God is With Me (Joseph)

Hi Genesis chapter 50 if you have a Bible. I hope that you do or hope that you can look around somebody that is around you.

Watch your phone from your Bible on if you are super cool or skinny jeans and you have a digital Bible pull that out. I want to begin our message today with a question I want you to consider. The question is this how would your outlook on life change if you believe that God was really with you in every situation you would ever gone through in your life whatever situation you find yourself in now that God was in it. God had directed you to do whatever we want to in your past that God was in that he was in that divorce that you went through. He was in that bad grade that you received. He was in in the fact that you got passed over for a promotion when opportunity that you really felt like you deserve that you didn't get it that God was somehow in that you been passed over. It was in that disability that you were born with, and can't understand why he was he was with you he was in the fact that that you experience prejudice in your life and unfairness you been treated unfairly, but somehow he was in the fact that you had to move here in Raleigh and you generally want to come to the Triangle area. But you're here now and then end of its amount. God was in that. How would your outlook change if you knew God was in that he had a plan and it even though it fell out of control and it felt painful. I know that he was in it. Now you say which idea that's the problem. I'm just not sure I believe that about everything in my life.

I'm not asking you to believe yet I'm seeing just suppose for a minute. Just imagine that you did, how would your outlook on your life. How would your attitude toward your life and the situation you're in now, how would that change if you really did believe it. I say that because a Bible teacher named Andy Stanley says that is the question that is presented to us in the life of the guy were to take a look at this weekend whose name is Joseph these stories in Genesis 50 sometimes bad things happen to good people sometimes really good things happen to bad people and you just can't figure it out. Can't figure out why it's happening. That's what you're going to see happen to Joseph but in Joseph's life. You're also going to see what it looks like if you believe that God is with you in it all for the beginning of the book of Genesis. If you remember from a few weeks ago and we saw that God given this promise to Abraham that he would bless Abraham and his descendents. He would be there God would never leave them he would watch over them and everything he would defend them from everything for the writer of Genesis, who was Moses is going to illustrate for us what that promise looks like in action through the life of Joseph Genesis.

I believe I've always said this Genesis is the most important book in the Bible and the character that gets more space in Genesis than any other character is Joseph nearly 1/4 of the book of Genesis is about Joseph right so so so let me give you the last seeing insurances life and then Morgan I'll walk you to the store that lead you up to that point. Genesis chapter 50 verse 50. When Joseph's brother Saul, that the father was dead.

They said all now it's can be adjusted to hate us. If you pay us back for all the evil that we did to him. Verse 19 but Joseph said to him, do not fear brothers for a minor place of God has for you, you meant evil against me, but God he meant it for good to bring about so that many people should be kept alive as they are today, so do not fear.

I will provide for you and I will provide for your little ones. Okay, here is the story if you remember Abraham was the man sterile old man who was selected to be the patriarch of this chosen family that was good to be the nation through which God bless the world. Abraham's old so I'm in his old age.

He has this miracle baby named Isaac, and Isaac is going to have two sons one is named Jacob. The others named Esau.

Esau is the older brother.

He was the man's man. He drove the Ford F1 50 and all the because of Jacob.

Less of a man's manager of the unit Mini Cooper the Miata.

Whatever. But Jacob is the one through whom the promise is going to to go so Jacob is going to have 12 sons Joseph and 11 other dudes now I write like that on purpose because that's how Jacob saw Jacob of all people should have known the problem.

The damage psychological damage that would be cause by a daddy playing favorites. Since Jacob himself was the victim of that with his dad Isaac number Isaac up authorities all over Jacob Buckley, have you noticed how messed up these families are in the book of Genesis, there is hope for your family. Just be encouraged to write, but at any rate, when Jacob talked about Joseph Jacob's face lit up and his eyes sparkled.

Joseph always got the extra piece of chicken. Joseph always got the extra brownie. Joseph got to have friends over. To make matters worse I Jacob just to Joseph this coat of many colors not technically in Hebrew on it says coat of long sleeves which means it was this long ornate robe with long sleeves that was worn as a status symbol that was supposed to demonstrate you didn't have to do manual labor. I when I lived in Southeast Asia as a missionary that the young men there would always grow their PT fingernail out about an inch and 1/2. It will totally disgusting but they did it as a way of demonstrating status symbol.

