From Rags To Riches

Scripture: Genesis 37:1 –

Title: “From Rags to Riches”

Introduction: The Bible says, “And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers: and they hated him yet the more.” (Gen. 37:5)

 This 37th chapter of Genesis begins a history of Joseph with his trials and triumphs, which is one of the best-loved stories of the Old Testament.

 It’s easy to see at the very beginning of this story that Joseph is a spoiled child. He is the youngest of his father’s children and he was born when his father was old. – This situation had also driven wedges between Joseph’s father and his brothers.

 Joseph appears to have a God-given gift of having “Dreams” which have “Divine” significance.

 Helen Keller (born blind and deaf) was asked, “What is the greatest calamity?” She answered, “To have eyes and not see.”

 Joseph’s dreams depicts him having superiority over not only his brothers, but also his father and mother.

 The combining of these things in the life of Joseph stirs up reprimand from his father and hatred, resentmentic and jealously from his brothers.

 The kind of dream Joseph had was a revelation. – Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: . . . ”

 Do you have a “Dream”? – Dreams are the “driving” force that causes us to survive during the dark times of life.

I. THE BIRTH OF A DREAM.

a. Joseph’s dream was given to him by the Lord because of its contents and its message.

b. God has dreams for us if we will stop and examine the thoughts and circumstances of our life.

c. Not long after I came to New Hope Church God gave me a dream concerning the work of this church.- “I’m doing an “Unlikely Work” in an “Unlikely Place” with an “Unlikely People.” – (And He’s still doing it!)

d. God is speaking to us through the eyes of our heart.

e. I don’t think Joseph understood the dream that God had given him. – If he had he would not have told it and gotten into so much trouble.

f. Many times God doesn’t give us all the interpretation to the dreams that He gives us.

g. If we knew all the difficulties that we were to encounter we wouldn’t follow through. – (It would be too scary!)

h. God drops His dreams into the HEARTS of people that He knows will bring the dream to a reality.

II. THE POWER OF A DREAM.

a. No institution can survive without a “Vision? To pull it forward.

b. Soon after the completion of “Disney World” someone said, “Isn’t it too bad that Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?” – Mike Vance, creative director of Disney Studios, replied, “He did see it. That’s why it’s here.”

c. This dream that God gave Joseph kept him going during times when most other people would have GIVEN UP!

d. Later on Joseph’s dream brought DELIVERANCE to the people of God on a major scale.

e. Joseph’s dream caused the leaders of the nation of Egypt to realize there was a TRUE and LIVING God that was able to do GREAT THINGS!

f. Joseph’s dream is still inspiring people to PRESS on in their walk for the Lord even today.

III. THE FULFILLMENT OF THE DREAM.

a. After Joseph received his dream he told his brothers and his father about it and things started going downhill right then.

b. His brother got so angry they decided to KILL him, “And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” (Gen. 37:19 – 20)

c. The dream started in the heart of Joseph was brought to fulfillment many years later after many life - threatening situations.

d. On your way to having your DREAM fulfilled you may face a PIT, a PRISON, and a PALACE much like Joseph did.

e. I wonder how many times Joseph thought his dream would never be fulfilled while he was in that PIT, or that PRISON?

f. Five years ago God spoke to me concerning a situation and I’m still waiting on the fulfillment of that to come to pass.

IV. THE RESPONSE TO A DREAM.

a. There’s a LOT of different RESPONSES that come along when we share our dreams with other people.

b. When Joseph shared his dream with his family he met with REPREMAND, HATRED, and JEALOUSLY. (All this just from his FAMILY!)

c. “It takes one to know one!” – Most people don’t like a “Dreamer.”

d. Someone will share their dream and some people will say, “Why?” and then there are a FEW that will say, “Why not?”