Mandy to South Africa

Our daughter left for South Africa on Thursday August 28th with Azusa Pacific University to study abroad. Mandy went with 11 other nursing students. They will be in Capetown for 4 weeks and then to Zululand for the remainder of the time where the nurses will do Community Health Clinicals. Cheryl and I drove down on Wednesday the 27th for her commissioning service.

The Life of Joseph #5

You have got to watch the video at the end.

The Life of Joseph #5
Becoming a Believer of Integrity and Forgiveness
August 31, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming

Do you like to wait??? I do not think anyone likes to wait. We wait on other people, we wait for people to come, we wait for people to make a decision, we wait for people to leave, we wait for people to be quiet and finish like some of you are going to wait on me…… --- we wait on things to happen to us. We wait to get a drivers license. We wait to get married and sometimes we wonder if that will ever happen…… especially to the right person. Sometimes we wait to get a job promotion. We wait to see our church family grow….. We wait to see our husband or wife change and we wait for the children to grow up. Although we must wait, our society teaches us not to wait – you deserve it now – buy now and pay later – you have 60 months. Put it on credit – do not wait. Americans save negative 8% of their income while the Japanese save 33% of their income. We are not a patient nation of people. Look on your outline:

Isaiah 40:31 “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint”

Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

Do you like waiting on God? What does it mean to wait on God????? When you ask God for something - most of the time it does not come or happen right away – you have to wait.

Turn in your bible to Genesis chapter 41. ………. Last week we left off in chapter 40 with Joseph still in the dungeon – he had blessed the cupbearer with a favorable interpretation of his dream and the king restored the cupbearer to his previous position but verse 23 says that the cupbearer said nothing to the king about Joseph. Following along with me as we read what happened to Joseph – this is quite long so please stay seated………….

Can you imagine what those two years were like for Joseph as he waited on God in that dungeon again. He hung on – days became weeks and weeks became months. Remember God had not revealed to him when this dream that he had was going to take place----- he did not know a time frame…… Joseph had learned to place his faith in God. He had learned to have a conversation with God and he had learned to tune his ear into God. He had no faith in Potiphar – he did not place his faith in the warden and he definitely had no reason to place his faith in the cupbearer….. When men failed him – he knew that God was still with him – God was in control – there was nothing that could happen to him that God did not have His hands on. That is what enabled him to endure in the midst of deep sorrow and distress. Joseph had early on in his life understood and grabbed the meaning of the sovereignty and supremacy of God. A God – focused doctrine or belief about God understands the meaning of sovereignty and supremacy. We are talking about waiting on God --- but since God is the focus of our waiting and why we wait --- it would help to understand what it means when we talk about the sovereignty and supremacy of God. I put some definitions on your outline: They help – but knowing God more and more – talking to God and hearing from God and obeying God and enjoying God really causes you to say and experientially taste that you do believe in His supremacy and sovereignty. On your outline:

Sovereignty = God’s absolute right to do all things according to His own good pleasure. This means He can do what He wants to do and you do not understand it and your mind and your emotions cannot comprehend it….. In June , I found my belief in the sovereignty of God tested when I held and rocked my dead grandson Caleb hour after hour…..
As Joseph sat in that dungeon after doing the right thing with the cupbearer I can imagine that he too found his belief tested.

Supremacy = He is the one who is highest in authority and has all power. Joseph knew that God was God and he was not. When we try to be God --- we do not wait. We want to be in control of our circumstances and we want to control other people. When we think we know better than God we go right ahead and take and make all of our decisions without God. We do not submit to spiritual authority --- we do not seek the advice of others --- we simply go right ahead and do what we want to do……. God is supreme and that means it is He who has all authority and all power – we do not. Think about that the next time you have a confrontation with someone or a circumstance that arises that you do not have the resources for or the answer for.

Another bible character that had learned to wait on God and who believed in the sovereignty and supremacy of God was Job…. Job had lost his family, he lost his health, and he did not have caring friends. He had nothing and in the depth of his despair he searched for God and waited on God….. Job 23:3 - 10 (Job speaking about God) “If only I knew where to find Him; if only I could go to His dwelling! I would state my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would find out what He would answer me, and consider what He would say. Would He oppose me with great power? No, He would not press charges against me. There an upright man could present his case before Him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge. “But if I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. When He is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.
Grab hold of this last statement by Job --- Joseph could have written the same words.

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” God was certainly testing and preparing and teaching Joseph’s patience – God was teaching Job to wait and He was teaching Joseph – He is also teaching you and me….

Notice now what happens in chapter 41 – the King has a dream and the King calls all of the wise men throughout the land of Egypt to come and tell him what the dream means. All of them came – he told them his dreams and no one could tell him what the dreams meant. The cupbearer was watching all of this take place and in verse 9 he says, “today I am reminded of my shortcomings” --- perhaps he felt guilty about not telling the King about Joseph for the last two years and now he tells the king about how in prison there was a man who told him what his dreams meant. Notice that the cupbearer in verse 13 says to the King “and things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us.” The king must have been impressed by the statement – “things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us”…. and he sent for Joseph immediately.

Joseph was brought from the dungeon and as soon as he had changed his clothes and shaved. Egyptian men were always shaved. Pharaoh tells him that he had a dream and that no one can interpret it… but he had heard that he was one who was able to interpret dreams. Notice what Joseph did: He takes no credit for what he did in the dungeon with the cupbearer and points the King to God ---- look at verse 16 --- “I cannot do it, Joseph replied to the King, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires. “ This is the same thing he did with the cupbearer and the baker --- he pointed them to God. Notice here the character of real biblical integrity of Joseph shines…….

Biblical integrity honors God for ones achievements and successes. That was Joseph – and God wants that to be you and me………

This honesty of Joseph’s causes the king to trust him….. so the king tells him his dreams and Joseph interprets them for him. He tells him there is going to be 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine. The second dream Joseph says was simply to drive home the point that this will happen very soon…… Joseph had waited – he had waited years and in that waiting he had matured. In that waiting he had gained wisdom and his wisdom allowed him to see the unfolding of the plan that God had designed long ago. He knew that this King was listening and he was open to suggestions so look back to your bibles at verses 33 -36. where Joseph makes a bold proposal to the king….. “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning man and a wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt…… Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh to be kept in the cities for food. “……. Pharaoh loved that plan, and in verse 38 it says “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God? And in verse 40 he says “you shall be in charge of my palace, all my people will submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” ---- so Joseph was put in charge of all of Egypt and verse 46 says that he was 30 years old at this time. 13 years later. You talk about waiting. You talk about being prepared and having God mold you and make you and develop your character. Joseph knew what it meant to wait on God…. Do you know what it means to wait on God? Is the character quality of patience strong in your life or is it weak? What lessons can we learn from Joseph?

Waiting Lessons:

Lesson #1 When a believer learns to wait patiently they are strengthened in their confidence in God without reducing the self confidence they need to function victoriously in life.

Joseph was not a young man who was not confident – he most likely was too confident – that is why he got in over his head and told his brothers his dreams. Through out all of his trails he never lost his confidence – especially his confidence in God. You can see this when he stood before Pharaoh – he did not try to impress the King – he did not boast to the king about what he had done – he simply said – “I cannot do it but God can”. If you remember – he had said the same thing before two years earlier to the cupbearer” --- the two years of waiting did not weaken his confidence --- it strengthened it. In what areas of your life does your confidence in God need to be strengthened???????? Write something down…………

Men and women of God who are forced to live in circumstances that are totally beyond their control emerge knowing more than ever before that, without God they can do nothing. When their faith is tested --- it comes forth like refined gold. Peter put it this way…

1 Peter 1:7 “These have come (all kinds of trials) – waiting ---- so that your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Your faith is of a greater worth than gold and when the fire is put to your faith it is either going to be proved genuine and it will bring praise to God or your faith is a wasted faith…... Waiting on God through the trials and testings in your life will increase your trust in God.

