November 24th Morning Service

I'm sorry Genesis chapter 50 and we're going to try to dig into verses 14 through the end of that chapter, but I just want to continue to be in prayer for Steve and Diane as they're walking through through grief and also Christine's family Christine planks family Miss Louise. White went on to be with the lord. It's it's truly is amazing. It makes County. You know that maybe this is anywhere but that the older you get the more you see how people are connected to one another I had missed wide as a substitute teacher in BIOS Atmos Wireless substitute teacher several. If you did I had no idea that was Christine's mom had no idea cuz I went to school with Craig and Chris that that was their grandmother, but after I become Pastor here for Spanish, I had opportunity to get to spend some time with her and be close to her and and what sweet lady she was and and I know that but they're hurting this morning, but she's she's Back with love of her life Herman and we want to pray for them as they're walking through that today. That will be from 1 to 3 at Walnut Grove. I believe I believe the funeral will be at 3 and then burial will follow so let's pray for those needs.

Aura let's dig in. We are going to look this morning at that. This is a hoe, but I think it would have kind of help us as we as we get prepared to Diggie and if we just kind of read through the whole story, I know it's a lot but just read through it because literally within between vs 14 + vs 26 is about 50 to 60 years. So it's just it's it's hard to see if you if you didn't know if we would have walked through the life of Joseph which we probably normally would have done verse by verse chapter by chapter, but just picking up literally between verses 21 and 22. There's like a whole life lived. Joseph is probably around sixty 50 or 60. I went his dad Jacob passes away. And then we're just kind of given this this descendants 2 kind of some of that life and then we go to immediately the end of Joseph. So I so I think it'll help if we Look at the whole text in its entirety and then we'll break it apart to walk through it. So if you can you will a stand together just to reverence God's word.

Genesis chapter 50

verse 14 Which hole did after he? Had buried his father Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had going up with him to bury his father. But Joseph's brother saw Brothers saw that their father was dead. They said it may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him. So they send a message to Joseph saying your father gave this command before he died say to Joseph. Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin. Because they did Evil to you now, please forgive the transgression of the Servants of the god of your father. Joseph wept when they spoke to him his brothers also came and fell down before him and said behold. We are your servants but Joseph said to them do not fear for I am i n m i in the place of God. That's who you you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive. As they are today, so we do not fear. So do not fear I will provide for you and your little ones. Does he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived a hundred and ten years and Joseph saw ephraim's Children of the third generation the children also of Mack Mack here the son of Manasseh. War counted as Joseph Zone and Joseph said to his brothers I am about to die. But God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob then Joseph made the sons of Israel. Swear saying God will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from here. So Joseph died being a hundred and ten years old. They involved him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. This is God's word for us as people this morning. Let's pray together.

Would we approach you once more just really Lord to pause and and Lord just to acknowledge or need to confess our need. my maid Lord I have no ability even on my best day. To do anything God other than mess this up. So I pray father that you would bring Glory To Your Great Name through anointing your servant Lord. I pray God that you would speak through me or speak in spite of me. The guy that you would speak and then we would hear and that we would respond or we thank you for text like this in Lourdes. The text God did that you're going to give to us as we as we walked through these these next few weeks. Lord maybe encourage our heart. Mayday. Mayday teach us Lord and may they help us? May they grow us. Lord we need you with knowledge this and we asked Lord that you would be glorified through the preaching of your word. We ask these things in the powerful name of Jesus Amen. You can be seated.

Crosses can bring clarity. Would you agree with that? Crosses can bring clarity.

