Becoming a Victor

Last Time we were here together we talked about the Holy spirit in our lives and how God wants us to stand out as Christ followers.

We talked about how Jesus Stood out, The Disciples stood out and the Apostle Paul stood out. We also discussed that we are called to stand out. And we can do that by first engaging with the Holy Spirits power and leadership.

Second we need to be involved everyday with God’s Holy Word.

Listen the message of the Gospel, is Jesus Christ dying on the Cross and alive today in heaven. In the book called Come back Churches, ED Stetzer points out that The average American church goer has helped to convert zero people to Christ in the last few years.

Here is why, when it comes to the Holy Spirit speaking through us, we are afraid that if we say something, people will think we are crazy. We are afraid that they will think we are a fanatic.

But listen When you speak to people about God, it is about what God has done, is doing and is going to do in your life because of what Jesus did on the Cross for you. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ working through your life. Who better to speak about what God is doing in your life, than you? You may not be able to speak well in front of crowds, read in front of people, we all have challenges, but you can tell someone what is going on in your life, can’t you? They can relate to you. Other people can see themselves in you, that is telling what God is doing in your life, leading them to the cross, in your way of speaking. Amen? Not sugar coating the gospel, but telling the truth.

You are empowered by the God the Holy Spirit to do the works of God. The Holy Spirit speaks to many people through the way we live, the way we act our lives on a daily basis. It speaks to those who don’t know your language they just know you are different. It speaks to those who cannot hear, but they see, It speaks to those who don’t know you, but know what you are like.

I believe that when we live out our lives like Romans 12:9-21 we are living with the Power of the Holy Spirit, testifying to the mighty works of God within us.

Which places us right here today. Open your Bibles with me to the book of Genesis. Genesis is the very first book of the Law, It is the first of the five books called the Torah. This is where we find the story of Joseph. God has given us this great story of life. The Book of Genesis chapter 37, Let me know when you get there by saying.. Amen?

This is a story of overcoming Odds, overcoming the obstacles in life to live out God’s plan.

Like most people you may know the story of Joseph since childhood, it may be through Sunday School, maybe you just know of him and his coat of many colors, you might have heard of the musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat”.

The story of Joseph is taken from Genesis Chapter 37- to the very end of the book chapter 50.

It is through this story that we identify with Josephs pain and suffering and yet He lived this life as we find in Romans chapter 8 verse 28,

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

In Chapter 37 of Genesis we find that Joseph was 17 years of age and it says in verse 3

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors] 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and

eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

So we find that Joseph’s brothers begin planning to kill him. Verse 20 says “come know let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits”

But a brother Ruben heard this and he convinced the others not to kill him but to just throw him in a pit. Later they ended up selling him to some Ishmaelite’s who were gypsies going by, so they sold him onto slavery and Joseph ended up in Egypt. He was the sold to Potiphar an officer of Pharaoh. Potiphar in chapter 39 you can turn there with me, Potiphar made Joseph in charge

of everything he had,Verse 3, Despite his young age and his circumstances he was made in charge of everything in Potiphar house.

“His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had”.

But then he was put in prison because Potiphar wife wanted him to lay with her and he refused, saying “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

So she lied about him and he was put in prison by her husband, while in prison, the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners, who were in the prison.

This is where he meets the baker and cup bearer, if you remember the story, who were put in prison by the king. The Captain of the guard

appointed Joseph to attend to them. He interpreted the cupbearer and the baker’s dreams. The baker was to die however the cup maker would be restored to his job in three days. Joseph tells the cup bearer to remember him because he was stolen out of the land the Hebrews and he has done nothing wrong. The cub bearer is restored and forgets he ever knew Joseph. For two more years Joseph would remain in prison, until Pharaoh had two dreams that could not be interpreted. Then the cub bearer remembers Him and Joseph is cleaned up and brought to Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked can you interpret the dreams and Joseph in chapter 41 verse 16, look at that with me—He tells- listen finally out of prison and look what he does--- “it is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer”

Joseph gives God the Glory before anything- how many of us would have done that.. And that brings us to our Big Idea today

Our Big Idea is: You can choose to be a victim or a VICTOR.

