WEBVTT 00:00:00.620 --> 00:00:07.940 As you turn to the end of Genesis 42 and looking at chapter 43, there's a few things I'm reminded of as we get ready to engage this passage 00:00:07.940 --> 00:00:08.760 of Scripture. 00:00:09.020 --> 00:00:15.660 And one is this everyone has a theology or a belief, and I don't even care if you claim that there is no God. 00:00:15.660 --> 00:00:19.490 The things that you do in life are determined by something that you believe. 00:00:19.780 --> 00:00:27.160 And if you want to know what you believe, just look at how you use your resources in life, the way you invest your time, your money, 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:28.260 your energy. 00:00:28.260 --> 00:00:32.439 It's all an indicator of something rooted deeper within you, a belief that you have. 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:40.380 And when it comes to the idea of belief, I think it's also important to acknowledge not everything that 00:00:40.380 --> 00:00:43.480 you believe is healthy and right. 00:00:44.160 --> 00:00:47.780 And if you if you don't believe that this morning, come talk to me after the service. 00:00:47.980 --> 00:00:52.360 But not everything that you believe is healthy or right. 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:58.290 And no matter how sincere you might believe in what it is you hold to, you can be sincerely wrong. 00:00:59.480 --> 00:01:06.520 In fact, today we're going to look at a story of the life of Jacob that's really very contrasted 00:01:06.520 --> 00:01:13.020 in how he demonstrates his faith from the beginning of chapter 42 to the end of chapter 42. 00:01:13.100 --> 00:01:15.360 At the beginning of chapter 42, he sees a problem. 00:01:15.500 --> 00:01:22.600 He tells his sons to step into that problem, to figure out a solution very bold and telling him telling 00:01:22.600 --> 00:01:24.810 his sons what their what they should do in that moment. 00:01:25.100 --> 00:01:28.470 But by the end of the chapter, we find him reluctant to continue to move forward. 00:01:29.140 --> 00:01:35.780 And the question is, why was he he's so bold in the beginning, but all of a sudden he lacks the boldness to continue to move forward. 00:01:35.820 --> 00:01:43.000 And one of the things I recognize with us, and it comes to exercising our belief, is that we can often struggle in different seasons of life that something, 00:01:43.180 --> 00:01:50.150 something in one circumstance we may have believed to be true, that when circumstances in our life change, we're more reluctant to hold on to it. 00:01:50.620 --> 00:01:57.760 And one of the reasons is because sometimes following after the Lord by faith, it's easy 00:01:57.760 --> 00:01:58.580 to do. 00:01:59.020 --> 00:02:04.020 But then there are other times in our life where we choose to follow after the Lord, and there might be a price to pay. 00:02:05.180 --> 00:02:11.480 And when we get to those moments, it leads us to a place to reexamine what it is that we believe. 00:02:11.480 --> 00:02:16.610 And hopefully we better solidify that, or maybe even step away from what we believe. 00:02:17.740 --> 00:02:22.580 the hope is the purity in those challenges would help us discover the goodness of who God is. 00:02:22.860 --> 00:02:28.840 In fact, I would even say for us, one of the most difficult places on earth to follow after the Lord. 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:34.520 And this might blow your mind a little bit, but, one of the most difficult places to follow after the Lord is in America. 00:02:35.420 --> 00:02:38.820 And you think that is a weird statement to make because we have religious freedom here? 00:02:38.880 --> 00:02:41.800 Why would why would following after the Lord in America be difficult? 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:49.040 Well, it's because the mundane and luxuries of life tend to keep us from thinking about the things of God. 00:02:49.700 --> 00:02:52.900 We just sort of appreciate the status quo of what we have. 00:02:53.200 --> 00:02:57.140 And therefore, because life is comfortable, we don't always seek God. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:04.510 And in fact, if we're to be honest about how we got to where we are and whatever our faith is at this moment, for some of us it might be, 00:03:04.680 --> 00:03:11.880 well, I really when I, when I consider where I took leaps in my faith with the Lord, it was in the most challenging times of my life, and it 00:03:11.880 --> 00:03:13.950 was in those moments that I sought God with desperation. 00:03:14.780 --> 00:03:21.040 And to be honest, when things in life are going easy, that's really where I'm not really concerned so much with the things of God. 00:03:22.060 --> 00:03:24.340 In fact, it's not a surprise. 00:03:24.340 --> 00:03:31.640 It's been stated multiple times that if you want to know where Christianity is growing, it's typically it's 00:03:31.640 --> 00:03:35.760 true right now, it's where the church is facing the most heavy persecution in this world. 00:03:37.240 --> 00:03:40.120 And here in our country, Christianity is on the decline. 00:03:40.880 --> 00:03:48.060 And I think part of that is because we just don't think about the spiritual things of this world, because we're kind of comfortable with ourselves and our own pleasure and living for 00:03:48.060 --> 00:03:48.720 our own glory. 00:03:49.940 --> 00:03:57.200 but here's the here's the bigger question for all of us is that when it comes to believing in anything, it's important to recognize that 00:03:57.200 --> 00:04:03.180 you can be sincere in what you believe, but you can also be sincerely wrong. 00:04:03.700 --> 00:04:05.130 And so what do you do in those moments? 00:04:05.620 --> 00:04:12.700 For us as God's people, we should be humble enough to be honest with that, and we should 00:04:12.700 --> 00:04:19.760 be driven by the fact that what ultimately sets us free is the truth, and we should not run away from 00:04:19.760 --> 00:04:20.459 it. 00:04:20.899 --> 00:04:25.100 And the Bible says in John eight verse 32, the truth is what sets you free. 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:32.160 And so no matter what the cost might be, we should be willing to pursue the truth, no matter where it leads us. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:37.420 Now, when I think about the idea of truth, I think it's important to ask the question, how do you determine what's true? 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:44.600 Because here in America, we're taught a particular theology that's honestly adverse to discovering what is true, because the way that we 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:47.690 often define truth is human beings is through through our experience. 00:04:47.840 --> 00:04:50.600 We think that we're the definer of truth. 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:53.060 And when we discover it makes us feel good. 00:04:53.080 --> 00:04:55.040 And therefore it must be true. 00:04:55.200 --> 00:04:57.520 And we'll even say things like, well, it must be true. 00:04:57.520 --> 00:04:59.530 What's true for you is true for you. 00:04:59.880 --> 00:05:00.060 And. 00:05:00.060 --> 00:05:02.520 And what's true for me is true for me, right? 00:05:02.520 --> 00:05:06.060 But as long as you believe it sincerely, then it must be true. 00:05:06.060 --> 00:05:07.980 And to be honest, that is not truth. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:09.880 That's relativism. 00:05:09.880 --> 00:05:14.820 Some people might refer to it as relative truth, but what we're looking for is absolute truth. 00:05:14.860 --> 00:05:15.660 To understand. 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:18.540 I didn't create me and I didn't invent truth. 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:22.500 That truth transcends me and truth is absolute. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:24.480 So how do I discover it? 00:05:25.020 --> 00:05:32.220 And when I think about religions in this world, there are lots of religions in this world that teach a lot of things about God, and 00:05:32.220 --> 00:05:33.270 they don't agree. 