Godly Greif

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 123

Psalm 123 ESV

A Song of Ascents. To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.

Scripture Memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As 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.”

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 7:9-12

2 Corinthians 7:9–12 ESV

As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God.

Sermon:

Good Morning Church! I was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord!

1

Speaker 1

00:00

Well once again, and as always, good morning church. I was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord. As many of you know, this last year I took on the joy of being a substitute teacher for middle school and high school students at Messia Valley Christian School this year, and I loved it it.

00:23

For me, it was a joy to be with. Kids again in that sort of position. I was a youth pastor for. Over 10 years, and it brought me right back to go hang out with the kids. But I was talking to them. Specifically, I was talking to the 10th graders a while back.

00:44

And it was, I was subbing for an English test, all right. Same for a new class, and I was helping them study for a test. They had a review for a test the next day. And as we're talking, I was trying to help them remember different thoughts and ideas from different things they've read.

00:59

And I was, like, well, it's, it's like The Telltale Heart. They looked at me that none of them. None of these 10th graders had ever read in full. The Telltale Heart? Which I think is maybe one of the greatest works of literature. It speaks to the heart of man.

01:17

In a very. Particular way. Though, knowing they hadn't read it. I won't assume everyone's read it. So, a quick synopsis of The Telltale Heart, I promise. This connects to our sermon in Genesis, but I just want to get our hearts and Minds ready and the Telltale Heart. There's a man who he kills his friend.

01:35

He murders him in the middle of the night. He cuts his body into pieces. And hides the body underneath the floorboard and cleans everything up. And he thinks he's gotten away with this. But it turns out he made one mistake the man cried out in the middle of the night.

01:55

So neighbors heard and the neighbors called the police. So, the police show up to investigate. And as they're interviewing this man, and he thinks he's gotten away with it, he starts to hear. The heartbeat of the man that he killed, beating under his floorboard. He ends up. Because he's going insane because of the the weight of sin that he just committed.

02:21

Convesting on himself, showing the police where the dead body is because he believes this heart that is beating is proclaiming his guilt that that even the cops can hear it, though. As it turns out, he's the only one, because again, he's gone. Slightly crazy. Now, bring up the Telltale Heart because, as I said, I think it's a.

02:43

One of the best. Non-Scriptural stories to explain The Human Condition. And the way our hearts. Operate Edgar Allan Poe as he wrote that I think had wisdom and insight to see the deeper workings of the heart of man as he wrote The Tell-Tale Heart. Because many times we think we've gotten away with things.

03:05

We think there'll be no consequences. And yet, the guilt that we feel in our own soul and conscience. Which would Edgar Allan Poe doesn't say, but I would say, which is a gift from the Lord? It weighs heavy on us, and though everyone around us might think we're innocent.

03:28

We know the truth. And God knows the truth, and that begins to press down upon our hearts. I bring this up because we've been going through the life of Joseph and we've seen Joseph in his ups and downs. He's interpreting dreams. He's in prison. He's succeeding it in in Pharaoh's house.

03:48

He's succeeding in Potiphar's house. And yet there's never been any recompense. There's never been any dealing with there's never been any justice. For his brothers that threw him in the pit. And then sold him into slavery in the first place. And so what happens in chapter 42 of Genesis is?

04:13

What we find out is the Joseph story. We look at the Joseph story. We think the bulk of Joseph's story is. Potiphar's house prison rising to Pharaoh. But, as we read through, what we find out is all of that. Is merely the background for the true story. Which is?

04:38

How the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? We'll preserve and protect many descendants. And bless the whole world through the sons. Of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our problem is the problem at the heart of this narrative, then is. The sons of Jacob. Israel's Sons. Is now basically in Egyptian.

05:07

We read it last week. He was given an Egyptian wife. He has Egyptian Sons he's laboring in Egyptian. And the other 11. The other 10. Last, we saw them were worthless scoundrels. And then we have Benjamin. The youngest of all. What do we do with all of this? How do we find?

