I. It all started with a dream!
A. Joseph was loved above all Jacob’s children; so much so that he was given a coat of many colors that set him apart from the others. Because of his father’s love and favor for Joseph he was hated by his brothers.
1. Let me say here that favor will cause others to be jealous. When God places his favor on you others can’t help but notice. Favor will take you from background to forefront, down and out to up and coming, from borrowing to lending and obscurity to notoriety. When a man has favor he can take a rod and open the sea, … the jawbone, …sling and stone…, hook and catch tax.
B. At the age of 17 Joseph would have 2 dreams; in the first dream he saw bound sheaves in a field. His sheaf arose and stood upright while his brothers’ sheaves bowed down to it. In the second dream he saw the sun, moon, and eleven stars (representing his father, mother and brothers) bowing to him. After he tells the dreams; his brothers hate him because of the meaning that he would be exalted.
2. Ro 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. It is a sad thing that family and for that matter church family can’t rejoice when God blesses someone else. That’s a problem we got in the church when God starts blessing others there are those that want to condemn and speak negatively about them. They can’t rejoice with them they can’t be happy them. Paul tells us in 1 Thess. “Rejoice evermore.” That means in all things keep the joy. When God blesses someone else rejoice. God is no respecter of persons if he can do it for them he can do it for you. Be happy when others get theirs cause you may be next in line.
C. Shortly after the dreams; Joseph is sent to check on his brothers. When they see him coming they conspired against him saying, “Here comes the dreamer. Let’s kill him then we shall see what will become of his dreams!” They throw him into a pit to die. After they throw him into the pit they sit down to eat and Judah has a change of heart and decides that instead of killing him they can still get rid of him and make a little something…something for their troubles.
1. Again there are those that just want to kill someone’s dream. It is sad to say but there are people that will do whatever they can to side line someone’s dream, even in the Church.
D. I want to talk to real people that feel disappointed by their dream. I am talking to those of you that God has made you a promise, shown you a few things, and then went silent on you. Joseph story is one of those that people can find comfort in because it is a relatable story. His story has spoken to countless generations of dreamers and promise holders. How many of you can relate to Joseph? God gives you something, shows you the end result, but there are struggles. The Bible says in Pr 13:12 ¶ Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but [when] the desire cometh, [it is] a tree of life. Right now you’re just sick and as far as you are concerned that tree was cut down.
1. When we read the story of Joseph there are some things that cannot be denied, it looked like Joseph had it all, he was chosen by God, anointed by God, had a destiny given by God, was favored by his earthly and heavenly Father, there was no denying it; God was with Joseph. That sounds like a winning combination, judging from that criteria it would look like Joseph had it made, it would seem as though he was living it up. He is voted most popular, most likely to succeed by his peers. You would expect to find him on TV shows like Made and Cribs.
a. But when we read the Bible we find out that this same Joseph who had it; one day finds himself in a pit. I want to stop here for just a minute and tell you; if somebody told you when you became a Christian that all your problems would be over, and that you would never be hurt again, you would never cry again, you would never suffer again…They Lied! Mt 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Ps 34:19 Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: Joh 16:33 In the world ye shall have tribulation:
b. The point I’m trying to make is that Christians have problems too, Christians get sick, Christians get in debt, Christians get divorced, Christians get their hearts broken, Christians get in places they shouldn’t be. Sometimes you fall in, sometimes you jump in, and sometimes you’re pushed in.
c. But regardless of how you got there or why you’re there, a Pit is a Pit and if you stay there you will die. Dreams die in the pit, ministries die in the pit, gifts, callings, marriages, die in the pit.
2. Rueben came back to the pit where he last saw Joseph, and Joseph wasn’t there. Rueben was responsible for Joseph’s pit. It was Rueben that suggested they throw Joseph in the pit. We don’t know what happened, but whatever it was; we know this Rueben was there when Joseph was thrown into the pit, but he was not there when he was lifted out. Rueben was surprised, Rueben was shocked, because he saw him go into the pit, he saw him struggling and begging to be delivered from the pit, but now he’s looking into that same pit expecting to see pitiful Joseph full of fear and confusion stressing and crying and begging to be delivered, but he wasn’t there.
