Joseph and a Life of Adversity

Introduction

It is good to be back with all of you after going away for awhile. It was necessary for me to spend time with the Lord, receiving ministry from the Spirit, in order that I may be strengthened in coming back to you.

For those who do not know, I lost my father back in September. Through this experience, I have learned that the Spirit works in many different ways. Not only does he work through positive experiences, but many times the Spirit works through adverse circumstances.

Not all of us have experienced negative experiences in our life. But one thing is for sure…you will! One of the most overlooked causes of death is being alive! And even if we do not look at death, there are many adverse things that will occur in life. You may break a relationship with a friend or maybe break relationship between your boyfriend or girlfriend.

Or what about your college rejection letter. Or maybe that job that you think you could get with the knowledge that you have, but they ask for experience which you would have if they would simply hire you!

The human experience is filled with adverse circumstances. In fact, it is probably the one thing that unites us more than most things.

And yet we understand it is from sin that these adverse circumstances. Did it not happen in the garden when God cursed Adam for eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and said

Genesis 3:17–19 ESV

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

3:17-19

Truly adversity is a result of sin.

This is something I want to speak with you today about. If you have been with us through the past few sermons, we have been going through the Bible to understand that though this Word is made up of many books and stories, there is one story that runs throughout the book. Our text comes from . I would like to read it once more to become familiar with what it says.

-15-21

Genesis 50:15–21 ESV

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 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. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Points

God is

Suffering can prompt us to forgive those who have treated us unjustly

Suffering can be a great blessing