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[0:00] In the book of Genesis, chapter 45. We may read again from this 25.

[0:19] Genesis 45, reading at this 25. And I went about of Egypt and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob the father.

[0:32] And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive. And he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart faded.

[0:45] For he believed them not. And it told him all the words of Joseph which he had said unto them. And when he saw the walkers which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob the father revived.

[1:03] And Israel said, It is enough. Joseph my son is yet alive. I will go and see him before I die.

[1:15] Well, the story of Joseph is always fresh.

[1:45] And familiar as it is, it loses none of its sweetness. However often we read it, it seems to speak to us with a new voice.

[2:03] Spiritual freshness. Bringing before us some new spiritual lesson. Now this evening, for a little quiet.

[2:16] We're going to consider the words which I mentioned in two different but connected senses. First of all, we're going to consider them as the call of grace as the call of grace.

[2:40] And then, as the call to glory. Now my remarks will be very simple as I try to bring these two things before you. First of all then, speaking of them as the call of grace.

[2:54] We are here, an invitation. It was an invitation to Jacob to leave his native country and to go into the land of Egypt given by Joseph, his son, and by Pharaoh.

[3:15] This is quite different to what we were speaking about in the morning. We then talked about effectual calling as that is illustrated in the life of Abraham when he left her of the colonies to go to the land of Canaan.

[3:37] But this is an entirely different aspect of the matter. Now first of all, you will notice that the messengers who brought the message to Jacob were of themselves utterly unworthy.

[3:59] They had already brought messages to their father. Other messages were false. Jacob knew that the sons could not be relied upon.

[4:17] They were lies. Of course, as that was in the blood, and I'm not going to be diverted from my point when I say that, Jacob himself was not one of the most honest of men.

[4:38] he could play a trick when it suited. And if you look back across the edges of the progenitors, you will see that lie was nothing strange in this family.

[5:00] of the sons of Jacob inherited the field of their parents' sins. sins. It's a terrible thought, isn't it?

[5:15] That this lie of the part of Jacob's sons was an inherited trait. It is indeed a terrible thought.

[5:29] But what I was going to say is that the messages of sins were utterly and worthy of bringing such a message as this.

[5:43] And you remember how about 13 years before they had come to him and they said that Joseph is dead. And he believed them then when they were telling the lie.

[5:59] Now they come back to him and they tell him Joseph is alive. And he doesn't believe them when they are telling the truth. Of course that's natural in that.

[6:13] But what I was going to say was that in as far as the gospel invitation is concerned the messenger is always and worthy. Behold a sower went out to sow.

[6:27] And that's all we hear of the sower. The rest is above the seed and what happened to it. But he goes into the background and the emphasis is laid on the work that he did.

[6:44] Who's forward said the great apostle and to his apos but minister by whom he believed.

[6:54] I planted apos watered but God gave the increase so he that planted is nothing. and he that walked of his nothing but God who gave the increase.

[7:13] So now friends this is a lesson to us to look at the instruments God as you see as being in themselves utterly and worthy of the work to which they are put.

[7:28] Of themselves I say they are utterly and worthy. Any work that they do it is hardly due to the wonderful grace of God.

[7:41] But anyway and worthy as they were this time they told the truth Joseph was alive but Jacob didn't believe him.

[7:56] Now I think we have here an illustration of souls which you find in every congregation I suppose of souls who do not believe the gospel for fear that the gospel is not meant for them.

[8:21] They are afraid that it is not meant for them. They believe the gospel but they don't believe that it has any relation to them definitely.

[8:40] Now there are lots of people in congregations who are like that. they would give all that they have in the world if only they could believe.

[8:52] That's what they say and we have no reason to disbelieve them. I believe them. I'm sure there are people here tonight who can honestly say that they would part with anything they have in the world if only they could tonight believe in and receive Jesus Christ as their own Savior.

[9:22] And when you ask them why don't you believe their answer is always the same. Well I'm afraid to do it.

[9:33] I'm afraid he will not perceive me. I'm afraid his grace is not for me. I know the invitations are theirs. I know they are full.

