WEBVTT 00:00:00.260 --> 00:00:03.120 I'm going to invite you to Genesis chapter 44 is where we're at together today. 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:04.710 By the way, those aren't all the announcements. 00:00:04.780 --> 00:00:09.120 So if you want to know what else is happening, you're going to have to look at the app or the grab a bulletin sheet when you leave. 00:00:09.420 --> 00:00:12.420 But Genesis chapter 44 is where we're at together today. 00:00:12.660 --> 00:00:19.640 And I'm going to just call this the most underwhelming chapter in Genesis, because that's the way church history is, has treated this. 00:00:19.720 --> 00:00:25.460 In fact, when Martin Luther first read this chapter, his response was, I don't even know why it's in the Bible. 00:00:25.620 --> 00:00:30.620 That's kind of I think you said it in German, but that's kind of the consensus of what he said. 00:00:30.720 --> 00:00:31.920 But we're going to find out. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:38.920 Look, I'm not going to bore you with this chapter, just so you know, but we're going to find out that this chapter is actually a pretty significant chapter 00:00:38.920 --> 00:00:43.670 in the life of a transforming experience in the life of the children of Israel. 00:00:44.180 --> 00:00:46.400 And it's important for us to see what this chapter contains. 00:00:46.760 --> 00:00:50.260 But this because this brings the reunification of Joseph with his brothers. 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:57.900 If you've been following this story along, but Martin Luther was somewhat accurate in his communication about 00:00:57.900 --> 00:01:04.560 Joseph and as it relates more particularly to this chapter, because this is a kind of garden variety, basic chapter of life. 00:01:04.599 --> 00:01:08.250 But that's honestly what makes Joseph's story so special. 00:01:08.680 --> 00:01:17.240 I mean, if you've been following along in the book of Genesis, we've been following since chapter 12 particular characters in the book of Genesis dedicating, a 00:01:17.240 --> 00:01:22.440 significant amount of chapters to each character, starting with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now here we are with Joseph. 00:01:23.060 --> 00:01:28.010 But Joseph has more chapters than any other character in the Book of Genesis. 00:01:28.260 --> 00:01:35.320 But what's interesting about Joseph is his life was far more uneventful than the rest of the characters that 00:01:35.320 --> 00:01:36.700 you read about, you know? 00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:39.140 And part of that is not that bad or uneventful. 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:40.460 Things didn't happen to Joseph. 00:01:40.460 --> 00:01:42.820 I mean, he was sold into slavery and thrown into prison. 00:01:42.820 --> 00:01:45.990 Those are pretty big things to have happen in your life. 00:01:46.340 --> 00:01:53.520 But while he was in prison and while he was in slavery, it was basically the mundane of life, which is really where we find the majority 00:01:53.520 --> 00:01:54.340 of our life. 00:01:54.340 --> 00:01:54.820 Right? 00:01:54.820 --> 00:02:02.460 Is learning what it is to walk with the Lord and the in the day to day average typical things that happen to us. 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:07.540 And hopefully in those moments you learn to be faithful to God because there will come times of adversity. 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:15.560 And when you learn about the life of Joseph, you see that what makes him such a remarkable character is that 00:02:15.560 --> 00:02:20.160 he was faithful to the Lord and many unremarkable things in his life. 00:02:20.480 --> 00:02:25.820 I mean, he wasn't a guy that walked around with a halo, he didn't perform any incredible miracles. 00:02:25.880 --> 00:02:27.210 He never gave some sort of prophecy. 00:02:27.380 --> 00:02:34.380 He never, never wrote any scriptures, but rather he was just faithful to the Lord where he 00:02:34.380 --> 00:02:35.080 was. 00:02:35.900 --> 00:02:43.060 And because he was faithful to God in the circumstances that he faced, he demonstrated a 00:02:43.060 --> 00:02:44.760 beautiful life. 00:02:44.760 --> 00:02:49.500 You know, a healthy faith creates a beautiful life before the Lord. 00:02:49.920 --> 00:02:53.580 And Joseph was great because he was as faithful to God. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:03:01.080 And when he faced troubles his, he saw his troubles as challenges to confront, 00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:02.580 not reasons to quit. 00:03:03.160 --> 00:03:08.530 In fact, they become become the platform to really demonstrate what his faith was all about. 00:03:09.140 --> 00:03:16.360 there's a man by the name of Elbert Hubbard who don't confuse him with L Ron Hubbard who started Scientology, but Elbert 00:03:16.460 --> 00:03:21.150 Hubbard was an author in the in the 20th century, the beginning of the 20th century. 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:28.940 And he said this the final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure contemptuous treatment 00:03:28.940 --> 00:03:31.260 without resentment. 00:03:32.320 --> 00:03:35.520 And I think that speaks to Joseph's life beautifully. 00:03:36.440 --> 00:03:43.510 He was not defined by his circumstances, but rather the Lord used it to refine him in his relationship with him. 00:03:43.920 --> 00:03:50.900 And Joseph was a life that proved that faithfulness before the Lord. 00:03:51.220 --> 00:03:58.660 And here in Genesis chapter 44, we're at the point of Joseph's story where he is going to encounter his brothers for a second time 00:03:58.660 --> 00:04:00.570 after they sold him into slavery. 00:04:01.540 --> 00:04:08.710 If you remember how this story goes in Genesis 37, we start to really read about the life of Joseph, where he tells his brothers, 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:16.200 God gave me a dream, and in that dream, you and dad bowed out unto me one day, and his brothers, already jealous of him, really hated 00:04:16.200 --> 00:04:17.360 him at that point. 00:04:17.420 --> 00:04:24.480 And they make the decision to sell him into slavery, and they sell him to some Ishmaelites that are on their way to 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:24.980 Egypt. 00:04:25.620 --> 00:04:29.240 And Joseph has been in Egypt for over 20 years now. 00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:32.270 No one has any idea what's happened to him, that he could be dead. 00:04:32.280 --> 00:04:33.150 For all they know. 00:04:33.280 --> 00:04:37.620 We know from his story that he was bought on the slave market to Potiphar. 00:04:37.900 --> 00:04:40.230 He was accused of something that he did not do. 00:04:40.580 --> 00:04:47.720 He was then thrown into prison, and he spent 13 years of his life, or over 13 years of his life, as either a slave or 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:50.440 a prisoner before the Lord, sets him free. 00:04:50.460 --> 00:04:53.730 And the way that he was set free was through interpreting a dream for Pharaoh. 00:04:54.120 --> 00:04:59.530 And in that dream, he told Pharaoh, God is telling us that there's going to be seven years of plenty. 