Imitate Christ -- Patience

Series: Imitate Christ Topic: Patience Scripture: Genesis 50:15-21

Today, we are talking about Patience.

That is a need that we see daily. We see it in others, and in ourselves. We all wish, and would be better served to see more patience on our highways for example.
Have you ever been driving, or even just trying to park somewhere. And all the sudden you hear the blare of a horn and a person goes by waving angrily... As that person goes by, don’t you wish they had more patience with you.... I do. Of course, its worse if you are the person who is driving by making the disruption. In either case, more patience was needed.

Today we are going to look at patience as I said, but in a specific way. We are going to look at examples of how to demonstrate patience with people who have wronged you in some way.

Last week we talked about Peace. And one of the stories we talked about came from the Bible. The story is found in the book of Genesis, and it is about a man named Joseph.

Joseph had 10 older brothers, and 1 younger, but he was his Fathers favorite. The 10 older brothers resented him for that so they cought him away from home one day, and sold him as a slave to a caravan on it’s way to Egypt.

The brothers told the Father, that Joseph was killed by a wild animal and devoured. But in the mean time, Joseph was busy in Egypt succeeding in his new masters house, only to be betrayed again and thrown into prison on false charges. In the Prison, he succeeded to such a degree that they made him the manager of the very institution that imprissioned him. But even then, when he successfully interprited a positive dream for the cupbearer of the Pharoah, he was forgotten for another two years.

But after that time, Joseph was remembered and he was called to interprate a dream of the Pharoah himself. He interprited the dream that God was revealing to Pharaoh that the land would have 7 years of plentyful harvest, and 7 years of famine. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph, that he made him Prime Minister of the land, and gave him the task of preparing the land for the upcoming famine. Which Joseph handled masterfully.

But that did not change the pain that Joseph had endured. He had still been sold into slavery by his own brothers.

And that is what leads to the lesson of today. This story is often used as a lesson on forgiveness, and rightly so. But today, I think we can learn alot about having patience with those who have wronged us.

We all can learn to be more patient with those who have harmed us by following the examples that Joseph lives out.

Envision with me --- There sits Joseph, managing the sales of the grain to the foreigners. When who should appear before the counter, but 10 brothers from the land of Canaan, Joseph’s childhood home. It is the same 10 men who had sold him into slavery years before. They are his brothers. But, where as Joseph recognizes them, they do not recognize him.

How would you or I have handled this? How would the average person handle this? I think we would handle it very harshly. I think we would say, oh - I have you now. But that is not what happens. Joseph does mess with them a bit, holding one brother in prison until they return. But he also returned the money that the brothers had paid for the grain.

Over time, Joseph reviels himself to his brothers, recieves and accepts them. They go back to Canann and tell their father of what they had done years ago to Joseph. Then the entire family moves to Egypt under the care of Joseph.

Joseph endured much sorrow and much pain, yet he had pateince, and faith, and exhibited forgiveness toward those who had hurt him. But even with that, when the day came that their father passed away, the brothers who betrayed Joseph were pretty worried.

Read Genesis 50:15-21

So, remember, what we are looking at is how Joseph responded to those who had hurth him. Hopefully we can learn and grow from his example.

Joseph responded to those who had hurth him with Humility.
v. 19b, “Am I in the place of God?”

We often want to be the one in the place of the decision maker. We want to be in control. Just the other day, I walked in and saw a cartoon on TV. And the cartoon character was talking about how he liked being in control. Our control is an illusion. We like to think we are in control, but in mear moments, we can totally loose every assemalence of it we ever had. Either through anger, or an accident, or any number of situations. The only one who can be in control is God. He allows us to make our own decisions, but we know that whatever we decide to do, he still has control to work if for his good, and ours.
Desiring to be in the place of God is the original sin. (Isaiah 14:12-15) (note, Morning Star = Lucifer) Lucifer is Satan. He fell not because of anything that Hollywood relates to the idea of original sin, he fell becaus he desired to be equal with God. Remember, anything that Satan does, is something we need to aviod.

In Philippians 2:5-7 we read. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality whith God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

Jesus took on the roal of Humility.

Joseph accepted this principle in his life, not desiring to be in control, or even to take out his frustration on those who hurt him. But he took up the position of humility and not only recieved those who had hurt him, but cared for and provided for them and their families. Joseph Responded to those who had hurt him with Faith.

v.20, “You intended to harm me, but God inteneded it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

This is the final statement of Joseph taking what God gives by faith. He just accepts that God had a plan and he worked it out for the good of all, even with many people in the mix trying to put an end to it. Do we live by that faith?

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Joseph understands that God is in control, even when we feel that we are lost and forgotten by God and the world around us. We continually seek that comfort of approval from others and from God. God shows his acceptance and love of us through the Cross, his love was displayed as Jesus died for our sins. Joseph had faith that God knew what he was doing, that he had a plan, and that he had not abandon Him. Do you ever wonder if God is really interested in your life? That is what the message of the Cross of Jesus is all about. God loves you and cares for you. And he asks that you have faith in him through Jesus his son.

Joseph had faith in God throughout his life, and many were saved through it. Joseph also responded to those who had hurt him with encouragment.

v. 21, “So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”

The point there is that Joseph found a way to encourage even those who had betrayed him.

Hebrews 3:13 says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Notice in that verse, we are told not only to encourage one another, but we are told what will happen if we do not. We will be hardended by sin’s deceifulness.

To be hardened by sin will leave us more and more susseptible to sin, and therefor leave us walking further and further from the will of God. Lack of encouragment, both coming and going, is a dangerous thing. The example Joseph sets for us is that we are to not only forgive those who hurt us, but care for and encourage them as well.

Do you live that way? Remember, it is easy to care for and encourage our favorite people. But not so those who are not our favorites. The oposite is also true. Human nature is to love to correct those who see things different than us. But those we like, it is often difficult to find a way to offer that constructive criticism. But Joseph shows us that we are to help even those who have hurt us. Seek those opportunities. Don’t just wait for God to back you in a corner. Rather proactively look for a way to do good to whomever may need it, regardless of any past you may have.

These responses of humility, faith and encouragment, are how Joseph demonstrated patience toward his advesaries.

Now, if you are sitting there, and saying, yes pastor, that is right, they do need to have more patience with me.... Then you probably are missing the point. If you feel like others owe you more patience, than in truth you probably owe them some kind words, some smiles, some grace, happiness, and encouragment. If you feel others need to be more patient with you, what that means is that you need to be more patient with them.
Remember, Jesus himself, in Matthew 7:12 was the first to teach the idea, “Do to others, what you would have them do to you.”

Jesus taught it, then he modeled it. He said, I love you so much, that I can not let you live forever seperated from me unless you choose to. So I give myself for you, asking you to simply ask for forgiveness for what you’ve done wrong, and believe in me and I will bring you to live with me, and save you from the pain of life apart from God.

He set the example with his life and death. And now we are called to believe in him and follow him. And show patience toward others in our lives. Just like Joseph modeled, and just like Jesus shows us.

What about you? Will you have patience with those around you, and encourage them regardless of how you feel in the moment? And will you follow Jesus and live the life he calls you to, doing to others as you would have them do to you.

The truth is that it all starts with Jesus. He is the creator, he is the savior. To live the way he calls us to, we have to have faith that he is with us, and he’s working with and around us.