Joseph: The Dreamer — Abs Prince, 18th August 2024 | LOVECHURCH Bournemouth

Summary

In this engaging and heartfelt sermon, ABS narrates the biblical story of Joseph, emphasizing the highs and lows of his life journey. Through interactive activities involving emojis, she illustrates the emotional roller coaster Joseph experienced, from favored son to betrayal, slavery, imprisonment, and finally, leadership in Egypt. ABS draws parallels between Joseph's forgiveness and Jesus's ultimate sacrifice, challenging the congregation to embody forgiveness in their lives. The sermon concludes with an invitation for personal reflection and prayer, encouraging attendees to seek freedom from unforgiveness and embrace the grace and humility modeled by Joseph and Jesus.

Takeaways

• 🙏 The speaker, ABS, starts with a prayer, asking for guidance and blessing for the service.
• 👨‍👧‍👧 ABS introduces herself as a married mother of two daughters, Ella and Caitlyn (KK), and mentions her family's attendance at the event.
• 📖 The sermon focuses on the biblical story of Joseph, exploring his life's ups and downs, and the importance of faith and forgiveness.
• 🎭 ABS uses the metaphor of 'Emoji Movie' to engage children and relate the story of Joseph to modern-day emotions.
• 👦 Joseph's life is described as a 'roller coaster of emotions', from being a favored son to being betrayed, sold into slavery, and eventually rising to power in Egypt.
• 👕 The 'coat of many colors' given to Joseph by his father is highlighted as a symbol of favoritism, which led to his brothers' jealousy and betrayal.
• 🔮 Joseph's ability to interpret dreams is emphasized, showing his divine gift and how it played a crucial role in his rise to power.
• 🛑 The sermon discusses the importance of forgiveness, drawing parallels between Joseph's forgiveness of his brothers and Jesus' forgiveness of humanity.
• 🙌 ABS encourages the congregation to consider forgiveness, humility, and grace in their own lives, and to seek God's help in these areas.
• 🙏 The service includes a time for prayer, with a prayer team available to pray with individuals, emphasizing the importance of personal connection with God.
• 🎵 The sermon concludes with an invitation to worship, focusing on gratitude and praise for the freedom found in Christ.

Q & A

Who is ABS and what is her role in the transcript?

ABS is the speaker in the transcript. She is a married woman with two daughters, Ella and Caitlyn (KK), and she is leading a church gathering, sharing a message about the biblical figure Joseph.

What is the main theme of ABS's message?

The main theme of ABS's message is the life of Joseph, focusing on his emotional journey from being favored by his father, betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, imprisoned, and eventually rising to power in Egypt, as well as the themes of forgiveness and trust in God.

What does ABS use to engage the children in the congregation?

ABS uses emojis to engage the children in the congregation, asking them to hold up emojis that represent how they would feel in various scenarios related to Joseph's life story.

How does ABS relate the story of Joseph to the children's understanding?

ABS relates the story of Joseph to the children's understanding by comparing emotions to emojis, which are popular among children, and by creating interactive scenarios where the children can respond with the appropriate emoji.

What is the significance of the robe given to Joseph by his father?

The robe given to Joseph by his father signifies his favored status among his brothers, which leads to their jealousy and resentment, ultimately resulting in their plot to kill him and later sell him into slavery.

What biblical event does ABS reference when discussing the brothers' reaction to Joseph's dream?

ABS references the event where Joseph shares his dream with his brothers, in which they will bow down to him, which angers them and leads to their decision to sell him into slavery.

How does ABS describe the emotional roller coaster that Joseph went through?

ABS describes Joseph's emotional roller coaster as a series of highs and lows, from being a favored son to being betrayed, sold into slavery, imprisoned, and finally rising to power in Egypt.

What is the key lesson ABS wants the congregation to take away from Joseph's story?

The key lesson ABS wants the congregation to take away from Joseph's story is the importance of forgiveness, trust in God, and the transformative power of grace and mercy, even in the face of betrayal and hardship.

How does ABS connect the story of Joseph to the story of Jesus?

ABS connects the story of Joseph to the story of Jesus by highlighting the theme of forgiveness and the idea of being betrayed by someone close, with Jesus being betrayed by Judas and ultimately offering forgiveness to all.

What does ABS suggest as a practical application for the congregation after discussing Joseph's story?

