February 26, 2006 - Standing Up For A Brother

By: Rev. Steve Bass

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Scripture Meditation: Genesis 44:1-34

Key points to find:

• What repentance means
• What salvation means
• What you should and should not do with the sin in your life
• What Joseph meant when he said, "A man like me can find things out by divination"
• How Judah was a "type" of Christ

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

• When I was 20 I could burn the candle at both ends
  • Work ‘til 4 o’clock in the morning at UPS
  • Get up- and still make a 9 o’clock class
• 29 years later- that don’t happen
  • Today burning the midnight oil means I don’t turn out the light until 10:30!
  • And should I stay up ‘til 11:00- I spend the next day in a sleep-deprived haze
• Which is why I’m never- EVER- gonna start another game of Spider solitaire after 7:30 pm
  • The other night I started a game at 10:00
  • And was still playing at 1:00 in the morning
• Have any of you ever played Spider?
  • It’s a GREAT game
  • I LOVE playing it on the hardest level
• But that game will mess you with your mind!
  • You’ll be that close to going all the way, and you’ll get a card that DESTROYS any chance you have of winning
  • It drives me CRAZY!
• Which is what Joseph’s brothers must have felt like when they discovered silver and gold in their sacks
  • Joseph’s mind games were driving them crazy
  • ...And scaring them half-to-death

Genesis 44:1-5

• Put yourself in Joseph’s servant’s shoes
  • Here’s what you know:
    • Joseph has taken an unusual interest in these foreigners. A day earlier he’d invited these men to join him for dinner-
    • But today he’s telling you to set them up- to make it appear as if they’ve committed a crime
  • Now if I’M Joseph’s servant I’m thinking:
    • What is going on here? I’ve NEVER known my Master to be this cruel
    • There are THOUSANDS of people coming to Egypt to buy food. Why is he playing treating these men this way?
• A legitimate question if you ask me
  • But here’s what Joseph’s servant didn’t know. He didn’t know...
    • These men were Joseph’s brothers
    • They’d sold Joseph into slavery nearly a quarter of a century earlier
  • What’s more- Joseph’s servant couldn’t see the Big Picture
    • He didn’t know that all these machinations were a part of the plan God had revealed to Joseph
    • A plan that would ultimately lead to repentance and salvation for Joseph’ family
• Repentance & Salvation
  • Two of the most important words in the Christian faith
  • Too bad so many people don’t really understand what they mean
• For instance- what do you think it means to REPENT?
  • Most people would probably say: It means you’re sorry for something you’ve done
  • But from a Biblical point of view- that’s not completely right
    • When the Bible uses the word repentance it means a (radical) reorientation of a sinner to God
    • In other words: It goes a lot deeper than just being sorry for something
• Let’s say you’ve illegally downloaded music from the Internet...and the cyber-police catch you
  • You may...
    • Be VERY sorry you got caught
    • Regret having to pay a hefty fine
    • Lament having to erase all that wonderful music from your computer’s hard drive
  • But that kind of sorrow isn’t what repentance really means
• Genuine repentance comes from a godly sense of remorse and sorrow that says:
  • What I did was fundamentally wrong- it’s an affront to a Holy & Righteous God- the One who sent His Son to die for me on the Cross
  • I’m sick and tired of living like this
    • It isn’t right! It makes no sense! It doesn’t make me happy and satisfied
    • More than anything else- I want to be reconciled to God and have Him restore the ‘joy of my salvation’
• Turn with me to the 51st Psalm
• Now let’s turn our attention to the meaning of the word SALVATION
  • What most people mean when they talk about salvation- or getting saved- is that...
    • They’ve asked Jesus to be their Savior.
    • In other words: They’ve got their boarding pass to heaven
  • But that doesn’t BEGIN to describe the dramatic intensity implied in the word
• The Hebrew word for salvation means an acutely dynamic act of snatching others by force from serious (harm) or peril*
  • It carries the idea of literally rescuing someone from the jaws of death
  • And here’s the thing: Salvation ALWAYS involves a COST to the one who is doing the saving
• Jackie- would you walk over here?
  • (Jackie starts to walk across platform) Oh- by the way- be careful not to trip on the microphone cords
  • (When Jackie reaches pulpit)
    • Aren’t you impressed?
    • I SAVED Jackie by pointing out the cords draped across the platform...right?
  • Actually- I’ve done no such thing. See-
    • The possibility of tripping on a microphone cord didn’t pose any grave risk to Jackie’s life
    • And pointing them out didn’t cost me anything
• With all this in mind- let’s get back to Joseph’s plan
  • All the schemes were an effort to bring his brothers to a point of genuine repentance.
    • After all- they’d committed a terrible sin when they sold Joseph into slavery
    • They needed to face the facts and repent of that sin once and for all!
  • So that- in turn- Joseph could provide salvation from the ravages of hunger, famine and starvation

Genesis 44:6-9

• In a sense- the brothers were telling the truth
  • We haven’t done anything wrong! We’re honest man! We wouldn’t THINK about trying to steal any-thing from your Master!
  • The problem was-
    • They already had
    • Whether THEY realized it or not
• The truth was they’d stolen Joseph’s LIFE
  • Despite his desperate pleas- they’d sold him into slavery
  • Not caring whether he lived or died
• A lot of Christians are like Joseph’s brothers when it comes to the sin in their life.
  • They’re always denying it
  • Or rationalizing it
  • OR trying to compare themselves to other people
• Officer- say you clocked me going 75 in a 55 zone?
  • But- I had it on cruise control!!
  • Besides that- I was running late for church
  • And what about that guy who passed me about 2 miles back?
    • He must’ve been going 95-100!
    • What about HIM?
• Folks- when it comes to sinning against God-
  • There’s no denying it. The Bible says:"For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God"
  • There’s no rationalizing it. Sin is rebellion against God and there’s NO justification for it!
  • And finally- pointing fingers at others doesn’t change the reality of the sin in YOUR life
• When it comes to your sin the ONLY thing to do is...
  • Experience and express genuine REPENTANCE
  • And turn to God for His salvation- PERIOD!

