God's Blueprint for your Life 09/20/2020

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Vicky's recording at the back so I don't have to bring my phone with me anymore. It's sitting over here on the side. So I think that's where we'll leave it where it's good to see you. I'm glad that you are glad to see you're here and it does feel good outside. I even got out and watch some other people do some yard work yesterday. So that was nice getting out there and watch other people doing the yard work it out and felt so good. I am not victim appreciate Keith out here cooking and all and having those plates ready for so we can just pick those up on the way and we have some family members here. That's not here. Maybe I can pick one up for Jacob. He's not here. So maybe I'll pick him one up. I doubt he'll see it, but he

That's right. There you go. Pee all the time and all the time. God is good. That's exactly right. All right. Well, let's continue in our study in the Book of Genesis in the life of Joseph now today. I'm going to preach your message. I think it's very important. And I've been titled it God's blueprint for your life. And you know God has a purpose for our lives. And some people never find that purpose and I can't think of anything worse than living life without any meaning or purpose in life. And I'm not necessarily talking about people who are lost. There's some Christians who I've talked to Andover their lives. They just They just kind of had a job and and live paycheck to paycheck or the may have made, you know, a lot of money, but they will just never satisfied. They didn't know if they were doing what God had called them to do. So one of the things that we need to understand is that God has a plan and a purpose and a will He has that for Nations as we going to see here today the nation of Israel, even though Flippa 70 of them and it was one family. He had a wheel and a purpose for them. But he also has a will and purpose for our live individually as well. And so what I want to talk about today is I'm going to give you six steps. To help figure out. What is God's will for my life. What is my purpose in life? What should I be doing? So we're going to read Genesis 45 going to start in verse 16 will finish today in verse 7 of chapter 46, but what I want us to do right now is to read Genesis 45 16 to 19 and 25 to 28. And that's kind of going to give us a little head start on here what we're going to talk about. So remember last week Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers. He finally revealed himself himself in chapter 45 + 40 46 and we stopped off at verse 16, I believe chapter 45. So let's just read that now it says now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh's house saying Joseph Brothers have come. So it please Bay Road and his servants well. 417 and Pharaoh said the Joseph say to your brother's do this load your animals and depart go to the land of Canaan and bring your father and your household income to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land. Now you are commanded do this take cards out of the land of Egypt for your little ones in your wise bring your father and come right now. There's 25 then they went up talk about Joseph's brothers. Then they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. And they told him saying Joseph is still alive and he is Governor over all the land of Egypt and Jacobs heart stood still because he did not believe in don't you love the way the Bible uses metaphors in the says. It could have said and Joseph heart failed him, or maybe it's skip to beat but it says his heart stood still cuz we know a heart supposed to be running nothing supposed to be beaten with his heart stood still verse 27, but when they told him all the words with Joseph had said to them and when he saw the car with Joseph had sent the carry him the spirit of Jacob their father revived then Israel said it is enough Joseph. My son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die. I don't you know, he was a happy man. He was going to go and see him before he died. Well, as I said previously won the most difficult questions that troubles Really mankind is what is my purpose in life? And I'm convinced that most people fear living life without a purpose more than they fear dying. I'm convinced of that just to hear people talk and what an awful thing it is to end one's days only to see God's purpose missed in your life just just missed and you know, I've heard young people talk and they want to know and of course this is this is real anise.

