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Sunday February 21, 2021
INTRODUCTION: I don’t know about you but in my journey as a Believer in Jesus Christ I’ve had things happen that I just don’t understand!
I’ve asked this one word question many times: WHY?
Why did this happen? Why didn’t this happen? Why did it turn out this way? Why didn’t God answer my prayer?
Someone might be asking today; Why is this happening, I DON’T UNDERSTAND!
(Share story of Church Plant in Colorado beginning with July 2006)
- The Home of Ted Haggard
- Not following through
- After Tanzania trip 2009/Do everything but the one thing God asked me to do.
- Epic failure
I DON’T UNDERSTAND! GOD WHY?
WHEN I DON’T UNDERSTAND
- God doesn’t expect me to understand but He does expect me to stand.
Proverbs 3:5- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”
God I don’t have to understand, I TRUST YOU!
Psalm 25:1-2- “O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God!…”
Ephesians 6 in the Bible tells me, “having done all to STAND, I STAND!
This is about the posture of my heart. It’s about the attitude of my heart!
To stand when I don’t understand is called TRUST!
WHEN I DON’T UNDERSTAND I’M GOING TO STAND, AND
2. I’m not going to allow my crisis to define God’s character
Since God created man and woman and put them in the Garden of Eden Satan has been attempting to redefine the character of God!
Malachi 3:6- “I am the Lord, and I do not change…..”
Numbers 23:19- “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”
When I don’t understand why, I’m going to STAND and I’m not going to allow my crisis to define the character of God BUT I’m going to allow my crisis to help me discover the character of God I don’t know yet!
I want to discover the character of God that I wouldn’t know without this crisis!
I’M NOT ASKING WHY, I’M ASKING GOD TO KNOW HIM MORE IN THIS MOMENT!
Hosea 6:3- “Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
WHEN I DON’T UNDERSTAND I’M GOING TO STAND, AND
3. Trust that God is better at leading me than Satan is at deceiving me
Proverbs 3:5-6- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Even when I don’t understand what’s going on in my life, I trust you to lead me God!
And God, where you lead me doesn’t have to make sense to me, I just want to follow You!
Psalm 25:4-5- “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.
Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.”
WHEN I DON’T UNDERSTAND I KNOW GOD IS BETTER AT LEADING ME SO I’M GOING TO
4. Move forward in faith
When I don’t understand why, it takes FAITH to move FORWARD!
Father, I don’t understand, but I’m going to stand! I know it’s your character to finish what you started in me so I know you’re leading me in this season, so I’m going to move forward in faith!
Philippians 3:13-14- “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
I’m forgetting the past, those things I don’t understand, and I’m moving forward in faith!
CONCLUSION: In the Old Testament there was a man named Joseph. God gave Joseph a dream and basically the dream communicated to Joseph that he would be a Ruler over people, even his own family.
The next thing that happens is Joseph is thrown into a pit. Wait, I don’t understand. Then he’s sold into slavery. Wait a minute I don’t understand. Then he’s wrongfully accused of rape and thrown into prison. Wait a minute I don’t understand.
Then through a series of events Joseph becomes 2nd in command of a nation. Just what God had promised him in the dream.
Then Joseph encountered his brothers who had thrown him into the pit. Look at what he said to them.
Genesis 50:20- “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”
Romans 8:28- “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
When I don’t understand I know that God is causing everything to work together for my good! THAT’S JUST WHO HE IS!
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?