2006-09-03 - A famine in the Land - Genesis 41 41-57

Message: A famine in the Land                                       Newport Baptist Church

Scr: Genesis 41:41-57                                                        Date: 2006-09-03

Intro: Joseph hated by his brothers because of his dreams and being dad’s favourite

-          Sold into slavery instead of being killed

-          First worked for Potiphar – wife tried to seduce him

-          Then worked in the prison – explained the dreams of cupbearer and baker – cupbearer restored, baker hung

-          Pharoah’s 2 dreams – 7 fat cows & 7 skinny cows, 7 good heads of grain & 7 thin heads of grain

-          No one could interpret

-          Joseph remembered by cupbearer and then brought to pharaoh

-          interprets the dreams – doesn’t stop there – gives wise counsel on what to do about it.

-          Pharoah puts Joseph in charge.

Explanation – have you ever been hungry?  Stomach growling… etc.

TS – People all around us are experiencing another kind of hunger, a spiritual famine.

Joseph understood what famine could do.  God used him to deal with a famine beyond the scope any of us could imagine, and God can use us to do the same.

1)       Three responses to famine

a)       Intimidation – Joseph was sold by his own brothers – became a slave, property.

i)         Ill – Bill Gerrits – boss at Camlachie – intimidation was middle name

(1)     Lacking answers we submit, give up, turn away, run away, do what we are told

ii)       Question – Where is God when things go bad?

(1)     Joseph – response – service as if to God

(2)     Result – God’s blessing on Joseph and the house of Potiphar as well

b)       Isolation

i)         Ill – me as a child – lonely!  Few friends. Barbara and Esther in grade 3

(1)     Learned that when famine strikes it hurts

ii)       Joseph was working faithfully, bringing a blessing

(1)     Potiphar’s wife – causes his downfall

iii)      Question – why did God not protect Joseph?

(1)     Joseph goes to prison – response – service as if to God

(2)     Result – God’s blessing on Joseph

c)       Infiltration

i)         Water infiltrating soil – touches it, moves through it, gives life – springs, rivers, wells

ii)       Ill – friend Gary – became friends, then invited, then saw him come to Christ

iii)      Paul – 1 Cor 9:22 - I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

iv)     Joseph lived among the Egyptians and served them regardless of his own personal circumstance, result, changed them!

(1)     Became ruler of them all under Pharoah

(2)     Gave all the glory to God

(3)     Caused them to recognize God’s power to save

2)       Three lessons from Joseph

a)       Harvest during times of plenty – vs 46-49

i)         No time like the present

ii)       Joseph immediately got to work – knew problems would come so he prepared

b)       Count your blessings – vs 50-52

i)         Joseph had two sons

(1)     Manasseh – forget the past

(2)     Ephraim – useful

ii)       Eph 1:3 - 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

c)       Prepare for the famine – vs 53-57

i)         *Notice that Joseph was faithful to the interpretation of the dream God had given him – he was unwavering for seven years of plenty because he never lost sight of the fact that trouble would come.

ii)       Isaiah 40:29-31 – He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Conclusion – God recognized a famine in the land 2000 years ago.  He sent Jesus to bring about a harvest.  Jesus refused to be intimidated by the people who challenged him, he rejected Isolation and chose to serve, and by so doing he infiltrated the whole world with his love.

2 problems face us today.

1. desperate need to recognize the famine. 

2. need to recognize the abundance offered by God to meet the need and feed those who are hungry for God.

We are called to be a people of the harvest.  Jesus taught us in Matt 9 - Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

                Today as we take part in remembering what Jesus did for us, let us choose as Joseph did to be willing workers for God, harvesting, counting our blessings while we help others prepare for the famines that will come.

As we harvest, just like Joseph, we will see the joy of helping others to be fed through our service to God through Jesus.

Prayer –