Curry's Chapel Church
20260614 4 - But God
  • SLIDE: Scripture Psalm 40:1-2
    Psalm 40:1–2 ESV
    1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
    SLIDE: Title

    Introduction: The Two Words That Change Everything

    There is a moment in almost every story — and in almost every life — where everything is falling apart. Where the diagnosis has come, the relationship has ended, the job has vanished, the hope has dried up. You've done the math and the numbers don't work. You've prayed the prayers and the silence seems louder than ever. You've tried to hold it together, but the weight… is just too much.
    [Pause — let that land]
    And then — sometimes quietly, sometimes like a thunderclap — two words arrive. Two small words that pivot the entire story. Two words that have echoed through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, from Joseph's prison cell to an empty tomb. Two words that do not erase the pain, but reframe everything about it.
    [Say it LOUD]
    "But God."
    [Slow Down — say it again, quietly]
    "But God."
    These are not throwaway words. They are not a spiritual bumper sticker or a cliché stitched on a pillow. In the Bible, the phrase "but God" — in its various forms — appears at the most decisive turning points in redemption history. Every time circumstances have the final word, God interrupts. Every time the story looks finished, God writes another sentence.
    [Transition]
    Today we are going to live inside those two words. We are going to look at where they show up, what they mean, and what they demand of us. And I believe that by the time we leave today, some of you are going to realize that you are not at the end of your story. You are at the "but God" moment.
    SLIDE: Title

    Main Teaching: You Were Dead — But God

    Let's anchor ourselves in the primary text for today. Open your Bibles to Ephesians 2. We'll begin at verse 1 and read through verse 5.
    This is Paul writing to the church at Ephesus, and what he does in these verses is stunning. He begins by painting the darkest possible picture of who we were — and then he detonates two words right in the middle of it.
    [Eye Contact — wait for people to find the passage]
    SLIDE: Scripture Ephesians 2:1-3
    Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV
    1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
    [Pause]
    Dead. Not sick. Not struggling. Not making poor choices. Dead. There is no word in the English language with less potential than "dead." Dead things do not improve on their own. Dead things do not grow. Dead things do not choose. Dead things need something from outside themselves to change their condition.
    And Paul's picture is vivid: we were following the course of this world — swimming downstream in the direction culture was pulling us, not even realizing we were being carried. We were following the prince of the power of the air — a real, active spiritual enemy whose fingerprints are all over the patterns of our lives. We were living by the passions of our flesh — led by appetite, by want, by the compulsion to fill the void.
    [Slow Down]
    This is not comfortable language. But Paul is not trying to make us comfortable — he is trying to make us honest. Before you can receive grace, you have to understand what you needed grace from.
    And then — verse 4. [Pause — pause dramatically before reading verse 4]
    SLIDE: Scripture Ephesians 2:4-5
    Ephesians 2:4–5 ESV
    4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
    [Breath]
    Did you feel the turn? Verses 1 through 3 are a descent. A spiral. A case being built for why there is no hope. Dead. Following darkness. Children of wrath. And then Paul hits the wall — "But God."
    Not "but we tried harder." Not "but we cleaned ourselves up." Not "but eventually we figured it out." But God.
    Object Lesson: Hold up two pieces of paper — one labeled "DEAD" in large letters, one labeled "BUT GOD." Set the first one down.
    Hold up the second. Ask: What changed? Not the paper — God. God changed the condition from outside.
    Being rich in mercy. Because of the great love. Even when we were dead. God did not wait for us to get better. He did not require us to improve before he moved. He moved while we were still at our worst. The love of God is not a reward for better behavior — it is a rescue operation launched into enemy territory.
    This is the first "but God." It is theological. It is cosmic. It is the turning point of all of human history. And it is deeply, personally yours — if you have trusted Christ.
    SLIDE: Title

    1 - The Anatomy of Grace

    Notice what Paul says God does in verse 5: He "made us alive together with Christ." This is the technical word for resurrection — "alive together” the same vocabulary used for what happened on Easter morning. God did not simply improve you. He raised you. You went from the category of "dead" to the category of "alive," and that is not something you can take even partial credit for.
    [Transition]
    Now read verses 6 through 10 with me:
    SLIDE: Scripture Ephesians 2:6-10
    Ephesians 2:6–10 ESV
    6 and [He] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
    [Slow Down — let verse 10 breathe]
    You are his workmanship. The word Paul uses here is the Greek word poiema — from which we get our English word "poem." You are God's poem. You are the work of art he is crafting. You were not made for the pile — you were made for the gallery. And God does not leave his work unfinished.
    SLIDE: Title

