Faithful in Every Circumstance
Preparing the group for the message:
How was your week?
Was anyone put in a place of
Fear
Sadness
What was the happiest moment of the week?
The hardest?
Any fighting
Loneliness
Bible teaches that a Christian = can find joy through any circumstance. Doesn’t need to be anxious.
Ex. Paul in prison in Phillipi
Personal Ex: . . .
Joseph was like that.
Abraham –> Isaac –> Jacob –> 12 sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Juda, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher) = 12 tribes of Israel.
Question:
How many have XXX brothers and sisters?
Joseph had 11
He had his parents’ attention
One of the youngest brothers(17) and a dreamer.
Dreamed against the customs and culture of his day.
The firstborn child of a family
His dreams:
1. Stack of wheat
2. Sun, moon, and eleven starts.
Joseph sold by his brothers to some Egyptian traders and is taken to Egypt.
Cultural explanation: an O.T. slave
Faithful in the little things so was granted more till he became second in command.
A real dreamer prophesied of a coming famine lasting 7.
He prepared Egypt.
Joseph’s brothers were not prepared.
Came for food and didn’t recognize him.
Joseph did not want to reveal himself.
Sent them away
They returned and fulfilled his dream.
Cultural explanation: they were prostrate.
Read Gen 45:4-5, 8, 50:20
Applicaiton:
Q: What kind of man is this?
A: Just a man who knows God’s faithfulness.
Same for today.
If you don’t find God’s faithfulness are you really being faithful?
Summary:
During Joseph’s life he
Betrayed and deserted by his family
Exposed to sexual temptation
Punished for doing the right thing
He was sent to jail for something he didn’t do and forgotten about for a long time . . .
In jail he showed love for others and to authority
During all of these circumstances he
He had a positive attitude to every circumstance whether good or bad.
He did not spend much time asking why
But he asked, “what shall I do now?”
Those who knew Joseph knew that God was with him.
Application:
What can we learn from this?
Acknowledge God
Trust God
Further application:
What is being faithful?
What help do we have / can we have to be faithful (Holy Spirit)?
Only if we allow it to happen. . .
As God is faithful (1Cor.1:9; 1Thess.5:24,3:3
We too can serve God faithfully through every circumstance (1 Cor.10:13)!
