Wisdom Or Crisis? | Genesis 41:14

OPENING REMARKS‌

Peta Update

Speaking of PETA, I hope you’re not opposed to eating beef, because that’s what Genesis 41 is about. If you like beef, turn to Genesis 41.

Background of Text

This is a long chapter, obviously, so let me give you the rundown before we read anything.

First, Pharaoh dreams about seven healthy cows coming up out of the river. Then seven lean cows come up, the worse cows Pharaoh had ever seen. And those seven skinny cows eat the seven healthy cows.‌

Vs. 21 says after they ate, they looked no different. Cannibal cows with great metabolism. I thought about using that title but it wasn’t a tight fit with the theme.‌

Pharaoh then dreams about seven skinny ears of corn eating seven healthy ears of corn. Which causes Pharaoh to say, “I need someone to interpret this.”

You see, the sovereign God was revealing the future to Pharaoh in the form of a dream. This wasn’t late night takeout talking, this was the God of heaven revealing what was coming to a pagan king.

When the Butler hears what’s going on, he conveniently remembers Joseph from two years earlier who had interpreted his dream in prison. Some friend.

So he tells Pharaoh “You’ve got to call this guy down in cell block D. He’ll help you out.”

They bring Joseph up to the palace. They shave him, give him new clothes and stand him in front of the throne.

Pharaoh tells Joseph the dream about the cows and the corn and says, “I’ve got no one who can tell me what this means.”

READ Vs. 25-41

Then Pharaoh takes off his ring and gives it to Joseph. He gives him royal clothes and gold chains. He puts Joseph in the chariot right behind his. But all that didn’t really matter to Joseph. What mattered to him was preparing for the famine.

READ Vs. 46-49, 53-57

‌Egypt was saved because Joseph had enough wisdom to look ahead and enough discipline to get to work.

He saw the importance of preparing for the famine before it became an emergency.

Here’s the problem, and we just heard about it, most of us aren’t good at choosing to act today on what matters the most tomorrow.

The average Christian man spends his life living for what’s in front of him and delaying what’s important.

The only time the average Christian man springs into action is during an emergency. By that time, it’s too late to produce something effective. At that point, you’re just trying to survive.

Are You Driven By Wisdom Or Crisis?

Opening Illustration:

READY FOR THE EMERGENCY

I enjoyed the story about the Louisville bridge rescue. I love those kinds of stories. Every boy daydreams about being the hero in a life and death situation. Rescuing princesses and killing dragons. That’s part of our DNA.

But real-life heroes actually get to do it. And we may only see the result, but it’s good for us to understand what prepared the hero for the moment. I think the process is likely similar every time:

1. Someone recognizes the possibility of danger before the danger strikes

2. ‌Then they formulate a plan to initiation during the emergency

3. ‌And when disaster strikes, they initiate a plan rather than panicking

4. And the result is that their actions benefit others in a significant way

I remember watching a video a few years ago in a Texas church when an active shooter pulled out a gun and started shooting.

Someone recognized the potential danger of an active shooter in a church service.

They had a plan, which included men that could handle firearms safely.

‌When the danger came, head of security and firearms instructor Jack Wilson took action without panicking.

And even though two men tragically died, the shooter was killed and potentially dozens of lives were saved.

On January 15, 2009, a flock of geese took the power out of both engines on US Airways Flight 1549.

Someone recognized the potential danger of this kind of event happening.

They trained for emergency situations like this, hoping never to actually have to experience it.

But when the geese took out the engines, Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III, aka Sully, ditched the plane, which means he guided the plane in a controlled emergency water landing. He carried out a plan rather than panicking.

And his action saved hundreds of lives.

Truth is, we could give example after example of men throughout history who have had the foresight to predict the danger, the discipline to prepare for it, the control to carry out the plan rather than panic, and benefit countless others.

These kinds of examples are true in things like military engagements, in hospitals when there’s a health emergency, and in law enforcement when a bad guy wants to do harm. There are men all around us who have enough foresight to see the danger before it comes, come up with a good plan, initiate the plan rather than panicking and take action that benefits countless people.

We laud that. We call them heroes. We’re thankful for men like that. But the question of the weekend is: Why aren’t you like this when it comes to spiritual things in your life?

Where Are God’s Men When It Comes To Preparing Early For The Emergency?

Spiritual danger is all around us.

A crisis can happen any moment.

Satan walks about seeking whom he may devour.

The temptation to sin has never been more accessible.

Our culture is as pagan and godless as it’s ever been.

If anyone ought to have wisdom and a plan and the discipline to be ready when a spiritual emergency strikes, it ought to be God’s men.

We need some men to be like Joseph. Joseph Embodied The Principle We’re Looking At This Weekend. He embodied the Quadrant 2 mindset.

Joseph operated by looking ahead rather than looking around.

He had dreams that were God’s revelation of the future. I believe that drove most of the decisions he made in his life.

He survived the ultimate betrayal by his brothers because he believed God had big plans for his life.

He told a beautiful woman no when she wanted to sleep with him because he was able to look into heaven and into the future and say, “There’s something more for me than what this moment offers.”‌

I believe he kept his hope in a prison cell because he held on to God’s promises for his life.