    2- You Were Betrayed — But God

    Now let's travel back to the oldest book of the Bible, because "but God" did not start with Paul. It echoes through the entire story of Scripture, and one of its earliest and most powerful appearances is in the story of Joseph.
    [Transition]
    Most of you know the story. Joseph was his father Jacob's favorite son — and his brothers hated him for it. They hated him so much that one day, when the opportunity came, they threw him into a pit and sold him to slave traders headed for Egypt. They went home and told their father he was dead.
    Joseph spent years as a slave. Then, after showing integrity in the house of Potiphar, he was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and thrown into prison. Years more passed. He interpreted dreams for fellow prisoners, and the one who could have helped him forgot about him.
    [Pause]
    Betrayed by family. Enslaved. Falsely accused. Forgotten. And yet, the text keeps saying the same thing: "The Lord was with Joseph." Not "Joseph had great resilience." Not "Joseph had a great attitude." The Lord was with Joseph.
    Fast forward: Pharaoh has a dream no one could interpret. The cupbearer remembers Joseph. Joseph is brought from prison, interprets the dream, and rises to second in command over all of Egypt — saving the region from famine. His brothers, desperate for food, come to Egypt and end up standing before the brother they betrayed.
    And here is the moment. Joseph could have destroyed them. He had the power. He had every reason. Instead, in Genesis 50, verse 20, he says this:
    SLIDE: Scripture Genesis 50:20
    Genesis 50:20 ESV
    20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
    [Eye Contact]
    "You meant evil against me — but God meant it for good."
    [Pause]
    Joseph is not saying his brothers' evil was good. He is not excusing the betrayal. He is not pretending the suffering did not happen. He is saying something far more radical: God was working through the suffering toward a purpose that was larger than the suffering.
    [Slow Down]
    The pit was not the end of Joseph's story. The prison was not the end. The forgetfulness of the cupbearer was not the end. Every time the story looked finished, God was still writing. And what looked like the worst chapters of Joseph's life turned out to be the road to his greatest purpose.
    Object Lesson:
    SLIDE: Embroidery Back
    Hold up a piece of fabric — showing only the back side, with knots and loose threads. It looks like a mess.
    Now flip it over — a beautiful pattern is visible on the front. Say: When you are in the middle of your suffering, you are seeing the back of the tapestry.
    SLIDE: Embroidery Front
    But God is working on the front. The knots are not accidents — they are holding the pattern together.
    [Transition]
    Someone in this room today is in a Joseph season. You are in the pit. You are in the prison. You have been betrayed by someone who should have protected you. You are waiting for a promise that seems to have expired. And I need you to hear this: the story is not over. "But God" is still being written in your chapter.
    SLIDE: Title

    3 - You Were Losing Faith — But God

    There is one more "but God" I want to show you today, and this one might be the most honest — because it comes from someone who was losing the argument with despair.
    Psalm 73 is written by a man named Asaph - AY-saf. Asaph- AY-saf was a worship leader — he wrote music for the temple. He was a man of faith by vocation. And yet this psalm begins with one of the most raw confessions in all of Scripture.
    SLIDE: Scripture Psalm 73:1-2
    Psalm 73:1–2 ESV
    1 Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.
    [Pause]
    Asaph- AY-saf starts by saying what he knows is true — God is good — and then immediately confesses that he almost lost his footing. Verse 3 tells us why: he was looking at the wicked and they seemed to be winning. They had no struggles. They were healthy. They were wealthy. They seemed to live without consequences while Asaph- AY-saf, a man of faith, was struggling every single day.
    And then comes the crisis, in verse 16:
    SLIDE: Scripture Psalm 73:16-17
    Psalm 73:16–17 NLT
    16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! 17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
    [Slow Down]
    Asaph - AY-saf is saying: I tried to figure this out on my own, and it nearly broke me. It was too heavy. I couldn't make sense of the math. I couldn't reconcile what I believed with what I was seeing. And then I went to God's house — and something shifted.
    Not because his circumstances changed. Not because the wicked were punished immediately. But because in the presence of God, he remembered what was true. He remembered the eternal frame. He remembered whose he was.
    [Eye Contact]
    And then, in one of the most breathtaking verses in the Psalms, Asaph- AY-saf lands here:
    SLIDE: Scripture Psalm 73:26
    Psalm 73:26 ESV
    26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
    [Pause — let it settle]
    My flesh may fail. My heart may fail. My faith may waver. My strength may run out. But God. But God is my strength. But God is my portion. But God is forever.
    Object Lesson:
    Set an empty glass on the pulpit.
    Say: When we run out — when the glass is empty — we are tempted to believe that empty is the end. But God is not the glass. God is the source.
    Pour Water in the glass
    He pours into us from outside ourselves. You don't have to manufacture more. You have to come to the right well.
    [Transition]
    Asaph- AY-saf did not have all the answers by the end of Psalm 73. He still didn't fully understand why the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper. But he had something better than an answer — he had a Person. He had God himself. And that was enough.
    SLIDE: Title