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:34.280 And you know what? 00:05:34.300 --> 00:05:39.260 There are people in those religious beliefs that believe what they hold to very sincerely. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:44.390 But let me just tell you, they can't all be right because they contradict one another. 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:49.600 They can all be wrong, but they cannot all be right, no matter how sincere they are. 00:05:49.620 --> 00:05:55.420 And the way it looks here in America is like sometimes I'll talk to someone about their faith and I'll say, why do you believe what they what you believe? 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.110 And they'll tell me, they'll chalk it up to some experience. 00:05:58.880 --> 00:06:01.200 It's because I, I sought after this. 00:06:01.200 --> 00:06:02.660 I prayed and it felt good. 00:06:02.660 --> 00:06:04.140 Therefore, it must be true. 00:06:04.880 --> 00:06:09.420 And just because you believe something sincerely doesn't mean it's correct. 00:06:09.420 --> 00:06:12.080 In fact, you can be sincerely wrong. 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:14.580 So how do you determine what's true? 00:06:15.100 --> 00:06:22.040 And the answer for that is you must find a source beyond yourself, something that transcends who you are. 00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:25.970 Something that's absolute, for which you could put your hope in. 00:06:26.640 --> 00:06:29.020 For example, today it's Father's Day. 00:06:29.200 --> 00:06:31.020 I may feel a little fortunate. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:36.360 Today I can even feel like I have $1 million in my bank account, right? 00:06:36.380 --> 00:06:42.640 I could identify as a millionaire and I drive to the bank and I say, I would like to make a withdrawal today. 00:06:42.820 --> 00:06:43.180 Please. 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:44.100 It's Father's Day. 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:45.820 And they could say, what would you like? 00:06:45.840 --> 00:06:47.710 And I would say my million dollars. 00:06:47.780 --> 00:06:51.190 And then they look at my bank account and say, sir, you don't have $1 million. 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:54.080 You have you have nothing close to this. 00:06:54.080 --> 00:06:55.840 And I can say I do too. 00:06:55.840 --> 00:06:56.820 I feel like I do. 00:06:56.820 --> 00:06:59.500 And they say, I feel like that as well, you know. 00:06:59.580 --> 00:07:02.260 But reality is I'm reading your bank account. 00:07:02.260 --> 00:07:05.690 They look at an external source to determine what's true. 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:10.310 we could even say today maybe there might be someone a little off the rocker among us. 00:07:10.380 --> 00:07:16.100 And, we could all climb to the roof and one of us could say, I, I believe in gravity. 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:22.060 And then the person that's maybe not all there right now, you could say, and I don't believe in gravity. 00:07:22.100 --> 00:07:22.560 Right. 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:25.720 And we can determine, okay, how are we going to know who's true experientially? 00:07:26.740 --> 00:07:29.810 You can feel a certain way, but what you feel could be wrong. 00:07:30.320 --> 00:07:32.580 The way we're going to find out is we're going to push them off the side. 00:07:32.580 --> 00:07:33.020 And I'm just kidding. 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:33.720 We're not going to do that. 00:07:33.980 --> 00:07:41.260 But you have to find an external source that transcends the circumstance to help you, help you determine what is true. 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:45.170 Now when it comes to Christianity, here's the beauty of Christianity is Jesus. 00:07:45.480 --> 00:07:48.040 For us chalks it up to two things. 00:07:48.760 --> 00:07:54.520 Out of all the things that you believe in this world, what are that Jesus chalks up to two external sources for us to examine. 00:07:54.740 --> 00:07:57.360 And if these things aren't true, then Christianity should not be believed. 00:07:58.200 --> 00:08:01.260 But if it is true, it changes everything, right? 00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:04.730 And Jesus for us becomes the path by which we should follow. 00:08:05.520 --> 00:08:10.980 And those two things in Christianity, Jesus states in John 17, sanctify them in truth. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:11.800 Thy word is truth. 00:08:12.640 --> 00:08:14.340 Jesus says, it's the word of God. 00:08:14.380 --> 00:08:18.350 And Jesus says in John 14 six, I am the way, the truth, and the life. 00:08:18.420 --> 00:08:20.340 No one gets to the father but by me. 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:24.830 And those two claims are what Jesus gives to us as the Word of God in his identity. 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:27.650 Now, if the Word of God can't be trusted, then it should not be believed. 00:08:28.440 --> 00:08:30.140 And the same thing is true with Jesus. 00:08:30.200 --> 00:08:37.320 In fact, the Apostle Paul took it a step further in first Corinthians 15 and said, If Christ be not raised from the grave, our faith is in vain, 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:38.500 and we are the most to be pitied. 00:08:39.520 --> 00:08:43.770 You know, the reason I want to share that with you is because I understand in life we all come from different backgrounds. 00:08:44.039 --> 00:08:51.040 You may have believed something in your life that you've come to discover that it is not true, that foundation has been ripped out from you, and now you're reluctant to trust in 00:08:51.040 --> 00:08:51.760 anything else. 00:08:52.820 --> 00:08:59.860 And so when you when you have this understanding that there must be a God out there, but you're challenged to discover who he is and you don't want to be lied 00:08:59.860 --> 00:09:00.460 to again. 00:09:01.160 --> 00:09:03.080 How do you determine what's true? 00:09:03.220 --> 00:09:07.340 And when it comes to Christianity, it's those two foundations that give us that opportunity. 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:11.840 Now, here's the wonderful thing about Jesus and His death, burial, and resurrection. 00:09:11.900 --> 00:09:14.980 And the Word of God is those the foundation. 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:16.800 Those things are incredible. 00:09:17.180 --> 00:09:24.220 You know, sometimes when we talk about the idea of faith, people typically mean it like this, that you just sort of take a blind guess and hope in the, 00:09:24.300 --> 00:09:26.960 in the end that you were you picked the right religion, right? 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:29.180 Like, I don't you just they treat it like this. 00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:36.160 It's this ignorant game of you pick what maybe feels right or works for you and just hope in the end you were the one that got it correct, right? 00:09:36.180 --> 00:09:36.260 But. 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:38.180 But here's what I think is important when it comes to faith. 00:09:38.940 --> 00:09:41.740 Jesus says it like this to us in Matthew chapter 22. 00:09:41.820 --> 00:09:47.440 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 00:09:48.520 --> 00:09:52.320 You know part of what it is to put your faith in God is to understand God. 00:09:52.380 --> 00:09:59.300 God made you as a creature with a mind, and God wants you to exercise that mind when it comes to eternity. 00:09:59.640 --> 00:09:59.900 And. 00:09:59.900 --> 00:10:01.240 What you put your faith in. 00:10:02.200 --> 00:10:09.240 And when it comes to the idea of Scripture and the identity of Jesus, I mean, there is nothing in this world that can hold a candle as far as belief 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:12.450 systems go that compare to Jesus in the Bible. 