Trusting God's Presence and Redemptive Work in Suffering
Summary
### Summary
Today, we gathered to reflect on the profound truth of God's presence and His redemptive work in our lives. We began by acknowledging God's holiness and our deep desire to see His kingdom manifest in our world, from our local communities to the entire globe. We prayed for God's guidance, asking Him to reveal His will and purposes for us, and to help us trust Him with our daily needs and struggles.
We delved into the story of the Israelites in Egypt, emphasizing God's faithfulness despite their long period of suffering. This narrative serves as a reminder that God's promises and presence are constant, even when we face prolonged hardships. We explored the pattern of God's work: He reminds us of His presence, speaks His promises, demonstrates His power, and shapes us as His people. This pattern was evident in the life of Joseph, who endured betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment, yet remained faithful, believing that God was with him. Joseph's story illustrates that God's redemptive work often takes time and may not align with our immediate desires for change.
We also discussed the importance of waiting on God and trusting in His timing. Our impatience can lead us to doubt God's goodness and presence, but we must remember that He is always with us, working for our good. The Israelites' story of deliverance from Egypt and Joseph's journey from slavery to a position of power in Egypt both highlight that God uses even the most painful and unjust circumstances for His greater purpose.
We concluded by reflecting on the ultimate example of God's presence and redemptive work: Jesus Christ. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection demonstrate that God is intimately involved in our suffering and has the power to bring about redemption and renewal. We are encouraged to bring our pain and struggles to God, trusting that He knows, understands, and is working to bring about good in our lives.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Presence in Our Lives: God's presence is not limited to our moments of joy or success; He is with us in our suffering and pain. We must fight to believe that He is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, even when it feels like He is distant. This belief can transform our perspective and help us trust in His ongoing work in our lives. [28:30]
2. The Power of Waiting on God: Waiting on God is a recurring theme in Scripture. It requires faith to trust in His timing and His plan, even when we are impatient and want immediate solutions. God's redemptive work often takes time, and we must learn to wait with hope and trust in His promises. [29:41]
3. God's Redemptive Work Through Suffering: The story of Joseph teaches us that God can use even the most painful and unjust circumstances for His greater purpose. Joseph's faith in God's presence and promises allowed him to see God's hand in his suffering, ultimately leading to the salvation of many. [42:00]
4. Jesus as the Ultimate Example: Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are the ultimate proof of God's presence and redemptive work. Jesus experienced the full extent of human suffering and yet remained faithful, trusting in God's plan. His sacrifice assures us that God understands our pain and is working to bring about our redemption. [56:38]
5. Bringing Our Pain to God: We are encouraged to bring our pain, struggles, and questions to God, trusting that He knows and understands. By doing so, we can experience His empathy and receive His help in our time of need. This honest and vulnerable approach to God can break the cycle of brokenness and lead to true healing and renewal. [55:07]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[20:35] - Declaring God's Holiness
[21:21] - Trusting God with Our Needs
[21:54] - Extending Forgiveness
[22:32] - Speaking the Gospel to Ourselves
[23:01] - Dismissing the Kids
[23:39] - Importance of Children's Ministry
[24:14] - Call for Volunteers
[25:16] - Clarifying Church Finances
[25:48] - Introduction to Exodus
[26:28] - God's Promises to Israel
[27:10] - God's Pattern of Work
[27:50] - Believing God's Presence
[29:41] - The Command to Wait
[31:01] - God Hears Our Groaning
[33:49] - Joseph's Story of Faith
[42:00] - God's Redemptive Work
[56:38] - Jesus' Ultimate Sacrifice
[01:02:09] - Jesus Understands Our Suffering
[01:05:33] - Reflecting on Our Pain
[01:10:10] - Closing Prayer and Worship
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Exodus 2:23-25: "During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them."
2. Genesis 50:20: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
3. Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
### Observation Questions
1. What were the Israelites' circumstances when they cried out to God in Exodus 2:23-25?
2. How did Joseph interpret the evil actions of his brothers in Genesis 50:20?
3. According to Romans 8:28, what is the assurance given to those who love God?
4. In the sermon, what pattern of God's work is highlighted through the story of Joseph? ([27:50])
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the story of the Israelites in Egypt illustrate God's faithfulness despite prolonged suffering? ([27:10])
2. What does Joseph's response to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 teach us about seeing God's hand in our suffering?
3. How can Romans 8:28 provide comfort during times of personal hardship?
4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that waiting on God can strengthen our faith? ([29:41])
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt God's presence during a difficult period. How did that experience shape your faith? ([28:30])
2. What are some practical ways you can remind yourself of God's promises when you are waiting for His timing? ([29:41])
3. How can you apply Joseph's perspective of seeing God's purpose in suffering to a current challenge in your life? ([42:00])
4. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are the ultimate examples of God's redemptive work. How can you draw strength from Jesus' example in your own struggles? ([56:38])
5. What steps can you take to bring your pain and struggles to God more honestly and vulnerably? ([55:07])
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to trust God's timing. What actions can you take to cultivate patience and hope in that area?
7. How can you support someone else who is going through a period of waiting or suffering, based on the lessons from Joseph's story and the sermon?
Devotional
Day 1: God's Presence in Our Suffering
God's presence is not limited to our moments of joy or success; He is with us in our suffering and pain. We must fight to believe that He is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, even when it feels like He is distant. This belief can transform our perspective and help us trust in His ongoing work in our lives. [28:30]
Isaiah 43:2 (ESV): "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."
Reflection: Think of a recent time when you felt distant from God. How can you remind yourself of His presence in that situation today?
