Gen 39:1-23 Through Josephs Life we can see the hand of Christ in your life.

*Come to Pulpit

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*Greet Congregation -Good Morning I welcome you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are here this morning because God calls us into his presence to Bless us by his Holy Spirit and by the means of Grace.

*Call to Worship……………..…...……………… Matthew 6:14-15

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Let Us Rise for the singing of Gods Word.

Let us open our Book of Psalms for singing to Psalm 122B

That’s Psalm 122B

Some Background on the Psalm 80

Opening Psalm: 80 speaks about Christ who is Israels shepherd who drives Joseph like a flock. I wanted to bring this before you because this is exactly what Christ will be doing to Joseph in Genesis 39 as he is redirecting the course of Josephs life. Let us keep this in mind as we sing Psalm 80.

OUR RESPONSE TO GOD’S CALL

Prayer of Confession and Repentance

According to your abundant mercies,

blot out our transgressions.

Wash us thoroughly from our iniquities

and from our sin cleanse us.

Create a clean heart for us, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within us.

Do not cast us away from your presence,

and do not take your Holy Spirit from us.

Restore to us the joy of your salvation,

and with a willing spirit sustain us.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

A broken and contrite heart,

O God, give us your servants all this as we come before you to worship you.

In Spirit and in truth.

In Christ name

Amen

Please be seated.

Let us turn in our Bibles this afternoon for our New Testament Reading to Acts 7:1-16

Acts 7:1-16

HEAR NOW THE VERY WORD OF GOD.

Acts 7:1–16 ESV

And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

*LET GOD ADD HIS BLESSING TO THIS READING OF HIS WORD

I chose this text becasue it is a New Testament retelling of the miraculous things God has done through the people of God.

But particularly Joseph who is the central character in the Sermon text today from Genesis 39:1-23

Let Us now Rise for the singing of Gods Word.

And Let us open our Book of Psalms for singing to Psalm 24C

That’s Psalm 24C

Please be seated.

Tithes /Offerings

Next we have an opportunity to give to the Lords Work with our Tithes and Offerings

Would the Elders and those who collect the Offerings please take up the offering now.

Congregational Prayer

Let Us Pray

Father we come to you in prayer for the congregation. We Pray for you to build up this church.

Father we pray that you would make this church a light to the people of Francisco .

Many things, my God, you have done—

your wonderful deeds and your thoughts toward us.

There is none to compare with you.

If I tried to proclaim and tell of them,

they would be too numerous to count.

As for you, O God, do not withhold your mercies from us.

But use this congregation to be a beacon of light to a lost and dying world.

Father we come to you in prayer for the congregation.

We Pray for _____________ and we ask for all these things in the powerful, glorious, majestic, and wonderful name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Our Old Testament Reading is from Genesis 39:1-23

Let us turn in our Bibles this afternoon to Genesis 39:1-23

Hear now the very Word of God

The New King James Version Chapter 39

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.

2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.

4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.

5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field.

6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”

8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.

9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.

11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside,

12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.

13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside,

14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.

15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”

16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home.

17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me;

18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”

19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused.

20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.

21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.

23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

Let the Lord add his Blessing to this reading of his Word.

HP - Through Josephs Life we can learn to see the hand of Christ in your life.

A good Illustration from Charles Spurgeon that I think will help us to connect with the text is

Charles spurgeon said I do not think that the Lord’s cause was ever meant to be consecutively triumphant, without intervals of defeat.

And this was the case in Josephs life and in our lives.

Brothers and Sisters imagine yourself on the Beach sitting on the shore watching the tide come in. and the waves are rolling and crashing in And then those waves recede.

Now lets apply this image to how the Lord works in peoples lives.

And so it is with the cause of Christianity.

A great wave rolled up at Adam Naming all the animals and

then it seemed to pause after Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit.

Then came other waves, with Noah and the Ark, literal waves and the church was preserved on the Ark

Yet the rest of the world was no more and there is a calming of the waters.

Then a large wave came with the calling of Abram out of Er and Gods covenant with him.

and then the wave recedes with Sodom being destroyed and Lots wife being turned into a pillar of salt.

