Genesis Series # 7 CHCC: March 11, 2007
Secrets of Success
Genesis 39
INTRODUCTION:
Someone once asked radio commentator Paul Harvey to reveal the secret of his success. Here’s what he said: "I get up when I fall down," Bits & Pieces, March 3, 1994, p. 16.
That’s pretty simple, but I think race-car-driver Bill Vukovich might have him beat. When someone asked Vukovich the Secret of his Success, he replied:
“There’s no secret. You just press the accelerator to the floor and steer left.”
Today in the Word, February 17, 1993
I looked up “Secrets of Success” on the Internet and found one Website that gave 30 secrets of success and 7 books you need to buy if you want to get there. Another one directed you to an online Zen Doctor who could tell you all you need to know … for a modest fee, of course.
How many of you have heard of Andy Willoughby’s 3-step plan for success? You know, he’s they guy who says, “Hi, how in the world are you anyway?” If you EVER turn on the radio, you’ve probably heard him. By the way, this 3-step plan will cost you $150 to $525 per month.
Well, the story of Joseph is the best Success Story you’re ever going to find. He literally went from rags to riches --- from a Pit to a Palace. Joseph was the kind of man you just can’t keep down. And Joseph’s 3-Step-Plan is guaranteed to work every time it’s tried. (By the way, you don’t have to visit a Zen Doctor, or buy a bunch of books, and there are no hidden fees.) So let’s take a look at Joseph’s 3-Step Plan for Success:
Step 1 – Trust what God does Genesis 39:1-7
Have you ever heard anyone say something like this: “If there really is a God, why do innocent people have to suffer?” Or maybe it’s more personal and they say, “If God really loved me, why would He let this happen to me?”
If anyone ever had reason to ask those kinds of questions, it would be Joseph. When his brothers threw him into a Pit --- and then sold him as a slave, I’m sure Joseph’s faith was shaken. But scripture says, “We walk by Faith, not by Sight.” II Corinthians 5:7
When everything is going wrong and life makes no sense … when unfair things happen to us … that’s when we have the opportunity to WALK BY FAITH. In spite of all the struggles Joseph went through, it’s obvious he came out of it with his Faith intact.
Joseph’s first SECRET of SUCCESS is that he kept Trusting in the goodness of God … even when he couldn’t SEE it.
Joseph was sold as a slave to a man named Potiphar. Genesis 39:4 says Joseph found favor in Potiphar’s eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
Now, Potiphar was one of Pharaoh’s officials. Specifically, he was the captain of the guard … which means this was a man with plenty of clout. Running his household was like being the CEO of a major company. So why did Potiphar give that kind of status to a slave? The answer is surprising. Vs. 3 says that Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did.
The name Potiphar means “devoted to the sun.” Potiphar was named in honor of the sun god that the Egyptians worshipped. But in spite of this, Potiphar grew to respect Joseph’s God. Potiphar admired Joseph’s unshakable trust in his God, and he saw that God rewarded Joseph for his faith.
That brings us to Joseph’s second SECRET of SUCCESS – even in the middle of bad times, Joseph appreciated the good things God gave him
Step 2 – Appreciate what God gives Genesis 39:8-10
Joesph had plenty of problems he could have focused on. Even though Joseph was in a high position in Potiphar’s house, he was STILL a SLAVE … Joseph knew he would probably die as a slave, never seeing his home again. He was trapped in a foreign country where everyone spoke a foreign language and worshipped foreign gods.
And on top of that, Joseph had a tricky situation developing.
Genesis 39:6-7 sums it up in one short statement: Now Joseph was well built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!"
We don’t know a lot about Potiphar’s wife … in fact, we don’t even know her name. But it’s likely that her interest in Joseph developed over a period of time as this young slave served in her home. My guess is that she tried a lot of subtle ways to let Joseph know she was interested. But as time went by, she realized her attempts to flirt and entice were getting her nowhere --- so eventually she gave up on subtlety and made a direct proposition.
Verse 8 says: But Joseph refused and told her, "With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. …" Genesis 39:8-9
The answer Joseph gave Potiphar’s wife --- when he was under tremendous pressure and temptation --- shows that Joseph appreciated the good things God had given to him. He was not about to turn against the God who had blessed him.
Elizabeth Elliot gives this advise: Don’t fail to enjoy the GIVEN because you’re focused on what was NOT given. Too often, we give all our attention to what we DON’T have … and we fail to even SEE our blessings.
