Go Beyond part 2

So Joseph's ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Southpointe!! We are on this new series Go Beyond this part 2.

I believe that we are living in a time and age where most people do not want to go the second miles. Matter of fact I don’t think most people want to go the first miles.

We have become crybabies, wieners,complainers and just plain arrogant people.

God has called His people to higher plains than this.

In the life of Joseph, we will find one who go beyond. One who went things didn’t go the way he want it to go than Joseph would not try to bully people or complainer or become arrogant.

Joseph was mistreated by his brother, his flesh and blood.

Joseph was set up to be killed by his brothers, but instead sold him into slave. But Joseph made the best out of it, He again go beyond!

it was like every time Joseph would go beyond something would knock him down.

But finally after years of in prison, being betrayed. Joseph made it Second in command,

Famine that Joseph said was coming had come to pass.

"This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what He is about to do.

The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt.

But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land.

This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased.

As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and He will soon make them happen.

What I want you to see here is that Joseph is prefigures of Christ as the Saviour of sinners but Joseph’s brothers are a perfect portray of the natural condition of the ungodly.

The Word of God said:

So Jacob's sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well.

This is important to take note of that the famine was in Canaan.

Canaan represent the promise land.

Famine had also hit in the promise land. This is telling us that hard times will come in the promise land.

The land flowing with milk and honey can turn to a bare waste land.

You see, Canaan for a Christian represents all of the believer's inheritance in Christ who is seated in heavenly places

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

In Christ, We believers will find a treasury of spiritual resources which enable us to powerfully represent the Lord while on earth, but these provisions must first be possessed to do so.

One must go beyond to receive the best.

In Christ, believers will find an infinite treasury of spiritual resources which enable them to powerfully represent the Lord while on earth, but these provisions must first be possessed to do so.

For Jacob and his sons to continue where they were meant death.

Many times people get comfortable in the walk with God and we start taking God, God’s blessings and God’s people and God’s ministry for granted.

Jacob knew that had to go were the food was and It was in Egypt.

So Jacob sent his sons to buy some food, they had to go buy from Egypt so that they might live and not die.

This is a condition which dwells in the place where the ungodly dwell.

This is what happen when people quit dreaming and believing that God has a call and a purpose in their lives. They will quit living a life of going beyond.

Joseph’s brother had done wrong, they were not focus on God and now like so many today, They have separated themselves from God, they are living in a world that in a spiritual famine.

In a bad place where there’s no food for the soul.

When we quit trust, when we quit believing, when we quit dreaming God’s size dreams.

Then every day, little by little, moment by moment our hope for something better disappear.

Just like the Prodigal Son.

About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.

He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.

The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

Here I want you to notice the story of the Prodigal and Joseph’s brothers and many other here this morning.

This story is the same, Blessing from God, not willing to go beyond, and famine comes.

Go beyond is where one is not just willing but live a life of selflessness.

Selflessness - the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others, acting with less concern for yourself than for the success of the joint activity, self-sacrifice.

Let’s look at Joseph’s brothers and you will see what I am talking about:

So Joseph's ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

What is very important to notice is the word “buy”. The word “buy” occurs 5 times in the first ten verses of this chapter.

They had no other thought of securing their needed for food but by buying it.

Now I know many of you are thinking this is great at least they are not going to steal it, or begging for it.

But the concept is that they were not mentioning God in the picture what so ever.

It was self-dependent, self-righteous attitude, you see people who are sealed down to this world concept of “I can only help myself, God, who of that attitude.”

I believe in hard work, I believe in going beyond, but you can’t get to where you are wanting to go unless you realize that God is what you need.

It is the Prodigal’s conception:

And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Make me as one of thy hired servants.

The whole thing here is that Joseph’s brothers, the prodigal son, and many today don’t want to give themselves instead I will buy what I need instead of trusting in God.

It is about the selfishness.

Joseph’s brother had a self-righteous attitude.

Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where are you from?" he demanded. "From the land of Canaan," they replied. "We have come to buy food."

And he remembered the dreams he'd had about them many years before. He said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become."

"No, my lord!" they exclaimed. "Your servants have simply come to buy food.

We are all brothers—members of the same family. We are honest men, sir! We are not spies!"

I want you to understand that God wants us to live a life of going beyond, dreaming God’s size dreams and trust Him.

But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.

God will do what must be done to reach us and pull us to where He want us to be.

Just like Joseph was talking to His brothers, God will break us to get us to hear Him.

Joseph’s brothers were not depending on God they were replying on themselves.

So Joseph spoke hard to them.

These guys were boast we are true men, they were self-righteous.

Joseph broke them down.

God will break us down, We must be wound before He will heal, God will show us how selfish we are and bring healing in our lives.

The story ended good: the whole family back together again.

Live a life of going beyond!