00:10:12.980 --> 00:10:20.020 When you think about what it is to hold the Bible in your hand today, a book written over 1500 years by over 40 authors on 00:10:20.020 --> 00:10:24.350 three different continents, in three different languages and one theme. 00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:25.690 I mean, that is incredible. 00:10:26.820 --> 00:10:33.960 And you think about some of the prophecies of the Old Testament, written hundreds of years before Jesus arrives on the scene, 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:38.450 giving particular details about the life of Christ hundreds of years before Jesus is here. 00:10:38.620 --> 00:10:44.170 I mean, even talks about how Jesus would die by crucifixion hundreds of years before the crucifixion even existed. 00:10:44.640 --> 00:10:51.420 He talks about where Jesus is going to be born, where Jesus is going to die, when Jesus is going to die, how Jesus is going to be betrayed. 00:10:51.720 --> 00:10:55.440 Hundreds of prophecies about Jesus before Jesus. 00:10:55.780 --> 00:10:57.470 I mean, God's Word is incredible. 00:10:58.340 --> 00:11:00.840 Nothing, nothing compares to that. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:08.600 And then when you think in terms of who Jesus is, that when he lives his life and the kind of claims he makes, theologians 00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:11.440 will tell you there's only a few choices that you can make with Jesus. 00:11:11.460 --> 00:11:13.880 Some some try to label him just a moral teacher. 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:20.400 But reality is, theologians will tell you that Jesus didn't leave the option of moral teacher even on the table. 00:11:20.980 --> 00:11:23.670 They say when it comes to Jesus, you really have three choices. 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:28.690 Either he's Lord, he's a liar from hell, or he's out of his mind a lunatic. 00:11:29.280 --> 00:11:31.300 Those are the three choices that when it comes to Jesus. 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:39.100 But when you see not only what Jesus was willing to do for us by giving his life, and sometimes we undermine the reality of Jesus by 00:11:39.100 --> 00:11:41.380 saying things like, well, Jesus did that. 00:11:41.400 --> 00:11:45.460 But you know, it doesn't matter whatever religion you're part of, as long as you're a good person, that's all it really matters. 00:11:46.300 --> 00:11:51.700 And to which I say, if that's really all that matters, Jesus is an idiot. 00:11:52.220 --> 00:11:59.380 And you think he gave his life for a reason, and if it didn't need to take that sort of a consequence or that 00:11:59.380 --> 00:12:02.790 sort of a payment for you to find freedom, why in the world would he die? 00:12:03.880 --> 00:12:10.940 That should scream at us the importance of discovering who he is and what that means, and not only in regards to Jesus, but 00:12:10.940 --> 00:12:17.980 when you think about the first century followers of Christ, you know it's known about religious beliefs that people will die 00:12:17.980 --> 00:12:19.850 all the time for ideologies. 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:21.140 It happens over and over again. 00:12:21.140 --> 00:12:24.840 These ideologies people strive for get even giving their life for it. 00:12:24.920 --> 00:12:27.380 But when it comes to the first century disciples, they were martyred. 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:31.390 But it wasn't for an ideology, it was for a truth claim. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:37.560 You think with these disciples when you read about the account of Christ when Jesus was crucified, they gave up on him. 00:12:38.380 --> 00:12:45.500 But then something happened powerfully in their lives that led them from being abandoners of Jesus to now faithful followers, 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:47.820 to the point that they are giving their life for him. 00:12:48.180 --> 00:12:50.400 And the reason they were doing that is for a truth claim. 00:12:50.460 --> 00:12:57.520 And that truth claim was that they saw a dead man walking and could not deny it, and therefore they were willing to go to the ends of the 00:12:57.520 --> 00:13:02.340 earth to give their life for Christ, because they could not deny the reality of what they saw in Christ. 00:13:03.040 --> 00:13:04.640 Now all of those things are true, right? 00:13:04.640 --> 00:13:11.660 Intellectually, we may know those things are true, but how you choose to live that out in your life will sometimes be determined by the circumstances 00:13:11.660 --> 00:13:12.740 in which you face. 00:13:12.760 --> 00:13:13.960 Now, I wish that wasn't so. 00:13:13.980 --> 00:13:15.450 I wish you were faithful to Jesus forever. 00:13:16.760 --> 00:13:16.840 But. 00:13:16.920 --> 00:13:23.920 But sometimes we go through adversity in life where it causes us to come to a place of re questioning and how did I get 00:13:23.920 --> 00:13:24.840 to where I am? 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:26.370 Why do I believe what I believe? 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:27.970 And is this for sure true? 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:29.080 Corrie ten boom. 00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:30.400 We talked about her last week. 00:13:31.300 --> 00:13:35.620 she was a lady who was, she helped Jewish people escape Nazi Germany. 00:13:35.820 --> 00:13:37.220 She was eventually captured. 00:13:37.220 --> 00:13:39.980 She and her sister Betsy, they were thrown in a in a concentration camp. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:42.370 Her sister died in that concentration camp. 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:44.480 She was liberated after she was liberated. 00:13:44.560 --> 00:13:51.800 She went on and had a ministry to people that survived the concentration camps and not just the Jewish people, but she also ministered 00:13:51.800 --> 00:13:56.500 to the Nazi soldiers responsible for torturing the people in the concentration camp. 00:13:56.660 --> 00:13:58.020 She had an incredible ministry. 00:13:59.460 --> 00:14:01.760 but Corrie Ten boom said this about life. 00:14:01.780 --> 00:14:07.600 She said the safest place to be is in the center of God's will. 00:14:09.280 --> 00:14:12.900 Jacob, bold in the decision that he makes at the beginning of chapter 42. 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:16.640 But all of a sudden he goes through a season of change in his life. 00:14:17.480 --> 00:14:21.060 And now, at the end of chapter 42, where he was once bold, he's now reluctant. 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:29.820 And as we look at Jacob's life, maybe the question we could ask for you and for me is this what are you afraid to lose in 00:14:29.820 --> 00:14:32.120 order to follow the truth? 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:34.380 John 832. 00:14:34.420 --> 00:14:36.590 The truth is what sets you free? 00:14:37.420 --> 00:14:40.040 Or what are you afraid to entrust in the Lord? 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:42.250 Or maybe we could ask it like this. 00:14:42.560 --> 00:14:46.040 How is fear leading your life rather than the truth? 00:14:46.460 --> 00:14:50.940 How can you learn to trust in God and let go of the fears? 00:14:51.780 --> 00:14:58.090 One person accurately said it like this never take counsel from your fears. 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:05.480 And so as we look at the story of Jacob in Genesis end of Genesis 42 into chapter 43, we're going to really 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:12.800 examine five stages we can experience in response to truth, and we're going to see how Jacob goes through this transition 00:15:13.060 --> 00:15:20.820 in the season of his life as he steps into something new, realizing there's a there is a cost in maybe following after Lord, in these moments, we're 00:15:20.820 --> 00:15:24.920 going to look how he goes through this transition towards truth. 