The following is a manuscript of the sermon presented by Senior Pastor Dr. Roger Patterson on Sunday, October 15, 2023 at our Crosspoint Church-Bellaire campus. To view the sermon in full, check out the link below.

This past week…Israel…our prayers with them…

A week ago, Saturday, in the early morning hours, I learned of the brutal attack on Israel from Hamas. I watched as much information as I could before we left for the soccer field, and just before the game on Saturday, I said to my Jewish friend whose daughter is on the team, “Did you hear about what has happened in Israel this morning?”

It wasn’t until later in the day that I had a true sense of what had really taken place. In the following days, we have learned so much more, and our hearts are heavy.

On Sunday afternoon, I texted my friend, Rabbi Brian Strauss. Rabbi Strauss thanked me for my note and invited me to a special prayer vigil being held the following evening. On Monday evening, I joined 2,100 others in prayer and song for the people of Israel. The unity in that place was amazing and so sweet.

As of the filming of this message, over 1,200 Israelis have been brutally slain by Hamas.

22 Americans have been killed and many more are being held hostage.

More than 30 student groups at Harvard have stood in solidarity with Hamas, believing their actions are justified.

Jewish groups are gathering and standing in solidarity.

Pro-Palestinian groups are also holding demonstrations.

It’s a challenging and trying time and things are on edge.

Let me ask you this question: Why is it so important to stand with Israel, not just in a time of war, but also in a time of peace?

First, it is because the Jewish people are God’s chosen people with whom He has established an everlasting covenant.

Genesis 12:1-3

¹ Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Notice those words, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Then, at the renewal of this covenant, we see these words in Genesis 17:7-8.

Genesis 17:7-8

⁷ “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. ⁸ And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

So, this land where Abraham was to go, God was to give to him for an everlasting possession.

This is what we call and unconditional covenant. It was a promise to give to them the land forever.

Then in verses 20-21 of Genesis 17.

Genesis 17:20-21

²⁰ “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. ²¹ But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”

Verse 21 shows us that God’s covenant is with Isaac, not Ishmael. Ishmael’s descendants are the Arab nations. Isaac’s descendants are the Jewish people.

And here is what the Scripture says of Ishmael’s descendants.

Genesis 16:11-12

¹¹ And the angel of the Lord said to her,

“Behold, you are pregnant
    and shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
    because the Lord has listened to your affliction.
¹² He shall be a wild donkey of a man,
    his hand against everyone
    and everyone’s hand against him,
and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”

Notice how his descendants embody this quality of battling their kinsmen.

Genesis 25:18

They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen.

Now, Genesis 25 describes another wife that Abraham took, and she together they had 6 additional sons.

So, there is a lot of conflict with all these characters and their descendants. There always has been, and there always will be.

But Israel has always been a target for the entire world.

The Babylonians have come and gone. The Romans are no longer ruling over Israel. And the Germans could not eliminate the Jewish people.

Have you ever wondered why Israel is always the target? Why are the Jewish people always persecuted?

It’s because the Messiah will come from Israel.

You see, the Bible is about God’s sovereign plan to work through Israel to bring for the Messiah. And the Messiah would be the Messiah for the nations.

In the Cosmic/Spiritual realm, the Jews are the target of Satan, because he is trying to prevent the plan of God from coming to fruition.

You may say, “Well, Jesus died, yes…but didn’t he rise again?”

He sure did. Satan could not keep Jesus in the grave.

But Israel is still a massive part of God’s redemptive plan. Right now, God is using the church to bring about his salvation of the nations. But the time of the Gentiles coming into the family of God will someday close.

I believe the church will be raptured based on 1 Thessalonians 4. Then the tribulation will begin. The Anti-Christ will broker a peace deal with Israel, and then at the halfway point, at 3.5 years, will betray them. The nations will rise up against Israel and no one will be supporting them. They will be left alone.

At this point, I believe that Israel will cry out in faith for Messiah, and then their salvation will come…riding on the clouds.

Notice what it says of Israel is Romans 11.

Romans 11:25-32

²⁵ Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
²⁷ “and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”

²⁸ As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. ³² For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

Now, why do I share all of this with you? Why am I going into a lesson on Israel, and the end-times because of what took place last weekend?

There are two reasons:

1. Christians must know that the Bible says about Israel and why it is important to bless and support Israel. God will bless those who bless Israel.
2. In times of uncertainty, when we don’t know what is going on in the world, or even in our lives, we must trust in the Sovereignty of God.

So, let me turn my attention to the Sovereignty of God.

The Sovereignty of God – What is it?

The Sovereignty of God is the biblical teaching that God possesses all power and is the ruler of all things. God rules and works according to His eternal purpose, even through events that seem to contradict or oppose His rule. Notice the confession of two kings.

Psalm 135:6

Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
    in heaven and on earth,
    in the seas and all deeps.

Daniel 4:34-35

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
³⁵ all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
    and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
    and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
    or say to him, “What have you done?”

Do you hear the confession of God being Sovereign? Two kings…David and King Nebuchadnezzar both confess this fact.