3. There are some people that thought they knew you pretty good; they thought they knew where to look for you. They even talked about your pitiful condition to other people.
a. There are some people who saw you in the pit, there are some people that even helped put you in the pit, and they have watched you struggling, and pushing, and scratching and clawing trying to climb your way out, when they left you were in the pit, the last time they saw you, you were in the pit, you were a mess.
b. But I came to tell you that you are coming out of the pit, I am declaring to you that if God spoke a Word over you, made a promise to you; regardless of your circumstance you are coming out. I wish somebody would go ahead and prophesy to themselves and say, “I’m coming out”. Nu 23:19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
c. I don’t know what that pit is for you today: it may be a pit of debt, it may be a pit of sickness, it may be a pit of bondage, or addiction, it may be a pit of despair, depression, it may be a pit of marital problems that looks so deep and so dark and impossible that you feel like giving up, it may be a spiritual pit and you just don’t feel God like you used to, and you’re dry and discouraged. I don’t know what your pit is; they come in all different shapes and sizes. I don’t know what that pit is for you: but I want you to look at your neighbor and tell them I’ve spent my last night in the pit, Ps 30:5 Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning…
d. That was yesterday; yesterday I was in the pit; yesterday it looked like I was going to die in the pit; yesterday I felt like I was going to die in the pit, but you need to remember The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, don’t you dare die in the Pit; the fall doesn’t have to be fatal; don’t quit dreaming; don’t quit believing; don’t quit trusting; don’t quit expecting. If God said it He will do it, now is not the time to let your faith waiver, you will come up out of this pit! 2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, You need to tell your haters; Mic 7:8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD [shall be] a light unto me.
4. It looked like Joseph was going to die in the pit, and it felt like Joseph was going to die in the pit, but through a turn of circumstances in a matter of minutes Joseph was up out of the pit on solid ground. I came to tell you God is going to turn it around: I don’t know how he’s going to do it, I don’t know when he’s going to do it, I don’t know who he’s going to use to do it; I just came to tell you he’s going to turn it around. If you learn anything from the Bible it is that God is a God of the turnaround. Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.
E. From Genesis to Revelation God is turning it around, Moses was the Prince of Egypt but became God’s General, Paul went from persecuting the church to building it, Peter went from a fisherman to a fisher of men, Rahab went from a harlot to Jesus’ great X 30 grandma, and if none of those haven’t convinced you yet, all you have to do is look in the mirror. Some of you use to be hookers, some of you were pushers, some of you were thieves and liars, some of you were adulterators and fornicators, some of you were alcoholics and drug addicts.
1. That was the old man; that was B.C. (Before Christ). I’ve had a turn around. 2 Co 5:17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away behold all things become new.
2. One minute Joseph was in the pit but then there came a “SUDDENLY”, one minute he was in the dark, one minute it was terminal, one minute it looked like the end, and suddenly everything changed. In an instant everything changed, in one minute what was terminal and staring him in the face was over and behind him.
a. I’m talking to those of you that you are standing on the verge of a suddenly that will change everything. Peter fished all night and caught nothing, but in one act of obedience (suddenly) he went from nothing to too much, he went from empty nets to breaking nets; he went from an empty boat to sinking boat, from loss to profit, from weeping to rejoicing, from a loser to a winner (suddenly). At the lowest point in Josephs life physically and spiritually, God stepped in.
II. Judah got him out.
A. It wasn’t his coat of many colors that got him out, it wasn’t his anointing that got him out, and it wasn’t even his dreams that got him out. It was Judah (JUDAH means PRAISE), Rueben got him in, but Judah got him out. I don’t care how you got in the pit; I don’t care who it was or what it was. I came to tell you, Judah will get you out.