00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:28.780 And I want us to know all of us can really find ourselves at any given point in these lives. 00:15:28.780 --> 00:15:36.320 And one of these transitions, this is not an exhaustive list, but we're going to learn not only not only from Jacob and how we can interact with truth, but also how 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:43.230 people around us, what stage they might be in as we consider maybe their opportunity to come to know the Lord and walk in him. 00:15:43.540 --> 00:15:47.180 Five stages we experience in response to truth number one. 00:15:47.180 --> 00:15:49.730 By the way, that introduction was long, so I got to go through these fast. 00:15:50.180 --> 00:15:52.790 Number one is this the denial stage? 00:15:53.880 --> 00:15:56.240 We go through the denial stage. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:01.060 And the denial stage doesn't have to be all bad unless you're a stubborn person, right? 00:16:01.160 --> 00:16:06.640 I have found growing up as a kid, those people all live in the southeast of the United States where I went to high school. 00:16:06.840 --> 00:16:08.200 They are never changing for nothing. 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:09.720 Now there is that. 00:16:10.160 --> 00:16:10.500 So? 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:10.960 Sometimes. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:12.920 Sometimes stubbornness. 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:14.920 It can be a bad thing, right? 00:16:15.140 --> 00:16:21.070 But sometimes people just need opportunity to acclimate and process the information that they've been given. 00:16:21.260 --> 00:16:24.450 And so their immediate response could be just simply a stiff arm. 00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:27.180 And maybe it's because there's some woundedness in their past. 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:30.540 They went through a bad experience and they don't want that to repeat again. 00:16:31.060 --> 00:16:38.280 I would say for Jacob, he really part of him is in this position because he one of the things he's holding on to or he's afraid to let go of 00:16:38.280 --> 00:16:39.410 is his child. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:42.510 And because of that, it's leading to the death of his family. 00:16:42.640 --> 00:16:44.000 He's lost one child. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:49.100 He doesn't want to lose another child, even though the situation calls for it makes sense. 00:16:49.260 --> 00:16:50.050 But he's so afraid. 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:55.100 And rather than trust in the promises that God gave him, he's just denying it right now. 00:16:55.100 --> 00:16:56.430 He doesn't even want to look at it. 00:16:56.580 --> 00:17:03.890 I mean, God has peppered his life with promises and provision for his family over and over again in Genesis 28, 00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:09.900 verse 13 and 14, in Genesis 35, verse 11 and 12, God gives him his promises there. 00:17:10.040 --> 00:17:15.150 And he goes on again in Genesis 46, the first few verses of chapter 46, God tells him, don't be afraid. 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:17.829 I'm going to be with you and your family where you're going. 00:17:18.520 --> 00:17:23.460 And so God has filled his life with his presence, reminding him of his promises. 00:17:23.819 --> 00:17:30.840 But now Jacob, in the situation he's facing, while there might be a price to pay, he needs to understand what it means to 00:17:30.840 --> 00:17:32.330 follow God in these moments. 00:17:32.540 --> 00:17:39.950 And so he has this initial denial part because he I think he needs this time to process where he is. 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:47.520 And the same is true maybe for you, maybe for people that you engage in, you might find when it comes to conversations of faith, that 00:17:47.520 --> 00:17:51.040 they're very much, adverse to that conversation. 00:17:51.160 --> 00:17:58.540 But one question you can ask people to find out, maybe if there is any sort of openness to talk about the things of the Lord, is to ask this if 00:17:58.540 --> 00:18:06.080 what you believe isn't true, would you want to know if what you believe isn't true? 00:18:06.340 --> 00:18:08.400 Would you want to know? 00:18:08.620 --> 00:18:14.320 And that'll tell you right away where they find themselves in the things of the Lord. 00:18:14.360 --> 00:18:15.210 In fact, let me read. 00:18:15.360 --> 00:18:22.360 How about I read some verses here in Genesis 42, verse 29, when they came to Jacob, their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had 00:18:22.360 --> 00:18:29.300 happened to them, saying, if you remember how the story was in Genesis 42, there's a famine in the land. 00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:34.900 And in fact, Joseph, who lives in Egypt, who no one in the family knows, he's even alive right now. 00:18:35.120 --> 00:18:38.740 He was told by God, there's going to be seven years of plenty, seven years of famine. 00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:43.130 Take the years of plenty to prepare for the land, the years of famine in the land. 00:18:43.780 --> 00:18:46.820 And now the children that are in Israel there, in that famine. 00:18:47.620 --> 00:18:52.580 And Jacob knows that there's food in Egypt, and he tells his sons, go to that land. 00:18:52.580 --> 00:18:57.760 His sons were reluctant to go there because they knew that was the direction they sent Joseph in slavery. 00:18:57.880 --> 00:18:59.150 And they didn't want to face their past. 00:18:59.620 --> 00:19:01.360 But Jacob, by faith tells him, you need to. 00:19:01.560 --> 00:19:05.040 You need to go in that land and see if we can find provision for our family. 00:19:05.340 --> 00:19:08.800 And now they've gotten food and they've returned back and they're telling their father. 00:19:08.800 --> 00:19:15.900 The story says in verse 33, the man not knowing that it's Joseph, they don't realize it's their own brother, the man, the Lord of the land said 00:19:15.900 --> 00:19:19.680 to us, by this I shall know that you are honest men. 00:19:19.800 --> 00:19:24.270 Leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain from the famine of your household, and go your way. 00:19:24.520 --> 00:19:26.180 Bring your youngest brother to me. 00:19:26.180 --> 00:19:29.060 Then I shall know that you are not spies, but honest men. 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:32.640 And I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in. 00:19:32.860 --> 00:19:34.000 Land and Jacob. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:37.980 Verse 36, their father said to them, you have bereaved me of my children. 00:19:38.120 --> 00:19:40.360 Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more. 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:41.670 And now you would take Benjamin. 00:19:42.260 --> 00:19:44.600 All this has come against me. 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:51.520 Then Reuben said to his father, kill my two sons, if I do not bring him back to you, put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you. 00:19:51.540 --> 00:19:58.140 But he said, my son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is only the only one left. 00:19:58.300 --> 00:20:05.540 If harm should happen to him on the journey that you are to make, you would bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to 00:20:05.540 --> 00:20:06.290 Shiel. 00:20:07.340 --> 00:20:11.560 So you see the brothers went to Egypt, and Joseph finds out in power. 00:20:11.560 --> 00:20:17.280 He finds out that his youngest brother is still alive back in Israel, and Joseph wants all of his brothers to come visit him. 00:20:17.300 --> 00:20:18.850 He wants to see his young brother again. 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:23.820 The his brothers, who are visiting in Egypt, have no idea that they're talking to their brother. 