220306 Genesis 37-50B: ...But God Meant It For Good

OPENING SLIDE

I invite you to open your Bibles to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. This letter was written by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church, a church known for its divisions, disputes and fractures and Paul is writing to tell them that now that they are in Christ things, are to be different. We are going to start in verse 17.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 | 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. INTRODUCTION18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

If anyone is in Christ, a Christian, a redeemed saved saint, he is a new creature and those old divisions are supposed to be a thing of the past… If anyone is in Christ, then new things from God have come. The same God who reconciled us through the death of His precious perfect Son also gave us the ministry of reconciliation too. Just as God, in Christ, reconciled people to Himself - not counting their trespasses against them, He has committed to us the sharing of this Good News - the word of reconciliation.

Believers, if indeed we are in Christ then we have been reconciled to God and He has not counted our sins against us. If we are in Christ, He has given us a similar work. He has given us the ministry and word of reconciliation and of all peoples on the earth we are to be known for our willingness to repent of our sin.

Here’s the main point that this message is driving at today and what I want us to understand clearly.

MAIN POINT

When we initiate reconciliation with others, we show our understanding of what God has done for us. We show our understanding of how seriously we take our own sin.

When we go out of our way, to reach out to those that whom we have injured, offended or hurt and attempt to reconcile with them, we prove we understand what God has done for us.

Just to be upfront and perfectly clear, This is not a sermon on how to convince others how to come to us for forgiveness… this is a sermon on how to repent and reconcile with others for our sins.

PAUSE123

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But before we go any further let’s dedicate this time to the One who reconciled us to Himself

PRAYER

Father God, those beautiful words, not counting our trespasses against us… Father what kind of a good God are You that takes mean, wretched, undeserving angry creatures and reveals to them Your unmerited favor - You are a good God. We dedicate this time to You. May Your Spirit reveal to us, through the story of Joseph and his family what reconciliation looks like. What it looks like to confront sin and have it graciously forgotten. Lord, we come to You in the name of the One who made all of this possible, we come to You in Christ’s name, amen.

SERMON

Please turn back to Genesis chapter 42 verse 1 and while we are turning there I will just remind us a bit of the context. CONTEXT 1

We left Joseph after he had just come out of prison. If you will remember Potiphar’s wife had attempted to seduce Joseph and he had fled. Potiphar’s wife had gotten even by lying to her husband about Joseph and he spent several years in prison. CONTEXT 2

While in prison, two other men were jailed their as well - the royal cupbearer of the king and his baker and they had dreams which Joseph correctly interpreted. One was released and the other executed. Two years later, Pharaoh has had a dream that no one can interpret and the royal cupbearer has just remembered the Hebrew youth, Joseph, still locked up. CONTEXT3

Well, Joseph was released and interpreted Pharaoh's dream and he was so impressed that he made Joseph the second most powerful man in Egypt - in charge of all agriculture and trade. Joseph has been sent by God to preserve the lives of his family, and to survive, the family will need to go to Egypt - and although they don’t know it yet...they need Joseph.

Which is ironic, because Joseph’s brothers had discarded him, he was unwanted, unloved, hated by his brothers and for the last 2 decades they have been dealing with the guilt of their actions. That’s where we join the text… SLIDE with the brother’s guilt and punishment

I. Guilt and Punishment (Ch42)

A. Go down… that we may live and not die (v1-5)

Genesis 42:1–5 | 1 Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” 2 He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.” 3 Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “I am afraid that harm may befall him.” 5 So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

This is no ordinary famine, apparently it is worldwide and only in Egypt is there food. Jacob must have seen the caravans coming back through on the main trade routes with grain and known that Egypt was their only hope.

So, he sends the ten oldest brothers to get them food but holds back Benjamin… Now the text doesn’t show what Jacob feared, but I get a sense from this text and the latter narrative that Jacob knew the character of his boys and didn’t trust him with the only surviving son of his beloved wife, Rachel. SLIDE

It is in verse 6 that Joseph sees his brothers and remembers what they had done and what he had dreamed all those years ago Verse 6

B. Joseph saw... recognized... and remembered (v6-17)

Genesis 42:6–17 | 6 Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers he recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” 8 But Joseph had recognized his brothers, although they did not recognize him. 9 Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.” 10 Then they said to him, “No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 “We are all sons of one man; we are honest men, your servants are not spies.” 12 Yet he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!” 13 But they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no longer alive.” 14 Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you, you are spies; 15 by this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16 “Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” 17 So he put them all together in prison for three days.

