Thank you all. If you have your Bible, I want to turn to Genesis chapter 50.
Genesis chapter 50. If you're one of those that mark your Bibles and puts the date and
! I know I preached part of this passage a couple of weeks ago. I haven't lost it,
but I'm not going to say the same thing, I hope. I guess I'll never forget it. I played football
in high school, and as a senior, we got a new coach who was a head coach for the first
time, and he came in with a lot of vigor and took it out on us. He's a great coach. He won
as long as he coached, and I'm thankful that he is now a wonderful Christian. I wish he
had acted more like one when he treated us the way he treated us in practice. Summer
camp started with what he called county fair, which sounded fun to me, and I came with a
lot of excitement. Little did I know that we'd be running around cones on our hands and feet
and pushing sleds with coaches standing on them, big sleds with big coaches, and they'd
put us in a circle and let other guys take shots at us, and water? Well, you didn't need
water in those days. I didn't believe in it. And whenever they did give it to you, maybe
once, that you ran over to a PVC pipe that was attached to the dugout with holes drilled
in it, and like a pack of dogs eating out of one food bowl, you tried to get a sip of water.
It was awful, but boy, it was great, you know. And when we thought we couldn't take it anymore,
he'd sit us down, and he'd go over the intangibles. In the locker room, there were a piece of plywood
that had been painted with either words or statements put on them. I contacted two guys that I played
football with this week and said, remind me of a couple of those. He called them intangibles.
Remind me of a couple more of those intangibles, and they couldn't remember anything either. So I remember
one of them, and so what he'd do, he taught us those things, and then before football game, we'd go to
middle school, and before we would have our meal, our pregame meal, we'd sit in the library at the
middle school to get us away from the high school atmosphere. And he'd say, let's go over the intangibles.
Give me an intangible. Some of them would say, Oski. So when you hear Oski, what does that mean?
That means somebody intercepted the ball. And that means that if you were playing defense,
when somebody yells Oski, you turn around and start blocking. You look for somebody to hit. And so
somebody with a lot of vigor would say, you find somebody to hit. You go the different way, you know.
Yeah. But the one I really stands out to me, and I think that's how I remember as much as I do
anything. Any old nag can start a race, but it takes a thoroughbred to finish. We had a bunch of
people go out to start with, and then they'd fall out like flies when they got in the heat. And every
time somebody'd fall out, he'd stand before us and go, any old nag can start a race, but it takes a
thoroughbred to finish. It was such a memorable statement. As the summer went on, we ridiculed the
quitters. Any old nag can start a race. My heart ran through my head as I ran the sprints in the summer,
and boys would be leaning over the fence, losing their breakfast, and oh, what a life. Any old nag can
start a race. It takes thoroughbred to finish. Echoed in my bones as my bones rattled, my fingers crushed,
and I fell. I don't think I mounted much, but I was there to the end. And there's something to be said
about being there until the end. Because a lot of people can start out strong, but that don't mean
much. Have you ever watched the 400 meters or the 800 meter races? What you'll notice is that
the guys who usually start out winning that race are not the ones that win it. The ones that are
leading in the beginning usually pale out. Kentucky Derby. Love to watch the Kentucky Derby. Those horses
that come out of the gate strong, very seldom are the ones that win in the end. It's all about finishing.
Hardly ever is the winner in front at the start, but that leads, those that lead at first sometimes
never make it to the end. And the reality is the Christian life is a lot like that.
So many claim to be saved and they claim to love God and to be faithful. However, time tells another story.
As they go on, something changes. Too many fall by the spiritual wayside. And it's not that some are
perfect and others are not. It's not that at all. All of us are imperfect. But some of us keep coming to the
perfect one. Some of us keep going to the one that can help us while others lean on their own
ability or try to find help from another source. And well, we're not only to start for Jesus, we're to finish
the course. We look today at two men who were faithful for their entire lives. They were not perfect by any
means. Thankfully, because if they were, we couldn't relate to them. And I believe that
God puts these men in Scripture for us to watch and to learn from. And Scripture is so true. It shows
everything. It tells the real story. This morning, we look at Joseph and his father, Jacob. Joseph, as we've
seen, did live a good, faithful life, regardless of what came. But he was not perfect. And Jacob, his father,
was faithful to God. Perfect by no means. He needed a course in fatherhood especially.
However, both finished well. And we can learn from their example.
Genesis 50, beginning in verse 15, says this,
When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said,
It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.
