Sermon Nuggets Mon Dec 24 Handling Sin
Gen 44
Repentance
Some of you know that during my
Junior and Senior year of college I worked as a summer missionary with Youth
Development Inc. out of East Harlem New York. The ministry started and run by
an ex-gangster, Jim Vaus. Jim Vaus had a movie made of his story how he was a
wire tapper working for West Coast gangster Mickey Cohen. It was during the Los
Angeles Crusade with Billy Graham that Vaus gave his heart over to the Lord and
although it would probably cost him his life he left Cohen’s gang and moved to
New York to start a ministry to youth gangs.
Some time afterwards, Vaus also
witnessed to Cohen. Billy Graham met with the two of them privately and after
one long night session, he was urged to open the door and let Christ in. Cohen
responded. But as the months passed, people saw no change in his life of crime.
When confronted, he responded that no one had told him he would have to give up
his work or his friends. After all, there were Christian football players,
Christian cowboys, Christian politicians; why not a Christian gangster?
It was at this time that Cohen was
told about repentance. And at that point Cohen announced that he wanted nothing
to do with Christianity.
It is possible to find the gospel
of Jesus Christ attractive for a number of reasons, because of the promise of
forgiveness from sin, because it holds out the hope of life after death because
it talks about blessings and peace in this life, because it will help you fit
in with the group of people.
But the person who "comes to
Christ" for any of these reasons is not really a child of God. They have not
come to believe in Christ that allows for Him to change them. They have never
come to grips with the nature of their need to change their thinking, their
lives, and their priorities,
What is hard for some people to
understand is that we cannot clean up our act before coming to faith in Christ
for if we could that would be salvation by works. But to submit ourselves to
His control and be willing to give ourselves to Him and trust Him for our
salvation results in letting Him do the work in our lives. There will be a
change or there is apparently no repentance. Paul preached in “First to those
in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles
also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” Acts
26:20 People don’t like to see their actions as sinful.
Secular psychology can tell us that
things are only right or wrong in each person’s eyes, and guilt feelings can be
changed when we learn to accept ourselves that way we are. Guilt has been taken
out of sin out of life and penance is a symbolic ritual to be done only when
you feel a need to talk to someone.
Very little is said anymore on the
place of repentance as an essential ingredient in our spiritual relationship
with God. Our Lord’s last words to His disciples speak of the necessity of
repentance: and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should
suffer and rise again from the dead the third day; and that repentance for
forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the
nations—beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).
When Peter began the first Gospel
sermon filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost he preached Acts
2:38-39 "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far
off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call."
Simply put repentance is more than
just agreeing with God about your spiritual need but repentance as believing
Christ resulting in following Him.
Have you been wondering why Joseph waited so long to reveal
his identity? It seems Joseph is trying to find out if his brothers had changed
and desiring to be reconciled to his family again. His love was greater than
any hurts or resentments he could have had. Were they ready to receive him as
their brother again?
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Dec 25-
Gen 44: 16 “What
can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove
our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my
lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.”
Awareness of Sin
This
Christmas Day let us remind ourselves of what our Lord said, “for the Son of
Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” That is why the people
can rejoice. Joy is restored to the lost. The redeemer has come. The one who
will deliver us from bondage has arrived to begin his work.
Like Zacchaeus facing Jesus made
him aware that he had stolen money in his job as a tax collector. Now his heart
was changed and saw life from a godly perspective having been with Jesus. He
left his greed and entered generosity for the sake of the Lord.
That is repentance. It is changing
how we lived to self and now living for the Lord by the power of his grace and
spirit. How is it Joseph was used to help the brothers face their guilt? The
love they had for their father and the realization how much Jacob loved Joseph
and now Benjamin was more than they could take when the silver was found in
Benjamin’s sack. Let’s face it; sin is not a popular subject anymore. Many will
use words like mistakes, poor choices, inappropriate thinking.