00:20:23.820 --> 00:20:24.670 They sent into slavery. 00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:25.920 But they tell. 00:20:26.080 --> 00:20:29.760 He tells them, if you want to come back and get food again, you need to bring the youngest brother. 00:20:30.340 --> 00:20:35.940 And Jacob is denying this, and he refuses to believe this truth. 00:20:35.940 --> 00:20:43.440 And rather than walk in that he's walking in fear and because he's walking in fear, not only is it costing him, 00:20:43.960 --> 00:20:50.340 but it's also costing his family, because the same can be true for us, right? 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:57.660 When we choose a path of denial, we're not only robbing our soul of understanding the goodness of who God is and why we were created, 00:20:57.740 --> 00:20:59.700 finding purpose and value in him. 00:21:00.140 --> 00:21:04.800 We're also running the risk of our family being led astray too. 00:21:05.460 --> 00:21:11.600 And so Joseph or Jacob in these in these moments, his family is walking in that consequence. 00:21:11.820 --> 00:21:13.940 They're slowly dying and starving. 00:21:14.120 --> 00:21:21.260 But can I tell you, for most of us, if not all of us, fear for us is often a natural default that 00:21:21.260 --> 00:21:21.820 we go to. 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:30.020 And rather than rather than trust in what God says and his promises and understanding how that fits we, I think our first knee jerk, knee 00:21:30.020 --> 00:21:36.580 jerk reaction is to respond in fear and trusting in ourselves and realizing maybe we can't always control those circumstances. 00:21:37.700 --> 00:21:44.900 The same thing happened in chapter 42 and verse 28 that if you remember after after the brothers got 00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:47.560 food in Egypt, they started on their journey back. 00:21:47.660 --> 00:21:49.220 They stopped and got off their saddles. 00:21:49.220 --> 00:21:56.300 They looked in their in the sacks on the side of their saddles and realized the money that they had just paid to Egypt for the food had been refilled 00:21:56.300 --> 00:22:03.540 back into those sacks, and their immediate, immediate thought was, oh no, God's trying to curse us because we sold our brethren into slavery. 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:05.500 They're walking in guilt and fear. 00:22:05.740 --> 00:22:07.200 They're trying to figure out what God is doing. 00:22:07.220 --> 00:22:14.260 But they assumed the worst of their situation, that is not only true for those brothers, but if you go back to the beginning of our 00:22:14.260 --> 00:22:21.560 creation, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter three, once they sinned against God, their natural 00:22:21.560 --> 00:22:28.560 response was to run, be afraid, and hide from him because they chose to continue to trust 00:22:28.560 --> 00:22:31.930 in themselves rather than the truth of what God says. 00:22:32.280 --> 00:22:36.380 And because of that, they found themselves in this denial stage. 00:22:37.660 --> 00:22:41.440 Point number two, let me give you this one is there is the delay stage. 00:22:42.260 --> 00:22:46.380 Or maybe instead of delay, you could also say the compromising stage. 00:22:46.560 --> 00:22:49.770 This is where you try to take the best of both worlds. 00:22:50.040 --> 00:22:57.340 You sort of test the Lord out and you want to still live in the world and have your things, live as if you're king. 00:22:57.340 --> 00:22:59.720 But sometimes look to Jesus as if he's king. 00:22:59.820 --> 00:23:00.620 That's called Sunday. 00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:03.620 And then you get Monday to Saturday, right? 00:23:03.620 --> 00:23:06.820 Rather than seeing the Lord is King of everything. 00:23:07.140 --> 00:23:10.360 And can I tell you that Christianity doesn't work with you? 00:23:10.360 --> 00:23:11.950 One foot in the world and one foot in Christ? 00:23:12.320 --> 00:23:14.020 That's not what God calls you to. 00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:19.340 In fact, the Bible makes it very clear, as God has given all his of his life for you. 00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:23.420 He calls you to give all of your life to him. 00:23:24.060 --> 00:23:31.140 There is not this compromising or this delay, but this is what you see with Joseph when he realizes the need of 00:23:31.140 --> 00:23:38.400 his family as he's processing through this in Genesis 43, it says, now the famine was severe in the land, and when they had eaten 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:44.780 the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, go again, buy us a little food. 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:50.880 But Judah said to him, the man solemnly warned us, saying, you shall not see my face unless your brother is with you. 00:23:50.980 --> 00:23:55.160 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 00:23:55.340 --> 00:23:58.180 But if you will not send him, we will not go down. 00:23:58.180 --> 00:24:02.780 For the man said to us, you shall not see my face unless your brother is with you. 00:24:03.980 --> 00:24:11.200 And one of the things I think that helps us in this delay stage is to take time to get to know the goodness of who God is in his care for your life. 00:24:12.180 --> 00:24:17.920 I mean, ultimately, look at the cross, the sacrifice that God was willing to pay for you and for me. 00:24:18.800 --> 00:24:21.880 Why would God go to such an extent if he did not love you? 00:24:22.740 --> 00:24:27.320 Why would God go to such an extent if you did not need this for your soul? 00:24:28.320 --> 00:24:31.260 And here is Jacob in this story. 00:24:31.260 --> 00:24:32.580 He's trying to compromise. 00:24:32.700 --> 00:24:33.590 Where he's at in this position. 00:24:34.140 --> 00:24:41.500 I think this is somewhat comical, where he says, okay, we can't go to Egypt and get a lot of food, disobeying what this guy says. 00:24:41.520 --> 00:24:45.620 So he's like, maybe we'll take lots of trips and you guys can just go and get a little bit of food. 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:46.190 That's what he said. 00:24:46.580 --> 00:24:48.240 maybe just beg for some crumbs. 00:24:48.300 --> 00:24:49.900 Let's get down there and just get a little bit. 00:24:50.260 --> 00:24:53.520 And that's not the way God offers himself to us, right? 00:24:53.520 --> 00:24:59.140 He wants us to take all of who he is as we give all of who we are to him. 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:07.200 And when you think about, the idea of trusting in God and whether or not you're doing it, maybe we could ask the question for us is 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:09.700 the course you're on right now? 00:25:09.700 --> 00:25:14.140 Is it the best course that you can take to truly follow God with your life? 00:25:16.120 --> 00:25:19.620 There is no better time to give your heart to God than than now. 00:25:20.700 --> 00:25:26.630 Some people have this erroneous idea that, I want to follow God, and I see his importance in my life. 00:25:26.740 --> 00:25:29.070 But, I just need to take care of a couple of things first. 00:25:29.260 --> 00:25:30.200 Then I'll do that. 00:25:30.820 --> 00:25:35.520 Or maybe this thought, well, I want to come to God, but I got to get my act together first. 00:25:35.520 --> 00:25:37.860 I need to clean up my life, and then I can come to him. 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:42.760 And in either situation, there's an extreme lack of understanding of who God is. 00:25:42.940 --> 00:25:49.460 Any time you start the story of coming to God with yourself, you've completely missed the grace of God in your life. 00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:55.290 The journey of Christianity is not about coming to God to impress him with who you are. 00:25:57.040 --> 00:26:04.140 The journey of Christianity is to have this vertical view of his greatness and allow your life to be overwhelmed with his 00:26:04.140 --> 00:26:04.990 goodness. 