Proverbs 3:5 - 6 “ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” When you wait – do you attempt to understand why. When I am waiting on my wife --- asking myself that question sure helps me be patient…. What is God trying to teach me?? When you wait --- acknowledge God --- learn to talk to Him – learn to grow in a conversation with God and the last part of the verse says “he will make your paths straight”. Was that true with Joseph? Yea you bet . Can that be true with you and me? It sure can.

Lesson #2 When a believer has a period of waiting it often allows time for them to develop true character and to reflect that character to others. Joseph did not turn away from God. His character did not crack. His character became stronger and stronger and when God gave him the opportunity his character excelled. How did he act when he was sold into the home of Potipher??? He was promoted because of his character. How did he act when he was thrown into the dungeon?? He was promoted because of his character. When he had the chance to interpret the dreams of the Kings men – he gave glory to God and when he was brought before Pharaoh he did the same again. Real godly character does not crack under pressure – it is there where it excels.

Illustration of Peter: Take Peter. He came from a terrible family. He was abandoned by his parents and lived in an orphanage. He did not know when his birthday was until he was 12 years old – no one ever celebrated this day in his life. Peter survived. He became a Christian 20’s and became a successful business man. He made some bad judgments that led him into a world of business that violated his values. Guilt ridden – he resigned as CEO of a million dollar company and then he went through a divorce. Peter struggled and made more mistakes and experienced unbearable loneliness. He soon began to grow spiritually and refocused his life on Christ. His character weakness became strengths. His period of wilderness wanderings and waiting for deliverance from some prison like experiences developed in his qualities in his life that probably never would have happened otherwise. Peter is still growing and maturing – but through his waiting --- God was developing his character.

Lesson #3 Waiting on God increases your hope in God.

Ps 130: 5 - 6 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope. My soul wait for the Lord more than the watchman wait for the morning, more than the watchman wait for the morning.” Who is the Psalmist comparing waiting on God to – the night watchman. Can you imagine being a night watchman – waiting for the morning? You long for your shift to be over – you long for the darkness to be over – you long for the loneliness to be over. What does the verse say the person who is waiting on God is doing while they are waiting ?? They are putting their hope in the Word of God. When you wait on God and you demonstrate patience you put your hope in the Word of God.

How can you put your hope in the Word of God? You have to read it. You have to know it. You have to develop the habit of reading, hearing and meditating on the Word of God. There is no spiritual discipline more important in your life and my life than the intake of God’s Word. There is no substitute for it. The most powerful force to transform you --- give you hope and patience is the intake of the bible. Jesus said in Luke 11:28 “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.” He did not say just the hearing of the Word of God but Jesus included obedience. Paul said in Romans 10:17 “ Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of Christ.” You want to grow in your faith – hear the Word of God. You want to grow in your patience – hear the Word of God. You want to learn to wait like Joseph on God and grow in your hope in God then hear the Word of God.

Ask yourself this question? If your growth in Godliness were measured by the quality of your Bible intake, what would be the result???????? In John 17:17 “Jesus asked God in a prayer “Sanctify them by the truth, your Word is truth”. Holiness comes when we read and obey the truth. The Word of God is the truth. (slide) What is the one thing you can do to improve the intake of God’s Word? Write something down………..

Summary: Some of you are waiting on God. You wait on your wife – you wait on your husband and you wait on your children. Are you waiting on God? Are you growing and maturing as a result of your waiting on God? Are you developing a more sensitive tender walk with Him?

Close: I want to close with a song. I will read the chorus and most of us know the chorus and then read for you verse 1 and 2 and then will stand together and read the chorus again as our prayer.

Slides

Chorus: They that wait upon the LordShall renew their strengthThey shall mount up with wingsAs eaglesThey shall runAnd not be wearyThey shall walk and not faintTeach me LordTeach me LordTo wait

Verse 1
Teach me Lord to wait down on my knees'Til in Your own good timeYou answer my pleasTeach me not to rely on what others doBut to wait in prayerFor an answer from You


Verse 2
Teach me Lord to waitWhile hearts are aflameLet me humble my prideAnd call on Your nameKeep my faith renewedMy eyes on TheeLet me be on this earthWhat You want me to be

Chorus: ------------- stand with me and say together
They that wait upon the LordShall renew their strengthThey shall mount up with wingsAs eaglesThey shall runAnd not be wearyThey shall walk and not faintTeach me LordTeach me LordTo wait

Doctrines of the Faith #1

Doctrines of the Faith referenced from Understanding the Basics by RC Sproul

The following material was developed and given to Silver Hills Deacons at our last gathering. We will continue briefly examining the doctrines of the faith throughout the coming months.

It is vital that a believer know why and what they believe. It is possible to believe and be sincerely wrong. It is possible to believe and be walking and living outside of the light of Christ. What I believe determines how I live. What I believe determines my joy in God and the power of God in my life.

The Calvinist or Reformed or Joy Centered theology is sweeping our nation as many have found a “self help” or man centered view of God empty and lacking of joy. A reformed view of God is one that is systematic. It helps you to understand and know what you believe and it brings it all together in a unified manner. A reformed theology view has 5 foundational stones which encourages the believer greatly and helps them in their walk and growth in God.

1. It is centered on God. It is not centered on man. It helps the believer understand the nature and character of God Himself and how we understand the nature of man. It raises man’s view of God to lofty heights causing one to take sin seriously because it takes God seriously. Sin offends God and violates human beings.

2. It is based upon God’s Word alone. All other views would perhaps say the same thing but in the reformed view you will find the heavy heavy use of scripture ie… you will find less use of stories and practical how to’s. Look at any of John Piper’s writings and you will find it 50% scripture. This view takes scripture as the authoritative Word of God without error in the original manuscripts and practical for use in faith and all walk of life.

3. It is committed to faith alone. Justification by faith alone is the central call of real evangelical faith. This is not a belief of the reformed tradition alone but you would not have a reformed view of faith without it. The father of the reformation – Luther said, “this is the article by which the church stands without which it falls.” Luther said that it is the head and the cornerstone. It is the element which deals with the issue that every human must confront – how can a sinner, and unjust person, ever withstand the judgment of a holy and just God?

4. It is devoted to Jesus Christ alone. It teaches the fullness of Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest and King.

5. It is structured by three covenants. This is why it sometimes is called Covenant Theology. This is why divides it from dispensational theology which divides the bible into 7 dispensations or time periods. It follows the covenant of redemption which is the work of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit in bringing about the redemption of God’s chosen ones, the covenant of works which implies mans response to the redemption, man works as a result of the redemption ie… man is created in God’s image and is given the ability to mirror and reflect God’s character through obedience. Last but not least, the Covenant of Grace which says that man is incapable of and by and in himself of obedience, faith and godliness.

Doctrine #1 Man is radically corrupt
This can be misleading to some who think that there is absolutely no good in man and man is through and through corrupt. Hitler was not as bad as he could be – he did not kill his mother. Turn to Romans 3:9 -18. This is the basic foundational scripture for this doctrine. READ . Notice what it says:

* there is no one who is righteous – not one. No living human being on the face of this earth in his or her original state is in right standing with God. No one can stand before God. So – the saying, “children are basically good” is false and a lie of the devil.

* there is no one who understands. No one understands the things of God. No one can comprehend the things of God. This is why many read or heard the bible and it makes no sense to them. In 1 Cor. 2:14 Paul says that it is foolishness to them.

