WEBVTT 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:07.100 In Genesis chapter 49, we find ourselves here in this section of the Bible at the end of Jacob's life, we. 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:11.720 We looked at this two weeks ago where Joseph knew his father's life was coming to an end. 00:00:11.740 --> 00:00:18.330 So he brought his sons with him to spend some time with their grandfather, and he blesses his grandchildren. 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:23.980 And now here in this story, we're seeing Jacob do the same for his entire family. 00:00:23.980 --> 00:00:28.310 He brings all of his sons together and he talks about their future. 00:00:29.100 --> 00:00:33.200 Jacob's thinking long term here for what God has for them. 00:00:33.260 --> 00:00:36.960 And this is a beautiful place in which Jacob finds himself. 00:00:37.020 --> 00:00:44.480 Because if you remember how this story has gone, Joseph was a young man who was who was attacked by his own brothers, 00:00:44.500 --> 00:00:45.300 sold into slavery. 00:00:45.680 --> 00:00:47.980 His family just ripped apart. 00:00:47.980 --> 00:00:49.910 God had brought some restoring and healing. 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:54.340 And through that, now they're thinking beyond their thinking what God has for them in the future. 00:00:54.680 --> 00:01:02.340 And the father has gathered his sons together, and he is sharing with him based on what he's learned about his sons, the character and 00:01:02.340 --> 00:01:03.380 how they've now grown up. 00:01:03.440 --> 00:01:06.260 They've become adult men with their own families. 00:01:06.420 --> 00:01:09.520 He's talking about their future and what that looks like. 00:01:09.520 --> 00:01:16.680 And so we're going to look at this passage together, and we're going to glean from this discussion five important lessons 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:18.020 for your family. 00:01:18.720 --> 00:01:24.500 And when we talk in terms of family, I realize the word family can mean a lot of different things for a lot of different people. 00:01:24.720 --> 00:01:31.720 And so when we come to this, when you come to this passage, it doesn't matter how old or young you are in terms of family, it doesn't matter 00:01:31.720 --> 00:01:37.580 how big or small your family is, it doesn't matter how perfect or messy you might think your family is right now. 00:01:37.780 --> 00:01:45.200 there's something in this passage that I think is important for all of us to glean from as we learn from Grandpa Jacob 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:52.420 imparting wisdom, his last message to his children, and he's using the end of his life to take what he has left 00:01:52.420 --> 00:01:58.900 to impart to them, really, the wisdom that he has learned in the Lord as he thinks about their futures and their lives. 00:01:59.060 --> 00:02:06.320 And these first couple of points in your notes, these are really more antidotal in our understanding of this family as 00:02:06.320 --> 00:02:10.820 we began to communicate these lessons that he's teaching them. 00:02:10.919 --> 00:02:18.120 But it says to us in Genesis 49 verse one, Then Jacob called his sons and said, gather yourselves together, 00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:22.660 that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the days to come. 00:02:23.060 --> 00:02:28.400 Assemble and listen, all sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father. 00:02:29.160 --> 00:02:30.120 So he's saying, this is it. 00:02:30.160 --> 00:02:31.060 And I want to get all of you together. 00:02:31.380 --> 00:02:35.100 These are my final moments, and I want to impart to you these lessons. 00:02:35.200 --> 00:02:42.480 And these first couple of lessons are really observations we've seen from this family as we've read these chapters in the Bible. 00:02:42.640 --> 00:02:48.020 And we can say, particularly from Genesis 37, dealing with the tension with Joseph and on. 00:02:48.020 --> 00:02:54.260 But number one is this all families are messy and God has not given up on you. 00:02:55.420 --> 00:02:58.750 All families are messy and God has not given up on you. 00:02:59.980 --> 00:03:05.960 sometimes we read Scripture and we think, oh, this is, stories of godly people and, well, that's not us. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:07.460 And so this is for them. 00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:10.180 And we're just trying to grab the little nuggets that might drop. 00:03:10.460 --> 00:03:17.500 But it's important to recognize as you read about this particular family that began with Abraham, that 00:03:17.500 --> 00:03:21.110 just because they were a godly family doesn't mean they weren't messy. 00:03:21.380 --> 00:03:25.330 In fact, if you've seen a theme throughout the book of Genesis, it's that man. 00:03:25.420 --> 00:03:26.620 Everyone is messy. 00:03:26.700 --> 00:03:30.420 And here's the reason we know that is because we're people, and people get peopley. 00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:33.360 And so we are not perfect people. 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:37.040 In fact, you might be thinking about your own family and you come to church this morning. 00:03:37.040 --> 00:03:42.480 You see, it's a topic on family and you're like, oh, great, we blew up before we got in the car this morning, right? 00:03:42.720 --> 00:03:45.500 families are messy and God does not give up on you. 00:03:46.320 --> 00:03:49.180 And you see that in the life of Abraham, God called him. 00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:53.440 Abraham took this incredible step of faith to follow God, but even his life was messy. 00:03:53.440 --> 00:04:00.920 I mean, you think in terms of a lady named Hagar and the conflict that was brought into Abraham's family and his marriage with Sarah because 00:04:00.920 --> 00:04:04.720 of Hagar, and then it moves on further and further from there. 00:04:04.760 --> 00:04:09.480 It continues on in that, like with Isaac, he picked favorites and Jacob did the same thing. 00:04:09.480 --> 00:04:10.940 And it messed the family up. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:13.020 And they're more problems than that. 00:04:13.040 --> 00:04:13.830 They were messy. 00:04:15.060 --> 00:04:19.670 But even in the mess, you see God's faithful hand, that God was still there. 00:04:20.540 --> 00:04:27.460 And the same is true for us this morning, that all families are messy and God has not given up on you. 00:04:27.540 --> 00:04:35.140 In fact, what you discover in life in general as a believer is that God uses relationships 00:04:35.140 --> 00:04:38.750 primarily as a refiner to your own relationship with him. 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:44.710 I mean, I think marriage is one of the greatest sanctifies in understanding your own walk with Jesus. 00:04:45.400 --> 00:04:52.430 Because as people, when we're kind of isolated, we can buy into the idea that, I'm a pretty great person. 00:04:52.880 --> 00:04:54.900 You know, I'm really loving. 00:04:54.900 --> 00:04:55.700 I'm really patient. 00:04:56.020 --> 00:04:56.240 I'm. 00:04:56.500 --> 00:04:57.350 I'm really kind. 00:04:57.480 --> 00:05:01.480 I'm, a peaceful, all the fruits of the spirit. 00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:01.940 That's me. 00:05:01.940 --> 00:05:06.160 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness until you get with someone else. 00:05:06.600 --> 00:05:12.200 In our tendency sometimes is to say, well, it's their problem or it's their fault, or they caused me to do that. 00:05:12.200 --> 00:05:15.220 But reality is, you're still responsible for you. 00:05:15.460 --> 00:05:21.080 And yeah, they may have done something that tempted you or provoked you, but they don't dictate how you choose to respond. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:26.770 And you start to learn where you're really surrendered to the Spirit of God in your life. