Blessed, Even If My Family Is Jacked-Up

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR 2 IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF MOVIE. NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE SOME COMEDY, IT CAN ALSO BE USED, IN A SMALL WAY, AS A PARABLE: AN EARTHLY STORY WITH A HEAVENLY MEANING. YOU SEE, SHERMAN KLUMP HAD A PROBLEM. HE DIDN’T APPRECIATE WHO HE WAS OR THE GIFT THAT HE HAD; IT DIDN’T MAKE HIM HAPPY. HE WAS DETERMINED TO CHANGE THE WAY HE LOOKED AND NOT END UP LIKE HIS JACKED UP FAMILY. HE DIDN’T REALIZE THAT GOD PUT HIM IN THAT FAMILY FOR A REASON, REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH THEY EMBARRASSED HIM.

In one particular scene, known as, “The All You Can Eat” scene, Sherman invites his fiancé Denise, to meet his family for the first time. Sherman and his crazy, dysfunctional family basically eat and argue their way through another family moment. Not only do they wreck the food bar, Sherman has to put up with a constant barrage of embarrassing moments, rude table manners, and continuous jokes that go on between his father, brother, and eventually his grandmother.

AND JUST LIKE SHERMAN AND SOME OF US, JOSEPH HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH HIS JACKED UP FAMILY. BUT UNLIKE, SHERMAN, JOSEPH’S FAMILY WAS 10 TIMES WORSE. ANOTHER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHERMAN AND JOSEPH, WAS THE WAY JOSEPH DECIDED TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. I PRAY THAT AFTER THIS SERMON, YOU CAN USE JOSEPH AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN TRYING TO DEAL WITH A JACKED UP FAMILY.

A. IDENTIFY THE PRESSURES OF HAVING A JACKED UP FAMILY (v. 3-5)

1. THERE’S A LOT OF JEALOUSY & FAVORITISM IN A JACKED UP FAMILY (v.3)

2. THERE’S A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING IN A JACKED UP FAMILY (v.4)

3. THERE’S A LOT OF PAIN IN A JACKED UP FAMILY (v.5)

TRANS: BELIEVE IT OR NOT, GOD IS AWARE OF YOUR FAMILY SITUATION, AND HE ALSO DOESN’T MIND YOU ASKING HIM, WHY ARE THESE THINGS HAPPENING

B. FIGURE OUT THE POSITIVES OF HAVING A JACKED UP FAMILY (v.9-11)

1. A JACKED UP FAMILY CAN BRING YOU CLOSER TO YOUR DREAMS AND GOALS (v.9)

2. A JACKED UP FAMILY CAN CHALLENGE YOU TO EXCEED PREVIOUS EXPECTATIONS (v.10-11b)

3. A JACKED UP FAMILY CAN PUT YOU IN A POSITION WHERE YOU DON’T WANT TO BE; BUT A PLACE WHERE YOU NEED TO BE (GENESIS 39 & 40)

TRANS: ONCE YOU TRUST GOD TO SHOW YOU HOW TO HANDLE YOUR FAMILY SITUATION, GOD WILL GIVE YOU PEACE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SITUATION

C. UNDERSTAND GOD’S PURPOSE OF GIVING YOU A JACKED UP FAMILY (GEN 45:1-7)

1. GOD WANTS TO TEACH YOU HOW TO LOOK OUT FOR YOUR FAMILY (v.4)

2. GOD WANTS TO TEACH YOU HOW TO BE THE EXAMPLE (v.5)

3. GOD WANTS TO TEACH YOU HOW TO SAVE YOUR FAMILY (v.7)

TRANS: IN ORDER FOR YOU TO SAVE YOUR FAMILY, YOU FIRST HAVE TO BE SAVED

D. JESUS WANTS YOU TO PLAY A ROLE IN BLESSING YOUR FAMILY

1. BECAUSE OF HIS SPECIAL GIFT, JOSEPH WAS CHOSEN TO REPRESENT FOR HIS FAMILY

2. BECAUSE OF HER SPECIAL GIFT, ESTHER WAS CHOSEN TO REPRESENT FOR HER FAMILY

3. BECAUSE OF HIS SPECIAL GIFT, JESUS WAS CHOSEN TO REPRESENT FOR ALL FAMILIES

REMEMBER, JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOUR FAMILY IS JACKED UP, THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE NOT BLESSED. JUST LIKE JOSEPH, GOD STILL HAS A PURPOSE AND A PLAN, AND IT’S JUST FOR YOU.