I’ll Never Have Victory Over This Sin | Genesis 39:1-12

Love camp, it’s my favorite week of the year.

One thing I love about camp is even though the faces change, most youth groups are essentially the same. Every youth group has:

The No Shower Kid – That 7th grader who thinks swim time cancels his need to shower. You know who you are.

The Singer – That person that won’t stop singing on the bus when everyone else is trying to sleep. (Peaches or Baby Shark)

The Snorer – You have a grizzly bear in your group, and you’re going to find out who it is tonight.

The Dancer – This person usually sleeps on the top bunk. And if you’re underneath them, it feels like they’re being chased by the Grizzly Bear all night long.

The Efficient Packer – This is the kid who gets home at the end of the week and the only dirty clothes are the ones he left in.

If you’re thinking, “We don’t have any of those in our group,” I hate to tell you, but it’s you!

Opening: Last Night we started a series I’m calling “Lies Teenagers Believe.”

What was the lie from last night? Anyone remember? Me Friends Won’t Affect ME

The second lie this morning is something we can learn from Joseph’s life. READ Gen. 39:1-12

How many of you find it hard to have victory over sin? Sometimes it seems like we lose so often that we might start believing we’ll never win.

Today’s Lie: “I’ll never have victory over this sin.” That wasn’t true for Joseph, and it doesn’t have to be true for you.

PRAY

Introduction: They say that what you do when you’re alone is the real you.

Illustration: Being alone can bring out the strange in us.

Talk to myself

Sing at the top of my lungs when I’m driving alone

Being alone can also bring out the sinful in us.

It is when we’re alone that we’re most prone to give in to the temptations of sin.

Here’s the problem - sin is the most dangerous thing in your life.

If I pulled the pin on a grenade and rolled it under the seats, what would do you? Sin is more dangerous than a grenade. But we don’t treat sin that way. And we need to, because we’re tempted every day.

We All Have Our Own Individual Temptations

James wrote, But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed.

That phrase “his own lusts” means “idiosyncrasies”

An idiosyncrasy is something that is unique to you

Some people blink too much

Some people sneeze super loud

Some people bite their nails

Some people talk over you when you’re trying to say something

You might say, “I don’t have any idiosyncrasies.” Then your idiosyncrasy is a lack of self-awareness.

Everybody Has Their Thing

For some, your personalized temptation may be:

Anger - Is there a situation that consistently brings out your anger?

Laziness – You’re not motivated to get up early or work hard.

Spiritual Apathy - Many young people battle with being motivated to develop their walk with God. Read their Bibles. Pray. Church attendance.

It can be any area: Not controlling our tongue, disobedience to parents, keeping your cool playing sports, what you watch/listen to.

What area is most likely to trip you up? You have an area of sin in which you’re most likely to fail. Sin is what makes us casualties. It destroys countless lives all the time. So you need to identify your area of temptation and come up with a plan to keep yourself from giving in. Most of us are aware of our weakness, we just have no plan to fight against it.

But James said when lust conceives, it brings forth sin and sin always brings forth death. If you don’t learn how to handle your temptation, your temptations will handle you. In order to help you in this fight, I’d like to look at Joseph’s life as a model example of how a person resists temptation.

Vs. 1 - After being sold to the Ishmeelites, Joseph is sold to a man called Potiphar in Egypt. Potiphar was a high-ranking Egyptian official, described as captain of the guard. He was a powerful and important dude.

Vs. 2 - “And the Lord was with Joseph”

The Lord was present with Joseph every step of the way. In a pit, not alone. In a palace, not alone. In a prison, not alone. No, never alone! That will play a very important role in our plan to resist temptation.

Vs. 2 - “He was prosperous”

He had worked his way up in Potiphar’s house. He was trusted. He was successful. And it didn’t stop there.

Vs. 3-6a - Potiphar knew something was different about Joseph

It says, “He knew the Lord was with him.”

How many of you have a job? You ought to work in such a way that reflects well on the Lord. Be early. Work hard. Don’t talk back or criticize. You’ll stand out. Joseph did, and he found grace in Potiphar’s eyes. So much so that Potiphar gave him the keys to the house and said, “You take care of it."

