Sermon: Unhurried Spirituality Pt 3
Thesis: There is no such thing as an overnight success! Joe was on the go for God because he was a humble servant leader and because he was filled with the Spirit of God. He was on the go for God because he was dispenser of grace and a forgiving individual.
Scripture Texts: Genesis 40-45
Introduction:
Today we will observe Jospeh who seemingly in our story became an overnight success! But that would be a mistake to conclude that about Joseph! He became a success for God over a 13-year period of betrayal, slavery, faithfulness and a commitment to honor God even through injustices.
The "overnight success" is a myth today because it hides the years of, faithfulness to God, hard work, pain, rejection, setbacks, and a persistence on the part of the individual – these are the true foundations of any significant achievement and spiritual growth.
What appears to be sudden overnight success is often the result of long-term, consistent effort, and the visibility of that success comes after a lengthy period of struggle, growing, maturing, failing, growing, failing and learning from the hardship of life.
The Reality check behind an "overnight success:" myth are the Fruits of the Spirit: The "fruits of the Spirit" are nine qualities—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—that are described in the Bible as being produced in a person's life by the Holy Spirit. These qualities are listed in Galatians 5:22-23 of the Bible: They are spiritual qualities which reject the “Hurry up Sickness” of this world. They are the fruits which help us to mature into the man or woman of God that He wants us to be.
Love: The ability to look at people without hate even when they have wronged you! As we will learn today Joe could do this1 Not many people can do this!
Long-term consistency fruits include (perseverance, patience, faithfulness): What looks like a quick breakthrough is typically the result of years of sustained effort, being faithful day in and day out, this is where small, consistent actions compound over time. Jospeh demonstrates this quality with the jobs and character he had doing his jobs for the Lord in Egypt.
Hidden struggles: (Joy, peace, self-control play apart in this dimension of becoming a success in the Kingdom) The public rarely sees “behind-the-curtain" work, which includes late nights, trial and error, pivots, hurts and grief and dealing with your failures.
Delayed results: (patience, goodness, faithfulness are keys in doing this) The results of early efforts may not be seen for a long time. For example: rejecting the advances of Mrs. Po led to Jospeh eventually becoming a success. Serving faithfully when unjustly imprisoned revealed this too.
Compounding effort: The effect of consistent faith is multiplicative, not additive and it brings divine dividends in the future. Faith and Love for God will multiply the blessings in your life!
Here is growing secret – choosing to Improve by just 1% everyday results in a massive increase over time, not just a simple accumulation.
The Media portrayal: The media often focuses on the "big win" story, which is more exciting but less representative of the real journey, it leads to a false perception of instant results. In Joseph Day the media would have centered in on his overnight success (Dream interpretation) but that would have missed the truth behind what made him a success in Egypt. It was the Spirit of God dwelling in him and his humility, attitude of grace and his forgiving heart (All character traits).
Overcoming success:
Years ago, Erwin Lutzer wrote a very helpful little book titled Failure: The Back Door To Success, it could have been written about Joseph. Many times, it takes years of failures and setbacks to become an “overnight success.” Abraham Lincoln is a classic example. He had two failed businesses, one nervous breakdown, endured the death of a sweetheart, and was defeated for public office no less than ten times over the space of 30 years. Then, incredibly, he was elected President of the United States. Years of failure had equipped him to deal with the heady air of the heights of power. Those repeated reversals, apparent failures, and personal tragedies did not defeat Lincoln. They strengthened his character and commitment. So, it was with Joseph.
So here we find, or hero of the faith was a man who experienced setbacks and more setbacks, but the key was his defeats equipped him and developed him into a man who could handle success. We should never look at setbacks as failure but as a backdoor to success. A person who has gone through the process of loss and recovery is more able to handle the successes in life.
Genesis 40 – Events that seem unrelated to becoming an overnight success take place in Joe’s life with God’s help – the opportunity arose to interpret the dreams of the Chief Cup Bearer and Chief Baker to Pharoah! Both on the outs with the all-powerful leader of Egypt!