* there is no one who seeks after God. Man does not find God – God finds man. Man does not seek after God, God seeks after man. A God focused theology – not a man centered theology. This is why once a person comes to Christ, his or her seeking after God does not end. Jonathan Edwards said the seeking after God is the main business of the Christian life. Is there such a thing as a “seeker”?

* If an unbeliever is asked if they hate God, they would probably deny it. Yet, the scripture in Romans 3 makes it plain that in the heart of man is a deep hatred for God. Love for God is not natural for man. Even when a man is saved, our soul tends to grow cold and we experience feelings of indifference toward God.

Man’s Moral Ability
Alone, man has no moral ability to come to God to choose God or to reflect God. This is one brief statement of this belief. Man has lost his ability of will to any spiritual good to bring about salvation. Man is not only lost but his is wholly lost. It is a radical and complete loss – but that does not mean that man has lost the ability to choose but simply he has lost the ability to choose anything to bring about salvation.

Scriptures to Examine and Read:

* Ephesians 2:1 -5
* Romans 7:15-19
* John 6:63-68

Ramifications of a radical corruption belief ?

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Life of Joseph #4

Becoming a Believer of Integrity and Forgiveness
The Life of Joseph #4
August 24, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming

Take your bible and turn to Genesis chapter 40. We are studying the life of Joseph….. Last week we found that Joseph had risen to top of the ladder in the house of Potiphar. He was so trusted and so faithful that Potiphar gave him his checkbook and he turned all the details of his household to him… – he trusted Joseph because he saw the blessing of the Lord was upon Joseph…. and Potiphar was blessed because of that…… But Potiphar was married to a woman who was a wicked sex goddess…… She went after Joseph time and time again and in the end she framed him accusing him of rape by taking his robe and Potiphar had no choice but to put him in prison…. If Potiphar had thought Joseph was guilty…. he would have beheaded him immediately. But to save face – he had no choice but to put him in prison. Do you remember the end of chapter 39 last week? – let me read it again (vs. 20)….. “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him: he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden… (vs. 23) 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.” ……

Have you ever been falsely accused – arrested and sent to prison? I have not. Have you ever been victim of unfair and unjust treatment? In the past 13 years, I have been many times and most of you have. Children mistreat other children – parents mistreat children – wives mistreat husbands and husbands mistreat wives. Some of you have been treated unfairly by an employer – some of you have been a victim. Some of you have done the right thing and gotten in trouble and suffered because of it……. A Jewish girl in school remembers 30 years later…… at Christmas time the kids in her class exchanged gifts and when she opened hers it was a bag of garbage…… A pastor took a strong stand at church on an issue and the tires on his car were slashed and his kids swing set was destroyed……. A little kid reaches out to touch a picture and his mom says, if you touch that again I’ll break every finger in your hand.”

Every person in this room has and will suffer and be treated unfairly and unjustly in his or her life – you can count on it. You have a choice as a believer to allow God to be your defender and be God or you are going to choose to play God. When you are treated unfairly and unjustly are you going to forgive or are you going to be bitter? Are you going to be a victim ? Are you going to trust God or are you going to trust no one? Stand chapter 40 - 41:1

Remember Joseph had been the #1 servant in Potiphar’s house ------ Potipher’s wife falsely accuses him and he is thrown into prison. Notice what verse 21 of chapter 39 says, “while he was in prison, the Lord showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” This was not a 5x9 cell. He did not get three square meals a day – have access to a library and an exercise yard. He was in a dungeon. He was in a pit again . Not only was he in a pit again but in Ps 105:18 it says “they bruised his feet with shackles, and his neck was put in irons.” Can you imagine that? Joseph had done nothing wrong. Where was God?????? He was there. The scripture says that God blessed him and prospered him and the warden saw it…. The warden saw that Joseph was different. He saw his actions and reactions. Remember: When life is unfair – God is there for the believer who focuses on Him………God does not leave the believer alone who is treated unfairly and unjustly. ………. He never has and He never will. Joseph knew that and he had learned it ---he went about glorifying God in whatever circumstances he found himself in and what he did he did for God and God blessed him. You will read nothing about him complaining to Potiphar or about complaining to the warden.

Chapter 40 tells us that sometime later, two guys are thrown into the prison . One was the king’s cupbearer and the other was the king’s baker. These guys were very important men. The bible does not tell us but these guys did something to offend the king. The cupbearer was the one who tasted the kings food and drink to make sure no one would poison him and many times the King would take the cupbearer into his confidence seeking his advice on many things…….Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes The baker supervised all of the food preparation in the king’s house -- if anyone would try and kill the king it most likely would come from someone in the kitchen. These guys are not just fired from their job they are put in prison. The King suspected that at least one of them was guilty.

We can gain more info about the character of Joseph and the impact he made upon Potipher in verse 4 --- it says that “the captain of the guard assigned these men to Joseph” – who was that? It was Potipher. Potipher knew the kind of a man Joseph was and he arranges with the warden for these guys to be under Joseph’s care. These guys were special prisoners and they needed special treatment and Potipher knew Joseph would give it to them.

Application Point: God many times blends human and divine factors to accomplish His purposes in this world. This is what God was doing with Potipher, the warden and Joseph. Remember that when we are undergoing suffering – grief or pain – God will many times bring people into our lives who have undergone the same pain or similar pain. I know that is true as Cheryl and I saw God bring people after people into our lives after the death of our grandson who had similar pain….. Joseph and the two men ended up in prison together for different reason but sharing the same misery – but Joseph was able to minister to them because he was free from bitterness. He was not resentful. He was useful in the hands of God. You find no trace of resentment – hostility or desire for vengeance on his part. Because of that – he was useful in God’s kingdom – even when he was treated unfairly and was suffering himself… he cared… about other people. You and I can become like Joseph!!

Chapter 40 Vs. 4 - 5 says, “after they had been in custody for some time, both men had dreams on the same night” and then it says the next morning Joseph shows up and sees the men and says to them “why are your faces so sad?” Joseph cared about these men. He was other centered. His character shines again with his ability to look beyond his own problems and frustrations and focus on others. God wants you and me to become like Joseph……our world needs other focused people…. These guys tell Joseph that they had dreams and there was no one to explain them to them. I bet Joseph had to bite his lip when he heard that --- little did they know that they had the dreamer of dreamers sitting in their midst. Notice how Joseph uses this opportunity to point them to God with just a question in verse 8 – “do not interpretations belong to God?” Tell me your dreams. Joseph knew that God would help him.

The cupbearer tells him his dream and then Joseph interprets the dream. Vs. 12 “the three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position – notice (verse 14) – “when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness: mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.” Comments… The baker heard him give a good interpretation to the cupbearers dream so he tells him his. Joseph has no choice but to tell him what it means, (vs 18) “the three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree”. The third day came and it was Pharaoh’s birthday and he lifted up the head of the cupbearer and restored him to his previous position but he hanged the baker. The cupbearer forgot about Joseph and said nothing about him to the king. Can you imagine what Joseph must have thought? “Now’s my chance – this cupbearer has the Pharaoh’s ear – he will get me out of here – but no – the scoundrel says nothing to the King. The warden did not come and announce to “Joseph – you have been remembered you are set free”. Look what chapter 41:1 says --- “When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream.” Two more years – he was forgotten – he was overlooked – he could have said to himself – look God – I have walked with You… I have served you faithfully….I spoke the truth and that man forgot me ---you have forgotten me too…… No --- he did not say that---- this young man continued to wait – to trust and to hope and to lean on God. He is just like you and me. He believed God – He had a daily communication with God and he refused to become bitter and self focused. You and I can be like Joseph.

