Willow Ridge Sermons

January 19th, 2025 • "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." — 2 Corinthians 5:21

In today's sermon, we look at the powerful story of Joseph in Genesis 44 and 45, where forgiveness and reconciliation take center stage. Joseph's journey reveals sacrificial love, humility, and a changed heart as his family is reunited despite their past betrayal. This story parallels God's ultimate act of forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ, showing how sacrificial love, obedience, and humility lead to transformation and unity. Listen as we reflect on the timeless truth of God's grace and the healing power of forgiveness in our lives.

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Creators and Guests

Host

Beau Bradberry

Senior Pastor

What is Willow Ridge Sermons?

Sermon audio from Sunday services at Willow Ridge Church.

Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons podcast.

We're so glad you chose to listen today.

In today's sermon, we look at the powerful story of Joseph in Genesis 44 and 45,

where forgiveness and reconciliation take center stage.

Joseph's journey reveals sacrificial love, humility, and a changed heart

as his family is reunited despite their past betrayal.

This story parallels God's ultimate act of forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ,

showing how sacrificial love, obedience, and humility lead to transformation and unity.

Listen as we reflect on the timeless truth of God's grace

and the healing power of forgiveness in our lives.

Thanks for listening.

Well, good morning.

I'm glad you're here with us today.

If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join us in Genesis chapter 44.

We're going to look at chapter 44 and chapter 45 this morning as we continue on and wrap up in the next several weeks

what we've been studying for the last couple of years in Genesis.

If you're a first-time guest, I want to echo what Pastor Dave said.

I want to thank you for being here and for worshiping with us.

After the service is over with, my wife and I will be right back over here at this table.

We would love for you, if you don't mind, if you would just stop by,

we would love to shake your hand.

Thank you for being here, learning your name.

And if there's any questions that you have about Willow Ridge Church,

I would love to be able to answer those.

We would love to be able to answer those for you,

or at least point you in the right direction where we can get you with what you are looking for.

A bunch of wonderful things that are happening around here.

This was week two of our studies that we have.

I'm teaching one in here.

I know there's, I think, five others throughout our two buildings in the mornings at 9 a.m.

We'd love for you to be a part.

For some of them, it may be too late to jump in.

For mine, we're looking at the doctrine of angels and studying what does the Bible teach us about angels.

And so if you haven't gotten plugged into one but would like to,

you can come and be a part of what we're doing here.

We meet in the auditorium at 9 a.m.

And then we've got our youth that are upstairs meeting and then our kids meeting in the other building for discipleship.

Wonderful time to be here and to do that.

Listening to our announcements, I learned a couple things about us as a church, all right?

You know, it's that good time where God gives you the aha of who you are.

And so here's my big takeaway from us on all the announcements that we have.

Number one, we'd love to pray for you.

Number two, we love to eat, all right?

So we've got the dinner at the Knicks' house.

We've got the low country boil for the men's dinner.

We've got the low country boil for the women's dinner.

But I want to say I noticed something in that.

Anybody else notice what I noticed?

The men's was $35.

The women's was $20.

That's discrimination.

And that's wrong, all right?

Yeah, no, what it means is we're going to eat a whole lot more, fellas.

But you do want to be there.

The food, I've had it before.

It is going to be phenomenal.

But also, I've heard Robert's story.

I've heard Corrine's story.

And in spite of how good the fellowship will be, in spite of how good the food will be,

hearing what God has done in their lives will be phenomenal.

And so I want to encourage you to be there.

And I say this in all sincerity.

I want to encourage you, do not buy one ticket, all right?

Buy two.

Buy one for you.

Buy one for someone else.

Invite someone here, right?

This is not a bait and switch.

Like, you share with them, we're going to eat well.

Tell them what we're going to eat.

And then we're going to dive in and hear the story of how God has worked in the life of some people at our church.

And it's going to be phenomenal.

And I hope that you'll be here with us.

So as we get into Genesis, I do want to read 2 Corinthians 5.21.

For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Would you pray with me?

God, I come to you this morning, Lord, and thank you for this wonderful privilege that we have here to gather with you.

To gather together.

To open up your word.

God, as we learn today, may we learn from you.

God, may you work and move in a powerful way in us and through us.

And Lord, if there's anyone here who does not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior,

God, it's my prayer that today will be the day of their salvation.

God, if any part of this is of me, motivated by me, Lord, I pray that you would remove it and give us more of you so that you'll be glorified.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

I've heard it said that the three most beautiful words in the English language are the words, I love you.

I think it's true.

I think there's a lot of truth to that.

I love you.

There's beauty in that.

There's emotion in that.

I've also heard it said that the three most difficult words to say in the English language are,

I am sorry.

And I think there's some truth to that as well.

But as I was preparing this morning, as I was going to be here, I was thinking about going through my message over and over and over again.

I thought, you know, I don't really know, though, that those are the three most difficult words to say,

or the three most difficult words maybe better to mean in the English language.