That said, I don't do manual labor as we do manual labor.

You could never maintain a pinky like that right on so in this culture the way that you demonstrated status was to wear one of these coat of many colors. Typically it was the older brother who got to where it got exempted from the work, but Jacob visited Joseph was one of the youngest brothers heights of the rest of the kids get their close off the clearance rack at the Dollar General. Joseph supports a new trenchcoat from Saks Fifth Avenue right and then to make matters worse Joseph start having these dreams is about 15 years old and one of these dreams he dreams that he and all his brothers and his mom and dad on the field seemingly having Joseph see if we get a lot bigger and everybody else's and then everybody else receive a weed southbound on his chief so Joseph shares this dream this family. One night over dinner and he says well I think interpretations obvious.

One day all of you working about on the me out of the commanding go to the submitting. This, of course, whatever like like a barbecue at a bar mitzvah with his brothers, by the way, you know, in almost every way.

In this story. Joseph is a role model for us, but I would not advise you to imitate in here if you have a dream where all your friends and your family bow down to you, you keep that jump to yourself okay I will one day all Jake all Joseph's brothers around the mountains feeding the goats course Joseph have to go because you get stay home and play with his Pharaoh PlayStation or whatever it was, Hunter's dad says to him that he, Joseph, your brother's been out for a while want to hop on the new ATV I bought you and want you zoom out mountains and figure out where they are and check on. So Joseph goes, Randy finds him. Of course are also you grimy and stinky from working with the sheep in fear comes Justin Bieber with his wavy hair is your tight jeans in his coat of many colors and is like hello brothers older brothers. How is everybody got still talking about my dream had another dream work on the big gerbil and you guys a little run gerbils and in that way in the middle of this.

One of his brother says you know about sick of you and so he grabs him he throws them into a pit and I start planning out how they're going to kill and to make a long story short, instead of telling him they decide to sell them into slavery, but they take his coat and they rip it and they dip it in goats blood and they take it back to their dad Jacob and say dad were so sorry we found this on the road. Obviously a wild animal. A lot of hyenas eaten Jacob how are so sorry Joe.

Joseph is dead meanwhile come back to Joseph. He shows up on the slave market in Egypt.

This Egyptian named Potiphar by some to be a slave now Potter for happens to be the captain of Egypt's armies. These the most powerful man in Egypt outside of Potiphar and then we see this phrase for the very first time the life of Joseph. Genesis 39 Sue and the Lord was with Joseph and you're tempted to read that and say really mean, if anything, it sounds like the Lord was with his brothers. I'm sure Joseph was asking that question God, where are you when my brothers and sell them into slavery.

But Joseph somehow understood that even in those things that God was with him and God was behind them and so instead of becoming depressed, which is what I probably would've done.

He says okay God has me here to serve God faithfully when Potiphar sees that the Lord was really with him and the Lord caused everything that he did to succeed in his hands. He made him overseer in his house and he put them in charge of everything that he had no this is a crucial turning point in the life of Joseph.

What Joseph had said what I would probably have said while clearly God has forsaken me, and he slipped into a depression or or maybe he if he had said water can't possibly be a God who would allow something like this to happen to me not to believe in a God that would let that happen to me if Joseph had said that the story would stop right here but Joseph doesn't say that what he says is even in this I believe the God is with me.

So instead of going into depression or unbelief and serve God faithfully in the place God places them. Potiphar sees that God is with him and he elevates Joseph to be in charge of everything in his house. Enter Potiphar's wife Potiphar's wife decides that Joseph is a lean mean hunk of Hebrew kebab. The writer of Genesis. By the way, says that Joseph was handsome in both form and appearance.

That's the same phrase that we saw last week to describe Rachel. You know who Jacob near me she was just really like a great face and right body is a simple way of saying that so you know EEG sees it literally just one day when Potiphar was out doing military stuff.

Mrs. Potter, Mrs. Potter comes in with her tight jeans and a clear heels to walk like an Egyptian routine – propositions Jacob and now she's pretty direct.

