The Teenager Who Changed the World - II

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God check out virtue our website for Christian women go to harvest.org/virtue there were live view jealousy you hold in your love should be in the Joe's singularly more worse love what others need and today Pastor Greg Laurie warns us about another so I'll ring you you bring yourself down before it crosses you should just like it. The temps is to bite back delete syndicated columnist Charlie Reese of malice or envy were tangible. It would be the shape of a boomerang today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie helps is guarding against backstage or envy and jealousy continues a series with a look at the example shows.

Let's grab our Bible to to God suggested a Hebrews 11 and Genesis 37 Hebrews 11 and Genesis 37 the title of my message is the teenager who changed the world what I'm talking about Joseph. If you're teenager listen up to this message, especially if you're older and you shop at forever 21. Please stop now.

Let's pray together. Father, we are glad to be here today in your house with your people to open your word and hear your voice and you tell us in Scripture that your sheep hear your voice for Lord were your sheet so much like them disobedient prone to go astray, don't always listen where your sheet and you're our shepherd and you want to speak to us today, so would you do that because Lord we want to be world changers. We want to make a difference when you want the world to change us.

We want to change the world.

So speak to us, we would ask now in Jesus name, amen.

I will looking at two passages together. Hebrews 11 and Genesis 37 so. First, it's a good Hebrews 11 verse 22. There's not a lot about Joseph in Hebrews by faith that says Joseph when he was dying made mention of the departure of the children of Israel gave instructions concerning his bone sore introduced to Joseph in Hebrews 11. At the end of his life here he is in a foreign country and even want to be buried there. He wanted to be buried in the land of Canaan. He had walked in faith. Now he's dying in faith. Also he wants to go home again. But how did Joseph end up in Egypt to start with. That is where our story begins turnover to Genesis 37, reverses 2 to 4 from the new living translation were introduced to Joseph when Joseph was 17 years old. He often tended this father's flocks. He worked for his Brothers and sons of his father's wives Bill Hart and Silbaugh, but Joseph reported to his father. Some of the bad things.

The brothers were doing. Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob at a special gift made for Joseph a beautiful row, but his brothers hated Joseph because her father loved him more than the rest of them and they couldn't say a kind word to him. There so was our story begins, we have Jacob as an older man of favoring one son about the others that goes on and get some a special custom designer. Coat a multicolored jacket, the more familiar phrases King James version, a coat of many colors right what is in me that means it was a richly ornamented row. Now there's more to this than initially meets the eye. One commentator said this was a tunic that was sleeve and it was extended to the ankle. So here is the idea the brothers would have worked close on Whidbey and Jean strike that they might've had their sleeves cut out, so they would have freedom of movement to work in the field.

Dad gave to Joseph, the equivalent of like a tuxedo or or this supercool designer jacket that would cost a lot of money, which effectively said he did not have good Genesis 37 again dropped on diversified.

One night Joseph had a dream when he told his brothers about it. They hated him more than ever listen to the dream he said we were out of the field tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up and your bundles all gathered around and downloadable for mine is brothers said to him do you think you'll be our king now to you actually think you're going to reign over us and they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. You know what sometimes it's best to keep your dreams to yourself was Joseph stream from God that was should he have said it in this way to his brothers.

Maybe not. Maybe he should have just kept up between him and God let the Lord fulfill it in his timing and so you know he comes to his brothers and they think he's flown everything that he had. Then it gets worse, because this doesn't that I had a dream. Another dream and in this dream the sun, the moon and the 11 stars bowed before me and even dad Jacob who love them and favored him and said son. What do you think you that your mother and I and your brothers again about before you know, I was told he would dream dad will actually that dream was true. In time, literally his father and brothers would bow before but again I'd been best To himself and that brings us now to Genesis 37 verse 18.

One day Joseph was sent in error that says go check up on the kids. I keep calling them attacks them.

They're not answering it is because cell phones don't exist yet, but I want you to go find out what they're up to Joseph comes to the brothers and we picked the story up in verse 18 when Joseph's brothers saw him coming. They recognize them in the distance, and as the approach they made plans to kill him.

Here comes the dreamer.

They said let's kill him and throw him in the one of these cisterns, we can tell our father a wild animal, laid him.

I will see what becomes of his dreams.

There, Ruben was the oldest brother he should've been the mature one. He should have stood up for Joseph.

He knew this is wrong. In fact, it was Ruben that said, well, let's not kill him. Let's just throw them into a sister by the way sister just an empty well let's foam into a pits or a cave if you will, and the oldest either that were not responsible for actually killing them in the Scripture tells us room employment going back later.