00:04:59.780 --> 00:05:00.060 And. 00:05:00.060 --> 00:05:07.120 Seven years of famine, and the Lord is warning you about the famine and encouraging to use the seven years of plenty in order to prepare for the seven years of 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:07.620 famine. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:13.620 Pharaoh was so impressed by that he put he put Joseph in charge of managing that. 00:05:13.620 --> 00:05:18.600 Not only was he in charge of managing that, he really put Joseph as second in charge of all of Egypt. 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:22.170 The only one greater in Egypt at this time was Pharaoh himself. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:27.360 And so Joseph is leading Egypt through this famine, but not just Egypt. 00:05:27.400 --> 00:05:34.440 We come to discover that Joseph Joseph's life is used as a blessing to other people 00:05:34.440 --> 00:05:38.030 groups around Egypt, and particularly to his own family. 00:05:38.380 --> 00:05:40.140 His own family was starving. 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:41.500 His own family was hungry. 00:05:41.500 --> 00:05:43.770 They had to journey to Egypt in order to get food. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:47.030 When they go to Egypt, they only journey with ten of their brothers. 00:05:47.420 --> 00:05:51.920 Joseph's worried what happened to the 11th brother because it's his only full blooded brother. 00:05:52.260 --> 00:05:53.620 And they tell him he's back in Israel. 00:05:53.700 --> 00:05:55.510 And Joseph says, look, I'll give you some food. 00:05:55.880 --> 00:05:59.840 You go back, but I'm keeping one of your brothers until you return with your other brother. 00:06:00.520 --> 00:06:05.270 And so the men go back and they tell the report to their dad all that had happened. 00:06:05.400 --> 00:06:07.010 Simeon's the one that stays in prison. 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:10.640 Finally, the brothers are starving again. 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:12.060 They they're desperate. 00:06:12.060 --> 00:06:13.460 They have to go back to Egypt. 00:06:13.520 --> 00:06:16.880 The father is worried about what's going to happen to Benjamin, the youngest, if they go. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:20.520 But the father relents and lets them all journey back to Egypt. 00:06:21.520 --> 00:06:28.800 Once they're in Egypt, they receive food, and in chapter 44, verse one, we see what transpires 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:34.990 from there it says, then he commanded the steward of his house fill them in sacks, talking about his own brothers. 00:06:35.060 --> 00:06:36.410 Joseph's talking about his brothers. 00:06:36.640 --> 00:06:40.380 His brothers have no idea that this is Joseph that they're talking to. 00:06:40.720 --> 00:06:47.820 And it says, fill them in, sack with food as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack, and put 00:06:47.820 --> 00:06:53.400 my cup, the silver cup in the mouth of the sack of the youngest with his money for the grain. 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:54.990 And he did as Joseph told him. 00:06:55.280 --> 00:06:59.250 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 00:07:00.080 --> 00:07:06.560 Now you can imagine, even for the brothers of this moment, they got to be thinking, this is sort of like a pinnacle moment for their life. 00:07:06.740 --> 00:07:09.610 They came down to Egypt, desperate, not knowing if they're going to survive. 00:07:09.880 --> 00:07:10.960 They're in the middle of the famine. 00:07:10.960 --> 00:07:12.430 They're barely clinging to life. 00:07:12.460 --> 00:07:14.440 Their brother's in prison in Egypt. 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:17.780 Now they're journeying with their youngest brother, of which their father didn't want to go. 00:07:18.280 --> 00:07:19.920 And they're worried, what's going to happen to us? 00:07:19.940 --> 00:07:27.380 But then all of a sudden, now they've had all their money returned, they've got food, their brother's been released from prison, and all of the brothers are now journeying 00:07:27.380 --> 00:07:28.350 back to Israel. 00:07:28.640 --> 00:07:29.340 They're going to be elated. 00:07:29.880 --> 00:07:31.920 This is this is fantastic for them. 00:07:31.940 --> 00:07:32.500 Right? 00:07:32.580 --> 00:07:36.090 I just think, we're about to we're about to read some adversity. 00:07:36.260 --> 00:07:37.700 They're getting ready to experience. 00:07:38.420 --> 00:07:45.200 But I want us to know for all of us, it is easy to say you're a Christian in these moments, right? 00:07:45.200 --> 00:07:47.780 When life goes exactly the way you hoped it would go. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:49.260 And everything's wonderful. 00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:52.450 You know, it's easy to say, I love Jesus because there's no consequence. 00:07:52.540 --> 00:07:54.230 There's no cost to that, right? 00:07:54.320 --> 00:07:59.980 But it's when we face adversity that really demonstrates to us the depth of where our love for the Lord is. 00:08:00.360 --> 00:08:01.860 And so here they are on this journey. 00:08:01.860 --> 00:08:05.100 They're so excited brothers with us again, and we're all going back. 00:08:05.100 --> 00:08:05.820 We're all safe. 00:08:05.820 --> 00:08:07.680 We're all going to live because we all have food. 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:12.000 And then in verse four, they had gone only a short distance from the city. 00:08:12.020 --> 00:08:19.160 Now Joseph said to his steward, up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, why have you repaid evil for good? 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:21.940 Is it not from this that my Lord drinks? 00:08:21.960 --> 00:08:23.910 And by this that he practices divination? 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:26.370 You have done evil in doing this. 00:08:26.500 --> 00:08:29.950 When he overtook them, he spoke, spoke to them these words. 00:08:30.440 --> 00:08:35.470 Now I feel like I need to clarify something in this verse before I explain more about this verse. 00:08:35.940 --> 00:08:40.470 It says in this verse, Joseph wants them to tell them that cup was used for divination. 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:46.470 Okay, now this verse is not telling you, therefore go buy a cup and practice divination. 00:08:46.920 --> 00:08:52.450 I don't know if I need to clear the air with that, but just in case now you know, do not buy a cup and practice divination. 00:08:53.640 --> 00:09:00.680 I think it's also important to recognize Joseph isn't really one that practices divination, but rather he's put on this 00:09:00.680 --> 00:09:04.740 facade that he is a true Egyptian because he doesn't want his brothers to know that. 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:07.340 That it's really him, that it's the brother. 00:09:07.340 --> 00:09:08.260 They sold him to slavery. 00:09:08.340 --> 00:09:09.700 So he's playing the part. 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:16.970 And in Egypt, there's eastern practice where they would take a cup and read the waters in a cup in order to practice divination. 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:21.060 So Joseph is playing that part and saying, tell them how important this cup is. 