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Sunday, July 25, 2010 TITLE: God Meant It For Good TEXT: Genesis 50:15-21 OPEN: On the night
of December 9, 1914, Edison Industries was virtually destroyed by fire. Edison lost two million dollars that night and much
of his life's work went up in flames. He was insured for only $238,000, because the buildings had been made of concrete,
at that time thought to be fireproof. He spotted me. 'Charles,' he shouted, 'where's your mother?' 1 don't know, Dad,' I said. 'Find her. Bring her here. She will never
see anything like this again as long as she lives.'" "There is great value in disaster.
All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God
we can start anew
All his mistakes were gone He could start over again. But not everyone believes that way
For example: Some people love to play God and condemn others… … they are NEVER willing to let anyone ever turn their lives around/ start over again.
ILLUS: I was once visiting with some relatives when one person brought up how a preacher she knew was a hypocrite. He would be friendly and outgoing while talking to people in church, but in another organization he was part of, he was cold and impersonal - hardly said hello to anyone. I tried to explain to this person that the preacher probably didn’t realize he was doing that and that she should try talking to him about it. Just then another person spoke up and said “I disagree. He is a hypocrite. I always judge someone by their lowest common denominator” (i.e. the worst thing they do usually defines who they are… for all time) Somewhat shocked, I turned to this person and said “Oh no! By that standard, none of us stands a chance. We’re all lost!” ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD Whether that preacher, or an Elder, or the most upright individual you can think of.
So – some prefer to play God and condemn everyone who doesn’t measure up to their standards.
Now by contrast… there are others who’ve sinned so badly they don’t think they could ever be forgiven One poet once lamented: Hazel Felleman "I wish there were some wonderful place Called the Land of Beginning Again Where all our mistakes, and all our heartaches And all our selfish griefs Could be cast like a shabby old coat at the door And never be put on again" That’s what we see with Joseph’s brothers – They seem 2 believe their sin will never be forgiven When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" Genesis 50:15
They’ve been living in Egypt with Joseph for 17 years For 17 years they’ve been
For 17 years they lived just down the street from Joseph… … and Joseph could have taken revenge at any moment… BUT HE DIDN’T
AND 17 years earlier, Joseph TOLD them he forgave them In Genesis 45:5-8 Joseph declared: “… do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”
Joseph had forgiven them… … but they’d never forgiven themselves
Adam Clarke observed: “The conscience records (our sins); and - by giving birth to continual fears and doubtfulness - destroys all peace of mind, security, and confidence.
Until a person comes to the point where they accept forgiveness… …they’ll tend to run away from that which would give them peace of mind.
ILLUS: There’s the true story of an attorney, who after studying on several scriptures, decided to cancel the debts of all his clients that had owed him money for more than six months. He drafted a letter explaining his decision and its biblical basis and sent 17 debt-canceling letters by certified mail. SIXTEEN of the 17 letters were returned, unsigned and undelivered. WHY? Because the clients refused to sign for them and open the envelopes. They were afraid that the attorney was suing them for their debts… … so (in their fear) they ended up running away from his forgiveness. (Rick McCarley, sermoncentral.com)
Now – what interests me about this passage is that it deals with two kinds of guilt1st it deals with Guilt that is forgiven. Joseph forgave his brothers BUT WHY? How could Joseph possibly forgive what they had done to him (even they had problems figuring that one out) Think about you’d feel if someone did to you what they’d done to him
About 10 years ago Time magazine published a survey where people were asked If they would forgive someone who: % forgive % not forgive Told lies about them 73 24 Stole money from them 67 31 Slapped or punched them 64 32 Held them up with a gun 42 54 Murdered someone in community 33 59 Raped them 22 73 Raped a family member 19 77 (Time 4/5/99 p. 58 Yankelovich Partners Inc. Survey)
Those are terrible things to experience And the worse the sin… the harder it was for people to say they’d forgive.