05:30

Closure. How do we find recompense? It turns out the brothers know. They have not been behaving well, they know the guilt. The Telltale Heart of Joseph's? Plight. Beets in their hearts, they know their guilt. And for them. It produces. Godly grief. We will see in the text we have before us today.

06:03

I think the best example. That we can find in Genesis of directly. What is called of us? We look to the promises to Abraham to bless and keep in the covenantal promises, and there's lessons and God speaks to our heart, and we can appropriate those promises through Christ. And we look to the the lives of certain people, and we look to what they've done and what they've said, and we can find lessons in in chapter 42 of Genesis.

06:31

We have what might be the most clear example of this is how we ought to live. And we see it through the brothers. The no good Brothers the brothers where there's not been a story where we've looked at them and said, oh, they're great! We've had them beating up and selling Joseph.

06:50

We've had Reuben sleeping with his dad's concubine. We've had the story of of the defiling of Dinah and the brothers going in and killing an entire city. We've we've had a lot of bad stories, but here we have one worthy. Of.

07:10

Thought, our time, and in many ways, I would say our imitation Genesis chapter 42. I'm not going to read all of it, but I would like to start this morning by reading God's word. We're going to start by reading verse 1 through 22.

07:27

When Jacob had learned that there was grain for sale in Egypt, he said to his sons. Why do you look at one another? And he said, behold, I have heard there is grain for sale in Egypt go down and buy grain for us there. That we may live and not die.

07:44

So, 10 of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Benjamin Joseph's brother with his brothers. For, he feared that harm might happen to him. Thus, the sons of Israel came to buy among the others who came. For the famine was in the land of Canaan.

08:03

Now, Joseph was Governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. And Jesus. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them.

08:25

Where do you come from, he said? They said from the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they did not recognize him. And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had of them, and he said to them your spies, you have come to see the nakedness of the land.

08:44

They said him. No, my Lord, your servants have come to buy food. We are all sons of one man. We are honest men. Your servants have never been spies. He said to them. No, it is the nakedness of the land that you have come to see. They said, we, your servants, are 12 Brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold, the youngest, is this day with our father.

09:07

And one is no more. But Joseph said to them, it is Isaiah said to you. You are spies. By this, you shall be tested by the life of pharaoh. You shall not go from this place until your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you and let him bring your brother while you remain confined that your words may be tested where there, whether there is truth in you or else by the life of pharaoh.

09:35

Surely you are spies? And he put them all together in custody for three days. On the third day, Joseph said to them do this. And you will live. For I fear God. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers remain confined where you are in custody and let the rest go.

09:58

And Carrie grain for the famine of your households. And bring your youngest brother to me. So, your words will be verified and you shall not die. And they did so. Then they said to one another. In truth. We are guilty concerning our brother. And that we saw the distress of his soul when he begged us, and we did not listen.

10:23

That is why this distress has come upon us. And Ruben 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. Are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's begin our time with the word of prayer.

10:45

Dear Lord, we thank you for your goodness. And Grace. Grace that is greater than all our sin Grace that can pardon and cleanse within. We thank you. That you look upon us with love and kindness. That though our sins were scarlets. Though we were dead in San Andreas passes, you made us alive together with Christ.

11:10

Help us to see your work. Clearly. We thank you. For your word that we might know you and understand you. Thank you that you see fit to speak to us and teach us. We ask that your spirit would work in our hearts, teaching us all that you have done and said.

11:26

May we be conformed into the image of your son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's in his name that we pray. Amen.

11:37

Here at the beginning. We see the Breakthrough. We. What it feels. Joseph has been waiting for. We see what I know I've been waiting for in many ways. And what God is working about? On one hand, and our giant story of all of Genesis is God is working about.

