Genuine Spiritual Living
(Joseph’s Blessing)
Text: GE 37:1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.
GE 37:2 This is the account of Jacob.
Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
GE 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
GE 37:5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."
GE 37:8 His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
GE 37:9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."
GE 37:10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
Introduction
(Build Rapport)
How many of you call where you live, “home”? Why do you choose to live here?
Do you love your community?
(take responses from the congregation, affirm those who make this their home)
I’ve only lived in this city for a little more than 2 years. It isn’t my hometown, but it is my boys home town. They will go to school here, play sports here, they will impact their youth group here. They may get married here. They may settle here.
It is with that understanding that I carry about my ministry to my family and through this congregation. I am here by calling.
So are you. Whether you are here by birth, job relocation, retirement, or were kidnapped, dragged by your thumbs, and forced to live here. This is home, and we are neighbors.
I speak to you who love your neighbors. You dream of a place where people fear God, live in peace, and raise children who are prepared to change their world.
(persuade the mind)
I can think of no greater example of someone who demonstrates what it is to grow spiritually and impact the world than Joseph. There are examples of greater leaders in the Bible. However, we don’t get to know about the details of their growth as well.
He was seventeen years old when his brothers, driven mad with jealousy, sold him into slavery. He was sent far away from home. He had no rights. He had no family. He was utterly alone.
The boy was hated for telling the truth. The brothers were in the field to tend the flocks. Apparently, they were doing something other than be responsible for the animals. Instead of working the fields, they were playing in the fields. When their sin was uncovered, their arrogance caused them to hate the boy instead of repent of the sin.
The brothers were furthered enraged at the little tattle-tale being loved by his father. A hypocrite will always cast judgment upon those he/she disapproves of, then go insane with anger when God favors them.
Then, Joseph began to tell the dreams God gave him. He would rise to a position of influence. He would become responsible for his brothers. That did it.
That tattle tale,
That apple polisher,
That cocky brat will never rise
above me.
So they sold him into slavery and told his father that he was dead.
(persuade the emotion)
Jacob’s sorrow cut deep into the heart. I am sure he would lay awake at night trying to hold on to the memory of the boy with the bright smile and the coat to match.
I imagine he called out to God in bitter protest. Perhaps he called out, “If I am living in your blessing, why is the son I love dead?”
If you were to have walked up to Jacob and said,” It must have been God’s will,” He may have punched you in the mouth. Yet, that is exactly why God arranged for this. He was fulfilling His promise to Jacob that through Him all the world would be blessed.
Do you remember the blessing?
I will build a great nation through you
And I will bless you.
I will make your name great,
And you will bless all people.
Whoever blesses you will be blessed
And whoever curses you will be cursed.
God keeps His promises. He fulfilled it in the next generation through Joseph. Joseph rose from slavery to become the prime minister of Egypt. He saved his family and all of the people in the nation.
I submit to you this morning, that the same blessing belongs to all of you who call upon Christ as Savior. In fact, all who posses a genuine faith will experience the fulfillment of this promise on their lives. “We are heirs along with Abraham the promise, ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’”
I urge you this morning to live your lives in the same way. Live genuine spiritual lives.
The life of Joseph in Genesis chapters 39-41 demonstrates what it means to live a genuine spirit-led life. There are 3 commitments I urge you to make this morning. If you do these, you will increase in your ability to be led of the Spirit to bring an awakening to your community.
Commitment #1 I will grow in my ability to handle responsibility.
1. Responsibility causes love to grow.
a. Joseph loved his father. He took care of his fathers flocks. True spirituality begins with taking personal responsibility in the home.
1. There are simple principles to having a Godly home. 1. Provide for them adequately, if you can’t, then gain education and experience so you can get work that will allow you to. God’s children won’t depend on others to take on their responsibilities. 2. Learn with them. Godly families raise well educated children.
2. Family responsibility is so important that Scripture forbids anyone who is not responsible from leadership in the church. Therefore, live within your means and pay your bills. This is where true spirituality begins.
b. Increased responsibility allows us to experience genuine miracles.
1. When Joseph took care of the father’s flock, he saw visions. When Joseph ran the prison he interpreted dreams. When Joseph stood before Pharaoh, he spoke for God.