Gen 40: 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison—had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own…
Who is or was the Captain of the Guard? See 39:1 “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.” The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984),
Yes, Potiphar was the one who did not have Joe killed but he did put him in his prison and used him to serve the prisoners in this place. Joe got assigned the important ones. Let me say it again Potiphar I believe knew his wife’s lack of character, I suspect he knew she lied, or Joseph would have been executed. Don’t miss this point!
Spiritual Growth dimensions surface in this chapter and in the previous chapter they show that our once prideful Joe with the entitlement coat of many colors has long discarded it for humility. He has matured in his faith in slavery, and he has died to self. His ego which to me means (Edging God Out) is held in check by his mindset of serving and honoring God. He is said to have the Spirit of God on him! He has emerged into a new man of faith that God can now use for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Please recall the process of spiritual growth into maturity for Joseph: Do not miss this point! It’s all about unhurried spirituality – and growing into the mature Christian you are called to be!
1. Pride and entitlement take root and lead to slavery and suffering!
2. He is rejected by his brothers who then sell him into slavery because of the favoritism! Which is shown to him by their dad!
3. He does well in captivity, being faithful to his master, but he must run from sin to honor God and therefore he is unjustly thrown into prison. Blamed for a sin he did not commit!
a. God honored him for staying faithful to Him even though at first it looked as if he was unjustly punished again.
4. Jospeh serves others in prison even on death row at the direction of Potiphar - He had empathy for others on death row, (The Chief Cup Bearer and The Chief Baker of Pharoah). Joseph when he saw them the morning after their dreams sees how they are distraught - “Why are you so sad?”
a. If you recall he lacked this quality of spiritual maturity in his teens with his dreams and with his own family members! He had no empathy for them as a prideful arrogant teen! But something has changed his heart and mind?
5. Joseph reminds the distraught chiefs who interprets dreams – it’s not him but God. We see humility has replaced pride and arrogance in Joe. He actively listened to their hurt and then he had them share their dreams with him. With God’s help he interpreted their dreams and replied to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?”
a. Key point who interprets dreams – men or God?
b. Then he interpreted both their dreams correctly, (with God’s help) and it came to pass as God had showed him it would. He asked the Cup Bearer to remember him when he came back in favor with Pharoah, but he forgot about him. Until God orchestrated events to create a jail break for Joseph and a promotion in the Kingdom to 2nd in command of Egypt.
i. Notice: the seemingly overnight success was not an overnight success but was in the making for about 13 years in slavery, through injustice, thru betrayal by others and cast in prison for no reason but because of a lie! The making of a man or woman of God takes time, trials, tribulations, slavery, betrayal, love, grief, faithfulness and humility – a mature man of God or woman emerges in prison! God is pleased with Jospeh – why he has love for others, respect for others, empathy for others, he serves others, he has a servants heart, he is a man who honors God and even others in leadership, he has become a man of God who ran from sin, and a man who was in tune to the Spirit of God.
ii. It was a 13 year process of being refined in the fire of life!
Illustration: The Chinese Church spiritual growth plan to becoming mature spiritual is shared in Safely Home written by Randy Alcorn. Are you ready for the spiritual growth plan “Be imprisoned and tortured for Jesus and remain faithful to Him! As you do this in prison grow through the seminary of persecution for your faith and graduation comes without ever denying your Lord and Savior! Or even greater become a martyr for Jesus Christ.
The scenario from the book: The Dialogue between Li Quan arrested by the Chinese and placed in Prison for pastoring a home church and Ben an American Businessman’s dialogue through the fence of the Chinese prison:
In Randy Alcorn's novel Safely Home, Ben Fielding is a successful American businessman who is reunited with his former Harvard roommate, Li Quan, in China. While Ben is focused on business expansion in China he has since college become spiritually stagnant, Li Quan is a Chinese Christian who faces persecution for his faith, a lifestyle that eventually leads Ben to rediscover his own faith and re-evaluate his priorities.
Ben Fielding's background: He is a vice president at a successful computer company, Getz International, who travels to China to explore business opportunities.
His reunion with Li Quan: He reconnects with his old college roommate, Li Quan, who is now living a life of poverty in China, running an underground church while working as a locksmith.
