When the Facts are Contrary to the Promise

My name is Mark. One of the pastors here want to welcome you, especially as we celebrate this second weekend of Advent. And one of the things we have for you during this Advent season, one of our pastors Valerie Webb wrote a companion booklet to this series. If you haven't had an opportunity to pick that up, I encourage you to do that right after the service. You can get it at the information desk in the middle of the lobby.

And then also each weekend we're having families in the church read the message scripture and light the Advent candle. And this morning it's the Bond family. Let's welcome them as they read for us this morning. Matthew 2:9–15. After listening to the king they went on their way and behold the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother and they fell down and worshiped him. Then opening their treasures they offered him gifts gold and frankincense and myrrh and being warned in a dream not to return to Herod they departed to their own country by another way.

Now when they had departed behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said rise take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him. And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Out of Egypt I called my son. Let's thank the Bonds for helping us celebrate Advent this week.

Well speaking of celebrations I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend last week. We had a great time it was a rich time. We went and spent Thanksgiving week with my best friend Phil. My best friend Phil's wife and two sons. Most of you know that Phil passed away in June and so it was very important for us to spend some time with his family. They live in Bend, Oregon and if everything goes right it takes about 10 hours to get there.

The weatherman told us that there was going to be about four to six inches of snow over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. We left Tuesday morning so I'm thinking well we'll probably get about half of that maybe three inches or something like that no big deal. Well the weatherman was a tad off. They did not get four to six inches over the course of two days. They got 16 inches on Tuesday alone pretty much during the hours that we were driving and highway 97 which is the highway that leads into Bend. It shut down for three hours. They couldn't even get tow trucks in. There was so much mayhem.

We were fortunate we only caught the last hour but someone posted some video on Twitter of exactly where we were on the road. Check this out this is where we were a week ago Tuesday. It was just like a big snowy parking lot up ahead of us. We were only 10 miles away from our friend's house but we just sat there. One of my sons who remain nameless just kept going dad when are we gonna get there and I'm like thinking clearly you give me far more credit than I deserve. I can't really do anything about this son but it was amazing. Two, three jack-knife big rigs. More cars skidded off the road than we just lost count. It was incredible but thankfully thanks to the Lord and our trusty old Toyota four-wheel drive we arrived 13 hours after leaving our driveway here in Santa Cruz and it was just again a great time.

As you might imagine for Phil's wife and their 11 year old boys the holidays look very different this year. This was not the hope. This was not the plan but it's the reality. A reality that we are all adjusting to because clearly it is not going to adjust itself to us. Maybe you can relate some of you many of you there are some tough facts in your life right now and the thing about Christmas Christmas makes the good things even better in our lives but it makes the bad things worse because there's this promise of Christmas there's there's the promise of joy and peace and love and happiness and that promise can collide with the tough facts of our lives and again some of you find yourself in that place right now.

Studying this week I came across an amazing sermon written over 1,600 years ago by a guy named John Chrysostom. John Chrysostom was bishop of Constantinople and he was regarded by the church for centuries for much of Christian history as one of the greatest preachers ever. In fact his name Chrysostom it's a given name it's a title it means golden throat or golden mouth I mean he was just that good I mean we're talking about the René schlepper of his day this is how good this guy was but when I came across this this quote it just made me think of where so many people live.

He says this it's even in notes it's so good the passage that we just heard about the flight to Egypt he writes this Joseph when he had heard these things was not offended neither did he say the thing is hard to understand. Didst thou not just say now that he should save his people that's Matthew 1 and now he saves not even himself but we must fly and be far from home and be a long time away the facts are contrary to the promise. When I read that last phrase it just hit me like a ton of bricks the facts are contrary to the promise. It's where a lot of people live at Christmas time in fact last week René was such a wonderful sermon but he was talking about how you can pretty much summarize just about every single Christmas story in Scripture with three little words change of plans you remember that?

Joseph's betrothed to Mary change of plans she's now pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph decides to quietly divorce her change of plans angel says go ahead Mary take her as your wife and it just goes on change of plans change of plans you know no room at the inn no crib for a bed it even the magi that we heard about in this morning's reading even they had to go home by another way more change of plans and no sooner do the magi leave then parties over get up the angel said take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt does that blow your mind that Joseph and Mary have to flee in order to save the Savior that God would start out his journey on this earth as a refugee I mean talk about the facts being contrary to the promise.

