Sermon Tone Analysis

Quick Greeting/Prayer

Good Morning Reliance,

It’s good to be with you this morning.

We will be continuing to take a look at the life of Joseph, but before we do would you please pray with me?

Father,

You are the sovereign God of the universe.

There is nowhere where you are not present, yet so often we struggle to see you.

Where are you when life prosperous, and we have little needs?

Where are you when we are tempted to sin?

Where are you when we are falsely accused?

I pray that you would unveil our eyes to see you in all of our circumstances and to seek the righteous responses to life that you have commanded of us.

In Christ’s name and for His glory we pray.

Amen.

Introduction/Context

Last week, we began looking into the life of Joseph.

Joseph was a young man, an old boy by our standards about 17 years old, who through no wrong of his own, was sold into slavery because of the favoritism of his father and the cruelty of his brothers.

Do you remember what happened?

Because of his dreams from God and the favoritism of his father, Joseph was disliked among all his brothers yet was sent out to find his brothers in the field of Schechem.

Once arriving there, his brothers enacted a plan to get rid of him:

What would be your response if those were your circumstances?

If your family hated you so much that they literally were about to feed you to lions, but thought “hey, let’s sell you for some cash instead” and then fake your death to hide the evidence from your father who helped cause their jealousy in the first place?

Some of you probably know the feeling though.

What has been your response before?

When your family or friends spurn you through no fault of your own or even when you have sinned against others.

When the relationship is so strained because of a righteous conviction or because of such a prominent sin that it just snaps.

Where the Lord in those moments?

When you’ve made it to the top of your business or profession and have no financial need or burden, when your integrity and reliance on the LORD and His commands drove you to a place of prosperity?

Where is God?

Where is God when you’ve done nothing wrong yet are cast off like trash?

Where is God in your temptation?

Where, after earnest and prayerful examination with God’s Word in hand and others affirming your righteous moments, by nothing you have done wrong, you enter into the darkest pits of suffering, trial, temptation…where is God for the believer who is persecuted, hurt, and scared?

Where is the LORD When the Righteous Prosper?

Let’s start at the beginning: Where is the LORD When the Righteous Prosper? (repeat this)

We begin in a very different point than when we left off in chapter 37. Jacob is no longer in a pit, but is a slave.

He’s not a slave to just anybody though.

Let’s take a look at the first few verses of Genesis 39 again.

Joseph Prospers

There is no way outside of God’s providence that Joseph should be in this position.

Moses, the author with God who wrote the book of Genesis makes sure we know that.

When we read, “the LORD” in these verses and the following verses, Moses is using the personal name for God to tell us that God is personally involved in what is happening to Joseph in this ascension out of the pit.

Eye Doctor Illustration

A few years ago I went in to get my eyes checked for new reading glasses so, you know, I could read.

The eye doctor was helping the clinic out for the day from another clinic in Wyoming.

We got to talking and he asked me what I did for a living.

I told him I fix furnaces and Air Conditioners.

He asked me what I wanted to do.

I told him I wanted to be a pastor and to work in ministry.

I come to learn that this man also worked as a vocational counselor; he helped people figure out their professions on the side.

This was what he told me:

We always aim for what we want to be, but that’s like crossing a river most times.

You see the destination from across the shore, but you end up further down the river than when you first set out.

Sometimes it’s closer to the destination, sometimes farther from the destination.

I think that’s the case with more than just vocation.

We set out of our homes each day with an expressed purpose and intention.

I’m willing to bet that is the same with Joseph.

I doubt that he woke up one morning and thought, “what if my death is faked and I’m sold to be a slave so that I can be over a rich man’s home?

I’d like to do that one day.”

Doubtful.

We will all “cross the river” in some sense of the analogy, but God’s providence is what determines where we end up landing.

Potiphar’s House Prospers

Not only does Joseph prosper, but Potiphar prospers as well.

The blessing given through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob extends to Joseph and the nation that blesses him.

Remember the promise God gave to Abraham in Genesis 12:3?

This is the same kind of prosperity that we saw given to Laban when Jacob was dwelling in his land as well back in Genesis 30:30.

Potiphar sees the LORD at work in Joseph’s life.

He understands that the LORD is who causes whatever Joseph does to succeed.

Joseph, because of no fault or wrong of his own becomes the head of this house in Egypt.

He is righteous in Potiphar’s eyes and in the LORD’s.

God is using Joseph to further His glory.

Because the LORD is present with Joseph, Joseph prospers.

Application

The temptation we have in our prosperity is that we begin to believe the lie that we got here on our own initiative and hard work.

That we manufactured our prosperity.

It’s usually a subtle doubt of God’s handiwork, but eventually becomes so great that we don’t even recognize God.

Our luxuries become necessities as a friend of mine once put it.

The thing which we were stewards over, is now our master and we become enslaved to it.

I can’t help but think of our smart phones reflecting our faces in its black mirror, but also in the content we store on it.

Narcissus would have a field day if he could have gotten onto the internet.

How should the righteous man respond to his prosperity?

Not by submitting himself to the slavery of luxury, but by stewarding all that he has been given with outstanding integrity and giving glory to God for all He has given.

Consider the parable of the talents.

In Matthew 25 when Jesus presents this parable a Master gives his servants money to invest, to steward.

Eventually he comes to settle accounts with those much has been given to.

This is what has happened with Joseph.

He righteously handles what has been given by giving glory to God.

Steward well what God has given you to enter into the “joy of your master.”

Where is God when the righteous prosper?

He is present, empowering the righteous to maintain their righteousness as they recognize and steward every good thing which comes from Him, while rejecting everything that does not.

Where is the LORD When the Righteous Resist Temptation?

It’s easier said than done though.

There are still things that I wish I could change about myself.

If I could Change Myself…

If I could change things about myself when I was born I would.

I would choose to have a lower voice, and a stronger build.

I want to learn Aboriginal throat singing and I want to be able to pickup a car and move it when it encroaches on my parking space.

I would change my name to something like “Brock,” which I assume is a combination of “brick” and “rock,” both things that are tough and masculine or whatever.

I’m not alone in things I wish I could change about myself from the beginning.

We are what we are by God’s design.

Here’s what the author says about Joseph.

“Handsome in form and appearance.”