Vs. 6b - Joseph was goodly and well favoured. That means:

He was good looking and he was strong. Model looks and linebacker muscles. Any examples of that in here?

He was also responsible. But most importantly, he was a man of conviction. He lived by certain firmly held beliefs.

Vs. 7 - Potiphar’s Wife - She sees this strapping young man and likes what she sees. She comes to Joseph saying, “Lie with Me.”

Understand, Potiphar’s wife would have been beautiful. A man like Potiphar could have had any woman he wanted.

Potiphar’s wife represents temptation in our lives:

Temptation is Appealing. She was beautiful. If temptation wasn’t appealing, we wouldn’t want it.

Temptation is Persistent. She came day after day. Morning. Night. Whenever she felt she could catch Joseph off guard.

Temptation leads to something Pleasurable. It’s not like sin isn’t fun on some level. Most men would have taken the bait.

But Joseph, the 17 year old, was so convinced of truth that he withstood the advances. And when he did, Potiphar’s wife made a false accusation. She turns her husband against Joseph by making herself look like the victim. But I want to focus on Joseph’s actions here.

Joseph fought against temptation with his mind, not his body. Our body isn’t enough to resist temptation. There are some things we need to know.

Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

The battle against sin doesn’t begin with something we do. It begins with something we know.

Three Truths To Remember To Have Victory Over Sin:

I. God Is Present With Me

vs. 2 “The Lord was with Joseph”

vs. 3 “the Lord was with Him”

vs. 21 “the Lord was with Joseph”

Every step of the way, the Lord was present with him

This is a comforting truth

When you feel alone, it’s comforting to know the Lord never leaves us or forsakes us

When you feel afraid, it’s comforting to know the Lord is always with us

He wants to help us every step of the way. It’s comforting

But it’s also convicting

Because that means God sees everything we do

Psalm 139 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”

Everywhere I go, God is with me

That means He reads every thought I think

The Lord hears every word I speak

He sees every place I go

He knows my motives

He’s been observing your life since the moment you were conceived and in your mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13)

The Lord sees everything

That means He sees when you’re tempted to sin

You might think it’s hidden on your phone: It’s not. You expose Jesus Christ to everything you look at.

You might think no one saw that text. But the Holy Spirit saw it.

You might think when you retreat into your private world that it doesn’t affect anyone else. But that’s not true. You exposed the Holy God of Heaven to those things.

When you’re confronted with sin, you must remind yourself of this first truth: God is present with me, therefore I will say no.

Young person, if your mom was looking over your shoulder, would you still look at that image?

Say that word?

Make that joke?

Take that drink?

Smoke that vape?

If you wouldn’t do it front of your mom, why would you do it front of a holy God?

Here’s truth number 1 to tell yourself when you’re tempted to sin: God is present with me, therefore I will say no.

Action Step: I will live each day in God’s presence. (Daily time, Bible, prayer)

II. God Has Provided For Me - vs. 9

He’d blessed Joseph

He’d put Joseph in this position

It wasn’t much, but it came from God

So Joseph’s thought was “Why would I trade what God gave me for what God hasn’t given me?"

Here’s a truth that has helped me so many times when I’m discontent or I’m tempted with something: God is good and His gifts are good enough for me.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Good and perfect gifts means two things:

1. God gives good gifts.

2. God gives out of the best motives

James writes about that right after talking about how to resist temptation.

His point is this: when you’re tempted, remember that God loves you and has given you want you need.

God is good, and His gifts are good enough for me.

Teenager - God knows the position you’re in right now. He has given you everything you need.

God’s plan for you right now is to be pure

He knows the temptation, but that’s not his plan right now

When you’re tempted to sin in a sexual way, you must remember that God’s plans don’t include sex right now.

If God doesn’t have that for you right now, then He has also given you a way of escape.

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

He’s given you everything you need to say no. Not only that, He has provided you with everything you have. Be content with God’s provision.

It’s easy to look around at what everyone else has and think, “If only that was me.”

That mindset will put you in the mode of seeking something outside of what God has provided.

When a young person has this mindset they’re saying, “God isn’t good to me. His gifts aren’t enough for me.”

That young person is effectively waving his finger at God and saying, “You’re not enough for me. I need something else.”

Don’t buy into the lie that you need something you don’t have to be happy. If God gave it to you, it’s all you need. 