As I read through this text it makes me wonder if Joseph knew that he would see his brothers again… I mean he was in charge of all trade and agriculture. He would have seen traders coming from all around the world and perhaps he half expected to see his family approaching from the east.

Chapter 41 records the birth of Joseph’s firstborn son, Manasseh, whose name means, “made to forget.” Joseph had said he had forgotten his trouble and all his father’s household, but I don’t know… every time he would have talked to Manasseh, calling him by name he would have been reminded of his family and when he sees them again after 20 odd years it is no wonder he speaks to them harshly… he had not forgotten. SLIDE

In verse 18 through 38 the brothers declare their understanding of their guilt

C. Truly we are guilty concerning our brother* (v18-38)

Genesis 42:18–38 | 18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for I fear God: 19 if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, carry grain for the famine of your households, 20 and bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be verified, and you will not die.” And they did so. 21 Then they said to one another, “Truly we are guilty concerning our brother, because we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.” 22 Reuben answered them, saying, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.” 23 They did not know, however, that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. But when he returned to them and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. 25 Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack, and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

After three days, nine of the men are released, released to go home to feed their family’s and once again tell their father that one of them is no longer with them.

For 2 decades they had wrestled with the guilt and shame of their sin… all the familiar arguments and finger pointing comes gushing out… Now they cannot help but exclaim their remorse and Joseph is hearing all of this and seeing it on their faces. PAUSE TO TRANSITION

KEY TAKEAWAY Let’s take a key takeaway from this part of the story

Reconciliation requires responsibility. One or both parties must take responsibility for their part in the conflict. One or both parties must understand their culpability.... The men in our story did, they were so steeped in guilt that it immediately surfaces.PAUSE Our tendency is to look at the other person, for what they did to us but I would encourage us to look at things a bit differently. Instead of looking at the others that have hurt us… let’s look at how we have injured others. Why? Well for one failing to reconcile, rejecting our own responsibility to reconcile with those we have harmed, hinders our worship. VERSE SLIDE

Matthew 5:23-24 ““Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”

We can’t worship, if we have this baggage… we need to take responsibility for what we have done that has hurt and injured others. Reconciliation requires responsibility

PAUSE Let’s rejoin the narrative:

As these 9 brothers depart they have no idea that every one of them still has their money in their sack. When they come to tell their father all that has happened and see their money still in the sack they will understand that all the evidence says that they have stolen from the lord of the land. Their brother Simeon’s life is now forfeit. Furthermore, they know that Benjamin is also in jeopardy because they cannot return without him… Let’s pick it back up in verse 36 SLIDE Immediately after the brother recount what has happened...

v26-35 bypassed

36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me.” 37 Then Reuben spoke to his father, saying, “You may put my two sons to death if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my care, and I will return him to you.” 38 But Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he alone is left. If harm should befall him on the journey you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.”

Truly, they are guilty concerning their brothers. Jacob, out of hand rejects the possibility of entrusting young Benjamin to them, saying if anything happens to Benjamin it will finish him off… bringing his gray hair down to the grave. PAUSE

But eventually the food will run out, and they will have to return and SLIDE when they do they will be confronted by their sin. Chapter 43

II. Confronted By Sin (Ch43-44)

A. May God Almighty grant you compassion…* (v1-14)

Genesis 43:1–15 | 1 Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.” 3 Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 “If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 “But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ” 6 Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly by telling the man whether you still had another brother?” 7 But they said, “The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. 9 “I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame before you forever. 10 “For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.” 11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little honey, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 “Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. 13 “Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; 14 and may God Almighty אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֗י grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.”

Out of desperation Jacob is forced to release his cherished son Benjamin, dedicating the brothers and Benjamin to God. Desperation has forced his hand and made it obvious that they all will die if all the remaining brothers do not go down.. PAUSE

Desperation has the advantage of introducing clarity, does it not? Desperation makes us willing to take impossible steps toward things we don’t want to do and often what we don’t want to do is repent of our sin. PAUSE

KEY TAKEAWAY 2Here’s the next takeaway, reconciliation requires repentance. Repentance can seem impossible, can it not? When we have wounded, when we have harmed, when our words have cut like a knife or our actions have proven our true selfish nature, it is hard to repent.

