a relationship with
Jesus Christ – the gospel?
a) A few helps to have on hand in wallet; purse whatever to make that
easier.
b) Gospel tract
c) Seed card – man at Costco this week – I was not ready
D. Pray three open prayer – Gary Olson

Christmas at MVC // Week 1

God’s Perfect Message
John 1:1-5   Dec 8, 2019   

1. Introduction:
   1. So what is the big deal about Christmas?
      1. Christians are working very hard to keep the word “Christmas” as part of our culture at this time of year as we wish people a “Merry Christmas” but they are losing the battle while many in our own country are working hard to remove the word Christmas and turn it into a “Happy Holiday” time.
      2. So why is the word Christmas so important to Christians?
         1. The answer is simply this: Christmas is all about Christ, not about gifts, decorations and parties.
         2. Christmas is the day that Christians celebrate God coming into this world to take up residence here among the very people He
      3. During this series, we will be looking at John 1:1-18 week by week. The heart of this section is about this: “Jesus coming into this world to reveal God!”  It starts with the fact that He is the Word and it ends with the statement that He came to explain Him.
         1. Everything in between talks about this and the fact of how man responded to Jesus’ coming.
         2. As I read this watch for these two things –
            1. First Jesus revealing, disclosing to us, pulling back the curtain for us just what God is like and what He does.
            2. Secondly how man responded to that unveiling of God!
         3. Before I read let me explain something about this whole section.
            1. It is the introduction to the whole book and it previews many of the things that will be more fully developed in the book.
            2. As you read the book, you more fully understand these concepts so that when you come back to the introduction you will better understand that part of the book and the cycle goes on!
            3. Read 1-18
         4. Today we are going to be looking at John 1:1-5 as we begin to better understand what Christmas is all about and why Jesus, God Himself, came!

• I am calling this message today “God’s perfect message was not understood by the world” Let’s start with the idea of

1. God’s perfect message
   1. I get this from the first 3 ½ verses in John 1. Let me reread 1a.
   2. The word “Word” is referring to Jesus as we read just a few minutes ago in v14 that the Word became flesh and dwelt right here on earth among us! That is referring to Jesus!
      1. It describes Jesus as “the Word”. “Word” simply means the content of a communications, the message itself
      2. In the church world, I am called a preacher the one who speaks, but my sermon is the content that I speak. It is the difference between a messenger and the message that they bring.  A singer and the song, the music and the words!
      3. This passage is not saying that Jesus is the preacher, the messenger, or the prophet but rather He Himself is the very sermon, the very message, the very content God wants people to know.
      4. He is God’s message, God’s sermon become flesh. So who He is, what He does and what He says is the perfect representation and communication of who God is, what God does and what God says!
   3. The reason that I say He is God’s perfect message is because the first 3 1/2 verses indicate strongly and clearly that the Word Himself was God Himself. As I read these first 3 ½ verses note the many ways it refers to the Word as God Himself.  Read 1-4a
      1. First of all note that it clearly states that this Word was God v1c
      2. In verse two it speaks of His eternality because it re-emphasizes what v1 said that He was in the beginning with God.
      3. Start of v4 “in Him was life” as we read the rest of John we understand the life that is referred to here is the “eternal life” “the very life of God” that only God has!
      4. John 1:1-3 is a clear allusion to Genesis 1:1
         1. Read Genesis 1:1
         2. Genesis 1:1 makes it clear that God created the heavens and the earth and here in verse 3 it is clear everything that has been created has been created through Jesus.
      5. This is not the only place in the Bible that says everything was created through or by Jesus and that He is the perfect representation of God and what He wants to say to us! turn to Heb 1:1
         1. Read Hebrews 1:1-3b
         2. You see God the Father is the source of creation; Jesus is the agent of creation as the One through whom God created everything.
      6. Thus, we see in John 1 and Hebrews 1 that Jesus as God makes the perfect flesh and blood message of just who God is, what He does, what He says and what He wants from the very people He created!
      7. Jesus as God and creator we were made by Him and for Him.
         1. Read Colossians 1:15-17
         2. “Firstborn” is a reference to His position and rights in creation not the fact that He was born or created
         3. He could not be the perfect image or exact representation of God if He was born or created because God is eternal and uncreated.

