Leaving a Lasting Legacy

“Leaving a Lasting Legacy”

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We first met Joseph back in when he was 17 years old, now Joseph is 110 years old. Joseph lived 17 years in the land of Canaan, and he has lived 93 years in Egypt. Joseph life is one of the most remarkable lives in all the Bible. Joseph is the greatest picture of the Lord Jesus in the O.T.

Joseph has nothing negative said about him. We know he was not perfect, but the Bible holds him up as an example to follow.

No matter what part of Joseph’s life you look at; whether he’s a 17-year-old boy obeying his father, or a young man resisting sexual temptation, or a prisoner working hard for the warden, or the Prime Minister serving the Pharaoh; Joseph lived a life that honored God. Joseph was remembered, loved, and honored by his family hundreds of years after he died. Joseph has been dead for thousands of years; yet we’ve still talking about him and learning from him in 2016. Joseph lived his life in such a way that he left a lasting legacy. He is remembered, honored, and spoke about all throughout the Bible.

· Joseph is mentioned in the ministry of Jesus.

· Stephen mentions him five times in his sermon in .

· Were told of the tribe of Joseph in Revelation.

· Joseph is mentioned in because of his life of faith.

There have been thousands of sermons preached on the life of Joseph; he’s held up more than any other young man in the Bible as an example of how to handle sexual temptation – run! Joseph life has made a lasting impact on millions of people!

God has built into each one of us a desire to be remembered.

What do you want to be remembered for?

When I say the name-Lebron James, what do you think of? Basketball.

When I say the name-Billy Graham, what you think of? Preaching the gospel.

One day when people say your name what will they think of? We should want our life to have a lasting impact for the glory of God. If our life is going to have a lasting impact for God’s kingdom; we must live for God’s glory and kingdom today!

We learned from Joseph the characteristics of a life that leaves a lasting legacy.

A life that leaves a lasting legacy is:

1. A Life of Forgiveness!

V:15-21.

Joseph and his brothers have taken their dads body back to the land of Canaan and buried him. They arrived back in Egypt, and the brothers are afraid that now that dad is dead, Joseph is going to pay them back for what they did to him.

V:15, they say to one another now that dad is dead Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil we did to him.

There are thinking, as long as dad was alive they were safe, but now that he’s gone Joseph is going to make us pay!

These brothers’ hearts are filled with guilt and fear.

They send a messenger to Joseph telling him that their father said, V:16-17-Read.

There is no record that Jacob ever said that. There are resorting to manipulation to try to get Joseph to do something he’d already done.

You want to say to these brothers, men what is your problem? Didn’t Joseph already forgive you, kiss you, and weep over you and give you every evidence of his love and forgiveness?

Didn’t he already explained to you that God had overruled your bad and brought good from it; to save your family from starvation and death?

Hasn’t Joseph provided for you in Egypt for 17 years?

Let’s go back and listen to what Joseph said to them back in ,-Read.

This is one of the greatest pictures of forgiveness in all of the Bible! What had happened to Joseph was unthinkable; his brothers had hated him, threw him in a pit, sold him into slavery; and yet Joseph forgave them! Our natural tendency is to think Joseph should have retaliated against them! After all he was now the Prime Minister of Egypt; he could have thrown them in jail and let them rot there. But that is not what he does; he forgives them, cancels their debt. That is what forgiveness means. And for 17 years he had provided for them, took care of them and never brought up what they did to him.

After all that, here they are sending a false message that Dad told us to tell you to forgive us. Then they came and fell down and said to Joseph, V:18-“we are your servants”.

You will always be a slave to your sin and guilt until you accept the forgiveness of God. The prodigal son said to his father, just make me a hired servant. But the father said, oh no I forgive you; you are my son! Get the best robe, a ring, and put the shoes on his feet and let’s have a party.

Notice what Joseph does when his brothers come back asking him to forgive them? The Bible says he wept!

It broke his heart; that his brothers didn’t believe that he had already forgiven them. It is amazing that Joseph didn’t respond with anger, and say these guys are lying about dad, and they have not accepted the forgiveness that I have already given them. They are expecting retaliation; well I’ll give it to them! But that is not what Joseph does, it breaks his heart; because they don’t believe he has forgiven them. Which means they either thought his forgiveness would only last so long; or he had been playing the hypocrite, and only pretending to forgive them for 17 years.

Joseph had really, truly, genuinely, forgiven his brother’s 17 years earlier! So for them to ask him to forgive them the second time, broke his heart.

One of the saddest things I can think of, is for a person not to accept, or believe the forgiveness that has been given to them by God, or another person.

