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Dreams

The Pursuit of Happiness

Introduction
Every good story has a format of a 5 structure Story
Every good story has a format of a 5 structure Story
The Exposition: Rising Action: The Climax: Falling Action: Resolution:
Rising Action:
The Climax:
Falling Action:
Resolution:
Genesis 37:5–11 NIV
5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
Ge 37:5-
8 His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.
9 Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”
The Story of JosephToday I want to unpack this amazing story
10 This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” 11 But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. [1]
Today I want to unpack this amazing story
Every good story has a format of a 5 structure Story
The Exposition:
Rising Action:
The Climax:
Falling Action:
Resolution:
It’s in chapter 37 Joseph is 17 years old, the youngest of his brothers and the favorite of the family.
Joseph is 17 years old, the youngest of his brothers and the favorite of the family.
How many are the oldest in the family? Middle Child? Youngest?
Most cases the youngest get away with everything.
Joseph is shepherding in ch 37 and brings back a bad report about his brother
His bro. did not like him at all.
Josephs favoritism was not discreet. In fact it was flaunted.
In fact it was flaunted.
The outcome was not surprising: his brothers hated him even more
As the curtain rises in this story, Joseph is looked at as a spoiled brat arrogant.
Joseph has his dream and says “Hey guys listen to this”
I dreamed there were bundles in the field....wait for it.....and ALL of your bundles bound down to mine....What’s UP?
The first dream was agricultural…we could say there was some foreshadowing here when you advance this story to chapter 42 when the famine hit and only Egypt had grain to sell in which Joseph would later be in charge of

Don’t Be Surprised if People Close to You Don’tBelieve You

The Second dream was CELESTIAL – In that culture the sun moon stars represented rulers. That’s why his brothers immediately got upset.
We don’t know if Joseph thought twice before
Given the tension growing between them, it is hard to imagine there wasn’t an element of gloating
The outcome was not surprising: his brothers hated him even more

1. Don’t Be Surprised if People Close to You Don’t Believe You

First of all, the dream was given to you not them
1 Thessalonians 5:21 NIV
21 but test them all; hold on to what is good,
ESV
But remind yourself the dream was given to you not anyone else
ESV
but test everything; hold fast what is good.
But remind yourself the dream was given to you not anyone else
Don’t let the approval or Disapproval steal away what God is directing you to do
You cannot let the negativity of people drive the dream that God places in your heart
You cannot let the negativity of people drive the dream that God places in your heart
To continue with God’s vision you must have a vital relationship with God
That is exactly why Joseph was able to weather the tough times
Genesis 39:2 NLT
2 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.
Ge 39:
Genesis 39:21 NIV
21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
Ge
Genesis 39:23 NLT
23 The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.
Ge
2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man
ESV 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man
ESV 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor
ESV the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
Even though in this story begins to take a turn for the worse, I believe Joseph kept his dream alive by deepened walk with God and FAITH

Prepare Yourself to be tested during your pursuit of your dream

After Joseph shares his dreams
· His brothers fake Joseph death and sell him into slavery
· The dream went to a nightmare fast
· accused of rape and sent to prison
· Helps the butler while in prison “Don’t forget me when you get out”
IN the pursuit of your dream it’s not if you get tested its when you get tested

Follow EACH SETBACK with COMEBACKS

Sent to Prison - Learned how to manage, interpret dream
Remained steadfast - In prison he learned to solve problems - Prepared an entire nation for the famine
Framed for rape
Seven Years of Famine- Learned how to manage
Learned how to manage
In prison he learned to solve problems - Prepared an entire nation for the famine
Prepared an entire nation for the famine

Don’t Be Surprised if Your Dream takes detours

Why bad stuff happens to good people

Romans 8:28 NIV
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
rom 8:28
Yet how many of us feel it’s hard to read this in the middle of the storm?
tells us that “all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Yet how many of us feel it’s hard to read this in the middle of the storm?
In that story, Joseph’s brothers betray him and sell him into slavery.
Genesis 50:20 NLT
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
Decades later he tells them, “As for you, you planned evil against me, but God planned it for good, in order to do this—to keep many people alive—as it is today” ().
With Joseph, God does more than just make the best of a bad situation; He uses it for ultimate good
With Joseph, God does more than just make the best of a bad situation; He uses it for ultimate good (compare ).
NLT 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
Five chapters before declaring that “God planned it for good,”
Joseph said to his brothers, “You yourselves did not send me here, but God put me here as father to Pharaoh and as master of all his household, and a ruler over all the land of Egypt” ().

Joseph’s brothers successfully perpetrated evil, and God successfully brought about good from their evil.

God in His Sovereignty worked so that the evil Joseph’s Brother committed and the evil results were dramatically reversed to achieve Gods GOOD PURPOSES

“God permits what He hates to achieve what He loves.” Jodi Earkeson

The cross is God’s answer to the question, “Why don’t you do something about evil?”
“Why don’t you do something about evil?”
God did do something—and what He did was so powerful that it ripped in half, from top down, the fabric of the universe itself.

God doesn’t just empathize with our sufferings; He inserted Himself into history through Jesus.

He inserted Himself into history through Jesus.
What Jesus suffered, God suffered.

God ordained and allowed Jesus’ temporary suffering, so He could prevent our eternal suffering.

God ordained and allowed Jesus’ temporary suffering, so He could prevent our eternal suffering.
Good Friday isn’t called Bad Friday, because we see it in retrospect:
If someone had delivered Jesus from His suffering, Jesus could not have delivered us from ours (; ).
And that good trumps the bad: Although the bad was temporary, the good is eternal.
If someone had delivered Jesus from His suffering, Jesus could not have delivered us from ours (; ).
He did not get his dream right away in fact it took 2 decades before his dream became a reality
Every character in God’s story serves a purpose, as do all characters in His story
We may not always see the effects of our faith but we can be confident that God will honor our faithfulness
He did not get his dream right away in fact it took 2 decades before his dream became a reality
Don’t let detours tear you Down rather let it increase your faithfulness
A promised spiritual blessing demands patience and faith.
Waiting while others prosper is a test of one’s faithfulness and perseverance[2]
It may not have been Joseph timing but Gods
You wonder why God hasn’t allowed you to move from point A to B....It could very well be Gods providence is still at work
Just because there are detours doesn’t mean God is not at work
The providence of God
Joshua 14:10 NIV
10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!
Just because there are detours doesn’t mean God is not at work

Don’t underestimate what God can do through your pain.

Genesis 45:7 NIV
7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Genesis 45:7–8 NIV
7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
All along we think the dream was for JOSEPH, however it was for an entire nation.
All along we think the dream was for JOSEPH, however it was for an entire nation.
This small family of Jacob would grow into a nations
( the lords promise to Abraham)
You may not be able to determine how long you go through it but you can determine how you go through it.
What has God spoken to you that you have put off
Returning to School and completing a degree
Changing Careers
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Ross, A. P. (1985). Genesis. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 86). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
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