in the Stable

I'll be a few extra Christmas songs this morning. So hope you don't mind that but we're just going to start off the service just lifting our voices to God and just worshipping him this morning and songs if you would stand and join us as we worship this morning.

When we were lost song. When we were lost.

You would have to carry you home when we were so when we were refugees.

when we were

when we were

You pay the price we pay.

so sweet

Who you are the reason why?

You are the Risen one.

Concord FNB your way you sang Up?

Now we are dancing.

Barbara Cross. I am free Your Grace Changes Everything Changes Everything

This is the sound of a bull.

So sweet. Love you.

Love you.

angels from the Realms of Glory

sangria

Yeah, send up.

God With Us MercyMe

watching

I'm leaving.

fire stick

all creation

You too, baby.

Jan.

Just you.

Jeremy father God we just a thank you Lord for this morning. We have to just gather together got his family and friends and Brothers and Sisters in Christ. God just just sing song and worshipping you follow. We just pray as we continue on with this service guy that you would guide direct our hearts. Got you speak to us through your word and got as we draw near to the Christmas holiday gotta let us be reminded of of your birth God but let us not just focus on it only one time of year, but just continue to showing acts of love to those around us because you first loved us in Jesus name we pray. Well since Thanksgiving we've been looking forward to the coming of Christmas and not just in our present-day lives. Although we do look forward to Christmas coming. I'm looking forward to Christmas coming and we eagerly anticipate the the receiving of gifts and I think that as we get older we even more eagerly sometimes anticipate the giving of gifts. I'm excited in particular several things that that we have for our daughters this Christmas that I know they will be super excited about And I'm excited to see their faces as we give them these gifts this Christmas season and it doesn't just have to be our daughters. Maybe it's a friend or a family member or loved one or or your pastor. Maybe someone something else that mean maybe you like giving, but we all are we all are eagerly anticipating the joy of of Christmas it's coming but but not just looking at present day, but we've been looking since Thanksgiving at the Christmas story at those people that are involved in the events leading up to the birth of Christ on first. We looked at the 400-year. In-between the events of the Old Testament and the New Testament that. Known as the intertestamental. It's a. In which God was silent, but he was still at work and then we looked at our response in in times in our lives when it seems that God is silent, but he's still at work now. Just like he was then we then looked at The Obedience of of those involved in the Christmas story. We look specifically a Mary and Joseph as they willingly submitted to what God wanted to do in their lives. And we looked at ourselves and our willingness to to say or unwillingness to say as Mary said, she said be it unto me be done to me or she said I am a servant of the Lord be it unto me according to what you have said or let it be to me according to your word. And then we looked last week at how our obedience is according to God's word a true measure of our love for Jesus and how it's really easy to say. I love you Jesus. I love you God. I I love him but does our life match up with that based on our obedience to his word? This week again. I would have look at the Christmas story briefly and then look back at an Old Testament story in and see how it correlates. But let's look again at The Christmas Store your are think briefly of the Christmas story. We have Mary and this young virgin girl who is betrothed to Joseph and they're imagine they're excited about about the the events of that are going to happen in the future. They're going to get married and they're going to start a family and just all the thoughts that the young people think many times. But so they are there and they're excited and then something happens. Mary is Mary becomes pregnant with the Son of God Joseph who had the choice to to the to either to either put her away and divorce her or to keep her as his wife. He is obedient to God and keeps her his wife. They are completely obedience and yet they are likely ostracized in their community and in their family, they're made to set out on a long journey and to go to to Bethlehem.