Lessons When Treated Unfairly

1. Do not allow bitterness to capture your soul. Humanly speaking Joseph had every reason to be a bitter – resentful – unforgiving man. I do not know of anyone in this room who has been treated in their life as bad as Joseph was treated – although I am sure that your pain makes it seems like you have. Paul wrote these words to the church in

Ephesians 4:26 -27,32 “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Anger and un forgiveness in your life that is not dealt with will lead to a lingering bitterness and all other sinful kinds of behavior. Bitterness and an unforgiving spirit is self destructive – emotionally – physically and spiritually.

Do not misunderstand me --- this does not mean that we cannot speak out against injustice and especially injustice against ourselves. Joseph did when he asked the cupbearer to speak to Pharaoh about him. But Joseph waited for God to take care of things. He waited for God to right the wrongs against him. As a Pastor - I have seen many claim the name of Jesus and yet they have allowed bitterness to capture their soul. They are really in bondage as a believer. Maybe there is some area or someone in your life that you are in bondage to? Dr Erwin Lutzer says you can identify if this has happened to you. I put his list on your outline:

Are you in bondage? --- are you guilty of one?

* You are walled in by bitterness. Bitter feelings form thick walls designed to protect your own resentment.

* You are blind to your own personal faults. You choose very easily to see the faults of others but you have become blind to your own glaring faults? I know people who I am afraid to point something out in their life because of their blindness. When you do you are added to their list.

* You are in search of vengeance. Your wounded pride gives you a desire for revenge. You want the one who offended and wronged you to pay for their offenses. When they suffer or get into some kind trouble you are kind of happy.

* You are bent on destruction. You use manipulation, threats, accusations, and discord in an attempt to destroy the one who has offended you.

* You are given to idolatry. You have made the offense or offenses into an idol. Your bitterness has replaced any affection or devotion to God that you might have had. ….

Instead of bitterness Joseph chose to respond to his unjust treatment differently – he chose 5 responses--- write them down 1. He chose to live in the present and not in the past. He did what Paul did – he forgot what lied behind him. He focused on today. 2. He chose to free those who had injured him. You can choose to forgive and free those who have hurt you from your past or you can hold onto them and let them eat you alive.3. He remembered that in all the injustice done to him – God was present. When God permits evil to touch your life – He will use it for His higher purposes … 4. He choose to bless those who had wronged him and 5. He choose to not to retaliate against those who had hurt him. He trusted God to right all wrongs. Bitterness did not capture Joseph soul – it does not have to capture yours.

2. Do not allow yourself to turn away from God but turn to Him even more. Many people who are mistreated allow their bitternesses toward those who caused it to be directed towards God. This is why you find many believers who say – “I want nothing to do with the church” and that believer has not gathered with a body of believers for worship in months and years. I have a book that was written about that with the title “When Bad Christians Happen to Good People.” The author says that a high percentage of Christians leave the church and even the faith because of an offense from another believer…. He says their excuse in jumping ship is a smoke screen for the real issues confronting that believers life….. Do you think Joseph was tempted to blame God for his circumstances??? I believe he was…. but he grew in his relationship with God and Joseph chose to turn to God – he did not blamed God or question God – he drew near to God.

It might seem like Joseph had some way of looking into the future and knowing that believers were going to encounter offenses – wrongs – injustice and unfair treatment again and again. He knew that it was character of a person that counted in God’s eyes. The apostle Peter knew the same thing. Look on your outline: you ought to remember this:

1 Peter 2:18-21 “Submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God – does that sound like Joseph? But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Joseph turn to God even more in his suffering --- Peter did and so can you and I.
Third lesson

3. Patiently wait for God to vindicate you and honor your faith and positive attitudes. Ok – up to this point – if I am counting correctly and my commentaries are correct – Joseph had been in Egypt 11 years. He is somewhere around 28 years old and most that time has been spent in prison. From the time that he told the cupbearer the answer to his dreams the bible tells us it was two years. I do not know about you but I have a hard time waiting. I have a hard time waiting on others but I also have a hard time waiting on God but I know that this lesson is true. One time: I waited and prayed for two years that God would vindicate me with two believers who had wronged me – attacked me – gossiped about me and rejected me. God brought them back in His time and our relationship is 100% restored.

Waiting on God grows our faith. Waiting on God deepens our maturity and molds our character. How long have you prayed a certain prayer? How long have you prayed for the salvation of someone? When we wait on God we grow in our trust of God. Mica 7:7 “But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior;… my God will hear me.
Proverbs 20:22 “ Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and He will deliver you.” and then on your outline:

Ps 130:5-6 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love.”

Your world may not be filled with Egyptian dungeons or dreams to interpret or even a horrible past like a Nazi War Camp. Your mistreatment might have come in different package. It does not matter what it is or has been…. but it hurts……… some of you can still feel the pain….. You feel the rejection and how you have been treated unfairly….. God has never abandoned you or left you. He understands the pain that was brought on by the evil or disappointment of failure and he is using it to bring you into a tender sensitive walk with Him. God is good and Jesus Christ is real. May he give you the strength to endure – to trust Him to allow no bitterness in your life and that you become the man or woman of integrity and forgiveness that God intends for you to be.

Close: Please watch this video clip with me and let it speak to your heart

Sexual Temptation

It was good to hear the conversations about dealing with sexual temptations after Sundays message when we examined the life of Joseph and his victories over sexual temptation. It is an issue that we must talk about. It is an issue that we must talk about openly. Parents, speak to your children. Speak to one another. Pray about it in prayer groups together. What or who is Potiphar's wife in your life??

When someone is defeated again and again with sexual temptation you will find their presence in the church becomes less and less. Persistent sexual sin affects ever area of our lives. It robs us of joy, it robs us of our character. I was very encouraged when someone named "Luke" asked me if I used Covenant Eyes on my computer. Someone cared enough to challenge me. Thank you.

Do Not Read The Bible

J.I. Packer writes, "If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop fold from digging into the Bible. Knowiong that it is the Word of God, teaching men to konw and love and serve teh God of the Word, I should do all I could to surround it with the spiritual equivalent of pits, thorn hedges, and man traps, to frighten people off... At all costs I should want to keep them from using their minds in a disciplined way to get the measure of its message."

Forgiveness

July and August seems to have been months of focus on the issue of forgiveness in the of a believer. I am not sure if it has been my studies in Genesis on the Life of Joseph that has attracted me to readings on the subject or if it is my personal passion to be a man of forgiveness and a pastor of those who are forgiving? Read the following comments from researcher Edward Hallowell:

"You should learn to forgive for exactly the same reason you should quit smoking, work to lower your cholesterol, go on a diet to lose weight or take up exercise to control your blood pressure. Forgiving improves your life by improving your physical and emotional health and by increasing your chances of living longer. If that isn't enough reason to forgive, consider that living in anger and resentment can be as bad for you as smoking cigarettes or having high blood pressure or an elevated level of cholesterol. In other words, high blood pressure and resentment can kill you... Scientific studies show that angry, resentful people have heart attacks more frequently than those who forgive more naturally. People who harbor anger and resentment are more likely to erupt and lose control, and they are more prone to violence. They are more likely to self- medicate with alcohol and other drugs, and they are less able to make positive human relationships that last."

Response

Luke asked me if I use Covenant Eyes. I do not. I have found that being honest with a group of men who pray on Tuesday mornings has kept my eyes and heart healthy using the internet. I know that for others, Covenant Eyes is excellent and essential. Thank you for asking.

