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December 3, 2020 3:00 am
The best way to deal with the disappointment we experience from continual letdowns work unfulfilled dreams today on Truth for Life Alastair Beck answers these questions by explaining how Joseph handled a long series of crushing blow study is titled lessons from the dungeon and were in Genesis chapter 40 metaphor lesson that we learned from the dungeon is the other side of the client and lifts our spirits a little because we move away from preparing for death to celebrating life indeed celebrating a birthday. Have you had a birthday lately have you had a birthday in the last year. If you haven't been the previous point is probably more significant than you realize this is over a year now and I haven't had a birth, Christians of all people to be able to have these really good parties, not mediocre or boring parties from time to think parties Christians should not be party animals, but they should be party. Some things especially birthday parties explained to me thinking about this last 20 in Genesis 14 on the third day was Pharaoh's birthday and he gave a start up. For all his officials he was celebrating life's birthday was quite an event.
It was particularly for two individuals, one who had his head lifted up to stay up in the other one who had his head lifted off Pharaoh gives the party for his officials. The officials don't give the party for Pharaoh to make the point in passing that birthdays provide us with a unique and then annual opportunity for Thanksgiving every day of our lives provides the same, but in a special way. One day out of the year, we have the opportunity to pause for a moment and marvel at God's goodness and provision for us to celebrate the gift of life itself, whatever it may bring. And with whomsoever I spend I thank you. I thank you for my birthday. I thank you in the words of the psalmist goodness and mercy has been following me all the days of my life and I praise you on this anniversary day an opportunity in the same time to praise and magnify our parents that in the providence of God. He put things together in such a way in my own life that something we got a call John at a church picnic finds a girl called Louise is struck by her animated commitment in the sport events is struck by the hilarity of her laughter and says you know I fancy you are and gets close and closer and closer, and so close start producing offspring so I get to have birthday's. I want them to know how thankful I am because the Solomon in all of his wisdom. He makes this clear. Our parents are always worthy of our honor says Moses in the Decalogue, but the word in Proverbs is also so wonderfully clear in relationship to Proverbs chapter 23 and verse 24. The father of a righteous man has great joy. He who has a wise son delights in him. May your mother and your father be glad may she who gave you birth rejoice every day but particularly on your birthday, to give cause to your parents to thank God for the provision that he is made in the gift of their children saw that on my birthday to celebrate God's provision to celebrate the joy of family life and the gift of my parents.
And thirdly, to celebrate my friends, those whom God has given me in my life.
Proverbs 1717 a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity, you got one friend in your life.
Your rich you've heard me say that 50 times I say it every time because I believe it. One friend not talking casual acquaintances are not time somebody who knows you are to their trip with you and talk about one person with whom you can bear your soul and know that they won't turn it into a prayer chain request to you can confess your sins. I know that they want take a megaphone and use it as an opportunity for public display, before whom you can acknowledge your fears and your failures in your desk quieting your discouragement and know that they will get where you are a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity on your birthday.
Be thankful if you've got a friend 1824, of Proverbs, a man of many companions may come to ruin, but there's a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 27 in verse six, wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses so that on our birthday. We ought to celebrate the fact about existence. Our preservation, our family, our privileges, our joys in earthly pilgrimage are birth. These are not to be morbid preoccupation with aloneness let it be done with giving Hallmark any money for those silly cards that talk about all well now you're 40 you're on the way out. All well now your 50 poor old guy all well now you're 61 foot on a banana skin, the other in the grave. Let the pagans send those cards let them by those cards lead eyes acknowledge on our birth. The difference that Jesus makes to that day and to every day. Who was it sang the song some girl it's my aunts, my birthday and I'll cry if I want to cry if I want to drive I want in and and is pretty well laid on the one hand, though it's my birthday. You know, look, you look at this look of this logo. Those little on the other hand is my birthday.
Had a look at all nice to see this. John Calvin. He hits it right on the head as he is one to do such as the depravity of the world that it greatly distorts those things which formerly were honestly instituted by our fathers into contrary corruptions. Now there's a sentence for you what he is saying is this things. It started off good.