Ben's spiritual journey: Ben is initially skeptical of the religious persecution Li Quan and others face, having been shown a sanitized version of life in China by the government. Through his time with Li Quan, Ben learns about the true cost of faith and rediscovers the joy and hope he had lost in his pursuit of success.
The contrast between the two: The novel highlights the stark contrast between Ben's superficial success and Li Quan's simple, persecuted life, showing that Li Quan possesses a spiritual richness that Ben lacks. Something od far greater value than money or fame.
Here is a dialogue between Li Quan and Ben after Li Quan is imprisoned for his faith:
“My father used to tell me that a good follower of Yesu is like the ox—ready either for the plow or the altar, for service or for sacrifice. I do not know what lies ahead on this earth. I do know something greater awaits us beyond it. That is what I choose to live for. You are free to go, Ben Fielding. It is your time. I will pray for you.” “I will pray for you, too. This time I really will.” Ben looked at Quan. “When you pray for me, what do you ask?” Quan “That you will face persecution.” “What?” “And that through it you will grow. That you will learn to stand strong. That you will know you are in a war, and that you will put on your armor and learn to use the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word.” Ben “So while I’m praying you will suffer less, you’re praying that I will suffer more?” Quan “We both should pray that the other will live in a way pleasing to Yesu. I do not wish to see my friend suffer. But I believe it may be the only way for you to learn how to serve. In house churches we have little to hope in but our God. In America, you have much to hope in besides God. None but He can bear the weight of your hope. But that is often forgotten. The test of prosperity is not easily passed.”
In the book Li Quan is eventually martyred in a Chinese prison for his faith!
Alcorn, Randy. Safely Home (p. 347). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.
T.S. – The book tells the true story of what is happening to the persecuted church in China and reminds us American Christians how true spiritual growth occurs in life! The book to me parallels Joseph’s story but with a happy ending as in the opposite case of many pastors like Li Quan in China – Yes, they are killed for their faith and Christian Leadership in China! Even today!
How many people die for their faith yearly worldwide? A report for 2023 said that: Around 365 million Christians are subject to “high levels of persecution and discrimination”. This compared to 340 million in 2021 (PDF). 1 in 7 Christians are persecuted worldwide, including 1 in 5 in Africa and 1 in 7 in Asia.
Going deeper:
Annual numbers of Christians killed for their faith are difficult to verify, but Open Doors' 2025 World Watch List reports that 4,476 Christians were murdered for their faith between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. The organization notes that these figures are likely an undercount, as they only use reports that can be verified through on-the-ground networks.
Key findings from the report include:
Location: While violence against Christians is occurring worldwide, a disproportionate number of killings—3,100—occurred in Nigeria. Other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo, also saw a rise in faith-based killings.
Broader persecution: The report also tracks other forms of persecution against Christians, with findings showing that, in addition to fatalities, thousands were arrested, abducted, or physically and mentally abused. In many countries, religious freedom is not guaranteed by law or respected in practice.
I. Joe was on the go (Moving up) with God because he served as a faithful leader - filled with the spirit of God and it produced in him humility (Genesis 41).
a. Joe in interpreting the dreams displays the heart of humility and teachability.
i. “I cannot but God can!” (verse 16) He knew that to do something he needed to tap the source which was God not him.
1. Too many people here take credit for what God does – when they do this they become arrogant and conceited thinking they are more special than others.
2. I have seen way to many Christians crash and burn in their faith walk and ministry when pride takes root in their hearts and they become the judge of all other leaders and Christians.
b. Pharaoh himself saw this quality in Joseph (Genesis 41:37-40)
i. 37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
1. When the world can see the Spirit of God in you, they will take notice and even reward you for having Him.
ii. Do you want to be a man/woman of God –then you need to ask yourself can others see the Spirit of God in me.
1. Maybe you need to ask this question to someone close to you?
• Like asking your spouse or a brother or sister?
iii. The main characteristic of an individual filled with the spirit of God is humility.
1. Murray states it well “We can never have more faith than we have humility” (45).
2. Murray also adds, “The promises made to faith are so free and sure, the invitations and encouragements are so strong, and the mighty power of God on which it may count is so near and free, that only something which hinders faith can hinder blessing from being ours…Jesus discloses to us that it is indeed pride which makes faith impossible”(45).