1. The circumstances may not have been of Josephs choosing; nevertheless Judah was responsible for getting him out of the pit. I can see Judah now as he lays down at the base of the pit and reaches for Joseph getting himself all dirty, after trying for several minutes with no avail all dirty he gets a rope and tosses it down he then digs his heals into the dirt and pulls Joseph out. Judah had to get himself dirty in order to get Joseph out. The point I’m trying to make is that Praise doesn’t have to be pretty to be powerful, just start where you’re at.
2. Anybody can put on a pretty praise when the battles over, anybody can praise God when the sickness is healed, anybody can praise God when the marriage is restored and the family is mended, anybody can praise God when you’ve got a good retirement, money in your wallet and money in the bank, anybody can praise God when life’s all good.
a. But I’m telling you, it takes something to shout in the face of the devil, it takes something to praise in the face of the doctors bad report, it takes something to shout when you don’t have two nickels to rub together, it takes something when you’re going through the fire, to lift your hands and lift your voice and say, I will bless the lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
b. The point is don’t wait till the battles over; shout now. Start in the dark with the walls closing in on you; start where you are laying in that hospital bed; start where you are at the bottom of that pit; start where you are in the middle of your pain; start where you are in the inner prison at midnight, with your hands and your feet bound and your back bloody, beaten black and blue.
B. It may not be pretty (In fact it may be dirty), but give God a Dirty Praise; a dirty praise is when nothing is going right, when all hell is breaking loose in your life. How many know that some people have a problem with real praisers? Real praisers get loud, real praisers get undignified, real praisers can get messy, they don’t worry about their hair or their makeup, real praisers can get offensive to pretty praisers. Pretty praisers on the other hand know how to control their praise, pretty praisers, never mess up their hair and their makeup never runs, they don’t get loud, and they wouldn’t think of running or jumping, or dancing.
1. God wants your Dirty Praise. He wants it through your tears and your groans, He wants it while your heart is breaking, He wants it through your bloodshot eyes, He wants it when it don’t make no sense, He wants it loud, He wants it crazy, He wants it when you’re going through hell, He wants it when you don’t feel a thing.
2. You’ve been trying to get everything prim and proper, your waiting till everything is just perfect, you want to give God a fancy praise; you want to dress it all up and make it pretty. Stop waiting for the storm to pass and the sun to starting shinning on your situation and give God your Dirty Praise, because he’s going to use your DIRTY PRAISE to Get You Out.
a. Job lost everything that he had, but after he had lost everything; his heart was breaking into a million pieces, more tragedy than a human being should ever have to endure, but in the middle of it all, Job gave God a Dirty Praise.
The Bible says: he arose, he rent his mantle, he shaved his head and he fell down on the ground and he worshipped.
3. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but he worshipped through the tears, he worshipped through the groans, he worshipped with a broken heart, he worshipped through his pain, through his confusion he gave God a Dirty praise and God gave him a beautiful future. His worship kept him connected to his destiny, and in the end God blessed him with more; he got double for all his troubles.
4. We don’t have the benefit of choosing the problems and trials and afflictions that come our way in life, divorce, sickness, the loss of a loved one, debt, false accusations, and betrayal, but I can choose my praise. My weapon of choice is Praise, Praise is a weapon. You see the devils purpose for the pit is to kill you, to cause you to give up on your destiny, your promise, to cause you to lose faith. If he gets your faith he takes it all including your praise. The devil knows if you ever get your praise on he’s in trouble. With your praise you are moving hell out of the way so you can see God!
C. Joseph was in a pit and they expected him to die there, but Dirty Judah got him out. Jeremiah was in a pit and they expected him to die there, but some Dirty rags got him out, Paul and Silas were in the Inner prison embarrassed, humiliated, beaten black and blue, but in the middle of their pain they gave God a Dirty Praise and God shook the prison off its foundations, and every cell was opened and every prisoners bonds were broken.
