Jesus: The Mystery of His Will (December 12th, 2021)
What were in our second message, regarding the glimpses of Jesus pictures of Jesus. In the we're going to be talking with the mystery of his will. First, I just wanted to let you know there's a family's in our midst storrowing. Dr. Carter contact me this week, and wanted his class to know that there will be no Sunday school class. Today. December 12th. No Sunday school class. Next week. December 19th. In fact, the Sunday school class will not resume until January, 16th reason. For that is Doctor Carters in the maritimes with his wife. Bonnie. Bonnie's. Father is in the last days, maybe perhaps the last hours of his life and it's just the time of morning. They sent me an update. Last night and the father did not have a good night, and they had to call the nurse and morphine and pain is just difficult. And then I was contacted this week by Sabrina Messiah, you know, Sabrina is married to Arrow. But Sabrina is Leona's daughter. Leona died. A couple of years ago. Lyanna's son. And her brother Wayne passed away this week and we'll have a funeral for Wayne here at the church on Thursday. And then just maybe 15 minutes before the first service, maybe 7:45, this morning. I got a text from Marilyn, Paul saying that she was at the hospital with Ron and in her words run is in dire condition. And then she texted me a little while later. We need a miracle. Ronen Maryland, run in Maryland, Mom and Dad. They had just kind of adopted Us in the wrestling. Family are great Sorel. Great song.
And you make it's mornings. Like this morning. That make you wonder like this. Does God have a will, does he have a plan? This sounds kind of random to me. And yet God Jesus, when he was on Earth assured us, that he was in control. In John 15:16. He said all he said to his disciples all that the father has is mine. Think of it. Nothing that God the father has Is is not given to God the son? In John says, 522 Jesus says. But the father judges, no one but has given all judgment to the son. Did you know that that Jesus is in charge of judging Souls? He will make all the decisions. All the decisions will be final. And they will be just and true. God, the father is not in that business. That's got the Sun. We saw last week, Revelation. 19:16. Jesus is the king of kings and Lord of lords. And yet, can we just admit to one another? That it doesn't, sometimes it doesn't feel that way.
Sometimes it does not look like God is in control. Or is he is in control? He's not good, but case he's allowing a lot of bad stuff to happen. Or if this is what he thinks is good. Maybe he's not as wise as we've been led to believe.
Sometimes we read the Bible. We believe that Jesus is in control that he's wise, and loving and Powerful. But we look and we wonder really like a, we just given ourselves religious psychobabble.
Seems to us that you don't need to read. The Bible is God's in control of relationships. Relationships, should be headed up getting better and better. If God's in control of Boston in the righteous, should be blessed, more and more. If God's in control of Justice than Justice should be done more and more, if God's in control of truth, then truth should went out. It doesn't seem like that's the narrative. A direct you to the story of Joseph. The Divided is story in 25 chapters. The first chapter is called the pits.
By the way, I'm just going to tell the story but if you want to read it, it's in Genesis chapters. A37. 250. Joseph was a son of Jacob, many sons, but Joseph was the favored. Son. Remember, by the way, Joseph. Dad is Jacob. Jacob's, dad is Isaac. Isaac was the young man that was offered on the Altar and then the angel said, stop, his dad is Abraham just to put you in the biblical record. So Joseph is a son of Jacob and the favorite son is meant by Dad's given Jacob, a beautiful coat, many colors, Borgess beautiful top-notch real fashion statement. And his brothers hated him for it. How come he gets the code? We don't. Joseph had dreams the gist of the dreams were, there was going to come in Brothers when you're going to bow down to me. Well, if I didn't hate you for the code, I sure hate Chanel. One day. Joseph, Jacob has sent his sons except Joseph out on a series of errands. They don't come back in the expected time frame. So Dad says to Joseph. Hey, go look for your brothers. And of course he does. His brothers see Joseph coming there recognize the coat from a long way off and try again.
And they decide that when he gets to them, they're going to kill him. Soon, as he gets a little closer, they say, let's just bury him in a pit. So that's what they did. They dug a pit. They know they need a story for their dad. So they take the coat of many colors. They put animal blood on it and they said, he will take this to Dad. And we'll say, do you recognize this coat? And he'll say, of course, it's my son's and the hill, look at the blood assume. It's human blood and assume that Joseph is dead. That's their plan.
