WEBVTT 00:00:00.500 --> 00:00:02.230 Hey, I'm going to invite you to Genesis. 00:00:02.660 --> 00:00:09.720 Chapter 45 is where we're at together today in Genesis chapter 45, as we get to the part of the book of Genesis 00:00:09.720 --> 00:00:13.750 where, Joseph is going to reveal himself to his brothers. 00:00:14.100 --> 00:00:21.260 Now, if you remember where we are so far in the story in the life of Joseph, the end of the book of Genesis, the last dozen or so chapters of 00:00:21.260 --> 00:00:24.100 Genesis, you deal with the life of Joseph. 00:00:24.180 --> 00:00:26.580 In fact, that's much of what Genesis is about. 00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:32.540 The first 11 chapters sort of lays out the picture of why God created us and man's rebellion against God. 00:00:32.619 --> 00:00:39.680 And then from chapter 12 on, he starts working through the lives of individuals to show his grace delivered to us from Abraham to Isaac 00:00:39.680 --> 00:00:40.700 to Jacob. 00:00:40.700 --> 00:00:43.630 And now, at the end of this book, we're looking at the life of Joseph. 00:00:44.220 --> 00:00:49.400 And if you follow it in the story, you'll remember at the age of 17, his brothers were jealous of Joseph. 00:00:49.400 --> 00:00:56.660 They hated Joseph to the point that they took Joseph captive, and they sold him as a as a slave to some Ishmaelites 00:00:56.660 --> 00:00:58.840 who were on a journey to Egypt. 00:00:59.080 --> 00:01:03.400 And once they got to Egypt, they sold Joseph as a slave in Egypt. 00:01:03.620 --> 00:01:06.340 And Joseph served as a slave while he was a slave. 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:11.560 He was accused of something that he did not do, but he was thrown into prison because of that. 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:19.020 And he spent over a decade of his life either serving as a slave or being cast into prison before he was finally set free. 00:01:19.180 --> 00:01:23.330 A very difficult life as a young man, 17 years old, he's in a place of comfort. 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:25.380 His family's taking care of him. 00:01:25.380 --> 00:01:30.780 They're certainly have a lot of monetary wealth as a family in comparison to the people around them. 00:01:30.820 --> 00:01:32.350 So they're well off. 00:01:32.460 --> 00:01:39.690 But Joseph was ripped from his home, taken to a foreign land and a place where he did not speak the language to serve as a slave and then a prisoner. 00:01:40.420 --> 00:01:47.420 And when you hear about a life like that, and I would just simply stop there and ask the question, how do you think he would respond if he 00:01:47.420 --> 00:01:48.930 ever saw his brothers again? 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:56.960 If you think about the tendency of the average human being, I can tell you a lot of our human nature is to 00:01:56.960 --> 00:02:02.640 not respond very kindly, graciously, or forgiving towards people who wronged us. 00:02:02.720 --> 00:02:06.580 In fact, if I just laid out that story and that's where we stopped, you would be like, let me just write the rest for you. 00:02:06.580 --> 00:02:06.760 Right? 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:11.840 Joseph, from that point, if he ever saw his brothers again, they better look out, right? 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:14.010 He they better beg him for mercy. 00:02:14.060 --> 00:02:20.840 He's going to be vengeful and vindictive and full of wrath and at the most mild, he would be a man of justice. 00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:21.840 Right? 00:02:22.060 --> 00:02:26.110 But that's not what you see in the life of Joseph at all. 00:02:26.840 --> 00:02:34.320 I mean, it's incredible to read his story and how he patiently, faithfully walked with the Lord to 00:02:34.320 --> 00:02:40.810 see how God would work through his circumstance to bring about something far greater than he could ever produce in his own strength. 00:02:41.900 --> 00:02:45.220 And because he trusted in the faithful hand of the Lord. 00:02:45.340 --> 00:02:52.840 Not only was it healing for his own soul, but it also became a blessing to his, the very brothers that were opposed to him and 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:55.530 not just his brothers, but future generations. 00:02:55.580 --> 00:03:00.620 Even us today reap the blessing of what God did in Joseph's life. 00:03:00.620 --> 00:03:01.830 And we'll talk about that. 00:03:02.300 --> 00:03:08.980 But, sometimes even in the immediate when we think about difficulty, we go through, God is a God that brings beauty from ashes. 00:03:09.980 --> 00:03:17.100 he does incredible things as God's people, as we walk faithfully through with him through difficult circumstances, and 00:03:17.100 --> 00:03:24.560 to see how that takes place and to think it doesn't just make an impact on our generation now, but you can establish a 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:28.600 legacy that God creates through you because of faithfulness to him. 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:31.320 And but the question is, how do we get there? 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:33.460 And what does that look like when we walk in it? 00:03:33.540 --> 00:03:37.380 And this is exactly what Genesis chapter 45 is about. 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:45.020 And in verse one, this is where Joseph reveals himself and you would expect a hardened heart, a vengeful attitude. 00:03:45.020 --> 00:03:51.120 But Genesis 45, verse one, Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. 00:03:51.200 --> 00:03:53.380 And he cried, make everyone go out from here! 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:57.080 So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 00:03:57.700 --> 00:04:02.320 If you remember how the story went, Joseph sold into slavery, into Egypt. 00:04:02.320 --> 00:04:06.650 He was eventually set free out of prison because he interpreted a dream for Pharaoh. 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:10.410 And that dream was about seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. 00:04:10.600 --> 00:04:16.890 And Joseph told Pharaoh, God is telling you need to prepare for the seven years of phantom famine through the seven years of abundance. 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:24.240 Pharaoh is so impressed with Joseph that he puts him in charge of taking care of that for Egypt, and to the point that he makes Joseph's second 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:25.990 in command of all of Egypt. 00:04:26.660 --> 00:04:33.760 And not only is now Joseph helping Egypt survive an extreme famine, but Egypt has now become a resource to the people 00:04:33.760 --> 00:04:40.680 groups around them, so much so that the children of Israel have now journeyed to Egypt to ask for help. 00:04:40.860 --> 00:04:43.320 And they took one journey to Egypt to ask for food. 00:04:43.340 --> 00:04:48.940 They brought money with them to buy it, and they had no idea that the very person they were asking for help from was their brother. 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:49.260 Joseph. 00:04:49.320 --> 00:04:52.070 And Joseph kept himself a mystery to his brothers. 00:04:52.220 --> 00:04:53.270 His brothers leave. 00:04:53.380 --> 00:04:57.430 His brothers ran out of food again and they have to come back and ask for food again. 00:04:57.500 --> 00:04:59.950 And it's during this time Joseph is. 00:05:00.460 --> 00:05:01.280 Testing his brothers. 