It's a good thing, but they want to know what what does God want me to do and what career path should I take? What do I need to study in school? Who am I going to marry? You know, they do this with sincerity and urgency and they want to know God's purpose and God's will for their life. Who am I going to marry? We all want to know those things especially young people? And there's good news to that. And the good news is that God tells us that we can know what he wants us to do. I hope you believe that I hope your life is not just a crap shot or flip of a coin. I hope you know that God has a wheel in a purpose for your life and you actively are trying to find it because I understand through my years that the people who have searched for God's will the people who have discovered it and the people who have done it are the ones who are the happiest people on Earth. Do you know that you're the happiest when you are doing exactly what God wants you to do? Well in this chapter hear God's purpose for this one family is made explicitly clear here and I think we see some excellent principals here in finding God's will for our own life because he does have a blueprint for your life. And long before Joseph was ever born long before that God appeared to Abraham Abraham was Joseph great-grandfather hundreds of years before Joseph was born and this is what God Said to Abraham. We going to put it on the screen here. It's Genesis chapter 15 verse 13 to 16 that listen to this. No, certainly. This is God speaking to Abraham. No, certainly that your descendants speaking of Jacob and Joseph and all of them will be strangers in the land that is not theirs and will serve them and they will afflict them 400 years. Who's he talking about Egypt. He's call my agent. We're in the process of this family moving to Egypt today and chapter 45 and 46. So this is exactly what Abraham was talking about a hundred or so years before and also the nation whom they serve I will judge speaking of Egypt afterward. They shall come out with great possessions. Remember when they left Egypt and before they got to the Red Sea they took everything the Egyptians have they had it all. Remember hundreds of years before this happened now ask for you. You shall go to your father's in peace. You shall be buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation, they shall return here speaking of the nation. They're going to return back to Canaan for the iniquity of the amorites is not yet complete. So before the life of Joseph ever occurred, this is what the Lord said to Abraham. He's telling us the whole story right here hundreds of years before it ever happened, and he said they're going into captivity you work this nation. But the reason God moved them there is so that he could protect them and so they would intermarry with a Canaanites and they would be safe and Egypt even though they were going to be slaves, but they would be safe and he moved them there so that Nation could grow from 70 70 people moved to Egypt when they came back to Canaan there was over two million. So this is what Abraham and said so Abraham's great-grandchildren was going to experience something very rare. What we're talkin about today. They're going to be transported out of a cannon to a for foreign land for 400 years end up as slaves. And then they were going to leave that land and come back and Conquer The Promised Land see that's God's blueprint. And part of that blueprint is getting ready to come true. His perfect plan is going to unfold exactly the way that he said that it would you see God had a plan for the nation Israel and Jacobs family and friend. He has a plan for your life as well. And I'm telling you whatever his promises are they will unfold in your life just like he says but we have to understand and we have to find it and will never be truly happy until we find out his plan and do it. Well, they're six steps. I want to give you if you want to know God's will they come right out of these two chapters here and it's going to work in our lives the same way. So here's the first step if we going to know God's will We have to take the information step the information. If God is going to get Jacob and his family from Canaan to Egypt. They need the right information. They're not going to move their themselves there in the promised land right now at least Jacob is he's in Canaan. If someone told him to say, hey pick up your bags and go to Egypt he was capable. Why would I do that? This is the land that God has promised us what he would be right it was promised to them, but it wasn't going to turn out exactly the way that he fought. Look what verse 9 says of Genesis chapter 45 that look what you say is here says hurry and go up to my father and say to him. It's a Joseph home to the brothers that says your son Jose Our God has made me Lord of all Egypt come down to me and do not Tarry. He says you come to me and do not tarry now. Look at verses 17 and 18. verses 17 and 18

and Pharaoh said the jokes are lame in chapter 45 say to your brother's do this load your animals in the park go to the land of Canaan, but it looks like he's trying to get rid of them. But then he says bring your father and your household income to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt. You see they needed that information. Jacob was going to need that information to know what he's supposed to do. So the first step in finding God's will for our life is the information step. You see Joseph was God's instrument to give information to his dad Jacob. Now before the Bible was written remember that God spoke to Joseph do dreams. He spoke to Pharaoh through dreams. He would send like an angel sometime to tell someone something but a lot of times he spoke through dreams. What's a times have changed? We have the Bible now. So God hasn't wonderful information device for you to use to find his will you know what that is? It's the Bible. This is everything that God has done