I think a lot of times there's motivations that cause us, that create us, a true sincerity in who we are to say, I am sorry.

I would argue, at least in my perspective, that in trying to love the Lord the best I can while still struggling with the aspects of sin that are still in my life,

that I believe that the three most difficult words to say and to truly mean are, I forgive you.

I forgive you.

I mean, to say I am sorry and to mean it is a place of vulnerability.

But I think a place of greater vulnerability is to look at someone who has hurt you,

to look at someone who has betrayed you, and simply to say, and to mean, and to choose.

I forgive you.

Well, here's a story I want to tell.

If you know me, you know I love a whiteboard.

I've got whiteboards in my office.

I use a whiteboard in here on Sunday morning.

And Joel Van Ham is kind of a joke around here.

I'll make this not truthful statement, but I just use it jokingly.

Like, every good idea that has ever existed started on a whiteboard, right?

Like, just, that's how I function.

So I whiteboard lots of things.

And sometimes I'll make the statement that, you know, I wish I had a whiteboard.

So Joel found this little whiteboard.

And I've been trying to think of a way to use this on Sunday morning.

So here we go.

Second favorite thing that I like to do, and I've been corrected and I've responded to this,

is I love to tell what I think are good, comical, funny stories about my family

in a way that we laugh together and not at one another.

And right about now, I'd like to share one of those stories.

It's a story that I got permission to share this morning, and it's a story for some of you.

If you've been around here before, you've heard it before.

But I think the way that I would like to tell this story would maybe communicate a side of the story

that I haven't thought through until earlier this morning.

And then Grayson, those are Aaron and I's twins, our son and our daughter,

that God greatly blessed us with.

They'll be turning 17.

Man, that's hard for me to say.

They're turning 17 in February, and it just feels like yesterday this happened.

Before we moved to the Lexington area to come up here to Willow Ridge Church,

we lived in Aiken, South Carolina, and we had this table.

We had this table.

So I just heard some of you laugh.

You know where I'm going with this.

And it was our kitchen table.

And there wasn't anything special about this table.

It was secondhand.

Someone gave it to us.

But it was our first kitchen table.

And one day, I come, and after being at work at the church that I was working at the time,

my family had been home for a while,

and I find something carved into the table.

I've done stuff like that before when I was a kid.

It didn't surprise me, but where is it going to end?

Like, is this where the life of crime starts for my child?

Sitting there before a judge, and your honor, when I was four years old,

I took the dark turn as Grayson had carved a G into our kitchen table.

How did I know it was Grayson?

I knew it was Grayson because my name doesn't start with a G.

Aaron's name doesn't start with a G.

Emma's name doesn't start with a G.

And I don't think anyone was getting ready to write Grace on the table.

So I bring my little son, adorable man, at that time, like, big-eared, chubby-cheek, Grayson, right?

Just loved him, right?

And I said, son, why did you do this?

He said, daddy, I didn't do that.

And I said, son, you better not lie to me.

Why did you do this?

Daddy, I didn't do it.

And we went on this argument between the two of us as I'm trying to get my four-year-old son to admit that he's lying and that he did this.

And I said things like, if you would just own it, if you would just admit to it, if you would just say I'm sorry,

then your punishment will be less than if you stand here and lie to me.

And he said, but daddy, I didn't do it.

And so that night, he got a punishment.

Fast forward four years later.

We're living in Lexington.

I guess the statute of limitations had expired.

And it had become a conversation around our table as we ate every night and as we saw this G carved into our table.

And I said, one of us said, it might have been me, it might have been Aaron, Grayson, son, why would you never own the fact that you did that?

And Grayson said, because I didn't do it.

And about that time, my adorable, pretty, innocent little daughter looks at me.

With laughter in her eyes.

And says, I did it.

And I asked her the question, Emma, why would you carve a G in our table?

And she said, well, I didn't plan on it.

So I was doing my homework and I got bored.

And I took, I think she had eaten her snack.

And I took my fork.

And I carved an E in the table.

And then I heard you come home.

And she said, so I did that.

And then I got up and I left the table.

And I didn't say a word.

Now Grayson, at this time, is like, are you kidding me?

Are you kidding me?

For years, I've walked with the shame, the scarlet letter of G engraved onto the table right before me.

For years, I've had to listen over and over and over again.

For years.

Like, he went Old Testament.

He tore his clothes.

He put on a sack.

He covered himself in ash.

This is all what he's doing at this time.

And we've joked about it.

I said this morning that I am sorry is difficult to say.

But I don't know.

I think that I forgive you is more difficult.

So here's the turn on this story.

Typically, I tell this story with the lesson or the illustration of your lies will find you out.

But son, here's what I'm going to tell you.

Thirteen years later, you need to look at your sister.

And in spite of all of her lies, in spite of all her deception, and you need to say, I forgive you.

No, no, later.

But right now, you need to look at me.

And you need to say to me, Dad, you punished me unfairly.

Dad, you wronged me with what you did.

You need to say, I forgive you.

More importantly, the true person that I think inflicted the wrong in this.

