Finding Purpose and Faith Amidst Suffering

1) "Friends, I know that there are some of us that are going to go through suffering for a long time and it is difficult and it is hard but God tells us and shows us in his word that he is sovereign over all of it. We're in a place in Joseph's life that we can say he's been suffering for a long time. He's been going through a lot of problems sold by his brothers in Potiphar's house now in prison when will it ever go my way when will it change he could have given up he could have thrown in the towel he could have cursed God and died he could have done so many different things but he trusted in the Lord he saw his suffering in God's sovereign hand and plan maybe you're in a place right now that you're wondering should I give up maybe you're lashing out at your loved ones around you maybe you want to throw in the towel brother and sister I encourage you that God is sovereign in your suffering He is with you." [50:38] (95 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2) "When suffering is unceasing, don't forget about serving others. Friends, when we are going through prolonged suffering, we need to resist the urge to be self-centered. If we're going through suffering, we need to still be focused on God and others. Genesis chapter 40, we see that Joseph finds himself imprisoned, betrayed by his own brothers. He could have been bittered, self-pity, wallowing in his misfortune, but he noticed something, that two prisoners were distressed. Now friends, he didn't have to do this. These were Egyptians. They were part of the ruling class that is mistreating him. He was mistreated. He was a prison guard or at least a tenant that he didn't owe them much of anything. But what does it say? He saw that they were in distress in verse 7 and he says, why do you look so sad today?" [52:20] (69 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3) "Joseph shows us another way, focusing on others, recognizing that even in his suffering, that he has something to offer, compassion and service from the Lord. We know police officers, first responders, firefighters, they show up at the scene. Some scenes are awful. Some scenes are dangerous. Some scenes, everything's going on. They can't stop and say, oh, what about me? What did I go through? How did my wife treat me this morning? What is all these things going on? What did they naturally go to? How am I going to serve somebody else? How am I going to help someone else? Brothers and sisters, we need to be reminded that even in our suffering, that we need to set aside our own suffering to serve and love others." [53:51] (59 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4) "When suffering is unrelenting, don't lose faith in God. When suffering is unrelenting, don't lose faith in God. Number three, the two men in the prison begin to complain that they have had some dreams and they need interpretation. When we think that suffering will never end, we must keep our faith in God even when the suffering continues. Those who were in the prison were losing hope, but what did Joseph say? He said, in verse 8, he said, doesn't interpretations belong to the Lord? He is saying to them, look, I haven't lost faith. I haven't lost trust in God." [57:48] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5) "Joseph showed that in this opportunity that he had not lost faith in God. These men, unlike Joseph, were in prison for their own wrongdoing, yet Joseph, unjustly in prison, confidently believed that God would reveal the meaning of their dreams despite his own experience. of disappointment what stands out in this prison is Joseph's unwavering faith in God despite being let down by people despite the circumstances despite the passage of time Joseph had not let go of his belief in God's goodness power and sovereign plan and when men asked about their dreams he didn't say oh we need we don't I don't know what I'm going to do I'm going to say let's look to God because that's what I've been doing here in the prison friends that's what we need to do is to look to God even when it's at its darkest." [59:40] (66 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6) "As you persevere through suffering, you will grow in your love for God. We need to be reminded that in this journey, in this walk of suffering, that we will grow in our love for the Lord. When we stay faithful to him, when we serve others, when we trust in him, our hearts will grow deeper in love because we know that he is the one upholding us. And this passage, it's interesting, because Joseph interprets the dream to the cupbearer and to the baker. And when he interprets for the cupbearer, he asks him something interesting. He says, would you show me faithfulness by remembering me when you talk to Pharaoh? Remember that I'm not here because of what I deserve. Remember me and get me out of here." [01:05:17] (65 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7) "Friends, our faith is like the deep waters beneath the storm and in that we are being funneled to the love of God in Joseph's case the storm of suffering raged on for years we can get a timeline that that he was at 13 when he was sold into slavery and that 30 when he gets out of prison over the over those time frames thing after thing problem after problem turmoil after turmoil suffering kept happening friends when we face unrelented suffering it's easy to be swept up into despair but we should always go and know God's faithful love for us may just be quickly remind us that the cupbearer forgot about Joseph in prison God did not forget about us we were in the prison of our sin we were forgotten we are separated but he sent his son to release us from the power of sin and death his faithful love went to the cross so that we might walk out and we might have unending love with him for all eternity." [01:06:52] (86 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)