Video Illustration: Meant for Good!
Series for the year – quick review – Come Alive in 2025
Thesis: We can come back to life – nothing is too dead for God to bring life back into it – nothing is too lifeless for God to breath His life back into it! He is the Creator and He can bring anything back to life! Can you catch the vision of this truth and reality for 2025?
Let’s all call on God to breathe life back into that which is dead and lifeless! In 2025!
Main Scripture Text for Series: Ezekiel 37:1-14:
1The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’ ”
God is never in a hurry to fulfill His spoken Word and or His Promises. He is never rushed into doing what He said He will do! Never! Why? Because His timing is always perfect timing – God is not hurried, and we should not be hurried in life! Our prophecy in 37 is not fulfilled until 120 years later. Yes, It took God 120 years to fulfill what He promises He will do here in Ezekiel 37. This prophecy is fulfilled in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. But note the time frame of 120 years later - God did what He said He would do and He did it in His timing!
Today I want to connect some dots about “Unhurried Spiritually” – in other words - on how a person grows from being spiritually immature to a spiritually mature Christian!
Illustration: Note Spiritual growth is not like a microwave process – well - like cooking Microwave popcorn! Put the popcorn in the microwave and cook it in front of everyone! It does not happen this quick with God because He is not hurried – by you – by me – by things happening in the world – by even Satan! God is never in a hurry!
Opening thoughts to spiritual growth: Growing into Christlikeness and maturity
• Goal: Paul makes it clear that God's goal is to conform believers into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). And this takes time!
• The Process, is not instant: Spiritual Growth is not instantaneous. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul chides them for their immaturity, metaphorically calling them "infants in Christ" who could only handle "milk," not "solid food" (1 Corinthians 3:1–3).
Paul makes it clear that God provides the opportunity for spiritual growth
• Spiritual growth comes from a Divine source “The Holy Spirit”: While believers have a role to play, Paul stresses that God is the one who ultimately causes the growth. In 1 Corinthians 3:6–7, he writes, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow".
o How is God growing you today?
• The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the agent of transformation. As believers "behold the glory of the Lord," they are "being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).
o The Holy Spirit causes spiritual growth in us!
• The Bible makes it clear spiritual growth is achieved through the slow cooking process of life, of service for the Kingdom of Heaven and even through trials.
Series – Unhurried Spirituality!
Thesis: We want microwave spirituality – we want the feeling – The God High – the emotion when we worship God. We want fast results, and we want it on demand, but God does not work that way. God is never in a hurry – never! True, spirituality occurs in the slow cooker of life! It grows and develops through hardship, perseverance, through valleys and yes even on mountain top experiences of life too.
Scripture: Psalm 13 - For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4 my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.
Let me read this from the Message:
Psalm 13 (MSG), “Long enough, God—You’ve ignored me long enough. I’ve looked at the back of Your head long enough. Long enough I’ve carried this ton of trouble, lived with a stomach full of pain. Long enough my arrogant enemies have looked down their noses at me. Take a good look at me, God, my God; I want to look life in the eye, So no enemy can get the best of me or laugh when I fall on my face. I’ve thrown myself headlong into Your arms—I’m celebrating Your rescue. I’m singing at the top of my lungs, I’m so full of answered prayers.”
Introduction
Have you ever felt like David? Most of us in the later twilight of our lives know what David is going through for the Kingdom of God. Most of us were there and walked through this same dark valley of grief, and suffering. We have learned it’s part of spiritual growth! If you have been a spirit filled Christian, any length of time you know life comes with valleys! You discover you grow most through pressing day in and day out. We have learned that spiritual growth happens most in the valleys – Why because we see God is with us in the valley like we experience him on the mountain tops!
It seems to me something has been lost in people’s teaching on what is mature spirituality today! Today a lot of people want microwave spiritual heights on demand! They want the God highs without the struggle or the pain. God, I want that high feeling now – we believe He is an on-demand type being! I demand He responds!
Think about what I am saying to you today – do you do this with the Holy Spirit? Do you do this in worship and prayer? Do you want quick fixes or quick highs from God – without the struggle, commitment or the pain. Without the service or the sacrifice!
Let me phrase my God thought another way today:
Do you ever feel something is missing? You come to church, and you sing, you come to the altar or not, and the worship leader and team sing their hearts out! But something is missing – so you look around at others and point fingers at others blaming them because God is not giving you your spiritual high! Right then – right now?
