Intro: We saw
in our study last time Where Joseph was reunited w/ his brothers / After their
confession / Revealed Himself
A) I am JOSEPH -
blown away - ( Picture Hosea
5:15 ) When Jesus is
going
to return –
B) Afterwards Joseph sent them home full of Carts
& Provision – go get
your
families & go get Dad – Bring them back/ CH. 46: 1
A) Although he wants to see
Joseph more than anything else in the
World – But he wants to make sure he is in the
be in will of God /
1) Spent enough of His life
outside it
a) He doesn’t want to take another step w/ out knowing that God is for sure in this that God is for sure Leading So SEEKS CONFIRMATION
A) Jacob stops at Beersheba because He wants to be sure / He KNOWS that APPEARANCES can be DECIEVING !!!!
1) There are times when something can look so Good – so RIGHT / but appearances can be DECIEVING / Good to get confirmation
C) Heard a Story about a BOSS at a SEMI LARGE CO. / who walked down into his warehouse – sees a young man leaning against a Crate – tapping his foot & Whistling - He is angered by the Laziness of this employee
Yells at him / What do you get paid a Week ? 200 dollars / Boss
pulls it out gives him $200 dollars cash & says get out of here You’re fired
Afterwards the boss goes up to his foreman’s office &
Demands to Know Why he hired such a lazy – young man ……CRATE WHISTLING ?/ I paid him $200 dollars for the week &
told him to take a walk
Foreman Responds – Sir I
didn’t hire him / he didn’t work for us at all – he was just DELIEVERING THAT
CRATE
LOOKS CAN BE DECIEVING !!! Things not always what they seem -
OPEN DOORS ? SATAN CAN OPEN DOORS !!!!
A) Important to seek confirmation – How ? Watch what Jacob does/ v.1-4
B) First He stops to WORSHIP - stops to seek God’s face / offered sacrifices /BUILT AN ALTAR
C) FINDS QUIET PLACE / QUIET TIME / QUIET HEART – where He can Hear God’s Voice
1) Peter in JOPPA Acts 9 Up on the roof top at LUNCH TIME / but he gets away from it all to pray.
A) Finding
time to get away – seek the Lord’s face / in a place where you can hear &
not be distracted !!!!
I pray in my car / riding my bike / in my house / at church – but I
don’t always HEAR !!!!!
A) But when I take the time to get away – Park / down at the Beach / up in the hills / God always speaks clearly
B) Some people wonder how come the Lord never speaks – problem is they never listen – Prayer is a two way conversation
ROMANS
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ( THERE IS WORSHIP
PRAYER – DAILY GIVING TO THE LORD AS A LIVING SACRIFICE )
2
And do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
NOTE THAT GOD’S WILL IS GOOD / PERFECT / ACCEPTABLE
A)
So often we have the idea – If I seek the Lord He is going to send me to Africa – bugs snakes
B) If he does that you are going to have a love for bugs & snakes
How does God speak ? He speaks to our Hearts / Elijah – Still small voice – He can speak through
others / SPEAKS THRU HIS WORD
A) I think this is major key – always seek confirmation in the word
B) Ask the Lord to speak to you in your normal – DEVOTIONS -
1) Sometimes at a study
A) REMEMBER – GOD KNOWS THE # OF HAIRS ON YOUR HEAD / HE IS INTERESTED IN EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIVES
1)
He wants to give you CONFIRMATION – if you will take the time to
listen
A) What if I don’t hear anything ? Then wait –
until you do
1) God will always answer YES/ NO / WAIT
Now The Lord gives
Jacob the green light – and a Prophecy
for the future /
"I am God,
the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you
a great nation there.
4
"I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his
hand on your eyes."
A) 1st I am God – so important to see Him & not us / He is w/ us so
there is no need to fear
B) God of your Fathers – Reminder of Past
Promises & Faithfulness
C) 2PROMISES : I will make you a great nation / Which he does 66 people go down w/ Jacob – grows 2 to 3 million –
400 yrs
D) 2ND PROMISE – I will bring you out again !!!!
E) He was perhaps concerned about this journey into Egypt – How can this be God’s will – How long will it Be ?