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:23.860 It's not only my special cup, it's my religious cup. 00:09:23.860 --> 00:09:24.020 Right? 00:09:24.020 --> 00:09:26.880 You've taken this and you know it's important to us. 00:09:27.040 --> 00:09:30.330 And you might look at this and think, what in the world is Joseph doing? 00:09:30.340 --> 00:09:30.800 Is doing. 00:09:30.800 --> 00:09:32.170 Does he not care about his brothers? 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:34.160 Why would he set him up to fail like this? 00:09:34.180 --> 00:09:36.210 Why would he set him up to lead him to this point? 00:09:36.900 --> 00:09:43.960 And it is important to remind ourselves that of Joseph's intention towards his brothers, it is not for harm. 00:09:44.620 --> 00:09:51.760 And the reason we know that is because the way that he's treated his brothers up until this point, being second in command in Egypt when he first recognized 00:09:51.760 --> 00:09:57.740 his brothers, if he was out for vengeance, he could have immediately said, I recognize you. 00:09:57.740 --> 00:09:59.060 Throw him in jail, right? 00:09:59.060 --> 00:09:59.700 Or off with. 00:09:59.700 --> 00:10:02.800 Our heads or whatever he wanted to do, but he didn't do that. 00:10:02.800 --> 00:10:08.530 And the reason we've learned Joseph didn't do that is because he's learned how to put his life into perspective before the Lord. 00:10:09.100 --> 00:10:16.120 In Genesis chapter 41, verse 51 and 52, we learn that Joseph named his two sons in a 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:20.740 way that represented his testimony before God. 00:10:21.040 --> 00:10:24.620 What God had done in his life and what we learn is Joseph names his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. 00:10:25.860 --> 00:10:31.720 And what that's saying to us is that Joseph has learned to, through the name Manasseh, to put the past in the past. 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:34.170 And Ephraim step in the double blessing of the Lord. 00:10:34.700 --> 00:10:38.820 And what is saying is things happen to us in life, but they do not define us. 00:10:39.460 --> 00:10:44.780 And if my life becomes about vengeance, then it traps me in the past and I live for it. 00:10:45.160 --> 00:10:51.750 But when I discover who I am in the Lord, I'm able to put the past in the past in order to move forward in him, to live for a greater purpose in Christ. 00:10:52.280 --> 00:10:54.540 And this is where Joseph has found himself. 00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:56.640 The joy of the Lord has become his strength. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:59.740 And by the way, do you know what the opposite of joy is? 00:11:02.020 --> 00:11:02.780 It's hopelessness. 00:11:04.640 --> 00:11:05.540 Hopelessness. 00:11:06.920 --> 00:11:13.340 You know, what's important for us to recognize as God's people is we're all going to go through difficult circumstances in life. 00:11:14.020 --> 00:11:21.570 But when you're in Christ, you can always be a person of joy because you know, what you have in Jesus can never be truly taken away from you. 00:11:21.920 --> 00:11:25.080 Yes, you might go through adversity, but those things do not define you. 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:29.770 Who you are in Christ is what defines you, and what you ultimately have in Jesus endures forever. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.120 So you're never a person of complete hopelessness. 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:39.160 You may go through loss in life, but Jesus reconciles all things in Him and Jesus. 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:42.600 He counts every tear, every pain, every sorrow. 00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:47.640 All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, who are called according to his purpose in Romans chapter eight. 00:11:47.960 --> 00:11:53.260 And so, because of that, you have a hope that transcends the circumstances of this world. 00:11:53.920 --> 00:11:56.070 And this is where Joseph has found himself. 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:03.780 He's not defined by what his brothers have done to him, but rather it's refined him into a position to not only bless the people of Egypt, but to bless 00:12:03.780 --> 00:12:06.920 the known world at the time and even spare his own family. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:12.510 But the reason Joseph is doing this right now is because he wants to know who his brothers really are. 00:12:13.460 --> 00:12:17.520 When Joseph was first sold into slavery, he was 17 years old. 00:12:17.880 --> 00:12:19.700 His brothers were still young. 00:12:19.900 --> 00:12:26.720 Some 20 years have passed and what's on Joseph's mind is wondering who his brothers have become. 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:28.650 What kind of men are you today? 00:12:29.040 --> 00:12:32.540 I mean, it's one thing, the kind of decisions that you made when you were 17 years old. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:33.620 Not to say we can. 00:12:33.620 --> 00:12:36.100 We probably have some pretty great 17 year olds in here. 00:12:36.140 --> 00:12:43.480 Okay, but it's something else that as you mature to learn in that maturity, what it means to represent the Lord in the circumstances 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:50.800 of life, how you live for him and what we discover in the next verses, verse seven, it says, 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:54.020 and they said to him, why does my Lord speak such words as these? 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.760 So they're accusing him of doing these things wrong. 00:12:56.800 --> 00:12:58.810 And they're asking the question, why do you speak these things? 00:12:59.100 --> 00:13:00.990 Far be it from your servants to do such things. 00:13:01.280 --> 00:13:06.010 Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. 00:13:06.160 --> 00:13:10.180 How then could we steal silver or gold from your Lord's house? 00:13:10.260 --> 00:13:11.060 So here's what they're saying. 00:13:11.400 --> 00:13:18.030 When we came to Egypt the first time you gave us food, when we left, we saw the money that we gave you or it was actually returned to us. 00:13:18.540 --> 00:13:20.520 And they thought God was after them. 00:13:20.520 --> 00:13:20.920 Because of that. 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:23.840 They thought the Lord was up to something, bringing guilt on them. 00:13:23.880 --> 00:13:31.000 But when they came back to Egypt the second time, they brought that money from the first trip, and then more money to buy more food. 00:13:31.020 --> 00:13:36.680 So they wanted to pay, make sure what they did on the first trip was definitely paid for and then pay for their second trip. 00:13:36.760 --> 00:13:38.740 And so they're saying we're people of integrity. 00:13:38.860 --> 00:13:40.360 This is what we did, right? 00:13:40.420 --> 00:13:44.780 How can how then could you steal silver or gold from your Lord's house? 00:13:44.780 --> 00:13:51.440 Verse nine whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my Lord's servants. 