Getting them out of the pit, just standing up for his brother, to save you touch them over my dead body back off but Ruben was later described by his father Jacob as unstable as water. That was his character rule was the kind of guy that wanted everyone to be happy. He wanted to get along with everyone. He was a kind of guy that would not stand on principle, but while they're arguing this outpour. Joseph is now in a pit. There just talking about his future. Maybe his death a group of slave traders come along one of them is a bright idea when we sell him to the slave traders yet. Let's make some money and they sold them for 20 pieces of silver. What is this remind you of Jesus was sold for what 30 pieces of silver. By the way, 20 pieces of silver. With the price of a handicap slave so they didn't get full retail form the terrapins designer jacket covered in animal blood and go back to the NCO dead bad views. Joseph was killed by a wild animal cures is beautiful coat you gave to him for Jacob is crushed, and he cries out my boy is gone. What will I do now. How heartless is brothers were not only to sell their young brother into slavery, but to break the heart of their father, who was devastated but Joseph was not abandoned by God.

Yes, abandoned by his brothers, but not by God… Conclude this message. Here's what we can learn from this story number one never let envy and jealousy get a foothold in your life. Never let envy and jealousy get a foothold in your life. Jealousy and envy of them are among the most deadly sins of the satanic arsenal. Left unchecked, envy and jealousy can lead to far worse. James 316 says whenever you're trying to look better than the others are get the better of others. Things will fall apart and everyone will end up at each other's throat is a modern translation with a very accurate one. I would say if he is what motivated Keene to kill his brother Abel. He was envious. I got accepted, his brothers offering and not his envy is what caused the religious leaders. The Pharisees to crucify Jesus Pilate the Roman governor accurately diagnosed according to Matthew 2718. He knew for envy.

They had delivered him. He knew why they brought Jesus thing envied him why Jesus was bad for business.

Jesus cared about people, they prayed on the people Jesus prayed for the people Jesus wanted to open up access to the father. These religious leaders wanted to drive the people away. Let's kill them will never hear from him again. It was envy the motivated them, what a wicked thing. Envy and jealousy are Shakespeare called envy the green eyed monster that box. William Penn said the jealous are troublesome to others in a torment to themselves is not true. The jealous are troublesome to others in a torment to themselves in a when you're jealous of someone it hurts you more than them. You know they walk in the future.

The here comes the dreamer, like the brother said oh here comes Mr. know it all in here cut yeah whatever mockery you use it it makes you feel better attendee and jealousy.

That's why you're saying that you're so critical. You just wish you were them so you want to drag them down. Humans are the only one or envious animals are constantly jealous, ever be out walking your dog and you see another dog or dog lunges at the getaway as my owner right cats. They don't care that much. But what even crabs can be envious. You know the story about crab fisherman was walking along with a pail full of crabs.

Almost all of the top seven, said wanted to put a lid on that describes a get out. This is all know they will get out the house that so it's is will look every time one of them tries to climb out the others reach up and pull him back down and is true. You know, did now to hear you stay down here with the rest of us and get right so that's the way it works in just a moment.

Pastor Greg recalls a time when he learned a lesson about the blowback danger of jealousy from women's perfume, women's perfume explained that in just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here in finding you to join me every weekend for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a church service. It's a worship service.

It's a Bible study and its wherever you wanted to be in your home in your car sitting on a beach walking down the street watching it on your phone wherever you are taking with you and be ministered to every weekend. Join us for Harvest at Home@harvest.org we're considering the dangers of envy and jealousy today as Pastor Greg continues this study of the life of Joseph called the teenager who changed the world before message is available for download@harvest.org if it said in the suit said another, and wounds itself. It should send another and once itself I was walking with a friend through a department store while going and I don't know about you but II have an allergy to cologne or perfume, and so even when I open up a magazine that there's one of those little cologne samples on the thing with my throat.

And so my friend, I thought it was really funny just spray my friend with women's perfume just occurred to me on so I came out I grabbed a tester. I can read about him and spray them with the perfume and he started to run and I chased him and I sprayed him guess it happened when you're running with perfume and spraying it. It comes back at you to take into afterwards. He smelled a little like a girl and I thought a lot like one. The plan backfired that Cindy gets you all bring you now know you bring yourself down. That's why it's a dangerous sin.

You can even enter our marriages.

You know, we become very jealous one-story may not know about is a conversation that Adam and Eve had one day you said Adam I think you been around with other women and it was like how would that be. You're the only woman on the face of the year. The next night Adam was sleeping in. He woke up to someone poking him in the chest. It was Eve he says what are you doing, she said just counting your ribs.

See that's jealous that by the way that's not in the Bible look for a Greek myth tells the story of a statue erected in honor of a famous athlete and arrival athlete was so envious he wanted to destroy it.

