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Hey, I’m going to invite you to Genesis. Chapter 46 is where we’re at together today. We’re studying the book of Genesis. Genesis chapter 46. We have after today, four more weeks, and we’ll be at the conclusion of the book of Genesis. And if you have been here, as we’ve gone through this book, we have walked through the book of Genesis. In a year, we’ll end in four weeks, which will be right at the year mark. So we have studied the book of Genesis over the over the last year, which is indicative of what we are about as a church. If you’re new to ABC, our preference in teaching is expository teaching, where that’s where we walk verse by verse, through passages of the Bible, to talk about what Scripture says so that we do not corrupt it or pervert it as people, but we can collectively study it together. And so we’re in Genesis chapter 46, uh, today, and we’re dealing with the the will of God as we look at this chapter, particularly using Jacob’s life as an illustration. But he is seeking after God’s will for his life and his family. And so today it puts us in the position of asking about how we determine God’s will for our own life. And maybe you’ve asked that question, you know, why did God make me? What does God want from me? What does God want for me? You know, there comes times in our lives where we seek after God’s will.
And I find it’s typically as as our life kind of swings from one spectrum to the other, meaning, uh, we often will ask that question when we go through significant loss or find the opportunity of gain. And what I mean is, we might find ourselves having experienced some sort of loss, whether it be loss of a loved one, a loss of of some sort of identity or position in life. And all of a sudden when we have that sort of loss, we kind of take a step back and ask, sort of ask the question, what have I been doing? What is really my life about? What am I going to make my life for? You know, we’re kind of evaluating what the next step should look like as we’re reeling from and coping with the idea of loss. The other time that we might ask that question is when we have opportunity presented to us, where you might have the privilege of taking on a new position, which might include maybe a move or or a pay increase, and you’re wondering whether or not you should be stepping into whatever the opportunity is before you. It doesn’t just have to be with a job, but that’s one of the common things we might ask God for his direction in. But but either way, whether it’s in in loss or whether we’re looking at opportunity, we I find as as believers, that’s typically a time where people are asking the question, what? What is God’s will for my life? How do I discover it? And this is where we find Jacob in Genesis chapter 46.
He is seeking God’s will for his life. In fact, for him, his situation is has driven him to seek what God’s desires for his life when he has been faced with an opportunity. If you remember how the Book of Genesis has gone up to this point, we’ve been following the life of Joseph. Joseph was a character that his brothers hated, sold him into slavery, didn’t really know what happened to him after that. He had been gone for over 20 years. He was sent down to Egypt and sold as a slave in Egypt. He eventually rose to power in Egypt. He became second in command. He led Egypt through a famine that was lasting for seven years. It was during this famine that his brothers and the Promised Land were sent by by their father to go to Egypt in order to acquire food for the family, because they were dying in this famine. And while they were in Egypt, they discovered Joseph was there, Joseph was alive, Joseph was second in command. And Joseph told his brothers, go back home. Get the entire family. Get father, let’s move down here. I can take care of you. You won’t die during this famine. And so in Genesis chapter 46, this is the story where Jacob is now taking his family and moving to Egypt.
But before he goes, he’s asking that question in opportunity. God, what is it you desire for us? It says in Genesis 46, verse one, So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to God, his father. I love this with Jacob, because here he is with an opportunity. And for many of us you might look at this and think, this is a no brainer, right? Uh, this is you found your son, who you thought had been dead for some couple of decades, and now he’s alive. And not only is he alive, he can help your family. And not only can he help your family, your family is facing death unless it gets help. And so for Jacob, this this decision logically makes a lot of sense. But before he takes the step, he wants to ask of the Lord. But Lord, still is this your will for my life? And sometimes we we can equate what is easy and comfortable as this is what God wants for me, when in reality sometimes God calls us to places that might be a little more difficult and adverse. And so Jacob is asking that question. God, even though it might look good on paper, is this really what you desire for my life? And and Jacob’s asking this question.
