Roche Coleman Ministries: The Infusion Broadcast

Dr. Roche Coleman: I don't care what has happened, what has transpired. God has a calling on your life, and God will give you another opportunity so that you can walk in your purpose, so that you can walk in the calling, so you can walk and fulfill that which God has created you for and called you to.

So often we miss that. We think we're living our lives unto ourselves, but no, we live it unto God. God will give you another chance, but you've got to stand up, lead, and walk in the purpose that God has for you. He has a plan over your life. Don't miss this.

Guest (Male): Thank you for tuning in today to join us on the Infusion broadcast with the Roche Coleman Ministries. How often do we give up on some folks as we judge them for being too hard-hearted? Dr. Roche Coleman's current series on this broadcast is God, Our Present Help, based on the life of Joseph.

In chapter 42 of Genesis, we see how graciously God provides for Joseph's brothers, who did such evil acts against him. Yet God in His sovereignty and great mercy redeems them as well. Here's Dr. Coleman with part two of the message, Suffering, Retribution, and Redemption.

Dr. Roche Coleman: I love this. It's beautiful. The retribution and the reaping is taking place. But what I really like here in this text is going to happen with Judah. After these brothers have declared they're so honest, they have one brother in prison, Joseph let them go back home.

They get back home, and they have to go and tell good old Jacob that they need to take their youngest brother back to Egypt. This is something I want you to notice, and this is so important. Jacob is a selfish dude. I'm serious. Jacob is all about the self.

Selfish people are very interesting and intriguing because they really don't care about anything but what's going to happen to them, how it affects them, what they can get. Jacob is a selfish dude. By the time the brothers return, he's not concerned about them.

The only thing he's concerned about is, "Why did you all tell him? Why did you tell him that you had a younger brother?" The brothers said, "Hey man, the guy questioned us." The light never goes off in their mind. How does he know so much about our family?

The questions were very pointed and particular. It never goes off because the Lord keeps them in the dark. He veils their minds to see beyond the surface because He's using all of this for His purpose. But the one thing I love here, stay with me, is how Judah is going to step up and walk in the fulfillment and the purpose that God has called for him.

I want to say something to some of you, and I want you to remember this. Don't miss this. Point number two is the proposal by Judah, but I want you to remember this. Listen to me close. God gives you second chances so that you can walk in the purpose and the calling He has over your life. Do you hear me?

I don't care what has happened or what has transpired. God has a calling on your life, and God will give you another opportunity so that you can walk in your purpose, so that you can walk in the calling, so you can walk and fulfill that which God has created you for and called you to.

So often we miss that. We think we're living our lives unto ourselves, but no, we live it unto God. God will give you another chance, but you've got to stand up, lead, and walk in the purpose that God has for you. He has a plan over your life. Don't miss this.

Judah, you remember in Genesis 38, he was down with the Adullamite. He was indulging in extracurricular activities, going into harlots, prostitutes when he was away from home, not being faithful to what he was called to. But now, when they find themselves in this predicament with the second ruler in Egypt, Judah steps up to walk in the calling that God has over his life.

Judah is the one in which our Savior will come. He will come from the line of the tribe of Judah. Jesus Christ is a descendant of Judah. Why? Because Judah understood that he could no longer be that Judah in 38. He's got to be the Judah in 43.

Sometimes God will give us another chance so we can walk in our purpose. That's why I like the proposal of Judah. Judah says, "Jacob, send the boy with me." I like this. Look at the text. Jacob, selfish self. They run out of food in 43, and so Jacob is like, "Pantry kind of getting bare again. Can you all go back to Egypt and get a little more food?"

You see, Jacob only wants to go and wants them to go and is willing because he is hungry. He's selfish. Judah says, "You know we can't go without taking our youngest brother." He said, "Why you treat me in verse six like this? You all just shouldn't have told him." He said, "Man, look," Judah says, "Look, it's done. That's the end of the conversation." He said, "Send the boy with me."

I love this. This is beautiful. Judah says to him in verse eight, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go that we may live and not die." Underline that in your Bible, verse eight. He says, "Send the boy with me so that we may live and not die."

Judah now is stepping up, and he is serving as a substitute. He is saying, "I am willing to be the redeemer of my people." He said, "You can blame me. You can kill my boys." He said, "But I'm going to step up right now because it is dire and so that lives may be preserved. I will lead. I'm willing to be a substitute for you."

But even greater than Judah was Joseph. Joseph's life has been the life of that of a substitute. Joseph is an example of a true redeemer. His entire life down here in Egypt, the way he arrived was because he was serving as a form of a substitute, a sacrificial offering for his family and not just for his family, but also for the nation of Egypt so that many might be preserved.

Joseph is a type of Christ. I want to give you some examples that demonstrate Joseph being a type of Christ. Joseph was loved by his father; Jesus was loved by his father. Number two, Joseph obeyed his father; Jesus obeyed his father. Three, Joseph was sent to his brothers just like Jesus was sent to his brothers.

