WEBVTT 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:08.240 Everybody this morning, and uh as I said, my name's Russ. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:10.240 I want to welcome all of you that are here. 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:15.279 I especially want to welcome those of the of you that might be here for the first or second time. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:17.280 Uh we're we're glad that you're here. 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:19.679 You're welcome, everybody's welcome. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:26.879 Excited about what God might do, especially as we begin this brand new series today. 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:33.200 Um and today is is uh is tomorrow is actually Memorial Day. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:37.679 We're kind of experiencing what we would say is Memorial Day weekend. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:43.119 And and you know, there's it's a time where people um you know get together. 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:49.359 Some some people are are uh might travel a little bit or or summer vacations begin. 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:54.159 Graduations have already happened, especially mostly around Walton County. 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.119 And um, and tomorrow is Memorial Day. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:02.960 And I want to I want to just take a second and remember what tomorrow is about. 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:19.120 It's about those men and women who have given their life, spilled their blood, given their life to serve and protect our freedoms. 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:20.879 Yes. 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:32.319 And and there's not, you know, there's nothing adequate to to really describe. 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:35.760 I think how we should be thankful. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:42.640 Um I I I pull this bracelet out every Memorial Day weekend, and and it's it's in the same place. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:50.079 I'll go home and put it in the same spot, and um and and it has a name, Sergeant Jason Harkins. 00:01:50.319 --> 00:02:13.039 Jason came to Christ in my youth group when I was a youth pastor at Concord Baptist Church in North Hall County, and he was the kid that probably was the least expected uh to come to Christ, but but he came to Christ, and and Jill and I remain close to his family to this day. 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:29.039 A lot of Memorial Day weekends we'll get away and we go to our favorite place, which is up in the North Georgia Mountains, and and when we do that, we always go and visit uh the Fritchie family. 00:02:29.120 --> 00:03:20.560 Uh the uh Nancy Fritchie is Jason's mother, and um and so we we go and and visit with them, and um uh Jason uh was in Operation Iraqi Freedom and he uh on May 6, 2007, um he was in a firefight, and and he was he had found cover himself, but one of his fellow soldiers had been wounded, and he reached out to drag his brother into the same cover that he had found, and while he was out, he was hit in the head um with gunfire. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:30.080 And so, um, but I praise God, I I was able to to preach Jason's funeral and to share his testimony. 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:53.520 Um and and so it I let me just ask you, if you if you are somebody who has been uh you've had somebody either in your family or in your circle of friends or extended family that have given their life for our freedom serving in the armed forces, uh would you just raise your hand up? 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:56.080 Raise your hand up, just hold it up. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:06.879 And and I and I just I I I want to say thank you and thank your family member and thank those. 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:10.719 Um and let's let's let's thank them one more time. 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:23.120 And so uh well we're gonna um uh and and please remember that this morning um at 1 a.m. 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:27.759 we had a large number of of our Church at the Grove people. 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:33.680 There's some a few other churches that are going together, but about 50 people all got together at 1 a.m. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:34.560 this morning. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:40.240 My son Caleb among them, and they hopefully boarded a plane at 5 a.m. 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:43.920 And uh they are um on their way to Honduras. 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:48.879 Maybe, let's see, that maybe they are they might are are they they're close to being there. 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:51.199 It's not a really long trip. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:55.920 Um, but they're gonna spend, it's gonna be a two-week, my son's gonna be there two weeks. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:05:27.920 The first week is really an FCA camp where they do sports camp and they share the gospel through sports, and then um, and then there'll be a lot of new people coming, some people coming home, new people going the second week, and it will be a lot of just a variety of type of mission work as they support what's called the Good Samaritan Baptist Mission that has been there for for years and years in Honduras, doing great ministry. 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:36.879 Um and so be praying for our our people that are serving over these next two weeks in Honduras. 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:45.120 Uh so if you got your Bibles and you want to open up to Genesis chapter 37, we began a brand new series on the life of Joseph. 