When Your Breakthrough Doesn’t Come Through?

Genesis 40:9-23

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There are times when you expect a breakthrough to occur in your life, but it just doesn’t happen. So, what are we to do when our breakthroughs don’t happen?

If I had to give this message a title, it would be: “When your breakthrough doesn’t come through”

Our Scripture for today is taken from the Book of Genesis Chapters 40 and 41.

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In these passage of scriptures of Genesis 40-41, we read about a man named Joseph. Joseph was one of the 12 sons of Jacob; in matter of fact, Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob (Israel).

Genesis 37.

Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob because he was born in Jacob’s old age. The way that Jacob showed Joseph that he was his favorite son was that he gave him a coat of many colors to signify his love and favoritism for Joseph.

And because Jacob favored Joseph over all the other sons he had, Joseph was extremely hated by his brothers. They envied him and they were fiercely jealous of him to the point that they could not say anything good to him in his face. But Joseph didn’t make it any better for himself, especially when he had told his brothers about a dream that he had. He told them that he was going to be a ruler someday and they was going to bow down to them.

Oh that made Joseph’s brothers mad! They became so enraged toward Joseph that they even plotted to kill him. In matter of fact, when Jacob had sent Joseph to check on his brothers while they were tending their sheep in a place far away from home, his brothers had beat him up, and threw him in a waterless pit with the intent to kill him later on that day.

But instead they changed their mind when they saw a group of Midianites traveling nearby and they sold Joseph to the Midianites for 20 pieces of silver. And the Midianites took Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave to a man named Potiphar who was an officer of Pharoah, and a captain of the guard.

Yes, it was tough on Joseph being hated by his brothers, beat up by his brothers, thrown into the pit by his brothers, and sold into slavery by his brothers. But the bible says that even though Joseph was extremely hated by his brothers, beat up by his brothers, thrown into the pit and sold into slavery by his brothers, and was brought down to Egypt as a slave to serve a man named Potiphar, the scriptures says in Genesis 39:2 -5 that "the Lord was with Joseph and he was a prosperous man.

He was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hands. And Joseph found grace in his sight and he served him; and he made him a overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hands."

God had blessed Joseph despite of his difficult situation. God helped Joseph turned his difficult situation into a blessed situation because the scripture says while Joseph served Potiphar, God blessed Potiphar household for Joseph’s sake. And when Potiphar saw how God was blessing his household for Joseph’s sake, he put Joseph in charge over everything in the house, except for what he ate and his wife.

But while Joseph was being prosperous as a slave in Potiphar’s house, he ran into some problems. The problem was Potiphar’s wife. The scriptures says in Genesis 39:6 that that Joseph was a Godly person and well favored You see, Joseph was a good looking handsome young man. And being that Joseph was a good looking handsome young man, Potiphar’s wife liked what she saw. She had a fatal attraction to Joseph. Yes, she is a married woman, but yet she still wanted to fool around with Joseph.

So one day while Joseph was just minding his own business, and taking care of business, Potiphar’s wife asked in Genesis 39:7 Joseph to "lie with me." Yeap you heard it, Potiphar’s wife was issuing Joseph a indecent proposal, or as we said in my younger days that was a booty call." But in Genesis 39:8-9, it says that Joseph told her, NO! Now it must be understood why Joseph refused Potiphars sexual advances:

It wasn’t because she wasn’t fine, because she was,

It wasn’t because of the possible age difference between the two of them, remember Joseph was 17 years old at this time.

It wasn’t because he was gay, because he wasn’t,

It wasn’t because he might get her pregnant, despite of the fact that condoms didn’t exist during that day and time,

It wasn’t because he might get a disease

It was because she was married to Potiphar and to mess around with her like that would be a sin and wicked. In other words, Joseph was telling Potiphar’s wife that he was not going to mess up his life, like some of us over a booty call.

If I was to do a sermon on this story, I would entitle that sermon, "Don’t lose it all on a booty call." But yet the scriptures in Genesis 39:10 says even after Joseph had turned down Potiphar’s wife sexual advances, she still kept harassing him. In today’s times, we would say she kept texting him, sending him e-mails, or showing up unannounced at his job, trying to get him to go to bed with her, and each time, Joseph would refuse and he did everything in his power to avoid any contact with her.

But one day while Joseph was walking in the house checking things out and minding his own business, Potiphar’s wife grabbed him by his garment and said, Lie with me, but Joseph ran out of the house quick, and left his garment in Potiphar’s wife hand. And when she realized how she was scorned and rejected, she lied and said that Joseph tried to rape her.

When she told her husband that Joseph had tried to take advantage of her sexually, Joseph was put into prison without a trial.

In Genesis 39:21-23 it says, "But the Lord was with Joseph, despite what he was going through the Lord was with Joseph all the way, and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that Joseph did, the Lord made it to prosper."