and what God has said and it's called scriptures and in between the covers of the scripture. We can find principles and that will give us information that we need to live our lives and do exactly what God has called us to do. You know, the Bible says that the Bible scholar say is inerrant. What does that mean? It means it's without error It also says that is infallible. What does that mean? That means that it can't even contain errors. Not only does it not have heirs. It couldn't even contain errors because God is perfect. So his Revelation to mankind is the Bible in the Bible. You will find out what God wants you to do. So, I'm 32 8 lord said I'll instruct you and teach you in the way. You should go he's promised to do that in the way that we should go and it will have the right attitude toward God we can come to his scriptures and we will find the purpose and meaning that he has for our life. You see the reason a lot of people aren't sure where God wants them to do. Is because they miss out on the first step. They don't know where to go. They'll just go to people friends family and that's okay to go to godly people for advice, but they just go everywhere else and they miss out on the information step and information step for us is God's word back then it was dreams back then it was God telling them you dream this now you go and tell Jacob to come and you do this, but that he didn't he can speed up and drains, but I'm not going to put my money on that guy's going to speak to me and drink. I'm going to look in his word. That's where we're going to find his will and purpose for our life. So we need to collect all the information we can from his book put all these principles together list them alongside the things that we know about ourselves and the gifts and talents that we have in God has promised to direct us. He always will if we are faithful to do our part if you want to know God's will if you were like the first step you have to take if you have to dig in the scripture to see what His word and His holy spirit is going to say to you. That's how he speaks today. That's not that's why the Bible is the book that has sold more copies than any other book in the world is something different about it is Supernatural and his wheel and his purpose for your life is found within these pages. So that's the information stat. Well, there's another step we have to take after that. And it's what I call the confirmation step now if you want to discern God's plan for your life, you have to get some confirmation. God's going to tell us to do something from his word, but it will not only be impressed Upon Our Hearts, but it will be confirmed in our lives and I'm going to give you two ways it be confirmed.

And look at verse 16 if you will in chapter 45. verse 16 says now the report of it was heard in favor of house and Joseph Brothers have come now. Watch what it says. So it please pharaoh and his servants. Well, you see how things are falling in line. Joseph is the governor if you will prime minister, and now he wants to go get his father whero could have seven. I don't want I don't want any more Hebrews over here. You are enough. I don't want you. I don't want your brother's over here. Go back to just go back to Canaan. But no all of a sudden God had soften his heart and he said yes, come you go get him and you bringing you see there's a confirmation step in the first First way that God uses confirmation in our lives is through people it is through people the king and his servants were in agreement that Joseph Family should join them. You know, it's kind of scary sometimes when

What we want to do is not in harmony with God. Now we go to God's word. We have the information step and we say, okay. I think this is what God wants me to do. That's the first step. But then after that God's going to confirm to you if that's true or not, and he will do that through people and You know if it won't be long when you have a big decision to make should I take this job? Should I date this person? What should I do with my money here? You have a big decision what career path? I'm going to take it. It won't be long when you think that God has spoken to you that he'll send someone in your life and they will confirm it. Just out of the blue. Sometimes people will just say will you know, I've been thinking about you and praying about you and this job here. I think this would be good for you. You see people will confirm it. I member when the Lord had called me to preach. I didn't ask anybody you think I have the gift of her people would just come up me. Say Mike. You just have a way of teaching the Bible that makes it so easy to understand people would just tell me that all the time and it confirmed to me what the Lord was doing in my own heart you see and that's the way he works. He doesn't leave us on our own it'll be confirmed by someone else and there's certain kinds of people who who you want to go to to be confirm. Now, there's some people who will try to talk you out of his will some people will do that. They'll just try to talk you out of it. So now you shouldn't do that. That's not who you are. That's not the way you wear. That's not your personality. You shouldn't do that. Well other people may even try to impose their will hear you do I know you better than you know, you hear this is what you need to do. Some people will talk you out of it. Some people try to impose their own wheel, but we need to find godly people who are wise. And if we've got a friend who knows what he's doing and we look at this person and we know this is a Godly person and he walked with the Lord. Those are the type of people that you want to talk to. Those are the type of people that you want to listen to in your life because they won't be afraid to tell you something that you may not want to hear because they are a true friend. So that's the people that we need to understand you want someone who does not have any other motive