And if you've never been in a situation where you feel that way I've got news for you you will there will come a time where you're gonna find yourself in a place where the facts are contrary to the promise what are you gonna do will you be buried under the cold hard facts or will you somehow rise above them will you still be hopeful will you still have confidence will you still have joy the answer to that question comes down I believe depends entirely on where you place your faith you place it just in the facts always being good or does your faith rest on the promise the promise of who God is and what he's doing in this world.

If ask yourself this is another way of thinking of the question what am I counting on what are you counting on perfect marriage perfect kids perfect health perfect Christmas good luck because sometimes the facts are contrary to the promise and so I want to just give you three simple truths this morning three things that you can always count on that I can always count on and then I want to introduce you to a remarkable man I just known him a couple days but this is a man who is living this sermon a man whose facts all around him are contrary to the promise because this is a refugee story and this man lives amidst about two million refugees in Jordan you're gonna meet him in just a moment but first of all these three truths that we can take to the bank that we can count on no matter what even when we're surrounded by tough facts.

The first one is this when I don't know why God does you might want to write that down when I don't know why God does do you think that Joseph and Mary saw this trip to Egypt coming no way and yet there they are on the road looking over the shoulder wondering if Herod's assassins are gonna close into them I mean is is that was that really the plan really well as a matter of fact it was because look what Matthew says at the end of verse 15 and so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet out of Egypt I called my son.

Now what what's Matthew getting at just circle it underline that little phrase and so was fulfilled because he's reaching back into the Old Testament to verse that no one thought was written about Jesus and he says well actually it just got fulfilled with this trip to Jesus so let's just take a little trip back there put your thinking caps on we go all the way back to the Old Testament book of Hosea 11:1 it says this when Israel was a youth I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son so there's Matthew's little quote right there but look what the next verse says in Hosea but the more they were called the more they went away from me in other words even after I took them out of Egypt even after I delivered them from their bondage and everything else that he would do for them you know the manna and Ten Commandments and parting the Red Sea and and all of these things even so he says the more I called them the more they went away in other words they continually rebelled.

Now the plan was for Israel to be a light to all the other nations but guess what the plan didn't work out so well they failed over and over again just like we all fail over and over again to represent God faithfully to the world around us but what Matthew is saying is that this trip that seems so random in doing so God is gonna retrace Israel's past in person he's gonna go to the very place where the patriarchs like Abraham went and Joseph went and Jacob went and where the nation began he says I am going to be the Israel that Israel could not be I will become like you in every way except for your sins I am going to bear your sufferings I'm gonna cry your tears and yes I will carry your sins on me I will be for you what you could never be for yourself and Matthew says and that was being fulfilled right in that moment even as a toddler Jesus is already identifying with his people he's already taking up his cross as a toddler as a refugee.

Now did Mary and Joseph see all that did they go oh this is obvious of course there's no way they didn't know why but God did now think of your own life the why's why is it why did someone you love not survive the surgery or not survive the chemo when other people have why do many chain smokers or some at least live into their 90s and my friend Phil who never smoked died of lung disease at 51 we don't have the answers to all the why's we have the general answer that sin death disease or rampant in this world that's generally the answer but in the specifics that's where dogs us why this why there.

Here's what I do know God has a plan and a purpose that will not be derailed for your life or my life or the people that we love in fact God even promises very familiar verse to many of you in Romans 8:28 he says and we know that in all things good things bad things ugly things God works for the good he works for the good he doesn't say they're all good we know better than that but he will work for the good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose that's what I hang on to for Phil's wife and his boys his loss is not a good thing but I know that God is working for the good right now in their lives if that wasn't true what do you have you despair and so I claim the promise I rest in the promise that when I don't know why God does and you can rest in that same promise to even when you can't put the calculus all together and that really leads to the second truth.

When I don't know how God does when I don't know how he's going to somehow redeem my pain in my losses he does again case in point Mary and Joseph they had no warning that they were gonna have to go to Egypt there was no heads up and yet God provided for them I mean how are they gonna buy food how are they gonna keep a roof over their head oh that's right right before they had to go the Magi what well they gave gold frankincense mer you think that that got utilized during that time and eat it you better believe it did and we understand the value of gold but frankincense and mer what's that it's like some spice that's been buried back in my cupboard or something like that.