00:05:01.280 --> 00:05:02.480 He's trying to find out. 00:05:02.940 --> 00:05:05.080 Can I entrust myself to you? 00:05:05.080 --> 00:05:09.480 And to what degree do I have any sort of relationship with you in Joseph's mind? 00:05:09.520 --> 00:05:17.130 Remember, at 17 years old, being ripped from his home, he knows he and his brothers were still at a maturing stage of life. 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:20.220 You know, I'm not I'm not saying, 17 years old. 00:05:20.220 --> 00:05:22.360 You can't be an impressive 17 years old. 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:22.760 You're old. 00:05:22.760 --> 00:05:27.560 But I am saying sometimes there's a lot of 17 year olds that just don't have wisdom yet. 00:05:27.640 --> 00:05:27.940 Right? 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.780 And you got to go through life circumstances in order to attain that. 00:05:31.820 --> 00:05:33.370 And so Joseph knows that. 00:05:33.460 --> 00:05:36.400 But when his brothers show up, he wants to know what kind of men have you? 00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:37.050 Have you become? 00:05:37.940 --> 00:05:45.140 And through his interaction with his brothers, he discovers that they are they are repentant before the Lord over how 00:05:45.140 --> 00:05:46.500 they treated Joseph. 00:05:46.660 --> 00:05:54.080 And they're modeling that through the way they treat their youngest brother, Joseph, who was, who was or excuse me, youngest brother Benjamin, who was Joseph's 00:05:54.080 --> 00:05:58.040 only other full blooded brother, and Joseph. 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:05.040 Now, seeing that their hearts have been changed, he is at this state of really revealing himself to 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:08.420 his brothers in a place of humility and weeping. 00:06:08.960 --> 00:06:16.080 And I love the way he does it in verse number one, he he's in this room now with all these Egyptian leaders, and he calls everyone out but 00:06:16.080 --> 00:06:21.880 just his family, because the issue he wants to deal with is not for everyone else to be aware of. 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:29.840 This is a matter that's happened between he and his family, and one that he wants to reconcile with those parties that have done wrong and 00:06:29.840 --> 00:06:30.930 have been wronged. 00:06:31.200 --> 00:06:34.970 And so he has everyone else leave, and he just engages with his family. 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:39.320 And in verse two, and he wept aloud so that the Egyptians heard it. 00:06:39.400 --> 00:06:41.100 And the household of Pharaoh heard it. 00:06:41.760 --> 00:06:44.010 And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. 00:06:44.620 --> 00:06:46.640 Is my father still alive? 00:06:46.740 --> 00:06:50.990 But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 00:06:51.740 --> 00:06:58.940 And this would have been a pretty remarkable moment for his brothers, if you can imagine in their shoes they thought his brother, their brother was 00:06:58.940 --> 00:07:00.480 dead by this point. 00:07:00.500 --> 00:07:01.820 They hadn't seen him in over a couple of decades. 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:04.350 They think he's likely no more. 00:07:04.700 --> 00:07:09.060 And all of a sudden to find out that he's not dead, that he's actually in charge of Egypt. 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.000 That's that is a lot to wrap your head around in that moment. 00:07:12.040 --> 00:07:19.060 But here's what we see in the life of Joseph was we see a man that is he is amazing to understand what 00:07:19.060 --> 00:07:25.780 he went through and how the goodness and sweetness of Christ, the Lord still drips from his life. 00:07:26.740 --> 00:07:28.530 And the same thing could be true for you. 00:07:29.420 --> 00:07:31.510 The things that you've gone through in your life. 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:38.680 We've all we all face adversity as human beings because we walk in a broken world, but we don't want that adversity to make us 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:41.780 bitter to what God desires for us in our life. 00:07:42.640 --> 00:07:49.610 And here you're reading the story of Joseph, and it's this in this moment of ash, God's bringing forth beauty. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:51.860 And how did he do that? 00:07:51.860 --> 00:07:53.340 What is his secret? 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:56.840 What made Joseph capable of doing such a thing? 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:01.440 And in this story, we find out with Joseph, he doesn't leave it a secret for us. 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:04.200 In fact, he doesn't think it should be a secret to us. 00:08:04.220 --> 00:08:11.320 He becomes very clear in declaring to us what enabled him to be able to be so compassionate and 00:08:11.320 --> 00:08:16.060 forgiving to his brothers, when his brothers didn't treat him with the same compassion and care for his life? 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:22.760 And it says to you very clearly in verse five, and he says, and now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here. 00:08:23.340 --> 00:08:26.120 For God sent me before you to preserve life. 00:08:26.640 --> 00:08:28.790 And in verse eight he repeats the similar idea. 00:08:29.460 --> 00:08:32.320 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. 00:08:32.340 --> 00:08:39.500 He has made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and ruler over all the land 00:08:39.500 --> 00:08:41.280 of Egypt. 00:08:41.980 --> 00:08:49.140 And what Joseph is acknowledging here is that while there may be certain things that people do in this world, there is a greater sovereign hand 00:08:49.140 --> 00:08:50.680 over it all. 00:08:50.980 --> 00:08:56.440 And Joseph's come to learn that regardless of what people do or don't do, those things in life are just temporal. 00:08:56.580 --> 00:09:03.680 Whether whether it's you experience good things through the hands of people, whether you experience bad things through the hand of people before the eyes of 00:09:03.680 --> 00:09:04.080 the Lord. 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:08.240 All of those things are just temporal and what you ultimately have in God. 00:09:08.280 --> 00:09:13.080 It works out for good and for Joseph and for all of us there. 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:19.860 It's either in this world we'll see reconciliation and great things happen as God orchestrates it or in what is to come. 00:09:19.900 --> 00:09:24.960 But in all things, God promises us that he will work together all things for good in him. 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:32.580 Romans 828 and so what Joseph is saying is, rather than put his eyes on what took place in the past, he 00:09:32.580 --> 00:09:37.100 understood that God was still calling him to so much more in his life. 00:09:37.620 --> 00:09:45.200 And so rather than let his past control him leather than, than let, let what others had done to him dictate the kind of person he would be, 00:09:45.400 --> 00:09:47.220 the kind of future he would step into. 00:09:47.640 --> 00:09:51.450 He wanted to walk in that and what the Lord had called him to in him. 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:59.580 And so Joseph, rather than put his eyes on his brothers, he put his eyes on the Lord and the promises that God had given him because Joseph 00:09:59.580 --> 00:10:00.100 had. 