Genesis | Pt. 44 It's Bigger Than You Think

Genesis 41:44-45
Joseph in Hebrew means God will give
Pharoah gives Joseph a name that is actually prophetic
Disagreement on the fullness of the name
However there is agreement that name is derived from the Egyptian goddess of life & abundance
Hebrew name - God gives
Egyptian name - Life & Abundance
Genesis 41:46
First thing we are told about Joseph in Genesis 37 is that he was 17 years old
God gives him a dream and makes him a promise
It’s been 13 years; 13 years of crazy
Why so long? Why so crazy
Ever asked God why is this taking so long and why is my life so crazy
Write this down: Before God could do something great through Joseph he had to do so,etching Great in Joseph
Many in here have been waiting years just like Joseph
I want to encourage you that promise delayed is not a promise denied
God uses ovens not microwaves to prepare his people
13 years probably seemed like forever in the oven but the Lord is a master chef
Hebrews 6:12-15,
Faith & Patience
Greater the blessing the greater the patience required
Abraham waited 25 years
In the wait we learn patience
Patience develops the ability to trust God
13 long painful years of preparation
God is not indifferent to our pain either
God hears our cry and He is moved by our pain
We see this so clearly with coming of Jesus
Immanuel – God with us
I find it so interesting that shortest verse in the Bible is Jesus wept
Think about that
Context of why He wept = Lazarus
Why did Jesus cry? He knows our pain
Some people will say your pain and cries don’t move God but only your faith does
Can I show you something I didn’t spend too much time on last week
Matthew tells us of this in chapter 9 verse 35, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”
The ministry of Jesus consisted of three aspects: teaching, preaching, and healing the sick.
All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, emphasize Jesus as a teacher, preacher, and healer.
He is a healing Jesus.
He taught the Word, and He preached the Word with the signs of miraculous healings taking place.
Now why did Jesus heal the sick?
There are a couple of reasons for that.
One is that it validated his ministry and being the Son of God.
It showed that who he said he was, he was.
But there is another reason Jesus healed sick people and that is in verse 36.
Matthew 9:36 says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Jesus healed the sick because he had compassion on them.
Jesus still has compassion towards you and I today.
The cry of His children moves God
Summer - Sermon on Ishmael
Genesis 21:17-18
2017 NYT article on the power of crying
Researches took mice and made them unable to cry; mom wouldn’t respond and they died
Played the sound of a baby dear crying on speakers; moms came
When a human baby cries, a part of our brain is triggered towards action
Baby cries in church and everyone turns
God designed this in nature
Reminds us that if animals and humans respond to cries how much more does God respond to the cries of his people?
God heard those tears and God hears your tears
The God of heaven sees you, he knows you and he hears you
Genesis 21:20-21 s
God was with the boy – 1st time in the Bible that God is said to be with someone
Ishmael’s dad my not have been with him as He grew up but God made sure He was Ishmael
God with us is a huge theme in the Bible, interesting that this phrase is attached to Ishmael who experiences tremendous pain
Everything in the Bible is headed towards God with us
Revelation 21:3-4
God hears our cry
I know over those 13 years there had to have been times when Joseph cried out
God heard him and God fulfilled His promise to him
Genesis 41:47-52
Manassah = Forgetfulness
Joseph did not forget what happened - we later read that he recalls the events
He forgot the sting
Only God can help do that
Ephraim = Fruitfulness
Joseph emphasizes God in both names
God helps us forget and God makes us fruitful
Watch this: God helped Joseph forget so that Joseph could be fruitful
What you hold onto will hold you back
Rehearse it or release it
Rearview mirror example
Genesis 41:53-57
Your purpose is bigger than what you think
Joseph's purpose was not to just get to the palace
Joseph's purpose was to literally feed the world
Your purpose is so much bigger than what you think
This why God brought you here today
So that this preacher would tell you not to give up
It’s bigger than you
Close with a story about a man who experienced something that wasn’t good but it had a bigger purpose
Elijah
Life was crazy like a rollercoaster
Elijah begins with a bang; confronts Ahab & Jezebel (judgement of a drought)
God says go hide at the Kerith Ravine
While at Kerith in a drought God promises to provide