The Practical Redemption Of Man

The Life Of Joseph, Session #5- The Redemption Of A Man’s Relationships

Intro.

- We left Joseph last week in what must have seemed to him, a complete confusion. He had helped Pharaoh’s chief butler with the interpretation of a troubling dream.

- He had asked the chief butler to remember him when he returned to Pharaoh’s court, which he did 3 days later.

- At the end of chapter 40, we learn that the butler forgot Joseph all together.

- From that point to chapter 41, there is a two year span of time.

- There must have been much hopelessness and bewilderment in the heart of Joseph.

- And then one day, out of the blue, God’s plan, like a seed in the ground, is about to bring forth visible life, for Pharaoh is about to have two very disturbing dreams.

• Genesis 41:8 : “Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.”

- Like every crisis for powerful men, the whole house was in a stir, including the chief butler.

• Genesis 41:9-14 : “Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: "I remember my faults this day. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.’ Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.”

- A miracle has occurred! The Pharaoh himself has urgently brought Joseph, a Hebrew slave, out of the dungeon!

- Who could have predicted that!? That seems to always be the way it happens in our lives.

- Our situation turns and we are stunned at how quickly God did it, even though we might have been waiting for a long time previously.

• Genesis 41:15,16 : “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.’ So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.’”

- Here is a chance for Joseph to turn on the charm and say, “Well, you know, I do have a certain knack for interpretation.” Instead, Joseph declares that God will give an answer. He speaks to Pharaoh, who in Egyptian theology, is "god on Earth," and tells him that His God is going to bring this to pass.

- Pharaoh goes on to tell the dream of the cows and the grain heads, Joseph explaining that God has warned the Pharaoh of a certain, impending famine of great severity.

- Look with me quickly over verse 25-32. 3 times, Joseph makes it clear that this is ordained by His God and that His God is going to bring it to pass.

- Joseph then goes from the problem to the solution.

- The solution involves an aggressive management program of all the crops of Egypt for the first 7 years of plenty, prior to the years of nothing.

- His presentation ends with an appeal for a manager to handle the incoming crops.

- As you have already read and know, the Pharaoh appoints Joseph, changes his name, gives him full authority and a wife. Joseph has two kids and builds storehouses in every Egyptian city.

- And just as Joseph had interpreted, God allowed a severe famine to come over all lands.

• Genesis 41:54-57 : “and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, ‘Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.’ The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands.”

- As we come to the close of this chapter, I want us to understand something here.

- God’s goal in the Earth is to bring glory to himself through our lives and our goal is to testify of His reality and His glory on this Earth. Let’s examine providence from 3 perspectives. What is God trying to bring to pass to bring glory to Himself?

I. In The Life Of Joseph : Faithfulness

II. In The Life Of The Butler : Repentance

III. In The Life Of The Pharaoh : Humility

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I. In The Life Of Joseph : Faithfulness

- Joseph, from the beginning to this section here, has been a faithful man.

- The word “faithful” refers to reliability and consistency.

- Joseph has been a reliable man to the world around him.

- Every where he went, he demonstrated responsibility, was promoted above his peers and it was noted that the favor of God was upon him.

- To the world, Joseph was reliable; To the Lord, Joseph was consistent.

- Joseph consistently testified of God’s presence with him.

- Joseph feared the Lord when nobody else would have questioned his activity.

- All of this was in the midst of Joseph’s sufferings.

- What we have watched from chapter 37 to the present chapter, is a man under duress, in a foreign land, away from his God fearing family.

- God had used the circumstances to bring Joseph out as fine gold and because he was a faithful steward over a few things, we now see God making him rule over many things.

- For the life of the believer, God’s providential storms and circumstances are working out faithfulness in our lives.

- Looking ahead to the New Testament, Paul understood the value of fidelity.

• II Timothy 2:1,2 : “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

- Paul uses the term “faithful” about 27 times in his writings and normally uses it to describe someone deserving of honor or trust.

- God puts a premium on this characteristic and we would be wise to be men who are found faithful with what God has given to us.

- We do not have to concern ourselves with what others are doing. God is calling us to be reliable with our talents and consistent in our testimony.

- Every one of us has a place to be consistent with our witness. Our neighbors, family, clientele, etc. are

II. In The Life Of The Butler : Repentance

- As we look at the chief butler, we are struck with how men can be often struck with the same truth over and over again, and still miss the point.

