Wear Those Garments Loosely

Wear Those Garments Loosely

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented [a] robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. 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.

Genesis 37:3-10

· I want you to ponder with my briefly on the subject I’ve entitled “Wear Those Garments Loosely”

· When I read this story what I remember most about Joseph is that his Daddy loved him so much that he made him a coat of many colors

· But what is most significant about Joseph is not the coat of many colors but that God led him from Pit stop to Pit Stop and Place to Place and from Posture to Posture and from Position to Position until he finally arrived at his destiny and there he realized his dream

· And every time God moved him God caused him to have to change his clothes

· What a mighty God we serve who has determined that in order for us to live the life that we want to live…

· Some of us what life around us to change… But I stopped by to let you know that in order for life to change around you, you must change

· A Christian must learn how to live life so gently that the garments we wear can be divinely changed into the garments of our destiny

· When I use the words “Garments” I’m not talking about the Seventh-day Adventist Standards on dress and attire

· By “Garments” I’m talking about the accoutrements of this life that make up the delicate nature of our current comforts and contentments

o I’m talking about our jobs and our joys

o I’m talking about our positions and our power

o Our relations and our reality, Our Economics and our energy

o Our homes and our hobbies, Our plans and our perspectives

o Our issues and our ideologies

o Or like in this story I’m talking about whatever it is that has become our most prized possession.

o Our coat of many colors

o Metaphorically speaking these garments of our humanity make up the fabric, the essence, the stuff of our

§ current contentments,

§ our present postures and

§ our juggled joys

· And so I read this story over and over and over until finally it sat up and smiled in my face

· And I heard God’s Spirit say “Peter, You better wear those garments loosely!”

· And so that’s all I came to say to you this day

· For In this passage of scripture

o we see a boy with a fabulous dream

o become a man with a phenomenal destiny

· God had changed him and transformed him from where and what and who he was to where and what he ought to be

· But in order for this to happen he had to learn how to wear those garments loosely because

· He had to give up his attachment to earthly things and circumstances

o God can’t change you into what you should be if you’re clinging to what you are

o God can’t give you tomorrow’s joys if you’re clinging to yesterdays sorrows

o God can’t give you the fulfillment of your dreams if you’re fixated on the fears of your nightmares

o Oh I’m just trying to tell somebody that if you believe in a place called glory then you’d better learn how to wear those garments loosely

· And in a very real sense Joseph powerfully models what this means

· Just look at the man they called the Dreamer

o His transformation stretches our capacity to dream

o His growth challenges us to believe in those dreams

o His development causes us to know that almighty God who is the originator of our most powerful, profound dreams is also the progenitor of a faithful fulfillment that turns dreams into reality.

· He had to learn that he couldn’t follow God almighty until he released his grasp on where he was and what he was and what he had

· For God to give him something new he had to release his grasp on what was old

· Somebody said He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in you. Won’t you say amen church

· Now now now there are millions of people who are going through life without a dream from God.

· And so they have no vision of their destiny and no view of something bigger and no perspective of who they aught to be

· They find themselves

o Meandering through meaningless motions without purpose

o Eking out a limited existence without a sense of destiny

o and caught adrift on ocean currents leading to no where,

o they’re lost like a ship without a rudder

· And therefore, the story of Joseph speaks to us and beckons us come dream the dreams of God

· Because if you can dream the dreams of God then it won’t be so hard to wear these garments loosely

· And if you can wear these garments loosely then you can dream the dreams of God.

· Oh am I talking to somebody here today

· Joseph’s life embodies what it means to follow your dream

· Ah for somebody here who may be aimless and lost I challenge you to get a dream from God

· Our God not only gives dreams but He turns dreams into reality

· Don’t you live out your days as a pawn or a player in somebody else’s dream and then sit up from your death bed at the end of your life and wonder “What if I had just followed my own dream?”

· Don’t you waste your time watching somebody else’s movie, playing somebody else’s video game, reading somebody else’s book, singing somebody else’s song or telling somebody else’s story

· You’ve got your own Divinely Determined Dream to live

o That’s what I love about Joseph

§ At such a young age of only seventeen he had a dream

§ It was a dream that was plucked by God from the garden of Divinity and planted in the fertile soil of youth

§ It was a dream determined by God in the realms of eternity, but realized by man within time and humanity.