And then a large wave comes with the child of promise being born Isaac to Sarah who had been barren.

And then a couple more waves with Jacob and Rachel.

and then it recedes with Dinah being defiled.

Which brings us to the next big wave with Joseph coming into the world. Jacobs prized son from Rachel who receives his coat of many colors.

And then the wave recedes and Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers which brings us to our text today where Joseph is in Potiphar’s house which looks like the waters have receded on the surface of the water but beneath as we look deeper we will see the hand of God.

God has a purpose in Josephs Life we read in. Verses 2-3

We read in verses 2-3

English Standard Version Chapter 39

The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.

b. In vs.1 were told that Joseph was a slave who was sold by Ishmaelites to and Egyptian who was the captain of the guard of Pharaoh's Army.

This captain is the head or representative of the king of Egypt the Pharaoh.

Joseph is not working for someone of low stature.

Potifar the Captain of the Guard would of commanded many men and would of been in charge of the security of Pharaoh.

Verse 5 indicates that Potiphar had a house and a field.

And Joseph is over it all

and Potifar is said to have had no concern about any of it except for the food he ate because the Lord was blessing everything Joseph touched.

c. But why did Potifar put Joseph in charge of everything that he had?

Because he saw that the Lord was with him and the Lord was the one bringing him this success.

This wasn’t because Joseph was some stellar servant .

This wasn’t because Joseph new “How to win friends and influence people.

Joseph was a slave.

Joseph was sold to Potifar.

And it was the Lord that took Joseph even as a slave and gave him favor in the sight of Potifar.

Remember any success you may have in this life is from the Lord.

Verse 6 indicates that the only thought Potiphar had about his household was where his next meal was coming from.

Whats for breakfast Lunch and Dinner.

In verse 3 we read that even Josephs master new that the Lord was with him.

Even an unbeliever such as Potiphar new that God was with Joseph by everything Joseph did because the work of his hands was so fruitful.

But this was not just an empty saying from the captain of the guard.

He really did trust Joseph

Do you open your house up and let another man control all the daily affairs and day to day tasks going on?

I suppose this is something foreign to us

Becasue it is only something the super rich have.

Personal assistants that take care of all the daily tasks.

But still who lets someone handle everything in affairs of ones house.

We don’t do this kind of thing.

but Potiphar does.

And its because the Lord is with Joseph.

Do we have this same Faith in God that this Egyptian showed towards Joseph?

An unbeliever didn't care for anything because he saw that the God of Israel was with him.

Remember what Romans 8:28 promises

English Standard Version Chapter 8

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose

e. So we can trust that the Lord will take care of us

and that the Lord is with us

whether we are at the point when the wave is crashing and its a great moment in our lives.

Or the water is receding and we feel like we are in the pit of the ocean and the Lord is not with us.

Remember God is with all his people.

And he drives us like a flock as the great shepherd.

Next we see that

2. The people of God can be persecuted and can fall into despair. verses 1 & 7-20

Verse one says

The New King James Version Chapter 39

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.

I bet Joseph is thinking where did I go wrong.

Remember he was only 17 years old we found out in Gen 37:2

English Standard Version Chapter 37

2 These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives.

I bet Joseph is thinking

I’m in Egypt and I’m a slave

and my brothers have done this to me.

The church is literally persecuting Joseph.

Remember His brothers were the visible church at this time.

So Joseph might be thinking I will never see my father and mother again.

Remember we know the end of this story but Joseph does not.

Joseph probably is

Fearful an in despair but he is still faithful in his work.

Remember he has the dreams he use to see the visions of his brothers and father bowing down to him.

Joseph knows God has a purpose. He is just not aware of what it is yet.

Or how its going to work out.

Or how God is going to use him to save the people of God one day.

Josephs persecution is a reflection of what one day would happen to Christ.

Except instead of persecution Jesus was killed

And unlike Joseph

Jesus was truly sinless.

Unlike Joseph who was sinner like me and you and any favor given to us was by the grace of God.

Jesus Christ was the sinless Lamb of God.