So every night he would come in and she is allotted space to weaken its foundation in one night.

He was successful. The statue came down on him and crushed that so envy and jealousy work so nip it in the bud before it crosses you point number two God will work all things together for good to those who love God in Romans 828 it says for we know that all things work together for good to those that love God and are the called according to his purpose. Notice at first part of the verse and we know lesson. There are no accidents in the life of the Christian only Providence we say it's an accident know it was Providence. There's no dumb lot there's no karma there's Christ. We don't believe in fate. We believe in a we believe that God is in control. We know this, you need to know that because things happen in life that don't make sense something is a wise is happening to me what I done to deserve such a fate. US will. I don't know that I have the answer for you but I know God is in control. I know God is powerful. I know that God is sovereign, which means he's in control of all things, and so we know this what we know we know all things work together for good.

Notice it says all things. It doesn't say we know that the good things work together for good. Know it says all things whatsoever their color or character David wrote in someone 1991 all things are your servant know this is not necessarily mean that all things are good things, and this is what we maybe misunderstand a bad thing happens to us in some well-meaning Christian me, but like all things work together for good to those lived on the called according to his purpose. Very nice. When second when someone is suffering when someone is in pain.

Maybe that's not the first go to verse there might be another when you might choose instead that will come in time. But we might almost be safe why I know it's horrible. You also need deeply love at all things were given a getaway. What happened in that person is a really bad thing and you should go and say I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry your loved one is gone and I Karen I'm here for you because there are bad things that happen that will remain to be bad things and they will never be anything but bad things, but God doesn't say will make every bad thing. Good he says we know that all things work together for good to those who love God. Another called according to his promise.

It doesn't say bad things become good. He says they work together for good. That means ultimately in God's master plan, good things will result that we may not have full resolution till we get to heaven and some God explains it. Or maybe just looking in the space will explain it all, but whatever it is will ultimately work together for good.

But for Hoover. Everybody is his first true for every person walking the earth right now know it's for Christians.

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God. Another called according to his let me just conclude with one reef rapid succession of thoughts, if you will. I want to compare Joseph to Jesus because he can't help but see this number one, Joseph was hated and envied by his brothers and Jesus was rejected by his own. The Bible says he came into his own and his own received him not. Jesus and Joseph were effectively both soul.

Joseph was over 20 pieces of silver. Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver, number three, Jesus and Joseph both forgave their enemies. Jesus forgave them hanging on the cross, father forgive them for they know not what they do. Joseph extended that same forgiveness to his brothers number four Jesus and Joseph were both thought dead and they were alive again. Now the case of Joseph. He never died. He was alive with his brothers thought you died and they came back and forgive them and Jesus was dead. He was killed. He was murdered, but he rose again from the dead, and lastly what the devil meant for evil God used for good. Joseph's brothers wished him dead. But God uses what happened in the same way Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Christ. He thought he would silence Jesus once and for all. But in effect, Satan was a lot like that Creek athlete trying to bring the statue down and he came down on him and crushed and killed him.

The crucifixion was part of the plan. The purpose of the father because the Bible says it please the father to Bruce. Yes, it's true that the devil was behind the crucifixion. Yes, it's true, the devil played a part in the murder of Jesus would just it is also true that it was the father's ultimate will as he laid all the sin of the world upon Jesus would never send and listen to this, the greatest injustice in the history of the universe resulted in the greatest good to ever happen.

The greatest injustice the betrayal the beating and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ resulted in the greatest good.

Your salvation, my salvation so I can hear this message right now to because of what Jesus did. I'm going to heaven that's. But this is only for those who love God, do you love God, you know, the only way to really know and love God is to have Christ come and live inside of your heart, then you can have a real love like you've never known God love you so much. He sent his son to die for you know you can love them back by following him, maybe have joined us here today and you've never asked Jesus to come into your life and forgive you of your sin. I've talked about heaven and forgiveness and you're thinking and I don't know if I'm going to happen.

I don't know, finally forgiven by God, but you can be is a hell by asking Jesus Christ to died on the cross for you and rose again from the dead to come into your life to be your Savior and Lord.

The moment were going to pray and I'm going to extend an invitation for you to believe in Jesus asked for his forgiveness.

If you've not done that yet to it. Now let's all bow our heads and pray father, thank you for loving us so much. You sent Jesus to die in the cross in our place. Lord Jesus, thank you for coming and laying your life down now.

We pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince the boats that are here of their need for you to help them come to you and prayer from Pastor Greg Laurie and if you want to do is Pastor Greg suggested and make things right in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you do just that in a moment before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes to hear today's message again go online to harvest.org and look for the teenager who changed the world will also find it on our harvest mobile app or for a CD copy. Call 1-800-821-3300. You can reach us anytime 24 seven at 1-800-821-3300 and I were so happy to welcome Pastor Greg's wife Kathy who is joining us today along with Jeff and Chante fell upon authors of the new book thriving in love and money.

It talks about what is stress point money can be in more than 90% of marriages. Some couples fight about it.

Some would just rather not talk about it but the bow points out that it all comes down to differing perspectives differing values and the lack of connection on the subject. Pastor Greg okay let's say that the husband wants to buy something at the end being the guy he probably wants to buy a muscle car in the mind of the wife, the guy wants to buy something she thinks is extravagant and/or in the mind of the husband, the wife says let's redecorate the house and what he hears her saying is let's take a bunch of money and flush it down the toilet right so that's not what she means. Maybe that's not even what he means, but they hear it differently talk about that. Well I see you just described one of the key factors underneath the surface that we found is a big deal for almost everybody, which is that it turns out when chest not arguing what the other person is. It shouldn't surprise us.

I don't know why we do this because we know were different people. Technically, I know Jeff is a different human being that for some reason in my mind I don't translate that to have different things that really matter to him and that might be just as legitimate and what we tell ourselves internally is that the other person is wrong yet what they're valuing and that's what we find with most of the couples that we talked with that we surveyed. Can I give you all an example very very common example right now because right now there's a lot as I couples and probably for years to come as people are listening to this line economic uncertainty now and that lends itself to suddenly husband and wife need to come together and be able to talk about money when maybe they haven't really been able to before. In the same way, and one of the examples as this different kind of class.

This example of the value difference is a spender and a saver very common simple example and even plan even when you have two singers usually one of them is more comfortable spending than any other site you still have nice Your listening this Chante and Jeff felt on and so were getting under the hood a little bit here were talking about these important issues because you know with this pandemic. Continuing on. I think were all hoping that maybe would've subsided more by this point and people are under incredible financial stress on the been laid off some of been furloughed a lot of uncertainty in the air, etc. this is a time when it's really important to talk about these issues. Yes money but to talk about our relationships to talk about our marriage is so whatever you send will invested in this ministry and will get you your own copy of this book by Chante and Jeff L on thriving in love and money and this is such an important resource. The book points out the more than 90% of couples deal with stress in this area, so get some help for the financial tension in your home by way of thriving in love and money. The subtitle is five-game changing insights about your relationship your money and yourself will send it to thank you for your donation that helps us continue to bring Pastor Greg's teaching your way. Each day you can write us at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300 call anytime 24 hours a day at 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org will castigate today wrapped up your message by talking about eternity. How can someone listening know that they're going to heaven. That's a great question and I guess let me take it a step further.

I know that is the most important question you can ask, how can a person know they're going to have let me say at the outset, I believe I'm going to have an effect out to get a step further. I know I'm going to have is a Greg is not kind of arrogant, not really, because I know this because God is made a promise to me and I've believed that promise. The Bible says we write these things to you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

I've believed on the name of the son of God. Thus, I know I'll go to heaven when I die, here's my question. Do you, do you believe on the name of the son of God, is there any more important issue that that I can think of one.

So I like to lead you in a simple prayer and this is a prayer will you will be asking Jesus to forgive you of your sin and you'll be asking them to be your own Savior friend Lord. It's a prayer. Only you can pray pray these words. If you would, Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner but I know that you are this Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose from the dead. Jesus come in the my Lai. I want to believe in you. I want to follow you. I want this relationship with you.

Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin and rising again from the dead, and I think you that you've heard this prayer and I believe you've come into my life in Jesus name I pray, amen. I want to help you grow in your faith. I want to help you grow spiritually. So I've a free gift for you.

It's called the new believers growth packet what's in it know not a bag of seeds to plant in your backyard.

I guess it's sort of a form of a bag of seeds because I want to sell some spiritual seed in your life to help you develop as a follower of Christ, so I'm of the send you a copy of the New Testament and the new living translation but it's a special edition that's called the new believers Bible and it's filled with notes that I wrote that will encourage you in this new commitment or recommitment you've made to Christ and there's some other materials in the new believers packet as well so order your copy today and I'm so glad I have this privilege today to lead you, and that prayer. God bless you. You've made the right decision.

The decision to follow Jesus Christ.

And here's how to get that new believers packet just right is that a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us at 1-800-821-3300 we can take your call anytime 24 hours a day seven days a week at 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click your words know God Pastor Greg opens the next chapter in Joseph's life as he rises to prominence in the household of father for faces. Perhaps his greatest test. More on that next time beginning and great glory was made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email devotions and harvest.org