The only thing she says in the story.

530 97 is fine with me but it is only in Hebrews.

Literally two words sex now sex now.

She says it over and over and over again what Joseph won't do it because a it is against the laws of God and be it would be a betrayal of his master, who is trusted and was so much that we always assumed by the way that she was really good looking, but is nothing in the Bible it says that he should look like Jabba the Hutt. We don't know but whatever immunity was easy to say no. I don't know, but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and so she steals Joseph's coat and she says the Potiphar, the left this coat behind when he was trying to rape me.

Well, Potiphar believes his tramp wife. Instead of believing Joseph and so he throws Joseph in the prison and there we see the phrase again.

Verse 21 of the Lord was with Joseph and showed him, steadfast love, can't you hear Joseph like really God could you be with me a little less next time, maybe I'm sounds like you're doing what Potiphar's wife.

The steadfast love and feel very steadfast those like you to the little vacation for like you turn your heavenly sold into slavery. You turn your average he was accusing me. I didn't feel very steadfast. Verse 22. Then God gave him favor with the keeper of the prison and McKeever put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners. McKeever, the prison paid no attention, anything goes in Joseph chart because the Lord was with him and whatever he did. The Lord made it succeed. How would your outlook and attitude in life be different if you really believed in whatever situation you are in the God was behind it. He had put you there. Joseph is in prison, but his spirit soars three in all situations because he believes that God is with him and got up with him where he was well for several years in prison a couple of Pharaoh's court servants get thrown in there with them on the Butler ones a baker and both of them had have a dream so they tell their dreams of Joseph and so Joseph says the Butler.

Your dream means that within three days, you're going to be released outta here and restored your position in Pharaoh's court to the Baker says that sounds awesome with my dreamy he says your dream means that within three days are to be hung by your neck and the birds are going to pick the flesh off your face and eat your eyes out your sockets and MA how you responded after the Baker but sure enough, it all takes place.

Joseph says the Butler before he leaves the present day is is member listen when you get out here will remember me because I'm here unjustly in the Butler says I promise I'll never forget you. How could I but promptly forget about him as soon as he's out forgets about them for more than two years again. Can you imagine Joseph at this point God really I'm not asking for a lot, and just ask him for a little justice then two years later Pharaoh has his own dream and it's a strange one. He sees seven fat cows come up out of the Nile, followed by the Nile River, followed by seven skinny cows in the seven skinny cows eat the seven fat cows and then they turn to Pharaoh and say more chicken Little said nobody can figure out what we just ends with a at the meeting account so I'm limiting figure out what it means in the Butler cycle. Yeah, I remember this this dude in prison who interprets dreams so they go get Joseph out of prison they bring to Pharaoh and Pharaoh says I hear that you can interpret dreams and services will no man can interpret dreams that I know the God in heaven who can interpret dreams when he says that by the way. Everybody in the courtroom is like oh no we didn't see Pharaoh's believe that they were God and you don't tell the most powerful man in the world who thinks he's God is really not God. But you got it with God. It's not him right how much confidence would you live with in life. If you really believe in God is with you. Might you lose your fear of man and just be able to say what you know is true to people that are in front of you because you know the God by I will Joseph goes away.

Talk to God comes back and says God tell me what your dream means. He says the dream means that he's innocent seven years of peace at the seven fat cows followed by seven years of famine. That's a skinny cows in the seven lean years. The seven famine years can be so bad is going to gobble up the all the years of feast so so if you're smart you'll lay out now. Kind of like storehouse stop so that when you going to famine you will have food so they do that Pharaoh was so grateful that he promotes Joseph to be the Prime Minister of Egypt so that he get Egypt prepared Joseph is literally over everybody in the kingdom except for Pharaoh, which by the way included Potiphar and his wife, which should've been a fun reunion fast for now. About 10 years. The predicted famine has come, and things of gotten really really bad in the whole region is starving just like Joseph and said the only place in the whole region that has food is Egypt and that's because of Joseph's warning Joseph's family. His dad and his brothers are affected also to Jacob since his sons Joseph other brothers down to Egypt by food immediately.