We follow the month. Thus, by a vicious practice, it has become common for nearly all to abandon themselves to luxury and wantonness on their birthday to abandon themselves to luxury and wantonness on their birthday what you want for your birthday dad. I want to kiss I want to hug you and one six Snickers bars. I don't know.
Nothing much right because when you pairing down to the essentials. In short, they keep up the memory of God is the author of their life in such a manner as if it where they are set purpose to forget. So we celebrate our birthdays as if we made ourselves when we know we didn't to celebrate our birthdays in isolation from those who are nearest and dearest and closest and most to us as if somehow or another they are now irrelevant with the passing of time. We may even celebrate our birthdays. In the absence of those who have been prepared to wound us for our good and were so silly as to go and get a crowd of people who would kill us with their kisses as to be less and then from the dungeon by her to have happy birthday anybody's birthday today. Just asking the second last lesson from the dungeon is a lesson on dealing with disappointment dealing with unfulfilled hopes to have things in your life that have been unfulfilled desires and dreams you've had for certainly Joseph did knew that God was in control, but he flat out frankly wanted to get out of the dungeon. That's why in verse 14 when he had given the news to the cupbearer on the fact that he was going to be out of there in three days. He said by the way, when you go and be just a nice deal.
If you would mention to Pharaoh that I'm still stuck in here and see if you can put in a good word for me because I really was forcibly carried off. I haven't done anything to deserve being in here and I'd like to get out of the dungeon.
Now look at verse 23 of the chapter. The last verse of the chapter. The chief got better, however, did not remember Joseph.
He forgot forgot.
I imagine that he left the dungeon shook hands with everybody said thanks. It's been nice knowing you. I'm outta here and had a weed reading for each one of them.
He grabbed Joseph Vitale said Joseph you can expect to hear from me. I listen to what you said.
I argue, I'm your man Joe summary said to that to you about a business deal in the last six months still waiting for the phone to ring your dating a guy in your college years and he told you I'm your guy.
You can expect to hear from me you never heard from again.
How do we deal with the disappointment of unfulfilled dreams. How do we deal with the disappointment that is caused by people just flat out let us down because that's exactly what the chapter, and Joseph, if we would imagine the scene to any degree with accuracy. We can only assume that there was a great expectation in his heart, and that in the early days after the cupbearer had been released everybody they came rattling at the door of the dungeon would presumably lift the spirits within Joseph and he be saying to himself, whoever it is that's coming round the bend will be from the cupbearer because I'm going to be out of here if we advanced it into contemporary terms can be see if the phone rings don't touch it will be for me that'll be for me in the first one wasn't in the second one was in the third one wasn't in the week passing two weeks past the month past two months pass 345-6789 and everybody in the dungeon including Joseph knew there's not going to be a call from the cupbearer. Well, it's one thing to be on the receiving end of such disappointment is another thing to be the initiator of such disappointment, we can all identify with this.
People fail is and let us down. That is an axiom of life things that we think are going to go differently don't happen as we anticipate even the best of people proved to be a disappointment to his and why would we be surprised because we in turn proved to be a disappointment to others.
Alas, the projects incomplete. Alas, the unfulfilled promises. But what is it, teach us it teaches is an essential truth of life expressed graphically in the words of Jeremiah when he says, cursed is the one who trusts in man who depends on flash for his strength. If you are relying on a man or on a woman you relying on the wrong thing. You see it all yeah but I'm relying on my wife. It's okay to rely on my wife will yes it is within a certain framework, but ultimately you relying on God why because your wife can breathe and lesson God gives her the breath to breathe. So our reliance is on God. People are secondary causes of his provision for us.
