Getting A Grip on The Gospel 09/13/2020

Good to see everyone. I'm glad that you're here today. Well, we have a lot of prayer requests, don't we? Lot of things going on lot of things not good going on in our world in it. It's too much. And it just may remind you that. Lord is coming back probably be soon. And it reminds you that. The answer is not Republicans Or democrats or Independents. The only gospel that can change the hearts of the people in this country. Are we need more than Behavior change we need heart change and only the gospel can do that. Well, we're glad that you're here today. We're going to continue and I'll series and Joseph. and today is going to be my favorite sermon in this entire series, I think. McCall's today we're going to be able to see the unfiltered. gospel in Genesis chapter 45 and we're only going to look at 15 Vs. It's the first 15 verses of Genesis 45 but in these versus here. You will not find a clear presentation of the Gospel in any Gospel Matthew Mark Luke John any of Paul's writings Romans all the theological writings there in Ephesians. It is no clearer than in Genesis chapter 45 in the reason that's important is because one of my main goals is for everyone to see that there is a storyline through scripture. Edit in Haines everything hangs on the story line. That's why you cannot separate the New Testament from the Old Testament because the teaching of the New Testament we can see it in the Old Testament. You see in the in the Bible the Bible you can sum up like this. There's one problem in the Bible sin. There's one billing in the Bible Satan. There's one Gyro in the Bible Jesus and there's one purpose of the Bible the glory of God when I was Jesus's the hero he has to do something about the problems in and the villain Satan and he does on Calvary cross. That's where he defeats him. We see it in Genesis chapter 45. We don't have to turn to Matthew. We don't have to turn to the teachings at Easter or at Christmas. We see it in Genesis chapter 45 45. There's a story line through scripture. And it all points to Jesus Christ and his death on the cross and his resurrection and we see it right here in Genesis chapter 45. So let's recap where we are 22 long years had passed since Joseph was separated from his family all the hostility all the jealousy of his brothers. Joseph was forced to follow a different path, but here in chapter 45 of Genesis Joseph and his brothers path cross again. And so this is a story of reconciliation and I think it's one of the more moving stories that you will ever read in scripture. Now you remember Joseph had tested his brothers the see if they were still the same remember he had told his brothers to go back and bring Jenna Benjamin to Egypt and then they did that. Although Jacob didn't want them to he finally gave in because they were going to start because of the famine and then Benjamin comes back and didn't Joseph places his silver cup in Benjamin's bag and they go back and then they find it on the way and they're all just so afraid and scared of what Joseph is going to do. They have to go back and get their brother. So then last week they come back and we see that he fed them all and he said on there. And he showed him Grace and he showed him mercy and he was testing them to see if their hearts had changed because he remembered what they had done to him. And when Judah stepped up and said no let the lad go back home. He said take me I'll be your slave. That was all Joseph needed to see to tell him that the hearts of these rebellious boys had changed now. What's he going to do next? Well, let's read it Genesis chapter 45 verse 1 through 15. Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him and he cried out make everyone go out for me. So no one stood with him by Joseph made himself known to his brothers and he wept aloud in the Egyptians In The House of the Pharaoh heard it. So he sent everybody out just he and his brothers were there, but he was crying so loud to everybody who went out. They hurt it. They heard they wouldn't dare but they heard it first three then Joseph said to his brothers. I am Joseph does my father still live. I watched his brother's reaction, but his brothers could not answer him for they were dismayed in his presence. They were just speaks us. They didn't know what to say. They didn't Jose what Joseph they probably wouldn't even thinking her brother Joseph and they just kind of stared at him and didn't say anything looking verse 4 And Joseph said to his brothers. Please come near to me. So they came near then. He said I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into each of what a bombshell. after 22 years Oh what you think them boys did when he said please draw near I can see him all getting in the circle and they probably just went by and over there like that. They were scared to death and I love you verse 5. But now now watch what he says to them here. He just got through saying I'm Joseph whom you sold into Egypt. But now do not therefore