12:02

That many people should be kept alive. Through Joseph and his position, his diligent work and his understanding of what God has said to Pharaoh, many will be kept alive through this deadly famine. That's one picture. But the larger picture here moving past Genesis to all of scripture. God has a Plan of Salvation.

12:27

We see it from the very creation of the world as he orderly makes creation making man in his own image, creating a help mate. It's not good for man to be alone. We are made to worship God to to walk with him in the cool of the garden. And yet, man sinned, and then in Genesis 3.

12:48

We have promise. We have a promise from God that, though the snake vile snake that he was will bruise the heel of the seed of the woman. One day there will come one who will crush the head of the serpent. But sin still rains sin still rules. Sin is then now.

13:08

The problem? Through all of scripture. There are two problems two enemies that face mankind, sin, and death sin and the consequence God said when you eat of this tree. You will surely die sin and the consequence of sin have been hounding mankind. And we see God's promise for salvation.

13:26

It comes through salvation in the Ark with Noah. It comes through the promise given to Abraham that they will be a blessing to the whole world. How do we deal with sin? And Joseph's Brothers thus far have been a wonderful example on how to sin. But how do we deal with sin?

13:50

And here, what we finally have. As God moves them to a Godly grief. What we will see through all of this is God is moving in all of this. We see that the Godly grief that they have in their hearts. Acknowledges sin. We have the introductory stuff that sort of laying the groundwork.

14:12

We're figuring all this other stuff. The famine is all the way to Canaan. Jacob hears that. Well, we're starving. Because why will verse 5 tells us the famine is over the whole land of Canaan? So, over the whole world, this famine is so bad, no one we saw this last week.

14:29

The whole earth has to come to Egypt even in Canaan, even in the promised land, even in the land that later we will read, is flowing with milk and honey, even here. There is famine. And so we're brought right back to Joseph's family. Jacob, he and his family are starving.

14:51

But there's grain for sale in Egypt, so he sends his sons to go buy grain for the family. Likely. It's been about a year of famine. So seven years of plenty, we actually don't know. We don't read anywhere explicitly. We're the seven years of Plenty worldwide, or were those just in Egypt.

15:09

We don't know, but we have come to the time of seven years of famine. It's so bad it's famine over the whole earth. And so even Joseph's effective. It's been probably about a year.

15:25

And so they go.

15:35

They go down and they go to Egypt. They need to find food, but. Jacob has learned his lesson. The 10 of you can go Benjamin. All I have left. Of my favorite wife. My joy. I've already lost Joseph. You can't take Benjamin the 10 of you go. In one sense, he's telling the brothers you're Expendable.

16:01

We could read it that way. I don't think that's truly what's happening. So, we need everyone to go, but Joseph. Sorry, rather Jacob, just can't be without Benjamin to lose Benjamin. Would be for him a death sentence. He would quite literally die of a broken heart. Were he to lose Benjamin?

16:20

So, the 10 go? Nicole and Joseph were reminded in verse 6 was Governor. He do had done what God had put him in this place to do. Everyone had come to buy grain from him. He was the only person in the whole world that had grain. He had a monopoly.

16:38

On grain. And his brothers walk in. And in verse 7, we read. He recognizes he these ten walk in, and he knows. Their faces ingrain in his head as they were the last family he saw. But as he cried out to them, begging them for Mercy. In the pit, they ate and laughed and sent him off into slavery.

17:04

He remembers their faces well. But they don't recognize him at all. He begins to quiz them. Where are you from? We're from Canaan. Know your spies. No, we're not. Yes, you are. No, we're not. Yes, you are. No, we're not. We're actually just a family. Oh, you're a family.

17:23

No, you're a spies. No, we're a family. There's 12 Sons. You read between the lines that Joseph say, you said 12 sons. I only count 10 of you. What do they say? No, we were 12, the youngest. Benjamin. He's at home with our dad. And we have one who is no more.

17:44

They say in verse 13.

17:48

They still aren't willing to say. There's one where? We treated him poorly. We sold him into slavery. So, there's only 11 of us in the house. But we're getting closer.

