WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:06.299 Well, I began probably about four weeks ago a series of messages on choices, and I'm bringing that to a close today. 00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:10.700 There are others I could preach, but I'm going to stop right here today. 00:00:11.259 --> 00:00:18.140 And I want to preach today on one of the greatest choices you'll ever make in your life, and that's the choice to forgive. 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:24.339 You know, a lot of folk I meet really and truly are not convinced that that is a choice. 00:00:24.460 --> 00:00:29.800 They think, you know, that if you have it in your heart to do it, you can, but if you don't, well, you just can't. 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:34.899 I've seen television shows where you've seen that depicted somebody murder somebody's son or something, 00:00:35.020 --> 00:00:37.939 and they look at the judge when they're about to pass sentence. 00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:41.280 They give the family the opportunity to speak, and someone says something like, 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:43.740 you know, I just cannot forgive you. 00:00:43.780 --> 00:00:44.780 I'll never forgive you. 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:47.159 I'll go to my grave not forgiving you. 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:51.140 And we've seen that, and probably some of us can empathize with those folk 00:00:51.140 --> 00:00:55.600 because, well, we know what it would be like to have a family member maliciously murdered, 00:00:56.019 --> 00:00:58.219 and you can understand their thinking in that. 00:00:58.260 --> 00:00:59.159 But I want to tell you something. 00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:04.060 At the end of the day, forgiveness is not something you just feel. 00:01:04.619 --> 00:01:07.799 In fact, I think we have a misunderstanding of what forgiveness is. 00:01:08.399 --> 00:01:12.259 Forgiveness doesn't mean that I come to a place and I say what you did is okay. 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:14.140 It doesn't matter to me anymore. 00:01:14.679 --> 00:01:15.780 It's always going to matter. 00:01:16.500 --> 00:01:19.819 It is wrong how some people are treated. 00:01:20.219 --> 00:01:24.539 Some acts are despicable, and they should never be excused. 00:01:24.540 --> 00:01:29.219 But there's a difference in excusing something and forgiving something. 00:01:29.380 --> 00:01:33.760 Forgiving something means I come to a place that it's not your choice for me to forgive you. 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:35.080 It's my choice. 00:01:35.240 --> 00:01:37.240 And if I choose not to forgive me, I'll tell you something. 00:01:37.580 --> 00:01:40.000 Always, always, always it's going to happen. 00:01:40.320 --> 00:01:42.640 You're going to get stuck in your life at that point in time. 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:46.040 You're never going to be able to completely move forward from that point in time. 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:50.200 And so I'm telling you, it's in your best interest to forgive someone. 00:01:50.379 --> 00:01:53.040 Come to a place where you say, you know, I know what you did was wrong, 00:01:53.500 --> 00:01:55.560 and I'm going to put this out of my life. 00:01:55.620 --> 00:01:56.379 I'm going to lay it aside. 00:01:56.439 --> 00:02:01.519 I'm not going to allow it to shipwreck me any longer where I just fail to move forward, 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:04.400 where I just bear this bitterness and hatred in my heart, 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:11.460 and it just spills over into every other action and every other piece of my life. 00:02:11.540 --> 00:02:12.580 I'm just not going to do that. 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:13.400 I'm going to forgive you. 00:02:13.560 --> 00:02:14.500 I'm going to put it behind me. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:15.620 I'm going to move on. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:20.020 The best biblical example I know of that in the Old Testament, there are a lot of them, 00:02:20.439 --> 00:02:24.159 but the very best, the most outstanding one to me is the man Joseph. 00:02:24.340 --> 00:02:27.280 And this morning, we're going to look at his life, all right? 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:31.680 The story we're going to focus on today is found in chapter 45. 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:34.540 So if you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn to Genesis chapter 45. 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:38.740 But in order to understand this story and appreciate this story, 00:02:38.760 --> 00:02:43.140 to get the full meaning of the story, you have to understand the whole life of Joseph. 00:02:43.700 --> 00:02:47.420 And so what I'm going to do without reading those chapters, because there are eight chapters, 00:02:47.860 --> 00:02:52.219 we're going to look at chapters 37 through 45 on the run, okay? 00:02:52.379 --> 00:02:56.420 And I'm just going to describe to you what's happening and give you some background 00:02:56.420 --> 00:02:58.200 so that when we get to chapter 45, 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:02.500 you can understand the significance of what it is he does. 00:03:03.179 --> 00:03:05.539 So let's go back to chapter 37. 00:03:06.179 --> 00:03:09.819 And in chapter 37, I'm just going to tell you again what happened. 00:03:09.959 --> 00:03:10.719 Here's what we find. 00:03:11.319 --> 00:03:15.759 There's this man named Jacob who has 12 sons. 00:03:16.239 --> 00:03:20.399 He has these 12 sons through four different women. 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:26.560 The wife of choice is the younger sister of his first wife, Leah. 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:30.939 The wife of choice is named Rachel. 00:03:31.939 --> 00:03:37.780 He doesn't love Leah, doesn't intend to marry Leah, is deceived by his father-in-law into marrying Leah, 00:03:37.920 --> 00:03:42.319 and then works seven more years to win the heart and hand of Rachel. 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:45.659 That's the wife he supremely loves. 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:47.199 That's his sweetheart. 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:51.719 Both of these women, Rachel and Leah, have handmaidens. 00:03:52.419 --> 00:03:56.859 And when Rachel, or just forget that for a moment, 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:03.759 Rachel gives her handmaiden to Jacob, and Leah does the same. 00:04:04.019 --> 00:04:08.120 And so through these four women, he has 12 sons. 00:04:08.500 --> 00:04:11.780 The two sons of Rachel are Joseph and Benjamin, 00:04:11.780 --> 00:04:15.620 and that's the two that he loves the most. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:21.660 And sadly, second part of the story, he doesn't mind showing that favoritism. 00:04:22.339 --> 00:04:29.379 Chapter 47 tells us in one place that he bestows gifts on these that he doesn't the others. 00:04:29.800 --> 00:04:33.480 He has a coat of many colors, and you've seen that portrayed in plays at church, 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:36.079 and usually it's a pretty gaudy bathrobe, right? 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:39.340 And you look and think, I don't think I'd like that coat of many colors. 00:04:39.339 --> 00:04:41.859 But I want to tell you, it was really a fine garment. 00:04:42.239 --> 00:04:45.159 It was something that all those brothers looked at and knew. 00:04:45.599 --> 00:04:49.879 Our father is singling him out, and he's putting him at the head of the pack. 00:04:50.299 --> 00:04:54.179 He's showing favoritism toward this son, Joseph. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:57.299 Now, if you're somebody who's been shown favoritism, 00:04:57.659 --> 00:05:00.099 or somebody who hasn't been shown favoritism, 00:05:00.500 --> 00:05:01.339 you might look at that and say, 00:05:01.599 --> 00:05:04.199 boy, that'd be pretty cool to be somebody's favorite, right? 00:05:04.299 --> 00:05:05.979 The teacher's pet, so to speak. 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:07.039 I want to tell you something. 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:12.000 When it happens in a family, I can't imagine that anybody likes, 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:15.939 if they have an ounce of cents, if they like being the favorite. 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:19.080 You're looking at somebody who was the favorite, not of my parents. 00:05:19.220 --> 00:05:20.320 They just tolerated me. 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:25.320 But the favorite of my grandmother on my dad's side. 00:05:25.740 --> 00:05:30.879 And the reason was, he was her only son, had two daughters, her only son. 00:05:31.200 --> 00:05:32.439 He was the baby in the family. 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:36.600 And then I'm the oldest of his children, and I'm a boy, right? 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:38.160 She favored boys over girls. 00:05:38.259 --> 00:05:39.500 I'll just be honest with you. 00:05:40.699 --> 00:05:44.519 And then we had seven of the grandchildren, eight of us in all. 00:05:45.220 --> 00:05:48.420 It's Christmas 1991. 00:05:49.040 --> 00:05:50.639 I'm a freshman in college. 00:05:51.139 --> 00:05:53.860 And here we sit at my grandmother's house, all eight of us, 00:05:53.899 --> 00:05:56.639 on one side of the room, against the wall. 00:05:57.100 --> 00:05:58.420 And over here are my aunts and uncles, 00:05:58.420 --> 00:06:00.920 and my grandmother goes to pass night gifts. 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:05.819 Remember those sock hats that women used to knit together back in the days? 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:07.560 They're pretty ugly looking, most of them. 00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:10.240 Well, she had a bunch of different colors of yarn, 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:14.259 and she would just use that yarn until it ran out and go to the next one, you know? 