The Life of Joseph #3

Becoming a Believer of Integrity and Forgiveness
The Life of Joseph #3
August 17, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming

I read this quote this week… "I want to see our party lead on the great moral issues — "If we want to live in a moral, honest just America and if we want to live in a moral and just world, we can't wait for somebody else to do it. We have to do it."….. A national politician uttered those words even while he was having an affair. Sexual temptation in our country is everywhere and we are loosing the battle…… Every person in here battles temptation. Some of us battle the temptation to lie – some of us battle the temptation to steal – some of us constantly battle over eating – some of us battle gossip and jealousy – every person in here at one time in their life battles sexual temptation – especially the male race. An elderly 80 year old pastor was giving a talk at a men’s retreat on the subject of purity. After the talk, a young man came up to him and said, “at what age does this battle for sexual purity stop?” He said, I do not know but it is sometime after the age of 80….. Sexual temptation is killing our nation – our churches and our children. Is it possible for a believer in Jesus Christ to day in and day out – week in and week out – to walk in sexual purity and victory over sexual temptation? Your first response to that question most likely is yes --- but is it really possible today???? Pornography is a multi billion dollar industry.

According to our society - Penthouse and Playboy are men’s magazines – not pornography. Sex sells – so we see it everywhere –of course we are tempted….

We are studying the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Turn today to chapter 39. Do not tune me out as we study this subject today. Sexual temptation affects every person in here. Temptation in one form or another is part of your life – if it is not – you are dead.

On April 9, 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis at the age of 39 years old. In his short little 50 page book “Temptation” – he writes, “ In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, or love of fame and power, or greed for money, or finally, that strange desire for the beauty of the world, of nature. Joy in God is being extinguished in us and we seek all our joy in the creature. At this moment, God is quite unreal to us, He looses all reality, and only desire for the creature is real; the only reality is the devil. Satan does not fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God…. The lust thus aroused envelops the mind and will of man in deepest darkness. The power of clear discrimination and of decision are taken from us… It is here that everything within me rises up against the Word of God.”………… can you identify with these words of Bonhoeffer???

There is not a person on the face of this earth who has never been tempted. Including Jesus Christ. There is no person who has never given into temptation except Jesus Christ. We cannot escape temptation.

Temptation has many faces in our lives. On your outline write them in:

* Material temptation. It is our lust for things. There is no one in here who has never yielded to a passion for things. Some of you are in debt because of your strong desires for things. For some of us shopping makes us feel good – getting a thing that you do not need at a good price. You want more, you want newer, you want what the other person has. Material temptation.

* Personal temptation. It is our lust for fame, authority, for power, or control over others. Every person wants to be recognized and valued.

* Sexual temptation. It is our lust for another person or in reality our lust for their body. It is a hedonistic desire to have and enjoy that which is not one’s own legally or morally. We are going to study this third one today and we are going to do so focusing on the life of Joseph and his encounter with Potiphar’s wife. Stand with me as we read chapter 39.
Background - If you remember last week - the brothers threw Joseph in the well – took his coat - and then they saw the Ishmalite caravan going to Egypt – they sold him to the merchants who took him to Egypt and then sold him to an Egyptian captain named Potiphar who was the chief of the executioners. Joseph found himself in a country with a language that he did not speak and a culture that he did not know. Notice that the bible does not tell us how long he was working in Potiphar’s house – he could have only been there two months or two years. The bible does not even tell us about the adjustments that Joseph had to make – he grew up in a rural unsophisticated culture and now he is in sophisticated Egypt. Joseph not only adjusted to his new home and surroundings but he flourished in it --- he bloomed where God planted him. He made lemonade out of his lemons.

The bible tells us why --- look at verse 2. “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered” God was with Joseph – He gave him the ability to learn the Egyptian language – above all the bible tells us that God gave him favor in Potiphar’s eyes. God was with Joseph – luck had nothing to do with it – it never does in the life of a God focused believer. Notice that Joseph did not have to tell Potiphar about his God like Jonah did – the bible says that Potiphar was able to see his God working his life – verse 3 “When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.
Potiphar put him in charge of his household and, he entrusted to his care everything he owned – and God then blessed the household of Potiphar. Do you not find it amazing that a pagan man who worshipped the “gods’ of Egypt could see a difference in the life of Joseph. What was it with Joseph? What did Potiphar see in Joseph? 3 points

#1 He was hard working and diligent. The captain of the executioners knew how to identify hard work and success. He knew who was trustworthy and carried out assignments and who did not argue and cause problems. He gave him more trust and greater responsibility. #2

#2 Potiphar saw his devotion to his God. Joseph was most likely a Daniel. The bible tells us that Daniel got down on his knees to pray three times a day. Joseph most likely did the same thing and Potiphar saw it – when Joseph went out to eat with him at Chili’s he bowed his head in front of everyone and prayed. Remember Joseph did not have the bible to read like you and I do – it was not written – he did not have a men’s group of fellow believers to encourage him and hold him accountable – he had God to talk to. He grew in his devotion to God through his prayer life. #3

#3 He earned Potiphar’s trust and respect and everything in his household – finances included was turned over to him. Notice what the bible says about Joseph – he was well built and handsome – he was a hunk – the words the bible uses to describe Joseph were only used in the bible to describe 3 other people – King Saul – King David and Absalom. Potiphar was not the only one to notice Joseph – vs.37 – says “and after awhile his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said “come to bed with me.” But Joseph refused again and when the first time did not work – she tried again and again he refuses her. Why? What was wrong with him? This was not sexual temptation from afar it was right in front of him. He did not have to turn on a computer in the privacy of his home – he did not have to pay any money – this was free and easy fulfillment of his pleasures. He earned it and deserved it . Why did he refuse her twice? What was it in this young man? On your outline:

Why did Joseph not give in?

1. He had the right concerns in his life.

* He would not violate Potiphar’s trust. (vs.8) “but he refused. “With me in charge, he told her, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.” He knew that giving into sexual temptation was not a private matter – sexual immorality always smells --- someone always gets hurt – someone always gets robbed and the trust of someone in your life is always violated. Joseph has worked hard to gain the trust of his master and he was not going to give it up for one moment of pleasure.
Potiphar was not stupid – he knew that Joseph was handsome and attractive and he probably knew the kind of women his wife was – amazing – he did not trust his wife – he trusted Joseph. I do not believe that Joseph did not look and that the advances of the women did not tempt him to ponder her offer – he says to himself – the trust of my master is so valuable to me – it is more valuable to me than my own personal pleasure and desires…….. THINK: Whose trust do you have? Whose trust have you worked and worked and worked to get? How valuable is it to you?

* He would not violate his spiritual convictions. (vs.9) “No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Joseph would not disobey God. Remember he had a limited understanding of God’s laws – but he knew God personally and he knew that it was wrong in his heart to have sexual relations with Potiphar’s wife or any woman who was not his wife. His spiritual convictions would not allow him to “sin against God”. Think about that:……. If you want stronger and stronger power to resist temptation then you have got to increase your spiritual convictions more and more and more. It did not happen to Joseph once but twice. He refused her again and again. Do you remember Bonhoeffer’s words?

“In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce.With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret. smoldering fire is kindled… the lust thus aroused envelops the mind and will of man in deepest darkness. The powers of clear discrimination and of decision are taken from us.”

The apostle James puts it this way: James 1:13 -14 “When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone ; but each one is tempted when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”

Not only did Joseph care about his own spiritual convictions but he cared about the reputation of God. I cannot imagine the damage that has been done in our society that began years ago with the Jimmy Bakker affairs and then it lead to Jimmy Swaggart and most recently with Ted Haggard. Those are big names – but each of us have to look at ourselves and examine our personal spiritual convictions ---- do we really care about the reputation of God??