    Conclusion: Living in "But God"

    So where does that leave us?
    We have three "but God" moments. Three pivots. Three places in Scripture where everything looks impossible — and God interrupts.
    Paul tells us: You were dead — but God, rich in mercy, made you alive.
    Joseph tells us: You were betrayed, the road was brutal — but God meant it for good.
    Asaph- AY-saf tells us: Your heart may fail, your strength may run out — but God is your portion forever.
    [Pause]
    Here is what I want you to take home today. The phrase "but God" is not just a theological statement about the past. It is a declaration about the present. It is a posture for the future.
    To live in "but God" is to refuse to give circumstances the final word.
    Hold out both hands...
    It is to hold your suffering in one hand and your faith in the other, and to say: I do not know how this ends, but I know who holds the ending.
    [Slow Down]
    To live in "but God" is not denial. Joseph did not deny the pit. Asaph- AY-saf did not pretend his heart wasn't wavering. Paul did not minimize what death is. The "but God" does not erase the reality before it — it transcends it.
    [Eye Contact — move from notes]
    Some of you came in today carrying something very heavy. A situation that looks like verses 1 through 3 of Ephesians 2 — all descent, no daylight. You cannot see how the story turns. The math doesn't work. The diagnosis is real. The wound is deep.
    [Pause]
    But God.
    [Breath]
    Two words. The most powerful pivot in the universe. God is not finished with your story. He is not surprised by your circumstances. He is not wringing his hands in heaven wondering what to do. He is already working — already writing — already moving in the chapters you haven't read yet.
    [Transition — move toward the close]
    The question is not whether God can do something with what you are carrying.
    Hold out both hands...
    The question is whether you will open your hands and let him.
    SLIDE: Scripture Ephesians 3:20-21
    Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV
    20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
    [Pause]
    Far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.
    That is not a timid God. That is not a God who barely makes it work. That is a God whose "but" is bigger than any circumstance you can name.
    [Slow Down — final words]
    You are not at the end of the story. You are at the "but."
    And God is not done.
    [Pause — close in prayer]
    SLIDE: Title

    Closing Prayer for “But God”

    Father, we come before You humbled and grateful. We remember who we were — dead in our sins, trapped in our shame, unable to rescue ourselves. But God… You stepped in. You moved toward us when we were running from You. You loved us when we were unlovable. You spoke life into places we thought were beyond repair.
    Lord, let the truth of Your mercy settle deep into our bones. Remind us that our story is not defined by our failures, but by Your faithfulness. Where sin once reigned, let grace now overflow. Where chains once held us, let freedom rise. Where despair once whispered, let hope speak louder.
    Jesus, thank You for being the “But God” in our story — the One who breaks the darkness, lifts the fallen, restores the broken, and makes dead hearts beat again.
    As we leave this place, help us walk as people who have been made alive. Let our lives testify that mercy is real, redemption is possible, and the Savior still saves.
    We pray this in the name of the One who rescued us — Jesus Christ, our Living Hope.
    Amen.

      • Psalm 40:1–2NLT

      • Ephesians 2:1–3NLT

      • Ephesians 2:4–5NLT

      • Ephesians 2:6–10NLT

      • Genesis 50:20NLT

      • Psalm 73:1–2NLT

      • Psalm 73:16–17NLT

      • Psalm 73:26NLT

      • Ephesians 3:20–21NLT

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