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:07.360 Seen the faithfulness of God work not only in his father and his grandfather, but also in his own life. 00:10:08.560 --> 00:10:15.990 And so Joseph chose to be defined by the goodness of who God was, rather than simply the circumstances of what people had done to him. 00:10:16.620 --> 00:10:23.940 But because of that, because he found his identity in the Lord, it doesn't mean that it ignores 00:10:23.940 --> 00:10:26.140 the hardship of Joseph's circumstance. 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:33.980 Look, just because you want to walk in the faithfulness of the Lord and not give other people power and control over you to dictate, that doesn't mean you can't 00:10:33.980 --> 00:10:35.860 also acknowledge things were hard. 00:10:36.500 --> 00:10:38.950 And Joseph is certainly doing this in the first three verses. 00:10:39.140 --> 00:10:44.170 His demeanor, the one of weeping, the one of brokenness, but the one of compassion. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:50.270 It's showing us in this story that circumstances in life can be difficult. 00:10:50.420 --> 00:10:57.030 And at the same time, because of his mindfulness towards the Lord, it gave him the opportunity to do two things. 00:10:58.300 --> 00:11:01.300 One, he could be honest about what happened to him. 00:11:02.460 --> 00:11:05.250 I mean, he says it in verse five, doesn't he? 00:11:05.660 --> 00:11:07.860 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves. 00:11:07.900 --> 00:11:08.330 Look at this. 00:11:08.800 --> 00:11:11.380 Because you sold me here. 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:14.640 He was honest with his brothers. 00:11:15.520 --> 00:11:16.110 It was wrong. 00:11:17.940 --> 00:11:19.540 You sold me here. 00:11:20.660 --> 00:11:25.180 But at the same time, it didn't truly determine who Joseph was. 00:11:25.920 --> 00:11:28.800 And it didn't truly determine what Joseph was going to be about. 00:11:29.480 --> 00:11:30.820 He could acknowledge. 00:11:31.340 --> 00:11:34.140 He could acknowledge his past before his brothers. 00:11:34.800 --> 00:11:38.360 But at the same time, he was freed to his future. 00:11:39.620 --> 00:11:44.980 He saw that his adversity became an opportunity for God to do something greater. 00:11:46.040 --> 00:11:53.440 And it's the same for us in our lives as we face hardships in our in our lives, they become honestly 00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:58.780 an opportunity to see the goodness of God despite the circumstance that we go through. 00:11:58.780 --> 00:12:02.990 And sometimes it may be the adversity, the very thing that drives us to the Lord. 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:05.290 In fact, I have a thought. 00:12:05.580 --> 00:12:12.600 This is not not every theologian agrees with this, but I think even in the life of Joseph at 17 years old, there was a little bit of arrogance 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:19.700 in his life where he boasted before his brothers and intentionally gave his father a false report about his brothers because he wanted to look 00:12:19.700 --> 00:12:21.100 better than his brothers. 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:23.990 And that just fueled the hatred that his brothers had. 00:12:24.700 --> 00:12:26.920 But it was in the humility of that moment. 00:12:27.820 --> 00:12:29.520 It didn't justify what his brothers did. 00:12:29.580 --> 00:12:34.540 But I think that adversity drew Joseph in to his relationship with the Lord. 00:12:35.340 --> 00:12:42.900 And I think that God uses adversity for that very thing of refining us in who he is, but also showing us how God can work greater 00:12:42.900 --> 00:12:46.280 things out in the midst of the adversity that we face. 00:12:47.420 --> 00:12:54.540 And so for us, as we think about Joseph's own life, it becomes important for all of us to think about the hardship 00:12:54.540 --> 00:12:55.530 that we go through. 00:12:56.200 --> 00:13:03.010 And I got to I can't help but think, when you look at Joseph's life and you might look at your own self as you think about what Joseph went through. 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:10.740 And for most Americans, what we endure and the hardship we face is but a fraction of 00:13:10.740 --> 00:13:12.120 what Joseph had to go through. 00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:19.560 But yet for some of us, I'll be nice and not say all of us or most of us, but for some of us, even 00:13:19.560 --> 00:13:26.600 in the fraction of that adversity we don't relate to the grace that Joseph demonstrates 00:13:26.600 --> 00:13:28.120 in this moment. 00:13:28.520 --> 00:13:35.620 And to be honest, it's because in our lives we look more to the circumstance of what we 00:13:35.620 --> 00:13:42.840 went through than to the greatness of God's grace made known over our lives, that we let the past 00:13:42.840 --> 00:13:47.850 define us more than the presence of what Jesus wants us to walk through in him. 00:13:48.200 --> 00:13:49.610 It's not to say there's not hardship. 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.280 It's not to say there's not a time of healing that's needed. 00:13:53.940 --> 00:14:01.140 But it is important to recognize what Jesus wants to do in you and through you is far more important than giving control to someone 00:14:01.140 --> 00:14:02.660 else in your past. 00:14:03.520 --> 00:14:06.930 And this is what Joseph chooses to step in. 00:14:07.180 --> 00:14:12.460 And his life for us, becomes an example of what that should look like. 00:14:12.620 --> 00:14:15.690 Because, like, let me just I'm going to be candid for just a minute. 00:14:16.780 --> 00:14:19.970 I should be candid in all of this, but just I want to be a little risky. 00:14:20.160 --> 00:14:20.700 That's what I want. 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:28.020 I want to say a little more risky in saying this, but, as I look about at the state of our own country and from a scope from 00:14:28.020 --> 00:14:32.860 maybe a more broad world scope, it just seems like things are getting crazier and crazier. 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:36.230 And I and I, I refer to it as a depravity fatigue. 00:14:36.440 --> 00:14:39.900 Sometimes you just can get worn out by it, like when you're watching TV. 00:14:39.900 --> 00:14:47.640 I don't know, at some point this week and you watch two grown men who are recognized as leaders arguing over a golf handicap, like we care, right? 00:14:47.700 --> 00:14:49.150 It just seems so petty and stupid. 00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:51.880 What is happening? 00:14:51.880 --> 00:14:52.080 Right. 00:14:52.100 --> 00:14:53.650 You look at that and you're thinking, what? 00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:54.880 What is going on? 00:14:55.020 --> 00:14:55.220 Why? 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:56.590 How did we get here? 00:14:57.160 --> 00:14:58.440 And why are we here? 00:14:59.300 --> 00:14:59.960 And how? 00:14:59.960 --> 00:15:01.090 How do we get out of this? 00:15:02.100 --> 00:15:09.280 And can I just tell you, I think the only way forward is not resting in the hope of a politician, but 00:15:09.280 --> 00:15:10.500 in the greatness of who God is. 00:15:12.020 --> 00:15:16.880 It's that thought for God or but God. 00:15:17.040 --> 00:15:24.300 It's not to acknowledge that things aren't hard, but to realize that the difficulty of those moments also become the very opportunity 00:15:24.300 --> 00:15:26.230 that God's light shines brighter. 