Joseph recognizes them, but I guess and recognize him because the whole makeup you know cobra head addressing that he wars your advice Pharaoh, when he sees them he so overcome with emotion that he could barely control himself.

He burst into tears as mascara starts to run, eventually after putting them through put to always test to see if they they they changed. He just can't stand it anymore and he strips off his headdress and he says to his brothers, it's me, it's Joseph now to answer your question, you think this was a moment where they were glad you think it is a moment where they were sad I would emotion you feel like they were feeling at this moment. This is the old credit moment we sold this dude into slavery 25 years ago, but we never see him again and now he is the most powerful man in the world would Joseph sensing their terror says to them, 45, five only distress told me angry with yourself because you sold me here because I don't look at it that way. I think of it as God sending me before you to preserve for you are rendered on earth and to keep alive for you. Many survivors so it was not you who sent me here you see it was God.

How was your outlook on life change. How is your attitude toward your past change. If you believe that in everything you'd gone through in every situation you're in.

The God was with you to see his brothers return now and they get their father, Jacob, and they bring in the Joseph and after all these years. They are really not reunited well after many many years. Jacob dies and that brings us back to that last thing we would look at in Genesis 50 and and here it is. One more time when Joseph's brother saw the father was dead.

They said now it's good to be that Joseph was is doing this, we did make her dad sad. Now he cannot hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him. Joseph said to them, do not fear brothers from the place of God yet has for you, you meant evil against me.

See, God meant it for good to bring about the many people should be kept alive as they are today, so do not fear. I will provide for you and your little ones, thus he comforted them in these folk kindly to kindly to them.

There are couple of ways that you can interpret Joseph's life lesson first, and most importantly you can and should interpret it as a picture is a premonition of Jesus, did you hear the echoes of Jesus's story all through Joseph story I want you and I and our year of reading the Bible together. I want to teach you to read the Bible this way so that you need to see this stuff instinctively you don't mean you get up here and explain it to you one day many years into the future. Another Savior would come and won't be exact same path that Joseph walked he would be betrayed by his brothers.

He would then be lied about impulsively condemn. Of course, unlike Joseph Jesus was not just sold into slavery.

He was put to death.

But, like Joseph, he would be raised from that pit to sit on to the highest throne of the land and like Joseph instead of exacting vengeance from that throne he would use his exalted position to forgive and save his brothers and, like Joseph, he would weep tears of joy when we were reconciled him. Jesus is the whole point of this story as he is.

Every story in the Bible. The main point of the Joseph story is not to amaze you. Would Joseph's incredible faith is certainly not to try to tell you that regardless of what bad things happen to you as long as you avoid the aggressive cougars in your life you're going to be president of the USA one day. The whole point is to show you that in all things God is fully in control of history.

Working out his perfect plan to put Jesus on the throne and then to save and glorify the church to his exalted rain and resurrection. Okay, but in light of that, in light of that, the other way you can interpret Joseph's life is as a picture of what looks like a lid with the assurance of God is with you because Jesus is on the front you're not in the one room when they Jesus is the Jesus of the real Joseph but in light of that, what you can do is then begin to read your life like Joseph read his with the assurance that God was with you in every situation. Just like God was in complete control Joseph life working at all for his good plan.

So he is in control of your life because you are sons and daughters of Abraham.

Just like Joseph was. He is working all things for his good purposes in your life.

Just as he was with Joseph's so I ask you again, how would your outlook on life change if you really believe that in all things God was with you and had been with you and that he had guided everything according to his appointed purposes because that is exactly what Joseph believed Tiffany take you through his last statement and show you because it's kind of the heart of Christian faith right verse 19 chapter 50 you meant for evil human free will of God meant it for good. I know the God had a purpose and everything Joseph said that things even on the bad things he was overriding what other people meant for evil.

He was overwriting it for good. The slavery led to Potiphar's house which led to the false accusation, which led to the prison, which led to the forgetting which led to Pharaoh, which led to a throne room which Joseph could save God's people got was as much in the pit in the prison as he was in the palace now couple of things here that want to make sure you see first believing this does not reduce the sin of others.