be greed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life for these two years if a man has been in the land and there are still five years in which there will be plowing. No harvesting and God sent me before you need to preserve our posterity for you in the earth in the Savior Lives by a great Deliverance. So it was not you who sent me here. Oh, yes. It was they sold you into slavery. Watch what you say it but God and he has made me a father to Fay Road and Lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt hurry and go to my father and say to him that says your son Joseph. God has made me Lord of all Egypt come down to me. Do not tarry you shall dwell in the land of Goshen and you shall be near to me you and your children your children's children or flights your curves and all that you have their I will provide for you less you and your household and all that. You have come to Poverty where there are still five years of famine and behold your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin seed It is my mouth that speaks to you. So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt and all that you have seen and you shall hurry and bring my father down here. Then he fell on his brother. Benjamin's neck and wept and Benjamin wept on his neck moreover. He kissed all his brothers and wept over them and after that his brothers talked with him. Now, you know these brothers they've been real talkative throughout and it doesn't say anything that they said matter-of-factly one part. It says they couldn't even answer it and then finally and verse 15 it says that his brothers talk to him. Well Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers and it doesn't even seem real once, you know, we studied this whole chapter, but this man this loving man Here's what Joseph did. this loving man began to realize that God had his hand on his life. He knew that and he reaches out to the very brothers who salt or who thought so little of his life. So little bits like that, they sold him into slavery. Well, here's the first point. I want you to see today. I got three points and I got some points under the three points that you think we going to be here all day, but we're not I'll go quickly through these years number one. I told you that this is the gospel. Well, first of all, the gospel is revelation. What does revelation mean? Well the Book of Revelation means it means to be unveiled it means to uncover. Well Joseph hit just told his brothers. He unveiled something to them. I'm your brother. I'm the one that you sold into Egypt. So the gospel is revelation and let me give you four characteristics of this Revelation that you see in Joseph and his brothers life and you going to see him in your life as well and we'll talk more about our lives in just a moment. First of all. a revelation It is private. It is private and I look it was a private Revelation Joseph wanted the moment and he wanted to be intimate with his brother. So what did he do in verse the one he cleared the room. He told everybody to get out. I want everybody to leave because I'm getting ready to unveil who I am to these boys here. The only people that was left was Joseph and his brothers and it was a time of intimacy with family members. And so after all the events that led up to this encounter, you might think Joseph would have had this long and passion speech and said, I know I've had an interpreter here and I know that y'all don't think I can understood every single word you said because I speak the same language as you do you would think he just went on and on and on what did he say? He says, I'm Joseph. That's all he said. He said I am Joseph in these words. I'm sure put fear and Terror in the hearts of these brothers. And we see just the Simplicity of that Revelation and it just creates this sense of drama here in the story. Can you imagine if you had sold a brother or sister in the slavery done something wrong? And now you were standing with over 22 years later and you didn't know that's and all of a sudden I said, I'm your sister the one you sold. I'm your brother. The one that you abused. Can you imagine that it was a private moment moment and Joseph reserved it for himself and his brother. So the gospel is revelation and it is a private Revelation number two. Not only that. It's a painful Revelation. The gospel. Sometimes can be painful and I'll look at it and verses 3 and 4. Then Joseph said his brother named Joseph and he asked the very first question is my father still live. But his brothers could not answer him for they were just me and Joseph said to his brothers. Please come near to me so they came here and he said I am Joseph your brother who you sold in to eat and then look at verse 12. He says behold your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. Joseph said as my father still live in his brothers were just too terrified to even speak. Injustice reveals in playoff and they stand there and stare at him wondering is this really are brother 22 