Hi how are you this is Ray molder I thought yesterday when I began doing the book total forgiveness by RT Kendall that the chapters would be shorter than they are so I am now going to and and I was absolutely startled by the results of how many people viewed that whole chapter there's an hour and a half and one thing about chapters like that remember that all you need to do is leave that little white ball that goes across on the bottom of your screen just leave that at the position where it is don't change it and when you come back it will still be there and you can go right on with what you're reading so it wouldn't be bad if you came back four times or 10 times or read it all once this is chapter two of the same book how to know we have totally forgiven after my life was changed by taking Joseph Joseph Shan's advice to heart I began to teach this message of total forgiveness from place to place but after my teaching people began coming up to me with this question how do I know when I have totally forgiven someone excuse me they would sometimes say well I I think I have forgiven my offender but I'm I'm not sure the truth is I didn't know how to answer them I began to wonder whether I had totally forgiven certain people who would hurt me the question bothered me so much that I began to search for an answer I found it unexpectedly I began preaching about the life of Joseph in June 1982 I had invited Arthur besset the man who has carried the cross around the world and who holds the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the world's longest walk to preach for us at Westminster Chapel now his ministry turned out turned our church upside down I we began to add worship songs to our services instead of singing Just old the old-fashioned hymns we began our pilot light Ministry witnessing on the streets between Victoria and Buckingham Palace on Saturday mornings and we started inviting people to come forward and confess Christ publicly after the Sunday evening service the first Sunday night after Arthur bl's visit I delivered my first sermon on the life of Joseph and my first appeal for people to accept Christ prompted seven people to come forward the account of Joseph's revealing his identity to his brothers is found in Genesis 45 and it is in these verses that I found my answer to the question how can I know whether I have truly forgiven someone Joseph provides a heart searching frame of reference by showing us how he was able to totally forgive his brothers 22 years earlier Joseph's brothers had conspired to kill him because they were jealous of the attention he got from their father as Jacob's favorite child Joseph strutted around in a richly ornamented robe a coat of many colors in addition Joseph dreamed that his 11 brothers would one day come begging to him and showing no sensitivity or humility at all he said to them in Genesis 37 6-9 listen to this dream I had we were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheath Rose and stood upright while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it his brother said to him do you intend to re over us will you actually rule us and they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said and then he had another dream and he told it to his brothers listen I had another dream and this time the sun and moon and 11 stars were bowing down to me that's Genesis 37 6-9 that doesn't take Sigman Freud to interpret those dreams and yet the dreams were from God there was nothing wrong with Joseph's gift which had to do with the interpretation of dreams but there was a lot wrong with Joseph God's hand was on Jose of life but because this young man needed to learn Temperance God allowed Joseph's brothers to deal with him ruthlessly instead of killing him they decided on Plan B selling him as a slave to the ishmaelites this they did never expecting to see him again in order to explain Joseph's sudden absence to their father the brothers concocted a clever cover up they dipped the robe in some goat's blood and they took it to Jacob they deceived him saying we found this examine it to see whether it's your son's robe Genesis 3732 and the plan worked he Jacob it says in Genesis 373 through 33 through 35 he Jacob recognized it and said it is my son's robe some ferocious animal has devoured him Joseph has surely been torn to pieces and then Jacob tore his clothes put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many eight days all his sons and daughters came to comfort him but he refused to be comforted it no he said in morning will I go down to the Grave to my son so his father wept for him even though this situation looked Bleak God was with Joseph he began to work in the house of Poa the Egyptian officer to whom the ishmaelites had sold him he was such a valuable employee that he was in put in charge of the entire household but the Bible describes it Joseph as well-built and handsome and sometime later paar's wife began to flirt with him come to bed with me she pleaded but he refused as the saying goes hath no fury like a woman scorned after being rejected repeatedly she decided to accuse Joseph of rape pfar believed his wife and had Joseph put in prison Joseph was punished for doing the right thing but as Peter said quote it is commendable if a man Bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God but how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it but if you suffer for doing good and you endure it this is commendable before God 1 Peter 2:19 and 20 this was the beginning of preparation for Joseph oh he didn't realize it at that time but had God had great plans for Joseph Dr Martin Lloyd Jones my predecessor at Westminster Chapel used to say to me the worst thing that can happen to a man is to succeed before he's ready God wanted to to ensure that Joseph did not come out of prison and embark on the next phase of his life's work until he was ready Hebrews 12:6 the Lord disciplines those he loves and he punishes everyone excepts as a son excuse me I'm gonna take another drink of this this is called lights on and I got it turn my lights on I that uh I don't have a cold and I'm not cold I'm me hot Fort Worth Texas cheers very [Applause] refreshing Joseph had much to be bitter about first his brothers entreated him with cruelty and disdain true he had made them jealous and had not been a very nice guy he'd even been a