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:17.120 So here she starts down on one end, 00:06:17.300 --> 00:06:20.800 and she's got all my cousins there in line, 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:22.900 and she goes, as she's passing out these gifts, 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:26.139 sock hat, sock hat, sock hat, sock hat, 00:06:26.139 --> 00:06:29.099 $100, sock hat, sock hat, sock hat. 00:06:30.579 --> 00:06:31.839 Well, I was the guy who got the $100. 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:37.219 And the second she gives it to me, I just, oh, no, no, no, no. 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:39.659 And I said, no, grandma, no, no, no. 00:06:39.860 --> 00:06:40.939 I don't want a sock hat. 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:43.279 I don't want those ugly sock hats, okay? 00:06:44.219 --> 00:06:48.620 Because I could just feel them burning a hole through me as they looked at me, right? 00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:51.319 And to make it worse, that's what she says. 00:06:51.719 --> 00:06:52.839 No, they don't need it. 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:53.839 You're in the ministry. 00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:55.159 I hated that. 00:06:55.160 --> 00:06:56.380 You're in the ministry. 00:06:57.220 --> 00:06:58.880 And they're not doing anything with their lives. 00:06:58.939 --> 00:07:00.280 You're going to college right now, right? 00:07:02.400 --> 00:07:03.780 So I just want to die. 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:05.400 I mean, no, no, no. 00:07:05.700 --> 00:07:07.620 Give me one of them sock hats, right? 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:13.140 If you've ever been somebody who was favored in a situation in your family, 00:07:13.220 --> 00:07:14.740 you know that's not a good feeling. 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:17.120 I want to tell you how bad it was for Joseph. 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:22.720 Listen, in chapter 37, the scripture uses this word, a strong word. 00:07:22.899 --> 00:07:27.459 It says, not that they disliked him, but they held it against him. 00:07:27.459 --> 00:07:28.120 You know what it says? 00:07:28.120 --> 00:07:30.600 Because they hated him. 00:07:31.840 --> 00:07:32.540 They hate. 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:33.600 That's a strong word. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:36.040 His brothers hated. 00:07:36.280 --> 00:07:38.220 Now, me and my brother, we duke it out sometimes. 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:40.639 Me and my sister could even get some spats. 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:41.939 But I want to tell you something. 00:07:42.699 --> 00:07:48.620 We never said to one another or felt as though they really and truly hate me. 00:07:48.620 --> 00:07:52.840 But that's how it was with Joseph and his brothers. 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:54.360 I got to tell you something, too. 00:07:55.220 --> 00:07:57.759 Joseph didn't do anything to make it any better. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:01.459 One morning at breakfast, they're around the family table, 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:02.699 and they're eating their Cheerios. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:05.959 And Joseph turns to the others and says, 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:08.980 Hey, guys, funny thing last night, I had a dream. 00:08:09.579 --> 00:08:09.920 Really? 00:08:10.019 --> 00:08:10.980 What did you dream, Joseph? 00:08:11.780 --> 00:08:14.959 Well, I dream we're out in the field, and we're gathering sheaves, 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:16.439 and we bundle them all up, 00:08:16.439 --> 00:08:18.959 and you bundle all yours up. 00:08:19.300 --> 00:08:22.480 And a weird thing, my sheaf stands up, 00:08:22.540 --> 00:08:24.060 and all yours bow down to it. 00:08:24.579 --> 00:08:24.779 Ha! 00:08:25.060 --> 00:08:26.259 Read what that means. 00:08:28.060 --> 00:08:29.879 And they look at him, and they say, 00:08:31.319 --> 00:08:36.860 Joseph, are you telling us that we're all going to one day be your servants, 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:38.559 and we're going to bow down to you? 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:39.559 Ha! 00:08:39.740 --> 00:08:40.980 You think that's what it means? 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:41.820 Right? 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:44.720 And so he wasn't a favorite. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:46.940 Not with his brothers. 00:08:47.920 --> 00:08:51.700 And so you go down the road further as you're reading this story, 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:55.060 and his father doesn't put him to work in the field. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:58.879 He sends them to supervise him and to report on them. 00:08:59.620 --> 00:09:00.019 Right? 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:03.060 That's what every brother and sister wants for his older brother and sister 00:09:03.060 --> 00:09:07.220 or younger brother and sister to go and give Pop the report on what they're doing or not doing. 00:09:07.700 --> 00:09:10.899 So he goes into the field, and he looks for them in one place. 00:09:11.100 --> 00:09:12.060 He can't find them there. 00:09:12.139 --> 00:09:13.620 Somebody directs him to another place. 00:09:13.620 --> 00:09:16.539 He goes there, and he sees them, and he's walking toward them, 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:19.620 and they see that coat of many colors coming toward them. 00:09:20.259 --> 00:09:21.259 And you know what they immediately do? 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:22.480 This is how bad they're hating him. 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:25.500 They look at each other, and they say, you know what? 00:09:26.379 --> 00:09:27.860 Let's kill him. 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:31.320 Now, how many of you fought with your brothers and sisters? 00:09:32.340 --> 00:09:33.139 Come on, be honest. 00:09:33.560 --> 00:09:34.440 Yeah, I did, right? 00:09:34.899 --> 00:09:37.019 Mom would always tell us, don't you get blood on my carpet. 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:37.659 You go outside. 00:09:37.659 --> 00:09:41.179 Now, he didn't get that bad normally, but I just want to tell you something. 00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:42.959 I never had thought, I'm going to kill him. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:46.799 I'm going to kill her, or they would have that thought about me. 00:09:47.719 --> 00:09:50.779 But his brothers are actually conspiring to kill him. 00:09:51.779 --> 00:09:53.459 I mean, graveyard dead. 00:09:53.460 --> 00:09:57.980 And Reuben thinks to himself, we can't do that. 00:09:58.040 --> 00:09:58.740 It'd kill Dad. 00:09:59.580 --> 00:10:01.639 And so he says to him, listen, I've got a better plan. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:03.019 There's a cistern over here. 00:10:03.780 --> 00:10:05.040 Let's throw him in the cistern. 00:10:05.900 --> 00:10:09.379 And what he's thinking is, I'll come back and rescue him later. 00:10:09.379 --> 00:10:14.039 And we'll just go off and tell Dad we don't know what happened to him. 00:10:14.100 --> 00:10:15.419 His blood won't be on our hands. 00:10:16.340 --> 00:10:17.600 Okay, we'll do that. 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:20.659 Well, Reuben leaves. 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:24.840 And after a while, an Egyptian slave trader comes through. 00:10:25.080 --> 00:10:30.179 And as he's coming through, this brother Judah thinks to himself, you know what? 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:33.320 Why have his blood on our hands at all? 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:38.039 Let's sell him into slavery, and we won't be responsible for what happens to him. 00:10:38.039 --> 00:10:43.000 They pull him up out of the cistern and give him 30 pieces of silver, 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:47.199 or 20 pieces of silver, rather, to take their brother and go down to Egypt. 00:10:47.740 --> 00:10:49.519 Now, imagine you're Joseph. 00:10:49.639 --> 00:10:50.519 And this is hard to do. 00:10:50.599 --> 00:10:55.000 It's hard to interject yourself into this situation that happened so long ago. 00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:58.219 But imagine that your brothers hate you bad enough. 00:10:58.279 --> 00:10:59.019 They want you dead. 00:10:59.639 --> 00:11:00.980 They put you in a cistern. 00:11:01.079 --> 00:11:02.039 You're probably injured. 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:04.339 They pull you back up out of the cistern. 00:11:04.959 --> 00:11:06.339 You think they've come to their senses. 00:11:06.340 --> 00:11:07.280 They're rescuing you. 00:11:07.500 --> 00:11:11.500 But instead, they bind your hands and bind your feet. 00:11:12.040 --> 00:11:18.160 And you see them get 20 pieces of silver because they've sold you to a slave trader. 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:21.940 Can you imagine what you're thinking? 00:11:22.800 --> 00:11:24.960 Can you imagine what you feel? 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:28.300 Well, you read on. 00:11:28.860 --> 00:11:29.980 The story doesn't end there. 00:11:30.820 --> 00:11:36.560 They get down to Egypt, and this slave trader sells him to a rich guy by the name of Potiphar. 00:11:37.540 --> 00:11:39.420 Potiphar has a huge estate, apparently. 00:11:39.560 --> 00:11:40.940 He's got a lot of people working for him. 00:11:41.560 --> 00:11:46.200 And he recognizes in Joseph, and when you study the life of Joseph, you see why. 00:11:46.259 --> 00:11:47.120 He's a sharp character. 00:11:47.220 --> 00:11:48.580 He's sharper than the average bear. 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:52.320 They recognize, man, this guy's got talent. 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:58.540 And so he immediately promotes him to be the straw boss over his entire state. 00:11:59.240 --> 00:12:01.900 And he says to Joseph, Joseph, you've got free run. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:03.040 You do whatever you like. 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:06.520 Manage my affairs, but don't mess with my wife. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:09.259 And so he agrees to that. 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:12.020 Well, things are looking up for him, right? 