Notice that Joseph didn't downplay what his brothers did because it evil.

You see, I say that because sometimes as a means of coping with our past.

We try to downplay the bad things of people done well you know they were just confused. How will they were just doing what they thought was right. You know all families have struggles this marriage, it just wouldn't meant to be a lot of people's parents get divorced. Joseph of course he can imagine Joseph trying to say that, well, you know, sibling rivalry is normal, being sold into slavery, covered up with a lot of been eaten by animals that happens that everybody he couldn't say that part of experiencing God's healing for your past.

Listen involves facing up to the fact that people have sinned against you, your parents sinned against some of you, a former spouse sinned against you. A balsa sinned against you there been friends that it genuinely hurt you. They have sinned against you and you don't want to cope with it by just saying what was in that bad, it was back.

It's just that that's not where the discussion stops God overwrites the evil that they did with good night.

Second, knowing that God has a good plan. Everything that mean you can always see it honey here. Sometimes you can hear and Joseph like you can each stage of the journey was a necessary part of the in the middle of it all Joseph could see that he had read the book of Genesis.

You know how the last chapter was going to turn out what until the very end that he could see it. Recently my wife and I together we read the book 7 women by Eric the tax of seven women to change the world and is a chapter in Erin Corrie 10 boom, Corrie 10 boom was the Dutch Christian World War II was put into a concentration camp because she was helping to smuggle Jews and help them escape the Holocaust so she ends up in a concentration camp. She's there with her sister Betsy and she said she said was is everything that you think you will be. It was awful. She said that the torture on the execution.

She said one of the overlooked things that made it so bad was the filth and never let a shower and she said we just stayed and filled because of that there were just the cephalic swarms of fleas always around.

She said my sister Betsy who was stronger in faith and I was when they looked at me and says you know the Bible says we are to rejoice in all things and give thanks in everything. Which means we need to thank God. Right now, for these fleas a course if you have your mind there is no way on God's green earth I never to say thank you for these fleas. She's a must if you look at me and said what in your in sin, thinking for the both of us and she bowed her head and thank God for this wretched fleas. She said we am in a barracks we would meet every day would never happen and we meet, we have a little time of worship with just a small group of us and would say Bible verses to each other and we had a small Bible that we might smuggled and we read the Bible and it was the source of life to us. She's the one thing I can never figure out what is the guards would never come into our barracks.

It was the only place on the entire concentration camp or they wouldn't go. She says one day it dawned on me why they wouldn't comment that she said one explained it to me. It would always walk Bible camp of the couldn't tell what they were doing if they come in and found them worshiping that would've beaten them or even worse I could tell she said the reason they would come in was because of those fleas.

She said they flee they want to get fleas on them so they state of the barracks so that they could keep things off of them. She says, and Betsy looked at me and said thank God for those fleas. Now here's my question for you, who are the fleas in your life making them right now you got them in your mind right then upset my next area right. Who are the fleas in your life. Can you think God for the fleas, knowing that he's got a purpose for them. Even if you can't quite see it right now. Sometimes you die. Of course, without seeing it, however, that life is is in many ways like a tapestry servicing with these these these tapestries, like in the Biltmore house noted the enormous ornate works of art that every strand is in its place and it's beautiful. You flip it over on the back and it looks like this chaotic mess always cleans a beautiful's disastrous life for us. Looks like that's not a tapestry when you just look like this chaotic mouse like there's no rhyme or reason.

What happens is one day in eternity. God just flips it over every single strand was in its place. Sometimes the growth happens and you sometimes what God is doing is he doing something you are told you before this ancient on this ancient culture of Japan was famous for its pottery. Lots of ancient cultures may pottery but this Japanese people did something with her pottery that nobody else did, they would take the last stage was to take the pots and they would shatter them, and 100 pieces they would pick up the pieces and they would melt golden piece back together the pots now held together by this gold fuses the pieces together so that the value of the restored pipe was much greater than the value of the pot before it was broken in a surgeon that gives you a picture of what Jesus will do in our lives. Let's like breakups. He lets like Russia sometimes so that he can put himself into these broken parts of our lives into these cracks in these to be the part of our lives to just feel like they're crushed so that the value that we have of knowing him through the pain is greater than if we had never gone through it. Sometimes the pain that you you experience enables you to minister to other people that go to the same pain.