Wow, she is. very very pregnant and then the events of the the dead are leading up to it. They're completely obedient in there there. They have all these these trials in these problems than and then the actual birth comes. And the birth happens in a stable. Surrounded by animals surrounded by by by by by Seals and Anna horrible smells I imagine. Did born in a stable where Jesus was born in a stable and laid to rest in in in in a in a feeding trough in the manger and is we went through this we watch this video and of our life group are in our life group this past week Mary in the middle of of childbirth. She says this to Joseph and we don't know that she said this exactly but but but boy have I thought these same things in my life? She said that she she was there and looking at her surroundings and and thinking of how it all comes. She said it isn't it's not supposed to be like this and you can imagine think of what she's talking about for the months leading up to to the birth of Jesus though. They were ostracized and kind of kind of Castaway. They were they were looked at as Sinners. They were looked at it and in many different ways maybe even on the journey as they were going maybe they clung to this hope that that when the child of God when the Son of God is bored. It's going to be this this this amazing thing when the Messiah comes. Can you imagine if they probably had these ideas that's that when the Messiah comes I mean it's going to be just crazy like lights and angels in and everybody's going to know what happened to Heather Grand idea probably of of what was going to happen when Messiah came

and instead it was in a Manger. Full of most likely the pain of childbirth surrounded by animals and stench and dirt.

You can imagine that that although we don't know for sure that they're there might have been thoughts just like that. This isn't how it's supposed to be. Have you. Have you ever been there in your life? Thank you. You got these ideas in these plans and you you've got it all mapped out. I mean I'm going to do this and I'm going to do this and I'm and I'm going to do this especially in terms of last week's message. And this is where just hit my Earthly I guess in my in my flash. I have a problem with a Christmas story and I have a problem with with what's going on because in my flash on my they were obedience they should have they should have had a taxi to to Bethlehem, right or maybe an angel could have carried them to Bethlehem. They were obedient and when they got there, they should have been put in the presidential suite and it should have been given the best doctors and they should have been given the best care and you know, all these different things that's what should have happened in my in my fleshly mind. But that's not what happened. They were completely obedient.

And your things turned out in this in this crazy way. Man in my life, sometimes I feel like that as well and especially in in terms of last week's message and I'll just be completely transparent sometimes I'm like, okay, I'm going to be obedient here and I'm going to do this and I'm going to do this and and I expect that God you're going to do it. You're going to perform for me now. I may not say those words, but isn't that how we feel?

And usually like I got this plan laid out and this is how it's going to happen. And this is what's going to do, you know transpire and this is all these different things and then I come over here and I'm like, wait a minute. Thought I was obedience. I did what you told me to do. It's not supposed to be like this.

And that's where I'm like a few wait a minute what is going on? I was obedient and I I love people and yet they gossiped about me and they they trashed me and they broke my trust and trust and they did all these horrible things mean. It's not supposed to be like this. I was obedient and I I did exactly what you wanted me to do it and yet it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to it's not supposed to be like this God. and then I realize like