[9:45] I know they are free. But still I'm afraid that they're not for me. I was talking not so very long ago to a dear believer believer in the Lord who was talking to me about the promise that he had got.

[10:13] He taught me the words. He got the promise in a time of extreme anxiety.

[10:25] But this is what they said. This is how we end it. But perhaps it was not for me. See, he was afraid to take it. For fear it wasn't meant for him.

[10:41] Now, while we have every sympathy with people like that, we are not going to commend their unbelief. It is they who are wrong.

[10:52] Joseph should have, Jacob should have believed the message that he got. But then something better is coming, of course, after this.

[11:03] But all I'm saying is that here you have an illustration of some who would dearly learn to believe in Christ. But somehow rather, it is, if I may put it like that, it is too good to be true that Christ is for them.

[11:24] That's too good to be true. They believe he's for everyone else. But they're afraid to believe he's for them. And that is why they are where they are.

[11:38] That is why they don't move on to take him. Now are you one of these, my friend? Do you say that tonight to yourself? Well, I've tried, did you say, time and again, I've tried to come to him.

[11:53] And he's never arrived. Now why? He's always there to meet you. And you came so far.

[12:05] And then you said, well, I'm afraid to go any further. One more step would take you into his arms, but that step that you don't take because you're afraid that he won't welcome you.

[12:19] my friends, be not like that. If you are in that condition, remember that Joseph did not long to see his father Jacob nearly as much as the Lord Jesus Christ longs to have you with him, to have you clasped to his bosom.

[12:44] And then again there shall ever start. some are old in unbelief. Jacob was an old man.

[12:54] He was if I remember rightly. I haven't just checked up on this, but I think he was at a hundred and thirty. That's a great day. Well, for the last number of years in his life, he didn't believe that Joseph was alive.

[13:14] He thought he was dead. And now, for the last thirteen years he had been living like that. And when somebody comes and tells him that Joseph is alive, he can't believe it, much as he would like to.

[13:34] Now this happens to old people. Some old people are bound up in their unbelief. They are just like an old tree planted in the ground.

[13:48] And it seems it doesn't matter how much of God's wind strikes them. It doesn't matter how much God's servants try to pull them.

[14:01] But the twist that is in them remains there. They are so fearfully planted in their unbelief that somehow or other they give you the impression that they cannot leave it.

[14:18] They don't seem to want to leave it. Although they seem to want to. They don't seem to want to. They are as it were stuck there.

[14:31] As if they were stuck in concrete and they don't seem to be able to move. Now I know that old age has a lot to do with unbelief.

[14:43] The older we get the more believing we become and the more we become established in that condition of mind.

[14:55] But the second thing we see here we were speaking about the invitation the second thing we see is the evidences that Jacob got.

[15:07] He was not only asked to come down to Egypt to be with Joseph but he got evidences he saw the wagons and the good things that Joseph had sent and so he then revived his hope was resuscitated and although first of all he hated after news when he heard Joseph is alive he hated it was too good to be true and when he saw the wagons he believed that Joseph was alive and so my friends faith wants evidences too faith is not a blind grace it has very sharp eyes and scrutinizes everything very closely if it is of the right kind faith faith never takes a leap into the dark and if anybody tells you that faith is taking a leap into the dark he just doesn't know what faith is he doesn't know what he's talking about faith is not taking a leap in the dark but faith is taking a leap in the light faith is taking a leap knowing perfectly well what it's going to land on something solid that will not yield under it that is faith and

[16:38] Jacob took that leap but he didn't take it without evidence and the evidences were there right before his eyes Joseph is alive and he said as he looked on the walk on the yes it is enough Joseph my son is alive I will go and see him now friends have we evidences for the gospel we proclaim what are the evidences for the Christian religion well there are many many evidences in fact everything is an evidence for the truthfulness of religion but I will give you one or two that you can take and that you want to take they are sure to you than these wagons were at the door of Jacob's tent what are they first of all we are the evidence of the disciples who saw