00:12:12.379 --> 00:12:13.660 He's doing a good job. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:15.080 Potiphar's pleased. 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:19.120 But the Bible tells us in chapter 37, the latter part of chapter 37, 00:12:19.420 --> 00:12:22.680 that Joseph was a handsome man and well-built, 00:12:23.340 --> 00:12:28.580 and Potiphar's wife apparently was a woman who just lacked morality. 00:12:29.500 --> 00:12:31.220 And so right off the bat, you know what she does? 00:12:31.460 --> 00:12:35.740 She goes to him and says, Joseph, will you come sleep with me? 00:12:36.700 --> 00:12:39.720 Now, forget for a second we're in church. 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:44.860 Just flesh out in your mind how this plays out in normal, everyday life. 00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:47.840 Here's a guy who's not going after a woman, 00:12:48.420 --> 00:12:53.680 but a woman of means and power who's going after this young guy 00:12:53.680 --> 00:12:58.000 who has absolutely no ties to this lady or this household. 00:12:59.040 --> 00:13:01.200 I'm going to tell you, for the average young man, 00:13:01.700 --> 00:13:05.560 that'd be a pretty big obstacle, temptation to overcome. 00:13:06.280 --> 00:13:07.660 But you know what Joseph does? 00:13:08.300 --> 00:13:10.020 Joseph looks at her right off the bat and he says, 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:11.820 no, can't do that, not going to do that. 00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:16.320 Because you see, Potiphar has entrusted me with his possessions, 00:13:16.580 --> 00:13:19.240 with everything he has except you. 00:13:20.020 --> 00:13:22.040 And I have sworn to him, I've given him my word, 00:13:22.460 --> 00:13:25.420 I'm going to be faithful to him and I'm going to be a good steward. 00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:28.120 And it would be wrong in the eyes of your husband, 00:13:28.340 --> 00:13:30.900 but more importantly, it would be wrong in the eyes of God. 00:13:30.980 --> 00:13:31.900 I won't do this. 00:13:32.800 --> 00:13:35.420 Well, time passes on and she gets more and more aggressive 00:13:35.420 --> 00:13:39.560 until one day she just decides she's going to seduce him. 00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:41.839 And she grabs him by the clothes and when she does, 00:13:42.139 --> 00:13:44.819 the only thing he can do, words are not going to help him now, 00:13:45.439 --> 00:13:46.199 he flees. 00:13:46.579 --> 00:13:51.399 He leaves his coat actually behind in her hand and he takes off. 00:13:52.339 --> 00:13:53.739 She is so humiliated. 00:13:53.939 --> 00:13:55.679 Can you see this woman mentally? 00:13:56.219 --> 00:13:58.899 She's so angry and ticked and humiliated. 00:13:59.119 --> 00:14:00.579 How dare he treat me like this? 00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:01.719 Who does he think he is? 00:14:02.139 --> 00:14:03.699 That she screams rape. 00:14:04.199 --> 00:14:06.779 The servants come and she shows them the robe and says, 00:14:06.779 --> 00:14:09.519 he tried to attack me and seduce me. 00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:10.819 Go get my husband. 00:14:11.379 --> 00:14:12.379 They go get the husband. 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:13.199 They tell him. 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:15.919 And Joseph is thrown into prison. 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:18.539 Now his brothers have already done him wrong. 00:14:18.740 --> 00:14:19.480 But watch this. 00:14:19.980 --> 00:14:21.360 He rebounded from that. 00:14:21.839 --> 00:14:22.879 And he does right. 00:14:23.439 --> 00:14:25.039 And he's living right. 00:14:25.779 --> 00:14:27.699 And Potiphar's wife comes on to him. 00:14:28.079 --> 00:14:29.740 And as difficult as it must have been, 00:14:29.819 --> 00:14:31.539 so easy would it have been to say, 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:31.959 you know what? 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:35.800 I'll just please her and nobody will be the wiser. 00:14:35.920 --> 00:14:36.980 She's not going to tell her husband. 00:14:37.740 --> 00:14:39.340 But instead he stands up. 00:14:39.420 --> 00:14:39.980 He's noble, 00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:41.680 a man of integrity and character, 00:14:41.680 --> 00:14:42.920 and he does the right thing. 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:45.300 And he gets punished for it. 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:49.600 I know somewhere in this room there's somebody who can identify with that. 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:51.220 Somebody who at some point in your life, 00:14:51.780 --> 00:14:53.960 you have been a man or woman of character, 00:14:54.180 --> 00:14:57.000 and you have absolutely done the right thing, 00:14:57.300 --> 00:14:58.900 but it costs you. 00:14:58.899 --> 00:15:02.120 Instead of being rewarded for your good action, 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:02.899 you're punished. 00:15:04.459 --> 00:15:05.799 And that's what happened to Joseph. 00:15:06.579 --> 00:15:08.139 Now I want you to ask yourself, 00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:10.299 what would it be like to be Joseph? 00:15:11.139 --> 00:15:12.559 His family's betrayed him. 00:15:13.419 --> 00:15:15.179 He endured slavery and hardship. 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:18.159 Now Potiphar's wife turns on him. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:21.279 I got a feeling he'd probably be asking himself, 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:23.419 where was God in all this? 00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:25.639 Man, I've tried to be faithful to God. 00:15:25.699 --> 00:15:26.500 I've lived for God. 00:15:26.500 --> 00:15:29.279 God, why'd you allow this to happen? 00:15:29.820 --> 00:15:30.139 Right? 00:15:31.059 --> 00:15:32.220 So he's in prison. 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:37.419 Well, pretty soon he meets two fellow inmates 00:15:37.419 --> 00:15:41.059 who have been close to the Pharaoh at one point in time. 00:15:41.659 --> 00:15:43.080 One is a cupbearer, 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:45.059 and the other is a baker. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.679 They both follow the good graces of Pharaoh 00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:50.980 because Pharaoh was overly suspicious 00:15:50.980 --> 00:15:53.039 that they were going to either poison him 00:15:53.039 --> 00:15:54.840 or somehow do away with him. 00:15:54.840 --> 00:15:56.879 So he has him cast into prison, 00:15:57.019 --> 00:15:59.660 and one night these two get a dream, 00:15:59.780 --> 00:16:00.360 have a dream, 00:16:00.560 --> 00:16:01.700 and they come to Joseph, 00:16:01.820 --> 00:16:02.519 and they say to Joseph, 00:16:02.660 --> 00:16:05.379 Joseph, you seem to be a man of God. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:07.040 We've had this dream. 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:08.320 What do you make of it? 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:10.940 And Joseph listens to both of them, 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:12.139 and after hearing both of them, 00:16:12.160 --> 00:16:12.879 this is what he says. 00:16:13.040 --> 00:16:14.500 He turns to the baker and he says, 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:16.720 man, I don't know how to tell you this, 00:16:16.860 --> 00:16:19.860 but he's going to hang you. 00:16:19.860 --> 00:16:22.419 It's not going to get better. 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:23.279 It's going to get worse. 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:24.399 In so many days, 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:25.220 they're going to hang you, 00:16:25.659 --> 00:16:26.659 and they do. 00:16:27.740 --> 00:16:29.100 And he turns to the cupbearer, 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:30.180 and he says to the cupbearer, 00:16:30.560 --> 00:16:31.759 but you are fortunate. 00:16:32.779 --> 00:16:33.820 What's going to happen is, 00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:34.500 in so many days, 00:16:34.519 --> 00:16:35.100 he's going to come, 00:16:35.180 --> 00:16:36.639 and he's going to release you. 00:16:36.700 --> 00:16:38.740 He's going to have restored confidence in you, 00:16:38.860 --> 00:16:41.740 and he's going to take you back into his court 00:16:41.740 --> 00:16:43.259 and allow you to serve him again. 00:16:44.180 --> 00:16:45.820 And Joseph says to the cupbearer, 00:16:45.899 --> 00:16:46.159 listen, 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:48.839 when you get in the good graces of Pharaoh, 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:50.399 would you tell him how I've been mistreated? 00:16:51.079 --> 00:16:52.019 Would you help me out? 00:16:52.100 --> 00:16:52.879 Would you do me a favor? 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:54.879 Would you mention me to Pharaoh? 00:16:56.139 --> 00:16:57.459 Have you ever helped anybody out 00:16:57.459 --> 00:16:59.579 in hopes maybe down the road 00:16:59.579 --> 00:17:00.899 they'd help you out, 00:17:01.019 --> 00:17:01.600 but instead, 00:17:02.079 --> 00:17:02.860 they forget you? 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:06.359 That's exactly what this cupbearer does to Joseph. 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:09.539 He gets back in the good graces of Pharaoh, 00:17:10.379 --> 00:17:11.440 but out of sight, 00:17:11.539 --> 00:17:12.059 out of mind, 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:13.839 and he forgets him. 00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:15.599 And Joseph is stuck in prison. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:15.919 Now, 00:17:16.419 --> 00:17:18.699 you see all this happen before your eyes. 00:17:19.399 --> 00:17:20.959 How do you think you're feeling now? 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:24.379 Is anybody here willing to say, 00:17:24.459 --> 00:17:24.799 you know what, 00:17:24.859 --> 00:17:26.480 I think I'd begin to feel a little bit bitter. 00:17:27.679 --> 00:17:31.579 I think I'd begin to be eat up with hatred or animosity. 