Title: "Fruit or Failure"

Place: Berean Baptist Church

Date: 23 April 2003

Primary Text: Exodus 1:6-12

Exo 1:6 And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

Exo 1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Exo 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

Exo 1:9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:

Exo 1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

Exo 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

Exo 1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

I want to springboard this evening from verse 12 and preach for just a few minutes on afflictions and look at the blessings and growth in our lives as a result of obedience through trials. I want to bring a message tonight on:

"Fruit or Failure"

Trials and tribulations are subjects that we like to avoid talking about. We rarely consider the work that God is doing in our hearts and lives through times of heartache and affliction. The word affliction or form of the word appears in your King James Bible 176 times. Do you think that God is trying to tell us something concerning affliction?

According to Webster's 1828 American Dictionary, the definition of the word afflicted is as follows: Affected with continued or often repeated pain, either of body or mind; suffering grief or distress, of any kind; followed by at, by, or with; as afflicted at the loss of a child, by rheumatism, or with losses. Did you notice that it is a "continued or often repeated pain..."? That means you can probably expect to encounter them over and over again. In our Christian walk we have experienced many a trial and have all handled them differently but God has allowed them for His special purpose in our lives.

In this particular passage, Joseph has died and a new king in Egypt has come on the scene. In verse 7 of our text the Bible says that the children of Israel were "...fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them." Affliction is allowed in our lives to make us more fruitful.

John 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Those of you who have done any kind of gardening or worked with plants or trees, you know the importance of pruning and cutting back in order to advance the growth and allow more fruit to grow. I want to look at just two points this evening that I believe will help us to see why God allows affliction and trials to come our way.

1. Death of Others - First of all this evening I see that sometimes God uses the death of others to allow affliction in our lives. The death of family members, close friends or other loved ones. Sometimes of those we respect and admire in places of authority. In our history as a nation we can look back and see situations that caused us to come together and even look to God for answers. Times of presidential assassination, the attack at Pearl Harbor and 911 just to name a few. Even death of people we do not know sometimes affect us. In our text tonight God used the passing of a great leader to bring affliction into the lives of the children of Israel. But the Bible tells us that they continued on after Joseph's death, to multiply and grow. This was a completely new generation, if you'll notice in verse 6, the passage tells us that "Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation." We need to continue on through our afflictions, trust God and grow beyond our current circumstances. We are a different people than those who came before us. His holy purpose in allowing us to enter into these times is to be refined.

Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

We also see His refining influence in Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

and again in 1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Can you see that God only wants the very best for you and me when we enter into these trials? He has chosen us to enter through these times. Consider that God chose Job to be tried in a manner that none of us can boast nor would we want to.

I know it's hard to understand but somehow it should be exciting to know that He has especially selected some of us sitting right here in this sanctuary this evening to undergo some very hard things in our lives. Many of you are aware that about 6 1/2 years ago the Lord chose our family to enter into a time in our lives that has forever changed our lives. On October 22 of 1996, our son Colin was hit by a car and went home to be with the Lord. Now, I can speak with some authority in this area of affliction and Tammy and I have been given a new area of ministry in which we previously could not take part. We have been able to talk to many mothers and fathers who have lost children and I have been amazed at how the Lord has let our paths cross. I cannot tell you that I understand all the reasons why God allowed that time in our lives, but I can tell you with boldness that He knew that we would survive through it and grow from it. Some of you sitting here tonight have lost spouses, children, parents and friends. Some will lose family members in the future and barring the imminent return of our Lord and Savior, we may be called upon to experience other situations we would never even dream of. If I had known what was to come into our lives when I retired from the Air Force and decided to settle in Quitman, I would have changed my mind and stayed where I was. But I am glad that God can step out of today and into tomorrow and see what is best for us. Thank God, He knows what we can take and what would be too much for us.

1Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

He will never allow you to go through anything that He will not carry you, I promise you. Because that is what His Holy Word says! AMEN? Nothing is so unique that He has not already experienced it. Some of you this evening are experiencing some things that I am not aware of and I cannot help you with, but I know the One who can. When you can't share with someone what is in your heart because you think that no one understands, then pray to the Father and He will help you through it. I can't tell you that you will always understand it but you will get through it. And you will be better for coming through the trial and the affliction. Not only does God use the death of others but He uses:

2. Death of Self - Secondly, I see that the children of Israel did not rear up against the Pharaoh even in the change of royal authority and the setting up of taskmasters. In verse 13, it says that the Egyptians made them to serve with rigour. Once again, Webster defines rigorous as: severe; exact; strict; without abatement or relaxation; . Now you tell me that if your boss came in to you and started to work on you to intentionally break your will and cause you to submit to their authority that you wouldn't buck and complain. Sure you would and I would too. It's our sin nature to kick and rebel against authority, but we are no longer controlled by sin and the flesh, or we're not supposed to be. As Christians, we are under the authority and jurisdiction of the Holy Ghost of God and our actions should be directed by Him. In this passage it tells us that the new king over Egypt began to notice that God's people were more and mightier than his own and took steps to try and stem the tide and discourage their growth and multiplication. We can see from Genesis 46 to Exodus chapter 12 that God did bless the nation of Israel. They came in with “three score and ten” and grew to over 2 million. But notice here that the Bible simply states that "...they built for Pharaoh treasure cities...". It tells us that the more he afflicted them, the more that they multiplied and grew. God's people died to themselves and did that which was expected of them and God prospered them.