00:26:05.740 --> 00:26:12.960 And God gives us the opportunity through that to be able to know him and to walk with him and to find him 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:16.860 as sufficient for every circumstance we face in this life. 00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:19.370 So there is the denial stage. 00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:22.180 There is the delay stage, the third stage. 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:25.440 Maybe this is the most entertaining one is the blame stage. 00:26:26.860 --> 00:26:27.920 There is the blame stage. 00:26:28.040 --> 00:26:35.220 Some of us may call this the anger stage, where you realize there is an issue and you still don't want to address 00:26:35.220 --> 00:26:35.560 it. 00:26:35.560 --> 00:26:42.440 And so in order to combat it, you use anger as a defense mechanism and you lash out and attack. 00:26:42.980 --> 00:26:48.600 I think it's important to recognize in those moments of anger is used that way, that it is a weak demonstration of character. 00:26:49.600 --> 00:26:56.160 It's certainly revealing of the state of the struggle that you have within yourself. 00:26:56.200 --> 00:26:59.440 But this is this is where Jacob is in the story. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:06.440 In verse six, it goes on and says, Israel or Jacob said, why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man 00:27:06.440 --> 00:27:07.720 that you had another brother? 00:27:08.100 --> 00:27:08.800 Right? 00:27:08.900 --> 00:27:13.220 So he's saying, sons, you went down to Egypt, and why did you even bring up Benjamin as another brother? 00:27:13.760 --> 00:27:19.260 If you remember Joseph, when the brothers came to Egypt, he recognized them, but they didn't recognize him. 00:27:19.780 --> 00:27:22.630 And he had a concern immediately because he knew one of his brothers was missing. 00:27:23.240 --> 00:27:25.660 And the one brother that was missing was his full blooded brother. 00:27:25.660 --> 00:27:30.350 The rest of the brothers are his half brothers, and he would have thought to himself, man, I know what they did to me. 00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:31.900 What have they done to my youngest brother? 00:27:32.060 --> 00:27:32.400 Right? 00:27:32.460 --> 00:27:35.670 And so he starts to ask questions to find out how his brother's really doing. 00:27:36.360 --> 00:27:43.800 And Jacob, not knowing that it's Joseph asking these questions, Jacob gets angry about this and starts attacking him, not saying to his brothers, 00:27:44.340 --> 00:27:49.310 look or saying to the boys, look guys, thank you so much for taking the journey that puts you at risk. 00:27:49.740 --> 00:27:50.860 Thank you for doing this for the family. 00:27:51.460 --> 00:27:54.290 I can't believe you got all the way to the Prime Minister of Egypt. 00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:55.620 That's incredible. 00:27:55.640 --> 00:27:56.960 And now you've come back with food. 00:27:56.960 --> 00:27:57.680 And not just food. 00:27:57.900 --> 00:27:59.660 You've returned with all of our wealth. 00:27:59.660 --> 00:28:00.800 That's amazing. 00:28:00.800 --> 00:28:01.220 Right? 00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:02.560 He should have said that. 00:28:02.620 --> 00:28:02.760 And. 00:28:02.760 --> 00:28:06.280 But because he criticized him, the brothers should have responded back. 00:28:06.280 --> 00:28:08.820 Well, if you don't like what we did, you should've just done it yourself, right? 00:28:08.820 --> 00:28:11.820 Like, but that's not how they respond at all. 00:28:12.940 --> 00:28:18.240 Rather, the way the brothers respond is with compassion. 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:21.430 It's with understanding. 00:28:22.860 --> 00:28:27.960 And part of the reason they do that is because they can relate to where their father has been. 00:28:29.760 --> 00:28:35.570 They know what it's like to go through loss because, well, they were responsible for Joseph being gone. 00:28:36.940 --> 00:28:41.040 And so there was a bit of them that could be patient towards, Jacob. 00:28:43.020 --> 00:28:45.500 And guys, can I say the same thing should be true with us. 00:28:47.200 --> 00:28:53.680 Not everyone's going to agree with what you believe, and some people might even respond to that adversely. 00:28:55.280 --> 00:29:01.820 But rather than react to their behavior, you should continue to walk confident in who you are in the Lord. 00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:10.560 As you come to know the Lord, discover the position that you have in him, and walk confidently in that regardless of 00:29:10.560 --> 00:29:17.620 what other people do or don't do, I understand anger can be just a defensive mechanism where they're really trying to saying to 00:29:17.620 --> 00:29:21.480 you, look, this is rocking me and I don't want to deal with it right now. 00:29:21.540 --> 00:29:24.390 So they respond in anger. 00:29:24.740 --> 00:29:30.410 You know, I would even say in our in our country today, there's no surprise that America is changing. 00:29:31.020 --> 00:29:32.340 And it seems like it's changing rapidly. 00:29:33.620 --> 00:29:40.480 And somehow we've bought into this idea that in order to truly love you, I've got to agree with everything that you agree with. 00:29:45.180 --> 00:29:46.040 And that's just simply not true. 00:29:46.040 --> 00:29:46.040 And that's not biblical. 00:29:46.040 --> 00:29:49.660 The Bible tells us to walk in truth and to love people. 00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:52.360 And I don't have to agree with you to love you. 00:29:52.500 --> 00:29:56.100 And it's okay to not agree with you and still love you. 00:29:56.160 --> 00:30:00.000 In fact, one of the most loving things I can do sometimes is not agree with you. 00:30:00.680 --> 00:30:06.000 I don't always have to affirm what it is that you think or how you want to view your life. 00:30:07.080 --> 00:30:07.120 But. 00:30:07.160 --> 00:30:12.480 But one thing I do want to do with my life is always honor God, regardless of what people say or do. 00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:16.500 Now I you know, I may not always be perfect at that. 00:30:16.540 --> 00:30:21.220 In this moment, we're seeing how Jacob, he was a man of faith in one moment and all of a sudden meets a new season of life. 00:30:21.220 --> 00:30:22.560 And there's some challenge to that. 00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:30.840 And so we should expect that when people are challenged, that sometimes one of their defense mechanisms to try to stay where 00:30:30.840 --> 00:30:33.260 they are is to react in anger. 00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:41.440 But it's an encouragement to you just to continue to be faithful to the Lord, regardless of what people do or don't 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:41.760 do. 00:30:42.380 --> 00:30:49.160 In fact, verse seven, it goes on, they replied, the man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, is your father still alive? 00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:50.460 Do you have another brother? 00:30:50.840 --> 00:30:53.660 What we told him was in the answer to this question. 00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:55.680 Could we in any way know that he would say. 00:30:55.900 --> 00:30:56.950 Bring your brother down. 00:30:57.240 --> 00:31:04.280 And Judah said to Israel, his father, send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both 00:31:04.280 --> 00:31:07.480 we and you, and also our little ones. 00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:10.740 Verse nine I will be a pledge of a safety from my hand. 00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:15.110 You shall require him, if I do not bring him back to you, and set him before you. 00:31:15.360 --> 00:31:17.510 Then let me bear the blame forever. 00:31:17.840 --> 00:31:22.010 If we had not delayed, we would not have returned, or we could have returned. 