Genesis 44:10-12

• It’s easy to become focused on the cup found in Benjamin's sack and miss the drama of this moment
  • Remember- the servant had accused them of taking Joseph’s silver and gold- as well as his divination cup!
  • And don’t forget- the brothers said that anyone found possessing ANY of Joseph’s property deserved the death penalty
• So here’s the point:
  • As soon as the first sack was opened the brothers stood guilty as charged
  • In anguish- they realized that they were looking at a death sentence! Genesis 44:13
• In Middle Eastern culture tearing your clothes has always been a sign of intense grief and mourning
  • But in this case there’s more to it than that...
    • These men KNEW they hadn’t stolen anything
    • But for some reason- incriminating loot kept winding up in their sacks
  • And they knew WHY
    • GOD has punishing them for the sin they’d committed against Joseph
    • In Genesis 42:22 Rueben says:Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen!Now we must give an accounting for his blood.
• For Joseph’s brothers-
  • It was a hopeless situation
  • God was using the prime minister of Egypt-
    • The second most powerful man on Earth-
    • To exact His divine judgment and retribution against them
• And here was the bitterest irony: The divination cup showed up in Benjamin’s sack
  • One thing was certain: Benjamin was innocent of selling Joseph into slavery
  • For one thing- And for another thing-
    • He’d been too young at the time
    • Joseph and Benjamin were the only two of Jacob’s 13 children born to the beloved wife- Rachel
• So why did Joseph have his servant put the cup in Benjamin’s sack?
  • Again- it was part of the plan.
  • Joseph wanted to see if his brothers had changed...
    • From being men who harbored jealousy, hatred and rage
    • Into a real family- who were ready to lay down their lives for their brother’s sake
• Happily- the brothers HAD changed
  • What happened with Joseph would NOT happen to Benjamin
  • They were ready to live- and die- as a family

Genesis 44:13-15

• In the ancient world finding things out by divination generally meant you were involved in the occult
  • One method of divination involved putting a drop of lead in a cup of water- and swirling it around
  • This would cause the lead to take on different shapes and patterns
    • The divinists claimed they could look at these patterns- interpret them
    • And predict what was gonna happen in the future
• Tragically- this kind of paganism hasn’t gone away.
  • If you don’t believe it- why...
    • Are horoscopes are printed in morning newspapers across America?
    • Aren’t you able to turn on cable television without seeing commercials for a "Psychic Hotline"?
    C) If you don’t believe it- why...
    • Do people claim to believe in the so-called "mystical" power of crystals and pyramids?
    • Do people practice witchcraft and call it a religion?
• Folks- if you’d ever done these kinds of things- let me tell ya something:
  • What you’ve done is wrong- it’s evil- the Bible explicitly forbids it
  • In other words: If you read horoscopes or consult psychics you’re sinning against God- PERIOD!
• Now in this case Joseph wasn’t talking about the occult when you he told his brothers: Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination
  • As a man of God...
    • He didn’t practice such nonsense
    • He understood that any power he had to interpret dreams- or predict the future- or judge the present was a gift of God
  • In Genesis 41:15 he’d told the Pharaoh: I can’t interpret your dream but God will give you the answer you desire
• So understand what Joseph was REALLY saying when he told his brothers a man like me can find things out by divination
  • I know- for a FACT- you are GUILTY!
  • You stole my life from me! You sold me into slavery and robbed me of EVERYTHING I held dear!

Genesis 44:16

• You know- Judah spoke these words- but I’m sure all the brothers were nodding their heads in agreement
  • We admit it. We’re guilty as charged
  • We’re finally ready to face the consequences of our sin
• If you want to have peace with God- if you want to be unburdened of the feelings of guilt you’ve been carrying around
• This is the only way to do it
• God- I’m guilty as charged. I stand before You today as a helpless and hopeless sinner.

Genesis 44:17

• With these words- Joseph has expressed a profound spiritual truth
  • On Judgment Day every sinner will have to stand on his or her own two feet before God
  • See-
    • God’s not gonna hold you accountable for what someone else said or did
    • And you won’t be able to depend on the holiness or righteous of another person to get you into heaven
  • When you stand before God- you’ll face a judgment based on what YOU did with Jesus in this life
• Turn with me to John 3:16-18
• Any questions?

