"It All Makes Sense Now" Rev. Reginald W. Sharpe Jr. Wednesday, August 31, 2022

1:38 Family, now that you've sung, let's get into this word. It all makes sense now. I'll be back after the message. I want to call your attention to the book of Genesis chapter 45. Genesis chapter 45. Genesis chapter 45. There's a unique word that God has given me to share with you today. I want to just read it out of the Message Bible. I just love the way the message Bible makes things more palatable. It breaks it down. So just read along in whatever version you have. But I want to put Genesis 45 verses 3 through 5 and all of those surrounding verses on the screen. Genesis 45 verses 3 through 5 on the screen. Message Bible, the message Bible, the message Bible. Genesis 45, 3 through 5 on the screen. It reads like this, Genesis 45 out of the Message Bible, verse 3 through 5. Joseph spoke to his brothers, I am Joseph.

2:35 Is my father really still alive? But his brothers couldn't say a word. They were speechless. They couldn't believe what they were hearing and seeing. Come closer to me, Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But don't feel badly. don't be scared don't worry don't blame yourselves for selling me god was behind it god was behind i want to talk today from this thought very simply it all makes sense now it all makes sense now i hope you like who you sat by if you don't like them that's your fault because you sure did sit down beside them or either they sat down beside you smile let them and said, neighbor, it all makes sense now. That's the wrong neighbor.

3:26 They're trying to be trifling, act like they don't know you, don't want to talk to you. Find another neighbor. Find another neighbor. Say, neighbor, I'm for real. I didn't know what was going on, but it all makes sense now. Just about two weeks ago, Bree and I decided to go see a movie. We wanted to support Jordan Peele's new movie, Us. It is a psychological thriller slash horror film. I had to go see it. I'm not as afraid of horror films as Brie is, so I had to beg her over and over again. Brie, we have to go support Jordan Peele. We have to go see the movie. She said, no, you got it. I don't like scary movies. Brie, it's not going to be that bad. Let's go to the movies. And then what gave her calm, what gave her ease is I told her, I promise you, your husband has big arms, and if you get scared, you can just grab on to one of my arms and everything is going to be all right.

4:20 Well, needless to say, I convinced her to come to the movie. We set through Jordan Peele's Us, but I need to tell you I'm not going to ruin the movie for you, but I will tell you this. The movie will not make sense until the very end of the movie. It's one of those movies that keep you on the edge of your seats, and those are the kind of movies I like. I don't like a movie where you can determine the plot at the beginning of the movie, and you're just waiting on it to unfold. I like suspenseful movies. I like when the plot is thick and their plot twists and when you thought the antagonist was about to be defeated, really they come back and the protagonist has to fight a little bit. I like some tension. I like the uncertainty. I like the mystery. I like the ambiguity. There's nothing like watching a movie and not knowing how it's going to end until the end. Us did not make sense to us until the very end of the movie. Can I say that again? Us did not make sense to us until the very end of the movie. The movie us did not make sense to us until the very end of the movie. The problem is some of you still think I'm talking about a movie.

5:32 The truth is I'm talking about life because sometimes it doesn't make sense to us until the end of the movie. It doesn't make sense to us until the end of the valley, to the end of the storm, until the end of the predicament. You were wondering what was going on, but it's not until the end of the movie that everything comes together. That's why when the movie of life gets rough, you cannot walk out of the theater before the end comes because you're going to miss what they call the resolution. You're going to miss how that thing ties together. If you walk out of the Lion King too early, you will not know that Simba's going to come back to Pride Rock and defeat his evil Uncle Scar. If you walk out of the movie Color Purple too early, you're going to miss when Celie put those fingers up and said, Till you do right by me, everything you touch is going to crumble.

6:28 If you walk out of Forrest Gump too early, you're going to miss the fact that Jene becomes his wife and he becomes a gazillionaire. If you walk out of Finding Nemo too early, you're not going to understand that even though Nemo had a little fin, And he fought through that water with his little fin and did everything he was supposed to do. All I'm trying to tell you is you've got to wait to the end of the movie because it's all going to make sense by the end of the story. Do I have any witnesses in the house who can testify that you've had some rough moments in your life? You hit some turbulence on your trip and things were not adding up. It did not make sense what was happening to you. But God wants me to tell you this morning that if you just hold on, everything you've gone through is going to make sense after a while. James Russell Loyal put it like this.

