Bunbury
Sun pm
23/01/11
“The unusual gift of common sense”
Intro: I’ve often wondered what it must be like being a judge sitting on the bench hearing people’s disputes & having to work it all out.
I conclude that to be able to function in position you need a liberal serve of common sense.
I heard about one judge who put his gift of common sense to work .....
*** In a trial in a small southern town in the U.S. the prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand.
He approached her and asked, ‘Mrs. Jones, do you know me?
She responded, ‘Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you’re a big shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you’ll never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.’
The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, ‘Mrs. Jones, do you know the defence attorney?
She again replied, ‘Why yes, I do, I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He’s lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can’t build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him.’
The defence attorney nearly died.
The Judge asked both counsellors to approach the bench and, In a very quiet voice , said
‘If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I’ll send you both to the electric chair.
Well that judge knew what to do!
And the truth is that common sense isn’t something that is reserved for God’s people.
In fact Jesus says ......
Luke 16:8 (NKJV) 8.......For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
But I do believe that this is not only a quality that we can have but as representatives of the King of kings & Lord of Lords we should have.
And here is the good news ..... it’s God’s distinct plan for his people to be endowed w/ the unusual gift of common sense.
So t/m I want to preach on “The unusual gift of common sense’.
Text: Genesis 41:14-40 (NKJV) 14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. 15And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” 16So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” 17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. 18Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 19Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. 21When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. 23Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” 25Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do:
26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one.
27And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. 28This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; 30but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. 31So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. 32And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. 33“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. 35And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.” 37So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 38And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
# 1. What is common sense?
A. Common sense is the skill to live life practically.
a. Now we could easily just say .....that’s wisdom!
i. And the truth is that it certainly draws on wisdom & operates through the power of wisdom.
ii. But it is practical wisdom in the reality of everyday life..... everyday things & circumstances.
iii. It’s basically knowing how to live life & cope w/ life’s challenges in the best possible way.
b. Now we might be inclined to think ..... does this really have anything to do w/ being a Christian?
i. Well – the Bible makes it clear that although we are citizens of another place we have live our lives out in the reality of a fallen & sinful world.
ii. And to be able to live in that kind of environment & do it in a way that glorifies God every day you are going to need to have common sense – lots of it!!!
c. Now think about how Jesus mastered the unusual gift of common sense in his everyday living.
i. Listen to some of the examples He gave us ....
Luke 14:5 (NKJV) 5Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”
ii. When He was asked if it was right to pay taxes he said ......
Matthew 22:21 (NKJV) ...... He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
iii. When there was no bread for David & his men to eat Jesus pointed out it was natural eat the shew bread.
Matthew 12:3-4 (NKJV) 3But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
iv. It’s not too hard to see that this quality helps you to live life the way it ought to be lived.
** Someone has pointed out that “Common sense is right thinking that comes onto the scene in its work clothes.”
B. More than anything it else it is knowing what to do w/ the unexpected realities of life.
*** Two hikers were walking through the woods when they suddenly confronted a giant bear. Immediately, one of the men took off his boots, pulled out a pair of track shoes and began putting them on. “What are you doing?” yelled his companion. “We can’t outrun that bear, even with jogging shoes.”
“Who cares about the bear?” the first hiker said. “All I have to worry about is outrunning you.”
a. It’s not always easy to know exactly what to do when life suddenly takes an unexpected turn.
i. There are going to be many times / situations when you are not going to get a chance to pray / ponder / seek counsel or even think about what you need to do.
ii. It’s at times like this you are going to need have reserves of good old fashioned common sense to pull you through.
*** One tow truck driver arrived at a scene where an infant had been accidentally locked in a car in the hot sun. The situation was so critical that the child was beginning to turn blue inside the car & the mother was screaming. The tow truck driver reached into his truck, pulled out a tyre lever & smashed the window saving the child’s life.
iii. Its often not rocket science but simply the gift of knowing exactly what to do at the right moment.
b. Years b/4 Joseph was given the opportunity to stand b/4 Pharaoh he was developing good old fashioned common sense.
i. Joseph’s boss – Potiphar – can see that Joseph has the practical u/s to oversee all of his affairs so he puts him in charge of his entire business.
ii. On another occasion Joseph is cornered by the lusty Mrs Potiphar but again it’s common sense that saves the day when she finally makes her move.
iii.
Genesis 39:12-13 (NKJV) 12 ..... she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
iv. It would be nice if everything is life were predictable – but it isn’t.
# 2. Common sense is knowing how to interpret life.
A. How you interpret life is going to play a large role in your ultimate success or failure.
a. Common sense is taking into consideration all the realities you see in front of you & coming to a right conclusion.
*** After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, British scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 200 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 150 years ago.
Not to be outdone by the British, in the weeks that followed, an American archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story was published in the New York Times: "American archaeologists, finding traces of 250-year-old copper wire & they concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network 100 years earlier than the British".
One week later, the state’s Dept of Minerals and Energy in Western Australia, reported the following:
"After digging as deep as 30 feet in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, Jack Lucknow, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Jack has therefore concluded that 250 years ago, Australia had already gone wireless."
Just makes you proud to be Australian!
i. Well being Australian myself ...... I’m sure that Jack Lucknow interpreted all the factors & came to a right conclusion????
ii. How often do we fail to read / interpret the events of life incorrectly though?
iii. Going in hard when we should have gone in soft / saying no when it should have been yes / speaking when we should have been silent?
iv. That’s largely what life’s about having the sense to know what to do / when to do it & how to do it ..... learning how to interpret life.
b. Now as we look at the story of Joseph there’s no doubt God gave him the interpretation of the dreams.
i. He himself admits this came from God ...... God unfolded the message of these dreams to Joseph.
