The Sea Of Emotions Series

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

March 2, 2014

Genesis 43:15-34

The Sea Of Emotions

Intro: Passage opens/ten/Joseph’s brother’s leaving Canaan.

• Second trip to Egypt to buy grain.

First time:

• Came face/face/Prime Minister of the country.

• Didn’t know/Joseph/sold/slavery 20 years earlier.

• Joseph knew exactly who they were!

• Used/meeting/try get them/understand/guilt/past.

• Joseph imprisoned Simeon

• Sent home to get Benjamin/don’t return w/o him.

So, they headed back home.

• discovered/money/paid/grain/returned/sacks of grain

• caused them/even more afraid

• Long story short/used up all/grain/headed back/Egypt again.

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V. 15 took Joseph a present; double/money/Benjamin.

• They/ushered/Joseph’s presence

• when he sees Benjamin is with them,

• He invites them to his house for lunch, v. 16-17.

Verses describe scene/filled/emotions.

• Fear/relief/gratitude/joy all mingle together in this poignant reunion between Joseph and his brothers.

Take/passage and preach/subject The Sea Of Emotions

• Emotions/something/deal/every day/our lives.

• They/powerful/can control our lives if we allow them to

• Emotions/feelings/not bad in/of themselves.

• Must remember our emotions arise/minds/souls.

• Since/fallen creatures, our emotions have been affected too.

• means not everything we feel is right or proper

Learn/check our emotions against the Word of God

• We need to ensure we are not led astray by our feelings.

• This happens far too often in people’s lives

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Young girls/give up/purity because they are lost sea/emotions.

Men abandon/families because they get caught/emotions

Families/churches are ripped apart because people allow emotions like anger, bitterness and resentment control them.

• Of course, God works in our emotions too

Uses/natural responses we have/events of life to teach us about Him/His will and what He is doing in our lives.

• That/what /passage teaches us about today

• reunion scene/between brothers

• we see 12 men who are Swimming In A Sea Of Emotion.

I want you to see The Brothers and Their Fear; Joseph and His Feelings, and The Family and Their Feast.

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I. v. 18-24 THE BROTHERS AND THEIR FEARS

When these men are brought into Joseph’s house, they become “afraid”

• Word means “to be filled with dread.”

• convinced that they have been lead into a trap.

• Sure/Joseph/going/arrest them/put them into prison, v. 18.

• They express their fears/steward Joseph’s house, v. 19-22.

He comforts them the best he can, even telling them God was looking out for them in all their troubles, v. 23.

• Then he brings out Simeon to them, v. 23

• Gives them water to wash their feet/sign/great respect.

• Gives them food for their animals/sign/hospitality, v. 24.

So, with their hearts pounding in fear, they prepare themselves for the arrival of Joseph for the noon meal.

• Two emotions at work/lives of these men.

• They/afraid---they are being eaten alive with guilt.

• I want to examine both of these emotions today.

First, let’s talk about fear. Fear is a terrible emotion!

• Paralyzing in the effect it has on our lives.

• Fear renders us incapable of trusting the Lord

• Fear keeps/looking to Him/help we need in life.

• Look at this scene

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Eleven men/brought up/know Jehovah, the only true and living God.

Yet, they/so overcome by/emotion/fear they/unable to see His hand at work in their lives.

• Have to be reminded of God’s grace/sovereignty/purposes by an Egyptian pagan

• Haven’t we all been there at times?

• Life comes at us with all its problems and it tragedies.

• When it does, we become filled with fear and dread.

• Instead of faith in God, we are gripped by worry and dread.

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Someone/calculated/365 statements Bible calling us to put aside our fears and to trust in the Lord.

• One fear not/every day of the year

• More than enough to cause us to trust in Him.

• Here is His command/His people, Phil. 4:6-7 Luke 12:32.

• promised to hear us when we pray – Jer. 33:3

• promised to sustain us – Psa. 55:22

• Promised/meet our every need –Matt. 6:25-34.

With promises like that, why would anyone want to fret or fear?

• Don’t allow fear to dominate your life.

• Learn to “Trust in the Lord…. Pro. 3:5-6.

• If you live in fear, you will never have peace in your life.

• Learn/trust/Lord in all of life, you/never have anything/fear.

The real reason these men are so overcome by fear/fact they are filled with guilt.

• Know they wronged their brother

• They lied/convinced that God is out to get them.

• In a sense they are right.

Lord is using/events their lives to bring them face/face with their past sins.

• He is awakening in them a sense of guilt

• This guilt is about to eat them alive.

• They/convinced/being punished/all/evil they/done,Gen. 42:21.

• Guilt can be a healthy emotion.