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:47.600 A brand new series on the life of Joseph. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:50.800 And the subtitle there is God Has Good Plans. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:52.399 God has good plans. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:58.399 And as we look at the life of Joseph, um I'll say I love biography studies. 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:02.079 I love to read biographies in general. 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:12.560 I just love reading stories about people, people that are obviously out of scripture, but also people that are um just historical figures. 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:18.079 Um I love uh reading uh biographies related to church history. 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:28.000 Some of my favorites have been Charles Spurgeon, uh Martin Luther, uh Um William Carey, missionary biographies uh are some of my favorites. 00:06:28.079 --> 00:06:29.759 I love sports biographies. 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:31.839 Those are uh that's a category. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:39.680 I remember being a child and and and and uh like the first like really what I would call grown-up book is a grown-up book. 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:42.800 And it was a biography on the life of Terry Bradshaw. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:51.360 And and a lot of you don't know who Terry Bradshaw is, but he was he was a great football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. 00:06:51.519 --> 00:07:00.399 Um and and and now he's just he's he's one of those sports analysts um uh that sits behind the desk and critiques everybody else. 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:13.680 But but I I loved, I remember just being enthralled with his biography and his story, and part of his story was his sharing his testimony um in Christ, sharing his testimony of how he came to Christ. 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:19.120 And so I I love I love biographies, and biographies teach us so much. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:27.199 Um Winston Churchill said this those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:35.040 And so we learn from historical events, but we also learn from historical figures. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:41.040 And so um the Bible records stories of men and women. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:42.959 That's that is much of the Bible. 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:55.439 Obviously, the Bible is about the story of God, but but it is it is it is a collection of stories of men and women who um have had encounters with God. 00:07:55.600 --> 00:08:06.000 They've served God, they've disobeyed God, they've been redeemed by God, and they've suffered uh from disobedience uh uh from God. 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:18.959 And so the the uh the over this summer, we're going to look at this person of Joseph specifically, beginning in Genesis 37, a man greatly used by God. 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:27.839 We see his life really cover the rest of Genesis 37 through Genesis chapter 50. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:50.720 And so uh we see examples dealing with dysfunction and and and adversity and and trusting in God's promises and how to be a godly leader, and and and and we're gonna spend weeks, and but today specifically we're gonna talk about Joseph and the dysfunction in uh in his family. 00:08:50.960 --> 00:09:03.519 But to understand, um to understand what we're talking about when we use the word dysfunction, this word dysfunctional is not a new word or a new concept. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:09.600 Um, it's something that is probably more talked about now than it has been in the past. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:23.360 But but I I will tell you this, I don't think that there's a family that doesn't have some you know dysfunction or some type of dysfunction or a bit of dysfunction in it. 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:26.080 There's no such thing as a perfect family. 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:27.360 There is not. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:40.480 According to Mental Health America, uh here's what they say a dysfunctional family is that a dysfunctional family is characterized by conflict, misbehavior, or abuse. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:49.919 Relationships between family members are tense and can be filled with neglect, yelling, and screaming. 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:55.600 There is no open space to express your thoughts and feelings freely. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:58.639 And that sounds a lot like Thanksgiving. 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:16.639 Or maybe another, you know, holiday or birthday or any any and so signs of dysfunctional families, um, signs, and this is these are some of the results. 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:45.679 These might be you know symptoms, these are these are the uh the the results, and you you can see it if if you if the dysfunction is there, you know it by these things addiction, abuse, neglect, personality disorders, emotional incest, toxic parenting, a high conflict home environment, and emotional manipulation. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:52.879 And so I I like I said, I think every family has some dysfunction. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:11:03.039 We've all, you know, and we we're you know, we're all thinking about somebody, probably right now, or or that part of our family. 