Question is rather as if he would rather be obedient to the Lord than just simply walk a road of luxury in this world. God, what is it that you desire for my life? And I love when he’s asking this question. I don’t think it’s any accident that he that they tell us where he is when he asks this question, before he fully leaves this promised land, he goes to Beersheba and he asks, God, God, what is it that you desire for our family? Lord, really lead me in this. And the reason this is important is because of what Beersheba represents. If you remember, we are first introduced to this place in Genesis chapter 21, and we are introduced to this place in the life of Abraham. And we are introduced to this place at a time when Abraham had really he lived his entire life in this land of promise, but he lived it as a nomad. He never owned any property in this promised land, except for the plot of land he purchased to bury his wife. But there was this moment in the book of Genesis where it tells us in verse 33, it gives us this weird verse, this verse that when you read it, at first glance, it’s like, why are you telling me something so insignificant and unimportant about Abraham? In chapter one verse 33, it tells us he comes to Beersheba and he plants a tamarisk tree of which any of us normally should read that and be like, who cares? You know, I’ve planted lots of things in life I don’t really care to read about Abraham planting some tree in some place that I’ll never visit, right? Like, why does that? Why should that matter that Abraham plants a tamarisk tree and and the reason for that is because it’s, it’s identifying for us that Abraham is putting down roots, that this is right after Isaac has been born.
He’s stepping into the promise that God has given him, and he’s showing his his desire to want to step into that promise by putting down roots through the form of planting a tree. Because, you know, when it comes to planting anything, the thing that takes the longest to to grow and to build in order for you to appreciate it is going to be a tree. And if you know anything about Abraham’s life in Genesis chapter 21, he’s 100 years old, right? And when you’re 100 years old and you’re in the business of planting trees, you’re you are not going to enjoy the luxury of what that tree is going to produce. In fact, to plant that tree, what you’re communicating is you’re thinking about future generations. You know, if you’re 100 years old and you’re here, I’m so happy you’re 100 years old in here, right? I don’t want to take away from being 100 years old, but but you, you know, the older you get each day, you start to realize.
Or you should realize each day is more of a more of a gift. You grow into appreciation, especially as you start hitting the older years of your life, the later years of your life, most particularly when you’re 100. But that’s not a time to get in the tree planting business. You know, if you want something you can appreciate in life, you plant a crop because you know by within a few months you’ll, you’ll reap from from its fruit. But when you plant a tree that takes years. So for Abraham to plant this tree in this land, he’s thinking about future generations and what God’s going to do based on his promises. And now Jacob is faced with the idea of, but do we leave that promise? Do we leave that land? What’s going to happen to us? What’s going to happen to God’s people if we walk away from this place in which my my grandfather was called? Are we walking away from God altogether? And so for Jacob, this was a very important moment where he is seeking God’s will for not only himself, because he’s also in his later years, he’s a 130 years old, is going to tell you in Genesis chapter 47, is he seeking God’s? He’s seeking God’s will not only for himself, but also for his lineage. And what is that going to look like? So we look at Genesis chapter 46.
We’re going to talk about today seven encouragements for discovering God’s will for your life. And I want you to know up front, anytime anyone brings up seven points to anything, you’re not going to remember that. Okay, so seven points is a lot, but I want us to walk through this passage and see how God’s will is unfolding for Jacob and what he’s learning as he’s walking in in relationship to the Lord, as God’s will unfolds for him in order to reflect in our own lives. And when we talk about God’s will in these passages, here’s here’s my hope for you is that if the Lord uses any of these points for you, just maybe 1 or 2, just grab a hold of 1 or 2 and let God churn that over in your own soul and what that means for your life as you follow him. And don’t don’t obsess about seven things, but rather look for 1 or 2 things God can teach you in this. And so seven things in discovering God’s will for your life. Point number one is this if you want to find God’s will to know God’s will, you must get to know God’s Word, to To know God’s will. You must get to know God’s Word. And this is exactly what what Jacob wants to do in this passage. He’s going to Beersheba. He’s he’s worshiping the Lord for the purpose of discovering God’s will through God’s Word.
And God shows up and speaks to him. He says in Genesis chapter 46, verse two, And God spoke to Israel in a vision of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, here I am. And then he said, God said to him, I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. And I want you to know, at first glance this passage might look like Jacob is cheating. Okay? Because I mean, who of course is going to have any hard or difficulty determining God’s what God’s will is when God just shows up and just says it to you, right? God talks to him, you know? So when you find God’s will, of course it’s easy to find God’s will when when you just worship the Lord and God audibly talks back to you. Right? But for us, that’s not the luxury that we we have. Meaning. That’s that’s that’s not particularly what God does for us. But but I want you to know what God has done for you, I find, is far more important and more simplistic for us really, to discover what God’s will is for our life. That while you look at Jacob and you think, man, God showed up for him and spoke to him, I wish God would show up and speak to me. The reality is, he has done that and I don’t mean audibly.