Joseph was hated by his brothers just as Jesus was hated by his brothers. He went to his own and his own received him not. Joseph was ridiculed because of his robe; Jesus was ridiculed because of his role as redeemer, as Messiah. Joseph's brothers plotted to kill him, and Jesus' brothers plotted to kill him.

Joseph was placed in a pit to die; Jesus was placed on a cross and in a tomb to die. Joseph was raised out of the pit to save many; Jesus was raised from the grave to save the world. Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver; Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver.

Joseph was separated from his father; Jesus was separated from his father on that cross. Joseph was faithful during his temptation; Jesus was faithful during his temptation. Joseph was falsely accused by his opponent, Potiphar's wife; Jesus was falsely accused by his opponents.

Joseph was silent before his accuser; Jesus was silent before his accuser. He never said a word. Joseph was falsely incarcerated in an Egyptian prison; Jesus Christ was falsely incarcerated. Joseph was elevated to second in charge to Pharaoh; Jesus Christ was elevated to the right hand of the Father.

Joseph's life served as a sacrificial offering. If you recall, the Bible used some great words. He used the word "Redeemer." If you look in the New Testament in Matthew chapter 20, verse 28, Jesus says he came to give his life a ransom for many. The word ransom there is "lutron" in the Greek. Lutron has this idea of paying the price of redemption to redeem a slave.

What Jesus Christ does with his death, he pays the redemption price, which was the shedding of his innocent blood on Calvary's cross. But in the Old Testament, we see that the Bible talks about that redemption in Leviticus 25 with an animal, but that was not sufficient. There was more needed.

We see it also in the book of Ruth in Ruth chapter 3, verse 13, that Boaz tells Ruth, "I am the goel. I am your redeemer." He says, "I am there to redeem you so that you don't perish." Joseph also and Judah both function as redeemers in the book of Genesis.

They are examples of one willing to substitute themselves that others might be delivered, that others might be saved. They were willing to pay the ransom price, and they had to suffer. Joseph, for over 12 years, suffered so that Jacob, his father, his brothers, so that the nation of Egypt might experience redemption, that they might live and not die.

I want to let you know that many of us have been called to lives that sometimes we have to suffer so that others might live. Sometimes your pain and your hurt is there so that others might enjoy the fruit of abundant life and live at a different level. Often times they may never say thank you, but you have to remember that God has called all of us as believers.

He has called us to a place of sacrificial living so that others might live. You and I are called to share the glorious gospel to others to let them know that Jesus is Lord. We are to live sacrificial lives. Why? So that others might live. God desires that none perish, but all come to repentance, and He wants to use us just as He used Joseph and Judah as redeemers.

That's a hard truth, but it is the biblical mandate. Now we see Judah stepping up and saying, "Send the boy with me." It's beautiful here because we see Joseph getting his somewhat retribution. Jacob remains selfish, Judah serves as his substitute, and when they get back, it's beautiful to see what happens.

In Genesis 43, they get back with Benjamin. You got to remember now, Joseph hadn't seen Benjamin in years. It's been over 12 years. He hadn't seen his little brother. For those of us who have siblings and family members we are close to and not seeing them for years and thinking about all the time that has transpired, those moments that they have not been able to share together, to bond together, now Benjamin is there in Egypt and Joseph gets a chance to see him.

The brothers are here and they're wondering what is going to happen. Joseph is going to have a meal for them and he sets them up and while they're there, he arranged them at the table in birth order. He arranged them in the order that they were born and the brothers are like, "How does he know this?"

Still, God has not allowed them to understand and comprehend what is going on. God keeps them in the dark. Why does he keep them in the dark? Because he's allowing them to reap a little bit longer. They're reaping because they are fearful. They are afraid. They think they will be bound just like Simeon. So their eyes are wide and attentive to what's going on.

The Bible lets us know in verse 29, Joseph lifted up his eyes and he saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son. He said, "Is this your youngest brother whom you spoke to me about? May God be gracious to you, my son." In verse 30, Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother.

He sought a place to weep. He went in his chambers and he just cried. Can you imagine the emotions in Joseph? Can you imagine him looking at his brother and he remembering and I'm certain why he's looking at Benjamin, he's thinking about all the time lost in that stupid pit, those false accusations, that prison.

He's thinking about the words I'm certain that his brothers were uttering while they were plotting to kill him. And he's crying. But he goes in his chamber and gets himself together. I'm going to tell you this is a gut-wrenching text because it shows you the depths of humanity and the reality of life.

Let me say this to you because I don't want you to miss this. Listen to me closely. You got to ask yourself the question, why does the Bible go to such great lengths to give us so much detail in the life of Joseph? Genesis 37 to Genesis 50 and it gives us intricate details of the emotive aspects, the exchange.