I'm not the one that gets to determine what it's supposed to be like. When I look back at the the Christmas story, I I see I see why Jesus came in and icgs why Jesus came in the way you did as a as a humble as a humble servant so that we would have the example in his head. He died on the cross for our sins. Then he was later cuz he was given the name above all names the name. It was one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Put put in in fleshly terms. It didn't start out that way. And I wonder how many times in my life where I really think I'm over here in the journey at the part where okay, I'm ready for the reward. I'm ready to see the outcome, but I'm probably still back here stuck in the manger stuck in the stable and things are things aren't working the way that I want them to. And when I think about that and when I when I look at things that way I can't help. but but but remember the story of one of my favorites of my favorite biblical characters from the Old Testament, and it's not just because he has a great name, but the story of Joseph The story of Joseph it today like I just want us to go through and we're going to we're going to do like a long story short version of Joseph and we're going to read through normally what we do is we a lot of ties will read an entire section description and we'll kind of break it down. But but this is about 13 chapters of a reading that we can't read the 13 chapters and then go back and break it down. So we're just going to go piece-by-piece through it and talk through the story of Joseph in and see how Sometimes when were completely obedience. Things don't work out the way we think they we think they should. And even when we're doing everything right sometimes we and we think we should be over here and in the receiving the reward and seeing the outcome that we we're still back here in the majors in the stable and and Joseph was in the stable for a while as we're going to see what so let's look this turn back to Genesis first book of the Old Testament first book of the Bible Genesis. It means beginning so you should never have a problem finding that but Genesis chapter 37 The beginning of the Bible weave, this is the story of Joseph. His father is Jacob. And we're going to read verses 1 to 11 in in the in the story of in the story of Joseph chapter 37 of the Book of Genesis and it will be on the screen but follow along if you can in your in your Bibles, but here it says this Genesis chapter 37 verse 1 Jacob lived in the land of his fathers sojournings in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob Joseph being 17 years old was pastoring the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of bilhah and zilpah his father's wives and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father now Israel that Israel is Jacob's name to Jacob Love Joseph more than any of his other Sons because he was the son of his old age and he made him a robe of Many Colors. But when is Brother's saw that? Their father loved him more than all his brothers. They hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. Joseph had a dream and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them here this dream that I have dreamed behold. We were binding sheaves in the field and behold my sheet from Rose and stood upright and behold your sheaves gathered around it and bow down to my chief. His brother said to him. Are you indeed to rain over us or are you in Ze to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words, then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said behold. I have dreamed another dream behold the Sun the moon in the 11th stars were bowing down to me, but when he told it to his father into his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, what is this dream that you have dreamed? Chill? I and your mother and your brothers and deed come to Bow yourself ourselves to the ground before you and his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. So let's just look this is one of the things I really appreciate about the Bible. I appreciate its honesty about. The characters within it listen the characters within the Bible just like you and I did not always act perfectly. They did not always do things the right way and off. Sometimes we see some of the natural consequences of those action. Joseph was a little bit arrogant. He was a little bit arrogant. He's a 17 year old man. He's a little bit Brash. He's trying to to find his own way and his father has indeed showed some nepotism towards him. So parents, let's learn it. Let's treat our children equally, what did the the extra care and love that was shown to Joseph? What did it create in in his in his brothers created hatred? They hated Joseph because he was shown special favor over all the other brother parents is a great lesson. Love your children, equally. Don't show favoritism to one or another don't don't compare them if Christian and Stevie were my son. Don't be like a Christian. Why can't you be more like Stevie? another Stevie likes that but but listen show them love equally they are all a gift of God. They are all a gift of God and God wants you to love them. Equally that's the example. He has said he has loved us equally but Jacob here, he showed favoritism to his son to Joseph and Joseph was a little bit arrogant because of it and he he went to his brothers at hey, let me tell you about this dream God. What did he think that reaction was going to be? And so they didn't like it ain't listen. I had a dream that all of you were going to bow down to me one day and he told his dad and even his dad like whoa. Whoa, buddy. His dad would love that more than the others were abused him. Like what are you saying Joseph but it says his father kept these things in his mind. He remember these things you remember these things. So we see Joseph this young man. Love more shown favoritism too and maybe a little bit arrogant. And again. One of the things I love about the Bible. It is shows the characters in all of who they are not necessarily in these things to be an example of how to act but sometimes it shows us their flaws as an example of how not to act that's one of the things is so amazing about the Bible. So here let's continue to read and verses 18 to 24 the same chapter. It says his one day they saw him from afar. And before he came near to them. They conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another Here Comes This dreamer come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him and we will see what becomes of his dreams but that but when Reuben heard it, he rescued them out of their hand saying let us not take his life and Ruben said to them shed. No blood throwing into the pit here in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. Joseph came to his brothers. They stripped him of his robe the robe of Many Colors that he wore and they took him and they threw him into a pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it. And then it says they sat down to eat. You see that they they conspired here to to throw him into the pit. The Reuben at least had some mercy on him. He didn't want him to kill him and he was going to later come back and help him out of the pit and take him back to his dad. That's what it says. But they wanted to teach him a lesson this dream of Joseph and then they sat down to eat and they're sitting there and the plan just gets worse. And so they're like well here comes a caravan out of Egypt. Why don't we sell them in slavery to Egypt? Why don't we just sell them in slavery and it will dip his coat in Blood and we'll rip and we'll tell our father that he was eaten by a wild animal and then we've got nothing to worry about we didn't hurt him, but we don't have to deal with them anymore. And so that's what they do. That's what they do and he goes into Egypt and that's where we pick up the story in chapter 39. Chapter 39 verses 1 to 6 before we start reading think about this Joseph although a bit arrogant and shown favoritism to was was just reviewing the dreams. He was trying to do what was right sweet did his brothers were out goofing off and he didn't maybe necessarily go about it the right way, but he went to his father and gave a bad report of them to him. He was trying to do what was right trying to just reveal these dreams that that God had given him And his reward was he was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery. We pick up as he is in Egypt in chapter 39 chapter 39 vs126. Now Joseph have been brought down to Egypt and potiphar an officer Pharaoh the captain of the guard in Egyptian had bought him from the ishmaelites and brought him down there. The Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man and he was in the house of Egyptian of his Egyptian Master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in this and so Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him and he made an overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had from the time that he made him Overseer in his house and over all that. He had the Lord bless the Egyptians house for Joseph sake the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in house and field. So we left all that he had and Joseph charge and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Joseph was handsome in form an appearance. Let's just read that now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. Let it be awesome if it's like the story ended right there. Okay, Joseph Joseph like like he did. What was right and God bless them and everything worked out in the end of your story. Wouldn't you love it? If those were the stuff was handsome now put yourself in that situation. Whatever your name is put it in there. Now you are handsome in Fort and that's the end of the story. Okay, good story. All right. The end happily ever after right but that's not the end of the story. It's not the end of the story at all. Keep reading a verse 7 and after a time, his master's wife Potiphar's wife cast her eyes on Joseph instead lie with me. She's not staying till I tell the truth with me. But he refused and said to his master's wife be home because of me my master has no concern about anything in this house and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am nor has he kept back anything from me except you because you are his wife how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God and as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her to lie beside her or to be with her but one day when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house. She caught him by His Garment saying lie with me, but he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. Listen, Joseph was a man of integrity.