So I need to look at your mother, who stood by, who did not say anything to me.

Oh, I'll stop now, right?

Oh, thank you all for letting me do that.

We're going to look at forgiveness this morning.

And I think there's some funny truths that we can draw from this.

But we're going to look at a passage of Scripture in Genesis 44 and 45.

And I promise to the best of my ability, laugh, insert, joke there.

We're going to work through two chapters as fast as we possibly can.

But here's what I know.

Every single one of us in here has had or has a person in their life right now.

That God's Word tells us we need to forgive.

And it's difficult.

And it's hard.

There's hurt.

There's pain.

There's emotions.

There's memories.

And we're continuing on in the life of Joseph.

And I apologize if you haven't been able to be here with us and if you're unfamiliar with the story of Joseph.

If I could just kind of sum up.

Joseph, highly dysfunctional in his family.

His brothers deceived his dad.

Dad thinks he's dead.

They sold him into slavery.

Tons of bad things happened to Joseph.

And this is way under explaining what's happened.

But Joseph, God works through it all.

And Joseph, he's sold into slavery into Egypt.

And Joseph goes from slave to imprisoned to now second in charge in Egypt.

At the time, the largest power in the world.

And God uses all the bad that has happened.

But his family has wronged him.

His family has betrayed him.

His family has hurt him.

And now there's a famine.

And his brothers who have been sent to buy food so that their family can survive have to come to Joseph.

But they don't know that it's Joseph.

And Joseph has been interacting with them but hiding his identity.

He's been testing his brothers to find out who they really are.

And he sent his brothers away but his brothers have come back.

And his brothers have followed all the things that he's asked them to do.

And they think that he's this ruler.

And we continue on in Genesis 44 and verse 41 where he continues to test his brothers.

So I'm going to read and we'll pause, explain, read, pause, explain.

And then we'll get to our application here at the end of these.

So it says,

Then he commanded the steward of his house,

Fill the men's sacks with food as much as they can carry

and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack

and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest.

This is Benjamin, this is Joseph's brother by his father and his mother.

There's multiple mothers, same father for these brothers,

but this is his brother Benjamin.

With his money for the grain and he did as Joseph told him.

And as soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys.

They had gone only a short distance from the city.

And now Joseph said to his steward,

Up, follow after the men.

And when you overtake them, say to them,

Why have you repaid evil for good?

Is it not from this that my Lord drinks

and by this that he practices divination?

You have done evil in doing this.

So let's pause here for a second.

So Joseph's brothers come because their brother Simeon's there.

They get Simeon.

They bring their brother Benjamin.

They're returning Benjamin back to their dad.

So they're coming back like family intact,

minus Joseph from 20 years ago that they think is dead.

They don't know what's going on with that.

But they're leaving with food.

They're excited that they have everything that they came for, right?

Their bellies are going to be full.

Their lives are going to be saved.

Their father's not going to mourn.

They didn't lose another one.

Man, everything is good.

But Joseph will test the hearts of his brothers

in the midst of a crisis

to see if he can find out who they really are.

And so what he does is he takes this cup

that would have been special,

it would have been valuable,

and he says,

Hey, plant this in the bag

of the youngest brother, Benjamin,

and then I'll send you to catch them

and we can bring them back.

So verse 6,

we read verse 6 through 13.

When he overtook them,

he spoke to them these words.

They said to him,

Why does my Lord speak such words as these?

Far be it from your servants to do such a thing.

Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks

we brought back to you from the land of Canaan.

How could we then steal silver or gold

from your Lord's house?

Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die,

and we also will be my Lord's servants.

And he said to them,

Let it be as you say,

for who is found with it shall be my servant,

and the rest of you shall be innocent.

And then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground,

and each man opened his sack.

And he searched, beginning with the eldest

and ending with the youngest.

And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

Then they tore their clothes,

and every man loaded his donkey,

and they returned to the city.

So when confronted,

the brothers so confident

that they've done nothing wrong.

So confident that they are in the right.

So confident that they have the right motivations,

the right heart,

the right expectations,

that they said,

Look, look, see what you can find.

And if you can find it,

then the one who you find it with,

kill him and make the rest of us your slaves.

But they found it.

It was planted with Benjamin.

And then it says that

they tore their clothes.

And that may seem weird,

but here's what they're doing.

They're mourning.

We're starting to see some change in the brothers.

But before,

they didn't care about their father

in dealing with Joseph.

20 years ago,

they didn't care about dad.

They didn't care about Joseph.

They just cared about themselves.

But now,

now they care.

I want you to think about this

as we read this story.

When someone wrongs you,

what do you want?

Do you want gratification?

Do you want your justice?

Or do you want God to do in them

what God's going to do in them?

But what if it takes 20 years?

Let's read 14 through 17.

When Judah and his brothers

came to Joseph's house,

he was still there.

They fell before him to the ground.

Joseph said to them,

what deed is this that you have done?

Do you not know that a man like me

can indeed practice divination?