2. He had the right strategy to stay pure. (vs 10) “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.” Notice what it says – she spoke to Joseph day after day --- what did she say? She most likely was propositioning him time and time and time again. When the lust of another tempts you to give in to your own lust, so much that your resistance weakens, you have been enticed.
Joseph did not give in and his resistance did not weaken – he did not keep going up to the fire and seeing how close he could get without getting burned notice what it says – he refused to be with her --- eventually he avoided her. When he saw her coming – he went the other way. He knew that when that woman walked through the door – his passions would be aroused and the sight of that woman was so delicious to his lust – he did not trust himself. He had a plan and he did not play games --- Joseph had a strategy to stay pure. Maybe today he would have paid money for a computer software like Covenant Eyes – or he would not go into a store where pornography was sold or maybe he would not go to a restaurant by himself or ever be in public or private with a woman who was not his wife. In today’s world – I know Joseph would be considered stiff and narrow minded and fundamental – every movie he would examine a review of it to find out what was in it – he would avoid any woman that troubled him. A strategy is a proactive plan that a believer has to pursue purity in his or her life. Maybe it is a woman who is tempted to read romance novels. Or a woman who has another godly woman who she can ask about her clothes and what is not provocative. If you have no strategy to stay pure – you will not.

3. He had the right escape route. (vs.12) “She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me.” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” This last time – the woman set him up – there was no one in the house – she had arranged for the perfect trap – she grabbed him and Joseph ran. When he ran she tore his robe off him. He knew where to run because he had planned what he was going to right from the beginning. He knew the house. He knew the layout and he knew how to get out and away from that woman.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” God always provides an escape route from temptation --- remember it is not wrong to be tempted --- it is sin when we do not take the escape route. God is faithful and He will provide the escape. We have to look for it ---we have to know where it is. Do you know the escape routes in your life away from temptation? Do not read that book. Do not buy the magazine. Do not watch that TV show. Do not go to that movie. Do not go into that store. I know for some men it is putting prayer with other men in their life a top priority.

Summary:
If we are going to have the right convictions in our life – if we are going to have a strategy and if we are going to take God’s escape route so that we may walk in sexual purity we are going to have to look for it – make it --- pay for it – pursue it – do whatever it takes and pay whatever it takes to follow the way out that God has provided for us. God will not leave us with a hot babe like Potiphars wife and give us no escape. ------- I want to close with several comments and a few questions.

Keeping your integrity in the face of sexual temptation

1. When you are successful and things are going well you will be the most vulnerable to sexual temptation. You can count on it --- when troubles are few do not let your defenses down. 1 Corinthians 10:12 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.” When I hear someone tell say they have no problem with temptation I know they are hiding something or foolish.

2. To resist temptation, you must have firm moral convictions based upon a biblical value system. You hold your convictions if you care about those who you want to trust you. Having those in your life to whom your are accountable is essential…. – if you do not have the human element of accountability in your life you will not care about the divine element. Paul wrote this to

Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope…”

3. To resist temptation, you must avoid verbal and visual stimuli. Is there a visual Potiphar in your life? If you say no --- then the devil has fooled you. Satan is subtle and he is out to get you and the #1 way it is going to be is through verbal and visual pictures. Who or what is God telling you to avoid in your life that you have not been avoiding?

4. When you resist temptation you may pay a price with people but never with God. Joseph resisted – Potiphers wife took his robe and cried rape. Potipher could have put Joseph to death right away but he mostly likely knew that his wife’s accusation was false but to save face, he put’s Joseph in prison. Joseph paid a painful price for doing what was right….. Never be confused or defeated when you do the right thing and resist. You may loose a friendship. You may loose acceptance by the group. You may be the only one who is not doing it. People might reject you – they might scoff at you and even tell lies about you and try to make you look bad. God never forgets when you resist temptation. Remember – you owe it to your character – you owe it to your family and you owe to God. Make up your mind and plan your strategy and resist.

Let us pray

Temptation

"In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled...The lust thus aroused envelops the mind and will of man in deepest darkness. The power of clear discrimination and of decision are taken from us."

Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hung by Hitler on April 9,1945

New Books

Pastor Ben is reading the following new books:

Spiritual Disciplines for The Christian Life by Donald S Whitney
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Pastor Driven Stewardship by Rod Rogers

Rhea Williams Turkey Shoot

Rhea Williams will be hosting a Saturday morning turkey shoot for the men of Silver Hills at the gun range. On Saturday, September 13th at 7 am we will gather at the range for breakfast, prayer and shooting. Bring your own amunition - Rhea will provide the guns. YOU MUST BE 21 TO ATTEND.

One Minute After You Die

Dr Erwin Lutzer has written an excellent book on the subject of death and the soverignty of God called One Minute After You Die. Lutzer says, for the believer "When the curtain parts, we shall not only find Him on the other side but discover that He is One who led us toward the curtain in the first place." Lutzer very clearly deals with the doctrine of heaven and hell. Why should we fear death if it is the route to our final home? Jesus assures us that there is nothing to fear; in fact, the knowledge that we shall die gives us the courage and hope to live triumphantly in this world. How will the believer be happy in heaven if one or more of our relatives are in hell. Can a child, for example, enjoy the glories of eternity knowling that a father or mother will always be absent from the celebration? Lutzer says that " if God can be content in know that unbelievers are in hell, so will we. Jonathan Edwards said that "heaven will have no pity for hell." Lutzer writes, "The death of a child seems like mockery since God is taking a life before he or she has the joy of accomplishment. But a child's short life can fulfill the will of God. Though we do not understand it, that little one has finished the work God has given him or her to do.. Though now in heaven, the little one continues his or her ministry in the life of the parents and relatives." When I read that, I got up and went and read it aloud to Cheryl. It brought tears again to our faces as we thought of our grandson Caleb who would have been nine weeks old. We asked ourselves - oh God is that ministry happening in our lives?

Thank you for your prayers

What a joy it was to pray with a few on the night of our prayer vigil. It was such a picture of the church in action as those present prayed for the needs of the church family and the pastor (me) heard prayers prayed for him.

Help

Would you bring in some non perishable food to the church office for those in our church family who are having a hard time? Last week, a single mom was able to take home some food for her and there two kids. We keep the food on the bookshelves in the outer office.

The Life of Joseph #2

Becoming a Believer of Integrity and Forgiveness
The Life of Joseph #2
August 10, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming

I kept seeing this sign all around Carson City and noticed the word the politician had at the top of his list – integrity. He obviously believes that he is a person of integrity. I wonder if he really knows what it means? How easy is integrity to loose? How do you know if you have integrity? Webster’s Dictionary says that integrity is “adherence to moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character and honesty……. I do not even know this city politician and he is calling himself a man of integrity – perhaps he is. Is integrity a character quality that I can say I have or must others think of me and call me a person of integrity. If my actions do not match my values, will I get caught? If I do not get caught then do I still have integrity? To have integrity your actions must be determined by your values. You can say that you believe something but if your actions do not show it you are fooling yourself. Blank

We are studying the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Please open your bible to chapter 37. Last week we began by examining briefly Joseph’s family background. We found that Joseph was raised by a father who was a deceiver – his father Jacob was sexually immoral – his father was passive and his father promoted jealousy, anger and resentment in his family and he played favorites in his family. Some of you could see yourself coming from the same family background as Joseph. We read the first four verses of chapter 37 and we found right away that Joseph brought a bad report about his brothers to his father – Jacob was encouraging Joseph to spy on his brothers. I want us to read the rest of chapter 37 so that we might see what Joseph did and how his brothers responded to him. Please stand with me as we read God’s Word.