Now the
problem wasn't the offense the brothers were being accused of. When the steward
found the silver cup in Benjamin’s bag that wasn't his sin or anyone else’s
sin. Instead they were feeling that God was judging them for their real sin and
the way they tried to kill and then sell Joseph some 22 years earlier. Judah
and Reuben each had illustrations pointed out on their sexual sins in other
chapters.
I also don’t believe Joseph used
the silver cup for divination especially since he had the revelations by God in
dreams, but this was one of the ways the Egyptians used occult practices and I
believe Joseph used that cup as part of the masquerade to led them to believe
he had magical powers to know the truth. Whereas he knew the truth because he
was their brother who they sold into slavery. So in a sense he is giving them a
symbol that says, “Don’t lie to me because I have other ways of finding out the
truth.”
Some people never come open with
the truth unless they are caught straight out in a lie. None of the brothers
were lying, nor had they to Joseph, but neither had they been honest with their
father or others about what really happened to Joseph. This was on their hearts
and minds all these years.
All of the brothers tore their clothes as a sign of grief
and mourning, and all of them returned to Joseph’s house. Had they acted only
in self-interest, they would have renounced Benjamin as a thief, deserted him,
and fled from Egypt as quickly as possible. But something different was taking
place. These were not the same men that had determined to do away with Joseph
at Dothan, and yet it was as though they were reliving the event in the person
of Benjamin.
Now they were faced with a similar situation. Benjamin was
most loved by their father Jacob just as Joseph was. He was far from home.
Benjamin was accused of a terrible crime. Just like they left Joseph they could
have left Benjamin. This was a test. More
than twenty years later, the same temptation faces these men. Will they
evidence a change of heart, or will they act in self-interest? That is what
Joseph must know. The moment of truth has arrived.
Maybe this Christmas is a time to get rid of burdens of the
past that plague you. It is to see Jesus as one who came to save the lost and
free us from the bondage of oppression, even the oppression of sin. Be free. Be
joyful. Celebrate our savior and His love for you.
Pastor Dale
Acknowledgment of Guilt v. 16
Gen 44: 16 “What
can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “What can we say? How can we prove
our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ guilt. We are now my
lord’s slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup.”
When Judah
talks about guilt here, what is he talking about since there is no need to
confess something they didn’t do? We know that the brothers did not take the
cup. I don't think Judah is confessing to stealing the cup, it seems Judah is
confessing on behalf of the brothers to the guilt in regard to Joseph. Notice
that Judah says "God has uncovered your servant's guilt". Judah sees
this event as God's way of judging them for their sin against Joseph. So, it
seems, Judah is confessing their past sin! No more excuses. No
rationalizations. He doesn't try to get out of it. He comes clean: they are
guilty.
And that is the first step to a person coming to a saving
relationship with Jesus Christ. There must be an admission of guilt. No
rationalizations. No excuses. It's just us and our sin standing before the
Lord.
Proverbs 28:13 People who cover
over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they
will receive mercy.
We cannot be right with God until
we accept responsibility for our actions. Until we recognize that we are wrong
we cannot know the restoration that comes from God's forgiveness. You can't
seek forgiveness if you don't recognize that you need to be forgiven. Now they
fall prostrate before him, no longer seeking justice as before (verses 7-9),
but mercy. Joseph rebuked them for their wicked deed, again reminding them of
his ability to learn the true facts of the matter. They could not deceive him;
he knew all. That is the thrust of his words.
According to vs. 16 there is an
awareness and acknowledgment that it is God against whom they have sinned. But
Joseph responded as one might think he should if they subject was the cup. Why
should all suffer for the sin of one? No, all would be sent home to their
father except Benjamin, and he would remain as Joseph’s slave (vs 17).
Recently, I had offended someone. I found myself making
excuses and trying to pretend I wasn’t really all that responsible. The Holy
Spirit continued to convict me of my sin. At first I tried to ignore it. But
then the guilt I felt was undeniably from the Lord. The only way to find inner
peace was to ask forgiveness and seek restitution and reconciliation. Then the
guilt I felt between me and God was removed. It changes the relationships with
others as well.