00:13:52.760 --> 00:13:53.140 So? 00:13:53.280 --> 00:13:58.820 So they're coming to this place of saying to Joseph, you know this is the kind of man we are. 00:13:58.820 --> 00:14:01.900 This is what we expect if something like that would happen to us. 00:14:02.060 --> 00:14:09.240 Verse ten, he said, let it be as you say, he who was found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent. 00:14:10.120 --> 00:14:10.720 Verse 11. 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:17.800 Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack, and he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the 00:14:17.800 --> 00:14:21.020 youngest, and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. 00:14:21.100 --> 00:14:27.800 Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. 00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:32.700 So here we find Joseph, set them up for this position of adversity. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:40.140 And the reason Joseph set him up for this position is he wanted to discover what kind of men are you now? 00:14:40.140 --> 00:14:41.800 What kind of men are you, really? 00:14:41.800 --> 00:14:42.940 20 years have passed. 00:14:42.940 --> 00:14:43.620 Now they're grown. 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:44.670 They have their own families. 00:14:45.340 --> 00:14:46.560 Who is it you've become? 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:48.880 You know, I know that you're not the same person. 00:14:49.280 --> 00:14:52.640 When I was maybe 17 years old, something's likely changed in your life. 00:14:52.780 --> 00:14:55.230 But was it for better or was it for worse? 00:14:55.740 --> 00:14:56.700 What kind of people are you? 00:14:56.700 --> 00:15:01.740 Because Joseph wants to understand how he should pursue a relationship with them moving forward. 00:15:02.420 --> 00:15:05.140 Should he pursue relationship with him moving forward? 00:15:06.040 --> 00:15:13.840 Are they still the same brothers who had ill intent towards Joseph, or has things changed because adversity 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:19.060 has this way of helping us uncover what resides in our in our hearts? 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:24.050 Where you find your identity will ultimately determine the steps that you take. 00:15:24.540 --> 00:15:31.620 And so Joseph is using adversity in his as favor in order to discover this in his own brothers and as a believer, we've got 00:15:31.620 --> 00:15:36.920 to keep in mind who we are is based on whose we are. 00:15:37.820 --> 00:15:44.900 And so adversity becomes for us, it's, when we come into these challenges of life, we may not always 00:15:44.900 --> 00:15:52.040 know the steps that we should take immediately, but we do know the kind of people that God calls us 00:15:52.040 --> 00:15:54.660 to be, no matter the circumstance around us. 00:15:55.380 --> 00:16:02.180 And as we walk in that identity of who God calls me to be, we start to discover how God wants me to step. 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:04.100 And a verse. 00:16:04.180 --> 00:16:09.430 For Joseph is going to be used as a tool to understand where his brothers are. 00:16:10.620 --> 00:16:11.870 What kind of men have you become? 00:16:12.760 --> 00:16:20.140 You know, as a parent, I find that this is those are teachable moments for even myself towards my boys and 00:16:20.140 --> 00:16:23.660 my desire for my boys is to see them grow up. 00:16:23.660 --> 00:16:24.440 I don't have a daughter. 00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:25.180 I've got four boys. 00:16:25.180 --> 00:16:32.280 But to grow up to be godly men that don't live in this world in order to serve themselves, but understand who they are before God, in 00:16:32.280 --> 00:16:34.070 order to live in this world, to bless others. 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:38.440 And they're not going to get it perfect that first time, you know. 00:16:38.460 --> 00:16:46.080 But those moments when they're young are so important because that gives me opportunity to help them understand how to mature, to become godly men. 00:16:46.260 --> 00:16:53.360 And because, as a child, when you when you're a child and you make mistakes or you sin or you fall, those consequences are not 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:56.260 nearly as big as when you become an adult. 00:16:56.300 --> 00:16:58.960 Or most of the time, those consequences aren't as big. 00:16:59.020 --> 00:17:05.609 When you come become an adult, there are far larger consequences to pay, good or bad, for the decisions that you make. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:08.619 And so seeing that kind of maturity, that's what Joseph is after. 00:17:08.619 --> 00:17:12.140 What kind of maturity have you had in the Lord? 00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:17.260 And he wants them to reveal that so he knows how to interact with them in relationally. 00:17:17.819 --> 00:17:19.150 George Mueller said it like this. 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:23.819 To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. 00:17:24.619 --> 00:17:31.890 I have learned my faith by standing firm at admit severe testing. 00:17:32.560 --> 00:17:40.250 And so we're going to look at the rest of this passage for understanding two things then, and that is two opportunities to prove an adversity. 00:17:40.540 --> 00:17:43.960 When I face adversity, it creates for me a platform. 00:17:44.100 --> 00:17:47.840 And that platform really demonstrates a couple of important things. 00:17:47.900 --> 00:17:49.480 There's more than that we could talk about here. 00:17:49.540 --> 00:17:54.540 But here in this particular passage, we're going to look at two opportunities that I get to prove in adversity. 00:17:54.620 --> 00:18:01.750 Point number one in your notes is this who I believe I am, who I believe I am? 00:18:02.280 --> 00:18:04.620 You know, we could have simply just said what I believe, right? 00:18:04.620 --> 00:18:11.030 But what you believe ultimately determines the steps that you take based on who how you find yourself in those beliefs. 00:18:11.080 --> 00:18:11.560 Right. 00:18:11.760 --> 00:18:15.020 And so who I believe I am. 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:22.520 And when I, when I think about the importance of this moment, my mind immediately goes to the life of Christ as the ultimate example 00:18:22.520 --> 00:18:29.920 of one who remained consistent in all things because we as Christians, our followers of Christ and 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:34.410 Jesus becomes that model of what it looks like perfectly right. 00:18:34.780 --> 00:18:36.330 Not that we are, but he is. 00:18:36.580 --> 00:18:38.320 He's that model that demonstrates it perfectly. 00:18:38.420 --> 00:18:45.520 And that passage that reminds me of that is really in Luke chapter 23, as Jesus got to the end of his life, it tells 00:18:45.520 --> 00:18:48.380 us in the Gospel of John that he loved his own until the end. 00:18:48.900 --> 00:18:51.290 But even on the cross, on the final hours of his life. 00:18:51.380 --> 00:18:58.400 One of the last comments Christ makes in Luke 23:43, he says, father, forgive them, for they know 00:18:58.400 --> 00:18:59.330 not what they do. 00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:01.960 I mean, how incredible is that? 