Joseph didn’t fall into that trap. Even in the middle of troubles, Joseph knew how to appreciate the good things God gave. And that leads to the 3rd step that led to Joseph’s eventual success.
It’s the step that too many of us try to avoid. Most Christians get Step 1 and 2. We manage to hang on to our faith in tough times. We even learn how to look at the positive and appreciate the blessings God gives us in tough times.
But when it gets to the nitty-gritty of actually OBEYING God, we try to Rationalize our way around it.
Step 3 – Obey what God says Genesis 39:11-20
We might be like the Salesman I read about. He was waiting to see the Purchasing Agent so he could submit his Company’s bid. While he was waiting, he couldn’t help but notice that his Competitor’s bid was sitting on the Purchasing Agent’s desk.
Unfortunately, the actual figure for the Competitor’s bid was covered by a coke can.
He got to thinking: How could it hurt if he took just a quick look? No one would ever need to know. So he reached over and lifted the coke can. But his heart sank as he watched thousands of BB’s pour out from the bottomless can and scatter across the desktop.
It was a test set up by the Purchasing Agent … and he failed it. Needless to say, he didn’t get that company’s business.
We all tend to rationalize why it won’t really matter if we disobey God --- if we take what is not ours to take or touch what is not ours to touch. Since we’re talking about 3 steps to success today, I’ll give you this list of …
7 ways to Rationalize your way to Ruin
1. Everyone’s doing it
2. I’ll just try it once
3. It’s just a little lie
4. No one ever needs to know
5. No one will really get hurt
6. If I don’t someone else will
7. I deserve it
Joseph could have used every one of those rationalizations in his situation. But Joseph didn’t Rationalize at all. He didn’t even hesitate. Joseph told her, 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?" It’s obvious Joseph had determined ahead of time that he was going to OBEY God no matter what.
But, even then, Potiphar’s wife didn’t give up. Vs. 10 says, And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. Joseph did everything he could to avoid her, but eventually, she found a way to get alone with him. She actually grabbed onto his shirt and wouldn’t let go. Talking wasn’t going to get Joseph out of this one, so he left the shirt in her hand and ran out of the house.
Adultry was a serious offence in ancient Egypt, but a lot of things went on (especially involving slaves) that no one would ever ask about. It’s quite likely this was NOT the first time Potiphar’s wife had tried something like this. What Potophar’s wife did was NOT all that unusual. But what Joseph did was VERY unusual.
Sexual purity was uncommon back then. And --- in case you haven’t noticed --- the same is true today. It’s especially hard for young men today to maintain purity and integrity with everything that surrounds us in the media and in our culture in general. Joseph is a great example that it can be done.
Potiphar’s wife had probably never encountered a young man with strong morals before. At any rate, it’s obvious that she took Joseph’s response personally. You can read between the lines and see that she was furious to think a mere slave would reject her advances.
When Potiphar came home, she told him, "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." Genesis 39:17-18
So… what happened next? Well, because Joseph was obedient to God …
• he was proven innocent of these false charges ---
• and then Potiphar gave him his freedom and a big promotion to top it off… right?
Not exactly. The next verse says that Potiphar was furious and he threw Joseph in prison.
Believe it or not, things could have been much worse. You see, the penalty for adultery was death. And certainly the penalty for a slave attacking his master’s wife should be execution! So why didn’t Potiphar --- who after all was the Captain of the Pharaoh’s guard --- why didn’t he order Joseph’s execution?
Scripture says that when Potiphar heard what his wife had to say he burned with anger. But it doesn’t say WHO he was angry with. You see, Potiphar knew Joseph … and Potiphar knew his wife … and it’s very likely he knew what the REAL story was. It makes sense to me that Potiphar threw Joseph in prison just so he could save face. Even in this circumstance God was protecting and guiding Joseph.
And as for Joseph --- well, he started the 3 step program all over again --- this time in a prison cell … Joseph continued to ---
• Trust what God did
• Appreciate what God gave
• And Obey what God said
And guess what … before long the Prison Warden put Joseph in charge of the entire Prison Complex!
Next week we’ll see “the rest of the story…”
CONCLUSION:
Have YOU learned Joseph’s secrets of success? The combination of Faith, Thankfulness, and Obedience will work every time. God Himself guarantees it.
On the other hand, God does NOT promise instant success. In fact, the kind of success we experience may not look like success to the world around us.
But in the end, God’s ways ALWAYS work. God has a plan for YOUR life. He wants to bless you and give you success. He wants to make YOUR dreams come true.
Will you take a lesson from Joseph? Will you trust and obey God today?
