Joy Series, Part 1
Genesis 37-41
** We will be continuing our study of Genesis during Sunday night this month **
Introduction
- Last time, we looked at 1 Thess 5:16-18 and really focused on Christian living
- The primary focus or theme, if we remember, was on “rejoicing always”
- To live expectantly and to be completely thankful for what we have
-- Even in the dark times; even in the bad times; we have a Savior to worship
- One of our applications from the Thanksgiving message was a challenge:
- APP: Christianity is either the genuine article or it’s a spiritual fake
-- It is not something man can make up, and we must be totally sold out to this
-- The first proof of the gospel’s power for most people will be what they see in us
- When we consider the Christmas season, it is because of JOY that we celebrate
- There is a joy that each of us is given; and there is a joy that we are to display
- In this 4-part series on joy we are going to look at several avenues of JOY
1. “What steals JOY fastest?”
2. “How do you get JOY?”
3. “A JOYous Prediction”
4. “JOY to the World”
- In order to fully appreciate the joy we have been given; we have to look at it all
- I will say that for some this series may be a bit of a challenge
- For others it may be a bit of a renewal for your walk with Christ
- And for some, it might even reveal some deeper issues that God wants to press on
- APP: Every time we encounter the word of God it must cause a change
- If there is no change, it could be b/c your heart is hardened in that area
- I believe that God wants to reach even that hardened place and break things apart
-- John 12:48, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”
- The application of God’s Word here is simple, to the point, and without doubt:
-- Hebrews 3:7-9, “So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.”
- We’re in rebellion before we were saved; if saved now, the rebellion is a choice
- If we hear what the Spirit is saying, we MUST obey and transform our thinking
- If we do, the Bible tells us that joy will be ours; joy unspeakable from Christ
- Joy from Christ can only be ours is if CHOOSE to obey and to submit to Him
-- John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you”
- So this morning, let’s look first at what can steal your joy; what takes it away
- Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 37 and will begin our study there with Joseph
- Lots of scripture to examine this morning, so we are going to pray and dive in
- Pray
Point 1 – What steals joy fastest?
Background of our story:
- In Genesis 37:2-36; 39:1-20 we read an incredible story about Joseph. Joseph was the youngest son of Israel, a Hebrew shepherd boy sold into slavery by his brothers, who were motivated by jealousy, to the Ishmaelites. In turn the Ishmaelites sold Joseph to Potiphar, a captain of the guard for Pharaoh.
- Potiphar saw potential made Joseph his personal attendant
- He put Joseph in charge of the entire household and everything he owned.
- Because of Joseph, the Lord blessed everything … Potiphar was blessed!
- In Genesis 39 we see this story unfold much like a soap opera would today
- However, Mrs Potiphar had other intentions for young Joseph
- She chose to try to steal him away and to convince him to sleep with her
- She tries to sleep with him, he rejects her, she cries foul and Joseph is arrested
- Consider: Can you imagine the gossip being spread throughout the household servants, being well rooted by a vindictive woman?
- Potipher’s wife devised a malicious lie, fueled by anger for one purpose only:
- APP: To get what she wanted and to put others under her; she tried to ruin him
- Potiphar’s wife devised a plan and executed it with the most deadliest weapon
- She used her tongue to speak curses and lies, and it ruined a man’s reputation
- Result? Joseph is thrown into jail and his freedom is once again removed
- At this point, you may be asking where this is all going when it comes to joy
- Joseph now had to decide: was he going to be faithful and obedient to God or was he going to become angry and vindictive doing the very thing that had been done to him?
- Read Genesis 39:21-23: Joseph chose to obey God and receive God’s favor
- APP: His joy was not rooted in his circumstances; but in what God could do
- But this morning, the title of the message is, “What steals our joy?”
