Genesis 39:1-23 September 15, 2013
Introduction:
I spent a lot of time in New Orleans and the gulf region after Katrina hit in 2005...Almost a dozen trips in 3 years...And then we partnered with Stadia and Team Expansion to plant a church in St. Bernard’s Parish...It’s called “The Gathering”...and for almost 3 years I served as an oversight Elder with Gary Johnson from Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis and David Cortez from Christ’s Church of the Valley in Arizona...16 trips in 2 years to help keep the Gathering on track and develop leaders...
One of my favorite trips was one of the last...David Cortez and I ordained 3 men as elders and turned the reigns over to Matt Woodward, the Sr. Minister and these 3 spirit filled men...There are only 2 Christian churches in a city of 1.2 million people...Journey Christian and the Gathering...
After Katrina the U.S. government gave out 1.4 billion (with a B) in bogus assistance...FEMA was hoodwinked into paying for season football tickets, tropical vacations...federal investigators even found where a divorce lawyer was funded by tax payer dollars.
New Orleans was inundated with people who were out for a quick buck...
Among these folks were prison inmates who used a New Orleans cemetery as a home address...and a person who spent 70 days (70!!!) at a Hawaiian hotel on money provided by FEMA...(I’ve gotta sleep somewhere!!!)
Former congressman J.C. Watts said, “Character is doing the right thing when no one is looking. There are too many people who think that the right thing is to get by, and it’s only wrong if you get caught.”
I gave our Elders a list called “Rick’s Non-Titus & Timothy Essentials for Leadership.” They are inner core leadership essentials for integrity...No leader is perfect...but God’s leaders are seeking to be people of integrity...of this list of 13 things is: “People are more important then buildings and you will not be a respector of some people more than others. Godly principles apply no matter who they refer to.”
In other words...There is a right, there is a wrong...And it will be applied to everyone equally...
Joseph’s life began with an unhealthy favoritism...A cocky 17 year old strutting his stuff in a multicolored coat...He took some pleasure in informing his brothers about dreams of greatness...His greatness. His brothers despised him for it...They hated him enough most of them would have killed him. Only his older brothers Ruben & Judah would interfere and sell him into slavery instead...
Sold to a caravan of Ishmaelites (you remember Ishmael? Abraham’s wild son through Hager). They were coming from Gilead, loaded with stuff to sell in Egypt...Joseph became one of their possessions...to sell when they got to Egypt.
He’s purchased by Potiphar, who was Capt. of the Guard for Pharaoh...He is a man of power and influence...and Joseph comes into his house. We don’t know how long he’s there...but he serves so well he distinguishes himself...He stood out because of his skill and wisdom. Listen
GENESIS 39:2-3
Joseph could not change his circumstances, but he could choose what kind of man he would be in them...He chose a new path...He chose to be a man of integrity in these circumstances...
Here’s where the rubber hits the road in our Christian walk...”The righteous will live by faith.” (Rom 1:17)
It’s not what you are when people are watching...it’s what you are when they’re not.
Katrina has his Joseph’s life...but in the aftermath of the storm he chose integrity...what should we learn this morning?
I. THE GOD YOU SERVE MAKES YOU THE PERSON YOU ARE.
Listen
GENESIS 39:5-6A
The blessings of God flowed into Potiphar’s house – not because of Potiphar, not because of Joseph...He trusted Joseph so much all he worried about was “what’s for dinner?”
The God we serve makes us the person we are...not who we say we serve, but the one we serve when no one is looking...
James Michener, writing in his book, The Source, tells the story of a man named Urbaal, who, was a farmer living about 2200 B.C. He worshiped two gods, one a god of death, the other a goddess of fertility.
One day, the temple priests tell Urbaal to bring his young son to the temple for sacrifice-if he wants good crops. Urbaal obeys, and on the appointed day drags his wife and boy to the scene of the boy’s “religious execution” by fire to the god of death.
After the sacrifice of Urbaal’s boy, and several others, the priests announce that one of the fathers will spend next week in the temple, with a new temple prostitute. Urbaal’s wife is stunned as she notices a desire written more intensely across his face than she had seen before, and she is overwhelmed to see him eagerly lunge forward when his name is called.
The ceremony is over, she walks out of the temple with her head swimming, concluding that “if he had different gods, he would have been a different man.”
Even in circumstances beyond his control..where he’s been deserted and abandoned by his brothers...where he’s another man’s property...His relationship with Jehovah God shapes his character...
But like last week concerning Abraham and Isaac...Joseph’s faith is about to be tested....God’s going to ask: “ARE YOU ALL IN?”
Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much (Lk. 16:10)
I wish Potiphar believed that...because Joseph had shown integrity in handling worldly wealth..In fact the more faithful he was the more blessed...Potiphar trusted him with the whole kitten and caboodle (whatever that is?) Potiphar has turned over the keys to the palace...but that’s usually when Satan attacks...Be careful on the Mt. top....because the valley is waiting below!
