I Am Joseph Series

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

Genesis 45:1-5

March 16th, 2014

I AM JOSEPH

Intro: Every story/climax

• Every book written/every movie made/climax

• One moment/everything comes into focus

• Story begins make sense

• Even biblical stories/climax/story Job

What do you think is the climax of that story?

Does the climax come:

• Job prays/friends/God restores Job/giving him twice

• Chap.38-41/God gives Job/revelation/His power/purposes?

• Job’s story/swelling words found/Job 19:25-27

“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

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A good case/made/any/above.

• me/climax/story comes very early/think/climax/chap. 1.

• Job/just experienced/loss/everything he values/life

• Children/dead/wealth/possessions/all gone

• Very moment/allowed/see/very heart/Job in action.

His response/his calamities sets/tone/rest of the book.

• When the bottom falls out of his life

• Job falls/ground in humble worship/he says

“Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

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studying/life/Joseph/several months now.

• This story/climax/well/we have just read about it

• One/most dramatic moments/all of history

• Moment we have been building towards takes place.

• Joseph reveals/true identity/his astonished brothers.

Don’t want/disservice/text today/like for us/see Jesus in this climactic scene.

• Moment/Joseph reveals/true identity/brothers

• I see/parallel/how Jesus reveals Himself to those He would save by His grace.

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You see/real climax/any life/not/reach/pinnacle of success.

• Not when our children are born/even/become grandparents

Real climax/any life/moment in time/Jesus Christ reveals Himself/lost sinner/saves that sinner’s soul.

Everything/child/God’s life leads up to and flows out from that moment.

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I. THERE IS A PARALLEL IN HIS KNOWLEDGE

Joseph knew his brothers a long time before they ever knew him.

• First arrived/Egypt, Joseph knew who they were.

• He recognized them, but they did not know him

Knew/Benjamin/soon/laid eyes on him/Judah, Reuben, Simeon,

Levi/all the rest.

But they had no idea who he was.

• To them, Joseph/just/mysterious Egyptian ruler.

• Not know who he/until he revealed himself to them.

• When he cried, “I am Joseph”

• Their eyes were finally opened/they saw him/who he was.

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Amazing thing, but lost sinners do not know God.

• Cannot recognize Him even though He is their Creator.

• They do not know Him/cannot know Him

• Until He first opens/eyes. Lost men/dead to Him,Eph. 2:1.

• The Bible is clear, men do not know God.

Even when God robed Himself in humanity and was born in Bethlehem, the people around Him did not recognize Him.

John says it this way, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” John 1:10-11.

Men cannot see Him even though He is all around us.

• He is visible in every blade of grass/every star/heavens

• Drop/rain/every sunrise and sunset/every aspect of nature

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God knows every word we say while it is yet a thought in our minds

Knows:

• us deeply, profoundly and intimately

• What we think, where we go, what we do and how we feel

• Us better than we know even ourselves.

Some people will come to church and hear a preacher preach.

• hit their sins/talk about some secret thing they do

• they will get angry/think someone told/preacher

• No, God knows what is in the heart of man

• He revealed what/sinner thought was a secret.

• There are no secrets/Him; He already knows all about it

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Brother/Joseph/already confessed their sin one to another

• They didn’t know that Joseph knew it too

• Joseph knew what was in their hearts

• He was/process of bringing it all to light.

We may believe our sin is secret.

• God knows where/skeletons/life/mine/hidden

• In/His time/He will expose them all

• Unless/dealt/repentance/confession before Him.

Like Joseph, Jesus knows the sinner long before the sinner ever know Him!

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II. THERE IS A PARALLEL IN HIS LOVE

Joseph loved his brothers long before they ever loved him back.

Last time they saw Joseph/hated him/wanted him dead

• not seen Joseph/twenty years/concerned/gone forever

• There was no love in their hearts for Joseph.

Yet/God worked/hearts/consciences

• Came to a place where they regretted their past actions

• Kept working/them until/reached/place/repent sin against Joseph

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This is a touching story! Joseph, separated/family/over 20 years.

• may have wondered if he would ever see them

• out of the blue, here they are

• must restrain himself/keep his emotions bottled up

• Yes, this is great love