Forgiveness and Faith: Lessons from Joseph and Jesus

 

Summary

The sermon begins with the pastor drawing parallels between the story of Joseph and the life of Jesus. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the true nature and character of God through these stories. The pastor challenges the congregation to grasp the depth of God's forgiveness and to let go of the past, living in the freedom and grace provided by Jesus. He warns against being deceived by false teachings or individuals who may appear righteous but are actually wicked. He urges the church body to seek God's wisdom and protection, asking that their minds, eyes, and hearts be captivated by the truth of God's word.

The pastor then transitions to the story of Joseph, highlighting his journey from being despised and sold into slavery by his brothers to becoming the second most powerful person in Egypt. He emphasizes the importance of truly understanding and receiving God's forgiveness. The pastor shares personal fears, such as the fear of messing up or not fully comprehending the level of forgiveness offered by God. He urges the congregation to understand that this forgiveness is for each individual and that it is not about who we forgive, but about the one who forgave us.

The pastor then focuses on Joseph's interaction with his brothers, emphasizing the emotional depth of the situation. He draws attention to the fact that Joseph took Simeon and bound him before their eyes, explaining that Simeon, as the second-born brother, should have taken responsibility for Joseph's fate when he was sold into slavery. The pastor also focuses on the land that God is giving to the Israelites, comparing it to Egypt. He emphasizes that the land they are entering is currently at war, highlighting the ongoing conflict between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

The pastor discusses the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt, emphasizing the importance of their mission to go to Egypt and buy grain in order to survive. He explains that Egypt's wealth was based on the abundance of grain produced by the Nile River, which would flood annually and provide fertile soil for crops. Joseph had predicted a time of abundance followed by a time of drought, and he had stored up grain to prepare for the famine. However, Joseph's brothers were unaware of his position of power in Egypt and his role in storing the grain.

The pastor concludes by focusing on a specific verse from the book of Genesis, highlighting the significance of the name used by Joseph when he tells his brothers, "I fear God." The pastor explains that Joseph's use of this name shows his deep reverence for God and sets the stage for what is to come. The pastor then discusses how Joseph instructs his brothers to bring their youngest brother, Benjamin, to him. The pastor notes that Joseph's desire to see all of his brothers together is different from what the pastor would have wanted, as he would have had a word or a fight for his brothers. Instead, Joseph has something completely different to offer.

Key Takeaways:

- The story of Joseph is a mirror image of what Jesus ultimately did for humanity. Joseph's experiences of being sold, enslaved, and beaten parallel Jesus' suffering and crucifixion. Despite the betrayal and harm inflicted upon him, Jesus forgave his persecutors, demonstrating the unimaginable forgiveness of God. ([1:15])

- The pastor emphasizes the importance of being discerning and not being deceived by false teachings or individuals who may appear righteous but are actually wicked. He urges the church body to seek God's wisdom and protection, asking that their minds, eyes, and hearts be captivated by the truth of God's word. ([15:30])

- The pastor emphasizes the importance of truly understanding and receiving God's forgiveness. He acknowledges that people may hear about forgiveness and even sing songs about it, but they may not have truly taken it in for themselves. ([25:45])

- The pastor discusses the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt, emphasizing the importance of their mission to go to Egypt and buy grain in order to survive. He explains that Egypt's wealth was based on the abundance of grain produced by the Nile River, which would flood annually and provide fertile soil for crops. ([45:20])

- The pastor concludes by focusing on a specific verse from the book of Genesis, highlighting the significance of the name used by Joseph when he tells his brothers, "I fear God." The pastor explains that Joseph's use of this name shows his deep reverence for God and sets the stage for what is to come. ([1:05:30])

Study Guide

Bible Reading:
```
1. Genesis 42:1-38
2. Deuteronomy 11:10-11
```

Observation Questions:
1. In Genesis 42:1-38, what are the key events that transpire when Joseph's brothers go to Egypt to buy grain?
2. How does Joseph react when he sees his brothers again after many years?
3. In Deuteronomy 11:10-11, what is the significance of the land that God is giving to the Israelites?

Interpretation Questions:
1. In Genesis 42, why does Joseph choose to bind Simeon in front of his brothers? What might this action signify?
2. How does the story of Joseph's forgiveness towards his brothers reflect the nature of God's forgiveness?
3. In Deuteronomy 11:10-11, how does the description of the land God is giving to the Israelites compare to Egypt?

Application Questions:
1. Reflecting on Joseph's story, can you recall a time when you struggled to forgive someone who wronged you? How did you eventually find the strength to forgive?
2. Joseph's brothers were unaware of his position of power in Egypt. Can you think of a situation where you underestimated someone's abilities or influence? How did this affect your relationship with them?
3. Joseph's reverence for God is evident when he tells his brothers, "I fear God." How can you demonstrate a similar reverence for God in your daily life?
4. The land God gave to the Israelites was at war. Can you think of a situation in your life that feels like a battlefield? How can you seek God's wisdom and protection in this situation?
5. Joseph stored up grain in preparation for a famine. What practical steps can you take this week to prepare for a potential future hardship?

