Sermon Tone Analysis

*Tom Myers*

*How To Have the Right Kind of Faith*

*Genesis 50:22-26*

 

*            *When* *Hudson Taylor, a famous missionary, first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel.

Very close to the shore of cannibal islands the ship came to a complete rest because the winds became completely calm.

The ship began to drift towards one of the cannibal islands.

The natives began to row their boats towards the ship.

The captain came to Hudson Taylor and sought him to pray for God's help.

"I will," said Taylor, "provided you set your sails to catch the wind."

The captain said, "I can't do that.

The entire crew will laugh at me if I unfurl the sails in a dead calm."

Taylor said, "I will not pray for the winds to blow unless you prepare the vessel for sailing."

The captain gave the order to prepared the sails.

Hudson Taylor and the captain then went below deck to pray.

While they prayed, there was a knock on the cabin door.

The captain opened the door and a crew member said, "You'll  better stop praying for wind, there is more wind then the sails can handle."

And sure enough, the ship began traveling  at several knots, and it was just in time as the cannibals were 100 yards from the ship.

*            *At times God uses unusual things to teach us about faith.

For a ship captain it was the wind.

When we come to Genesis chapter 50 God uses another unusual item to teach us about faith.

Let look at Genesis chapter 50 beginning with verse twenty two.

*"**22**AND** JOSEPH DWELT IN EGYPT, HE, AND HIS FATHER'S HOUSE: AND JOSEPH LIVED 110 YEARS...**24**AND** JOSEPH, SAID UNTO HIS BRETHREN, I AM ABOUT TO DIE; AND GOD WILL SURELY VISIT YOU, AND BRING YOU OUT OF THIS LAND UNTO THE LAND WHICH HE SWORE TO GIVE TO ABRAHAM, to ISAAC, AND TO JACOB.

**25**AND** JOSEPH TOOK AN OATH OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING, GOD WILL SURELY VISIT YOU, AND YOU SHALL CARRY UP MY BONES FROM HERE.

**26**SO JOSEPH DIED, BEING 110 YEARS OLD: AND THEY EMBALMED HIM, AND HE WAS PUT IN A COFFIN IN EGYPT."*

Look  again at *VERSE 26*

*"SO JOSEPH DIED, BEING 110 YEARS OLD: AND THEY EMBALMED HIM, AND HE WAS PUT IN A COFFIN IN EGYPT*"

 

            God is going to use a coffin filled with the bones of Joseph to teach us about faith.

The book of Genesis opens with creation but it ends with a coffin.

In the beginning of the book, Satan says, *"YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE"** * (Genesis 3:4), but the book ends with the death of Joseph.

The book begins with man in the garden, but in ends with man in a coffin.

I was amazed to find out that Joseph's bones are mentioned in 3 other books of the Bible.

Did you know that?

 

*EXODUS 13:19* - When the Israelites left Egypt, the Bible says:

 

*"AND MOSES TOOK THE BONES OF JOSEPH WITH HIM"*

 

*JOSHUA** 24:32* - And when the Israelites arrived in the promise land the Bible says"

 

*"AND THE BONES OF JOSEPH, WHICH THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BROUGHT UP OUT OF EGYPT, BURIED THEY IN SHECHEM"*

 

*HEBREWS 11:22** -*

* "BY FAITH, JOSEPH, WHEN HE DIED, MADE MENTION OF** THE DEPARTING OF THE CHILDREN **OF ISRAEL, AND GAVE COMMANDMENT CONCERNING HIS BONES"*

 

            It is strange that the book of Genesis should end with the bones of Joseph.

For some reason the Holy Spirit was very concerned about Joseph's bones.

What is so exciting about the bones of Joseph?

Well, God used the bones of Joseph to teach us 3 vital truths about faith.

Lets look at the context of Genesis 55:22-26.

Joseph is dying, and he told the Israelites by faith, that sometime in the distant future they would leave Egypt and go back up to the promised land of Israel.

And when that day came they were to make sure Joseph's bones were taken up to the promise land.

There are 3 vital truths about faith that I want you to see. 

 

*FIRST -- REAL FAITH STARTS WITH THE WORD OF GOD.

GENESIS 50:24*

 

            *24**AND** JOSEPH, SAID UNTO HIS BRETHREN, I AM ABOUT TO DIE; AND GOD WILL SURELY VISIT YOU, AND BRING YOU OUT OF THIS LAND UNTO THE LAND WHICH HE SWORE TO GIVE TO ABRAHAM, TO ISAAC, AND TO JACOB.*

Now how did Joseph know that in the distant future that God was going to bring the Jew's out of Egypt?

Because his faith began with the word of God.

Look at

 

*GENESIS 15:13-14* 

            In Genesis chapter 15 God is speaking to Abraham, and he is telling Abraham where his future descendants will live.

God is going to prophecy that Abraham's descends would live in a land that is not there's.

Then after a period of time, God will bring them back to their own land.

*"**13**AND** GOD SAID UNTO ABRAM, KNOW OF A SURETY THAT YOUR SEED SHALL BE A STRANGER IN A LAND THAT IS NOT THEIRS, AND SHALL SERVE THEM; AND THEY SHALL AFFLICT THEM 400 YEARS.

**14**AND** ALSO THAT NATION, WHOM THEY SHALL SERVE, WILL I JUDGE AND AFTERWARD SHALL THEY COME OUT WITH GREAT SUBSTANCE"*

 

            How did Joseph know that the  Jews would leave Egypt?

Joseph knew the future because he believed the word of God.

Let me tell you where faith comes from.

*ROMANS 10:17*

*"FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD"*

 

            The only way that we can have faith is by believing the word of God.

I hope that you can understand that.

God must speak before you can have faith.

You see, positive thinking is not faith.

What makes something true is that God has said it.

If you could take the Bible from any society, that societies faith will be taken away.

And if you take away peoples faith away, the people will begin to act wild.

Take the Bible of school and instead of students goint to school to be educated, they will come to school to join gangs.

and instead of students bring books to school

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            In 1789 a ship called Bounty was taken over by its crew.

The mutineers sailed to Tahiti.

Nine of the mutineers took  6 native women of Tahiti with them and sailed off into the Pacific.

They came to a small island call Pitcairn.

The mutineers landed with their crew, supplies, and their native women on the lonely island named Pitcairn.

Then they sank their ship.

One of the sailors discovered a method of distilling alcohol, and the island colony became a lawless band.

After a short time only one white sailor survived.

This sailor, Alexander Smith, found in one of the chest that had been take from the Bounty, a copy of the Bible.

He began to teach its principles.

The results were that his own life was changed, and the life of the entire colony.

In 1808 the United States ship Topaz visited the island and found a thriving and prosperous community, without any alcohol, jail, or crime.

The Bible had changed the life of the entire island community.

Take the Bible away, and you take away faith.

Take the Bible away and not only do you remove faith, but remove honesty, law and order.

This is nothing new.

Even Benjamin Franklin was aware of that.

When Thomas Paine showed Benjamin Franklin the manuscript of The Age of Reason, Franklin advised him not to publish it, saying, "The world is bad enough with the Bible; what would it be without it?"

Faith is your response to the word of God.

And Joseph believed the word of God.

Joseph knew that God has said that the Israelites would leave Egypt.

Real faith starts with the word of God 

 

*SECOND -- REAL FAITH TRUSTS GOD.

GENESIS 50:25*

 

*"YOU SHALL CARRY MY BONES"*

 

            Joseph said, "You shall carry my bones."

Joseph was very certain that the Israelites were going to leave Egypt.