But to repent is to agree with God. It is to say to God, “I understand the damage my sin has caused, and I own that, its my fault and I am to blame.” It is turning toward God and away from self. To reconcile, to truly reconcile you cannot rely on pacifying words alone, you cannot just ignore the problem so that time will dull the ache, no, the sin must be repented of and you do that by taking ownership of it.

Out of desperation you may be forced to do so but if you do, I guarantee that you will find God to be compassionate, forgiving and desiring that you believe what Scripture says about Him. He is willing to forgive… are we willing to truly repent? Are we willing to go to those we have harmed? There can be no reconciliation without that.

Verse 15 SLIDE

B. They feasted and drank freely with him (v15-34)

Genesis 43:15–34 | 15 So the men took this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.”

The men are obviously afraid, bewildered and confused. Their confusion increases when the house steward tells them later that they had the missing money all along and it hits a new peak next in verse 33 as they sit together to eat

v19-32 bypassed

33 Now they were seated before him (BEFORE JOSEPH), the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34 He took portions to them from his own table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.

Nothing seems to be making any sense at all as the lord of the land joins them and brings them food from his very own table and Benjamin 5 times as much as the rest of them… Their minds must have been brimming with confusion PAUSE speak slow

It’s at this point, that we turn to the climax in the story, the climax that is going to bring all of this to a head. In chapter 44, Joseph sets the brothers up. He is going to cause them to understand what it is to be stripped of their family... to know, they will have to tell their father that Benjamin will not be coming home.

We are not going to read the text because of its length, but in summary the men’s bags are loaded with grain again and the money also goes into the bags, again… but this time, in addition to the money, Joseph’s special cup goes into Benjamin’s bag setting up his reason to take Benjamin away from the brothers.

When the brothers are confronted by Joseph’s servant outside the city and they see that Benjamin’s bag contains the cup, they all tear their clothes and return to the city, where they bow before Joseph. We will pick it up in chapter 44 verse 15 SLIDE

C. God has found out the iniquity of your servants (44)

Genesis 44 | v1-14 bypassed

15 Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that such a man as I can indeed practice divination?” 16 So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found.” 17 But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

18 Then Judah approached him, and said, “Oh my lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry with your servant; for you are equal to Pharaoh. 19 “My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 “We said to my lord, ‘We have an old father and a little child of his old age. Now his brother is dead, so he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him.’ 21 “Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 “But we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 “You said to your servants, however, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.’ 24 “Thus it came about when we went up to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 “Our father said, ‘Go back, buy us a little food.’ 26 “But we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we cannot see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; 28 and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn in pieces,” and I have not seen him since. 29 ‘If you take this one also from me, and harm befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down to Sheol in sorrow.’ 30 “Now, therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, 31 when he sees that the lad is not with us, he will die. Thus your servants will bring the gray hair of your servant our father down to Sheol in sorrow. 32 “For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 “Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 “For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?”

At the mention of his father, Joseph is undone. Judah’s impassioned pleas, his willingness to sacrifice himself to prevent his father’s pain at losing Benjamin, strike the raw nerve in Joseph’s heart and the charade must end. Reconciliation must begin chapter 45 SLIDE

III. Sweet Reconciliation (Ch45)

A. Do not be grieved… for God sent me before you* (v1-8)

Genesis 45:1–8 | 1 Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, “Have everyone go out from me.” So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it. 3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” PAUSE

But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. 8 “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

All at once Joseph takes off his mask and reveals that he understands God’s plan that has guided them to this point. The horror of imprisonment, of being sold into slavery, the years of separation - they all had a point.

The point was that God preserved allowed these things to happen so that He could save the family that would ultimately bring forth the Messiah.

Joseph could have gotten even, he had the power to do it, but how could he knowing that all the hardship was the means by which God had chosen to save his family. His hardship had purpose, it had meaning. He believed that God had used it to save them all.

KEY TAKEAWAY Here’s our final key takeaway - reconciliation requires faith. To be reconciled with God we need to believe what God’s word says about Him - that He desires that people be saved.

Are you reconciled with God today, now? Have you repented of sin and trusted in God’s Messiah whom He sent, like Joseph was sent, to endure hardship and ill-treatment to accomplish deliverance for God’s people.