ABS suggests that the congregation should consider areas in their own lives where they might need to practice forgiveness, seek grace for dealing with frustrations, and combat pride and ego with humility, offering prayer as a means to address these issues.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 Opening Prayer and Introduction

The speaker, ABS, starts with a prayer for guidance and blessing from the Lord, asking for the audience's words and thoughts to be pleasing to God. She then introduces herself as a married mother of two teenage daughters and lightheartedly mentions the precarious chair she's sitting on, setting a tone for the service. ABS also introduces the topic of the day, which is Joseph's life, and invites Angelina to engage the children with an interactive activity using emojis to express emotions related to Joseph's story.

05:00

🎭 Interactive Emoji Activity

ABS and Angelina conduct an interactive activity using emojis to represent emotions that Joseph might have experienced throughout his life. The audience, including children, are asked to hold up emojis that correspond to various scenarios, such as receiving a favorite gift, being unkindly treated, going to bed late, having something taken away, hearing a joke, and feeling about the church's 10th birthday party. This activity serves as an introduction to Joseph's emotional journey and engages the congregation in a fun and relatable way.

10:02

📖 The Story of Joseph

ABS delves into the story of Joseph, starting from his favored status among his brothers, which led to their jealousy and resentment. She describes how Joseph was given a beautiful robe, similar to the one she is wearing, and how this favoritism resulted in his brothers plotting to kill him. The narrative continues with Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers, who deceived their father with a bloody robe, leading to Joseph's rise in Egypt despite his unfortunate circumstances, showing God's favor upon him.

15:02

🔄 Joseph's Rise and Fall in Egypt

The summary continues with Joseph's life in Egypt, where he was sold to Potipar, an officer of Pharaoh. Despite being a slave, Joseph's success led Potipar to put him in charge of the household. However, Joseph's good looks attracted the attention of Pharaoh's wife, who falsely accused him of misconduct, resulting in his imprisonment. Even in prison, Joseph's ability to interpret dreams brought him to prominence, eventually leading to his role in preparing Egypt for a预言七年的丰收和随后的七年饥荒.

20:06

🤴 Joseph's Reunion with His Brothers

ABS recounts the emotional reunion of Joseph with his brothers during a time of famine when they traveled to Egypt for food. Unbeknownst to them, they bowed down to Joseph, fulfilling a dream he had when he was 17. ABS emphasizes the complexity of Joseph's feelings, having been betrayed by his own family, yet now seeing them bow to him in accordance with his past dream. She invites the congregation to consider their own reactions in such a situation, highlighting the depth of human emotion and the potential for forgiveness.

25:10

🕊 Forgiveness and Grace

The speaker discusses Joseph's remarkable act of forgiveness towards his brothers, who had intended to kill him and sold him into slavery. Despite the betrayal, Joseph tells them not to be angry with themselves, recognizing God's plan in the events that transpired. ABS draws a parallel between Joseph's story and Jesus's, emphasizing the theme of forgiveness and the divine love that forgives and sacrifices for the sake of others. She challenges the congregation to embrace forgiveness as a part of their discipleship, likening unforgiveness to drinking poison and encouraging the release of past hurts for personal freedom.

🙌 Closing Prayers and Worship

ABS concludes the session by inviting the congregation to pray for forgiveness, grace, humility, and any personal struggles they may be facing. She acknowledges the power of prayer and the importance of addressing issues such as unforgiveness and pride. ABS also calls for a time of worship, encouraging the congregation to express gratitude and praise to God for the freedom found in Christ, regardless of their current circumstances, and to lift their voices in celebration of God's love and forgiveness.

Keywords

💡Joseph

Joseph is a central figure in the script, known from the biblical narrative as a man who experienced a series of trials and triumphs. He was sold into slavery by his brothers out of jealousy, yet rose to power in Egypt due to his ability to interpret dreams and manage resources during a famine. His story in the video serves as an example of resilience, forgiveness, and reliance on God's plan.

💡Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a key theme in the video, highlighted by Joseph's response to his brothers who betrayed him. Despite their actions, Joseph forgives them, demonstrating the power of grace and mercy. The script uses this as a teaching moment to encourage viewers to practice forgiveness, just as they have been forgiven by God.