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:32.810 Because when you're really surrendered to the Spirit of God, the fruit of God should be made known in your life, no matter the circumstance. 00:05:32.900 --> 00:05:34.400 You're in this, in this world. 00:05:35.200 --> 00:05:36.240 And so it helps us learn. 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:40.690 You know, we might think to ourselves, today I was really loving, but not as patient as I hoped to be. 00:05:40.840 --> 00:05:43.180 And so we might think the answer is to try harder to be patient. 00:05:43.960 --> 00:05:51.000 But the truth is, when you read about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians, it's fruit singular, not fruits plural, meaning when the Spirit 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:54.220 of God is working in your life, it's all of those fruits all of the time. 00:05:54.660 --> 00:06:01.940 And when we don't exhibit those things in our life, then it's a demonstration that we may not be as surrendered to the Lord as much 00:06:01.940 --> 00:06:03.090 as we think we are. 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:11.080 And so relationships become this refiner of seeing what's even happening in my own heart for me to recognize 00:06:11.080 --> 00:06:15.930 one, am I really surrender to God, but also to teach me about God's patience? 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:17.040 Right. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:20.400 Like, sometimes in a relationship you see how broken people can be. 00:06:20.400 --> 00:06:27.680 Sometimes you think, man, this is hard, but it's a reminder to you that think about how many times God has been patient and gracious in your own life, 00:06:28.200 --> 00:06:33.520 and how good that makes the Lord as you experience difficulty in relationships around you. 00:06:34.120 --> 00:06:37.980 So all families are messy and this family is certainly not excluded. 00:06:38.280 --> 00:06:40.300 But God can refine you through relationship. 00:06:41.220 --> 00:06:43.080 So don't give up point number two then. 00:06:43.080 --> 00:06:47.020 Related to that, I have a God given calling in my family. 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:49.870 I have a God given calling in my family. 00:06:50.300 --> 00:06:53.230 And it's true in relationship in general. 00:06:53.280 --> 00:06:55.080 Christ calls you on mission in this world. 00:06:55.280 --> 00:06:57.910 But your first responsibility starts with your family. 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:01.260 And you see Jacob stepping into that in this story. 00:07:01.260 --> 00:07:02.870 He's taking the initiative. 00:07:03.020 --> 00:07:10.180 It's not just recognizing, well, I'm responsible, but it's also saying, And God wants me to do something about it, to take initiative, 00:07:10.280 --> 00:07:13.470 not let things happen to you, but you happen to it. 00:07:14.080 --> 00:07:19.200 And you step into what God desires for you to do in your family. 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:23.210 Now, here in this story, we're reading just this narrative of how Jacob is doing that. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:30.860 But if I gave you an imperative verse in the Bible, one of the probably more famous verses in regards to family is in Ephesians chapter six, 00:07:31.420 --> 00:07:33.000 Ephesians six verse one. 00:07:33.020 --> 00:07:38.690 It says to you, really, no matter where you find yourself in family, we all have a calling, whether you're the parent or you're the kid. 00:07:38.920 --> 00:07:44.120 Everyone in here this morning at least falls under the category of you're someone's child, right? 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:51.280 And you may be without a parent, but there's responsibility and family in Ephesians four or excuse me, Ephesians six speaks to 00:07:51.280 --> 00:07:51.540 that. 00:07:51.540 --> 00:07:56.160 It says, children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 00:07:56.640 --> 00:07:58.500 Honor your father and mother. 00:07:58.500 --> 00:08:04.520 This is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land. 00:08:04.540 --> 00:08:09.480 And then it says to fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:15.860 So you see these two different categories, one for child and one for parent here and for the child. 00:08:15.860 --> 00:08:18.210 It's learning what it means to be under authority. 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:19.180 Right. 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:21.480 And it comes this commandment comes with a blessing. 00:08:21.840 --> 00:08:29.460 And I think with this blessing, there's just some practical wisdom that God has given your parents to look out for your well-being and 00:08:29.460 --> 00:08:30.880 not just to help you survive. 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:35.770 When you listen to them, it's good to listen to your parents that can help you survive, but also to help you thrive. 00:08:36.400 --> 00:08:40.480 Understand God made you for a purpose, and you're learning from them. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:45.060 What it means to be under authority as parents should be under authority, which is the Lord. 00:08:45.580 --> 00:08:45.800 Right. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:50.680 As parents, when you're thinking about your children, you're under your authority. 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:52.440 You're also modeling for them. 00:08:52.540 --> 00:08:59.180 Or at least you should be modeling for them what it means to live under authority, because you're ultimately under God's authority. 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:05.900 And so under his authority, you have you have the opportunity to demonstrate to your kids what it looks like to live under authority. 00:09:06.220 --> 00:09:13.740 And the purpose of that for your kids is so that when they become adults, they've learned what it means to honor and to respect 00:09:13.740 --> 00:09:17.380 and to really submit. 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:24.990 In Proverbs chapter 222, verse six, it says, train up a child in the way that it should go, and when it is older, it will not depart from it. 00:09:25.260 --> 00:09:29.250 Meaning you're giving your these basic components to the life of your children. 00:09:29.840 --> 00:09:32.750 That's going to help them for the rest of their lives. 00:09:33.460 --> 00:09:40.680 And so for you as a parent, it's important to not only be there, take that initiative, but to model it under God's authority as 00:09:40.680 --> 00:09:42.400 they are under your authority. 00:09:42.780 --> 00:09:44.960 It's Its meaning this as a parent, don't be a hypocrite. 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:52.620 Don't say do what I say, not as I do, but demonstrate for them the kind of people that they should be becoming. 00:09:53.900 --> 00:09:55.540 And then for parents it says this. 00:09:55.880 --> 00:09:59.500 Fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in discipline and instruction. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:04.010 So it gives you one thing not to do as parents, and it gives you two things that you should do. 00:10:04.660 --> 00:10:07.820 And so I think the question for us is what does this look like. 00:10:07.900 --> 00:10:13.070 And I want to particularly highlight first the two things that it tells us to do before I talk about the thing we shouldn't do. 00:10:13.560 --> 00:10:20.560 But this verse is saying to us, look, when it comes to being a parent, this means you're called to take responsibility and 00:10:20.560 --> 00:10:21.560 initiative. 00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:25.240 God expects for you to do something that kids are a gift. 00:10:25.560 --> 00:10:30.550 And in that gift, there's also a responsibility to carry out that God has a plan for their life. 00:10:30.660 --> 00:10:34.610 And this is where the word discipline and instruction comes in. 00:10:35.140 --> 00:10:38.450 The idea of discipline and instruction complement each other. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:40.920 But they're also distinct from one another. 00:10:41.420 --> 00:10:43.880 So you think in terms of what it means for discipline. 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:48.830 That is, if I asked you give me give me a list of your top ten favorite words. 00:10:49.180 --> 00:10:52.060 Chances are discipline is not on there. 00:10:52.660 --> 00:10:52.660 Right? 00:10:52.660 --> 00:10:54.600 But here's the here's the reality of discipline. 00:10:55.380 --> 00:10:59.630 Discipline is healthy for life, for the body and for the soul. 00:11:00.460 --> 00:11:03.550 And the root word of discipline is actually disciple. 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:08.380 And as followers of Jesus, that's exactly what he calls you to be. 00:11:08.460 --> 00:11:11.160 Is a disciple, a follower of the Lord. 00:11:11.220 --> 00:11:18.260 So there's certain disciplines that you follow in order to model your life after what Christ called of Christ and what he calls 00:11:18.260 --> 00:11:19.060 you to in him. 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:25.260 And so this idea of discipline, sometimes the reason that we don't always like it is when we think about discipline. 00:11:25.540 --> 00:11:27.580 What we immediately go to is consequence. 00:11:28.660 --> 00:11:34.970 But I want you to know, there is a distinct and important difference between the thought of discipline and punishment. 00:11:35.520 --> 00:11:38.010 Discipline is not punishment. 00:11:38.460 --> 00:11:42.960 Punishment is just about meting out something against you because of something you've done wrong. 00:11:43.580 --> 00:11:43.780 Right. 00:11:43.780 --> 00:11:49.740 It's this idea of bringing vengeance or wrath because, well, you did something you shouldn't have done. 00:11:49.740 --> 00:11:51.600 It was inappropriate and therefore punishment. 00:11:52.760 --> 00:11:55.960 Discipline is a far greater word than that. 00:11:56.260 --> 00:12:00.820 Discipline is all about the idea of who someone is called to become. 00:12:01.980 --> 00:12:09.180 Discipline carries this thought in mind that for you as a parent, that God has created your child for a purpose and you 00:12:09.180 --> 00:12:16.830 have as a parent this responsibility and privilege to see your child succeed towards that purpose. 00:12:17.260 --> 00:12:24.300 And so discipline is this idea of helping your child with what they need, where they are in life to succeed for the 00:12:24.300 --> 00:12:27.170 purpose of which God has created them. 00:12:27.500 --> 00:12:33.760 Discipline is all about an end goal in mind, whereas punishment is just about that temporal executing the justice in that moment. 00:12:33.820 --> 00:12:40.860 The discipline has a far greater picture in mind that God has made your kid for a reason, and you are put in that position to 00:12:40.860 --> 00:12:47.440 help your child a live for that purpose of knowing God and living for his glory in this world. 00:12:47.780 --> 00:12:50.700 So discipline has this end picture in mind. 00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:57.740 And so for parents and understanding that this should also be a humbling word for us to say, man, if God has me in that role 00:12:57.740 --> 00:13:04.740 for my child, how important it is for me to really walk with the Lord in order to lead 00:13:04.740 --> 00:13:09.420 someone else along, because I'm not going to be able to lead someone where I myself have not been led. 00:13:10.380 --> 00:13:14.680 And so your own relationship with the Lord becomes paramount in that. 00:13:14.940 --> 00:13:22.260 And so this idea of discipline then is also positioned in this next this word for instruction and the distinction between two 00:13:22.260 --> 00:13:23.180 of these. 00:13:23.540 --> 00:13:30.720 discipline has this idea is more of what it is I'm supposed to be doing, or instruction is more of what it is I need to know. 00:13:31.500 --> 00:13:35.250 Instruction is this idea of imparting wisdom teaching to your child? 00:13:35.300 --> 00:13:37.950 Discipline is this idea of helping them live it out practically. 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:41.030 What does that look like in my life played out? 00:13:41.260 --> 00:13:43.260 And so there's this distinction of how that happens. 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:50.980 And in fact, I think between these two words, it becomes important to emphasize one more than the other in different circumstances and 00:13:50.980 --> 00:13:54.360 also in different ages for your children. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:14:01.620 What I mean is, sometimes parents can make the mistake when your kids are young to reverse the 00:14:01.620 --> 00:14:04.080 order of what's most important for your child. 00:14:04.620 --> 00:14:09.550 What I mean is, sometimes when your kid is young, you can say a lot and do very little. 00:14:10.400 --> 00:14:18.000 And when they're young, it's intended to be the exact opposite, meaning kids when they're little, they're 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:25.030 their attention span and their retention and their wisdom in life is not as robust as hopefully when they get older. 00:14:25.340 --> 00:14:30.020 And so when they're younger, you're more hands on and discipline and not quite as much as instruction. 00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:36.040 But as they get older and they demonstrate the ability to be trusted, you start to let out that kite string. 00:14:36.820 --> 00:14:42.570 And so your objective in life becomes more about being a sage and less about the discipline. 00:14:43.900 --> 00:14:49.460 And you know, as you might know this, if you have adult kids, like nobody likes to be told what to do, right? 00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:53.760 So even as a parent, you have to become wise in how you impart that wisdom. 00:14:53.960 --> 00:14:56.000 And sometimes you even have to wait for them to ask. 00:14:56.240 --> 00:15:02.760 Go through some some humbling situations or some complications before they might even look for advice from you. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.420 But the role changes as they mature. 00:15:05.420 --> 00:15:08.050 You go more to instruction and less in discipline. 00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:08.760 But. 00:15:08.860 --> 00:15:16.060 But the important part is to understand that God has called you for both of those in the life of your child in order to help 00:15:16.060 --> 00:15:19.000 them become who God has called him to be. 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:26.180 I have a God given calling in my family in terms of healthy discipline. 00:15:26.180 --> 00:15:27.220 You know, I think it's important. 00:15:27.500 --> 00:15:31.400 My wife and I have had a few thoughts in mind that we've just kind of circulated on as parents. 00:15:31.980 --> 00:15:35.700 I'll say these real quick if you don't like them, you can brain dump them and don't apply them. 00:15:35.700 --> 00:15:35.860 Okay. 00:15:36.220 --> 00:15:39.000 But one is what you permit in private. 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:40.810 They will perform in public. 00:15:41.620 --> 00:15:44.310 You know, your kids don't leave the house and all of a sudden become better. 00:15:45.260 --> 00:15:47.440 So at least some sometimes, right? 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:54.500 Like it might be true in certain situations, but and so if you see your kids doing something in public, it's just a reminder of how you might work with them 00:15:54.500 --> 00:15:55.270 in private. 00:15:55.860 --> 00:15:59.160 Because what you permit in private, they become in public. 00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:02.940 if you have to count to ten, you have already lost, right? 