00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:34.260 And I want you to know that not only for your own adversity, but when you think about the trajectory of where we can go as a people in this country or in 00:15:34.260 --> 00:15:41.460 this world, to think no matter how hard it gets, that becomes the most beautiful opportunity for 00:15:41.460 --> 00:15:48.560 you as you walk faithfully with the Lord to show the goodness of who he is and what ultimately defines who you are and what matters to 00:15:48.560 --> 00:15:49.260 you. 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:52.440 Do not give power to the to other people to dictate that. 00:15:52.800 --> 00:15:56.370 Do not let the past rob you from what God has called you to in him. 00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:59.680 And that's what Joseph is doing in this story. 00:15:59.680 --> 00:16:04.220 And in fact, if I just by way of encouragement, just wanted to throw a couple of things out to you. 00:16:04.640 --> 00:16:11.800 You know, on the screen right now are what I would say is probably the two most influential atheists 00:16:11.800 --> 00:16:17.120 in this world and one for guys and one for females, in fact. 00:16:17.540 --> 00:16:22.640 Ayaan Hirsi Ali is known as the most influential female atheist in the world. 00:16:22.640 --> 00:16:28.980 here in America, you probably may not be familiar with her, but on an international stage she is a very popular woman. 00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:29.920 She is a she is. 00:16:30.100 --> 00:16:32.260 If you read her story, this is Wonder Woman in the flesh. 00:16:32.300 --> 00:16:33.240 That's who she is. 00:16:33.280 --> 00:16:34.830 This woman is incredible. 00:16:35.800 --> 00:16:43.180 but what's interesting about both of these people, for Ayaan Hirsi Ali, she was she was raised in Somalia, in 00:16:43.180 --> 00:16:44.940 a radical Islamic family. 00:16:45.520 --> 00:16:52.850 And because of the things that were happening, happening to her, in walking in that path, she had to run away and seek asylum. 00:16:52.940 --> 00:16:54.800 And she moved to the Netherlands. 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:58.280 And she has citizenship in both the Netherlands and the United States. 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:02.280 But she was in the Netherlands, where she started her formal education and went to college. 00:17:02.280 --> 00:17:08.560 Now she's a politician today, leading atheist in this world until November of this past year. 00:17:09.579 --> 00:17:13.310 In November of this past year, she came out and declared that she had given her life to Christ. 00:17:14.460 --> 00:17:21.560 I mean, they said the intern, from the international perspective, they compared this to rocking the world to the to the equivalent of what nine 00:17:21.560 --> 00:17:22.690 over 11 was to America. 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:30.680 Now, whether or not you agree with that, but what I want to say is this in the midst of darkness, there is an awareness among people 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:34.280 that all the systems this world is offering to us are broken. 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:41.990 It may bring temporary happiness to your life or temporary satisfaction, but in the end, ultimately you recognize that it's bankrupt and 00:17:42.490 --> 00:17:45.200 they're looking for greater meaning in this world. 00:17:45.280 --> 00:17:47.460 Same thing is true with Richard Dawkins. 00:17:47.600 --> 00:17:49.950 Richard Dawkins has not become a Christian, I'm not telling you that. 00:17:50.600 --> 00:17:57.640 But he is to the point in his life now where he has gotten tired of seeing where society is going, and he now identifies himself as a cultural 00:17:57.640 --> 00:17:58.490 Christian. 00:17:59.040 --> 00:18:05.150 In fact, one of the one of the guys that's known as Richard Dawkins right hand man is his name by the a man by the name of Josh. 00:18:05.460 --> 00:18:06.440 Josh Tymon. 00:18:07.080 --> 00:18:11.460 Josh Tymon is one who created Richard Dawkins website to help him gain popularity. 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:18.920 Has done documentaries of Richard Dawkins, helps him create his videos online for his popularity designed his logos. 00:18:18.920 --> 00:18:23.020 I mean this guy is what helped propel Richard Dawkins into the spotlight. 00:18:23.860 --> 00:18:31.220 Josh Timonen, within the last year or so, came out and publicly declared that he has given his life to Jesus. 00:18:32.120 --> 00:18:35.960 He was his right hand man claiming atheism and gave his life to Christ. 00:18:36.020 --> 00:18:38.990 But here's what provoked him during Covid. 00:18:40.220 --> 00:18:42.820 He saw what was happening to Portland, Oregon. 00:18:43.280 --> 00:18:49.280 He listened to his friends justifying the behavior, and he got tired of it and thought there must be something more to life. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:53.980 And that sent him on a journey to investigate the validity of Jesus and he. 00:18:54.160 --> 00:18:59.960 He came out and publicly said, I believe in the credibility of who Christ is, and he gave his life to Christ. 00:19:01.460 --> 00:19:08.680 So when you think about the difficulty you face in your own life, not only is it important for your own journey with the Lord to 00:19:08.780 --> 00:19:16.000 step in into what God has called you to in him and the future, he promises you through him to not give people the power over 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:19.340 you by clinging on to the past and become a prisoner of it. 00:19:20.620 --> 00:19:27.700 But you have the opportunity in the midst of that brokenness, to walk with such grace in this world that it becomes a testimony 00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:32.700 to the lives of people around you and not just impact this generation, but generations to come. 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:34.730 And that's exactly what Joseph's life has done. 00:19:35.860 --> 00:19:42.960 And Joseph, in doing this, not only is a model for us, but he becomes this shadow of ultimately what Christ does 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:44.300 for all of us. 00:19:44.440 --> 00:19:51.700 That in the midst of brokenness, how Jesus lived his own life and remained faithful to his calling and purpose in this world, that we ultimately would find freedom 00:19:51.700 --> 00:19:58.840 in him and it would impact generations because of Jesus's willingness to lay down his life for us when he owed us 00:19:58.840 --> 00:19:59.390 nothing. 00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:03.870 And so related to this passage, and I want to go through this quickly. 00:20:04.120 --> 00:20:07.100 I want to talk about three gifts of God's grace. 00:20:07.100 --> 00:20:14.280 These are not the only gifts that you get in God's grace, but there are certainly three gifts that we need to be mindful of because of what Christ has done 00:20:14.280 --> 00:20:15.080 for us. 00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:21.660 I mean, even the Apostle Paul when he starts his epistles, every apostle, Apostle Paul's letters start off like this. 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:27.480 Grace and peace to you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:35.260 And Paul starts his letters to the church, wanting you to rest in that position that you have in the Lord. 00:20:35.800 --> 00:20:41.110 Knowing when Paul's writing some of these letters to the church, they're facing tremendous hardship. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:47.580 I mean, maybe their own lives are experiencing difficulty or maybe from the outside. 00:20:47.580 --> 00:20:54.760 People are persecuting them, but he wants them to rest in the grace and peace of God, only made known because of what Christ has done and 00:20:54.760 --> 00:20:55.960 because of what Christ has done. 00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:58.220 We can have peace in our relationship with the Lord. 00:20:58.220 --> 00:21:05.410 It's not to say that things won't be difficult, but we can rest in peace as God's people, knowing that what we have in the Lord endures forever. 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:13.720 And so it becomes not only valuable to in the story with Joseph, but it's the theme of all of Paul's letters grace and peace to you from God 00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:15.020 our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:21:15.500 --> 00:21:18.160 Three things we receive from the Lord in our lives because of his grace. 00:21:18.260 --> 00:21:19.520 Point number one is this forgiveness. 00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:23.420 Forgiveness. 00:21:23.580 --> 00:21:27.900 And Joseph is modeling this as a shadow, ultimately of Christ beautifully for his family. 00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:30.020 It says in verse six, for there was a famine. 00:21:30.540 --> 00:21:38.050 The famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 00:21:39.360 --> 00:21:43.500 Joseph said, acknowledging the difficulty that they're going to go through. 00:21:43.660 --> 00:21:48.350 But the importance of the forgiveness that they need in the Lord. 00:21:48.660 --> 00:21:53.490 And so Joseph is he's reminding them of really because of that adverse. 00:21:55.340 --> 00:21:55.560 Let me go back to verse four and five here. 00:21:55.560 --> 00:22:03.380 because of that God wants to give them forgiveness in their life, that they would experience that wholeness that restoring. 00:22:03.740 --> 00:22:09.560 And the brothers knew the brothers knew that they were not worthy of this. 00:22:10.560 --> 00:22:12.780 In fact, Joseph has to tell them that. 00:22:12.780 --> 00:22:12.960 Right. 00:22:12.980 --> 00:22:15.020 Do not be distressed or angry. 00:22:15.580 --> 00:22:22.780 It says in verse three that they were distraught when they see Joseph, they know what they deserve from Joseph's hand, because they know the way 00:22:22.780 --> 00:22:24.540 that they had treated Joseph. 00:22:25.580 --> 00:22:28.350 But Joseph was able to be gracious to them. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:35.780 not because of them, but because of what the Lord has done for God and but God because of 00:22:35.780 --> 00:22:37.060 God. 00:22:37.140 --> 00:22:41.480 And that's a beautiful thought of being forgiving as a human being. 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:45.440 My ability to forgive is not contingent upon what you do or don't do. 00:22:45.780 --> 00:22:49.520 My ability to forgive is rooted in the greatness of who God is. 00:22:49.540 --> 00:22:56.100 Because I know regardless of whether people become a blessing to me or people try to do something to that are that are harmful for me. 00:22:56.120 --> 00:22:58.930 And as a pastor, you get it every way all the time. 00:22:59.780 --> 00:23:00.180 Right. 00:23:00.180 --> 00:23:03.960 And but it's the ability to move forward is not contingent upon any of that. 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:07.540 It's my life filled with the forgiveness of God over me. 00:23:09.080 --> 00:23:13.680 Therefore, because of what I have in him being secure, I can always move forward. 00:23:14.560 --> 00:23:15.520 I always have hope. 00:23:15.520 --> 00:23:17.060 I always have opportunity. 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:22.320 And adversity becomes the very platform for those things to shine even brighter. 00:23:23.340 --> 00:23:28.120 And so for Joseph, his ability to forgive is not based on them but based on him. 00:23:28.660 --> 00:23:30.440 And I love what he says here. 00:23:30.440 --> 00:23:32.790 Do not be disheartened or angry with yourselves. 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:40.720 It's as if he's saying to his brothers, look, I know what human nature is, because I am one, 00:23:40.860 --> 00:23:41.200 right? 00:23:41.260 --> 00:23:48.280 But as human beings, we sort of live life in our own power, our own ability, and we live 00:23:48.280 --> 00:23:49.220 for our own glory. 00:23:49.220 --> 00:23:50.790 We try to make things about ourselves. 00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:58.420 And then and then when we mess up and we know we've messed up, our revert as people is to continue to look to ourselves to solve the situation. 00:23:58.760 --> 00:24:01.530 But in this circumstance, they can't solve the situation. 00:24:02.780 --> 00:24:04.800 What they have to have is forgiveness. 00:24:04.860 --> 00:24:10.710 The one that they have wronged has to pay the consequence on their behalf for their well-being. 00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:13.560 And Joseph's willing to do that. 00:24:13.620 --> 00:24:20.280 And the same is true in our walk with Christ, that when you know you've messed up, it doesn't matter how good you try to be from this point on. 00:24:20.300 --> 00:24:22.650 And you should strive to be God honoring people. 00:24:23.300 --> 00:24:26.140 But you can't undo the things that you've done in the past. 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:30.170 The only thing that can reconcile you to God is forgiveness. 00:24:31.760 --> 00:24:35.800 And so Joseph is modeling this beautifully for his brothers. 00:24:35.820 --> 00:24:37.140 He's saying, look, don't be distressed. 00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:37.650 Don't be angry. 00:24:37.940 --> 00:24:40.300 Don't make it about yourself for once in your life. 00:24:40.300 --> 00:24:46.220 Stop thinking about you and rather look at the greatness of who God is. 00:24:48.080 --> 00:24:49.340 Look at what he's done. 00:24:50.900 --> 00:24:52.800 Look at his grace being made known. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:56.680 You guys are on a path of death. 00:24:58.100 --> 00:25:01.760 But in Christ, what you're experiencing is life. 00:25:03.040 --> 00:25:05.300 Verse seven, he's saying, look, he will. 00:25:05.400 --> 00:25:07.460 Verse six he's saying, look, you guys twice now. 00:25:07.460 --> 00:25:08.320 You've already had to come to Egypt. 00:25:08.340 --> 00:25:15.400 You're just two years into the famine and five years you're going to be walking in death, you 00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:16.650 have no future. 00:25:17.340 --> 00:25:22.330 But verse seven, And God sent me before you to preserve you a remnant on earth and to keep you alive for many survivors. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:25.220 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. 00:25:25.340 --> 00:25:29.630 He has made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house and ruler over all the land. 00:25:30.620 --> 00:25:37.940 And he's saying, rather than continue to walk in that path of death, God wants to you to walk in something altogether different. 00:25:38.800 --> 00:25:43.050 But the way that happens for us is to come to this place of forgiveness. 