Tempted

Recap Series…

Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did successful, 4 Joseph found favor with his master and became his personal attendant. Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority. 5 From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing was on all that he owned, in his house and in his fields. 6 He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. 7 After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”

8 But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority. 9 No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?”

Week 1 - Dysfunctional Family, yet out of this family God was using Joseph

10 Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her. 11 Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there. 12 She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. 13 When she saw that he had left his garment with her and had run outside, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could. 15 When he heard me screaming for help, he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”

Week 2 - Betrayed - the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers…

16 She put Joseph’s garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me, 18 but when I screamed for help, he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”

Retell a little of the Joseph story up to this point… give highlights

Jacob had 12 sons by four different women

Joseph was the 2nd youngest, but the first born of the woman that Jacob really loved, Rachel

So Jacob loved Jospeh more than his brothers

He was not afraid to show it, coat of many colors

Joseph’s brothers hated him…

Because he was dad’s favorite

because of his dreams

So they wanted Joseph dead

A plan to kill Joseph

Their hearts already had done the deed

older brothers convinced the group to not kill, just sell

sold to Ishmaelites, who sold him to Potiphar

19 When his master heard the story his wife told him—“These are the things your slave did to me”—he was furious 20 and had him thrown into prison, where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph was there in prison.

Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did successful, 4 Joseph found favor with his master and became his personal attendant. Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority. 5 From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing was on all that he owned, in his house and in his fields. 6 He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. 7 After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” 8 But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority. 9 No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?” 10 Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her. 11 Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there. 12 She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. 13 When she saw that he had left his garment with her and had run outside, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could. 15 When he heard me screaming for help, he left his garment beside me and ran outside.” 16 She put Joseph’s garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me, 18 but when I screamed for help, he left his garment beside me and ran outside.” 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him—“These are the things your slave did to me”—he was furious 20 and had him thrown into prison, where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph was there in prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden. 22 The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. 23 The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.

JOSEPH IN PRISON

Pray

21 But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden. 22 The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. 23 The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.

Sold to Potiphar

Imagine being sold…

you are no longer a person

no longer making your own decisions

you would question everything at that point I would think…

why it happened to you… that is one of our favorite questions.

why God has forgotten about you… if he ever was really there

maybe you misunderstood those dreams

Who is Potiphar

Captain of the Guard

Head Executioner

this would be a nasty dude… not somebody that you would want to cross

a killer like this would have been callused to death

The Lord was with Joseph

His work was blessed

Everything he did was blessed

this is a very important notice…

Joseph was obeying his new master, not because he feared him

Joseph was serving the Lord even in captivity and as such, everything he did was blessed.

Joseph did this not knowing how this story would end

we have the luxury of reading ahead…

Joseph is living this story out without knowing the ending

There are lessons that God wants us to learn, before he will use in big situations...

Joseph

we want the big miracles that come with big faith when we have not mastered the little faith for the little miracles

We are like a newlywed couple wanting the intimacy and closeness of a couple celebrating 50 years, without putting in the time

Potiphar put entire household in Joseph’s hands

Joseph had favor with Potiphar

people can see that the Lord is with you

they may not know what it is, especially if they are lost, but the will recognize that something is different with you

All Potiphar worried about was what he would eat

Potiphar’s wife attempted to seduce Joseph

curse of looking good…

verse 6 tells us that Joseph was an attractive man

telling us that this was nothing more than a physical attraction

Joseph’s initial denial

refers to the act as evil

sin against God

no preacher or written law like to 10 commandments to tell Joseph not to do this

the ways of God are written on the hearts of his children

1689 Baptist Confession of Faith paragraph two; The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall,4 and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man.

So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them

ignorance of what God commands of you is not an excuse

So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them

Joseph Flees!

Joseph was in a house alone with the temptation…

When you are in a place of temptation, the only thing to do is run away

18 Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. 19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

Flee - PHEUGO - flee, escape, or run away

18 Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. 19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

give no care to what others might say… this is a poison that should not be messed with

this is not a warning about sex… but sexual immorality

fire illustration… inside my fire pit, it is great. gives warmth and I can have roasted marshmallows!

fire in my living room, where I have no fireplace, is destructive

If you flirt with whatever tempts you, it is not a matter of if you fall, but when

Joseph does not play around

he is alone in the house with her, does not try to talk

he runs…

Swindoll… If ever you are rooting for somebody, it is here...

Joseph did the right thing, he should be rewarded

Bad results do not always mean we did the wrong thing, and good results does not mean that we did the right thing

Joseph is falsely accused

Potiphar’s wife goes from lust, to hurt, from humiliated to anger

we are fools if we believe that when we run from temptation, that Satan will not come after you

she wanted him dead

why else tell her husband the chief executioner

this is the reaction that Satan has…

A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Joseph thrown into prison

Interesting… Potiphar was the chief executioner

Joseph had favor with Potiphar for all the good things that had been done for him

but in prison shows that he might not have believed her

You must not be weakened by your situation

Joseph did not simply give in to temptation because he was now a slave

jumping off the diet because you had a bad meal

You must not be deceived by the persuasion

the lies that Satan tells us...

nobody will ever know

one time will not kill you

did God really say

we are willing to believe them because we desire the sin

But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

You must not be gentle with your emotions

your inner emotions will beg you to be satisfied, you cannot be gentle

what did Joseph call this… an evil act, a sin against God

You must not be confused by the immediate results

remember, God’s ways are higher than our ways… we do not know the full plan of God and why he sometimes has us where he does

expecting a good result for doing the right thing, is expecting payment for following God

as if God, who he is and the grace he offers is not enough to follow him

Gospel… Our view must be eternal… not worldly

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

we should be seeking to satisfy Jesus… not our flesh

mercies of God… Jesus dying for your sins and mine

Tempted

Introduction

Joseph Sold

Joseph Tempted

Joseph Punished

Four requirements to resist temptation