Day 2: Trusting in God's Timing
Waiting on God is a recurring theme in Scripture. It requires faith to trust in His timing and His plan, even when we are impatient and want immediate solutions. God's redemptive work often takes time, and we must learn to wait with hope and trust in His promises. [29:41]
Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV): "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."
Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you are struggling to wait on God. What steps can you take to cultivate patience and trust in His timing?
Day 3: God's Redemptive Work Through Suffering
The story of Joseph teaches us that God can use even the most painful and unjust circumstances for His greater purpose. Joseph's faith in God's presence and promises allowed him to see God's hand in his suffering, ultimately leading to the salvation of many. [42:00]
Genesis 50:20 (ESV): "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."
Reflection: Reflect on a difficult situation you have faced. How can you see God's hand at work in that situation, even if the outcome was not what you expected?
Day 4: Jesus as the Ultimate Example
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are the ultimate proof of God's presence and redemptive work. Jesus experienced the full extent of human suffering and yet remained faithful, trusting in God's plan. His sacrifice assures us that God understands our pain and is working to bring about our redemption. [56:38]
Hebrews 4:15-16 (ESV): "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Reflection: How does Jesus' example of enduring suffering encourage you in your own struggles? What can you do today to draw nearer to Him for strength and comfort?
Day 5: Bringing Our Pain to God
We are encouraged to bring our pain, struggles, and questions to God, trusting that He knows and understands. By doing so, we can experience His empathy and receive His help in our time of need. This honest and vulnerable approach to God can break the cycle of brokenness and lead to true healing and renewal. [55:07]
Psalm 34:18 (ESV): "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."
Reflection: What is one specific pain or struggle you are currently facing? How can you bring this to God in prayer today, trusting in His understanding and care?
Quotes
1. "We often live with distance between you and ourselves, a distraction, if you will. We look at our lives as problems to be solved instead of an opportunity to invite you to show your power. So would you give us what we need each day? Would we learn to trust you for our everyday needs? Would you remind us that there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and that there's no condemnation that that beautiful truth would cause us to call out to you in repentance, to confess our sins, that we would not regard any iniquity in our heart that would hinder our prayer, Lord, and that one of those would not be withholding forgiveness from others." [21:21] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "God always reminds us of his presence before he then speaks his promises. And that once we believe his promises, he demonstrates his power. And as he demonstrates his power, he shapes us as his people. I look at this list and I come back to it a lot because I know in my own life, I need to fight to believe that this is true. That God is not detached from my reality. That God is not standing in judgment asking me to solve all my problems, but that he is intimately involved in the going on of my life. That he is intimately involved in the thoughts in my mind. That he is intimately involved in the desires of my heart. That he is intimately involved in the relationships around me." [27:50] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "In seasons where things are going well, I kind of forget God. Right? I'll check in every now and then, three out of four Sundays a month. Right? Every few days. But things are going good. I don't have a pervasive need. And I'll forget that he's present even when it's a season of contentment and of joy. In seasons of need and want and pain and suffering, I often wonder where he is. What are you doing? Where are you? Why aren't you working? Why aren't you acting? You see, I skip over all of this. And when I'm suffering, this is the one I want. Show me your power." [29:03] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "God in shaping us as his people, needs us to recognize the power of waiting and that faith comes first in believing that he is with us and that he always has been. See, that's our story. If we look back over our lives, we're looking for his faithfulness towards us to empower our faith moving forward. But when we're suffering, what we're so focused on is not what he has done for us in the past, but what he, we hope he will do for us in the future." [30:14] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "It's important for us to recognize that in their groaning, they are not praying intentionally. They are just simply feeling the weight of their suffering and sighing and groaning. But because God is close, he hears those as prayers. And as we saw last week, he is groaning on our behalf, that he is interceding on our behalf, that the spirit is at work in our lives, understanding our pain and bringing it to Jesus." [31:01] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "If you could change one event in your life, what would it be? You may be looking right now, and you're suffering in some way, physically, emotionally. Mentally. Relationally. You're looking and you're saying, if I could just have something change, if the king would just die, right? But you may be at this place because of a series of events that started at one time. A cascading effect. A butterfly effect, if you will." [34:46] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "God brought about a powerful redemptive work not by solving Joseph's situation but by saving Joseph's family. A bigger vision for what God was doing that transcended his own life, his short years on the earth. See, God's redemptive work for Joseph wasn't in justice. That it wasn't in punishing the evil thing done to him but in a salvation for many people. That it wasn't just about him but it was about his whole family and about the nation. That it would be something that God could say, I blessed him and I blessed all people through. But it took a long time because God's redemptive work takes a long time." [43:33] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "That God is not closer to you if you're getting it right. That God, as I've said before, I will say it till the day I die, will not love a better version of you more. That when our lives get hard we don't have to say, I did this thing and he's punishing me for it. It doesn't work like that. What does he want us to see? He wants us to see that he is close, that he is speaking and that he is working to remove condemnation that we don't have to do it on our own." [45:25] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "We will continue to experience brokenness but we don't have to cycle it. If we have the courage to remember what is in the past and actually bring our past to God and actually ask it to show us where He was in the midst of our trauma which is a very very dangerous yet courageous thing to do we will not be set free. God heard their groaning but God remembered His covenant. God was for them." [53:40] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "We will continue to wrestle with our past until we find God in our past. We have to go back. We have to remember. We can't forget. We can't be so focused on the future and saying when this thing happens when the king dies then I will be set free. Because it doesn't. We will continue to experience brokenness but we don't have to cycle it. If we have the courage to remember what is in the past and actually bring our past to God and actually ask it to show us where He was in the midst of our trauma which is a very very dangerous yet courageous thing to do we will not be set free." [53:40] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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