[17:45] Jesus alive did Peter and James and John did they tell lies when they said that Jesus rose from the dead and they saw and that he spoke to them and they told his words were they telling blatant lies to deceive the people and to deceive the future generations of mankind did Mary Magdalene tell lies did Thomas tell lies when it is recorded that Jesus said to reach to thy finger and put it into my side and he answered my lord and my god and these 500 brethren at the same time did they tell lies 500 of them how could they how could they collaborate together to tell one blatant lie and remain inconsistent forever after to their lie remain consistent to their life no my friend it cannot be and you believe it because thou hast seen me

[19:02] Thomas thou hast believed but blessed are they who see not and yet are believed would you believe if you saw Christ in the flesh coming into this church as Thomas saw him coming into the room well you would get no credit for it that would not be faith no my friends even Thomas got no credit for what he did because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are they who see not and yet have believed there there there is the evidence of pentecost for the holy spirit was poured down upon the people there never was the like of that again of course pentecost is used in a loose way in a way in which it should not be used there never was a pentecost but one there are people who call themselves pentecostals or pentecostalists well there's a lot of meaning in that well there never was a pentecost but one and there never will be another however much people may pray that the

[20:32] Lord would send us a pentecost he would send us that what the mean is that there should be the same kind of thing as happened on that day of pentecost well no doubt there were occasions when just as many people were converted to the Lord as were converted on the day of pentecost but things happened on the day of pentecost that didn't happen ever after and that will never happen again you can read them both in the second chapter of they will not happen they don't happen nowadays and they never happen but we have the evidence of pentecost and we have the evidence of saved sinners as well there are evidences that Jesus is alive who brought them from the dead who but Jesus and then I'll tell you of another I'll tell you of another walk and a laden walk and a full walk of evidences there is the

[21:39] Bible the word of God the whole Bible from beginning to end is an evidence that Jesus is alive and a Sabbath day is an evidence that Jesus is alive the Sabbath day my friends is a laden walk containing everything that you need for the life's journey containing everything that you need to come to Christ at the invitation of his grace the Sabbath day contains it all if you're under the proper preaching of the world God pity those who are not there are some people in Scotland today nowadays and they do not hear in 52 Sabbath in a year they don't hear in all the preaching one sentence that would convert them no they don't what they hear is a denial of the faith what they hear is that

[22:40] Jesus Christ is not alive that this was only imaginary this is only a myth what the apostles saw they were what the apostles wrote they were only writing in a typical sort of way very friends with all due deference to these learned people with all due deference to that bible scholar and teacher William Barclay and he teaches beautifully and suggestively but what is the good of that when he tells a lie and when he tells a lie about the Lord Jesus Christ what's the good of a man speaking in beautiful English and in suggestive thoughts arresting me if he tells me that the resurrection of Jesus Christ as that is recorded in the Bible is a myth what's the good and the all am I going to listen to a man like that am

[23:47] I going to say that a man who denies the resurrection of my Lord Jesus from the dead that I can get a lot of good out of him well friends you can say what you like I have Bible guidance on this matter I turn me to the first epistle of John and second and third and they tell me how to deal with people who deny the pressure and who deny these truths these essential truths concerning the Lord Jesus Christ no friends what the third thing was conviction Jacob was moved he was revived his hope was revived now some marvelous thing when hope is revived I suppose the most pretty everything in the world is to see a passion without hope if you ever see such a passion if a person thinks he has no hope or you see them in this town you see them very often have been denied house and created people who seem to have lost all hope and

[25:01] I believe they have some of these poor pithyable people that lost all hope well Jacob had lost all hope that Joseph was alive and do you know my friends spiritually we can come into the condition that we lost or hope that we shall ever be saved people go home from church as sad as sad can be people go home from church and instead of rejoicing they would weep their eyes out because they believe they will never be saved well it's an awful state to come into but it's a state into which some people come and the devil assists them to come into that state now Jacob believed he said it is enough Joseph my son is yet alive now I want you to notice this Jacob believed but he wasn't seeing