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:20.559 And sometimes we we need to start by looking in the mirror, and it could be a little bit of us, and so uh here's a couple of big ideas for for today is unaddressed dysfunction has the power to destroy future descendants. 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:28.240 Or we might say it this way unresolved sin tends to show up in our sons and daughters. 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:33.519 Man, that that one hits hard. 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:53.360 And so, just to put all the cards on the table, while dysfunction and sin are powerful forces that affect future generations, let me let me let me give you a bit of hope because that there's a lot of negativity with what I've just described, is that God is in the midst of dysfunction. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:12:10.399 God is is working, He is working, and and and we we pray for the Holy Spirit to fall upon us and to for us to be instruments that would bring healing. 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:18.480 So we ask the Holy Spirit, we say we we want to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, move upon us, fall upon us. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:26.159 And so as we jump into the life of Joseph, we must first understand a little bit more about his family. 00:12:26.399 --> 00:12:38.320 And I I I even, as we started preparing, I thought, man, we might should have started with Abraham and then worked our way. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:41.279 But we'll we'll we'll come back to Abraham at a later date. 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:48.240 But but I do want you to know a little bit about some of Joseph's family, the what we call the patriarchs. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:53.440 Abraham, God, he was God's chosen man to begin and build a new nation. 00:12:53.679 --> 00:13:12.639 There was promise that he would be the father of a great nation, but Abraham and his wife were old, um very old, and they were without children, and it seemed hopeless for them, especially understanding the promise that God had given them. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:25.039 While Abraham had tremendous faith, he took matters into his own hands, and and he was together with a woman that his wife brought to him named Hagar. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:32.799 God was taking too long, according to Abraham and his wife Sarah, Sarah. 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:38.559 And so he had promised, but man, it seemed like his promise is not happening. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:40.000 It's not coming true. 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:46.639 So later, Sarah would have a son named Isaac, but it took more time. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:50.639 And because of their disobedience, there was dysfunction. 00:13:50.799 --> 00:14:06.399 You can imagine, you can only imagine how dysfunction in this situation would have impacted Abraham and his wife and his kids and two different women, one the son of promise and the other not. 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:22.000 And the reality is I don't have time, but the the world events that we are looking at and observing right now, today, on the other side of the world, go back to this disobedience and dysfunction. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:24.799 Isaac. 00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:27.919 Isaac is the son, he is the son of promise. 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:30.639 He grows up and marries a woman named Rebekah. 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:31.759 They have twin boys. 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:34.720 Esau was the oldest, Jacob the youngest. 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:47.120 And when you can read about it in Genesis chapter 25, it says, Now Isaac loved Esau, who was his favorite, because he enjoyed eating his game. 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:51.440 Now he's he's listening, Esau was a Walton County kind of guy. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:52.879 He hunted and fished. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:54.559 I mean, that was his thing. 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:58.080 And so Rebecca's favorite was Jacob. 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:10.799 Jacob was different, and I don't know in what, you know, what diff what were the characteristics, but he wasn't, you know, the outside go hunt down game type of guy. 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:13.759 But but they were very different. 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:19.360 And and and Isaac favored Esau, Rebecca favored Jacob. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:25.840 Can you imagine how favoritism led to incredible deception brought on by Rebekah? 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:43.519 Rebekah wanted her favored son Jacob to receive the blessing from Isaac, which came with the inheritance, but included with it the continued fulfillment of God's promise that had been given to Abraham to build a great nation. 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:50.399 Now, Lot, imagine the dysfunction and the lack of trust, the broken trust. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:52.240 And then you have Jacob. 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:55.360 Jacob later falls in love with Rachel. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:05.039 But unknowingly, he is tricked by Rachel's father into marrying her sister Leah. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:13.200 After working for seven years, so he works for another seven years to earn the hand of Rachel in marriage. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:16.559 And so he loved Rachel more than Leah. 00:16:17.679 --> 00:16:22.080 That's really, I'm telling you, one wife is enough, okay? 