The death of a family member like we just read about. Perhaps most of us would even say this that the death of a family member is probably one of the hardest things that we will walk through here on this Earth. I am so very blessed and grateful that my mom and dad or here still. I know that many of you have experienced that the passing of a mother or father and some of you have even had to experience the passing of a child and most of us, I think that had had to walk through grief would say that nothing really comes close to that it is without a doubt the hardest thing that we walk through and why is that I think that one of the reasons why it's so tough is it is we have had our whole experience based on having that person in our life and now they're gone. Hopefully prayerfully in the presence of the Lord and we were Joyce in that but what do we do now? How do we handle Thanksgiving that's coming up this week and then there's Christmas and then there's birthdays in their anniversaries. How do we move forward and all of those things are going through her mind and and you know for the most part are society, which is very different than the rest of the world Elizabeth have never been to a funeral had never seen a dead body until she came to America and she grew up in Europe and that's just not a way that they process death in Europe, but a society where we live at there's a little bit of variables, you know, the way the length of wakes and visitation some kind of change, but for the most part our society has been in itself this process it's going to kind of take over your life for a few days. When you have the loss of a loved one, you know that you have to go and make preparations. If they're not ever been made still you have to go in and get dates and times and places sort it out. And then you know that the next day or within the near future you're going to be having a lot of people come and try to express or share their condolences and either that evening or the next day more than likely you're going to have a funeral and then beyond the funeral you're going to go to. The graveyard and then perhaps you might have a meal but but after all of that and some of you have been there and some of you probably would say I allowed a man to this after all that is when it really gets hard because you have to start wondering what do I do now? Somebody told me what to do all these days. What do I do now? I'm going home to an empty house. So I'm going home to a house full of pictures. That's just going to be reminded me of this death is very challenging very hard.

my particular calling I would say requires but I would even say it gives it's an honor that that I'm called in to be with families a lot of a lot of families that have to walk through death in.

Cross is King can bring Clarity, you know. It's always a question. I would usually ask a bride and a groom as we're nearing their wedding day. I will use ask this question. Is there any potential that if I could break out at your wedding? Anybody going to be there? That's not cool with this. I might need to know that and you know, sometimes there is somebody that you need to watch Uncle so and so you know or whatever. But you know the situation circumstances. Times like that most of the time we can kind of hold it together, right? Play another place where there's a great potential for a fight to break out. Mets funerals for the most part, you know, we know how to behave good manners will keep it all together, but after the funeral what what pretty quickly becomes clear How things really are right. I'll gather down here at the fellowship hall. We need fried chicken and kind of get a loan but

Give me a little time and you going to see what kind of family Dynamics are there. Some things are going to come up to the surface. some poisons that have not been dealt with some unforgiveness that has not been sold or given sometimes comes to the surface and I think that's what we got going on right here.

crosses Krause's candy can give Clarity in in not and I want to say this because he thinks very interesting 17 years have passed. Since Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. They were shocked awestruck. They come to Egypt to try to save their family. And the Very man that has all the power in Egypt is the very man that they threw in it.

Surely he's going to kill us. Surely he's going to enact his revenge now, but that's not what he does is it he has to remove himself out of their presents the first time he sees them because he's so wounded and hurt and and all that stuff comes flooding back.

17 years have passed since Joseph said it's good. We're good and for 17 years, he has took care of his brothers and his daddy and all their family and all their flocks. So imagine what he's feeling that 17 years removed from the date. Thinking that everything is kind of good and now they bring this back. Crosses can bring clarity.

Can give us clarity now before we dig in this morning. I got to hurry up later 13 minute introduction. What have I done? Before we did again. I want it. I want to say something really clear. If you don't hear anything else. I say please hear this. We are not in a crisis.

Please hear that we are not in a crisis. But we are in a place in a season of change and for a lot of people what does change equal process right? I don't like change. I don't want change. I don't need change. God is bringing change. God is bringing change to us as a church got his bringing change to us as a family. What do we do with change what we need to pray that God would give us clarity through this transition that he would he would make it Crystal Clear what it is that we need to do what it is that we need to be about how it is that we need to move forward and over the next couple of weeks and I hope is next two weeks with Will and it will go look at to specific cases and the people in and specific things we can pull out of Joshua taking over as Moses dies in the next one will be Elijah taking over as Elijah is taken to the to the to the Lord tonight or this morning. We're not going to look at the specifics so much of the people but what kind of from 30000 feet look down at the story and see what it is that we can see that will help give us Clarity in this is what we want to arrive at transition good God transition transition God brings about in our life should read direct us towards God's faithfulness and also his future for us. That's what it should do. But we got to have Clarity for this to happen because what what what possibly could happen as we walked through a transition know what possibly does happen when families walkthrough Daya anybody know of siblings that's not talked since Mom and Daddy's will was read. And I know that. Somebody got this and I didn't get that and you know, so I'm just going to not going to talk to you no more.