God is in control of relationships. Always. Are you not listening to me? Every relationship has broken the brothers hate Joseph. The dad is about to be deceived poison control for justice, always not. I thought the brothers were going to offer. Evidence this coat and it's going to be accepted as legitimate evidence. He's in control of blessings. No, he's not. The closest thing we got to a good guy in the story is Joseph. And you know what? He's getting for his Good Guy status. He's being thrown in a pit. At least, truth will win out.
Jacob's about to be told a lie, and he's going to believe it.
Chapter 2, chapter 1 is the pits chapter 2, the sale.
They put Joseph in the pit and they can leave their died and they say, hey, wait a minute. I just let him die. There's got to be a way to make a little coin out of this. Why don't we sell them? And as sovereignty would have some slave Traders for coming their way. So they did Joseph out of the pit. They sell them to slave traders that are on their way to Egypt.
God is in control with relationships. Who is not? If the relationship between the brothers and Joseph wasn't broken before it's broken now, but at least Justice is winning out. No, it's not. A human being is going to be sold into slavery. And the false evidence of the jacket will be accepted. Well, at least truth is in control. Know it isn't. What about those dreams where Joseph was going to be king or something. Everyone's going to bow out and doesn't look likely at least the good guys are getting blessed. No, they're not. The pit is now turning into slavery.
If you only have this part of the story, if you were a contemporary of Joseph and you're watching the story, but you died now, so you never get to see the end of the story. Would you conclude the God is loving and wise, and powerful? And He's Got The Whole World in His Hands. He's got the itty bitty baby in his hands. He conclude that the moral of this story is survival of the fittest. You're going to get taken care of. You got to take care of yourself.
If this is the only part of the story you had, you would conclude that the golden rule is correct, you know, the Golden Rule he who has the gold rules.
If you only had this part of the story, you would see a very clear teaching for life. Look out. For number one.
But of course, that's not the rest of the story of Joseph is taking to Egypt. He sold into slavery by any sold to a very powerful man potiphar. By the way. Joseph is a looker. Like very masculine chiseled features. Great body shape. Really attractive complexion. Beautiful here. He's a, he's a looker and Potiphar's wife notices. One day, Potiphar's husband and potiphar is out on a business trip. And his wife says to Joseph. Hey, my husband's gone ain't coming back for a while. How about you and me have some fun? Joseph said I couldn't do that. Your husband has entrusted me with his house. Haha. How can I be someone faithful to say nothing about the God? I can't do that. Potiphar's wife says, well, I'm not taking no for an answer. So she grabs them and pulls them into bed. He kind of Wiggles around a little bit. So his quote falls off and her and he runs out of the room naked.
Potiphar comes back from his business trip. And the wife says, you'll never guess what happened to me today, really what Joseph attacked me, Joseph attacked you and I grabbed his coat. He realized he wasn't going to get his way and he ran away. Potiphar swallows this Hook Line & Sinker puts Joseph in the judicial system of Egypt. He's found guilty. God is in control with relationships.
No, he isn't. Did I tell you about the broken relationship between the brothers and Joseph? Don't forget the dad is now deep in morning cuz he thinks his son is dead will. Now we have another broken relationship between potiphar and his wife. God is in control of Justice.
The first. Evidence, the code with the blood was accepted as real and now we got more false evidence. The cloak that's not at all. What happened. Well, at least got his Blessing. His people know he isn't. Went to slavery. That the slavery went to jail. Well, at least truth will win out. Really? Tell me again. How true sweating out. I do. I see no signs of Truth winning out. You can have your tiny little religious ideas if you want and believe whatever you want, but I'm just a realist. Here's the way. The world works.
What if you are all watching this play out? And you died after this chapter in the story. You never get to see the rest. What would you conclude?
Look worse. The story turns Joseph is very faithful in prison that the chief prison guard put us in charge. Can you imagine one of the prisoners in charge of the prison? He decides where the meals are going to be served. And when and when Recreation time is and who's in solitary, confinement, Joseph's in charge.
