Humility Breaks Chains by Brother Curtis Hansen

         Before we get into reading the scripture for this message, I wanted to talk about some of the people in the Bible. Many people in both old and new testament had some profound gains and devastating losses. The professed Christian today doesn't steward pain very well. No one is experiencing the losses like Job had or driven out of their country like David was while Saul was king. We tend to put a disagreement with someone on that level though. We elevate a snarky reply to something we posted on social media as persecution. If we look at slights and disagreement as pain, what are we when we actually face hard times? How do we function when we are in the valley or wilderness? 

        This morning we will be reading from Genesis chapter 50. We will be reading from verse 14 to 21.

        14 And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

        15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

        16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died saying,

        17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.

        18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

        Now, if you read this passage quickly you may think to yourself that Joseph's brothers may be showing true repentance for what they had done to Joseph when he was younger. They aren't showing true humility in this action though. Joesph's dream in Genesis 37 had come to pass and fulfilled by the end of the book. The brothers are pleading more out of self preservation than of humility.

        19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

        20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

        It is in our human nature to stop at the semicolon at verse 20. We're obsessed with people doing wrong against us. Anything disagreeable is blown up as evil. Here's something to ponder upon. Are the situations you go through always from the devil or the result of your decisions? Have you ever considered the idea that God may be applying certain situations to your life for your spiritual growth and benefit?

        21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

        A great reason that Jacob's family had acquired what they had was due in large part with the Jacob's relationship with God. Once Jacob had passed, despite the way Genesis ends where things look like it will be okay, there was not that intercessor for the family. If you lose that person who is praying a hedge of protection and interceding for your loved ones, guarding the door from all manner of temptation, you are susceptible to attack.

        Position we are in influences the decisions we make. An example for that statement is in parenting. As parents, you establish rules, guidelines, and guardrails for your children. You want to keep them protected and grow in wisdom. As a child, you may not appreciate this. When you grow to adulthood and become a parent yourself, it clicks with you. There is a difference between burdens and responsibilities. Some people confuse the two where they grow confused, anxious, and weary to the point they're running on pure emotion.

        Another example of the position we are in influences the decisions is in finance. If you have a couple of thousand in the account, does a $300 payment stress you out? No, it shouldn't. If a $300 payment is coming and you have $70 because you needed that new unnecessary thing right away, than you are stressed on how to make ends meet. 

        The flip side of the first post is the decision you make influences the position you are in. Some people are in torture over life because of their decisions made with no input from God. They aren't praying to him. The length of Joseph's life was from being the favorite son of Jacob as a young boy to a life of servitude. There's a scripture that says the devil is a roaring lion seeking to devour. It doesn't say he will devour you, but he will attack. Sometimes things happen in life that don't have any spiritual meaning attached. You getting laid off isn't due to your dad drinking too much. It's life.

        God wants his people to stand in a position where they are not having any wants or needs. What do we do with worry? Now, you could let it consume your thoughts and grow your anxiety. As a christian, you should tell your worries to God like Paul wrote in Philippians 4: 6-7. 

        If we do a timeline of events leading to this chapter of Genesis, Joseph is 56 years old with his brothers in chapter 50. Joseph would live to be 110 years old. He had quite the life in that 56 years. 

        Going back a few chapters and let's talk about what happened between Joseph and Potiphar's wife. Ask yourself, what do you think attracted her to Joseph? God's favor was seen on Joseph and she liked it. I think it was not just a lustful eye at all. Joseph had rejected her advances and fled. Why did she bear false witness to her husband about Joseph? It was out of rejection.

        God's favor is when I'm humble in high circumstances and hopeful in low circumstances. You need to know where you are at in life. There is more character shown in the story of Potiphar's house than from all of Joseph's brothers. Character, morals, and a good ethic where evident to Joseph's life.

        God can bring you up so high and low as well. There are circumstances which occur in life that are not from God nor the devil. How you handle yourself in the moment dictates your position. God had a purpose for Joseph as he does for us. It is important for us to slow down and study his life closely.

        The separation between the even and decision is where God works in your life. An example of an event is traffic but leaving late from work is a decision. Preaching can be seen as an event, how you listen, understand, and put into practice is the decision. Sow into the event which comes from your relationship with God. Your life is not mere highlights to view. It is far more greater and of consequential than you realize.

        Joseph could have been upset about the different things he experienced in his story. He could had never broken the chains of his past and inflicted death upon his brothers. Our flesh would do harm for much less. His humility broke those chains of the past. Will you stay chained to your past or will you forgive and move on? In verse 20, humility was demonstrated by Joseph to his brothers. We should do likewise. Not in just the high points of our life where things are going well and we are seemingly winning. We should exercise humility in our lowest point as well with every circumstance and event.