Joe with the Fancy Coat

c. Mark Twain- When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around, but when I got to be 21 I was astonished at how much he learned in seven years

d. By the time a man realizes his father was right he has a son who thinks he’s wrong

e. A father is someone who carries pictures in his wallet where his money used to be

2. Most of us are Average Joe’s

3. This Joe is probably the most famous Joe in the Bible (Joe the son of Jacob)

a. Favorite Son of Jacob from favorite wife (Rachel) special coat

b. Genesis 37-50 (13 Chapters)

c. His Story- Pit, Potiphar’s, Prison, Palace- God was with Him

d. Dream to Destiny- 10 test in Joseph’s life - Robert Morris

4. Why did Israel go to Egypt? Feel bondage, understand the blood, experience freedom, follow God, enjoy the promised land

a. Their lives were an example to us about God. Bondage, Blood, Freedom, Following Promise land

b. We go through stuff in our lives as an example to those around us about God

5. Joseph was the son of Jacob, Isaac, Abraham (Hebrew- One from the other side)

6. Joe’s story teaches us

a. Power of Faithfulness, compound interest

1) Doing the right thing over the long haul pays off in the end

2) We over-estimate what we can do in the short term and we under-estimate what we can do in the long term

b. God is with us through every stage of life

7. We live in a world that is obsessed with extra, but so many times God used the ordinary

8. Four stages of purpose

I. 0-20 - IDENTITY

A. Who we are

1. Joseph had a lot of obstacles to overcome

a. Relationship dynamics with family- Leah, 11 brothers, running from Laban (grandparent)

b. Family move, mom dies, grandpa Isaac dies

c. Jealousy from brothers- the favorite

1) Tattle telling on his brothers

2) Feeling left out- they are working and he is at home

d. Put down for his dreams- offended the whole family

2. Those difficulties develop our character

a. Never waste an adversity

b. Romans 5:3-4 Our struggle produce endurance, and endurance proves our character; and if we have character there is always hope

c. Scar tissue is the foundation of character- Ben Sasse

d. Our struggle, mistakes, relationship lessons develop who we are

B. Why we’re here

1. Joseph’s dreams, gifts, experiences pointed to his purpose

2. We ask kids what do you want to be when you grow up?

a. Fireman, policeman, engineer, video game programmer

b. BE, not DO- faithful, steward, integrity, example

3. Who we are is more important that what we do

a. The will of God is primarily about who we ARE rather than what we DO

b. Bro. Mcnabb- Our job is preparation, God’s job is placement

c. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart

1) When we love God He directs our desires

4. When our work is our identity, success goes to our head and failure goes to our heart- Tim Keller

a. We get our identity wrapped up in what we do, then we have a hard time with retirement because we lose our identity

* Identity leads to…

II. 20-40 - INCREASE

A. Faithfulness pays off in the end

* Joe becomes 2nd in command in all of Egypt

1. How does that happen? 3 keys

a. Keep a Positive Attitude- Making the best of bad situations

1) In every situation Joe found himself in, he worked hard and rose to the top

a) Potiphar’s house

b) In prison

2) Viktor Frankl was a Jewish Psychologist who was stripped of his possessions, his clothes, even his name. He was reduced to a number—prisoner 119,104. In 1942, just nine months after his marriage, Frankl and his family were sent to the Nazi concentration camps. His father died there of starvation and pneumonia. In 1944, Frankl and the surviving members of his family were transported to Auschwitz, where his mother and brother were murdered in the gas chambers. His wife Tilly died later of typhus in another camp. Frankl spent three years in four concentration camps. Viktor survived and after the war wrote, “Man’s Search for Meaning”. In the book, Frankl reveals the secret to his survival: “Everything can be taken from a man taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances”

3) While we may not be responsible for what happens to us, we are response-able. And that little hyphen makes all the difference in the world. There is no situation under the sun in which our ability to respond can be taken away from us. We may not be able to control our circumstances, but we can control our reactions to them.

b. Overcome offenses

1) We live in a world of offense

2) Trigger warnings- make us more anxious

3) Resiliency- successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, behavioral flexibility

4) Do things bounce off of us or stick to us? and if they stick why?

1) When we take offense, we start playing defense

2) Joseph didn’t let offenses stick to Him

3) Neither did Jesus- John 14:30 the devil is coming, and He has no hold on me

c. Avoiding temptation

1) How can I sin against God- Genesis 39:9

2) We make only a few major decisions in our life but we spend the rest of our life managing those decisions- Mark Batterson

2. The Kingdom of God works on faithfulness

a. God is a builder. Hebrews says God is the architect and builder of all things

1) Joseph ruled over himself, a household, a prison and eventually a kingdom

b. When we are faithful with Little, God gives us more

1) The only time you start at the top is when you are digging a hole- Sam Chand

a) Psalm 119:141 Even though I’m small and despised and I’ll still keep your laws (when no one was watching

2) There are no shortcuts to any place worth going- Jeanne Mayo

a) Shortcuts lead to long delays- Mike Rowe

b) We’ve all seen people who’s gift takes them to place their character isn’t prepared to handle

· Deuteronomy 7:22 drive out nations little by little or the beasts of the earth will get you

· To get from the present to the promise, I must first endure the process- Chad Arnold