18:04

In their defense, probably not wise as you're being grilled for being spies that you say. No, we're not spies, but we're the type of people who would sell our own brother into slavery, maybe not a great defense there. But we see, they know. They realize we were 12 Brothers notice here.

18:23

He's a brother, not just a dreamer. He was their brothers. And Joseph concocts this scheme. Well, your brother has to come. One of you can go back. The rest of you are going to stay here in prison. But after three days, Verse 18 on the third day, Joseph says, do this and you will live for I fear God.

18:47

In some ways, Joseph is. Joseph is bragging, but not in a braggadocious way. This is scripture, allowing him to brag. His brothers have shown no their whole lives. They have shown no fear of God.

19:06

They have done inappropriate things. Do we add the Judah and Tamar? We had the defiling it. We've had all sorts of things going wrong. They have never shown once in their life that they fear God. Joseph has. He heard from God. He trusted in God. He had dreams given to him by God.

19:24

He stood up. He, he's the one who proclaimed in Egyptian prison, God's the one who gives and interprets dreams. He's the one who said to the most powerful man in the world, God gave you those dreams. You must look to God. So here, Joseph allowed to brag. I fear God.

19:47

The god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He's mine and I fear that God, so I'm not going to keep all of you. Instead, I'll just keep what.

19:57

Simeon. Drew the short end of the stick. He's the one who had to come. Go, the rest of you.

20:11

And get your brother and come back, but one of you must stay. But before they leave. Before they decide it's going to be simming to stay. The brothers look at one another, and they finally acknowledge their sin. Here's the Breakthrough. Verse 21, they said to one another. In truth, we are.

20:32

Guilty. Yeah, we're not spies. We're not spies. But we're not innocent.

20:47

Who are we kidding? We deserve this. Last time our dad sent the 10 of us out to go do something we were watching. Sheep and we, we sold our brother to slavery.

20:59

Do we really think? Do we really think? We were going to get off scoffrey forever. We're guilty. We are as guilty as the day is long. Maybe not spies.

21:16

But we're vile.

21:21

We saw the distress of his soul. Here we see the depth of their sin. It's not just. We sold our brother to slavery. They acknowledge all of their sin. We saw verse 21, the distress of his soul. He begged us. We didn't listen. I don't care our own brother.

21:42

Do we really think we would get along The Tell-Tale Heart of Joseph's screams and cries in the pit to asking, begging them for mercy, and to save him, they didn't care?

21:57

And so now. The guilt beats in their soul. This is why we're not spies, but we're not innocent guys. We deserve this. Ruben answered, I told us guys.

2

Speaker 2

22:13

So, what? Don't do this? Don't do this.

1

Speaker 1

22:17

You didn't listen. And now there's a reckoning. Notice Reuben here is not saying so. I'm innocent. He acknowledges as the oldest. He should have fought harder. He should have done better. He should have been honest with his father. He's not innocent either. Like, guys, I, I just I, I thought this might happen.

22:38

I went along with it. You guys didn't listen, and I didn't fight. And here we are. There comes a reckoning for his blood. We all deserve it.

22:51

Acknowledge their sin. And the story moves forward in beautiful ways. Verse 23, they did not know that Joseph understood them for. There was an interpreter between them, just want to pause real quick. This is one of my favorite parts of this story, Joseph. He's a smart guy and he's a trickster.

23:10

Not in a trickster evil way, like his. Father, but He's scheming. He's plotting here. He's keeping up the charade. Oh, I need an interpreter. He understands every word. And yet, so that they just think he's just another Egyptian.

23:30

He allows her to be an interpreter, but he hears his brothers. He hears his brothers admitting their guilt, admitting their sin. He hears their brothers. He hears his brothers.

23:40

It's verse 24, he turns away from them and weeps. Harris Brothers.

2

Speaker 2

23:46

In, here's call for help.