7:24 Truth forever on the scaffold. Wrong forever on the throne. Yet that scaffold sways the future and behind the dim unknown standeth God within the shadow keeping watch above his own. All I'm trying to tell you is it's going to make sense after a while. You ever heard of C.S. Lewis? C.S. Lewis, that great American theologian says either you're operating as a child of God or a tool of God. If you operate as a child of God, you are participating in the will of God. And if you operate as a tool of God, you are going against the will of God. and God does not look at you like an enemy. God says, no, you're just acting like a tool because now I'm going to have to use you to get my purposes accomplished in the world. I'm so close to y'all, y'all don't even know how close I am.

8:20 See, some people in your life thought they were about to stir up some mess on you, but what they didn't realize is you don't touch God's children. And the minute you decide not to be John and you want to be Judas, God says, all right, cool, I got you. You're not acting like my child. Now you're acting like a tool. So I will use you to still bring good out of bad situations. Preach, I'm trying. All I'm trying to tell you is it's all going to make sense after a while. Okay, Paul put it this way. And we know that all things work together. Your mountains and your valleys, all things work together. Your laughter and your lament, all things work together. Your friends and your haters, all things work together. The person that likes you and the person that doesn't like you. All things work together. When you get a job, when you lose your job, all things work together. When you're in the storm and when you're in the sunshine, all things work together.

9:13 When you're up and when you're down, all things work together. When you're bawling and when you're struggling, all things work together. When your eyebrows are on fleek and your shoes are clean and the times you're busted, broke and disgusted, all things work together for the good of them who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose. I don't need everybody. I just need 50 of y'all to let the devil know you lost again because eventually God is going to do whatever God has to do to make something good come out of this situation. If I were you, I would stop and give God praise right there because there are moments that you thought you were losing and really you were getting ready to get another W. you is there anybody glad that you got a big god a great god an awesome god a magnificent god who can work everything for your good go on touch somebody and say it's gonna make sense after a while yeah it's gonna make sense after a while that's all that's going on in this text joseph is the key is the key character in this text and joseph is the same joseph who had a coat of many colors but his brothers couldn't handle his favor and because they couldn't handle his favor they hated him they betrayed him threw him in a pit joseph sown into slavery sold into slavery joseph who worked at potiphar's house joseph who was lied on by potiphar's wife joseph who was thrown in prison but from prison ended up being second in command over egypt y'all not listening joseph was hated on by his brothers joseph was betrayed by his brothers joseph was thrown into a pit. Joseph was sold into slavery. Joseph worked at Potiphar's house, but Potiphar's wife had a thing for young chocolate brothers, and she started trying to grab him. He ran, and she lied, and he threw him in prison, but from prison, he ended up being second in command over the nation of Egypt.

11:14 Y'all must not be listening. Joseph, who was hated on by his brothers. Joseph, who was betrayed by brothers Joseph who was thrown in a pit Joseph who was sold into slavery Joseph who worked for Potiphar's house Joseph who was lied on Joseph who went to prison Joseph is not second in command holler at your boy of Egypt y'all ain't listening Joseph who was hated on Joseph who was betrayed Joseph who was sold into slavery Joseph who was thrown in a pit Joseph who was lied on Joseph who went to prison on trumped up charges and didn't do what they really accused him of doing he got from prison all the way to the second seat over Egypt because God was behind it and I'm here to tell you that no matter where you are right now if you just hold your horses eventually when this thing plays out you're gonna be able to look up to God and say I see you I know exactly what you were doing I thought they fired me but really you were giving me a vacation I thought they rejected at me but really you were relocating me. I thought I was lonely but really you were teaching me. I could do bad all by my doggone self. I thought I was broke but really I just learned how to depend on you. Look at somebody and say it all makes sense now and if there's anybody sitting around you looking like they don't know what I'm talking about don't judge them they ain't been through nothing. I just want to preach to the folk who've been lied on. The folk that have been betrayed. The folk who've had to struggle. The folks who understand what it is not to know what's going on.

12:45 I want you to know today that God is behind everything the devil is trying to do. And by the end of the story, your enemies will become your footstool. Because no weapon formed against you. Don't touch somebody and say, watch God keep you. Watch God get the glory out of your worst mess. Watch God get the glory out of your worst struggle. it's gonna touch somebody and say watch God Joseph told me to tell you when I was going through it it was rough I could have cussed everybody out but by the end of the story all I could say was it all makes sense now let's just tiptoe through this text a little bit in verse 3 Joseph reveals something that he wants me to share with you.