Now expert scholars believe that because ancient cultures valued frankincense and gold and mer so much these were gifts reserved for kings because they valued that so much that in the time of Jesus they speculate that the value of those things was perhaps at an all-time high in the history of the world that in today's dollars they estimate that frankincense would go for at least $500 a pound and mer even more precious is estimated to be worth at the time of Jesus over $5,500 a pound and so what might have looked like Jesus's college fund when the Magi arrived well it at least paid the bills down in Egypt now again they did not see that coming but God did and so when he said get up and go they just went.

Well how about you what is a situation in your life where the nagging question is how how is God gonna provide for this how is God gonna get us through maybe you have a dream you have a ministry you feel called you feel down in your soul God just keeps bringing this back to your mind over and over again he's saying get up and go and you're stuck on how how well you may not know how but if God truly intends for you to go in that direction he does I mean he after all knows how to spin up galaxies and resurrect the dead I think he knows how to meet our needs in fact if I've learned anything in my own journey is that God will give me what I need when I need it.

Now sometimes I think I need things that I don't need so there's a need to be discerning and wise but when God guides God what God provides even when I don't know how finally third simple little truth when I don't know why God does when I don't know how God does and when I don't know what's next God does did you notice what the angel tells Joseph when he says get up flee take the child and his mother to Egypt and then he says this he says stay there until I what tell you his they stay there for six months stay there for a year yeah I'm if I'm Joseph I'm like whoa whoa whoa time out time out how long are we gonna be down there like you know a year two ten rest of our lives how long until I tell you and I wonder if for some of us this morning God has put you in a waiting room of sorts.

There's some facts in your life you are longing for them to change and it could could it just be that what he's telling you is not well this is gonna go until you know March of next year we're just hanging in there for three more weeks he's saying stay there until I tell you I'll tell you but for now I just want you to wait to put your hope in me and to trust in me until I take you to that next place what is the waiting room in your life the thing that you just want to know what is that you know what will 2016 will that be a better year or a worse year what will happen I don't know God does or I know there's a question that's probably plaguing many of you what about the 49ers are they ever gonna be good again I mean what is next for them don't know.

Here's the bottom line the facts always change you know this from your own life the facts always change good news is this God's purposes and promises never change I mean your health it's gonna change your looks gonna change your hair just ask René your family gonna change the facts are always changing but God's purposes and promises they never change for us.

Here's a great example I love this passage in 2 Corinthians 1:20–22 for where it says for no matter how many promises God has made they are yes in Christ now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm and Christ he anointed us said his seal of ownership on us and put his spirit in our hearts as a deposit what hoping for the best no guaranteeing what is to come amen indeed this is God's purpose for you this is God's promise to you but you if you live in that reality if that presses itself down into your heart will you truly trust you can have joy whatever the circumstances are in life you can have peace and in a second you're gonna meet someone who will prove that to you.

But man don't you think the world could use people that are a little bit more joyful a little bit more peaceful do you think our world has a surplus of people like that people with quiet confidence who live not only for themselves but because of the joy and gratitude and love they have for the Lord they're willing to live on behalf of others don't you want to be that kind of person I mean isn't that the life we all want isn't that why we are part of church.

Well this last Thursday I was introduced to a man over the phone named Jamal Hashway. Jamal lives in Jordan Jordan has a population just under 7 million people they have absorbed over 2 million refugees to date since 1991 primarily from Syria and Iraq. Jamal who was trained to be an accountant now works in full-time ministry trying to meet the needs of these refugees you if you were here this summer you heard Valerie talk about her trip to Jordan she talked about this man this amazing guy who finds ways to you know find a refrigerator for this person or transportation for that person just constantly kind of work in angles using his business acumen and his entrepreneurial spirit to to meet needs and talk about a guy who where the facts are contrary to the promise all around him in it.

I'm talking to him on the phone and he's joyful and he's hopeful and he's encouraging me and I was thinking I sure wish that that you guys could just eavesdrop on this conversation but we got something better because Jamal's here let's give him a very warm welcome let's welcome Jamal.