Genesis 44:18-34

• With this speech Judah...
  • Hadn’t said anything Joseph didn’t already know
  • BUT- he’d told him something Joseph had been waiting to hear for a LONG time
    • We’ve done wrong in the past- but we’ve changed! I admit it- hatred drove me to turn my back on my brother
    • But now I love...
      • My father too much to bring him any more grief or pain
      • My little brother so much I’m ready to give up my life to spare his
• Last week we talked about how Judah was an Old Testament type of Christ
  • Which doesn’t mean Judah did all the things Jesus did
  • What it means is that Judah did certain things that foreshadowed what Jesus ultimately did for you and me
• Here in Genesis Judah/ In the New Testament Jesus...
  • Stood condemned before Joseph and offered to give his life for his brother
  • Allowed Himself to stand condemned by God- be nailed to a Cross- pour out His blood- so that you and I could be saved
• Listen to what the Bible says about Jesus' experience at CalvaryJohn 19:17-30
• And it WAS finished
  • Everything that needed to be done- had been done
  • By the acutely dynamic act of taking your place on the Cross- Jesus literally snatched you from the jaws of death
• Let us pray

February 19, 2006 - God Has Given You Treasure

God Has Given You Treasure

By: Rev. Steve Bass

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Scripture Meditation: Genesis 43:1-34

Key points to find:

• What the bible would say to Christians who always insist on their own way
• An easy way to remember what God's grace means
• How to determine if feelings of guilt are legitimate or false
• How "typology" can help you understand the Old Testament
• Why God's faithfulness is what ultimately matters
• How faith should govern all aspects of your life
• Why Joseph was determined to follow his plan to conclusion

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

• I’ve recently discovered that when you have gallbladder problems there’s not much you can eat
  • For the two weeks prior to my surgery I lived on soup, oatmeal, Cheerios & vanilla pudding... ESPECIALLY vanilla pudding
  • During that time- I think I averaged eating 7-8 pudding cups a day
• You know what I learned about eating that much vanilla pudding?
  • It expands the spare tire around your waist
  • To the point where Steve Bass GOTS to go on a diet
• The reason that happens is genetic
  • Medical science tells us that our bodies are biologically wired to store lots of fat during times of plenty
  • To serve as a layer of protection against the ravages of hunger, famine and drought
• Which is..
  • A TERRIBLE thing for a middle-aged man who ate a hundred cups of vanilla pudding in two weeks
  • But it provided a means of survival for Jacob and his family during a time of hunger and starvation

Genesis 43:1-2

• Now remember- Joseph had told his brothers he would sell them no more grain- and Simeon would be imprisoned= until they returned to Egypt with Benjamin
  • Genesis 42:18-20
  • When the brothers told Jacob what had to be done to buy more food and secure Simeon’s safety
    • Jacob refused: Genesis 42:38
    • In other words: Jacob had made a cold-blooded decision:I’ll sacrifice Simeon to protect Benjamin- the one I really love
• A lot of Christians are a LOT like Jacob
  • They childishly insist that everything in the church has to go exactly the way THEY think it should go
  • And when inevitably doesn’t happen they respond by:
    • Pouting
    • Or getting angry
    • Or start looking for a new church
• The Bible has something to say to those folks: GROW UP!
  • Listen to what it says in Romans 13:10-13
  • Look- everything isn’t going to go your way every time- it sure doesn’t go my way all the time
    • And I’ve learned to count that as a GOOD thing!
    • Because it means God is at work in my life- molding and making me into a more mature, godly person

Genesis 43:3-5

• Now all Judah has done is remind Jacob of what he already knew.Namely-
  • Whether you like it or not-
  • Benjamin HAS to come with us

Genesis 43:6

• You know, this is a stupid comment by a petulant, selfish old man
  • Jacob’s sons were directly responsible for what they’d done to Joseph
  • But in this case they hadn’t done anything wrong
• Jacob’s comment reflects an ugly reality in his life
  • He’d:
    • ALWAYS been a self-centered person
    • He was CONSTANTLY scheming to deprive others of that which was rightfully theirs
  • That’s what makes Malachi 1:2 such a remark-able passage of Scripture.
• The question is: Why did a holy and righteous God choose to love a mean-spirited con artist like Jacob?
  • See here was a man who’d NEVER done anything to merit God’s blessing in his life
  • As yet the Bible says God decided to love Jacob while he was still in his mother’s womb
• Folks- this is what GRACE is all about. It’s about-
  • God’s unmerited, undeserved, unlimited love
  • The love He’s poured out in your life if you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord
    • YOU didn’t have anything to do with it
    • In love- God made a decision to pour out His grace and mercy in your life
• Someone once made an acrostic of the word grace. Grace is.
  • God’s
  • Riches
  • At
  • Christ’s
  • ExpenseG-R-A-C-E
• And grace is all- and EVERYTHING- you need!

Genesis 43:7

• One of the on-going themes in the story of Joseph and his brothers is guilt
  • His brothers felt a sense of guilt for what they’d done in selling Joseph into slavery
  • But in this particular situation- they had nothing to feel guilty about
• What this points out is that there is a difference between genuine guilt and false guilt. Let me explain:
  • Genuine guilt happens when you’ve actually done something wrong- when you’ve sinned against God
    • The Holy Spirit gives you those feelings to convict you of the sin you’ve committed
    • So that- in turn- He can lovingly repair and restore your relationship with God
  • In contrast- false guilt happens when you feel guilty- even when you’ve done nothing wrong
    • This kind of guilt is not from God. False guilt comes from Satan
    • Whose goal is to...
      • Make you feel miserable & ashamed-
      • Destroy the intimacy of your relationship with God
• Now if you’re going to enjoy spiritual health and well-being-
  • You’ve got to be able to distinguish between genuine and false guilt.
  • Here’s a simple test you can use:
    • If your feelings of guilt are causing you to seek God for His forgiveness and reconciliation- it’s true
    • If they’re driving you away from God in shame and fear- it’s false guilt and you should reject it
• ..Just like Jacob’s sons rejected the false guilt he was trying to heap on them