00:16:02.980 --> 00:16:06.000 Your kids have trained you more than you have trained them. 00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:13.260 And so learning that kids should do what they're asked to do the first time with the right attitude. 00:16:14.300 --> 00:16:19.370 You know, it's not just doing the thing that they're asked to do, but you also want to have the right attitude that goes along with it. 00:16:19.980 --> 00:16:23.030 And you might see your kid do what's asked, but with the poor attitude. 00:16:23.040 --> 00:16:28.170 And it's just a reminder as a parent where they need to learn and grow, discipline and instruction, how we can be involved. 00:16:28.760 --> 00:16:36.620 And last is this discipline with a consequence appropriate to their behavior and be engaged when correcting meaning. 00:16:37.980 --> 00:16:40.070 Sometimes you know you'll see this with parents. 00:16:40.300 --> 00:16:43.110 And by the way, I'm not judging anybody to say I have no example of you personally. 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:45.440 And whatever happens to your kids today, you get grace. 00:16:45.560 --> 00:16:46.100 Okay? 00:16:46.100 --> 00:16:50.940 But I know sometimes you come to church in the morning and you might have had some complication getting here. 00:16:50.940 --> 00:16:51.430 So I'm not. 00:16:51.700 --> 00:16:53.360 I'm just we're just tossing this out, okay? 00:16:53.640 --> 00:16:56.420 We know family is perfect all the time, but. 00:16:56.560 --> 00:17:02.580 But when it comes to the idea of parenting, sometimes parents discipline out of anger. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.300 And you should never discipline out of anger. 00:17:06.300 --> 00:17:08.900 Anger is just about executing what you want. 00:17:08.900 --> 00:17:12.450 You discipline for the purpose of what God ultimately desires for your child. 00:17:12.819 --> 00:17:17.319 And so the discipline should match as a consequence to where they are. 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:24.250 And sometimes parents will tell a kid something multiple times, and the kid hasn't obeyed because the kids learn not to obey when the parent says something at the first time. 00:17:24.780 --> 00:17:27.470 So the parent eventually just blows up and loses it. 00:17:27.940 --> 00:17:29.480 And this is where it becomes important to learn. 00:17:29.480 --> 00:17:29.730 As a parent. 00:17:29.980 --> 00:17:37.500 You've got to be engaged that when you say something, you need to make sure that what you say you're going to follow up on it because 00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:40.710 you're going to educate your kids, not to listen to you the first time you say it. 00:17:41.580 --> 00:17:46.120 And so when you say something, you need to be prepared to deliver or follow up on what you say. 00:17:47.020 --> 00:17:53.540 And when a child doesn't obey, to be there, to execute a discipline the right way. 00:17:53.660 --> 00:18:00.740 Meaning if you're in talking with a parent and your kid's acting up, sometimes you'll see parents just shout out something to your kid to correct them, maybe even discipline them so they can go 00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:01.840 back to having a conversation. 00:18:02.800 --> 00:18:07.340 But can I tell you in that conversation, whoever you're talking to, that person is not going to be with you forever. 00:18:08.540 --> 00:18:11.230 That child, on the other hand, will write. 00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:11.980 And so. 00:18:12.080 --> 00:18:17.140 So what you in that moment need to say as a parent is, look, I really appreciate this conversation. 00:18:17.400 --> 00:18:18.440 I respect what you're saying. 00:18:18.440 --> 00:18:19.550 It's very important to me. 00:18:19.740 --> 00:18:21.660 But I need to do something for just a minute. 00:18:21.700 --> 00:18:24.920 If you give me just a moment, I can come back and let me just continue this conversation. 00:18:25.560 --> 00:18:31.190 And you take your child not not for the purpose of embarrassing them, but you pull them to a place where you can really focus together. 00:18:32.020 --> 00:18:39.040 And if your kid's young, I mean, you get down on one knee and you look at them in the face, and if their little look, you don't need necessarily an explanation when you sit 00:18:39.040 --> 00:18:39.900 down and say, why? 00:18:40.120 --> 00:18:41.000 Why did you do that? 00:18:41.020 --> 00:18:42.990 I can tell you why your kids do the things they do. 00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:45.740 They're sinful human beings just like you and me, right? 00:18:45.740 --> 00:18:46.560 That's not a surprise. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:54.450 But when they're younger, the most important question you can ask him is what did you do that they can identify for you the inappropriate behavior 00:18:54.770 --> 00:18:59.000 so that when you give the consequences fresh on their mind, this was wrong. 00:18:59.420 --> 00:19:06.480 Therefore, this is the consequence because of what I've done and you engage with them right then at that moment that you're they understand that 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:09.980 you are there because you love them, right? 00:19:09.980 --> 00:19:13.070 You're not doing it out of anger, but you're doing it out of care. 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:22.040 And kids, I think love in their lives, they will never say this, but healthy boundaries teach your children that the parent 00:19:22.040 --> 00:19:23.520 is there for their well-being. 00:19:23.540 --> 00:19:26.610 And so there's a form of love that is communicated through that. 00:19:27.580 --> 00:19:30.120 I have a God given calling to my family. 00:19:30.120 --> 00:19:30.730 I need to move on. 00:19:30.800 --> 00:19:33.890 So the question is, what does it mean to provoke your kids? 00:19:34.080 --> 00:19:41.400 And I'm going to give it to you that the answer to that with point number three, you should not minister to each person the same 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:42.100 way. 00:19:43.360 --> 00:19:47.060 You should not minister to each person the same way. 00:19:47.140 --> 00:19:50.780 And you see, Jacob does this with his family in verse 28. 00:19:50.860 --> 00:19:54.450 Now we're skipping verse 3 to 27 for a minute, but I want you to see this. 00:19:54.500 --> 00:19:57.660 It says, all these are the 12 tribes of Israel. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:03.980 This is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:11.580 So Jacob recognizes his kids are all in different places, and so he speaks into their life based on 00:20:11.580 --> 00:20:13.530 where they are in their life. 00:20:13.780 --> 00:20:15.560 And the same thing is true with kids right now. 00:20:15.780 --> 00:20:17.640 Here's reality. 00:20:17.640 --> 00:20:19.360 truth does not change. 00:20:19.380 --> 00:20:20.740 That's accurate. 00:20:20.740 --> 00:20:21.900 Truth does not change. 00:20:21.900 --> 00:20:22.690 Truth is absolute. 00:20:23.900 --> 00:20:27.120 But how you contextualize the truth can look different. 00:20:27.900 --> 00:20:30.360 It can look different based on the age of the child. 00:20:30.920 --> 00:20:38.240 It can look different based on the maturity level, but based on the circumstances that a kid is going through, 00:20:38.340 --> 00:20:40.760 it can look different based on the personality of a child. 00:20:40.900 --> 00:20:46.540 I've got a child that if I just say the word discipline, they melt and then I've got other children. 00:20:46.540 --> 00:20:48.400 That takes a little bit more discipline, right? 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:49.600 And I won't tell you who's who. 00:20:49.620 --> 00:20:50.910 I got great kids, okay? 