All right Jamal have a seat it is such a privilege to have you here this morning at Twin Lakes Church we were out at dinner with Jamal last night myself my brother Valerie René Lori and here's a guy who is surrounded by immense needs immense needs and yet he's encouraging us he's inspiring us and so Jamal I'd love for you to share a little bit of what you shared last night to help us understand what it's like in Jordan right now I mean we always get our information from is from the media but you're on the ground there and you shared last night about a man named Nash wah Nash wan from an Iraqi refugee could you tell us a little bit of his story.

But first of all I want to greet you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and also bring you the greetings of your brothers and sisters that are alive in the Middle East there are many that follow Jesus Christ today I can tell you of hundreds of thousands of people come into Christ all throughout the Muslim world today that's not in the news people don't share that because doesn't help their economy but I tell you what we are gonna be surprised a big surprise when we see multitudes of people who never thought would be in heaven they'll be there continue to pray that the Lord will use ways you know different ways and the Lord has his ways to bring people maybe out of their comfort zone take them to another country and then bring them to himself.

This wonderful friend his name is Nash wan is part of quarter a million of cultural Christian people that actually left the northern part of Iraq and mainly because Isis came and they gave them kind of three options one option is that you would become a Muslim and would let you stay here and the second option that you pay us large amounts of money and the third option if you actually don't leave you may face death so they had just literally to leave and go to just places unknown future but knowing that God cares for them.

This guy Nash wan came back to his village when he heard that Isis came and surrounded the village to rescue his own family he was a lieutenant in the Iraqi police and as he actually came to rescue the family found out that the neighbors already took his family and his mother outside into Kurdistan where there's more safety there and as he was leaving the place was surrounded by the terrorists and they actually got him with 16 others tortured him for 17 days and then on the 17th day somebody came said well I know you you helped me two years ago you gave me your own personal car when my wife was pregnant and she was to go to hospital I didn't have any vehicle you came you Christian you gave me your car just to go and and just literally help my wife and he said keep the car as long as you need it I'll never forget that tonight I'm gonna take you to safety when everybody's asleep without any anybody knowing actually drove him out and took him to the borders of Kurdistan and had him walk for a few hours.

And then when he arrived at the borders the Kurds thought that he was from Isis so they took him and tortured him for another 13 days just what a story that guy was just really definitely totally shattered but at the end on the day of his trial to be just sentenced to prison for three four years the judge recognized him I said I know your father we actually work together and you're a Christian what are you doing here and he told the other officers why did you bring this guy and just he let him out.

Now it's a long story just to cut it short he went now looking for his family for 70 days he went to 40 different villages and cities just looking to find his family he could not find them finally he saw a relative who told him your family is actually in Jordan they made it safely there and I know how to get in touch with them so right there on Skype his picture was there and his wife could not believe she thought he was dead and now the family is together he was able to fly into a man and join his family now more complications took place because this guy that owned two beautiful houses and cars and everything for his children he told me his little kid had three bicycles now he doesn't have a little car to play with in a little home there and a man we were able to help them with some pain paying their rent getting them some groceries and all that his wife because of the what happened to her has some cancer now and we're praying the Lord will hear her and also we're helping also with the medical part of that story.

Nashuan at the end of that visit when we heard his story I told him Jesus cares for you what you have done is great is you're just like Simon the siren you know you carried the cross of Jesus with Jesus but you never met him face to face now I want to introduce you to the Jesus you have never known at the end of that time the whole family stood up with tears coming down said yes to Jesus amen that's the way that's the way and I want today is a volunteer helping with us in our ministry helping other people and this is the way to go.

Now we have 50,000 others like Nashuan around us literally in the same category in addition to one and a half million Syrian refugees pray for us as we continue to serve them to tell them that Jesus cares and the Jesus way is not I love you bless you go and be fed and be cared for this is sometimes so many times our way but Jesus came all the way from heaven and gave all he got for us what can we give to others because whatever we do unto the least of them we're actually doing it to Jesus.

Well and he just has story after story after story like this but one of the issues right now one of the projects you have Iraqi refugees have no status in Jordan they don't get the same level of help as other refugees and while some of them can they have the means to get their children into school it's only a partial solution because they can't afford the transportation in particular and other practical needs and so there there can be Iraqi children you told me about some they've just been sitting for months and months they should be in school but they can't and and that can lead to obviously problems down the line and so you're you're addressing that head-on speak to that.

