Peace In The Family, Let It Begin With You

PEACE IN THE FAMILY, LET IT BEGIN WITH YOU

Genesis 45:3-15


NEVER FORGET WHO YOU ARE
V:3. "And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his
brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence"
A. Joseph's brothers did not recognize him because he did not look like a Hebrew.
1. Joseph had an Egyptian name.
2. Joseph wore Egyptian clothes.
3. Joseph was clean shaven. But the Hebrew men wore beards.
4. Joseph had the position of a high Egyptian official.
5. Joseph spoke both the Egyptian language and Hebrew.
6. Joseph's brothers were petrified because he had the power to destroy them.
B. Never forget who you are.
1. When Joseph was elevated to the position of Second in command behind
Pharaoh, he was given an Egyptian name.
a. Joseph never forgot his family or his heritage.
b. Even though he had power and authority, he humbled himself to help others.
2. Never forget who's you are.
a. When you realize that you are a child of the King, you will treat others
with love, regardless of what they may have done to you in the past.
C. Never get so "HIGH", that you see people as "BELOW" you.
1. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord.
2. We should consider the needs of others the same way we consider our own.

PEACE BEGINS WITH YOU
V:4. "And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they
came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt."
A. Do what you can to clear the distance between you and your family.
1. Love and embrace your family while you can.
2. Pray for your family.
3. It is ok to remind others of their past as long as you do it with love and gentleness.
a. Do it for clarity, and to encourage a closer relationship.

GOD USES EVIL TO BRING ABOUT GOOD
V:45:5. "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither:
for God did send me before you to preserve life."
A. It is through adversity that God ships us off to new adventures.
1. Joseph's journey began when he was sold into slavery by his brothers.
2. It is through adversity that God prepares us for the next level of service.
3. Don't let folk beat themselves up over their past wrongs.
4. Encourage folk to let go of their past so they may embrace the future.
B. We must recognize that God controlled our past to result in our present
situation.
1. By putting God into your history, it takes weight and guilt off of yourself and
others.
C. Watch how you treat people.
1. The very people we hurt, we may need in the future.
2. Love requires us to look over the faults of others.
3. Love requires us to be considerate of the welfare of others, especially our immediate
family.
D. By letting others know the purpose of your trials, you let them see God in action.
1. God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others.

BE PREPARED TO BLESS OTHERS AS GOD HAS BLESSED YOU
V:6. "For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in
the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest."
A. Sometimes it is adversity that brings people together.
1. The famine brought Joseph's brothers to Egypt to buy grain.
2. Just because you got money don't mean you got access to all you need.
a. Joseph's brothers had to rely on Egypt to get food to survive.
B. Sometimes it is adversity that causes us to trust one another.
1. Sometimes it is adversity that promotes love.
2. Sometimes it is adversity that promotes compassion.
3. Sometimes it is adversity that breaks down walls.
C. It is God that gives you incite to prepare for the future.

V:7. "And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save
your lives by a great deliverance."
A. God uses adversity to position us to benefit others
1. Adversity makes a difference in our lives and the lives of others.
B. Joseph was placed in adversity and guided by God can bless others.
1. We should never complain about our situation, but rather praise God in our
situation.
2. God uses our adversity to benefit us and others.


V:8. " So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father
to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."
A. A wise man sees God in his adversity.
1. A wise man finds no fault with those who initiated his adversity.
2. A wise man never forgets who brought him to where he is.
B. A wise man gives God the credit for his successes.
1. A wise man humbles himself before God and allows God to elevating him.

V:9. " Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph,
God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not."
A. A wise man looks after the welfare of his family.
1. When family is in need, don't hesitate to help, especially when you have the means.
2. Use what God has given you to help others.
3. Honor your parents. Be careful to see to their well being.
4. Don't procrastinate in helping.
5. Let others know about the goodness of the Lord.
6. Be careful to use what God has blessed you with to help others.

V:10. " And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou,
and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that
thou hast."
A. Draw your family close to you. Give them your best.
1. The land of Goshen was along the Nile River.
2. This land was fertile, productive and a good place for Joseph's family and their
herds to grow and flourish.
B. In the family, there are no exclusions. Everybody is to be loved.
1. When you take on the family, you take on their burdens, both physical and spiritual.
C. Joseph placed his family in a location that would become their home.
1. Everybody needs their own space.
2. Don't interfere in the lives of family. Let them grow in their own way.

V:11. "And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and
thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty."
A. Joseph had incite into future events. He knew that the famine was just getting started.
1. When you get involved in the lives of others, be prepared to help through out the
troubled times.
2. When we know something adverse is about to happen we should get prepared for
it and prepare our families too.
B. When you serve God, He will give you incite into the future.
1. God will guide you through adversity.
2. You need to prepare for rainy days, even if rain is not in the forecast.
3. Not every storm is in the forecast.

V:12. " And, behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my
mouth that speaketh unto you."
A. We must speak in a way that others can understand us.
1. Joseph was an Egyptian official and spoke the Egyptian language.
a. To communicate with his brothers, he had to speak in their native language
(Hebrew).
b. The term "your eyes see" is used in the sense that his brothers truly understand
that it is Joseph that speaks to them.
c. The word "mouth" is used in the sense that Joseph is speaking in their native
language.
2. Joseph made every effort to convince his brothers that he cared for them.
a. People don't know you care unless you show you care.
b. You can believe a person by what they do.
c. Jesus said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is
my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3: 33-35.

d. Actions speak louder than words.


V:13 "And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen;
and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither."
A. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the promises of God.
1. Dreams do come true, if God is in the dream.
2. Joseph's teenage dream was that his family would bow down to him. (Gen 37:10)
a. The dream was given to him by God to give incite to the future.
d. Joseph's dream revealed God's design for the salvation of his family.
3. Joseph wanted to comfort his father that he was alive and well in Egypt and wanted
him to be with him.
a. We should always seek ways to comfort our parents and bring them joy.
b. It is our duty to look after our parents in their old age.
B. When you see disaster coming, don't waste time, come to God and following His
commands.
1. We need a sense of urgency in our lives to follow God.
a. Tomorrow is not promised to us.

V:14. "And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon
his neck."
A. We ought to rejoice with our families and comfort them in their time of need.
1. Jesus called us to himself in the midst of our sins.
2. Jesus comforted us on the way to salvation.
B. Benjamin was Joseph's full brother.
1. The brothers that sold Joseph into slavery were half brothers.
2. Joseph wanted to be sure that the jealousy that his half brothers had for him
did not still exist.
3. Joseph rejoiced because his family was alive and well.
C. Weeping is a normal emotion.
1. There is a happy weeping and a sad weeping.
2. Weeping can be the result of a lost.
3. Weeping can be the result of a reunion.

FORGIVENESS IS THE KEY TO PEACE
V:15. " Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his
brethren talked with him."
A. Joseph forgave his brothers and rejoiced with them.
1. You got to forgive before you can rejoice.
2. You got to forgive before you can have peace.
3. You got to forgive before you can have a rational conversation.
B. The peace in the family ought to begin with you. Pr 14:30, Col 3:15