Too Much "At Home"

Introduction

Good morning and welcome back!

If you would like to start turning in your Bibles, this morning we are going to be in Genesis 47.

And our Scripture focus this morning takes us to a time when the tribes of Israel are just being formed.

We have come to a time when Joseph was in power in Egypt as the 2nd in command. 

 He had sent for his brothers and his family and they had worked through their differences (remember they had put him in a pit, sold him into slavery, etc....)

 And there was a great famine that had affected the entire region, but because of God's provision, Egypt was spared because of the dreams and visions of Joseph. 

 His father Jacob (Israel) is now living in Egypt with his son and enjoying the "good life." 

 Things really seem to be on the upswing and appear to be going good for the children of Israel at this point. 

 However, like many of us, they were living in the moment, not thinking of the future and not thinking of the things to come. 

 In fact, I would say that they had become too much "at home," in this foreign land. 

 Our Scripture says this about being too much at home . . .

John 15:19 NIV84

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

And....

2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV84

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

And....

1 Peter 2:11 NIV84

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

And finally....

Hebrews 11:13 NIV84

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

And the central message of all of these passages is that we are strangers and pilgrims in this world. 

This world is not our home, this world is just a place that we are passing through on our way to the Promised Land. 

 But what happens though is we become too complacent, too comfortable in the world, in our present situation and we become lulled asleep and err in the faith. 

 That's exactly what happened to the children of Israel here.

So, let’s look at our verses and then break things down a bit.

Genesis 47, starting in verse 27 reads . . .

Scripture Focus

Genesis 47:27–31 NIV84

Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.” “I will do as you say,” he said. “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Great Possessions

So, we are nearing the end of Jacob’s life and he is making final preparations with his son Joseph.

And the passage again starts out with . . .

Genesis 47:27 NIV84

Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.

Do we see what is going on here? 

 Here we have Israel as a people, dwelling down in Egypt and the Bible says that they are now gaining strength, prosperity, and are gathering MANY POSSESSIONS. 

They began to multiply exceedingly. 

They got rich and comfortable.

Got used to living off of Joseph’s coattails.

 And this is what happens when we begin to gather many possessions in this life and in this world. 

Those things become the most important thing to us. 

 We are deceived into thinking that just because we are obtaining stuff, then we doing good and doing what we need to be doing. 

 We become deceived into thinking that this is all there is to life, "we've got it all," and "life is good." 

 But these things are just possessions, just stuff, just trinkets.

And actually the Bible has some strong words about putting our faith in the stuff.

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us that . . .

Matthew 6:19–24 NIV84

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Really, simple instructions of our Lord Jesus.

(1)  He tells us to not lay up treasures here on the earth, Why?  Because they are temporary.  (Moth and rust corrupt, and thieves will steal).

(2)  He tells us we are to lay up our treasures in Heaven, where they are safe and sound, cared for by God Himself! 

(3)  The reason we worry about Heavenly treasures and not earthly ones, is because THAT IS WHERE OUR HEART TRULY IS.

 Here's the question for us though, where is our heart? 

And sometimes we might even say, “I don’t know,” or “how can I tell.”

The answer is simple, What is always on your mind? 

The things of heaven or things of earth. 

 If you are consumed with earthly things, then you are not in a right place with God. 

THIS DOESN'T MEAN JUST THINKING ABOUT WORK AND MONEY ALL THE TIME. 

 This includes your leisure time, your time away from work. 

What do you love more? 

The things of God or the things of man. 

 These are the things you treasures. 

Here’s a simple test, where are you at when church time rolls around or when a chance to fellowship with Brothers and Sisters in Christ arise, or a chance to do a "work" for God? 

 Are you there, engaged in Kingdom work, or are you somewhere else with an excuse about why you can't be involved.

And don’t confuse legitimate reasons for excuses.

We all know if our reasons are legitimate or just an excuse.

I don’t have to tell you, because the Holy Spirit will do that.

Here is what John has to say about the matter . . .

1 John 2:15–17 NIV84

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Are we in love with the world and the things of the world?

 The children of Israel were.

Israel fell in love with Egypt and all the great possessions of Egypt. 

And this was the beginning of their demise, their downfall. 

Taken Into Bondage

 And it didn't happen over-night either, it happened over the course of many years, but here is what happened.

Exodus 1:8–11 NIV84

Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Years passed and Joseph died. 

A new king over Egypt emerged, who didn't know Joseph, and didn't care who Joseph was or what he had done for the nation of Egypt. 

 The only thing this new king saw was that Israel was growing strong and he was concerned that these foreigners were going to take over his land, his world. 

 So, they set taskmasters over them. 

Take them into bondage, make them slaves. 

This was a slow process that took place over a number of years. 

 It got so bad that they even devised plans to kill the newborn Israelites. 

We know the story of Moses. 

 However, the Israelites didn't do anything about it before it reached that point. 

It crept up on them. 

They had become so comfortable in their situation that in some ways they didn't realize that there was another way, a better way. 

 They had gotten used to being in bondage and that was just their way of life. 

At one time they were free, now they were slaves! 

 Isn't that how we are at times also? 

God set us free through the blood of Jesus!

Christ freed us, but we then go back to the world, turn our back on God and we willingly go into bondage again.

Galatians 4 warns us that . . .

Galatians 4:9 NIV84

But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

And Peter tells us . . .

2 Peter 2:20–21 NIV84

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

Why though, why are we so willing to go into bondage, into slavery to the world? 

It is all because we become complacent, comfortable. 

The flesh rises up and becomes the dominant force in our lives.

Matthew 26:41 NIV84

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

And . . .

1 John 2:16 NIV84

For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.

A Way Back

We give in and there we are back in bondage. 

Slaves to the flesh, slaves to the world and don't even know it. 

There is hope though. 

There is a way back. 

It doesn't have to be this way. 

God sent the children of Israel a deliverer . . .

Exodus 3:7–10 NIV84

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

And just as God sent Moses, He also sent Christ. 

Christ was sent to redeem that was lost.

Matthew 18:11 KJV 1900

For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

And not only those which are lost, never receiving Christ, but also those who have lost their way . . .

Luke 15:4–7 NIV84

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Altar/Challenge

What about it? 

Where is our heart today? 

 I'm not concerned about yesterday, last week, last month, last year. 

What is God saying to us right here right now? 

 Are we in love with God? 

Are we building up treasures in heaven? 

Or, are we in love with the world? 

Having the "time of your life?"  

Building up pleasures and treasures here. 

 We can all sit and make excuses about "why not," but I would challenge you today to lay all of that aside and make a decision to be ALL IN and SOLD OUT for Christ. 

 Do you know that you are just a pilgrim, passing through, or has this become your home?

What will we do today?

Let’s pray . . .