2. All the great men of miracles were also men of great responsibility. Moses was the greatest of the prophets who led one million people on a 40 journey through the desert. Nehemiah was a great intercessor who rebuilt Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit spoke through David, the king of Israel. In the book of Acts, all the utterances of the Holy Spirit came through those who were commissioned by the church in some area of responsibility.
3. The Lord grants power to those who increase in ability to handle responsibility. First in the family, then in the church and community.
Transition. Genuine spirituality expresses the love of God by taking responsibility to serve those who are our neighbors and family.
Commitment #2 I will grow in my ability to handle the truth.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
2. The increased ability to handle truth causes faith to grow.
a. People will learn to trust those who tell the truth, even when the truth is not what they want to hear, knowing that whatever happens as a result must be God’s purpose for them.
1. Joseph told the truth to his father, knowing the risks. He told the butler he would die. He told Pharaoh his land would be destroyed with no other evidence than a dream. It was that commitment to truth that marked him as genuinely in tune with the Lord.
2. Paul told Timothy that in the last days people will loose respect for the Word and will depend on heavenly experiences instead. He warned that they would lash out at those who proclaimed the authority of scripture. But he told Timothy, “preach the Word, be urgent, rebuke, correct, instruct…” In other words, speak the truth, those who hunger for God will always hunger for the Word.
3. One day, all the paperback theology and all the books about the Bible will burn, but the Word of God will never fade away, not one letter.
b. Increased ability to handle the truth also increases your ability to respond to the truth.
1. Joseph spoke from God the interpretation of the dream. However, it was Joseph himself who advised the king what to do. A prophet will always speak “thus says the Lord,” and his/her words will always be confirmed by scripture. Joseph is not a prophet, he is someone who was wise in the knowledge of truth and in how to respond.
2. He who is genuinely Spirit-led scours through the Bible, forming values and principles upon which to base a life. There is no greater authority, and there is none equal. All utterances of the Spirit and opinions of the mind are subject to the revealed Word of God.
Transition Genuine Spirituality is faith increasing in strength through the skillful handling of the Word of Truth. It causes our faith in God to grow and others’ faith in us to grow as well.
Commitment #3 I will increase in my ability to draw peoples attention to God’s love and mercy.
3. The hope of a better future motivates genuine Spirit-led people to glorify God.
a. The hope of seeing God keeps us from sin.
1. When Joseph was in charge of his master’s estate, the man’s wife was hot for Joseph. Keep in mind that Joseph was an adult. He was not married. He was hormonal. He was being offered every young man’s fantasy. Yet he ran from her. Joseph hoped for more than the job of head servant. He valued a better future more than momentary pleasure.
2. Those who are genuine will run away from the trap of sin. It won’t be a struggle. Those sins that trap don’t trap you on their own power. They trap you on you hopelessness. As long as you don’t believe your future is going to be different, you will stay trapped.
b. The hope of pleasing the Lord motivates us to prepare to do His will.
1. Joseph had two years in prison to think about what he will do when he gets before the king. He had proven himself, therefore it was only a matter of time before someone would notice.
2. Your life will be different and you will rise to see the supernatural power of God to change a life if you will prepare. Knowledge and experience prepare you.
3. I was absolutely certain in my belief of the doctrine of healing until I started spending time with really sick people. I was absolutely certain in my theology of the baptism in the Holy Spirit until I started praying for people. But each failure sent me back to my knees and to my Bible until I understood further what the Bible actually taught on the subjects.
Transition. Genuine Spirituality motivated me to prepare for the next time I was presented with the opportunity to minister. I had the hope of a better ministry.
Conclusion I encourage you to go home and read Genesis chapters 37-50. You will find that Joseph’s brothers come and bow down before him. Joseph’s plan saves Egypt.
Joseph increased in his ability to handle responsibility, he proved his ability to handle the truth, and he made the king and all of Egypt aware of the love and mercy of God.
God’s blessing on Abraham’s family was coming to pass, “I will make your name great and you will bless all people.” That blessing belongs to you as well. It belongs to all whose love for God is genuine.
Response
Let me address you who love your community. You are here and you intend to stay. You have come to the point where you can say that this is where you want God to keep you. There are no greener pastures to you.
Will you make these commitments this morning? I trust you because you intend to live in the community you pray and work for. I don’t trust anyone who wants to score big and leave.
If that is you, will you stand with me and join me up front. This morning we will make a stand to all who are here that we represent God’s love for our towns. Let’s say it this morning, “I am here for you.”