- The butler makes an interesting statement to the Pharaoh.

• Genesis 41:9 : “Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: "I remember my faults this day.”

- It really struck me how for 2 years, the Chief Butler went back to business as usual, having navigated through the very difficult circumstance of being imprisoned.

- It may have been that he intended to tell the Pharaoh what had happened.

- In fact, I will say that he likely was very excited to tell of what God had done on his behalf.

- But then he got back around his old life and saw again the greatness of Pharaoh and the beauty of the palace, he got caught up.

- He forgot about his experience with God’s man and how much comfort God had given him through Joseph.

- God’s providence has brought the chief butler full circle and He says to him, “Remember me? Do you have time for me now!?”

- I admit that I am taking a tiny bit of liberty here. But God is interested the chief butlers of the world, men who he has invested in, men with whom He has wrestled and delivered, doing all so that they might turn to Him and repent.

- Jesus tells us that God allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. His blessings extend to all men.

- But it seems that God works especially hard on some men.

- He is calling the chief butler to remember and repent, turn his life over to this good and gracious God.

- Most of us think that repentance as a turn from radical horrific sin. True. But there is another sense that repentance also involves our turning from good to better.

- I believe that there might be a corollary for us to hold onto.

- Has God been hammering you about something, maybe over the years, that you have ignored or forgotten? The crisis has passed, the cloud has lifted, but your word remains.

- Need He remind you again and have you say, “I remember my faults this day!”

- Maybe it’s a vow that you made in a foxhole. Maybe it’s a family relationship that God has given you vision to restore. If so, remember today.

III. In The Life Of The Pharaoh : Humility

- Finally, as we come to Pharaoh, we consider that God’s providence is leading Him to humility.

- Everyone needs God, and God is interested in everyone, be it the simple slave boy or the king on his earthly throne.

- Here Pharaoh has come to understand that he is not sufficient to handle this deep crisis.

- God has gotten a hold of him, even in the guarded chambers of his palatial estate, beyond the gardens and the military presence.

- And what does God want to effect? A man who despite his power, is powerless against the hand of God’s decree.

- I am interested in doing a study on the various Pharaoh’s of the Bible. This one is very willing to listen and is most responsive to what is revealed to him.

• Genesis 41:37-39 : “So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?’ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.”

- Here is a man who has been touched by the Lord and responded rightly to God’s revelation.

- He is willing to humble himself under God’s hand and receive the full benefit that God wants to give him.

- I am pretty sure that we’ll see him in heaven.

Conclusion

- As we close this chapter, we would be wise to remember these points.

- First, God Is Providentially Doing More Than You Think. A statement like, “What is God doing with me?” shows a limited view of God’s program. You might be a Joseph in the life of a Pharaoh. Be faithful where you are.

- Second, God Is Acting To Draw All Men To Himself. Pharaohs, Chief Butlers, mechanics, judges, lawyers. God’s providential acts are produced from His great heart toward the world. Be ready to testify.

- Finally, third, God Is Directing Human History So That He Might Be Glorified. It all ends at the station titled: All For The Glory Of God. His reputation. His fame. His Name, lifted high and magnified.

The Practical Redemption Of Man

The Life Of Joseph, Session #4- The Redemption Of A Man’s Relationships

Intro.

- Some time has passed since Joseph first came to Egypt.

- In his early 20’s, Joseph was the steward of Potiphar’s house.

- Joseph had been working successfully until Potiphar’s wife made a play for him.

- Joseph, integrity intact, refused the temptation. Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of assault, and forced Potiphar’s hand into hesitant action.

- It is very likely that Potiphar kept his star protégé close. In fact, Joseph was likely now in charge of Potiphar’s prison!

- I say this because during Joseph’s stay, an incident occurred in the highest office of the land.

• Genesis 40:3,4 : “So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.”

- These prisoners were not ordinary prisoners. They were political prisoners, resurgents and the like. These particular political prisoners were the chief butler and the chief baker.

- We’re not privy as to why they were there in custody, but they were there a while.

- Then one night both men had disturbing dreams.

• Genesis 40:6-8 : “And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, ‘Why do you look so sad today?’ And they said to him, ‘We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.’ So Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.’”

- The word "looked" is indicative of an investigation or deep observation on the part of Joseph. Others might have missed this, but Joseph was clued in.