Now we know that many times the nation of Israel was a rebellious and stubborn people, always complaining and never happy with any situation, but not in this passage. We just see a record of their submission to the taskmaster. If you read on through the rest of this chapter and on into the next, you will see that their afflictions did not end there but got worse. But through it all they died to self and submitted to the authority, which ultimately was God Himself. You know Christian friend that is the bottom line. We are not actually submitting to the boss at work, the Pastor of the church, the parents at home, but we are all submitting ourselves to God's authority and to those He has allowed in leadership in our lives.

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Everyone who has been placed in our path as our authority whether that authority be in our home, our church, our government, whether we agree with them or not, the Bible tells us that they have been ordained by God Himself and to ignore or rebel against that authority would be to buck against the Lord Himself. If I am in charge of my home, and I am, (I say that because not every man is in charge at his home, say amen) anyway, and I delegate that authority to my wife then she has all the power and authority and in fact, represents me. Therefore, if my sons choose to ignore the directions given by their mother it would be the same as defying my commands or orders as their father. And by the way young people, if you live at home (regardless of your age) then you still fall under the authority of your parents and are required to obey them, say Amen right there. But that is exactly what we do as Christians when we do not obey those in authority over us. We make a mockery of God's authority and choose to disobey Him and go against His wishes or commands to us.

Judges 8:23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

It is the Son of God, your Lord and Savior who should be ruling over your lives and the decisions that you make. Is He ruling and reigning in your heart? Many times we choose to disregard what those in authority say and make our own decisions. We rebel and go against the grain. Do you realize that when God mentions a positive in the Word of God that there is also a negative implied? If the children of Israel were blessed by God because of their submission and obedience to the Pharaoh, then it also means that in their disobedience and rebellion they would not have grown to be mighty, they would not have been blessed to be fruitful and they would in fact have been right where the king was trying to get them all along. It was because of their submission to the king that God made them mighty and multiplied them.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Those who are in authority have been given a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Those of us who stand under some authority no matter what that authority may be will not be required to stand before a Holy and Righteous God and give account for that authority and leadership. We do not comprehend the great weight upon those who are in authority over us and as we just read in Hebrews, that "they watch for your souls". Are you aware this evening that our Pastor will personally stand before Jesus Christ as the undershepard and give an account for what Berean Baptist Church has done and will give an account for you and me and how he tried to direct our lives to grow in grace and be productive, mature Christians?

He won't answer for the way we submitted and obeyed the Word of God being preached but He will answer for making sure He preached it, and preached it straight, even when we didn't want to hear it. What about that?

Dying to others and dying to self. God allows afflictions in our lives to make us better, not bitter. I realize that sounds so cliché but we have got a lot of bitter Christians out there in the world today and that is just where bitterness will take them too. Once they get bitter at someone or something they end up out of fellowship, out of church and out in the world. Let us this evening not find ourselves entertaining feelings of bitterness because God also tells us in His Word that He will chastise us as His children.

Pro 3:11,12 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Thank God, He loved us enough to save us. He loves us enough to keep us. He will love us throughout eternity as we praise and worship Him!

Matthew Henry said this concerning this passage of Scripture:

In all our ways that prove pleasant, in which we gain our point, we must acknowledge God with thankfulness. In all our ways that prove uncomfortable, and that are hedged up with thorns, we must acknowledge him with submission. It is promised, He shall direct thy paths; so that thy way shall be safe and good, and happy at last.

He is simply saying this, that we must thank Him in the good times and trust and submit to His wisdom during what we perceive as the "bad" times. That is what Job did.

As we close this evening, let us die to ourselves, to our wants and our desires and let us truly seek the direction of the Lord in our lives. These trying times will eventually come again in our lives but He is working to conform us to the image of His dear Son, Jesus Christ, the Darling of Heaven and our Savior.

As we enter into the invitation time, will you look inside of your own heart and see if there be any hurt or bitterness toward a brother or sister this evening? If there is some problem that has existed between brothers or sisters, tonight is a good night to resolve that.

Mat 5:23,24 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Did you notice that God didn't say if you had something against the brethren but that you remember that your brother (or sister) has something against you, to go and reconcile yourselves and then offer your gift to the Lord.

We take this precious time at the altar for granted and do not consider that it is a time to pour out our hearts to the Lord. Come to pray... for yourselves...

for others...just come and talk to the One who saved you.

Let's stand and pray. (Invitation with piano playing softly)