Genesis 43:8-10

• Judah was the youngest of the four sons born to Leah
  • Ordinarily this would’ve meant Judah wouldn’t have much power or influence in his family
  • But that wasn’t true in this case
    • Genesis makes it clear Judah was the undisputed leader among his brothers
    • His word had a weight and importance that exceeded all his other brothers combined
• If you remember- Reuben had made a similar promise to Jacob in the past
  • In Genesis 42:37 he told his father:"You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back."
  • To be perfectly honest:
    • Jacob didn’t trust Reuben-
    • He wasn’t about to let Benjamin go to Egypt under those circumstances
• But when Judah made a promise it was a different. He knew:
  • His other sons listened to Judah
  • He could TRUST Judah
  • That Judah was a man of honesty and integrity
• Over time Judah’s family became the most important of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
  • David- the most important king Israel ever had- was a member of the Tribe of Judah
  • Who else who traced His lineage to Judah?
    • Jesus
    • He too was a member of the tribe of Judah
• With all this in mind- let me talk about an important way to understand the Old Testament
  • It’s called "typology" - which is a form of Biblical interpretation that looks at the symbolism in the Old Testament
  • Typology looks-
    • For a person, an event or a thing found in the Old Testament
    • That foreshadows a person, an event or a thing found in the New Testament
• Let me show you an example of what I’m talking about.Turn to Hebrews 9:8-12
• The Holy of Holies was the most sacred part of the Tabernacle and later the Temple.
  • It was the place where the blood of innocent lambs was shed to atone for the sins of the children of Israel
  • Here in Hebrews the Bible says the Old Testament Holy of Holies was a foreshadow of what happened when Jesus sacrificed His life on the Cross of Calvary
    • Jesus- the perfect Lamb of God- shed His own blood
    • To atone for the sins we’ve committed
• In Genesis 43 & 44 Judah is shown to be a type of Christ. For instance:
  • In Genesis 43
    • Judah gives Jacob his guarantee that he’ll protect and care for his brother
    • In the New Testament- Jesus came as the Good Shepherd- the One who protects and cares of the people of God
  • In Genesis 44
    • Judah offered himself as a substitute for Benjamin
    • At the Cross Jesus offered Himself as a sacrificial substitute for your sin
• Ultimately- typology is important shows that God’s work of redemption didn’t begin when Jesus was born in Bethlehem
  • It was FULFILLED in the coming of Christ
  • But God had been at work throughout history- redeeming and preparing a people for Himself

Genesis 43:11-12

• Like I said earlier- Jacob was a con man. He was always looking..
  • For an angle- a scheme
  • For a way to ingratiate himself to others
• Still- this is a RIDICULOUS suggestion
  • There was NOTHING Jacob and his sons could offer to Joseph, the second most powerful man in the richest country in the world, that he didn’t already have
  • Except for one thing- a reunion with his brother Benjamin

Genesis 43:13-14

• I want you to notice something odd about what Jacob said
  • On the one hand- He’s boldly asking God to protect his sons
  • And yet there’s this sense of fatalism and doubt that seems to contradict his faith: "As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved."
• How many of you know what the Word of Faith movement is? Word of Faith doctrine says that-
  • If you ask God for something and really- REALLY - believe- without any doubt whatsoever
  • God is obligated to do whatever you’ve asked Him to do- whether that means:
    • Healing you of some fatal disease
    • Or helping you win the lottery
    • Or providing you with a brand-new, luxury automobile
• Jacob’s comment in Genesis 43:14 proves the Word of Faith movement is a sham
  • Jacob’s lack of faith IN God didn’t AFFECT God in the least
  • God’s plan was to save ALL of Jacob’s family- and that’s exactly what He did
• This also points out an important truth about being saved by faith
  • Placing your faith in Christ is the way you receive God’s gift of salvation
  • But what KEEPS you saved is..
    • Not the quality- or consistency- of YOUR faith to God
    • GOD’S faithfulness to the promises He’s made to you
  • Read what it says in Romans 3:3-4

Genesis 43:15-18

• Joseph’s brothers were clueless
  • They just didn’t get it
  • An invitation to dine with the Pharaoh’s prime minister- in his home
    • Wasn’t something to be feared
    • It was an incredible privilege accorded to very few people

Genesis 43:19-22

• Give the brothers credit-
  • Here they were being scrupulously honest
  • ...Unlike some Christians today
• Let’s say you go to lunch and order an $8.00 entrée
  • When the bill comes and you notice the server has mistakenly charged you $9.00
    • What would you do?
    • You’d point out the mistake- right? Ah miss- you ah.. you charged me too much for my meal
  • But let’s say the bill comes and you notice the server has mistakenly charged you..$7.00
    • What would you do then? A lot of Christians would say: Hey- their mistake. It’s about time I got a break. My gain- their loss
    • But here’s the thing: What would Jesus do?
      • I GAY-RON-TEE He’d point out the mistake!
      • He’d say: Miss- I’m afraid you undercharged me. My dinner was $8.00- not $7.00
• Here’s the thing:
  • Being a Christian means more than showing up at 10:30 on Sunday morning for worship
  • Being a Christian means your faith influences EVERYTHING you do:
    • 24 hours a day
    • 7 days a week
    • 52 weeks of the year
• Doing anything less than glorifying Jesus by the way you live your life is a disgrace to the name of Jesus!

Genesis 43:23

• Joseph’s servant has spoken a greater truth than he could have possibly known:
  • The brothers had nothing to fear
  • God was in CONTROL!
• He was at work in history determining events and circumstance for the benefit of His people
  • By the way- just in case you don’t realize it
  • He’s still doing the same thing today!
• Remember what we say about seeing miracles?
  • If you haven’t seen any miracles lately
  • It’s because YOU haven’t been praying and looking for the evidence of God’s handiwork!