- Joseph has not lost his perspective. Joseph in the middle of his suffering has not forsaken his loyalty to the Lord.

- The two officials tell him their dreams. Both dreams revolve around 3 days, and both dreams foretell a resolution to the respective situations.

- For the chief butler, in 3 days, he will be restored to his former post.

- Upon giving that news, Joseph adds a little encouragement to the butler.

• Genesis 40:14,15 : “But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.’”

- When the baker saw that Joseph gave out good news, he asked for the interpretation to his dream.

- Joseph quickly let the man know that he could expect a very different ending, as he would be found out, and the Pharaoh would have his head.

- Three days later and the interpretations were proven to be true. The chief butler was restored to his position, and the chief baker was sent to his death.

- A powerful experience to be sure, as an Egyptian was helped by a Hebrew slave.

- But in the middle of all the excitement, the Bible leaves us with a final note in this otherwise hopeful chapter.

• Genesis 40:23 : “Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

- As we survey this short chapter, I suggest that there are a few principles that are on display for us.

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- Before we get there, let’s remind ourselves that Joseph is in a very deep time of testing with regard to his faith.

- He has been in prison, likely more than a year, perhaps even years by this time.

- More than a prison, Joseph is in a dungeon. A dark, dank, lonely dungeon.

- It's likely that most of us would not be able to testify to what a physical dungeon might be like, but we have had "dungeon" experiences.

- It's dark and confusing. There is no control over our own life.

- And like Joseph, He does not know the end of the story.

- We know the end of His story, but in the dungeon, we cannot see it for ourselves.

- But in the dungeon, though God is silent in the chapter, He is still active in forging the character of Joseph.

- Therefore, my first observation regarding what this chapter teaches us that God Is More Concerned With Our Character Than With Our Comfort.

- Let’s go to that pesky verse that always gets quoted at times like this.

• James 1:2-4 : “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

- There are so many buzzwords in this section, like “when” and “various.” James tells us that the testing of our faith, and it’s always our faith, is producing something in us. It’s patience.

- It’s the word “endurance,” strength in and for the struggle, always with an eye towards completing the course.

- Joseph’s dreams were being severely tested, and though he is loyal (“Do not interpretations belong to God?) and talented, there is still more to be done.

- But this is our second lesson: God’s Tests Are Done When God Says So!

- “But I can’t take anymore!” you say; “Yes you can!” says the Lord!

- We know that trials will inevitably come and we know that they won’t last forever, but we will never know anything about the time in between!

- There is a time limit to the test and only God knows it.

- And I think that it’s valuable to remember this next lesson: God Prepares You And The Other Side.

- God is not just working on Joseph. He is also working on Pharoah.

- Soon, God is going to speak to Pharoah in a way that will get his attention.

- He is already at work. The pieces on the chess board are assembled and the plan of attack is laid out.

- Which leads me to my final point, and the one which is so clear to us from the final verse of this chapter.

- Let’s turn our attention there to verse 23 again.

• Genesis 40:23 : “Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

- The final point here is that God Will Not Share His Glory With Another.

- What do I mean by this? God will not allow Joseph to free himself and He will not allow Joseph to be freed by another. He wants to do the freeing!

- Imagine Joseph’s excitement though. “I have helped a big wig! I have connections in the palace of the Pharoah himself!”

- I could see Joseph thinking through logically, just like every man in the history of mankind, that he would only be there at the most, a couple of days, and then the chief butler would make telling the Pharoah about him, his top priority.

- I am sure that Joseph had a new lease on life during those first few days. I am sure he had a big smile on his face and couldn’t wait to tell his superiors what he had dreamed to tell them for years!

- He had short-timer written all over him!

- But when a few days turned into a week, the week into a month, that optimism fell back to the deep rigors of routine.

- I wonder if he fell into depression and confusion, like most people.

- “But God, I thought that you brought him here to meet me so that I could get in his good graces and then that would be my ticket to freedom!”

- With God, 1 + 1 does equal 2, but often times, not for a long time.

- God even allowed the butler to foget Joseph all together!

- The point is that even though God is going to redeem this relationship, he is going to do it in His time.

- And when He does it, it will be right, because the other side will be ready, and the character needed will be intact!

- When He does it, we’ll have a story and He’ll have His glory because when He does it, there won’t be an explanation, for a miracle will have happened!