00:31:22.180 --> 00:31:22.380 Choice. 00:31:23.140 --> 00:31:27.720 He's saying, look, dad, if you just listen to us the first time, we could have made this trip multiple times. 00:31:27.720 --> 00:31:29.680 We wouldn't even be starving to death right now. 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:32.950 And, I think the same is important for us to consider. 00:31:33.080 --> 00:31:37.180 Like, is your delay in giving God your life really benefiting you? 00:31:38.300 --> 00:31:40.000 Is it benefiting the people around you? 00:31:40.840 --> 00:31:43.460 I mean, not willing to look or being angry. 00:31:43.460 --> 00:31:44.390 How is that helpful? 00:31:45.620 --> 00:31:52.740 And this is what they're patiently talking to their father with, helping them to understand the state of where he is and how much he needs 00:31:52.740 --> 00:31:58.100 rescued even from his self in this moment point number four is the relent stage. 00:31:59.120 --> 00:32:00.460 The relent stage. 00:32:03.300 --> 00:32:06.720 Now this is where you realize things aren't necessarily going to change the way that you want. 00:32:06.820 --> 00:32:09.220 So you're okay with other people pursuing that. 00:32:09.220 --> 00:32:11.800 You sort of give them permission, but you're going to stay where you are. 00:32:12.600 --> 00:32:19.800 And this is what Joseph does in verse 11 and 12, that he's now given permission for his sons to go do what 00:32:19.800 --> 00:32:21.420 they what they think is necessary. 00:32:21.420 --> 00:32:23.700 But he isn't fully convinced in his own mind. 00:32:23.700 --> 00:32:25.080 But at least he's given them permission. 00:32:25.460 --> 00:32:29.440 And this is probably one of the more optimistic stands out of the four that we've looked. 00:32:29.940 --> 00:32:30.800 We've looked at, right? 00:32:30.820 --> 00:32:32.440 Because at least there they know. 00:32:32.600 --> 00:32:34.000 He knows the position of his sons. 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:35.180 He's acknowledged it. 00:32:35.180 --> 00:32:39.170 He's been content with him to follow it, though he himself right now is not ready to follow that. 00:32:39.400 --> 00:32:40.860 Verse 11. 00:32:51.040 --> 00:32:52.120 Then their father Israel said to them, if it must be so, then do this. 00:32:52.120 --> 00:32:52.120 Take some of the first fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man. 00:32:52.120 --> 00:32:52.460 A little bomb, and a little honey and gum and myrrh and pistachio nuts and almonds. 00:32:52.600 --> 00:32:53.740 Take double the money with you. 00:32:53.740 --> 00:32:57.170 Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of the sacks. 00:32:57.460 --> 00:32:59.400 Perhaps it was an oversight. 00:33:00.760 --> 00:33:02.600 So he's given them permission to pursue this. 00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:06.390 But I love this because this is a place of an open dialogue in faith. 00:33:07.340 --> 00:33:09.080 Why do you believe what you believe? 00:33:09.420 --> 00:33:13.360 You know, I think as believers, this is the place that we really want to find in the lives of people. 00:33:13.360 --> 00:33:18.640 Not to be pushy, not to be overbearing, but to find a space to communicate with love. 00:33:19.300 --> 00:33:21.920 I'm not here to be your Holy Spirit. 00:33:23.120 --> 00:33:26.040 I'm not here to force you to be transformed. 00:33:26.160 --> 00:33:32.380 I just simply want to share with you why I think this is a valuable, path to consider for your life and faith. 00:33:33.340 --> 00:33:35.280 And we want to look for this kind of an opportunity. 00:33:35.580 --> 00:33:42.600 In fact, when we don't find this kind of opportunity in conversation, we always just want to continue to seize it and grace and love, not 00:33:42.600 --> 00:33:46.500 respond back with hatred or anger when someone treats us that way. 00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:54.160 But to be patient, to be consistent in character, in Christ for these kind of opportunities where they might relent and at least be open to hear what 00:33:54.160 --> 00:34:01.340 it is we have to say now, I would have loved to for Jacob to be a man of faith, to say at any point during this time to say, you 00:34:01.340 --> 00:34:02.240 know what, guys? 00:34:02.240 --> 00:34:03.800 Let's gather around and pray for a minute. 00:34:04.500 --> 00:34:08.120 I don't know what God's doing here, but I know what God promised me that he's going to be with me. 00:34:08.179 --> 00:34:09.770 And he said that over and over again. 00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:11.020 He doesn't want me to be afraid. 00:34:11.139 --> 00:34:12.770 He's got great plans for our family. 00:34:13.500 --> 00:34:20.520 I don't know what that looks like in this moment, but we can still trust in the one who walks with us, who is the Lord as his hand 00:34:20.520 --> 00:34:21.260 is over us. 00:34:21.420 --> 00:34:23.159 But he doesn't respond that way. 00:34:23.520 --> 00:34:24.820 He, but he at least relents. 00:34:25.120 --> 00:34:30.380 And then number five is this he gets to the faith stage, the faith stage. 00:34:30.420 --> 00:34:37.520 And in verse 13 he finally says, take also your brother Benjamin, and arise, go again to the man. 00:34:38.300 --> 00:34:45.909 May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. 00:34:46.120 --> 00:34:49.350 As for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. 00:34:50.500 --> 00:34:57.600 I love I love the candidness of this statement because I see in what Jacob 00:34:57.600 --> 00:34:58.400 is saying. 00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:00.200 It is a step of faith, trusting in God. 00:35:00.820 --> 00:35:02.480 But it's not a very impressive faith. 00:35:03.200 --> 00:35:09.880 And the reason I say that is because he probably should have stopped with his statement about halfway through verse 14. 00:35:10.180 --> 00:35:16.770 You know, he should have just said, May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. 00:35:17.000 --> 00:35:19.760 And then that was it, like I'm wishing you the best. 00:35:19.940 --> 00:35:22.160 Let's pray and ask God and trust in him. 00:35:22.240 --> 00:35:24.310 But instead he's like, man, if you die, you die. 00:35:24.360 --> 00:35:25.080 What can I say? 00:35:25.500 --> 00:35:27.700 That's not a very optimistic ending, right? 00:35:27.760 --> 00:35:30.640 It's showing the struggle of faith and what he's saying. 00:35:30.760 --> 00:35:38.040 But at least in these moments, he's taking a step of faith and where he is and for some of us that might be 00:35:38.040 --> 00:35:39.200 where we find ourselves. 00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:41.190 You know, I've been lied to. 00:35:41.780 --> 00:35:42.480 I've been hurt. 00:35:43.260 --> 00:35:45.200 Things have not gone the way that I had hoped. 00:35:47.580 --> 00:35:48.560 But I still want the Lord. 00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:53.150 And when I choose to trust the Lord, I don't want it to fail. 00:35:54.400 --> 00:35:59.970 And whatever faith that you have, you just want to take that and put it into Christ. 00:36:02.040 --> 00:36:03.820 And can I just encourage you this morning? 00:36:06.080 --> 00:36:08.680 God isn't here to be impressed with the size of your faith. 00:36:11.480 --> 00:36:14.760 God wants you to be overwhelmed with the greatness of who he is. 00:36:16.900 --> 00:36:22.100 Because when your life is overwhelmed with the greatness of who he is, your faith grows in the Lord. 00:36:23.800 --> 00:36:30.440 It's not about the size of your faith, but about the greatness of your God and whatever little faith that you have. 00:36:30.440 --> 00:36:35.100 When you just take that faith and trust in him, the Lord grows it before him. 00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:44.480 Hudson Taylor used to say it like this God isn't looking for people of great faith, but for individuals ready to follow him. 00:36:45.480 --> 00:36:46.780 And that's what they did in verse 15. 00:36:47.720 --> 00:36:50.760 They started that journey from Canaan to Egypt. 