But think about it… … the way Joseph’s brothers treated him was as bad – or worse – than anything on that list They robbed him of his most valuable possession – his cloak Violated his body = beating him and throwing him into a pit Deprived him of his home and family Planned to murder him And ultimately sent him to face a fate that could have been worse than death.
What they did was cruel and unforgivable… But Joseph forgave them anyway. How could he do that?
1st – he really did love his brothers Notice when they sent him the message… how did he react? When their message came to him, Joseph wept. Genesis 50:17 If you don’t love someone… you’re not likely to forgive them
ILLUS: I mean just think about what happens in politics If a politician cheats on their wife or steals money from his contributors or does some illegal act … people who despise that politician’s party will rise up and condemn them … media outlets who dislike that politician’s party will quickly… … give the most jaded details of the wrongdoing…
BUT if that politician is a member of “THEIR PARTY” IF that politician represents the political group they identify with… … many newspapers/ TV and radio outlets… and rank and file members of that party… …will rise up and find an excuse for that politician’s behavior.
Why would they forgive such outlandish behavior? Because that is THEIR politician/ it is THEIR political party Proverbs says: “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:12 That is: If I already hate someone – I’ll find reasons to condemn them But if I love someone… I’ll tend to find a way to forgive them
Think about it… that’s how God dealt with us “For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Have you ever wondered how God could forgive you? He loved you/ He’s always loved you And because He’s loved you, it’s easy for Him to forgive you… no matter what you’ve done.
And because God loved us so much that He could forgive US our sins… He command us to do the same thing to others “… love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
In Ephesians He says it even more powerfully“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. God says love each other… and forgive each other. BECAUSE I DID IT FOR YOU
2ndly – not only did Joseph love his brothers… He trusted God Joseph believed the promise God gives US in Romans 8:28 “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
All through his 13 years of being a slave and a prisoner… Joseph always looked for God He always depended upon God to be there for him in his slavery And he always depended on God to be there for him when he was in prison. So, when he finally was released from prison and became a powerful man… he still saw God
“… do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”
The evil his brothers had done was something that God used to benefit Joseph & those he loved. WHY? Well - what his brothers had done WAS evil… BUT what God did in response to their evil deed was faithful If they had not done that evil deed, Joseph wouldn’t be where he was now.
Now I’m not sure that everything that happens to us is God’s will… …but I am convinced that I serve a MIGHTY God… … who can take whatever circumstances I give Him and turn it to my good.
So this passage deals with Guilt that HAS been forgiven… But it also deals with Guilt that hasn’t forgivenJoseph’s brothers can’t figure out how Joseph could possibly have forgiven them. And they have good reason to believe that.
Now granted, what they did was a terrible thing… But that was 37 years ago That’s a whole lifetime ago… and Joseph had already told them he forgave them… He told them that 17 years previously
The problem was = they couldn’t believe it. They couldn’t forgive themselves of what they’d done. Until they accepted Joseph’s offer of forgiveness… … they’d still live a life of doubt … they’d still live in fear of judgment … they’d still be separated from their brother who loved them.
In the same way… Jesus has told us He wants to forgive us He wants to us to realize that He loves us so much that all our sins will be removed BUT – until we accept His offer… … we’ll always doubt His love … we’ll always have a fear of judgment for our past … and we’ll still be separated from the Jesus who loves us.
CLOSE: Dr. Walter L. Wilson tells of the Revival he held where a woman approached him after the crowds had gone to explain that she had a desire to become a Christian but she just couldn't understand how God could forgive her and accept her. For some reason, Dr. Wilson felt he should ask her if she recalled any scripture. At that point she said yes: "For God so loved the world that he gave His only FORGOTTEN son..." Noting that she had substituted "forgotten" for "begotten" he realized what he could say to help her... "Do you know why God forgot His son?" "No," she replied. "He forgot His son because He wanted to remember you." Sunday, July 18, 2010 The Art Of Being Ready Genesis 41 There’s actually a club founded by a man named Upton Diskson called: The Dependent Order Of Really Meek And Timid Souls"?