B. Promotion

1. Palace- 30 yrs 41:46

2. Kids- Ephraim- Forget, Manasseh- fruitful 41:50-52

3. Gave him the tools, position, power, he needed to make a difference

* Identity leads to increase leads to…

III. 40-60 - IMPACT

A. Making a difference in the lives of others

1. In Egypt

a. 41:57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

b. Chapter 47 Money, livestock, land, lives- gave them seeds to plant

c. He saved their lives

d. His wisdom and delegation and pouring into others behind him

2. Made an impact on his family

a. Changed the destiny of his family- moving them to Egypt

b. This would not have happened if he had become bitter and unforgiving- but because he developed his character, God was able to increase his position and power so he could make an impact on them

B. At this age it’s Half-time

1. Mid-life, balancing roles, parent/child

a. Mid-life crisis- see it slipping away, regrets, failures, Am I making an impact?

b. In the game of life nothing is less important than the score at halftime the tragedy of life is not that man loses but that he almost wins- Andy Andrews

2. We can’t focus on ourselves, but on the next generation

a. Do we lead with a closed hand or open hand?

1) Holding on to what we have, don’t share, do it ourselves

2) Or delegating, pouring our experience into others, sharing what we have

3. They don’t want to listen to me

a. To the older generation- advice

1) Don't resent, fear or judge the younger generation, believe in them

a) 1 Corinthians 4:15 We have a lot of teachers but not many Fathers

2) We have to trust them and believe in them

a) Jim Valvano- My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person he believed in me

b) When my father didn’t have my hand, he had my back- Linda Poindexter

c) When you delegate tasks you create followers. When you delegate responsibility you create leaders

3) Be real, be yourself. You’re not cool- you mansplain and tell Dad jokes

4) You can either fight it or fund it

b. To the younger generation

1) We want WHAT our parents have without the WAIT of earning it

a) Remember it’s faithfulness over the long haul

2) The older generation will allow you to influence them if you honor them

a) Listen to them, appreciate where they came from

c. Leadership mindsets

1) The odds are low that what you’re leading will last

a) Only 12% of organizations survive to the third generation. 4% to the fourth

2) Three Generational Mindsets:

a) Gen 1: The owners

· Visionaries saw a problem and created a solution

· Started with nothing and built something

· They think higher, see broader and care deeper

· They can get stuck in the past and have a hard time letting go

b) Gen 2: The protectors

· Didn’t start the organization, but they entered early enough to appreciate and respect the sacrifices of Gen 1

· Feel responsible to preserve and protect what’s built

· Generally more risk-averse because they’re afraid to mess things up

c) Gen 3: The inheritors

· The Gen 3 Mindset Gen 3 are squanderers

· They’ve always had the benefits of success without putting in the work to create the success

· They didn’t learn the good lessons from the hard times

· Drift towards entitlement, through no fault of their own, Gen 3 started on third base

4. There is no success without a successor

a. Moses left Israel with Joshua but Joshua left Israel with a vacancy- Book of Judges

b. Real impact is successfully passing the baton to the next generation

* Identity leads to increase, leads to impact, leads to...

IV. 60-80 - INFLUENCE

A. Perspective- 50:15-21

1. What you meant for evil God intended for good v20

2. Saving lives v20

3. I will provide for you and your children v23

4. Hope for the future- bury me in Canaan v25

a. Exodus 13:19 Moses took his bones with him

b. Joshua 24:32 Joseph’s bones, buried at Shechem on land Jacob bought

5. Legacy through scriptures of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob- the sons of Israel- influenced all of us

6. God’s promise to Abraham- His family would bless all the families of the earth- Jesus

B. Influence

1. This group has so much wisdom and experience to pour into others

a. If we will take care of the depth of our life, God will take care of the breadth of our influence. Deep before wide- Dr Bradford

b. Will Rogers Jr- His heritage to his children wasn’t words or possessions, but unspoken treasure the treasure of his example as a man and a father

c. Manipulation is the devil’s counterfeit for influence

2. Office for National Statistics survey found 65-79 yr olds are the happiest age group for adults

a. Access to better health, technology, information

b. Life expectancy 1950- 68 yrs old, 78.6 yrs old

c. Senior adult communities and activities help

d. Survey found that the people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80

e. Good genes are nice, but joy is better

1) Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine

C. Finish Strong

1. Summer Olympics- July 26 in Paris

a. Gymnast- Stick the Landing

b. As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing- 2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT

1) Seize the opportunity- take advantage of your time

2) Stay the course- stay faithful

3) Stick the landing- finish well

* Identity leads to increase, leads to impact, leads to Influence

Cn: 1. Impressive 80-100

2. When the A/G was trying to get into the Republic of Georgia, Bob Mackish came to Georgia and said he wanted to meet Elia the arch bishop of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Georgians thought there was no way. When they got there and asked to see him, they were told he would be out in 5 minutes. When Elia came out he started crying and hugging and kissing Bob. What the Georgians didn’t know is that years earlier Elia had went to a conference in Vienna and many of the attendees stayed in the hotels, but Elia had no place to stay. Bob lived in Vienna and invited him to stay at his house because others were afraid to take him in because they were worried about them being KGB. They developed a close friendship that week through Bob’s hospitality. Bob’s lifetime of kindness and integrity led to the impact and influence that opened the doors for the Assemblies of God to plant churches in the Republic of Georgia.

3. 0-20 Identity- figure out who you are and why you are here

4. 20-40 Increase- God rewards our faithfulness

5. 40-60 Impact- You have the tools to make a difference in the lives of others

6. 60-up Influence- Leave a legacy to future generations

Al: 1. All men come forward

0-20 Identity

20-40 Increase

40-60 Impact

60-80 Increase

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