Joseph said went when Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. Peace and listen your husband my boss. He's given me everything. He's put me in charge of everything. He trust me with his entire house. The only thing that I don't have in this house is you because you are his wife.

I noticed what he says notice what he says in verse 9 at the end of it. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God.

And sin against God will wait a minute. You're saying that this is Potiphar's wife. And and this is you know, you're saying he's he's trusted me and Potiphar's giving me everything and this and that and you are his wife. How can I spin against God like that?

very reminiscent of David and Psalm 51 where he was confessing his sin with Bathsheba and he says he says against you God and you only have I sinned T until we recognized that our sin it is against God. I believe we will continue to to to fall in the process or fail in the process of absinthe confess repent repeats, but when we understand it is God that we are sitting again. Seems like I lying against Heidi if I lie against her. I lie about her lie to her. I'm just like man. I I hope Heidi doesn't count find out. But it doesn't matter if Heidi never finds out or not. I've sinned against God. And if I if I gossip about Lisa Jim then I'm like, I hope Elisa never finds out. Jim never tells Lisa what I what I told him about it doesn't matter if he ever tells her know I'm sinned against God. Until we really understand that until we understand it that our trespasses old notice. God want us to lie and a gossip or commit adultery or any other so they don't send her other people, but ultimately our sin is against God and Joseph cared so much about his relationship with God that he wasn't willing to commit this sin.

He was obedience. He was obedient to the point that he was with her and she grabbed him and said come with me and he ran. out of his clothes

and this wasn't a one-time Temptation This was day after day after day. She was trying to get him to be with her and she refused. Because his relationship with God was the most important thing to him. And so in that in the rest of that chapter, we read that that she's standing there with his clothes and probably wondering. Okay. What do I do now?

I know what I'll do. I'll say that he came to me. And to relieve herself of the embarrassment. I'm God say that he came to me and looked even took off his clothes and tried to be with me.

And she told everyone. But this is what happened to Joseph had had approached her.

What was Joseph's reward for being obedience? thrown in prison

just thrown in prison for doing what was right.