When you make an acrostic of the first letters of its name, you have the word "Doormats." Dickson founded the society after he wrote a pamphlet called "Cower Power." The Doormats have an official insignia-a yellow caution light. Their official motto is: "The meek shall inherit the earth, if that's OK with everybody else!" Martin Field on Sermoncentral.com
APPLY: When Jesus said “The Meek shall inherit the earth”… … that’s NOT the kind of meekness He had in mind
But when most people think someone is “meek” they think: Doormats, cautious individual/ quiet, unassuming, easily pushed around kind of folks.
Interestingly… the Bible tells us about two individuals who were meek. The first person is described in Numbers 12:3 “… Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” KJV Now Moses is not someone I generally think of as being a “doormat” He’s not some quiet unassuming “Casper Milk toast” kind of guy Moses is the guy who bro’t the 10 commandments down off the Mt… … and when he heard the people partying… … took those tablets of stone and broke them to pieces. I don’t picture Moses as being some you’d want to “mess with”
Then there’s Jesus spoke of Himself saying “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart..” Mt 11:29 KJV Now despite the tendency of Hollywood to paint Jesus as some kind of effeminate individual... … that’s not how I see Him … He’s a carpenter – used to working with saws and hammers for hours … He’s a powerful speaker who commanded the attention of 100s of people … and when He walked into the Temple and found … … the moneychangers turning God’s House into marketplace … He took some cords… knotted them into a whip… … and HE CLEANED HOUSE. That’s not the kind of behavior I’d attribute to someone who is Meek… But Moses was meek And Jesus was meek So, maybe my idea of what meekness is different than Scriptures! One man observed that the Greek term for meek is extremely colorful And it is used several ways in extra-biblical literature: One of which describes “a wild stallion that has been tamed, brought under control” *Charles Swindoll "Improving Your Serve" )
That leads me to believe that meekness is when you take something powerful (like a stallion) …and you tame it… you bring it under control
By that standard: A meek person would be someone who has powerful emotions… … but those emotions have been tamed … brought under control Like a wild Stallion, the power is still there, but it’s held in check
ILLUS: Years ago, I was part of the Purdue Glee Club and the director had a unique hand signal for when the men’s choir was supposed to sing a quiet section of music. The tendency in amateur singing groups was to sing soft sections limply/ and relaxed. This director despised that sound… and so… He’d hold his left hand in a fist, and shake it just a little At the same time he placed his right hand as if covering the fist What he was saying was this: I want intensity… I want excitement… I want power But I want this to be all of that in a soft controlled tone.
That’s meekness Intensity, power, excitement… … all in the mind and heart of someone who is brought under the control of God
And Jesus said: “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth”
There are several men and women throughout Scripture that exhibit this kind of “meekness”… Emotions held in control by a powerful God. … but the one we’re looking at today is Joseph. Joseph was a man who allowed his emotions & his passions to be under God’s control
We see it several times in his story in Genesis
They belittle his vision for the future His brothers hate him and want to hurt him. But in spite of that rejection - Joseph trusts in God, and waits on His timing
… there was an intensity about him … a refusal to surrender … a power born of his faith in his God. And as a result – God worked in his life and he became successful in all he did
… left to die in a dungeon where very few ever saw the light of day again. And yet, there is an refusal to give up An purposefulness in his actions and his behavior A power born of his faith in his God. And once again – God worked in his life and he became successful in all he did
and he makes one of them promise = he’ll remember him when he gets out of prison. But that official forgets him and he Joseph stays behind prison walls for another 2 years. How does Joseph respond to this? He unbowed, he’s unbroken He refuses to surrender He lives his life for God And he waits in faith for his God to deliver him.
Joseph is a meek man He’s a man who has his passions under control He doesn’t allow his anger to get the best of him He doesn’t allow his emotions to rule his life. He is a man who is under the leadership and control of God. He’s a meek man
And what does Jesus say God will do for the meek? (inherit the earth) When a person is under the control of God… … God ultimately gives him what he needs.