God let you become like Jesus to know what it means to suffer so that you can care for those in suffering. The apostle Paul said it this way. He said I went through all this suffering so that I could comfort others out of the comfort wherewith I have been confident I would never know how to tell them that Jesus was sweet in the midst of this kind of pain if I had walk through it myself. Maybe you went through that miscarriage. Maybe you went through that betrayal. Maybe you went through that brokenness, so that you could tell somebody else going to the same thing. Jesus is enough for this situation because I have tasted of him and I've seen that it is good. Will you let God put you through suffering. If it means bringing salvation out of people's were Romans 828 balls, he's gonna summarize his life this way is a verse a lot of people know that very few people in my thing and understand we know we know that for all those who love God, like Joseph, all things are working together for God, he means it for good to those who are called according to his purpose. His purpose is right for those what what what is his purpose of the question posed by the date those who he foreknew here's his purpose.

He prayed that sin to be conformed to the image of his son.

What is God's purpose for you. It's a make you look like and love Jesus and so he will allow life to shape you in a certain way that you can experience the fullness of the beauty of Jesus and I noticed sometimes what you're going through.

Makes no sense at all and you just gotta trust the story of Joseph that mean that God can work it all out satisfactorily to your understanding in your lifetime, but that God is going to work it out in the grand scheme of history one day he'll flip over the tapestry and you'll see that there was not one spurious molecule that was, not one wasted second one wasted event. He had a purpose for it all one day got to put Jesus on the throne and you can know as surely as Jesus raised from the dead, that he is working out all his purposes for good in your life you say dictating this I just want to see it when I understand, just understand for just a minute like I could go through it.

I understand that that's that's definitely how I feel but I can assure you. 10 seconds into eternity this matter. It's not going to matter here. So Paul is my love is for second review for 70 this light and momentary affliction: light and momentary affliction was Paul's affliction light and momentary. Do you know anything about the apostle Paul is not talking about like slow Internet speed here, having Time Warner Cable as his cable service is not what he means there and Paul was varsity when it came to suffering he been betrayed by his friends, forsaken by his nation been beaten three times with rods he been stoned five times not like the drinking gone like over the rocks kind when he been through a body he been through more suffering than most of us would've experience in 10 lifetimes. Maybe some of you have experience suffering is level with most of us have it. It's not like momentary comparatively, but I know that God is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory. It's like compared to the weight of glory.

It's not like compared to what it feels like it's like compared to what God is, who we throw it and I know that in that moment he set him a look back and I'm gonna hardly remember the suffering because of the glory that is revealed through its anything about the scene in Genesis 50 is Joseph sitting there rehearsing with discussed all the bitterness of the paint home and you may not present what was really like you.

It was like to be in that pit not even talk about getting them mention it. Do not even think about it, it's all washed away. Enjoy an eternity you can remember either when we been there. This is why the writer says it doesn't go to him. Writer when we been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to complain our case than when we first begun. As I write notes I want to complain our case we Miller stays the same.

God's glorious praise through many dangers, toils and snares I had already comets grace and brought me safe thus far, and grace. And let me know the Lord promised good to me. His word mild secured.

He was my shield and portion always would be menacing.

The last phrase but but you know him is what is it you will my field as long as life endures. I knew it I knew that he was there every step of the way Joseph life shows it is not one wasted event, not one wasted. Second, not one spurious molecule in all the universe. He is in charge when you're in the pit.

The presidency are easy as we put you in the palace right and in fact what you find. Listen, this is really important is that the pit in the present of the means of the palace is what Joseph life shows you and this is hard to hear is hard to teach. This is very serving the path to God's blessing and salvation. The world of all suffering. God did not save the nation of Israel. Despite Joseph suffering he saved them through Joseph suffering because of it. The apostle Paul would say. I therefore fill up in my body. What is lacking in the wounds of Christ thing about that verse only sounds a little blasphemous then. But what could possibly be lacking in the wounds of Christ. Did Jesus say it is finished. It was lacking in the wounds of Christ. Is this it would matter. Jesus died for everybody if nobody ever heard about. So Paul meant is the way that they're going to hear about it the way that they are going to obtain the blessing is through my wounds.