We read that when Joseph went to his brothers he told them a dream that he had – he said, in his dream, he saw that one day his brothers would bow down to him, they said to him – “do you one day actually intend to rule over us?” and then the text tells us that they hated him all them more because of his dream and what he said.”…. If that was not enough --- Joseph tells them about another dream that he has and he even tells his father the dream. Notice that Jacob rebukes him for telling the dream – why he rebuked him we do not know but his brothers were jealous of him and the bible tells us that his father Jacob took the dream to heart….. perhaps Jacob sensed that God was in his son’s dream. Joseph’s brothers then go off with the herd of animals --- they end up in Dothan ---- after the brothers are gone with the animals his father sends him to his brothers – when his brothers see him coming… all of them want to kill him expect Reuben….. Reuben was the oldest of the brothers -- he talked the other brothers into throwing Joseph into a cistern or dry well. Do you remember Reuben? He was already in trouble with his father – he was the brother who committed incest with his father’s concubine. He knew that he was already in danger of loosing his birthright – so stopping his brothers from killing Joseph was really to protect himself. The brothers took Joseph and took off his ornamented robe that he was wearing and threw him into the well. (blank) They sat down to eat and looked up in the distance…. (photo) they saw a caravan of Ishmalites who were going down to Egypt and they came up with a plan and sold their brother as a slave to the Ishmalites for 20 sheckles of silver or about $13.00. Rueben comes back and finds his brother gone and was upset – what was he going to do now??? But together the brothers decided to deceive dad – (dad had taught them well)---- so they take Joseph’s coat – tear it up – kill a goat and dip the coat in the goat’s blood – they take it back to their father and tell him that an animal had killed their brother and torn him to pieces. Jacob mourns for his son and all the brothers come together to comfort him --- can you imagine that family??? The brothers had to be happy – but maybe they were sorry for their dad and then the text tells us that Joseph was sold to Potiphar – one of Pharaoh’s officials – the captain of the guard. What can we learn from this?? I want you to look with me at the error’s Joseph made and the brother’s responses.

Joseph’s Errors

1. He lacked discernment. He did not really see or understand how troubled his family really was. He did not see how his fathers actions had affected his older brothers. If you remember he was only 17 years old at this time. His father had been treating him with such love and attention since he was the first born son of his beloved wife Rachel who had died… We can conclude that Joseph’s heart was pure… but he lacked experience and wisdom which comes many times from growing older. He had the lessons of the school of hard knocks to go through. He most likely was ahead of his brothers spiritually but that did not prevent him from making some bad judgments….. His dad also set him up by playing favorites with him and giving him the coat which would have been hard for any teenager at that time to turn down. It would have been like giving him a brand new For Mustang to drive……….

God had given Joseph two dreams. We do not know how, but Joseph knew that his dreams were from God. They were prophetic - but Joseph made a serious mistake by telling the dreams to his brothers. He knew God had spoken to him but his youth and lack of discernment got him into trouble with his brothers who were already dealing with feelings of bitterness – hatred and jealousy. Joseph was living in a family that had gasoline poured all over it and now he was going to throw a match on it 2 times. 3 Lessons about discernment

* Youth will cause a person to say things at the wrong time and in the wrong way. Parents – your kids are going to say things to you that just come out of their mouth and later they are going to regret it. Understand that – accept it and teach them where they were wrong and how not to make the same mistake again.

* When you believe that God is speaking to you in some way – ask God to confirm it from the bible. It does not matter if you are youth or an adult. Wait and wait and wait before you say what you think God is telling you to say to someone. God did not tell Joseph to tell anyone his dreams at that time.

* Examine your motives in what you say. Joseph most likely told the two dreams to his brothers because he wanted them to accept him and think well of him – he did not think about what was going on in their hearts. Joseph needed discernment. ---- his second error

2. He lacked sensitivity. He did not consider the impact of his words upon his brothers. His words hurt his brothers and they sent the knife of their father deeper into their hearts. When Joseph told his dream to his father he was just trying to keep his father’s support and approval. But words matter. It matters what we say to one another and it matters how we say it. Pay attention to that teens…. Wives….Disrespect to a husband from a wife comes mostly from her words….. ladies when your husband feels disrespect - it makes it much more difficult for him to love you. Proverbs 10:19 “ When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” and I am sure that the apostle James had that in mind when he wrote in James 1:19 “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Young Joseph lacked sensitivity in his youth. Parents understand your kids when it comes to sensitivity with their words but many adults today in the church need to grow up and become sensitive in their words as well. 3rd error

3. He lacked maturity. What God had said to him might have been true and it was…. but he was not ready at that time to take authority over his family. If you remember – his dream said that his entire family would bow down to him. When God spoke to him – God did not see Joseph stepping into that role and authority at the age of 17. God knew that His servant was going to grow and that it was going to take time and it was going to take suffering – temptation and testing in the life of Joseph for him to be ready to fulfill what God had revealed to him.
Joseph lacked maturity – sensitivity and discernment – how did the brothers respond???

The Brother’s Responses

* They took his coat (vs 23) “so when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe – the richly ornamented robe he was wearing.” This was a coat where the sleeves reached to the wrists and all the way to the ankles – it was beautiful and decorated. It was a coat that was worn by royalty. King David’s daughter Tamar wore such a coat. When she was raped by her brother Amnon – she put ashes on her head and tore the coat from top to bottom. This kind of coat was a symbol of purity. (blank) You remember that when Joseph spied on his brothers and gave dad a bad report about them --- it was most likely because his brothers were involved in some sort of immorality. The older brother Ruben who had already committed incest was most likely the teacher for his brothers. But, Joseph was devoted to purity as a teenager and we are going to see next week that his moral convictions as a young man become part of his life later on when sexual temptation comes right in front of him. 2nd response

* They cast him into a pit to remove him from their sight vs 24 “and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.” Ruben had talked them into not killing him but they wanted to get his robe from him and they wanted their brother out of their sight. These brothers were bitter. Dr Erwin Lutzer says in his book When you have been wronged, ”the impact of bitterness is not merely on the individual harboring it; bitterness also overflows.”……. When you are bitter you will always attempt to build an alliance – you will try to get others to agree with you and affirm your pain. Another way you will see bitterness is in angry living. For example: When a father is bitter – he is kind of passive aggressive in his behavior with his children and wife. One day he is Father of the year and the next day he blows up like Mount Saint Helens. Perhaps you had a father like that or maybe you have a father like that right now?????? There is no such thing as a bitter person who keeps bitterness to him or herself. Let me say that again so that you do not miss it. There is no such thing as a bitter person who keeps bitterness to him or herself. Look on your outline at these words the writer of Hebrews gives to us:

Hebrews 12:5 “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Has that happened in your life in some way? It says that bitterness has a root and then it says that bitterness spreads. Everyone of Joseph’s brothers had been infected by a root of bitterness. Notice what it says is a result of bitterness in your life – you miss the grace of God. You miss joy in God. You look for joy in something else. You think joy will come your way when you get back at the person you are bitter against….. You need to pull that root up in your life. You need to get the person you are bitter against right in front of you and seek their forgiveness ---- you need to get them out of the cistern or well that you have put them in. You need to repent and stop missing the grace of God in your life. 3rd response of the brothers

* With hard hearts, they sat down to enjoy a meal while their baby brother was alone in a dark pit vs 25 “as they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.” ……… A hard heart comes when you no longer hear. I once had a clock long ago and almost every hour it would beep on the hour – there was nothing I could do to get to stop except take the batteries out of it. Eventually the batteries died and the beeping stopped. That is what happens to you and me we try to conceal sin and our conscience finally dies and it no longer bothers you. Joseph’s brothers were like that. These brothers enjoyed their food and thought nothing of their brother. They did not give him any food or drink. They did not have to focus on ignoring him – they did not care. The beeping had stopped. Has the beeping stopped in your life??? Is there someone with who you have a hard heart and you just do not care??? Is there someone you have placed in a pit and you want nothing to do with them??? I know someone who thinks they have forgiven someone and yet they say that they will never see that person again – that is a hard arrogant heart. I am glad that biblical forgiveness and the tender heart of Jesus never says that to me. 4th response of the brothers.