When someone gets a glimpse of
God’s holiness or love there is a response that is humbling. It is an awareness
of the need for grace and the need for mercy.
Acknowledgment of guilt is related
to the song, “It’s me, it’s me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer. Not my
brother or my sister, but it’s me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer.”
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Dec 27- Sorrow
Gen 44: 13 At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all
loaded their donkeys and returned to the city. 14 Joseph was still in the house
when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground
before him.
Authentic Sorrow
We read that they "tore their
clothes." This was an act of mourning. It was something you did when you
were in the throes of sorrow. Repentance often is prompted by sorrow for sin.
It involves, sorrow that we have offended a Holy God- sorrow that by our
actions we have shown such incredible ingratitude for what God has done for us;
sorrow for the barrier that our act erects between us and God; sorrow that we
have polluted the beauty of God's creation.
I think there is a genuine humility in the
brothers. They understand that they have not simply "broken the
rules", they have severed their relationship with God. They take the
posture of people who have no hope except to plea for mercy. They don't come
presenting their credentials . . . they come for mercy.
The truly repentant person does not
come trumpeting his goodness. He has come to a new understanding that any
apparent goodness is façade. He understands that his only hope is through the
grace of God. He know that he cannot even muster the requisite faith without a
touch from God.
The brothers seemed sorry; they
felt that they were getting their just rewards. Some people are only sorry they
get caught. Many will confess to get out of trouble. It would be tempting to
show remorse for the purpose of getting out of the consequences. This is not
uncommon. The abusive spouse might say he is "sorry" after a violent
outburst. But is he sorry enough to get help if this hasn’t stopped? Or is he
sorry enough to convince his wife not to file charges or divorce him?
The drunk driver is
"sorry" after someone is injured or killed in an accident. But it is
for their behavior or is he sorry that he is facing adverse consequences?
The thief is sorry after he is
arrested but may only be sorry for getting caught;
The promiscuous person is sorry that she "didn't take
better precautions" but not for her sin. The gossip is sorry that things got "out
of control" but she sees the problem with others and not herself. It is
even possible for a person to feel sorrow because he is afraid of hell and yet
not be sorry for the wrong he has done. They are not sorry for the offense
against God -they just don't want to be punished!
Many people live their spiritual lives
this way. It is a ritual that may not have real meaning when they offer
“confession”. Repentance involves change of heart, mind and action.
But once you realize your sin and the rightful penalty that
should be yours—once you come to God, not to barter and bargain for blessings,
but to cast yourself upon His mercy—then you will come to see the other side of
God. He is a loving Father, who desires to pour out His blessings upon you. He
wants to save you and to enable you to live a life that pleases Him and you.
Judah
reports what happened. And the loss of Benjamin would literally kill their
father whom they loved and respected. He is suggesting that Joseph would
consent to a substitution. He is willing to take the punishment himself for his
brother’s proposed guilt.
Let him remain as Joseph’s prisoner, Judah pled (verse 33),
for he could not bear to face his father without Benjamin. He would prefer to
remain a slave in Egypt than to be free in Canaan and witness the pain and
suffering he had helped to impose upon his father.
He is exhibiting godly conviction, sorrow and repentance.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Dec 28 Change
Gen 44:18-34 & Gen 45:1-15
Actual Change
The final result
to repentance is to see actions change. This is the one thing most people ignore
over. If the sin is gossip stop gossiping and start praising, If it is lying,
don’t continue to lie. Tell the truth. If it is stealing, stop stealing and be
like Nicodemus who wanted to give it back and even with very generous interest.
It is retribution and makes things right to the victim.
. There was a
cartoon in a magazine that depicted young George Washington standing with an axe in his hand. Before him
lying on the ground is the famous cherry tree. He has already made his smug
admission that he did it -- after all, he "cannot tell a lie." But
his father is standing there exasperated saying, "All right, so you admit
it! You always admit it! The question is, when are you going to stop doing
it?"
I wonder how often God says the
same thing of all those who confess their wrongs but do not change. The true
evidence of repentance is a changed behavior. To repent is to go in a different
direction. But what if we cannot stop and have tried and tried and tried.