You know,

it’s a blessing to know that no matter how bad a situation may get, God is with us.

He will never leave us nor forsake us. Just as the Lord was with Joseph during the difficult moments in his life. The Lord is with us as well. And when you don’t yield to temptation like Joseph did, God will prosper you somehow.

Anyway, it came to pass that while Joseph was in prison, the scriptures says that Pharoah became furious and had thrown his cupbearer and baker into prison for messing with his food and drink, and Joseph was put in charge over the two.

But one night, the cupbearer and the baker both had a dream in which they requested Joseph interpret for them.

When the cupbearer had told Joseph what he had dreamed, Joseph interpreted the meaning of the dream that in three days he was going to be released from prison and be restored to his original position as cupbearer serving Pharoah his drinks again.

But when the baker tells Joseph his dream, bad news, he tells the baker that he too would be release from prison in three days, but he was going to be beheaded. And of course, each of their dream came to pass exactly just as Joseph had interpreted them.

It all so states that Joseph tells the cupbearer in Genesis 40:14-15 that when he gets released from prison to "Remember him when it is well with you and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharoah, and get me out of this place.

You see, I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews, and also I have done nothing wrong here that they should put me into the dungeon." In other words, what Joseph was asking the cupbearer to do is, "Help me out!"

"Put in a good word for me so I get out of this prison." "You see, I am an innocent man." "I was stolen out from my homeland, and I have been falsely accused for something I did not do." " So when you get out of jail, hook me up; help me get out of prison, too."

Problem was that when the cupbearer was released out of prison, the scriptures says in Genesis 40:23,

"Yet did not the cupbearer remember Joseph, but forgot him."

No doubt when the cupbearer was released out of prison and restored to his original position serving Pharoah in his palace, Joseph waited anxiously and patiently for his name to be called to be released out of prison. Days had passed after the cupbearer’s release, and yet Joseph’s name was not called. A week had passed, and yet Joseph’s name was not called. A month had passed, and yet Joseph’s name was not called. A year had passed but yet his name was not called.

No doubt while Joseph was anxiously and patiently waiting for his name to be called to be released from prison, now you know he soon became disappointed and frustrated. After all he had interpreted the dream for cupbearer which came to pass, and all he asked him to do as favor for him was to put in a good word for him before Pharoah so he could be released from prison, but as we know Joseph remained in jail.

This is a good lesson for us to learn. Never put your hopes in man to receive your breakthrough because man will fail you, man will disappoint you, man will frustrate you, and man will mess you up.

So the question to ask is: What do you do when your breakthrough does not come through, when you want it?

What do you do when have prayed many prayers and your breakthrough just doesn’t come through?

What do you do when you have done the best for the Lord, you are loving and kind to others and still your breakthrough doesn’t come through?

What do you do when you have waited and waited on the Lord. You come to church every Sunday, pay your tithes, sing in the choir, teach Sunday School, but yet your breakthrough just doesn’t come through?

If there was anybody who had deserved a breakthrough in these passages of scripture, it was Joseph. He did not do any wrong. He was respectful. He was a godly man. He was a good man whose steps was ordered by the Lord. He was a praying man, a God fearing man but yet his breakthrough just didn’t come through when he expected it to.

Well, there are at least 5 things you ought to do when your breakthrough does not comes through:

1. When your breakthrough does not come through, when you want it to, continue to wait on God. Psalms 27:14 says, Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.

2.When your breakthrough doesn’t come through when you want it to, continue to walk with God. I John 1:7 says, “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

3. When your breakthrough doesn’t come through when you want it to, continue to work for God. Matthew 5:16 says, " “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

4.When your breakthrough doesn’t come through when you want it to, continue to be a witness for God. Psalm 107:2 says, " Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, … "

5. When your breakthrough doesn’t comes through when you want it to, continue to worship God. Psalm 95:6 says, “Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."

And that is just what Joseph did when his breakthrough did not come through, when he wanted it to. Even when Joseph was disappointed and frustrated that his breakthrough did not come through:

He continued to wait on God

He continued to walk with God

He continued to work for God

He continued to witness for God

He continued to worship God.

And the reason why Joseph continued to wait on God, continued to walk with God, continued to work for God, continued to witness for God, continued to worship God because he believed that just because your breakthrough doesn’t come through, it does not mean that it will never come through.

Joseph believed that just because you suffered a setback, that doesn’t mean you will never have a comeback.

Joseph believed that just because you have been disappointed, that doesn’t mean you will never be appointed.

Joseph believed that just because you are down today, that does not mean you will never get up tomorrow, for Psalm 30:5 says “…. weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Yes in Genesis 40, Joseph’s breakthrough did not come through when he thought it should, but it did come through in Genesis 41.

Genesis 41

Now there was a reason why Joseph breakthrough didn’t come through in Genesis 40, but it came through in Genesis 41. The question is: Why didn’t Joseph breakthrough come through in Genesis 40, but it came through in Genesis 41?

