Genesis chapter 40, and we'll read from the verse number five of the chapter. Don't go to preach law this evening. We'll bring a thought, we'll get to prayer, and then we'll see what time we make our way through. So Genesis chapter 40, let's read the word of God here from the verse number five. The word of God says, and they dreamed a dream, both of them, each man his dream in what night? Each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And Joseph came in up to them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked those officers that were with him in the ward of the lords, by saying, Wherefore They said all to him, we have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said all to them, do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me then, I pray you. And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph and said all to him, in my dream, behold, a vine was before me. And in the vine were three branches. And it was as though it budded. And her blossoms shot forth, and the clusters were off, brought forth like rain. pressed him into Pharaoh's cup, and gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it, three branches are three days. Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place, and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner hath now lost his butler. But think of me, and it shall be well with thee. Show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, And he mentioned that they ought to ferral and bring thee out of this house, for indeed I have stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews. Here also have I done nothing that they should put thee into the dungeon. for Pharaoh and the birds to eat them out of the basket upon my head. And there was an answer that said, this is the interpretation you're of. Three baskets are three days, yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up my head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree, and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee. And it came to pass, the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants. of the chief baker among his servants. And he restored the chief butler onto his butlership again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. And he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted it to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him." And then we end the reading at the end of the chapter. And let's just breathe in from the Father in heaven. Yes, now our time around the word No, for many, this time of the year brings no cheer whatsoever. I must admit, in my days as a singleton, I really never enjoyed this time of the year. was slipping and getting ruder as the years went by. Thankfully, I did have a good circle of friends, however, who were in a similar position as myself, and we were able to have fellowship together over the Christmas period. It took away that sense of loneliness that a single person feels at Christmastime. However, Christmas, as I said, can be, as a single person, can no doubt be a lonely time of the year. the empty seat at home that makes Christmas a time of the year that they would rather see the back off. Family gatherings are just not the same anymore, with a husband or a wife gone, with a child missing around the dinner table, with a father or mother no longer there to make Christmas a special time of the year that it once was for them. And then there are others, and family disputes, financial pressures, health problems, mental anxiety, make the festive period a time of the year when a person just wants to hibernate for the winter and see really no one until the brighter days of spring, until they have arrived. When the worldly cares only for me, my, and mine, those people ought to have a heart that goes out to others. I believe that Joseph is a perfect example of how a Christian should live in a selfish, self-engrossed world. While in prison for crimes that he had not done, Joseph didn't sit in the corner of his prison cell and throw himself some dead body and repeat over and over to himself, poor old me, poor old me, look what has happened to me. But rather, Joseph went about to honour his care. And as he did so, Joseph was perceptive about other people's present circumstances. He didn't, as it were, go about with his head in his hands or with his eyes shut, but rather he was a man with his eyes wide open, wide open to the needs, the concerns, the anxiety, the perplexity, and the needs of others. I want you to notice how perceptive Joseph was when he came to be, to consider the mental state of others. Look at the verses six and seven of Genesis chapter four, where it says there, and Joseph came in unto them, speaking of the buffer and bicker in the morning, and looked upon them, and behold, they were sad. He asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly? Today, here's a man who perceived, he perceived the mental, emotional state of others that he worked alongside. Not only did he perceive that there was something wrong that day, but Joseph went a little bit further. He actually asked those men, why the sadness? He actually inquired of them, why do you look so sad? today. It wasn't that he just received it and went on with his own business, but it starts with the heart of Joseph for others that he took time out of his own busy schedule and he asked those individuals why they looked so miserable, so depressed, so sad that day. It's as if he went into the prison cell that day and as he looked upon those men, He eventually plucked up the courage and he