The key to the passage is Joseph
received them into his grace and mercy. It was ultimately love that brought a
change of heart. Is that any different with God? When we try by our own efforts
we often will be discouraged. When we re-focus on rebuilding our relationship
with the one we love, Jesus Christ, we find He gives power when we are
powerless. Romans 7:26,27 Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks
be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! “
Do we see a genuine change in the brothers of Joseph? You
bet we do. God has done his work. The brothers have acknowledged their guilt,
have pled for mercy, and have shown that they are pursuing a new life. But
ultimately the change came when Joseph brought them into his forgiveness and
love. Look at the evidence,
There is no
longer fury of jealousy at the favoritism. Neither now when they stand up for
him or earlier when they were eating and Benjamin received five times more than
they are for dinner. Before they wanted money for Joseph in the wilderness, now
they were offering themselves in exchange for their brother. Before they lied
to their father regarding Joseph’s loss not they’re pleading for mercy on
behalf of Benjamin.
Jesus told his disciples that they
would be able to tell the true followers from the false followers by
"their fruit."
Jack Eckard was the owner of a
chain of drug stores called Eckard drugs. After he became a believer he pulled
all the pornography off of the shelves of his stores even though it cost him 3
million dollars a year in profit. Why? Because he could no longer pander in sin
if he was going to follow the Lord.
Please understand, most of us will
have certain things that we struggle with all our lives. We will sin, have
genuine sorrow intend on making real change and then we fall again. It happens.
That does not mean someone has not repented.
The prodigal son sinned by
demanding his inheritance and squandering it on loose living. He eventually
came to suffer the consequences of his sin, feeding swine in a far country and
having no food but that which he fed the hogs. His regrets eventually turned to
repentance. He realized the foolishness of his sins and yearned for fellowship
with his father, even as a hired servant. He came to his senses and returned
home to his father, not seeking justice, but mercy, and his father warmly
received him. That was biblical
repentance. Genuine sorrow for sin brought about a change in this son’s
thinking and actions. He forsook his sins and returned to his father, who
gladly received him back.
The rich young ruler, on the
contrary, came to Jesus in order to gain salvation without changing his values,
priorities, or lifestyle. He went away sorry, but not repentant or saved, for
he could not part with his old way of life
The wonderful news of the grace of
God is that He has not only made provision for our salvation, but He also has
made provision for our sanctification: Romans 7:24-8:4
Mickey Cohen saw Christianity as
something that would be advantageous. He didn't want to go to hell- he liked
the idea of being sure of Heaven. If all he had to do was say a certain prayer
great! It was a small price to pay for a great benefit.
Many want the benefits of God and
have no desire to turn from their sin or honor God with their living. For some
of you, you need to take that initial step of coming to Christ with the broken
pieces of your life. You need to admit your hopeless situation and humbly seek
and gratefully receive the grace that He extends in Christ. It's really not
about the words you say it's the attitude of the heart. Perhaps you need to
"come clean" and to place your hope, trust and confidence in Jesus
Christ. Maybe today, you need to trust God to do in you, what you are incapable
of doing for yourself.
But maybe you have done that. Maybe you have genuinely come
to a point of receiving God's grace. You are a child of God. But you lack
power. You lack a sense of victory and joy. It's possible that this is because
you are pandering with sin. By faith, give it over to him also by faith. God's
Spirit has been convicting you. You know where change is necessary, but you are
stubbornly refusing to let God have that area of your life. Replace the effort
of man with the filling of the Holy Spirit and spend time with God in prayer,
in Scripture reading and serving Him. You will notice change. Turn from habits
that hinder and develop a resolve to replace those habit with that which is up
building and good. Turn off the TV. Stop “chatting” with someone you are
flirting with. Pay back what doesn't belong to you. Seek a friend with whom you
can pray and be accountable.
Perhaps it is time to come clean
and to trust Him to lead you in the best way to live. It's time for you to
repent and discover the grace and goodness of God.
Pastor Dale