When Jesus uses somebody he doesn't call them to a platform he calls them to an altar. It is through our suffering that God bring salvation to the world. We have this idea that the abundant life is about slowly moving toward comfort and ease and luxury away from suffering and stress and worry. That's the blessed life. Oh occasionally you have a sacrifice wrinkled in here and there that you're asked to bear. That's not true. I don't care who says it.

How slick their smile is expensive there sooner if they have their own plate.

Jesus said if you don't come after me, you have to take up your cross and follow me. It was not despite my wounds. I save the world. It was through my wounds. What does it mean for you to carry the cross. It means that the wounds Jesus received your to receive also. And just like salvation came to us through his wounds.

Salvation is going to come to others through ours, not a meaning that you're like some kind of you know just what you love you I can once can we do suffer.

I don't want to suffer, but it means I'm not surprised when it comes in.

I don't think godforsaken me because God didn't forsake Jesus and God brought salvation for Jesus sake Joseph and is not reciting me. How would your life change if you really believe that in everything God was with you but he been with you Joseph.

It meant that wherever he was wherever he wants you to serve God is a lot of people wrong me and that's why I'm here. They've been really unfortunate in a lot of ways but I'm not to be better. I'm not even going to despair wherever he was. He applied himself and he said what's it look like to serve God in this moment in this place where I am here was more more you learn from that perspective to give grace to recess at Lasso phrase. Do not fear all provide for you and your little ones is because he knew that God had a good plan lesson a plan that involves salvation not only for Joseph's brothers, but for Joseph it was because of that, because he knew the good thing that God was doing in history that he was able to extend grace to the people in his life. Joseph's ability to forgive. Here is amazing in that it is absolutely amazing. It's not a feeling that he had that came from him being some kind of superhuman that made them different than us.

He was just like you and me. It was a choice lesson that was grounded in the knowledge that a got a been in control of everything in his life and be that God is showing great grace for him and his family to you guys were the golden rule right golden rule is doing to others as you would have been doing to you. Jesus upgraded that at the end of his life to the platinum rule doing to others as I have gone on to you. I want you to start treating other people with the grace that I've shown to you. Some of you have people in your life that you cannot forgive. I want to explain to you why. The reason you can't forgive them is because you feel like they damaged you. You feel like they took something away from you that you can't have back years of your life. Things about yourself and you hate them for it.

Now what if you believed without taking away from the evil that they did it all that behind all those bad things that was a good God who is taking care of you and working all things for good you are reading the Bible together and resolve read Psalm 91. I think it was in the Bible reading plan or maybe it was bonus, or whatever, but it's only one it's always been one of my favorite songs but for this week as I was reading that. Probably because I was thinking about Joseph. I just read it entirely differently.

Listen to this, you will or ever dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the Almighty sounds good. Yeah, surely he will save you will deliver you out of the deadly pestilence will cover you with his feathers under his wings you will find refuge, you will fear the terror of night for the arrow that flies by day, the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, the plague that destroys at midday thousand may fall your side, 10,000 may fall at your right hand, but as errors in the pestilence, but it'll never even thought you if you say the Lord is my refuge, no harm will ever overtake you.

He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike so much as strike your foot against a stone. Here's a very I start my foot against stones all the time I got there the night at 3 AM I'm working my way to the living room enough on mother's little corners that seems to be just design for your barefoot and just take it and I'm like why is my guardian angel Rizzi at Nicolas Cage was watching over me, making sure that nothing happened.

Maybe the errors of somebody's criticism had penetrated you deeply maybe is been much worse in criticism maybe physically they have harmed you, maybe you going to the storm of a bad relationship for the pestilence of bad health or bad finances. You don't feel like you been shielded from those things ever feel that way is this all not true. Is it just sentimental poetry that we quote to ourselves and pretend like nothing's happening was it not true for Joseph. Joseph of redness, not yet. That's my experience arrow didn't touch me cutting up of the pestilence of danger on anything that I did the only way to be true is if God was somehow in all those bad things using them and transforming them for good.