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:27.120 One spouse, one wife, one wife is enough. 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:30.399 And so a lot of problems, a lot of dysfunction. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:35.120 Leah was blessed with being able to have children. 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:38.320 So conflict and dysfunction between Leah and Rachel. 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:40.879 Leah has six sons and one daughter. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:57.679 Jacob has, you know, is together in relationship with several of his servants and each of his wives, Zilpah and Bilhah, and each have two sons. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:04.640 Later in his old age, Jacob and Rachel finally have Joseph, and then later Benjamin. 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:15.039 So as you read through, read through these stories, you start to begin to see common themes. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:28.240 Deception, favoritism, brothers cut off from other brothers, poor intimacy in marriage, conflict, jealousy, resentment, bitterness. 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:36.000 These are generational sins that can be passed down over and over again. 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:45.759 And so generational sins are weaknesses and tendencies that are handed down to us through through generations from parents or members of our family. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:18:03.119 These sins can involve behavioral patterns and ways of thinking that keep us trapped, that keep us from walking in the will of God, in the fullness of God, and in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:06.000 Here's what Pete Schizero says. 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:14.720 And if you uh if you don't know, most of you probably don't know who Pete Schizero is, but he he's retired now from pastoring a church in New York. 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:20.720 Um, but he has written so much on emotional, spiritual health. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:30.400 And it's it's impacted my life, it's impacted our staff, and and and we I can't encourage you enough possibly to get. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:33.839 Um, and if you want me to tell you what which book to start with, I'll tell you. 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:34.960 But he's got several. 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:36.000 But here's what he says. 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:36.720 Here's a quote. 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:51.920 He says, What happens in one generation tends to repeat itself in the next, whether it is alcoholism, addiction, depression, suicide, unstable marriages, unwed pregnancies, mistrust of authority, or unresolved conflict. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.960 And so we tend to inherit the sins of our fathers. 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:16.880 People argue that if we are people of nature or nurture, I don't know if all of our struggles are passed down genetically or if we are products of our environments, but we tend to repeat the things that we've modeled that have been modeled in the past. 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:22.400 Now we're not, we don't have to be enslaved. 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:26.240 There's a lot of a lot of, I just feel the weight. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.599 I feel the weight of this. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:43.839 You're like, Russ, I I want to come to church because I want to be encouraged and I want it to be upbeat. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:44.960 And we're getting there. 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:45.839 We're getting there. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:46.799 There is hope. 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:48.079 There's hope. 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:56.640 And so Lamentations 5-7, there's a whole book called Lamentations, which is lament. 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:01.680 Lament is to mourn, to cry, to be sad, to be to be broken. 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:04.079 And it says, our fathers sinned. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:12.000 Lamentations 5-7, our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their iniquities. 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:20.480 Pete Schizero again, he says, Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:25.839 And so now we come to Joseph. 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:27.839 We come to Joseph. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:32.160 Joseph is born into a highly dysfunctional, large family. 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:40.240 His siblings were sinful, unlustful, unruly, deceitful, and vengeful. 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:46.880 He and his siblings had grown up in a dysfunctional, major, dysfunctional environment. 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:52.079 Jacob loved Joseph more than his other children. 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:58.960 Dysfunction will come from that. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.880 If there is a favorite. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.920 And people can tell. 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:06.240 Your children can tell. 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:09.920 Genesis 37:3. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:18.079 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:23.759 So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:25.519 A beautiful robe. 