The Jospeh Journey (2)
Notes
Transcript
Out of the Pan into The Fire
Out of the Pan into The Fire
You may have heard the addage: Sin will take you father than you want to go and keep you longer than you intended on staying.
God wants to bless you, but first he has to remove all the things in you that aren’t of Him. In order to be filled you must first be emptied.
Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?
Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.
Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
Genesis 26
First we see another generation sin come and bite Jacob in the rear; also another argument as to why polygamy doesn’t work. Out of all the people groups that could have wondered by the brother’s path the Ishmaelites pop up.
If you have read through Genesis then the name Ishmael should sound familiar. Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar the slave women. God promised to make Ishmael a nation and we find this nation looking to snuff out the blood line of Jesus Christ. They stand in the way of Israel becoming the Nation God wants them to be.
Take a moment to think about it in your life—how many times have you seen sin rear its head or temptation rear its head and say that was my Father’s, mother’s, uncle’s problem?
In one moment a child was born whose descendants found themselves crossing Israel’s path giving them an avenue of sin. People don’t believe me when I say sin will keep you longer than you could want to stay. In this case sin hung around for generations. We will get deeper into this verse later, but What Joseph said to his brothers in is good here as well.
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Genesis
Now we already discussed how Jospeh wasn’t the Saint many have made him out to be.
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Because Utlimatly we need to understand the importance of Today. As we mentioned this morning that today is Palm Sunday and I know this isn’t our normal Palm Sunday sermon, but we find out that Joseph’s journey is a lot like ours.
Jesus came in like a King so that he could die like a sinner. We come in a slave and a sinner so we can live to be with the King.
Jesus came in like a King so that he could die like a sinner. We come in a slave and a sinner so we can live to be with the King.
Joseph’s sin drove him into slavery as our sins drive us to be slaves of sin. Jesus rode his donkey victorious in his ways. But soon he would take our sin and shame and be driven to die like a criminal slave.
People will rejoice at your victories, but people will also rejoice at your failings. You can’t gage your life by the people around you.
Historically through the OT slavery is synonmous with Sin. Any time Israel entered into slavery it was because they had sinned against God and God wanted to teach them a lesson and ignite a fire with in them.
Last week we discussed the different between being buried and being planted. Last week we spent a lot of time in the dirt. However, as Jospeh found out life isn’t easy once you imurged from the dark places. Being pulled out Joseph might of been joyful feeling like all was a joke. But often times getting out of the dirt is only the beginning of a hard journey. Jesus’ entry was only the beginning of an insanely hard journey. This is where many Christians give up. They think coming out of the dirt is the goal; but it’s only the process.
We shouldn’t fight to be seen or to emerge from the dirt; we are fighting to grow.
We shouldn’t fight to be seen or to emerge from the dirt; we are fighting to grow.
Jesus knew the same people that cheered him would be there to condemn him. Jesus knew the pit he was about to fall into. The journey of a slave for sins he didn’t commit; but he fought his way through anyway. Just as we need to fight our way through.
Now here’s the warning:
Now here’s the warning:
Once we have our roots deep to support us and we penetrate the dirt we finally see the sun, but just because your inner man has changed doesn’t mean your circumstances are ready change. I hear this all the time, but I gave my heart to God. Why aren’t things easier.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Galatians
Understand just because you changed seed you still have to deal with what’s been planted. Many use this verse to explain why things go bad right after salvaiton, but I believe it’s just as important to the season believer. Because there are times when everyone falls into sin and we sow bad seed. The product of that bad seed will grow, but remember the sin that is meant to harm you God can use to help you learn.
Because Utlimatly we need to understand the importance of Today. As we mentioned this morning that today is Palm Sunday and I know this isn’t our normal Palm Sunday sermon, but we find out that Joseph’s journey is a lot like ours.
Jesus came in like a King so that he could die like a sinner. We come in a slave and a sinner so we can live to be with the King.
Jesus came in like a King so that he could die like a sinner. We come in a slave and a sinner so we can live to be with the King.
Joseph’s sin drove him into slavery as our sins drive us to be slaves of sin.
Here’s the promise:
Here’s the promise:
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Galatians
Some of us have been sowing a bad harvest. It may not be in every part of your life. You may be stating, but I’m a Christian. Just because you are a Christian doesn’t make you exempt. Even Paul messed up on his road of Sanctification and he reaped the harvest for his mistakes.
What God’s promise is this: If you begin sowing good seed and not grow weary in planting good seed while reaping the harvest of bad seed planted in years past in time you will begin to reap the good harvest. In time you will bring in the blessing. We know that Joseph has a tough road a head of him after he was planted in the well and sold into slavery. But the advantage we get is we have the end of the story. Right now in your life you do not know the end of your story. You may be reaping a bad harvest, but up ahead the good seeds you sown are preparing to produce. All you have to do is sustain, maintain, and keep planting.
A seed that breaks through the soil understands it still has a long journey ahead. That seedling knows that coming out of the dirt isn’t the end. There will be storms. There will be animals and there will be big footed humans waiting to stomp on your joy and progress. But as Joseph finds out persistance in the storm is key.
The storms of this life bring much needed water to our roots. allowing us to plant ourselves deeper. You can use your problems to drown in self pitty or you can use them to drive you closer to God. Satan wants you to believe that the sheep dog is bad. The barking, loud, nipping, running sheep dog may seem feirce but it’s job is drive you toward the shephard. To drive you towards greener pastures. Don’t hate the dog—don’t hate those situations in life that remind you that you are finite. That you need God because that’s what those issues are meant to do—drive you closer to God.
Jesus ultimately had the victory because of his death so that we can ultimately change the type of fruit our fields grow. We have the option to change the seed, but we need persevere through. Jesus didn’t give up on his journey when things got rough. We can’t give up on ours because the promise is great, but our savior is greater still. so for today lets join in declairing:
Jesus came in like a King so that he could die like a sinner. We come in a slave and a sinner so we can live to be with the King.
Jesus came in like a King so that he could die like a sinner. We come in a slave and a sinner so we can live to be with the King.
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Because we will over come...
Joseph sin drove him into slavery as our sins drive us.