And it is because of Christ Joseph is shown favor by Potiphar.

And it is because of Christ that we are shown any favor by our employers

Our Magistrates

And any others around us.

Next we see that

3. God uses every experience in the lives of believers for their good. verses 7-20

You might be thinking that is not always true?

What about the time I was arrested and thrown in prison

What about the time I got into a car wreck.

What about the time I lost my job and I could not pay my bills.

Or what about the time me and my wife were fighting.

Or what about that time that woman came on to me at the office.

Or what about this recent Corona Virus which has seemed to turn the World upside down.

Business’s have gone bankrupt

Maybe you have lost your job or someone you know has lost there Job or their lives.

Or maybe someone you know has died.

Or maybe its caused some division in the church.

Whatever the trial is we can be assured it is for our good and Christs Glory.

We read in Job 2:10 about the good and evil we receive from the Lord

English Standard Version Chapter 2

Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”

You see in Josephs life and yours, that God will use even these seemingly evil circumstances for your Good.

God does this in Four ways.

The first is

1. To correct the course of a believer Gen 39:1 & 20

God didn’t want Joseph in Shechem any longer.

God wanted Joseph in Egypt as a slave to Potiphar.

And where the Lord wants us he will have us.

And who are we to fight against the Lords will.

We may say in our minds this is not how I envisioned my life.

What we should be thinking is who are we as sinful men and women to even begin to know where we will be in the next 10 years or 5 years or even next year.

The breath you just took. Yes that is borrowed from God.

You might be thinking I deserve a raise.

Or I need a larger home.

Or I would like another child.

Or I only like warm climates

Or I would prefer the snow.

I’m sure Joseph didn't want to be in prison.

God has things planned for us but its not even on or radar.

And I like a good surprise don’t you?

But usually I like the surprise gift. And not the car accident.

Joseph wasn't thinking man I would love to be a slave of Poitier the day he left to check on his brothers.

But God did. Always remember that.

Man proposes and God disposes.

Remember what WSC Question 11 states regarding God’s Works of Providence.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 11

Question 11

What are God’ s works of providence?

God’ s works of providence are, his most holy, (Ps. 145:17) wise, (Ps. 104:24, Isa. 28:29) and powerful preserving, (Heb. 1:3) and governing all his creatures, and all their actions. (Ps. 103:19, Matt. 10:29–31)

Our second way that God will use even these seemingly evil circumstances for your Good is

2. To test and exercise believers’ trust in God. Verses 1 & 7-20

Joseph was a handsome man we are told in verse 6

and Potiphar’s wife was happy in the sin of the Lust of the flesh.

But Josephs answer to Mrs. Potifar in verse 9 was not what she wanted to hear.

And isn't this the response most of the time from unbelievers because they don’t have a conscience to reason these things out.

They need a new heart.

They need to turn to Christ.

Joseph was concerned about his relationship with the Lord when he says in verse 9

English Standard Version Chapter 39

How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

Josephs decision was going to cost him everything again.

And so Joseph did the right thing and turned from temptation while she was doing everything in her power to have sex with him.

And so we must not compromise with sin in our lives.

1 Corinthians 10:13

The New King James Version Chapter 10

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

When people outside the church ask you to compromise on what the Scriptures teach we must follow the example of Joseph.

We must say NO.

I cannot do this great wickedness against God.

This is my Lord who has called me out from sin and saved me from death and the devil.

And I will not do this against Jesus.

I am His child, he has called me, and He is my Lord.

The Lord also uses these tests

3. To purify and prepare believers for glory. verses 3-6 & 21-23

The Lord helped Joseph in verse 3 after being sold to Potiphar.

The Lord gave Joseph Favor in Potiphar’s sight.

The Lord made him overseer of Potiphar’s house.

And the Lord let him be thrown in Prison over false charges.

And the Lord made Joseph in charge of everything in the Prison.

This is why “Through Josephs Life we can learn to see the hand of Christ in our lives.”

And we should learn to trust God whether brought on high as the wave is crashing or brought down low when the wave is receding God is in charge and we are not.