Let's just really quick.

I'm going to pause here really quick.

I'm going to make sure

I get some clarity of this.

This was a pagan practice.

Joseph is a follower of God.

No one believes that Joseph

is practicing this,

but they believe that he's saying this

because this is what Egyptians

would have done.

It's part of the test.

Okay, continue on verse 16.

And Judah said,

what shall we say to my Lord?

What shall we speak?

How can we clear ourselves?

God has found out the guilt

of your servants.

Behold, we are my Lord's servants,

both we and he also

in whose name the cup has been found.

But he said,

far be it from me that I should do so.

Only the man in whose hand

the cup was found

shall be my servant.

But as for you,

go in peace to your father.

Let's pause here.

They come back to Joseph

and look at their reaction.

They didn't demand justice.

We must have been framed.

We did not do this.

We didn't have access to this.

This could not have happened.

Here are the reasons.

Instead, they demanded mercy.

Instead, they humbled themselves.

Why?

Were they guilty?

Yes.

Not of the cup.

But they're guilty.

You know, the Bible tells us

that our sin before God,

that we may not have done that,

but we've done enough.

And we're guilty.

I want you to look at

Judah's words.

Listen to Judah's words.

What shall we say to my Lord?

What shall we speak?

Or how can we clear ourselves?

He's talking to Joseph.

Joseph is the Lord he's talking to.

Then look what he says.

God has found out the guilt

of your servant.

Here's what I think

is happening in Judah.

He doesn't know it's Joseph,

but he knows,

man, we've done worse than a cop.

We've done worse than a cop.

And in this moment,

right here in this,

man, God is dealing

with our sin.

Now,

I don't know what's been happening.

The Bible doesn't tell us

in the heart of Judah

for 20 years.

But I imagine

that walk

back and forth

from Cana

to Egypt.

I can only imagine

that every time

that he walked by the area

where he sold his brother,

where he deceived his father.

Man, God's doing something.

God's doing something.

And while it seems unfair

on our end

to look at it

and say,

well, it took 20 years.

But there's probably

about 20 years of work

that God wanted to do

in the life of Judah.

My Joseph.

what if he,

would he respond

in anger?

What would happen?

God needed to work

in Judah.

God needed to work

in Joseph.

Verse 18.

Then Judah went up to him

and said,

O my Lord,

please let your servant

speak a word

in my Lord's ear

and let not

your anger

burn against

your servant

for you

are like Pharaoh himself.

My Lord asked

his servants

saying,

have you a father

or brother?

And we said

to my Lord,

we have a father,

an old man

and a young brother

and the child

of his old age.

My brother is dead.

He's talking

about Joseph here.

And he alone

is left

of his mother's

children

and his father

loves him.

Then you said

to your servants,

bring him down

to me

that I may set

my eyes on him.

And we said

to my Lord,

the boy cannot

leave his father

for if he should

leave his father,

his father would die.

Then you said

to your servants,

unless your youngest

brother comes

down with you,

you shall not

see my face again.

And we went back

to your servant,

my father.

We told him

the words of my Lord.

And when our father

said go again

and buy us

a little food,

we said we cannot

go down

if our youngest

brother goes

with us.

Then we will go.

But we cannot

see the man's face

unless our youngest

brother is with us.

Then your servant,

my father,

said to us,

you know that

my wife bore me

two sons.

One left me

and I said surely

he has been torn

to pieces

and I have never

seen him since.

If you take

this one also

from me

and harm happens

to him,

you will bring

down my gray hairs

and evil

to Sheol.

Really quickly,

here's Judah

recounts.

And if you haven't

been here,

go and read

Genesis 42

and 43.

He recounts

this interaction

that they've had

with Joseph

where Joseph

has said,

this is what

you must do

and how they've

obeyed

and done

all that Joseph

had asked them

to do.

They come before him

and they said,

this is the appeal,

this is the heart

of our father,

these are the things

that are going on.

Judah lays it

all out.

But again,

Judah,

Judah talks about

the life of his dad.

He says,

you don't get it,

man.

If I don't bring

Benjamin back,

it's going to kill him.

He's going to kill

my dad.

So take me.

Take me.

Don't take my,

don't take my brother.

Don't take my dad.

Verse 30.

Now therefore,

as soon as I come

to your servant,

my father,

and the boy

is not with us,

then his life,

as his life

is bound up

in this boy's life,

as soon as he sees

that the boy

is not with us,

he will die

and your servants

will bring down

the gray hairs

of your servant,

our father,

with sorrow to Shul.

For your servant

became a pledge

of safety for the boy

to my father,

saying,

if I do not bring him

back to you,

then I shall bear

the blame

before my father

all my life.

Now therefore,

please let your servant

remain instead of the boy

as a servant

to my Lord

and let the boy

go back with his brothers

for how can I go back

to my father

if the boy

is not with me.

I fear to see

the evil

that would find

my father.

20 years ago,

I know this seems

like repetition.

My simple mind

needs this.