• So man has been created by Jesus and for Jesus, how did man respond to this perfect message, the perfect representation of who God is, does, says, wants? This perfect message was…
• Not understood by the world
  1. That is amazing, the picture could not be clearer, the message could not be better, the living illustration could not be more accurate yet man did not understand it.
  2. Read v4-5
  3. Light and darkness in Scripture are used primarily to indicate one of two things either moral light and darkness or knowledge.
     1. When our lifestyle is not according to the Bible it means we are walking in darkness, when it is consistent we are walking in the light
     2. And when we do not understand God’s message either in the Bible or in His Son we are in the dark and when we get it we have light
  4. This passage is indicating that Jesus came into a dark world, a world that was full of moral darkness and intellectual darkness about the things of God. He was God’s light that shined into the darkness!
     1. He was God’s knowledge, God’s sermon, God’s perfect message, God’s word to this world!
     2. Note how man responded.
        1. Read the end of v5
        2. He did not get it! He was like “what?” it flew right over his head.
        3. Comprehend – simply means understand. The Light, the perfect message was put right in front of them and they did not understand it.
     3. The Bible teaches us this is the common experience of those who do not know Jesus.
        1. Read 1 Corinthians 2:14 so that means Jesus, the Bible, the things of God are on a different frequency than the heart and mind of the man who does not know Jesus. Spiritual things are comprehended at a supernatural level, spiritual FM frequency; the natural man, the person without God, operates on an AM frequency!  
        2. Read 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 – Man is blind! There is a big difference between being blind and blindfolded.
           1. Blindfolded means you have the capacity to see but something is blocking your view. Remove the blindfold and you will see.
           2. Blind means you do not even have the capacity to see. Remove the blindfold and you still will not see
        3. Reread 2 Corinthians 4:4 – Satan is the one who blinded them – so this is a supernatural thing.
        4. Bottom line a person who does not know Jesus is on a different frequency, and does not even have the capacity to understand and comprehend spiritual things. On top of it, Satan is sealing all of that in.
     4. The world had Jesus, God’s Word, God’s Perfect Message walking and talking right in front of them and they missed it, they did not get it, they did not understand Him, they could not, they did not even have the capacity to since they are on a different spiritual frequency and Satanically blinded.

• So what does that mean to you and me?

1. Application
   1. First, we must recognize deep within our hearts that someone’s salvation is a miracle performed by God that is as big as the resurrection of Jesus Christ or the miraculous birth of Jesus being born of a virgin. A miracle that will give man a new frequency in his heart and mind, give him sight to his spiritually blind eyes and bind Satan from holding him back
      1. Read John 1:12-13
      2. We will speak more about that on Christmas Eve
   2. But if you are here this morning and deep in your heart, you say I want that, I am beginning to see it that is evidence that God is drawing you to Himself, He is at work to begin that miracle in your life.
      1. Invite to believe

 