Or you compare that moment with a God high and say this is not like that one night up on the mountain top with God.
You leave the service, and you say I did not feel it! Something was missing! So, we do the blame game – the finger pointing – News Flash - this is not spiritual maturity but spiritual immaturity surfacing to the top. You listen to the demonic lies and even your own self-centered lies – You hear “It must be these church people’s fault they are quenching the Holy Spirit! No, it’s the leadership team’s fault! No, I know says that demonic spirit – it’s the pastor’s fault he is quenching the Holy Spirit. No says the voices in your head it’s the worship team’s fault!” They are not in tune with the Spirit!
Have you been there? Have you felt this way? Have you experienced this in your worship or church encounters.
You point the finger at others or at the church and say they don’t have it! Yet the church has helped you weekly by serving you faithfully, people working the nursery, serving in kids church, serving in youth ministry, serving on the worship team year after year, by praying for you, by giving to the ministry which is helping you to grow spiritually!
But immature Christianity blames the so called lack luster lukewarm Christians (who are holding back the ministry of the Holy Spirit) yet they have served the Lord for 20-30-40-50 years. They have faithfully served in children’s ministry, given faithfully to the church, to youth ministry, community outreach and have faithfully tithed to the church, to the kingdom of Heaven and other mission ministries. They have plowed snow, shoveled snow, worked on repairs for the building and even cut the grass! They have cleaned up after other ministries and outreach events – faithfully for years. They have walked through valleys of sickness, valleys of grief, valleys of loss, and valleys of service to the Lord for 20 plus years! They are the ones raising their families – working their jobs for the Lord and training their kids in the way of the Lord. They are the Romans 12 crowd – The mature Christians:
Romans 12:1-18:
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Love
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Wow – this is what spiritual maturity looks like! This according to Paul and the Holy Spirit is real worship!
This is my insight from the Holy Spirit on Unhurried spiritual growth and maturity and Romans 12 paints a picture of what it looks like and acts like:
As I read this anointed segment of Scripture, I hear The Holy Spirit saying: Listen up people of God! This is how we should serve God! Be a living sacrifice! You want to be holy and pleasing to Him! Then you should be living sacrifices serving God and others! To serve God we must renew our minds, and in renewing our minds we come to know God’s will! God’s will is to be humble and not prideful, to be empathetic to others with different gifts from ours! To support other people’s gifts and do not criticize them! To know God’s will means we are loving God and others, we are hating evil and focusing on the good! In doing God’s will we are Honoring our brothers and sister in Christ and living in harmony with others. Being in God’s will is not ever lacking a spiritual desire for God and His ways! To be in God’s will and to be a living sacrifice requires I live at peace with those around me!
I got saved during the Jesus Revolution of the 70’s and I have seen a lot in my 47 years of being a Spirit-filled – Born Again Christian.
I have pastored for over 40 years and seen more than you could imagine – I have seen people come and go in the Kingdom!
I have seen people burn bright for God and then fizzle out! They backslide and return to sin! I have seen people anointed by the Holy Spirit doing amazing things for God and fall and wreck right into sin and destroy their lives. I have seen people hungry for God become prideful, arrogant and then judgmental toward other believers and they crash and burn. Yes, I have seen the finger pointers eventually crash and burn yet all the while believing they know best! I have seen pride swelling up and showing itself with a judgmental attitude toward others far too often.
Sadly, I have seen way to many people not allowing the fruits of the spirit to be manifested in their lives (BY the way Galatians 5:22-23 remind us what they are – You ready for them: They are Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) but instead these immature Christians start allowing the works of the flesh to guide their spirituality which are (You ready - Galatians 5:19-21 which are sexual immorality, adultery, fornication, sorcery, idolatry, hatred, strife, fits of anger, dissensions, orgies, drunkenness).
I have seen this immaturity as these people claim spiritual superiority over others. I have seen more pastors fall, ministers crash and burn, missionaries crumble and fall, churches blow apart, Christian families divided and devastated than I care to admit! I have seen spiritually on fire Christian blow up in my 40 years of ministry far too often. You could say, I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of Christianity and ministry. Pride is always at the center of the problem – pride reveal spiritual immaturity not spiritual maturity.