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:54.440 But you got to meet you meet your kids where they are. 00:20:54.860 --> 00:21:01.980 And this idea of provoking is a word that tells you, as a parent, you need to walk with that understanding, because you can come so heavy 00:21:01.980 --> 00:21:09.360 handed toward your children that it makes them frustrated and they feel in, unable to 00:21:09.360 --> 00:21:11.680 live up to the expectation that you've given to them. 00:21:12.180 --> 00:21:19.360 This idea of provoking is this idea of this reasonable, unreasonable expectation on your child and where they are. 00:21:19.560 --> 00:21:23.130 It's frustrating them not to succeed, but actually fail. 00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:31.040 And so he's saying, look, parents, your responsibility is to understand where your kid is to the best of your ability and 00:21:31.040 --> 00:21:38.260 understand how the Lord would want to minister to them where they are and order them for them to learn the discipline to succeed, to 00:21:38.260 --> 00:21:39.820 become who God has called them to be. 00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:45.540 So the idea of provoking is this reminder of never discipline out of anger. 00:21:46.840 --> 00:21:50.200 And you might get angry, but. 00:21:50.320 --> 00:21:56.740 But your discipline is for the purpose of what God has called them to, helping them become who God has called them to be. 00:21:56.800 --> 00:22:03.960 In fact, I would say that the goal of parenting is not primarily about behavior modification, but 00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:05.960 rather heart transformation. 00:22:07.340 --> 00:22:14.520 God's interest ultimately is in their heart, and sometimes as a parent, we can quickly focus on what our kids are doing 00:22:14.520 --> 00:22:21.570 and forget that the most important thing is who they are becoming. 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:30.940 Helping your child by ministering to their heart because you as a parent can come in so heavy handed, provoking them that sure your 00:22:30.940 --> 00:22:34.660 kids will obey because well, you're a tyrant and no one wants to put up with that. 00:22:35.900 --> 00:22:43.110 But when your kids become 18, what's going to end up happening is your kids are going to just completely cut you off altogether and never want to hear from you again. 00:22:44.200 --> 00:22:46.100 But you can have an important role in their life. 00:22:47.180 --> 00:22:51.290 Now, I say all that in realizing families are messy and kids don't always respond healthy either. 00:22:52.380 --> 00:22:52.400 But. 00:22:52.540 --> 00:22:55.600 But God's in your own relationship for the. 00:22:55.820 --> 00:22:58.920 You have opportunity to continue to impart wisdom to your children. 00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:06.460 Number four then my family is not an excuse for becoming who God has called me to 00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:07.010 be. 00:23:07.220 --> 00:23:11.670 My family is not an excuse for becoming who God has called me to be. 00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:19.480 for those that of you that have had difficult families, I think this section, verse three to verse 27 can 00:23:19.480 --> 00:23:21.360 be encouraging for all of us. 00:23:21.640 --> 00:23:28.860 You know, Jacob's kids were all raised in the same family and they ended up vastly different, making all sorts of different 00:23:28.860 --> 00:23:29.890 life choices. 00:23:30.660 --> 00:23:32.520 But yet they were all raised in the same family. 00:23:32.540 --> 00:23:34.050 Some of them chose to live godly lives. 00:23:34.120 --> 00:23:35.820 Some of them chose not to live godly lives. 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:41.020 And the one kid that had an excuse for what he might do with his life out of all of them was Joseph. 00:23:41.540 --> 00:23:44.350 And what's amazing about Joseph is he turned out better than any of them. 00:23:45.140 --> 00:23:52.380 And so when you when you look at Joseph's life, the fact that he had so much struggle, it should be an encouragement to us that, 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:57.070 if you've had a difficult life, we don't want anyone to have a difficult life. 00:23:57.100 --> 00:23:59.080 And if you've had one, I'm. 00:24:00.360 --> 00:24:02.760 I'm sorry. 00:24:02.760 --> 00:24:04.280 And we want life to be full of great things if it can. 00:24:04.340 --> 00:24:10.600 But you can also be encouraged that, for the upbringing. 00:24:10.600 --> 00:24:17.740 It's your upbringing is not the primary determiner of who you become, but rather 00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:20.860 the decisions that you make dictate who you become. 00:24:22.080 --> 00:24:24.680 And Jacob is an example of that. 00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:32.080 You know, if I asked you this morning how many of you had perfect families, you don't have to raise your hand on this, but I can tell you the amount of hands that will be raised will 00:24:32.080 --> 00:24:35.840 definitely be a smaller amount of people, right? 00:24:35.840 --> 00:24:40.860 That most of us have some sort of brokenness, maybe skeleton in our in our family. 00:24:41.340 --> 00:24:44.800 But that's not the primary determiner of the person that you become. 00:24:44.800 --> 00:24:51.650 Your decisions are and what your life is surrendered to and how God shapes you in that. 00:24:51.660 --> 00:24:58.760 You may have had good examples of what not to do, and you may have had some examples of what you should do, but your family is not 00:24:58.760 --> 00:24:59.300 an excuse. 00:24:59.340 --> 00:25:01.880 In fact, what you need, you don't need an excuse. 00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:06.100 What you need is a plan, and that's who the Lord is in your life. 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:07.200 He is a he is. 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:13.420 You may have had a terrible father, but God is a good father, and his purpose is are for you in order to bless you. 00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:14.710 In fact, we'll see that in just a moment. 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:17.420 But you see this layout with the family, and I'm going to go through this really quickly. 00:25:17.780 --> 00:25:17.940 Okay? 00:25:17.980 --> 00:25:19.190 This is like a synopsis. 00:25:20.040 --> 00:25:21.780 Super speed through this family. 00:25:21.940 --> 00:25:27.420 In verse three it starts to share with us the different family members as the father brings them in. 00:25:27.420 --> 00:25:33.330 And what you're going to find out in the very beginning here, the first three kids he talks about makes you feel really good about your own family. 00:25:33.420 --> 00:25:40.570 Okay, this is like the next time you go to your family, you might think to yourself, we've got some things going on, but we are not as bad as these guys, 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:41.000 right? 00:25:41.080 --> 00:25:43.100 These guys are on a different level. 00:25:43.120 --> 00:25:43.380 So. 00:25:43.520 --> 00:25:48.340 So he starts off and so he shares a word with his first three kids that are the most challenging kids. 00:25:48.660 --> 00:25:54.700 And sometimes the best thing that you can share with your kids is a difficult word out of love for them. 00:25:54.920 --> 00:25:55.530 And this is what happens. 00:25:55.660 --> 00:25:56.320 Verse three. 00:25:56.320 --> 00:25:57.410 Reuben, you're my firstborn. 00:25:58.020 --> 00:26:05.380 my might and the fruits of my strength and preeminent and dignity and preeminent and power unstable as 00:26:05.380 --> 00:26:10.980 water, you shall not have preeminence because you went up to your father's bed, and then you defiled it. 00:26:10.980 --> 00:26:12.880 He went up to my couch. 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:15.900 He's saying, look, you think you're entitled and you're owed. 00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:18.060 It's like he's the most American of this group here. 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:18.900 He thinks he's entitled. 