A little later on in His sermon on the Mt, Jesus said much the same thing in a different way… “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… …. and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
That’s how Joseph lived his life… … He sought God’s will and God’s righteousness in his life…
Now he stands before Pharaoh himself … given the opportunity to interpret dreams no other prophet or priest could understand
And even here, Joseph has the opportunity to shine HIS OWN light Even here, he has the chance to show how much HE KNOWS Pharaoh asks him if he can interpret his dream for him… … and Joseph could have said “why sure I can do that… just you watch”
Is that what Joseph said? No, Joseph said "I cannot do it…” Whoa! Wait a minute Joseph – you’re losing your opportunity here! You need to brag about yourself and tell Pharaoh how good you are!
But Joseph is a meek man.- he doesn’t do things like that It isn’t ABOUT HIM… it’s about God Joseph is seeking first God’s kingdom/ righteousness Joseph isn’t here to get glory… he’s here to serve his God.
So he says I cannot do it but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." Genesis 41:16 I can’t do this… but God can!
And what happens because Joseph lets God get the credit? … what happens when Joseph seeks God’s kingdom and His righteousness? Why everything he wants is given to him He becomes meek in the presence of the most powerful earthly ruler of the day … and Pharaoh gives him “the earth”
LOOK WITH ME at Genesis 41:39-44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you." So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt."
You see – the key to being meek The key to being honored by God and receiving the blessings He wants to give you and I The key is this: Always be ready to be used by God. Always prepare your mind to be His servant in every and any situation you find yourself in
Joseph was ALWAYS ready to be used by God. He was ready to be God’s man when he was a slave He was ready to be God’s man when he was a prisoner AND he was ready to be God’s man when he stood before Pharaoh. In his meekness, Joseph was always ready to be used by God.
One person described it this way: If people had the attitude that they were might be used by God at any and every moment… … they would wake up to each morning with an excitement… God’s going to use me today Teachers would get up in the morning and say, "Today God’s going to let me teach children! I get to help them understand English, teach Math, take students on a journey through History, introduce them to the marvels of Biology, or walk with them through the faith building stories of the Bible."
Lawyers would go to their jobs with a smile on their faces and say, "Today God is going to let help people who have legal issues. Today He’s going to let me help bring justice to the world!" Construction workers would step on the job site and say to their coworkers, "Guys, today God’s going to let us build a building that He might use for His purposes!" Librarians would be going into the "Quiet please" world of books and say, "Today God’s going to let me help people expand their imaginations with a book!" "And maybe – in that book – they’ll see something about God” Business people would take delight in their day when they say, "Today God’s going to let me use my gifts and my talents in the business world… … to make the community a better place for all to live." Police officers and firefighters would approach their duties with a confident, "Today God is going to help me protect the citizens of my community." (Tom Norvell, Heartlight.org, 7/13/10)
A couple of years ago, Denzel Washington was interviewed by a major magazine and one of the questions was this: How do you deal with fame? And he replied: It ain’t about me. The one thing for me, understanding how I understand God, is that it keeps me humble. Keeps the pronouns out of the picture. I’ve been given certain abilities, and I look at it this way: What are you going to do with what you have? Who are you going to life up? (Readers Digest 12/07, p. 94)
When we allow God to use us… When we become meek to the point where it’s all about Him and His control of our lives… … then God can give us “the earth”… He can add all these things to our lives
That’s because a meek person works for God… and when they work for God… God promotes them… just like he did Joseph
A man once told of the time he ducked into a busy restaurant for lunch. He just got sat down when a waiter rushed by with a tray filled with dirty dishes. He saw me and said “I’ll be right with you.” He came back and said, “This isn’t my section, but I don’t want to keep you waiting.” He took my order, which included a Diet Coke. “We don’t carry that, sir,” he said. I told him that a glass of water would be just fine. Minutes later he appeared with my food, then rushed back to his section. He showed up again with a surprise. An ice-cold bottle of Diet Coke! “Where did this come from?” I asked. “There’s grocery store around the corner, “ he told me.