Two new prisoners. Come to the prison, the Kings Baker and Butler. King was unhappy with some pharaohs on happy with his Butler and Baker, sends them to jail. Now they're under Joseph care. One morning. Joseph is attending to his duties. He notices of the Butler and the baker. Orem. Distressed in some way. Hey, what's going on guys? While we have the dreams last night that you would not believe the dreams. We had what's happened to me? Tell him to me. So they tell him his dreams God and God gives, and interpretation of those dreams to Joseph. And he says, to the butler. I'm happy to tell you that in three days. You'll be reinstated and he says to the baker. I'm sorry to tell you, but in three days you'll be put to death and three days later. That's what happens. As the butler is being let out of prison, Joseph says, goodbye. Can you just mention my flight to the king? I mean unjustly this whole Egyptian judicial system is not working. To which the butler says right on it, buddy, you could you could count on me cuz we're like this. And then the moment the prison doors, swing close behind. You says Joseph who?
Goes to his. Pharaoh, it goes back to his duties in Farrell. Nothing.
Joseph is left to languish in prison and not for another week for another couple of years. But a couple of years after the butler is reinstated, Pharaoh has a dream you may have heard of them, seven fat, cows 17, cows brings it all as magicians and Sorcerers turn to no one can interpret the dream and butlers. Amnesia is cured, ability to interpret dreams because it might help him in his career with the Pharaoh. So is that a fair old is Guy? We had these dreams and we talked and he got it. He absolutely nailed it for Moses. Bring me that man. Bring me that man. So Joseph guess the interpretation of the dreams from pharaoh and says, hey, you're going to have seven really plentiful years and then 7, really lean years. You might want to
You might want to prepare for that. Put some wise people in charge. Federal says wise people. I think I'm looking at the guy you'll be in charge and finally, Joseph is elevated. The prime minister. God is now bringing the blessing. To those who serve him. But, you know, these are still mixed. The relationships are also broken, the brothers. The dad potiphar wife, also broken and Justice really hasn't been done. No one's really discovered that the evidence was false. And Truth is not really one out.
It's a turn but is not a resolution.
Well. The famine during the seven years in the Sutherlin years. Now. The famine is not just Egypt, its Egypt and surrounding area, which includes the area where Jacob and the brothers are, they're running out of food. They're going to die. So they said, hey, we hear that there's food in Egypt. They go to Egypt. Joseph recognizes them the reconciled, and I think we can now say that God is in control. Relationships, justice has been done. They admit their role in the deceptive code. Blessing truth.
What are we to learn from the story of Joseph?
We might say hi. I suppose we could learn all's well that ends. Well didn't look so good in chapter one or two or three but it began to turn in chapter 4 and it was completely reconciled and chapter 5, and that's true. One of the things we do learn is all's well, that ends. Well, all stories end. Well, the problem is is not all stories end. Well on Earth Justice will always be done but we won't always see it. I mean, I seen I told you the story of Joseph, but let me just remind you of the story of Joseph. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, with the was a Lutheran Pastor in Germany during World War II. He strongly opposed in and spoke out against the Nazi regime into specific areas, especially euthanasia and their persecution of the Jews. And he was a force for righteousness. Yeah. Hitler had them rested in 1943. And then in a fit of Fury, in 1945, ordered his execution. And on April 9th. 1945 Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed. As she was walking out to his execution. He said to a close friend. He said quote this is the end but for me, the beginning of Life. And then Dietrich Bonhoeffer winter, Glory. Yeah, but we don't get to see that observers from Earth would say the Nazis won. The Nazis put Bonhoeffer in prison, not the other way around the Nazis killed Bonhoeffer, not the other way around. It is true that all's well that ends. Well. But it is not true that we can always see it from our Earthly perspective. I would encourage you to think of this and see two more things. One. There's always a bigger picture. There's always a bigger picture sometimes, when we don't see the big picture, wrong things, can look right illogical things can look logical. And now a brief commercial message. I'm going to teach you all how to get rich quick by showing you how not seeing the big picture can be, can lead us to wrong conclusions. And even if we're going to wrong conclusions, we think is totally logical. Here's how you get rich quick by a list of 10,000 rich people in your physical area, by the way, that's not hard to do. There's lots of list Brokers, you can buy a list of 10,000 people that are wealthy in your area. Communicate with 5,000 of them and say, I got a stock tip for you.