§ It was a dream

· crafted in the wisdom of excellence,

· calculated with the precision of perfection,

· yet riddled with struggle, ridden with sorrows and wrought amidst frustration, fatality, futility and folly

· Somebody here ought to have a dream

· Joseph dared to dream the dream of a Divinely crafted destiny

· And for some young person up in here this day, I want you to know you’re not too young to dream the dreams of God.

· And even if you’re older now and you feel like you’ve lived your life apart from your dream, away from your purpose and far from your destiny, it’s not too late to reclaim the Dream of Divinity and start moving towards a Divinely determined destiny.

· The story of Joseph declares you can live the dreams of God no matter who you are or where you are.

· And you ought to know the dreams of God are not small dreams.

· Don’t you dream no little dreams and call it a dream of God

o Little dreams have no power, small dreams have no energy

o But big dreams have a power to pull you towards your destiny.

· The dreams God gave Joseph were mighty big dreams

o The Sun, Moon and Stars bowing down to you is a big dream

o Family members honouring and respecting you is a big dream

· The dreams God has for you are big dreams because God doesn’t have no small dreams, He always calls you to a big dreams

o Every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places shall be made smooth and crooked places made straight and all flesh shall see it together. Now that’s a big dream.

o Preach the gospel to every creature. That’s a big dream

o For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now that’s a big dream

o If any man be in Christ He is a new creature. Behold old things are passed away and all things have become new. A big dream

o In my Father’s house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also.

o What a big, bright, beautiful, blessed dream from God

· Oh I’m so glad I’m a child of a big minded God like this

· And I think my God must function sort of like a good Grandmother.

o You know He’s got a wallet in His pocket with my picture in it

o And every now and then when He’s talking with some of the holy angels He always wheels the conversation around to

o “You wanna see a picture of my “child”?

o Never mind how messed up and jacked up he looks right now

o Don’t you worry about how insignificant and unimportant he seems right now

o He may be big and bad and black and bald but never mind,

o I’m God and I can pull a chair out of eternity and position it in time and when I’m through with Him I’ll cause him to sit right there

o That’s right when I’m through bringing about the fulfillment of my big dream for him I’m gonna cause him to sit right here in this chair of elevated place and position.

· Oh I’m trying to tell you “God gives big dreams!”

· And the story of Joseph is proof positive that God is able to turn big dreams into reality

· But Joseph had some problems that God had to deal with before He could turn the dream into a reality.

o Joseph’s first problem is that he thought it was all about him.

o So he used his dreams to show off his betterness to his brothers

§ He didn’t understand what many of us don’t understand.

§ The Divinely planted dreams of God are not given so we can trump ourselves and show off amongst the brethren

§ The dreams of God are given so we can serve humanity

§ And whatever skills, talents, gifts, abilities and dreams God gives you, are given so you can bless others

· Have you ever stopped by Joseph’s house for breakfast?

· This past week I sat at the breakfast table of this passage and in my sanctified imagination I saw Joseph eating with the family one morning.

o Now while all his brothers were eating Cherrios, and Shreddies and Frosted Flakes and Captain Crunch…

o Joseph reached for the oatmeal and some soymilk. Then he’d top it off with a little wheat germ and flax seed.

o And he sat up straight and tall and adjusted his napkin neatly and chewed his food carefully exactly 25 times and with his every movement and motion and mood he manifested betterness

o Joseph had to learn to transform his betterness into blessedness

o He had to mature from a fixation on self to a focus on service

o God had a serious work to do on Joseph to teach him that the pathway to greatness was not through great ability but great humility

o In Matthew 23:11 Jesus said He who would be great among you let him first become your servant.

o And God almighty had to turn Joseph into a servant who didn’t just carry an air of betterness, but cared enough to be a blessing.

· It is not enough for God to give you a big dream.

· You must let God carve you into a creature of care and compassion

· You must let God finesse you into a friend of faith and fortitude

· You must let God massage you into a messenger of might and mercy

· And turn your inward focus on self into an outward focus on service.

· The Second thing God had to do was help Joseph to leave Papa’s house

· The text says, his brothers were out herding the sheep but not Joseph

· Joseph was stuck in Papa’s house like a good little puppy dog.

· I don’t know what kind of Dog he was like but clearly he was on Daddy’s leash.

· His world was so small that his life revolved around spying on his brothers and then bringing to Papa Jacob all the naughty deeds of evil his brothers were involved in.

