Our Darkest Story

For when you’re feeling disappointed with your life...

“Let God write your story.”

God’s Story

God searches for you to be in His story.

(Joshua 2:1) Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

God always makes a way for us to be in His story.

  

Rehab the harlot helped the Hebrew spies escape capture in Jericho.  She saved her entire family for doing this.  

(Joshua 2:17-21) Now the men had said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down... But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

God’s story always has a redemptive 

ending.

Redeem means to put something back to it's original intent, and it's better than it was before. 

God has the unique ability to take the darkest story and turn it to good (Romans 8:28).

(Matthew 1:3, 5-6) Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar... Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth...David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.

God has more of a story for you than you can even understand.

Rehab became the ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ.  

Rahab’s Words of Encouragement

1. “God invites you to be a part of His story— join Him.”

If you want God involved in your life, you have to say yes.

(John 8:12) Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Jesus saves you.  Forgives you.  Cleanses you. 

Give your life to God.  He can do more with it than you can. 

(Luke 9:23-24) Then he (Jesus) said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

2.“God wants to surprise you with His love— accept Him.”

(Hebrews 4:15-16 MSG) We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's (Jesus) been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

3. “God wants you to love others with your actions—serve Him.”

The God story never ends with just you. 

(1 John 3:16-18) This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

4. “God signs His Name to your story—

 thank Him.”

(1 Timothy 1:15-17 NLT) This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

Everyone can be great because everyone can serve - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/rahab 

All scripture is from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.

Light in the Darkness

God has been demonstrating His grace throughout human history. It has been radiating through the centuries like a lighthouse.  

Hebrews 9:26 B (ESV)

26 But as it is, he (Jesus) has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Light radiates from a light source.  A light from a light source is based upon the height of the light, the brightness of the light, and the curvature of the earth. 

The light house has one purpose which is to pierce the darkness to guide ships safely to the shore line.

Lineage in the Bible was very important because inheritance and property was determined by genealogy. (Matthew 1)  

There are 5 women listed in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ.  4 of them were outcasts. 

1. Tamar was forsaken by her father-in-law Judah.  She disguised herself as a harlot and became pregnant through him. (Genesis 38)   

Matthew 1:3 (ESV)

3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,

God included Tamar in the genealogy of Jesus to show us that although we are forsaken by all. God still does not forsake us. 

  

Psalm 32:8 (ESV)

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

God is watching out for you. 

Isaiah 30:21  (ESV)

21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

When you feel forsaken, God will help you get on the right path. 

Hebrews 13:5  (NASB)

for He (God)  Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 

2. Rehab was a fearful woman who was a harlot who later helped the two Hebrew spies in Jericho.  They saved her life when Jericho fell in return.  (Joshua 2:1-5)

Matthew 1:5 (ESV)

5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,

Tamar and Rahab were none Jewish women who married Jewish men.  Tamar pretended to be a prostitute.  Rehab was an actual Prostitute. 

Rehab had a fear of the Lord and began to look to the living God in faith.  

Through Tamar,we discover that God will not forsake us.  Through Rehab, we discover that God will not reject anyone who repents and places their  faith in Him.  

Rehab was written about twice more in the New Testament in addition to the genealogy of Jesus.  

Hebrews 11:31 (ESV)

31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

James 2:25  (ESV)

25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read how God was revealing His forgiveness upon mankind in the Old Testament even before Jesus came as a baby who was to save them.

Tamar was a forsaken woman who became found.  Rehab was a fearful woman who became faith filled. 

3. The third woman was a foreign woman who became a friend of God. (The Story is in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament) 

Whom everyone else excludes.  God includes.  

Matthew 1:5 (ESV)

5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,  

  

  

Ruth was neither a prostitute or acted like a prostitute.  She was a foreign woman who wanted to do the right thing. 

Although Ruth was a foreigner, Ruth was brought into the lineage of King David and our Lord Jesus.

Her first husband died prematurely, and Boaz was her kinsman redeemer who saved her from her plight of poverty. 

Salvation is not just for the Jews or Americans. It's for everyone like Ruth.

If you feel forsaken, God will not forsake you.  If you are in fear, God will give you faith.  If you are on the outside, God has an invitation for you to be on the inside.  

4. The fourth woman was a fallen woman  who was an ancestor of Jesus.  Bathsheba had been married to another man, Uriah.  King David killed him for her.  (2 Samuel 11)

Later, they had a baby Solomon who later became king.  The message is that God will forgive you no matter what you've done. If you don't believe that you can be forgiven, you've missed the point. You can. 

Matthew 9:13 (ESV)

13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I (God) desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I (Jesus) came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus is our kinsman redeemer like Boaz who saved Ruth.  We can be saved by Him.  

Do you feel forsaken?  Come to Jesus and God will accept you. 

Do you feel fearful?   Come to Jesus, and God will fill you with faith.

  

Do you feel like an outsider?  Come to Jesus, and God will call you His own. 

Do you feel like you've fallen so far into sin that it's too late?  Come to Jesus, and God will forgive you?

If you're not a Christian, God wants you.  Say yes to Jesus as Lord, and He will say yes to you. 

Revelation 3:20  (ESV)

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV)

20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

If you're already a Christian, look for the Tamars, Rehabs, Ruths, and the Bathshebas and share God's love with them.

Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church. 

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/sermons/the-light-shines-in-the-darkness/