20 years ago,

no concern

for their dad.

20 years ago,

no concern

for their brother.

But what we see here

truly seems to be

a change of heart.

that in the midst

of all of the lying,

in the midst

of all the deceptions,

in the midst

of all the struggles,

in the midst

of all that was there,

in the midst

of all the sleepless nights,

that what had found

from this

is what we see

in the life of Judah

was that he was

going to think

of others

more than himself.

He's not going,

well, you know,

that's what my dad gets.

You know,

my dad loved

Joseph more.

My dad loved

Benjamin more.

How dare he do this?

He puts aside

his jealousy.

He puts aside

all of the sinfulness

that wants to try

to control him.

And he's like,

but here's where

it's at, man.

This will kill my dad.

So let me offer up myself.

Make me the slave.

Make me the sacrifice.

Let me be this one

that will do this.

This is what

I'm willing to do.

It's not about my life.

It's about the life

of others.

I'm sorry.

But it's hard to say

I forgive you.

What's Joseph

going to do?

Chapter 45,

verse 1.

Then Joseph

could not control

himself

before all those

who stood by him.

he cried.

He cried.

Make everyone

go out for me.

So no one

stayed with him

when Joseph

made himself

known

to his brothers.

And he wept

aloud

so that the Egyptians

heard it

and the house

of Pharaoh

heard it.

And Joseph

said to his

and Joseph said to his

brothers,

I am Joseph.

Is my father

still alive?

But his brothers

could not answer

him

for they were dismayed

at his presence.

This is good

and this kind of gets

funny too.

All right?

Here's what happens.

Joseph responds

and he responds

in a cry

that is so loud

that everyone

around hears it.

Like,

it's crazy cry.

Like,

this isn't like

some tears

that are falling.

This is like

falling out

crazy cry.

20 years.

God's gonna work

in their life.

God's gonna work

in his life.

And his response

when he tells them

who he is

and his father's,

is his father

still alive?

It says that his brothers

could not answer him

for they were dismayed

at his presence.

Here's what it means.

They weren't confused.

They were afraid.

They're like,

this guy is crying

like a serial killer

that's about to

decapitate all of us.

And they back

down from him.

Man,

when we're caught

in our trespasses

and sins

before God,

what we should get

is death.

But we get

the open arms

of Jesus.

Verse 4.

So Joseph said

to his brothers,

come near to me,

please.

I just,

again,

extra biblical,

like,

who's gonna go first?

All right,

Judy,

you do all this talking

like you go,

you know,

come to me,

please.

And they came near.

And he said,

I'm your brother,

Joseph,

whom you sold

into slavery.

And now,

do not be distressed

or angry

with yourselves

because you sold

me here.

For God sent me,

get that,

God sent me

before you

to preserve life.

For the famine

has been in the land

these two years,

and there are five years

into which there will be

neither plowing

nor harvest.

And God sent me

before you

to preserve for you

a remnant on earth

to keep alive

for you many survivors.

So it was not you

who sent me here,

but God.

But God.

He has made me

a father to Pharaoh

and a lord

to all of his house

and ruler

over all the land

of Egypt.

Hurry and go up

to my father

and say to him,

thus says your son Joseph,

God has made me

the lord of all Egypt.

Come down to me.

Do not tarry.

You shall dwell

in the land of Goshen

and you shall be near me.

You and your children

and your children's children

and your flock

and your herds

and all that you have.

There I will provide for you

for there at least

five years of famine

to come

so that you

and your household

and all that you have

do not come to poverty.

And now your eyes see

and the eyes of my brother

Benjamin see

that in my mouth

that I speak to you.

You must tell my father

all my honor in Egypt

that all of you

have seen.

Hurry and bring

my father down here.

Then he fell

upon his brother

Benjamin's neck

and he wept

and Benjamin wept

upon his neck

and he kissed

all of his brothers

and he wept

upon them.

After that,

his brothers

talked with him.

like I don't know

about you

but this is

this is varsity

level forgiveness.

This is

I'm not playing around.

I'm not leaving

some deeds

dangling out there.

I'm not diminishing

what is happening.

I'm not

I'm not pushing aside

the emotion

of what's there

but look at what

Joseph does.

He doesn't diminish

their sin.

He doesn't excuse

their sin.

He doesn't say

to them like

you know

you really didn't

do that bad.

You know

it really wasn't

that big of a deal.

No, no, no.

This was

this was a big deal.

They sold him

into slavery.

They got to wrestle

with that.

They got to deal

with that

but he forgives them.

He forgives them.

He's like

no, no, no.

This isn't a forgiveness

with stipulations.

This is forgiveness.

Go get dad.

Come here.

Man, it's blessing

after blessing

and I'm giving it to you

and I'm not asking you

to be my servant.

I'm not asking you

to be my slave.

Like this is what I'm doing.

He didn't belittle

his suffering.

He said

he wasn't that bad.

He didn't.

But he acknowledged

how God worked.

God sent me here.

God did this.