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:10.300 The very last words Jesus saying on the cross and it continues to be selfless and it's understanding because Jesus knew who he was, 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:12.280 because he knew whose he was. 00:19:12.900 --> 00:19:19.710 And no matter the circumstance he faced, it did not change who he was in light of his relationship to the father. 00:19:20.280 --> 00:19:21.980 And the same should be true for us. 00:19:22.360 --> 00:19:28.010 Not that we get it perfectly, but it reminds me of that during that same time, the life of Peter. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:35.740 If you remember in the story of Peter, Peter, when Jesus was going to the cross, it tells us that he is confronted multiple times as 00:19:35.740 --> 00:19:37.300 being a follower of Jesus. 00:19:37.320 --> 00:19:39.440 And Peter continually denied it. 00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:44.570 And finally, at the last time that he denies it, he tells us that he curses about it. 00:19:44.920 --> 00:19:50.940 And then he looks up and he sees Christ looking at him, and he realizes what he's what he had done, and he runs away in tears. 00:19:52.080 --> 00:19:58.420 But one of the most beautiful passages, I think, in Scripture is in acts chapter five, acts chapter five. 00:19:58.440 --> 00:19:59.910 The apostles are going around preaching. 00:20:00.300 --> 00:20:03.880 They've been warned by the religious leaders in the land to stop doing that. 00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:04.860 They refuse to do it. 00:20:04.860 --> 00:20:07.430 They said, we are to obey God rather than man. 00:20:07.860 --> 00:20:11.720 And so the religious leaders brought the apostles before them, and they beat them. 00:20:11.800 --> 00:20:12.960 And Peter was one of those that they beat. 00:20:14.260 --> 00:20:17.880 And in acts chapter five, verse 41, it says this about them. 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:24.740 And they left rejoicing that they were worthy to suffer for Christ's sake, I think. 00:20:24.780 --> 00:20:25.960 How incredible is that? 00:20:26.940 --> 00:20:32.180 Here it was Peter, when he when he first had that opportunity to stand with Jesus, he refused. 00:20:32.780 --> 00:20:34.540 And now in acts, he's learned. 00:20:34.580 --> 00:20:36.160 He's grown. 00:20:36.340 --> 00:20:39.380 And in between those two stories, we know what's taking place there. 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:43.860 It's the resurrection of Jesus which changes everything for us. 00:20:44.900 --> 00:20:52.080 And Peter's put his trust in who Christ is, having seen the resurrection, and therefore that becomes his identity, that 00:20:52.080 --> 00:20:57.470 becomes what he wants to live his life for and in the book of or excuse me, let me let me read this. 00:20:57.500 --> 00:20:58.680 Hudson Taylor said this. 00:20:59.100 --> 00:21:04.360 All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:09.070 Because they believed God would be with them. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:12.660 It's not about impressing other people. 00:21:12.850 --> 00:21:20.040 It's really about recognizing who you truly are before the Lord and honestly who 00:21:20.040 --> 00:21:20.720 God is. 00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:27.900 When you see the greatness of who God is and that God willing to walk with you and everything, promising to always be with you. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:35.680 It gives you incredible boldness and anything that you face in life and enduring joy that transcends the struggle of the circumstance. 00:21:36.320 --> 00:21:39.440 You have an ultimate hope because you've not been abandoned. 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:45.800 And in Genesis chapter 44, we see in the midst of adversity that platform of opportunity the brothers have here. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:52.840 It says when Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there, and they fell before him to the ground. 00:21:53.140 --> 00:21:56.780 And Joseph said to them, what deed is this that you have done? 00:21:56.900 --> 00:22:00.700 Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination? 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:02.880 And Judah said, what shall we say to my Lord? 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:03.930 What shall we speak? 00:22:04.020 --> 00:22:06.000 Or how can we clear ourselves? 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.140 God has found out the guilt of your servants. 00:22:08.140 --> 00:22:15.140 Behold, we are my Lord's servants, both we and he also, in whose hand the cup has 00:22:15.140 --> 00:22:15.960 been found. 00:22:17.140 --> 00:22:19.540 Let me say a couple important things here in this passage. 00:22:19.860 --> 00:22:25.320 One, it is highly significant to see in these verses that it's Judah representing his brothers. 00:22:26.080 --> 00:22:27.660 It's Judah who is speaking. 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:34.660 He's not the oldest brother, but it is important that it is this brother particularly, that's recognized as the spokesman 00:22:34.660 --> 00:22:35.860 for his brothers. 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:37.770 And the reason for that is twofold. 00:22:38.600 --> 00:22:46.200 And in Genesis chapter 37, when Joseph was sold into slavery, it was Judah's idea that 00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:52.120 he shared with his brothers that led to the selling of his brothers into his brother, into slavery. 00:22:52.280 --> 00:22:59.380 And so, because Judah was the one who spearheaded that sin against his brother, it's important that Judah here in this verse, 00:22:59.960 --> 00:23:04.720 becomes the one that becomes the spokesman of repentance before his brother. 00:23:04.800 --> 00:23:11.480 And not only that, right after Genesis chapter 37, we see in chapter 38 that Judah goes into an immoral behavior. 00:23:11.520 --> 00:23:18.950 He ends up hiring a prostitute, which was his daughter in law from his past, his son that passed away. 00:23:19.460 --> 00:23:20.860 He didn't know that it was his daughter in law. 00:23:20.940 --> 00:23:24.540 But you just see this immoral behavior of this man. 00:23:24.540 --> 00:23:31.640 And here in this story now, we're seeing a life that's really been transformed, and we're seeing a man that's different than who he was 00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:33.280 over two decades ago. 00:23:33.840 --> 00:23:37.680 And the way that we see that is what he confesses in verse 16. 00:23:37.820 --> 00:23:38.460 He says, what? 00:23:38.520 --> 00:23:39.960 What shall we say to my Lord? 00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:41.150 What shall we speak? 00:23:41.240 --> 00:23:42.620 Or how can we clear ourselves? 00:23:43.080 --> 00:23:45.070 God has found out the guilt of your servants. 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:50.740 more than just confessing that the cup was in their sacks. 00:23:52.140 --> 00:23:59.260 What Judah is confessing is really the sinfulness of his life, the guilt and the shame that he has walked in 00:23:59.260 --> 00:24:01.870 for betraying his brother by selling him into slavery. 