Finishing the Course

Thank you all. If you have your Bible, I want to turn to Genesis chapter 50.

Genesis 50 · chapter mention

Genesis chapter 50. If you're one of those that mark your Bibles and puts the date and

Genesis 50 · chapter mention

! I know I preached part of this passage a couple of weeks ago. I haven't lost it,

but I'm not going to say the same thing, I hope. I guess I'll never forget it. I played football

in high school, and as a senior, we got a new coach who was a head coach for the first

time, and he came in with a lot of vigor and took it out on us. He's a great coach. He won

as long as he coached, and I'm thankful that he is now a wonderful Christian. I wish he

had acted more like one when he treated us the way he treated us in practice. Summer

camp started with what he called county fair, which sounded fun to me, and I came with a

lot of excitement. Little did I know that we'd be running around cones on our hands and feet

and pushing sleds with coaches standing on them, big sleds with big coaches, and they'd

put us in a circle and let other guys take shots at us, and water? Well, you didn't need

water in those days. I didn't believe in it. And whenever they did give it to you, maybe

once, that you ran over to a PVC pipe that was attached to the dugout with holes drilled

in it, and like a pack of dogs eating out of one food bowl, you tried to get a sip of water.

It was awful, but boy, it was great, you know. And when we thought we couldn't take it anymore,

he'd sit us down, and he'd go over the intangibles. In the locker room, there were a piece of plywood

that had been painted with either words or statements put on them. I contacted two guys that I played

football with this week and said, remind me of a couple of those. He called them intangibles.

Remind me of a couple more of those intangibles, and they couldn't remember anything either. So I remember

one of them, and so what he'd do, he taught us those things, and then before football game, we'd go to

middle school, and before we would have our meal, our pregame meal, we'd sit in the library at the

middle school to get us away from the high school atmosphere. And he'd say, let's go over the intangibles.

Give me an intangible. Some of them would say, Oski. So when you hear Oski, what does that mean?

That means somebody intercepted the ball. And that means that if you were playing defense,

when somebody yells Oski, you turn around and start blocking. You look for somebody to hit. And so

somebody with a lot of vigor would say, you find somebody to hit. You go the different way, you know.

Yeah. But the one I really stands out to me, and I think that's how I remember as much as I do

anything. Any old nag can start a race, but it takes a thoroughbred to finish. We had a bunch of

people go out to start with, and then they'd fall out like flies when they got in the heat. And every

time somebody'd fall out, he'd stand before us and go, any old nag can start a race, but it takes a

thoroughbred to finish. It was such a memorable statement. As the summer went on, we ridiculed the

quitters. Any old nag can start a race. My heart ran through my head as I ran the sprints in the summer,

and boys would be leaning over the fence, losing their breakfast, and oh, what a life. Any old nag can

start a race. It takes thoroughbred to finish. Echoed in my bones as my bones rattled, my fingers crushed,

and I fell. I don't think I mounted much, but I was there to the end. And there's something to be said

about being there until the end. Because a lot of people can start out strong, but that don't mean

much. Have you ever watched the 400 meters or the 800 meter races? What you'll notice is that

the guys who usually start out winning that race are not the ones that win it. The ones that are

leading in the beginning usually pale out. Kentucky Derby. Love to watch the Kentucky Derby. Those horses

that come out of the gate strong, very seldom are the ones that win in the end. It's all about finishing.

Hardly ever is the winner in front at the start, but that leads, those that lead at first sometimes

never make it to the end. And the reality is the Christian life is a lot like that.

So many claim to be saved and they claim to love God and to be faithful. However, time tells another story.

As they go on, something changes. Too many fall by the spiritual wayside. And it's not that some are

perfect and others are not. It's not that at all. All of us are imperfect. But some of us keep coming to the

perfect one. Some of us keep going to the one that can help us while others lean on their own

ability or try to find help from another source. And well, we're not only to start for Jesus, we're to finish

the course. We look today at two men who were faithful for their entire lives. They were not perfect by any

means. Thankfully, because if they were, we couldn't relate to them. And I believe that

God puts these men in Scripture for us to watch and to learn from. And Scripture is so true. It shows

everything. It tells the real story. This morning, we look at Joseph and his father, Jacob. Joseph, as we've

seen, did live a good, faithful life, regardless of what came. But he was not perfect. And Jacob, his father,

was faithful to God. Perfect by no means. He needed a course in fatherhood especially.

However, both finished well. And we can learn from their example.

Genesis 50, beginning in verse 15, says this,

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said,

It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.