a hidden motive or something but you won't people who genuinely care about your growth and well-being. So God will use people other people to confirm what it is that you think God wants you to do, but then there's something else that you need to look for. And that is provision now look at it in verses 17 through 20 in chapter 45. And Pharaoh said to Joseph. Save your brother's do this load your animals in the park go to the land of Canaan bring your father and your household and come to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land. Now you are commanded do this. Take carts out the land of Egypt for your little ones in your wise bring your father and come also do not be concerned about your goods for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours. You see what God is doing here is using a rope to provide for them. You see friends list. God is never going to ask you to do something that's impossible. And if you will step out and do what you think that his will is and it's been confirmed by someone you step out and do it God is obligated to provide for you. Why because he's the one that called you he's the one that has the purpose and the wheel for your lot and he's obligated to take care of you. How is he going to take care of them? Not just his words. Not just go get your father will give you carbs will give you all the money. You need will give you all the love. When you want the best man will give you everything you need you go. Get your father and you bring him back. You see that's how God confirms his will in our life through people and also through provision. Psalm 34:10 says those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Friend if you start out doing God's will. He'll show you in his book what you supposed to do and then he will provide for you to do it. He will never let you down. He will provide. I remember when I was going going to school to go preaching at the high in the world. I'm going to leave this house. It didn't hit me until the day that we started moving started loading everything to move in truck and I went in the house. There was nothing in there and then it just hit me. What am I doing? What in the world am I doing? But you have to do it and God will provide and he has provided well by step 2 information step number one and then what's the second step the confirmation step and he'll confirm it through people and through his provision that number 3 in this is the hardest. Is the application stamp? Now, this is the hardest thing I listen carefully. We all we can have all the right information. We can have it confirmed in our minds by our friend. We can have all the provision we need will look here. Someone just gave me some money. I have I have exactly what I need to do. God has provided we can have all that. The friend if we don't obey nothing will happen. You have to do it. And that's the hardest thing to do is to obey God when we're doing something that we think and knowing our heart that he wants us to do. We look like other people have confirmed it we've been provided for but you still have to do it. You got to take the step and do it think about missionaries. I'll talk to him when I was in seminary. They say that was a wonderful thing to be called by God to go to Africa somewhere that to be a missionary. Is that the day when you start boarding the plane knowing you're not going to see your family for another year or two and all the sudden you start questioning and all but I love what it says in verse 21 in chapter 45. Look what it says when Pharaoh told all this. Jacob what to do. It says Ben the sons of Israel did so they didn't sit there and discuss it. They didn't say we let us pray about this. I don't know if we want to go get our father and bring him back here that we need. We need time to think about it and pray about it and talk about it and discuss it. It was it say that it says in the sons of Israel did Flo they did exactly what they wrote and Jacob or Joseph had told them to do they had the information they had the people there confirm. It may ruin all them agreed. They said oh, yeah, bring them back will even give you cards and everything bring everybody back. It was confirmed to him. They had all that. God had supplied their need. But they still had to take that step and walk toward home and they did that. They had to put God's plan in action friend. The hardest thing to do in life is to start obeying God. You know, I like to deer hunt see my tire. I like to deer hunt, but I've learned something.

The longer you aim your rifle. without shooting the more time you give that dear to get away. Your friends if you know what God is calling you to do. The longer you aim without firing. The more time you have the turn your back and walk the other way. Friend when it's lined up in your scope you need to be able to pull the trigger in your Christian life and you need to be able to go and do what he's called you to do, you know. Some of you may know there's somebody here may have worked at a job for a long time 20 25 years. And you felt like the Lord was asking you to change jobs in it hard to write that resignation letter. If you've been somewhere for 15 20 25 years and then the Lord's tell me you need to move over here in that. The hardest thing to do is just to quit and start something new even though God may want you to do that. But the step of Faith you have to take if you want to accomplish his purpose you have to step out in faith and you have to apply what we know to be true and Jacob's sons had to do that. So that's the application step. The information the confirmation in the application now once you obey and once you say Okay God you want me to do that. This is what I'm going to do. Here comes the fourth step and I'm telling you every one of us will go through it. And that is the confrontation stamp. Oh and I want you to look what happens when he sends these boys to go get their dad look at in verse 25 and 26.

