Social Struggles: Confrontation

Social Struggles: Confrontation
Pastor Blake Hanson | 3.3.24 

Allow adversity with people to grow with God.

Adversity of

Matthew 18:15 (ESV)

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

Major Reasons We Struggle to Confront

1. Fear of

2. Avoidance of  

3. Lack of skills 

Genesis 42:3–11 (NLT)

3 So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

4 But Jacob wouldn’t let Joseph’s younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, for fear some harm might come to him. 

5 So Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well. 

6 Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. 

7 Joseph recognized his brothers instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where are you from?” he demanded. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We have come to buy food.” 

8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they didn’t recognize him. 

9 And he remembered the dreams he’d had about them many years before. He said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become.” 

10 “No, my lord!” they exclaimed. “Your servants have simply come to buy food. 

11 We are all brothers—members of the same family. We are honest men, sir! We are not spies!”

Healthy Biblical Confrontation is…. 

1. and does not come naturally.

Genesis 42:17 (ESV) 

17 And he put them all together in custody for three days.

Genesis 42:24 (ESV) 

24 Then he turned away from them and wept…

Matthew 18:15–17 (NLT)

15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 

16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 

17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

We talk to and not about people.

We attack and not people. 

We accept and move forward. 

2. and will not just occur.  

Genesis 42:24 (NLT)

24 When he regained his composure, he spoke to them again. Then he chose Simeon from among them and had him tied up right before their eyes.

Genesis 42:25–26 (NLT)

25Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men’s sacks with grain, but he also gave secret instructions to return each brother’s payment at the top of his sack. He also gave them supplies for their journey home. 

26 So the brothers loaded their donkeys with the grain and headed for home.

Genesis 42:27–28 (NLT)

27 But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get grain for his donkey, he found his money in the top of his sack. 

28 “Look!” he exclaimed to his brothers. “My money has been returned; it’s here in my sack!” Then their hearts sank. Trembling, they said to each other, “What has God done to us?”

3. and trusting of God. 

Genesis 43:18 (NLT)

18 The brothers were terrified when they saw that they were being taken into Joseph’s house. “It’s because of the money someone put in our sacks last time we were here,” they said. “He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.”

Genesis 44:1–2 (NLT)

1 When his brothers were ready to leave, Joseph gave these instructions to his palace manager: “Fill each of their sacks with as much grain as they can carry, and put each man’s money back into his sack. 

2 Then put my personal silver cup at the top of the youngest brother’s sack, along with the money for his grain.” So the manager did as Joseph instructed him.

Genesis 44:12 (NLT)

12 The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack!

Genesis 45:1–8 (NLT)

1 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 

2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace. 

3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 

4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 

5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 

6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 

7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 

8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

NOTES

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