I know a lot of people live their lives as a victim, all you have to do is watch DR. Phil, but today I want to tell you that you can change all that.

With all that happened to Joseph so far, he could have stayed a victim of loss, a victim of his brothers, a victim of life, instead he choose to be a victor. He did not know the outcome of what Pharaoh would do when he answered it is not in me; God will give you the favorable answer.

And as Pharaoh told Joseph the dreams, God gave Joseph the answer 7 years of plenty and then 7 years of famine. He interpreted the dreams and Pharaoh Chapter 41 verse 39 This is one of those but God moments..

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.”

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery.

He was a slave at Potiphar’s house and made ruler over his entire house and everything he owned.

Then thrown into prison, Made ruler of all of the prison and the all the prisoners.

Now in front of Pharaoh and he is now made the second ruler above all, except Pharaoh. He was made Second in charge over all Egypt.

Remember Romans 8:28

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

The famine strikes and Joseph’s brothers come seeking food, He tells them to go back and to bring their brother, speaking of Joseph’s younger brother. Finally Chapter 45 verse 4 and 5 “Joseph tells his brothers who he is: I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

This is an amazing story of Joseph’s life, So why are we talking about it today? Because there are many things to take from the life of Joseph, but when it comes to becoming a Victor instead of a victim we can see three distinct principles for our lives.

The first principle in becoming a victor is that God is must be the foundation of our faith.

What we see in the life of Joseph is that he was never forsaken. Each step of his life God was using for the good. Remember that verse Romans 8:28 this is the promise of God “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose”

This is what Joseph was telling his brothers, when he said And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you

who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

You see what happened to Joseph is a graphic illustration of what Jesus said to His disciples hundreds of years later in Matthew 25:22“ a servant who has been faithful with a few things, will be put in-charge of many”.

WE have to decide between the temporal life and the eternal life. Will we all have to choose in our everyday life to be ruled by our circumstances or to let God be the reign and rule of our lives. God must be the foundation of our faith.

I hear it all the time about how people are related to the saints of the past, and their faith has made the family, there are generations in churches, we call them generational Christians. And don’t get me wrong that is great, we need generational Christians, but the commitment of God from

Family doesn’t make you a Christ follower. My Kids are not Christians because I am an evangelist, a preacher, a pastor.

Joseph’s father was Jacob, his grandfather is Isaac, and his great grandfather was Abraham. The Bible describes God to the people of Israel as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Did Abraham, or Isaac keep Joseph from slavery? No... Through all the rough and tough times Joseph had to rely on God as his own foundation of Faith, not his family tree.

1 Corinthians 3:11 says, “No one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid, that is Jesus Christ.”

When tough times hit in our lives we must seek God as the foundation of our faith and know that all good things will happen according to his will.

Faith is all about our confidence in God and His Word. It is at the foundation of our relationship

with Him and to our ability to believe Him for our needs. He wants us to put our confidence in Him to provide for us, just as He says He will in His Word.

First God is the foundation of our faith.

The second principle for becoming a victor is: Choosing to honor God rather than being angry at the world.

Let’s be honest Josephs life sucked, that’s right I said it….listen- His brothers hated him to the point of wanting him dead. Three times scripture says they hated him even more- they sold him to slavery- Potiphar’s wife lied about him and had him put in prison because he wanted to honor God, so he did the right thing and wouldn’t sleep with her. When he had a chance to get out of prison for whatever reason the cupbearer forgot about him for two more years. Sometimes Choosing to be a victor doesn’t mean everything

will be all good. It doesn’t mean life won’t have challenges.