[26:04] Joseph he was only seeing the evidences that Joseph said so friends all I'm asking you tonight is to believe I can't show you Christ in the flesh I can't open the windows of heaven to show you Christ Jesus at the right hand of God but I give you the evidences that he's alive and I want your emotions to be moved as the emotions of Jacob were moved and he said if it's enough I will go and see him well then I'm giving you the evidences friends and be moved ask God to move your emotions to see Jesus as the object of your land as Jacob wanted to go and see Joseph as the object of his land the supreme object of his land and as I said already I refer to old age well that doesn't matter it doesn't matter how old we are you know some I heard people say that there is nothing in the world more beautiful than to see young

[27:19] Christians young people giving their lives to Christ well I'm not going to contradict that I'm not going to say that there is anything in the world more beautiful than that but I'm going to say that there is something in the world that is just as beautiful as that and that is to see old people giving themselves to Christ and I can say that without any hesitation whatsoever I have known people who were over 80 years of age I have known people who were over 80 living in absolute indifference they couldn't care less and they were converted and I have seen other people and nobody in the whole world was more church more religious than they more kind to the cause more attentive on the means more delighting in the gospel and yet they were dead in sins and iniquity and they didn't know it and then

[28:22] God opened their hearts oh it was a beautiful sight a lovely sight well then it was a lovely thing to see this old Jacob at 130 after having been for the last 13 years sitting in the ashes weeping and mourning all the time for a son Joseph saying it is enough let me go I'm going to leave everything and I'm going to see Joseph before I die so his conviction was proved to be right by his experience it was enough the evidences were enough and he went and he saw so my friend I tell you tonight if you use this bridge of the evidences that you have for the gospel to come to Jesus this night before you rise from the pew before you go outside that door this night you can see Jesus and embrace him and kiss him and be kissed by him if only you believe the evidences that's all you need to do so it was enough and he went to

[29:34] Egypt and he saw Joseph and there he was nourished by him and I suppose he would say when he saw the glory of the son as the queen of Sheba said when she saw the glory of Solomon the half of it was not toward me but now the time is passing and I want to say a little about the other aspect of this text this is I'm going to take it as an illustration of the call to glory the call to glory after all my friends God didn't mean to leave his people forever in this world he didn't he said I am going away these were Spartan words to his disciples but he said I'm coming back again and I'm going to take you unto myself Joseph had no desire to leave his father in a poverty stricken land where famine reigned there to die and my friend my dear fellow

[30:47] Christian I don't care how despondent you may be tonight and I don't care how little hope you may have and how little of the joy of the Lord you may be possessing but I'm telling you this and I don't care how much the toils and the sorrows and the waves of tribulation go over his head I tell you this this is not your hope Joseph is going to take you away out of this world and it's going to take you away to where he is himself our Jacob was waiting long and the loved one was absent all the time and so many a Christian has been waiting long I told you already about the lady I was once visiting and she was talking to me about the Lord and she was saying I wish I would die I said why do you wish she would die that because you're so weary of the bed because you can't take yourself anymore no she said

[31:52] I would love to get to be with Jesus she said I never forgot a tract I read of a man who used every night to pray as he closed his eyes to go off to sleep he used to pray now Lord give it please come tonight for poor old George and she said every night I close my eyes and I say Lord give it please thee come tonight for poor old Mary she stood with her and not very long ago I was saying to her he didn't come yet for poor old Mary just to see what she would say and with a cheerful face she said no she said he didn't come yet but he would come he would come of course he would come he would come because he said he would come and he would not fail and love will not be destroyed by his absence neither the love people have to him nor the love that he has to them is destroyed by his absence see friends he is in heaven above and you are in a sinful world below and he loves you just as much as he were to receive you into his arms tonight and when you die and you go to heaven or when your body will rise from the grave of the day of the resurrection and he will receive you himself and say come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world he will not love you one iota more than loves you tonight oh my friends what a wonderful piece of news this is i tried to be simple i only tried to help you and then love was destroyed by joseph's prosperity ah many a son forgot his father when he became prosperous and he was mindful in writing and helping when he was ordinarily poor and then when he got on he just forgot his father his father but joseph never forgot jacob now that he was prosperous he wanted jacob to come to him go he said and tell my father all my glory which you have seen and so jesus went into the eternal glory and he said to his father as a last prayer i will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where i am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou lobst me before the foundation of the world and my friend if tonight you saw a glimpse of the glory of the lord jesus christ nothing in the whole world would come between you and you are excited again to be with him you would want to be with him before he saw glory if you haven't been allowing to be with jesus it's because you've never seen him because you've never seen his glory it's because you've never loved him do you think that jacob wanted to go to egypt not him no he much preferred canaan to egypt you see the illustration that i was using in the morning does not fit in here canaan was his native land that's where he wanted to live and that's where he wanted to die and we know that that's where he wanted to be buried that's where he was buried why did he want to go to egypt he wanted to go to egypt he wanted to go to see joseph i will go and see him he didn't mind the food the call the abundance of the store houses i will go and see it yes my friend it's not so very long i was reading something to this effect i don't know exactly how it was written but it doesn't matter it was something like this that if it were told to the world that the devil was dead and that the flames of hell had been quenched forever and ever it wouldn't make a particle of difference to any real