💡Emotions

The script discusses the range of emotions that Joseph went through, from the highs of being favored to the lows of betrayal and imprisonment. Emotions are used as a narrative device to connect with the audience, particularly in the context of emojis to illustrate different scenarios and feelings.

💡Dreams

Dreams play a pivotal role in Joseph's story, both literally and metaphorically. In the script, Joseph's ability to interpret dreams leads to his rise in power in Egypt. The concept of dreams also symbolizes hope, prophecy, and the divine guidance that shapes Joseph's life.

💡Betrayal

Betrayal is a significant concept in the script, referring to the actions of Joseph's brothers who sold him into slavery. This act of betrayal is a turning point in Joseph's life, leading to a series of events that ultimately demonstrate his capacity for forgiveness and God's overarching plan.

💡Faith

Faith is a recurring theme in the video, as it is through faith that Joseph is able to endure his hardships and maintain a positive outlook. His unwavering trust in God, despite the adversities he faces, exemplifies the power of faith in guiding one's actions and decisions.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties, which is a key attribute of Joseph as portrayed in the script. Despite being sold into slavery and imprisoned, Joseph's resilience allows him to rise to prominent positions and to forgive those who wronged him.

💡Leadership

Leadership is a concept explored in the script, particularly in the context of Joseph's roles in Egypt. His rise to power and his ability to manage resources during a famine demonstrate effective leadership. The script also touches on the importance of leading with humility, even in positions of authority.

💡Pride

Pride is discussed in the script as a potential pitfall for those in positions of power or success. Joseph's story serves as a reminder to avoid pride and to remain humble, even when one has achieved great things or has been elevated to a high status.

💡Worship

Worship in the script is a form of expression and acknowledgment of God's grace and forgiveness. It is suggested as a means for the audience to give thanks and praise, regardless of their current circumstances, reflecting the transformative power of recognizing and responding to God's love.

💡Emojis

Emojis are used in the script as a modern and relatable way to communicate emotions and reactions to various life scenarios. They serve as a tool for engaging the audience, especially children, in understanding and expressing the range of emotions that Joseph and others might have experienced.

Highlights

ABS leads a session on Joseph's life, using the metaphor of a roller coaster to describe his emotional journey.

Invitation for Angelina to engage with the young congregation, indicating a collaborative approach to the sermon.

Introduction of an interactive element using emojis to represent emotions, aiming to make the story relatable to children.

Volunteers Jessica and Damy participate in the emoji activity, demonstrating the congregation's engagement.

A scenario-based activity where the congregation holds up emojis to express how they would feel in Joseph's situations.

The use of humor and personal anecdotes by ABS to connect with the audience and lighten the mood.

A detailed recount of Joseph's life story, from favored son to betrayal and eventual rise to power in Egypt.

Discussion on the theme of forgiveness, drawing parallels between Joseph's story and the teachings of Jesus.

ABS's reflection on the human struggle with forgiveness and the spiritual significance of letting go of resentment.

The congregation is invited to participate in prayer for various personal struggles, including unforgiveness and seeking grace.

A call for worship to express gratitude for the freedom found in Christ, emphasizing the importance of praise regardless of circumstances.

ABS's personal testimony on the struggle with pride and the need for humility in leadership roles.

A moment of reflection for the congregation to consider their own experiences with forgiveness and the impact of unforgiveness.

The offer of prayer support from the prayer team and Angelina, showing a community's commitment to spiritual growth.

A closing note by ABS encouraging the congregation to worship and give thanks, regardless of their current life situation.