said, men, you're just not looking yourselves today. You're just not looking yourselves today. Is everything OK? Really, that's what Joseph was asking the prisoners on that particular occasion when he said, wherefore look ye so sadly today? I wonder, brethren and sisters, are we as deserving? Maria's perceptive as Joseph was when it comes to those that we live with and those that we work with. Do we care? Do we care about our fellow man? Or are we so taken up with ourselves? Really, as long as we're okay, then everyone else must be okay. But other than that, we know that Joseph had his own struggles, his own struggles, Yet Joseph wasn't so caught up with his own troubles that he failed to see the emotional state of the butler, the baker, that particular morning. Others maybe in that prison would have passed those men by. But Joseph was of a different spirit. The spirit of God was in him. That would be later spoken about by Pharaoh, the spirit of the gods. perceptive enough to see that the butter and the paper were sadder than they normally were, and therefore he asked them, wherefore look ye so sad like today? Joseph is a great picture of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. While Joseph was perceptive with regard to the change of good in these men, I want to remind you that as perceptive as Joseph was, there is not as perceptive with the knowledge of all things about us, going from our very thoughts. God perceives when our spirits are low, when our hearts are broken, when our minds are troubled. So thank God it is to him that we can bring everything to God in prayer. We can cast our care upon him, assure that he cares for us. And I believe, brethren, sisters, that we need to pray I pray that God would make us as perceptive as Joseph was. As perceptive as Joseph was, whenever we walk into our school, or into our places of work, or among our family members, or even into the Church of Jesus Christ, we need to be perceptive enough to see the changes of emotions within the state of our friends, and our work colleagues, and our family members. has taken place. Maybe a family rowing has erupted. Maybe there's stress and trouble within the marriage. Maybe the relationship has hit hard times. And the Christian should be discerning enough, not so engrossed in themselves that they can't look past the end of their own noses, but rather they look out into a world, a world that is hurting because of sin, and understand that their man and woman need to hear the gospel and that God maybe has caused it to be so to change their present circumstances to make their hearts soft and therefore receptive to the gospel message whereas before they had little or no time or thought for Christ and his salvation. God opened our eyes to a world that was hurting. It was a sin. We ought to carry the message When you're here at tonight and you've got your troubles and your anxieties and your worries, nobody else knows about you. Well, let me say God knows. He's perceptive enough. He invested with infinite knowledge. He's discerning enough to realize why you are sad today. Keep your burdens to the Lord. Lay them on His feet. on the Great Northern Barrier. Having interpreted the meaning of the butler's dream, an interpretation that would inform him that within three days he would be reinstated to his former post as Pharaoh's personal butler, Jupiter made then a simple request to the butler. In verse 14, he says, well, think of me. when it is well, when it shall be well with thee. But think of me when it shall be well with thee. These words, I've spoken to the young people about them, I've maybe even spoken to you about them, but these were the words that the Lord always brings to me in the lead up to this time of the year. Think of me when it is well with thee. And I think it's called within the family of God and those outside the family of God whose circumstances will mean that this time of the year will not be as joyous for them as it was in previous years. And as a pastor, and as a minister, I am to think of them when it is well with me. And you are to think of them when it is well with you. The passing of a loved one, whether that death has happened this year, and there are those that that has been the case, or whether it is in some previous year, is something that I believe is very, to the very core of people's minds when families gather together over a Christmas period. And we ought to think of such people. Whenever it's well with us, whenever all of our families gather, to think of them. A simple text message, a little card in the post, a word of encouragement whispered into the ear and thinking about you and praying for you can mean an awful amount. It can mean an awful lot to one who is dreading Christmas 2022 because there's somebody in the family circle You'll not be there this year. You're gone. Think of me. Then it shall be well with thee. And then there are others in our congregation, and they've got their ongoing health issues that really mean for them that we're very little to celebrate this year. And yet, here we are. And yes, it is cold in God's house, but at least we're here. And we're in a good state of health, at least. Physically, we're able to come to God's house. Others are not able to do that. And while God has given us good health, then we ought to think about others whose health isn't just as good. And then, as I said, loneliness is more acutely felt in this time of year than in any other time of year. And so whenever your family, your friends all gather into your home, think of those