So they sent a message to Joseph saying,
Your father gave this command before he died. Say to Joseph,
Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sins,
because they did evil to you. And now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.
Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
His brothers also came and fell down before him
and said, Behold, we are your servants.
But Joseph said to them, Do not fear,
for am I in the place of God?
As for you,
you meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good
to bring it about that many people should be
kept alive as they are today.
So do not fear.
I will provide
for you and your little ones.
Thus he comforted
them and spoke kindly.
To them.
So Joseph remained in Egypt.
He and his father's house.
Joseph lived
110 years.
And Joseph saw Ephraim's children
of the third generation.
The children also
of Bacar,
the son of Manasseh,
were counted as
Joseph's own.
Amen.
And Joseph said to his brothers,
I'm about to die,
but God will visit you
and bring you out of this land
to the land he swore
to Abraham,
to Isaac,
and to Jacob.
Then Joseph
made the sons of Israel
swear,
saying,
God will surely visit you
and you shall carry
my bones from here.
So Joseph died
being 110 years old.
They embalmed him
and he was put
in a coffin
in Egypt.
Whether young or old,
if you're a Christian,
there is a journey
ahead for you.
You're in the midst
of that journey,
but there is more
to come.
You have not
reached the end.
Your job
is not done.
There's more
to come.
You may have
today.
You may have
a year.
You may have
a generation
or two.
But whatever we have,
we are to pursue
God's goal for us.
Jacob and Joseph
gives us
some guidelines
on how to finish
well.
First,
Jacob shows us
that we ought
to be a blessing
to our families.
We ought to be
a blessing
to our families.
Hebrews 11,
verse 21 says,
By faith,
Jacob,
when dying,
blessed each
of the sons
of Joseph,
bowing in worship
over the head
of his staff.
As Jacob's
journey wound
down to a close,
he didn't get
selfish.
Jacob had been
blessed and was
determined to be
a blessing,
so he blessed.
After Joseph
was reunited
with his father
after many years,
he soon found
that his father
was dying,
and therefore
he took his sons,
Manasseh and Ephraim,
to his father,
Jacob,
and asked his
father to bless
them.
That's in
Genesis chapter
48.
And when I say
bless them,
what do I mean
by that?
I mean he directed
them with a word
from the Lord.
He encouraged
them to go
forward in God,
and he laid
his hands upon
them and prayed
for them.
He didn't focus
on himself,
he focused on
others.
Friend,
that's not only
a good way to die,
that's a good way
to live.
Genesis 49
tells us the same
thing happened
with his own
sons.
So special
events in
crucial times.
I want all
of us to
finish well.
That's what I
asked the deacons
for.
Just a few
days after I
was out of the
hospital after a
cardiac arrest,
I asked,
as the book
of James
tells us,
I asked the
elders of the
church to come
to lay hands
on me and
pray for me.
And when I
asked them to
pray, I told
them, pray that
I'm not
compromised.
Pray that I'm
not weakened.
Pray that I'll
be strong until
the end.
God's doing
wonderful things
in Pickens
First Baptist
Church.
I don't want to
do anything to
be a hindrance to
that, and I
don't want to
slow down at
all.
So, maybe
make me wiser
in how to
do it, but
Lord, give me
the strength to
carry out as
long as you
give me breath.
Well, we
ought to live
well, too.
Don't wait
until your
final breath,
but the
blessings don't
have to be at
the end of our
lives.
As God told
Abraham in
Genesis 12, he
tells us through
the cross.
In Genesis 12,
he told Abraham,
I blessed you.
Now, I'll
make you a
blessing, and
now you go
be a blessing.
And that's
exactly what he
wants us to do.
He wants us to
be a blessing.
Regardless of
what you did or
didn't do for
God yesterday, be
a blessing today.
Bless others as
long as God
gives you breath.
The second thing
he told us about
finishing the
course was Joseph
shows us to be at
peace.
Be at peace.
Joseph had a lot
to be bitter
about.
He did.
So much that his
brothers were scared
of him after their
dad died.
But Joseph was not
superficial.
He knew the story
was bigger than his
brothers.
He saw the bigger
picture.
To read verse 20 is
powerful and life
changing.
It's one of the most
significant passages in
the book of Genesis.
And in Genesis chapter 50
verse 20 it says,
as for you, you meant
evil against me but
God meant it for good.
To bring it about that
many people should be
kept alive as they are
today.
One of the most
ungodly feelings that
we can feel is
bitterness.