Ultimately the arrow that flew in midday was not doing damage God did shield me with the way he shielded me was not by not making the arrow about making the arrow go away if he transformed that arrow of hate as it was flying through the air. He transformed into a surgical instrument of good in my life just like you did with Joseph. I may have gone to the storm. I may have gone to the storm. But God transform the storm into rivers a blessing in my life.

Here's how the Psalm ends.

David says this.

I'll be with them in trouble. God says with them in trouble. I deliver him and honor him with a long life I will satisfy him, and I will show him my salvation. I know that even in trouble. God is with me overwriting the pain for good and using it as a part of the salvation plan several years ago I read a book called the Bishop of Rwanda and my pastor named John Luciana who went to the genocide that Took Pl. in Rwanda several years ago.

He was a Tuesday and said multiple my brother and my family were killed in this thing is one thing to survive genocide.

It's another thing to try to live in a country that is dealing from the wounds of genocide, people killing other people and people who are now having to live side-by-side with people who destroyed their family said and I learned probably more about forgiveness and those post genocide years than I can ever expect to learn in a lifetime. He said there were two lies from the pit two lies from hell he said about forgiveness that most of us believe that absolutely paralyzes the sum of these is a laudable one that you're supposed to wait for the person shows they repented before you forgive them is ultimately your forgiveness is not a response to them is a response to Jesus, it's about what you believe about Jesus not about them. You want to look through them and for Christ sake, you're saying I forgive them for your sake, not for theirs is the second lie is that forgiveness is a feeling that you can't really do it until you feel it he says is not a feeling. So forgiveness is a choice that you make based on what you believe about God. You look through the wicked act that they didn't behind and you see a Savior with bleeding hands and you say that I can't trust them, but I can trust him and I trust that behind all this was a good God who never left me or forsake me.

So that's not a feeling that's an act of faith and feelings. God will give a return moment on the court and was in this court and boom. When I told her about earlier said that in the concentration camp. There was one guard was worse than all the other shall never forget his face.

The look of delight on his face that he was see us soon. I know I would never forget that face because 30 years after I was released I was speaking in a church in Germany and after the service. An old man came up to me is up to one look at him. 30 years later, and I knew exactly who it was.

It was that guard the city reached out his hand to me and he said about 20 years ago. He said I became a Christian and he dropped his head. He said I'm so so sorry. Can you ever forgive me for what I put you through that ultimately led to the death of your sister review her word she said. I knew I had to take the man's hand as an act of obedience. I knew it, she said, but I did want to. How could I this is the man was a part of the death of my sister. She said, but in my heart.

I said I know I know him with my I know I can with my know I can do that that much. Jesus you gotta take it from there. She said as I reached out my hand the most incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder. It raced down my arm and it sprang into our join hands and then this healing warmth seem to flood my whole being bringing tears to my eyes in his. I forgive you, brother. I cried with all my heart for a long moment. We grasp each other's hands the phone regarding the former prisoner.

I had never known God's love so intensely as I did write forgiveness release from bitterness, not reconciling with your past blessing is not that bad.

Forgiveness release from bitterness comes from a choice that you make based on what you know to be true about God. Behind every evil thing is a good God said I will never leave you.

I will never forsake you and insurers have resurrected from the dead.

As a minister and I'm working for good in your life much about your headset all over campus is for you by your head to how wage your outlook on life change right now.

You knew that God was with you that you what you been through dangerous toils and snares. It was grace that led you would change your attitude toward your current assignment, would you forgive who would you forgive right now. If you believe that even behind their evil there was a God that I can use that for how would you think about the broken places in your life. The disappointments, if you knew that there was a God who was putting the greatest treasure into you through those wounds, but this could you kiss the wounds that up until now, have made you weep knowing that they ultimately came from the Savior who died for you a Savior, who sits on the throne and promises that just like he was raised from the dead will work all things for good in your life will leave you for just a minute to just soak in the Holy Spirit, which led him minister to you in our worship teams will common all over campus