Love Worth Finding

Adrian Rogers: God is not concerned with time. The fact that it had been centuries prior when God made this promise, and it would be decades yet before the promise would be fulfilled, did not stampede Joseph. Joseph knew that the promise was going to be fulfilled. Why? Because it rests not in circumstances, not in emotion, it rests in God.

There is the unbreakable promise of God. There is the unshakable power of God. That's what we've got to remember if we want to have strong faith. That's why God took this one episode in the life of Joseph and used it as a cameo to teach us faith.

Narrator: Welcome to Love Worth Finding, featuring the profound truth of the gospel simply stated in the teaching of Adrian Rogers. As he reached the end of his life, Joseph had faith that God would deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. So much so, he asked that they take his bones with them.

In part one of today's message, we learned that Joseph's faith was contrary to evidence. It was not shaken by fickle emotions or circumstances. Joseph knew time must pass and that what would be left of him would be bones. But centuries cannot erode the promises of God. If you have your Bible, turn now to Hebrews chapter 11. We'll begin in verse 22 as Adrian Rogers reveals "The Blessing in a Box of Bones."

Adrian Rogers: Now, what is the blessing in a box of bones? May I give you a skeleton outline? All right, now I want us to think about three major points as we think about the bones of Joseph. Number one, faith remembers the unbreakable promises of God. Now, Joseph said what he said because he was standing on an unbreakable promise of God.

Now, I'm reading Genesis chapter 50, verses 22 through 26: "And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation," he's seeing his great-grandchildren. "The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees." So, there's Joseph, 110 years of age, dangling his grandkids on his knees and his great-grandchildren.

And Joseph said unto his brethren, "I die: and God will surely visit you." Now, if you don't mind marking your Bibles, underscore the phrase "God will surely visit you," "and bring you out of this land unto the land," now watch this, "which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence." So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Well, how did Joseph know these things? Why was he so certain? Why was he so adamant about it? Well, obviously, he knew the word of God. You see, God had made a promise to Abraham 300 years before this. You can put this down in your margin and I'll read it for you in Genesis chapter 15, verses 13 through 14.

Here's what God said to the first Hebrew, to Abraham, and his name was Abram at this time. And he said unto Abram, "Know of a surety," there's our word again, surety, that is a certainty, "that thy seed," that is Abram, your children, "shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs," he's talking of Egypt, "and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years."

Think of it now, four centuries. "And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance." Now, that's what God said. How did Joseph know therefore that they were going to leave? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. God said it, Joseph believed it.

Now, that tells us something about faith. You have to have the word of God in order to have faith. The Bible tells us in Romans 10:17, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Now, you're not going to have faith apart from hearing God. And so, here Joseph's faith is being displayed now. He remembers the unbreakable promises of God.

Faith is acting as if it is so because he said it is so, even when it does not seem so, so it can be so. You see, why was Joseph so certain? He had the word of God. He had the promises of God. So, first of all, faith remembers the unbreakable promises of God.

Now, number two, faith relies on the unshakable power of God. You see, when you have the promise, then you need someone who has the power to fulfill the promise. Now look again in Genesis chapter 50 and verse 24. And Joseph said unto his brethren, "I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land." Who's going to do it? God is going to do it. "Unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."

Now, this was the God who turned the Red Sea into a 48-lane superhighway. This is the God who judged the Egyptians. This is the God who did the miracles. This is God who has this unshakable power. Now, there is the unbreakable promise of God. There is the unshakable power of God. That's what we've got to remember if we want to have strong faith. That's why God took this one episode in the life of Joseph and used it as a cameo to teach us faith.

Now, here's the third thing I want us to see in this particular passage of scripture, and that is faith results in the unmistakable peace of God. Why did Joseph have such peace? There's no hint of panic here. He's about to die and he's playing with his grandbabies. He's speaking with a ring of certainty and victory in his heart. Where does he get this peace?

Well, the peace comes again from the first two things. He remembers the promises of God. He relies on the power of God. And therefore, he is resting in the unmistakable peace of God. There's no panic here in all of this. Now, was his faith rewarded? Let me give you some scripture here.

Exodus chapter 13, verses 18 and 19, talking about the children of Israel coming out of Egypt and going to the promised land, and this is what it says: "But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt." Now, that's exactly what Joseph said would happen. They went up out of the land of Egypt.

"And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you." Now, Moses said, "All right, load them up, head them out, let's go. Get Joe's bones. Hey you, pick up that coffin, you fellows. Carry it with you. Let's go." Here they go, out of Egypt. Here they go, through the Red Sea. Here they go, to the brink of Jordan.