• Pride makes faith impossible, and it slays humility!
i. If you treat others with disrespect this is pride!
iv. What does it mean to humble – it means that you live at the foot of the cross. It means that you always point the attention to the Lord. You see, pride hates the cross and does not even want to be in the shadow of the cross.
1. The cross means you must die to yourself like Jesus did – if you want to win the spiritual battle over your life!
2. The Key here to learn is do you want to be on the go (moving up) like Joe then it takes the willingness to allow the spirit of God to grow in you and for it to produce humility – which means you must die to yourself.
3. If you choose to do this - Then you win over any circumstance in life and receive the blessings of God.
c. Pharaoh rewards Joe with a lot of authority because he saw Godly – humble character in Joe.
i. Why do you think pharaoh gave him such a position – LISTEN - because he saw a man with the Spirit of God and its fruit was humility.
ii. Key spiritual growth lesson - Humility brings the blessings of God!
d. Humility is the ticket to spiritual success in life – why because it tells you that you are not better than others and reminds you that you do not deserve entitlement privileges over others. It’s the path to spiritual maturity and it must be developed in your life!
T.S.- Joe had developed his spiritual character in prison and even as a slave – he had become a Godly servant leader with humility. It’s amazing how humility and being in touch with the Spirit of the Lord makes it easier to be a dispenser of grace and to move up the ranks in your spiritual growth.
II. Joe was on the go with God because he was a dispenser of grace (Genesis 42,43,44).
a. Joe dispensed grace as freely as he dispensed grain.
i. Grace is defined by Swindoll, “To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it based on works. Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver “(9).
ii. When you dispense grace, you get more of God in your life! When you show grace, you receive grace.
1. What you sow is what you reap!
iii. Joe discovered that grace led to inner happiness and communion with God. He is staying in touch with the spirit of God – grace from God taught him to return the favor to those who did him wrong.
1. I believe God touched Mr. Po to spare Jospeh because of his knowledge of His wife character and Joe’s character – maybe Joe knew God moved on Mr. Po to show him grace – by not having him killed. Just a thought?
iv. Stanley Jones states,” Grace binds you with far stronger cords than the cords of duty or obligation can bind you. Grace is free, but once you take it you are bound forever to the Giver and bound to catch the spirit of the Giver. Like producers, Grace makes you gracious, the Giver makes you give.”
v. Some of the best grace quotes by Chuck Swindoll emphasize that grace is a gift of tender mercy that goes beyond sin to see the person within, relieves us of guilt, and frees us to become who we are meant to be. He also highlights that grace is a powerful force for liberation but warns against twisting grace into an excuse for disobedience.
vi. “I rejected the church for a time because I found so little grace there. I returned because I found grace nowhere else.” ? Philip Yancey
vii. “Politics deals with externals: borders, wealth, crimes. Authentic forgiveness deals with the evil in a person’s heart, something for which politics has no cure. Virulent evil (racism, ethnic hatred) spreads through society like an airborne disease, one cough infects a whole busload. When moments of grace do occur, the world must pause, fall silent, and acknowledge that indeed forgiveness offers a kind of cure…There will be no escape from wars, from hunger, from misery, from rancid discrimination, from denial of human rights, if our hearts aren't changed.” ? Phillip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace? Study Guide
b. Joe dispensed grace wisely like he dispensed grain wisely.
i. He did take his time moving cautiously with his brothers – he did give them grain for no money – they did not deserve it, but you see that’s what is so amazing about grace- it gives with no expectation in return.
c. Joe’s dispensing of grace resulted in changed individuals – His Brothers – His family!
i. Look at how Judah changed – the result of grace.
ii. Grace from Joe helped his brothers to take responsibility.
iii. Grace dispensed to his family brough healing and restoration to this family!
T.S.- Grace is connected, yes even intertwined within Joe’s character – Pharoah even saw it and when this thing called grace is part of your character then the next thing which emerges from your life is “Forgiveness”.