God shows up and talks to you. If that’s you this morning, then see me after service, right? But but we got a couple things I need to check. But, but, um. But but when we talk about God speaking to us, here’s what’s important for you to know is that God did pursue you the way he pursued Jacob. Um, in the form of becoming flesh. And God did deliver to you his word in the form of of the Bible. Think about where Jacob is in these moments. There is no Bible. The Bible hasn’t been written yet. Moses is the first author of Scripture. And so for him to to know God’s Word, God is gracious enough to, to show up and, and share that with him. But God has also done the same for you. And we live, I think, in an even better time than Jacob, because the promises of God have been fulfilled in Jesus. And so we’ve seen how the story has unfolded and the faithfulness of the Lord, that the Messiah has come to deliver us in him, that we could know him and walk with him with our lives. And not only that, that he has given us His Word, that we could we could understand him and hear from him. And it’s been often said, if you want to hear God speak to you, read His word. And if you want to hear God speak to you out loud, read His Word out loud.
And this is God’s Word to you, that you would know his his will for for your life. You know when it when it comes to knowing God’s Word. Um, Jesus, more than anybody, the the most. Let me say it like this. The most specific question, the most popular question Jesus asked in the Gospels. Do you know what it is? There’s one question he asked more than any other question in Scripture, and it was this have you not read? When Jesus is going around teaching about his kingdom, proclaiming to the religious leaders and the non-religious people, Jesus asks them that question over and over as he’s teaching. It’s like they’re they’re discovering things for the first time. And Jesus is asking him, have you not read like this has been written down, right? Have you not read Jesus? Even later goes on to say, you err in not knowing the scriptures. And Jesus is saying to the first century as well as to our century, he didn’t keep his will hidden from us. If you want to know what God desires for your life, you should read His Word because he wrote His Word, that you may know him and understand what he desires for you. Sometimes as people, when we want to know what God’s will is for our lives, we tend to think of it like this.
Uh, the difference between a dot and a circle. A lot of people, when they when they want to know what God’s will is for their lives, they’re asking from the perspective of a dot, and they’re forgetting God’s interested more in the circle. Now let me explain what that means. When people often say, okay, I want to know God’s will for my life. What they often want from the Lord is to know that one thing that God wants them to do. What is that thing God wants me to do, right? But but rather what you find when you read scripture that God is not as interested in what you’re doing, but rather he’s more interested in the circle, and the circle represents you. God is more interested in who you’re becoming. There’s a there’s a lot of freedom in the way that you can live your Christian life as you come to know the Lord. But, but, but God is far more interested not in what you’re doing, finding that dot and just staying on that dot and fighting for that dot. But rather he’s more interested in the circle who you are becoming because God knows if he can get your heart, he will change your life. And as he changes your life, he can direct your path into the things he calls you to do. But it’s not until God reaches your heart, transforms your life that you then have the opportunity to see this world as God sees it, to then live for his glory and the things that you do.
So rather than obsess about the Dot, what I need to do, it’s more about asking the question am I truly surrendered to him and who I am becoming? Because if God gets my heart, he will change my life. One of my favorite songs in In Worship, or one of my favorite lines in a worship song, is break my heart for what breaks yours. Everything I am for your kingdom’s cause. It’s learning to see this world as God sees this world. To let your heart reflect his heart And as you do, God transforms your life. He leads your passions into things you can do for his glory. He leads your passions into particular people groups that you can encourage in him. But it’s not until God has your heart that he changes your life. And if you just obsess about the dot without really knowing the Lord, when you get to that dot, how are you ever going to live for God’s glory when you don’t even know him? The only way you can truly live for God’s glory when you find something to do, is by having already a walk with him and knowing him through His Word. And as your life is filled with the Word of God wherever you go, you can live for his glory. To obsess about the dot and miss the opportunity of just walking with him.
