His Plan

Isn't that amazing, isn't God amazing and the fact is that many of y'all cannot see that is because you have looked at your life and you have said, with Jacob all these things are against me instead of saying while God has been so good I don't deserve any of this. I don't deserve any of this kind has been, and I know some people in this church right another sitting here this morning who have said that to me time and again men got a mortgage and I get round this people, I can sense his spirit of humility. I can sense that God's grace upon you get convicted because sometimes pride gets into my heart and I get around some of those folks this room and I realize very quickly man that man is humbled at ladies home. You just heard a portion of the upcoming message titled, his plan by Pastor Avedon Shaw of Clearview church in Henderson, North Carolina I Clearview. Our focus is on making Christ visible from the lily worship to the way we serve the way we love one another can check us out at 3485 Oxford Rd., Henderson, or visit us online@clearviewbe.org now join us for the rest of this week's message this morning were starting a new series called painful as Thanksgiving season is coming up were planning on four messages that will help us and challenges encourage us to be more grateful because gratefulness is the antidote to bitterness and regret and shame, inventions, and all the rest that doesn't help us to grow in our Christian life. This morning the first message is worth thankful for his plan for God's plan for our lives. So before I begin.

Here's a question for all of us. How many of you think you come from a dysfunctional home. If you truly believe that we came from two individuals Adam and Eve, a crooked landscaper and a self absorbed diva.

We have a dysfunctional family tree this morning. Either you can live in bitterness and shame and regret, or you can say God I can see your hand. Even through what others have done that was wrong or the mistakes I made. I can see your divine plan, and I'm grateful or you can continue to live in regret and shame and vengeance. You can be bitter or you can be thankful. I want you to be very carefully. It all depends on your view of God's sovereignty and God's goodness that no matter what's happened God is supreme and he is in control and he is good and he always works all things together for for good you have your Bibles with you open to Genesis chapter 50 we look at a life from a dysfunctional home and will see what God did for him and his deep faith in God Genesis chapter 50 starting in verse 15. Let's all stand once again for the reading of God's word. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead. They said perhaps Joseph will hate us and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him. So they sent messengers didn't have the guts to come and confront their brother of their fear they sent messengers to Joseph saying before your father died he commanded, saying, thus you shall say to Joseph I beg you please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you. Now please forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father and what is Joseph's reaction. He worked well as he weeping to see that a few moments he went because of their lack of faith in the sovereignty and the goodness of God when they spoke to him and Joseph said to them, do not be afraid for MRI in the place of God. And then he says this statement, I want us to all read together is on the screen is in your Bibles.

Join me as we read that. But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. In order to bring it about as it is this day to save many people alive in this first message with you to talk about the life of Joseph of anybody grew up in a dysfunctional home or family. It was Joseph but instead of being bitter and vengeful Joseph trusted God's divine plan, and he demonstrated deep faith in God's sovereignty and God's goodness. The first nihilist to see is how dysfunctional was Joseph's family now before we try to understand that. Let me tell you little bit about dysfunctional families. One of the characteristics of a dysfunctional family or please this is not a moment that you pull out your tissue or your handkerchief and start crying and saying I need to call my mom and tell her how dysfunctional we were that's not the purpose to get you to hate your parents. This is not the purpose to call your dad or to tell people you know how Pastor Shaw has enlighten you that's not the purpose is just to help you understand the situation in your life there levels of dysfunction. Some people grow up in sort of mild dysfunctional situation. Others grow up in high dysfunctional situation. Mild dysfunctions is a homes and families were there was poor communication patterns and popular kids like they were supposed to moms and talk to their sons or their daughters. Poor communication sometimes there homes where there is control issues controlling people's life controlling people's habits and behaviors. We can do that to a certain extent, but excessive criticism is one thing to say. I'm paying all this money free to go to school even a study galore in our see better grades is fine, but excessive criticism is there's nothing good enough constantly. Something always wrong. Something never enough. Sometimes kids grow up in homes where there is conditional love. I love you if you do this for me is a dysfunctional situation. Some people grow up in homes where there is fear all the time there's fear sometimes is fear of punishment sometimes is fear of rejection as abnormal folks is not right. Sometimes people grow up in homes where things are unpredictable yesterday man. We had a great day and by was so happy we had fun today, all hell broke loose.