00:26:18.980 --> 00:26:21.660 He just gets it because, well, his family has it, right? 00:26:21.660 --> 00:26:23.080 That's Ruben and his story. 00:26:23.080 --> 00:26:27.660 But he says, but son, in verse four, your character stinks, right? 00:26:27.660 --> 00:26:32.310 And you can't be trusted with this stuff because you're all you could ultimately use it for more destruction. 00:26:32.980 --> 00:26:39.160 It's like if you ever read the stories of lottery winners, sometimes those stories, most of the time I feel like those stories do not go well. 00:26:39.280 --> 00:26:43.720 After a few years, they're bankrupt, and having more didn't necessarily make things better. 00:26:43.800 --> 00:26:45.440 In fact, some people tend to think like that. 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:48.400 Well, things are like this because I don't have enough. 00:26:48.520 --> 00:26:50.950 But if you give me more stuff, suddenly things will become better. 00:26:51.280 --> 00:26:56.560 It's like, no, if you're faithful in the little things, then that's evidence that you'll be faithful and good things. 00:26:56.560 --> 00:27:00.060 Just because you get more doesn't make things magically make things better. 00:27:00.100 --> 00:27:03.030 In fact, it gives you more power to be more destructive. 00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:09.200 And this is what he's saying to Ruben, this warning that your character has not grown as you've aged. 00:27:09.460 --> 00:27:11.780 And because of that, it puts you in a difficult place. 00:27:12.140 --> 00:27:17.700 And the way that he points it out is how, Ruben slept with his fathers wife. 00:27:17.880 --> 00:27:19.280 He's saying, look at this problem. 00:27:19.640 --> 00:27:20.120 Right? 00:27:20.380 --> 00:27:24.610 And then for Simon and Levi, our brothers weapons of violence are their swords. 00:27:24.700 --> 00:27:27.500 Let my soul come not into their council. 00:27:27.580 --> 00:27:30.230 All my glory be joined, not be joined to their company. 00:27:30.560 --> 00:27:33.420 He's saying, look, sons, everyone's afraid of you. 00:27:33.580 --> 00:27:34.320 I'm afraid of you. 00:27:34.380 --> 00:27:38.140 In fact, he says in verse six, I'm so afraid of you I don't even want to know. 00:27:38.360 --> 00:27:39.760 Don't tell people your last name. 00:27:39.780 --> 00:27:39.980 Right. 00:27:39.980 --> 00:27:41.400 So he's saying this story. 00:27:41.520 --> 00:27:46.470 It's kind of like you ever have that friend where you go out in public and they just say things, you're like, this is embarrassing. 00:27:47.340 --> 00:27:51.000 And you're like, you might be with someone and they say something that's unkind. 00:27:51.140 --> 00:27:53.490 You're like, oh my gosh, I hope I'm not guilty by association. 00:27:54.320 --> 00:27:55.260 I hope they don't think that. 00:27:55.260 --> 00:27:59.290 I think that because this person thinks that and you're just kind of like bowing your head in that. 00:27:59.620 --> 00:28:03.770 Well, this is Simon and Levi in this story saying, sons, look at this concern. 00:28:04.020 --> 00:28:08.040 And it goes on and says, for in their anger they killed men and their willfulness. 00:28:08.180 --> 00:28:10.280 They hamstrung oxen. 00:28:10.300 --> 00:28:13.300 I mean, these brothers, they literally they killed an entire town. 00:28:13.300 --> 00:28:16.480 Their sister was raped, and they wanted to bring justice. 00:28:16.520 --> 00:28:21.230 But rather than go just to the person who violated their sister, they just killed everybody. 00:28:21.320 --> 00:28:22.820 And they're like, you guys are terrible people. 00:28:23.300 --> 00:28:26.500 And not only that, he's saying they torture animals for fun. 00:28:26.500 --> 00:28:28.620 That's what serial killers do, right? 00:28:28.680 --> 00:28:32.780 Verse seven, cursed be their anger, for it is fierce and their wrath for it is cruel. 00:28:32.840 --> 00:28:35.480 I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. 00:28:35.800 --> 00:28:38.640 He's saying with people like that there there's not a future. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:39.660 You can't build on that. 00:28:39.660 --> 00:28:41.320 That's just living for yourself. 00:28:41.540 --> 00:28:44.180 It's destructive to everyone around you. 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:49.880 And so you see this father, he's speaking into his son's life, where they're at, to understand what this leads to. 00:28:49.880 --> 00:28:55.680 And like I said, first three people, this makes me feel really good about, anyone else's family. 00:28:55.760 --> 00:28:57.080 This is this is rough. 00:28:57.080 --> 00:28:58.210 But then he goes on For Judah. 00:28:58.900 --> 00:29:00.040 Your brother shall praise you. 00:29:00.040 --> 00:29:01.840 Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. 00:29:01.880 --> 00:29:04.880 Your father's sons shall bow down before you. 00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:07.440 Judah is a lion, a lion cub from the prey. 00:29:07.520 --> 00:29:08.840 My son, you have gone up. 00:29:08.840 --> 00:29:09.680 He stopped down. 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:11.480 He crouched as a lion and a lioness. 00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:12.900 Who dares rouse him? 00:29:12.920 --> 00:29:15.030 The scepter shall not depart from Judah. 00:29:15.740 --> 00:29:23.040 Let me just say, Judah is a redemption story, and this is what our heart is for people to experience what Judah has experienced. 00:29:23.040 --> 00:29:30.420 Because when you read about Judah's life, if you remember, Judah is the one who came up with the idea to sell his brother into slavery and 00:29:30.420 --> 00:29:32.300 he married an ungodly woman. 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:33.800 He raised ungodly kids. 00:29:33.860 --> 00:29:40.960 His kids were so bad, God took them home early and he ended up sleeping with a prostitute who 00:29:40.960 --> 00:29:44.460 he later found out was his deceased son's daughter in law. 00:29:44.500 --> 00:29:47.560 He didn't know it at the time, but his life was a wreck. 00:29:47.560 --> 00:29:47.640 But. 00:29:47.840 --> 00:29:55.100 But you read in Genesis 43, chapter 44, chapter 46, he went through a transformation because 00:29:55.100 --> 00:29:59.880 in his broken sinfulness he surrendered his life to the Lord. 00:30:00.120 --> 00:30:07.480 And you see, it demonstrated in how he took care for his own family that he becomes this redemption story to the point that 00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:13.230 God even promises to Judah in this passage that he's going to become the lineage of Jesus. 00:30:14.120 --> 00:30:19.280 King David comes from Judah and a revelation five that's quoted here under verse ten. 00:30:19.280 --> 00:30:26.640 Revelation five five that you see this worship of Christ as the lion of the tribe of Judah in the book of Revelation. 00:30:27.500 --> 00:30:30.810 So here he is in his brokenness and all the mess of his past. 00:30:31.580 --> 00:30:35.800 But he finds the grace of God and it transforms him moving into the future. 00:30:36.060 --> 00:30:43.610 Because that's the beauty of God not giving up on us, that we have that opportunity in him no matter where we've been. 00:30:43.780 --> 00:30:45.500 God's desire is for your heart. 00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:48.910 God doesn't want you to impress him with who you are. 00:30:49.320 --> 00:30:53.440 He wants to impress you with who he is, that your life would be surrendered to him. 00:30:53.540 --> 00:30:59.380 God can bring incredible transformation and salvation to our souls. 00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:04.820 He goes on with just a list of his kids here for Zebulon, he says, shall dwell at the shore of the sea. 00:31:04.820 --> 00:31:06.150 He shall become a haven for ships. 00:31:06.520 --> 00:31:08.640 And his border shall be at Sidon. 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:12.160 I mean, he knows this particular sun loves the ocean. 00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:13.600 Maybe he loves fishing. 