To refuse to
forgive.
Not only does that
destroy our
relationships with
hate but it is
systemic.
You cannot
compartmentalize that
kind of stuff.
Especially if it is
those you are close
to.
It affects you and
you affect other
relationships.
And that all is a
serious matter to God.
I want you to notice
what Christ says about
it.
It's in Matthew
chapter 5 verse 23
and 24.
And he says this.
So if you, so if
you're offering your
gift to the altar and
there remember that your
brother has something
against you.
Leave your gift there
before the altar and go.
First be reconciled to
your brother and then
come and offer your
gift.
Now I will add a
pastoral note there.
Notice that he says
leave your gift.
Okay.
You don't take it with
you.
Leave your gift.
In reality what he's
saying is when the
Holy Spirit of God
convicts you, not
enough of y'all laughed
at that.
I was kidding.
Somewhat.
Jesus is saying when the
Holy Spirit convicts you
about a strained
relationship, go above
and beyond to take care
of that.
When the Holy Spirit of
God speaks to you when
you worship together in
this place, don't ignore
it when you leave here.
Deal with it as God
allows you to.
And keep some things in
mind.
And I love what Paul said
in Romans 12 verse 18.
He said, if possible, so
far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.
Do all you can.
There ain't so much you
can do, but do all you
can to live peaceably with
others.
Some people don't want to
live peaceably.
And because they ain't
happy, they don't want you
happy.
They don't want you to live
peaceably.
But don't be that person,
okay?
Just don't be that person.
There's also something
biblical that you can do
daily.
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26
and 27 says this.
Be angry and do not sin.
Don't let your son go down
on the anger and give no
opportunity to the devil.
Our stubborn natures or maybe
our hurt feelings will let
stuff hang around way too
long.
And if you let it stay there,
it'll fester, it'll infect,
it'll run over.
Bitterness will take you over
like kutzu will if you're not
determined to give that up to
the Lord.
So solve it every day.
Don't go to bed angry.
Joseph had a lot to be angry
about.
But he chose to bury the axe.
And he didn't bury it in his
brother's necks.
He did it long before they came
to him scared, I believe.
As a matter of fact, it seems
obvious to me that he did it
before he saw him coming for
food the first time.
He dealt with it.
But not only did he forgive him,
but he told him.
He told him.
He was at peace.
Peace.
Don't ever misunderstand the
word peace.
Peace does not mean the
absence of conflict.
You will have conflict in this
life.
If that's what you're looking
for is an absence of
conflict, it's not going to
happen on this earth.
And you know why?
Because we are an imperfect
people.
And we are an imperfect people
and who live in the midst of
sinners.
And some of those sinners are
saved by grace.
And some of those sinners are
not.
And so we live in the midst of
that.
We're going to have conflict
along the way.
It's going to happen.
Our sin causes conflict.
Peace is not an absence of
conflict.
It is instead God's intervention
into the midst of the conflict.
It is the calmness that passes all
understanding.
It is the presence in the midst of
the storm.
In 2011, we went to the Southern
Baptist Convention in Phoenix,
Arizona.
We lived in Mississippi at the
time.
And because the convention from
time to time, it used to be about
every seven years.
Now it's more like every five years
or so.
Go out west.
We always try to make a trip of it
to see something.
And we had bought a new van and we
loaded up the kids and we drove
across the Panhandle of Texas and out
to Albuquerque and Phoenix and saw
Santa Fe and went to the convention
and then drove up, saw the Grand Canyon
and Durango and Colorado Springs and came
across Kansas.
It was a great trip.
And while we were gone, my grandmother
had got sick.
And on the last morning of that trip, we
were about to head out after being gone
for two weeks.
I called my mom and dad to check on
grandma and I found out she had passed
in the night.
We went to our home in Mississippi that
day.
That was our last day on the road.
And we went to our home and we washed
our drawers as fast as we could and we
loaded back up and went to South Carolina.
Along with her pastor, I preached my
grandmother's funeral.
Now my grandmother loved Jesus as much
as anyone that I've ever met.
She was an independent, free will, hard
shell, jugular vein, blood washed,
spirit filled, sanctified to the bone,
Baptist child of God.
Praise God.
And if you don't know what that means, I'm
sorry.
You've missed it.
She had been to the spout when the glory
came out and she hadn't got over it.
And she was 96 years old.
And in her last years, she wondered what
the Lord was waiting on.
But she trusted him.
She leaned on him and she was at peace
with him.