So before we ever get to chapter 41, Joseph has already proven to be a man who lives for that future moment rather than the present moment.

And that reputation made him desirable to Pharaoh when he needed some guidance.

I. Joseph had enough wisdom to know what was coming.

Read Vs. 28-32

Joseph recognized the potential danger.

You might say, “Yeah, but God gave him special abilities to interpret dreams.”

So would you say that God gave him revelation of what was going to happen in the future?

Wow, he’s so lucky. None of us have God’s revelation of how life works like that.

None of us have God’s specific revelation into what happens when we obey and disobey.

None of us have insight into cause and effect and how God blesses or punishes people.

We have no way of preparing for a disaster like Joseph did!

We Can Have Wisdom (We have God’s Word!)

Listen, God may not speak to you in a dream, but you have His Word which tells you everything you need to know about matters pertaining to life and godliness.

Our problem is not that we don’t have any indicators about the future, but that we fail to take them seriously enough to act early enough and we find ourselves woefully unprepared for the emergency when it strikes.

How dumb do we have to be? We have God’s mind on:

Resisting temptation, yet we fail to plan for it and it takes so many down.

Being a good husband, but we ignore the wisdom and try it on our own and fail.

Raising kids that love God, but we leave His wisdom out of the process and fall flat on our faces.

How to live a life that pleases God, but we don’t consult His Word most days of the week and wonder why it’s falling apart.

God is trying to get the attention of 1,600 men tonight and say, “You have the information. It’s time to act! If you wait, it’s too late.”

Men, don’t ignore God’s wisdom. The longer you do, the more danger you’ll be in.

Hiker in Colorado stayed lost for 24 hours because he ignored calls from rescuers trying to reach him. Why? He said, “I didn’t recognize their numbers, so I didn’t answer.”

What a dummy! But that’s how the average Christian man lives. We have resources for wisdom all around us, insight into the dangers of life, but we ignore it. And every moment we wait puts us at risk.

You have God’s Word - Read and obey it!

You have a Pastor - Give him permission to talk to you!

You have godly men around you - Make yourself accountable to them.

Understand, this process of being prepared for the crisis can’t take place until a man chooses to pursue wisdom and knowledge.

Joseph took the revelation of God so seriously that he acted immediately.

‌

II. Joseph had enough discipline to act on the wisdom he had.

Read Vs. 33-36

Joseph took God’s revelation seriously. He said, “If God says it, it’s as good as done. So we better get to work."

Joseph knew the famine was coming. He had the knowledge. He recognized a plan was needed. So he recommended one. But he didn’t view the gap in time as an excuse to wait to act.

Two kinds of response:

The fool says, “I STILL have seven years. That’s plenty of time. I’ll get to it.”

The wise man says, “I ONLY have seven years. That’s not much time. I must act today.”

Most of us think one of these two ways (STILL or ONLY)

“I still have seven years.” Or “I only have seven years.” We need that “Only have” mindset instead of that “Still have” mindset.

We’ve got to make a transition in our minds that there isn’t time to waste when it comes to spiritual things. Joseph said, “We only have seven years, so here’s the plan.”

“While things are good, we need to set aside one fifth of everything harvested.”

“I know the temptation will be to enjoy the extra and lounge around because it will be bumper crop after bumper crop after bumper crop. But we have to take up 1/5th and store it for the Famine, or we won’t make it.”

That stored food is going to save us, Pharaoh. Without it, according to Vs. 36, Joseph said “We’re going to die.”

Seven years is not long to store enough food to feed a nation entering famine, much less an entire region of the world because they would all need help.

Seven years is not long, but it’s longer than six years. So Joseph says, “We’ve got to start today.” He was coronated, honored, and lifted up.

But the end of Vs. 45 gives us his mindset, “Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.” He wasted no time. He started as early as possible to give him as much of an advantage as possible.

Joseph had wisdom to foresee the crisis, Foresight to make a plan, and Discipline to start right away. He wasn’t driven by the crisis itself. He was driven by the knowledge of the crisis.

And those two things are different. To be driven by the crisis means you wait until you’re forced to act. To be driven by the knowledge of the crisis means you act today so you’re sure to be ready.

Too many men in this room are so comfortable saying, “I know, but I’ve got time.”

“Joseph had seven years, I’ve got 18 years with my kids. I’ve got time.”

“I’m in my 20’s, I’ve got until at least my 80’s to live for God. I’ve got time.”

“That temptation hasn’t showed up yet, so I’m good. I’ve got time.”

“I really want that car or that big purchase, I can just pay later. I’ve got time.”

“Jesus hasn’t come back in 2000 years, I’ve got time.”

Judgment Seat

How do you know? Listen, we all have Famines in our future. We don’t know when, but we know they’re coming.

One of the things God’s Word tells us is that every person will stand before God in judgment.

If you’re a believer you will stand before God and answer for your life. That’s a moment of truth.

You will stand before God by yourself and explain why you did what you did for Christ or why you didn’t do what you didn’t do.

