Lessons from Joe: Pt 2!
Opening video Illustration: Bluefishtv - Joseph - Tested
Thesis: Our man Joe even in the midst of being at his lowest point in life grows into the man God desires him to be. Joe grows through adversity into the man God desires him to be. Pride fades away, the spoiled brat syndrome disappears and Joe learns to persevere and stay rooted in God.
James 1:2-5: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
Introduction: Joseph’s life can teach us a great deal on how to deal with adversity in our lives. Crowder notes this about life’s challenges:
It has been said that life has to be lived in forward motion but can only be understood by looking back. This demands that we trust in the loving purposes of a sovereign God. We must trust that He is in control-especially when life seems to be out of control. This is what Paul referred to as walking by faith II Cor. 5:7. It goes against every element of self-preservation that is ingrained in us. We want to take charge, manipulate, and control. But God wants us to trust in the love of a Father who makes us “more than conquerors through Him who loved us”(Romans 8:37). Such was the life of the Old Testament character Joseph. His life was filled with dark, difficult experiences-yet the final outcome was amazing! In fact, Joseph is able to teach us much about how to deal with the tangled threads of our own lives. He became a godly man in an ungodly culture-a true over comer-and his example can help prepare us as we face the issues of life (3).
Last week we left with Joe our hero being betrayed by his brothers. He was suffering from the disease of favoritism. He was threatened and thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery. So we now find that Joseph is on a 30 day journey thru the desert to a foreign country where he will be sold as a piece of merchandise.
Describe a scenario on slavery!
Slavery is a system of abuse - Stories from America’s early slavery movement are terrible: Slaves were beaten, raped, brutalized, starved, treated as dogs, children were sold from their mothers, listen to just a few:
• One man was whipped for being two minutes late because his church let out late.
• A slave mother’s doleful prayer.
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• One woman was whipped for making a minor mistake after church on Sunday and the one who whipped had delivered the sermon that day.
• A man was beaten to death because he was accused of stealing money he never stole. Later it was discovered that the master’s wife had it.
The key in any circumstance is to learn the lesson in it. To grow out of life’s ordeals requires us to be teachable through the whole ordeal.
On the old Happy Days television show – which I loved to watch, Richie Cunningham had just been “grounded for life” by his father, Howard, for misbehavior. As they talked about it, Howard asked his son, “Did you know that there is a lesson in this for you?” Richie’s response was priceless: “I figured anything with this much pain had to have a lesson in it somewhere.” That is real life! We do not learn character in times of ease and prosperity but in times of difficulty. The greatest lessons of life are often the product of our most serious heartaches - Crowder.
Texts: Genesis 39:1-23
1Now 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.
2The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4Joseph 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. 5From 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. 6So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
8But 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. 9No 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?” 10And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
11One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
13When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
16She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
19When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
T.S. - Lets explore how our hero Joe deals with adversity and unjust circumstances in his life.
I. Success in life comes from having God with you (Gen 39:1-6)
a. Do you want to be successful incorporate God into your life and work.
b. Joseph’s relationship with the Lord was seen by his master.
i. Does your boss know that God is with you?
c. Success in comes from one source in life – GOD
i. God makes people what they are
ii. Success Jesus way!
d. Success came to Joseph because he had godly character traits:
i. He was honest
ii. He was faithful
iii. He was trustworthy
iv. He was a hard diligent worker
T.S. - Joseph had one flaw though he was good looking!
II. Joe says No to Mrs. Po. (Genesis 39:7 - 19)
a. Joe said no unlike other Bible heroes like David, Samson, and Solomon.
i. Sexual temptation is a powerful force and it is destroying many Christians today:
1. Sex and the internet
a. Video clip on porn.
b. Just because you say no to temptation once does not mean it will never come again.
i. Temptation is relentless!
ii. Mrs. Po did not accept Joe’s no. Her repeated tempting was “Yo Joe!” “Come here Joe!” “Joe I want you.” “Joe he does not love me-he is too busy with his work!”
iii. Joe’s continual response was no. It was based not on what his father taught him but because of his relationship with God.
1. Reference the verse 9
c. How did Joseph overcome this temptress? (Genesis 39:6 -12).
1. He knew that to honor God he had to live the life.
2. He knew if he sinned that it would affect others.
3. He knew that adultery was not permitted by God
4. He knew he had run.
a. Share about the women’s house we did for Urban.
b. Share about girl you dated (Denise)
d. Joe goes but Mrs. Po mo’s and puts on a show.
i. Result of this unfair circumstance is that Joe’s teachable spirit grows. She moans and he grows – so who really lost?
1. Who’s Master
a. Whatever injury wicked men-in-power inflict upon good men is to be regarded … as a test for the good man’s virtues. Thus, a good man, though a slave, is free; but a wicked man, though a king, is a slave. For, a wicked man serves not just one master, but, what’s worse, as many masters as he has vices. For, it is in reference to vice that the Holy Scriptures says: “For by whom a man is overcome, of the same also he is the slave” (II Peter 2:19). –Augustine
ii. Be careful temptation that is rejected is still willing to seek revenge because it hates godly character.
e. The danger in America today is the temptress of sexual sin.
i. See video clip on Porn.
III. Joe becomes the victim and is unjustly accused (Gen 39:20-23)
a. Joe goes to prison and grows
i. Share Jim Bakers story about how 5 years of prison helped him to grow in leaps and bounds. It was a five year seminary.
ii. You might say “Wait a minute!” This is not the place to learn!
1. Well maybe we need to define the term teach-ability- It is defined as the willingness to learn from others, from life situations good or bad and to learn from God.
iii. Joe has made a decision to not be low but to grow. So what happens in prison he rises to the top.
1. Interesting side note – he should have been executed!
2. Notice cross reference coming up who put him in charge of Pharaoh’s baker, and cup bearer.
a. Yes, it was Mr. Po
3. He does not become bitter but better.
iv. Joe in prison does not wine and moan he cares for others.
Conclusion: What have learned today?
1. Joe learned from God that he needed to say NO to temptation.
a. This meant over and over!
b. He also learned here that if you say “No” there could be repercussions but don’t worry God is with you.
2. Joe learned through his adverse circumstance and even though he could have become bitter he chose to become better.
a. Joe chose to grow and in midst of his trial he showed compassion and concern for others.
b. His attitude and trust in God promoted him even in prison..