00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:33.699 I'd be thinking to myself, 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:34.039 man, 00:17:34.139 --> 00:17:35.000 I hope my brothers 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:37.019 and everybody who's had a hand in this 00:17:37.019 --> 00:17:38.779 pay someday for what they've done to me. 00:17:39.959 --> 00:17:41.480 The Bible doesn't tell us any of that. 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:43.459 Joseph rocks on, 00:17:43.460 --> 00:17:44.380 and pretty soon, 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:47.000 Pharaoh himself has a dream 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:48.819 and is really troubling to him. 00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:52.819 And he turns to the folk who work nearest him in his court, 00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:54.360 one being the cupbearer, 00:17:54.360 --> 00:17:54.779 and he says, 00:17:55.420 --> 00:17:57.299 do you all know anybody who can interpret dreams? 00:17:57.400 --> 00:17:58.779 Because here's the dream I've had. 00:17:59.500 --> 00:18:01.400 And that's when the cupbearer remembers Joseph. 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:01.840 He says, 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:02.200 listen, 00:18:02.900 --> 00:18:03.120 Pharaoh, 00:18:03.120 --> 00:18:05.000 I met this guy in prison. 00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:06.340 He's a Hebrew. 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:07.959 And I'm telling you, 00:18:08.500 --> 00:18:10.699 he is really good at interpreting dreams. 00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:11.619 In fact, 00:18:11.980 --> 00:18:13.759 remember the baker that you hung? 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:14.199 Uh-huh. 00:18:15.259 --> 00:18:16.220 He told him a dream, 00:18:16.299 --> 00:18:17.459 and he predicted that would happen. 00:18:18.359 --> 00:18:19.980 And remember when you put me in prison? 00:18:20.220 --> 00:18:20.480 Yeah. 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:21.299 Well, 00:18:21.459 --> 00:18:22.519 I told him about a dream, 00:18:22.579 --> 00:18:24.519 and he predicted that you would have me released. 00:18:24.639 --> 00:18:25.799 And it came to pass. 00:18:26.679 --> 00:18:27.220 And Pharaoh says, 00:18:27.339 --> 00:18:28.240 go find that guy. 00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:29.079 And they go get Joseph, 00:18:29.240 --> 00:18:30.519 and they bring Joseph to Pharaoh. 00:18:30.980 --> 00:18:32.740 Pharaoh tells him his dream. 00:18:32.740 --> 00:18:34.740 And Joseph says, 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:35.660 Pharaoh, 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.019 I've got some scary news, 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:39.019 but some good news for you. 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:39.720 Here's the dream. 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:41.500 He says, 00:18:41.579 --> 00:18:44.019 you're going to have seven years of bumper crops. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:45.779 I know you've been prosperous in the past, 00:18:46.099 --> 00:18:48.779 but never like you're going to be in the next seven years. 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:49.599 Boy, 00:18:49.819 --> 00:18:50.920 Pharaoh's encouraged, 00:18:51.059 --> 00:18:51.259 right? 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:52.660 He says, 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:53.500 but wait just a minute. 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:54.160 Let me tell you something. 00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:58.640 It's going to be followed by seven years of the worst famine 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:00.839 the world has ever seen. 00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:03.399 But don't get scared. 00:19:03.500 --> 00:19:04.199 Let me tell you what. 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:07.199 If you'll find somebody to manage your resources, 00:19:07.419 --> 00:19:08.480 to act wisely, 00:19:09.099 --> 00:19:12.259 you can come out on top in a huge way. 00:19:12.679 --> 00:19:14.799 Your people have enough for the seven years of plenty, 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:17.919 but by saving and preparing for those seven years of want, 00:19:18.399 --> 00:19:21.179 you're going to have enough for everybody in Egypt. 00:19:21.899 --> 00:19:22.819 But let me tell you something. 00:19:23.559 --> 00:19:24.839 In other places in the world, 00:19:24.899 --> 00:19:26.519 because they don't know this is going to happen, 00:19:26.619 --> 00:19:27.679 they'll be ill prepared. 00:19:27.819 --> 00:19:30.119 They'll use up the seven years of feast, 00:19:30.119 --> 00:19:32.479 and not be ready for the seven years of famine. 00:19:32.479 --> 00:19:36.739 And they're going to come begging you to help them out. 00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:39.319 So it's a win-win for you, 00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:39.599 Pharaoh. 00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:42.319 You just got to find a good manager. 00:19:43.339 --> 00:19:44.799 And Pharaoh looks at Joseph and says, 00:19:44.879 --> 00:19:45.079 Joseph, 00:19:45.179 --> 00:19:46.419 you seem like a bright guy. 00:19:47.439 --> 00:19:48.639 How about you be the manager? 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:50.279 Instantly, 00:19:50.819 --> 00:19:54.339 he becomes the number two man in all of Egypt. 00:19:54.619 --> 00:19:56.599 His life changes overnight. 00:19:56.599 --> 00:20:01.679 He goes from wearing rags to wearing fine clothes. 00:20:02.299 --> 00:20:03.379 He's a free man. 00:20:03.859 --> 00:20:05.719 Second most powerful man in the world. 00:20:06.500 --> 00:20:06.719 Well, 00:20:06.980 --> 00:20:10.939 seven years of fruitful harvest comes, 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:14.179 and he wisely stores it away. 00:20:15.199 --> 00:20:17.519 Two years of famine come, 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:20.719 and pretty soon the whole world is feeling that effect. 00:20:20.720 --> 00:20:24.380 And his brothers back down in the land of Canaan, 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:26.120 they come to a place where, 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:26.480 man, 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:27.799 we've got to find some food, 00:20:27.860 --> 00:20:28.819 or we're going to starve. 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:30.400 And guess what they hear? 00:20:30.920 --> 00:20:32.000 There's food down in Egypt. 00:20:32.779 --> 00:20:34.640 We'll go down to Egypt and see Pharaoh, 00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:36.920 and we'll secure some food. 00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:38.980 Jacob sends his sons down there. 00:20:39.319 --> 00:20:40.420 When they get down there, 00:20:40.500 --> 00:20:42.120 we come to chapter 45, 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:45.980 and I want us to look at our text from this point forward. 00:20:46.039 --> 00:20:46.839 Here's what happens. 00:20:46.839 --> 00:20:51.379 They come before Joseph, 00:20:51.859 --> 00:20:56.779 and Joseph immediately recognizes who they are, 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:02.199 but they don't have a clue who Joseph is. 00:21:03.299 --> 00:21:05.579 Any of you ever been in a situation like that? 00:21:06.419 --> 00:21:06.639 Man, 00:21:06.679 --> 00:21:09.679 I went to my 50th reunion a while back. 00:21:10.639 --> 00:21:12.119 Folk I hadn't seen in a while, 00:21:12.859 --> 00:21:13.919 and I'm going to tell you, 00:21:13.919 --> 00:21:15.939 I was glad they had name tags. 00:21:15.940 --> 00:21:19.960 Because I didn't recognize hardly anybody, 00:21:20.360 --> 00:21:20.660 right? 00:21:21.259 --> 00:21:21.759 I mean, 00:21:22.140 --> 00:21:23.660 some of them knew me, 00:21:23.980 --> 00:21:25.160 but a lot of them, 00:21:25.299 --> 00:21:26.580 I didn't have a clue who they were. 00:21:26.940 --> 00:21:28.400 And so that's what happens to Joseph. 00:21:28.759 --> 00:21:29.680 He knows them. 00:21:30.080 --> 00:21:30.680 They don't know him. 00:21:31.080 --> 00:21:32.340 Probably in part, 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:33.860 that was brought on by the fact 00:21:33.860 --> 00:21:36.620 they never imagined in a million years 00:21:36.620 --> 00:21:39.860 their brothers going to be the number two men in all of Egypt. 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:41.039 They weren't anticipating. 00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:42.299 In their minds, 00:21:42.360 --> 00:21:43.860 they probably didn't even think about Joseph. 00:21:43.859 --> 00:21:44.199 They thought, 00:21:44.299 --> 00:21:45.959 he's dead by now, 00:21:46.259 --> 00:21:47.740 as long as he's been here in slavery. 00:21:48.379 --> 00:21:48.579 Well, 00:21:49.579 --> 00:21:50.519 in the end, 00:21:51.179 --> 00:21:52.579 he reaches out to them 00:21:52.579 --> 00:21:54.419 and forgives them, 00:21:54.779 --> 00:21:57.079 and it's an incredible story 00:21:57.079 --> 00:21:58.959 of how he demonstrates his forgiveness. 00:21:59.139 --> 00:22:01.199 I want to show you five things he does 00:22:01.199 --> 00:22:03.019 that brought about 00:22:03.019 --> 00:22:05.899 a restoration of a relationship with his brothers 00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:08.220 that's just absolutely amazing 00:22:08.220 --> 00:22:09.560 because I want to tell you, 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:10.860 as I put together this message, 00:22:11.800 --> 00:22:14.700 I have to believe that probably right here in this audience, 00:22:15.780 --> 00:22:17.220 there are some of you who are suffering 00:22:17.220 --> 00:22:18.780 from some broken relationships. 00:22:19.940 --> 00:22:20.680 Can I tell you, 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:21.500 pretty often, 00:22:21.700 --> 00:22:23.000 more often than I'd like, 00:22:23.100 --> 00:22:25.420 I meet folk who say to me something like this, 00:22:25.980 --> 00:22:28.040 I haven't seen my son in five years. 00:22:28.039 --> 00:22:31.019 I haven't seen my son in ten years. 00:22:31.779 --> 00:22:33.059 We don't talk anymore. 00:22:34.339 --> 00:22:35.759 I haven't seen my brother 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:36.839 or my sister 00:22:36.839 --> 00:22:38.420 or my mother. 00:22:39.379 --> 00:22:40.139 We're estranged. 