I got a stock tip for you. Apple. Stock is going up this month, communicate, the 5,000 of them and say Apple stock is going up. Communicate, the five thousand of them and say that you got a hot tip and say Apple stock is going down in the next month. The next month, something's going to happen. Let's say apples. This is the correct solution. Apple stock goes down. But these 5,000 people never talk to them again. But for these 5,000 people write 2500 a letter saying, Google stock is going up. Write 2500 as letter saying, Google stock is going down. Wait and see what happens. Let's say Google stock goes up, you continue this pattern. You write a letter to 12:50 people 625 at the end when you get to around 100 stop and you call those hundred people and you say I would like to be your friend Angela advisor. I don't know if that's all you have to say. Yes, but they'll probably take the meeting because from their point of view, you sent them, a tip on Apple, Google Amazon, Microsoft Oracle Tesla, Facebook and you nailed it. Every time the wizard tree. He's got some inside track in the tech world because that's what they see. Here's what they don't see. you communicated with 10,000 people for 9900 and 22, you got it wrong for 78. You got it, right, but they don't know that. They are responding in a way that looks totally logical to them because they don't see the big picture. And you can look at the story. The first half of Joseph story or the whole story of Dietrich bonhoeffer's and you say God is not in control. He is not, he is not loving, he's not. Why is he's not a powerful yet. There's a bigger picture here. There's a much bigger picture. We do have the story of Joseph. But there's a bigger picture here about the truthfulness of God.
Before the story of Joseph, even starts in Genesis. 15:13. God says to Abraham, your people will live in a foreign land and be abused for 400 years. The only way that can happen is this story. There's a bigger story with the truthfulness of, God will be verified and supported. There's a bigger story. Call the saving.
Of Israel.
You might think because of the millions of people who are saved in each of the best, a big storyline. If that's not the big storyline. It's the saving of each is of Israel. And by the way, at the time of the story, the whole nation of Israel, you know, how many people are in the nation? 70. 70. And they're in an area that is struck with famine. And they're going to die. If they Tie The Plan of Salvation dies with it, because God has already said the Messiah will come through this line. We got to get this line to a place where there's food. How am I going to do that?
Joseph.
don't have room to write this, but
the bigger story is the communication of Truth.
God is preparing the nation for a whole new era of Truth. In which he's going to demonstrate his power over evil. By defeating Pharaoh in the plagues defeating Pharaoh in the plagues is the major. There's not the only one but it is the major Old Testament picture of God. Conquering evil. It is a precursor to Jesus, Conquering the Antichrist. The plates are a precursor to Revelation 19, how we going to have the plagues? Israel's got to be in Egypt. When Israel is an Egypt, they are going to experience the Passover. Where the blood of the Lamb is going to be put across the door, in the angel of death is going to pass over. That, that is not the only picture of blood redemption in the Old Testament, but it is the main one. Are we going to get there? The story of Joseph is going to set the stage for that.
God is setting up a whole new era of Truth, where the Exodus will happen. The Red Sea will actually part. This is not the only picture in the Old Testament of our delivery from slavery into freedom in a supernatural way, but it is the main one. How we going to set up that Exodus? God is preparing in his own mind to people, to teach truth, Moses and Joshua, the stage has to be set. Yes. Joseph is suffering. Yes. He's it a pit. Yes. He's been asleep. But the table is being, God is not playing a one lifetime game. God is playing the long game. He's going to take care of Joseph and at the same time, set the table for the next Thousand Years.
There's a bigger picture. The other thing that I think we can learn is that there's a deeper meaning.
Is anyone old like me and remembers this TV show? Put your hand up if you remember Fantasy Island? Okay, you're really really old. This guy, mr. Rourke and his assistant tattoo are on this island and you contact mr. Or can you tell him what your fantasy is and then you come to the island. He makes it all come true. I don't know why. I remember this but I do. And I remember it in some detail and I have no idea why but my dad and I were watching an episode like 40 years ago. If 50 years ago. This was a long time ago and I still remember the episode. There's this big game hunter who has hunted elephants in Africa and water buffalo and whatever you have in South America. He's too big. Exotic game all over the world is fantasy is to be the game. To be the hunted rather than the hunter. So he comes to the island and works going to make his fantasy come true. He's drugged and then do any wakes up. He's in the middle of the jungle. And here's a shot whistle bottle to his wife. Oh, this wasn't part of the deal. So now they have to figure out how they struggle away from the Hunter and so forth. When that episode was finished. I thought it was an action story. I thought the story was a guy trying to evade whizzing bullets and trying to Outfox the Hunter. Well, that's the very surface-level. Dad said, what do you think the author meant to say when the man was chained to his wife?