You can live your whole life and maybe not discover a particular dot, but understand who you are in Christ and just live your life for his glory. Wherever you are that God has you just be. Be planted where the Lord has you, that you can flourish in him and bless other people. Point number one to know God, to know God’s will, you must get to know God’s Word. Number two I got seven of these, so I got to move faster. Seven. Number two is this. Don’t let fear lead you from where God has called you. Don’t let fear lead you from where God has called you. God repeats this often with his people, and God will lead some of us to something new, something different, something unfamiliar. We know what our life has been about when we’ve lived for the world, right? But but to walk with the Lord, we have to let go of the things of this world in order to to walk within. And sometimes we’re reluctant to do it. And God says this often in Scripture over and over again, some 300 plus times in the Bible. Do not be afraid. Because our tendency as human as human beings is to live our life out of fear rather than live in faith. Fear is about what you’re running from. Faith is about what you’re moving toward, and God is far more interested in the direction of your heart than simply what you’re walking from.
You know, I know plenty of Christians that if you ask them to describe their Christian life, it’s been a life of about avoiding bad things, right? They’re afraid and they’re they’re avoiding things. And you can live your whole life trying not to do bad things and still have no relationship with God at all. But God is interested in as you walking life with him by faith, not not walking life out of of fear. In Second Timothy chapter one verse seven, it says, God doesn’t give you a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. It’s what you’re walking toward. And so for you as a believer, in order to get to that place, what we’ve got to learn is, is the sovereignty of the one that we’re trusting in, over and above any challenges in this world. And in fact, I would say it like this in the Bible, you’re only ever commanded to have one fear. One fear, and And it’s not a fear of being afraid. It’s a fear of reverence toward. And that fear is the fear of the Lord. And Proverbs chapter one, verse seven, it says this. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Here’s what this looks like. The fear of the Lord is this place of reverence, where out of all the fears that you can have in life, you realize that God is far greater than it all, and God has called you to him and that God is going to walk with you.
No matter what you go through in life, as you, as you pursue life with him. And so the fear of this, of the Lord is this reverence for the sovereign power of who God is. It’s resting in his power over and above anything else. It’s a it’s a faith about what you’re for and rather than what you’re running from, finding your identity and his purposes. It’s this understanding of the greatness of God. And at the same time, realizing that it is a gift to be able to walk with him. The fear of the Lord, this magnificent God who calls me in his presence and offers me his grace that I may know him. Rather than letting fear lead our lives, we. We go where God has has called us. I often compare the fear of the Lord to the idea of a hurricane. When I was in high school, I lived on the very southern tip of Alabama, right on the Gulf Coast, the border of Florida. And while I went to high school in Alabama, there were a few times where I was in, well, tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes. You get the whole gamut through there. But a couple of times that the eye of a hurricane passed over our home.
And I remember the first time I went through a hurricane, it was it was a force to reckon with, for sure. But one of the most interesting things occurred to me as a as a kid, I was probably 14 years old. The first hurricane I went in, um, I remember we’re sitting in the home. I’m listening to the radio, listening to people talk about the storm. Trees are falling down all around us. And within just a couple of seconds, all of a sudden, it just became absolutely calm outside. And it blew me away. So much so that I got up and I walked out the front door, and I remember looking at all the trees that were down. And then I looked up and it was completely clear in the sky. There wasn’t even a cloud above us. The only thing that was around me were birds. There were birds everywhere and I was blown away. I thought me and my first hurricane. I didn’t know hurricanes ended like that, right? You got all this 100 plus mile an hour wind, and within two seconds, absolutely nothing. And I stood outside for about, uh, 30 minutes. And I remember walking back in, listening to the radio again. And what I found out is that we were actually right in the center of the eye of the hurricane, which happens to be the calmest place to be, so much so that birds seek solace in the eye of the storm.
And as I grew older in years and came to know the Lord, I thought, man, that is that is a perfect example in the sovereignty of who God is. Out of all the things someone can fear, God is the force to be reckoned with. But at the same time, he is graciously intimate and concerned with my life to the point that he gave his own life, that I could find freedom in him. And so, while while God is a wrathful, just God, he also has delivered me grace. And in that grace I discover his peace, that his power is for me, not against me. And rather than walk in fear and things of this world, I know I am completely secure in him. And so when it comes to understanding God’s will, there is this tendency for us as human beings to run all the what ifs in our head. I mean, every time God is saying this word, don’t be afraid in Scripture. It’s because his children are running all the what ifs in their head. What if this doesn’t work out? Jacob would think, what if we don’t make it back to the promised land? What if my family doesn’t want to participate in this? What if, what if, what if? And God finally says, stop taking. Putting your attention on the ifs. And put your attention on who I am and what I promise you.
