Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10158 - You Don’t Always See How God is Working - Genesis 45

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#10158 - You Don’t Always See How God is Working - Genesis 45 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the Study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co To learn
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more about the many resources available through Abounding
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Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services, visit us
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online at Calvary, Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
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Church app. Now here's Pastor Ed to take us
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into our study. Amen.
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Open your Bibles. Genesis chapter 45.
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Genesis chapter 45. Almost done in our first by
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verse study in the book of Genesis.
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And here's a great title. You got to be ready for this a
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little long, but it's super relevant and it's something that
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the Lord would even just encourage you with, even in the
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title. It's not the same power as the
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Scriptures, of course. But the truth is, and here's the
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title, you don't always see how God is working.
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You don't always see how God is working.
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That can often be a very old discouragement to us.
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We're so used to seeing and seeing with our eyes and don't
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believe in unless you see it. And I think in one of the states
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has one of their sayings, it's the show me state.
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Like if you show me, then that's the way it is.
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But you know, you don't always see what God is doing.
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You know that he's acting. You know that he's working.
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But you don't always. See, we learned in our study
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last time that it was time and testing that brought the
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brothers of Joseph to the point of brokenness and desperation
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and repentance. Standing there before Joseph,
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they carried a lot of pain and anguish for years.
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Now they've carried it. It's the kind of pain and
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anguish that's rooted in their guilt and unconfessed sin, and
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they're living with it. It's some of you listening to me
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right now you have all this unconfessed, unresolved things
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and it's affected every area of your life.
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You think it's other people, but before it's other people, you've
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got to look in the mirror and say, Lord, what about me?
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Search me and know me. Reveal to me if there's any
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unclean things. Sometimes it's unconfessed sin
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and it's unresolved issues. That creates a heavy burden of
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guilt. Guilt is guilt, for sin in
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general is heavy. But guilt for unconfessed sin
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is, you could say, almost unbearable.
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You truly have to harden your heart repetitively and
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continually and progressively to deal with unconfessed sin.
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As a believer in Jesus Christ, of course, the world, they're
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not alive to Christ, so they live with hard hearts apart from
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Christ, of course. But for believers it hasn't come
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naturally. You have to ignore the the
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conviction of the Holy Spirit. You have to twist scriptures
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that they to make them mean what you what they don't mean, which
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is pretty obvious. You have to skip parts of the
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Bible. You have to put the Bible away.
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You stop coming to church. Then you start getting angry
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with the world and you start getting caught up and you just
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it. It takes so much effort.
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Remember what the phrase that Jesus used for Saul of Tarsus.
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Why are you kicking against the goads?
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Saul was kicking as an unbeliever, but believers that
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kicking is even worse. It is a fight to the finish, and
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you will lose every time. I will lose every time.
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The weight of these two decisions are often measured.
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Well, you don't understand how hard it is to confess and what's
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going to happen and what that that is way too hard.
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And compared to, you know, it's not going to be that big a deal.
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Nobody's going to find out. Nobody's going to know.
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But you know you live with it. It isn't about anyone else
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finding out. It's about that connection that
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you and I have with God. And here they are after years,
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time and testing and difficulty. They saw their dad.
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Something had to click. They that they just didn't see
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him the same way where he was grieving and and distraught it.
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They brought it up even before Joseph.
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Here. They had to stop paying
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attention to their dad and his heartbreak and just explain it
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away when I was his favorite kid or all.
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He'll get over it. Oh, it's no big deal like it
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was. It's pretty bad.
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It's pretty hard. Truly hard hearts.
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But through time and testing difficulties and even a famine,
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a severe famine moved the brothers to Egypt to stand
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before Joseph. And they don't know who he is.
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And God had already sent Joseph ahead by the time the brothers
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get to Egypt. Joseph's already been there for
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many years and he's there. They don't know it's Joseph, of
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course, that they're talking to. But I wonder if they suspect
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something or began to suspect something when they lined
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everyone up and things just, you know, you just things are not
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something's going on here. But how could they ever think
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that Joseph was alive? They didn't have even options to
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process what they were because they didn't see God working
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behind the scenes. Why?
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Because you don't always see it, even in your rebellion, even in
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your prodigal living. Even under the pain, the the
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layers of hurt and things that we're carrying, you don't always
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see what God is doing to set you up, to rescue you and heal you
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and help you and solve your problem that you haven't been
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able to solve for 20 years. Resolve the pain of your
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upbringing that you could never resolve, but the Lord is ready
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to do it. Even though we don't see it.
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God is in control. We see arranging things in such
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a way to bring about great victory and reconciliation then
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and now. We left off in our last study
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between Judah, the scene between Judah and Joseph, and Judah
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becoming a type of Jesus Christ who is Messiah, who would be,
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who would come later on because he's ready to give his life in
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exchange for Benjamin. And then you begin to see they
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did care, that they care about their dad.
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And then now they're beginning to put together.
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They expressed how he was sorrowing and they're feeling it
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and they don't want him to hurt anymore.
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And surely if this happens he will die.
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So now all this emotion is rekindled in them with verse
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one. Now chapter 45, it says then
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Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who
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stood by him. And he cried out, make everyone
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go out from me. So no one stood with him while
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Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and he wept aloud, and
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the Egyptians in the House of Pharaoh heard it.
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I mean, this is remarkable. I don't know.
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I'm sure there's some creative pastors and teachers out there
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that could draw everything out from this.
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But you just going to have to trust the Holy Spirit to impact
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what a moment this is. This is a dramatic, emotional
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moment that even Joseph finally took the place.
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Now they're ready. Now they're ready.