The struggle is real // Week 11

The struggle is real // Week 10

The Streuggle is real // Week 9

The Struggle is real // Week 8

 Grief
Lamentations November 10, 2019   

1. Introduction:
   1. Power point of 75^th images on our FB page that people can save and make the image their phone background as a reminder!
   2. One man described grief like this
      1. As for grief, you’ll find it comes in When the ship is first wrecked, you’re drowning, with wreckage all around you. Everything floating around you reminds you of the beauty and the magnificence of the ship that was, and is no more. All you can do is float. You find some piece of the wreckage and you hang on for a while. Maybe it’s some physical thing. Maybe it’s a happy memory or a photograph. Maybe it’s a person who is also floating. For a while, all you can do is float. Stay alive.
      2. In the beginning, the waves are 100 feet tall and crash over you without mercy. They come 10 seconds apart and don’t even give you time to catch your breath. All you can do is hang on and float. After a while, maybe weeks, maybe months or years, you’ll find the waves are still 100 feet tall, but they come further apart. When they come, they still crash all over you and wipe you out. However, in between, you can breathe, you can function. You never know what’s going to trigger the grief. It might be a song, a picture, a street intersection, the smell of a cup of coffee. It can be just about anything…and the wave comes crashing. But in between waves, there is life.
      3. Somewhere down the line, and it’s different for everybody, you find that the waves are only 80 feet tall or 50 feet tall. While they still come, they come further apart. You can see them coming; an anniversary, a birthday, or Christmas, or landing at O’Hare. You can see it coming, for the most part, and prepare yourself. When it washes over you, you know that somehow you will, again, come out the other side. Soaking wet, sputtering, still hanging on to some tiny piece of the wreckage, but you’ll come out.
   3. Grief is the emotional and mental response to loss (loss of a job, a relationship, a dream, a loved one’s life, etc.)! This loss sets off numerous emotions at the same time a series of conflicting thoughts, which all seem to be on steroids. 
      
       
   4. The book of Lamentations is about the deep grief the people of Jerusalem felt after God used Babylon to destroy the city Jerusalem, broke down their walls of defense, burned the temple, the king’s house and every house in the city, and took the people captive back to Babylon. They knew their own sin brought all this on! 
   5. While the whole book details out the condition of the city and the people, let’s get a general feel for it by just looking at a few summary verses
      1. Read 1:1, 3
      2. On top of that
         1. There was destruction everywhere and it touched everyone.
         2. Bodies were lying in the streets of both young and old who were slain by both the sword and by the hunger of famine
         3. To get a feel for what they were feeling think back of the images you saw the morning after the Twin Towers came down in New York on Sept 11, 2001

• Now let’s look at the condition of the people who had lost so much
• The Condition of the People
  1. It said:
     1. They were mourning and moaning and tears ran down like a river day and night.
     2. They were full of bitterness, greatly troubled and depressed in the core of their beings without hope or joy.
     3. Their strength failed and they were faint all day long, they were worn out and found no rest.
     4. Then the book is closed with this prayer.   Read 5:19-22
  2. The grieving soul is not always pretty and is full of many conflicting thoughts and emotions.
• How do you minister to someone like this, or if you are the person how do you find your bearings at a time like that? Actually the book of Lamentations gives us  
• Two pillars of truth that sustain us in grief!
  3. The first is to set my mind on God’s loving kindness and compassion. Turn to Lamentations 3.
     1. Read 3:21-24
     2. What gives us hope again is to redirect our thoughts back to the Lord’s loving kindness and His compassion and His faithfulness and that in the midst of the pain, daily He will give fresh mercies for what you need
        1. Loving kindness has to do with God’s love towards us based on our covenant relationship with Him. He is faithful to His promises to care for us
        2. Compassion has to do with God’s love towards us based upon the fact that His heart is moved towards us when He sees us in need!
        3. It is not just His promise to care for us but His heart for us that moves Him to meet us daily in our needs!
     3. Knowing this is true to wait upon the Lord for the deliverance He will bring. Read 25-26.
  4. The second truth that helps us regain our bearings in the middle of grief is recognizing God’s sovereignty - that nothing touches our life apart from God directing it or allowing it for purposes that are often higher than we can understand! Read 3:37-38
  5. Lon Alison, formerly the executive director of the Billy Graham Center, after being diagnosed with very aggressive liver cancer he was asked, “How this has impacted his faith and view of God?” He said,
     1. I have clung to two truths to sustain me. First is the sovereignty of God:  The second great truth is His love for me and my family:  
     2. The sovereignty of God means He has authority over this situation. He has allowed this cancer to strike me. He can cure it in a nanosecond, or allow it to grow within me. He is in charge.
     3. The love of God reminds me of His goodness lavished upon me and mine with His love. He is not a tyrant God, nor an absent God. His love is always present and extravagant. Those twin doctrines sustain me.