And God’s promises are given to him in verse four. Which brings me to point number three. Um, God’s will for my life is always greater than me. God’s will for my life is always greater than me. And you see how God says it to Jacob in verse four, I myself will go down with you to Egypt. This, this. Stop thinking about the what ifs. Think about the greatness of who I am, and I will also bring you up again. And Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes at me, saying, you’re resting in me. Things will, things will work out. And and he’s learning. God’s plan is always greater than who he is because it’s resting in him eternally. It’s resting in the power of who he is. And sometimes, to be honest, as people, even as Christians, we just don’t dream big enough. We buy into the facade that, you know, from a worldly perspective, if I just get X in my life, then I’ll be satisfied. Then I’ll be happy. We’ll say things like, you know, if I just made a little bit more money or. Or if I got this promotion or if I just owned this one thing, then, you know, then I’m finally going to be content. And what you discover is that your life, no matter how many times you reach for those worldly things, you may find temporary happiness in it, but you’re not ultimately satisfied because your life wasn’t made for this world.
It was made for so much more that your your life was intended to be shaped in, in who Christ is from, from an eternal perspective. And Joseph in this story, he’s thinking in the Lord. He’s thinking about future generations. That God, you’ve got a promise not just for me, but you’ve got a promise that’s going to bless generations to come. And I don’t want to be the one that messes that up, but rather, I want to continue to walk in your glory to provide the opportunity for the next generations to live for your purposes in this world. And it’s the same thing. True for for our church. When we planted ABC, I can I can tell you the the hope from the beginning was far bigger than ourselves. You know, the reason we started a church here in ABC in Lehi is we wanted to find the highest concentration of population with with the least mainstream Christian presence in this the state. And so this was it. But the ultimate hope for us was, was to see something established through our lives that would far outlive us to be a light in our community, which is why we say as a church, we exist to give ourselves away for the glory of God to the benefit of others. We always want to be thinking outside of ourselves because we know God created us for a purpose that’s greater than ourselves.
But it’s not until we let go of ourselves in order to surrender ourselves to the goodness of who he is, that we will ever begin to live for that purpose. In fact, in first Thessalonians chapter four, verse three, it says this, for this is the will of God, your sanctification. I mean, it can’t be more simplistically put than than this verse. And the idea of sanctification is you being set apart for God’s purpose, that you discover who you are not in yourself, but outside of yourself in the Lord, because he is the one that created you, and you’ll never live for the purpose for which he has designed you. And until you surrender your life to him. I think it’s interesting often in Scripture when it talks about the will of God, what follows it, and first Thessalonians four is one of many verses, I think, that often goes this direction, but it says that you abstain from sexual immorality. I mean, he starts in this passage to list what it looks like to live for God’s glory, but the first thing he goes to is our identity and our own sexuality as people. Because what you’ll discover is that as people, when we’re living for our own purposes, it’ll be for our own pleasure. And it begins to to to look to our sexuality first, that we want to be in charge of identifying who we are, rather than surrender ourselves to who he is, to let God shape us according to his desires in this world.
God made you for a reason, and the hope of our church is that our people, all of our days, would be given over to his glory. To say, God, have your way with me. Lord, show me the reason for which you have created me, that I may walk in all of my days and not only have the joy of knowing you, but God through that the opportunity that others may know you too. David Brainerd was a missionary that to Native Americans. He died in the 1700s. He only lived to be about 27 years old. But he gave one of my my favorite quotes of any missionary in history. It’s in the second half of this quote here, but David Brainerd said it like this let me forget the world and be swallowed up in the desire to glorify God. Lord, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am. I think that’s beautiful. You want to live life for your purposes, doing things in your own strength. You can, but you want to make an eternal impact. The only way that’s possible is to live for a purpose greater than yourselves. And the only way that happens is when your life is surrendered to the Lord. God, help me make a difference in this world utterly disproportionate to who I am. Point number four following God’s will may not be easy, but it will be fulfilling.