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:44.880 Listen, many of you, some of your children are in here today, and they're not going to completely understand everything that we're talking about, but they've heard the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors. 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:50.240 I remember vaguely, you know, being a child and hearing about that. 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:53.200 And so what we see is we see favoritism. 00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:57.039 What is the meaning of this multicolored coat? 00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.759 It would have been a coat. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.160 And do a little research, you can find out. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:06.480 It would have been a coat specially made. 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:10.640 Probably beautiful, absolutely beautiful. 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:14.799 Just think of a tuxedo or a suit. 00:22:15.119 --> 00:22:18.640 I mean, a special occasion type of clothing. 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:30.960 And for a man, it would have been a robe that went down to his lower shins, maybe his ankles, and it would have had long sleeves. 00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:35.039 Now, his dad gives him that. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:37.119 This is a special gift. 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:41.759 He doesn't give every son one of these special robes. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:42.880 You know why? 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:45.039 Where are the other sons? 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:47.759 They're out in the field. 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:57.359 They've pulled up and they've girded, they've girded their robe so they can work in the field. 00:22:57.680 --> 00:22:59.759 You have a special suit. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:07.599 So I, you know, and I we're not a church where people dress up a lot, you know, wearing a special suit. 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:18.079 Um, I had a suit on yesterday, preaching a funeral, um, and and and so I would not go out in the yard and wear that suit. 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:20.079 I wouldn't do hard work. 00:23:20.240 --> 00:23:22.240 That is that is white collar. 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:28.640 That is, that is, and so Joseph is free from all of the hard work. 00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:37.119 He's able to come inside the house and do some of the easier work, not hard labor kind of work. 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:45.119 And so, what do you think is going on between all of his brothers and their relationship? 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:50.960 Verse 4, but his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him. 00:23:51.200 --> 00:24:03.279 Now, the literal meaning of this in the Hebrew is his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:05.359 That's the literal meaning. 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:08.319 That was meant to be a joke, obviously, a poor one. 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:13.599 Um there is no hidden language there. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:16.160 They couldn't say a kind word to him. 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:18.480 His brothers hated Joseph. 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:26.319 They probably loved their father, but they didn't love the way that their father favored Joseph. 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:31.440 Joseph doesn't help his case with his brothers. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:37.519 God gives him some specific revelation through dreams. 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:44.000 And Joseph, rather than keeping that to himself, he flaunts it. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:46.559 And more conflict comes from it. 00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:47.759 Verse 18. 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:52.319 When Joseph's brothers saw him coming, they recognized him at a distance. 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:57.599 As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:01.440 Now, why are they, here's what it says in verse 19. 00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:03.599 Here comes the dreamer. 00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:05.440 Here comes the dreamer. 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:08.000 Joseph has these two dreams. 00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:28.799 And in both of these dreams, not going into, I'm not going to go into detail into both dreams, but one is, it involves agricultural work in the fields and how stalks, certain stalks will bow down to Joseph's stalk. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:35.519 And one deals with the planets and stars. 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:49.200 These are the dreams. 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:54.640 And so there's this theme of him exalting himself in the dreams. 00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:57.839 And these are dreams that he has received. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:07.200 And maybe they were revelations from God, and we see in the end that they really are revelations from God. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:12.240 Maybe he should have just been a little bit more quiet about it. 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:24.400 Maybe you don't have to share every thought that goes through your mind with the people around you and your family. 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:27.599 Even that comes from God. 