Back to my fleshly mind. Wait a minute. That doesn't necessarily seem right does it? But again, I'm always expecting to be over here in the final outcome, but in reality but a lot of times were back here in the stable, right we're back here and we have to understand that didn't finish sometimes dirty and obedience. Sometimes leads us to the two to the dirtiest smelliest like most ranked place that we can imagine. before the outcome So as he's in prison, there's two other prisoners that are there and they they they telling these crazy dreams that they have and the one is like he's like listen. This is what's going to happen. You're going to get promoted your to get released from prison and and you're going to get promoted and welcome back into to the Pharaoh Pharaoh his house and and all of this and it happens just like that and the other guys like, oh, here's my dream. Tell me what my dream means and he's like, sorry manager you're going to be in prison longer you're going to be yet. It's getting worse for you. And that's what happens.

And So eventually Pharaoh has a pretty bad dream or troubling dream and the guy that got promoted into his house at hey, I remember a guy nobody could interpret this dream in the guy that got promoted. It was in prison with with Joseph says, I remember a guy who was able to interpret dreams. Maybe you should maybe you should call him. So in Genesis chapter 41 we pick up in in verse 14 and let's see what it says here.

Alyssa I love I like so much the word that that is translated here for prison because this is what it wasn't and didn't hear what it says it feel like just just see if you've ever felt this way in your life like this is where your life is. Does in Pharaoh sent and call Joseph and they quickly brought him out of the pits? Your feel like your life is in the pits. They're feel like my goodness and I can't get any lower. It can't get any worse. Joseph was literally in the pit in prison, but here he said that Joseph Arrow sin call Joseph. They quickly brought him out of the pit and Winnie and shaved himself and change his clothes. He came in before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph. I've had a dream. There's one here who can interpret it. I've heard it said of you that there there's no one who can interpret it. I've heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it Joseph answered just like Daniel did later in whenever Nebuchadnezzar was asking him about dream. He said it's not me that's doing it is God that will answer. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer. He says then Pharaoh said to Joseph behold in my dream. I was standing on the banks of the Nile 7 cows plump and attractive came out of the Nile in fed in the Greek Reed grass seven other cows came up after them poor in very ugly and thin such as I've never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the thin ugly cows ate up the first 7 Plumb cut Plumb cows, but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them for they were still as ugly as at the beginning then I woke up. I also saw in my dream seven years growing on one stock fooling good seven years with Earth in and blighted by the East Wind sprouted after them and the thinning ears swallowed up the seven good years and I told it to the magician's but there was no one who could explain it to me. There was no one who could explain it to me. And then Joseph explained it Joseph said actually your two dreams were actually just one dream pharaoh. And here's what's going to happen in verse 29. There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, but after them there will arise seven years of famine and all the money will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The Fannin will consume the land and the Plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the fam and that will follow for it will be very severe. And a doubling of Pharaoh's dream mean that the thing is fixed by God and God will surely bring it about so he tells Pharaoh. He says this and this what's happening. Those cows are the really fat plump ones in the seven a tract of ears of corn are the seven good years that are coming and then there's going to be 7 years of famine that are that are going to be such that we won't even remember how good it was because it's so bad in Reno 7 years. And he said what you need to do. Is you need any goes on the next versus what you need to do is you need to find somebody you need to find somebody Farrow who's good who can who can who can arrange during those seven good years who has wisdom and discernment the store up the food so that we have enough during those seven years that that we will be sustained during those other years. Long story short prayer said how about you Joseph? You got the sermon about these dreams. How about you? Let's let's how about you do it? And so that's what happens. So that's what happened the the seven seven years come and they're great and wonderful, and there's plenty in all the land and they they build up storehouses and they bring it in and then during the as the seven years seven lean Years start they ration out the food so that everybody has enough and Joseph is in charge of all of it. He has made a leader in the land again. It all happened just as was revealed to Joseph. It says in chapter 42 verse 6. You can just see it on the on the screen that says Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land and then something interesting happens. Joseph Brothers came and Val themselves before him with their faces to the ground Joseph Brothers weren't Egyptians. So they came but they were in the time of of of leanness they came and they came to Egypt and they bound themselves before him with their faces to the ground. They needed help.