Following God’s will may not be easy, but it will be fulfilling. And this is what Jacob is doing in this story. Moving an entire family. The distance he has moved is not easy at any point in history. Um, especially at Jacob’s point in history. There is no moving company to call. There is no U-Haul to rent. There is no pay someone to just box it up with you and they’ll ship it to you in a couple of days. This is caravan after Caravan of camel and whatever else they can carry things on. Leading 66 people from from the Promised Land to Egypt. This is not an easy decision. But you you see it happen in verse five it says, And Jacob set out from Beersheba, the sons of Israel carried Jacob, their father, their little ones and their wives, and the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt. Jacob and all his offspring with him, his sons and his sons, sons with him, his daughters and his sons, daughters, all his offspring he brought with him into Egypt. And then it goes on and shares the lineage, which I’m not going to read all of the, the lineage of, of Jacob’s family at this point. But then in verse 26 it says, all the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons.
The sons wives were 66 persons in all. All the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were to all the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were 70. Could you imagine that? I mean, I would have tapped out, I think, 70 people that would have been so chaotic. I think there describes, you know, some of them, the most difficult things people can go through in life. One is a job change, which Jacob is going through that now, the other is is a move which they’re doing that right now. Um, it’s two of the top five most difficult things a human being goes through. Jacob is doing that in in this story. This would and 66 people. I would have been like, you know what, guys? I’ll just go by myself. Yes. You stay here. Could you imagine? I would have just been. It would have been more than people they’ve got. This is an agricultural society. All of that livestock driving at hundreds of miles. That. That would have been impressive. Could you. You would really learn how much the fruit of the spirit is a part of your life on this journey? How much is my life has really given over to Jesus? Do I? Do I really love and live in love and and joy and peace and patience and kindness? Is that who I am? They would have had some self reflection on in this story, but following God’s will for for our life is not necessarily easy, but it is fulfilling.
In Genesis 47 is going to tell you that Jacob is 130 years old when he takes this trip. Yeah, I even think the the patriarch of the family, his grandfather Abraham, when Abraham started this journey. 70 years old, he leaves the place that he is familiar with at a time where he could have just kicked back and enjoyed the fruits of his labor, to go to a land where he was a foreigner and he in a place he would never own any property for the purpose of following God. That was not an easy move. It’s the equivalent of today to tell your friends and family if you’re wherever you’re from, I’m going to move across, you know, the country or to a different country and your friends and family think, oh, okay, is it like a pay raise or a you climbing the ladder in your in your corporation and you would just say, no, it’s actually a pay decrease and I’m actually taking a lower position. And they would look at you dumbfounded. Right. And then they would ask, well then why in the world are you doing that? And your only response hopefully would be because I want to live for God’s glory.
And God’s called me to a place to make a difference. And for us, it shouldn’t be so much about what I what I get from this world, but the opportunity I have for the Lord. And how can God use you and where you’re going for his purposes? Because it is possible that just simply taking a pay raise or or a higher position in your job, that that while you might climb the worldly standards, you can decimate your family in the process. You can uproot them from a place where they’re where they’re made to thrive. Because where you’re moving to has been more about an earthly, earthly focus rather than a godly focus. And, but but in the other side of the coin, you can completely move to a new area with for an understanding of saying, look, we’re a family that loves the Lord. Moving to a place where people may not know the Lord, and God can use our family to make a difference in this world. And so there’s a there’s a missional shift in how that happens in your life as a believer to understand what is leading you things of this world or the calling of God, and learn what it means to to walk in that. You know, sometimes I find people when they step into that, they might do it like this. They they follow the earthly process first, and then they just kind of invite God into it later.
But, but, but God calls us to so much more in this world. And by the way, I can’t think of a better place to live for God’s glory than in Utah. Out of all the places that you can honor God with your life, this is one of the most incredible places to make an impact for his glory in this world. I mean, this is the first mainstream Christian church building to ever exist in this city. And this is a beautiful place to gather, to honor God together and to seek his face. And then not only from that. Guys, when I think about living for God’s glory in this world. Um, to to think about this Sunday. This is just an hour. But but God has called you once you leave these doors to live on mission for him to make an impact where you are and your family and your friendships and your work. But but that doesn’t happen by inviting God to the equation later. It starts by surrendering your life to God now and then letting God direct your steps in this world. Following God’s will may not be easy, but it will be fulfilling. Point number five seek wisdom from godly friends and mentors. Seek wisdom from godly friends and mentors. Christianity is not a solo sport. God calls us to to success as a community. It’s not about me trying to impress you with who I am.