I want you to listen to me – are you paying attention – there is nothing like the church that loves Jesus – nothing! There is nothing like a spirt filled church filled with seasoned veterans of the Gospel – nothing – These veterans have lived for Jesus for 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years for Him. These heroes of the faith have walked with Jesus on the mountaintops and in the valleys. They have loved others, had joy in their hearts, been at peace with God and others, been kind to others, been filled with goodness to others, these Christians have remained faithful to God through all stages of life, and they have maintained self-control!
If you are looking for microwave spirituality and maturity it does not come that fast! It’s cooked slowly over time and through adversity! It’s discovered in the everyday living for Jesus as you work that job, as you raise your family and serve in the church in obscure places. It’s found in the quiet moments of life, and the behind scenes acts of service.
Listen carefully - God Is never in a Hurry – when it comes to spiritual growth and maturity – I waited patiently for the LORD's help; then he listened to me and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1 (GNT)
God isn’t in a hurry with your spiritual growth. You may think he’s in a hurry, but he’s not. He’s using your current circumstances to develop your character and make you stronger. He’s patient.
Most people, on the other hand, are impatient. Many of our problems are caused by our inability to wait. We get into debt because we don’t know how to delay gratification, buying things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t even like. We buy all we can, can all we get, and then sit on the can.
Some people even get into relationships they shouldn’t because they don’t know how to delay gratification. For instance, they may think, ‘I want companionship now, even if it’s with the wrong person,’ or ‘I want sex now; I don’t want to wait.’ And their impatience leads to lifechanging problems. They want a marriage but cannot hold down a job! They fail in their commitments over and over. Their word is no good, yet they think this is okay with God!
The good news is that, with prayer, you can recover from problems caused by your impatience and immaturity.
A portion out of Ecclesiastes 3:11 that I’ve gone back to as an anchor so many times to interpret what God was doing or seemed like He wasn’t doing in my life says this: “He has made everything beautiful in its time…”
Here is the problem with on demand spirituality and thinking – The problem is, we get Ugly while waiting for God to make everything Beautiful in its time.
The truth is we chase the emotional spiritual high from place to place and in turn exchange a genuine relationship with God for inoculations of spiritual highs and then we become surprised when we find ourselves less then satisfied with the slow cooking method of the Holy Spirit to shape us into the mature Christian God uses to change the world. We want the blessing but we ourselves are not a blessing to others.
T.S. - Today my biblical case study centers in on the value of a slow roasted spiritual growth to maturity and a guy named Joe!
Joe is known by other names in the Bible – The favorite one, The guy with the multicolored coat, Joseph, the Patriarch: The eleventh son of Jacob and Rachel. Pharaoh gave him the Egyptian name Zaphnath-Paneah ("He who explains hidden things"). Joseph’s life can teach us a great deal on how to grow spiritually, how to become a mature Christian and how to deal with adversity in our lives and grow spiritually.
Crowder notes this about life’s challenges:
• It has been said that life must be lived in forward motion but can only be understood by looking back. This demands that we trust in the loving purposes of a sovereign God. We must trust that He is in control-especially when life seems to be out of control.
• This is what Paul referred to as walking by faith II Cor. 5:7. It goes against every element of self-preservation that is ingrained in us. We want to take charge, manipulate, and control. But God wants us to trust in the love of a Father who makes us “more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
• Such was the life of the Old Testament character Joseph. His life was filled with dark, difficult experiences-yet the outcome was amazing! In fact, Joseph is able to teach us a lot about how to deal with the tangled threads of our own lives. He became a godly man in an ungodly culture-a true over comer-and his example can help prepare us as we face the issues of life (3).
I have grouped his three time periods into a series:
• “YO JOE! – Covers his early years. Birth to 17
• The second part is called “LOW JOE!”- covering his late teens 18, 19 – and his 20’s.
• The third part is called “GO JOE!”- covering his last 80 years his 30’s to 80’s.
I. Yo Joe – (God calls Joseph to serve him but ego gets in the way)
a. Joseph was the great grandson of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob, who was also known as Israel – which is how Israel got its name today. Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel. Jacob had four wives and 12 sons and Joseph is the 11th son. He had one full brother named Benjamin and during his birth his mother died.
i. In the fifty chapters of Genesis Joseph’s life story takes up one-fourth of the chapters. His life can be divided up into three sections says Chuck Swindoll:
1. Birth to Seventeen Years (Genesis 30:24-37:2)
a. During this time Joseph’s family was in transition-everyone was unsettled, on the move. A low-level antagonism was brewing as his family – they clashed and argued in jealousy and hatred.