They needed help.

And it says in verse 9 Joseph remember the dreams that he dreamed of them at this moment. He remembered the the cheese bowing down to the sheath in the middle. The Joseph Being Human was kind of rough with them. It was kind of rough with them in any put them to the test over the next couple chapters. He put them to the test. And he said well he wanted to see if if they had truly changed or they were just there for help. And over the course of the next couple of chapters. We see the day they came back and they were they they came back with her younger brother Benjamin the second time they came and they went and they came back again.

And it says in chapter 45 if you'll turn their I want to read Joseph's response. You can imagine all this stuff and Joseph s'mon as his brothers are before him.

Joseph stuff he he remembers being thrown in the pit by his brothers who remembers being sold into slavery. He remembers the the rise to power and then the great fall because of his obedience and he remembers the the time that he spent in the pit in Egypt then they coming up out of it and he remembers all of this.

And if you look in actually before we get to Genesis 45 if we look back. If we look back into you don't have to turn their butt back on to in chapter 41. In chapter 41 verse 46 cuz I think that this is very important to understand.

That it says in chapter 41 verse 46 that Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of pharaoh. How old was he when when when his brothers threw him in the pit then remember 17. 17 and now he was 30 years old when when he interpreted the dream for pharaoh and when he entered into his service for 13 years. Joseph spent his life. In the stable per say I don't know exactly how many years you were took him to rise to fame and Potiphar's house. I don't know how many years I particularly he spent in the prison.

But but he's spent a lot of time.

in the stable in circumstances that that that that didn't go the way the way any of us would think that they should because of his obedience. And I think about my life a lot of times when something doesn't happen in a day or two that I think should happen. I'm a come on. It's been 2 days.

I pray that two days ago what's going on?

Maybe I'll give God a little bit more time. It's been a week. Let's go.

13 years 13 years

Can we come to the point in? Chapter 45 verse one. It says Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood stood by him. He cried make everyone go out for me. So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. He had come to the point where he had been through it all in his mind and remember the dreams and remember the Betrayal and remember the pain. I remember the prison and remembered all of it. Then his brothers are standing before him the second time and he couldn't control himself any longer. And he wept aloud and verse two so that the Egyptians herded the household a pharaoh hurt it. Joseph said to his brothers. I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him for they were dismayed at his presents. So Joseph said to his brothers come near to me, please. And they came near and he said I am your brother Joseph who you sold into Egypt now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor Harvest and God sent me before you to preserve for you Remnant on Earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. What's the stop a second?

if you've been obedience

if you and I'm not I'm not talking about I'm not talking about if we sin and our suffering the consequences of our sin, that's that's a totally different story.

Send has spiritual consequences and it has natural consequences. There are things that we will experience because of that I'm talking about you were obedient you did what God wanted you to do and and you are suffering the consequences.

Can we just hear Joseph's words here? It was not you who sent me here. It was God. Do you believe that God is Sovereign do you believe that God leads you into the stable sometime. God let Mary and Joseph into the stable. I think about the time when when Jesus sent his disciples out on the sea and it was there was the storm and that's when Jesus came and walked on the water. But but it says that Jesus sent them ahead of him. He was coming he knew it was a storm. He knew that they were going to be afraid he knew they were going to doubt that they were going to fear.

But he sent them ahead of him.

Do we understand sometimes in life? God leads us right into the stable. God leads us right into the the mess. God leads us right into the the the trial that God sends us right into it. And that's what he says, but but but then understand what he said right before it God sent me here for a purpose. Send me here to preserve wife. It wasn't you he says but God that sent me here. And then he keeps on over Sadie says he has made me a father to Pharaoh Lord of all his house ruler over all the way and of Egypt hurry up and go to my father and say to him thus says your son Joseph. God has made me Lord of all Egypt come down to me. Do not tarry you shall dwell in the land of Goshen and you shall be near me you and your children and your children's children and your Blocks Your heard all that you have there. I will provide for you for the area V fan of years of famine to come so that you and your household and all that. You have do not come to poverty. And now your eyes see and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt in a ball that you have seen hurry and bring my father down here. Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's necked and wept and Benjamin wept upon his neck and he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that, his brothers talked with him.

listen

What are you going through in your life? at this moment that maybe the stable that God has led you to.