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:33.519 Here comes the dreamer, verse 19. 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:37.119 Come on, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:44.480 We can tell our father a wild animal has eaten him, then we'll see what becomes of his dreams. 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:56.400 And so imagine how bad things have to be, and how wicked his brothers' hearts must have been to hate Joseph so much that they're conspiring to kill him. 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:04.640 Now, I've got, I have three children. 00:27:05.599 --> 00:27:15.759 So and I have felt probably at multiple times that they were going to kill each other. 00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:25.920 I mean, I mean they they we they 26, 23, and 19. 00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:27.680 Now they love each other. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:32.160 They love each other, and they they I mean they're they're buddies. 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:34.640 They love hanging out with each other now. 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:41.119 But but when they were coming up, man, they were at each other's throats. 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:51.599 And the boys would gang up on the girl, and and and buddy, I'm Abigail was here leading worship last week, and and people were like, oh, your daughter is so sweet. 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:52.880 Well, she is. 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:57.599 But but I mean when she was in middle school, she learned how to fight. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:09.440 And and I mean it was you know, you it just that's just part, I mean, I think that's a little bit normal, you know, for for siblings to go at it a little bit. 00:28:09.519 --> 00:28:14.480 And and and so, but there's a line that gets crossed. 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:41.519 There's a line that gets crossed, and and and and what becomes just you know, sibling, normal, you know, wrestling, and and then and then, you know, maybe maybe even some anger, a bit of anger, it turns into bad relationships long-term, long-term hatefulness, dysfunction, sin. 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:44.480 It becomes sinful. 00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:54.559 Sin and dysfunction have a way of sinking deep within our souls and causing us to do terrible and horrible things. 00:28:55.599 --> 00:28:57.200 Here's a quote. 00:28:58.079 --> 00:29:02.319 And it is the irony of who this quote is from. 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:07.920 Some of you will know that there is deep irony in this quote. 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:15.279 Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay. 00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:17.759 You see who the quote is from? 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:43.759 I mean, uh a hero, a spiritual hero of mine coming up in ministry, who has who's who's after his death, many, many of his dysfunctions and secrets sadly revealed sinful patterns. 00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:52.480 And so we've got to be proactive, not passive. 00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:58.480 A passive approach in dealing with sin will never kill the sin. 00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:04.799 A passive approach in dealing with sin will never break the cycle of sin. 00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:12.319 So the brother, the brothers end up not killing Joseph. 00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:19.279 They decide, and he there's one brother named Reuben that really steps in to save Joseph's life. 00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:22.160 No, let's don't kill him, let's don't kill him. 00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:33.359 And Reuben has compassion in his heart, but he knows if he's, if he, if he steps in too much, he's gonna have his brothers turn on him as well. 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:36.640 They're threatening Joseph's life. 00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:40.559 And so he steps in and he says, let's don't kill him. 00:30:40.799 --> 00:31:11.920 Let's sell him into slavery, and there's a caravan that is coming through that particular area and territory, and so they they throw him, they strip him of his beautiful robe, and and they they had thrown him into a cistern, and they take his robe and they uh they kill an animal, they dip his robe in blood, they sell Joseph into this caravan of people traveling to Egypt. 00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:14.240 Traveling to Egypt. 00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:15.440 Let me say it again. 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:23.359 Traveling to Egypt, and he has no idea what is about to come of his life. 00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:27.680 What's the subtitle of this series? 00:31:28.720 --> 00:31:30.240 God has what? 00:31:31.200 --> 00:31:32.160 Good plans. 00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:34.400 Does this seem like good plans? 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:38.799 Not who said not yet. 00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:42.960 Not yet. 00:31:43.200 --> 00:31:48.079 I mean, God, God has always has good plans. 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:50.400 It doesn't feel like it yet. 00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:57.759 And so he isn't aware that God is sovereign. 00:31:58.079 --> 00:32:04.799 God is over and in control and over all the circumstances in his life. 00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:12.000 And so they sell Joseph, and the brothers go home and they tell their father a big fat lie. 00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:13.839 Deception. 