2. Seventeen to Thirty years (Genesis 37:2-41:46)
a. This second segment occurs as Joseph reaches young manhood. It appears his life becomes out of control. Enslavement, unfair accusation, and imprisonment assault him.
3. Thirty Years to Death (Genesis 41:46-50:26)
a. Joseph’s last eighty years of prosperity and reward under God’s blessing. He had the classic opportunity to get even with his brothers, to ruin them forever, but he refused. Instead, he blessed, protected, and forgave.
b. Yo Joe you’re special- Here is a coat of honor and oh you’re my favorite (Genesis 37:1-4).
i. This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, a young man of seventeen. Jacob his dad lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 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 say a kind word to him.
1. Why, because Joe is a spoiled Bratt – tattle tailing on everyone – pointing his finger at his family!
ii. Joe was in a family where his dad lifted him up as a more honorable person than the rest of the kids. Jacob blatantly showed favoritism to Joseph, and the rest of the family took notice. Joseph was in the middle of the disease called favoritism. At a young age Joseph was engulfed in a plague that brought painful sores to his life.
1. News Flash – Do not spoil your kids because if you do God will have to humble them!
a. The first wound he received from this plague created by his father was rejection from the rest of his brothers.
i. Showing favoritism to others sets the one favored up for receiving much heartache and rejection in life.
b. The second wound Joseph faced from favoritism was jealousy from his brothers.
i. It’s amazing but a fact the brothers do not get mad at their father Jacob who is in the wrong but at Joseph.
ii. Maybe they just wanted to believe that their father did love them as much as Joseph, but Joseph kept him from loving them like he should. This thought pattern took root in his siblings.
iii. The favoritism and the special robe just added to this dysfunctional family the green-eyed monster of jealousy.
iv. It made a mess that breed a deep-seated envy and anger that affected the other brothers so bad- that the Bible states, “They would not be friendly to him or speak nice words to him.”
v. He became the focal point of their anger! He became the one to punch, swear at, ridicule, mock, abuse, verbally abuse, emotionally abuse, and the list could go on.
vi. Have you ever observed this ugly monster of disease? It produces hatred, denial, and torment to one it’s focused on.
vii. Many would never admit they had this disease. But as this one writer states it’s all too common:
1. Jealousy is one of the hardest of all sins to admit to. How often do you hear someone admit to that one? But’s it’s universal. Mass confession time. If you have in your life envied somebody else’s car or house or physique or marriage or children or grandchildren, if you’ve ever wished you had someone else’s skin, if you’ve ever wished you had someone else’s hair, if you’ve ever envied somebody’s salary, success, beauty, wardrobe, education, temperament, athletic ability, spiritual gift or humility…”
a. You experienced the disease of jealousy.
i. It happens in life and this monster lives in a state where people deny he’s there. Yet it causes mass destruction.
c. The third infected wound caused by favoritism was prideful arrogance. Joe was arrogant!
i. Another ugly disease surfaces to the top because of a father’s action. Only this one surfaces in our young hero Joseph.
ii. Yo Joe here are some dreams to show how great you will become.
1. Genesis 37:5-11 “Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “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?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “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.
d. First the coat now the dreams the ugly diseases are spreading like wildfire getting more deadly by the day.
i. But note this Joseph brags about his dreams! Prideful arrogance to his family is manifested. His father, the one who started all of this, rebukes him. But he created the monster!
1. By the way it never says in our text that these dreams came from God! The writer inspired by the Holy Spirit does not attribute them to God. IN other Biblical texts it is usually affirmed that the dream was from the Lord. So don’t take the view that God showed this to Joseph so that he could share this inside scoop with his brothers and father.
a. And tell them you will bow to me – I am that great!
ii. How many see that a spoiled child turns into a spoiled teenager who now tells the family I will be the greatest. I am special – more special than you! And the clincher you will all bow to me!
1. Have you ever met a spoiled child? It’s very ugly and leads that person into a life of misery, pain and prideful arrogance.
a. Proverbs 8:13 states, “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”
b. Proverbs 16:18 states, “Pride goes before destruction a haughty spirit before a fall.”
iii. The lesson here is that favoritism infects the one favored not just the ones not favored.