It is trying to reveal to us the nature and the character of our God. The Bible is doing its best to give us a self-revelation of the God who created heaven and earth so that we can understand that the God we serve sympathizes, understands. He is intricately involved in the most minute details of our lives and that He cares for us.

When it talks about that He stored up our tears in a vial, that one day He's going to wipe the tears away from our eyes. This text lets us know the hurt and the pain that Joseph endures. It cannot compare to what God is going to give him one day in the heavenlies.

That's why the book Genesis, Bereshit, the Hebrew for beginnings, it begins by letting us know something about the nature of God. Joseph washes his face, he serves a meal. When he serves a meal to them in verse 31, after he has them arranged in the order, they're preparing to eat but he gives five times as much to Benjamin.

I like that. He says, "Eat as much as you can." Why does he give him five times? Why did he give him all this food? You got to remember there has been a famine in the land. Benjamin has probably not eaten like this in years. He's not had a feast of this nature. In antiquity, it was rare that they ate meat at meals because meat was a special offering.

But today, he gets to eat his choice. But more importantly, there's something bigger going on at this table. Arranged in birth order, Benjamin eating this large meal, it brings to my mind a psalm, Psalm 23. The 23rd Psalm is a psalm that we use often at funerals, but I want to let you know that the 23rd Psalm is a psalm that you can use whenever you think about the blessings that God has bestowed upon you.

The Psalm says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me lie down in green pastures, leadeth me beside the still waters, he restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me."

Joseph had walked through the valley of the shadow of death when he was in that pit. When Joseph was with those Ishmaelites going down to Egypt, he was in the valley of the shadow of death. When Joseph was there at Potiphar's house and he got accused of rape, he was in the valley of the shadow of death because he should have been killed.

When Joseph arrived at that Egyptian prison, he was in the valley of the shadow of death, but I want to let you know God didn't keep him there. He says in verse five, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine own enemies."

Those who sent him down to the pit, those who sent him down to Potiphar's, those who sent him to the prison, they couldn't keep him there. Why? Because God had a table set there in Egypt for Joseph. God had a table and put all of his enemies right there at the table.

He says, "I'm preparing a table right there in the presence of your enemies, Joseph." Isn't God a good God like that? Right there before his own enemies, He prepared a table. And He says, "You all sit down. You all were plotting to kill me." He said, "But I want to let you know my God has prepared a table."

He has anointed my head with oil. My cup is running over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Isn't God a good God? Somebody know about the table. Some of you, God has prepared a table for you and you're celebrating around the table. Why? Because that's who our God is.

We don't prepare the table; God does. God prepared a table right there in front of his enemies. God is a good God, worthy of all of our praise. He does it for Joseph because Joseph sowed the seeds of faithfulness. God blessed him, but it took over 12 years of suffering to get there.

Some of you right now, you may be walking through your season of suffering, but I want to let you know God is with you. The promises happen. They happen although it seems they would not happen. God's promises are a sure, firm foundation. They are yes and amen.

God brings to fulfillment that which he had promised in a dream to Joseph. The same God who's faithful to him is faithful to you. I want to challenge you right now, no matter where you are, what season of life you're in, remember, God is a faithful God and His promises are faithful.

Sometimes God uses suffering for the salvation of others. Your hardship, what you may be going through, you're like, "Man, I don't understand, God, what are you doing?" It may be years later before you understand what God is doing, but I want to let you know that God is with you.

Remain faithful to Him and God will bless you. He will sustain you. Keep calling on Him and trusting in Him and God will prepare the table right there before those who try to destroy you. Father, we love you, we thank you, and we bless you. Lord, we don't always understand how you're moving and what you're doing.

And though painful, though Lord God, problematic, you're faithful. I pray for everyone here, I pray for those on livestream. I pray right now for your spirit to move in their lives and Lord, bring about a healing, a restoration. Help people walk in their purpose. Help them be reminded of your love, of your compassion, and that you're with them. And Lord, for whatever you do, we will give you praise, glory, and honor. We thank you, we worship you, and we ask it all in the mighty and majestic name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Guest (Male): Thank you, Dr. Coleman. Yes, God is indeed a God of second chances. He gives Joseph's brothers an opportunity to confess their sins and get things right in their relationships. Friend, if you've never accepted Jesus as your savior and Lord of your life or have doubts about your salvation, I want to encourage you to make certain of that today.

Please write to us at info@rochecolemanministries.org or if you'd like to speak to us, our number is 346-386-4621. And after you do so, I hope you'll find a local church to attend. If you're in the Houston or surrounding areas, please stop by the Impact Church of the Woodlands where Dr. Coleman serves as senior pastor.

The worship times on Sundays are 8:00 and 10:45 a.m. and the church is located at 5401 Shadowbend Place, The Woodlands, Texas, 77381. We hope you'll stop by this weekend. In closing, our impact thought for today is: sometimes God uses suffering for the salvation of others. Let's remain faithful to God for His glory and see Him fulfill His purpose for our lives. God bless you.