I went back to that same restaurant 2 months later. I asked for my favorite server. “He doesn’t wait tables anymore,” I was told. “They promoted him to management.” (Guideposts 8/06 p. 57, John Miller) Monday, July 12, 2010 God Was With Him Genesis 39 OPEN: Several years ago, there was a famous study done by Victor and Mildred Goertzel, entitled Cradles of Eminence. In their study they examined the backgrounds of 300 highly successful people. These 300 subjects had made it to the top. They were men & women whose names everyone would recognize as brilliant in their fields · Winston Churchill, · Franklin D. Roosevelt · Helen Keller · Albert Schweitzer · Clara Barton · Gandhi · Einstein, · and Freud. The study did an intensive investigation into early home lives of these great men and women, …and what they found was surprising: * They discovered that 3/4s of the children were troubled either by poverty, a broken home… …or were raised by parents who either rejected them, were over possessive, or dominating * 74 out of 85 writers of fiction or drama and 16 of the 20 poets came from homes where… … … as children, they saw tense psychological drama played out by their parents. * And over ¼ of these great people suffered from physical handicaps such as blindness, …deafness, or crippled limbs.
In our text this morning, we read about another man who overcame similar problems in his life You see, Joseph came from a highly dysfunctional family Today, we might it call it a “blended” family where the brothers seemed to always be fighting. About the only thing that united his brothers on much of anything was their hatred of him And because his brothers hated him, Joseph ended up… … thrown into a pit/ sold into slavery/ and ultimately accused of a crime he didn’t commit – he was thrown into prison.
Joseph’s brothers had actually planned to kill him… …but their greed overcame their hatred - long enough for them say: Then they soaked his cherished coat/ in goat’s blood and brought it back to their father… … and watched as their father cried out in anguish, tore his garments & mourned
With brothers like that, Joseph don’t need enemies.
ILLUS: They remind me of a Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked "Is there a commandment that teaches
us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" So,– in Genesis 39 - we find Joseph in Egypt. Now Egypt had already become a great nation before Joseph had been born They’d already built their famous pyramids (show pics) The sphinx/ and the temple at Luxor In those days – as now – Egypt was a tourist paradise
But (of course) Joseph wasn’t there as a tourist He was there as a slave He had been ripped from his home and his friends Dragged across the desert to a land that he’d never known And surrounded by a strange people… … who spoke in a language he couldn’t understand. He probably couldn’t find his way home if he wanted to… … and you can believe – HE WANTED TO!
At 17, he’d lost everything that he’d loved and considered important. And now he lives at the whim of his master… …he’s the lowest form of life in the nation of Egypt He has nothing… he owns nothingJust like all the other slaves of that day… … he has no rights/ no status / no value/ in society.
BUT, Joseph did have one thing that other slaves in Egypt didn’t. He had a God who cared for him. Now ordinarily/ most folks who’d go thru problems like Joseph’s would doubt God was there… …or that He even cared.
And so – in case YOU had any doubts about that in Joseph’s life, God wanted to reassure you So He puts in the story one phrase that shows up again and again and again You know what that phrase was? “The LORD was with Joseph” = you see it in vss. 2, 3, 5, 21, and 23
God was with JosephAnd he made it so Joseph successful and prosperous in everything he did And that success bled over to othersGenesis 39:5 says “From the time (Potiphar) put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.”
Later, when he was thrown into Prison… God does it again! “The LORD was with (Joseph); he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” Genesis 39:21-23
Now granted – Joseph was STILL a slave/ and later he was JUST a prisoner But even in those low & despised positions, Joseph became someone/ others depended upon
Joseph’s life is a case study in the faithfulness of God’s promises. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us that “…the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...”
Psalm 34:15 assures us that “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry”
Romans 8:28 declares: “…we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
So even as a slave/ and later as a prisoner… God was looking out for him.
But why allow Joseph to REMAIN a slave/ prisoner? Why not simply remove him from those terrible situations and place him in a country home?