F)
God assures Him / I will bring you out again !!!! ( MOSES )
v. 5-7
JACOB AROSE -
A) V. 8-25 list of Jacobs sons & their families that went down up to Egypt
W/ Jacob / Add up all – v.26 told were 66 people in all
1)
v. 27 ADD JACOB / JOSEPH & Joseph's 2 sons = 70
v. 28- 30
So Jacob sends Judah to
let them know that they are almost there – Joseph doesn’t wait – mounts up
rides out to meet His dad
A) He presents himself to his dad – weeping /
hugging –
B) WHAT A REUNION – VERY EMOTIONAL – REAL INCREDIBLE
1)
Jacob says I can die now
that I have seen you –
A) What about when Jesus RETURNED TO HEAVEN ?
V. 31-34
Now Joseph is seen in two
roles MEDIATOR & MINISTER / Both of which give us a neat picture of Jesus
work in our lives
1st MEDIATOR
Joseph says I will go before Pharaoh for you – TAKING THE ROLE OF A
MEDIATOR
A) We
are told in the book of Hebrews that Jesus is the MEDIATOR of a new Cov.
B) That
He appears before the FATHER & is
not ashamed to call US HIS brethren,
C) Joseph
wasn’t ashamed to be associated w/ his
brothers /
1) Jesus w/ us – Appears unashamedly before the Father
Jude 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from
stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with
exceeding joy,
D) Not RELUCTANT - / NOT EMBARRASSED / - Ever been that way w/ your kids - WHO’S KIDS ARE THOSE? DON’T
KNOW
A)
Jesus is not
ashamed to say this ONE IS W/ ME
Zech. 3 – Seen as our Advocate /
Mediator / Defense attorney
NOT JUST A MEDIATOR BUT A MINISTER
A) He tells His bros / When you go before Pharaoh tell him your occupation ….Shepherds …..are
an abomination
B)
Be up front w/ Him - Tell him you are shepherds –
C) Egyptians had a social class – on the Bottom of the classes – Lowest thing you could be – was a SHEPHERD
1) Shepherds couldn’t enter their temples / couldn’t marry anyone but a shepherdess / they were social outcast
Now why would Joseph want his brothers to be so out in the open about
who they were & what they were / even though meant - ABOMINATION
A) The answer is the same reason why Jesus wants us to be VOCAL & OUTSPOKEN about who we ARE . / Christians !!!!!
LISTEN CLOSE – Joseph did
this to keep his brothers SEPARATE from the influences of EGYPT
A) He knew that the Egyptians would want to suck them into their society
Into marriages w/ their women / into their IDOL WORSHIP
B) And he knew that if his brothers & their kids were up front about who they were – the Egyptians wouldn’t want much to do w/ them
C) Same thing is true of Us / Jesus encourages us to be OUT FRONT about our LINKAGE w/ HIM – His DISCIPLES
1)
Because He know
that the World will not want to have much to do w/ us if we do
A)
Told the 12 The world hated me / so you can be assured
that they will hate you
1)
Promise that you can bank on / Those who are godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution !!!!
LISTEN DESIRE – NOT TO
KEEP US ISOLATED FROM THE WORLD – BUT INSULATED
A) Jn. 17 In the World but not of the World !!!!!!!
SALT & LIGHT -
B)
But Kept from the influences that would cause us to stumble
& to fall
C) Remember Pilgrims - EGPTY WAS NOT THEIR HOME / EGYPT SYMBLOIC OF
THE WORLD – THIS WORLD NOT OUR HOME
Guess what will happen if
you are outspoken about who you are CHRISTIAN – Come to Church on Sunday / Not
asked to party on Sat
A) What will happen GALS – WHERE A CROSS / CARRY YOUR BIBLE
Open about your
Faith – NOT ASKED OUT WORLDLY GUYS
B) BUMPER STICKER ON YOUR CAR - DRIVE BETTER
Ch. 47:1-6
Here we see Joseph
arranging for his Brothers to dwell in the Best land / the Land of Goshen
A) Reminded Luke 12:32 32
"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom.
B) God has a BEST FOR YOU - What is it may differ / maybe different
from what you thought
1) Afterwards – So God - Baseball Career / Sr. Season
A) God had a Different plan – Kept me in CM at Calvary
B) Called me to Ministry – Honestly say now – I wouldn’t trade This plan for a 13 million dollar a yr contract any day
C) Goshen wasn’t as Attractive as the City of Egypt but it was the best place for the Nation to Grow .