How did that happen. It's unpredictable well and you know this morning is those are signs of dysfunction.

It's not right is alive automated by the grace of God. You did those are mildly dysfunctional home, but then it begins to get worse worse in the sense of drug and alcohol abuse situation where people grow up in families where dad or mom or both have done things and you have seen the ugly side of people when they are under the influence of whatever they were doing. Some people grew up in homes where there is emotional abuse. Some grew up in homes where there was physical abuse is one thing to discipline and an end to have repercussions what they do wrong, quite different when there's punishment. And that is harsh and leaves marks was on the right things that it climbs another level. Where there is sexual abuse were things happen. That should've never happened close is not right, is allow you know we I think I can live there, but you have to acknowledge you have to aerate. You don't have to blast everyone on social media and tell the whole world what's happened to you, but you have to acknowledge those are signs of high dysfunction is not right.

What happened some people grew up in homes whether unhealthy relationships with one health healthy relationships look like where a husband rather talk to his daughter about personal things and so talking to his wife there homes where the mom has this unhealthy attention and connection with her son, rather than with her own husband.

Nothing sexual is involved, but is not right. Those are signs of dysfunction.

Some have grown up in homes where there were secrets novel and talk about that don't bring that up and program don't bring this up. Don't bring that up.

I'm telling you this morning at. It makes us who we are and many individual sitting here on the sound of my voice have been to some level of dysfunctions this morning. I want us to spend our time crying or weeping of feeling sorry for ourselves, but to understand how we can move past that place. We don't have to repeat those mistakes by the grace of God just talk about Joseph for a few moments, even before we go to Joseph's immediate family. Let's back up a little bit. Let's back up several generations to Joseph's great granddaddy who was he Abraham number God called him from the world, the Chaldees, to go to a land that he will show him and threw him all the families of the earth shall be blessed means there is someone coming to Abraham and Sarah, who is going to be a blessing.

It was a promise of Jesus Christ they didn't know at the time Abraham big big the clock is ticking.

He is 86 years old and he's wondering God what's gonna happen was happening and Sarah people lame Sarah but she was actually being a good wife. She sees her husband all discouraged and she says guess what I can have a child. But here's my handmade here is my lady in waiting. Go just tell you that's weird or back in the day you know know you don't know your history back in the day today any day. That's not right. It was not supposed to be. Guess what, the man that he slept with her had a child. God says I don't know what you said I would think he said oh crud and hundred years old. Finally he and Sarah have a child and he is Isaac. Now Isaac and Ishmael, who was the illegitimate one.

By the way, no kids. Religion is only parents now they can get along dysfunction go to the next generation. You have Isaac and Rebekah, and Rebecca has two boys twins in her womb, and even in her womb to begin to fight with each other and the prophecy is given that the younger will rule over the older Rebecca remembers the prophecy but as a daddy doesn't remember it.

So he dotes on the older one thinking he is still the one Jacob knows and throughout his life. He is reaching for that blessing. He wants to be the firstborn. He wants to be the one to whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Even tricks his brother Esau limited the student and then one day Isaac realizes it's time for him to bless the son who would carry on the promise and guess who he calls not Jacob, but he saw and he tells them to go out and get some venison and he's gonna bless him. Rebecca hears it, and she goes no can do this because Jacob over and you know the rest of the story she they did trick daddy by the way, Isaac and his older age was more concerned about his taste buds than God's word. Sounds like a lot of people in the cross a certain age limit their more concerned about what restaurant to have an eight net and where's the buffet line. Nope, not much laughter here. Where is the early bird special. You should be more concerned you listening this morning. Some of y'all need to. You should be more concerned by the things of God than about which restaurant you more concerned about your taste buds. Thank you, whoever you are, and was the result. Well Isaac blesses Jacob.

