Calvary Chapel Truckee

Thursday night we will continue in the study of Genesis 45. Joseph reveals himself to his brothers after they pass his final test. God is so good. His Word always comes about. Why do we ever worry and fret when we have a God like the One True and Living God?

This Sunday we will continue our study through the Gospel of Matthew. We will be looking at the account of Jesus healing a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.

I love what Jesus said to the religious leaders. "Then He said to them, 'What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?' " Matthew 12:11-13

"Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?” These words of Jesus bring such comfort to my heart. To know that we are, that you are, that I am valuable in His eyes. What a blessing it is! So many people go through life feeling unloved, of no value, forgotten by God. It’s not true and Jesus tells us it’s not true. Each of us, individually, are very valuable to God.

Tonight we will continue our study through the Book of Genesis. We have been looking at Jospeh put his brothers through their paces in order to see if there is any change in them. We see in Genesis 44 that Jospeh has one last test for them. Will they pass? Spoiler alert … They pass with flying colors.

Not only do they pass, but we see one of the most beautiful intercessions found in the Bible, a beautiful picture of our Savior.

Looking at Matthew 12:1-8, we see the rebellion against the King getting more and more fierce. In our verses we see the religious leaders in conflict with Jesus again. Jesus declares to the religious leaders that God is more interested in the heart than empty outward observances. Jesus boldly stated to them that He, not the Pharisees, was the Lord of the Sabbath. This was another way of claiming to be God since God had ordained the Sabbath.

Continuing our study in the book of Genesis. We are in chapter 43. Jospeh’s brothers return to Egypt with their brother Benjamin. Jacob consents to allowing Benjamin to go, but he is afraid. It’s amazing to see this man of faith that is written about in Hebrews 11 is a man of like nature as we are.

The verses we will be looking at are some of the most wonderful among the revelation of Jesus, our great God and Savior. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

These verses happen to be the only autobiography of our Lord. It just blesses my heart to hear His description of Himself. So loving and welcoming.

It doesn’t matter where you are in your walk, whether you are struggling or charging for Jesus, these verses are directed to you from Jesus. Make plans to come and worship our Lord in song and in the study of the Word. Be part of building up the body through fellowship. Come with an expectation of hearing from the Lord and with eyes to see how God will use you to refresh a brother or sister in the Lord.

Jospeh has been raised up to be the second most powerful man in the world to preserve the bloodline of the Messiah. The seven years of plenty are over and now the famine is in full swing. People from all over are coming to Egypt for grain.

One day, out of the blue, Joseph's brothers come to him, but they don’t recognize Joseph and they bow down to him, just as the Lord had showed him. God’s promises and dreams that He has given us will come to pass.

Joseph, seeking to see if his brothers have changed, puts them to the test and accuses them of being spies.

This amazing story of forgiveness and changed hearts starts here and takes off. It’s one of the most exciting stories in the Bible and we get to have a front row seat to witness the sovereign hand of God over the course of life and history.

This Sunday we will be looking at Matthew 11:20-27. In it we will see Jesus’s heart in giving the weary an invitation to come to Him, to learn of Him. That is exactly what we want to do.

Pastor Gary continues to teach through the life of Joseph in Genesis 41. Last week we saw how Joseph is a type of Christ. The details of his life pointed forward in an amazing way to Christ our Savior. We will continue that study as we look at our chapter tonight. If you have never seen the pictures of Jesus in the life of Joseph, then you want to make sure you join us tonight.

Jesus addresses the crowds of people and declares that John the Baptist was the greatest man born of women. John was the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy which was given 400 years previously. Jesus encourages us, as great as John was, the least of the kingdom of heaven will be greater than John. How sweet will heaven be? I can’t wait!