Do you believe God predestines people for greatness? As we go through our time this morning, I’d like for you to allow that question to simmer in your mind. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I look into the chronicles of history, I can see some folks that have definitely done great things with their lives -- people such as Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, and Rosa Parks.
I’ve thought about all the marvelous inventions Thomas Edison created. Because of him, we’re able to light our homes and churches with artificial light, listen to music, and watch television. But ya know, I’ve also wondered if Edison realized the impact he made for our world -- especially as he was living his life. He did more in a lifetime than hundreds ever dream of accomplishing in one hundred lifetimes. And for this, it can be difficult for us everyday folks to relate to Edison. But, let me ask you this.
Do you think Edison’s impact was any more special than Rosa Parks? On December 1, 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to obey a bus driver’s order to give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. At the time of her action, Rosa Parks served as the secretary of her local NAACP chapter. But even so, she acted as a private citizen. And although she was later honored for her stance, she suffered for it. The local department store where she worked fired her from her seamstress position. Her decision to simply “not take it any more” drastically changed the course of human history.
So… what do you think? Do you think she did all she did on her own accord? Or, could it have been a God thing? Is it possible Rosa Parks was born to start a movement that would alter the course of race relations in America? We may never know… but it’s good to speculate.
Ya know, I think Rosa was just an ordinary lady trying to live her life the best she could -- just like us. And just like Rosa Parks, I believe we’ve all be born for greatness. This morning, I want to show to you why. So, how about we take a trip into the chronicles of history, and read about an ordinary, young man who was born for greatness. Turn please in your Bibles to Genesis 37, and let’s look at the story of Joseph.
JOSEPH -- GROWING UP SPOILED
Joseph was the 11th son born to Jacob. And it’s probably safe to say that Joseph was a spoiled brat -- one who knew he was daddy’s favorite boy. For the Bible says as much. Let’s look. Genesis 37:3-4 says: “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.”
The story continues with Joseph and his brothers out in the fields with the flocks, when one night he gets this dream. Let’s look at the dream really quickly. Joseph says: “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.”
His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?”
Now, apparently Joseph didn’t catch his brother’s drift and hear the resentment, because he had another dream, and he told that vision to his brothers as well.
“Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 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. “
So here’s Joseph, daddy’s favorite boy wearing a special robe made for just hi; and nobody else gets one; and he has these two dreams that causes resentment. From his brother’s standpoint, it’s kind of like Joseph was saying, “I am the greatest. I was born for greatness, and you all need to know how great I am and bow down to me.”
Now, was the dream prophetic? Absolutely! Should Joseph have told his brothers? Hmmm -- I don’t know. From a human perspective, probably not. From God’s point of view maybe that was the intention all along. Let’s look at more of the story.
“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe -- the richly ornamented robe he was wearing -- and they took him and threw him into the cistern…. As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead… and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. Let’s turn to Chapter 39…. Let’s read parts of it together.
JOSEPH IN SLAVERY
Now 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. The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did.
Joseph 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. From 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. So 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, we don’t know how much time has elapsed. But we have to guess at least a few years has passed by. Joseph was probably a striking young man, physically fit and doing well. Potiphar had him to a place of prominence -- even though he’s a slave. And in time, Potiphar’s wife takes a likening to him -- but she can’t have him.
Joseph is a righteous, young man, and even though his hormones were probably just raging - he resisted her. She didn’t like that. She went to him and tried to have her way with him, but Joseph refused her again. In her rage, she ran to her husband when he returned from court, and accused Joseph of raping her.
Well, Joseph was only a slave. Although he’d never done anything wrong and Potiphar had trusted Joseph with his entire household -- Potiphar had to take the word of his wife over Joseph. So, Potiphar threw Joseph in prison. Joseph probably wondered if life could get any worse. Nevertheless, Joseph kept his eye on God, and his greatest moments were yet to come.
After some time of being in prison, the warden noticed Joseph wasn’t a common thug. In fact, he noticed Josepha was a pretty bright guy who could read, write and count. The warden put him in charge… In time, the warden learned of Joseph’s prophetic gift to read dreams.