- Now, take a moment with me and imagine what might have happened if God had answered Joseph’s likely prayer to bless this opportunity.

- Let’s say that the butler got word out to Pharoah and Pharoah freed Joseph.

- Now, Joseph would be treated as one of the court jesters, entertaining the proud Pharoah until he got tired of Joseph and sent him back to prison or worse!

- But what would happen if the Pharoah were truly distressed because of a dream? Well, that would be an entirely different prospect!

- No friends, we want more than anything, for God to have His will, in His time, employing His method, and there will be joy on every side.

Conclusion

- For some of you, the trial is difficult and it’s going from bad to worse.

- God is burning off the dross from your character and preparing you and those you might be ministering to. That takes time!

- Is that a comfort? Likely not!

- But where will the comfort come? Let me tell you from experience that it won’t come in the circumstance and it won’t come when the circumstance ends.

- Comfort comes when God strips away the “when,” as in, “when will this end” and the “why,” as in “why is this happening.” Comfort comes when God strips us of the when and the why and leaves with the “who,” as in “who is with me in this trial?”

- Only knowing Him and embracing Him will bring the comfort in the time of affliction.

The Joy Set Before Him

Topical - 4.15.07 - Calvary Laguna, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- In the last several weeks my mind was continually drawn to a verse that captivated me.

- It is found in the book of Hebrews.

▪ Hebrews 12:1,2 : “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

- Jesus, being the example of one who suffered, continued on course, because of the joy that was set before Him.

- Certainly, the actual event of crucifixion was not a joyful one for Christ, as we even view Him in the Garden of Gethsemene in great pain and sorrow.

- Indeed it was not the event, but the result of the event that caused great joy in the heart of Christ, and that propelled Him to endure the cross.

- Before I pose the question of what was accomplished, let me take you to another verse that began to minister to my heart before celebrating the week of the Passion.

- It is a passage known to students everywhere as the “High Priestly” prayer of Christ.

- It is called such because it is Christ, praying on our behalf to the Father.

▪ John 17:20-22 : “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:”

- Jesus He intercedes and prays that we will be one, unified so that the world may believe.

- How did He accomplish this and what was the joy that was set before Him?

- I ask you to follow me to one last verse, where we will meditate and find the connection for these thoughts.

▪ Luke 23:33,34 : “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.”

- Let me suggest three points that bring joy to the heart of Jesus.

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I. The Cross Ended The Hostility Between God & Man

- When Christ was raised up on the cross, an action of justice was taking place.

- God was pouring out His Holy wrath upon sin, out upon Christ.

- It is propitiation, satisfaction of wrath. Substitution was a familiar concept to the Israeli people.

- The Jewish faithful were celebrating Passover during that week.

- Friday was when the sacrifices of the lambs would be taking place, the priests slaying the animals themselves.

- And here in this moment, our High Priest, becomes the very sacrifice for the sins of His people, delivering them from the slavery of death and hell and into the hope of forgiveness and eternal life.

- The cross put an end to the hostility between God and Man.

- Here we see the plea from the High Priest Jesus Himself, saying on their behalf, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

- This is the first statement made by Jesus upon the cross, and it’s no accident that it coincides with the Priestly duty of carrying the sin of man before the Father to be forgiven.

- Notice that even in this position of torture and suffering Jesus is others-centered.

- His cry unto the Father is on the behalf of the people there at that moment, but also for every believer in the history of Mankind who would put their trust in Christ.

- “Forgive them...” Jesus uses the very familiar “aphiemi” which means to “send away.”

- The Greek word is loaded, as it refers to the releasing of a person from a justly appropriated burden. In other words it sent away the stain of guilt from the deserving party.

- “Father, forgive them...” Who? The people who were crucifying Him? Definitely and the one’s responsible for His action, namely every sinner who would ever live and trust in Christ.

- The divine initiative of Jesus to forgive those who are not asking for mercy or expecting any good thing from Him is inspiring and instructive.

- Jesus says on their behalf and on ours, “Father forgive them.”

° “I feel as though I could better kneel before my Lord’s cross at this moment than stand in this pulpit to talk to you. I want to adore Him, I worship Him in heart for that prayer; if I knew nothing else of Him but this one prayer, I must adore Him, for that one matchless plea for mercy convinces me most overwhelmingly of the deity of Him who offered it, and fills my heart with reverent affection.” Charles Spurgeon

- The joy set before Christ then, primarily, was to put us into a right position before God.