I grew up in a home without my father; my grandfather was my “father figure” who was especially hard on me. He would find everything wrong with me. Even on special days like birthdays, and Christmas he found ways to pick on me and get at me. I was always the one in his eyes who caused the problems, and the fights. Much of my life I thought he was being tough on me because he did not want me to turn out like my brothers. A few years ago my mother told me the reason he was so hard and mean to me was because he hated my father and I looked like him. So the man who was the constant in my life disliked me and took what my father did out on me. She said that my grandmother, who always stuck up for me, that they would fight because of the way he would treat me and none of the other

members of the family. You know God has always been there, what about you? People say I always been the black sheep of the family. What about you?

When I heard this I thought ohh that is why I am different. That is not true, I am different because I am child of God and Listen…

You are important to God and God loves you. He loves you so much He sent His Son to the cross for you.

Whatever the situation is that you are going through right now- Choose to honor God rather than being angry at the world. There are too many people who are angry at the world and it gets them a first class ticket to nowhere in life.

In the last chapter of the book of Genesis chapter 50 verse 20 Joseph said this to his brothers after his father died,

“As for you, you meant evil against me, BUT GOD meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today”.

I want you to write this down so you can place it on your mirror, put it on your refrigerator, beside your bed, sleeping bag, somewhere, so you can read it every day.

There is a “But God” in every bad situation in my life. I choose to honor God than being angry at the world.

Joseph had all the right to be angry at the world, but he honored God.

Listen to what Romans 1:21 says “for all though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened”

You may have all the right to be angry at the world, but when you become angry at the world

your thinking becomes darkened, you no longer honor God.

John 5:23 says “all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father”

Don’t think you can do one and not the other, it doesn’t work like that. In our hardest times we must seek to honor God. You may have all the right to be mad at the family member, a friend, a neighbor. I have all the right to blame my father- my grandfather, but it won’t honor God. Joseph said to his brothers, it was because of God, I went through all of this, so many people have life. That is God honoring.

First God is the foundation of our faith.

Second Choose to honor God rather than being angry at the world.

Third principle is: Through God we become Victors not victims.

Let me tell you there is Victory in Jesus!

No matter what the circumstance we find ourselves, the problems of the world. There is victory in Jesus.

Josephs victories was because of God, not because of himself.

Joseph dreamed dreams, He was persecuted by his own family, he was separated from his family, he endured hardships, he was sold into slavery, put into prison, but God made him into the best that everything he did. When all else failed, victory came through God. When another thing happened that put him against the wall, God was there. Look at this… each time something happened, his brothers hated, he was sold as a slave, put into prison, and standing before pharaoh, we see this:

The Lord was with him, he was found to be trustworthy, he gained responsibility, and he has great success. That should encourage us!

Scripture tells us in Luke’s Gospel chapter 1 verse 37 “For nothing is impossible with God”

No matter where you are right now, physically, emotionally, spiritually, no matter the situation in this Church, let me tell you… God can have victory in your life.

2nd Corinthians 5:17 “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”

Listen to me there maybe things going on right now in your life. You might be feeling as though the ship is sinking and sinking fast. The ground is giving away, you may feel like a slave to a sin, an addiction, drugs, shopping, pornography. You may feel like you are in prison and cannot break

free from whatever the bondage is. Joseph’s victories were because of God, they were not his and he knew that. That is why he told Pharaoh it is not me, but God.

You can have victory- you can be a victor

Prayer

The three principles of becoming a Victor instead of a victim in our lives are:

First, God is the foundation of our faith.

Second, choose to honor God rather than being angry at the world.

Third, Through God we become Victors.

Becoming a victor not a victim in your life can begin today, because there is victory in Jesus. I don’t know what you are carrying. But today your victory begins right here at the cross. To lay down the stuff in your life, to stop being mad at

the world and begin to honor God, the cross is strong enough to bear whatever you have today.

The Cross was strong enough to bear Christ, Christ was strong enough to bear the sins of the world, He can bear what you have today. All you have to do is release them to him, Tell him you believe in Him, tell him that you are a sinner- confess those sins to him and ask Him to come into your heart.

The Bible says "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9)

Prayer