Joseph made God

the focus of his story

and not himself.

Joseph knew that

I'm bad at forgiving people.

This is my confession.

I'm bad at that.

I bet there's other people

in here that are bad

at that too.

But God's really good at it.

And we trust him

and we submit ourselves

to him

that God gives us

the ability to forgive.

And then it's

our responsibility

to make that focus

about him.

Joseph,

even though he was wronged,

Joseph desired

to reconcile.

Joseph made the first move.

This is the work

that he's there to do.

All right.

We finish reading 45.

When the report

was heard in Pharaoh's house,

Joseph's brothers have come.

It pleased Pharaoh

and his servants.

And Pharaoh said to Joseph,

say to your brothers,

do this.

Load your beast

and go back

to the land of Canaan

and take your father

and your households

and come to me.

And I will give you

the best of the land

of Egypt

and you shall eat

the fat of the land.

And you,

Joseph,

are commanded to say,

do this.

Take wagons

from the land of Egypt

for your little ones

and for your wives

and bring your father

and come.

Have no concern

for your goods

for the best

of all the land

of Egypt

is yours.

And the sons

of Israel did so

and Joseph gave them

wagons

according to the

command of Pharaoh

and gave them

provisions for the journey.

To each and all of them

he gave a change of clothes

but to Benjamin

he gave 300 shekels

of silver

and five changes

of clothes.

Like,

let's just make sure.

You know?

To his father

he sent his followers

ten donkeys

loaded with the good

things of Egypt.

Ten female donkeys

loaded with grain,

bread,

and provision

for his father

on the journey.

And then he sent

his brothers away

and as he departed

he said to them

do not quarrel

on the way.

I just feel like

he's like

they gotta tell dad

this isn't

an under the bus

kind of situation.

I guess under the wagon

situation, right?

Verse 25.

So they went up

out of Egypt

and came to the land

of Canaan

to their father Jacob

and they told him

Joseph is still alive

and he is ruler

over all of the land

of Egypt

and his heart

became numb

for he did not

believe them.

But when they told him

all the words of Joseph

which he had said

to them

and he saw

their wagons

that Joseph

had sent

to carry him

the spirit

of their father

Jacob revived

and Israel said

it is enough

Joseph my son

is alive

I will go

and see him

before I die.