- The curse was ending, the separation between God and man about to be bridged in this very moment of time.

- This was the thrust of Apostolic preaching through the first century, as the Apostle Paul would succinctly say in his letter to the Roman church.

▪ Romans 5:6-8 : “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I. The Cross Ended The Hostility Between God & Man

II. The Cross Ends The Hostility Between Man & Man

- When Jesus says, “Father, forgive them” He is ending the hostility between Man and Man, providing the example that we are to follow when we are derided, insulted and hated for every good thing.
- He is the template, the example for how we are to handle such offenses.

- Forgiveness of one another is a tricky concept.

- One will say, “Am I supposed to forgive when the wrong has not been confessed?”

- I will answer like this: Jesus forgave when He was not asked! His action paid for any penalty that was rightly placed upon myself. How does that work out practically?

- It begins with the heart, a willingness to enter into a right relationship to our brothers and sisters in the faith.

- “God, I don’t want to harbor un-forgiveness and bitterness in my heart. I want to be free.”

- In that case, God will begin to empower you to forgive as He does.

- Being God, He cannot truly forget anything. It’s frustrating because He cannot learn anything new, nor forget anything old! He’s perfect.

- But unlike you and I, God chooses to forget, in that, He chooses not to allow whatever offense has previously been committed and confessed, to be a part of the present relationship.

- The problem though is not our ability to forgive, but rather, our willingness to forgive!

- He speaks to us today who would hold offenses over another person who has not asked for forgiveness, nor sought our understanding.

- Jesus says, “Father, forgive them.” I might say, “Lord, go get them!”

- In my heart of hearts, if I am going to be a brother and have brothers and sisters for that matter, in my life, then I need to be a man of forgiveness, for there will be many offenses.

- Let’s start our hearts right, as we consider this admonition from Paul to the Ephesians.

▪ Ephesians 4:30-32 : “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

- How can I call myself a person who has given myself to Christ, and not daily desire to be right with my brother?

- How can I, in good conscience, pay all attention to the first and greatest commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God,” while at the same time, shun the second, of equal value, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself?”

- The answer is that I cannot! If my sin has been forgiven, I must, not optional, choose to forgive my brother.

- Jesus was asked by Peter once, how many times one was compelled to forgive a brother for the same offence. Peter offered, quite graciously in His mind, to forgive 7 times.

- As he looked around to gauge the other disciples incredulity, Jesus turned and said, “I say not 7 times, but 70 times 7!”

- As Peter tried to mathematically figure out how much that was, Jesus began to tell a story of a man who owed a debt of millions of dollars and was forgiven and set free.

- Upon being freed, that same man found a man who owed him money for a sandwich.

- Without any mercy, the man who had been forgiven so much, threw the man who offended him into prison.

- The person who had originally forgiven the first man was so angry at hearing this, that he sent him to prison until he could repay the debt. Then Jesus added this ominous warning:

▪ Matthew 18:35 : “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

- Is unforgiveness the unforgiveable sin? Not at all, but one who has been forgiven of sin that affects eternity, will have no trouble forgiving a sin, which at it’s worst, will last a lifetime!

I. The Cross Ended The Hostility Between God & Man

II. The Cross Ends The Hostility Between Man & Man

III. The Cross Begins The Priestly Ministry Of Believers

- He has propitiated God's wrath on our behalf, He has provided a means by which we can have peace with one another and now, in this third point, He gives us purpose in this world.

- What a joy it was for Jesus to forgive and see how that transformed a life. It must have been a tremendous joy to see a man like Matthew, a hated tax collector, come to know the life of God.

- How about the other Apostles? What a joy it was to see them commissioned and sent out with the mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God!

- "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." We can forget often who Jesus is talking about, but we can't miss how they are described.

- They are ignorant, they know not what they do. This does not mean that they did not understand that they were crucifying a person.

- It does mean that they did not know WHO they were crucifying, WHO they were blaspheming.

- They were living in ignorance. But wait! That was us! We were the ones He was forgiving while we were yet still in a sinful condition.

- In fact, the New Testament writers use the word "ignorance" to describe people who are without Christ, as they are still in Spiritual Darkness.

- Listen to Paul's words in his letter to the Ephesians.

