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