Genesis 43:24-30

• Seeing Benjamin must have been an incredibly difficult ordeal for Joseph
  • This was his baby brother.
  • He hadn’t seen him in a long, LONG time!
• Joseph must have felt like ending his plan right there and then
  • More than anything he wanted to reveal himself to his brothers
  • To be reconciled with each of them- and to look forward to a reunion with his father
• But he still needed to be sure his brothers had changed
  • From men consumed by jealousy, hatred and rage
  • Into a family that genuinely loved and cared for one another
• And so Joseph composed himself- and continued to execute the plan God had given him
  • Just a comment:
    • God has a plan for Sunset Road Baptist Church -
    • He’s working it out everyday
  • I’ll grant you: Sometimes it hard to see where God’s taking us
• But let’s not give up on God- or try to sell His plan short
  • Trust me- if we remain faithful to God
  • He’s going to do GREAT things in our church!

Genesis 43:31-32

• In this case- the word detestable refers to a matter of religious purity
  • Because Joseph’s brothers didn’t worship Egypt’s pagan gods
  • If the Egyptians have eaten at the same table- they would be hindered religiously unclean

Genesis 43:33-34

• This wasn’t a matter of Joseph favoring one brother against the others
  • This was a part of the master plan
  • Joseph wanted to see if his brothers
    • Who’d been so jealous of him they’d sold him into slavery
    • Would become jealous of Benjamin- if he too was given special honors and privileges
• Of course- what the brothers didn’t know was that Joseph was pouring out his mercy and grace on all of them
  • Just like God pours out His mercy and grace of all of us
    • Even though we didn’t deserve it
    • Especially because we didn’t deserve it
  • Read what the Bible says in Titus 3:3-7
• Let us pray

February 12, 2006 - When Brothers Meet

By: Rev. Steve Bass

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Scripture Meditation: Genesis 42

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

• Pam and I have never had any trouble making the BIG decisions in life
  • We made an offer on our house after seeing it once- for less than thirty minutes
  • Before we were married it took us less than ten minutes to pick-out our china pattern
    • We walked around the display cases with-out comment
    • When we finished we each pointed at the one we liked best
      • Since it was the same one- the deed was done
      • No fuss. No bother. No time wasted
• However- in trying to sell our house we’ve learned most folks don’t make decisions that fast
  • We’ve had people come back a second or third time- tell their agent they loved the house
  • But they can’t make up their minds: We’re still interested- but we need to think about it a little longer
• ...NO! You don’t! Just make a decision
  • It’s a great house- in a great neighborhood- at a great price
  • It SHOULD be a no-brainer
• Just like it should have been a no-brainer for the sons of Jacob.

Genesis 42:1-2

• The brother’s inability to make a decision was a reflection of the tension and conflict that had always existed in Jacob’s family
  • This was not The Brady Bunch
  • This group was more like The Sopranos
• Four women had given birth to Jacob’s children
  • Leah was the first-
    • She was the unwanted wife.
    • The one Jacob was tricked into marrying
  • Two of the women were concubines-
    • Pawns in the struggle between Leah and Rachel
    • No sense of love or affection there
  • And finally there was Rachel.
    • The only one Jacob ever loved
    • The only one he ever wanted to be with
• THAT’S dysfunctional
  • There was so much jealously and mistrust in Jacob’s family
  • They couldn’t even agree to buy food when their families were on the brink of starvation
• Some churches are like Jacob’s family
  • No one trusts any one to make recommendations- offer suggestions- or make a decision
  • Eventually these kinds of churches begin to die
    • And nobody can do a thing about it
    • Because they’re paralyzed with indecision
• That’s why I’m so pleased with the decision we reached earlier this morning
  • Refinancing a debt of that size is a monumental decision for a church to make
  • It would have been impossible for everyone to crunch the numbers- do the paperwork- and conduct the negotiations necessary to make this thing work
    • You placed your trust in the members of the Church Council and Finance ministry team
    • And they were able to produce a plan which will benefit our church for years to come
  • I’m telling you:
    • When churches have this level of trust and cooperation-
    • Good things happen!
• Fortunately for Joseph’s train-wreck of a family-
  • Somebody- namely Jacob- decided to do something
  • Essentially he told his sons: This is ridiculous- you’re going to discuss this thing to death. It’s time to do something to save yourselves- and your families.

Genesis 42:3-4

• Jacob never tried to disguise the fact that of all his children-
  • Joseph and Benjamin were his favorites
  • Which- at best- made the other children second class citizens in the family
• Now the reason Jacob refused to let Benjamin go was the grave danger of travel in those days
  • There was a good chance the brothers would never make it back
  • And trust me- the brothers understood Jacob’s reasoning perfectly:Benjamin stays with me because I love him. The rest of you are expendable.
• How many of you have more than one child?
  • If I asked: Which child do you love the most?
  • You’d probably say: That’s a crazy question! I love my children equally
• The question is: Do your CHILDREN know it?
  • Don’t assume the answer is Yes
  • Children are EXTREMELY sensitive to subtle clues that may suggest you favor one over the other
• That’s why it’s so important to be careful about the things you say and do around your children
  • Ephesians 6:4 says: Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
  • The word exasperate means to cause confusion, frustration, uncertainty or anger
• Folks- a child should NEVER be confused- frustrated- or uncertain about your love
  • They should KNOW- beyond a shadow of a doubt- that you love them completely- totally- unconditionally
  • If you haven’t told them lately- make sure you do it today- and every day