years ago. Well Joseph was no longer pretending that he didn't know Hebrew he threw out The Interpreter he was speaking straight to his brother's the whole time and just imagine how they felt when he said come over here. Come get her this boy was he going what's he going to do to me, but you see back into their minds. Had to just flood all the pain and guilt and shame over their own sin. The boy that they had sold is the one who have been taking care of them this brother. The one that they had sold into slavery that wanted to kill that they were so jealous and resentful and angry over is standing there showing them Grace. Now wonder how what that you know that they're seeing Just Came Upon them this long secret that they had hidden from their father for 22 years is now finally out and in the open the object of their hatred of their jealousy stood right in front of them. He was standing there in front of them. And how would he respond to the very men? Who sold him like an animal? You say sometimes? the gospel Can be painful we'll talk more about that pain in our own lives in just a moment number 3. Not only is it private and painful number 3. It is powerful. Look at verse 5 what it says. Here's one. Here's a boy standing there and he getting ready to drop the hammer on and look what it says. Never stop. But now he says do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life. Can you imagine answering them brothers like that? Can you imagine the Forgiveness that Joseph had in his heart when he said I finally got you here. I'm alive. You know what you did to me, but please don't be angry. Don't feel ashamed. Don't be grieved. It was not you who sent me here. It was God. That's what Joseph said to these boys. He didn't rebuke them. He never point the finger at them says. Alright, I'm getting you now. He doesn't reprove them his entire speech is couched in concern and forgiveness for his brothers, and he told them not to feel bad. Why because he reminds them of the sovereignty of God God's hand has been on my life. It wasn't you who sent me here. It was God who wanted me here. Can you imagine feeling that way? I mean just think of the Forgiveness that we see here Joseph one of his greatest asset. I was thinking about this is his sensitivity to everything in both his triumphs and he had many tragedies as well. He was able to see through the circumstances and see God working in his life read that is one of the most important things that you will ever be able to do in your life when someone mistreats you when someone does you wrong If you can see God's hand in it and if you can see God working in your life and you understand that God is Sovereign and that he has a purpose and plan for your life. If you can see that that will save you from worry anxiety anger resentment and bitterness the people the reason people get angry at God is because they can't see God's sovereignty. It's always the people who's doing this to me. They're not like they're we're not like Joseph we get angry and we want to get back at people. That's because we don't see the sovereignty of God. We don't even think that he has a plan and purpose. We think we have to make our own way the great at one of the greatest things that you can do is to see the sovereignty of God in your life. Look what Joseph say it in verse 5, he says, don't be angry. For God sent me here. Look what he says in first 7 God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and the save your lives with the great deliverance. And then look what he says at first sight. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God. It was God's plan and he saw that do you see God's plan when your mistreated or do you just see the people who mistreated you and you want to get back at them? How is it that you see Joseph new Romans 8:28 even for it was written all things work together for good to those who love God. He saw that. In all white Joseph always was conscious of God in his life. He refused the invitation by Potiphar's wife. You know why he said because how can I do this and sin against God? That's what he said. All right, and then he refused to exalt himself when he interpreted Pharaoh's dream. He didn't say for a real. I'll give you the interpretation. What did he say? God will give you the in the interpretation. He always gave God credit and now he knows he refuses to take vengeance upon his brothers for selling him as a slave since he knows that the Lord had it in mind the whole time to do that. You see that's why he was able that's why he was able to be a mirror of Jesus Christ in his love and grace and mercy toward us. You see Joseph. May God part of every aspect of his life and he understood he wasn't just sold by his brothers. He was sent by God. Do you understand that in your life today? The things that you're going through? Do you see it as this is God working something in my life. I might not know what it is now, but he's working or you get all uptight and stress will cause what so-and-so didn't you?