One person I read said this: “There’s something suspect about a faith that has never been tested. An army going through basic training is not ready for battle. Not until soldiers have faced the battle, and been under fire,… … do they consider themselves proven, hardened, worthy. A ship cannot prove that it has been sturdily built as long as it stays in dry dock. Its hull must get wet; it must face a storm to demonstrate genuine seaworthiness. (Joel C. Oregory, Growing Pains of the Soul)
My point is this: Joseph was meant for great things God had given Joseph 2 dreams that promised him his life would mean something
But when the dreams were given – Joseph was only 17 years old. He was old enough to have the character… …necessary to accomplish the things God wanted him to do
The tools God used to shape Joseph’s character may seem harsh to us… … but God knows the objective He wishes to obtain, & He knows the best tool to get it done
ILLUS: A.W. Tozer once talked about God’s tools The hammer is a useful tool. But the nail, if it had feeling and intelligence, could present another side of the story. For the nail knows the hammer only as an opponent… … a brutal, merciless enemy who lives to pound it into submission, …to beat it down out of sight and clinch it into place That is the nail's view of the hammer, and it is accurate except for one thing: The nail forgets that both it and the hammer are servants of the same workman. Let the nail but remember that the hammer is held by the workman… … and all resentment toward it will disappear. The carpenter decides whose head shall be beaten next and what hammer shall be used in the beating. That is his sovereign right. When the nail has surrendered to the will of the workman and has gotten a little glimpse… … of his benign plans for its future, it will yield to the hammer without complaint. The file is more painful still, for its business is to bite into the soft metal .. …scraping and eating away the edges till it has shaped the metal to its will. Yet the file has, in truth, no real will in the matter, but serves another master as the metal also does. It is the master and not the file that decides how much shall be eaten away. What shape the metal shall take and how long the painful filing shall continue. Let the metal accept the will of the master… …and it will not try to dictate when or how it shall be filed. As for the furnace, it is the worst of all. Ruthless and savage, it leaps at every combustible thing that enters it… … and never relaxes its fury till it has reduced it all to shapeless ashes. All that refuses to burn is melted to a mass of helpless matter, without will or purpose of its own. When everything is melted that will melt and all is burned that will burn .. ..then and not till then the furnace calms down and rests from its destructive fury.
All that matters is to understand that it is the master who shapes and bends us to His will. And ONLY when we have been shaped and molded can God use us as He sees best.
ILLUS: But there’s a harshness that takes place that God uses to shape us. One man told of watching an experienced gardener transplant some flowers. He watched in amazement as the man took the flowers out of their pots and shook them roughly. When he asked the gardener why he handled the flowers that way, he explained: The flowers that came here have roots that are cramped in those little pots. What I do is loosen the soil and give the roots a chance to breathe and stretch
Essentially, that’s what God did with Joseph. He was shaking Joseph down to his very roots, Because he was going to replant him in a place where he could be used by God..
You see, the task God wanted Joseph to accomplish was critical to Israel’s future And God knew it could only be accomplished in the land of Egypt. And so, Joseph was going to be put through the trials necessary… … to make him effective as God’s tool.
God uses the harshness that we often go through to shape us. He might not always bring those harsh circumstances into our lives… … but no matter what difficulties we encounter, God can use it for His glory.
ILLUS: Back in 90’s, researchers who examined the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome discovered that such stress wasn’t always destructive. In fact, they found that trauma often had positive influences on people’s lives. They branded this new phenomena PTG – Post Traumatic Growth They found the following characteristics were often found in PTG (1) Acceptance They no longer lived in denial or avoidance. And they no longer wallowed in self-pity. They chose to confront their past trauma or current tormentor. They accepted their own limitations and your misfortunes. And more importantly, they accepted that suffering was necessary for them to… … gain valuable knowledge and grow character. (2) Affirmation Their suffering caused the see the world as dark and their future bleak. Based on their painful experience, they had concluded that… … most people were selfish, and there was no justice. Yet, while hitting rock bottom and in the throes of struggling, they rejected that thinking… And affirmed that there is goodness in life, and there is meaning and purpose in suffering
(3) Determination: They become determined not to let their circumstances control them. They decide to make progress in their lives each day until they come out of their problem. And as they begin to do this they realize "If I can survive this, I can survive anything. I know that the forces of evil are still there, and the obstacles are still there. The difficulties are formidable but not insurmountable. Yes, I CAN overcome with God's help and support from others."