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Unimaginable Forgiveness of God
Joseph's life is a reflection of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice for humanity. Despite the betrayal and harm inflicted upon him, Joseph, like Jesus, forgave those who wronged him. This act demonstrates the unimaginable forgiveness of God, a forgiveness that is available to each one of us. [1:15]

Ephesians 4:32 - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you found it difficult to forgive someone. How can you apply the lesson of God's unimaginable forgiveness in that situation?

Day 2: Seeking God's Wisdom and Protection
In a world filled with false teachings and individuals who may appear righteous but are actually wicked, it is crucial to seek God's wisdom and protection. We must ask that our minds, eyes, and hearts be captivated by the truth of God's word. [15:30]

Proverbs 2:6-7 - "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless."
Reflection: Can you identify a situation where you were deceived by appearances? How can you seek God's wisdom and protection to avoid such situations in the future?

Day 3: Truly Understanding and Receiving God's Forgiveness
God's forgiveness is not just a concept to be heard or sung about, but a reality to be truly understood and received. It is not about who we forgive, but about the one who forgave us. [25:45]

Colossians 3:13 - "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
Reflection: Is there a part of your life where you struggle to accept God's forgiveness? How can you work towards truly understanding and receiving His forgiveness?

Day 4: Recognizing God's Provision in Times of Need
The story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt highlights the importance of recognizing God's provision in times of need. Egypt's wealth, based on the abundance of grain produced by the Nile River, was a testament to God's provision during a time of famine. [45:20]

Genesis 22:14 - "So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.'"
Reflection: Can you recall a time when God provided for you in a time of need? How did that experience strengthen your faith?

Day 5: Revering God in All Circumstances
Joseph's use of the name "I fear God" when he reveals himself to his brothers shows his deep reverence for God, regardless of his circumstances. This reverence sets the stage for what is to come. [1:05:30]

Proverbs 9:10 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
Reflection: How do you show your reverence for God in your daily life? Can you identify areas where you can deepen your reverence for Him?

Quotes

1. "This story has nothing to do with you forgiving someone else. All of the story of Joseph is built and wired into scripture so that we can see the nature and the character of God, namely his desire to send a messiah who's going to come."

2. "My fear is that if I share this even today that you don't understand the level of forgiveness that he truly offers you when you confess your sins you repent of your sin and you call upon the name Jesus your sin past present and future wiped away gone in order that you can come into the very presence of God and pray worship study his word and live a life that is going to please him."

3. "This passage is pointing us to the fact that we are the brothers who have betrayed Jesus Joseph. We've betrayed Jesus by sinning against God, and that sin separates us and we should forever be living in a dry and famine-drought land of Canaan. But instead, God gives us the provision and the ability to journey to a place like this here or wherever it is that you came to know the Lord and confess Jesus as your lord, and at that repentance and at that calling on the name of Jesus, God offers you the unthinkable forgiveness."

4. "Joseph's brothers come and they bow down to him the the same brothers who sold him into slavery are now bowing down to him if you've been tracking with us do you remember Joseph's first Dream his first Dream were the sheaves the bundles of grain he told his brothers I had a dream and there were these bundles of grain your bundles of grain bowed down to me they were mortified they hated him it says they hated him hated him hated him and then he had another dream that there were 11 stars that all bowed down to him he told his brothers about that as well they hated him even more"

5. "These two stories are about to collide because you've got in Egypt remember I talked about this last week the Nile River which is a thousand miles long it starts up in Africa and runs down annually it would flood and as the Nile River would flood all of those offshoots produced incredible grain and crops in Egypt that's how Egypt had their wealth cows the Nile River and grain that's how they had their wealth well when Pharaoh had his dream he had the fat cows which was years of abundance that means lots of water the skinny cows and the drought meant that everything was going to fall apart."

6. "Joseph said we're going to have a good time lots of produce and then we're going to have a bad time no produce so we need to store up so that we will have an abundance and that's what they did they had an abundance in Egypt because Joseph's plan now his death D and his brothers had no idea that Joseph had been sold into slavery in Egypt that he was the second most powerful person in the world and that he had stored up grain his dad just had heard which by the way this is a great moment of Faith hearing hearing and believing it's Faith he hears this he's like let's go down to Egypt."

7. "He says in verse 20 bring your youngest brother to me... he wanted to see Benjamin, he wanted to see his brother, he wanted actually all of his brothers to be standing in front of him at one time."

8. "He took Simeon...why do you think he took Simeon...Simeon would have been the one held responsible because he was the oldest and he should have been the one taking responsibility."

9. "And then he gave them Provisions for their journey and all of this was done so he gave them grain he gave them the money which means he purchased it he purchased it himself and then he gave them Provisions enough for their trip."

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Transcript
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