And what do they have with them? A box of bones. 400 years, God says you're coming out, and they came out. Now, Moses couldn't go all the way into the promised land, and so a man named Joshua had to bring them into the promised land. Read now in the book of Joshua chapter 24, verse 32: "And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor."

Now, here in the book of Joshua, Joshua takes the bones, the bones that were in Egypt, the bones that Moses carried across the burning sands of the Sinai, and the bones now that come across the river Jordan, and the bones that come to that place of Shechem and he is buried there. Now, it was as Joseph believed. Moses carried his bones and Joshua carried his bones and it's always going to be just as God said it would be.

Now, that brings up an interesting question. We see the promise of God, we see the power of God, we see the peace of God, but why is it wrapped up in these bones? What is the blessing in a box of bones? Why did Joseph say, "Take my bones with you"? Why couldn't he just be buried there in Egypt and leave well enough alone? I'll tell you why.

Because Joseph wanted to be a part of what God was up to. He wanted to be linked with the people of God. He said, "I want to be a part of that." You see, look, Joseph was a mighty man in Egypt. You cannot understand the power that Joseph had. Egypt was the mightiest nation on the face of the earth, and he is the Prime Minister. He's the one who's running everything for old Pharaoh.

Now, back in this day, when an Egyptian would die of great wealth, pomp, and circumstance, he would build a great monument. Have you seen the pyramids? The Great Pyramid, I've been to it, been inside of it. It was an antiquity in the time of Christ. Have you seen those things? All of those tombs, those monuments. That's what the rich Pharaohs and the high muckety-mucks of Egypt were able to do.

I'm glad Joseph didn't build one for himself. You know why? It would have been plundered. All of those have been plundered. They're looking for more to plunder. It would have been robbed, it would have been desecrated. Had they found the sarcophagus of Joseph, had they found his mummy, he may have been in the London Museum.

Have you ever been in the London Museum? Go to the section where they have the mummies. I'm glad it's not a glass case with old Joseph lying up there. I'm glad that Joseph did not try to build a monument to himself. Do you know what Joseph did? Joseph said, "Take my bones, bury them in the promised land." What Joseph built for himself was a monument of faith by believing God.

What do you want to be remembered for? All of the things that we think are so important, our wealth, our prestige, our awards, all this, do you think that impresses heaven? It does not and probably won't impress people after you're gone. Joseph could lie down in the grave and rest because he knew that he was a part of God's plan.

I'll tell you something else. Joseph knew that there's a great getting-up day coming. Do you believe that? Do you believe there's a resurrection? Daniel believed it. Listen to Daniel chapter 12, verse 2: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

If you die before Jesus comes, you go down in the grave, and you're going to be raised. Now, don't think that the resurrection is just for Christians. All are going to be raised, saved and lost. You say that's Old Testament. All right, let me give you something New Testament. Put down John chapter 5, verses 28 and 29. This time Jesus is speaking.

Jesus said, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice," that is the voice of Jesus, "and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." Everybody here is going to be raised.

You die, they put your bones in the ground, they may stay there for centuries, but there's coming a time when all that are in the graves will hear the voice of the Son of God just as he said, "Lazarus, come forth." Going to come forth. Either the resurrection of life or the resurrection of damnation. Won't it be great to be raised and see Jesus face to face?

The Psalmist said, "I shall be satisfied when I rise in your likeness." Won't it be great? Will it not be fearful to rise in the judgment and face a God that you do not know? Face a Savior who died for you, who pled for you, who invited you, someone that you said no to. What will you say when you see him? Oh, you're going to face him.

You're going to meet him. He is inescapable, he is unavoidable. "As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." God has given Jesus a name that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow. You're going to meet him. You can't crawl up in the grave and pull the dirt over your face and hide from God. You are going to meet Jesus Christ. There is coming a resurrection.

I don't know how much of this that Joseph knew, but he's living by faith. He's probably the most Christlike character in all of the Old Testament. He knew that death was not the end of it all. He didn't understand all that we understand this side of Calvary, but I believe if you could listen to that box of bones, if those bones could talk one to another, they might have been having a little party.

You might have heard a chuckle from a knuckle, maybe there'd be a grin from a shin, a little glee from a knee, maybe there'd be a lot of ribbing going on. Because they knew, they knew that there's a great getting-up morning coming. Them bones, them bones going to walk around. Jesus said they're coming out of the grave.

That's the reason Paul said our behavior, our citizenship, is in heaven from whence we look for the Savior who shall change our vile body and make it like unto his glorious body. Think of it. Sir, you're going to be like Jesus. I'm going to be like Jesus. I submit to you either that's true or it's not true. To rise in the resurrection in that glorious dawn and meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a day that will be.