00:22:40.220 --> 00:22:41.559 I heard just two days ago 00:22:41.559 --> 00:22:43.879 of a man who was estranged from his family 00:22:43.879 --> 00:22:44.759 for 15 years, 00:22:44.839 --> 00:22:45.899 finally got back with his son. 00:22:46.159 --> 00:22:48.099 He and his wife never got back together. 00:22:48.379 --> 00:22:49.399 The wife and the sons 00:22:49.399 --> 00:22:50.519 never got back together. 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:51.680 Isn't it sad? 00:22:52.460 --> 00:22:54.240 It could be that right here in this audience, 00:22:54.359 --> 00:22:55.019 there's some folk today 00:22:55.019 --> 00:22:56.759 either with family or with friends. 00:22:56.759 --> 00:22:57.839 Maybe it was somebody 00:22:57.839 --> 00:22:59.379 who used to go to this church 00:22:59.379 --> 00:23:01.240 and they got mad over something 00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:02.960 and you and them had a spiff 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:04.519 and they've gone their separate ways. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:07.319 How do you restore relationships 00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:08.220 that are broken? 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:09.660 How do you forgive? 00:23:10.379 --> 00:23:11.960 And how do you get on with your life? 00:23:12.019 --> 00:23:12.960 That's what we're going to talk about. 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:14.460 I want to share with you five things. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.579 If you have a sheet of paper and pencil, 00:23:15.660 --> 00:23:16.599 you might want to write these down. 00:23:16.879 --> 00:23:17.660 Here's the first. 00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:20.339 He immediately lay aside 00:23:20.339 --> 00:23:21.420 any thoughts 00:23:21.420 --> 00:23:24.460 of being vindictive. 00:23:24.460 --> 00:23:27.720 He immediately lay aside 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:28.519 any thoughts 00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:30.059 of being vindictive. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:32.120 I want you to look at chapter 45 00:23:32.120 --> 00:23:33.100 and verse 1. 00:23:33.779 --> 00:23:36.160 Joseph could no longer keep 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:37.279 his composure 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:39.000 in front of all his attendants. 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:40.700 So he called out, 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:42.940 send everyone away from me. 00:23:43.400 --> 00:23:44.720 No one was with him 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:46.240 when he revealed his identity 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:47.640 to his brothers. 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:49.660 But he wept so loudly 00:23:49.660 --> 00:23:51.299 that the Egyptians heard it 00:23:51.299 --> 00:23:53.940 and also Pharaoh's household heard it. 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:56.079 They don't have a clue who he is. 00:23:56.399 --> 00:23:57.919 He's been messing with them, 00:23:58.159 --> 00:23:58.799 checking out to see 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:00.000 if they've developed character. 00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:01.440 You know the story 00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:02.419 how he sends them away 00:24:02.419 --> 00:24:03.500 and then they come back 00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:04.940 and he's put stuff in their packs. 00:24:05.419 --> 00:24:06.899 Well, now he reveals himself to them 00:24:06.899 --> 00:24:07.960 and when he does, 00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:11.159 he just openly weeps in front of them 00:24:11.159 --> 00:24:12.639 and it's so loud, 00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:14.279 folk outside the room 00:24:14.279 --> 00:24:16.399 can hear Joseph wait. 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:17.440 You know what it says to me 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:18.879 and when I read the rest of this text? 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:22.020 He doesn't have a bit of animosity. 00:24:22.500 --> 00:24:23.980 Not one ounce of animosity 00:24:23.980 --> 00:24:24.760 is hard to believe 00:24:24.760 --> 00:24:26.700 toward his brothers. 00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:29.880 He wants to be restored to them 00:24:29.880 --> 00:24:31.480 and so it clearly tells me 00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:32.260 right off the bat, 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:34.920 boy, he has never considered 00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:36.380 being vindictive. 00:24:37.220 --> 00:24:38.460 Now, I've got to be honest with you. 00:24:39.260 --> 00:24:40.220 If it's old Ralph 00:24:40.220 --> 00:24:42.540 and these brothers have done to me 00:24:42.540 --> 00:24:43.940 what they've done to him, 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:45.500 first time I saw him, 00:24:45.560 --> 00:24:46.360 I'd be thinking to myself, 00:24:46.360 --> 00:24:48.860 huh, who's got the upper hand now? 00:24:49.120 --> 00:24:49.380 Right? 00:24:50.080 --> 00:24:50.720 I mean, 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:53.040 here you come begging me for food. 00:24:53.260 --> 00:24:54.420 I don't even have to hurt you. 00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:55.040 All I've got to do 00:24:55.040 --> 00:24:55.960 is send you away hungry. 00:24:56.520 --> 00:24:57.340 All I've got to do 00:24:57.340 --> 00:24:57.880 is just say, 00:24:57.940 --> 00:24:58.880 nope, can't help you. 00:24:59.080 --> 00:25:00.040 Let you go back home 00:25:00.040 --> 00:25:01.040 and starve to death. 00:25:01.480 --> 00:25:03.320 You created this situation, 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:03.840 not me. 00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:04.920 I'm not even going to hurt you. 00:25:05.160 --> 00:25:06.200 Just go your way. 00:25:06.280 --> 00:25:06.820 But you know what? 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:08.520 That would have been vindictive. 00:25:09.700 --> 00:25:10.740 Without doing anything, 00:25:10.820 --> 00:25:12.000 he's still trying to get to them. 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:14.560 He could have had them thrown in jail. 00:25:15.040 --> 00:25:16.180 I'm going to let you ride in jail. 00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:17.680 I've been here 10 years, 15 years. 00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:20.080 I'm going to let you sit in jail 10, 15 years. 00:25:20.320 --> 00:25:21.640 See what that's like. 00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:24.460 He could have assigned them to hard labor. 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:27.700 He could have had them executed on the spot. 00:25:28.519 --> 00:25:30.180 But he didn't consider any of that. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:30.600 You know why? 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:34.539 Because Joseph was a non-vindictive person. 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:35.680 I want to tell you something about Joseph. 00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:36.900 It makes me admire him as much 00:25:36.900 --> 00:25:38.039 as anybody in the Old Testament. 00:25:39.360 --> 00:25:41.680 2,000 years before Jesus would come 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:43.960 and teach us to be non-vindictive 00:25:43.960 --> 00:25:45.160 and to love our enemies, 00:25:46.220 --> 00:25:47.880 Joseph is already practicing it. 00:25:48.560 --> 00:25:49.440 Isn't that amazing? 00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:53.640 2,000 years before Jesus would ever come, 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:57.779 Joseph is already practicing being non-vindictive. 00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:00.180 I'll tell you a true story. 00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:02.539 We're at a theme park when my kids are teenagers. 00:26:02.539 --> 00:26:05.819 And we're just going around having a big time. 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:07.619 And I see this kid coming toward me. 00:26:07.799 --> 00:26:09.899 And on the front, his shirt says this, 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:11.460 I don't get mad. 00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:13.759 You know how those shirts always were? 00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:14.980 There was something on the back. 00:26:15.079 --> 00:26:16.619 And so when he passes me, I turn and look. 00:26:16.980 --> 00:26:19.159 And it says, I just get even. 00:26:19.160 --> 00:26:23.120 And I saw a lot of those shirts at that point in time. 00:26:23.300 --> 00:26:23.779 I want to take some. 00:26:23.860 --> 00:26:25.160 I hope all those shirts have rotted. 00:26:26.320 --> 00:26:28.580 I hope if you have one, you'll go home and burn it. 00:26:29.580 --> 00:26:30.660 Because I'm going to tell you something 00:26:30.660 --> 00:26:32.279 you can take to the bank today. 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:35.920 Great people, there's no exception to this. 00:26:36.340 --> 00:26:39.660 Great people are never vindictive. 00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:42.400 Great people are just, 00:26:42.700 --> 00:26:44.460 they never think in those shirts, 00:26:44.560 --> 00:26:45.680 I got to get back at you. 00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:48.400 You did this to me, I'm going to do that to you. 00:26:49.820 --> 00:26:51.720 Great people just don't think that way. 00:26:52.340 --> 00:26:53.420 Jesus didn't think that way. 00:26:53.500 --> 00:26:54.480 Joseph didn't think that way. 00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:58.100 He didn't consider being vindictive to his brothers. 00:26:58.580 --> 00:26:59.340 So I'm going to tell you something. 00:26:59.840 --> 00:27:02.040 If you've got it in mind that somebody has done this to me 00:27:02.040 --> 00:27:03.100 and I'm going to make them pay, 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:06.220 here's how I'm going to mete out their penalty 00:27:06.220 --> 00:27:07.440 for what they've done to me, 00:27:08.320 --> 00:27:10.060 dismiss that as fast as you can. 00:27:10.140 --> 00:27:10.820 Because I'm going to tell you something. 