III. Joe was on the go with God because he forgave (Genesis 45).
a. The definition of forgiveness - McGinniss defines it this way “Forgiveness is not forgetting or denying the pain, it is giving the person who caused you pain permission to forget.”
i. Lincoln had this quality as president! He was a man known for issuing many pardons during the civil war – “He granted more pardons, for example, than any president had before him-or has since” (Phillips 59).
ii. Best forgiveness story:
1. The understanding widower
• After a long shift at the fire department, Matt Swatzell fell asleep while driving and crashed into another vehicle, taking the life of pregnant mother June Fitzgerald and injuring her 19-month-old daughter. Fitzgerald’s husband, a full-time pastor, asked for the man’s diminished sentence—and began meeting with Swatzell for coffee and conversation. Many years later, the two men remain close. “You forgive as you’ve been forgiven,” Fitzgerald said, referencing the Bible.
2. Erika Kirk forgives assassin of her husband Charlie!
• Video clip – play!
iii. Joseph did this with his brothers, he gave permission to forget to listen to what he said in 45:4-8:
1. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” when they had done so, he said” I am your brother Joseph the one you sold into Egypt! And now do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. “ So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God…”
2. Joseph had such a relationship with the Lord that he knew God was in control during his whole ordeal. You see if you understand God’s sovereignty then forgiveness comes easier.
3. Joseph also reaffirms this though later in chapter 50:19-21 “But, Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is know being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”
4. “The doctrine of the sovereignty of God assures us that while men may do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons, God can cause that “evil” to accomplish His good and perfect will.”
5. Forgiveness is an act that is not earned by the recipient. If our forgiveness comes with conditions, it’s not really forgiveness. One pastor stated, “If our forgiveness is the kind that demands that the person “pay for it” before we will forgive, then we are not giving forgiveness. That may be justice, but it is not mercy. It may be law, but not grace. Just as we can in no way contribute to the forgiveness and salvation which Christ has accomplished on the cross of Calvary, so no one we forgive can be forgiven and yet forced to pay for their offense against us.”
b. The impact of forgiveness
i. Yancey states, “Forgiveness offers a way out. It does not settle all questions of blame and fairness-often it pointedly evades those questions-but I do allow a relationship to start over, to begin anew. In that way said Solzhenitsyn, we differ from animals. Not our capacity to think, but our capacity to repent and to forgive makes us different. Only humans can perform that most unnatural act, which transcends the relentless law of nature. If we do not transcend nature, we remain bound to the people we cannot forgive, held in their vise grip” (98).
ii. The three areas impacted by forgiveness:
1. Yancey also notes, “When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us “(98).
• You will be set free from forgiving. The person you forgive will no longer control you like a puppet on a string.
2. When you forgive you start to heal on the inside then this forgiving attitude produces joy-peace-gentleness.
• McGinniss states, “Doesn’t joy, peace and gentleness sound a lot better than malice, rage and bitterness?”
3. When you forgive you become closer to God, and you sense him more...
• His voice becomes clearer
• His face gets brighter
• His touch softer
• His fragrance is sweeter
• His taste is more delightful
c. The blessing of forgiveness
i. Illustrations about Forgiveness from Historical Stories - Corrie Ten Boom – note her book The Hiding Place:
1. There’s a powerful moment from the life of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who, along with her family, helped Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. Eventually, they were caught and sent to concentration camps. Corrie survived, but her sister Betsie did not. The cruelty she endured at the hands of the Nazis left deep scars. Years later, Corrie was speaking at a church in Germany—sharing her testimony of God’s forgiveness and the freedom that comes from forgiving others. At the end of the service, something unimaginable happened. A man began walking toward her. She recognized him immediately. He had been one of the cruelest guards at Ravensbrück, the concentration camp where her sister died. He didn’t recognize her—but she knew his face. He reached out his hand and said, “Fraulein, how good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea! I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein, will you forgive me?” Corrie froze. She later wrote about that moment with raw honesty. She said, “I who had preached so often the need to forgive… kept my hand at my side. Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them… Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more?” She prayed silently for God’s help. And then—miraculously—she extended her hand. She wrote: “I took his hand. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. I forgive you, brother, I cried. With all my heart!” That’s the kind of forgiveness that only God can give. And it’s the same kind of forgiveness He extends to us. We may not feel deserving. We may carry guilt or shame. But when we come to Him—humbly, honestly—He doesn’t leave His hand at His side. (Source: The Gospel Coalition)
d. The Biblical act of forgiveness (info- from Biblical Studies Foundation)
i. Joseph in chapter 45 teaches us that forgiveness should be granted quickly.