• The Book of Lamentations

1. Confirms three things for those who are suffering!
   1. First God’s love and God’s sovereignty help you regain your bearings in the midst of grief!    
   2. Second, it is a battle to turn your mind from the pain of your circumstances to the Lord!
   3. Finally, God’s daily compassions and faithfulness will carry you through your grief!
2. Interview
   1. I have asked four people who have recently gone through the deep experience of grief to share their story with us!

The Struggle is Real // Week 7

Guilt and Shame
Various Passages November 3, 2019
I. Introduction:
A. Sin not only deeply impacts the quality of our life and relationships but it leaves a
deep imprint our own souls regarding our own identity (how we view ourselves,
who we think we are) and makes our conscious carry the heavy weight of guilt!
B. Today I want to address guilt and shame.
1. Guilt is that feeling that I have done something wrong.
2. Shame is that feeling that I am wrong.
a) That deeply feeling that I am no good, defective, unacceptable, even
damaged beyond repair.
C. While guilt and shame are closely intertwined with each other, I want to separate
them this morning because God’s answer to each one is slightly different.
D. As I move into this today, let’s start with
II. Shame
A. Shame is the feeling that I am bad, I am wrong, I am evil! it is about who you are,
specifically who you see yourself to be
1. Shame makes you hide who you really are and what you have done from
others thinking if they knew the real you they would never like you.
B. Shame first appears in the garden after Adam and Eve sinned by eating of the fruit
that God told them not to eat. Read Gen 3:7-10
C. Note especially that their first response was to make themselves loin coverings out
of fig leaves to hide intimate parts of their body from each other but also they
sought to hide from the presence of God. Point out 7c, 8b, 10b
1. But listen to how God provided for them in their new state of sin and shame.
2. Read v21 – God provided for them garments of skins
D. We can see two things here that deal with our shame-
1. First, the sacrifice of an innocent animal to cover the sins of Adam and Eve
2. Secondly, the skin of that sacrifice was made into garments to cover their
shame and nakedness! He gave them clothing
E. And that is exactly what God has done for us today in Jesus
1. Not only has God given Jesus as the sacrifice to pay the death penalty for our
sins
2. But He has also offered that same sacrifice, Jesus as our new clothing to
cover our shame
3. Gal 3:27-28
a) Those of us who are in Christ have been clothed with Jesus Christ
b) When God sees us He no longer sees us according to our nationality,
social status or gender or even our sins but rather He sees Jesus when He
looks at us
F. Clothes have the ability to give us a new identity, a new look and to cover up the
parts of our life that we do not want others to see!
1. A few months back I wore a pair of Nike’s on a Sunday morning. I was
amazed at the number of young people that noticed and commented how cool
I was for wearing them.
a) The kind of clothes we wear gives us a new identity as often people
value and identify us by the clothes we wear!
2. Also, clothing covers what we do not want others to see!
a) I had numerous people at my daughter’s wedding tell me how good I
looked and I did look much better than usual as a tuxedo does wonders
for a man.
b) But, I could not help but think of what people would have said if I did
my daughter’s wedding in a bathing suit – not as much hidden, not as
much pretty.
G. God has provided for me a new set of clothing to deal with my shame and the