Joseph assures his brothers that he has already forgiven them and they have no need to fear.

When we refuse to forgive others, we have entered into dangerous waters.

How do you forgive someone who has wronged you? First:

· Refused to play God.

V:19-“Fear not: am I in the place of God…

Joseph could have positioned himself to be god in their lives if he had wanted to. After all he was the Prime Minister of Egypt. He was a powerful man, second only to the Pharaoh. So to play God in his brothers lives and administrable some “divine justice” could have been tempting.

But Joseph had a clear view of who God was; and he had an understanding of who he was. He had no desire to play God in their lives!

How much trouble has been caused from trying to be God in someone else’s life? You’ve heard someone foolishly say; if I where God for a day, I would straighten some things out. Does that mean you have more wisdom than God?

Any time and every time someone tries to play God, bad things are going to happen!

Moses tried to play God two times in his life, and both times backfired on him:

· Moses tried to deliver the children of Israel his own way, and killed an Egyptian taskmaster.

· God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come out.

But instead of obeying God; he decided to play God and listen to what he said, -“here now you rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

What do you mean, “must we” you think you can bring water out of this rock, or you can help God bring water out of this rock? God said to Moses because you did not sanctify me, set me apart, lift me up, but disobeyed me, and presumed to play God you’re not going into the land of Canaan.

· David, refused to play God, and deal with King Saul’s sin, jealousy and attempted murder.

Joseph left all the righting of his wrongs to God.

Grace and tenderness flows from Joseph’s heart as he assures his brothers of his forgiveness. How does he deal with the wrong that’s been done to him; how does he find it in his heart to forgive his brothers? He let God be God!

How do you forgive someone who has wronged you?

· Confront Sin Head-on.

V:20-“But as for you, you thought evil against me…

How does Joseph deal with the wrong that’s been done to him? How did he not become resentful, bitter and unforgiving?

How do you conquer bitterness resentment and unforgiveness? Notice that Joseph didn’t ignore or minimize what had been done to him. He confronted the sin of his brothers; he said to them, V:20-“you intended to harm me…

What you did was evil, wrong and you know it and I know it! Joseph didn’t beat around the bush; he said what you did was evil against me. Whenever we deal with sin and wrong that’s been done to you don’t simply ignore it. You don’t just smile superficially, and nurse the grievances, repress your anger. And go around acting like nothing has happened, when you’ve been sinned against.

Don’t think because you avoid sin, that you have dealt with it. If there’s been hate, resentment, animosity, strife and bitter words, you don’t just walk around acting like everything is okay.

Saying no problem, I’ am not going to deal with that, let’s just forget it. It will come out one day, and when it does it will be bad. Joseph didn’t smile superficially and say; don’t worry about it guys, the pit was not that bad, I got used to it, I love Pits. When they stripped me naked and sold me on the auction block, it was really not a big deal. He didn’t do that; it was hell on earth for Joseph, and they had hell to pay for it. So how when someone deserves hell; could we ever give them heaven?

We can’t unless we leave all the righting of our wrongs to God! No matter how strong we may feel about reacting in vengeance; we leave it to God.

-“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord”.

How do you forgive someone who has wronged you?

· Focus on God’s providence.

V:20-“you thought evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive”.

Joseph looks back over all the evil and sin his brothers had committed against him and says you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.

Joseph saw that God had taken all of the evil things that were done to him and had brought good out of it. God used all this to get me here to Egypt and to keep you alive. The prophet Jeremiah said the same thing to encourage his people when they were about to go into Babylonian captivity.

-“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and I hope”.

God has never had an evil thought toward his children, and he never will! This does not mean that God’s children are shielded from hardship or misery.

What it means is that God’s plans are never for evil in the believer’s life, but with an eye to their well-being and wholeness—always. Even the apparent evil we suffer is for our good. This means that as believers, whatever our lot, we can and must be optimistic because we have “a future and a hope.”

The great New Testament expression of this truth is:

-“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Joseph could sing, the Bill Gather song; “though it all I have learned to trust in Jesus, and to depend upon His word”.

How do you forgive someone who has wronged you?

· Return good for evil.

V:21-“Now therefore fear not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them”.

Joseph not only told his brothers he forgave them, he showed them by his actions that he forgave them. He reassured them they were forgiven, and he spoke kindly to them. By his words and his actions he let them know he forgave them. This is illustrated for us in , when the boy came to his father; the father could have said to him nice speech, glad you finally came to your senses.