- The focus this morning is on dealing with the situation and the accusers
- It is a hard lesson to even think about surrounding Christmas
- However, it is something we MUST do; real joy is from God, not from mankind
- When we gossip, we are actively and voluntarily engaging in destruction; theft
- The old phrase, “misery loves company” fits perfectly here in stealing one’s joy
- Some cannot stand the thought of someone else succeeding
- They search for reasons to accuse and discredit the person, ministry, business
- It is done to make oneself feel better about them; and it is the coldest sin
- The Pharisees were continually chasing Jesus around in hopes of trapping Him with His own words.
- There are many Christians who spend valuable time searching for something to discredit another person or ministry with just because they don’t agree with how they minister or conduct their business.
- Consider even the story of Jesus healing the blind man’s eyes
- It’s real simple: He couldn’t see, He encountered Jesus … and now He could
- And the townspeople all denied this event and called him a heretic. Why?
- Simple. There is an anger and jealousy in seeing someone else have joy in life
- It’s no different than what Mrs Potiphar was doing; her jealousy fueled her
- What our challenge is today is, consider yourself one of the servants in the house
- What would your reaction be? How would you have testified?
- God is very diverse in His ways of reaching people, known only to Him
- When we indulge in gossip, God has no part in it
- The truth is, gossip greatly hinders the Kingdom of God; and it steals joy from it
- A trustworthy saying is: If we would keep our porch clean, we wouldn’t have time to clean anyone else’s porch.
- Gossip indicates an unclean heart; it shows that God is identifying something
-- Matt 15:10-11, “Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth that is what defiles them.”
- Put yourself in Joseph’s place, would you want to bless Potiphar or his wife?
- It doesn't say that Joseph blessed them; but God placed favor in Him in prison
- I can’t see God rewarding Joseph if he too engaged in gossip and slander
- Joseph remained righteous before God; as we are to do in this day and age also
- BIG APP: In short, Joseph did NOT take credit for what God was going to do
- Peter addresses the same actions that Joseph displayed in 1 Pet 3:15-16, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
- Joseph’s response was clear: To rise above the malicious allegations against him
- What was the result? God blessed Joseph beyond any expectations.
- Joseph was unjustly thrown into prison; his character still remained untarnished
- As we read on we see how God blesses Joseph beyond any human expectations.
- Paul boldly says to mind your own business: 1 Thess 4:11-12, “… and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
- I can’t help thinking what it would be like if Paul or even Jesus were here today?
- I don’t believe they could say a thing without offending practically everyone
- But to think about it, that is why Jesus was maligned all the way to the cross
- Paul was also imprisoned and eventually put to death. (Nothing has changed.)
- Paul addresses the same thing in 2 Timothy 2:16, “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.”
- Do we sometimes wonder why our walk isn’t where we think it should be?
- Are we given over to a destructive pattern of chatter--gossip?
- One day we will all kneel before the Lord; we will answer to God (Rom 14:12)
- Remember whoever has been given much, much will be demanded (Luke 12:48); rest assured we will also be judged upon every careless and critical word we speak, attacks we make, and critical gossip. (Matt 12:36-37)
- If we continue on the story of Joseph we see God’s response to Joseph’s life
- He is given a chance to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh (Genesis 41)
- APP: God restored the character of Joseph and gave him great favor
- What happened? Joseph was given charge over the whole land of Egypt!!
- God also restored the relationship between his father, Israel, and his brothers
-- The very ones who sold him into slavery and put him in these trials
- Joseph reveals to his family God’s purpose why all this had to happen
-- Gen 45:4-7, “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “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 be no 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.”
- Joseph was blessed exceedingly so, because of the choices he made.
- Joseph did not accuse, he did not harbor bitterness, resentment, or unforgiveness
- Joseph moved beyond human responses knowing that God had a plan for his life
- He trusted God regardless of the circumstances, and God rewarded him
- EVERY EYE CLOSED AND EVERY HEAD BOWED …
- Are we as gracious when we are slandered against? How do we respond?
- Are we the ones doing the slandering and talking badly just as Mrs Potiphar did?
- The fastest killer of JOY in our lives IS the response to the situation we are in
- How we respond shows the level of joy in our hearts
- If you want joy this Christmas, perhaps we need to examine how we’re living
- Pray