You see, the Apostle Paul pointed toward that day and he said there's coming a time when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. There's coming a time though we die and lay down in the grave. Old Paul gets a little sarcastic, he gets a challenge, he calls death an enemy. He says, "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?"

Ah, he says, "The sting of death is sin." You see, it's sin that puts a sting into death and the strength of sin is the law. It's the law that says that sin must be punished. But thank God to those who are saved. We're not under the law but under grace and Jesus has taken the sting out of death, the pain out of parting, the gloom out of the grave and has given us a hope that is steadfast and sure.

Because death, that old monarch of terrors, laid his bony hands on Jesus and brought Jesus down to the dungeon and Jesus lay there bound in the iron cold chains of death. One day, two days, three days. On the third day, he broke the chains of death. Praise God. He rose up off that marble slab and old death had been sitting there on the throne clapping his bony hands and shrieking his hoarse laugh, but he stops laughing.

Jesus reaches up and pulls death from the throne and throws him on the dungeon floor. The crown rolls from the head of death. Jesus puts his heel on the neck of death, reaches down and pulls the sting out of death, puts the crown on his own head and walks out of that grave, a risen Savior, glory, glory God. And Jesus says, "Because I live, you live."

If in this world only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable. Thank God Joseph was not living to have a pyramid built in Egypt but a palace in glory. Are you saved? You see, Paul ends this passage of scripture saying, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." Be steadfast, that's constancy. Abounding in the work of the Lord, that's fervency.

For you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord, that's expectancy. That's the way we're to live. Not afraid to die, not worried about our bones. God is going to take care of that. There's coming a resurrection. Now, what is the blessing in a box of bones? Can you imagine them having that box of bones the whole time they were in Egypt?

And if there was a time of slavery and adversity and misery, they'd look at that box of bones and say, "This is not forever, we're leaving here." If there was a time of prosperity and ease, they'd look at that box of bones and say, "Don't settle down, we are leaving here." And whether it was prosperity or adversity, and we all know both don't we?

That box of bones reminded them of the brevity of life and the length of eternity. The brevity of life. Hold your hand up and breathe on it. What is your life but a vapor that appears for a little while? This little heartbeat. That's all there is between you and eternity. That's not much. You're gone. You're gone. Folks, are you ready?

No man is ready to live until he's no longer afraid to die. And how can you be ready to die? Remember the unbreakable promises of God. Rest in the unshakable power of God and just lean back on the unmistakable peace of God. That's the blessing in a box of bones. If you're not saved, God brought you here today to be saved and God will save you.

He will save you. The Bible says for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whosoever, that's you. Would you like to call upon him? May I guide you in a decision and help you right now to call upon Jesus? This can be the greatest moment of your life. This, precious friend, can be the time that you make a decision that will affect your entire eternity by giving your heart to Jesus Christ.

You must know that you're a sinner. You must know that your sin deserves judgment and hell. You must believe that Jesus paid your sin debt with his blood on the cross and proved it by coming out of that grave. But you must individually and personally receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Pray this way, "Dear God, I am a sinner. I am lost. I confess my sin, I acknowledge my sin, I'm ashamed of my sin.

I deserve judgment and hell but I want mercy and salvation. Jesus, you died to save me and you promised to save me if I would trust you. I do trust you. I do trust you. This moment, I trust you as my Lord and Savior. Right now, come into my life. I don't look for a feeling, I don't ask for a sign, I stand on your word, you cannot lie.

Come into my life, forgive my sin, cleanse me, save me and begin now to make me the person you want me to be. And help me, Lord Jesus, never to be ashamed of you. Give me the courage to make it public. In your name I pray, Amen."

Narrator: Amen. And if you've prayed to receive Jesus just now, we want to celebrate with you and invite you to our Discover Jesus page at the website. There you'll discover more insights about your new-found faith and see the opportunity to take the next steps in your walk with God. Go to LWF.org/radio and click the tab that says "Discover Jesus."

Welcome to God's forever family. We can't wait to hear from you today.

Cary Vaughn: Hi, this is Cary Vaughn, and this program has been brought to you by Love Worth Finding, a non-profit ministry showcasing the powerful preaching and teaching of Pastor Adrian Rogers. We operate solely through the generous gifts of individual supporters just like you. So, to give a gift today, call 1-877-LOVEGOD. That's 1-877-LOVEGOD.

You can also connect with us online by going to LWF.org/radio. There we offer helpful resources inspired by the timeless teaching of Pastor Rogers. Or even write to us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38-600, Memphis, Tennessee, 38183. Thank you for listening today and be sure to join us next time for more profound truth simply stated right here on Love Worth Finding.