That's a dimmer even occurred to me. We had a good discussion and we thought that the author was trying to say that his real fantasy. Was to be at one with his wife and to be on the same team and have enemies and dangers but to confront them together. Friends, there is the story of Joseph and his sister is a guy. Yeah, he goes to a pit and then he goes to jail and then he interprets dreams and then he's a prime minister. And then these cows are eaten each other. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, but there's so much deeper meaning in your notes. The deeper meaning is that God has a loving plan. God has a wise plan. God has a powerful plan.
But it doesn't appear that way in every chapter. It is that way in every chapter, but it doesn't always appear that way.
And I say all that because I thought that that would be a good thing for us to fix our hearts on. As we celebrate communion. I know these little things can be a little awkward and we've been a little rushed in the past couple of communion. So just take some time to open it. Now while I tell you, That the story of Joseph in many ways, is a type of the story of Jesus.
The story of Jesus just like, Joseph has a bunch of things that don't make sense. Did I tell you that? God himself came to Earth, and he was born in a stinky stable with some animals. That doesn't sound, right? Oh, don't worry because it gets better. As soon as he was born, government officials gave him, death threats. Actually tried to kill him and killed innocent. People who got in the way. That doesn't sound right. Oh, don't worry. Because then he lives this whole section of his life on the Run. He has to flee to Egypt. That doesn't sound right, but don't worry, the religious rulers of the day carefully, examined his claims and they know their Bible like backwards and forwards. And when they hear his claims, they reject him. That doesn't sound right, but don't worry because the Jewish leaders partner up with the Roman government and have him killed. That's what that sound, right.
But then the story turns. God was always in control. Doesn't look, right? Doesn't sound right, but he's got a plan here. Jesus is dying on the cross. And your sin and mine is being heaped up on him. And he says it is finished. And in that moment, the Plan of Salvation opens up. He does. But then he resurrects. And then he goes back to the father and is currently with the father at his right hand.
Interceding for us. By the way, if anyone does not have a communion element and would like to celebrate communion with us, just put up your hand while I'm talking and Malachi will come and deliver that to you.
Jesus follows the pattern of Joseph in that all's. Well, that ends. Well, not every chapter. Looks like God's in control every chapter. God is in control, but you have to get to the end to see it. But God also a good. The the story of Jesus and other J means Jesus is part of a bigger picture. It is the story of the god man who lived on Earth, but the story means that salvation is opened up. You know, we sing at Christmas time, God and sinners reconciled. That's because of Jesus. That's what we're celebrating in communion today. There's a bigger picture. This is the ultimate defeat of evil. Satan is already defeated was just a guerrilla warfare. Now. We're just mopping up at this point. That's because of what happened. With his death and Resurrection. We've been talked to you about heaven. That's the bigger picture. The new heavens and a new Earth are going to come down, but we're going to live in them. The reason we're going to live in them is because he won our salvation and reconcile us to the father with his death and Resurrection.
There's a bigger picture and there's a deeper, meaning and kids. Here. It is for you. Again, the deeper meaning that God has a loving plan. God has a wise plan and God has a powerful plan. But it doesn't always look that way. It won't look that way and every single chapter, it won't look that way on every single page. But it is that way. That's why we say we live by faith, not by sight. Is I got seven letters from this incredible stockbroker, and he's right every single.
We have faith that there's a bigger picture doesn't feel that way. Yes, we have faith that there's a bigger picture. And in that bigger picture God's completely under control in control doesn't feel that way. Yes, but we have faced the deduced that way and that he's loving doesn't feel that way. Yes, but we have faith that it is that way. And as for those reasons that we celebrate communion today. The scriptures describe it this way. For I have received from the Lord. What I delivered to you. That the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread. And when he had given tense, he broke it. And said, this is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
And in the same way, he also took the cup after supper saying this cup is the New Covenant in my blood do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. Prazosin as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim, the Lord's death until he comes.
As the worship team is coming up to Lita's and worship. I just want to encourage your brothers and sisters. What was true for? Joseph is true for you. What was true for? Jesus is true for you. God has a plan for your life and it is loving, and it is wise and it is powerful. But that doesn't mean that it always looks that way. And even when it does, when it doesn't, we worship Him?