00:36:51.120 --> 00:36:51.380 Yeah. 00:36:51.540 --> 00:36:54.300 I can't imagine what would have been going through their heads. 00:36:55.060 --> 00:36:56.540 You know, who knows what's going to happen to me? 00:36:57.700 --> 00:36:58.670 Maybe we get robbed. 00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:00.440 Maybe we get killed on this journey. 00:37:01.240 --> 00:37:07.440 Maybe we get back to Pharaoh, and he finds out that our money was returned to our bags, and he accuses us of stealing. 00:37:07.620 --> 00:37:10.280 Maybe our brother Simeon, that we left there is no longer there. 00:37:10.300 --> 00:37:11.260 Maybe they killed him. 00:37:11.820 --> 00:37:13.420 Who knows what's going to happen on this journey? 00:37:13.600 --> 00:37:20.680 But they also saw it as an opportunity that when they got living their lives wrong and how they treated Joseph, now 00:37:20.680 --> 00:37:27.380 they're going on this journey with Benjamin, and now they get to write a new story and how they honor and care for one another. 00:37:27.820 --> 00:37:29.420 And here's what's incredible what they discover. 00:37:29.420 --> 00:37:33.700 Once they get down there, they discover the exact opposite of what they expected. 00:37:34.600 --> 00:37:38.940 It says in verse 23 he replied, talking about Joseph, peace to you. 00:37:38.940 --> 00:37:39.960 Do not be afraid. 00:37:40.560 --> 00:37:44.040 Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. 00:37:44.040 --> 00:37:45.520 I received your money. 00:37:45.720 --> 00:37:48.000 Then he brought Simeon out to them out of prison. 00:37:48.220 --> 00:37:54.100 And in verse 33 and they sat before him, the first born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth. 00:37:54.220 --> 00:37:56.720 And the men looked at one another in amazement. 00:37:58.340 --> 00:38:04.610 You know, there are theologians that study the life of Joseph and say, and Joseph very much models the life of Jesus. 00:38:05.580 --> 00:38:12.580 And the reason for that is Joseph lived a righteous life, but he was unjustly accused of things he did not do to the point he was treated 00:38:12.580 --> 00:38:14.900 as a slave and thrown into prison. 00:38:15.900 --> 00:38:23.310 And when he deserved in his righteousness, to go against those who were offensive against him, rather than giving them what they deserve justice. 00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:29.260 It tells us in this passage that he lavished grace upon them rather than give them justice. 00:38:29.280 --> 00:38:31.700 The first thing that he says is peace to you. 00:38:31.700 --> 00:38:38.260 He brings his grace, and rather than keep them in prison, he releases Simeon from jail. 00:38:38.780 --> 00:38:44.020 And rather than throw all of them back in jail, he treats them to a feast. 00:38:45.340 --> 00:38:52.520 And can I just say, for all of us, this is exactly who Christ is, that when we think about what we are owed in life, 00:38:52.520 --> 00:38:59.780 our tendency when it comes to God, what we deserve, our tendency when it comes to God, is to walk in fear because we know we're sinful, coming before 00:38:59.780 --> 00:39:00.460 a holy God. 00:39:01.440 --> 00:39:08.920 But what we discover in the arms of Jesus is a hand of grace, a God who would not give up on us, a God who was willing to pursue us, 00:39:09.140 --> 00:39:10.960 a God who gave his life for us. 00:39:11.020 --> 00:39:13.230 That we could find freedom in him. 00:39:13.660 --> 00:39:16.040 There's what we know that we deserve. 00:39:16.860 --> 00:39:19.190 But then there's what God gives us. 00:39:19.460 --> 00:39:26.540 And in walking in that truth, that faith in truth, it's liberating for us to live in the freedom that we 00:39:26.540 --> 00:39:28.610 discover in Jesus. 00:39:29.600 --> 00:39:36.700 There's all sorts of ways we can respond to the truth in which God gives, but what God's ultimate desire for us is that we give 00:39:36.700 --> 00:39:44.010 all of ourselves to him by faith, no matter how small it is, because of the greatness of who God is. 00:39:44.640 --> 00:39:50.110 I want to close with this little story of a of a guy named William Borden. 00:39:51.020 --> 00:39:58.340 William Borden was heir to the to the family business, which was Borden Dairy at 00:39:58.340 --> 00:39:59.920 one point in history. 00:39:59.920 --> 00:40:07.830 In American history, the Borden family held the number one company for producing dairy and pasta in the United States. 00:40:08.320 --> 00:40:14.420 But when Borden was just a young man going to Yale University, he gave his life to Christ. 00:40:15.380 --> 00:40:18.000 And after he graduated from Yale, he went on a world journey. 00:40:18.620 --> 00:40:24.340 And he decided while he was on that journey, he saw the desperation of the world and realized, we need more people out proclaiming Christ. 00:40:24.400 --> 00:40:25.150 So he came back. 00:40:25.380 --> 00:40:27.950 And not only had he given his life to Christ, he decides to become a missionary. 00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:34.770 He goes on to Princeton and gets a degree, a seminary degree, and he decides to become a missionary. 00:40:34.940 --> 00:40:40.880 This made such an impact that such a wealthy person would do this, that the Chicago Tribune even wrote articles on him. 00:40:40.980 --> 00:40:46.570 And this is a picture of one of those articles that says the young millionaire renounces the world to become a missionary. 00:40:47.920 --> 00:40:54.940 When he first told his parents that he was given his life to Christ, his father expressed his frustration and young bordern he opened 00:40:54.940 --> 00:41:00.320 his Bible and he wrote on the inside of the pages, he said this no reserve or no reservation. 00:41:01.260 --> 00:41:08.320 And when he graduated with his seminary degree, preparing to go on the mission field, his father told him, if you're going to make this choice, you will 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:11.160 no longer ever have a position in this family business. 00:41:11.220 --> 00:41:11.500 You will. 00:41:11.760 --> 00:41:12.780 You will be no part of it. 00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:18.030 Of which Bordern opened his Bible one more time and he wrote this phrase no retreat. 00:41:18.820 --> 00:41:25.160 Bordern had decided in his mind that one he would ultimately go to China, and he wanted to minister to Muslims in China. 00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:33.160 And so on his way there, he decided to go to Egypt to learn Arabic before he landed in China to reach Muslims. 00:41:34.480 --> 00:41:35.740 But while in Egypt. 00:41:35.740 --> 00:41:42.860 He contracted meningitis, and just before he died, he opened up his Bible and he wrote these words. 00:41:43.180 --> 00:41:45.360 No regrets. 00:41:45.700 --> 00:41:47.420 You know, we look at the life of William Bordern. 00:41:47.440 --> 00:41:48.620 He died at the age of 25. 00:41:48.620 --> 00:41:52.560 He never ultimately reached the place that he had hoped to spend his life serving. 00:41:53.180 --> 00:42:00.200 And from a maybe an American business mentality, we could look at that and say, you know how silly, how silly he could have had 00:42:00.200 --> 00:42:04.180 all of this wealth in his life, and he could have paid for a thousand missionaries to go around the world. 00:42:05.340 --> 00:42:12.420 But can I tell you, one of the greatest experiences that happens when someone chooses to follow God is not, is not the transformation that 00:42:12.420 --> 00:42:13.720 happens to the people around them. 00:42:14.560 --> 00:42:16.460 It's the transformation that happens within them. 00:42:17.820 --> 00:42:24.770 And when Bordern met Jesus face to face for the first time, we can rest assured that before the Lord there were no regrets. 00:42:26.320 --> 00:42:31.980 Everything that he had given over to God, knowing that God had given everything for him. 00:42:33.120 --> 00:42:40.200 We all go through different stages when we encounter circumstances in life, but God's heart for all of us, no matter how great your faith may 00:42:40.200 --> 00:42:42.040 be, that you would trust in him.