Then they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. And they told him saying Joseph is still alive and he is Governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart stood still because why he did not believe them. For nothing. Nothing will take you out of God's will like a spirit of unbelief. You start saying this is what God wants me to do. It's been confirmed. I'm going to go do it friend. As soon as you say that the first thing you're going to run into it some obstacle in your life whether Satan puts it there or whether God allows it. I don't know but you going to run into an obstacle that it looks like I might be doing the wrong thing. You want to run through an obstacle and we see that here Jacobs heart stood still because he did not believe them we get going in the right direction. And before we know it we have a confrontation with unbelief is the greatest obstacle to Faith in the life of Christian unbelieve has ruined the vision of more Christians than any other single characteristic. I think one of the reasons a lot of churches settle for mediocrity is because they're limited by their unbelief. They just don't believe that God can do what he said he will do and we're the same way in our own individual lives. We ought to pray everyday that God would never limit us through our own unbelief. We need to pray everyday that God would help our unbelief because we set up barriers in our lives because we just won't believe that God can do great things in our life. Remember when Jesus came to Nazareth said he did not do many miracles because of their unbelief because the people didn't believe him so he didn't do any Miracles there and sometimes a reason he don't work in our life cuz we just don't believe that he will. Can we try to do things in our own strength and all doubt creeps into the hearts of those when we ought to be walking by faith and trust in God and trusting in his provision and all of a sudden unbelief saddles in I can't do this. I just I just I just don't think I can do it. I know I took the step but now look all this is going bad all this you look at Joseph life. I told him he was going to be brothers and Dad mom is going to Bow before him. He fended up in prison for years. I mean it took 22 years for this to come to fruition. You would think that he just given up but he did but unbelief can settle in like a dark cloud and it can just wipe out God's plan and purpose for your life. If we allow it to there's always going to be confrontation with unbelief for anyone willing to step out and do God's will you'll find conversate it's going to happen it will Well that was step number for so we see it right here. Jacob said no, I'm not going back. I don't I don't believe he's alive. Why would I want to go to Egypt will now have a whole plan is going down the drain what's going to happen? That's what happens in step 5. We need to take the inspiration step. Now look at it here in verse 27. I watch he said well now I'm not going back because I don't believe you look at verse 27 chapter 45. But when they told him all the words with Joseph had said to them and when he saw the carts with Joseph had sent the carry him the spirit of Jacob their father revived now. how does God inspyrus when confrontation comes with the information we we we know what God wants us to do is been confirmed by other people. He's provided for us. We've applied it. We we go out. Okay. I'm going to do it and we start doing it and then all the sudden something bad happens in confrontation comes how does he Inspire us to keep us going three ways. I want to give them to you right here in the same way that he did with Jakob number one. He was inspired by their words and I look what it says again and verse he says but when they told him all the words with Joseph had said to them you see they use the words that Joseph had said Jacob begin to listen to his boys talkin about Joseph in through those words all of a sudden he got inspired if he's alive. I'm going to see my dear son again. I'm going to go see him before. I die. You see his unbelief just melted away. He developed Faith just by the words that was said to him as anyone ever come up to you and just said an encouraging word that just kept you going. Free and this is what through the words of other people you get in the Bible and you read your Bible and all the sudden the verse speaks to you speak to your heart. It just inspires you with this is exactly what happened to Jake all of a sudden these boys start saying wait a minute. Let us tell you what Joseph has said and he started listening to that. He said I'm going to see my son again and all the sudden he's on the right path and he run into this confrontation, but he's just he overcomes it through these words. Well, let me tell you another way he overcome. The only through the words but through the works look at the last part of Earth 27. It says that they told him to words with Joseph had said to them now watch and when he saw the carts with Joseph had sent to carry him. His Spirit was revived. You say not only sometimes it's good to have words of encouragement from people are from the Bible but friend is really good when you can see the real you can see the works and all he saw the carts with Joseph had sent in his Spirit revive great to get a word but it's even better to get hard evidence in this is exactly what he got here. If he the words couldn't revive him the wagons good. He knew exactly there must be something to this. Look at all these wagons this if this is going to carry us all there. And then there's another way we get inspired and he did as well. In the third element of inspiration is worship. I want you to look at it starting in chapter 46 verses 1 