00:27:11.380 --> 00:27:13.140 You're going down a road that won't lead you 00:27:13.140 --> 00:27:14.500 where you hope it will lead you. 00:27:15.340 --> 00:27:16.900 You think it's going to make you feel better? 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:19.140 It's not going to make you feel better to be vindictive. 00:27:19.640 --> 00:27:20.740 What it's going to do is this. 00:27:20.940 --> 00:27:22.920 It's going to put you on the same level 00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:25.360 as those that you now despise. 00:27:26.100 --> 00:27:26.900 You understand that? 00:27:27.360 --> 00:27:29.880 When you see that you're capable of treating them 00:27:29.880 --> 00:27:32.380 the way they treated you in order to get back, 00:27:32.620 --> 00:27:34.800 all it's going to do is bring you down in your own eye. 00:27:34.980 --> 00:27:36.160 You're going to look yourself in the mirror and say, 00:27:36.200 --> 00:27:36.519 you know what? 00:27:36.940 --> 00:27:39.540 I'm the same person that guy I just hurt was. 00:27:40.140 --> 00:27:43.480 I'm in the same spiritual condition he's in. 00:27:44.400 --> 00:27:45.880 Great people are never vindictive. 00:27:45.880 --> 00:27:48.480 Secondly, he didn't try to embarrass them 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:49.460 or demand apologies 00:27:49.460 --> 00:27:52.960 and expect great displays of remorse. 00:27:53.720 --> 00:27:56.440 Now, again, look back at those verses we just read. 00:27:56.740 --> 00:27:58.180 This time look at verse 3. 00:27:58.700 --> 00:27:59.860 Joseph said to his brothers, 00:27:59.980 --> 00:28:00.640 I am Joseph. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:01.860 Is my father still living? 00:28:02.140 --> 00:28:05.720 But his brothers were too terrified to answer him. 00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:08.440 He weeps so loud, 00:28:09.539 --> 00:28:12.779 his entourage, the Egyptians, can hear him. 00:28:13.779 --> 00:28:15.980 Outside in Pharaoh's court, they can hear him. 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:17.319 He looks at his brothers and says, 00:28:17.420 --> 00:28:18.640 come here, come here, come here to me. 00:28:19.059 --> 00:28:20.779 And he grabs them and he hugs them 00:28:20.779 --> 00:28:22.019 and he kisses them and he says, 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:23.180 you don't know me. 00:28:23.319 --> 00:28:26.120 I'm Joseph that you sold into slavery. 00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:26.900 But I'm going to tell you something. 00:28:27.319 --> 00:28:29.200 He never tries to belittle them. 00:28:29.579 --> 00:28:31.539 He never tries to make them feel guilty. 00:28:31.539 --> 00:28:33.960 He never wants them to come pleading to him 00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:36.379 that they have done him wrong. 00:28:36.899 --> 00:28:37.720 Have you ever seen folk 00:28:37.720 --> 00:28:39.019 who they have this kind of attitude? 00:28:39.639 --> 00:28:41.279 If you want me to forgive you, 00:28:41.859 --> 00:28:43.599 you better come on bended knee. 00:28:44.839 --> 00:28:46.680 If you expect me to forgive you, 00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:48.519 you better come and you better plead 00:28:48.519 --> 00:28:50.440 and you better convince me 00:28:50.440 --> 00:28:51.740 that you really are sincere 00:28:51.740 --> 00:28:53.639 because you're going to have to prove to me 00:28:53.639 --> 00:28:56.240 that you really are sorry for what you did. 00:28:57.480 --> 00:28:58.519 I'm going to tell you something. 00:28:58.519 --> 00:29:01.759 That's not how you restore broken relationships. 00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:04.460 It's just not how you do it. 00:29:04.740 --> 00:29:06.539 And that's not how Joseph did it. 00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:09.720 Joseph tried to help them to save face 00:29:09.720 --> 00:29:12.339 or he kept them from being embarrassed 00:29:12.339 --> 00:29:15.039 and didn't demand an apology 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:17.059 or expect great displays of remorse. 00:29:17.299 --> 00:29:18.180 Here's the third thing. 00:29:19.099 --> 00:29:21.139 He tried to help them to save face. 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:23.519 He made it as easy as possible 00:29:23.519 --> 00:29:25.539 for them to return. 00:29:25.539 --> 00:29:28.740 Now, let's take a time out for a minute 00:29:28.740 --> 00:29:30.399 and let me just tell you what's in his head 00:29:30.399 --> 00:29:32.879 because we haven't got that far in the story yet. 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:34.000 But let me tell you what he's thinking. 00:29:35.099 --> 00:29:37.000 He doesn't want to punish them. 00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:38.839 He doesn't want to be vindictive as I said. 00:29:38.940 --> 00:29:39.819 He doesn't want to hurt them. 00:29:39.899 --> 00:29:41.599 He doesn't want them to feel guilty or shameful. 00:29:41.960 --> 00:29:42.859 What he wants is this. 00:29:43.259 --> 00:29:45.139 He wants them back in his life. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:46.240 You understand? 00:29:46.579 --> 00:29:48.019 Maybe hard for some of you to imagine, 00:29:48.599 --> 00:29:50.579 but that's why he wants them back in his life. 00:29:51.139 --> 00:29:53.079 He wants his daddy back in his life, 00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:56.159 but his daddy's a long ways away down in the land of Canaan, right? 00:29:56.679 --> 00:29:59.639 He wants to meet his nieces and his nephews 00:29:59.639 --> 00:30:01.199 and his brother's wives. 00:30:01.539 --> 00:30:02.480 He's never seen them. 00:30:02.659 --> 00:30:04.319 He wants to know all those folk. 00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:07.000 He wants to have a relationship with them again. 00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:09.220 He wants them, you don't know this yet, 00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:10.460 unless you've already read the text, 00:30:11.079 --> 00:30:14.099 he wants them to pick up and move from Canaan to Egypt. 00:30:15.539 --> 00:30:17.159 How awkward is that for those brothers? 00:30:18.159 --> 00:30:19.960 Can you just put yourself in their place for a minute? 00:30:20.299 --> 00:30:21.379 Are they going to want to do that? 00:30:21.380 --> 00:30:22.200 Uh-uh. 00:30:22.420 --> 00:30:24.280 What do you want to do if you're one of Joseph's brothers? 00:30:25.100 --> 00:30:27.460 I want to get out of Dodge, right? 00:30:28.020 --> 00:30:29.580 I mean, I want the first train out of here. 00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:32.380 As soon as he quits talking and I think he'll let me leave, 00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:35.000 boy, I'm picking up my stuff and I'm gone, right? 00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:36.600 I don't even want your food anymore. 00:30:36.700 --> 00:30:38.100 I just want to go home. 00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:39.140 I want to get out of here. 00:30:39.240 --> 00:30:40.680 I want to escape Egypt. 00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:42.440 He's smart enough. 00:30:42.620 --> 00:30:43.500 He knows that. 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:46.120 But he knows he wants them to go home, 00:30:46.180 --> 00:30:47.340 get their families and come here. 00:30:47.380 --> 00:30:47.660 You know why? 00:30:47.860 --> 00:30:49.280 Because he's going to take care of them. 00:30:49.280 --> 00:30:50.480 This is an incredible guy. 00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:52.059 He's going to take care of them. 00:30:52.099 --> 00:30:52.759 He's going to feed them. 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:55.480 He wants them to move to Egypt. 00:30:55.900 --> 00:30:56.799 As you're going to see in a few minutes, 00:30:57.039 --> 00:30:59.200 he's already got a track of land picked out for them. 00:30:59.740 --> 00:31:01.500 They don't have a clue about any of this. 00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:04.019 So he's anticipating how they feel. 00:31:04.140 --> 00:31:05.440 And the way they're going to feel is this. 00:31:05.860 --> 00:31:08.319 If you'll not kill me, if you'll not put me in prison, 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:11.339 I'm going to go home and, whoo, I'm getting out of here, right? 00:31:11.339 --> 00:31:14.339 Why do they not want to go home and see their dad and say, 00:31:14.419 --> 00:31:15.000 hey, guess what? 00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:16.419 Joseph wants us to come to Egypt. 00:31:17.339 --> 00:31:17.799 Anybody know? 00:31:19.019 --> 00:31:20.939 Yeah, you know if you think about it for a second. 00:31:21.599 --> 00:31:22.500 Because to do that, 00:31:22.839 --> 00:31:26.000 your daddy who's been grieving Joseph for 10 years is going to say, 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:28.599 Joseph, what are you talking about, Joseph? 00:31:28.699 --> 00:31:29.299 He's dead. 00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:31.939 You told me he was dead. 00:31:33.119 --> 00:31:34.839 You told me you found his clothes. 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:37.099 Well, all animals had torn him apart. 00:31:37.099 --> 00:31:39.679 How did you meet up with Joseph? 00:31:42.740 --> 00:31:46.139 Well, Dad, I don't know how to tell you this, 00:31:46.259 --> 00:31:49.059 but we threw him in a cistern. 00:31:50.279 --> 00:31:51.659 We left him for dead. 00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:57.579 Then we sold him to slaves or to slave owners. 00:31:59.099 --> 00:32:00.439 Anybody want to go tell your daddy that? 00:32:01.659 --> 00:32:05.899 So he knows, boy, if I don't do everything I can, 00:32:05.900 --> 00:32:08.880 they're going to flee here as fast as they can. 00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:09.660 So what does he do? 00:32:10.060 --> 00:32:12.680 He tries to keep them from feeling embarrassed. 00:32:13.080 --> 00:32:14.340 He doesn't demand apologies. 00:32:14.780 --> 00:32:16.620 And he tries to help them save face. 00:32:16.720 --> 00:32:18.980 He made it as easy as possible for them to come back. 00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:20.960 Look at verse 4 and verse 5. 00:32:21.700 --> 00:32:22.540 Verse 4 said, 00:32:23.019 --> 00:32:24.340 Then Joseph said to his brothers, 00:32:24.460 --> 00:32:25.460 Please come near me. 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:26.340 And they came near. 00:32:26.460 --> 00:32:27.880 I am Joseph, your brother, he said, 00:32:27.880 --> 00:32:29.340 the one you sold into slavery. 