Here's the deal. Do we want what we want or do we want what God wants for all of us. We want what God wants so we need Clarity and we're going to see some some truth some points here in this text. It's going to give us some clarity. So start Jamie. All right, let's start March 14th after he had buried his father Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had grown up with him to bury his father now, I don't know about you, but for me, I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving. I'm really looking forward to Christmas. I'm really looking forward to those times that I get to be with my family because change is coming change has just been experienced by Joseph finale by Joseph and his brothers. They have literally took half of Egypt with them. It seems like if you read this chapter and they have mourned for days weeks months The Passion of Jacob they went back and Israel was buried and Dave that they had to walk. True that so I would imagine that when Joseph is getting back to Egypt. He's getting back to what he had done for so many years prior to this that he was kind of expecting that they would have some time with I could just kind of Fellowship just going to hang out you'll have everybody over and I'll eat some good food watch some football just kind of you know, I have a good time, but that's that's that's probably what's going through J. Joseph's my but what's going through his brothers mine. What's going through their mind?

beer Fingers going through their mind for 17 years. I just have to believe that Joseph was really a man of his word that he really was a man that trusted God with all of his life. I mean you see him interpreting Pharaoh's dream said I don't give these interpretations. God gives them. I'm good with whatever happens. And he forgives his brothers. I have to believe it for 17 years. Joseph was an awesome brother and amazing uncle.

But there's something going on in the in the hearts in The Lofts of Joseph's brothers for 17 years. That was festering. You ever had something kind of festering in you or in your life when your family when you maybe got some festering right now? It's going to explode at Thanksgiving. I'm praying for you. Something was festering in their heart and it was this guilt and shame because they had never asked for Jeff Joseph's forgiveness read the text. They never repent of what they did Joseph freely gives them that forgiveness and they are festering with guilt and shame and they are approaching this new season where Jacob is no longer there and how are they approaching this new season? Which fear look at look you can if you can hear it in the Wordsworth 15th when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead. They said it may be That Joseph will hate us. MPS back for all the evil that we did to him what they're saying is irrational. But what the spear oftentimes producing us, we become irrational people for 17 years. He is modeled forgiveness. He's modeled his love for them. But now they're assuming that becomes Daddy's Gone. Joseph is going to really show him who he is. irrational stuff starts circulating in their head and they speak it. Peter does that to us and as we approach season of transition fear wants to come close and fear wants to produce a rationality and us.

Films to say that it's not going to be the same and it's not going to be the same. But that doesn't mean that it's going to be worse. Right here.

If God is doing this. I believe he is. And I believe that God has got something better for this. Then what you have currently got? So we must not approach transitional times with fear because when we approach it with fear, what do we often times do with their fear as Fallen human beings? Do we confess it to God would bring it to God anybody grow up with words in that your family use that you aren't sure are real words. It was a word that came to my mind as I was studying this out that I was like I honestly had to research it whether or not we asked if this is a real word or just something I was exposed to be exposed to the word finagling. That's a real word. I went for sure because you don't hear it a lot. But but it's a word in my vocabulary and you see these brothers who Walking In Fear And what do they do? They start finagling and what finagling is a little definition of finagling is to obtain by trickery to obtain by trickery its manipulation is something that many of us do very well. If we want somebody to move, so we start manipulating them through not talking to them or talking to somebody else or doing all kinds of crazy stuff because we're crazy. So many times these brothers or gripped with fear. So they start finagling and it's it's so sad to see what they're doing Listen to listen to what to do for 16th. So they sent a message to Joseph was just grieving the loss of his dad. And this is what that message say. Please say to Joseph, please forgive the transgressions of your brothers and their seeing because they did Evil to you.

