Genesis | Weeping Giants Pt. 49 | Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer

Genesis 43:15-23
It’s all right = Shalom
“The Hebrew Bible says, simply, “Shalom.”
The steward, who knew their well-known language, used their word for peace.
And then this Egyptian even witnessed to them about their God.
Joseph has obviously influenced his Egyptian employee
Genesis 43:24-30
All of a sudden, the handsome, bronzed leader of millions has rushed to his bedroom and collapsed in sobs.
Leaders struggle here: feel like we have to bottle everything up that we feel
I’m one of the worst at this
For Joseph he was flooded with emotion.
All those years passed in review. All the loneliness. All the loss. All the seasons and birthdays and significant occasions without his family.
It was too much to contain, like a rushing river pouring into a lake, swelling above the dam.
His tears ran and he heaved with great sobs.
All of a sudden, he was a little boy again, missing his daddy.
Did you know it’s ok to weep?
Sometimes in our faith circles we look down on those that weep and feel like if we weep we are somehow lacking in faith
God’s greatest men and women experienced times of weeping
The Giants of our faith wept
Sometimes life is just hard
Sometimes emotions just well up
Anybody willing to admit they should memorize a few more Bible verses?
John 11:35 - Jesus wept
Context
God is not indifferent to our pain either
God hears our cry and He is moved by our pain
Immanuel – God with us
Why did Jesus cry? He knows our pain
Some people will say your pain and cries don’t move God but only your faith does
Matthew tells us of this in chapter 9 verse 35,
He is a healing Jesus.
He taught the Word, and He preached the Word with the signs of miraculous healings taking place.
Now why did Jesus heal the sick?
There are a couple of reasons for that.
One is that it validated his ministry and being the Son of God.
It showed that who he said he was, he was.
But there is another reason Jesus healed sick people and that is in verse 36.
Matthew 9:36
Compassion means to suffer together
Jesus healed the sick because he had compassion on them.
Jesus still has compassion towards you and I today
Let me show you
Revelation 2:8
Revelation 2:9
Affliction = Thlipsis
THLIPSIS - heavy pressure, suffocation, tribulation (on TV screens)
Roman torture practice
Tribulation = Poverty
2 Greek words for poverty
Why abject poverty?
Trade Guilds = Unions (Auto, police and so forth)
To have a job you had to be a member of a trade guild
Problematic for Christians
Each trade guild had a god they worshipped
Required to attend trade guilds meetings
Began with giving thanks to the god, eating sacrificed meat, drunk, lead to other debauchery
Members were expected to attend and particpate
Christians were in between a rock and a hard place
Refuse to worship = no job
Worship false gods = abandon true God
These Christians chose to worship God
Revelation 2:10-11
This church receives no correction, unlike the other 6, but only empathy and encouragement
Smyrna is under severe persecution going through a lot pain
There was weeping
Pain
When it comes to pain and suffering all people speak the same language
We may have different backgrounds but we all relate to pain
Doesn't matter whether you are from the middle east or the east coast; pain is pain
People in America are in pain
The Bible says when the wicked rule the people groan but when the righteous rules the people rejoice
America is groaning right now
Jesus knows our pain and suffering
"I know" - Jesus
The pain you entered here with Jesus knows
That pain is not from God
God is not your problem
These Christians experienced suffering because of people used by the devil
There is a real devil, but there is also a real God
If God is for you it doesn't matter if the devil is after you
Our God is not a distant deity, but a faithful companion in the good and not so good
Jesus never promised a life with no trouble
In fact he promised trouble
John 16:33,
We all experience pain
We can find beauty in tragedy
2 principles to pain, suffering and anguish in this life
Pain Is Inevitable
Pain is inevitable and unavoidable
Job 14:1
Pain is a fact of life, misery is optional
If you look around the world you will see pain and suffering
School shootings, drugs destroying families, divorce and bankruptcy, tornadoes and hurricanes, corruption and all kinds of evil
Look back in history = pain and suffering
World Wars, Evil Dictators, Plagues
Surrounded by pain in our past, present and until the Lord returns pain is in our future
Might be going to the sweet bye and by but we live in the painful now and now
Pain is a part of life
Why is pain all around us?
Simple answer = Sin
Sin brings death, pain and sorrow
God created this world pain free
But sin shattered everything like glass
Sin is why there is divorce, violence and evil
Remove sin and you remove suffering
But you cannot remove sin because we are all born into sin
"Why does a loving God allow bad things to happen to people?"