(4) Faith: In the midst of their difficulties they wondered if God even cared. But as the fog lifts from their hearts they come to the realization that God was with them….. crying with you and sharing your pain throughout your struggles. He didn’t shield them from suffering. Instead he gave them the grace to endure and learn.
(5) Unselfishness. They find that they used to be preoccupied with their own needs. They used to feel sorry for only themselves. But now, their eyes have been opened to those who suffer more than they have. They begin to seek out opportunities to help others. They discover that in helping others, they find healing for themselves. (Paul T. P. Wong, PhD. C.Psych. Trinity Western University Langley, BC, Canada)
These are the things that God can teach us in our own difficulties. And when we allow Him to work in our lives… …we change into better servants than we were before
CLOSE: A woman’s Bible study was reading thru the book of Malachi, when they read this: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." (3:3) This verse puzzled them and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, & to get back to the group at their next Bible study. She called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while he worked. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest as to burn away all the impurities. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined. The man answered – yes, not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh,
that’s easy - when I see my image in it." Sunday, July 4, 2010 A Dream Of Freedom Genesis 37:1-11 OPEN: A lot of important things can happen to a person while they sleep
Who was that? (Adam)
Who was that? (Jacob)
Like I said, a lot of important things can happen to a person while they sleep… … but = in the Bible = one of the most important things that happened to someone … … - while they slept - was that God often gave them dreams.
Here in Genesis 37 we have the story of God giving Joseph 2 dreams with one basic message: Joseph would someday become a great man.
But Joseph’s dreams also told him about two other things #1 The dreams were from God – this meant: this was something God would make happen. #2 Joseph’s dreams would influence more than just himself… … it would also effect his brothers and parents.
You see Joseph’s dreams were only PARTLY about Joseph The dreams were a promise from God that Joseph was going to be used by God… … Joseph was part of a larger plan … through Joseph, God was going to bring the people of Israel down into Egypt.. … and in Egypt…
…in a part of Egypt called “the land of Goshen” because… … the Israelites were sheepherders and the Egyptians were vegetarians The Egyptians didn’t want much to do w/ them – but because of Joseph…
Other nations couldn’t attack them and kill their people.
unified by their common pain of slavery and unified their common belief in the one true God.
When Israel left Egypt (by the mighty hand of God)… … they were prepared mentally and physically to return … … and to take possession of the land God had promised them. All this came to pass because God gave Joseph a couple of dreams while he slept.
Dreams are powerful things Particularly when it’s God who gives them to us. Our nation was founded on a dream It was a dream that many of us believe was given to us by God.
In the 2nd paragraph of the Declaration of Independence we’re told of that dream: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The founders of our nation believed the promise from Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…”
And they believed that – for our nation to be blessed – it should protect the unalienable rights that their Creator desired for them: amongst which were life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
The Preamble to the Constitution of our United States declared: “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.” Our nation’s founders had a desire to form a more perfect union than man had ever considered Theirs was a desire to establish a nation based upon Christian principles… … and they believed these Christian principles would bring about… 1. the establishment of justice 2. Domestic tranquility 3. the basis for a common defense 4. provide for the general welfare of its people 5. and secure the blessings of God for the liberty for themselves & those who came after them. They intended this to be a nation established to be UNDER GOD.
Christian principles were interwoven into the very fabric of how our nation beganIn one of his most famous speeches, … Patrick Henry declared something our nation’s current school textbooks have ignored: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not to the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."
JAMES MADISON, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: '"We have staked the whole future of our new nation NOT upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."'