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Overcome with emotion, cries his heart out again, following along
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the types of Jesus here. Joseph he has cried before.
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A man that's in touch with his emotions again, a type of Jesus
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Christ who the Bible says that Jesus what he wept.
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It's worth noting that Joseph had the power of life and death
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over his brothers. Here he is in full control of
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the situation. The Some of you've been praying
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for this, and I'm not sure you really want it, or that you're
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even ready for it. You've been hurt so bad.
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There's been so much injustice. And whether you say it out loud
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or not, there's a part of your prayer, whether it's vengeance
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or revenge or just giving them a little taste of what they
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whatever it might be, there's this desire.
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You know, I'd like to be in control of my situation.
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I'd like to take. I'd like to make the decisions
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for once. All this time the these
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decisions are made and they've been made for me.
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And it's been that I want control and I there's part of us
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in our flesh and even basic humanity would like this.
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But the question I would ask you today as a follower of Christ,
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Are you ready for that? And can I just say that if you
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don't have this kind of control, then God is determined.
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You aren't ready for it, and ultimately He doesn't want us.
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This is a unique storyline, true storyline of Joseph.
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It may not be our story. Joseph has complete control and
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he can take care of this problem any way he desires, even all the
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way along the way. Here.
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He could have hurt them deeply. He could have really, instead of
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testing them, he could have taunted them.
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I mean, there's so many options that were before him.
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He could have easily exacted not only revenge but vicious
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revenge. But he didn't.
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And that's encouraging for me and for us.
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It's encouraging because we're reminded again that one of the
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options that was available to Joseph is the same option that's
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available to us. And he could exact revenge, yes.
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And he could wipe his brothers out.
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Yes. And he can send a message.
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Yes. I mean, think of all the things
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he could have done to his brothers and still met his dad
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and still preserve Benjamin. So table full of options.
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But on that table, just like your table, there's an option
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that's so much better than all of them.
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And that's this. He had the option to forgive.
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He had the option to forgive, and that's what he chose.
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So can we truly, as we saw in our study last time, that's the
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best decision to make. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6
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and verse 14, if you forgive men your trespasses, your heavenly
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Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men
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their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your
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trespasses. It was William Calper that said
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this, and I quote, alas, if my best friend, capital F, my best
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friend, who laid down his life from me, were to remember all
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the instances in which I have neglected him, and to plead them
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against me in judgment, where would I hide my guilty head in
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the day of recompense? I will pray, therefore, for
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blessings on my friends, even though they cease to be so, and
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upon my enemies, though they continue as such.
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Lord, just help us to forgive. I know there's great loss, but
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there's a time where along the way where you embrace where you
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are and you begin to enjoy God again in the pain or in the loss
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or in the injustice, That's God's way.
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You know, I've got some things going on in my life for quite
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some time now, and I was in Florida with teaching at a
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church and serving the church just recently.
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I just got back yesterday, late last night, and I had the
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opportunity to spend time with the pastor and I took Pastor
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Sean and and he was with me. We were playing with the playing
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with the kids and playing with the family and their different
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games. And and as I was playing with
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the kids, I just got this overwhelming revelation in my
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own heart that God has been very gracious to me.
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And one of the ways he's been gracious to me is he gave me the
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privilege of playing with these kids.
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It was like a gift that God gave me to play with these kids or as
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a kids came up on, you know, like he's been speaking to me
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about this a lot. Like because after service, when
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I taught a Bible study there, we had these kids come up and
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they're waiting in line because they don't know, like your kids
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that they can interrupt me anytime.
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So they're very patient, waiting for me to finish.
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Parents have them there. And so I finally catch eyes with
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them. And you know, these kids, they
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don't know me, but they've been they, their family wants them to
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send the service with them. And so they were taking notes.
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You know how kids take notes? They draw pictures.
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And you know, these aren't, they're not drawing pictures of
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planes. They're not drawing pictures of
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aliens. They were drawing pictures.
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This is so amazing. All three of their kids, they're
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drawing pictures of the message and so the little one probably
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couldn't even hold a crown in her hand.
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She put 2 little marks on there and I'm like, what's this And
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yellow? Yes, that's nice.
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It's yellow. Then the middle kid, they had a
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little bit more Marks and we talked about the colors, but the
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older kid couldn't have been more than seven or eight, which
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is a real special age, real wonderful age.
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He he, man, he went to town. Very detailed descriptions of
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the message. And one of the things that were
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very clear is he he he got the message, man.
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I'll tell you, he got the message because he had a picture
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of two sides of a face and he picked, he drew somebody
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slapping them. So on one side he slapped them
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and then he flipped the. I mean it's like an 8 year old
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kid, he flipped the picture on the other way and he got slapped
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on the other side because I talked about that in the
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message. I talked about Rahab the harlid.
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And if you get to heaven, don't be asking for Rahab the Harlid,
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because an Angel will come and slap you.
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And it was an Angel wing that slapped the face.
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And the Lord just spoke to my heart of what a privilege it is
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to have this little kid, this little guy in my life, just for
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the moment. He may not remember it because
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he's just a kid, but I'm going to remember it.
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And now from now on, you're going to remember it of how
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important the things in life are.
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It could be very easy for me to live a life, really focus on
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what I don't have, which is very precious to me, very hurtful,
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very painful. But you know, it's not about
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what I don't have, it's about what I have.
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It's taken some years to get there.
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Believe me, this is not an overnight.
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Maybe someone will give you a revelation and sense of of a
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Bible study for sure. Maybe tonight's the night you
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get it and the Lord moves it. But it's been a year's process.