Esau now is mad with Jacob and he vows that once daddy dies, he will killing dysfunctional family brothers can get along with jump over to Joseph's immediate family, which is Jacob. Of course, Jacob runs for his life. He runs and comes to the house of his uncle, his mom, Rebecca's brother Laban who has two daughters, Jacob falls in love with Rachel, not Leah, and he tells us uncle hey can I marry her show her seven years and you can have. He works hard for seven years and on the wedding night.

Guess what daddy does, he switches Rachel with Leo Evans. I have no idea how that man couldn't figure that out for seven years. He was working hard for her, she must not have said a word, honey, I'm so happy I finally have your maybe she did not even the whole night I would've know something is not right. He goes back to daddy said, why have you done is a seven more years you can have the other one. 14 years later. Now he has sister wives.

He was a back in the day. Now it was still not right is a dysfunctional happy house you have one man with two lives.

It wasn't right, and a complicated matters because he started having kids and one can have it so so the Leah gives her lady in waiting, your husband, and Rachel does the same thing. Now he's got two wives and two baby mamas as a dysfunctional home can imagine living in a home where you have two lives and to whatever hanging around in the one man is not was not home. I know what my life would be due as you killing them can imagine that's what was happening in the home can imagine the hate 12 sons brothers who cannot get along. Yeah you you go from her that she is not the one she was never the discount. Talk Joseph had to hear growing up and guess what Jacob does. He sees that God's hand is upon Joseph so he begins to dawn on him and he gives him a rule because of the role of many colors, but actually is a code that extended to the palms and to the feet. It's a code that symbolize authority and power. What Jacob was saying was this son Joseph is going to be a ruler. One day the can imagine Joseph walking around with his role bent and showing off and the other 10 brothers and his younger brother was fine with it, but the other 10 are looking at them going.

We do all the work and he gets to where the role in the Bible says they hated him.

Listen to Genesis 37 verse four but when his brother saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. I want to say something very quickly. Maybe Jacob did that because he saw God's hand upon Joseph or he saw what was coming for Joseph, but either way, folks, favoritism is never right it's never right is never right to favor one child over the other. Jacob said Joseph up for murder and was the response. Listen to this again verse four and they could not speak peaceably to him can imagine that every time Joseph walks in the room. What's he doing here and then you know Joseph against her begins to have those dreams, and he shares those dreams with his brothers in the Bible says they hated him even more. It was a dysfunctional home. You know the rest of what happened.

Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers who were out moving the herd and so Joseph goes out. His brothers seen him from a distance coming. Guess what they say. Here's a chance boys that's killing. They want to kill their own flesh and blood and when Dick the grab hold of him. They want to kill him. One brother says no, the pit in the Toronto pit and when he is gone. Another brother, Judah comes and says to get them out that selling let's sell him to a caravan of Midianite traders and they sold their bras are heavy, grown-up, and at home in a dysfunctional situation.

Are there skeletons in the family closet do you walk around thinking no one understands what I have been through pink again. Joseph did God was still working in Joseph's life.

Listen to Genesis 39 verse one that Joseph had been taken down to Egypt and conifer was part of, for he is an officer of Pharaoh, a captain of the guard. Some scholars say that he was probably one of Pharaoh's executioners like top dogs.

Some say he was probably the head of his special team. His bodyguards either way. A high level officer of Pharaoh sees him, and he buys him from the mid-Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. You know folks I would you think for a moment Joseph could have been bought by someone to work in the Valley of the Kings making those pyramids you see the pyramids in Egypt.

What are the chances Pharaoh's right-hand man sees him and binds him, God has his hand. It was not fortuitous.

It was providential.

You are here this morning blessed as you are doing as good as you are you I know you have problems, but you are doing well. You are closing in your right mind is because God has blessed you. Amen.

What happens next.

Listen to Genesis 39 to it's on the screen. The Lord was with Joseph. Just the way God has been with you. You have been you cabin an addict who had died in a prison or a mental institution is by the grace of God you're here, the Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian verse three and his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand, if you're struggling with pride in what pride is that I can talk to me are left. I'm not given I will be there. You need to be on your knees repenting. He knew to be on your knees repenting and maybe does the last time you will ever hear those words God hates the proud but gives grace to the humble. You are where you are fixed by the grace of God.