That’s a prime example of Q2. We think because we’ll stand before Christ in the future that it doesn’t matter now.

But what we do now is what we’ll answer for in that moment. So my actions today actually do impact that moment. For some Christian men, your appointment with God is a crisis. You have very little to show for the life you lived when you stand before the Lord.

Start preparing for that moment today.

Great White Throne Judgment

But there’s another category: The lost will also stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment.

Jesus Christ will open the Lamb’s book of life and look for your name.

And if it’s not found, you will be cast into a lake of fire for eternity.

Why some men wait on that decision I’ll never know.

Salvation is the ultimate Q2 decision. It’s the most important thing you’ll ever do but it’s not urgent for most people.

But how do you know you’ll have another opportunity?

Death is a Famine that’s coming. And we don’t know when, but we know it is appointed unto once to die and after this the judgment.

Are you prepared for moment?

You have God’s Word telling you that you’re guilty before God because of sin.

You have His Word letting you know that you will be eternally separated from Him because of that sin.

You have Scripture telling you, though, that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you simply have to repent and place your faith in Him for salvation.

Make that Q2 decision tonight.

And before you think this isn’t important, God is a Q2 God. He was so serious about your soul that He planned to send Jesus Christ to die for you before the foundation of the world. This is how God operates. This is how God’s men ought to operate.

And when you do, you will find that operating by wisdom rather than crisis always produces results superior to waiting till the emergency.

Look at the effects of this mindset in Joseph’s life

1. Joseph Saved His Family

God’s reason for getting Joseph to Egypt was Israel

God was able to accomplish His purposes because Joseph prepared for the crisis before it ever came

He was able to fulfill his most important role because he lived by wisdom before the crisis

God has a circle of people either in your life or in your future that you are meant to inspire and lead and protect and guide

Your primary role is to impact the people closest to you spiritually

To prepare them not just for this life but for the life to come in eternity

And too many men spend their lives on their phones or at the lake or on the ball fields and neglect the most important roles God has given them

When you are driven by knowledge of the Famine before the Famine ever comes, you will leave a mark on your family and friends and church that few others ever will

2. Joseph Impacted Egypt And The Surrounding Region

Those in a Q1 crisis won’t be looking for someone else in Q1.

You won’t be the one asked to take on the important things at work. You won’t be the one your pastor calls when he really needs something.

Those in Q1 will go to someone who is clearly in Q2

Every nation came to Egypt

Joseph was able to influence thousands, maybe millions of people because he had wisdom and discipline to carry out a plan

His willingness to live this way increased his sphere of influence

Preparing for the Famine before the Famine allowed him to touch countless lives

He may have even saved some tribes or races of people

When you have a Q2 mindset, you will soon find out that God has bigger plans for you outside of yourself

Last I checked, people around us live in crisis mode

They operate within the Famine every day

And we need some Godly men who prepare themselves not just to leave a mark on their inner circles but to expand their sphere of influence to a lost and dying world

God wants you, as part of your local church, to reach people for Christ

He may be calling some young men or even old men tonight to give their lives to reach people in the Famine

But the reason most men don’t go out on outreach or submit to God’s desires for their lives to give their lives to the Gospel ministry is because they haven’t prepared themselves to be able to.

Either with knowledge or with finances or spiritually speaking. God won’t use you unless you’re prepared to be used.

So stop living for that job, or that money, or those things, or that education, or those friends. Recognize that God may have something bigger for you.

And you only have ONE LIFE, 70-80 years, to get it done.

Stop wasting your life on lesser things.

Help your pastor. Get in God’s Word. Tell people about Jesus. Be a spiritual leader in your church. Be a witness at work.

Help people in a Famine. Joseph was willing to be used by God in a big way.

Are you?

3. Joseph Was Promoted To The Throne

That means he fully realized everything God prepared him to do.

God gave him those dreams as teenager that he would be bowed to

That he would be a ruler

And I’m not saying God’s going to make you president, but don’t you want to fully realize God’s best for your life?

Joseph got to see it all. He left nothing on the table.

He was so convinced that God had something big for him that he didn’t want to miss it.

He didn’t get sidetracked by hatred, or betrayal, or sex, or being forgotten by the Butler. He prepared himself his whole life and got to experience it all.

What’s Your Coming Famine?

God has your moment in a Famine in the future. And you can live preparing for it and be the hero. Or spend the next 20 years gaming and be the zero.

God has a moment in your future in a Famine. And you can do all you can to be ready for that moment. Or spend the next 30 years consumed by your job and miss what matters the most.

God has a moment for you in the future in a Famine where people need you. And you’ll miss it because you spent your weekends playing instead of growing and contributing in your local church.

Wisdom tells you the Famine is coming. What we don’t know is when.

But there’s a Famine Coming. Just because it hasn’t hit you yet doesn’t mean it never will.

Your Famine is coming. The Ant knew it and prepared. But God’s men are ignoring the calls and failing to act and won’t be prepared when the Famine strikes.

We have the potential to be heroes, but we’ll have nothing but zeroes.

Are You Ready For Your Famine?

Be driven by wisdom instead of crisis.