And Joseph’s life shows us just how amazing and sovereign God truly is. Today, we are going to set the table for the next few weeks as we study Joseph’s life. It’s a journey from the Pit to the Palace, but it was all done so that God’s Sovereign plan of redemption, the ground I have just covered, could take place.

And here is where this intersects into our lives – WE CAN TRUST THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. You may find yourself in the pit…but you can trust God’s sovereign plan for your life!

Let’s spend the rest of our time learning from Joseph, and then setting up the coming weeks.

Genesis 37:1-14

¹ Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

² These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. ³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.  ⁴ But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

⁵ Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. ⁶ He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: ⁷ Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” ⁸ His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

⁹ Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” ¹⁰ But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” ¹¹ And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

¹² Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. ¹³ And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” ¹⁴ So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 

Now, this is the part of Israel’s story where they are just a family of 12 sons. They are pretty dysfunctional. Joseph is hated by his brothers, in particular because he is favored by his father.

Three Principles on the Sovereignty of God

1. Our journeys all begin somewhere.

I. Our journeys all begin somewhere.

Genesis 37:2b-4

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. ³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.  ⁴ But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Here we have a 17-year-old Joseph whose mom died when his brother Reuben was born. So, he was assigned to be cared for by Bilhah and Zilpah. He is his dad’s favorite…and at 17 he is out working with his brothers as a shepherd.

They did something that Joseph didn’t like, so he came home and told his dad, as he brought a bad report about his brothers to his father.

It’s here, that his dad makes a big mistake.  He plays FAVORITES…it’s one thing to have a favorite in your heart…but another to declare it to the entire family.

Moms and Dads, don’t play favorites…it will only lead to a great amount of discord in your family.

But look what he does. Jacob, the dad, makes his son Joseph a coat or many colors. It’s most like the garment that designates that Joseph is no longer a laborer, but instead he is now in management.

This only created a greater divide and his brothers could not speak peacefully to him.

The writer of Genesis is telling recording this story to help us see this starting point of Jacob’s descendants. Clearly, God has a lot of work to do if he is going to bring the Messiah from this group of brothers and a father that plays favorites. But God knows what he is up to.

Application: And that would be my encouragement to you. No matter what is happening or has happened in your backstory, listen my friends, “God knows what he is doing. You can trust his sovereign hand!”

The second thing I want you to see is this…

Three Principles on the Sovereignty of God

1. Our journeys all begin somewhere.
2. Family’s rejections don’t negate the Father’s revelation.

II. Family’s Rejections Don’t Negate the Father’s Revelation

Notice verses 5-11.

Genesis 37:5-11

⁵ Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. ⁶ He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: ⁷ Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” ⁸ His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

⁹ Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” ¹⁰ But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” ¹¹ And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

At 17, I believe that Joseph was arrogant. He liked his Aviator Nation Jacket. He liked the multi-colored stripes.

Joseph had a dream, and he couldn’t help but tell his brothers.  He basically said, “You guys are going to bow down to me.” The result…they hated him even more! Their hate for their brother grew!

Then, he had another dream, and this time he told his brothers AND his father.

And his father rebuked him. But his dad remembered what Joseph had said, and it says his brothers were jealous of him.

JEALOUS — The word jealous here means – to be or become painfully desirous of another’s advantages.

So, the dysfunction is growing. And Joseph isn’t helping himself. But none of this negates the vision that God has revealed to Joseph and that all of them will experience at the end of the story.

As you walk with God, I want to give you two things:

1. You should steward well what He shows you. Be careful what you say and to whom you say it.
2. Don’t let everyone else’s opinion keep you from walking toward God’s plan for your life.

Three Principles on the Sovereignty of God

1. Our journeys all begin somewhere.
2. Family’s rejections don’t negate the Father’s revelation.
3. Take Your Next Step

III. Take Your Next Step

Genesis 37:12-14

¹² Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. ¹³ And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” ¹⁴ So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 

Notice this quickly…His brothers are keeping the sheep. Joseph is no longer working with them. They are working for him and his father.

Now, you are going to see in his story that Joseph has a tendency to do this. His administrative gifts are so great that wherever he goes, he is going to rise up right next to the leader…that is in Potiphar’s house, in the Prison where he will land, and in Pharoah’s court.

So, his dad says, “Go bring me a report…”

And so, his dad said to him, “I will send you to them.”

And Joseph said to him, “Here I am.”  In other words, “Okay…I’ll take that step.”

Here is what I want you to see today: When Joseph steps out of his father’s tent and heads to Schechem, he will never return home. He goes in obedience to the authority in his life, and his life is now on a trajectory into a pit.

But the pit will be the place God uses to move Joseph through the lessons he is going to have to learn in order to be prepared to save an entire nation by becoming number 2 in all of the land of Egypt.

Don’t underestimate what God can do in the Pit. We can’t even begin to fathom all that God wants to do.

So, what are we to do?

• We believe God wants to do something in our lives…
• Our family story is full of dysfunction…
• And we aren’t all that mature either…

What do we do?

We take that next step…believing that God knows how to direct our steps to accomplish his plan.

Let me encourage you to take that next step in faith!

Let’s Pray

So, what is it I am to do…because clearly, the story is still being written?

Take your next step of obedience to God.