who have no love. or very few people to meet up with. Think of me, with a chubby male, with a... What was Joseph asking for? He was just asking that the butler would be empathetic. Be empathetic with me. I have brothers and sisters, that's what we need, we need empathy. We need to enter into people's circumstances. of ourselves, which this time of the year, sadly, brings very much to the forefront of this creature's life as much as to your life. And to think about them, to think about others. You know, I remind you that God thought of us when it was well with him in heaven. Think of me when it shall be well with thee. It was well with him when he found himself in eternal bliss and in sweet communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit. And yet he looked to us, he looked into the future. He would see the fall of humanity. And God was mindful of us as we thought about it on Sunday evening past. What is man about mindful of him? And in the mind of God, God purposed to send his only begotten son into this world. He thought on us, and it was well with him. and to see if that would be his loss. And I remind you, brethren and sisters, that just because all is well with us presently doesn't mean that all is well with everybody else. And it doesn't mean that by tonight or tomorrow we'll still be well with us. Any circumstance can arise whereby And so during this time of the year, let's think of others when it is well with us. And let's not only think of them, but let's do something in order to leave them, if at all possible. Think of me when it's well with thee. I wonder, who is it you're thinking about just now? There's a lot I don't know. It isn't well with them presently. Maybe they're sorrowing, maybe they're sick. I wonder, can you do anything to help them? Can you do anything to encourage them? Can you do anything to let them know at least that you're thinking about them? You know, if there's nothing that you can do for them physically, there is something you can do for them tonight. So we meet in this space and pray for them. I think it is the best thing. I know it is the best thing. We pray for them. You can carry them and their needs to the Lord in prayer. It's referred to in the Bible as bearing one another's burdens. And in doing that, we fulfill the law of Christ. What is that law? Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The second great commandment. I admit that this is what I have been doing, thinking about people in this congregation, praying for you, sisters gone, mothers gone, brothers gone. Others are sickly, others lonely, shut in. I'm praying for you. That's what the pastor's to do. But that's what you're to do for your brethren, sisters, to care, to love anything. This isn't some kind of wishy-washy liberal teaching relevance. It's as this is, that we don't. But to love one another, by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye love one another. What expressions of love have we been showing to others in recent days? What expressions of love will we show in coming days? You know, I believe that there are many of those people who are saying, if not outwardly, they would be saying inwardly, good to God that somebody would think of me. Good to God that somebody would think of me. But that's what we're to do. Think of them. Help them. Support them. Encourage them. saying that you're there to help. That the need be known if there is somebody here tonight, and maybe that's where you are. You're at a point where it seems that nobody cares. Hell is your minister, and I said, I care. If there is that need, that'll be good. Do not struggle all. We're here to help you, support you, encourage you. We seek your good. I want you to know that. I seek only your good. It may not seem that way sometimes when I preach, but I seek your good and your spiritual welfare. And so I trust that as we make our way and as the world would try to get us to think only about ourselves, may we think on others. And really, it would take God to send a couple of dreams to Pharaoh in order for all that to work out. The butler would probably never remember Jesus, never remembered the kindness shown to him. Terrible petty. If others were kind to you, and you forgot to repent of kindness, what was the testimony of God? And so let's, when it is well with us, let's think of others. And then you repay the compliment to others when it is well with you. Doing all to others as we must have done to ourselves. It is so challenging to our hearts, but we will think of others when it is well for ourselves. May the Lord bless even this short word from the cross for Christ's sake. Let's pray. Father in heaven, how grateful we are that whenever it was well within, God didst remember us, and God didst think on us, But Lord, thou didst do something to relieve us and to deliver us from the position where sin had taken humanity to. Thou didst come into this world in the form of a man who lived among men and died for men upon the cross of Calvary, for ever grateful we are. that Christ healed in the philosophical time. Bless more in this congregation. And for those who find themselves, O God, lonely, others who find themselves stressed, those who find themselves sad, others who sorrow, and all of the various troubles and trials that we find in between, God, we pray that thou will meet each one with sufficient grace, and, Lord, with thine supply of mercy. Grant, Lord, each one to know the minister of the God of all comfort and the Father of all mercies. Answer prayer. We offer prayer in Jesus' precious name.