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But I'm telling you, Joseph had all the control he had, but he
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didn't take things into his own hands.
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Even when they were all in his hands, he realized that what God
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entrusted to him still belonged to him, and he didn't do
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anything to his brothers but forgive.
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And I I love to recommend books when they hit hard.
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And this is the one that I would recommend on forgiveness, the
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one we did from free from your past.
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There's a great chapter in there.
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There's resources up here on the stage that are available on
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forgiveness too, that will help you process this.
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Because everywhere I've taken this so far, including our
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church, the message of regret, bitterness, unforgiveness, blame
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shifting, all that, all that has hit pretty close to home.
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Everywhere I've gone, it seems to be the season of God doing
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deep work. What that tells me is God's
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doing deep work in believers. He wants a bride that's pure.
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He wants a bride that is loyal and so he's got to deal with
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these deep things. If you want to experience the
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deep emotion of of Joseph here, it requires to step into the
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same commitment he made to God and trust God with your life.
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It's easy to trust God with your life when you like the way your
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life is. Oh yes, look at God.
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I love God. He's so good posting on
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Facebook. Everything's wonderful, but all
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of us know. Every single one of us
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listening. Know that pain awaits us all, if
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it's not already something we carry.
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Joseph is a great example here. He forgives.
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That's the decision he made. Notice verse 3.
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Then Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph.
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Do you think they believed him? It's like what?
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Just like what? And he even asked the question
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does my father still live? But his brothers couldn't answer
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him, for they were dismayed in his presence.
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Circle the word dismayed. It's the Hebrew word that's
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translated. You could translate it
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overwhelmed, or it also can be translated distressingly
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disturbed. They're dismayed.
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I have a note in my Bible here that I must have written many,
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many years ago. They were speechless.
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They're overwhelmed. They didn't know Joseph's heart.
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They didn't know his desire. They didn't know what he was
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going to do. They didn't know.
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I mean, I I think this is the moment.
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This is the pivotal moment in everyone's life.
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Imagine if you were standing there with all this unresolved
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guilt and a famine in the land and your younger brother and
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your dad sick, and it's all piling up.
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And then, hey, by the way, guys, I've got one more thing.
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I'm Joseph. Now the room is split up into
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two parts. Optimists and realists.
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There's no such thing as pessimists.
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Realists. If you're a pessimist, then
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you're automatically Nothing goes good for me.
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I can't. Now we're done.
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If you're optimists, Oh, there's a chance he hasn't done it yet.
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If you're realists, I don't know how the realist views this.
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Probably closer to the pessimist, like, oh man, what's
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going to happen to us? And here they are in the moment
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of Revelation, and they don't know.
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They had no idea what God was doing.
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None. Zero, Nada.
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They don't know anything of what God is doing, yet they have no
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idea of his promises and the ultimate purpose of bringing
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Messiah. They don't.
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They don't see it in the moment. Joseph, he could have thrown him
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in prison. He could have sent him back with
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no food to starve. He could have done something
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with Benjamin or he could forgive them as we see and love
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them and provide for them. So notice verse four, it says,
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Joseph says to his brothers, please come near to me.
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And they came near. Do you think they came near with
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smiles, or do you think they came near very carefully, very
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slowly? These are the last breaths we're
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ever going to take the rest of our lives.
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They know exactly what they did to Joseph, but they don't know
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all that they did to Joseph. They don't know his whole story
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yet, but they know what they did.
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I'm Joseph, he says. Your brother, whom you sold into
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Egypt. But now don't be grieved or
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angry with yourselves because you sold me here.
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Look at these. These words are just monumental.
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Some of you need to memorize these, for God sent me before
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you to preserve life. God is in all of this.
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He sent me that these two years the famine has been in the land.
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Verse 6, there's still five more.
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There's going to be no plowing or harvesting.
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And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in
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the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
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So now it was not you who sent me here, but God, And he's made
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me a father to Pharaoh and the Lord of his house, all his
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house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
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I mean, this is powerful stuff. Wouldn't.
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When conviction of sin comes over a person, it's a very
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critical time because everything hinges on the response.
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Everything hinges when you face the conviction of your own sin.
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You've got to understand you're at a critical juncture, because
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if you choose not to ignore it and to stuff it and harden your
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heart, then you're going to have two options with your sorrow.
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We looked at this in depth when I taught through First
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Corinthians. You're going to have two options
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with your sorrow. You're either going to have a
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worldly sorrow or a godly sorrow.
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This is Second Corinthians, I should say Chapter 7.
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Those are your options. If you choose to respond to the
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conviction of sin in a way that is not just dismissive, then you
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have two options. And here's the problem that you
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need to understand. And I went through this in depth
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when I studied taught this, but just for us.
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Now here's the problem. In many ways, godly sorrow and
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worldly sorrow feel exactly the same.
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Because you feel bad about what you've done.
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You feel bad about getting caught.
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You feel bad about the reality, you feel bad.
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You wish you never did it right. You know Joseph is sensitive to
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that. Where he says here he's he tells
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them that when he's in verse five, he says don't be grieved
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or angry with yourselves. If you'd like to write in your
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bibles, just right next to that, that's worldly sorrow.
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Worldly sorrow is centered on self and it feels like
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repentance, but it really is just emotion that's rooted in
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self. Don't be angry with yourself.
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Don't be grieved with yourself. Don't make it harder for
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yourself. He just finished telling them
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that God went before them and sent him there.
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He's he's revealing to them, actually, in the the very next
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phrase he says in verse five, God sent me before you.
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And then he begins to explain himself about the famine and how
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God's there and you've got five more years.