1. This is what I love about the Bible it tells the story of real-life situations. It does not try to paint our Bible characters as perfect, but it shows their flaws, bruises, mistakes, scars and imperfections.
2. Yes, my friends our picture in Genesis 37:1-11 says Joseph was imperfect – Gilliland states,” Joseph, at the age of seventeen, was not the humble, likable, mild mannered young man that we sometimes picture. He was more likely a pompous, arrogant, conniving spoiled brat. He was Little Ford Fonteroy with full, puffy sleeves to match his full, puffy ego. He looked better than the rest of his brothers. He dressed better. He had a better job. He had the preferred position. His father liked him best and he rubbed it into all of his other brother’s faces. No wonder they were jealous of him. No wonder they schemed against him. If he had been my kid brother, I’d have tempted to throw him down the well too!”
iii. The solution to the disease of favoritism (adapted from John Ortberg’s message.
1. For those of you who have grown up receiving favoritism you need to put yourself in places where you’re not the center of attention.
a. You need to throw away the arrogance and pride of thinking you’re more special than others.
i. That you are more special according to God
ii. That you are more anointed than another Christian
iii. That you are more spiritual than other Christians
iv. That God likes you better
b. You need to learn to be servants to others – this is how you grow from immaturity to maturity in Jesus.
i. One pastor says, “Carry someone’s groceries, change some other kids’ diapers in the nursery, anything. But just humbly serve someone else and learn to rejoice in just being ordinary.”
1. Serve the younger in youth group or kids ministry!
2. Clean up the kitchen – mop the floors and clean the bathrooms after a service!
c. You need to die to yourself and be what God wants you to be a servant – just like he was.
i. Hybels states, “Jesus’ perspective was shaped by a deep sense of humility. It was a humility where none was called for; Jesus, as God, clearly deserved His titles, position, and praise. But as we have seen, Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” He wanted instead, to relate with man on an equal level. Where religious leaders of His day relished the separation between themselves and “the common people”, Jesus sought to break down the barriers, even those imposed by His divine rights. Humility was at the core of His philosophy. More times than not, He used His power for the powerless, showed love to the loveless, and served those who could not possibly return the favor. With characteristic consistency, He repeatedly rejected a Pecking order based on conditional response.” (121)
ii. Matthew 23:11-12 “The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
c. In the height of Joe’s arrogance and pride – his brothers – his family had enough of his spoiled mouth, and they sold him off into slavery!
i. Pride and arrogance will always lead you to slavery and suffering! It will cause you to lose your freedom!
II. Low Joe says No to Mrs. Po. In the land of bondage (Genesis 39)
a. Joe said no unlike other Bible heroes like David, Samson, and Solomon.
b. Just because you say no to temptation once does not mean it will never come again.
i. Mrs. Po did not accept Joe’s no. Her repeated tempting was “Yo Joe!” “Come here Joe!” “Joe, I want you.” “Joe, he does not love me-he is too busy with his work!”
ii. Joe’s continual response was no. It was based not on what his father taught him but because of his relationship with God.
c. How did Joseph overcome this temptress? (Genesis 39:6 -12).
i. He knew that to honor God he had to live the life.
ii. He knew if he sinned that it would affect others.
iii. He knew that adultery was not permitted by God
iv. He knew he had run.
1. Share about the women’s house we did for Urban.
2. Share about girl you dated (Denise)
d. Jo goes but Mrs. Po mo’s and puts on a show.
i. Result of this unfair circumstance is that Joe’s teachable spirit grows. She moans and he grows – who really Lost Joe?
1. Who’s Master
a. Whatever injury wicked men-in-power inflict upon good men is to be regarded … as a test for the good man’s virtues. Thus, a good man, though a slave, is free; but a wicked man, though a king, is a slave. For, a wicked man serves not just one master, but, what’s worse, as many masters as he has vices. For, it is in reference to vice that the Holy Scriptures says: “For by whom a man is overcome, of the same also he is the slave” (II Peter 2:19). -Augustine
e. Low Joe is thrown into death row-oh no!
i. Low Joe goes to prison and grows:
1. Share Jim Bakers story about how 5 years of prison helped him to grow in leaps and bounds. It was a five-year seminary. You might say “Wait a minute!” This is not the place to learn! Well maybe we need to define the term teach-ability- It is defined as the willingness to learn from others, from life situations good or bad and to learn from God. While unteachability sounds like this:
ii. Low Joe has decided to not be low but to grow. So, what happens in prison he rises to the top.
