An Unexpected Journey
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”
So Jacob after speaking with the Lord journeyed onto Egypt. Arriving there He finds Joseph Informing him that the Egyptians won’t be happy about them moving there. In fact they will end up shoving them to the outskirts of Egypt in the land of Goshen.
<Show maps of Egypt and Goshen>
Sometimes we take unexpected Journeys
Sometimes we take unexpected Journeys
Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
Jacob sees Joseph, they hug and cry and then Joseph says: We are so glad your here. Well I am. But you see here is the thing, Egyptians trust no one. Especially Nomads and Gypsys. Wanderers. To them you look like Nomads. Tell them you are shepherds and they will keep you far from them.
Welcome to Egypt! Yay!
Ever felt like that. you know God is moving, but when you get there its underwhelming.
The Pains of Sin do not die easily.
Jacob Dies. This happy redeemed family is restored. Well not entirely
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Sometimes things are just Awkward!
Sometimes things are just Awkward!
We see in Josephs Life that Forgiveness isn’t quite as cut and dry as we would like it to be.
You see our relationships begin or at least should begin from a place of trust and mutual respect. Relationships begin when we have things in common and our personalities blend or at least tolerate one another.
A relationship has begun. This is any kind of relationship. romantic, platonic it doesn’t matter these are just things a healthy relationship needs.
Lets say the initial relationship is like the garden of eden. Its fantastic. Its safe, it perfect. But before too long we mess it up. Someone gets hurt, someone wounds and in the split second of a moment a relationship is fractured. It altered and set on a journey it was not intended to go down.
So think of Josephs life with his family. In Canaan everything was safe and everything was perfect. They were in the promise and will of God. In time Sin rose and fractured this family. Sin Fractured Eden. It shattered what God intended.
Sin rose and Josephs brothers Sinned against HIM. They wronged him and now Joseph is in Egypt rising in power and influence. Becoming a father to pharoah God uses Joseph to redeem the world from famine.
Josephs brothers comes buy food and through the power of God Joseph and his family are back together again.
This time not in Canaan but in Egypt. After the redemption of God and this family. They are in Egypt. Not Canaan!
I thought Pastor Joe the work of the cross made everything back the way it was. I thought Joseph forgave his family. Things should just be as they were for Joseph. A happy ending in Canaan. With his family.
But you see friends when Sin wrecks things Gods Solution is not to take you and I back to Eden or Joseph back to Canaan. God plan is far more glorious than that.
When we receive His forgiveness or we forgive one another we cannot expect everything to restart. When I accepted Jesus as a teenager He did not give me a do over on Life. He did say go 3 again and try this over. He did not send me to the beginning of life to give it another shot.
He said Go and Sin no more. Start Here and move forward!
Son many people when they give or receive forgiveness they will deny reality. They will pretend nothing happened. But never Calls on you and I to deny reality. He calls on us to face reality with him.
Here are Joseph and his brothers. Redemption has happened but they clearly still have issues and cleary are being bathed in fear and guilt. They are living in the past. Holding on to Eden if you will. Holding on to a life that can never be again.
I thought Gods redemption was to unmake all of my errors. Well yes and no. His redemption paid the penalty for Sin. For my sin. My the cross by its very existence does not deny that a Sin has occured.
Christ never says go and live like you never made any mistakes. No He said Give glory to God for has has redeemed your Sin.
Christ mission is not to take you and I back to Eden. Back to the Garden. That is not the plan. When You and I partake in forgiveness we cannot expect to go back to eden. Sin has has fractured the plan. Things will be different but hear me out today.
Your life may have begun in a spiritual eden, Sin shattered it. If you allow Christ today. He will take you to Zion.
You See the world opened up in a garden, but it will close in a City.
Gods redemptive plan is not to return you to Eden. It is to prepare for Zion.
Gods redemptive plan is not to return you to Eden. It is to prepare for Zion.
When you and I walk through hurt and forgiveness whether we are the offender or the offended, we cannot expect that relationship to be the same. It is forever altered. Now if you allow Christ He will lea you to the cross and that relationship though altered can be better than it was before.
Gods idea of redemption is not to merely take you back where you started but to take you forward in Christ into eternity.
Are you longing for Eden when God is trying to bring you Zion?
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Let God this morning lead you into His plan. Into His future.
Are you stuck trying to relive the past? Are you in a perpetual Groundhog day?
It is time to Set out on a journey with Christ into His plan.
Maybe you have walked in and through forgiveness with Someone and you say: It’s just not the same. they reality is is it will never be the same again. It however can be with Jesus better than it was before.
Hallelujah