Genesis 42:5

• I want you to notice something about this verse that makes it different from the rest of Genesis 42
  • Here Jacob is called Israel- the name he was given after he spent the night wrestling with an angel
  • Anybody know what Israel means? He who struggles with God
• Folks- this is an important insight into what it means to have a genuine faith in God
  • It means that-
    • If you are a person of faith
    • You’re engaged in a struggle with God
  • A struggle to understand who He is- and what He’s doing in the world
• A lot of Christians are afraid to admit THEY have a struggle with God. They-
  • Try to suppress the questions and concerns they have about God and His Word
  • Blindly accept every belief or doctrine they’ve been taught
  • Try to avoid the doubts they may have about a God you can’t see- you can’t hear- and you can’t touch
  • Deny that grief and sorrow has made them question God’s love and presence in their life
  • Refuse to admit that sometimes scientific explanations make more sense than the Bible
• That’s why it called FAITH
  • Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
  • The only way to obtain that level of confident expectation is to recognize, accept and grow through the struggle
• Let me tell you what to do the next time you’re struggling with God
  • Take all your questions, concerns and doubts ABOUT God TO God
  • Be honest with Him-
    • Tell Him you’re struggling to understand and grow- that you need some comfort and assurance
    • And I promise you:
      • He will listen-
      • And He will provide
• Take it from someone who’s had a lot of struggles with God over the years

Genesis 42:6

• This was the fulfillment of the dream had Joseph shared with his family as a teenager
  • The dream that so infuriated his brothers they sold him into slavery
  • Genesis 37:6-7

Genesis 42:7-8

• It shouldn’t be surprising that Joseph would recognize his brothers- and they wouldn’t recognize him
  • 23 years had past since they had seen him
    • He had gone from being a naïve teenager
    • To a mature 40 year old man
  • What’s more-
    • Even if they thought Joseph was still alive
    • There’s no way they could’ve imagined what he’d become- the second most powerful man in Egypt

Genesis 42:9-17

• At first glance it looks like Joseph is trying to exact revenge on his brothers
  • But revenge was the last thing on his mind- he had already decided to forgive his brothers
  • BUT he wanted to test them
    • He wanted to see if his family had changed from being a caldron of hatred, jealousy and chaos
    • Into a family that loved, cared for and trusted one another
  • With that in mind- let me make a few points about how families can practice forgiveness
• One- you don’t have to forget in order to forgive
  • There’s no way Joseph could ever forget the things his brothers had done to him
  • But with God’s help he could- and did- forgive them of their sins against him
• Two- Practicing forgiveness and re-establishing trust are two different things
  • Offering forgiveness is the responsibility of the person who’s been hurt
  • Reestablishing trust is the responsibility of the one who’s been forgiven
• Let’s say a husband has been unfaithful to his wife
  • He may be genuinely convicted of his sin and plead for forgiveness
  • She may choose to forgive- and love- him in spite of the pain she’s experienced
  • But then HE must prove he is worthy of her trust
• Some of you may be thinking: Wait a minute Steve! It sounds like you’re putting conditions on something that’s supposed to be unconditional
  • No- I’m teaching you an important Biblical truth
  • Turn with me to John 21:15-19
• Jesus isn’t trying to punish Peter for denying him
  • He’d already forgiven Peter of that failure
  • What Jesus is doing is asking Peter: Can I trust you?
    • Are you in this for the long haul?
    • Do you REALLY love me?

Genesis 42:18-22

• Reuben’s assumption was that God was punishing the brothers for what they’d done
  • THEY’D...
    • Been responsible for the loss of one brother
    • Would take one of them in return
  • It was an eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth kind of justice

Genesis 42:23-24

• Joseph’s tears show where his heart was
  • He didn’t want to destroy his brothers- he wanted to save them- and the rest of their family
  • In other words:
    • Joseph wasn’t giving them what they deserved
    • He was going to provide what they needed
• We call this grace... AMAZING grace. And it’s a perfect picture of what God has done for you and me
  • Your sin merits the death penalty- eternal separation from God in a place prepared for Satan and his demons
  • But His grace- activated by the blood Jesus shed on the Cross- offers you:
    • Forgiveness of ALL your sins: Past, present and future
    • Adoption into His family- and the right to be called a child of God
    • And the assurance of eternal life in the name of Jesus
• I want you to keep Don & Betsy Creech in your prayers
  • The Creeches are planning to adopt a baby from Russia- they’re waiting for the phone call any day now
  • Their baby will be a living picture of grace
    • Born into absolute poverty- facing a life of despair in Russia (Many of these girls are forced into prostitution when they are 13-15 years old)
    • She will be one of the blessed ones
      • These North Americans will come take her out of the orphanage and bring her home with them
        • 1) They will parent her with love
        • They will be committed to protecting and providing for her every need
      • And most importantly- they will rear her in nurture and instruction of the Lord
• This is what Joseph was doing for his brothers- although they had no way of knowing that at the time

Genesis 42:24-36

• Notice what Jacob tells his sons: YOU have deprived me of my children
  • This was the first time Jacob had expressed what he REALLY thought about Joseph’s disappearance
  • For 23 years he had believed his sons were responsible for Joseph’s death
    • He could never prove it- so he never mentioned it
    • But some how- in the back of his mind- he KNEW it

Genesis 42:37

• Reuben’s offer seems shocking- and ridiculous
  • Jacob wasn’t going to kill two of his grand-children under any circumstances
  • But the offer shows how far Reuben and his brothers had come
    • Jealousy had driven them to sell Joseph into slavery
    • Now Reuben was willing to sacrifice what he treasured most for the sake of his family
• Which is what God did for you
  • He sacrificed the life of His Son- Jesus
  • So that He could pour out His love in your life
• It doesn’t make any sense-
  • It doesn’t have to
  • It’s just the way it is
• Read what the Bible says (Romans 5:6-11)
• Invitation and prayer