God's hand is in your life Joseph knew the Lord wanted to use him to save lives in Egypt. And God's way of getting him to Egypt was his brothers selling him Joseph understood that. He did. If we can come to a place in our spiritual walk where we can see God both in the good times and the bad times friends will find peace in our souls during the bad time. You'll have peace in your soul and will bow to his sovereignty because he has a Eternal perspective in mind. Well, it's private is painful. Sometimes it is powerful if we will understand the sovereignty of God and number four. The Revelation was passion. Look at it in verses 14 and 15 what it says about Joseph. Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept and Benjamin left on and then it says the first 15 he kissed his brother not remembering the Old Testament. Kissing was a form of expressing affection. Sometimes we see two ladies kiss or two men. We things like that but in Old Testament, it was just a way of expressing affection Joseph kiss them all ETS Ruben who is that is unstable as you could be he kissed Simeon and Levi remember them they were just as mean as they could be always getting in trouble. He even kissed Judah and he was the first one who said I know what we'll do with him. That's selling He kissed him as well. He wrapped his arms around his siblings and kiss them. He was very passionate about it. You ever noticed in the story of Joseph so far how many times he wept? It's just like he was crying all the time. He was crying and it threw him in the pit. He was crying he wet when he was sold he wet when he heard his brother talking about him and they didn't recognize him. He had to go back in the other room is it had to get himself together because he was crying and so he went when he asked about Benjamin when he heard Judas a take me a slave and let the young boy goat. He said when man I got to get he had to go out and weep again, he whipped it that and now he's weeping here. He weeps at his father's when his father comes back and then when his father dies, he will he will just constantly crying he was just a weeping man. Who else wept? Jesus wept That's the shortest verse in the Bible. Jesus wept Joseph Revelation to his brothers moved him so deeply that he was constantly weeping. Some of you wet when you got saved, you know that some of you did your heart was broken. We'll talk more about it. He's just a moment because all of this private painful passionate powerful all of this applies to us as well. We will talk about. All right Point number to First of all the gospel is revelation number 2 The gospel is reconciliation. You say that was a Reconciliation here in the family these brothers who have been torn apart for 22 years were welded Back Together by the grace of God. God brought them out Joseph. God brought me here. You didn't don't worry about selling into slavery. This was God's plan all along. He saw that God's grace had welded them back together. No no more holding back. No more. Jealousy. No more resentment. No more anger at his dreams. All of that is in the past because they were reconciled together. Well, let me give you four things that reconciliation. Does it did it in these lives it does it in your life. Number one reconciliation brings. Peace. Joseph was finally at peace think of all just a heartache in the crime that he had been doing and he knew who these brothers were. They didn't know him how hard that was to take so long before he explain who he was to them. And then thanks for the brothers out the fear that they if they had no peace in their life. They couldn't had any. Peace cuz they were just a bunch of Sinners who did what they wanted to sold the brother into slavery and then get it for 22 years lied to their father. Now that they have been reconciled all piece just floods back into their life and it's the same thing with us. Well, secondly not only does it bring peace. It brings protection. Now look at it in verses 7 through 10. He says and God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth. In other words, he saying God sent me here so I could save my family preserve a family what he's talking about his own family. That's what the word posterity mean. He says to save your lives by great Deliverance. So now what you sent me here, but God he's made me a father if I wrote Lord of his house ruler throughout the land hurry and go get my father and save him your son. Joseph says God has made me Lord of Egypt come down me do not tear cuz you will dwell in the land. You shall be near me you and your children or children's you and your flock to her and all that you have is I'm going to take care of it. I'm going to protect you you're going to make it through this famine cause I'm going to make sure that you make it through he gave them protection the brothers became fearful of what Joseph may do to Benjamin. But as soon as they discovered Joseph was Joseph Their Fear just disappear. They had peace in their life and they knew now why I'm okay, we're protected. He's not going to harm us. He's going to take care of us. Thirdly.

Reconciliation brings provision look at it in verse 11 there. I will provide for you bless you and your household and all that. You have come to Poverty cuz they're still 5 years of famine left. What Joseph him. He said not only what I protect you I'm going to provide for you. I'm going to see that you have everything that you need Joseph was in charge of all the food. Now remember that and he's going to send the rest of his family and he promises to protect them and to provide for them when they arrive

And then you give something else reconciliation number for his brains perspective. Look at it in verse for Joseph said this verse please come near to me. So they can't he said I'm Joseph your brother whom you sold into slavery and then he verse 1415. He kisses all of them. You see he invited his brothers to come near he hugged them. We kiss them. After all this time he wanted to be close to his family. He wanted to experience that Fellowship in that Oneness that they had experience before and it was something too wonderful to behold you see friends when we get saved when God reconciled us to himself. He gives us an entirely new perspective on life. We just live a different life. We think differently these brothers right here all of a sudden they were fearful no more. They're peaceful. They know they going to be protected. They know they're going to be provided for it just gives them A New Perspective. That's what the gospel does. The gospel is revelation. The gospel is reconciliation will let me give you the third one.