00:32:29.740 --> 00:32:32.820 And now don't be worried or angry with yourselves 00:32:32.820 --> 00:32:33.940 for selling me here. 00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:35.400 Can you believe you said that? 00:32:35.900 --> 00:32:41.400 Because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. 00:32:42.340 --> 00:32:43.640 You know why he's saying that? 00:32:44.320 --> 00:32:45.640 He knows they're guilty. 00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:46.800 They know they're guilty. 00:32:46.940 --> 00:32:48.840 They don't need anybody to remind them of that. 00:32:49.620 --> 00:32:53.980 But he's trying to give them a way to save face. 00:32:54.759 --> 00:32:57.259 To deal with this horrible thing that they've done. 00:32:57.380 --> 00:32:58.300 This inexcusable. 00:32:58.360 --> 00:33:00.259 There's no justification for what they did. 00:33:00.840 --> 00:33:01.420 They can't say, 00:33:01.580 --> 00:33:03.380 Well, Dad gave you that coat of many colors 00:33:03.380 --> 00:33:04.580 and that's why we felt justified. 00:33:04.760 --> 00:33:05.200 They can't say, 00:33:05.280 --> 00:33:07.580 Well, you know, you bragged at the breakfast table one morning 00:33:07.580 --> 00:33:09.180 that we would one day serve you 00:33:09.180 --> 00:33:10.300 and that just ticked us off 00:33:10.300 --> 00:33:11.900 and so that justifies what we did. 00:33:12.020 --> 00:33:13.580 There's no justification for that. 00:33:14.280 --> 00:33:16.860 But he's trying to give them a way to save face. 00:33:16.940 --> 00:33:18.700 Listen, don't feel bad. 00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:21.080 Boy, I know what you did was wrong, 00:33:21.140 --> 00:33:21.920 but I want to tell you something. 00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:25.880 God has used this in a great, great, great way. 00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:26.840 It's okay. 00:33:28.140 --> 00:33:29.840 It's worked out all right. 00:33:30.560 --> 00:33:31.460 God's had his hand. 00:33:31.640 --> 00:33:32.380 He had a purpose. 00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:33.360 You know what the purpose was? 00:33:33.700 --> 00:33:35.420 You were going to starve to death. 00:33:36.279 --> 00:33:38.440 I would have been down there with you 00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:41.039 in the land of Canaan starving to death right now 00:33:41.039 --> 00:33:43.400 except God brought me here ahead of you 00:33:43.400 --> 00:33:46.300 so that I could preserve life for you. 00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:48.779 He gave me a way to save face. 00:33:48.779 --> 00:33:50.619 I want to tell you something, 00:33:50.720 --> 00:33:55.440 whether you're a boss, a daddy, a son, a daughter, a wife, 00:33:56.579 --> 00:33:58.920 whoever you are and you're on the house with somebody, 00:33:59.500 --> 00:34:02.859 if you really and truly want to see that relationship 00:34:02.859 --> 00:34:05.220 be healed and come together 00:34:05.220 --> 00:34:06.799 and it's not your pride, 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:08.360 you don't need to be vindictive, 00:34:08.440 --> 00:34:09.179 you don't want to hurt anybody, 00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:11.599 all you want is to see things brought together again, 00:34:11.980 --> 00:34:13.420 I'm going to tell you something real, really important. 00:34:13.539 --> 00:34:14.460 You need to hear this this morning. 00:34:14.759 --> 00:34:16.579 You need to find a way to do that 00:34:16.579 --> 00:34:19.159 such that the person you're talking to 00:34:19.159 --> 00:34:20.480 who has offended you 00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:23.679 can save to some degree face. 00:34:25.179 --> 00:34:25.799 I'll tell you, 00:34:25.900 --> 00:34:28.940 I see a lot of people try to resolve bad situations 00:34:28.940 --> 00:34:31.179 and that's the place where it gets hung up 00:34:31.179 --> 00:34:31.960 and they're not very good 00:34:31.960 --> 00:34:33.380 because they want somehow 00:34:33.380 --> 00:34:35.599 that person to know how guilty they are. 00:34:36.860 --> 00:34:38.799 It's important that they impress on that person, 00:34:38.920 --> 00:34:39.880 okay, I'm going to forgive you, 00:34:40.119 --> 00:34:41.519 but you are the guilty one. 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:43.679 And I'm telling you, 00:34:44.019 --> 00:34:45.759 if you really care about restoration, 00:34:46.599 --> 00:34:50.159 you'll find a way for them somehow to save face 00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:51.880 and that's what Joseph is trying to do. 00:34:52.440 --> 00:34:53.400 Fourth thing, don't you see, 00:34:53.920 --> 00:34:55.420 he didn't dismiss their wrongdoing, 00:34:55.579 --> 00:34:59.360 but chose instead to focus on how God had used it in his life. 00:34:59.719 --> 00:35:00.719 Look at verse 8. 00:35:01.480 --> 00:35:02.440 Verse 8 says, 00:35:02.440 --> 00:35:05.420 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, 00:35:05.480 --> 00:35:05.940 but God. 00:35:06.300 --> 00:35:08.800 He has made me a father to Pharaoh, 00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:10.200 Lord of his entire household, 00:35:10.360 --> 00:35:13.139 and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 00:35:14.139 --> 00:35:16.539 Now did God want his brothers to sell him into slavery? 00:35:16.700 --> 00:35:17.780 No, that's not what he's saying. 00:35:18.400 --> 00:35:19.240 But what he's saying is, 00:35:19.380 --> 00:35:21.559 God had a plan for my life 00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:24.119 and God has used these circumstances 00:35:24.119 --> 00:35:27.700 to put me where I am today. 00:35:29.019 --> 00:35:30.000 Can I tell you something? 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:32.280 I can look back in my life 00:35:32.280 --> 00:35:33.880 and I can see moments in time 00:35:33.880 --> 00:35:35.199 where somebody hurt me, 00:35:35.760 --> 00:35:38.500 hurt me deeply, inexcusably. 00:35:39.400 --> 00:35:40.940 And yet at the same time see 00:35:40.940 --> 00:35:42.780 how some of those hurts that I suffered 00:35:42.780 --> 00:35:45.639 have made me into the person that I am today. 00:35:46.119 --> 00:35:48.480 And he was using that hurt to prepare me 00:35:48.480 --> 00:35:49.619 to help somebody else 00:35:49.619 --> 00:35:51.840 who down the road would be hurt 00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:53.719 in a similar fashion. 00:35:54.619 --> 00:35:55.760 Can you see that in your life? 00:35:57.000 --> 00:35:59.039 Everything bad that happens 00:35:59.039 --> 00:36:01.759 doesn't work out for bad in your life. 00:36:02.840 --> 00:36:03.559 Have you seen that? 00:36:04.199 --> 00:36:06.059 Can you think of times, moments in time 00:36:06.059 --> 00:36:07.279 that something appeared on the surface? 00:36:07.619 --> 00:36:08.380 It's going to be bad, 00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:08.900 but you know what? 00:36:09.239 --> 00:36:11.300 God ended up using it for good. 00:36:11.719 --> 00:36:14.380 And that's how Joseph chose to think. 00:36:14.779 --> 00:36:16.300 Here's the last thing and I close. 00:36:16.739 --> 00:36:18.119 He did everything in his power 00:36:18.119 --> 00:36:20.340 to restore a broken relationship with his families. 00:36:20.900 --> 00:36:24.840 Those who had inexcusably made his life miserable. 00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:25.820 I want you to see this. 00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:27.719 Look at verse 9 through 15. 00:36:27.719 --> 00:36:30.259 Return quickly to my father 00:36:30.259 --> 00:36:30.980 and say to him, 00:36:31.079 --> 00:36:32.819 This is what your son Joseph says. 00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:34.739 God has made me Lord of all Egypt. 00:36:34.899 --> 00:36:37.339 Come down with me without delay. 00:36:38.619 --> 00:36:40.319 You can settle in the land of Goshen 00:36:40.319 --> 00:36:41.299 and be near me. 00:36:41.439 --> 00:36:42.939 You, your children and grandchildren, 00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:44.879 your sheep, cattle, and all you have. 00:36:45.339 --> 00:36:46.559 There I will sustain you 00:36:46.559 --> 00:36:48.500 for there will be five more years of famine. 00:36:48.639 --> 00:36:49.899 Otherwise you, your household, 00:36:50.019 --> 00:36:50.819 and everything you have 00:36:50.819 --> 00:36:51.739 will become destitute. 00:36:52.259 --> 00:36:53.699 Look, your brothers 00:36:53.699 --> 00:36:55.759 and my brother Benjamin's eyes 00:36:55.760 --> 00:36:57.680 can see that it is I, Joseph, 00:36:58.300 --> 00:36:59.580 who am speaking to you. 00:36:59.580 --> 00:37:01.860 Tell my father all about my glory in Egypt 00:37:01.860 --> 00:37:03.300 and about all you have seen 00:37:03.300 --> 00:37:05.400 and bring my father here quickly. 00:37:06.040 --> 00:37:08.320 Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin 00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:08.840 and wept, 00:37:08.960 --> 00:37:10.300 and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. 00:37:10.760 --> 00:37:12.600 Joseph kissed each of his brothers 00:37:12.600 --> 00:37:13.540 as he wept. 00:37:13.880 --> 00:37:14.360 And afterward, 00:37:14.660 --> 00:37:16.100 his brothers talked with him. 00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:17.440 I don't have time to read it. 00:37:17.500 --> 00:37:18.020 Let me tell you. 00:37:18.260 --> 00:37:20.100 If you read the verses that follow this, 00:37:20.100 --> 00:37:20.800 you know what happens? 00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:24.560 The Egyptians used carts 00:37:24.560 --> 00:37:27.000 that the Hebrews didn't use. 00:37:27.900 --> 00:37:29.340 And after he's told him all this, 00:37:30.380 --> 00:37:31.360 think how they felt 00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:32.260 when they came forward 00:37:32.260 --> 00:37:33.100 and he hugged them. 00:37:33.420 --> 00:37:34.880 This guy they sold into slavery 00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:36.580 and he kisses them 00:37:36.580 --> 00:37:37.720 and they look in his eyes 00:37:37.720 --> 00:37:39.560 and tears are pouring down his face. 00:37:40.200 --> 00:37:40.820 And they know, 00:37:40.900 --> 00:37:41.900 they can tell by his emotions, 00:37:42.700 --> 00:37:44.460 he really does mean it. 00:37:45.539 --> 00:37:47.960 He really has forgiven us. 00:37:47.960 --> 00:37:49.920 I can't understand. 