Transcripts

ABS do you want to come

up and Lord Jesus thank you for abs fill

her with your Holy Spirit

Lord May her words uh of her mouth and

the meditation of her heart be pleasing

to you Lord in Jesus name amen

thank you Chris hello everybody how are

we

doing now I have got a chair perched

here and I'm going to try really hard to

not shift because it's just over the

corner but you know if it does all go

horribly wrong I'm providing

entertainment for this morning when I

fall off the stage I'm going to try not

to so Chris is already introduced me um

yeah I'm ABS I'm married to Glenn we

have two daughters Ella who is 16 and

Caitlyn we call her KK who's 14 uh

they're not here they're teenagers

they're in bed

um never mind um yes what first of all

though we are so we're going to look at

Joseph today I'm going to do a bit of a

I guess it's a bit of a story time just

talking about his life but before I dive

into it can I invite Angelina up who

young people kids we have got some stuff

in store for you Angelina go for it I'll

move out your way amazing I'm not

sitting on that

chair so um this morning um we're going

to be looking at so we're obviously

looking at Joseph and to just introduce

this I was thinking about how Joseph he

went through a roller coaster of

emotions didn't he he went through the

highs and he went through the lows it

was really challenging but also some

really great and exciting moments for

him so I was thinking oh how can we

relate this to the children and children

they love emojis right they love emojis

don't know if anyone's seen the Emoji

Movie so I have some volunteers to come

up this morning if you want to come up

Jessica and damy give them a round of

applause do come on up amazing if you

want to come and stand up

here amazing and everybody in the

congregation children young people

adults you all have something to do as

well of course never going to leave you

out so great to see you thank you for

your help this morning so we are going

to have some scenarios and what you guys

are going to do is hold up the Emoji

that you would feel if you went through

that scenario and congregation what you

need to do is see if you can pull that

emoji all right I'm looking for the best

emojis this morning all right should we

have a practice do you want to give us

an emoji what one do you think

angry how well do we do anger this

morning yeah not bad good is that good

enough what do you think try a bit

harder okay right next one let's have a

try of one more should we which one

Jessica go for it ah can we have a big

laugh this morning haha amazing amazing

so here's our scenarios then so number

one how do you guys feel when you get

your favorite present for your birthday

pick up the Emoji of how you feel

amazing can we do a bit of a celebration

Emoji in this place this morning how do

we celebrate woo don't see any dancing

do you I'd be dancing but you know

amazing

secondly how do you feel when someone is

unkind to you how do you

feel people were unkind to Joseph

weren't they yeah angry what one of you

got ooh so this side of the room we want

anger and this side of the room we need

lots of Tears is anyone good at putting

tears on this morning we know you do it

at home we know it we know it we know it

well let's have a look at this side then

angry faces this morning bet you didn't

expect that in church this morning and

this side of the room let's see some

tears amazing amazing next scenario how

do you feel when you go to bed late and

you have to get up for school in the

morning I'm sure you never never do that

do you never do that okay so we've got

tiredness on this side and anger this

side oh wouldn't want to be with you in

the morning then so this side of the

room can you give us some sleepy faces

can we see some snores this morning can

I hear

some and this side of the room let's

have some angry faces anyone angry in

the morning no of course not no church

people are angry in the morning

never okay amazing pop that down next

one

how do you feel when someone takes your

favorite

thing oh anger tears okay so this side

let's see those angry faces

again amazing and this side let's see

some tears this morning lots of Tears on

this

side how do you

feel when you hear an amazing

joke an incredible

joke or maybe ABS falling off her chair

this morning no any

joking amazing hold those ones up can we

see some big laughter this morning nice

and Loud woo amazing amazing and final

one this one is really important guys

how do you feel about the church 10th

birthday

party okay amazing happy and lots of

Celebration everyone in the room how do

you feel about the church 10th birthday

party don't think that's quite good

enough how do you feel about the church

10th birthday

party

W amen thank you so much if you want to

pop those down so as I said Joseph he

went through a roller coaster of

emotions of highs and of lows and this

morning ABS is going to teach us all

about that and we're going to discover

how Joseph although he felt those

emotions cuz he was real he was human

yet he didn't rely on those emotions he

relied on the love of God and he forgave

and so ABS you're going to tell us all

about that this morning in a much better

way aren't you amen I don't know about

that thank you very much

Angelina all right if I see any of the

um sad or angry faces while talking to

you um well let's hope I don't otherwise

it's all gone a bit wrong okay

so who's been enjoying the uh

Sunshine SL rain that is the British

summer woo now it might be unpopular