You are forgiven, go home, take a bath, and go to work in the field. But when that young boy came home, the father saw him a long way off, ran to him, hugged him and kissed him and said my son has come home. And when that boy felt that robe, and looked down at those shoes on his feet, and saw that ring sparkle in the sun. He could say I know my father loves me, he not only told me; but he showed me!

And today God not only tells us that he loves us; God has showed us that he loves us by giving his son to die on the cross!

And God desires that we like Joseph forgive from our hearts those who sin against us, and that we return good for evil.

Jesus said if you only response with grace to those who treat you good, that’s expected. But when you return good for evil, then you are acting like Jesus, you are showing mercy and grace!

Paul said in -“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

When you think of Joseph, one of the first things that you remember about him is the way he forgave his brothers who treated him so bad.

People who live lives of mercy, grace, kindness, generosity because of their relationship with God leave a lasting mark on others. People who are unforgiving, bitter, hateful, mean-spirited, are not missed in the work of the kingdom of God.

Live a life free of bitterness by living a life of forgiveness.

Joseph teaches us to leave a lasting legacy we must Live lives of forgiveness.

A life that leaves a lasting legacy is:

2. A Life of Faithfulness!

V:22-26.

That first phrase in, V:22-“ Joseph dwelt in Egypt…

That covers 50-60 years since his dad died; and 70 years since the whole family had moved to Egypt. Joseph has lived long enough to see his great, great grandchildren. The book of Genesis starts with the phrase, “In the beginning God” and it ends with the phrase, “a coffin in Egypt”.

And this coffin in each of and Joseph’s instructions to his family to carry his bones back to the land of Canaan is a testimony of the faithfulness of God, and the faithfulness of this man Joseph.

The reason the coffin was being kept and was not buried in Egypt, was as a testimony to God’s faithfulness in the past, and the promise of God for a glorious deliverance from Egypt in the future.

Joseph had lived a life of faithfulness to God, through his brother selling him into slavery, through the false accusations of Mrs. Potiphar, through the years in the dungeon, through the years of interpreting dreams and organizing for the famine. Those were year’s filled with drama, excitement, activity for Joseph. Joseph had spent 80 years as the Prime Minister of Egypt.

And 50 to 60 years have passed since the last verse of chapter 49, and the death of his father Jacob. So we have compressed in that phrase in,

V:22-“and Joseph too often each of… Over 50 years.

These are the silent years of Joseph life, we are not given any details of what Joseph did during those years other than be a part of his grandchildren’s lives, and share the promises of God as he died. As well as instruct his family to carry his coffin out of Egypt when they departed.

During those years Joseph might have look back and thought about those days and rejoiced in the miracles and providence and power of God. Joseph had a vibrant and alive faith during those days of activities, battles, temptations and struggles.

But Joseph also lived a life of faithfulness with a vibrant, alive faith during the common days, and route activities of life. He’s a man of faith as he becomes a grandfather, and a retired Prime Minister He is a man of faith as he shares the promises of the word of God with his family, and he’s a man of faith as he faces death. Joseph spent the majority of his life, 93 years in a sinful culture, and serving in political office. And Joseph remained faithful to God in that difficult place until they put his body in a box.

Joseph was given an Egyptian name, he married an Egyptian woman, and he drove an Egyptian car, served in the Egyptian government, and lived an Egyptian lifestyle. He was a part of the social, economic and political landscape of Egypt; but Joseph never, never gave into the Egyptian mindset and culture! He was ever a man faithful to God and the word of God!

Joseph stood the test of time for 93 years as a man faithful to God in a difficult place!

And the last words on Joseph lips were not words about how great Egypt had been; on his lips is the promises of the word of God, and the future that God had for their family!

What did Joseph do between the years of 60 and 110? Did he retire and hibernate? No! He spent his closing days investing in his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and teaching the promises of God, and influence his nation to believe God and follow Him.

The future of the church is in its youth; but the greatest resources for the work of the church is found in the people between 50 and 110. When you reach this age, don’t decide you’re going to go into hibernation, and retire on God; please don’t! Use the closing years of your life to be faithful to God with your wisdom, experience, resources and time! Make sure that God and your church can count on you during the retirement days of your life!

Don’t just get the clock and the watch, and retire and chill out in Florida.

Use your time and your resources to serve God through your local church, and the many great Christian and mission organizations around the world! And use the rest of your life to serve the Lord Jesus Christ! That is what Joseph did!

Jacob was faithful to teach his family that Egypt was not there home; but the land of Canaan was the Promised Land, and the gods of the Egyptians were not there God; Jehovah God the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob was his God and their God!

