Untitled Sermon (2)

Alaska missions trip plane ride…

Cessna cockpit pic

We are constantly retraining hearts to the good and bad of our life and what is and is not dangerous…

A little over 20 years have passed since Joseph was sold by his own brothers into slavery. He is now between 37 and 40 years of age. Ups and downs.. The slave has become prime minister. Scripture sys his power is equal to that of the pharaoh.

Just as Joseph had predicted, there had been seven years of plenty, and now they are going into the seven lean years and the lands around Egypt are running out of food, including the land of Canaan.

With all he has been through, he never wavered from his trust in God.. He always trusted the warning lights.. in his life..

These warning light could be a moral compass some might say your conscience.

The dictionary defines conscience as “the inner sense of what is right or wrong in one’s conduct or motives and urges one toward right action.”

We know that God with Joseph and Gods words mattered to Joseph they became his guide..

Martin Luther said,

You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you.

The word gives you warning lights it changes your moral compass your conscious

Tell story.. famine is in the land Jacob..joseph’s dad ..family is without food..send his sons..except benjamen ..the new favorite.. to get food..

Send back with the money..

Genesis 42 and 43

Waves of conscience

Are you without sin?

Hot tub..

Genesis 42:18-23 (ESV)

18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me. So your words will be verified, and you shall not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.” 22 And Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did not know that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.

Are there any warning lights currently in your life that are flahsiing and you are not paying attention too?

First warning is sin seperates you from God

Isaiah 59:2 (ESV)

2 but your iniquities have made a separation

between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden his face from you

so that he does not hear.

Second warning appeal to self instead of God

2 Peter 2:18 (ESV)

18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.

The more we live in the world the more these warning light dull their senses.. the more we stop paying attention to God’s word the more these buzzers stop sounding.

How do we keep these lights and buzzers going..

Keep the waves of conscience going

Confess it

Brothers confess about the money to their dad and to Joseph

Confess homo legeo

Acknowledge and agree with

We acknowledge that it is a sin and we agree with God’s word that it is a sin..

Thankful that John says God is fathful and Just to forgive us but we must take our sin serious or the we will not hear or see the warning lights..

So do not deny it, deal with it, acknowledge it and agree with it and confess it.

Psalm 32:3-5 (ESV)

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away     through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;     my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,     and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”     and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Judah and his brothers tear their clothes when they hear that the cup is in Benjamin’s clothes because of the anguish over this sin that has been committed..

James 5:16 (ESV0

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

We must reconcile with each other and pray for each other.. this is God’s healing power…

Keep the waves of conscience going

Fix it if you can

Another way to make the warnings lauder and brighter is to go above and beyond to make things right.

Genesis 43:12-13 (ESV)

12 Take double the money with you. Carry back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it was an oversight.13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again to the man.

Zacchaeus

Luke 19:8 (ESV)

8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

Do not excuse it

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” Benjamin Franklin

When you apologize you cannot change the past that’s because an apology is meant to change the future.

Keep the waves of conscience going

Do not wait, do it today

Jacob waits to make thngs right..

Genesis 43:10 (ESV)

10 If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice.”

Jesus sermon on the mount.. beatitudes

Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV)

23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

James 5:16 (ESV)

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Communion paul..

1 Corinthians 11:26-29 (ESV)

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

Hebrews 12:14 (ESV)

Keep the waves of conscience going

Grow

Don’t stay the same

What did I learn from what I did wrong.. pay attention to the warning lights

Genesis 37 and 38

Judah instead of standing up for Joseph tried tricking his brothers

Judah lied to his dad

Judah slept with his daughter in law, Tamar.. got her pregnant tried to cover it up and have her burned for her infedility.. then she exposed him and they ended up having twin boys..

Is this someone who could be used by God?

Genesis 43

Judah cares about the whole family not just himself

Judah cares for Simeon who they left in prison and wants to do whatever is necessary to get him home

Judah wants to do the right thing

Ephesians 4:13-15 (ESV)

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Keep the waves of conscience going

Bears the burden

Genesis 44:8-9 (ESV)

8 And Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

Keep the waves of conscience going

Honest

Genesis 43:20-23 (ESV)

20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we came down the first time to buy food. 21 And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man's money in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, 22 and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”23 He replied, “Peace to you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money.”

Judah’s honesty is freeing..

Honesty Brings you Peace

Keep the waves of conscience going

Passing the Test

Genesis 44:1-3 (ESV)

“Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack, 2 and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him.

James 1:12 (ESV)

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

The Temptation

Genesis 44:15 (ESV)

15 Joseph said to them, “What deed is this that you have done?

Judah and the brothers have another opportunity to get rid of the favorite brother.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

The way of escape is God and following his word

Romans 8:37 (ESV)

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Anything that comes our way, anything that tempts us, any tragedy that befalls us, we are capable, in God’s power, of overcoming. In all things we can achieve spiritual victory, through Christ.

NOT ONLY IS THE TRUTH TOLD ABOUT THE SILVER BUT ABOUT WHAT THEY DID TO JOSEPH..NOT REALIZING THERE IS AN INTERPRETUR THERE..JUDAH IN FRONT OF JOSEPH TELLS HIS OTHER BROTHERS THEY ARE WROND FOR WHAT THEY DID

Keep the waves of conscience going

Sacrifice

Genesis 44:33-34 (ESV)

33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. 34 For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father.”

The more we listen and see the warning signs of Gods word.. the more we rid ourselves of sin the more God reveals himself to us

Genesis 45:1-3 (ESV)

Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Make everyone go out from me.” So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. 3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph!

Joseph is staring at his brothers with clothes torn

Oh how their hearts have change for the new favorite son

Joseph wanted to see are they really changed

Perhaps he wanted them to see that they have changed

Real salvation brings transformation. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away. All things have become new.” You and I cannot be truly saved without a change taking place in our lives. The grace of God is power to save and to change even the vilest of sinners.

Communion

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

After communion

Lost in our sin Jesus makes us alive

How can you ever hold it inside

Don’t hold back

Let the salvation of Jesus change you and make your hearts burn bright like a fire…

Don’t stop singing his praise..!!!