Living and Finishing Well in Faith

Good morning, everyone! Whether you're here with us in the room or joining online—listening live or later—we’re truly glad you're here. You're part of our extended spiritual family, and we're thankful for you.

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For the rest of us, grab your Bible, get comfortable, and get ready for what God has for you today.

Last week we discussed the salvation that comes from surrendering and we had a great time looking at what it means to surrender to the Lord. Of course, later on as Joseph confronts his brothers and discusses what they did, he tells them…”As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose." —(Joseph) . In other words. What man means for evil…God means for good!

Here in Northern Illinois, many people know the name Walter Payton — ‘Sweetness’ — one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. Being from Dallas, I would argue that Emmet Smith was better, but that’s ok… Walter spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears, and he was famous for one thing above all: he never stopped running. He fought for every yard, even when the game seemed unwinable, even when his body was completely exhausted. He didn’t ever coast to the finish. Because of that, when his career ended, he left as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, remembered for grit and perseverance. In the Christian life, we’re called to that same mindset — not just starting well, but finishing well. In Genesis 47, Jacob shows us what it looks like to run hard in faith all the way to the end.

Walter Payton ran every yard like it mattered, and when the game clock finally ran out on his career, he had left everything on the field. Genesis 47 brings us to the closing time of Jacob’s life — the game clock is almost at zero — and we get to see how he finishes. So, let’s sit back, open God’s Word together, and read Genesis 47:27–31 to see the final chapter of Jacob’s story.

Genesis 47:27–31 ESV

Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years. And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.

In the verses we just read, we see more than a deathbed scene — we see a man whose life has been shaped by God’s promises over and over again, right down to his final moments….his final breaths. This section opens with a short reminder that even in Egypt — a foreign land — God’s people were flourishing. That’s the first thing we need to see: Jacob’s moments are framed by God’s providence. Look at this…

God’s People Flourish Under His Providence (vv. 27)

Yeah…it’s that simple. I know some of you here today are thinking…”but I’m not flourishing”. I get that…here’s what you need to remember though. The picture of your flourishing is not simply a picture of material wealth of physical health. That’s why I rail so much against the false teaching of prosperity, because those guys teach that health and wealth are the only picture of God working in your life. Folks..that’s simply untrue…it’s a lie from the enemy that keeps people from trusting and relying on the grace of God the Father.

In this section here, we know that God has previously promised certain things to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were promised: land, a specific piece of land; seed, to be a great nation; and blessing, that the world would be blessed through this family specifically. So, we’ve seen that happening slowly. The land was promised is Canaan, and later Moses will lead the Israelites back to that land. The seed promise is beginnig to be fulfilled right here in Egypt. The blessing promise has been fulfilled partially through Joseph’s management of the famine, but more broadly this promise will be fulfilled many centuries later as Jesus dies on the cross and rises from the tomb. That is the real blessing that came about through these promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Today what we see though is that

God’s hand blesses His people even in a foreign land.

Jacob’s family was no longer in Canaan which is the land that God had promised them. Previously they had left that land as an act of running away and not trusting. However, this time they have left as God has provided a way to survive the famine that was in the land. If God is sovereign then he knew this famine was coming, and he ruled over even this famine. However, he also provided a way out of the suffering of the famine. That was was to follow Joseph into Egypt. Look at how God is blessing this family while in Egypt.

Genesis 47:27 ESV

…And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly.

They grew in numbers while in Egypt. Of course in a few years that’s going to be a problem for them that they are so large and Egypt will enslave them. However, for now they are still growing out of just 1 large family into a large nation. It’s beautiful.

What we really see is that God’s promises are not bound by geography or by circumstance. God’s promises are true no matter where you are…

That’s not all though. While God is blessing and the nation of Israel is growing and flourishing, there is something important that they must hold on too.

Flourishing is meant to strengthen faith, not foster complacency.

That’s important because many people get stuck when God blesses them and they fall into the false belief that they don’t need to rely on God after all. They begin to believe that they are the source of their own blessings and they forget that God is the one that is blessing. There’s a passage in Deuteronomy that warns us not to forget the Lord when you are blessed with abundance.

Deuteronomy 8:10–11 ESV

And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today,

Listen, in my years as a believer and as a pastor in various places…I’ve seen people who once claimed to want to serve the Lord and then they began to get busy and business picked up and then they forgot where those blessings came from and they forgot why God had blessed them in the first place. Don’t let that be you…Whatever you have have, great or small, is a gift from the Lord and it is to be used to glorify your Father in Heaven.

True prosperity is not financial or even emotional, but it is spiritual. True prosperity is in Christ, not Earthly gain. Don’t be an example of leaving God behind and feeling that you have become too successful in your field to have time for the Lord. I met some farmers in Ireland, and this family that we met we were told are the only contract farmers in Northern Ireland that will not work on Sunday because that is the Lords day. They are incredibly successful as a family run organization. They are happy, content, and blessed — not because of their work schedule, but because they honor the Lord with their time and their work.

That’s because they realize that earthly flourishing is not the goal—it just prepares us for faithfulness in life’s final chapter. You see…

Faith Prepares for the End with Hope in God’s Promises (vv. 28–30)

When you are coming up to the end of your day’s the thing that will give you hope of a future with the Lord is looking back on God’s promises throughout your life, and seeing Scripture after Scripture of God’s fulfilled promises.

In the end of Genesis 47, Jacob is 147 years old, the text slows down to tell us about his final request — that Joseph not bury him in Egypt but carry him to Canaan. To be clear…this is not just Jacob being sentimental or some kind of nostalgia — This is a deliberate act of faith in God’s covenant promises to give Abraham’s descendants the land of Canaan.

