The Journey; Lesson #27
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The Journey: Walking with the Patriarchs
Lesson# 27 Adversity & Triumph: Living in the "Sweet Spot" Genesis 39
LifeLink Church July 20, 2025
Intro, Story about the sweet spot, the zone or flow state.
Reference to Athletics *
How difficult is it to maintain, when you are in that sate, vs getting into it once you are out of it?
We long to be in the sweet spot of God’s will it unity with the Spirit.
Spiritually this is often refer to as a Mountain Top experience, what is the problem is generally the valley that follows. Let’s examine Joseph’s life and
We just took an asside
Catchup from 37 - Recap of where general facts :
Joseph was Favored by his Father, Like his Mother, and Father, and the Recipient of God’s promise.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.
Joseph - 1st born son of Jacob and Rachel
Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Joseph is like his Father and mother -
A dreamer and Good looking
English Standard Version Chapter 29
Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. 18 Jacob loved Rachel.
Discuss transition back to Joseph, talk about
When we are living in the Sweet Spot Expect
Companionship
Blessing
Temptation
False Accusation
Suffering
Triumph
Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.
So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.
From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field.
So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge.
He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.
But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house,
she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.
And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house,
she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.
And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.”
Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home,
and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me.
But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”
As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled.
And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.
But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.
The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
1. I Will Enjoy God’s Continual Companionship.
1. I Will Enjoy God’s Continual Companionship.
vv. 1,2
vv. 1,2
Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there.
The Lord was with Joseph....
This was evident in David’s Life.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
This was evident in Jesus’ Life.
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
This is what God wants for all of His children. Eph 3:16-19
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
2. I Will Experience God’s Abundant Blessing.
2. I Will Experience God’s Abundant Blessing.
The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.
So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had.
From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field.
So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
God wants to bless us with:
++Answered Prayer.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Answered Prayer
++His Provision
I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:18-12 (MSG): The gifts you sent with Epaphroditus were more than enough, like a sweet-smelling sacrifice roasting on the altar, filling the air with fragrance, pleasing God no end. You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity.
c, The Unity of the Spirit. Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT):Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.
d. Transformed Lives.
1) Jesus told the disciples: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
2) Acts 2:40,41: With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
3) Acts 2:46,47: Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
4) Acts 4:4: But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
3. I Will Encounter Temptation. vv. 7-12
3. I Will Encounter Temptation. vv. 7-12
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” 8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
a. Why did Potiphar’s wife hit on Joseph?
1) He was young and attractive. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.
2) He held the second highest position in her husband’s affairs. after a while. his master’s wife took notice of Joseph.
A common slave would not have held the same appeal for this woman.
3) His duties placed him in close proximity.
a) Joseph probably had his “office” inside the house of Potiphar.
b) He had the authority to come and go wherever and whenever he pleased.
c) He had constant and ready access to the house of Potiphar. d) Potiphar, in the discharge of his civil duties, was most likely often away from home. 39:16: She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home.
4) He was someone new to be conquered.
a) I doubt very much that this was her first rodeo.
b) She craved forbidden fruit.
b. How did Joseph deal with this persistent pursuit by Potiphar’s wife?
1) He refused. But he refused. NO THANK YOU!
2) He tried to reason with the woman.. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
a) I would violate the integrity of my calling. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care.
b) I would violate your husband’s sacred trust in me. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife.
c) I would violate my faith in God and His trust in me. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
2) Joseph continually resisted her advances. And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
a) Even her requests which sought to bring the two in closer contact were refused.
b) It appears that at times she appealed to him only to be near her, but Joseph knew all too well that she wanted more, and even this would be inappropriate.
c) He was not responsible to meet either her emotional or physical needs, which were the concern only of her husband.
3) He ran from her presence. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
4. I Will Endure False Accusation. vv. 13-18
4. I Will Endure False Accusation. vv. 13-18
When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
a. Jesus endured it.
b. The O.T. prophets endured it.
c. The N.T. Church endured it.
d. Satan s the Accuser of all believers. He works through his human minions to bring his slanderous charges against the Lord’s saints. This is why God hates slander & gossip!