Well before I give you the Cerwin limit, let me just say this. Let's apply this. The airlock what we going over so far just the just a revelation and the reconciliation less applied to our life. Joseph told these boys to go get their father and he invites him to bring them back to Egypt. And that's why this picture here is not just a historical story. This picture is prophetic because it's the same thing that happened to us. You see Joseph is playing the part of Jesus. And we are playing the part of his brothers. Now you just think about that for a second. We were all before we were saved enemies of God. The Bible says estranged from got separated from God alienated from God. That's what the Bible says just like these brothers were in when we first met the Lord it was Private. Did you know that we had to ask him into her heart? It was just me I had to deal with my own sin. It was private but not only that it was personal just like it was personal with Joseph and his brothers. It is personal for us is well, and it's also painful for us. The Bible says that the work of the spirit is to convict us of seeing. Do you remember when the Holy Spirit convicted you of sin? And you decide in your heart that you needed a savior? It was painful. It was personal it was private. We hated to look at I need to say I know I'm a sinner. I know I need a savior. We hate that. It was very painful for us to admit that we are sinners in need of a savior. That's exactly what happened to the brothers. This is exactly what happened to us. You see there's a lot of pain associated with seeing And the brothers knew exactly what they had done wrong and they had lived with it for 22 years and many of us live with our seeing from many years before we turn to Christ and it was painful when we came to him. But let me tell you something else. It was also powerful. Because Christ offered us forgiveness just a Joseph had forgiven his brothers and the power of the Gospel overwhelmed us didn't it? We could not say no. We just had to say yes, because that's the power of the gospel and it was passionate as well because when we when we were saved our perspective changed we want to go out and we want to tell other people about the gospel. You see it was passionate for us as well. Just like it was for these brothers here. You see when Jesus went to Mount Calvary stretched himself himself out on the cross. It was evidence of his love for us a passionate revelation of the Lord dine in our place. You see once the Lord had revealed that to me. You know what I had in my heart. When I accepted him. I had peace just like you you had peace in your heart and in your soul your burden was lifted, you had peace within yourself you failed at peace with God. Not only that we had a sense of protection didn't that's what reconciliation if we've been reconciled with God and we feel protected. I came to God with a sense of fear. I came to God and I found protection in him. I never have to face the fires of Hell anymore. I never has to face the Wrath to come because I have been saved from those things. I no longer fear God I now protected by God. That's what we feel. That's what we sense in our life. And not only that God is giving me eternal life and he says if I give you eternal life, I will freely give you all things. I only that he's going to propose. Borst. Do you know that he's going to provide for us as well? I have no worries about provision. He has set a spiritual table before me filled with the blessings of life. And I have a different perspective cuz I know the Holy Spirit lives inside my heart we can talk to God any moment we want to because we have a relationship with him. We have been reconciled to God you see the gospel here in Genesis chapter 45. It is just right here. Well have one more. And will close with this one. Not only is the gospel Revelation. Not only is it reconciliation, but the gospel is Proclamation. You see God has given us a responsibility now that we are reconciled to him. And these brothers had the same thing and I look at it here in verses 9 through 10. After they have been reconciled and after God has reconciled us. What does he tell us to do? Look what Joseph says in verse 9. He says hurry and go up to my father and say to him. Best says your son Joseph. God has made me Lord of all Egypt come down to me. Do not tarry. Look at verse 10 you shall dwell in the land of Goshen. You shall be near me you and your children children children flocked heard and all that you have and then looking verse 13. So you shall tell my father friend. What's the first thing that God asks us to do after we have seen his Revelation seen that it is a rap. The gospel is a revelation has been unveiled to us then we've been reconciled. What's the first thing he asked us to go tell others what these boys right here. Would he tell these boys here go tell my father. Go to my father and tell him that I'm alive and you need to come here you go and say to him. You see that's the responsibility they were to go to tell someone and we've been asked to tell everyone. We didn't ask to tell everyone you say why I'm Just a Nobody but that's what Adrian Rogers said. He said, I'm Just a Nobody telling everybody about somebody who can save anybody and that's what we supposed to be doing. We're just a bunch of nobodies out here telling everybody about somebody who can save anybody. That's exactly what he has called us to do. We are to tell people Jesus is Alive. He has been exhausted he sits at the right hand of God and he makes intercession for us and