what

beautiful

story

and it's a story

about forgiveness

and it's a story

that if you need

to ask for forgiveness

or you need

to forgive someone

I mean

I challenge you

this week

spend some time

in this

don't let

this

here

today

be the

extent

of you

with this

look at

this story

of forgiveness

look at

how God

works

and look

how God

moves

allow God

to work

in your life

allow God

to give you

perspective

allow God

to change

your heart

allow God

to do this

because we see

these wonderful

themes

that are coming

from this

in the matters

of forgiveness

we see

sacrificial love

man man

Judah offers

to save

Benjamin

Joseph submits

his rights

in favor

of love

sacrificial

love

maybe you

need that

we see

obedience

to the

father

not directly

with the

brothers

but we see

that with

Judah

I want to

obey dad

I told dad

that I bring

him back

I told dad

that I would

do this

I pledged

this to dad

this is what

I'm gonna do

we see

Joseph's desire

obedience

to God

the God

who's protected

him

the God

who's blessed

him

the God

who's never

left him

we see

humility

before the

Lord

we see

Judah

and his

brothers

all

humble

themselves

before

Joseph

this has

happened

numerous

times

and God

said it

would

happen

we see

Joseph

humble

himself

before

God

and in

the midst

of our

pain

it's not

their rights

it's their

humility

that they

desire

we see

a change

of heart

we see

a change

of heart

we see

a change

of heart

in everybody

we see

a change

of heart

in the

brothers

we see

a change

of heart

in Joseph

we see

a change

of heart

in Jacob

change

of heart

change

of heart

change

of heart

what's

your heart

you need

to ask

for forgiveness

what's

your heart

you need

to give

forgiveness

what's

your heart

we see

a declaration

made

you know

I forgive

you

you know

I was thinking

about that

with my

wife

this week

that sometimes

sometimes it

easy

as God

works in our

lives in the

quiet of

our homes

or in the

walk that

we're on

in our

quiet time

as God

deals with

us with

this

to look

the situation

and in

humility

before the

Lord

say God

thank you

I forgive

them

I forgive

them

Joseph

could have

sent them

on their

way

and said

God I

forgive

them

but he

didn't

and he

came to

them

and the

beauty of

the work

of what

God

does

he said

to them

I forgive

you

I forgive

you

maybe

forgiving

while it's

an action

of the

heart

is the

power of

the

declaration

that's

made

I forgive

you

and we

see a

family

reconciled

a family

marked

dysfunction

family

marked

struggle

reconciled

no we're

not done

we're not

done

I love

this story

I love

this story

I love

the story

of how

God uses

Joseph

I love

the story

of how

God's

going to

continue

to use

Joseph

great

story

about

forgiveness

but I

want to

caution

for a

moment

that

if we

end

here

if we

walk

away

from

this

concern

that

walk

away

from

Joseph

Joseph's

the

hero

Joseph

the

point

and

there's

great

danger

Joseph

the

hero

it's

great

danger

for

when

read

scripture

when

men

and

women

when

humanity

becomes

the

hero

and

here's

what I'm

getting to

Joseph is

the hero

of this

story

then that

means that

I can be

the hero

of my

story

and that

you can

be the

hero

of your

story

and in

love

let me

say

this

you

make

bad

hero

and

because

you see

this isn't

Joseph's

story

forgiveness

this is

God's

story

forgiveness

this is

God's

story

forgiveness

and this

is the

story

of the

Bible

this

God

creating

for

himself

the

people

who

have

chosen

everything

but

him

and

his

story

salvation

for

them

and so

2nd

Corinthians

for

our

sake

made

him

sin

who

knew

sin

that

him

might

become

the

righteousness

God

for

our

sake

for

our

sake

not

for

God's

sake

for

our

sake

that

don't

know

that

think

these

words

how

extreme

these

words

are

that

for

our

sake

these

six

words

made

him

sin

that

doesn't

even

sound

right

that

doesn't

even

seem

possible

who's

talking

about

Jesus

here's

what

this

doesn't

mean

and I

want

explain

what

does

mean

does

not

mean

that

Jesus

was

sin

that

Jesus

did

sin

that

Jesus

was

guilty

sin

that

became

sin

means

this

that

what

was

imputed

him

what

was

ascribed

him

what

was

attributed

him

the

cross

was

our

sin

that

moment

that

act

what

was

given

him

was

all

our

sin

every

single

thing

every

lie

every

manipulation

every

moment

greed

every

moment

lust

every

moment

kill

every

moment

all

that

was

given

him

that's

what

took

said

yep

the

cross

I'm

spread

out

hands

they're

going

nail

and

I'm

gonna

take

I'm

gonna

take

every

single

bit

every

single

sin

from

Genesis

the

return

the

Lord

says

mine

became

sin

took

the

penalty

took

the

punishment

for

what

deserved

but

but this

doctrine

imputation

here's

what this

teaches

that

took

all

gave

you

something

gave

you

something

gave

you

and

what

only

could

give

Paul

describes

this

that

him

might

become

the

righteousness

God

every

sinless

thought

every

sinless

action

every

sinless

moment

his

life

every

aspect

perfection

every

moment

beauty

all

that

his

life

summed

with

says

take

all

your

sin

and

give

you

righteousness

makes

bite

tongue

the

time

that

want

say

that

that's

not

fair

that

are

not

righteous

within

ourselves

but

we're

righteous

him

and

this

God's

story

forgiveness

and

this

God's

story

salvation

because

that's

how

God

saves

forgives

what's

the

story

salvation

it's

the

same

point

the

sacrificial

love

the

sacrificial

love

God

loved

you

God

loved

you

that

day

that

you

chose

love

God

loved

you

before

God

loved

you

before

you

were

born

God

loved

you

there's

never

been a

moment

time

there's

never

been a

point

time

where

God

hasn't

loved

you

before

you

chose

God

chose

you

and

God

loved

you

our

story

salvation

obedience

the

father

it's

obedience

the

father

Joseph

did

not

choose

Joseph

did

not

choose

slavery

was

chosen

for

him

but

Jesus

willingness

came

and

Jesus

his

obedience

the

father

obeyed

and

obeyed

the

point

death

and

what

God

asks

what

God

stirred

your

heart

what

God

did

stir

your

heart

you're

saved

what

God

hopefully

continuing

stir

your

heart

you're

saved

and

you're

not

saved

our

prayer

for

you

this

morning

that

this

what

doing

right

now

your

life

that

he's

stirring

within

you

humility

before

the

Lord

that

