Have You Ever Felt Forgotten? Series

A. WHO’S AVERAGE JOE

1. I don’t “I HAVE TO FIT IN THE CROWD - THING””

2. Or “I have a certain “STATUS” I have to MAINTAIN”

B. Are you comfortable in your own skin

1. Your not trying to measure up to what people want

2. But all you care about is being GOD’S AJ

LET’S CONTINUE WITH AJ

PRO – BUMPER

CUE – “LET’S CONTINUE WITH AJ”

A. Joseph’s Dad loves him more than the other brothers.

1. He’s a cocky teenager of 17, that God wants to do great things through.

2. He NEEDS HUMBLING, BEFORE GOD can bring him TO GREATEST.

ILL: Bros throw him in a pit, sells him in slavery, Egyptian Officer buys him.

B. I’M MOVING AHEAD IN THE STORY THIS WEEK

1. I’ll cover Potiphar’s house NEXT WEEK

C. Because of some COMPLICATIONS IN POTIPHAR’S HOUSE

1. JOE was WRONGFULLY ACCUSED

2. HE was thrown into PRISON

Genesis 39:20-21 (NIV)

Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

D. King’s CUPBEARER AND BAKER were put in prison.

1. CUPBEARER – dangerous job – took risk all the time- NOT THE BAKER

2. Some reason the KING Throw Them In PRISON

3. JOE was put in charge of them

4. But JOE noticed one day they LOOKED DOWN, so HE ASKED WHY?

Genesis 40:7 (NIV)

… "Why are your faces so sad today?"

E. What’s coming up NEXT is not the NORM FOR PEOPLE:

1. He’s Hated by his BROs, PIT, Slavery, Accused, NOW Thrown In Prison.

ILL: Understand PRISONS were DAMP, DARK, DEEP basement like

-It wasn’t a Warm cell above ground, They didn’t have cable TV in the Lobby,

3 meals a day, place where they could get their High School or college ED.

-It was a LONELY, DARK place to be.

F. But through all that MISERY, JOE ASKED THEM.

Genesis 40:7 (NIV)

… "Why are your faces so sad today?"

1. JOE developed a SERVANT ATTITUDE to put others before himself.

ILL: The prisoners told JOE - they had a dream they didn’t understand.

-JOE said, I’ll Interpret your dream, when everything WORKS OUT FOR YOU.

-MENTION ME TO PHARAOH and get me OUT OF THIS PRISON.

-FAVORABLE interpretation for the CUP BEARER

-When the BAKER SAW that JOE gave a FAVORABLE interpretation ME TOO,

-BUT JOE said, in 3 days you’ll HUNG BY A POLE AND DIE

AFTER 3 DAYS THE KING RESTORE HIS CUPBEARER

-Remember Joe said to the CUPBEARER, “REMEMBER ME”

Genesis 40:23 (NIV)

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

HAVE YOU EVER FELT FORGOTTEN?

A. From the beginning of JOE’S Journey

1. He felt like everybody FORGOT about him.

King DAVID wrote:

Psalm 105:18 (NIV)

They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons

B. Now he’s in the PRISON WORRIED ABOUT OTHERS?

ILL: As a single person you think, “I can’t wait to get married all my

LONELINESS will be gone, but you still find yourself lonely after you say, “I do.”

-With a HOUSEFUL OF CHILDREN or family all around, and still feel forgotten.

-SAW on FACEBOOK somebody post, “I don’t have any FRIENDS”

KEY THOUGHT

WILL YOU REMEMBER OTHERS WHEN YOU YOURSELF FEEL FORGOTTEN?

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted church

They are often forgotten about.

1. We can’t be so catch up in our PRISON, we forget about the homeless and hurting around us.

THIS HEART LOVES – FOOD PANTRY

-ALMOST 2000 lbs of food given out!

-Over 40 families, 150 people served

-Thanksgiving meals 46 families 163 people to serve.

-We have 63 pies to make if anyone can help contact Teresa Wood.

Christmas toys for families – BUS – “The Heart of Christmas”

C. Joseph in an ACT OF SERVANTHOOD, asked the QUESTION

1. "Why are your faces so sad today?"

2. And very quickly he interpreted their dreams.

3. He didn’t HESITATE TO SERVE THEM

D. DOES LIFE FEEL LIKE A Prison, do you FEEL FORGOTTEN?

1. You may feel SHACKLED to your DESK or MACHINE or at HOME?

2. TURN IT AROUND, find ways to SERVE others.

E. ASK THE QUESTION, “How are you doing”? BUT MEAN IT!!!

ILL: Somebody asked me that one time and I said, “I’m really having a bad day” THEY DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO RESPOND

(PIANO)

CONCLUSION:

A. When JOSEPH gave a favorable interpretation to the CUPBEARER.

1. The CHIEF BAKER ME TOO

B. CUPBEARER wanted to serve (cupbearer), even unto death, he was brought back and his life was saved.

1. But the BAKER, that was playing it SAFE, was HUNG on a POLE