tattletail Genesis 372 but killing him or selling him off to the ishmaelite was a wicked and evil act second Joseph had been falsely accused instead of sleeping with Piper's wife he had resisted the Temptation we all like to think that God will bless us when we're faithful and obedient to his word but the thanks Joseph got was imprisonment third God allowed for all of these things to take place Joseph's rationale for resisting the overtures of Piper's wife was loyalty to God how then could I do such a thing such a wicked thing and sin against God he imp Lord in Genesis 399 many people I know are afraid to have an affair for only one reason the fear of getting caught but Joseph was in Egypt where nobody knew him his family was Far Away back in Canaan and paar's wife wasn't going to tell Joseph was faithful because he didn't want to displease God but then God allowed Joseph to go to prison for something he didn't even do let me just stop there and said you perhaps assume if you're a Christian that you're calling your own shots and that your life is just being you go to heaven but but uh got to get on with life here and I and I want you to understand God knows everything you're doing and as long as you're doing something that he can improve boy he will bless the socks off you just like he did for Joseph I couldn't have handled the ministry that God has given me in speaking with you even 10 years ago I wasn't ready even a few less years than that and God waited started me small talking to 25 countries and now the entire world that would have So Gone to my head that I would have been bragging about it everywhere but I don't feel that way now I am so humbled by God that he would allow man a man with sin in his background so obvious for years that he would allow me to be here and uh again 1 Corinthians 1 17 and 18 God chooses the base things of the world to confound the wise so let's get back Joseph had much to be bitter about then and many offenders to forgive his brothers who sold him into slavery Piper's wife who lied and God who let it all happen after some time pass Joseph had company in prison Pharaoh's cup Bearer and Baker while there eached the man a dream that Joseph offered to interpret he predicted that the baker would be hanged in three days but that the cup Bearer would get his job back in the same span of time now both of these events took place just as Joseph predicted so far so good but a Temptation too great so it seemed was handed to Joseph on a silver platter he had barely finished telling the cup Bearer that he would be restored to Pharaoh's favor when Joseph got too involved in his prophetic word Genesis 40 14 and 15 but when all goes well with you remember me and show me kindness mention me to pharaoh and get me me out of this prison for I was fiercely carried off from the land of the Hebrews and even here I've done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon Genesis 44 and 15 wow and every time if you read this P the passage read the story of Joseph from Genesis it keeps saying that he had God's favor when he was in prison and hating every minute of it how's that for the favor of God see what you're going through is shaping you it isn't something God is mean he isn't he isn't he loves you father God loves you but you can only get to Father God through Jesus Christ come into my heart Holy Spirit Jesus Christ be my one and only God my one and only savior mean that and it's done now most of would have done the same thing we would have had a pity party but God had special plans for Joseph and in order for his testimony to be validated later there could be no promotion that could be explained in terms of what a human being could do in other words God wanted Joseph out of prison as much as Joseph wanted out but if the cup simply put in a good word for Joseph and he got sprung from prison because of it well it would have fallen short of God's Supreme plan you want God's crackers or do you want God's best delays can actually hear this please delays can actually be a part of God's purpose seemingly unanswered prayer can be as much a part of God's will as answered prayer I'm G to read that again and if you are taking notes try to get this done delays can actually be part of God's purpose seemingly unanswered prayer can be as much a part of God's will as answered prayer who knows best you or him the truth is Joseph needed to be delivered from bitterness and self-pity 1 Corinthians 135 the same verse that says love keeps no record of wrongs in love we will not play the manipulator when it comes to promoting ourselves we will let God promote Us in his timing Joseph was full of self-pity he says so Genesis 40:15 I've done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon self-pity and self-righteousness twin sins that complim each other are eclipsed when we begin to forgive totally and keep no record of wrongs at the point in time Joseph had not yet forgiven his brothers Piper's wife or God Joseph had not forgotten his dreams he knew that one day for one reason or another his brothers would would bow down before him Joseph eventually oh eventually those brothers did but when it finally happened Joseph was a changed man there was no bitterness there were no grudges none n something had happened to him during those final two years in prison how do I know that well look at him listen to him his attitude had completely changed he had totally and wonderfully forgiven them all before his heart was changed well he probably fantasized about the day they would come begging him for forgiveness he probably longed to the Fulfillment of his dreams to say gotcha to his brothers and then doth throw the book at them instead when they time came he lovingly welcomed them and forgave them with tears what caused such a dramatic change two years after Joseph had interpreted the dreams of the the Baker and the butler Pharaoh himself had a dream two dreams in fact and none of his magicians and astrologers could figure them out the cup Bearer overheard the commotion and remembered how Joseph had interpreted his dream so accurately he stepped forward and he recommended Joseph to pharaoh and suddenly Joseph found himself before the ruler of Egypt and he alone was able to interpret the dreams there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine in the land and Joseph also offered his advice Pharaoh