Maybe you just maybe you've been obedient and you have have done exactly what God wanted you to do or you believe he wanted you to do. Maybe you didn't do it perfectly. Maybe you were a little bit arrogant like Joseph or maybe you you were a little Brash at times or maybe you didn't do everything perfectly if you didn't go back and apologize. Go back and make amends understand that their sin was against God confess it and repented repent from it.

But if you're here in the stable understand that that that at some points at some point God wants to bring you out of the stable and into his outcome, whatever it is.

Maybe it's here on Earth. Maybe it's in eternity.

Maybe it's five days down the road. Maybe it's 5 weeks. Maybe it's 13 years like it was for Joseph.

Maybe we won't see it this side of Heaven. Maybe we will just clean to the promise like Paul did in Romans 8:18 where he said I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which will one day be revealed.

I want to encourage you today. Listen, if the circumstances you're in or are you're there because you send confess repent. Turn from that sin. Ask God to restore what is broken to heal. What is what it what is hurts but if the circumstances you find yourself in you've just been laying there by God. I pray to David you would stand firm trust in him. trust in him and lean on him and I pray that we would understand the difference. Can we can we pray for the discernment today to understand the difference between the two situation sometimes we we think that we are exactly where God has us to be right. I've done everything God wanted me to do but in reality we're back here and and not been listening very clearly to his word and suffering those consequences. I don't want you to stay back here in this situation. This isn't where God wants you. If you've let yourself into the stable because of your own sin wolf get out of the sin and repent from it. But if you've been led to the stable by God, would you just stand firm? Trust him today. Trust him today that he's working all things together for the good of those who love him Joseph went on to say in Genesis chapter 50. We're not going to turn their heads. Give you the screen, but he went on to say he went on to say listen Brothers what you intended for evil God intended for good.

Can you say that today if you've been obedient and other people or our Heap and stuff on you? Can you say listen what they intend for evil God intends for good. Tyler said earlier jokingly about praying for patience and it came up into our a life group this discussion our prayer request time this week. But listen God uses trials to perfect us. That's what James tells us. Tommicus mature and complete lacking Nothing by the trying of your faith. It works patience in your life. And when patients has it had its full outcome that you may be mature and complete lacking nothing. Go look up James wines. That was a sort of translation.

But understand that that that the God is working in the stable.

He's working in the stable. He's working in the pits. He's working in the prison. Then you may find yourself in today wherever you're at. If it is if God has you there understand he's going to see you through it. So today is we bow our heads.

We just come before the Lord and we just Thank you, Jesus. Thank you Father that that that you love us and it'll matter where we are God you are there with us you you will never leave Jesus nor forsake us at what's your word tells us? We thank you for this for the example of Mary and Joseph. We will go through their obedience. Think they were led to a stable.

But yet as Christ was born in the stable. We see that ultimately he was given the name that that that did that one day. Every knee should bow was given the name above all names. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the king of kings the Lord of lords.

And when he comes the second time there will be no mistaking him.

Show me think of the example of Joseph in in his obedience.

We thank you that through his obedience and and through the stable of his life is time in the pit his time in prison. The trials in his life you show us the that the outcome that will come.

Did your hand is guiding the process God I pray that we would trust that in our lives that that your hand is guiding the process.

. Today, it's hard to see it in the midst of the circumstances, but God we trust you today.

God help us to cling to the promise. That the sufferings of the present are not worthy to be compared to the glory which will one day be revealed. How was the cling to that today?

Elvis the trust you

Father we thank you.

I pray that as we sing this song got the the first words of it are so appropriate on are you hurting are you broken inside?