1. The timing was not right for Joseph in Genesis 40, but it was right on time in Genesis 41. Genesis 41:1 says, "Now it happened at the end of two full years … "

It is good to know that the breakthrough that God has for you may not come when you want it, but it is always on time.

2. There were some things that had to take place for Joseph for his breakthrough to come through. The question is: What had to take place for Joseph for his breakthrough to come through?

I’m glad you asked that question. Pharoah’s frightening dream in Genesis 41:1-8. The second thing that had to take place was that when Pharoah had called for all of his magicians to interpret his dream, but none of them could interpret it.

You see, in order for some of our breakthroughs to come through, God has to allow some things to take place in our lives or in somebody’s else lives.

3. There were some people that had to be in the right place at the right time doing the right thing for Joseph for his breakthrough to come through.

In Joseph’s case, the person that had to be at the right place and at the right time was the cupbearer being in the Pharoah’s palace and him remembering Joseph at the right time and at the right place. He remembered how Joseph had interpreted his dream while he was in prison. (Genesis 41:9-13). God has some people in your life that will be in the right place and at the right time for your breakthrough to come through.

4. There were some people that Joseph had to meet at the right place and the right time for his breakthrough to come through.

In Joseph’s case, Joseph had to meet and be brought to Pharoah to interpret his dream, and he gave Pharoah some sound advice on what he needed to do to protect the land of Egypt from mass starvation. (Genesis 41:14-36) God has some people that He will put in your path to meet for your breakthrough to come through.

5. There was somebody special that Joseph had to meet at the right place and at the right time for his breakthrough to come through.

Who was the special person whom Joseph had to meet in order for is breakthrough to come through? It was Asenath Asen-ath, the daughter of Potipherah Pota-fear-ah, the priest of On, who was given to Joseph to marry.

Now check this out. Had the cupbearer had been responsible for Joseph getting out of prison, had he been responsible for his breakthrough, these are the things that wouldn’t have worked out for Joseph:

1. He would have been unemployed

2. He would have been homeless

3. He would have still been wearing his prison clothes and unkept

4. He would have not had any transportation

5. He would have been single and lonely.

But God, say it with me … BUT GOD …

But because God was responsible for getting Joseph out of prison, because He was responsible for His breakthrough, here is a list of things that were made possible for Joseph:

1. Pharoah made Joseph second in command in all Egypt (Genesis 41: 40-41)

2. Pharoah gave Joseph some fresh jewelry and clothes to wear (Genesis 41:42)

3. Pharoah gave Joseph a chariot to ride in (Genesis 41:43)

4. Pharoah gave Joseph a palace to live in (Genesis 41)

4. Pharoah gave Joseph a beautiful bride to marry. (Genesis 41:46)

But if Joseph had not continued to:

· wait on God

· walk with God

· work for God

· witness for God

· worship God.

He would have missed out on God making a way out of no way, and he would have missed out on seeing God bringing his breakthrough to pass.

But Joseph

· waited on God

· walked with God

· worked for God

· witnessed for God

· worshipped God.

Now the question is, what will I do when my breakthrough does come through? You do the same thing when your breakthrough did not come through.

You continue to

· wait on God

· walk with God

· work for God

· witness for God

· worship God.

And this what Joseph did when his breakthrough came through. He worshipped God in Genesis 40:50-52, when his wife Asenath bore him two sons, Joseph named the first son Mannaseh , which means "For God hath made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house." And the second son, he named Ephraim, which means "For God caused me to be fruitful in the land of my trouble."

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And I truly believe if Joseph was alive today, he would sing a song that goes like this, you may have heard it before:

I had some good days , And I had some hills to climb

I’ve had some weary days, And some sleepless nights

But when I look around, And I think things over

All of my good days, Out-weigh my bad days

I won’t complain

I won’t complain

I’ll just say thank you Lord

Hold up for just a minute, when I think about Joseph, I can’t help think about Jesus Christ

Just as Joseph was the favorite son, Jesus Christ is God’s beloved son in whom He is well pleased.

Just as Joseph was hated by his brothers, Jesus Christ came unto his own, and they received him not!

Just as Joseph was sold into slavery for 20 pieces of silver by his hateful brothers, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, his disciple for 30 pieces of silver

Just as Joseph brothers wanted to kill him out of hatred and jealousy, Jesus was crucified on an old rugged cross.

Just as Joseph arose up out of prison to live in Pharoah kingdom, Jesus Christ our Lord arose up out of the grave with all power in His hands.

And just as Joseph’s brothers had to come to Egypt to be saved from starvation, we must come to Jesus Christ to be saved.

Just remember that there will be times when you expect a breakthrough to occur in your life, but it doesn’t happen. So, what are we to do when our breakthroughs don’t happen?

You continue to

· wait on God

· walk with God

· work for God

· witness for God

· worship God.

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