When her pastor would come to see her,
she'd tell him, just keep telling people
that Jesus still saves.
The last time I saw her alive, we gathered
in a circle to pray as my family left
Greenville to go back to Mississippi about
three months before she died.
And my mama asked her to pray.
And pray she did.
The rafters shook when grandma prayed.
And that's because she had a lot of practice.
She prayed for a hedge of protection around us.
She prayed that God would put angels to ride
on the bumpers of the car.
The spirit of God would lead us.
I drove faster home because my grandma had
prayed for me.
And I was told that as she laid on her deathbed,
she prayed, Lord, I've tried to live my life
to honor you in every way, Lord Jesus.
Please have mercy on me.
And he did.
And she went on to glory.
As was written in her obituary,
1 Timothy chapter 4 says,
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering.
And the time of my departure has come.
I've fought the good fight.
I've finished the race.
I've kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me
the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous judge,
will award to me on that day.
And not only to me,
but also to all who have loved his appearing.
My grandma died at peace with the Lord.
And do you know why?
Because she lived at peace.
Peace with the Lord.
So did Joseph.
Be at peace with the Lord.
And lastly, go out with vision.
When the eyes of Jacob and Joseph
grew dim in their life,
their vision for God only grew brighter
as they approached their home going.
Jacob and Joseph had seen the hand of God.
They had heard the will of God.
They had trusted the vision of God.
And Jacob told them at the end of chapter 49,
bury me with my family.
Now listen, when Jacob says bury my family,
that's not just any family.
His family is Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
the patriarchs of the chosen people,
the nation of Israel.
He said, that's where I belong.
Bury me with them.
And Joseph knew that the same God
would lead his people out of Egypt
and would bring them to a land
that he had promised them.
That was his vision.
That was his confidence in the Lord.
That was his direction by the hand of God.
He saw God's vision shine
even as earth's vision dimmed.
And my friend,
as long as God gives us breath,
that's what we ought to do.
Not get selfish,
but have vision.
For what God's got in store.
Beyond us.
Let's get beyond us.
What's God gonna do?
I was on the treadmill this week
at cardiac rehab.
And there was a quote
taped to that treadmill
that said this,
Don't count the days.
Make the days count.
My friend,
maybe you've started well.
And maybe you haven't.
Maybe you came out of the gate
a little slow.
Regardless,
the good news is
today's a new day.
And it's the first day
of the rest of your life.
And so as long as God gives us breath,
let's live for his glory.
Let's live a legacy.
Leave a legacy.
Let's
let's
finish well
through obedience.
A life
that is filled
with sacrifice.
A life
that's filled
with commitment.
A life
that's not filled
with us.
A life
that's filled
with Jesus.
With every head
bowed
and every eye
closed,
I want to ask you
this morning
if you've ever
given your heart
and life
to the Lord
Jesus Christ.
If you've ever
confessed your sins
to him
and asked you
to come into your life
and save you
and change you.
if that's
never happened
to you,
I want to
encourage you
today
to give your
life to Christ.
To trust
him.
We're going to
stand in just a moment
and we're going to sing
and as we do,
I encourage you
if you've never
given your life
to Christ,
you come
and say,
Pastor,
I need to be saved.
Maybe you're here
and you have done that
and you've never
acknowledged that
publicly through baptism.
We plan to baptize
next Sunday.
I'd love to talk
to you about that
if you've never
followed the Lord
in obedience baptism.
Maybe you're here
and God's leading you
to First Baptist Church
and I'm thankful
for God's blessing us
and moving in our midst
and I'm thankful
for that.
And if you feel like
the Lord's leading you
to come,
I encourage you to come.
I'd love to talk
to you about that.
Or maybe you're here
like most of us
and you look
at your life
and you see things
that you need
to lay down
before the Lord.
Today's the first day
of the rest of our lives.
So why don't we live
the rest of our lives
to please Him,
to honor Him
in all we do?
Whether it be
in the pew
where you'll stand
in just a moment
or whether it be
at this altar
or whether it be
with a pastor
praying for you.
Obey God.
Trust Him.
Respond to Him.
And then leave here
different
however He's told you
to be different.
Lord Jesus,
I love you
and I thank you
for the love
that you have for us.
and I ask
to your God
that you'll work
and you'll move
in our midst
right now
that you'll have
your will
and your way.
Help us to be obedient
to follow you
as you lead.
In Jesus' precious name,
Amen.
Stay tuned.