II. OUR BIGGEST TEMPTATIONS ATTACK OUR WEAKEST AREAS.
Paul tells the Corinthians...”If you don’t want to be outwitted...be aware of Satan’s schemes.” (2 Cor 2:11)
Peter remembers how he works doesn’t He...? So he writes, ”Humble yourself...Be alert and of sober mind the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour...resist him, stand firm in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:6,8,9)
You remember Joseph’s ego don’t you? The cocky 17 year old who loved to taunt his brothers with dreams of greatness...His greatness.
Well, he’s not a kid anymore...He’s a viral, full grown man...at the peak.
We don’t know how long he served in Potiphar’s house...We know he was 30 when he is rescued from prison after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream (Gen. 41:46). Joseph isn’t just a spiritual man...He’s a handsome man!
So when Satan attacks...Joseph is about 21 to 25...He is at his peak in every area...including physically...v6 says “Joseph is well built and handsome.” He’s a HUNK. He’s a great looking guy...The same Hebrew wording is used only two other times...It describes his mother Rachael in Genesis 29:17 and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11:2.
Why does the Bible point this out?...Because it’s the one quality Mrs. Potiphar notices...It’s the quality worshipped by people of the world....
V7 says “After a while Potiphar’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me.”
She didn’t want to know about his God, or his intelligence...she wanted to use him as a possession...”The original cougar”...The original “Desperate Housewife.”
Illustration: Consider Joseph’s circumstances...He’s alone in a foreign country. He’s surrounded by sex worshipping culture...and powerful people. He has no family, He’s well built and handsome...at his peak. He’s 21-25 years old...And this powerful woman could pick anyone she wanted...maybe already has...And she picks him...And since Potiphar is one of the most powerful men in Egypt chances are...Mrs. Potiphar isn’t some old hag in rollers. The temptation is real!!!!
It strokes his ego – a sexual encounter for a lonely young man far from home...Just the scheme Satan would draw up.
Have any of you been down Dixie Hwy towards Ft. Knox in Louisville...? Bar, Bar, Strip Club, Bar. You think that’s an accident? Satan loves to pray on lonely young men, far from home!
He looks for a gap, a breech...He probes for a weak spot... And then he says, “Come on...no one will know...you deserve a little love and affection.”
That’s how Satan works...In a world that looks at people like Potiphar’s wife...who cares about their God...Who cares who they really are...It doesn’t really matter if they’re well built and handsome...or beautiful.
That’s not how God works...Nor how his people look at the world...
1 Sam 16:7 says “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Satan knows that...
If Joseph had said “Yes” to this temptation he would have walked through a door that leads to destruction...Ask Anyone whose done it..or had it done to them.
GENESIS 39:8-10
Joseph wouldn’t play with fire...But she didn’t care...”Day after day she tried to seduce him.”
There are 3 Biblical responses to ongoing temptation.
III. THREE RESPONSES TO ONGOING TEMPTATIONS.
First, “Choose Humility”...be careful of arrogance...thinking you can handle it...or handle it on your own.
Understand we are sinful by nature...”Satan finds a ready alli in the human heart.
“Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:16)
Make yourself accountable to others (trusted others) and to God. Seek his power not your own...Joseph says “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God.”
Well many do because they believe they can handle it on their own...self control and self denial are fine when we’re at our best...but Satan never attacks when we’re at our best.
Humility let’s you hide God’s Word in your heart as a strong defense...and accountability is the killing of our ego and pride.
I’d also challenge you to...
2. Consider the consequences when you face temptation...Joseph might have thought...”I can do this and no one will know.” I can assure you King David did! He thought he could do what he wanted, even hide the consequences...but sexual sin isn’t like that...Paul tells the Corinthians... “Whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. (1 Cor. 6:18)
What’s that mean? Well, guilt is like an infection that festers...If you don’t deal with it properly and in a healthy way....Spiritual sickness will have devastating consequences...Can it be forgiven and redeemed...ABSOLUTELY!!! But for David, “The Sword never left his house...” Consider those consequences before you give in to the pleasures of sin for a season...eventually there will be a harvest.
And finally...
3. Sometimes with sexual temptations you just need to “RUN”...1 Cor 6:18 says...”FLEE from sexual immorality...don’t enjoy the attention...don’t see how close you can get to the fire...RUN...FLEE...GET AWAY.
CLOSING:
That’s what Joseph does “Potiphar’s wife grabs for him one day...catches his coat in her hand...Joseph sheds the coat and RUNS for an escape.
God knows sometimes we cannot stay forever in the fire...Joseph was in an unhealthy place...And God rescued him from it...Although the method of rescue wasn’t the one Joseph would have chosen...Prison would prepare him for Pharaoh’s Palace! This poem fits well.
“The Weaver” by J.B. Hernley
My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me,
I may not choose the colors, He knows what they should be.
For He can view the pattern upon the upper side,
While I can see it only on this, the under side.
Sometimes He weaveth sorrow, which seems strange to me;
But I will trust His judgment and work as faithfully; ‘
Tis He who fils the shuttle, He knows just what is best,
So I shall weave in earnest and leave with Him the rest.
Not til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why –
The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern he has planned