It’s about wanting to discover who God is together and me using my life to serve you, and you using your life to serve the the church in order that we be successful as God’s community. You know, one of the things I love about the idea of the church, the church has local expressions all around the world, and depending on where you are in a local church around the world, the expression of God’s people can look a little bit more unique than in other places. And part of that is because God’s gift at each church differently, each culture differently, we all have the same truth that we walk in or we should walk in, but the way we choose to live that out culturally can look unique, especially as culture changes and as culture changes. God’s people learn to to take his word, his truth to that culture in order to minister to them. Paul said in first Corinthians one, uh, excuse me, first Corinthians chapter nine, verse 19, I become all things to all people for the sake of the gospel. Meaning he wants to meet people where they are and help them understand the truth of who God is. He doesn’t change the truth. The truth does not bow to anyone but but rather we learn how to meet people where they are, to understand the truth of who God is. And we have the beautiful privilege of doing that here as God’s community.
And one of the things that makes that so important is to understand how God looks at his church. Jesus refers to his church as his bride in Ephesians chapter five. This is his bride. You want to make any husband mad? Do something against his wife, right? You mess with my wife. You mess with me. That’s how that works. You touch her, I’m going to hit you. That’s how. That’s. That’s how I will defend her. There is chivalry, right? That’s how it should work. Because she is God’s gift to me. She is precious to me. You think about. I’m sorry. A minister just talked about being violent, but. But you think about God’s church. This is his bride. And if you want to show your love to Jesus, one of the most beautiful things you can do is love his bride. And she’s not always perfect. But one of the things that we we learn in this relationship together, that God has called us to as a community, that if we walk in humility, we always have the opportunity to help one another become who God has called us to be. Which means to say to you and to me, look, if your Christianity looks like this, you just show up to church on Sunday for one hour and that’s all your Jesus and that’s it. And there’s so much more that God has called you to in him to To understand that God has gifted you in ways to use your gifts to bless others, that you may glorify God together.
You don’t win as you. We win as as us. For for Jacob it says in verse uh 28, he had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen. And they came into the land of Goshen. So? So Jacob knew. Look, I can’t go out ahead, but he’s thinking about his family, and he knows God wants to lead them. And so he sends someone out ahead of them to lead them in the path before them. Same thing is true in God’s God’s people. Um, when you go through new seasons of life, you may not. You may be in a season where like, I don’t know how to do that yet and follow the Lord. But good news other believers have. And when you make a community out of God’s family, you can seek their wisdom and what it looks like to honor God as they had walked that path before you. And so God’s community becomes invaluable to us in order to follow after the Lord together. Let me give you the next point. I’m going to do these next ones faster. Um, um, make make sure to celebrate the fruit. Make sure to celebrate the fruit. And you see this in the life of Jacob when he gets into the promised land, it says this. Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel, his father, in Goshen.
He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck. A good while. Israel said to Joseph, now let me die, since I have seen your face, and know that you are still alive. He’s saying in this story, look, I thought my son was dead for for over two decades. But I found out he’s alive. And when he sees him for the first time, they They take that moment and appreciate what God has done by reuniting them. It’s a beautiful story, but same thing for us as a church. We need to celebrate when God does beautiful things among our community. You should share. When God does something beautiful in your life with other believers, they can celebrate that with you even. For example, last Sunday we had a cookout after our services at the park. The money we raised is going to our trip to Uganda. We’re taking in October. Um, you know, we had over $1,000 given towards that trip. So as a church, your generosity was a tremendous blessing. So thank you for that. And that’s that’s a celebration. Can I just tell you that’s a mini picture of the heart of giving in this church community, um, that you guys are a generous people, not in just, uh, financial resources, but any resources that you you’ve used to be a blessing to others, your your time, your talents, your abilities, just wanting to be a vessel for God to use in this world to bless others.
And we see that repeated over and over again throughout the year. Um, that God would use us and we want to celebrate that. And here’s why. The things you celebrate, you will replicate. And we do that with anything in life. Like I’m a Utah Jazz fan, which means if you’re here and you’re a Laker fan, I don’t like you already. I’m just kidding. I’m just kidding. But I don’t know. I shouldn’t say that, but I’m a jazz fan, okay. My hope one day is to see the jazz win. I talk about the things that I love. Right? And then I just want to get with people that we talk about that together. And before, you know, we’re celebrating you just what you celebrate, you replicate in life, you you just churn it over more and more and you find people that just want to celebrate that with you. And and the same thing is true with your life. When Jesus does things in your life, when you share that you celebrate it. It perpetuates that idea with others. When God does something monumental in your life, taking the time to celebrate that and to celebrate with those who care about that with you, that it replicates that in your life. That’s why as a church, for example, we do baptisms. We we want to make a big celebration of that because it’s not always easy to step out in baptism.