So they sent a message to Joseph saying,

Your father gave this command before he died. Say to Joseph,

Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sins,

because they did evil to you. And now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.

Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

His brothers also came and fell down before him

and said, Behold, we are your servants.

But Joseph said to them, Do not fear,

for am I in the place of God?

As for you,

you meant evil against me,

but God meant it for good

to bring it about that many people should be

kept alive as they are today.

So do not fear.

I will provide

for you and your little ones.

Thus he comforted

them and spoke kindly.

To them.

So Joseph remained in Egypt.

He and his father's house.

Joseph lived

110 years.

And Joseph saw Ephraim's children

of the third generation.

The children also

of Bacar,

the son of Manasseh,

were counted as

Joseph's own.

Amen.

And Joseph said to his brothers,

I'm about to die,

but God will visit you

and bring you out of this land

to the land he swore

to Abraham,

to Isaac,

and to Jacob.

Then Joseph

made the sons of Israel

swear,

saying,

God will surely visit you

and you shall carry

my bones from here.

So Joseph died

being 110 years old.

They embalmed him

and he was put

in a coffin

in Egypt.

Whether young or old,

if you're a Christian,

there is a journey

ahead for you.

You're in the midst

of that journey,

but there is more

to come.

You have not

reached the end.

Your job

is not done.

There's more

to come.

You may have

today.

You may have

a year.

You may have

a generation

or two.

But whatever we have,

we are to pursue

God's goal for us.

Jacob and Joseph

gives us

some guidelines

on how to finish

well.

First,

Jacob shows us

that we ought

to be a blessing

to our families.

We ought to be

a blessing

to our families.

Hebrews 11,

Hebrews 11:21

verse 21 says,

By faith,

Jacob,

when dying,

blessed each

of the sons

of Joseph,

bowing in worship

over the head

of his staff.

As Jacob's

journey wound

down to a close,

he didn't get

selfish.

Jacob had been

blessed and was

determined to be

a blessing,

so he blessed.

After Joseph

was reunited

with his father

after many years,

he soon found

that his father

was dying,

and therefore

he took his sons,

Manasseh and Ephraim,

to his father,

Jacob,

and asked his

father to bless

them.

That's in

Genesis chapter

Genesis 48 · chapter mention

48.

And when I say

bless them,

what do I mean

by that?

I mean he directed

them with a word

from the Lord.

He encouraged

them to go

forward in God,

and he laid

his hands upon

them and prayed

for them.

He didn't focus

on himself,

he focused on

others.

Friend,

that's not only

a good way to die,

that's a good way

to live.

Genesis 49

tells us the same

thing happened

with his own

sons.

So special

events in

crucial times.

I want all

of us to

finish well.

That's what I

asked the deacons

for.

Just a few

days after I

was out of the

hospital after a

cardiac arrest,

I asked,

as the book

of James

tells us,

I asked the

elders of the

church to come

to lay hands

on me and

pray for me.

And when I

asked them to

pray, I told

them, pray that

I'm not

compromised.

Pray that I'm

not weakened.

Pray that I'll

be strong until

the end.

God's doing

wonderful things

in Pickens

First Baptist

Church.

I don't want to

do anything to

be a hindrance to

that, and I

don't want to

slow down at

all.

So, maybe

make me wiser

in how to

do it, but

Lord, give me

the strength to

carry out as

long as you

give me breath.

Well, we

ought to live

well, too.

Don't wait

until your

final breath,

but the

blessings don't

have to be at

the end of our

lives.

As God told

Abraham in

Genesis 12, he

tells us through

the cross.

In Genesis 12,

he told Abraham,

I blessed you.

Now, I'll

make you a

blessing, and

now you go

be a blessing.

And that's

exactly what he

wants us to do.

He wants us to

be a blessing.

Regardless of

what you did or

didn't do for

God yesterday, be

a blessing today.

Bless others as

long as God

gives you breath.

The second thing

he told us about

finishing the

course was Joseph

shows us to be at

peace.

peace.

Be at peace.

Joseph had a lot

to be bitter

about.

He did.

So much that his

brothers were scared

of him after their

dad died.

But Joseph was not

superficial.

He knew the story

was bigger than his

brothers.

He saw the bigger

picture.

To read verse 20 is

powerful and life

changing.

It's one of the most

significant passages in

the book of Genesis.

And in Genesis chapter 50

Genesis 50:20

verse 20 it says,

as for you, you meant

evil against me but

God meant it for good.

To bring it about that

many people should be

kept alive as they are

today.

One of the most

ungodly feelings that

we can feel is

bitterness.