00:24:02.780 --> 00:24:07.660 Judah is coming before Joseph, not knowing who Joseph is, and he's saying, you're right, we're guilty. 00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:10.000 We're just we're guilty people. 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:11.500 We have. 00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:17.160 And in these moments, Judah is laying himself out completely before the leader of Egypt. 00:24:17.180 --> 00:24:19.760 He's laying himself completely before the Lord. 00:24:20.120 --> 00:24:22.860 He's just saying, look, this is what I'm worthy of as a person. 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:24.440 I am completely undone. 00:24:25.100 --> 00:24:27.040 My life is in your hands because I am. 00:24:27.180 --> 00:24:28.050 I am not innocent. 00:24:29.500 --> 00:24:36.520 And Judah, in these moments, he's finding his identity and being shaped in really the confession 00:24:36.520 --> 00:24:43.980 of his life before the one he's sinned against and the confession of his life before God Himself. 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:45.830 He is a guilty man. 00:24:47.040 --> 00:24:54.080 But, guys, can I just tell you that for us in all of our Christian stories, that this is a this is an important place for any of 00:24:54.080 --> 00:25:01.180 us in a relationship with Jesus, that in order to have a true, healthy relationship with the Lord, you have got to come to 00:25:01.180 --> 00:25:06.750 that place where you utterly surrender yourself to God and let God shape who you are. 00:25:07.180 --> 00:25:14.260 we need to get to that place where we're not trying to impress God with our own behavior, but allowing our lives to be impressed with the glory of who he is because 00:25:14.260 --> 00:25:16.060 of what he has done for us there. 00:25:16.580 --> 00:25:23.800 There is no relationship with God until that place that time happens in your life where you come before him, recognizing who you are apart 00:25:23.800 --> 00:25:30.100 from him, and you completely surrender your life to him, discovering what God intends for you. 00:25:30.180 --> 00:25:32.760 And in Christianity, what we call that is the gospel. 00:25:33.280 --> 00:25:39.750 Now, what's important here is to understand there is a massive difference in finding freedom in the gospel and the guilt of religion. 00:25:40.580 --> 00:25:44.380 Because if Judas story just simply stopped with I'm guilty, that's it. 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:51.120 And that's really all that religion can produce in your life, is to remind you again and again how much of a failure you are. 00:25:51.660 --> 00:25:58.800 And in fact, some people think that the point of life, or maybe even coming to church on Sunday is, man, I've been doing some things 00:25:58.800 --> 00:26:02.780 wrong, or I haven't had enough God in my life and I need to make God happy, right? 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:03.770 So I better show up. 00:26:03.840 --> 00:26:03.920 I. 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:05.560 Want to be mad at me, right? 00:26:05.560 --> 00:26:09.020 Throwing some some darts my way or zipping me with some lightning bolts. 00:26:09.020 --> 00:26:12.680 You know, that's the kind of image that we sometimes portray of God. 00:26:12.680 --> 00:26:12.820 And. 00:26:13.040 --> 00:26:16.740 And while we're guilty, we may be guilty, sinful people before the Lord. 00:26:16.740 --> 00:26:19.580 That is not God's ultimate hope for your life at all. 00:26:20.780 --> 00:26:27.820 But in order to get to the place where we find that ultimate hope, we need to recognize who we are apart from him and discover we never find the freedom for which 00:26:27.820 --> 00:26:34.840 we were created until our lives are truly given over to him, because our lives were made by him and for 00:26:34.840 --> 00:26:35.220 him. 00:26:36.020 --> 00:26:38.680 And it's not until our lives are given to him that we discover that. 00:26:39.780 --> 00:26:43.040 And so in religion, religion is not liberating. 00:26:43.380 --> 00:26:45.420 It is not freedom, it is not grace. 00:26:46.200 --> 00:26:49.380 It is condemnation upon your heads this morning. 00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:52.200 That is not what we're talking about at all for us, right? 00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:59.200 In fact, when you look in the old or excuse me in the New Testament, Paul reminds us of that in multiple places of the Bible, not just the apostle Paul. 00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:01.880 You have other verses I've listed for you well as well in the notes. 00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:08.960 But listen to this Romans chapter three, verse 20 therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:10.240 of the law. 00:27:10.600 --> 00:27:13.410 Rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 00:27:14.020 --> 00:27:17.180 So he's saying, no one's going to be made right by doing religious works. 00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:23.850 That's not how this works, but rather the law or religious living points out where you fail. 00:27:23.880 --> 00:27:25.540 That's not freedom, that's bondage. 00:27:25.960 --> 00:27:27.820 Galatians chapter two, verse 16. 00:27:27.840 --> 00:27:32.600 Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. 00:27:32.700 --> 00:27:39.820 So we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by the 00:27:39.820 --> 00:27:42.940 works of the law no one will be justified or made right. 00:27:42.940 --> 00:27:50.040 Romans 710 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death in 00:27:50.040 --> 00:27:50.860 Paul's life. 00:27:50.860 --> 00:27:57.260 He thought his religion was supposed to set him free, and what he discovered is that his religion pronounced judgment and death upon his head. 00:27:58.200 --> 00:28:03.600 Now, some people have grown weary of religion and they'll say things like, forget it, right? 00:28:03.620 --> 00:28:06.620 I'm not walking in that guilt, and I don't want you to walk in that guilt either. 00:28:06.620 --> 00:28:07.740 But I'm not walking in that guilt. 00:28:07.900 --> 00:28:14.920 I'll just abandon all those things and just live for what I want in a secular society, that is the basis 00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:16.660 of America, right? 00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:19.540 Where we say, look, death to God, there is no God. 00:28:19.580 --> 00:28:24.060 In fact, the point of my life is to live for myself and whatever makes me happy. 00:28:24.300 --> 00:28:29.320 And in that kind of life that kind of life can go a thousand thousands of different ways. 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:33.380 It's just a matter of whatever you want as long as it, quote doesn't hurt someone else. 00:28:33.380 --> 00:28:35.240 It's typically how people put the caveat on it. 00:28:35.360 --> 00:28:36.660 But you just live for your own glory. 00:28:36.660 --> 00:28:38.480 But in Christianity. 00:28:38.800 --> 00:28:45.450 Christianity is one path, one purpose only discovered by your life, completely surrendered to the Lord. 00:28:45.620 --> 00:28:46.810 And so let me say it like this. 00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:54.120 For all of us, whether you're a Christian or not, you have to put your faith in something. 