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It's all going to be good. But don't be angry with
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yourself, it says in Second Corinthians Chapter 7 and verse
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9. Now re Now I rejoice that you
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were made sorry, but that you're sorry led to repentance, for you
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were made sorry in a godly manner that you might suffer
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loss from us. And nothing for godly sorrow
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produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted.
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But the sorrow of the world produces death.
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So the main distinction between the two is worldly sorrow, self
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godly sorrow, God godly sorrow leads to repentance.
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Worldly sorrow leads to guilt, shame, regret.
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And then a repetition of it all over again.
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Verse five is key. I want you to hear verse 5.
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Like I said some. We just need to memorize this.
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Don't be grieved. Don't be angry.
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Because you sold me here. You did do it.
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He didn't let him out. You did do it.
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You. Well, I know what you did.
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You know what you did. But don't be grieved or angry
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about it. Because God sent me to preserve
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life. Verse five is key for you right
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now. There are probably some things
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in your life that you're really upset about and angry with.
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Maybe you're upset with yourself, but they've already
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been dealt with on the cross. Because while God sent Joseph
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ahead for his brothers, he sent Jesus ahead for you and me.
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These things have been dealt with by the blood of Jesus on
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the cross, they've been dealt with.
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You're a new creation in Christ. They've been dealt with that.
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God has taken care of this in your life.
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You don't have to carry the burden or the heaviness.
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God has dealt with it already. He sent Jesus Christ ahead
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condemnation. God has dealt with it on the
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cross regret. God has dealt with it on the
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cross. Anguish over the past things
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that your God has dealt with, that the Lord is with you.
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He has removed our guilt and shame.
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I love this because Joseph is letting them off the hook, not
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for free. Just like you and I, we're not
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let off the hook for free. Jesus Christ paid the price for
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your sins. He's fulfilled God's righteous
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requirement. He satisfied the wrath of God
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upon sin in your life on your behalf.
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When you hear the phrase substitutionary atonement,
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that's what that's describing. God has substituted, he has
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substituted the righteous blood of Jesus Christ for your
24:59
unrighteous life, a life that you and I could never pay for
25:06
Joseph's letting them off the hook, but not for free,
25:12
oftentimes because we place such a great emphasis on grace in our
25:15
church. You know why we place such an
25:17
emphasis on grace in our church? Because God places an emphasis
25:21
upon grace. And so people here in time to
25:24
time I'll get an e-mail or something.
25:25
I can't believe you guys. You're teaching cheap grace,
25:27
cheap grace. And it's a really convenient
25:29
argument, but it's not true. So I mean, I say it's a real
25:32
convenient accusation, but it's not true.
25:35
I can say it out loud publicly right now.
25:37
The grace that you and I enjoy is not cheap.
25:40
It costs the blood of Jesus Christ.
25:42
And if you cheapen it in any way, you have done that.
25:49
Not God. The grace of God is not cheap.
25:53
That's why we're to take it as the gift that it is and to
25:57
reflect it. Being gracious ourselves in
26:01
love. It's not cheap, but the
26:04
forgiveness of Jesus is yours by faith.
26:07
You don't need to work for it. You don't need to earn it.
26:11
You don't need to, you know, crawl on your knees throughout
26:13
Aurora until they're bloody and say hello to 1000 people and
26:17
knock on 50,000 doors and maybe one day you might be saved.
26:20
You don't have to give to the church.
26:22
You don't have to buy your relatives out of purgatory.
26:25
You don't have to do anything but repent of your sins and
26:27
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
26:29
He will then do the work inside. It's free in that it cost Jesus
26:35
everything. We like to share that from time
26:38
to time. I know it's a it's a silly
26:40
illustration, but it makes sense.
26:42
You know, we have radio stations as a church.
26:44
They broadcast all throughout Colorado, and it doesn't cost
26:48
you a dime to turn your radio on.
26:50
It's free. Turn on the radio in your car,
26:52
free. Turn on the app, free.
26:54
You know everything you can receive radio.
26:56
It's such a convenient tool for the gospel because the end user,
27:00
it's free and convenient. But we always like to remind
27:04
people to keep the radio on the air is not free.
27:10
There's a lot that goes on to the back end of the free service
27:15
that you receive in order to keep it on the air, whether it's
27:20
human effort and manager or operations manager or an
27:25
engineer or an Internet person that keeps all the lines open
27:30
and all the networks working, whether it's money, we get
27:33
bills. You know, the bill collectors
27:35
are really, really, they love sending bills.
27:38
They measure whatever it costs and say you owe us this and you
27:43
know, just in case, Again, if you ever wonder, but if you we
27:46
have an 80,000 Watt radio station, it doesn't broadcast
27:51
80,000, but it does. They're able to do something
27:54
where it broadcasts. I don't know, it takes 10,000 to
27:57
make 80,000 or whatever. I don't understand at all.
28:00
It doesn't matter to me because I just turned the radio on.
28:02
That's all that matters to me. But whatever that is, you don't
28:05
use 10,000 watts an hour, but the radio station does.
28:10
And guess what? The electric company, they keep
28:12
track of that stuff. Did you know that they keep
28:16
track of all those numbers. They don't mess around.
28:18
They go like dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, and then they put a dollar
28:21
amount to it and go pay us. But on the other end, it's just
28:26
free. And it's sounds like our lives.
28:30
We enjoy the freedom of Christ. We enjoy all that God has for
28:34
us. We enjoy love and grace and
28:37
forgiveness, but it cost Jesus everything to fulfill the
28:44
righteous requirement of God. And like Jesus, Joseph, he led
28:50
his brothers to the truth, carefully, painstakingly,
28:57
uniquely, to get them to the place where they would
29:03
experience all the emotion that this text is filled with.