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:15.599 Listen to this, verse 31. 00:32:15.759 --> 00:32:20.400 Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph's robe in its blood. 00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:24.720 They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message. 00:32:24.880 --> 00:32:26.160 Look at what we found. 00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:28.720 Doesn't this robe belong to your son? 00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:31.119 Their father recognized it immediately. 00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:33.599 Yes, he said, it is my son's robe. 00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:36.480 A wild animal must have eaten him. 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:40.559 Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces. 00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:46.319 You see the deception? 00:32:50.079 --> 00:33:00.160 Now let's come back to kind of this overarching idea of dysfunction and unaddressed dysfunction. 00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:05.119 Unaddressed dysfunction has the power to destroy future descendants. 00:33:05.359 --> 00:33:10.079 Unaddressed dysfunction has the power to destroy future descendants. 00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:14.799 Unresolved sin tends to show up in our sons and our daughters. 00:33:17.039 --> 00:33:27.680 And so while sin is passed down from generations that have gone before us, we are responsible for our own sins. 00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:34.799 I can't pass the blame to my dad for all of my sins. 00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:35.839 Do you see? 00:33:37.200 --> 00:34:13.199 It affected me, and I I but I have a choice of whether or not I'm going to embrace the dysfunction and live in that dysfunction or accept the freedom that Christ provides through his redemption and his transformational work in my salvation and in my growth, in my sanctification, in my journey to follow Jesus. 00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:23.679 And I have chosen, now listen, I come from a messed up family, but I've chosen, I'm going to embrace Jesus. 00:34:24.079 --> 00:34:25.840 I'm going to embrace Jesus. 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:28.000 I'm going to embrace the freedom. 00:34:28.239 --> 00:34:34.880 I'm going to let go, and I'm not going to embrace the slavery of sin and dysfunction. 00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:39.039 I am going to embrace the freedom that Jesus provides. 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:50.320 We do not have to surrender to the binding power of our sins or the sins of our past generations. 00:34:51.440 --> 00:35:02.480 If you're a follower of Jesus, you've been given the power of the Holy Spirit to be set free from sin and dysfunction. 00:35:02.800 --> 00:35:07.599 And to walk in the freedom that Christ has provided for you. 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:08.719 Amen. 00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:09.599 Hallelujah. 00:35:09.760 --> 00:35:10.400 Preach it. 00:35:10.559 --> 00:35:11.039 Russ. 00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:13.519 I mean, it's not what I'm. 00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:15.840 This is the word of God. 00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:21.840 You're not a victim. 00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:28.079 Don't play, let's don't, let's not play the victim card. 00:35:28.239 --> 00:35:31.679 That's what that's what dysfunction leads us to. 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:38.800 I mean, I just, I mean, if you just understood, if you understood. 00:35:41.440 --> 00:35:50.880 I mean, they they you know, I was supposed to get that and the inheritance, and I was supposed to, I mean, I, you know, I mean, we could, I could go on and on and on. 00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:52.079 I hate them because of this. 00:35:52.239 --> 00:35:54.079 I mean, we have a list, and we got a list. 00:35:54.239 --> 00:35:58.559 We could, and understandable, it's people are not perfect. 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:00.159 Don't play the victim. 00:36:00.719 --> 00:36:03.840 Listen, we are victors in Christ. 00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:07.679 Walk in victory in Christ. 00:36:08.719 --> 00:36:18.639 He has provided through his life and his death on the cross, his bodily resurrection, his sending of the Holy Spirit. 00:36:19.679 --> 00:36:24.079 All of that is provided for us to be set free. 00:36:24.559 --> 00:36:32.800 2 Timothy 1.7, for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power and of love and of self-discipline. 00:36:33.119 --> 00:36:40.239 2 Corinthians 3, 17, for the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 00:36:41.679 --> 00:36:43.280 Let me tell you something. 00:36:43.599 --> 00:36:55.920 You, listen, I know we can't pick which family we're born in, but you can choose who your family is moving forward. 00:36:56.079 --> 00:37:11.920 And it can be the body of Christ and other believers that journey with you and you walk and journey together to discover what it means to walk in freedom from generational sin. 00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:16.320 Listen, I mean, just look to your right. 00:37:16.480 --> 00:37:18.159 Turn and look to your right. 00:37:19.119 --> 00:37:21.199 Turn and look to your left. 00:37:22.960 --> 00:37:26.400 Listen, you just looked at two messed up people. 00:37:32.559 --> 00:37:34.079 I mean, and you know what? 00:37:34.159 --> 00:37:37.119 We we listen. 00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:43.840 As victims of dysfunction, we're messed up. 00:37:44.079 --> 00:37:50.159 But as victors in Christ, now you turn to the right, turn to the left. 00:37:50.480 --> 00:38:00.000 You potentially, if if that person is in Christ, you just look at a son or a daughter of the King Jesus. 