Joseph - Disaster can bring Good Proper 15 A Sermon for August 14 2011

Focus Reading: Genesis 45:1–15

In today’s Sermon I want to talk about the way that God can even use disaster, or things going wrong to bring about good things. God Can turn tragedy into triumph, despair into hope and destruction into salvation.

We especially see this in the story of Joseph. As one commentary says: - “in & through all the events of Joseph's life God was at work to save the people.” (Texts A 444) This is also true of the Bible in general and even of our lives - I believe God works in & through all of our lives even the disasters, mistakes and setbacks.

In this story of Joseph, God uses the strangest circumstances to save the people. There is no strong sense of deserving - the brothers definitely  & even Joseph himself do nothing to bring about salvation - it is God who does all this by Grace.

We must live with faith for occasionally terrible tragedy can be turned by God into much greater good.  Jesus did nothing wrong - died in shame - BUT God raised him to new life. We worship a God who turns even the greatest tragedy - death into freedom and life - In all of life's tragedy we must trust and hope in God- the same God who brings light out of darkness, hope out of despair, and life out of death.

Questions for thought or discussion.

What difficult things have you faced in life? Has hs (or hasn't) God carried you through? Can you think of something hard in your life or the life of someone else which has turned been transformed into something wonderful? What happened?