should store up food during the first seven years so that there would be a surplus available during the seven years of lack not only for Egypt but also for the surrounding countries who had come to Egypt begging for food and Pharaoh was so impressed with this wise advice that he made Joseph the prime minister of Egypt right on the spot God did it all he had used the cup error yes but not because of Joseph's manipulation then during the time of famine who do you suppose came to Egypt begging for food Joseph's brothers he recognized them instantly though they didn't know who he was 22 years older and wearing official Egyptian gar not to mention speaking Egyptian through an interpreter the moment finally came when Joseph revealed himself it was the moment he dreamed of but instead of punishing them which he had the power to do he wept filled with love he demonstrated total forgiveness now what lessons about total forgiveness can the example of Joseph teach us one do not let anyone know what someone said about you or did to you to ensure privacy Joseph Cried Out have everyone leave my presence Genesis 451 he wanted to reveal his identity until there was no one in the room except his brothers even The Interpreter who had no idea Joseph could speak Hebrew was to his surprise told to leave but why why did Joseph make everyone else leave because he did not want a single person in Egypt to know what his brothers had done to him 22 years before he had a plan namely to persuade them to bring their father Jacob to Egypt he wanted his entire family there with him no one in Egypt needed to know what they had done Joseph was a hero in Egypt the people were in awe of him by interpreting Pharaoh's dream he had had saved the nation now he knew that if the word leaked out that his brothers had actually kidnapped him and sold him to the Israelites the Egyptians would hate his brothers instead Joseph wanted them to be heroes in Egypt as he was and the only way to caused that to happen was to ensure that absolutely nobody in Egypt would ever discover their wickedness so he did not allow anyone to EES drop on this historic conversation as he revealed his identity to those startled frightened men Joseph not only did not let anybody know what they had done he ensured that they could not know that's one of the proofs that one has totally forgiven now this is precisely how you and I are forgiven Psalm 103:12 as far as the East is from the West so far as he removed our transgressions sins from us our sins are wiped out acts 3:19 it's as though our sins don't exist in anymore they're gone gone gone gone and so far as our standing in security with God is concerned they will never be held against us ever ever ever back in the hills of Kentucky we used to sing A Chorus about our sins being buried in God's sea of forgetfulness buried in the deepest sea yes that's good enough for me I will live eternally praise God my sins are gone that's the song This is based on Micah 7:19 you will again have compassion on us you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea God will not reveal what he knows picture if you will a giant screen such as the ones many churches use for projecting the words to worship songs imagine your s listed on that screen for people to see you would look at the list and be forced to admit yes that's true but I thought I was forgiven and that nobody would know imagine the sense of betrayal you would feel if God disclosed to everyone else what he knows about you there are a lot of things God knows about me that I wouldn't want anyone else to know boy is that true of me I guess I'm kind of an open book I'm trying to think of anything that I have hidden if I did I it'll burp back up like a bad onion and you'll hear about it he has enough on me to bury me oh yes but you will never know any of it because God won't tell so why do we tell on other people if for therapeutic reasons we tell one other person who will never repeat it and that is understandable but the real reason we usually tell is to punish and one weapon at our disposal to accomplish this is our tongue we tell everyone else what we know in order to make our offender look bad if we can hurt their credibility or reputation in return for their hurting us good we say it serves them right we blab do everyone as we find out we want to tell them all what was done to us as a way of getting even and Joseph is sometimes referred to as a type of Christ a person in the Old Testament who long before Jesus came along displayed characteristics of Jesus himself and despite his imperfections Joseph was indeed a type of Christ in many ways his ability to forgive his brothers as he did foreshadows Jesus actions towards his disciples scared to death and ashamed over the way they had deserted Jesus when he was arrested they were huddled behind closed doors when the Resurrect The resur the resurrected Jesus turned up unexpectedly and declared in John 20:21 peace be with you just in aide he actually said Shalom that's much more than peace be with you that means May every good thing that could possibly happen to you happen now the disciples were totally forgiven and they knew it we all have skeletons in our closets some are known to others many are unknown it is comforting to know that God freely and totally forgives all of our sins and will never tell what he knows that is the way Joseph forgave that is why we are urged to be kind and compassionate to one another forgiving each other just as Christ and Christ God forgave you Ephesians 4:32 I'm going to stop there we're going to get to the second part of this great chapter tomorrow I'm going to be reading this daily because I don't know anything more important than you're forgiving forgive and you will be forgiven is an elementary rule I've I've I've often said there are no rules after you come to Christ well there aren't but oh the penalty you pay in this world for these things that eat you alive it's not worth it there nothing that you could do would be worth it now be ass sure that you have read with me the introduction to this book and the first chapter of this book because he says much there that he you know he can't just keep repeating but he says enough there to bring you to that second chapter and you get a full understanding of how to forgive I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am because I sure am