God’s Got This
Text: Acts 7:9-16
Introduction
1. Illustration: God spared Joseph’s life, and through these adverse circumstances, that are recorded in our text, God is oversaw his safety. This is the sovereign purpose of God at work. The Midianites and the Ishmaelites only saw Joseph as a business opportunity when he was sold for twenty pieces of silver. Once the transition was made, Joseph was taken to Egypt and sold by the Ishmaelites and bought by Potiphar. God meant it all for good. This was all within the scope of God’s protective providence.
2. As believers, we must be mindful that we fit into the scheme of things and that things are happening that seem to have no rhyme or reason, yet God is certainly working behind the scenes.
3. Read Acts 7:9-16
Proposition: In the troubles we have in life, God is there making a way when there seems to be no way.
Transition: In Joseph’s life we see that…
I. God Was with Him (9-10).
A. God Was with Him
1. As Stephen continues his speech, he again shows the faithlessness of the Israelites and the faithfulness of God.
2. He moves now from Abraham to Joseph the son of Jacob. In vv. 9-10 Stephen says, “These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.”
a. The patriarchs, or the sons of Jacob, were jealous of their brother Joseph.
b. First, they were only half-brothers as they were sons of Leah and Jacob’s concubines, and Joseph and Benjamin were sons of Rachel.
c. Jacob favored Rachel over Leah, and so, he also favored Joseph and Benjamin over his other sons.
d. However, they were even more jealous of Joseph because Jacob gave him “the coat of many colors,” which was the coat of a priest or a king, indicating that Jacob had chosen him to receive the birthright.
e. Another reason that they jealous of him was that he kept telling them about the dreams he was having, and in these dreams his brothers would bow down to him as well as his father and their mother.
f. For a father and mother and brothers to bow downs to a younger brother was unheard of in their culture.
g. So, you could say that Joseph was considered Jacob’s “special child.” For this reason, they sold him to be a slave in Egypt.
3. However, notice what Stephen says next, “But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles.”
a. We should also notice that in the last phrase of v. 9 through all of v. 10 God is mentioned three times.
b. First, God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles.
c. Second, he says that God gave him favor with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
d. Third, he says that God gave him unusual wisdom, the ability to see and understand things as well as the ability to act upon it, and so, Pharaoh made him governor of all Egypt, placing him as second in command only to Pharaoh himself.
e. This shows us that God works in unusual ways to help those who serve him and are faithful to him.
f. God not only does this for Joseph, but he also does it for me and you.
g. God is with us in our difficult moments, and he assists us when things get tough in our lives.
h. God will not abandon us, even when things look bleak, God will not leave us or forsake us!
B. The Lord is with You
1. There was a movie that came out several years ago called “The End of the Spear”. It is the story of five young missionaries who were killed trying to reach the Auca Indians in the jungles of South America with the Gospel. All five of these courageous and faith-filled young men were speared to death. I encourage you to see the movie, but it will raise some questions in your mind. How can God let that sort of thing happen?
a. These were devout, praying men of God. They had devout, praying wives who prayed for their safety.
b. They believed God wanted them to do this. They were not there to find gold, riches, or personal fame.
c. They were only doing this to reach yet another tribe with the glorious, saving Gospel, of Jesus Christ.
d. Many people have asked, “So, why didn’t God protect them? How could God just let them die?”
e. Despite the deaths of their beloved husbands, the wives of these devoted missionaries believed in the goodness of God.
f. They later went into that jungle and won the very men who speared their husbands to death to saving faith in Jesus. Those wives passed the test, but whether you pass the test will depend on what you knew before the quiz is given.
2. No matter what troubles we go though, God has promised to be with us.
a. “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9).
b. No matter what we as individuals, or us as a church family, are going through understand that God is with us.
c. Rest in faith that God will never leave us or abandon us, and we can trust that He is watching over us.
d. It doesn’t matter what the world or the devil may throw at us we know that God is on our side.
e. Just like Joseph, God looks out for us and protects us from situations and people who would want to harm us.
f. So, let us not be discouraged or afraid, because we know that our God is a mighty warrior, and He will fight the battle for us.
g. He has never let us down in the past and He isn’t going to start now!
Transition: Another thing we learn from the life of Joseph is…
II. God Used Him (11-16).
A. Great Famine Came
1. Stephen continues his story concerning Joseph and shows how God used him. In vv. 11-13 it says, “But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food. 12 Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some. 13 The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh.”
a. When a famine hit the land, the Egyptians were able to weather the storm through the wisdom and insight of Joseph.
b. Here God uses the wisdom and gifts that he had given Joseph.
c. First, they knew the famine was coming and were able to prepare for it because Pharaoh had a dream that Joseph was able to interpret.
d. Second, they decided to save reserves in the years of plenty enabling them to have food to live off during the years of famine.
2. This benefited not only the Egyptians, but God also uses it to save Joseph’s family.
a. During the years of famine, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt because they heard that there was food.
b. When they came, Joseph recognized them immediately, they however, didn’t recognize him.
c. The second time they came to buy food, Joseph revealed himself to them. It is one of the most touching scenes in the Bible.
d. God orchestrated this whole scene to not only keep Jacob’s family from starving, but he also used to bring healing between Joseph and his brothers. Isn’t God good!
3. Stephen then brings this part of the story to a conclusion by showing how Joseph was reunited with the rest of his family, including his father, Jacob. It says in vv. 14-16, “Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all. 15 So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors. 16 Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor’s sons in Shechem.”
a. After being reunited with his brothers, Joseph sends for his father, Jacob, as well as the rest of the family, 75 people in all.
b. Jacob had refused to believe that Joseph was still alive.
c. However, when Joseph sent wagons to bring them, he believed and agreed to go to him in Egypt.
d. For the first time since he thought Joseph was killed, he was comforted and encouraged that he would see his beloved son again.
e. Jacob lived out the rest of his life in peace and joy seeing his family reunited and living in great honor with his son Joseph in Egypt.
B. God Has Given Us Different Gifts
1. Illustration: God has given us all a sweet spot—in fact, Paul says that God has given us the gift of a sweet spot so that we could serve God and produce the maximum result and maximum satisfaction both for God and for us. Mark McGwire said, “When I feel the ball hit right on the sweet spot, a home run is just around the corner.” I believe that when we serve Jesus from our spiritual sweet spot, a spiritual home run is just around the corner. Paul says that we have a sweet spot, a spiritual gift—a special talent or ability that God has supernaturally given us so that we can produce the maximum result in making a world of difference in our community and around the globe and experience the maximum satisfaction.
2. God uses us and the gifts he has given us to bring about His will.
a. “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.” (Rom. 12:6-8).
b. God gave Joseph wisdom and ability, and Joseph used it to save not only people in Egypt, but also his own family.
c. Yes, God protects us and provides for us, but have you ever considered the fact that he wants to use you to do it?
d. Have you considered that maybe God has given you a spiritual gift or ability that He wants to use to help the church?
e. If God has given you the gift of giving and the means to do so, then give!
f. If God has blessed you with the gift of administration use it!
g. If God has given you the gift of encouragement, then encourage!
h. If God has given you the gift of extraordinary faith, then put it into practice!
i. If God has given you a gift use it to bless the church!
Conclusion
1. The life of Joseph teaches us:
a. God is with us.
b. God wants to use us.
2. What’s the point preacher? God has promised to never leave us or forsake us, even in the grimmest of circumstances. He will always protect us and provide for us. But maybe God wants to use you to make that happen!
