Difference Makers-Part 2- Joseph

Introduction

Joseph was born to his father in the latter part of his life and quickly became the favored son among his brethren. Jacob singled Joseph out for special treatment including supplying for him a beautiful coat of many colors. Joseph dreamed a dream on two separate occasions which foreshadowed the events that were to come when his father and mother and his brethren would bow to him.

This of course provoked jealousy in his brethren who sought to kill him but ultimately decided to sell him into slavery. Before they could do so a group of Midianite merchants came along and pulled Jospeh from the pit and sold him to the Ishmeelites for 20 pieces of silver.

These Ishmeelites carried Joseph into Egypt where he was sold him into the house of Potiphar an officer in Pharaoh’s army. Joseph would rise from the pit, to Potiphar’s house, would be thrown into prison, but would ultimately rise to the palace of Pharaoh himself where he would become the second most powerful man in all the world.

Joseph was certainly a difference maker wherever he went he made an impact whether it was in Potiphar’s house, in the prison, or in the palace Joseph made a difference.

It was Joseph who would ultimately save his family from perishing and who would be responsible for the salvation of the entire region as famine ravaged the land.

Joseph’s life presents a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ who also was falsely accused, who also was responsible for the salvation of not only a portion of the world but the entire world.

If you and I want to be “Difference Makers” there are some wonderful lessons to be learned from the life of Joseph.

Joseph was mistreated, wrongly accused, unjustly punished, and even forgotten about but he never gave up on God. In this we see Joseph’s:

Resilience in Trials (Genesis 37:12-36)

It seemed that every time that Joseph would rise up he would again be knocked down, but Joseph never gave up on God’s plan for his life.

Joseph’s resilience is certainly a testimony to his faith in God and the plan that he had for his life.

Joseph had every excuse to rebel against God and to turn from his faith, but he refused to let his past experiences dictate his future.

Joseph had every reason to become discouraged, every reason to sink into a deep depression, every reason to lose hope but somehow Joseph continued on.

Joseph’s life was filled with disappointments, injustices, and hardship but his resilience allowed him to make a difference in spite of it all.

There are many today who like Joseph have experienced mistreatment and injustice or who have endured crushing defeats and incredible loss.

If we set out to make a difference we can expect to experience defeats, difficulties, and failures along the way. Will we have the resilience to rise up from the defeats and losses to continue to serve the Lord?

The road of a difference maker tends to be a difficult road and those who truly make a difference often experience difficulty, disappointment, and danger but they refuse to stay down and instead they rise up with a new determination each time they are knocked down.

There are many Christians who set out to make a difference who are then immediately confronted head on with problems, trials, and obstacles to success.. Far too many of them quit or choose to go another direction rather than follow God’s leading.

The fact is that God often leads His choice servants through fiery trials to strengthen and prepare them for the plan He has prepared.

Genesis 39:20 & Genesis 40:23 Joseph experienced reversals again and again but yet he remained faithful to God.

Will you stay the course even when trials come and it seems that victory is beyond your reach? Will you rise up and continue on after being knocked down again and again?

While in Potiphar’s home Joseph came face to face with temptation. If we are to be difference makers we must learn:

Resistance to Temptation (Genesis 39:1-12)

Joseph faced the temptation to sin which could have destroyed his testimony and cost him dearly, but he was able to be a difference maker because of his resistance to temptation.

Joseph had again risen to prominence now in Potiphar’s household. He had become the steward of all that Potiphar owned and was tasked with the management of a significant store of resources.

Joseph had behaved himself wisely and had proven his worth to Potiphar but now he has caught the eye of Potiphar’s wife who is determined to have Joseph.

Joseph resists her advances day after day until one day in desperation she grabs hold of his garment and Joseph is forced to flee leaving his garment in her hands.

It is Satan’s desire to bring the life of every potential difference maker to ruin by the allure of sin. Joseph recognized the importance of resisting temptation because to have given in to temptation would have been to offend almighty God.

Now Joseph could have chosen to yield to temptation and in reality no one would have known but himself and Potiphar’s wife. Yet Joseph understood that God would know and that the one which had caused him to prosper would then be offended and his testimony ruined.

Proverbs 15:3- eyes of the Lord are in every place

Joseph was not alone in his temptation to sin (Luke 22:31-32- Jesus warning to Peter/ Matthew 26:41- spirit is willing but flesh is weak)

If you determine to be a difference maker for the cause of Christ you will surely face temptation and to yield could not only mean damage to your testimony but would certainly hinder your ability to make a difference.

How many prominent Christian figures have fallen to temptation and in so doing have given ammunition to the enemies of God and have limited their usefulness for the cause of Christ?

Along the path that God has led us down there will be temptation and if we are determined to be difference makers we must learn to resist.

Over and over again we see a statement made that the Lord was with Joseph. The greatest thing that we can learn from Joseph’s life is the importance of our:

Relationship with the Lord (Genesis 39:2-3 & Genesis 39:20-23)

Above all the reasons that Joseph was such a “Difference Maker” stands the fact that Joseph knew the Lord and the Lord was with him as he faced the trials and triumph’s of life.

The Resilience Joseph had and his ability to Resist temptation were the direct results of his relationship with the Lord. Each step of the way we find that the Lord was with Joseph.

The primary reason that Joseph did not give up and did not fall to temptation but instead rose to become the second most powerful man in the world was simply because the Lord was with him!

This one thing every single servant of God who has made a significant impact upon the world has in common. We must have a close personal walk with God if we are to have any hope of making a difference!

You and I have the wonderful privilege to know God personally; through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we can have daily communion with God.

Our talent, our ability, our desire, our influence, and our knowledge will not be enough to make a difference in this world. The most important indicator of our potential for making a difference is our relationship with the Lord.

Without Jesus Christ we can do exactly nothing (John 15:5). We musts cultivate our relationship with him for anything that we do must be done in His strength or it will be of no value at all.

We must strive to walk with the Lord and talk with the Lord day by day so that He can do a work within us so that He may work through us to bring about the change that is needed in this world.

The greatest difference makers this world has ever known were simply men and women who had a close personal relationship with the Lord and who simply yielded themselves as a vessel to be used by God!

If we are to make a difference in a world that is overrun with wickedness, immorality, and darkness we must cultivate our relationship with the Lord for it is He who will enable us to live as we should and to carry out the call of God for our lives.

Joseph should not be looked upon as some heroic figure but simply as a man who had an unshakeable faith in God and who remained yielded to Him each step of the way!

Conclusion

Do you want to be a “Difference Maker”? The first question you must ask is do I have a relationship with the Lord?

The next question is are you cultivating this relationship or are you more devoted to other pursuits?

It is only through a deep personal relationship with the Lord that we will have the resilience to face the trials that will surely come and resist the temptation that would lead us to ruin.

If you do not know the Lord you can begin a relationship with Him today!