1

Speaker 1

23:49

It's sell them here. And maybe we saw in the name of his children. He's forgotten the hardship, and maybe God has been with him and blessed him here in abundance. He still weeps. Continuing verse 24, then he turned away from them and wept, and he returned to them and spoke to them.

24:09

And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes, and Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and replace every man's money in his sack. And to give them Provisions for their Journey. This was done for them. Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed, and as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging of the place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack.

24:33

And he said to his brothers, my money has been put back here. It is in the mouth of my sack. This, their hearts failed them, and they turn trembling to one another, saying, what is this that God has done to us?

24:46

When they came to Jacob their father and land a cane, and they told him all that had happened to them, saying the man, the Lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land. But we said, we are honest men. We've never been spies.

24:57

We are 12 brothers, son of our father. One is no more. And the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Cain. Then the man, the Lord of the land, said to us. By this, I shall know you are honest, man. Leave one of your brothers with me and take grain for the famine of the households and go your way.

25:13

Bring your youngest brother to me, then I shall know that you are not spies, but honest man, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade. In the land.

25:26

They don't just acknowledge their sin.

25:30

They acknowledge their guilt. And most importantly, they acknowledge the one truly. That they are guilty to.

25:44

It's got.

25:48

Sure. Joseph is the victim here. But who is the great judge of mankind? Who is the one when Cain killed his brother Abel that says his blood is crying out to the ground to me? Who is the one who is Sovereign over all things? Who is the one who came down to see the Tower of Babel?

26:09

And see the foolishness of man. And confounded the language in the tongue of mankind. Who is the one who is the just judge of all mankind? Is God? And so Joseph is scheming, and he does this whole. This whole ordeal, where he gives them their food and some food for Provisions, but then.

26:30

He tucks in their bag all of the money. The thought here is. It's going to look like they stole from Pharaoh. Joseph has the power and authority he can give people whatever he wants, but he's not going to tell him he's giving them this food. Instead, he's going to make it look like.

26:49

They.

26:54

There's only going to make it. Look to that look like that to them. The Egyptians don't care. They just follow Joseph's orders they do. As Joseph said, this was done for them verse 25. This was done for them. Okay, sure, you want to give them their money back, give their money back.

27:09

We don't care. Joseph's been faithful. Now, we're going to question this. This is this weird is sure is bizarre. Yes, maybe he just likes these guys, we don't know.

27:21

And they go, and one of the brothers.

27:26

We don't know which one.

27:30

Reuben, probably not. We would name him. Maybe? It's a car. Ephraim, we don't know. Opens a sack. It's like, guys, um. Weren't we supposed to pay? My money is still here.

27:52

At this, their hearts fell. For a multitude of reasons, likely their hearts fell because they know. We can't go back. We just lost Simeon. We're supposed to come get our brother and go back. But they're going to think we still. Is there anything where your spies who stole even our brother?

28:16

They're going to think he's just some random kid. We picked up on the side of the road. They're not going to believe us. So, part of it's that. But they don't say.

28:30

That Egyptian guy is going to come down hard on this. This is what they ask. What is this? That God. Has done to us.

28:46

We sin against God. We show no mercy to our brother. A brother who is now gone. We have to go back to our dad and tell him. This is what we told them. We had 12, there were 12 of us. One's gone and one's at home. But then he kept one more.

29:06

He kept Simeon. And we have to go back. But he's not going to let us leave, nor should he let us leave. We just lost another brother. The first time it was our fault, but this is God's just judgment upon us. The second one, this one's this one's God on on us.

29:30

God did this. Who's in against God? As we look at their lives, they acknowledge their sin. This is what we did. We were not merciful, even Reuben. I sure he doesn't stand on and say, so I'm innocent because I begged with you. No, I also am guilty of his blood.

29:47

I have sinned, and I have fallen short of the glory of God. I am a sinner, acknowledge their sin, but also acknowledges not just their sin, but their guilt. No excuses.