▪ Ephesians 4:17,18 : " This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;"

- This was our testimony, and is the testimony of those around us without Christ.

- Jesus calls us to be priests which represent the heart of God to the people around us.

▪ I Peter 2:9 : "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;"

- Notice: “that You may proclaim the praises of Him who called you OUT OF DARKNESS.”

- And let me bring one more verse to bear upon us as we come toward communion.

▪ II Corinthians 5:20,21 : "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Conclusion

- Jesus has taken our wrath, made us one in Him and given us purpose in the World.

- As we move toward communion, ask yourself if you are in line with these principles. Are you paid for? Has Christ taken your sins or are you still trusting in yourself?

- As far as you know, is there any bitterness that you are harboring?

- Finally, are you living out His purpose for you in this world?

- Before you come, dwell on these thoughts and then come.

The Practical Redemption Of Man

The Life Of Joseph, Session #3- The Redemption Of A Man’s Integrity & Giftings

Intro.

- Joseph has been sold as a slave into the house of a very important man. He is described in the beginning of Genesis 39.

• Genesis 39:1 : “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.”

- This man is an officer of the Pharoah himself. He is a military Captain of Pharoah’s security personnel and last, he is an Egyptian.

- Joseph is in his house, serving as a slave, but is soon moved up to the rank of a supervisor.

• Genesis 39:3-6a : “And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.”

- Just notice a few things immediately. First, his master saw that the Lord was with Him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper.

- His heathen, Gentile, Egyptian master observed this and promoted him.

- Then notice that the Lord blessed the Egyptian/Heathen’s house because of Joseph’s presence. What powerful verses, especially for those of us employed in the heart of the world. We’ll come back to that in a moment.

- Joseph was so responsible to His Lord and to his earthly master, that all was left in his hand. He did not need to account for things because he was over and above all possible questions of integrity.

- Things could barely be better and this is where we all must be careful, when things are going so well because Joseph was a success, a man of integrity and authority and he was a good looking man with a stud’s body, which is the original Hebrew for verse 6b.

• Genesis 39:7 : “And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’”

- Potiphar’s wife was likely not the big Bertha type, with a large mole on her forehead and a thick mustache! She was a good looking, alluring, available and forward woman.

- She cast no doubts on her intentions from day one and was not one to be told “no.”

• Genesis 39:10 : “So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.”

- In the end, we know that Potiphar’s wife set Joseph up for the fall by false accusation.

• Genesis 39:19,20 : “So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, ‘Your servant did to me after this manner,’ that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.”

- The sentence was definitely a light one considering the circumstances. It shows us that Potiphar made a token concession to save his and more importantly his wife’s face.

- The end of this chapter ends almost as it began, with Joseph in charge, but at a prison instead of a penthouse!

- What lessons are we to gain from this? I suggest that we have a deep lesson on the integrity of a man and how we can be grounded in the same way as Joseph.

- Let me further suggest these lessons. Integrity happens when…

I. Our Work Is Respected Appropriately

II. Our Actions Are Viewed In Light Of The Word

III. Our Relationship With The Lord Is Priority

Text

I. Our Work Is Respected Appropriately

- Let’s look at Joseph’s response to Potiphar’s wife.

• Genesis 39:8,9 : “But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’”

- Notice Joseph understands how much responsibility he has been given.

- He had earned complete trust (…my master does not know what is with me in the house).

- He has complete autonomy (…he has committed all that he has to my hand).

- He has total authority (…no one greater in this house).

- But he still has boundaries and he respects them!

- It has taken time and trust, through repeated success for Joseph to rise through the ranks.

- Joseph understood something fundamental about life: The hardest thing to gain is the easiest thing to lose and that is a good reputation.

- He understood the level of loyalty that is appropriate to our employers and did not want to lose that respect.

• Ephesians 6:5-8 : “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”

- Do you respect what God the employment that God has placed you in today?

- Let our integrity begin there.

II. Our Actions Are Viewed In Light Of The Word

- Notice secondly that Joseph does not mince words with Potiphar’s wife.

- She might have called it a “fling” or a “friends with benefits” relationship.

- Joseph however called it “this great wickedness.”

- What was he referring to, seeing that the law of God would not come down to men until Moses?

- The heathen codes of Hammurabi spelled out death for anyone who was caught in the act of adultery.