1. Interesting side note – he should have been executed! Notice cross reference coming up who put him in charge of Pharoah’s baker, and cup bearer. Yes, it was Mr. Po
2. Jospeh - He does not become bitter but better.
iii. Low Joe in prison does not win and moan he cares for others. He then interprets dreams to these two men
1. Note he gives honor and glory for the interpretation to God.
2. Note the disease of favoritism is cured.
3. He asks not to be forgotten but he is – but he still after two years is not bitter just better.
4. Joe knew that he was not forgotten by God! But one day the cupbearer remembers Joe!
III. Low Joe is on the go! (Genesis 41)
a. Low Joe receives his divine opportunity from the head leader to interpret a dream. He takes it serious and cleans up. Egyptians were clean shaven and Joe knew he needed to look desirable and clean to be received. It’s important to remember that as you stay teachable you also become a teacher to others.
i. Quote from Maxwell “When you are through learning your through.” But a good teacher is one who is always a student.
b. Joe in interpreting the dreams displays the heart of humility and teachability. “I cannot but God can!” (verse 16) He knew that to do something he needed to tap the source which was God not him.
i. Andrew Murray said, “We can never have more faith than we have humility.” He continues, “As long as we take glory from another, we do not seek and cannot receive the glory that comes from God.”
1. Murray states, “We need only think for a moment what faith is. Is not the confession of nothingness and helplessness, the surrender and the waiting to let God work? Is it not in itself the most humbling thing their can be-the acceptance of our place as dependents, who can claim or get or do nothing but what grace bestows? Humility is simply the disposition which prepares the soul for living on trust. And every, even the most secret, breathing of pride-in self-seeking, self-will, self-confidence, or self-exultation-is just the strengthening of that self which cannot enter the kingdom or possess the things of the kingdom, because it refuses to allow God to be what He is and must be-the all in all” (46).
2. Humility releases more of the Spirit of God.
a. Sittser notes, “If God is not in control, then we should abandon faith and find our own way through the hard times of life” (38).
Conclusion:
Instant gratification: It mirrors the modern world's obsession with speed and instant results, seeking to "zap" your way to spiritual maturity.
“Don’t try to rush things that need time to grow.” (Author Unknown)
“Patience! Patience! You are always in a hurry, but God is not.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
Lessons from Joe:
1. Watch your heart that you don’t become spiritually arrogant and prideful! It will lead you to slavery and hardship!
a. Yes, God can grow you spiritually through the hard times and he will humble you if you become prideful
2. When you find yourself in hard times in the valleys of life stay pure to God and run from sin!
a. Trust God through the injustice and serve others.
3. When you have gown to become spiritually mature through, the fire God will open the door for you to fulfill what he has laid in your heart TO DO FOR HIM.
Summary of Joe’s life!
I. Yo Joe – Yo Joe your special
a. Joe and his brothers suffered from the disease of favoritism.
i. There were the robed and the unrobed, the haves and the have nots.
ii. There were spoiled prideful brats and unloved sons driven to rage by their father’s favoritism.
iii. The robe needs to remove it and give it away
iv. The ones who never got to wear robe must admit it, deal with it and move on in life.
II. Low Joe- say’s oh no! I am so low!
a. Joe learned from God that he needed to say NO to temptation.
i. This meant over and over!
ii. He also learned here that if you say “No” there could be repercussions but don’t worry God is with you.
b. Joe learned through his adverse circumstance and even though he could have become bitter he chose to become better.
i. Joe chose to grow and in midst of his trial he showed compassion and concern for others.
ii. His attitude and trust in God promoted him even in prison.
III. Jow is on the Go - Joe’s humility before pharaoh helped him rise to the top.
a. He chooses to honor God in front of Pharoah.
b. He gave credit to God for the interpretation
c. He came to pharaoh all cleaned up
d. His humility in God set him free
e. His ability to learn through his ordeals helped him to become set free.
f. His care for others paid great rewards – even though it was not immediate. Joe went from low Joe to go Joe!