through 4. So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the god of his father Isaac. So he was worshipping God now. Watch what happens when we worship God verse 2. Then God spoke to Israel speaking of Jacob in the visions of the night. You see here these dreams again. They don't have the Bible yet. So God spoken these visions of the night and said Jacob Jacob. He said here I am. So he said I am God the god of your father do not fear to go down to Egypt for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt. That's his presence. I will also surely bring you up again. That's his provision and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes, which means when he dies, his son's going to be right there with it. You see when we worship the Lord. when we worship Him it inspires us. Did you know that someone could get inspired here today by listening to this message? Some people get inspired by listening to the singing of God's word or any him that we may think it will inspire you you may be inspired today just by a word that someone says to you today. This is this is how God inspires is Jacob was an old man. He thought for years that his son was dead. And now all of a sudden he finds out that his son is alive and rules Egypt he struggles in believing that but he sees the wagons and he hears the words and he realizes that is true and all of a sudden he says Lesco he starts on his way to Egypt. He took the step of Faith to a bagel and go to Egypt and he did that because he was inspired to do that it overcome his unbelief and he says someday you going to be a great nation, and I'm going to bring your family back to Canaan Isis. Find find he told Abraham hundred years before the exact same thing. Jacob's heart was renewed. He had a word from God and now his worship time has inspired him to move on and do even more you see he was following God's blueprint and friends. You will find God will inspire you when you hit that confrontation when you have a moment of unbelief, he will inspire you with an encouraging word. You'll see that provision. You'll see the things that he's doing for you'll see his works and then when you sit down to thank him in the praise him in the read your Bible still come to you and he'll speak to your heart just like he did Jacob and he'll just give you the confidence just to keep moving on keep going on there what he said. Well, we have one more step if you want to find his will. And that's what I call the realisation step look at it verse 6 and 7. So they took their livestock and their goods wish they had acquired in the land of Canaan and went to Egypt Jacob and all his descendants with him his sons and his son Sons his daughters and sons daughters and all his descendants. He brought with him to Egypt atlass. God's plan was realized his chosen people were getting out of Canaan into the land where they could grow and be protected in Jacob's obedience. Allow God to turn Israel into a great nation friend and he will do the same thing in our lives as well. You see how everybody was involved in the process the Lord shared the information through Joseph then it was confirmed by pharaoh and all them said. Oh, yeah here you come on down and then you have to be willing to a bet you have to be willing to apply. Then all the sudden they face the confrontation of unbelief call Jonas and I are Jacob said I don't believe that but then I What's up in the Lord inspired them to keep going and they eventually realized their dream in France the same thing for your life and mine. It's the same thing it in his word find out what his will and purpose is for your life other people will confirm it. I guarantee it and he will provide for you. All you have to do is step out then by faith and do it just understand obstacles will come obstacles will come but that allow the Lord to inspire you and you can move on just think if Jacob and his family had stayed in Canaan, they would have been absorbed in that Godless culture. The Canaanites were the most vile Wicked people around matter fact when the children of Israel left Egypt 400 years later God told him to wipe out every man woman children and animal of the Canaanites because they were so wicked. He said kill every one of them. So God had Israel set up for time in the land of Egypt. Protected and isolated and they would be under the protection of Joseph because he was the most powerful man in the Kingdom. God knew exactly what his doing. He was doing his plan was perfect for Joseph and his brothers in friend. His plan for you is perfect as well. Now, you know how to find it you go find it and you start doing it and God will bless your life. Amen. Let's pray father we do. Thank you and praise you and love you today for your word Lord. We thank you how we can just look at this story here this very small nation of 70 people. Indoor we see how you move behind the scenes. We see how you worked in their lives Lord help us to use these principles in our own life Lord. Help us the first of all if we want to find out what you want us to do whether his vocation relationships Financial whatever it is help us. First of all to look into your word expecting you to speak to us help us to understand the other people will confirm that you will provide for us as well. We'll have to take the step of Faith to start on our journey looking for the obstacles, but also knowing that you will inspire us through other people through the Bible you'll show us your provision and Lord as we worship and serve you you'll move us along at the exact speed that you want us to go and Lord. I pray for each one in here today that each one will realize their purpose and your will for their life will be done forcing Christ's name. I do pray. Amen.