29:08
And I believe Joseph also carefully LED them to the place
29:13
where they would appreciate this forgiveness, knowing what they
29:19
deserve. Standing before Joseph and not
29:23
receiving what they deserve, there are just things they had
29:28
to feel the weight of it. They had to feel the depth of
29:34
conviction. They had to feel what they did
29:38
was wrong, that they hurt God, that they hurt their dad, that
29:42
they hurt their each other, that they hurt Joseph.
29:46
They had to feel it. And the Bible phrase for feeling
29:50
the weight of sin is godly sorrow.
29:55
There's just things you got to feel.
29:57
You got to go through it. You got to take the weight of it
30:02
to bring you to a place of repentance so you don't go back
30:06
to it and you forsake it. Temporary emotions not going to
30:11
get you very far because it will wear off.
30:14
You have an emotional time in the sanctuary and your tears and
30:17
God just spoke to you, and that's real.
30:18
Believe me, it's real. It's not fake, but if it's not
30:22
godly, it's not going to last. It's going to wear off.
30:28
And then the next time it will be harder.
30:31
And the next time it would be harder.
30:32
Before you know it, you don't even feel anymore.
30:34
You don't even hear anymore. You're not even in fellowship
30:36
anymore. You're not even reading the
30:37
Bible anymore, because what's the point?
30:40
I don't feel anything anymore. You become insensate.
30:45
Some people describe their life like, I don't feel anything.
30:49
And if you're a believer and you know, I just don't feel
30:50
anything, I don't hear from God. I don't feel anything.
30:53
The question is, is like, where is it in your life that you have
30:56
veered off, hardening your heart toward God?
31:02
And it could be, you know, sin. It could be a sinful reaction to
31:05
real pain, like grief and loss. But it's not God.
31:11
It's like blaming Joseph. Joseph, I can't believe.
31:13
What what's your problem? Like?
31:15
What do you mean? And Joseph Stanley, what are you
31:17
talking about? I've been very gracious with
31:19
you. I mean, the brothers could turn
31:21
around and go, Joseph, you're what's your paw?
31:23
You lied to us. You didn't tell us who you were.
31:25
I mean, you know that that's silly to think of, but it's
31:28
true. People do that all the time.
31:31
God, I can't believe you did that.
31:32
Or pastor. Why'd you say that?
31:33
It's like, what do you what do you what do you mean, what?
31:36
Why you? Why do you continue to fight the
31:38
obvious work of God? You are not seeing clearly God's
31:43
faithfulness in your life. You're not seeing because if you
31:47
did, your only response would be to receive the grace of God and
31:52
appreciate it and enjoy it. God sent me ahead.
31:59
Joseph understood the promises made to Abraham and it's and
32:03
he's care. He's a you didn't send me here.
32:06
You sold me, but God sent me. And you could say that about
32:10
anybody. That's sin in your life sinned
32:12
against you. In your life you sinned.
32:15
But God did this your sin. And some of you need to say this
32:19
out loud. You look at the situation, you
32:22
got to say your sin against me will not have the final word
32:28
because I trust God all the way to the end.
32:31
This will not. You will not, I will not even
32:34
give you the privilege of getting the last word because
32:38
Jesus Christ, he triumphed over sin and death, even that sin.
32:45
And Joseph. Joseph is not a superstar here.
32:51
He's not a superhero. He's not somebody that is not
32:55
like you and me. He was a kid with sibling
32:59
rivalry that through the decisions of his family, ended
33:03
up living a really, really hard life.
33:07
But when it comes down to it, here, his faith got him through.
33:13
His faith got him through. So he can look back and go, You
33:15
know what? I know what you guys did.
33:18
Let me tell you what God did. I know what you guys did.
33:22
I just want to explain to you there's a bigger thing going on,
33:25
and perhaps even in Joseph's life, he can't fully explain it,
33:28
but he's got enough faith to bring them to where they are
33:31
right now. We need to be careful, Jot this
33:36
down if you're taking notes. We need to be careful not to be
33:40
upset with secondary causes in our lives.
33:44
Now some of that that phrase might even be offensive to some
33:47
because you're like secondary 'cause.
33:49
They ruined my life. No, because sin doesn't get the
33:54
last word. You don't know what's going on
33:57
in your life yet, except that it's bad right now, but you
34:01
don't know. We need to be careful not to be
34:04
upset with secondary causes in our lives.
34:06
Even though there is real pain and there is real suffering and
34:10
there is real loss, there are things that have been taken from
34:14
us that we will never ever get back.
34:19
Relationships time never get back.
34:24
But we must remember that God is using these things in His
34:28
primary purposes for our life. In Ephesians chapter one and
34:33
verse 11 it says In Him also we have obtained an inheritance
34:37
bring predestined according to the purposes of him who works
34:42
all things according to the counsel of his will that we who
34:48
first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
34:53
Proverbs chapter 19, verse 21. There are many plans in a man's
34:56
heart. Nevertheless the Lord's counsel
35:00
that will stand I I think of one that's real popular in our
35:03
country is the American Dream, the American dream.
35:06
It's been shut down our throats so much that we end up wanting
35:09
it an American dream. That's our goal.
35:12
We want the American dream. A man plans his ways, but the
35:16
Lord directs us steps. We really don't want the
35:20
American Dream. We desire it, but we really
35:22
don't want it. As believers in Christ, we want
35:25
the reality of God in our lives. We don't want to live a dream
35:30
life. We want to live the life that
35:32
God is destined for us or predestined for us in him.