[36:37] Christian man in the world and it wouldn't friend do you think it over if it were told you tonight or if you heard tomorrow morning the devil is dead and all his fears are dead with him and hell is quenched and the flames were not hurt anymore what difference would that make to you and to me none whatsoever we would go on exactly as we are trying to live a life of holiness in order that we might see him at the last no friends the chief reason the chief motive for our Christianity is not to escape the flames of hell but to get to be with him whom we love to get to be with Jesus the bride eyes not her garments but her dear bridegroom's face Prince and and and

[37:46] Christ wouldn't be worthy of her. And so, friends, as I said already, although hell would be quenched, we would go on exactly the way we are. We go on looking unto Jesus until at last we attain the prize of the high calling of God in Christ.

[38:06] And so we see that love remember from the sky. Joseph sent the walkers to Jacob and they contained everything that was necessary for the journey. Now then, how can I talk about this? How can I talk about the fullness of grace? What did Jacob do? Did he go to examine these evidences? Did he go down to the bottom of each walker and say, now I wonder if there would be enough? How long will the journey take?

[38:36] And would there be enough for each day? Did he carry on talking like that? No, he didn't. He took it all as it was given him. He saw the walker and then he said, it is enough. That's all I want. I'll go and see him before I die.

[38:52] And my friends, what a fullness there is in grace. Oh, you sometimes may be afraid that you'll never reach glory. You sometimes are afraid probably that something will happen to you. But I'm telling you, friends, there is enough meat and corn and wine and oil and everything in the means of grace.

[39:13] The Bible is full. The Bible is full. The Bible is full. The Bible is full. The Bible is full. Communion with Christ is full. And you don't need to be afraid.

[39:24] Read 2 Corinthians and you see how Paul looked upon these things. He said, he said, Not that we decide to be clothed, but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

[39:38] Here was a man who was still in the flesh, clothed with immortality, and he wanted to get the old suit off. Just as a man, just as a man at the end of his working days, he wants to get off the old dirty clothes.

[39:52] And he wants to get washed and put on a new, brand new suit. And there was Paul, having all these years been bearing the suit of his mortality, and he said, I want to get it off.

[40:05] And to be clothed with immortality and with glory. He longed for it. And you're afraid of death. You're afraid to die. No, my friend, there are plenty in the Watkins that will feed you until you reach.

[40:20] And that will feed you after you reach. After you reach, it will be worth it still. All that are in the Watkins is just a sample of what's in the land of Egypt.

[40:31] That's all that was in the Watkins. There was meat and there was corn. But what was that in comparison with the storehouses that were left behind, from which these things came?

[40:42] And so, communion with Christ can be so sweet. If the Bible can be so full, if the Sabbath can be as enjoyable, what is heaven going to be like? What is glory going to be like?

[40:53] Oh, friends, I would give the world, if I could only make you covet glory. If I could only make you desire to get to heaven, to be with Jesus. And so he went then.

[41:07] He went away from his tears and from his hopelessness. He went away from his longing to see the object of his death.

[41:18] And I must be brief while I talk to you of one or two remaining thoughts. Jacob saw Joseph. He saw him. He saw him. And one sight of them compensated all the agony that he ever went through.