And GEORGE WASHINGTON, appealed to God while he was President "Almighty God; We make our earnest
prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline
the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly
affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United states at large. And finally that Thou
wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves
with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of
the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose
example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant
our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." It was the intention of our founding Fathers to weave into our nation Biblical principles How did they do that?
First they deliberately acknowledged God throughout their founding documents
ILLUS: Dr. Larry Arnn - president of Hillsdale College in Michigan - called The Declaration of Independence "a most remarkable declaration." And so it's really a beautiful thing if you put the four places that God is mentioned together in the declaration.
Arnn stated that if you look closely at The Declaration of Independence You see that “it is an appeal to heaven.” Our nation’s founders realized they could make a lasting nation if God weren’t in it
Once the Declaration of Independence was signed, the original document ordered that copies of the Declaration be sent first NOT to town clerks or newspapers but to parish ministers, who were "required to read the same to their respective congregations, as soon as divine service is ended, in the afternoon, on the first Lord's day after they have received it."
It was a document dedicated to God… … and it was a document to be given first to those who worshipped God. So, 1st our founders deliberately acknowledged God throughout their founding documents2nd - they deliberately based their laws upon the Bible. When our nation was founded it could have chosen any of Europe’s legal systems And being from the British Empire they could simply have copied England’s laws But the legal system of England was part of what they had rebelled against.
So, instead they turned to an English legal scholar by the name of Sir William Blackstone (pic) Blackstone’s commentaries literally became the Bible of American jurisprudence All of our nation’s original legal thinking was based almost exclusively on Blackstone.
What made Blackstone’s legal commentaries so unique was that he quoted extensively from Bible If he set forth a legal principle, he used Scripture to justify it. Thus you couldn’t be a lawyer in early America w/o knowing and understanding Scripture
Repeatedly, our Founding Fathers quoted from the Bible, Spoke of the power and majesty of God And many prayed for Christ to bless our nation.
ILLUS: Now there are those who point to the words by Thomas Jefferson that declared that our nation had created a “wall of separation” between Church and State.
It is obvious that those who quote Jefferson either don’t understand what he meant… or don’t care. But even Jefferson believed his nation should be based upon Biblical teachings.
Now - does this mean America is a Christian Nation?Oh no - that’s a logical absurdity Only an individual can be a Christian – and they do that by Ø believing that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God Ø repenting of their past sins Ø confessing Jesus as their master Ø and being buried in the waters of Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
But a nation can’t do that.
However, a nation can be blessed if it has a large number of people be believers And it can be really blessed if its rulers &laws are guided by Christian principles
ILLUS: In 1954 then Chief Justice Earl Warren said that the history of our country and the documents/charter exhibit the same objective: "A Christian land governed by Christian principles . . ."
For a Nation to be “Christian” presumes that that nation will give glory to Christ And America has not always done that And the reason America has not always done that is because… … each generation of such a nation would have to reaffirm commitment to Christ.
To call America a Christian Nation would also presume that… … the founders of our nation were all Christians. And unfortunately, many were not. But our founders realized that – though THEY were mortals prone to weaknesses and failures… … God’s Word perfect and God was faithful. They believed that if they set our nation on the firm foundation of God and His Word… … they would form a more perfect union that would “establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.”
And history has born them out. Though our nation has been far from perfect…
CLOSE: In the 1830's Alexis de Tocqueville toured America. When his tour had been completed, he made this observation: "I have toured America, and I have seen most of what you offer. I've seen the richness of the fields and the wealth of your mines. I've seen your industrial might, the beauties of the rivers… …the streams, the lakes, and the grandeur of the mountains. I've noticed the abundance of the forests & the marvelous climate with which you are blessed In none of these things did I see the cause for the greatness of America. It wasn't until I went into your churches that I saw the reason for America's greatness. America is great because America is good; and as long as America is good, America will be great. If it ever ceases to be good, it will cease to be great."
Years ago, Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television commentator made these observations "This Canadian thinks it
is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany,
Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions
of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining
debts to the United States. America is Great because God placed a dream into the souls of our nation’s founders Dreams are powerful things Particularly when it’s God who gives them to us.
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