Run To God Series

Run To God

Genesis 39:1-23

Introduction

We are observing Recovery month and have been looking at some Bible Heroes who got a lot of things right but also had some recovering to do when they didn’t. Noah taught us to Believe, Obey, Abide, Trust God. Abraham taught us to Hear God’s call to leave some things behind, believe God’s promises, and Come all the way Home. Today we are going to spend some time an amazing man of God who remained in contact with God and sought to live by His will - through some really difficult experiences.

The story of Joseph in the Bible is a long arc - and we are going to focus in on one area. But to get us there, we remember…

-He was the 1st son of Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife.

-He was therefore a favorite son / coat of many colors.

-Joseph dreamed his brothers bowing down before him

-Joseph showed no wisdom telling his brothers about it.

-They hated him for his favored status and his dreams.

-So they were going to kill him - but eldest brother Reuben talked them out of it.

-So instead they sold him to some Ishmaelite traders.

-They dipped his colorful coat in goat’s blood and cold-heartedly told their father that Joseph was dead.

-Next we see Joseph as a slave in Potiphar’s house.

No one would think Joseph was a lucky guy. He was victimized, enslaved, harassed, accused, incarcerated - but he remained committed to God every step of the way - and that saw him through. In this text, he is facing some major temptation “Victorious living does not mean freedom from temptation, nor does it mean freedom from mistakes.” E. Stanley Jones

What can we learn from his faith response that will help us with victorious living?

1. PREPARE TO WIN (39:1-6a)

Genesis 39:1-6a Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

A marathon is 26.2 miles - and nobody runs a marathon without intense training. Many weeks in advance preparation involves long runs, cross training, pacing, strength training, recovery, nutrition, and mindset. All Essential or risk failure.

Joseph is preparing for a marathon and the first challenge is right around the corner. Things are going well for him at this point - the source of his strength is that the Lord is with him (2, 3, 5 - three times in the first 6 verses).

How do we prepare?

*Rely on the Lord. If we are going to be victorious over the temptations we face, we must rely on the Lord to see us through. The 11th step of AA is “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” The power Joseph had was that the Lord was with him.

*Connect the Lord through spiritual disciplines. We prepare with the common known disciplines: Scripture Reading, Prayer, Connection with believers. It’s when we think we have it in us to overcome on our own that we fall into trouble.

*Live for the Lord Daily. To be in training for a marathon is to run many shorter, lighter races - it’s an every day commitment. Every day you live for the Lord is a day you are preparing for temptations that the Enemy is preparing for you.

The power to carry out God’s will for your life is established NOW … in the preparation … as we go through our lives we need to always be prepared to run.

2. PREPARE TO FIGHT (39:6-10)

Genesis 39:6-10 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” 8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.