00:31:13.600 --> 00:31:14.600 Loves ships. 00:31:14.600 --> 00:31:15.680 Not all his kids are like that. 00:31:15.780 --> 00:31:20.680 But sometimes when you see your kids gifted in a certain way, they just need to be encouraged to do what they're already doing. 00:31:21.180 --> 00:31:22.140 A great job, son. 00:31:22.140 --> 00:31:24.200 Just continuing on, I see see your heart for this. 00:31:24.200 --> 00:31:25.120 I see your passion for this. 00:31:25.120 --> 00:31:25.710 It's going to be great. 00:31:25.940 --> 00:31:27.430 Things just continue on this path. 00:31:27.600 --> 00:31:28.920 And that's where he's encouraging his son. 00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:31.330 And Ishikari says is a strong donkey. 00:31:31.560 --> 00:31:36.320 Crouching between the Sheepfolds, he saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant. 00:31:36.320 --> 00:31:39.720 So he bowed in his shoulder to bear, and he became a servant in forced labor. 00:31:39.720 --> 00:31:40.760 He saying, it's the car. 00:31:41.320 --> 00:31:42.510 I mean, God made you for something. 00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:44.540 He references him as a donkey here. 00:31:44.560 --> 00:31:48.700 So he's made for something he's saying, but he's like, but you're lazy. 00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:52.320 Like, rather than do what donkeys do, you're just hiding in the sheep, son. 00:31:52.320 --> 00:31:54.880 And I don't even know how to encourage you because you won't get off the couch. 00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:55.940 I don't even know what you're good at. 00:31:55.940 --> 00:31:56.980 I don't even know what you're gifted at. 00:31:57.280 --> 00:31:58.800 But you need to get off the couch and do something. 00:31:59.710 --> 00:32:01.090 It's a strange thing in this passage. 00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:02.800 It's like you're depressed. 00:32:02.820 --> 00:32:03.760 No wonder you're depressed. 00:32:03.800 --> 00:32:06.120 God made you to do things in this world to reflect his glory. 00:32:06.140 --> 00:32:06.980 Of course you're depressed. 00:32:06.980 --> 00:32:07.860 You're not doing something. 00:32:07.860 --> 00:32:09.100 You should be depressed, right? 00:32:09.100 --> 00:32:10.940 So get off your rear and do something. 00:32:11.020 --> 00:32:12.260 He's saying this story. 00:32:12.260 --> 00:32:16.420 He's saying if you don't do that, then someone else is going to be master over you, forcing you to do something. 00:32:16.940 --> 00:32:20.780 Why don't you take control of your own destiny and live for the purpose which God has created you? 00:32:20.820 --> 00:32:21.930 And as soon as we learn what that is. 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:24.240 But as you start doing things, we'll encourage you further. 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:24.810 Look at Issachar. 00:32:25.080 --> 00:32:25.500 Right. 00:32:25.500 --> 00:32:26.460 He found the sea. 00:32:26.800 --> 00:32:31.260 And then Dan, he says, shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 00:32:31.260 --> 00:32:37.390 Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backwards. 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:41.390 And what it's saying is, Dan is a man of justice. 00:32:42.040 --> 00:32:45.420 He looks out for the widow and for the orphan and for the foreigner. 00:32:45.420 --> 00:32:47.640 He wants to take care of people in their need. 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:52.500 And I don't mean like, an American social justice person today. 00:32:52.500 --> 00:32:59.600 I mean like a real justice person, like not one that just gets on Facebook and tells people you know what they think, but someone who gets his hands dirty and actually cares 00:32:59.600 --> 00:33:00.480 about people. 00:33:00.560 --> 00:33:05.360 Not a virtue signaler but someone who really he's doing things he doesn't have to tell people. 00:33:05.360 --> 00:33:06.690 Look how great I am because I do things. 00:33:07.120 --> 00:33:11.860 He just does it because he has a compassionate heart for the brokenness of people. 00:33:11.900 --> 00:33:12.990 And so he serves them. 00:33:13.280 --> 00:33:14.880 And his father is affirming that. 00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:18.110 And for God he says, but he shall raid. 00:33:18.740 --> 00:33:19.520 excuse me? 00:33:19.540 --> 00:33:22.920 He says, raiders shall raid God, but he shall raid at their heels. 00:33:23.680 --> 00:33:31.010 And his dad's just acknowledging Gad, you've gone through some difficult time, but don't be discouraged, because God's also made you a warrior, 00:33:31.720 --> 00:33:33.000 and it could be the same for us. 00:33:33.140 --> 00:33:35.080 Some of us this morning we could be discouraged. 00:33:36.420 --> 00:33:43.420 But let me just encourage you that God, God is with you, that in adversity we face also becomes a 00:33:43.420 --> 00:33:46.400 beautiful moment to demonstrate our faithfulness to the Lord. 00:33:46.900 --> 00:33:53.920 That when we face hardship, to show above the hardship that we might go through, that Christ is what ultimately matters to us. 00:33:54.140 --> 00:33:55.940 And so he's encouraging God in this. 00:33:55.980 --> 00:33:59.840 And for Asher, he says, food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal delicacies. 00:34:00.220 --> 00:34:07.000 So Asher continue on, son, and caring for people God's with your farming abilities. 00:34:07.020 --> 00:34:07.880 God can do great things. 00:34:07.880 --> 00:34:12.310 Naphtali, he says, is the dough let loose that bears beautiful fawns. 00:34:12.500 --> 00:34:13.139 I love this one. 00:34:13.139 --> 00:34:13.570 This is my favorite. 00:34:13.580 --> 00:34:14.949 He's like, son, you're handsome. 00:34:15.260 --> 00:34:16.250 You married a beautiful gal. 00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:17.520 You're going to make beautiful babies. 00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:20.100 It's really something he's saying in the story. 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:20.900 Give me more grandbabies. 00:34:21.460 --> 00:34:28.260 And then verse 22, Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring. 00:34:28.260 --> 00:34:29.860 His branches run over the wall. 00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:34.540 You know when it comes to Joseph, I love the consistency of who he is in all things. 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:39.239 He's saying, son, you're like a flourishing branch in the midst of a desert. 00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:42.409 And for people that have ever lived in a desert. 00:34:43.020 --> 00:34:46.940 You know how refreshing that can be, right? 00:34:46.980 --> 00:34:49.880 When it seems like everything else is dead. 00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:51.980 That here, this moment, it has life. 00:34:52.199 --> 00:34:59.240 It's incredible to be with people like that when life just seems hard to be around that person that just drips the 00:34:59.240 --> 00:35:02.570 sweetness and the grace of God, it's refreshing to the soul. 00:35:02.720 --> 00:35:08.870 I mean, you know what that's like, living in a desert, and then you go through winter and as you get towards the end of winter, you're like, I'm really sick of winter. 00:35:08.940 --> 00:35:09.930 I can't wait for spring. 00:35:10.240 --> 00:35:16.840 And you look out one day and that tree is budded, and then all of a sudden the flowers start popping on it and you're like, man, I just need a high five. 00:35:16.860 --> 00:35:17.320 Someone over there. 00:35:17.340 --> 00:35:17.830 This is amazing. 00:35:18.260 --> 00:35:19.740 Like out of death comes life. 00:35:19.740 --> 00:35:20.860 And that's what it's saying. 00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:22.440 Joseph is that's who he's been. 00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:29.340 In fact, verse 23, the archers bitterly attacked him, shot at him, harassed him severely, yet his bow remained unmoved. 