Relationship Status - “Are you ok?”
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Jospeh has an amazing story to tell…
Family Tree… Drama
Dreams of Greatness: Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob (also known as Israel), and he was his father's favorite. This favoritism, symbolized by a special coat of many colors, caused jealousy among his brothers. Joseph also had dreams that suggested his family would one day bow down to him, which further fueled his brothers' envy.
Sold into Slavery: When Joseph was 17, his brothers conspired against him. Initially, they planned to kill him but ultimately decided to sell him into slavery to a caravan of Ishmaelites going to Egypt. The brothers then deceived their father, Jacob, into believing that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.
Potiphar's House: In Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. Joseph prospered there because the Lord was with him, and he found favor in Potiphar's eyes, eventually being put in charge of Potiphar's household. However, Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph of trying to seduce her, and Joseph was imprisoned.
The Prison: While in prison, Joseph again found favor with the warden because of his good conduct and the Lord's presence with him. He was put in charge of all the other prisoners. During his time in prison, Joseph interpreted the dreams of two of Pharaoh's officials who were also imprisoned - the cupbearer and the baker. His interpretations proved to be accurate, but he was forgotten by the cupbearer for two years until Pharaoh had troubling dreams that no one could interpret.
Pharaoh's Dreams: When Pharaoh's magicians and wise men were unable to interpret his dreams, the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph. Joseph was brought from prison to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, which foretold seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. Joseph advised Pharaoh to store surplus grain during the years of abundance to prepare for the famine.
Governor of Egypt: Impressed by Joseph's wisdom and interpretation, Pharaoh appointed Joseph as governor over Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Joseph was given the responsibility of overseeing the storage of grain and managing the country during the years of famine.
Jospeh’s was in a place of power and prestige…
Who needs family, when I have money and power!
Who needs family, after what they did to me?
The hurt and pain…. 13 years of struggle
4,748 days
I made it!
Me and God did it!
Crazy Me and God did it….
The house I live in
The degree on the wall
The name on my door and desk
The money in bank account
Look at my kids… We are just fine!
Me and God did it…
When he had kids….
Firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”
Can I be honest…
There are times that “He didn’t say it” but “You, said it.”
I’m guilty of saying things…
God got me… I don’t need them.
I’n blessed! (But your not talking to family members?)
You’re posting your new life
You’re posting new friends
You’re saying “God will send you true family.”
Stop tagging God in something that he has no part of!
The second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
To Joseph God was with him and his “Relationship Status” with his family didn’t matter!
I’m fruitful in the land of my affliction.
New Flash: Fruitfulness of materialistic gain does not ease the scars of affliction
Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.
It all comes together! The promise is fulfilled…
He was the governor over the land…
He was the one who sold to all the people of the land…
He was in leadership… He had economic influence and he wasn’t Egyptian! He is an example of being a minority but yet with influence.
And… Don’t tell me that they didn’t trust him because He had control of their money!
“And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground.”
Let me pause for a moment…
God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
This is a reminder if God has spoken to you…
If He showed you…
If His word has revealed it to you…
IT will come to pass!
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.” 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.
Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. “Where do you come from?” he said. They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”
“Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them”
Joseph Saw…
This connection between sight and cognition
Visual Memory: Sight is crucial for visual memory, which is the ability to remember visual images. When we see objects, places, or people that we have encountered before, it can trigger a flood of memories associated with those visual cues.
Emotional Responses: Visual stimuli can evoke strong emotional responses that are tied to past experiences.
Flashbulb Memories: These are vivid, detailed memories of significant events. Visual aspects of these experiences often play a significant role in how these memories are encoded and recalled.
Cue-dependent Forgetting and Retrieval: Visual cues can aid in the retrieval of memories that might otherwise be difficult to access. The absence of these cues can lead to cue-dependent forgetting, where a memory is not forgotten but is inaccessible without the right visual cues.
In essence, sight and cognition are linked in the processing of past experiences.
Visual stimuli not only trigger memories but also color our emotional responses to them, aid in the retrieval of forgotten information, and play a key role in how we reconstruct and interpret our past.
When He saw and recognized them…
He treated them like strangers.
Strangers: to pretend to be a stranger v. — to falsely act as though one does not know another person.
Wait…. Joseph are you ok?
Because something about them has you acting different….
He spoke roughly to them.
Roughly: harsh adjs. — unkind or cruel or uncivil.
Joseph are you ok?
You’re acting out of character!
Today’s message is just asking you a question, Are you ok?
What is it about this family member that causes you to pretend and act unkind\