label on that clothing is Jesus! He covers my sin and is my new identity!
H. So “God’s solution to shame is the clothing of Jesus!” Let me repeat. You repeat!
• Let’s now take a look at the emotional damage sin does in the area of
III. Our Guilt!
A. Guilt is the awareness and the feeling that I did something wrong and it is
connected with our conscience
B. The foundation that every believer in Jesus Christ stands on is that all of our sins,
past, present and future have already been paid for by Jesus Christ in His death
and they are forgiven forever.
1. Listen to Hebrews 10:11-12.
2. The penalty for our sin has already been paid, but the consequences of our
daily sins are felt deep within our souls.
B. It is the blood of Jesus reapplied to our conscience that deals with our guilt!
Remember the penalty is already paid; now we are dealing with the consequences
of our daily sins upon our emotions and conscience!
1. 1 John 1:9
2. Ps 32:1-5
C. So, while “God’s solution to shame is the clothing of Jesus!” on the other hand
“God’s solution to guilt is the cross of Jesus!”
• So how do these truths seek deep within our souls to change the way we see ourselves
and release us from the heavy load of guilt we are carrying. We need to
II. Reckon what God says is true as true for you!
A. Reckoning simply means to count what God has already said is true as true for
you.
1. In the first ten verses of Romans 6 God states all these amazing truths that
happened to us at the cross of Jesus then He tells us in verse 11 to count, to
consider, to reckon these same truths as true of us.
2. I cannot name and claim things that I want to be true in my life, but I do
name and claim the things that God says are already true about me! So yes, I
am a “name it and claim it guy” – I name and claim everything that God says
is true of me “in Jesus”!
B. So regarding my shame I put on the clothing of Christ by:
1. Daring to believe what God says is true of me! I see myself, as I really am a
new creature in Christ at the core of my being, a saint!
a) Yes, a saint who still sins, but not just a dirty rotten sinner at my core,
who has been forgiven.
2. One practical tool that could help you with this is a card that is our small
groups ministry created and is using. If you are struggling with shame, begin
to pray through these different truths about you in Christ! Praise through
them, thank God for each one, meditate and memorize the passages that are
especially relevant to you.
C. When it comes to reckoning the cross of Jesus regarding my guilt. I thank God
that forgiveness is already mine and I confess my sins to experience the cleansing
of my conscience!
• As we go to
III. Communion
A. Today let us make Ps 139:23-24 our prayer. He is appropriating in prayer what
God said is already true. He is asking God to make that truth personal in his life.
Cr v1
B. Ask God if there are any hurtful way of shame or guilt within you.
1. If it is shame ask Him to lead you to the piece of clothing in Jesus you need
to put on, claim as your own and mediate on it
2. If it is guilt over unconfessed sin regarding something you have done,
confess it to God and experience the cleansing of your conscience
3. If it is guilt over something you are just not clear on what you did but just
have this general sense of guilt then I would identify it as false guilt from the
Devil!
a) God’s conviction by the Holy Spirit is never unclear and vague but clear
and direct regarding the sin, you will know what you did!
b) Satan’s false guilt is always unclear & vague it does not need to be
confessed but rather resisted in the name of Jesus!
C. Pass elements and time to reflect before the Lord