February 5, 2006 - A Man of Sin and a Man of God

• A Man of Sin and a Man of God

By: Rev. Steve Bass

Sunday, February 5, 2006

Scripture Meditation: Genesis 41:41-57

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

• Every time I drive down Sugar Creek Road I find myself singing the theme from the Beverly Hillbillies "Come and listen to a story ‘bout a man named Jed"
  • How many of you have seen that mansion on Sugar Creek Road? Show of hands
    • Looks like the Clampett’s place- doesn’t it?
    • I’ll bet they got a SEE-ment pond in the back
  • It’s located about 2-2.5 miles off Harris Blvd. on Sugar Creek
    • It’ll be the one with the golden lions and the huge entrance gate
    • Trust me- you can’t miss it!
• Now as I understand it-
  • The mansion was built to give the bishop of the United House of Prayer a place to stay when he’s in Charlotte
  • Those UHPers- they sure know how to treat a preacher RIGHT!
• Actually it offends me that a servant of the Lord would expect to live like some sort of king
  • He might as well be someone like....
  • Joseph- who was able to enjoy all the wealth and luxury of ancient Egypt
• Turn with me to Genesis 41:41-57 and we’ll begin with the 41st verse
• One of the amazing things about studying the Bible is that there’s always something new to learn
  • You may have studied a particular passage of Scripture 99 times
  • But when you read it for the 100th time- you’ll discover something new.
  • That’s what happened to me this week
• One of the commentaries pointed out the curious parallels that exist in the stories of Adam and Joseph
  • There are at least four
  • And they reveal something important about the kind of man Joseph was

THE BLESSING OF A NAME

• The first of these parallels involve the names Adam and Joseph were given
• God was the One who gave Adam his name
  • The Hebrew word a-dam literally means man
  • By naming him Adam God is telling us something important about our place in Creation.
    • Even though we as human beings are made in God’s image
    • At the end of the day we’re still creatures made by a loving and merciful God
• Now this might be a good time to talk about what it means to be made in God’s image
• Some people claim we were made to look like God
  • Folks- God is a SPIRITUAL being-
    • He doesn’t have a physical body like our physical body
    • In fact- it’s Biblically accurate to say God is pure Spirit
  • But what about those passages of Scripture where it talks about the hand of God or the face of God?
    • That’s a case of the Bible-
      • Using images we can understand
      • To describe God’s holiness and divinity- which we can’t understand
    • By the way- if you want to impress your friends the technical term for this is anthropomorphizing
• Other people argue that the image of God means we have a soul- and animals don’t
  • Well- here’s the thing:
    • The idea that you have a physical body separate from an immortal soul- is not Biblical
    • That’s a pagan idea
  • To be Biblically correct you...
    • Can’t say I have a soul
    • Have to say I AM a soul
• Or more accurately I am a nepesh- a Hebrew word the Bible uses to describe who we are
  • It means the whole person
    • Your physical body- your soul- your mind
    • Your EVERYTHING
  • Has been wonderfully bound together by God to make the YOU- the unique person you are.
• Read 1 Corinthians 15:35-44
  • Paul’s point is that when you get to heaven you’re not going to be like a ghost floating around in the clouds
  • You’re-
    • A nephesh- a whole person here on Earth
    • And you’ll be a nephesh- a whole person when you get to heaven
• So- what DOES the Bible mean when it talks about people beings being created in the image of God? Simply this:
  • You were created with a capacity for having a personal, spiritual relationship with God
  • No other creature has this ability- it’s what made humankind God’s crowning act of Creation
• So what’s all this got to do with Adam’s name?
  • It means God loves you- He wants to have a personal, trust relationship with YOU!
  • BUT- as a human being you have to accept one fundamental truth:
    • God is God
    • And you’re not!
• Which is where Adam made his mistake
  • He rejected a personal relationship with God
  • Essentially- he told God:
    • I don’t WANT You to rule in my life. I REJECT Your authority over me
    • God- just leave me ALONE!
• Joseph was also given a name.
  • Pharaoh named him Zaphenath-Paneah
  • It literally means God speaks and he hears
• In other words: Joseph never forgot that he was created in the image of God
  • He treasured the personal, trust relationship he had with God
  • He-
    • Freely and openly accepted the Heavenly Father’s authority in his life
    • Trusted God to love and protect him at all times- and in all places
    • Was always attentive to the sound of God’s voice- and that made Joseph the man he was

THE SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE

• The second of these parallels involve the source of Adam and Joseph’s knowledge
• Adam and Eve were in a state of innocence when they were created.
  • Which means that didn’t have a moral compass that helped them to know wrong from right
  • The truth is- God never intended for human beings to wrestle with those kinds of questions
    • God’s intent was for us to trust and obey Him-
    • And be obedient to His commands for our life
• And that’s were Satan went to work. Read Genesis 3:1-7
• Folks-
  • Don’t get hung up on the kind of fruit Adam & Eve ate
    • Seriously- some people will argue over whether the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was an apple, a plum or a pear
    • Which means they’ve got no clue about what the Bible is trying to say
  • The problem had...
    • Nothing to do with the fruit
    • The rebellious hearts that caused our ancestors to want the fruit in the first place
• Here’s the thing: Adam and Eve’s desire was to be like God
  • We want to know what only God knows
  • Then we can live our lives apart from God.
    • We’ll be able to go our own way and do our own thing.
    • We won’t need to depend on God anymore!
• Contrast this attitude with Joseph. Here was a man who recognized his complete dependence on God in EVERYTHING
  • Joseph had grown up as a slave in a foreign land that worshiped pagan gods
    • There was no one around to teach and encourage him about faith in the One true and living God
    • It would’ve been easy for him to give up on God- because it seemed God had given up on him
  • But that’s not what Joseph did
    • Instead- he ALWAYS trusted and obeyed his Heavenly Father
    • Folks- that’s the kind of faith God honors and rewards