There is no reconciliation with God - apart from faith in God’s chosen means of deliverance. Apart from faith in Jesus Christ and His covering atonement no sinner will ever set foot into heaven. Furthermore, if we claim this is true - that we are reconciled with God, because of what Christ did for us, then the purest, cleanest, loudest way of telling others is by reconciling with others that we have sinned against.

God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Go has given us the word of reconciliation. We have been entrusted with these not just to offset sin in interpersonal relationships but also to introduce others to the God who saves, who desires that all come to repentance and find life in Him.

Let’s rejoin the text in verse 9. SLIDE

in verses 9-15 Joseph is going to urge his brothers to return and gather their family, including Jacob and return to Egypt where he will provide for them

B. I will also provide for you... (v9-15)

Genesis 45:9–15 | 9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10 “You shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have. 11 “There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you have would be impoverished.” ’ 12 “Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. 13 “Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

Joseph, who was sold into slavery, the lowest position in any society, is now going to provide for the whole family. In verses 16-24, which we are not going to read, Pharaoh is going to lavish blessings on the family on behalf of Joseph and he sends them back to Canaan with wagon loads of supplies for the family’s travel to Egypt… When Joseph’s brothers return to Jacob their father, the good news of their salvation SLIDE and their brother alive is going to revive his spirit. Verse 25

C. ...and the spirit of their father revived (v16-28)

Genesis 45:16–28 | v16-24bypassed

25 Then they went up from Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” But he was stunned, for he did not believe them. 27 When they told him all the words of Joseph that he had spoken to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Jacob heard the good news - they would not starve to death - that Simeon and Benjamin were alive and Joseph was alive, and did not believe it until he had seen proof. He saw the wagons that Joseph sent and then his spirit revived and will see him once again. VERSE SLIDE

Isaiah 52:7 | 7 How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Folks, can I just say that there are people that we know that need to hear the good news. That are just surviving day to day not even knowing why. We have good news for them - if we will just share it. Who knows? They too may respond by taking responsibility for their sin, repenting of it and in faith trust in Christ for their salvation alone. PAUSE

Well, let’s wrap up the story SLIDE with two segments out of chapter 46 that begins with God’s encouragement to Jacob - that He would be with Him as he completed the journey - verse 1

IV. Immanuel (Ch46)

A. Do not be afraid… I will go down with you (v1-7)

Genesis 46:1–7 | 1 So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. (THIS IS AN ACT OF WORSHIP/AN ACT OF FAITH) 2 God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” 3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. 4 “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.” 5 Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: 7 his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.

As Jacob came to the last watering spot MAP SLIDE before the wide open desert and he stopped, he stopped as Abraham had done and worshipped. Perhaps he also stopped because God had warned his father, Isaac not to go to Egypt Genesis 26:2. As he sat in Be’er Sheva he must have pondered and wondered at God’s great plan for him and so he worshipped God and God appeared to Jacob in a night vision just like he did with Abraham in Genesis 15 and God told Jacob that He would be with him on the journey - to not be afraid.

Folks, we can trust the Lord to take us where He wants us to go - the journey may be difficult but He will never fail us.

Is He leading us toward reconciliation? He will be with us, in faith we need to trust and obey. PAUSE

Our last vignette is in verse 28 where father and son are finally reunited SLIDE

B. Now let me die… I have seen, that you are alive (v28-30)

Genesis 46:28–30 | 28 Now he (JACOB) sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point out the way before him to Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a long time. 30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, that you are still alive.” PAUSE

Hard to imagine the emotions as these two are reunited, but I think we can. PAUSE

I think we who believe can, because we who believe have been united with our Heavenly Father, who loves us and have been welcomed by Him into his family. The joy of our salvation is no less poignant than what Jacob and Joseph experienced.

As I wrap up this message please turn back to 2 Corinthians 5 where we began this morning. We read from verse 17-19 but I want to finish out the chapter because I want us to see that we have a part in God’s reconciliation of the world, indeed God has committed to us the work and word of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 | 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Friends, God has committed to us the transmission of the Gospel, the fact that sinners can be united with their heavenly Father. We are ambassadors and we show the truth of our message not only with our faith in God but in our obedience to be reconciled with others.

CONCLUSION

Friends, we have a responsibility to reconcile with those we have sinned against.

The message of the Gospel has practical implications for daily living… the Gospel lived out is the strongest testimony that many in the world will ever experience.

CONCLUSION 2

I encourage us all, we need to take our responsibility seriously to live out the Gospel, proving that we understand what God has done by reconciling with others.