00:37:50.039 --> 00:37:50.900 I don't know how he does it, 00:37:50.980 --> 00:37:52.380 but boy, 00:37:52.519 --> 00:37:54.099 he has really and truly forgiven. 00:37:54.619 --> 00:37:55.659 To top it all off, 00:37:55.720 --> 00:37:56.340 you know what he does? 00:37:56.800 --> 00:37:57.380 He says, 00:37:57.440 --> 00:37:57.980 now here's the thing. 00:37:58.420 --> 00:37:59.679 I'm going to give you a bunch of food 00:37:59.679 --> 00:38:00.960 to take back in the meantime 00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:01.960 until you can get here. 00:38:02.500 --> 00:38:03.360 But I'm going to send 00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:05.199 some of these Egyptian carts with you 00:38:05.199 --> 00:38:07.280 so that you can load up all the stuff 00:38:07.280 --> 00:38:08.400 and nieces, nephews, 00:38:08.519 --> 00:38:08.920 and everybody 00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:11.480 and bring them here to me. 00:38:11.539 --> 00:38:12.139 You know what he did? 00:38:12.500 --> 00:38:13.539 He sent beacons. 00:38:15.019 --> 00:38:16.679 You know Beacons Moving Company? 00:38:17.379 --> 00:38:18.239 That's what he was doing. 00:38:19.139 --> 00:38:20.799 I'm sending beacons down there for you 00:38:20.799 --> 00:38:23.000 and they're going to move you here. 00:38:23.019 --> 00:38:24.199 You don't have to pack yourself. 00:38:24.339 --> 00:38:24.739 They're going to help. 00:38:25.299 --> 00:38:26.199 They're going to bring you here 00:38:26.199 --> 00:38:27.039 right to my doorstep. 00:38:27.359 --> 00:38:28.339 And you're going to Goshen 00:38:28.339 --> 00:38:29.339 and I didn't tell you about that. 00:38:29.500 --> 00:38:31.379 Goshen is the best land 00:38:31.379 --> 00:38:32.480 in all of Egypt. 00:38:33.239 --> 00:38:34.279 And you know why he's putting them there? 00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:35.480 Because his people, 00:38:35.559 --> 00:38:36.399 you know what they do for a living? 00:38:36.799 --> 00:38:37.579 They're shepherds. 00:38:38.239 --> 00:38:39.139 And you read the scripture 00:38:39.139 --> 00:38:41.359 and Egyptians hated shepherds. 00:38:41.919 --> 00:38:42.839 So he's going to put them 00:38:42.839 --> 00:38:43.659 in an isolated place 00:38:43.659 --> 00:38:44.399 where he can care for them 00:38:44.399 --> 00:38:45.399 and it's the best of the land 00:38:45.400 --> 00:38:46.840 and he's going to keep them 00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:48.220 from being harmed 00:38:48.220 --> 00:38:49.500 by their neighbors. 00:38:51.059 --> 00:38:51.980 You know what that is? 00:38:52.099 --> 00:38:54.220 That's going the hundredth mile 00:38:54.220 --> 00:38:55.960 to make it easy 00:38:55.960 --> 00:38:57.079 because they've got a tough task. 00:38:57.139 --> 00:38:57.619 They've got to go back 00:38:57.619 --> 00:38:58.360 and look at Dad and say, 00:38:58.420 --> 00:38:58.700 Dad, 00:38:59.700 --> 00:39:00.780 we're going to kill you, son. 00:39:01.820 --> 00:39:03.700 We brought a lot of heartache on you. 00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:05.500 Please forgive us. 00:39:05.500 --> 00:39:06.440 But here's the good news. 00:39:06.940 --> 00:39:07.740 He's alive. 00:39:08.860 --> 00:39:09.539 He's alive. 00:39:09.539 --> 00:39:11.639 And I don't understand Dad, 00:39:11.679 --> 00:39:12.500 but he wants us all 00:39:12.500 --> 00:39:13.400 to come down there. 00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:16.380 He so wanted it. 00:39:16.420 --> 00:39:17.699 He went to the nth degree 00:39:17.699 --> 00:39:18.699 to do everything. 00:39:19.219 --> 00:39:20.219 When it was all sitting down, 00:39:20.300 --> 00:39:20.659 I'm going to tell you something. 00:39:20.759 --> 00:39:22.039 If they don't come back, 00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:23.719 it ain't on Joseph. 00:39:25.300 --> 00:39:26.159 If they don't come back, 00:39:26.199 --> 00:39:26.539 oh, Joseph, 00:39:26.619 --> 00:39:29.000 he did every last thing 00:39:29.000 --> 00:39:30.079 he could do 00:39:30.079 --> 00:39:31.880 to get that family 00:39:31.880 --> 00:39:32.779 back to him. 00:39:33.079 --> 00:39:33.880 And here's my question 00:39:33.880 --> 00:39:34.759 to you as I close. 00:39:35.760 --> 00:39:36.640 That person with whom 00:39:36.640 --> 00:39:37.480 you're on the outs, 00:39:37.680 --> 00:39:38.640 that person with whom 00:39:38.640 --> 00:39:39.820 you have a broken relationship, 00:39:41.000 --> 00:39:42.140 have you gone that far yet? 00:39:43.880 --> 00:39:44.980 I meet a lot of people 00:39:44.980 --> 00:39:46.280 who tell me something like this. 00:39:47.140 --> 00:39:47.720 Pray for me. 00:39:47.760 --> 00:39:48.560 I'm on the outs with, 00:39:48.880 --> 00:39:49.820 and they name somebody, 00:39:51.200 --> 00:39:51.980 a family member, 00:39:52.620 --> 00:39:53.300 a relationship, 00:39:53.880 --> 00:39:55.140 and they say, 00:39:55.660 --> 00:39:58.260 I've tried to make amends. 00:39:58.360 --> 00:39:59.340 I've tried to get back together. 00:40:00.120 --> 00:40:01.440 And I don't doubt they have. 00:40:03.000 --> 00:40:04.740 But I often want to say to them, 00:40:05.640 --> 00:40:06.580 have you done everything 00:40:06.580 --> 00:40:07.840 you could possibly do? 00:40:09.260 --> 00:40:10.060 Have you done everything? 00:40:10.820 --> 00:40:11.600 I mean, like Joseph, 00:40:11.900 --> 00:40:13.080 did you go that extra mile 00:40:13.080 --> 00:40:13.900 or did you just say, 00:40:14.420 --> 00:40:14.680 hey, you know, 00:40:14.700 --> 00:40:15.640 I'm sorry we had a riff. 00:40:16.980 --> 00:40:17.860 I forgive you. 00:40:19.360 --> 00:40:20.140 You want to come back 00:40:20.140 --> 00:40:20.780 and be with me? 00:40:22.060 --> 00:40:22.500 If you don't, 00:40:22.580 --> 00:40:23.340 you're just going your way. 00:40:23.440 --> 00:40:24.060 Well, I tried. 00:40:24.980 --> 00:40:26.400 You did everything you could do. 00:40:27.620 --> 00:40:28.380 I'm going to ask you 00:40:28.380 --> 00:40:29.660 one question to consider. 00:40:30.020 --> 00:40:30.900 Have you ever considered 00:40:30.900 --> 00:40:32.360 taking part of the blame? 00:40:32.360 --> 00:40:34.720 Now, Joseph, 00:40:35.019 --> 00:40:36.079 you didn't have to do that. 00:40:37.019 --> 00:40:38.039 But maybe you do. 00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:42.280 Maybe for you to be reconciled 00:40:42.280 --> 00:40:42.700 to that person 00:40:42.700 --> 00:40:43.760 if they mean enough to you 00:40:43.760 --> 00:40:44.340 and you want them back 00:40:44.340 --> 00:40:44.780 in your life, 00:40:45.860 --> 00:40:46.860 maybe you ought to just say, 00:40:46.920 --> 00:40:47.480 well, you know what? 00:40:47.579 --> 00:40:48.760 I look back on that now, 00:40:48.920 --> 00:40:50.920 and I'm sure I was to blame 00:40:50.920 --> 00:40:51.680 in part. 00:40:52.880 --> 00:40:53.660 And I just want you to know, 00:40:53.740 --> 00:40:55.019 I need you back in my life. 00:40:56.240 --> 00:40:57.140 When I was pastor 00:40:57.140 --> 00:40:58.180 of a church at one time, 00:40:58.179 --> 00:41:00.399 there was a person 00:41:00.399 --> 00:41:01.119 on our staff 00:41:01.119 --> 00:41:02.199 who was a little bit insecure, 00:41:02.440 --> 00:41:02.859 and every time 00:41:02.859 --> 00:41:03.559 something went wrong, 00:41:03.719 --> 00:41:04.419 they always had to 00:41:04.419 --> 00:41:05.519 find somebody to blame. 00:41:06.679 --> 00:41:08.339 So it wasn't uncommon 00:41:08.339 --> 00:41:09.239 that this person 00:41:09.239 --> 00:41:10.139 would gather people together 00:41:10.139 --> 00:41:10.879 and they would say, 00:41:11.419 --> 00:41:12.599 well, something and such happened, 00:41:12.839 --> 00:41:13.599 and I just want you to know 00:41:13.599 --> 00:41:14.379 it wasn't me. 00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:16.239 And they would go 00:41:16.239 --> 00:41:16.960 person by person 00:41:16.960 --> 00:41:17.199 and say, 00:41:17.279 --> 00:41:17.879 was it you? 00:41:18.059 --> 00:41:18.480 Was it you? 00:41:18.639 --> 00:41:19.779 Did you do it? 00:41:20.919 --> 00:41:21.960 And so one day 00:41:21.960 --> 00:41:22.759 I came in the office 00:41:22.759 --> 00:41:24.099 and that was going on. 00:41:24.819 --> 00:41:25.659 There were about five of them 00:41:25.659 --> 00:41:26.219 standing there, 00:41:26.219 --> 00:41:27.139 and this person 00:41:27.139 --> 00:41:27.739 was growing them, 00:41:27.819 --> 00:41:28.419 and they were saying, 00:41:28.980 --> 00:41:29.599 was it you? 00:41:29.859 --> 00:41:30.739 I didn't do it. 00:41:30.859 --> 00:41:31.299 Was it you? 00:41:31.359 --> 00:41:31.659 Was it you? 00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:32.579 And I just overheard, 00:41:32.639 --> 00:41:33.119 I didn't even know 00:41:33.119 --> 00:41:34.079 what it was we were talking about. 00:41:34.759 --> 00:41:35.819 And so I just said, 00:41:36.879 --> 00:41:37.459 it was me. 00:41:37.899 --> 00:41:38.339 I did. 00:41:39.219 --> 00:41:39.859 I didn't even know 00:41:39.859 --> 00:41:40.419 what we were talking about. 00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:43.259 But I just knew this, 00:41:43.819 --> 00:41:44.839 it didn't matter. 00:41:46.339 --> 00:41:47.439 What mattered was 00:41:47.439 --> 00:41:48.799 that we're together, 00:41:48.899 --> 00:41:49.359 we're a team, 00:41:49.359 --> 00:41:50.259 and there's unity, 00:41:50.579 --> 00:41:51.579 and we're restored 00:41:51.579 --> 00:41:52.319 to one another, right? 00:41:52.799 --> 00:41:53.219 It doesn't matter 00:41:53.219 --> 00:41:53.839 who's wrong. 00:41:54.219 --> 00:41:55.399 Does it really matter? 00:41:56.219 --> 00:41:57.059 There's some people 00:41:57.059 --> 00:41:57.500 in your life 00:41:57.500 --> 00:41:58.579 you need in your life. 00:41:59.519 --> 00:42:00.259 You just need them 00:42:00.259 --> 00:42:00.679 in your life. 00:42:01.419 --> 00:42:02.819 And so maybe 00:42:02.819 --> 00:42:03.659 the thing you have to do 00:42:03.659 --> 00:42:04.839 is take part of the blame, 00:42:04.899 --> 00:42:05.439 even though you know 00:42:05.439 --> 00:42:06.739 I'm not to blame at all. 00:42:07.319 --> 00:42:08.059 Could you do that? 00:42:09.139 --> 00:42:09.779 We're going to sing 00:42:09.779 --> 00:42:10.719 a hymn of invitation 00:42:10.719 --> 00:42:11.419 of the Spirit of God 00:42:11.419 --> 00:42:11.959 spoken to you. 00:42:12.179 --> 00:42:13.279 You come as we stand 00:42:13.279 --> 00:42:15.000 and Ryan leads us. 00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:32.159 in the day of the Live 00:42:32.159 --> 00:42:33.099 here 00:42:33.099 --> 00:42:34.139 and Ryan adalah 00:42:34.139 --> 00:42:35.719 of our village said