· I imagine that

o Like a Golden Retriever he lived to fetch juicy tales of gossip

o And when he got tired of that he’d turn into a Point Setter dog, always going to Papa to point out his brother’s sins

o And when he got tired of that he’d turn into an Ally dog with his head in somebody else’s garbage can

o And when he got tired of that he’d turn into a German Shepherd dog. Don’t say much just walk around and look all big and mean and ready pounce on anybody who steps out of line.

o And when he got tired of that he’d turn into a poodle dog.

§ Have you ever seen a poodle dog?

§ Ain’t nothing but so big but they’ll run around barking in the middle of the night kick up a whole lot of noise.

§ And pretty soon they had every dog in the neighbourhood barking. That’s a poodle dog

§ You know I once heard a story about a poodle dog

· Every morning this dog would run sit on the porch steps within his fenced yard and wait for the neighbour from around the corner to walk his big German Shepherd dog down the sidewalk in front of his house.

· And then that poodle dog would start barking and yelping and leap up off the porch steps and run down the walk and slam up against the securely latched fence just barking yap yap yap yap yap.

· Well as fate would have it one day the owner forgot to latch the gate.

· And so as the neighbour from around the corner came walking his German Shepherd Dog down the sidewalk that morning, the little poodle down jumped off the porch steps and ran down the walk (yap yap yap yap yap) and slammed up against the unlatched gate.

· Well to his shock and amazement the gate swung open and there he was right in the path of that German Shepherd Dog who proceed to grab him and shake him every which way but loose and when he was satisfied that he had given him a good whipping he let him go.

· Well according to the story that poor little poodle dog limped his traumatized body all the way back to the porch steps and said to himself, “Who in the (H E LL) “Great Down Under” left the gate open”.

· Some of us like Joseph are unable to experience the fulfillment of our dream because we’re stuck like a puppy dog in Papas house

· You know the type that go running around the church like some Holy Ghost policeman thinking they must keep everybody in line.

o God has a mighty big work to do to move us from our posture and position and place so we can realize our purpose and experience the fulfillment of His promise.

· God had to transform Joseph from being Doglike to being Godlike

· God had to change Joseph from an arrogant, selfish, self-righteous, self-centered squealer to a sensitive, spiritual, servant of humility.

· And likewise God has to move us from where we are to where we ought to be.

· Ultimately God moved Joseph from place to place, and position to position and from posture to posture and from pit-stop to pit-stop

· God moved him so he could learn that it’s not so much where you are but who you are when you get there.

· God moved him so he could learn that it’s not so much where you are but where you’re going and it’s not so much where you’re going but who you are when you get there

· God moved him so he could learn that it’s not about your positioning but it’s about God’s providence.

· And not only did God move him but God changed his clothes

· Because every now and then we tend to cling to garments of false and deluded destiny

· And while Joseph wore a beautiful Coat of Many Colors while up in Papa’s house, Papas house was not his destiny

o Yes Papas house was a safe and secure place where he was favoured and loved.

o It was a good place to be but not a good place to stay.

o It was not his destiny.

· And the day finally came when God said Joseph it’s time to move

· And where you’re going is no place for a Coat of Many Colors so you’re gonna have to change your clothes.

o And God sent his brothers to snatch that coat from off him

· And the Bible says they put him in a pit.

o Yeah he went from Papas house of safety to the pit of sadness

o And while there he wore the garment of nakedness and shame

· Somebody here has got a mighty dream from God but you’re sitting up safe in Papa’s house wearing your Coat of Many Colors.

· I stopped by to tell you child you better “wear those loosely” cause you never know when God’s gonna call you and say it’s time to move and you’re gonna have to change your clothes.

· Somebody here might be in your pit right now.

o You used to be cozy and safe up in Papas house wearing Daddies Coat of Many Colors and you knew you had it going on

o But suddenly you find yourself shivering and shameful in a pit of despair, depression and desperation and despondency.

· I challenge you to learn what Joseph had to learn

o Your pit is just a part of your journey on your way to the fulfillment of your dream,

o It’s not what you’re going “To”, it’s just what your going through

o It’s not where you’re headed, it’s just what you’re passing through on the way to way you’re headed

o So many of us when facing the let downs and set backs and darkness and reductions and redactions of the pit act like this is it

o We act like we’ve reached our final destination in desperation

· The pit is temporary and transient because God may take you through trouble but he never takes you to trouble

· You’re not going to the night, you’re going through the night. That’s why the passage says, weeping may endure for a night cause night is just temporary but real joy comes in the morning

o God brought Israel “Through” the Red Sea not “To” the Red Sea

o The Psalmist David said, “yeah though I walk through the valley

o Isaiah 43 declares when thou passest through the waters I’ll be with you and through the rivers they shall not overflow you, and when you walk through the fire thou shalt now be burned

o Don’t you get stuck in the pit because God’s gonna move you

§ It’s not your resting place, it’s just your testing place

§ It’s not your residency it’s just your tenancy

§ The pit is not you’re the place of your final destination

§ The pit is the place of your faithful restoration

o And the like the moment came when God had to move Joseph the moment will come when God has to move you.