00:38:02.480 --> 00:38:03.920 Yeah, it's okay to clap. 00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:04.960 We we clap. 00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:07.519 Yes. 00:38:10.960 --> 00:38:13.679 We must fight against the bondage of sin in our lives. 00:38:13.760 --> 00:38:14.800 We cannot be passive. 00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:16.480 We must be proactive. 00:38:16.639 --> 00:38:19.119 No enemy is more subtle than passivity. 00:38:19.280 --> 00:38:23.360 Passivity leads to dysfunction that infiltrates the entire family. 00:38:23.599 --> 00:38:25.519 How do you break generational sins? 00:38:25.679 --> 00:38:30.639 And this is this is this is overly simplistic. 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:38.719 These steps may take like days, weeks, months, years. 00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:41.920 Number one, you confess. 00:38:43.360 --> 00:38:45.360 The Bible speaks about confessing. 00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:48.239 We confess our sins one to another. 00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:57.360 And we confess our sins starting to the Lord and saying, I want the forgiveness that Jesus provides for me. 00:38:57.519 --> 00:38:59.599 I am a sinner and I need salvation. 00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:04.480 And then we confess one to another and we find forgiveness. 00:39:04.559 --> 00:39:05.360 And you know what? 00:39:05.440 --> 00:39:11.840 We find what James says when we confess sins to another person, we find healing. 00:39:14.960 --> 00:39:19.519 And so, confession, counsel, counsel. 00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:24.079 Seek counseling with the mature believer that has wisdom. 00:39:25.199 --> 00:39:30.079 Now, sometimes this is just going to another believer for encouragement. 00:39:30.320 --> 00:39:35.199 Other times it is going to somebody who has credentials. 00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:52.159 And you go and you sit down with a counselor who is trained to walk you through the processes of breaking free from the bondage of generational sin. 00:39:54.880 --> 00:39:57.519 And so that's listen. 00:40:00.400 --> 00:40:01.760 I've done both. 00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:05.599 I mean, I have pastor friends. 00:40:05.840 --> 00:40:12.159 I mean, I had I had to make a call this past week to a pastor friend of mine. 00:40:12.320 --> 00:40:14.639 I said, I've got to process something with you. 00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:31.280 And I'm telling you, I I am I am I am hurting, I'm angry, and I have been blindsided, and I need to talk somebody far away from from this situation. 00:40:32.079 --> 00:40:34.960 And I and I and I just and I unloaded. 00:40:37.039 --> 00:40:43.920 And he just listened, and he just said, and he said, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 00:40:44.159 --> 00:40:46.719 I'm sorry you're having to deal with that. 00:40:47.519 --> 00:40:50.000 And then he prayed, he prayed for me. 00:40:50.639 --> 00:40:51.599 He prayed for me. 00:40:51.679 --> 00:40:59.679 So that's but but but I've also I I've I've gone to sit in front with a counselor, like with the credentials. 00:40:59.840 --> 00:41:02.159 They have letters after their name. 00:41:02.400 --> 00:41:06.559 And they've helped me walk through some of this stuff. 00:41:06.880 --> 00:41:15.920 And so sometimes you have to go backwards, which is painful, before you can go forwards, which is healing. 00:41:18.800 --> 00:41:20.159 Third is community. 00:41:20.320 --> 00:41:32.400 Surround yourself with godly community that can help set a new example of how to live and that can represent what it means to truly follow Jesus. 00:41:33.039 --> 00:41:34.239 And then continue. 00:41:34.400 --> 00:41:36.480 Number four, don't give up. 00:41:36.719 --> 00:41:37.440 Don't give up. 00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:43.760 Keep fighting, keep starving the flesh, keep doing great work in the kingdom of God. 00:41:44.000 --> 00:41:45.679 Don't come down off the wall. 00:41:45.760 --> 00:41:49.119 And I'm using this analogy of Nehemiah. 00:41:49.360 --> 00:41:52.239 I'm not, the enemy wants to take you out of the fight. 00:41:52.400 --> 00:41:57.119 The enemy wants to keep you from advancing the gospel in the kingdom. 00:41:57.519 --> 00:42:01.199 And listen, you can tell the enemy, I'm done with you. 00:42:01.280 --> 00:42:02.960 I am not coming down off the wall. 00:42:03.039 --> 00:42:04.880 I'm staying in the fight. 00:42:06.320 --> 00:42:07.840 Back to Pete Schazero. 00:42:08.079 --> 00:42:11.280 You can tell Pete and I are tight. 00:42:12.480 --> 00:42:17.039 Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones. 00:42:17.280 --> 00:42:24.320 And the task of discipleship is to get Jesus more and more into your bones. 00:42:25.920 --> 00:42:30.159 Now, let me here's the end. 00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:32.480 Be encouraged. 00:42:33.199 --> 00:42:34.880 Be encouraged this morning. 00:42:35.039 --> 00:42:36.320 We serve a God. 00:42:37.440 --> 00:42:58.000 We serve a God that despite the dysfunction, despite sin, despite the enemy orchestrating a plan for you to be held in this victim area and enslaved to generational sin. 00:42:58.480 --> 00:43:05.199 Jesus, Jesus sets us free, and we see it in the life of Joseph. 00:43:05.679 --> 00:43:14.480 Joseph might not have grown up in an environment where he was set up to thrive in God's hand. 00:43:16.719 --> 00:43:30.960 But God orchestrated circumstances, and God gave Joseph doors to walk through, doors of obedience. 00:43:36.880 --> 00:43:54.480 God's grace, God's freedom, God's plan, God's sovereignty are literally doors that swing on tiny hinges called obedience. 00:43:55.679 --> 00:43:58.079 And when the door opens, you walk through it. 00:43:58.159 --> 00:44:00.639 That's what we see in the story of Joseph. 00:44:00.960 --> 00:44:02.400 It looks bleak. 00:44:02.639 --> 00:44:05.440