- But it was not the consequences Joseph was worried about! He calls this, emphatically a “wickedness.”

- Even without an explicit command, Joseph knew from his own history that God blessed and inaugurated the marital union. How could he participate in violating it!?

- In this world, it’s easy to call sin by other names, and thus soften the impact.

- Joseph aligns himself with the spirit of the Word.

- When we side with God’s Word, we will always live in righteousness, for God’s Word is righteousness expressed.

- Righteousness toward God and toward each other.

III. Our Relationship With The Lord Is Priority

- Finally, notice what Joseph says at the end of this statement to Potiphar’s wife.

- “How can I do this great wickedness and SIN AGAINST GOD!” (Emphasis mine)

- Ultimately, what was being suggested was not just a moral failure or the possible cause for demotion, but it was a sin against the Lord.

- Notice that it was not a sin against man, though it was.

- Notice that it was not a sin against Potiphar’s wife, though it was.

- To Joseph though, first and foremost, this action was a sin against God.

- It was an offense, a break, a fracture in the relationship that would be caused by this flagrant trespass.

- It would break the intimacy and the blessing that Joseph had been enjoying.

- David spoke about this when he was confronted by Nathan about his sin with Bath-Sheba, a secret union that turned out to be not so secret.

• I Samuel 12:13,14 : “So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.’”

• Psalm 51:1-4 : “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight--That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.”

- Our sin is against the Lord. It offends Him. It breaks fellowship with Him and puts us in a place that we don’t want to be

Conclusion

- As we end this study, I acknowledge that Joseph is a better man than most of us. He succeeded where most of us have failed.

- If we have failed, we have a great High Priest who is sympathetic to our weakness and ready, willing to forgive and cleanse us, when we are ready to confess, say the same thing about our sin that He does.

- He is faithful when we are faithless and His grace hyper-extends over our sin.

- To those who have not failed and our integrity is intact, take note of a few final lessons from this chapter.

- First, Hold On Tight To What God Has Entrusted You With. Work with joy, love and enjoy your wife and cling closely to Jesus Christ daily.

- Second, Flee Temptations, Physically If Necessary! Joseph was a real man, confronted with a real situation, that held a real temptation over him. He ran! He did not trust in His strength.

- Finally, Sometimes The Way Up Is Through The Way Down. God’s plan for Joseph did not make sense and here we see a demotion of sorts. There is textual evidence that we will examine next week that will point to the prison being Potiphar controlled, but this is still a confusion.
- Little does Joseph know that this prison will be a place where he will be put into a position to be brought before the Pharoah himself.

- You might not be where you feel you should be, but understand that God has you right where he wants you.

- We do right and the wrong thing happens, but when we honor the Lord, even the wrong thing is the right thing in the right time.

- Wherever you are, the penthouse or the prison, live your life with the integrity that comes from respecting your employment, honoring God’s Word and keeping your relationship with Christ a priority.

The Practical Redemption Of Man

The Life Of Joseph, Session #2- The Redemption Of A Man’s Trials & Tribulations

Intro.

- It was Job who forecasted the following addage about mankind: Man is born of woman, his days are few and full of trouble!

- Joseph's troubles began early in his life as a result of a competitive household.

- His troubles continued when he began standing for righteousness against his older half-brothers.

- This is where we will begin. Take a look at verse 4 again.
• Genesis 37:4 : "But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him."

- Their hatred began in their heart, but it soon moved to their lips, so much so that they consistently could not speak peaceably to him.

- It got worse. Take a look at verse 5.

• Genesis 37:5 : "Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more."

- It was Joseph's set of dreams that angered his brothers and family. The dreams were foreshadowings of how God was going to use Joseph. Look at verse 11.

• Genesis 37:11 : "And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind."

- Now, the brothers, having heard the vision that Joseph was receiving for his life, envied him. They were jealous.

- Hatred turned to harsh speech, which turned into envy, envy turned to conspiracy to act.

• Genesis 37:18-20 : "Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to one another, 'Look, this dreamer is coming! 'Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!'"

- And that is the cry of the envious: Let's see what becomes of his dreams!

- Hatred turned to harsh words, which turned to envy, which turned to conspiracy, which turned to cruelty.

• Genesis 37:23-28 : "So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, 'What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.' And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt."

- Now, having looked at the essence of this very famous story, let's draw out the lessons that we need to pick up from this story.