opinion I'm not really a hot weather

person I know I'm sorry I know people

will be disappointed I'm a bit of a fan

here in my face while it's hot type of

person so personally I'm quite looking

forward to Autumn but let's not be the

Brit that moans about everything

um okay so Joseph I think a lot of

people are familiar with a Westend

Joseph in the Technicolor Dream Coat

version um which is great uh so he was

um absolutely an Old Testament hero

that's what we're going to look at today

and have a look at his life now he was

born to Jacob and Rachel he had 11

Brothers now diving into the family tree

it's absolutely fantastic we have one

brother who is his full brother uh born

to the same parents we then have six

half brothers born to his Auntie Leah

and another four brothers that were born

to uh the concubines which is a bit of a

weird word essentially that would have

meant they were kind of the slaves to

Joseph's mom and Auntie so we've got

brothers who are also his

cousins um bit of a Jeremy Carl so Opera

kind of situation I'd say but we won't

dive into that element

today now within the family there was a

tricky Dynamic uh Joseph's brothers were

very jealous of him uh he was the

favorite now he was handed this

beautiful

robe hang on

guys you just wait the youth worker in

me loves this right don't mind

me it's not

Technicolor right I've robed up okay now

this is a robe that was handed to Glenn

from my dad it was passed down so just

to feel a little bit bit you know extra

this morning I'm going to sit in a

lovely ornate

robe

okay so Joseph was handed a very

beautiful robe by his

dad the other brothers were not now I

don't know kids if you have brothers or

sisters I don't know how you might feel

if just one of your siblings was handed

I mean I'm not sure this would cut it

actually it might not cause any jealousy

at all but I don't know if one of your

siblings was handed A PS5 you weren't

allowed to touch

it you might feel like that's a bit

unfair um it might annoy you you might

feel a bit angry about that and the the

sense of why you know why why them why

not me that was the situation Joseph was

very much the favorite he was treated

differently he was given a beautiful

robe

now as a result Joseph's brothers hated

him and uh they built up an awful lot of

resentment now when Joseph was

17 God spoke to him in a dream he

decided to share this dream with his

brothers and what he said to them was

when I'm older you're all going to bow

down to me and I'm going to be more

powerful than you so if you picture this

we've got the youngest um sibling who's

saying not the youngest sorry that's

completely theologically wrong scrap

that we've got Joseph who has been

handed this robe he's the favorite and

he's now turning around and saying do

you know what guys you're all going to

worship me and bow down to me I'm going

to be more powerful than

you it didn't go down too well as

expected the brothers they plotted to

kill him might be a slightly extreme

reaction but that's what they decided to

do all but one brother Reuben who said

actually I'm not down with this

plan then uh when they were they were

plotting to take him off and kill him

and then another one of his brothers

Judah said actually guys what we could

do is sell him as a slave and we could

make ourselves some money um now it

would have been so what is it 20 shekels

which would have been about 230 gram of

silver which in today's money is about

£150 um but uh that was a capital

offense but I think better than

committing murder so that's what they

decided they were going to do they were

going to sell him into

slavery so what they did was they took

the robe off of him they ripped it they

dipped it in some goat's blood and they

took it back to their dad and said Dad

we found this I think Joseph has been

Ked killed and his dad was utterly

heartbroken Joseph was sold to potier

and he was someone who worked for the

pharaoh of Egypt now Joseph everything

he did he had success with because God

was with him so what happened was potier

put him in charge of the household and

the issue is so Joseph was a pretty

decent looking guy so we read and

Pharaoh's wife rather liked the look of

him she made an advance he said no she

then lied about what had happened and as

a result he was thrown into prison so

we've gone from favorite

son death plotted by brothers sold into

slavery in charge of the household now

in prison so we've got a bit of a roller

coaster going on so

far when in prison

uh the prison guard again noticed that

God was with him so put him in charge of

everything within the prison there were

two guys that were in there with him and

they both had

dreams now they had no idea what these

dreams meant but Joseph said you know

what tell me about your dreams and you

know I I will be able to interpret them

God will show me what they

mean so they

did and what he had Pro aside what he'd

interpreted came

true two years later Pharaoh himself had

a dream he had no idea what it meant now

one of the guys who had been in prison

with Joseph and released said actually

there's this guy Joseph he should be

able to interpret this for you so they

went and got Joseph and he told Pharaoh

what this dream meant and he said

there's going to be a s year famine in

the land of Egypt so before that seven

years we're going to have seven years

now to collect all of the food all of

the grain let's store it up so that when

the famine happens we'll be

okay and that's what happened and that's

what Pharaoh did he said do you know