· God took Joseph from a Pit of Shame to Potipher’s house of Slavery

· And in Potipher’s house he wore the garments of a slave

o Potipher’s house was his place of involuntary servitude where he was forced to help produce somebody else’s dream

o If you’re here today like Joseph

§ Building up another man’s household

§ Taking care of another man’s property

§ stuck fostering another man’s dream

§ slaving on a job that’s not in alignment with your destiny

§ Just punching and clock and marking time in a place and position that has nothing to do with your life’s calling

§ But investing all your time and energy in somebody else’s goals and vision and ideals and objectives

§ And you’re wondering

· When will my ship come in

· When will my time come,

· When is my day in the sun

· When do I get to realize my own God given dreams

· I just stopped by to tell you don’t worry, God’s still working on you

o Potipher’s house

§ It’s not your resting place, it’s just your testing place

§ It’s not your residency, it’s just your tenancy

§ It’s not your final destination cause God’s gonna move you

· And you better learn to wear those slave garments loosely

· Don’t cling to your earthly garments

· Don’t hold too tenaciously to your postures and positions

· Don’t get stuck where you are for you never know when God’s gonna call you and say child it’s time to change your clothes.

· The day finally came when God was ready to move Joseph

· He had to move him from Potipher’s house of shame to the Prison house of solitude

· And God sent Sister Potipher to snatch that slave garment off him

· And now in the prison house he had to put on the bright orange colored jumpsuit of a Prison inmate.

· Your Prison House represents that place of your false accusation

· Joseph had to suffer because of a lie and a false accusation

o Have you ever been there?

§ Held captive in a Prison of Solitude and disgrace because of a trick, a lie, an untrue testimony and a false accusation

§ I don’t know about you but I’ve been there

· I’ve been the victim of false accusations, I’ve been hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, ran amuck,

· I’ve been tricked and lied to and caught in a prison house with no options and an unfulfilled dream like Joseph.

· And I’m here to testify that there is a lesson in prison

· I declare God reserves some of life’s greatest lessons for the prison

· And in the prison Joseph had to learn some things

o He learned that life’s not fair but God is good

o He learned to give up on trying to be right,

o He learned you don’t have to prove your point all the time.

o He learned you don’t have to defend every false accusation.

o He learned you don’t have to settle the score in an argument

o He learned it’s okay if the ones you help forget all about you

o He learned that the best things come to those who wait

o But ultimately he learned how to deal with a dream deferred

o We live in a now generation where nobody wants to wait for anything

o Everybody wants it now, Give it to me now.

· Langston Hughes asked the question

o “What happens to a dream differed?”

o Does it dry up like a raison in the sun?

o Does it fester like a sore then run?

o Does it crust and sugar like a syrupy sweet?

o Does it stink like rotten meat?

o Or maybe sag like a heavy load and then explode?

· What do you do with deep hurt? What do you do with brokenness?

· What do you do with emptiness and nothingness and shame?

· What do you do when the sun of your hope sinks beneath the western hill of hopelessness and the moon refuses to shine not even from the borrowed light of that inferno called the sun

· Joseph had to learn that a dream differed is not a dream denied

· And that’s all I came to say this day

· The prison house of solitude may be difficult but know this

§ It’s not your resting place, it’s just your testing place

§ It’s not your residency, it’s just your tenancy

§ It’s not your final destination cause God’s gonna move you

§ And you better learn to wear those garments loosely

· Don’t cling to your earthly garments

· Don’t hold on to stuff

· Don’t get stuck like chuck in a bad situation

· Know that God’s got his hand in your business

· The day finally came when God was ready to move Joseph

· And the Bible says in Genesis 41:14 that he shaved himself and changed his clothes

· I’m just trying say you better wear those garments loosely

· Don’t hold on to your prison clothes of solitude and false accusation

· You must believe like Joseph that God’s gonna bring you out.