I. The Destructive Nature Of Sin

II. The Power Of God's Plan

III. The Foreshadow Of Christ's Life

Text

I. The Destructive Nature Of Sin

- Sin cannot be controlled. From it's inception, sin, especially hidden matters of the heart, have plagued men.

- It's interesting that the second recorded instance of sin involved a similar pattern. Envy in the heart of Cain led to his infamous treachery against his only brother Abel.

- This in spite of God's explicit warning for Cain to cease and desist before he had acted. Take a look with me at Genesis 4.

• Genesis 4:6,7 : "So the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.'"

- This is painfully important in our externally driven society of Christianity, where everyone looks good and acts good, but sin creeps at the door of the heart of man.

- It is a problem inwardly that left unchecked, will manifest itself outwardly.

- And despite our beliefs, God is staring at our hearts.

- Jesus makes this point explicitly clear in His "Sermon On The Mount" discourse.

• Matthew 5:20-25 : "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny."

- God's heart is grieved at our hidden sin and He calls us to repentance. It's important enough for Him to call upon us to suspend our worship of Him, just so that we can be right with our brothers.

- Why? Because sin cannot stay isolated, hidden. It will be satisfied and can therefore, not be tolerated.

- You might think that it doesn't matter or that it's never "going to get out of control." Too many men have fallen for the same lie.

II. The Power Of God's Plan

- I love the line of the brothers in 37:20. "Let's see what happens with those dreams!"

- This is the cry of every antagonist against the gospel from every age. Let's see what happens with that vision when it meets the real world!

- Isaac said, after attempting to bless Esau, his favorite, that Jacob would indeed be blessed realizing that he could not fight against the will of the Lord. Goliath, insulted by the challenge of a young shepherd boy, died an unexpected death by extreme migraine, caused by the slingshot of God's guy! King Nebuchadnezzar asked, "What god can deliver you from my hands?" Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego answered that their god would answer!

- Everything looks bleak, it's a 10 to 1 shot, in that 10 older brothers were against 1 youngest brother. Nothing looks remotely like the dreams that Joseph dreamed.

- Not only that, but now he is a slave, sold to his half-brother line of the Ishmaelites and then resold to an Egyptian.

- I imagine that in the darkest hours of the long journey down the road to Egypt, that his dreams mocked him.

- And yet, all the while, in the mind and economy of God, Joseph's dreams were not being cancelled, they were instead being conceived.

• Genesis 37:36 : "Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard."

- I am sure that he could not have seen it, but God had just put him into a position that would begin to prepare and ready him for the role of his lifetime.

- How about our lives? How many of us are involved in stories where things seem bleak?

- How many have kids that are not close to the dream? How many have marriages that are not near the dream?

- Things seem as if they will never happen, but how many of us need to be assured that God is still working and bringing the dream to pass?

III. The Foreshadow Of Christ's Life

- Finally, one cannot get away from type of Christ that this story provides regarding the life of our Savior.

- It's really appropriate especially as we are at the point in the Christian calendar where we are celebrating the passion of Christ.

- Note the similarities.

- Like Joseph, Jesus was also hated and rejected by His brothers for His claims.

- Like Joseph, Jesus was sold for the price of a slave and delivered up for abuse.

- And like Joseph, Jesus' deliverance up to abuse would eventually open a door of salvation to His brethren, and indeed, the entire world.

- In our lives, let me note that suffering is always part and parcel for our walks with Christ.

- Anyone who proclaims a pain free existence in Christ is selling a false gospel.

- Paul told this to his protege Timothy.

• II Timothy 3:10-12 : "But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

Conclusion

- As we close this study, it would seem that you are one of three types of people.
- Perhaps you are entertaining sinful activity and you need to be warned. Sin is always destructive, to you, to your family. Flee now!
- The second type of person is entertaining the thought that God is not acting on your behalf presently and you need to be encouraged. God is not done writing your story. This chapter may be filled with pain and suffering. Know that whatever is happening now, He will turn around. It may seem bleak, impossible or improbable, but don’t let the appearances fool you!
- Or you are the third type of person, who needs to see the magnitude of Christ's gift and you need to receive that love afresh. Jesus is our hero because He loved us while we were yet enemies of His. His death and consequent resurrection assure us that we can always experience His love in refreshing ways often. Please don’t miss that chance.