13:49 I hit up Joseph. I said, somebody's going through it right now because everybody is not at the position where you can say it all makes sense now. Some of us are in the position where it's going to have to make sense later. But Joseph wants me to just download a couple ingredients for you to hold on to while you're in a season that does not make sense. Number one, here's what you got to grasp. Here's what you got to grasp. Get this, get this, get this. Number one, painful places don't destroy purposeful people painful places don't destroy purposeful people years have gone by joseph has already been betrayed he's already been sold he's already been in prison he's already gone to jail he's already suffered because of the jealousy and envy of his brothers years later here we are now in chapter 45 there's a famine in the land where his brother and his father jacob lives. Well, in Egypt, everything is going on good. There is a famine, but because Joseph has power, he has access to resources that other people don't have. So his brothers show up begging, don't know that his, wait a minute now, wait, oh, I just got a revelation. They have no idea their brother is even alive. So they show up begging to who they think is a stranger and Joseph is tired of trying to trick them, making them think that he doesn't know who they are, he says in verse three, read the text, he says, I am Joseph, the one you sold into slavery, and they were like, huh?

15:26 Then he says again, I am Joseph, the one you sold into slavery. See, church folk don't know when to shout. The shout is, being Joseph is why I was in trouble in the first place. being Joseph is why you were hating on me in the first place being Joseph is why I was thrown in the pit in the first place and after everything I've gone through Joseph's first word to his brothers when he reveals who he is he says I am Joseph being Joseph is what got all of this started in the first place and years later I'm still the same person that you tried to destroy because locality does not damage my identity and you can put me wherever you want to put me I'll still shine with the glory of God because painful places don't destroy Lord have mercy Somebody in this room ought to just holler my name Go on and just say my name is Say it out loud Whatever your name is You ought to walk around every day and say I'm still Shirley I'm still Johnny I'm still Reginald I'm still Lewis I'm still Brianna I'm still Aurelia I'm still Deacon Ron Because I don't care what I've gone through It has not dismissed who I am And that's what people really See that's why folk don't like you because they want to figure out how to break you.

17:00 They want to keep you from being your best self and shining your best light. But after everything they do, just say, I'm still here. I've been broken. I've gone through a lot, but I'm still me. I'm still doing me. I can still hold it down because no matter where you place me, I'm still God's child. His favor is still on my life. And that's why you know you've met a real Christian when no matter what season they're in, they still give God glory You can put me in the hospital. I will turn the hospital into the sanctuary because I still got God's favor even when I'm sick. You can take my job. I still got God's favor when I'm broke. Matter of fact, Christians are one of the few people in the world who can be broke and look like a million dollars because no matter where you put me, They thought they were taking some from you No, you can take everything you want to take But you can't take my spirit You can't take my connection to God And that's why I like folk that don't need to be in the front Put me in the back Wherever I sit becomes the main attraction I don't need no spotlight Whatever spot I stand in I light it up Somebody in this room ought to tell God, thank you for making me who I am.

18:25 Now, some of y'all need attention. You need your name called. Put me in the trunk. Put me in the basement. Wherever I am. Meet me in the trap is going down. Meet me in the mall. Anywhere you meet. Guarantee is going down. Tell somebody, it don't matter where I am I'm still me And I still got God's favor Wait, wait, wait, wait Wait Cause painful places Don't destroy I want to move on But I feel something right there Cause the greatest testimony of your life Is you still are who you are Still me. Still me. Cried, but I'm still me.

19:20 Been abused, but I'm still me. Heartbroken, but I'm still... You can't break me. That's all Joseph was saying. I am Joseph. Because painful places don't destroy purposeful people. But secondly, he says this. What you think is destructive is really divine. If you tiptoe through the text. I want you to read it when you get a chance. Verse 4, verse 5, verse 6, verse 7. This is what Joseph keeps saying. You sold me into slavery, but it really wasn't you. It was God sending me. I'm telling you, that's what he basically said in essence. You fought. You sold me. But in hindsight, not all makes sense. God sent me. Because God knew this year there would be a famine that was going to last seven years, and we've already had two years of famine but there are five more years left y'all wouldn't have survived through the five although you made it through the two so God providentially placed me in a position of power so that I could save my whole family and the people who've done me wrong now hold on I see two people in the room I see the real super duper holy saints in the room and I see you saying that's right, that's right Joseph handled it the right way it wasn't them, it was God but it's somebody else who God's still working on you are a candidate for sanctifying grace and some of us listen, listen, I just keep 100 some of us got the holy ghost but we got some hood too and you know good and well if your brothers who threw you into slavery threw you in a pit showed up looking for some help I mean, what's good?