THE STEWARDSHIP OF RESPONSIBILITY

• The third parallel between Adam and Joseph involves the stewardship of the responsibilities they’d been given
• Adam had been appointed by God to be the caretaker of Creation
  • Read what it says in Genesis 2:15
• The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
• But Adam didn’t obey God
  • Instead he choose to disobey God and sin
  • As a result-
    • God punished Adam-
    • And ultimately all creation
• Read what it says in Genesis 3:17-19
• Again- the contrast between Adam and Joseph is stark
  • Pharaoh had appointed Joseph to be the absolute ruler of Egypt
  • Notice what Pharaoh says in the 44th verse:
    • ..without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.
    • To put it in modern terms Pharaoh had made Joseph a dictator
• They say power corrupts- and absolute power corrupts absolutely
  • Joseph NEVER abused- or misused- his power
  • Instead,
    • He remained faithfully obedient to God-
    • And God blessed everything he did

THE SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY

• A third parallel between Adam and Joseph involves the symbols of their authority
  • Adam’s symbol of authority was the fact he’d been created in "the image of God"
    • No other creature in the Garden had received this special gift
    • It showed that God had been given Adam the authority to exercise dominion over all Creation
  • To symbolize his authority Joseph dressed in royal clothing- and wore the Pharaoh’s signet ring
    • Anyone who saw Joseph knew he should be treated with deference and respect
    • He was the personal representative of the Pharaoh- the most powerful man on Earth
• Now here’s what you need to understand
  • Neither man had power and authority in- and of- themselves
    • Adam was literally just one man
    • Joseph was an imprisoned slave- a complete nobody
  • The authority they possessed was the result of a unique relationship with a higher power
    • In Adam’s case- with God
    • In Joseph’s case- with Pharaoh
• It’s a lot like God’s gift of salvation. Your salvation-
  • Isn’t based on anything YOU’VE done
  • Is based on the relationship-
    • You have with God the Father
    • A relationship established and sanctified by the blood Jesus shed on the Cross!
• So how did Adam and Joseph handle their responsibilities?
  • Adam failed God by choosing to sin
    • God had given him the responsibility of caring for the Garden of Eden
    • But after he sinned- God had to drive Adam OUT of the Garden
  • On the other hand Joseph never failed Pharaoh
    • He was so successful Egypt was able to weather the crisis of a seven year famine
    • All while dramatically increasing Pharaoh’s wealth and prestige

THE GIFT OF A WIFE

• A final parallel between Adam and Joseph involves their wives
  • God provided a wife for Adam when He created Eve
  • Pharaoh provided a wife for Joseph when he became Egypt’s absolute ruler
• The Bible makes it clear that having a good wife (or husband) is a genuine blessing from God
  • Read what it says in Proverbs 31:10
  • A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies
• Again- it’s interesting to contrast what happened with Adam and Joseph’s wives
  • Eve helped Adam sin against God (not that he needed much help)
  • Joseph’s pagan wife-
    • Comforted him- accepted Joseph’s faith in the One true and living God
    • AND gave him sons who became the founders of two of the twelve tribes of Israel- Ephraim and Mannaseh

CONCLUSION

• Now at this point you might be thinking: O-K Steve, so there are parallels between Adam and Joseph. But what does it mean TO ME?
  • It means Joseph was the kind of man Adam was supposed to be.
  • A man...
    • Of faith
    • Of integrity
    • Of godly character
    • In whom the Holy Spirit resided
• Now this doesn’t mean that Joseph was perfect
  • With one exception- namely Jesus- the Bible says ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God
  • BUT- Joseph WAS a man who sincerely loved the Lord with all his heart, and with all his mind, and with all his spirit.
• Ask four people to come on stage
  • Put one on far right part of stage- Sin
  • Put one near sin- Adam
  • Put one on far left side of stage- God
  • Put one near God- Joseph
• Now let me ask you something: In your relationship with God- are you...
  • Over here close to Adam?
  • Or over here close to Jesus- like Joseph?
• I don’t know about you- but I couldn’t put myself in just one place
  • Sometimes I’m over here-
    • Living for God
    • Trusting Jesus
    • Fully submitted to the Holy Spirit
  • And sometimes I’m over here-
    • Living for me
    • Forgetting about Jesus
    • Resistant to the leadership of the Spirit
• But you know what I’ve found?
  • I’m a lot happier over here (beside Jesus)
  • Than I am over there
• When I’m-
  • Zeroed in on Jesus- my life is filled with peace and joy and love and acceptance and satisfaction
  • Locked into sin- I’m miserable. I feel lonely, insecure, rejected and stained.
• Does any of this sound familiar?
  • Folks- why are we SO STUPID?
  • If you know you’re happier living a Joseph-life than you are when you’re living an Adam-life- WHY DO WE KEEP LIVING AN ADAM-LIFE?
• Read Psalm 51:1-12
• If you’re ready to have God restore the joy of your salvation
  • Stop living an Adam-life
  • Join Joseph near to the heart of God
• Let us pray