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:50.670 you cannot, cling to the grace of God when you're holding on to yourself. 00:25:52.100 --> 00:25:54.550 And Joseph is saying, let go of yourself. 00:25:55.420 --> 00:25:56.120 Look at what? 00:25:56.120 --> 00:25:56.760 Don't be angry. 00:25:57.080 --> 00:25:57.720 Don't be distressed. 00:25:59.100 --> 00:26:02.220 But rather put your eyes on the goodness of who he is. 00:26:02.760 --> 00:26:09.780 A Martyn Lloyd Jones used to say it like this if we only spent more of our time looking at him, we should soon 00:26:09.780 --> 00:26:11.460 forget ourselves. 00:26:12.800 --> 00:26:20.060 And when it comes to the future of this country or the world, what we need is not another person 00:26:20.060 --> 00:26:20.920 to be our hero. 00:26:20.980 --> 00:26:24.620 What we need is the hero who has already come for us, which is Jesus. 00:26:25.280 --> 00:26:26.710 Now, it's beautiful to talk about forgiveness. 00:26:26.800 --> 00:26:33.800 We've talked about this several times, especially in terms of Corrie ten boom over the last couple of weeks, as Joseph has is working towards 00:26:33.800 --> 00:26:36.030 forgiveness with his brothers and reconciliation. 00:26:37.100 --> 00:26:40.730 But it's also important to know that when it comes to the grace of God, you don't just have forgiveness. 00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:48.210 It's wonderful to know your past is taken care of, but while your past is taken care of, you also need to know what about now? 00:26:49.020 --> 00:26:49.520 What about today? 00:26:49.640 --> 00:26:50.260 What about tomorrow? 00:26:51.260 --> 00:26:55.890 That God doesn't just forgive you and leave you there, but he also calls you into something new. 00:26:56.140 --> 00:27:00.060 And in point number two in your notes is this that you're called into the newness of life. 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:07.680 You've gone from this place of death, and now you're stepping into this newness of life. 00:27:07.760 --> 00:27:14.960 Verse seven, look, you've got a you've got a famine and you're going to die if you don't respond to what God's offering you, the grace he's given to 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:15.510 you. 00:27:15.740 --> 00:27:19.760 But God wants to enrich your life and the beauty of who he is in verse eight. 00:27:19.820 --> 00:27:22.760 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. 00:27:22.760 --> 00:27:27.090 He has made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house, and ruler over all of Egypt. 00:27:27.260 --> 00:27:32.480 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, thus says your son Joseph, God has made me Lord of all Egypt. 00:27:32.840 --> 00:27:33.560 Come down to me. 00:27:33.580 --> 00:27:34.160 Do not tarry. 00:27:34.560 --> 00:27:41.600 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, and you and your children, and your children's children, your flock and your herds, and all that you 00:27:41.600 --> 00:27:41.950 have. 00:27:42.680 --> 00:27:49.900 You know, it's interesting with Joseph's brothers, when the first time they went to Egypt, they were reluctant to go because they were afraid 00:27:49.900 --> 00:27:52.510 on the journey they were going to have to confront their past mistakes. 00:27:54.100 --> 00:27:56.220 And that past was what they did to their brother Joseph. 00:27:56.320 --> 00:28:00.740 They knew Joseph was taken on that path to Egypt somewhere, but they had no idea where. 00:28:01.580 --> 00:28:03.800 And so they were reluctant to go because of that. 00:28:04.940 --> 00:28:09.310 But for them, the adversity got worse to the point that they had to confront it. 00:28:10.420 --> 00:28:17.500 Sometimes you've got to walk a difficult road for the stubbornness of your heart to recognize that 00:28:17.500 --> 00:28:21.340 you've got to stop looking to yourself and start looking to the Lord. 00:28:22.500 --> 00:28:29.620 But when you look to the Lord, you understand that why God has called you to in him is this rebirth something different 00:28:29.620 --> 00:28:36.700 altogether, that you leave this path of death in verse seven to walk in verse eight 00:28:36.700 --> 00:28:42.450 to this newness of life, and in fact, for Joseph's brothers, this is true. 00:28:42.900 --> 00:28:50.000 And for us as believers, that's what God calls us to, isn't to a completely new relationship with him, where we get to let go of the past, be forgiven, 00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:57.720 to step into the newness of life and the Bible uses terms over and over again to remind us of that, because our tendency as human beings is 00:28:57.720 --> 00:29:04.900 to revert to that past, to be defined by our past, or to look at ourselves and be distressed over the things maybe we have done, or become 00:29:04.900 --> 00:29:12.000 angry at ourselves because of what we had done wrong, rather than let the grace of God wash over us because he is more than 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:12.600 enough. 00:29:13.580 --> 00:29:17.240 passages like Second Corinthians 520 that calls you an ambassador for Christ. 00:29:17.280 --> 00:29:24.340 You represent him in this world, meaning, because you've been made new as Joseph was now his life is filled with the goodness of God and represents 00:29:24.340 --> 00:29:25.480 him in this world. 00:29:25.520 --> 00:29:28.920 The same is true for you in your neighborhood where you live on your street. 00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:30.700 When people think of you, they should think of Christ. 00:29:31.540 --> 00:29:33.850 the Bible doesn't just call you an ambassador because. 00:29:33.940 --> 00:29:35.190 Because you're a royal priest. 00:29:35.340 --> 00:29:41.060 And in first Peter chapter two, verse nine, it calls you the image of God, literally the representation of God in this world. 00:29:41.060 --> 00:29:48.420 And in Genesis chapter one, verse 26 and 27, it refers to you as adopted in him in Romans 00:29:48.420 --> 00:29:55.500 chapter eight, verse 15, to understand that what you were apart from Christ is not who you are anymore, but because of the grace 00:29:55.500 --> 00:30:01.070 of God, you have the privilege of now walking in the purpose for which you were created in him, this newness of life. 00:30:01.740 --> 00:30:08.740 And number three, and I think this is the one I want us to just consider out of all these three, uh, above all of 00:30:08.740 --> 00:30:11.360 these three, because we've talked about these other two in previous messages. 00:30:11.600 --> 00:30:13.760 But number three is blessing. 00:30:17.060 --> 00:30:18.020 Number three is blessing. 00:30:18.340 --> 00:30:25.340 Joseph became a person of generosity, wanting to offer what he could for the well-being of his family 00:30:25.340 --> 00:30:29.410 because his life had been filled with the goodness of who Christ was. 00:30:30.320 --> 00:30:34.190 And you see this in this chapter play out a repeated a few times. 00:30:34.300 --> 00:30:41.800 But in verse 11, when the brothers commit to walk in what Joseph is presenting, he says, there, I will provide for you. 00:30:42.040 --> 00:30:48.220 For there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have do not come to poverty. 00:30:48.680 --> 00:30:54.140 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 00:30:54.200 --> 00:30:59.200 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:01.260 Hurry and bring my father down here. 00:31:01.360 --> 00:31:04.060 So he's talking to his brothers about the blessings he wants to give them an. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:11.260 And then he goes on in verse 18 and take your father and your households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, 00:31:11.540 --> 00:31:13.930 and you shall eat the fat of the land. 00:31:14.320 --> 00:31:17.120 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, do this. 00:31:17.120 --> 00:31:22.740 Take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 00:31:22.740 --> 00:31:24.160 Have no concern of your goods. 00:31:24.220 --> 00:31:27.260 For the best of all, the land of Egypt is yours. 00:31:28.220 --> 00:31:35.480 Let me just say, when I talk about the blessing of God, I'm not just simply referring to or not really referring to 00:31:35.480 --> 00:31:37.380 monetary blessing in this world. 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:39.880 That can be an extension of it. 00:31:40.120 --> 00:31:41.910 But that's not primarily what it is. 00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:50.220 for Joseph, he knows his brothers are going to die unless he does something, and so he responds by blessing 00:31:50.220 --> 00:31:51.340 their life giving to them. 00:31:51.340 --> 00:31:53.550 So not just that they survive, but that they flourish. 00:31:54.920 --> 00:32:00.320 but when it when it comes to blessing, the idea of blessing is to recognize the favor of God in your life. 00:32:00.980 --> 00:32:02.280 What does that look like? 00:32:02.280 --> 00:32:07.960 And, I'm not telling you that God wants you to have all the money in the world, drive fancy cars, and live on some house in the hill. 00:32:07.960 --> 00:32:09.880 That might be you this morning, but that is not everybody. 00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:13.980 In fact, when you follow the Lord, you recognize even Jesus. 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:15.410 He was despised and rejected. 00:32:16.100 --> 00:32:18.090 He was a man who had no place to lay his head. 00:32:18.740 --> 00:32:24.150 And Jesus lived a life completely blessed, but by worldly standards would have had very little. 00:32:25.100 --> 00:32:32.280 But when we're talking about blessing, we're talking about his life is enriched with the goodness of the Lord, and therefore he's confident in 00:32:32.280 --> 00:32:36.800 who he is because he knows he knows who, he knows who he belongs to. 00:32:38.200 --> 00:32:42.900 And Jesus walks in that, and therefore his life is blessed. 00:32:43.600 --> 00:32:50.680 And the same thing is true for you, that the idea of blessing is extended through kindness as human beings, that God calls you to be kind and one of 00:32:50.680 --> 00:32:55.300 the most beautiful things that we have the privilege of doing as God's people is just to simply be kind. 00:32:56.220 --> 00:33:03.460 And the reason for that is because there is nothing better, that we can lavish the grace of God upon than other human beings, 00:33:03.560 --> 00:33:08.340 because people are made in the image of God, and they're giving privilege to be remade in the image of God. 00:33:08.500 --> 00:33:10.260 I heard Tim Keller compare it like this one day. 00:33:10.260 --> 00:33:17.280 He said, when it comes to the idea of your home, you'll invest in your home to improve your home because your home is one of the most 00:33:17.280 --> 00:33:18.860 valuable assets you have. 00:33:19.300 --> 00:33:25.870 So for us as people, if something breaks in your home, it's nothing to us to try to drop $1,000 to make maintain the home. 00:33:26.080 --> 00:33:33.360 And in order to keep the home looking nice and to fix something when it breaks, like, I don't know, your hot water tank because you know the value of your home, 00:33:33.740 --> 00:33:41.060 but if you had like, say, a television that broke and you took it to a repairman and the repairman said, I can fix it, but it's going to be $1,000, you'll say, no thanks, 00:33:41.060 --> 00:33:43.040 trash that I can buy two for that price, right? 00:33:43.100 --> 00:33:44.330 And you'll go get it. 00:33:44.620 --> 00:33:49.030 And it speaks to the value of a TV versus the value of your home. 00:33:50.620 --> 00:33:57.300 when you think about what it is to know the Lord and you ask yourself the question, what does God find most valuable in this world? 00:33:58.440 --> 00:34:01.160 Can I tell you, I think very easily the answer is people. 00:34:03.560 --> 00:34:06.480 Were made in his image were remade in Christ. 00:34:06.520 --> 00:34:12.900 One of the most beautiful things that we can do is extend kindness to one another out of worship before our Lord. 00:34:13.500 --> 00:34:14.280 Being kind. 00:34:14.280 --> 00:34:15.900 Blessing is important. 00:34:15.980 --> 00:34:22.830 In fact, you see this over and over in the Bible that when God first created us in Genesis one, he says, And God blessed them male and female. 00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:25.639 And he said to them, be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth. 00:34:25.659 --> 00:34:29.840 But man, God gives us the tree of life for flourishing, which is a tree of blessing. 00:34:30.199 --> 00:34:37.500 And rather than take the hand of God's blessing, we take the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is to live life as if we're God and reject the blessing of 00:34:37.500 --> 00:34:40.870 God and walk a path of death rather than in the newness of life. 00:34:41.739 --> 00:34:46.760 But you see God continuing to show up, no matter how many times man seems to turn their back on the Lord. 00:34:46.820 --> 00:34:49.429 God continues to be gracious to us in the life of Abraham. 00:34:49.460 --> 00:34:51.080 Genesis chapter two, verse 17. 00:34:51.080 --> 00:34:58.160 I will surely bless you at the very end in verse 18, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because of you have 00:34:58.160 --> 00:34:59.150 obeyed my voice. 00:34:59.240 --> 00:35:05.320 So not only is this blessing to Abraham, but to all people, groups of the earth God wants to bless in the life of Joseph. 00:35:05.320 --> 00:35:12.400 He said in Genesis 39 verse five, for the time that he made him overseer in the house, and over all that he had, the Lord 00:35:12.400 --> 00:35:15.220 blessed the egyptian's house for Joseph's sake. 00:35:15.240 --> 00:35:18.690 The blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in house and field. 00:35:19.100 --> 00:35:20.340 God's favor was there. 00:35:20.540 --> 00:35:22.620 But man continues to reject God. 00:35:22.700 --> 00:35:23.800 And here's what's incredible. 00:35:23.880 --> 00:35:30.960 When you flip to the New Testament and you read Jesus as he begins his public ministry for the first time, 30 years old, he gives his first 00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:34.140 message in the book of Matthew, chapter five, verse one. 00:35:34.160 --> 00:35:39.140 And when Jesus goes up on the mountain, it says this in verse one he says, seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain. 00:35:39.320 --> 00:35:41.540 And when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 00:35:41.560 --> 00:35:43.200 And he opened his mouth and taught them. 00:35:43.200 --> 00:35:45.120 And the first word Jesus says. 00:35:47.100 --> 00:35:52.540 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 00:35:53.860 --> 00:35:58.520 God's yearning for your soul is to bless you if you would walk with him. 00:35:59.960 --> 00:36:01.810 Blessed are those who mourn. 00:36:02.660 --> 00:36:05.580 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. 