*The Integrity Test used in reference for this message was a thought received from a message on the "7 Tests of Joseph" submitted by SermonCentral.com contibutor, Derek Vreeland.
Victory from the Pit!
Genesis 37
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find”
Luke 12:48
“Everyone who has been given much, much is required…”
Joseph had dreams throughout his life. And his dreams usually were right on target with what was going on during his days. He was also able to interpret dreams which will come out to play a big role in putting him in is destiny.
Let’s get down to where Joseph was. His brothers hated him. To the point of wanting to kill him but instead opted to just place him into the pit.
· Joseph has gone as far as he can go
· He is in somewhat of a prison
· There are no options to choose from here
· What will become of his future?
· What will become of his dreams?
· What about the goals he had for his life?
· What about the plans God had for his life?
Joseph is in the pit and as nowhere but up to go. He is now in the place where if something does happen, we know its God.
We continue to fight our way through life:
· As long as we have options
· As long as we have a way out
· As long as we have a “get out of jail” card
Then we think we are okay.
But God will sometimes:
· Put us in a place where we can do nothing but look up.
· Sometimes we will be put in the “pits of life” where there is no one else around.
· Get us to our bottom of the well to see how we are going to react.
Are we going to give up? Or are we going to trust Him?
I sometimes believe that we hit rock bottom where we have no friends, no options, no way out so that when God does deliver us from all of this – There is no way we can give credit to someone else. IT HAD TO BE GOD!!!
· We have a nice car – but it was our credit that got that for us
· We have a nice house – but is was that down payment that got us in that one
· We have good health now – but that was due to that good doctor that treated us well.
· We have food on the table – but that is because we work our jobs to make the money to provide
When are we going to realize that everything we have is from God?
I don’t care what kind of credit you have, God allowed you to get that nice car.
Who do you think blessed you with the down payment money to get that house?
Who gave that doctor that knowledge and skills to treat your illness that saved your life?
Who gave you that job – the one that you were not even qualified enough to have.
- IT HAD TO BE GOD!
So now Joseph is in the pit, what now?
If you are in the pit or you find yourself in the pit what now? Start preaching to yourself:
Rom. 8:37 – “In all things we are more than conquerors”
Isa. 54:17 – “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper…”
Phill. 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ…”
When you begin to preach God’s Word to yourself, watch Him begin to work.
Verse 28 – Joseph was sold to the Midianites
How can this be good thing?
I asked to be released from the pit and you put me into slavery?
I asked for a way out and you degrade me by putting a price on me?
You prayed to get out of the pit, don’t start complaining because God didn’t do that way you thought it should have been done.
God has a plan for Joseph’s life and there had to be a lesson learned from the pit. Because Joseph is going to find himself in this situation again and he has to know how to respond.
So why the sell? God has a process to get you to where He wants you to be.
Verse 36 – Then he was sold to Potiphar
-captian of the bodyguard
Maybe right now you are in the pit – Your sell is coming!
Someone is coming along to hand pick you for something good. Don’t criticize the sell until you see where it puts you. For Joseph it put him as a high-ranking officer in Potiphar’s house.
Can I show you our God in action?
READ GENESIS 39:1-5
God’s hand was on Joseph. Everything he touched, God blessed!
When God’s hand is upon you, no devil in hell can harm you or stand in your way of your dream.
No diploma
No experience
No strings attached… Joseph was now in the good life.
Some of you have had it good.
A good job!
A good wife/husband
A good salary
Good toys
Good friends.. but God has something more!
Sometimes we can’t explain the pit. But you have to realize that God has a plan! And sometimes we are in our situations to teach us a lesson. Such was the case for Joseph.
Read Genesis 39:7
God has Joseph in a great position with Potiphar.
- He has everything he needs
- A good job
- A good salary
- Good friends
- Good benefits package
But now here comes time for Joseph to see what he is made of.
Will give in to keep what he has or will he do the right thing and walk away? Putting everything that he has in jeopardy.
Verse 10 – 11
So Joseph left and that enraged Potiphar’s wife. So when her husband returned, she made up a story of how Joseph ran in to rape her. And when she began to scream for help that he left in such a hurry that he left behind is coat. Potiphar was so mad at Joseph that he threw him into…. Prison!
The Pit!
The Bottom
Back to square one…
He passed the test of integrity but lost everything he had.
To Get to Potiphar’s House – Joseph had to be purchased
To be purchased – He had to be for sale
To be sold – he had to be pulled from the pit
To be in the pit – he had to bypass death
So Joseph is back where he started, all for doing the right thing.
When it comes down to putting everything on the line =
Will you be the honest one?
Will you fudge a bit on your taxes?
Will you give in to keep what you have?
Will you tell a little white lie to save your job?
Will you cover up a mistake to keep the salary?
God wants people who will be
"Honest and of good report."
How can he can trust you with bigger things in your life if you are not being honest with HIM with the smaller things!
The Integrity Test:
- It may come in the form of a sexy co-worker
- It may come in the form of misleading your boss
- It may come in the form of lying on a resume to get the job
- It may come in the amount of tithe you put in the plate
- It may come in what you say to cover up for a friend
The INTEGRITY TEST may have you in a tough position.
Will you crawl into bed or will you run away so fast that you even leave your coat behind?
Joseph went through a time where he was at rock bottom.
He went from the pit to the pinnacle
From the mole hill to the mountain
From the trench of depression to the top of his problems
But now he’s back on the bottom.
But this time, he knows that he is serving a God that can/will deliver an honest boy from the pit.
What God has done before, He will do again:
Job - restored him two fold
Joshua - reclaimed the land
Haggai - House of God was greater than Solomon’s Temple