The Struggle is Real // Week 6

Pastor Pat speaks on Depression as we continue our series, "The Struggle is Real."

The Struggle is Real // Week 5

Our Director of Sisters' Connection, Ava Perry, speaks on Insecurity in our fall series, "The Struggle is Real."

The Struggle is Real // Week 4

Hurt and Forgiveness
Gen 37-50 Life of Joseph
October 13, 2019
I. Introduction:
A. Baby Announcement - Grayson Gary Borger was born September 26 to Matt and
Lexi. The proud grandparents are Gary and Tami Reyna. The proud great
grandparents are Don and Sharon Couwenhoven.
B. Today’s sermon is my most direct response to the Father’s Day sermon I gave a
year and a half ago about those who did not have a good relationship with their
parents. But the truths we learn from today’s message will apply to anyone who
has been hurt by someone, whether a parent, a mate, a trusted friend or even a
stranger! The various kinds of damage to the human soul still linger long after the
events took place.
C. The struggle is real and the pain is especially deep for those who have been hurt
by who is supposed to love you like a mate, parent, sibling, trusted friend, etc.
D. The goal of my message today is learn how to turn “victims” of people’s sins
against them into a “victors” over that sin!
• This morning I want to jump-start the process of healing by showing you three
lessons from the life of Joseph that turns victims into victors. Let’s start by seeing
how …
II. Joseph was a Victim
A. The first happened to Joseph when he was 17 years old. God had shown him in a
dream that someday he would rule over the rest of his family. When he shared
this dream with his family, it was not received very well.
1. One day when his brothers were out in the field with the flocks they saw
Joseph coming towards them and they plotted together to kill him.
2. Eventually rather than killing him, they sold him as a slave to some
Ishmaelite foreigners who were passing by on their way to Egypt.
3. When these Ishmaelites reached Egypt, they sold Joseph to an Egyptian
officer named Potiphar, who was the captain of the bodyguard.
4. So Joseph was literally sold into slavery by his own family.
B. Potiphar’s Wife
1. God was with Joseph and all that he did prospered. So Potiphar put him in
charge over everything that he owned.
2. Now Joseph was a handsome man and Potiphar’s wife desired to sleep with
him. Day after day, she offered herself to Joseph but he refused her offers.
3. One day Potiphar’s wife was tired of his rejections and grabbed his garment
as he was running away, and she made up a story that he tried to rape her.
Because her lie, Joseph actually ended up in jail!
C. While in jail through a long chain of events, Joseph ended up interpreting the
dream of one of the king’s servants who was in jail with him.
1. Joseph asked only one request, he asked the cup bearer that when it went well
with him to remember to mention Joseph to Pharaoh so he could get out of
the jail
2. Well the cupbearer forgot to mention Joseph to the Pharaoh and he spent two
more years in jail because of this man’s neglect and forgetfulness.
3. Eventually Joseph got out by God giving him the wisdom he needed to
interpret the Pharaoh’s dream.
D. The point is this, over a 13-year period from the age of 17 to 30; Joseph three
times had to bear the severe consequences of someone else’s sin or neglect.
• But what we learn from Joseph’s life are the lessons that turn a victim into a victor.
The first lesson we can learn from Joseph is
III. Seeking God in the midst of your pain
A. Read Gen 41:50-52
B. Now we know from the story as it goes on that Joseph did not forget the details of
what happened to him.
1. So forget is not used in the sense that God wiped the memory of the situation
clean from his mind,
2. Rather what happened to him was that God had broken the power of that
situation controlling and enslaving his mind.
C. Note that it was “God” who made him forget, and it was “God” who made him
fruitful. Reread v51 & 52 emphasizing “God”
1. It is important that we get face to face with God in the midst of our pain and
allow Him to do His work of healing us, breaking the power of that memory
and using our life and pain to bring glory to Him and blessing to others.
2. When God meets us in our pain and messes as someone has said, “our mess
become our message!” that God uses to bring life and grace to others
D. I mentioned last week that when we seek God in the places He is working
(programs, services, etc.) and deeply depend upon Him miracles happen! I call it
DD & DD. Due diligence on our part and deep dependence upon God
1. At Next Steps Table pick up resource cards!
2. This last week Emotional Resilience started and I was excited that some 80
people have put themselves in a place where God can work
3. This coming week on Thursday Night starts Celebrate Recovery, which is
specifically designed to help people who are struggling with hurts, hang-ups,
habits and addictions from eating to drugs and everything in between. Often
addictions are used to medicate our depression and emotions. Information is
available at the Next Steps table – Jeff Janulis
¨ So the first thing we need to do is position ourselves to involve God in our pain and
once we do that we are ready for the second lesson which is …
IV. Seeing God’s purposes in your pain
A. Joseph saw God’s sovereignty and purposes in the terrible sin that his brothers
committed against him.
1. Listen to what happened when Joseph first revealed to his brothers who he
was. Read Gen 45:5-8a.