00:28:55.260 --> 00:28:56.480 It's impossible not to. 00:28:57.380 --> 00:29:04.180 You will put your faith in something, whether it be trusting in yourself or trusting in someone else or some other belief. 00:29:04.440 --> 00:29:06.370 You have to put your faith in something. 00:29:07.460 --> 00:29:15.720 What we ultimately should do as people is to find empirical, absolute truth in 00:29:15.720 --> 00:29:19.780 order to lay our put our lives into something right. 00:29:19.900 --> 00:29:20.620 What do I know endures? 00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:28.200 And more importantly, will it endure for eternity and for us as believers, we find that hinge point on Jesus himself, 00:29:28.380 --> 00:29:31.100 and most specifically in the resurrection of Christ. 00:29:32.260 --> 00:29:34.880 You will put your faith in something. 00:29:36.820 --> 00:29:42.280 The question is what your what is your faith in and will it really endure? 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:44.940 Does it matter? 00:29:46.900 --> 00:29:50.040 Is life really just about waking up in whatever makes you happy? 00:29:52.040 --> 00:29:55.460 I would argue that life will lead you to a thousand different paths. 00:29:55.480 --> 00:29:56.470 You can you can follow. 00:29:58.300 --> 00:30:01.200 But none of them in a true relationship with the Lord. 00:30:02.740 --> 00:30:03.320 That does not. 00:30:03.520 --> 00:30:08.660 That does not happen in our life until we realize how much we need God. 00:30:09.380 --> 00:30:11.480 How broken we truly are. 00:30:11.580 --> 00:30:13.960 And we surrender ourselves like Judah in this story. 00:30:14.360 --> 00:30:16.380 But what we discover is the good news. 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:23.880 The gospel is that is exactly where Christ meets us in our brokenness, to take on his righteousness in 00:30:23.880 --> 00:30:24.940 our lives. 00:30:25.100 --> 00:30:32.480 And that's what Galatians chapter two verse 16 says, to embrace what Jesus has given you freely of himself by 00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:39.880 sacrificing his life so that you can be liberated in your brokenness, in your sin against God, to confess before the Lord and 00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:47.100 discover that new identity, that new life that you are in him to lay down who you are in the past in 00:30:47.100 --> 00:30:49.950 order to be able to move forward in the goodness of who God is. 00:30:50.600 --> 00:30:51.700 Tim Keller said it like this. 00:30:51.760 --> 00:30:53.960 You're more wicked than you ever believed. 00:30:54.620 --> 00:30:55.780 It's not very encouraging, is it? 00:30:57.140 --> 00:31:02.340 But at the same time, more loved and accepted than you ever dared to hope. 00:31:04.520 --> 00:31:07.600 You're never going to surrender your life to the grace of God. 00:31:08.560 --> 00:31:13.500 The freedom that only Jesus can bring until you realize how desperate you are without him. 00:31:14.220 --> 00:31:21.930 And Tim Keller in this famous quote is reminding us of the goodness of who this God is. 00:31:22.820 --> 00:31:30.940 Jesus said it like this in Matthew chapter 16, verse 20, out of all the paths that you could follow, he said, he who desires to follow after me must 00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:35.420 deny himself, take up the cross, and follow me. 00:31:37.360 --> 00:31:39.580 Surrender yourself from being God. 00:31:40.320 --> 00:31:40.940 Just say the Lord. 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:42.440 Lord, I'm tired of me. 00:31:43.720 --> 00:31:44.940 Lord, what I need is you. 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:51.240 Adversity has this way of giving us the opportunity to learn who I believe I am. 00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:54.580 And the goodness of Christ gives us that liberation. 00:31:55.480 --> 00:31:59.660 Corrie ten boom, which we've talked about the last couple of weeks, I just thought, let's throw another quote in there for her. 00:31:59.820 --> 00:32:04.000 She says this there is no pit so deep that God's love isn't deeper still. 00:32:04.440 --> 00:32:10.200 So no matter how deep your you feel your sin may go, God's love is deeper still for us. 00:32:10.360 --> 00:32:17.360 Adversity provides us platform of truly demonstrating what it is I who I believe, who I believe I am, and number two, what 00:32:17.360 --> 00:32:20.260 I value, what I ultimately value. 00:32:21.160 --> 00:32:27.570 And it's easy to say something that sounds good, but when the pressure is on, that's where you truly get the opportunity to demonstrate it. 00:32:27.600 --> 00:32:29.130 Does that really matter to you? 00:32:29.600 --> 00:32:33.960 And in Genesis chapter 44, verse 17, Joseph's going to give his brother that opportunity. 00:32:34.100 --> 00:32:40.660 He says, he says to the brothers, far be it from me that I should do so, talking about keeping all of the men there. 00:32:40.800 --> 00:32:44.110 But he says, only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. 00:32:44.440 --> 00:32:46.900 But as for you, go in peace to your father. 00:32:47.460 --> 00:32:48.670 I mean, this is incredible for Joseph. 00:32:48.860 --> 00:32:54.960 You can imagine his brothers when they let sold him into slavery, they left him for dead. 00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:55.440 They were done. 00:32:55.500 --> 00:32:56.950 They walked away from him. 00:32:57.160 --> 00:33:04.160 But now, putting this pressure on his brothers, he sees his brothers as soon as Benjamin is taken into captivity rather or into prison, rather than run 00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:07.920 away from his brother Benjamin, they run back to Egypt for his life. 00:33:08.560 --> 00:33:11.100 And now Joseph says to him, look, I'm just going to keep your brother. 00:33:11.100 --> 00:33:12.150 The rest of you can go free. 00:33:12.460 --> 00:33:14.470 He's wanting to know what kind of men have you become. 00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:16.520 Who are you really in this adversity? 00:33:17.400 --> 00:33:21.740 And starting in verse 18, you see Judah give this response. 00:33:21.840 --> 00:33:25.440 And this is this is the longest speech in all the book of Genesis. 00:33:26.820 --> 00:33:32.920 And Judah gives this response, demonstrating where his heart now is before really before the Lord. 00:33:33.060 --> 00:33:34.120 And I'm just going to read all of it. 00:33:34.120 --> 00:33:35.080 It goes to the end of this chapter. 00:33:35.180 --> 00:33:36.880 I want you to see verse 18. 00:33:36.900 --> 00:33:43.940 Then Judah went up to him and said, oh my Lord, please let your servants speak a word in my Lord's ear, and let not your anger burn against 00:33:43.940 --> 00:33:44.560 your servant. 00:33:44.580 --> 00:33:46.270 For you are like Pharaoh himself. 00:33:46.820 --> 00:33:50.240 My Lord asked his servants, saying, have you a father or a brother? 00:33:50.700 --> 00:33:56.080 And we said to my lord, we have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. 