People don’t like to have all the attention on them and then get wet while people are looking at you, right? That’s that’s a weird thing until you realize what it what it represents and how it spurs on people in the faith to pursue the Lord as well. You become an example. And so what we celebrate, we replicate. And last is this don’t let circumstances change who you are. Let Christ. Don’t let circumstances change who you are. Let Christ. It says, Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, my brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. And the men are shepherds, for they have, have have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their livestock and their herds and all that they have. When Pharaoh called, calls you and says, what is your occupation? You shall say, your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth, even until now, both we and our fathers, in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians. I love this. And they showed up into Egypt, and Pharaoh was like, you can have any job. You guys are so cool. What job do you want? I mean, they could have just been like, I want to be an astronaut, right? Like they could have picked anything but.
But rather than pick anything, they picked shepherds. Even knowing that shepherds were considered an abomination to the Egyptians. Now, why would they do that? Well, it’s because if they had picked something like an astronaut, not only would that have been frustrating for them because they weren’t astronauts, it would have been frustrating for the people they served because, well, they weren’t astronauts. That’s that’s a terrible way to serve people. They’re not blessed by what you’re doing when you’re doing what you’re not. Right. But but when you live out who you are in the Lord, it becomes a blessing to other people. And who cares if people think it’s popular or not? You know, there are things in the body of Christ that are prominent, but there are also things that are important, and things that are prominent aren’t always necessarily what’s what’s important. For example, this morning, standing on a stage, this is a prominent spot. But can I tell you what’s more important is how you choose to live when you leave this place. I think sharing God’s Word is important. I think it has a place, but this is prominent. What’s important is how God affects your heart. To change your life, to live for his glory in this world when you leave. Because this is just one hour on a Sunday. You’ve got the rest of the week to walk with Jesus and honor him and the things that you do, that’s far more important.
So there are things that are prominent and there are things that are important. And Joseph takes the identity of a shepherd, much like Jesus, who during Jesus’s day, being a shepherd wasn’t popular. It was still treated with with as an abomination and looked down upon as the lowest job in society. But but Jesus wasn’t here to impress the the wealthy and the powerful. Jesus was here to simply reach hearts, and he wanted people to understand it was every heart that he was after. And same is true for us. We’re not here to impress people with who we are. We just want to take the talents and resources God has given us to see people impressed with who he is, that they may know him now. Just because we follow God’s will doesn’t guarantee that everyone’s going to like what you do. It doesn’t mean generations to come may necessarily follow him, but it does open the door of opportunity. And when I think about how God can open that door of opportunity as his people surrender to him, and one of the people that often comes in my mind is a man by the name of Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards was considered and is considered the greatest theologian to ever exist in American history. And people have studied his life, and they’ve actually studied the legacy that he’s left behind.
He died in 1758, and someone studied his life from 1758 to 1900 to see what was the results of a godly man. And they came to find out. And this is kind of small, but through through Jonathan Edwards. There were 13 college presidents by the year. By 1900s, there were 13 college presidents, 65 college professors, 75 military officers, 80 public servants, 60 authors, 60 doctors, 30 judges, 100 pastors, 100 lawyers, three US senators, and a vice president. Now, this is certainly more measured by earthly success, but here’s here’s what we discover in the Lord as we seek to bless people. It opens the door of opportunity. And when we continue to be faithful to the Lord, that door of opportunity continues to expand. And for Jonathan Edwards, it expanded into the blessing of his family. And who knows what your future holds. Who knows what the future holds for your legacy? But if you don’t start by being faithful to God’s will for your life today, that that door of opportunity isn’t open. But when we walk in it, the beauty of of who Christ is can be made known. Jonathan Edwards said it like this for his life. His resolution one was to live for God and to, if no one else does, he still will. God’s will for our lives is not a mystery. But as we take time to get to know him, he directs our heart in that path.