About this time, Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker were accused of crimes against Pharaoh. In keeping with this plan, God told Joseph the meaning behind the cupbearer and baker’s dreams. They asked Joseph to interpret the dream, and Joseph did so successfully…. In time, the innocent man was vindicated and restored to his position as cupbearer. But the bakers fate… umm, wasn’t so good. The cupbearer went back to court and resumed his duties… and he forgot about Joseph and all that he did for him.
JOSEPH ELEVATED BY PHAROAH FOR GREATNESS
Two years pass by, and Pharaoh had been dreaming some pretty strange things; and those things caused him distress. But nobody in his court could interpret his dreams. Just then the cupbearer remembered what Joseph did for him. He then told Pharaoh that there was one in the land who could interpret dreams. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
Consider Joseph’s conviction. He couldn’t interpret the dreams, it was all an act of God. And we wasn’t afraid to mention this to Pharaoh. But also keep in mind, Pharaoh considered himself the living son god - Amun Ra. So to speak with him in such took guts. Probably the same kind of fortitude that Rosa Parks had in standing up that December day.
Okay, Joseph tells Pharaoh what the dream meant and their implications. Listen how Pharaoh responded: “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” Talking about being born for greatness!
As the story progressed, things happened just as God had given the vision to Pharaoh for Joseph to discern. The land was richly blessed for seven years… but then the droughts came. However, Egypt planned accordingly -- all because God worked through Joseph. During all those years, Joseph married a beautiful woman and had two sons: Manasseh and Ephraim.
Now after the drought had elapsed for two years, the famine reached as far as Cana. Likewise, Joseph’s family suffered along with everyone else. But his family heard that Egypt had food, and that there was one person in charge of all…. Little did they know that it was Joseph, and little did they know they would soon be bowing down to a greater sheave of grain.
Nevertheless, they took off for Egypt to buy grain. They arrived and noticed the rumors were true. And as fate would have it, they encounter their brother -- unbeknown to them. Now, amazingly, 22 years had passed by since that fateful day when Joseph’s brothers tossed him in the well. Joseph was now 39 years old, and in the height of his career so to speak.
So Jacob’s sons travel to Egypt and beseech Joseph for grain. Joseph recognized them, and decided to bless them. But he also wanted to reveal himself to them, and to make sure his father and younger brother were well. So, he designed a rouse of sorts to reveal himself and bring his family back to Egypt in order to bless them as God predestined. Let’s hear how this story concludes. Turn to Genesis 45:4-7.
Joseph said, “Come close to me. I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
“Now hurry back to my father and say to him, Come down to me; don’t delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’
As the rest of the story goes, Joseph and his brothers amend. His brothers travelled back to Cana and tell Jacob all that happened. Together with his whole household, they travelled and lived in Egypt -- Just as God for ordained -- so he story could continue.
We have to believe that Joseph was born for greatness; but not so his brother’s would bow down to him in some sick, human envy or worldly manner. Rather, God set a chain of events into place so that the twelve tribes of Israel would survive the great famine and prosper. Joseph was born to provide for the nation. He probably didn’t realize that at the time he was thrown into the well. But as he got older he discerned God’s will and remained faithful to God. Joseph never strayed from God’s vision for his life.
Just like Joseph, countless others have also been born for greatness… and so have you! But one more great than Joseph or all of us was born -- and he was and is the greatest of all who have ever been born for greatness . His name is Jesus Christ. And truth be known, Jesus was born, in part, because Joseph was obedient to God. But more importantly, Jesus was born to save us all from our famine of heart. And through Jesus, we can all be born again from our scarcity of heart. And in that new birth, we too can be born again for greatness… just like Joseph.
Folks, It doesn’t matter if we’re 17 or 71, 39 or 93… I believe we’ve all been born for greatness. Maybe not in our own right or in our own accord. But through God - through Jesus Christ - and for his purposes, we’ve all be been born for greatness. God put us all here on this great planet for a reason. Maybe that reason isn’t to save a nation, invent the light bulb… but maybe that reason is simply to live your life the best you can like Rosa Parks, and hope to make a difference. Friends, you’ve been born to greatness - for and through Jesus Christ. Pray to him today, and seek the God of greatness, and discover the great things he still has in store for you -- even if you’re beyond 73. Amen. Let’s pray.