30:02

Well, I guess they did mess up at Mil. We're guilty. God did this. We deserve it. My sin is an affront to a holy. And they recount the story for their brother. There's for their father. This is what happened. This is how it went down, verse 35, and as they emptied their sacks.

30:27

Behold, every man's bundle of money was in their sack. Now, we're real cooked.

30:34

And when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. It would be within Jacob's if they had stolen Jacob. Sorry, not Jacob Joseph. As the governor of all of Egypt, second in command over all things, including the Army, he would have been within his rights to send the entire Army of pharaoh after them.

30:58

Because their spies and thieves. And Slaughter them. All would have been within his right.

31:06

So they're all afraid. And Jacob. Their father said to them, you have bereaved me of my children. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more.

31:18

If we stop here and pause for a second and try to understand if we're reading this in the in the through the lens of the promise of God being fulfilled to be a great nation. We saw at the birth of all of these sons hopeful fulfillment. We went from one son and one son and one son.

31:42

But we're going the wrong way. What was 12 is now 11. What was 11 is now 10. I've lost Joseph, I've lost Simeon, and now you want to take Benjamin.

31:56

Now, you want to take my youngest. All I have left.

32:03

Yes, I think I'm going to let you take him now. We're done.

32:10

Then, Ruben said to his father, kill my two sons. If I do not bring him back to you, put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you. This. Rather bold of Reuben. But I want to see here in him. Something important. True, Godly grief, acknowledging our sin and our guilt will produce true.

32:38

Repentance.

32:44

The response to Joe? Jacob's response to Reuben offering his two sons is no, my son shall not go down with you for his brother's dead. He's the only one left if harm should happen to him on this journey that you were to make. You would bring my gray hairs down with me in sorrow.

33:01

Gray hairs with sorrow to Shield. I'll die. I even your two sons, my grandson, I can't. I will not take them as a surety of these promises. I can't. I will not risk it. I, I can't bet it all on this working, because if it fails, I will die.

33:24

I will die broken. Broken in my soul and Spirit in sorrow and Brokenness. As my head goes down to lay in the grave, I will die. But Reuben Reuben feels this. This is, he is here. Our picture of repentance? I have to make this right, and I will do what it takes.

33:49

Take my own Sons. Let me fix this, don't? I can't be guilty of the blood of two of your sons. The guilt weighs on him so much, he says. Look, if you think you lost two sons, I'm willing to do that, too. What we see in Reuben here is not that he gives his two sons.

34:12

But the heart of? Being so intense on making it as right as he can. If he's willing to? He's willing to lay this down. He's willing to go there. He's willing to say this. True repentance repentance that is produced through the guilt and the grief that God lays upon our hearts.

34:35

Acknowledges sin, acknowledges guilt, and then fights as hard as it can against that sin.

34:47

These brothers are a picture for us of what true? Godly grief, true repentance. Can look like?

35:00

Earlier today, we read from. Second Corinthians.

2

Speaker 2

35:12

The context there.

1

Speaker 1

35:13

Second, Corinthians Paul is writing his second letter to the Church in Corinthians, hence the name, second Corinthians. In the first, the first letter to Corinthians First Corinthians is maybe. It's up there. In the top three most painful and difficult and blunt and brutally honest and calling out sin, letters that Paul will write.

35:38

Y'all. Acting like fools, you are not a good church, you're you've corrupted. Communion, the reason we go to First Corinthians every Sunday when we take communion is because Paul wrote to the church in Corinth because they were doing it wrong. And so, my heart, just so you know why, why?

35:54

I like to. This is the one I like to go to. Sometimes we go to Matthew sometimes, but largely go to Corinthians. They were doing it wrong, and so Paul, right. Here are your instructions to make sure you are doing communion, right? All this other nonsensical nonsense. You guys have been doing.