· It took thirteen years for Joseph to finally stand before Pharoah

· Genesis 41:42 says he was arrayed him in the robes of royalty

· And his brothers came and bowed before him during the years of famine which were after the seven years of plenty

· And so it took twenty years for God to bring this dream into reality

· It bothers me sometimes that God would give a dream and take twenty years to bring about it’s fulfillment

· And I don’t know why God has to take so long to do stuff sometimes

· I don’t know why God can’t just snap a finger and everybody looking for the right job, the right place, the right position, the right man, the right woman won’t just connect with one another

· I don’t know why God can’t just bat an eye up in glory according to his Divine will

· But this I do know

o God’s delays are not God’s denials

o He’s an on time God oh yes He is

o He may not come when you want him to but He’ll be there right on time.

o He’s an on time God oh yes he is

· So somebody asked me “Well what does this model make available to us?”

o A life of surrender and solidarity with God

o A life of trust and contentment

o A life of faith and following after God

o A life of remarkable contribution and bold leadership

o And ultimately a life of Commitment VS Attachment

· Oh I got to quit now but there’s one more move for Joseph

· God moved him from

o Papas house where he wore a coat of many colors

o To the Pit where he wore the rags of nakedness and shame

o To Potipher’s house where he wore the garments of a slave

o To the Prison house where he wore the bright orange jumpsuit of a convict

o To the Palace where he wore the regal robes of Egypt

o But he’s got one more move to a place called paradise and there he’ll wear a long white robe

· And not just for Joseph but for every single one of God’s children

· There’s one last move for you to a place called Paradise and there you’ll wear a long white robe

· It’s the robe of Christ’s righteous and I’m just so glad because I read somewhere in Isaiah 64:6 that all my righteousness are as filthy rags

· And the Apostle Paul says in Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh”

· So you can have your Gucci Garments

o And your Addidas Track pants

o And your Versace Suits

o And your Calvin Klein Shirts

o And your Ralph Lauren Sweaters

o And your Eddie Bauer Jerseys

o And your Club Monoco Vests

o And your Georgio Armani Silk Ties

o And your Levi Jeans

o And your Kenneth Cole Dress Shoes

o And your Timberlane Boots

o And your Fruit of the Loom Undergarments

o And your Dolce and Gabbanas Colognes

o And your Liz Claibornes Perfumes

o And your Biltmore Hats

· I don’t know about you but I’ve got just one garment

o And I wear the garments of my flesh and my own righteousness loosely so that I can wear that one garment up in glory

· In fact I ain’t gonna wait till I get to Heaven to wear the robe of Christ’s righteousness.

o The Gospel of Jesus teaches me that I can put my robe on now

§ Paul says in Galatians 3:17 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ

o Somebody still asking well how do you get His robe of righteousness

· Well it’s very simple

o Jesus gave it to me

o He gave His head to the crown of thorns

o He gave His back to the cruel lash

o He gave His cheeks to those who plucked out His beard

o He gave His face to the rude human spittle

o He gave His shoulders to be draped with the purple robe of mockery

o He gave His clothes to the cruel soldiers

o He gave His mother to the Apostle John

o He gave His Hands and feet to the nails of the cruel cross

o He gave His blood to this earth for the remission of sins

o He gave His body for the life of the whole world

o He gave His Spirit to God the Father

o But He gave His robe of righteousness to you and to me

o Somebody’s asking me well where do we get it from

· And It’s Spotless and Clean from my Heavenly Father’s Signature Collection

o It’s a high quality robe.

o It doesn’t stain or wrinkle

o It won’t rip or tear

o And it always looks brand new

o It’s the Long White Robe of Christ’s Righteousness

o And the label says, “Redeemed by the Blood of Lamb”

o Somebody wants to know well how much does it cost

§ Well that’s the best part because this robe is free because

§ Jesus paid it all all

o I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small; Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”

§ Refrain: Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

o For nothing good have I Whereby Thy grace to claim; I’ll wash my garments white In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

o And now complete in Him, My robe, His righteousness, Close sheltered ’neath His side, I am divinely blest.

o Lord, now indeed I find Thy pow’r, and Thine alone, Can change the leper’s spots And melt the heart of stone.

o When from my dying bed My ransomed soul shall rise, “Jesus died my soul to save,” Shall rend the vaulted skies.

o And when before the throne I stand in Him complete, I’ll lay my trophies down, All down at Jesus’ feet.

§