What we see here is that

Jacob’s faith was forward-focused, grounded in God’s covenant.

God’s promises to Jacob all the way back in Genesis 28 when Jacob had a dream with a ladder that rose into the heavens, are grounding him still today. Those promises have anchored his hope for his life. He didn’t always live faithfully, and he for sure sinned…but God’s promises were true in Jacob’s mind and so he has been largely living his life believing what God said.

You know…if we’re honest, I think we would have to all acknowledge that we don’t always believe God’s promises do we…I don’t mean you will verbalize your lack of faith in God’s promises…but the way you life shows your true belief, and many of you listening to these words right now need to repent of your lack of true faith. Whether is it living a double life and pretending to follow God on Sunday’s while ignoring him throughout the week, or withholding your generosity because you forgot that God is the one who gave to you to begin with. Whatever it is…take this as your reminder to turn your focus off of yourself, and back on the Lord. Because

True faith longs for God’s place and God’s presence

Jacob is focused and acknowledging that his ultimate delight is in resting in God’s promises. Here’s the deal though, Jacob isn’t just thinking about where his bones will rest; he’s making a statement that his ultimate home is with God and His people in the place God has promised. Even on his deathbed, his hope is only in God and his presence. Jacob proves that point by making Joseph promise to take his bones back to Canaan where God has promised to his descendants.

As a believer, your true security doesn’t rest in this location where you are today…your true security rests only on God’s eternal kingdom.

Jacob knew Egypt was not the end of the story. God’s promises stretched far beyond the fields of Goshen — all the way to the hills of Canaan, and beyond Canaan to God’s eternal kingdom. That kind of forward-focused faith changes how you face the end. And that faith, in Jacob’s case, overflowed in worship — which leads us to our final point.

Finishing Well Means Worship and Witness to the Next Generation (v. 31)

Jacob’s last recorded act in Genesis 47 isn’t about wealth or family legacy — it’s about worship. His body was frail, his health was failing, but his faith was strong. The text says, “Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.” Another translation says he “worshiped while leaning on his bed.” In other words — when Jacob could no longer stand tall before men, he still bowed low before God. What a beautiful picture of a lifetime of faith. You see…

Worship at life’s end crowns a life of faith.

Psalm 73:26 captures this heart: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” This isn’t an automatic response when the body is failing. It’s cultivated over years — through praising God in joy and clinging to Him in sorrow. Jacob’s bowed head is a lifetime of worship in one final gesture.

My flesh and heart may fail, but I still worship…Is this your prayer this morning? So…are you preparing for that kind of testimony? Are you praising God in joy and clinging to Him in sorrow?

For Jacob the end was just as important as the beginning…that’s because

Final acts can testify to God’s promises.

Jacob’s burial request was a sermon to his family: “Egypt is not our home. God’s promise still stands.” Like Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7, he could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Your funeral will be one of the most powerful testimonies you ever give. Will it point to the faithfulness of God?…Our greatest witness — especially in life’s closing moments — is unshaken confidence in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

So here’s Jacob — frail, dying, yet worshiping. one of his final acts is to lean on God’s promises and to leave behind a clear witness for his family. Listen…this is not just an ancient story — let this be a mirror for you. Because one day, your last chapter will be written. The question is — will it read like Jacob’s? That’s where we need to land this morning, with some clear ways to live in light of this truth.

1. Live now with the end in view.

Don’t wait until later in life and then decide you should be living a life of faithfulness. Every choice you make today is building toward the testimony you will leave tomorrow. Are you currently living according to the testimony you want to leave to others? Heb. 12:1-2 says, “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…” Don’t wait until you’re older to begin preparing to finish well. Start forming the habits of faith and worship now.

2. Cultivate a worshipful heart in all seasons.

Worship in the hospital starts with worship in your kitchen, in your car, at your desk. What do I mean by that? The ability to worship in hard times is built upon worshiping the Lord in the easy and monotonous times. Ps 34:1 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

3. Pass on the promises intentionally.

Jacob’s burial request was a deliberate act to remind his family that God’s promises are true. Your words, your actions, your priorities are preaching a sermon to your children, your grandchildren, coworkers, and friends, and they will remember long after you’re gone.

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 ESV

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Finally

4. Anchor your hope where it cannot be shaken.

Goshen was a gret piece of land. However, it didn’t matter how great that land was…Jacob’s heart was set on Canaan where God had made a promise. Don’t be content with the comfortable things of this earth—set your eyes on the eternal things. We read that in Col. 3…“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Listen, the comfortable things of this Earth will fail…God’s promises will never fail! Where do you want to place your eternal hope?

Jacob’s hope wasn’t in Egypt or even in the soil of Canaan — it was in the God who keeps His promises, even through death. Those promises find their ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1:20). Jesus is the true and better Jacob, who faced death, was buried, and rose again — not just to claim a plot of land, but to secure an eternal inheritance for all who trust Him (1 Pet. 1:3–4).

Folks, if you’ve never trusted Christ, you may still laps to run in your race…or the finish line could be closer than you think. Don’t take another step without Him. Come to the One who has run the race perfectly, the one who has finished the work completely, and who now offers you forgiveness, eternal life, and a place in His kingdom.

And believer, remember — we finish well not by our own strength, but by fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Let’s live so that when our last chapter is written, it reads like Jacob’s — a life leaning on God’s promises, ending in worship, and pointing others to the Lord.

Lets pray