00:36:06.680 --> 00:36:10.420 I mean, Jesus's beatitudes are full of nothing but God. 00:36:10.520 --> 00:36:13.960 Declaring his desire for your life is to bless you. 00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:17.400 When we think about blessing, I love Ephesians one. 00:36:17.400 --> 00:36:24.620 Verse three tells us that the way God has blessed us, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every 00:36:24.620 --> 00:36:26.900 spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. 00:36:27.740 --> 00:36:34.780 Now this idea of blessing again, not monetarily, but it's saying God could do that for your life, but it's saying you have favor with 00:36:34.780 --> 00:36:35.120 God. 00:36:35.120 --> 00:36:36.360 It's this idea of reconciliation. 00:36:36.660 --> 00:36:42.140 If you want to know what every spiritual blessing looks like, you can read Ephesians chapter one, verse three on to verse 15. 00:36:42.140 --> 00:36:43.000 It's one long sentence. 00:36:43.380 --> 00:36:49.900 It just describes for you all that you have in Christ, that identity that you are secure in him and nothing in him is ever truly lost. 00:36:49.900 --> 00:36:57.120 Though there may be adversity in this world, God has filled your life to bless you in order that you would then use your life to be a blessing to others as 00:36:57.120 --> 00:36:58.580 you walk with him. 00:36:59.500 --> 00:37:02.900 In fact, that's why Romans chapter 12 says it like this bless those who persecute you. 00:37:02.900 --> 00:37:10.000 Bless and do not curse that people may come against you, but they can ultimately never take from you what God 00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:15.680 intends for you, because he has promised it to you and therefore you. 00:37:16.140 --> 00:37:20.440 You can walk confidently in the Lord no matter the circumstance. 00:37:20.520 --> 00:37:21.650 And that was Joseph's life. 00:37:22.840 --> 00:37:27.200 It didn't matter if he was a slave or in prison, or he was second in command of Egypt. 00:37:27.300 --> 00:37:31.720 It never changed who he was because he knew who he was before the Lord. 00:37:32.180 --> 00:37:35.000 And with that he would walk confidently before Christ. 00:37:36.460 --> 00:37:39.780 But here's the question will you embrace his grace? 00:37:41.400 --> 00:37:42.580 Will you embrace his grace? 00:37:42.580 --> 00:37:49.740 You see this with the lives of Joseph's brothers and his father, that in verse three, when Joseph's brothers first saw saw 00:37:49.740 --> 00:37:51.200 Joseph, they doubted it. 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:55.650 It says at the very end of the verse, they were dismayed at his presence and then went back to the father. 00:37:55.800 --> 00:37:57.620 It says, their heart became, his heart became numb. 00:37:57.620 --> 00:37:59.410 And he did not believe that Joseph was alive. 00:38:00.080 --> 00:38:02.740 And they thought their brother was dead. 00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:08.000 But then all of a sudden, verse four, Joseph said to his brothers, come near to me, please. 00:38:08.180 --> 00:38:09.220 And they came near to him. 00:38:09.220 --> 00:38:16.340 And then in verse 27, but when they told Jacob all the words of Joseph, and when he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that 00:38:16.340 --> 00:38:23.620 Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived, meaning what they need in their life was they needed 00:38:23.620 --> 00:38:30.620 to look at the evidence of what God was doing when the brothers got near to Joseph and they could actually look at his face up close, they realized that 00:38:30.620 --> 00:38:31.640 was their brother. 00:38:32.300 --> 00:38:39.420 And though the father thought the his son was dead when they saw he saw the evidence of Joseph's life, he realized his son 00:38:39.420 --> 00:38:40.330 was alive. 00:38:41.340 --> 00:38:43.960 It's they thought he was dead. 00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:47.510 But then they come to the reality that the resurrection of Joseph was real. 00:38:47.980 --> 00:38:50.830 The same thing is true for us when you think about the first century with Jesus. 00:38:53.500 --> 00:38:55.500 They thought Jesus was gone. 00:38:55.500 --> 00:39:00.520 But when they saw the resurrection of Christ, they realized all of God's promises were true, and they stepped into that. 00:39:00.520 --> 00:39:02.580 And the same thing is true for us. 00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:07.350 It's a matter of not just understanding what God says, but by faith, trusting in it in. 00:39:07.840 --> 00:39:09.020 And I'll close with this story. 00:39:09.020 --> 00:39:16.580 In the in the 1800s, there was a man by the name of Simon Greenleaf, and he's known as being one of the founding fathers of Harvard Law School. 00:39:16.800 --> 00:39:24.440 But one thing that was known about Simon Greenleaf, that was told to the students when they would go, when they started law school, was never tell this man you're a Christian, because 00:39:24.440 --> 00:39:27.200 if you do, he will embarrass you in front of your whole class. 00:39:27.880 --> 00:39:35.000 He openly mocked Christianity, but one day, one of his students stood up in his class and went toe to toe with him and said 00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:38.550 to him, professor, have you ever considered the evidence for Christianity? 00:39:39.220 --> 00:39:41.880 He said, as a as a law professor, you teach us to follow. 00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:44.300 Follow wherever the evidence takes us. 00:39:44.300 --> 00:39:46.390 Have you ever considered the evidence of Christianity? 00:39:46.580 --> 00:39:52.600 And Simon Greenleaf realized he hadn't, but finally, finally he determines he's going to be a man of his word. 00:39:52.680 --> 00:39:54.240 And he examines the evidence of Christianity. 00:39:55.020 --> 00:39:57.430 And he and he walks away from that, becoming a Christian. 00:39:57.480 --> 00:39:58.360 And he writes this book. 00:39:58.400 --> 00:39:59.810 And by the way, I'm not telling you to read this book. 00:40:00.140 --> 00:40:03.100 It was written pre-Civil War, and it's over 600 pages long. 00:40:03.120 --> 00:40:03.540 Okay. 00:40:03.640 --> 00:40:10.840 But it's the examination of the testimony of the four evangelists declaring the reality of who Jesus truly is, 00:40:11.380 --> 00:40:12.960 that the evidence is there. 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:14.260 But what? 00:40:14.620 --> 00:40:15.600 Simon Greenleaf said this. 00:40:15.660 --> 00:40:20.720 He said, A person who rejects Christ may choose to say that I do not accept it. 00:40:20.820 --> 00:40:24.920 He may not choose to say, there is no not enough evidence I. 00:40:24.920 --> 00:40:32.160 Or to put it another way, where a man was talking to another young man about the Lord and he said, okay, do you believe that Jesus was a real figure, 00:40:32.180 --> 00:40:33.480 that he was who he said he was? 00:40:33.640 --> 00:40:34.420 And the man said, yes. 00:40:34.440 --> 00:40:36.340 And he said, okay, are you going to put your faith in Christ? 00:40:36.400 --> 00:40:38.680 And the man said, no, and he was blown away. 00:40:38.780 --> 00:40:40.040 Why would you not do that? 00:40:40.560 --> 00:40:43.890 And the man said, simply, because if I did, my life would have to change. 00:40:46.180 --> 00:40:52.820 It's not a matter of if Jesus is who he says he is, it's truly a matter of who's going to be Lord of your life. 00:40:54.380 --> 00:41:00.040 But when you understand the grace of God and you step into it, the beauty of that grace, there is forgiveness. 00:41:01.180 --> 00:41:03.560 There is new life, there is blessing.