[41:34] Who are these who are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? These are they who came out of great tribulation. And they have washed the robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

[41:47] Now, my friend, I'm telling you, however young you are tonight, I'm telling you that if you come to follow Christ, if you accept the invitation of grace, I'm telling you you're going to have a rough road going through the night, going through life.

[42:01] I'm telling you that Christ is going to put a cross upon your shoulders, that you have to live, mortify your sin and fight with the devil. I'm telling you all that.

[42:12] But in the end, you're going to get to see Joseph. And one sight of them would compensate for all the battles that you'll have in this life, living in the Christian faith.

[42:25] One sight of Jesus is going to get your reward. I have fought a good fight, said another. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of glory, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me that day.

[42:40] Oh, my friends, my dear young friends, which would you rather? Which would you rather go to the dance or deny yourself everything in the world that is carnal in order that at last you might see Jesus?

[42:57] Which would you rather contaminate your soul and pollute it, looking at things, say, on TV or in a book, reading something that is not wholesome for your soul?

[43:08] Which would you rather that than deny yourself that carnal pleasure in order that you might have the holy pleasure of getting a glimpse of Jesus Christ at the last?

[43:21] And remember, we're not going to see him through our pain. We're not going to see him as we see him now by faith. We're going to see him in reality. The love is in the midst of the throne, and every eye shall see him, and every eye in glory shall see him.

[43:36] They shall be seen actually, really him. This glorified body. Yes, and Joseph was introduced, Jacob was introduced by Joseph to the king.

[43:50] Oh, I like that. It's in the following chapter. Jacob took his journey, and he arrived safely in Egypt. There was no doubt at all about his safe arrival.

[44:01] And then when he arrived, he was introduced to the king by Joseph. But the marvelous thing is to be introduced to the sovereign of a rector, introduced to the queen, introduced by name to the queen.

[44:19] It's marvelous. It's probably the highest privilege that could be conferred upon anyone in this life, of a secular kind. Well, here was Joseph, and he said, This is my father.

[44:33] He said, That, Pharaoh, this is my father. He wasn't ashamed, the old man, not him. And he's not ashamed to call them brethren, for he had prepared for them a city.

[44:47] He said, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. And for Jesus Christ will gather them all, and present them before the throne of his father, present them before his father without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, he will say, Behold, I and the children that God has given me, and he will not be ashamed of one of them.

[45:11] It's an awful thing to be ashamed of anybody in one's family. It's a horrible thing. It's a terrible thing. That's probably the greatest calamity that can come upon anyone in this life, to be ashamed of anyone of his flesh and blood.

[45:24] Anyone in the same, anyone of the same blood. Anyone in his own family. Well, my friend, Jesus asked many reasons to be ashamed of us all.

[45:36] And Jacob's life, remember, was not a bell ball. For Jacob's life was a terrible life in some respects. But there was no word of these things now. He was there introduced to the king.

[45:49] And all the past was over. And that is the way that we'd be with us, man. Oh, we are ashamed of ourselves. We often wonder how we can look upon him and ashamed.

[46:01] But he would not be ashamed of us if we are not ashamed of him. If any man is ashamed of me, he said, I would be ashamed of him in the presence of my father and his holy angels.

[46:15] But if we are not ashamed of him, he would not be ashamed of us. And I was going to tell you that here was a light on all the dark and mysterious providences that were ever in his light.

[46:31] But I can't, I haven't time to talk about that. But there is that thing, you wonder at the providences of God. You wonder why you lost your left. You wonder this and you wonder that.

[46:42] And Jacob would say, when I reached down to Egypt, why did God leave me these 13 years thinking Joseph was dead? I see it all now.

[46:54] If he had not been sold, all these storehouses wouldn't be there. If he had not been taken from me, if I had not been bereaved of him, my family would be there. He would have been payholding needs for the floodgains.

[47:07] And he was incredibly close to the cárcere. I thought that when he was a義 started, he would have been Industrie, he would have gained aождения. Actually in Columbus, I said I cannot be here like this. But here we have nothing to do.

[47:24]  This is the shほど. It was pretty ironic. You prepare the pasture on the ground. We have a underpricated price. And they would have been thrown before sitting in the front that I thought was able to get with.