what Joseph I'm going to put you in

charge of everything so he was then put

in charge of the palace he was put in

charge of Egypt and the only person more

powerful than him in Egypt was Pharaoh

himself now I said to recap here but

we've kind of already done that so we've

gone them from prison to now being in

charge of the whole of Egypt so this is

quite you know I'm going quite fast but

this life is a bit

mad if we fast forward a little bit

we've then got the seven years of

famine the whole world was coming to

Egypt to get their food now that

included uh Jacob said to Joseph's

brothers travel to Egypt and get some

food they did that now the only brother

that didn't travel was Benjamin um Jacob

was petrified something would happen to

him and so said please you know hang

back stay here and sent the

rest now when they arrived they had to

come before

Joseph and guess what happened they

bowed down to him just like he had you

know seen in his dream when he was

17 now I just want to pause there for a

second and I want us to

imagine we've had for from Joseph's

point of view he's lost his

family he has been sent away he's been

sold into

slavery these brothers committed the

ultimate betrayal the people who should

have loved him you know looked out for

him had his back they betrayed him and

now they stood in front of him and

they're bowing down to

him I can't begin to imagine what that

must have felt

like and that's something that's really

struck me when

reading through the life of Joseph like

how must that have actually felt to

suddenly see them stood there and all of

you can only imagine I don't know if

anyone's ever done this

I do it someone has done something to

you and you think you know what if I see

them again there's this monologue is it

tell me it's not just me you kind of

play out in your mind all the things you

might say if you're face to face with

this person again it's like I'm going to

have all of this and it's going to be

great and I'm going to give this speech

now I imagine maybe when in prison

Joseph might have had those moments of

if I'm ever face to face with my

brothers

again this is what I might want to say

this is how I might feel and all of that

pain and anguish I imagine must have

Arisen to the surface when seeing them

again mixed with these are my brothers

who I love and I've missed them now a

little bit of

participation if you're up for

it if you're

Joseph and your brothers are in front of

you what do you think you might say or

do is anybody willing to to shout out a

suggestion of how you think you might

react in that

moment come on someone give me a

suggestion it doesn't have to be the

this is the holy response I think I

should say in front of the church this

can be the real Humanity kind of you

know the human

version say it again get lost yeah get

lost

yeah where's my I love that yeah

not having any food it's fair starve off

you go yeah any final

suggestions now's your time no oh laugh

oh evly laugh yeah your best filling

laugh yeah I'm

FR I'm going to frame you for stealing

the cup oh look at you knowing the story

and diving into elements I've not said

Jacob come on well done

Angelina okay cool thank you very much

everybody

now for those of you who know the story

of Joseph you will probably

know that's not how it went down if you

don't let me tell you that's not how it

went down Joseph had his brothers stood

in front of him and in vers uh chapter

45: 5 to8

he tells them to not be angry at

themselves because God had sent him to

be in the position he was to save

everyone from

famine they tried to kill him they'd

sold him into slavery and his response

is don't be mad at yourselves it was

God's plan all

along I kind of that bogles my mind a

bit because I feel like that's not the

response I'd give

if I'm honest I I'd love to say I'd see

them and think oh don't worry guys but I

know that's not what I'd say um I think

probably there'd be an element of

wanting to say told you so see you just

bowed down to me what did I tell you um

but he didn't do that and all joking

aside how utterly phenomenal is

that after everything that Joseph had

been

through there must have been utter

Despair and you know the title of the

talk is from pit to

Palace and if you imagine the highs and

lows he's said he said he's

had being in charge to being imprisoned

being in you know the head of Egypt

being a

slave surely there must have been

moments where he thought God God what on

Earth are you doing like what are you

doing why is this happening to me I love

you I'm trying to be

obedient I'm you know interpreting

dreams and helping people I've now saved

the world from

famine there must have been these

utterly mental highs and

lows but he didn't take that and become

bitter he didn't you know take that and

and out God he continued to trust him he

continued to remain faithful and after

all of that he also forgave the very

people who had betrayed

him and that just blows my

mind that's utter Grace and love and

mercy and he didn't just say you know

you're forgiven but off you go he then

there was a bit more drama and Benjamin

had to come etc etc but he then threw

them a

dinner he had to walk away a couple of

times because you know he it was just a

bit too much and eventually he told them

who he

was and as we've just read he said don't

be mad at yourselves after that there's

then this beautiful reunion with his dad

and I can only imagine for Jacob after

believing that his son had been murdered

to then see him again his beloved Son