Can you imagine? imagine

Jacob just died. Jacob probably wanted this but this was not on Jacobs radar because he probably I'm sure he believed that Joseph had already forgiven his brothers imagine. You gripped by fear. Can you imagine using A lot to try to get your way.

Anybody ever experienced that? Did I ever done that?

I didn't lie. I just didn't tell the whole truth. Or I didn't know. They couldn't handle the truth. So that they're lying Jake. Jacob didn't save this. weather for Negley and look at what it does to Joseph.

Last 4 verse 17 Joseph wept when they spoke this to him. Why do you think you whipped?

Are we still here? Publix really still here 17 years. I've Loved You 17 years. I've had you in my home 17 years. I have picked up your children 17 years. We've done life together and we're still here. Will your lying Still finagling Still In transition is going to require us to approach this changing season with faith not fear. And here's the deal. They can I say that there ain't none of y'all more scared than this old boy right now.

Cuz I know that where I've been pulling up to the trough has been pretty good for the last 14 years running real good. Not many brothers have been loved like I have been loved not many brothers have had the opportunity to Pastor such a great church as I have been given the opportunity. I will never would have dreamed it. I never would have dreamed that growing up here. Did I would have had the opportunity to be the pastor of First Baptist Decatur? And some of you probably said I would never would have had that not marry their brother, but I never would have dreamed it and I am scared but I cannot finagle I can finagle I cannot try to do things underhandedly try to get the end result. They wanted forgiveness and they already had it we want God's Will and we have it. So we must with Clarity we must approach it with pipe. Look at what Joseph does and then we'll move it on real quick. His brothers came fell down before him and said behold. We are your servants but Joseph said to them do not fear for am I in the place of God made? They're battling before him and chose to forget is like, I'm your brother. Not God. Am I in the place of God verse 20 ask for you you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. So do not fear I will provide for you and your little ones does he look at that word comforted them? It spoke kindly to them. You that that's what we're hoping will happen. And here's the deal some of you are going to have to comfort the person sitting beside you. Some of you are going to be required to speak in meetings and gatherings in. Preaching in view of calls. You're going to be recalled required to comfort people because they're going to be tempted to say well, that's not like Jamie. You don't need somebody Jamie. That's not like brother Jim. You don't need somebody like brother Jim. That's not like Craig. Will you don't need you need whoever it is that God has got for you. Because you had brother GM you've had Craig you had Jamie. We won't who God wants. I've got a got a vested interest in this going good. Cuz my wife and my children are going to be here and my mom and my sister and my brother-in-law and not only them who am I blood relation, but you my family. so you going to be required to be a comforter to The Afflicted? I hope and pray that you will step into that role. And be that person that God is needing you to be through the season of change Claritin transitions going to require us that we approach it with faith. Not fear.

What else? Well, if we want Clarity if we want to transitional Clarity didn't then we're going to have to choose to celebrate what God has done verse 22. So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived a hundred and ten years and Joseph saw it from his children of the 3rd Generation the children also of Makemake hear the son of Manasseh or counted as Joseph's own. They were placed on his knee when they were born transitional Clarity is going to see if we're going to have it. We got to choose to celebrate what God has done. Now. This is kind of a summation of Joseph's life. Look what you don't see there. What do you not see you? Don't see any of the mess. You don't see any of the the junk right? There's no speaking of pits and Coat of Many Colors smeared with blood. There's no mention of Potiphar's wife trying to find a throw him under the bus. There's none of that what is mentioned here? That's faithful. Joseph said it to bring about many people that they should be kept alive as they are today.

Now I'm going to say something that may offend right here. So I love perfect meal prep missing a statement like this so that you'll actually wake up and hear what I got to say.