sinners

humble

ourselves

before

them

understand

are

dirty

and

filthy

the

Bible

tells

that

we're

dead

our

trespasses

and

sins

that

we're

capable

good

we're

only

capable

evil

the

Bible

tells

that

we're

the

enemies

God

the

Bible

tells

that

we're

followers

evil

the

Bible

tells

that

are

simply

the

doers

the

flesh

and

when

this

truth

hits

light

holy

God

who's

perfect

all

that

and

the

beauty

what

God

does

creates

not

guilt

and

shame

but

humility

before

him

and

then

what

God

does

salvation

see

change

heart

let

give

you

understand

what

the

Bible

tells

about

the

change

heart

the

change

heart

spiritually

speaking

of what

happens

to you

salvation

not

the

decision

that

you

make

that

I'm

going

better

it's

not

it's

not

think

that

you

and

should

wake

every

day

before

the

Lord

and

say

God

give

the

strength

and

ability

better

today

than

did

yesterday

absolutely

but

salvation

here's

what

the

Bible

tells

Ezekiel

that

took

out

the

heart

stone

the

hard

heart

the

deceiving

heart

the

lion

heart

and

gave

the

heart

flesh

heart

that

could

use

heart

that

could

grow

heart

that

can

mold

shape

after

him

and

then

declaration

made

declaration

made

declaration

was

made

the

cross

declaration

for

you

declaration

for

declaration

for

everyone

who

puts

their

faith

their

hope

and

their

trust

Jesus

Christ

the

declaration

debt

paid

finished

you

see

because

got

saved

but

didn't

get

perfect

and

paid

for

sin's

past

paid

for

sin's

presence

paid

for

sin's

future

it's

finished

the debt

has been

paid

not out of

the goodness

of me

but out

of the

goodness

of God

not

because

this

what

deserve

because

this

what

chooses

because

of his

grace

and his

kindness

and his

goodness

and his

mercy

and then

what

experience

is a

family

reconciled

is a

family

reconciled

there's

lots of

pictures

and

words

the

Bible

uses

describe

what it

means

to be

a follower

of God

and

for me

in the

language

that

churns

and stirs

my heart

the most

it's

the

imagery

and the

picture

and the

truth

but yet

I was

an enemy

that while

I was

actively

combatant

against

him

that God

loved me

and he

saved me

and he

made me

something

made me

a son

of God

that I'm

his son

and he's

he's my

dad

and he's

not my

dad for a

moment

he's

not my

dad

as long

as I

get it

right

he's

my dad

for all

of eternity

that's why

Jesus tells

us that

he goes

to prepare

a place

for us

and that

when he

returns

he's

going to

bring us

into his

father's

house

there's a

room there

and it's

got my

name on

and some

of you

are going

to have

big rooms

I'm

just glad

I get

like the

small

corner

closet

all right

but it's

there

because we're

a reconciled

family

and I

love

that Erin

is my

wife

I love

her

for all

of eternity

she's my

sister in

Christ

and I

love that

God's

blessed me

with a

wonderful

son and

daughter

sorry buddy

I appreciate

your willingness

for that

object

lesson

earlier

I hope

you can

forgive me

but there

my brother

and sister

in Christ

and today

I pray for

you

all the

things that

you've done

all of it

that's there

that you can

come humbly

before God

knowing what

Christ has

done

knowing that

the gift

of forgiveness

awaits you

humble yourself

before the

Lord

admit

that you're

a sinner

believe in

Jesus

and confess

him as

Lord and

Savior of

your life

pray with me

God I

thank you

for this

beautiful

wonderful

story of

forgiveness

God I

do thank

you

for

Joseph

I thank

you for

what you

did in

him

I thank

you for

what you

did

through

him

God I

thank you

that

thousands

of years

later

God we

could read

this story

of truth

from your

word

God we

could hold

on and learn

so much

from it

and so God

may we go

from here

Lord willing

to forgive

willing to

forgive those

who have

hurt us

who have

betrayed us

willing to

forgive those

who have

wronged us

willing to

be vulnerable

to let them

know I

do not

hold your

transgression

against you

letting them

know that

their fault

their failure

will no

longer define

who we

are

God with

a heart

ready to

not punish

them but

God give us

give us a

heart where we

desire to

bless them

to reconcile

with them

but God I

also pray for

us as we're

here today

Lord and

there's so

many of

that are

trying

we're

trying

Lord to

figure out

a way

to do

more right

than wrong

to make

an appeal

to get

you to

love us

and God

may we

realize that

we can't

do enough

we can't

convince you

we can't

back you

into a

corner

we can't

make you

an appeal

that God

that just

it is

in you

it is

your nature

it's your

character

it's who

you are

that you

just love

and that

you forgive

and that

you welcome

us into

a relationship

with you

so God I

pray for

everyone here

Lord who

doesn't know

you

who doesn't

know of your

goodness and your

kindness and your

mercy

Lord they may

know of religion

they may know of

practice but they

do not know what a

relationship with

God looks like

God and I pray

that right now

in their heart

within their

being Lord

from their

spirit

the Holy Spirit

will begin to

work and move

in their life

and that God

right now

between you

and them

between you

and them

it's a humility

before them

it's a submission

of the will

it's a submission

of the spirit

it's a submission

of the heart

that right now

between you

and them

it's Lord

that I'm a

sinner

and that I

cannot do

anything

to earn

your love

your kindness

your mercy

your favor

they'll admit

God I pray

that they would

believe

they'd believe

in Jesus Christ

they'd believe

that

Jesus Christ

came

he died

on the cross

he paid the

price for their

sins

sin past

sin present

sin future

they would

believe

they'd believe

that his body

was put into

a tomb

and that three

days later

he rose again

they would

believe

they'd believe

that he

the king

of kings

and lord

of lords

and god

i pray

that before

you

just you

right now

god that

they would

confess you

as lord

and savior

of their life

and the

surrender

of their

heart

and a savior

of their

soul

god and they

could have

this moment

with you

that's it

for this

week's

message

be sure

to check

back next

week for

another episode

in the meantime

you can stay

up to date

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happening at

willow ridge

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thanks again

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