But God is the ultimate occasion of our praise and is the ultimate source of our confidence and Andy misdirection of our gaze will lead to great disappointment and great pain. And that is the only way in which love ones you will be able to deal with undue criticism and that which comes your way. The hymn writer says, with great realism, somewhat love the sun will hate the sun will praise the sum will slight cease from man and look above the trust in God and do the right and that was another time that Joseph had to learn the lesson, a Kaiser is going to learn. He relies on his dad and his dad sends him on a journey and he doesn't see them for another 20 years, he relies on the in the fight that his brothers might've changed their mind and maybe they were speaking to them the strip and bear enthronement on the ground and sell them into a relationship in Egypt, he relies on the potential of Potiphar, who now has taken him under his control and given freedom and all the house and suddenly is on the receiving end of unjust accusations any strong once again into a file dungeon and in the file dungeon.
He says to the cupbearer. Now when you get out of here. Look after me. I like to get out of here to and he is forced to believe that he will do it and he doesn't do it and what is he have to learn all over again. The same thing that you and I have to learn all over again. The final lesson from the dungeon, which is this learning to rest in God's faithfulness.
Learning to arrest in God's faithfulness. He is the only unfailing one.
He is the only one who is true to his word on every occasion some trust in chariots, some in horses, but says the psalmist.
We trust in the name of the living God. It appeared to Joseph that he had been forgotten. He had been forgotten by the cupbearer, but he had not been forgotten by his Lord and must have you been forgotten by someone in your life have you been forgotten by someone in the immediacy of these last few days you feel as though you've taken a spike to your shins in the run of life you feel as though you've taken one too many elbows to your rib cage. When is it where you this role for the evening party is battered by friendly fire from those around you when you do look away from man look up when you feel as though your prayers are like the guys mailbox across the street who went on a trip and never told any of the neighbors and is just lying there day after day going nowhere meeting.
Nothing when you feel your prayers are just like that, that there is no answer that you are forgotten. When you feel that your straining at the oars in the lake of life and the wind is against you and the waves arising the boat is tossed. What you do. All I only know one thing to do.
I go back to my Bible's.
The only thing I've got and I going I look up versus and I look up this the Lord is the everlasting God, that's good, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He's powerful he will not grow tired and we, his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weedy okay and he increases the power of the week. This is good. Even youths grow tired and we and young men stumble and fall.
But those who hold in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow. We they will walk and not be faint. Can says the prophet. Mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child. She has born. I flew from Texas in the evening and out role with four others, a mother and a father and two children.
One of those ideal set ups in row 23 on NMDA. The only encouragement is the sound of the engine keeping going in the bathroom door playing in closing, but actually apart from public perception. I love to be in the role with those we once, but in the role there I was starting to feel like an old man, realizing that I used to take trips and my girls were life-size as well and there was a there was one about the size and one about that size and the weakest one was closest to me and closest to her mom.
Her mom said were going to fly in.
Would you like to look out the window and and would you like to sit in your seat know what we are going to sit in your seed. So when you know the whole thing and then eventually in the course of it all. She gathers this we thing up and she she brings her and I guess her breast and national then underneath your chin in the window follow sound asleep with her face all mashed up like that when she finally woke up back to Canada bring her face back into Seth reworking I felt what a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful picture she was going at 514 miles an hour in a steel shoe at therapy 5000 feet above the ground and she didn't have a care in the world. All she knew was that her mom was there and she was with her mom and her mom wasn't going to forget her living create to be loved by someone like that to be loved in the way a mother loves her newborn child. The lesson number six to arrest in God's unfailing goodness resting in God's unfailing the amazing story of the gospel from today's message title lessons from the dungeon listing to Truth for Life with Alastair the amazing gospel message that I just referred to is the good news we share on Truth for Life. This program along with our free online library reaches a vast global audience.
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Our team is prepared to accompany the series. The 12 sessions are perfect for a small group to go through together in the new year. Or you can work through these sessions on your own. It's a great opportunity to apply Alistair's teaching in the study to your personal situation can also purchase the study guides individually or bundled together with the USB of the complete audio series. My times are in your hands. Find out more@truthforlife.org/store. Click the image you see in the mobile about the pain for joining us for the conclusion of our message title lessons from the dungeon. Listen again tomorrow as we turn to Mark's gospel to find out what it means to follow Jesus, even when the storms of life are raging around the Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life learning is prolific