* They sold their own brother into slavery, deciding to make a profit on his life vs 26 “Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him…” Ruben is not present when the brothers see the caravan so Judah comes up with a plan to sell him to the Ismaelites. They not only get rid of their brother – make some money off him but they try to make themselves feel better by telling themselves it is okay because they are not killing him. And then the 5th response of the brothers

* They made a plan to deceive their father. Deception came back to the father of deception. The boys deceived their father in the same way that their father deceived his own father Issac when he stole his brother Esau’s birth right. You reap what you sow. The boys did only what their dad had done. They took the coat, tore it up, killed a goat and dipped the coat in the goats blood. Jacob examined it and saw that it was Joseph’s and concluded to himself, “it is my son’s robe. Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” Jacob then tore his clothes and mourned for his son and refused to be comforted….. I will go down to the grave.” Jacob most likely knew that he knew he had a made a mistake with his son so he decides he will go to the grave blaming and never forgiving himself.

Application

1. We reap what we sow, but self punishment is not the answer to your problems. You will never find joy in God when you go on living like Jacob said he would. Every person in here has made mistakes – you have sinned against your children – you have sinned against your parents – you have sinned against your spouse. It is not God’s will that you go through life blaming yourself. It does not help – it only keeps the wrong going. There is forgiveness in Christ. Accept and give it to those you need to give it to. Some of you fathers need to seek sincerely forgiveness from your children.

2. All of us have factors, both within us and within our environment, that tend to cloud our thinking and blur our judgments. We are vulnerable to making unwise decisions when we are young. It does not matter how much we think we know there is much that we do not know. A lack of wisdom and experience will lead us to make naïve decisions. Story of the New River when I was 14. We must listen to those who are older and more mature but everyone of can cite instances where older people have made serious judgment errors as well. Growing older does not guarantee maturity that is why age alone is not the deciding factor of an elder in a church family.

3. All of us, not matter what our age, tend to make naïve judgments when we become anxious and insecure. This is especially true when we sense rejection. Everyone of us have felt rejection at one time or another. Every youth battles rejection – that is why peer pressure will cause you to something against God’s will – you listen to others instead of listen to God. I put in your program a memory verse and went to the trouble to have it put on card stock --- if you want to be like Joseph – take this verse and pray it through out the week – if want to rely on your own wisdom – throw it in the trash when you leave.

Let us pray.

Christian Couples Happier

Christian Couples Happier, Less Likely to Divorce
Written by Michael Foust

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Men who attend religious services regularly are more likely to have happy and stable marriages, more likely to be involved with their children and less likely to divorce, new research says. Additionally, mothers who attend church weekly are half as likely to have children out of wedlock, the study says.

Winning Your Wife Back Before It's Too Late
The research by the University of Virginia's W. Bradford Wilcox analyzed data from three national surveys: the General Social Survey, the National Survey of Families and Households, and the National Survey of Family Growth. The research also drew partially from data in Wilcox's book, "Soft Patriarchs, New Men: How Christianity Shapes Fathers and Husbands."
"[R]eligious men (and their wives) enjoy happier marriages, they are less likely to father a child outside of wedlock, and they are more likely to take an active and affectionate approach to child rearing, compared to secular or nominally religious men," Wilcox wrote. "Therefore, any effort to strengthen men's ties to their children and families must acknowledge and incorporate the important role that religious institutions play in directing men's hearts toward home."
The research - titled "Is Religion An Answer? Marriage, Fatherhood, and the Male Problematic" - was posted on the website of The Center for Marriage and Families in June. It was commissioned by the National Fatherhood Initiative.

The research paper noted that over the past 50 years large numbers of men have become disconnected from family life. The "percentage of children living in father-absent homes rose from 11 percent in 1960 to 27 percent in 2000," the paper said. Additionally, 38.5 percent of babies in 2006 were born out of wedlock, it said.

The breakdown of marriage, the sexual revolution, declining real wages and the rise of individualism all have contributed to distancing men from their families, the research said. Religion, though, can play a role in bringing men closer to their families, it said. The research found that:
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70 percent of husbands "who attend church regularly report they are 'very happy' in their marriages," compared to "59 percent of husbands who rarely or never attend church."
- men and women who attended religious services several times a month or more "were approximately 35 percent less likely to divorce between 1988 and 1993, compared to their married peers who rarely or never attended religious services."
- fathers who attend church several times a month or more "devote at least two hours a week more in youth-related activities," "are significantly more likely to engage in one-on-one activities with their school-age children" and "are also at least 65 percent more likely to report praising and hugging their children very often" compared to fathers who don't any religious affiliation.
- mothers "who attend church weekly or more are about half as likely to have a child outside of wedlock, compared to mothers who attend church less often or never."
Marriages are strongest when the husband and wife attend religious services together, the research said.
"This finding is important because men, women, and children who are fortunate enough to live in families centered around high-quality, stable marriages enjoy a range of benefits: better health, greater wealth, and more happiness than their peers," Wilcox wrote. "Thus, insofar as this brief finds that religion binds husbands to their wives in stronger marriages in the United States, it also suggests that religion indirectly fosters the physical, economic, and emotional well-being of adults and children."
Why does religion have such a positive impact on fathers and families? The paper cited four reasons. Churches and religious institutions: 1) teach moral responsibility to fathers; 2) provide fathers with opportunities, such as youth groups, to spend time with their children and families; 3) offer encouragement and advice on being an effective parent; and 4) provide a "meaningful order" to life, thereby helping fathers "deal constructively" with trials, such as unemployment and death.

The research also cited data showing that cohabitation - that is, couples living together before marriage - do not provide stability.
"Men living in cohabiting unions are unlikely to stick around and develop abiding ties to their children, because cohabiting unions are much less likely than marriages to endure," Wilcox wrote. "One study found that a child born to a cohabiting couple had a 50 percent risk that her parents would part in her first five years of life; by contrast, a child born to a married couple had only a 15 percent risk that her parents would part in her first five years."

Peacemaking

“Our church has grown significantly in the last few years, but more importantly, God has been growing his people spiritually through our emphasis on biblical peacemaking. I’ve seen marriages reconciled that would have otherwise ended in separation or divorce. I have also seen business disputes that could have easily ended up in court, but instead, have been resolved in the local church. Biblical peacemaking is now a key part of our discipleship process—we want to see peacemaking implanted into the very DNA of our church.”

Paul Smith, Senior Pastor of Warner Avenue Alliance Church

Silver Hills will be joining First Baptist Church in September to begin the 12 week course on Peacemaking. This course will start on Sept 9th at 6:30 pm and it will be held at First Baptist on Mountain Street.

Integrity

I took this photo because it reminded me of our study of the Life of Joseph. This politician is saying that he is a man of integrity - experience and commitment. I wonder if he knows what integrity is and how easy it is to loose? I picked up my Websters Dictionary and it says that integrity is adherence to moral and ethical principles, soundness of moral character and honesty. I do not even know this politician and he is calling himself a man of integrity. Is integrity a character quality that I can say I have or must others think of me as a person of integrity. When I loose my integrity, will I get caught?