The Birth Of A Son, The Making Of A Servant, And The Coming Of A Savior

The Birth Of A Son, The Making Of A Servant, And The Coming Of A Savior
Acts 7:9-16

INTRO: Do you ever think you are not important? My who would have thought that Joseph was important. Why, he was but one of the eleven sons of Jacob. In fact he was a spoiled son at that. He did little work, ran around and "bugged" his older brothers. Wore a fancy coat that he could not get dirty. How could he be anything special? But he was!

Joseph was a type of Christ. I want o look at some of his life and how it affects us today. We need to use his example for our own lives to help us further the work of the Lord. Remember you are special to the cause of Christ.

Acts 7:9-16 ⁹And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, ¹⁰And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ¹¹Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. ¹²But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. ¹³And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. ¹⁴Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. ¹⁵So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, ¹⁶And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

First I want to us to see Joseph was…
Born into the family

We truly become children of God when we accept Christ

We experience a New Birth, become New Creatures, and start a New Beginning!

We see the parallel of Christ in his life

Reflection of His Beauty (character) - He reflects in us
Respect for His brethren - godly love for each other
Reality of His birthright

We are His son (child)
He expects us to be a son (we are worthy through the lamb)
We have a great legacy and inheritance

We can also see that Joseph was…
Brought to servitude

We need to be more than sons and daughters, we need a true understanding as servants

We again see the parallel of Christ in his life

Learned humility
Learned hard work
Learned humanity - understands our beings

He knows our plight, our problems and has the promise - praise God!

Last we see his…
Branching out as a Savior

We must understand how important we are in the plan of God to reach his the lost and His loved ones

As we look, we must continue to see the Lord paralleled in Joseph- we see his…

Awareness of the crises (those set to perish without help - they are lost)
Acceptance of the challenge (do the job, do it well, do it now - we must witness)
Advancement of the cure (Christ, in His "Sonship," even as a Servant and as the Savior we truly need to love them)

As we see the cure, we need to..
Recognize the problem - starvation for them (sin for us)
Render a solution - set aside spare food for them (Accept Christ for us)

We must not worry today…
Christ is the Son of God - make no mistake, He is worthy
Christ was not put into bondage except willingly for us
Christ is in a position to be our perfect Savior today

Will you accept Him if you have not?
Will you follow Him as a Son, as a Servant, and for those around you as a "Savior" by pointing them to Christ?

Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 040702am