It's a choice. It's a choice. We have to choose to celebrate God's faithfulness. Because that's not natural to us and I'm going to give you an illustration to second but but this church has a long and illustrious history for 200 years. This church has been around in 1823 was when it was founded. For 200 years and you can walk up and down these pews and you can see name plates of pastors who have served here for thirty. Some odd years sitting ministers that have impacted Generations steel bearing fruits for because of their faithfulness.

But we also have a history It's Not So Glamorous, right? We also have a history of heart. and Brokenness and difficulty What are we going to choose? to remember what are we going to choose to talk about? Some of us are very tempted to still talk about things that happened years and years and years ago. that Dishonored the Lord will all acknowledge that but they're back there. We are not still back there First Baptist Decatur. We are not we are not that church and I'm not saying it because of me I'm saying it's because of the Lord. And we must choose to celebrate God's faithfulness. We must choose to let the past stay back there and recognize that God has a future for us. God has a future for this church. That is glorious because it's going to bring glory to his great name. We must commit will we commit to celebrate? God's faithfulness

I got.

lost Asia lost a good friend about 2 weeks ago. Did his funeral two Sundays ago and I was struggling really really struggling because I'm standing this place and being who God called me to be. You just I don't know. It's probably me. Not not to call him. But you just kind of get in the zone and you try to be a pastor or be a Shepherd or be whatever and you don't actually sometimes. Grade yourself or process things ourselves Max passes and find something in my heart. That's not all not normally there at the loss of of someone frustrated. stupid angry

I was really frustrated because he passed on a Thursday morning early and and I could have went by Wednesday. That was running everywhere and I didn't go by there. I want to say that I was assured that he would be all right until the next day was why I didn't go by there by a stray that I can go by there and I was prayed about this because it was it was kind of a scary going to be in if we got any guests here this morning if it's really bothers you come back in January, but it was towards the Lord. most frustrated and a bit angry I should have good when you got to preach funeral, you know or preach every so often so I started praying about it and one morning the Lord just woke me up with this picture this image of someone walking through this field towards me and an m and just a thought in my mind that Jenny you can be frustrated. The max is gone, or you can be grateful. That I brought him into your life.

We can be frustrated. January is coming. Preaching to myself not y'all cuz y'all are almost spiritual than I am. You much better place than I am. We can be frustrated. Anyways coming or we can celebrate 14 years ago. God did something great in my life. transitional Clarity last one Real quick. Got to commit that God's got something good in front of us first 24. Look at what Joseph does which I think it's fascinating. I love to come back to this and we may come back to this on Wednesday night prayer prayer group, but I love to come back to the store cuz it's so full. There's 24 Joseph said to his brothers. I am about to die. But God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. I visit a lot of people about to die very few of them. Are still trying to make life better for the ones that are around them you a lot of times. It's it's just it's so hard. Look at what Joseph doing. He's knowing his death is ending and what is he doing redirecting them away from gazing at him towards this promise that God had made hundreds of years ago to Abraham. The church, we must commit to the Future God has for all of us. My time now is ending I'm dying. You're going to have to embalm me. You going to put me in a coffin, but your time is not ending. You're going to look forward to a time where you going to go out of this place? into the Promised Land man

Joseph is doing something that I think it's such a gift to those who are grieving. Is helping them let go and look forward to do. Was got to do that.

Transition should and that's a big word. when God brings transition It should remind us of God's faithfulness. Andre direct us or refocus us or whatever it does other are you need? Towards what God's got in front of us. That's what it should do. But we got to do our part. We've got to commit that God's got a future for us. We got to celebrate what he's done. And we've got approach this with Faith not fear. God is going to meet us there going to meet us at I don't know what transition you're walking through. Obviously all of us are walking through this one. But perhaps you're walking through another transition. I would encourage you the same truths can be ripped out of are context and put into yours. I promise you that let's pray to God father. We love you and thank you that you are you are good.