35:38
To bring plays and glory to Him. That's where our satisfaction
35:43
comes. Turn over.
35:44
We haven't turned at all. So turn over to Psalm One O 5.
35:46
Let me show you this in your Bible.
35:47
Psalm One O 5. So good.
35:50
When you get there, go to verse 16.
35:54
This is the description. God's will be done.
35:57
Listen to the Psalmist describing this whole scenario.
36:02
It's so good. It's it's so good that God was
36:07
setting everything up. It says.
36:09
Moreover, verse 16. He called for a famine in the
36:11
land. He destroyed all the provision
36:14
of bread. He sent a man before them.
36:17
What's his name? Joseph.
36:19
How what says right here, who was sold as a slave.
36:23
They hurt his feet with fetters. He laid it.
36:26
He was laid in irons until the time that his word came to pass.
36:30
The word of the Lord tested him. The King sent and released him.
36:35
The root of the people let them go free.
36:37
He made him Lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions
36:41
to bind his Princess at his pleasure and teach his elders
36:44
wisdom. Israel also came out of Egypt,
36:47
and Jacob sojourn in the land of Ham, and he increased his people
36:52
greatly and made them stronger than their enemies.
36:54
He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal craftily
36:58
with his servants. Verses 23, four and five are
37:01
going to be our future studies in Genesis.
37:03
That hasn't happened yet, but the previous ones have.
37:06
And that's how the psalmist looks at it.
37:08
Look, we know what happened to Joseph, but God was in it.
37:11
God sent him ahead. God had a plan.
37:14
And you know, here's something to consider.
37:17
He got out a plan. But he didn't need Joseph.
37:19
He didn't need Joseph at all. God can accomplish his will any
37:23
way he wants. He didn't need Joseph, but he
37:28
used him. He didn't need Joseph, but he
37:31
used his pain. He used his sorrow, He used his
37:35
life. I mean, this is the benefit of
37:38
hindsight. And of course that's why we can
37:41
go to Psalm like there was a page we could turn to kind of
37:43
get a peek of what God's doing in our life right now.
37:46
We sure would like to see it, but we don't get that benefit
37:48
only after the fact. The things we can look back in
37:51
hindsight, however, you can see Hindsight's benefit are
37:54
beneficial for where we are right now, because you can look
37:57
back and see the faithfulness of God.
37:59
And if he was faithful, then, he doesn't change.
38:01
He's the same yesterday, today and forever.
38:03
You know he's going to be faithful now.
38:06
You got it. You got through the last one.
38:07
He's going to get you through this one as well.
38:10
He's going to take me through. He gave some purpose to things.
38:12
I didn't think it would ever mean anything.
38:14
And all my life and living for the world and all the life I
38:17
threw away and then all the hard things and bad things I I got
38:20
what what is what? What can God possibly.
38:23
Well, I can see now. I can see now a lot clearer than
38:28
I did before. Looking back, we get to see.
38:34
But even today, you can ask God for spiritual eyes.
38:38
You can ask God to show you what he wants to show you.
38:40
I remember Elijah's He prayed for his servant.
38:44
Open his eyes. What he needs.
38:46
He needs to see what's going on in the spiritual realm.
38:49
That's what he needs. And God is working it.
38:53
He didn't have to use Joseph. He doesn't have to use you.
38:55
He doesn't have to use your pain.
38:57
He doesn't have to bring purpose to it.
38:58
He can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
39:00
He's sovereign, but he's chosen to use you and bring redemption
39:08
to your pain and bring redemption to your problems.
39:11
If you look to him today, trust him well.
39:14
Verse 9. Speed up through the rest of the
39:16
chapter, he says. Hasten and go to my father and
39:19
say to him. Thus says your son Joseph.
39:21
God has made me Lord of all Egypt.
39:22
Come down to me and don't tarry. You shall dwell in the land of
39:26
Goshen. And you shall be near to me.
39:28
And you and your children and your children's children, your
39:33
flocks, your herds and all that you have.
39:35
I'll provide for you, blessed you and your household and all
39:39
that you have come to poverty. There's still more.
39:42
Five more years of famine. And behold your eyes and the
39:46
eyes of my brother Benjamin. See that it is my mouth that
39:49
speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of
39:51
all my glory in Egypt and all that you've seen.
39:54
And you shall hasten and bring my father down here.
39:56
Verse 14. And he fell on his brother
39:58
Benjamin's neck and wept. What a reunion this must have
40:01
been. And Benjamin wept on his neck.
40:05
And moreover, verse 15 He kissed all his brothers and wept over
40:08
them. And after that his brothers
40:09
talked with him, I bet. What do you think they were
40:12
saying there? It's kind of that time where
40:15
Jesus was on the road to Emmaus and he opened up the scriptures
40:18
and gave him that Bible said, Well, I mean one.
40:20
You'd like to hear that. Wouldn't you like to get a taste
40:23
of what what he was saying there or be just here?
40:26
What is that even? What are they talking about?
40:29
What could they possibly say as Joseph's giving him a story?
40:33
I mean, what could they possibly say?
40:36
Except every single thing out of Joseph's mouth was a reminder of
40:42
how gracious he was with them. I said, man, that would be great
40:49
to hear that verse 16. Now the report of it was heard
40:52
in Pharaoh's house saying, Joseph's brothers have come, and
40:55
it pleased Pharaoh and his servants.
40:56
Well, Pharaoh said to Joseph, say to your brothers, do this.
41:00
Load your beasts and depart. Go to the land of Cain and bring
41:02
your father and your households, and come to me.