Vs 15-16. 15And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, ........ I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” 16So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me;...... God will give you an answer of peace .....
ii. But it was the practical wisdom of common sense that furnished him w/ an answer to the approaching problems in Pharaoh’s dream.
iii. Consider the advice that Joseph gives to Pharaoh after interpreting the dream.
Vs 33-34. 33“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.
iv. In other words Pharaoh ...... get a man in here that has the basic good sense to go about gathering up 20% of the land’s produce in the good years.
B. So how do you interpret life?
a. Firstly w/ your eyes wide open to God.
i. In other words u/s that everything that He allows in your life is working towards an ultimate purpose & plan.
Rom 8:28 (AMP) We are assured & know that [God being a partner in their labour] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
ii. There are no rabbit trails in the will of God, no backwaters where we b/co stilled & out of God’s plans when we are serving Him.
iii. So this then means that everything ......... everything in life is a part of the overall mosaic of God’s plan.
iv. And when your eyes are open to God you won’t miss the fact that what He’s doing in your life is preparing you to fit into His plan & purposes.
b. Secondly ..... we interpret life w/ our eyes wide open to the things that are going on around us.
** Wendell Phillips once said “Common sense does not ask [for] an impossible chess board but takes the one before it & plays the game.”
i. Joseph was a man who simply learned to play the game that was before him...... whether shepherding for his father / serving Potiphar or in Pharaoh’s dungeon he played the game.
ii. And that’s what interpreting life is ..... simply having the common sense you need to play the game you’re in!
*** In 1937 architect Frank Lloyd Wright built a house for industrialist Hibbard Johnson. One rainy evening Johnson was entertaining distinguished guests for dinner when the roof began to leak. The water seeped through directly above Johnson himself, dripping steadily onto his bald head. Irate, he called Wright in Phoenix, Arizona. “Frank,” he said, “you built this beautiful house for me and we enjoy it very much. But I have told you the roof leaks, and right now I am with some friends and distinguished guests and it is leaking right on top of my head.”
Wright’s reply was heard by all of the guests. “Well, Hib, why don’t you move your chair?”
Common sense is having the understanding to move the chair!
iii. It means working out the rules / developing a game plan & doing the best w/ the resources God has given you.
iv. That is what the unusual gift of common sense is all about...... & that’s why common sense is not so common!
# 3. The unusual benefits of common sense.
A. The great benefit of this practical / everyday life skill is where it can take you.
a. Now think about what is happening in our text as Joseph stands b/4 the king of the most powerful empire in the world at that time.
i. Joseph has no university degree ..... no friends in high places – they all abandoned him.
ii. He has no real advantage that would suggest he would go places other than a pragmatism / practical wisdom for life.
iii. Common sense was the gift he possessed in life & what dizzying heights it elevated him to!
iv. Think about it...... one day a forgotten prisoner in Pharaoh’s dungeon, the next day governor of the most powerful nation on earth.
v. And what took him there? ........ obviously the hand of God but in another sense the unusual gift of godly common sense.
Proverbs 18:16 (NKJV) 16 A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
vi. Did you catch that ...... “A man’s gift makes room for him ........”
b. Look at where this gift of uncommon sense took Joseph.
Vs 39. 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
i. The dictionary def Discerning = to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend.
ii. Pharaoh recognised that Joseph was a man who had the power to perceive what was happening @ any given time & to know exactly how to respond to it.
** O.M. has pointed out that “Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are & doing things as they ought to be done.”
B. What we want to ask here is where can common sense take you?
a. Common sense is something you can not only have but something you can traffic in.
i. In other words it isn’t something just reserved for the lucky few in life who have it.
ii. It can play out in every area of your life – your marriage / money / family life / work life / your community life.
iii. Common sense will enrich your entire life if you’ll seek it.
Vs 35-37. 35And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.” 37So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.
iv. I wonder how hearing from God & applying the practical common sense He has given you might change your world.
v. The world needs men / women today who have the good sense – the common sense – to simply know how to make life work .... why can’t you be that person.
*** Many years ago a lad of sixteen was obliged to leave home because his father was too poor to support him longer. So he trudged away with all his worldly possessions in a bundle resolving, as he journeyed, to set up in business as a soap maker in New York.
In 1806, William Colgate, a soap and candle maker, opened up a starch, soap and candle factory on Dutch Street in New York City under the name of "William Colgate & Company". Remembering the last words of his mother and the godly advice given him by the captain of a canal boat, the youth dedicated his life to God, determining to return to his Maker an honest tithe of every dollar he earned.
So, when his first dollar came in, the young man sacredly dedicated ten cents of it to the Lord. This he continued to do. And the dollars rolled in! Soon this manufacturer became partner in a soap business; and when his partner died a few years later, he became sole owner of the concern.
The prosperous businessman now instructed his bookkeeper to open an account with the Lord and to credit to it one tenth of all his income.
In the 1840s, the firm began selling individual cakes of soap in uniform weights
By 1906, 100 years after the founding of William Colgate & Co., the company was making over 3,000 different soaps, perfumes and other products.
Today they are known all over the world ....... b/c one young man believed God & had the common sense to know what to do.
vi. Who knows what possibilities are waiting for you!