he calls all of us to himself you see Joseph is a mirror of Christ. Do you see that right here? He is a mirror of Jesus Christ. He is an Old Testament illustration of a new testament truth is what he is. Well, what about this Proclamation? Let me just give you four things about it. Very quickly. Number one that gives light. Can we go and tell other people about the gospel it gives them light because we're living in the Dark World wouldn't you agree with that and Jesus Christ that I am the light of the world. So when we go and tell his gospel, it gives like not only does it give light it gives life. You see we live not only in a dark world, but we live in a dead world and the gospel Gives Life The Gospel regenerates us it gives us a new heart. We were spiritually dead. It makes us spiritually alive. Not only does it get light in life. The gospel gives Liberty. You know, why because we lived in a enslaved world. So many people with addiction so many people bound to some sin. So many people just don't even know God and they just live for themselves. They're in the enslaved to their own selves. But the gospel gives us Liberty gives us freedom to serve God and the love other people the way that we should it gives us light because in a dark world is like because we in a dead world is a celebrity because we're going to enslave world and lastly gives love because based on what we watch on TV. We live in a hateful world. Don't we in the gospel is Love The Gospel? There's no greater love than the gospel that someone would lay down his life for us while we were yet sinners and dead in our sin. The gospel is Proclamation. I think about this here in 15 vs. The Gospel is revelation these boys understood it was Private it was painful, but it was also powerful and it was passionate. It's reconciliation. It brings peace in our life. It brings protection provision and it gives us A New Perspective. You see friends. This is what the gospel is all about. And I want you to understand this.

Joseph put his arms around all his brothers. He kissed them kiss their neck and they all cried together. Did you know that the names of all these boys evil this dysfunctional family the names of all these boys? Are written on the Gates of Heaven? Did you know that the Bible tells us that in Revelation that their names are written on the gates that surround heaven and Joseph was saying? Come come near me. He put his arms around them. And he said there's no more jealousy. There's no more anger and no more resentment. There's no more line. Nothing, but complete Fellowship. And what does the Lord do to us when we are saved? He says I go to prepare a place for you. It was not so it wouldn't told you and if I go, I'll come back and I'll bring you to myself. I'm going to bring you home one day. We're all that know Christ. We going to be in heaven and Jesus is going to wrap his arms around us and he's going to say, you know something no more. Send. No more shame No, More Tears. No more guilt. No more anger. No more resentment full complete fellowship with me for eternity in heaven. and when we get to heaven We will see their names. This dysfunctional family and our names is in the Lamb's Book of Life as well. So what do we think about this? Well, Christ is calling all of us to be reconciled to him today. In order to be saved. Then it's our responsibility to be ambassadors of reconciliation and go out and Proclaim this good news to other people the good news of the living exalted Jesus Christ who tells us all who labor and are heavy laden you come to me and I'll give you rest. Do you see the gospel in Genesis 45? Some of you may witness somebody, you know, you going to play. Well, I tell you what, I'm just going to take him to the Romans road. Well, that's fine. That's good. Go to Roma's and you can take them right down the Romans road and show them they need to be seen the rain is I just want you to know. That you can take somebody down the Joseph Road the road that leads from Canaan to Egypt right here the gospel plain as day in the very first book of the Bible a man will a Sprite father we do. Thank you and praise you and love you today. Or we thank you for the gospel in Lord. We thank you that we can see it and experience it. And witness about it in the very first book of the Bible. That right here in Genesis 45 is pointing to you in your death on calvary's cross and your Resurrection three days later or thank you that the gospel is revelation. Lord we know that is private. We know that is personal or we can't get saved corporately just because my mom and dad he's a Christian or just because I go to a church that preaches the gospel doesn't mean that I'm say it's personal and it's private and sometimes it can be painful when we come and have to admit our own send. The Lord is also powerful. We know what you've done in our hearts you giving us a new heart. You've given us a new life. You've given us A New Perspective in or we see things differently now. Thank you that the gospel is revelation. Thank you that the gospel reconciles us not only to you but to our friends and those that we may have differences with Lord it brings us. Peace. It brings us protection. You going to provide for us. You'll never leave us nor forsake us Lord. We thank you for that and help us to have the courage to go out and to Proclaim it to give light in a dark world to get life in a dead world to give Liberty to an enslaved world and to give love to a hateful world. Thank you for your word. Thank you for your gospel in Christ's name. I do pray. Amen.