1. There are some people that expected you to die in the pit, but you’re going to disappoint them, there’s an anointing in you that’s bigger than the pit, there’s a palace anointing in you. When Joseph was thrown into the Pit it was empty, but he filled it with praise. If they would have filled it with dirt it would have been his grave, but he filled it with praise and he came out. I declare to you today that you are coming out.
III. There is more to the pit than just a place of praise. Your pit is a by Divine design to be a foundation.
A. When designing a building the architect and engineers work together to design the foundation of the structure. A smaller building like a house would not require the same foundation as a skyscraper. A house may only require a foundation to be dug down a few feet while larger buildings can require a foundation to be dug down in excess of 150ft. such as in the case of the tallest building in the World the Burj Khalifa standing at 2,722 ft with a 163ft foundation.
1. Reasons for a deep foundation are determined by the structure that is being built and its purpose as well as the ground itself. For structures that are to serve a great capacity and function they cannot just have a foundation on the topsoil but require a foundation beneath the subsoil with a support system reaching down deep into the bedrock.
2. A structure is only as good as its foundation. If a building is to be built high it must first start low. The greater the height the lower it must go. The Burj Khalifa would have fallen to the ground had they just threw that thing up with no thought to all the hardships that a half a mile building would endure from the ground level all the way to top.
3. The leaning tower of Pisa is the world’s most famous poorly built structure due in part to its weak foundation. It was built on a 9 ft deep foundation set in weak unstable subsoil. The tower began to sink early during the construction of the second floor. It took 344 years to complete; its design was modified to account for the poor foundation. In the end after almost 3 ½ centuries we are left with a tower known only for its flaws.
B. Luke 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:(48) He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
1. The pit you are in now has a purpose, it is the foundation of your destiny, your promise; had Joseph never been placed in the pit he would have never seen the palace. Without the pit there could be no palace; the pit was the foundation for his palace. You got to get to low to end high. Your pit is what will hold up the promise.
2. I know you feel like the pit you are in now is more of a grave than a foundation. All the hell you are going through, all the setbacks, all the delays, every rejection, every door that closed, every widow that was shut; felt like a deeper grave was being dug; right now you may feel like you are digging yourself a deeper hole, but in reality you are digging yourself out.
3. When you started this walk it wasn’t deep, you were tripping over all the roots sticking up, but the longer you stayed in the hole the deeper you got, what used to trip you don’t know more, what should have bothered doesn’t anymore etc… you are getting past the soft stuff making your way to solid rock. My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.
4. You need to know that everything you are going through has a purpose. Joseph never blamed God for his circumstances he saw that God was ordering his footsteps; God showed him the end so he could get through the middle of his hell.
a. Acts 7:9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, (10) And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; David in two different Psalms speaks of God’s plan for Joseph, Ps 81:5 This he ordained in Joseph [for] a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: Ps 105:17 He sent a man before them, [even] Joseph, [who] was sold for a servant: In the end he told his brothers ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, his brothers were always part of the plan, the pit was always part of the plan, being sold as a slave was part of the plan, Potiphar’s hoochie mama of a wife was part of the plan, the prison and the cupbearer forgetting about Joseph was all part of the plan. The pit you are in now believe it or is all part of the plan.
5. God is getting you to a place where He can build His promise to you, know this the deeper your pit is the greater the foundation and structure; I know its uneasy and uncomfortable, I know it seems like it’s all a cruel joke God is playing on you, all the junk you have been enduring was only pushing your faith deeper, your pit may be deep and wide, but now that you are on firmly planted on Rock bottom, there is nowhere else to go but up; Isa 37:31 …take root downward, and bear fruit upward: you have gone as far as you can go no its time to come out.
a. You can start filling your pit with your faith and praise, you can praise your way out, you can shout your way out, you can dance your way out, you can run your way out, you can fill your pit with praise, by the time you stop praising Him you are no longer at the bottom of the pit but atop of your palace.