5. I Should Expect Undeserved Suffering. vv. 19,20
5. I Should Expect Undeserved Suffering. vv. 19,20
When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
a. Jesus told us we will face it. John 16:33: I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
b. It is in suffering that we become like Christ. Philippians 3:10,11,13,14 (NLT): I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
c. So we can face suffering with Joy & Confidence. Acts 16:22-25: The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
6. I Will Experience Triumph Even in my Trials. vv. 21- 23
6. I Will Experience Triumph Even in my Trials. vv. 21- 23
But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. a. Potiphar’s punishment of Joseph is not nearly as severe as it could have been. 1) As “captain of the bodyguard” (verse 1), he must have had authority to execute criminals. 2) Such a crime as rape, attempted by a foreigner, must have been considered worthy of death. 3) Instead, Potiphar cast him into “the” prison, the place where political prisoners were confined (verse 20). 4) Is it possible Potiphar found his wife’s accusation less than fully convincing? b. The word for this jail is unique, suggesting that there is something of particular interest here. 1) “An unusual word, sohar, found only in these chapters, is used for prison: the Hebrew root suggests a round structure and therefore perhaps a fortress, which is the term used by LXX.” Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary (Chicago: Inter-Varsity Press, 1967), p. 191.
2) “Scarcely, indeed, is there any point in which the notions and practices of the people of the East differ so essentially from ours as in those which relate to the treatment of criminals; for while in Europe there are places reared for the confinement of offenders, and officers specially appointed to have the custody of them, the houses of the highest and greatest persons in the East, are not unfrequently dedicated to the purposes of a prison, and men who fill public and official stations of the greatest dignity, perform the duties of an office which, in our estimation, is the most ignoble. From the earliest times, the jails in the East have been of this description, and under the care of persons of elevated rank; and as it is highly probable that the palace of Joseph’s confinement was some dungeon, or secluded port of the house of Potiphor, who was the principal state officer of Egypt at the time, the knowledge of this circumstance furnishes a natural way of accounting for the freedom allowed to Joseph by the deputy jailer, . . .” George Bush, Notes on Genesis (Minneapolis: James and Family, reprint, 1979), II, p. 257.
3) Two passages in chapter 40 make it almost certain that the prison referred to is located nowhere other than in Potiphar’s house, probably in a dungeon in the basement.
a) So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned(Genesis 40:3).
b) And he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?”(Genesis 40:7).
4) Taken together we know that Joseph was imprisoned in a house which belonged to the “captain of the bodyguard” (40:3), and we know this captain to be Potiphar (39:1). Finally, Joseph is said to have been in confinement “in his master’s house” (40:7). Where else could the prison be but in Potiphar’s house?
c. This explains why the chief jailer so quickly placed matters under Joseph’s charge.
1) Joseph was a man well known to the chief jailer if our suggestion is correct.
2) He was delighted to have the former CEO of his boss’s vast estate helping him run the prison.
d. Prison was not Joseph’s final destination; it was simply a port of call in Joseph’s journey as he lived out God’s ultimate plan for his life.
e. We can serve with joy, confidence & victory when we know we are in God’s sweet spot!
Do we Love God for the Favor/ Blessing or Do we Love God for another reason?
Thought : Destruction for salvation, Sometimes in live we face difficult or soul crushing events or consequences: In these times if we see though God’s Eyes there is a good and perfect purpose, with a different perspective and objective. An eternal view, summing to totality of events, generations, and peoples.
Analogy: There is a property on the edge of a fire. The property Is perfect, and well developed, Yet, there is a time to bring in a dozer and scrape away all the hard won efforts and expense along the fire line. Why? There is a choice leave everything as it is, and allow it all to burn, OR destroy and uproot, Cut down and sacrifice a portion in order to save the whole.
— Conclusion:
— Conclusion:
This is like our Repentance of Sin, our obedience to the Lord,
Jesus Laid down his life for us, and more importantly he took on the flames of Hell! He is victorious and he Saved us from the imminent flames. The Justice for our own choices.
God Does not Author the destruction, Hurt, harm, or evil that befalls us! That is the result of Reckless Freedom, and free will. God does not impose himself upon us, GOD is a redeemer! He Redeems these events and hurts, He uses them for his purpose and if we allow HIM for our benefit and
So like that farmer, if you are are or have been made aware of wrongdoing in your life, bitterness toward God, Expose it, Confess it, Give it up!
And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.
Yes, the ground will be bare,
But from there Jesus can rebuild, replant and flourish, in time.