B. Many people that I have met who have been seriously sinned against are still
seeing and interpreting their life through the lens of the sins against them.
C. When God is working in our hearts, we begin to see life from a completely new
perspective. We begin to see it from God’s viewpoint rather than our own. We
begin to understand that there is more going on in my life than what meets the
eye. There is a larger story going on than that of which I am aware.
• Illustrate the tapestry and my ability to see only a small piece of it and only
the backside of it that looks very messy.
D. Let me suggest two things that we know from Scripture that God is doing. We
know that there are more, but these are two major ones that have applications to
each of our lives.
1. Rom 8:28-29– conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.
2. Two Cor 4:7-10– manifest the indwelling life of Christ through us.
¨ Once we learn to experience God in the midst of our pain,
which allows us to see God’s purpose in our pain, then the final
lesson on turning a victim into a victor is …
V. Forgiving the offender
A. Read Gen 50:15-21
B. Forgiveness is essential to experiencing the deep healing within our souls. Yet it
is such a struggle as 2 Cor 2:10-11 tells us that we need to forgive lest Satan take
advantage of us because we are not ignorant of Satan’s schemes! Satan shots his
poison into our hearts through un-forgiveness and compounds the struggle!
C. The hardest part of forgiveness for me is when the person who hurt me does not
acknowledge they did it or does not apologize for what they have done. If
someone apologizes normally, God gives me quick grace to forgive. But what do
we do with those who have not:
1. As I wrestled with forgiving someone who hurt me and did not acknowledge
it or apologize to me. God spoke me through Jesus on the cross when He
said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing” –
a) Jesus forgave without anyone asking for forgiveness or
acknowledgement of their wrong doing
b) I could no longer hold out for an apology or acknowledgement – I
needed to forgive without that.
2. Last week we talked about two things
a) Room of grace – depend on Jesus for strength and next steps –
(1) It is not a program to follow or a principle to learn but a person, the
Savior, Jesus that gives us the ability and wisdom we need to walk
through this!
b) When we take a radical honest look in our hearts we see helplessness –
bigger than me, smarter than I am smart and stronger than I am strong –
(1) So I need to turn to Jesus to show me what I need to do next and
give me the strength to forgive!
D. Let me tell my story and how God met me on the issue of unforgiveness that was
controlling my heart towards those who hurt me!
1. I was at a conference when the speaker told his story of his need to forgive
some people that deeply hurt him. Afterwards the host of the conference
challenged us and gave us some time to examine our own hearts and the need
to forgive.
2. That time with the Lord at the end of that message ended up being four hours
long and my missing the entire afternoon session.
E. As I met with God that afternoon, He placed in my heart an image that set me free
and I have been free now for over ten years. This is what God spoke to me about
that day:
1. Need to hand over to God the “papers”, the ‘blood stained’ papers that have
all the offenses on it that this person has committed against me. That blood
stained list with “paid in full” written over it with Jesus’ blood. (Yes, they
are guilty as charged but Jesus paid for it in full.)
2. Get the keys from God, go to the prison of my heart, and open up the prison.
Then go back to the torture chamber of my heart where I have been mentally
and emotionally beating them up and making them pay for what they have
done to me, and set them free
3. Next, I needed to go over to the judgment stand where I had been hurling
accusations at them and set them free from my judgments and from thinking
evil about them.
4. Thank God, for the relationship I did have with this person and the blessing
they were to me.
5. Thank God, that He will use their wrong against me and all the pain that has
brought for a good purpose in my life.
6. Confess my sin of unforgiveness as being as great of a sin as what they did
against me
7. Resist the Devil from taking any further ground in my heart from my
unforgiveness
8. Pray a blessing for that person for their life.
9. Do all of this in Jesus’ name trusting Him to enable me for this.
E. Working through all these people, I had never forgiven and God genuinely setting
me free took about six weeks of going through this process. With each person I
journaled before the Lord about each different person or groups of people as to
exactly what they did and what I did and how I responded
VI. Conclusion
A. Turn to Psalm 123
1. Note the contempt in his soul. Read 3-4
2. But that contempt was placed on him by others
3. He is not saying it is his contempt for others that fills his soul but the
contempt that others placed on him. Modern day translation, “These people
have crapped on me and now I am full of their crap!”
B. How do I get rid of this crap in my heart? How do I release this from my heart?
1. Listen to 3a – God’s grace – only God can do this – it is a gift from God
2. Read v1-2
3. The same way a servant looks to the hand of their master for direction and
provision we must look to God for direction and provision until He provides
it!
a) We need to continually look to, rely upon, call upon and wait for the
Lord until He gives us the grace to forgive and let it go!