With this knowledge we need to trust in the Lord Jesus to purify us and prepare us for heaven.

Josephs life should also show us what common grace looks like.

4. Josephs life benefited others. verses 2-6 & 23

Verse 2 tells us that not only was Joseph successful but it was Potiphar who benefited. “This is that Common grace”

Verse 5 tells us

English Standard Version Chapter 39

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.

And verse 23 tells us

English Standard Version Chapter 39

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.

Your Employers are blessed when they higher you as a christian whether they recognize it or not.

And you should do great work for them as unto the Lord.

But I believe Josephs life is pointing us to two conclusions.

One that they are blessed if a christian is working for them because -

You have the law of God and the spirit of God.

Your conscience directs you to work hard for your employer.

Becasue ultimately you work for the Lord who is your King.

This is your Duty as his servant.

And second just like Joseph.

Success only comes when we are Gods child and receive his unmerited love.

we see in verse 23 that

4. In all of life’s experiences believers should be thankful and trusting. verse 23

We should be thankful that the Lord has called us.

1 Corinthians 10:31

English Standard Version Chapter 10

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

What is mans Chief End?

To Glorify God and to Enjoy him forever.

Josephs work ethic is shown to us in verse 23

He was a thankful servant who was diligent in the work that was before him.

What can we learn from the life of Joseph even though he was a slave?

That we are the Lords and how we act and treat others on earth should be a reflection of Jesus Christ.

Let us learn from the life of Joseph to walk throughout this life so that those within the church and those outside the church will look to us and see our lives as a reflection of Jesus Christ.

And Lastly in Verses 2-3 & 21 we see that

5. Believers are blessed because of the unmerited blessing of God. Verses 2-3 & 21

Believers do not merit the blessings they receive.

Finally this section of Josephs life teaches us that its the Lord that gives believers this favor.

Verse 21 says.

Gen 39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast (love) - the Hebrew word Hesed -and gave him (favor) - the Hebrew word Hen which means (grace) in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

This is the same Love and Grace that the Lord shows you and me as sinners.

Psalm 103.10 tells us

Psalm 103:10 ESV

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

Rather he forgives our sins and our iniquities because he is gracious.

Spurgeon finished the illustration we began with by saying

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon The Irregular Progress of the Lord’s Cause (2 Samuel 15:13–23; Acts 14:22; James 1:2)

And so it is with the cause of Christianity. A great wave rolled up at Pentecost, but it seemed to pause a while under Herod’s persecution. Then came other waves, until the world beheld in some degree the light of Christ in all its corners. But again there was a pausing for a while in those ages that we call the Dark Ages. Then came a mighty wave again, which we couple with the name of Luther and of Calvin. Again there seemed to be a drawback, and then again in the days of Whitefield, and Wesley, and Jonathan Edwards, and others, there was another revival. And so it will be, I suppose, right on to the end of the chapter—progress, and then a staying of the work; great success, then temporary defeat.

See brothers and sister you are apart of this story. Christs story And as the the seas in your life crash and recede remember.

That Through Josephs Life we can learn to see the hand of Christ in our lives.

And the Lord is with you whether you are in a prison being persecuted for Christs sake or 2nd in command in your masters house as Joseph was.

Remember this always Brothers and Sisters.

That Christ is your refuge wether on high or about to die.

LET US PRAY.

Father, we thank you for Josephs Life

and that you show us the hand of Christ in his life and in our lives.

Thank you Father for your grace and mercy on us your servants.

Help us to walk with you and continue to uphold us in this life and the life to come.

We pray that you would be glorified and that your kingdom would come and that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Lord help us and enable us to turn to your son Jesus who is the only mediator between God and man.

In Christ name, Amen.

Our Closing Psalm is psalm 48B

LET US RISE for the singing of Gods Word to sing

Psalm 105C

Let us Pray:

May the Lord be with you his people through out the week.

Give them a desire to talk about the Word of God we have read this afternoon and heard preached with their families.

And help them to share their faith and the gospel with their neighbors and invite those that are lost to the church.

And we ask all these things in your son Jesus’s name

Amen.