21:09 I mean, you weren't asking all humble when you threw me in that pit. What's good, bro? Oh, you thought I was dead, didn't you? I got you. Back then, you ain't want me. Now I'm hot, you all on me. I mean, what's good for him? I mean, you own one? You bought that life for an all? Talk to me. Talk to me. but see this when you know you've really grown in God when you've got power to break people who've broken you and instead of you paying them back you say God bless you you didn't know it with your silly self but God was using you cause you taught me how to pray you taught me how to have faith you taught me how to keep my head you taught me how to fast you taught me that greater is he that is in me than he that's in the world. You ought to write every hater a letter and say thank you because I'm better now.

22:07 It felt destructive, but it was really divine. It wasn't a selling. It was a sending. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg fell back in December. She broke three, fractured three ribs. She fell, fractured three ribs. And she's 85 years old. That's dangerous. because now they have to do surgery on ribs. And she holds a liberal seat on the court. And y'all's president is president right now.

22:47 And y'all's president is president. And if she passes, gets sick, then that leaves the seat open and he can place somebody there who shares his views and shares his values, and that's a lifetime position. so when she falls and fractures three ribs at the age of 85 everybody's getting nervous sister Ruth we need you now when she fractured those ribs they started looking around in her body they discovered because of the broken ribs she actually had a cancerous cells growing on her lungs if she had not have fallen they would have never been looking in her abdominal region to see the cancer. Y'all just missed it.

23:44 If she would not have fallen, they would not have discovered the cancer. Only God can let some good come out of your falls. And because they found the cancer, they've been able to extend her life and she's able to still help millions of people. I came to tell you the devil lost when he thought he was going to knock you down and break your bones. Can I tell you, you ought to thank God for some broken moments because other stuff got revealed and God was able to put you back together in a strong going. Somebody ought to thank God that his grace is sufficient. His power shows up in our weak moments.

24:28 Just going to touch yourself and say, it's all divine. It's all divine. It's all divine. it's all divine Satan is not God's equal before Satan does anything he has to get clearance from God it's all divine whatever the devil thinks he's going to do either God has allowed it or God's going to permit it but at the end of the day God's going to get the glory out of it can I tell you one more thing and we're going your upsets are really set ups all of your upsets are really set up verse 8 here's what he gonna say hey you thought you sold me into slavery nah god did that and he has made me father to pharaoh which means i'm an advisor to the highest man in this nation he made me a ruler over the house and he has made me a prestigious leader too fast hey thank you brothers thank y'all for selling me thank you for dogging me thank you for doing me wrong it wasn't you it was all God and now I have been made according to the King James version he God has made me don't miss God's word now every word matters God made me advisor to Pharaoh leader of leaders and ruler over the whole nation y'all still missed it because of what you've done God has made me advisor to Pharaoh leader of leaders and rulers over the whole nation you waiting on me to move on I'm waiting on you to act like you got it because of what you've done God has made me advisor to Pharaoh leader of leaders rulers over the whole nation this side almost got it God has made me which literally means God put me God set me God fixed me God assign me and there's nothing you can do to unseat me. There's nothing you can do to unfix me.

26:28 There's nothing you can do to unassign me. I don't know who I'm talking to, but if you're going to praise God for anything today, this is what you ought to praise God for. The fact that after everything you've come through, God has set you up in a position, in a place where no demon, no liar, no rumor, no backbiter, no person can destroy what God is doing in you this season. Can I tell you one more thing? The Bible says and he made me an advisor to Pharaoh and he made me a leader of leaders. King James Version and he gave me a ruler. Made me a ruler. See, church folk like to shout over the conjunction but. But, B-U-T, is a conjunction of contradiction. But I like and. Because and is a conjunction of extension.

27:24 And some folk could take you if God just blessed you with one thing. But when God keeps writing and, and she getting married, and she got a promotion, and he bought a new car, and their family looks good together, and she knows how to give God praise, and she's anointed, and they love their job. See, people could take you if God just did one thing, but do I have some company up in fellowship who can say, I am a candidate for Ann? And he walks with me. And he talks with me. I'm going to preach by myself. Y'all keep sitting there. And he tells me that I am his own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. Can you shake your neighbor's hand and hold it like they owe you $20 and say, neighbor.