41:05
I'll give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you'll eat
41:08
the fat of the land. Now you are commanded to do
41:11
this. Take carts out of the land of
41:13
Egypt for your little ones and your wives, and bring your
41:15
father and come, and also do not be concerned about your goods.
41:19
For the best of all, the land of Egypt is yours.
41:26
It's such an emotional reunion. Amazing.
41:29
Just man, what an honorable man Joseph is.
41:34
Another picture of Jesus over and over.
41:36
This whole chapter is filled with them.
41:37
You can study it, just see these types of Christ.
41:40
But another picture of Jesus bringing peace to those who are
41:43
in his family. We have a principle that Pastor
41:47
Chuck Smith handed down to us where God guides he provides.
41:50
We'll see it right here. He's using Pharaoh.
41:55
He's using a country that's anti God who.
41:59
Pharaoh has a heart for Joseph. So therefore Pharaoh has a heart
42:02
for his family and then I'm going to give them more than
42:05
they would ever expect. They're not just going to have
42:07
food for the next five years, I'm going to give them
42:10
everything they need. It's going to be glorious.
42:13
I like at the end of verse 16 too, where he says.
42:19
Actually in verse 20 he says don't be concerned about your
42:22
goods. Don't be concerned about your
42:25
goods. This could also be translated.
42:29
The old King James I think uses the word stuff.
42:32
Don't be concerned about your stuff.
42:34
It isn't that a word for the 21st century.
42:37
Don't be concerned about all the stuff Jesus said, you know, be
42:41
careful laying up your treasures where in heaven.
42:45
Why? Because moth and rust.
42:47
It won't destroy and decay and thieves can't break in and
42:51
steal. Don't be worried about the
42:53
stuff. Don't be concerned.
42:54
The Kingdom of God is already yours.
42:57
Be concerned about the things of the Kingdom, because when you're
43:01
concerned about the things of the Kingdom, you're going to be
43:03
concerned about the king. And I know he didn't mean it
43:06
that way, but I thought, man, what a great application.
43:08
Don't be concerned. Everything is going to be taken
43:11
care of. Verse 21 Then the sons of Israel
43:15
did so. Joseph gave him cards, according
43:17
to the command of Pharaoh. He gave them provisions for the
43:20
journey. Why?
43:21
Where God guides, he provides, He gave to all of them.
43:24
To each man changes of garments. But to Benjamin he gave 300
43:28
pieces of silver and five changes of garments.
43:33
And he sent to his father these things, 10 donkeys loaded with
43:36
good things of Egypt, ten female donkeys loaded with grain,
43:39
bread, food for the father, and the journey.
43:41
He sent his brothers away. They departed.
43:44
He said to them, See that you do not become troubled along the
43:47
way. And they went up out of Egypt
43:50
and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob, their father.
43:53
Now verse 24 is very important because something miraculous and
43:56
wonderful and glorious has happened.
43:58
And when they head out back home, it would be very easy for
44:02
them to be troubled by the whole situation and talk themselves
44:05
out of what just happened, what we would refer to today, where
44:10
the enemy would just be messing with their minds.
44:13
That's what they mean. There.
44:14
Don't be troubled. This is all happening.
44:16
This is exactly. I know it's beyond what you can
44:19
think or ask, but this is happening.
44:21
So don't be troubled. Don't, don't.
44:24
Second, don't have a second thought about this.
44:27
This is happening to you. You can trust me.
44:29
Again A a type of Christ, Verse 25.
44:32
Then he went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to
44:35
Jacob, their father. And they told him saying Joseph
44:38
is still alive, he's the governor.
44:40
How do you think this went? How do you think this went?
44:46
And Jacob's, Jacob's heart stood still because he did not believe
44:53
them. But when they told him all the
44:56
words, what Joseph had said to him and when he saw the carts,
45:00
what Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob, their
45:05
father revived. And Israel said, it's enough.
45:11
Joseph my son is still alive. And I'll go and see him before I
45:16
die. I mean that's just, you got to
45:20
let that sit. This is just, it's too amazing.
45:27
God has been so gracious to Jacob, even though he sees his
45:30
life. I'm sure he didn't see it that
45:32
way for a long time. It's been so good.
45:36
And then on top of it, man, you will not believe Joseph's alive.
45:47
You know a few thoughts before we head out.
45:49
First of all, I think even though Jacob's going to Israel,
45:53
excuse me, to Egypt, I really don't think he plans to stay.
45:57
I bet he's just thinking about riding out the famine and wanted
46:01
to return as soon as he could. But you know, that's the hidden
46:04
will of God, isn't it? He takes us, He tells us, take
46:07
the first step, take the first step and you'll find out more.
46:10
But you got to take the first step.
46:13
God's not going to give you the whole picture.
46:17
He's not going to give you everything that you want.
46:19
You don't need to be mad at him about that.
46:22
He's calling you to the first step, the step of faith.
46:27
Take it. Go for it.
46:30
And I was. I was so encouraged by this,
46:32
where the brothers came back with a message.
46:37
It was a good message, but came back with the message and what
46:40
they did to their dad right here.
46:42
Their end result was the spirit of Jacob.
46:45
Their father revived and it reminded me of what a privilege
46:51
it is for you and I to be used in someone's life to revive
46:56
their hearts with a message, with an encouragement, with a
47:02
scripture, with friendship, with care and concern.