To refuse to

forgive.

Not only does that

destroy our

relationships with

hate but it is

systemic.

You cannot

compartmentalize that

kind of stuff.

Especially if it is

those you are close

to.

It affects you and

you affect other

relationships.

And that all is a

serious matter to God.

I want you to notice

what Christ says about

it.

It's in Matthew

Matthew 5:23

chapter 5 verse 23

and 24.

And he says this.

So if you, so if

you're offering your

gift to the altar and

there remember that your

brother has something

against you.

Leave your gift there

before the altar and go.

First be reconciled to

your brother and then

come and offer your

gift.

Now I will add a

pastoral note there.

Notice that he says

leave your gift.

Okay.

You don't take it with

you.

Leave your gift.

In reality what he's

saying is when the

Holy Spirit of God

convicts you, not

enough of y'all laughed

at that.

I was kidding.

Somewhat.

Jesus is saying when the

Holy Spirit convicts you

about a strained

relationship, go above

and beyond to take care

of that.

When the Holy Spirit of

God speaks to you when

you worship together in

this place, don't ignore

it when you leave here.

Deal with it as God

allows you to.

And keep some things in

mind.

And I love what Paul said

in Romans 12 verse 18.

Romans 12:18

He said, if possible, so

far as it depends on you,

live peaceably with all.

Do all you can.

There ain't so much you

can do, but do all you

can to live peaceably with

others.

Some people don't want to

live peaceably.

And because they ain't

happy, they don't want you

happy.

They don't want you to live

peaceably.

But don't be that person,

okay?

Just don't be that person.

There's also something

biblical that you can do

daily.

Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26

Ephesians 4:26

and 27 says this.

Be angry and do not sin.

Don't let your son go down

on the anger and give no

opportunity to the devil.

Our stubborn natures or maybe

our hurt feelings will let

stuff hang around way too

long.

And if you let it stay there,

it'll fester, it'll infect,

it'll run over.

Bitterness will take you over

like kutzu will if you're not

determined to give that up to

the Lord.

So solve it every day.

Don't go to bed angry.

Joseph had a lot to be angry

about.

But he chose to bury the axe.

And he didn't bury it in his

brother's necks.

He did it long before they came

to him scared, I believe.

As a matter of fact, it seems

obvious to me that he did it

before he saw him coming for

food the first time.

He dealt with it.

But not only did he forgive him,

but he told him.

He told him.

He was at peace.

Peace.

Don't ever misunderstand the

word peace.

Peace does not mean the

absence of conflict.

You will have conflict in this

life.

If that's what you're looking

for is an absence of

conflict, it's not going to

happen on this earth.

And you know why?

Because we are an imperfect

people.

And we are an imperfect people

and who live in the midst of

sinners.

And some of those sinners are

saved by grace.

And some of those sinners are

not.

And so we live in the midst of

that.

We're going to have conflict

along the way.

It's going to happen.

Our sin causes conflict.

Peace is not an absence of

conflict.

It is instead God's intervention

into the midst of the conflict.

It is the calmness that passes all

understanding.

It is the presence in the midst of

the storm.

In 2011, we went to the Southern

Baptist Convention in Phoenix,

Arizona.

We lived in Mississippi at the

time.

And because the convention from

time to time, it used to be about

every seven years.

Now it's more like every five years

or so.

Go out west.

We always try to make a trip of it

to see something.

And we had bought a new van and we

loaded up the kids and we drove

across the Panhandle of Texas and out

to Albuquerque and Phoenix and saw

Santa Fe and went to the convention

and then drove up, saw the Grand Canyon

and Durango and Colorado Springs and came

across Kansas.

It was a great trip.

And while we were gone, my grandmother

had got sick.

And on the last morning of that trip, we

were about to head out after being gone

for two weeks.

I called my mom and dad to check on

grandma and I found out she had passed

in the night.

We went to our home in Mississippi that

day.

That was our last day on the road.

And we went to our home and we washed

our drawers as fast as we could and we

loaded back up and went to South Carolina.

Along with her pastor, I preached my

grandmother's funeral.

Now my grandmother loved Jesus as much

as anyone that I've ever met.

She was an independent, free will, hard

shell, jugular vein, blood washed,

spirit filled, sanctified to the bone,

Baptist child of God.

Praise God.

And if you don't know what that means, I'm

sorry.

You've missed it.

She had been to the spout when the glory

came out and she hadn't got over it.

And she was 96 years old.

And in her last years, she wondered what

the Lord was waiting on.

But she trusted him.

She leaned on him and she was at peace

with him.