D) Where is the Best place for You to Grow ? Uprooted – Church ? / new City – God wants to do a work in You – Grow you
1) Preparing you for the Future
Blessing are often like
birth / there is a period of waiting 9 months /PERIOD OF uncomfortableness –
MORNING SICKNESS
A) Labor & pain / interesting called LABOR
B)
But when it is over & out comes the BLESSING / THAT
BABY – the pain is soon forgotten – SO I
AM TOLD !!!!
C) Every woman who has had a Baby / afterwards would say that the pain was well worth it / until they turn 2 / then again at 13
V.7-10
Now this is classic –
Jacob comes before Pharaoh & what a CONTRAST
A) On the One hand we have this old shepherd –
simple clothes / skin probably wrinkled & TAN - walks w/ a Limp
B) Then there is Pharaoh – DECKED OUT IN THE FINEST CLOTHES IN EGYPT SURROUNDING BY LUXURY
C) These Pharaohs lived LARGE – One Pharaoh boasted of carrying 232 Asian Princes / 323 Princesses / & 270 Court women ( Dances)
D) Cups of Alabaster / Chairs of Gold / Majored in Military Might
E) But None of that INTIMIDATED & ATTRACTED JACOB
Jacob comes in & PRONOUNCES BLESSING UPON
PHARAOH
A) Jacobs out look is one that all Christians
should have – Not be DAZZLED by the World
B) Instead
of the Life styles of the RICH &
FAMOUS - Life styles of the GODLY &
UPRIGHT
C) We can be prone to think that the world seems so impressive when in reality the World is so EMPTY & we have so much to OFFER
WHAT DO WE HAVE TO OFFER
? 2COR 4:6,7
6 For it is the God who commanded light to
shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
7
But we have this
treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and
not of us.
A) TREASURE IS THE GOSPEL
B)
2COR. 2:15 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ
among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
1) WHAT SMELL ARE YOU PUTTING OUT
I think the Lord Desires
that we would be like Jacob – pronouncing Blessings BEING A BLESSING – ( WORK / LIVE / HOW ACT)
A) Been Said : “Some people are a BLESSING
where ever they go – OTHERS are a blessing WHENEVER they GO !!!!”
B) WHICH IS TRUE OF YOU .
C) PRONOUNCING BLESSING GOD BLESS YOU
So Jacob Blesses Pharaoh
& Pharaoh seems to be taken back by this asks how old are you – Love Jacob’s response
9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my
pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they
have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the
days of their pilgrimage."
10
So Jacob blessed Pharaoh,
and went out from before Pharaoh.
A) Note 2 things – IDENTIFIES HIMSELF AS A PILGRIM
B) 2nd – Few & Evil - It has been Rough it hasn’t been easy –
C) Especially how he felt during those 15 yrs Joseph was gone –
Gen 48:15,16 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: "God,
before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my
life long to this day,
16
The Angel who has
redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And
the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in
the midst of the earth."
Here Jacob praises
– God is my Shepherd & My Deliverer
Right Now Might feel like
few & Evil are my Days HANG IN
THERE – YOU TOO WILL SAY
A) GOD IS MY SHEPHERD & MY DELIVERER
One last thing to note before we go – something intrigued me about
Joseph
Seems to be really at EASE IN SECULAR SOCIETY
A) He was able to function as a godly man in a secular heathen environment
WHY?
B) Suggestion: Joseph realized his calling / Realized that God had Chosen him for a special TASK – MISSION / Instrument of SALVATION
C) Jesus also seemed at Ease in a Secular Heathen environment – so much so that Sinners felt they could approach Him
1)
Sunday Received Sinners
& ate w/ them
A) Jesus
Also Knew His MISSION – Came to seek
& to save the Lost
QUESTION : WHY IS THE CHURCH SO UNCOMFORTABLE IN A SECULAR SOCIETY ?
A) Some have a real ISOLATION MENTALITY – Christian Restaurants / sports leagues / everything Christian – not associate w/ World
B) Could
the Answer be that some don’t know our MISSION - Called to be SALT &
LIGHT
C) Lights – BRIGHTEN THINGS UP / SALT ADD FLAVOR
Be in the World & not of the World – See it for what it is don’t become enamored but don’t INSULATE
REALIZE THE MISSION !!!!!
JESUS NOT ASHAMED OF US – WE NOT OF THE