47:09
I mean, think of it this way. Your life could be a life that
47:11
revives someone who's depressed. And your life could be re used
47:16
to revive someone who's down. Your life can be used to revive
47:20
someone that's discouraged. Yes you you can you you can
47:26
through so many different ways. You can change a person's life
47:29
with a note, with a phone call, with a text message, with with
47:33
prayer. But really this is more in the
47:36
person. Like after you pray, then you go
47:38
encourage someone literally interfacing with another human
47:42
being. But it's not God's will for you
47:44
to hide in a closet and to stay away from people and to live in
47:49
a perpetual state of self protection because somebody
47:52
jacked you or stabbed you in the front or, you know, slandering
47:55
you, gossiping about you. Like the Lord's going to give
47:58
you strength to get through it so you can continue to help
48:01
other people. That's why you're on the planet
48:04
and it's going to hurt. You're going to get stabbed
48:05
again. Amen.
48:06
Nobody says Amen to that. I mean, I made you say it, but
48:10
you wouldn't want to say it. You're like, some of you are
48:12
like, what is he saying up there?
48:14
Yeah, that's kind of the hurt in the church is not so much
48:18
stabbing in the back. It's people.
48:20
They're hugging you with their hand in the back and they're
48:22
stabbing you while they're hugging you and saying, God
48:25
bless you, brother, you're the best, You're the best.
48:27
And then they step back and go, here's your heart.
48:29
He's like, where did that come from?
48:31
Just carved it out, baby. Hand it if you want a Potter.
48:35
Like, that's the hurt of the church.
48:36
It's deep stuff, man. It hurts, but don't let that
48:40
hold you back from being who you are in Christ.
48:43
Don't let that hold that back. Like what?
48:45
God wants to use you. He wants you inside.
48:48
Yet your personality, your perspective, your upbringing,
48:51
your kindness, whatever you are, God wants to use you.
48:58
Because these guys, they come back with a great report.
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They didn't have to. Don't let anybody trouble you.
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Don't have second thoughts. I know when you go home, you
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might think about this too much. And then I'll tell your dad the
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truth or whatever. Like, don't do that.
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Just go and do what I tell you to do.
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It doesn't sound like the Lord. Hey, I'm sending you on your
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way. Don't you have second thoughts
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about it? Don't you just do what I've told
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you to do because you're that important.
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If you don't do what God's called you to do, He will
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accomplish it. He'll take care of it.
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You don't need to worry about that, but you just won't get to
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enjoy it. Which is kind of sad how many
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things we've lost because of our disobedience.
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We don't get to enjoy it. We get whatever the substitute
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is, which is always not at all what we end up wanting in Job
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chapter 6, verse 14. Brother shared this at Devotions
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last week. It's really good.
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It says to him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his
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friend, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
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Even if your friend is like, angry at God right now, he
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doesn't need you to fix him or her.
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They need kindness. And it's not the fruit of the
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Holy Spirit. Lovejoy, Peace, Patience,
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kindness, gentleness, self-control.
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In the New Living it says, same verse.
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Job 614 one. And I love the way they put this
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One should be kind to a fainting friend.
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I like that one should be kind to a fainting friend.
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So I'm going to pray for us today.
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I'm going to pray for you in particular, that God would give
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you the gift of discernment, the manifestation of discernment,
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where you have the ability to tell what's going on in a
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person's life. That God will give you a
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supernatural unction of the Spirit to know what's happening.
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Maybe a name pop into your mind tonight or a face, somebody you
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haven't seen in church in a while, someone you used to go to
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high school with, Someone in a previous church, so whatever.
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But that the Lord would just give you insight into someone's
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life so that every single one of us to hearing my voice right now
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that can show kindness to a friend afflicted or to an A
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fainting friend and just be used to the Lord.
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Just do it just and it's like right now.
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Lord, I just pray in our church service right now and those
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connected to us that you would give us discernment in a
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person's life, in a family's life, in a situation, Lord, that
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we could bring revival to someone's heart, revival to
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someone's life, revive like that.
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Our lives would be used to bring hope and encouragement to
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someone. To many someone's moving
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forward, believers and unbelievers alike.
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God. It's a hard chapter to accept.
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God, for those of us that have these heavy, insurmountable
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losses that will never come back.
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It's just hard. It sounds almost like too, I
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don't know, unbelievable. But it's not.
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It's your word, and by faith we can have a life like Joseph's in
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the midst of hardship and difficulty and until deliverance
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comes, God. We are living in your
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deliverance because we're not defined by what happens to us,
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but rather we are defined by your eternal purposes, your
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predestined will for our lives. Help us.
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God, give us faith to believe, even the faith of a mustard
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seed. Give us appreciation not for
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what we've lost, but for what we have.
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And I thank you for these little glimpses you've given me and
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just memories that are ingrained in my mind.
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Lord, that will never be stolen from me or taken from me because
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you gave them to me. And I pray that in our church,
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God, there's so much hurt and pain and fear and anxiety.
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There's people wrestling for control and they just they just
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want this. And if this and we we just want
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to acknowledge to you our humanity tonight and we
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surrendered fresh to you, Lord, we pray that you would get us
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out of ourselves and into the Spirit into the Kingdom we
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wouldn't be. So forget about the stuff man
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and we begin to think about the Kingdom.
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Pour blessings on your church universal tonight.
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Every believer God that we would rise up be the men and women,
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the boys and girls that you want us to be attentive to you
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abiding in you. We pray these things in Jesus
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name. Amen.
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We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible study
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delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church.
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For prayer. Call us at 87730 Grace.
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That's 877-304-7223. To listen to this message in its
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entirety or to join us for our live stream services, visit us
54:54
online at Calvary, Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
54:59
Church app, Be Blessed as You Worship Jesus this week.