When her pastor would come to see her,

she'd tell him, just keep telling people

that Jesus still saves.

The last time I saw her alive, we gathered

in a circle to pray as my family left

Greenville to go back to Mississippi about

three months before she died.

And my mama asked her to pray.

And pray she did.

The rafters shook when grandma prayed.

And that's because she had a lot of practice.

She prayed for a hedge of protection around us.

She prayed that God would put angels to ride

on the bumpers of the car.

The spirit of God would lead us.

I drove faster home because my grandma had

prayed for me.

And I was told that as she laid on her deathbed,

she prayed, Lord, I've tried to live my life

to honor you in every way, Lord Jesus.

Please have mercy on me.

And he did.

And she went on to glory.

As was written in her obituary,

1 Timothy chapter 4 says,

1 Timothy 4 · chapter mention

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering.

And the time of my departure has come.

I've fought the good fight.

I've finished the race.

I've kept the faith.

Henceforth there is laid up for me

the crown of righteousness,

which the Lord, the righteous judge,

will award to me on that day.

And not only to me,

but also to all who have loved his appearing.

My grandma died at peace with the Lord.

And do you know why?

Because she lived at peace.

Peace with the Lord.

So did Joseph.

Be at peace with the Lord.

And lastly, go out with vision.

When the eyes of Jacob and Joseph

grew dim in their life,

their vision for God only grew brighter

as they approached their home going.

Jacob and Joseph had seen the hand of God.

They had heard the will of God.

They had trusted the vision of God.

And Jacob told them at the end of chapter 49,

bury me with my family.

Now listen, when Jacob says bury my family,

that's not just any family.

His family is Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,

the patriarchs of the chosen people,

the nation of Israel.

He said, that's where I belong.

Bury me with them.

And Joseph knew that the same God

would lead his people out of Egypt

and would bring them to a land

that he had promised them.

That was his vision.

That was his confidence in the Lord.

That was his direction by the hand of God.

He saw God's vision shine

even as earth's vision dimmed.

And my friend,

as long as God gives us breath,

that's what we ought to do.

Not get selfish,

but have vision.

For what God's got in store.

Beyond us.

Let's get beyond us.

What's God gonna do?

I was on the treadmill this week

at cardiac rehab.

And there was a quote

taped to that treadmill

that said this,

Don't count the days.

Make the days count.

My friend,

maybe you've started well.

And maybe you haven't.

Maybe you came out of the gate

a little slow.

Regardless,

the good news is

today's a new day.

And it's the first day

of the rest of your life.

And so as long as God gives us breath,

let's live for his glory.

Let's live a legacy.

Leave a legacy.

Let's

let's

finish well

through obedience.

A life

that is filled

with sacrifice.

A life

that's filled

with commitment.

A life

that's not filled

with us.

A life

that's filled

with Jesus.

With every head

bowed

and every eye

closed,

I want to ask you

this morning

if you've ever

given your heart

and life

to the Lord

Jesus Christ.

If you've ever

confessed your sins

to him

and asked you

to come into your life

and save you

and change you.

if that's

never happened

to you,

I want to

encourage you

today

to give your

life to Christ.

To trust

him.

We're going to

stand in just a moment

and we're going to sing

and as we do,

I encourage you

if you've never

given your life

to Christ,

you come

and say,

Pastor,

I need to be saved.

Maybe you're here

and you have done that

and you've never

acknowledged that

publicly through baptism.

We plan to baptize

next Sunday.

I'd love to talk

to you about that

if you've never

followed the Lord

in obedience baptism.

Maybe you're here

and God's leading you

to First Baptist Church

and I'm thankful

for God's blessing us

and moving in our midst

and I'm thankful

for that.

And if you feel like

the Lord's leading you

to come,

I encourage you to come.

I'd love to talk

to you about that.

Or maybe you're here

like most of us

and you look

at your life

and you see things

that you need

to lay down

before the Lord.

Today's the first day

of the rest of our lives.

So why don't we live

the rest of our lives

to please Him,

to honor Him

in all we do?

Whether it be

in the pew

where you'll stand

in just a moment

or whether it be

at this altar

or whether it be

with a pastor

praying for you.

Obey God.

Trust Him.

Respond to Him.

And then leave here

different

however He's told you

to be different.

Lord Jesus,

I love you

and I thank you

for the love

that you have for us.

and I ask

to your God

that you'll work

and you'll move

in our midst

right now

that you'll have

your will

and your way.

Help us to be obedient

to follow you

as you lead.

In Jesus' precious name,

Amen.

Amen.

Stay tuned.