Well actually yeah as we visit families we we found that schooling actually is available for them and is paid for but all they need is really the transportation to to go you know the bus and also some stationary which is about 400 US dollars per person for one full year so if that amount is provided that boy that now is sitting at home will be able to be actually at school and it was so sad when I met one little boy a year and a half away from school and I told him how's your reading he said I'm forgetting how to read and write I said what I mean we're in the 21st century and these guys you know just a year and a half ago went to the best schools in Iraq and their families paid for him now they're sitting at home.

So I really feel this is very much on my heart to help the kids at least not lose the chance of just being like other kids get their education and so we've had a fund for refugees in Jordan since last summer since Valerie returned we it's not we haven't beat that drum very much but many of you have been very generous towards that we've already turned over many thousand dollars to the work effort there and you're doing so much to in Lakes Church between 2020 and the food drive and a Giving Grove and all this kind of stuff I don't want to at all risk and a compassion fatigue here but if during the course of time you would like to make a difference there you can always just give a gift either memo your check or write on the envelope in the pew racks in front of you that you wanted to go to Jordan refugees and then we're working with Jamal and missionaries that we've worked with for over 40 years to meet some of these practical needs.

And so the mechanism is always there if you want there's also some notes a little box at the bottom of your notes about a refugee project that's happening in Modesto right now cost of living is much cheaper there and so that's the nearest project it's global excuse me worldrelief Modesto.org you can check that out the dresses that are out in the lobby this morning were handmade by refugees in Jordan and this this gives them a marketable trade and skill all the funds go back to them to support their families as well so if you're looking for some Christmas gift ideas that's a great gift with a great cause and benefit behind it.

But lastly how can we be praying for you I mean you're in the trenches you're on the front lines of one of the greatest humanitarian crises of this millennia and so far how can we pray for you and your family.

Well I have one wife and three children and in the Middle East you have to specify by the way one wife so I think it's enough to have one wife now but I don't know how they do with two or three eyes. Yeah pray for us as a family because this is like we're the Lord has called us into this and I tell you one thing every day I want to get out of this honestly it's too too heavy but we will not because the Lord has asked us to do this just pray that the Lord will help us to continue we do this by faith it's a faith movement with global hope so pray for us that the Lord will supply the needs there and also for my staff we have about 20 in the Arab countries just pray that the Lord also will give them the strength to continue what was mentioned is the compassion fatigue you know after some time you really are so burdened to the point that when after a day of visiting few homes you literally want to go home and go to bed just right away you don't want to think of anything else don't eat don't do anything you know so just pray for us that we'd be able to continue with this calling fresh with the joy of the Lord mean last night I woke up at 2 o'clock and I had this wonderful time with Jesus you know for two hours and I tell you there is nothing in the world like this you just get refreshed you speak to the Father you enjoy the name of Jesus and you're filled with the Holy Spirit to be able to do his work.

Don't even try to do his work and your strength I have tried you failed need to do his work with his power and then things will be different for the kingdom of God thank you amen and just a footnote that while you're saying that Jamal I was thinking that perhaps one of the reasons God doesn't always tell us why or how or what's next is because it compels us to do just what you said to holy trust in him to just be completely dependent and be aware ever and always that it is through his strength his power his will that anything gets accomplished for his good.

Yeah let's thank Jamal one more time for being with us here today now don't leave glory to the Lord Jamal asked us to pray for him are you gonna be praying for him okay I so that we don't make liars out of ourselves we're gonna pray for him right now if there's no other time let's pray.

Heavenly Father I thank you so much for my dear brother in the Lord Jamal I pray for him for his wife for his children I pray Lord that you would protect their hearts that you would continue to fill him fill them with love and with joy and with the hope that can only come through you through your strength through your spirit and Lord I pray that as they continue to depend on you to meet the needs of thousands upon thousands of refugees that Lord suffering beyond what most of us can imagine or will ever experience I pray Lord that you would sustain them and that you would bless them and that they would continue to marvel at how you work in in such desperate situations to bring hope to bring life to the least of these and so Lord protect him and encourage him and give him the rest and the vitality that he needs to serve you in your strength and we pray the same thing for ourselves here in Santa Cruz and all God's people said amen thank you again and God bless you we love you.