He was faithful to God until he took his last breath, and they placed his mummified body in that sarcophagus.

Joseph’s last words express his faith in God and his word. V:24-“God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land…

V:25-“God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here”.

Here is a grandpa teaching his grandkids about God! Grandpa’s and dad’s spend time with your children and teach them about God!

Imagine one of the parents saying to one of the children where have you been? And they say, I’ve been over to Grandpa Joseph’s house. And the parents say, what was he talking about?

The same thing he’s always talking about, about God and leaving Egypt and going to Canaan land.

Was he singing the same songs?

Yes he was singing his same songs, was he singing his favorite song? Yes, he was; can you sing it, yes I can, “We are on our way to Canaan we shall not be moved, were on our way to Canaan we shall not be moved….

And then one day when grandpa is gone; and that grandchild is riding down the road, they will remember what grandpa said; son this world is not our home, heaven is our home and one day Jesus is going to call us home to heaven, so don’t love this world too much.

When the writer of Hebrews records the faith of Joseph; and the thing he records is the instructions that Joseph gave about his bones being carried to the land of Canaan.

-“By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones”.

Joseph die telling his family two times God will surely visit you; God will surely visit you and when he does carry my bones from this land to Canaan?

Joseph had faith in the unbreakable, unshakable word of God!

We believe what we believe because of God’s word! God had told Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that he would give them the land of Canaan and Joseph believed the word of God! He didn’t base his belief on his feelings, surroundings; because those things change, he based his belief on the word of God!

Peter said as he remembered that glorious experience on the Mount of Transfiguration; we have a more sure word of prophecy, the word of God. More sure than my experience, is what God said in his word! When you are running around looking for a word from God; that is a sure sign you have lost confidence in the word of God!

Joseph could tell them God is going to deliver us from this place one day, because he said so! Joseph did not condemn the culture, he simply reminded his family that their security did not lie in what happened in Egypt!

Their security and hope and focus is on God and the future he has for us! Joseph would have told his family time and time and time again we are leaving Egypt one day. But to reinforce it in a most amazing way, he told them don’t bury my body in Egypt, put her in the coffin, set it in the corner of the room and when you leave, grab my body on the way out the door!

Joseph’s unburied coffin was a constant reminder that this is not it; this is not where we going to be forever, this is not the sum total of life. Don’t live for this place were not staying here! And his children knew from Joseph’s testimony and that coffin, this is not it! Are you living your life in such a way; spending your money and time and energy in such a way that your children know that this is not it?

Are you living your life like this is it? You working 75 hours a week, buying everything you can, spending every moment of your time on yourself and this world; and very little time and money on the eternal things of God? Then you’re telling your kids and grandkids this world is it! How sad; as a follower of Jesus Christ you need to get off that merry-go-round as fast as you can! Can you imagine one of the grandchildren asking; why do we keep this mummy around?

That is not your mummy, that’s your great, great-grandfather. I know that dad! And Joseph’s bones got passed around from generation to generation to generation; and why was that? Joseph was absolutely sure they we were leaving Egypt; and his bones were testimony that he believed that! And for us this morning; it’s not a coffin full of bones that tells us were leaving this world one day.

It is an empty tomb, that tells us our sin has been paid for by Jesus Christ, and death has been conquered, and were leaving this world one day headed to heaven.

And because he lives I can face tomorrow, because he lives all fear is gone, because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living all because he lives.

Joseph said before he died two times; God will surely visit you, God will surely come to your aid.

Isn’t that the message of the whole Bible?

When they face the Red Sea, God surely came to their aid. That was what great-grandfather was talking about.

During the wilderness wondering, they said we sure am thirsty, and God gave them water out of the rock. God will surely come to your aid. And then there was the manna.

And then there was the walls of Jericho falling down; God will surely come to your aid, and he did!

God gave judges, Kings; and then the prophets spoke and said God will surely come to your aid.

And the prophet Micah says, you Bethlehem though you be the least of the cities of Judah from you will come one who will rule my people Israel. God will surely come to your aid.

And the angel comes to Mary and Joseph and says, you shall call his name Jesus; for he will save his people from their sins; and God surely came to our aid, to rescue us, deliver us and save us from our sin, and death and hell!

The great message of the Bible is that God has come to our aid; and today God offers Salvation to the Lost, the helpless, and needy.

Come to the Lord Jesus Christ this morning saying:

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling…

Joseph left a lasting legacy; and we can leave a lasting legacy by living a life of forgiveness, and faithfulness.