God was good to Joseph. Just as God has been good to you but life is never simple. What begins to happen part of her his wife sees Joseph he is handsome and she tries to seduce him. Joseph rejects her and she is angry and she accuses him of raping her and tells her husband what happens. Listen to Genesis 3920 been Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined, he could have been thrown into a common prison part of her was a captain of the guard. If someone comes against my wife and I have that much power and no Jesus in my heart when I doing I'm taken is that off part of her could've killed him.

What does he do Potiphar knows better. He knows that Joseph was inside. He knew his wife and guess what he does. He actually gives him a promotion.

He puts them in the federal prison in Butner but somewhere in Egypt. He puts it in the federal prison and now, guess who he has all around him.

There is part of Pharaoh's general who in a letter rebellion. There is a politician who was corrupt, there is someone from Pharaoh's family who tried to sabotage whatever he has all these people around him.

What is God doing God is teaching Joseph Egyptian politics because one day he's gonna lead Egypt and how is God's blessing Joseph in the prison. Genesis 2939 verse 21 it says the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and he gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. So even in prison. God is blessing Joseph.

I don't have time to go into all the details but the return of events. Joseph comes before Pharaoh interprets his dream.

The Pharaoh is so pleased that he says Joseph you are in charge of our famine crisis. I will give you my role our little put you in my chariot, and you are now second in command. Isn't that amazing, isn't God amazing and the fact is that many of y'all cannot see that is because you have looked at your life and you have said, with Jacob all these things are against me instead of saying while God has been so good. I don't deserve any of this. I don't deserve any of this, God has been and I know some people in this church. Right now they're sitting here this morning who have said that to me time and again men God is been more good to me than I deserve and I get around those people. I can sense the spirit of humility.

I can sense that God's grace is upon them. I can even get convicted because sometimes pride gets into my heart and I get around some of those folks in this room and I realize very quickly man that man is humbled at ladies humble. I don't have time to explain to you what all God has done to you. I don't have time to talk about how bad life has been at times and how good it's been all I can say is look around God's been good to me.

God has been above and beyond good to me. Do you believe that you believe Joseph knew that the last thing I want you to see this morning is his deep faith, this fast forward 27 years, Joseph saves Egypt from famine. His brothers come looking for food that realize oh, this is Joseph.

They repaired they reconciled to bring daddy with them. I'm kind of rushing to this time and now the family is together and they are together for the next 16 years and then Jacob, the patriarch dies, and the brothers are concerned by the concern because they think the way they were in their thinking. Now daddy is gone. Joseph is going to pay us back. What is he do he cries. Joseph was a godly man was any. The actually cries why is he crying because he cannot believe that his brother still don't trust him.

He is a type of Christ. Never Christ was betrayed by his own and Jesus wept. So also enjoy because of his were weeping at what his brothers are saying and listen to what he says. He said MI in the place of God.

The really thing I want to come after you and then he says the words we just read. But as for you, you meant evil. I want you look up here for second.

Don't ever condone what someone did to you that was wrong.

He said, you meant evil. He called sin. Sin. But then he gives a statement, but God meant it for good. You know my theology, my theology is this God is supreme God is sovereign. Don't ever diminish his sovereignty and somehow in his divine wisdom and goodness.

He configures all of that in his master plan to never make God helpless. He is sovereign.

He is supreme and what is he said he said you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. What happened to you years ago was wrong, but don't forget God was still with you.

Look where you are today, but then he says in order to bring it out as it is this day to save many people alive. Probably Joseph was talking about something more immediate. His own family and the Egyptian people being saved, but ultimately we know it's talking about Jesus Christ. He died so that we could live with this policy. Could you read these words with me.

Romans 828 and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose or how many years God still has for me that things will happen.

Good things will happen, but I truly believe that you believe it.

You believe that God works all things together. Thank you so much for joining us for this message.

Even though moments in our lives might seem uncertain. There is nothing that takes God by surprise. Just like Joseph, we can trust his plan sort all things together for our good and for his glory. You trust in God's plan for your life. For more information visit us online at Clearview B.

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