00:35:29.580 --> 00:35:33.270 His arm his arms were made agile by the hands of the mighty One of Jacob. 00:35:34.040 --> 00:35:37.830 He's saying, son, you've always remained consistent no matter what other people have thrown at you. 00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:40.040 Other people didn't dictate who you were. 00:35:40.540 --> 00:35:45.640 The Lord did, and you were faithful to follow after him because you knew God was with you. 00:35:46.120 --> 00:35:48.120 You know this should be the goal for all of us, really. 00:35:48.780 --> 00:35:54.120 But his father's is just affirming this model for other people to understand and I love. 00:35:54.160 --> 00:36:01.180 In verse 25 he says, and by the God of your father, who will help you by the mighty hand, who will bless you up with blessings of heaven and 00:36:01.180 --> 00:36:04.430 blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, and blessings of the breast of the womb. 00:36:04.860 --> 00:36:06.960 I mean, he's saying, that's really God's heart for us. 00:36:06.980 --> 00:36:08.740 God desires to bless you. 00:36:09.720 --> 00:36:16.470 And so he's encouraging the son just to stay the course of the man he has become because that's the kind of life that God can bless. 00:36:17.740 --> 00:36:22.790 And when you think about in terms of being a child, honouring your parents, sometimes some parents don't make that easy. 00:36:23.400 --> 00:36:24.240 Always. 00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:31.200 And the way that we might navigate that with certain familial relationships might look different because, well, sometimes it's just not always easy. 00:36:31.580 --> 00:36:36.460 But learning what it means to do that despite the adversity we face, that's what God calls us to do. 00:36:37.160 --> 00:36:39.720 And the same is true for Joseph and the adversity he faced. 00:36:39.760 --> 00:36:43.180 He just he just no matter what was happening, faithful to the Lord. 00:36:43.540 --> 00:36:45.410 And the last there I should read is Benjamin. 00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:52.300 And Benjamin is one that says, a ravenous wolf in the morning, devouring the prey at the evening, dividing the spoil. 00:36:52.840 --> 00:36:56.640 Now he's the baby of the family, and people might expect the baby is spoiled. 00:36:56.960 --> 00:36:59.440 But the father is saying, don't underestimate the baby here. 00:36:59.540 --> 00:37:00.810 Because the baby wakes up in the morning. 00:37:00.840 --> 00:37:05.100 He's like, he's going to grab the world by the hands and he's going to make things happen rather than wait. 00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:09.250 He's the kind of guy who's like, I could go to the grocery store or I could go to the woods, kill it, and eat it myself. 00:37:09.780 --> 00:37:10.040 Right? 00:37:10.040 --> 00:37:11.220 That's what he does. 00:37:11.220 --> 00:37:12.900 He's he makes things by his hand. 00:37:12.900 --> 00:37:14.150 He makes sure it gets done. 00:37:14.500 --> 00:37:15.340 That's Benjamin. 00:37:15.340 --> 00:37:21.300 But the father here has gathered his children, and he's looking down the corridors of time. 00:37:21.300 --> 00:37:23.820 And he's saying, look, here's the kind of people you are. 00:37:23.820 --> 00:37:29.260 So here's the future that I'm seeing because of that, for the purposes of continuing to encourage his children. 00:37:30.020 --> 00:37:32.170 And so, point number five, let me give you this last one. 00:37:33.460 --> 00:37:34.700 We are on five, right. 00:37:35.620 --> 00:37:36.200 Okay. 00:37:36.380 --> 00:37:36.940 Thank you. 00:37:37.140 --> 00:37:44.040 Interactive today where you start is not as important as where you finish. 00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:48.620 Where you start is not as important as where you finish. 00:37:51.520 --> 00:37:56.390 look, we mess up, and sometimes we get to the place where we mess up, where we might raise our hands and think, well, what's it worth? 00:37:56.400 --> 00:37:56.560 It's. 00:37:56.560 --> 00:37:57.150 This is useless. 00:37:58.280 --> 00:38:01.540 Like, it's not achieving the results that you want or expect. 00:38:02.560 --> 00:38:06.920 But can I tell you, the goal at the end of the day is not to necessarily run after results. 00:38:06.920 --> 00:38:07.510 Those are nice. 00:38:08.780 --> 00:38:11.020 The goal is just to honor the Lord where you are right now. 00:38:12.080 --> 00:38:16.500 That's what God desires and let the results take care of themselves. 00:38:17.300 --> 00:38:19.310 And I love Jacob is not a perfect man. 00:38:20.220 --> 00:38:22.180 he's lived a pretty broken life. 00:38:23.100 --> 00:38:30.320 But here he is in the final moments of his life, and he just wants to take those last moments and pour into his family what he's able to do, where he's at. 00:38:31.040 --> 00:38:34.770 You know, he could sit there discouraged over the things that didn't go the way that he had hoped. 00:38:35.720 --> 00:38:38.380 But he's looking forward into the things that he anticipates. 00:38:38.500 --> 00:38:45.860 In fact, he says, then he commanded them and said to them, I am to be gathered to my people, bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron 00:38:45.860 --> 00:38:46.800 the Hittite. 00:38:47.240 --> 00:38:48.980 You know, we've talked about this cave before. 00:38:48.980 --> 00:38:50.310 This is the cave of the patriarchs. 00:38:50.400 --> 00:38:52.850 You can see this cave today if you Google the cave of the patriarchs. 00:38:52.980 --> 00:38:56.970 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob are buried there along with their wives. 00:38:57.420 --> 00:39:04.840 And then verse 33, when Jacob had finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and gathered to 00:39:04.840 --> 00:39:05.840 his people. 00:39:07.140 --> 00:39:10.840 Jacob, at the end of his life has demonstrating himself as a man of wisdom. 00:39:11.640 --> 00:39:15.540 And let me just tell you the difference between a man of wisdom and a foolish man. 00:39:16.660 --> 00:39:19.580 A foolish man lives for the temporal pleasures of the day. 00:39:20.820 --> 00:39:23.220 A wise man thinks in terms of legacy. 00:39:24.700 --> 00:39:31.320 And Jacob wants to use his life to pour into the next generation, to see them become who God has called them to be. 00:39:31.940 --> 00:39:38.020 And his life for us becomes an example and a place of reflection to think about our own. 00:39:39.680 --> 00:39:41.780 What is it God desires to do for me? 00:39:42.820 --> 00:39:44.880 What is it God desires to do in me? 00:39:45.520 --> 00:39:48.080 What is it God desires to do through me? 00:39:48.780 --> 00:39:55.780 Your first responsibility in ministry starts with your family, but you can't even really begin to minister to 00:39:55.780 --> 00:39:56.100 them. 00:39:56.100 --> 00:39:58.680 Well, without a heart that's completely surrendered to the Lord God. 00:40:00.160 --> 00:40:02.880 If I'm going to lead them well, I need to be led well. 00:40:04.180 --> 00:40:09.760 God help my heart to follow after you that I may be the person that you have called me to be. 00:40:10.620 --> 00:40:15.810 And Lord, then see through that the opportunity to lead others down that same road. 00:40:16.360 --> 00:40:19.880 And Jacob, I think it took him a lot of lumps to learn that. 00:40:20.760 --> 00:40:21.960 But here is the end of his life. 00:40:22.620 --> 00:40:28.880 Grandpa Jacob using these last moments to not only teach his children, but to become an example for us. 00:40:29.640 --> 00:40:36.660 Because my hope and heart for us as a church is that our families to be able to be, to follow 00:40:36.660 --> 00:40:37.550 after the Lord. 00:40:37.760 --> 00:40:41.590 A society and a church is only as strong as the families that make it up. 00:40:42.280 --> 00:40:49.300 But and when our hearts are given over to the Lord, the blessing, it is not only you to your family, but your family, to your church 00:40:49.300 --> 00:40:50.150 and community.