The Test of Success

Introduction

- “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching” -John Wooden (he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association national championships in a 12-year period as head coach for the UCLA Bruins, including a record seven in a row).

Who are you when no one is watching?

After Joseph lived in a divided house full of envy, hatred, and betrayal, he found himself sold as a slave in Egypt. It could be easy to adopt the mindset of “Woe is me”, fall into deep depression, and lose hope/joy. Joseph, however, held true to his convictions. He lived a life of faithfulness to God despite his circumstances.

I. The Success of Faithfulness (vs. 1-6)

A. The beautiful thing about being a believer is that God is with His people, no matter the situation (vs. 1-3)

1. Joseph was “successful” or prosperous

a. He worked as if God was his boss, so, “The Lord was with him” or literally, “The Lord was beside or together with”

b. As Joseph worked according to his faith God empowered his actions and bestowed favor upon him

c. Joseph was faithful in a few things, so, he was put in charge of many things (Matthew 25:21)

2. As Joseph was blessed by his faithful work by God then his boss noticed and gave favor (or grace) (vs. 4-6)

a. Joseph started as a lowly slave, was promoted to manager of the house, then of the entire estate (all Potiphar owned)

b. The blessings of God upon His faithful servant spreads to everything he touches

B. We cannot control our circumstances, but we can control how we act in them

1. Joseph was faced with the choice of feeling self-pity or making himself better. He chose the latter

a. He could have dwelled on his status as a slave, being a foreigner in a strange land, and left without a family

b. Instead, Joseph focused on his work and honoring God with it

2. At the end of the day, we can only control ourselves

a. Yes, life is difficult. But notice how God grants favor to His faithful servants when they work hard and have high integrity

b. Joseph enjoyed great success and prosperity because of his faith, hard work, and prosperity

3. The key to joy and peace despite circumstances is that the Lord is with you

a. It doesn’t matter if you prosper in this life or not. Contentment, joy, and peace comes from trusting in the Lord

b. God takes care of what we cannot control when we handle what we can control, ourselves

c. Work hard, have high integrity, and watch how the Lord walks beside you and cares for you

II. Temptation during Success (vs. 7-18)

A. Oftentimes, our character is revealed by failure and it is tested by success.

1. Which is an easier time to ask for God’s help: during good times or hard times?

a. If you’re like me then you have a tendency to turn to God when you have nowhere else to turn and need help. But when things are good then you might tend to forget to rely on God for your needs. That’s my struggle and I think it’s human nature

b. Our faith is tested when we enjoy times of prosperity and success. The same was true for Joseph (vs. 7-18)

2. God blesses those who stand on faith and live with integrity

a. God prospered Joseph in everything he did

b. Satan does not like it when God’s people are enjoying good things. Thus, he tries to get believers to fall and turn away from faithful integrity.

3. I once heard someone say, “Watch out when things are going well. That’s when Satan will attack”

a. It was at the height of Joseph’s success that temptation struck

b. Succumbing to lust would guarantee a loss in his reputation, his position, and even in his relationship with God

B. Joseph’s temptation grew more and more intense as he stood his ground (following from George Faull, Genesis, p. 98)

1. Joseph suffered for righteousness sake. He would not yield to…

a. A proposal (vs. 7)

b. A constant daily pressure (ramping up the intensity) (vs. 10)

c. An ambush (vs. 11).

2. He overcame by...

a. Thinking of the trust of his master (vs. 8)

b. Calling adultery what it was “great evil” (vs. 9)

c. Recognizing it as a sin against God (vs. 9)

d. And, fleeing the temptation (vs. 12)

1. 2 Timothy 2:22, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

2. 1 Corinthians 6:18 “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”

3. Satan knows what appeals most to our flesh. He’ll attack us where it’s most likely for us to pursue our desires instead of God’s

a. Keep your head about you: remember that the desire is great evil and a sin against God. Then take the necessary precautions to escape the sin

b. James 4:7–10 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Conclusion (vs. 19-23)

A. Just because we hold to our integrity does not mean life will get easier (vs. 19-20)

1. Joseph’s reward for faithfulness to God and his master was prison

a. We might be tempted to ask, “Then what’s the point? That’s unfair”

b. But notice something, Joseph’s circumstances got worse, yet, he continued in faith and hard work and God still blessed him (vs. 22-23)

2. God doesn’t promise life will always be easy, but He does promise to be with His faithful children

a. “The Lord was with him” is said 4 times in this chapter (vs. 2-3, 21, 23)

b. When you stand in faithfulness to God then He is with you and He can prosper you no matter what circumstances you find yourself.

B. Thomas Edison spent 10 years of his life and all of his money to the development of an nickel alkaline storage battery during a time when he was nearly penny-less

1. At the time, his small record and film production company was supporting the storage battery effort

a. Then one night, the terrifying cry of “Fire!” rang out at the company. Edison was 67 years old when there was a spontaneous combustion that ignited a variety of chemicals. Far too old to restart his life’s work

b. His daughter was frantic and concerned about him. She wondered how he would handle such a trauma

1. She saw him running toward her and he spoke first,

2. “Where’s your mother? Go get her, tell her to get her friends, they’ll never see another fire like this as long as they live”

c. At 5:30 the next morning, when the fire was barely under control, he called all of his employees together and announced, “We’re rebuilding”

1. One man was told to lease all the machine shops in the area, another to obtain a wrecking crane from the Erie Railroad Company. Then, almost as an afterthought, Edison said, “Oh, by the way, does anyone know where we can get some money?”

2. Thomas Edison continued inventing and, at the end of his life, he had patented 1,093 inventions. Most of which have impacted the way you live today

2. If you have faced or are facing right now disaster and turmoil and wondering how you’re going to make it through then take heart

a. You can overcome and endure this and you will be better on the other side

b. Why? God. Is. With. You.

1. Success and temptations are trials that can strengthen your faith

2. Pursue Him by calling sin what it is (great evil), flee temptation, and seek to obey God through hard work and high integrity

3. Remember, no matter what you are facing, God is with you.

4. He controls what you can’t, so trust in Him and seek to please Him in all things for He can make you prosper.