36:09

Do it right? So, that's why we go to First Corinthians. He calls them Al for not condemning for a whole bunch of stuff. And we'll be read in. Second, Corinthians is they. They heard what Paul said they took it to heart. Again, we read this earlier. Let's read it now.

36:30

They were grieved. Verse 9, as is, I Rejoice, not because you were grieved. But because you grieved into repenting. For you, felt a Godly gift so that you suffered no loss through this. We often run from painful, difficult feelings. From being the brothers. Being told their spies knowing their innocent of spies, but feeling the weight of guilt that they carry.

36:58

We often run from the feelings of no, we deserve this.

37:03

This miracle.

37:07

If we just imagine the brothers for a moment? You could look at this. God gave us a wonderful gift. We thought we bought the money God gave us this food for free, because miraculously our money's back in our bag. I can't even see this miracle. What would be a miracle from their point of view?

37:27

The good gifts of God show them their guilt. The consequence of God show them their guilt, being called a spy, shows them their guilt. They feel it all. But this greeting moves them to repenting. They acknowledge their guilts. They confess with their mouth, and then in the we see in Reuben, someone trying to do everything they can to fix it.

37:49

I'll give you, my sons. I will fix this.

37:54

Godly grief, second Corinthians chapter 7, verse 10 produces a repentance that leads to Salvation without regret.

38:03

Whereas worldly grief produces death. Here's the difference. The difference. We can have grief. The world can get us to acknowledging sin and acknowledging guilt. We can get there you feel guilty. Yeah, I'm a bad person. I don't mess up all the time. True repentance. It's brought about by Godly grief.

38:22

For, see what earnestness is Godly, give for producing you? But also, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what Zeal? This Zeal. This describes what Reuben showed us. I'll give you, my two kids. He's so zealous. At every point, you've proved yourselves innocence. So, although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did wrong, nor the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but order the your earnestness for us might be revealed in to you in the sight of God.

38:51

Therefore, we are comforted.

39:00

There's. Old caricature. Baptist preachers.

39:11

We are known as Hellfire. M brimstone type preachers.

39:19

And though, that is not my personal style.

39:25

In the a lot of the yelling and things like that. Hear my heart on this. If you hear this. And your heart is burdened because you're like, yeah, I sin all the time. I'm guilty as the day is long, praise the Lord.

39:43

I'll heat more guilts. If it drives us to repentance. True repentance found not in Reuben, offering his kids.

2

Speaker 2

39:55

What I'm not telling you to do is oh, so what is repentance? It's it's, it's.

1

Speaker 1

40:00

Making a doing all that you can.

40:06

Because note at the end of the story? Is Reuben allowed to offer his two sons and go fix it? No?

40:16

Reuben won't be the one who fixes this actually. As we fast forward through the story. It will not be Reuben, who fixes this. If we wanted a credit to one person? We could get. We could credit it to Judah. We'll get there. Two weeks.

40:39

What Reuben shows us is the heart? And the heart says. Maybe I can't fix it, but I sure want to. So true repentance looks. To our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You can't fix it. Cry out to him. He will offer you Grace and goodness. He will pay the cost.

41:06

He bore the Wrath that our sins deserved. And all who call upon the name of Jesus will be saved your sin, though they are Scarlet will be washed whiter than so. Though the wages of sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

41:24

The one may scarcely die for a good man. God showed his love for us in this while we were sinners. Christ died for us all, your sins. All your sins that you acknowledge all the sins that you bear the guilt for for? God will take them when you repent and turn to Jesus.

41:47

This lesson, this story Genesis 42, tucked here in the middle of the Joseph narrative at the end of the Book of Genesis, is the road map. For all of our souls.

42:03

May we trust in him? Looking to him, the author and Perfecter of our faith, the one who is just and the justifier. Our hearts repentant as we turn to him. Looking for Grace and forgiveness?

Communion:

Communion Connection

Announcements:

Youth Group

Grace Group

Showers

Clarus Signup