God is good and my looks are good enough for me.

God is good, and my intelligence is good enough for me.

God is good, and my family is good enough for me.

God is good, and my talents are good enough for me.

I will be content with what God has given me.

When you are content with God’s provision in your life, you won’t be seeking to try everything that pops up in front of you.

How to have victory:

God is present with me, therefore I will say no.

God has provided for me, therefore I will say no.

Action Step: I will daily spend time thanking Him for His good gifts.

Number three:

3. God Has A Purpose For Me -9c

God was on Joseph’s mind in the middle of His temptation

He was thinking more about God than whatever pleasure he could enjoy

God had a better plan in store for Joseph

He’s thinking back to those dreams

That was God’s revelation to Joseph about his future

Joseph’s brothers didn’t like the dreams, but Joseph bought into this thought: God has big plans for my life

Joseph had embraced God’s revealed will and plans for his life

So when Potiphar’s wife approached Joseph, it came down to this for him. “Why would I forfeit what God wants for me tomorrow so I can enjoy a few minute today?”

Is a few minutes right now worth missing out on all that’s better later? Why would I trade the permanent for the temporary?

God’s future would have been forfeited if he’d have said yes to this sin. Joseph was operating on the “Greater Yes” principle.

1 John 2:15-17 KJV “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

There are a lot of “no’s” in that passage.

And young people often think the Christian life is all about the “No’s.”

No bad music, no immodest clothing, no sleeping in, no worldly friends, no smiling face, no fun, no laughter, no excitement, no emotion, no enjoyment of life at all.

That’s what some of you think about the Christian life. But John gives us the reason for the “No’s” in this text. “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

What John is saying is you accept the No of the moment (lust of flesh, eyes, and pride) so you can do the will if God. In other words, the yes is pleasing God. When you think of that as your yes, the no’s seem natural.

The reason you say no to what’s in front of you is because something better is waiting.

Illustration: Waiting to kiss my wife till our wedding day

Joseph said no because he believed God Had big plans for him.

Young person, God has big plans for you too.

That’s why you say no in the moment. Because saying yes would forfeit God’s purpose for your life.

That’s what you say no to the foolish Friends.

That’s why you say no to the wrong music.

That’s why you say no to certain apps on your phone.

That’s why you say no to sin. Because sin will keep you from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.

Here’s what you need to tell yourself when you’re tempted, “God has a purpose for my life, therefore I will say no.”

Action Step: Write out your personal and spiritual goals and rehearse them at least once a week to remind yourself that God has a purpose for your life.

That sin could forfeit your ability to lead at your church.

That sin could disqualify you from going to Bible College.

That sin could sever an important relationship.

Forfeiting God’s purpose is never worth a moment of pleasure.

If you want to say No, learn these truths:

God is present with me.

God has provided for me.

God has a purpose for me

When temptation comes, if you will stop and rehearse those truths, you can stand as strong as Joseph.

Or you can keep doing what you’re doing. And forfeit something great. Here’s the hope: Jesus has given you a way out. You can have victory over sin.

If God is present with me, and God has provided for me, and God has a purpose for my life, I can say no to temptation.

Once the truth is engrained in your life, notice what Joseph did in vs. 12.

RUN AWAY. GET OUT! LEAVE!

Action Step: Do something that makes it impossible to give in to the sin. Law of incompatible behavior.

Too many teens stop and play around with sin. And it takes them down. And they miss out on God’s best for their lives.

If you value God’s presence, and God’s provision, and God’s purpose, RUN AWAY.

Conclusion: It’s a lie to think that you can’t have victory over the sin that plagues you. But I know it’s hard. Sin is relentless.

Illustration: Guy assaulting my wife and I at FRBC

That’s how sin is in your life. Some of you are so burdened down. You think you’ll never win. You’re weary. You’re discouraged. You’ve bought into the lie that you can’t have victory over your sin.

Here’s what you know: You already have victory through Jesus Christ. He’s already won. And He’s already given that victory to you. It’s a matter of you deciding if you’ll claim it or not.

Three truths to help you:

God is present with me, therefore I will say no.

God has provided what I need, therefore I will say no.

God has a purpose for me, therefore I will say no.

Why? So you can say yes to God’s best for you life.