1. Joseph’s life and attitude revealed a man who could forgive quickly. He did not hold grudges against those who hurt him.
2. Joseph forgave Mrs. Po and Mr. Po.
3. Joseph forgave the cupbearer for forgetting him.
4. Joseph forgave his brothers long before he saw them.
• Somewhere on the caravan as a slave and in slavery and in prison Joseph in his heart forgave his brothers.
• Joseph had long before his brothers been set free by forgiving his brothers –who still 20 years later suffered from their action.
i. See Gen. 42:21-28
5. The truth of the matter is that the sooner forgiveness is given, and reconciliation is embraced, the better for both parties involved.
ii. Joseph also teaches us that Biblical forgiveness is to be done in private (Genesis 45:1).
1. Joseph dealt with his brothers in private. This shows me that he forgave long before the actual verbal acknowledgement. He also was prudent in making it a private matter with no guilt, shame or blaming.
2. Matthew 18:15 “And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”
3. It’s not a public spectacle!
iii. Joseph teaches us in our text that Biblical forgiveness is given with no strings attached.
1. “Forgiveness is free in that the forgiver willingly accepts the loss or pain personally. In brief, forgiveness is a matter of grace, not works, and grace does not make demands upon the one who receives it.
2. Joseph’s brothers received forgiveness rooted in grace and humility from Joseph.
iv. Joseph shows us that Biblical forgiveness is not easy it’s hard. He demonstrated that it costs –Genuine forgiveness costs the one giving but the reward far outweighs the cost paid to forgive.
v. Joseph forgave permanently it was not based on the condition I forgive you as long as dad is alive it was forever-it was forgotten! (Gen. 50:15-21)
vi. Joseph forgave but he also sought to restore his brothers, it took him about a year to unveil his identity. I believe he tested his brothers to see if they would change. They did and reopened even though Judah took responsibility for Benjamin over the cup. These are different brothers in the end.
e. Why do we need to forgive?
i. Because the Word makes it a command not an option
1. Ephesians 4:25-32
2. Colossians 3:12-17
ii. Because we need to recall how we have been forgiven by Jesus freely with no strings attached and we are expected to do the same to others.
1. Luke 7:40-48
2. The more aware we are of our own sinfulness and the forgiveness we receive, the easier it is to forgive others.
iii. Because we need to understand that God is in control and he is sovereign. God uses suffering in our lives for our good and for his glory.
iv. Because Jesus forgave on the cross “Father forgive them they know not what they do!”
v. Because we need to consider that Jesus was a servant leader who modeled this Phil. 2:3-8
1. Usually, we find that when others offend us or hurt us, we get mad because of pride. We immediately cry foul because our rights have been violated. But this act of forgiveness surfaces from a heart of servant-like attitude.
vi. Because forgiveness is not an emotion – it is a decision based on the will –it is based on Agape love- I Cor. 13 shows us it’s a decision.
1. What will you decide on forgiveness or unforgiveness? The later will thwart your spiritual growth because forgiveness is the path to spiritual maturity!
Conclusion
Do you want to be a Joe on the go for God? (Moving upwards with the Lord?)
? Become a person of God and a mature Christian by being filled with His spirit and let it produce humility in your life.
? Become a person of God and a mature Christian by honoring God and running from sin no matter the cost.
? Become a person of God and mature Christian by allowing persecution to refine you in His fire to become the servant leader God wants you to be.
? Become a person of God by honoring others and serving others even in difficult places.
? Become a person of God by always giving glory to God for what he enables you to do.
? Become a person of God and a mature Christian by being a dispenser of grace to others.
? Become a person of God and mature Christian by choosing the path of forgiveness!