00:33:56.180 --> 00:34:01.840 His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father's father loves him. 00:34:01.840 --> 00:34:06.120 Then you said to your servant, bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him. 00:34:06.200 --> 00:34:12.100 We said to my lord, the boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. 00:34:12.280 --> 00:34:17.860 Then you said to your servants, unless your youngest brother comes down with you shall not see my face again. 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:21.770 And when we went back to your servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord. 00:34:22.040 --> 00:34:26.500 And when our father said, go again, buy us a little food, we said, we cannot go down. 00:34:26.500 --> 00:34:33.070 If our youngest brother does not go with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face unless our younger brother is with us. 00:34:33.260 --> 00:34:37.389 Then your servant my father said to us, you know that my wife bore me two sons. 00:34:37.600 --> 00:34:45.210 One one left me, and I said, surely he has been torn to pieces, and I have never seen his face since. 00:34:45.260 --> 00:34:52.460 If you take this one also from me talking about Benjamin and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs 00:34:52.460 --> 00:34:53.949 in evil to Sheol. 00:34:54.500 --> 00:35:01.520 Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant, my father, and the boy is not with us, then as his life is bound up 00:35:01.520 --> 00:35:08.580 in the boy's life, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servant will bring down the 00:35:08.580 --> 00:35:12.070 gray hairs of your servant, our father, with sorrow to Sheol. 00:35:12.340 --> 00:35:19.340 For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, if I do not bring him back to you, then I 00:35:19.340 --> 00:35:22.210 shall bear the blame before my father all my life. 00:35:22.460 --> 00:35:29.680 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with 00:35:29.680 --> 00:35:30.290 his brothers. 00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:36.060 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? 00:35:36.580 --> 00:35:40.040 I fear to see the evil that would find my father. 00:35:41.720 --> 00:35:43.900 And what incredible love is this? 00:35:44.960 --> 00:35:50.100 I think he abandoned his first brother, and he has the opportunity to abandon his second brother. 00:35:50.120 --> 00:35:57.140 But there has been a transformation that's happened in the life of Judah, to the point that he's willing to give his own life, that his 00:35:57.140 --> 00:35:59.520 brother Benjamin could find his freedom for. 00:36:01.200 --> 00:36:08.500 For Judah, this became a platform to demonstrate the kind of man that he had become, the liberation that he's experienced 00:36:08.500 --> 00:36:11.600 in his own soul, by really confessing himself before the Lord. 00:36:11.600 --> 00:36:19.080 And he's saying, I would rather die than to go to my father without Benjamin, because 00:36:19.080 --> 00:36:26.100 when I when I think about the incredible testimony of Judah's life, it reminds me of the freedom that we 00:36:26.100 --> 00:36:30.280 have in Jesus, how that love transforms us. 00:36:31.660 --> 00:36:35.920 And Jesus said in John 15, it scarce will a good. 00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:37.580 Man lay down his life for another. 00:36:38.700 --> 00:36:41.200 But this is exactly what Jesus did for you. 00:36:42.360 --> 00:36:47.870 And the reason he did it for you is so that you can find freedom in him. 00:36:48.640 --> 00:36:52.620 And I think about the life of, well, our own lives and the life of Joseph. 00:36:53.180 --> 00:36:58.220 And some of us feel broken by the past and what's been done wrong to us. 00:36:59.380 --> 00:37:02.800 And so is Joseph, a broken by his past. 00:37:02.820 --> 00:37:10.530 But he found his identity in something altogether different a greater love, a greater calling, 00:37:11.180 --> 00:37:18.200 a greater purpose because he had a joy that endured the temporal things of this life, because 00:37:18.200 --> 00:37:20.800 he found out who he was in the Lord. 00:37:22.280 --> 00:37:29.480 And here, in the undoing of Judah, he's discovering the same thing freedom, and what only God himself can 00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:37.160 do, that we could be liberated to live for his purposes in this world, this unending love that transforms 00:37:37.160 --> 00:37:38.400 our lives. 00:37:39.780 --> 00:37:42.280 It's the same for all of us this morning. 00:37:43.660 --> 00:37:50.740 Of all the things that have happened to you that could define you, of all the things maybe that you've done wrong or the 00:37:50.740 --> 00:37:57.780 choice to continue to live for your own glory, but rather, rather than put your faith in that adversity, 00:37:57.780 --> 00:38:04.300 has this beautiful opportunity of demonstrating who I believe I am and what I ultimately value. 00:38:05.760 --> 00:38:13.220 And the only way that happens is completely surrendering ourselves to who God is to find our lives liberated 00:38:13.220 --> 00:38:18.920 in him, that he gave his life completely for us, that we could be made free. 00:38:20.080 --> 00:38:23.980 there's a story by the man of, named Eric Liddell. 00:38:24.180 --> 00:38:24.900 He's. 00:38:25.040 --> 00:38:27.520 He's famous by the movie Chariots of Fire. 00:38:27.520 --> 00:38:35.220 If anyone's ever seen Chariots of Fire, it's kind of old now, but, Eric Liddell was grew up as a missionary kid in China, and 00:38:35.220 --> 00:38:39.520 he was also known as Britain's fastest runner. 00:38:39.800 --> 00:38:43.730 And in the 1920s, he won a gold medal and became the fastest man in the world. 00:38:44.640 --> 00:38:48.280 And right after he won his gold medal, he decided to return back to the mission field. 00:38:48.300 --> 00:38:55.300 He went back to China to spend his days serving the Lord, and while he was in China, he was there 00:38:55.300 --> 00:38:59.440 during the time of World War Two, and he was captured and put put in a prisoner camp. 00:39:00.300 --> 00:39:07.620 And when he was put in this prisoner camp by the Japanese, Winston Churchill actually worked for his release and 00:39:07.620 --> 00:39:09.300 Winston Churchill was successful. 00:39:09.300 --> 00:39:16.420 A plane was sent to get out Eric Liddell from this prison camp, but instead of getting on the plane, he actually 00:39:16.420 --> 00:39:19.000 gave his seat to a pregnant lady. 00:39:19.780 --> 00:39:26.180 Unknown to Eric Liddell, he was suffering with a brain tumor, and shortly after that he started to have headaches and seizures. 00:39:26.980 --> 00:39:29.100 And not long after that he passed away. 00:39:30.360 --> 00:39:37.290 But his final words on his deathbed were it is complete surrender to the very end. 00:39:37.720 --> 00:39:42.980 He knew he remained faithful to the Lord, but during his life he gave this incredible quote. 00:39:42.980 --> 00:39:50.080 He said, circumstances may appear to wreck our lives in God's plans, but God is not 00:39:50.080 --> 00:39:57.240 helpless among the ruins, an incredible God of which we, in 00:39:57.240 --> 00:40:04.480 the midst of our own adversities, can lay ourselves out completely before him to discover who we really are 00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:10.220 and in so doing, demonstrate what we ultimately value to find that he is more than enough.