and what a stunning moment that must

have been as

well

now I wonder this

morning if there are perhaps elements of

all of this that could be challenging it

could be that

actually you struggle with the theme of

forgiveness

maybe there have been situations where

someone people something has hurt you

and actually the idea of being like

Joseph and standing there and saying I

forgive you don't be mad at yourself

might just seem a bit too

much but what I I also want to focus on

from Joseph's story is how this is like

a foreshadow of Jesus's

story we

hear of this utter you know forgiveness

this beautiful forgiveness and then we

read in the New Testament how uh Jesus

was betrayed by Judas someone who he

loved one of his disciples who should

have loved him and actually again for

money um he betrayed Jesus now he turned

around and didn't just say you know I

forgive you he then went a hop skip leap

much further and said and I'm going to

take everyone's sin upon on me and I'm

going to forgive all of you I'm going to

die for you so that you might be in

relationship with me and live freely and

have eternal

life this whole thing of forgiveness is

wild actually I think from a human

standpoint we read these stories in the

Bible

and sometimes I feel like we

can maybe explain it away like you know

well you know in that situation maybe

that was okay because but that doesn't

really apply to me the challenge is we

are called to live as disciples and part

of that is that we are called to forgive

just as we have been

forgiven now that's a high calling and

that's a hard

calling but nevertheless that is what we

are called

to we have been forgiven much

so we don't get to play

judge and hold others and say no I'm not

going to forgive

you one of my very favorite quotes is

that unforgiveness is like drinking

poison expecting the other person to

die I don't know if you've heard that

before but drinking unforgiveness is

like drinking poison yourself expecting

the other person to

die and I truly believe that that's true

actually what it does is it poisons us

someone else might be living not giving

it a second thought but you're poisoning

yourself and the other one is it's like

allowing someone to live rentree in your

head

unforgiveness has

catastrophic

implications and so I do you know what I

will say is I've got notes here and I

don't think I've read a single word of

what I've got here um but yeah what I'd

like us to do

actually is is just um spend a bit of

time maybe thinking about different

things we can pray for this morning um I

think what would be really cool is if

the

worship guys Andy and lisis if you could

just lead us um prayer team would you

mind coming forward and just being

available to create a space for anyone

who might want prayer and also I spoke

to Angelina and we were saying what

would be really cool is kids I think

actually sometimes there might be

something that you're thinking about out

and that you think you know what I'd

actually really like to talk to to God

about that and so Angelina is going to

going to stand over here as well and if

if you are a young person and you would

like to pray if you have a parent or

Guardian with you if you come forward

and Angelina can pray with you as well

now the things that um I think that

perhaps we could um focus on uh asking

for prayer about would be so

unforgiveness if there's something going

on for you and you think you know what I

really want freedom from that because

the chances are it's holding you

captive another one could be for more

grace when I look at Joseph and I think

the amount of grace and mercy he had my

gosh I don't live up to that standard

perhaps there's situations that are just

really frustrating and you need some

more grace again we can pray for you for

that the other one is do you know what

Joseph also was elevated into these

positions of um leadership where he

could have been quite prideful he could

have kind of tooted his own horn a bit

and maybe there are situations where

actually we can sometimes find it really

hard to battle with that kind of Pride

and ego and that's something that we can

bring before God as well it's not

something to to feel shame about we're

humans but again it might be that you're

like God I don't want to feel that I

want to be able to to lead with humility

we can pray for you for that as well and

anything else if there's anything else

going on for you what the last thing we

would want for you this morning is if

there's that kind of nagging feeling

sometimes you're like oh I know that's

going on for me please don't leave this

morning God wants to do business with

you and meet you in that place so please

do receive prayer this

morning now the other thing so in terms

of worship what I'd really love for us

to do is have that perspective of the

fact that we have been forgiven we have

been set free we F we find freedom in

Christ and that is something to be so

thankful for so no matter what's going

on we always have a reason to praise and

so what I'd really love for us to do is

just kind of lift the roof off a bit

this morning and give thanks and give

praise to our Savior who is just

phenomenal who loves us exactly as we

are today no matter what is going on for

us he meets Us in that place whether

that's a mount Mountain Top experience

and that's where you are right now or if

you feel like you really are in the pit

he climbs in there with

you so I'm going to leave it there shall

we worship stand if you're willing and

able guys thank you amen