MOVING BEYOND THE MESS

Genesis 39:1-6 (ESV) 1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 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. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, 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. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

INTRODUCTION

I do not believe there would be an dissenting voices raised or any competing notions lifted, by my declaring this world of our is a mess.

· Marriages are in a mess

· Families are fractured

· Drugs are a pathetic plague on our society

· The young are still dying young, painting the streets with the blood of the young

· Covid 19 is a serious crises and yet many refuse to take it seriously, there were crowds after the super bowl without mask in Florida a hotspot for the virus, I can’t tell if they were being selfishly stupid or stupidly selfish

· Many who are redeemed don’t act like it

· We have misguided appetites

· Misdirected passions

· Mishandled desires

· We have a God we don’t honor

· A faith we don’t keep

· A church we don’t support

· Bibles we don’t read

· A gospel we don’t share

I declare this world is a mess. In this country we have millions of people who blindly follows a disgraced and discredited former President whose lies incited an insurrection on the capital. They still refuse to accept the fact Trump lost, even now.

Of course, whenever this country is in a mess, that mess disproportionately impacts people of color. As this country still struggles to overcome its original sin, slavery, race is still an issue. We see that in the rise of white supremacist and hate groups. I think I ought to say it again, this world is a mess.

In order to move beyond the mess will require that we have the right mindset. If we are not careful, and spiritual about how we think the mess in this world will mess us up.

That notion led me to the story of Joseph. I come to the story of Joseph because he demonstrates for us that just because there is mess all around you, you don’t have to allow that mess to define you, disrupt you or defeat you.

As we unpack the passage to uncover the principles there are two truths threaded into the tapestry of the text. They form the substance of the sermon and offers the homiletical hinges on which this message swings. Notice, FAMILY DISFUNCTION IS OVERCOME BY DETERMINATION, and FORCED LIMITATIONS ARE OVERCOME BY DISCIPLINE.

I. FAMILY DISFUNCTION IS OVERCOME BY DETERMINATION

Genesis 29:30-35 (ESV) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. 31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.

Joseph was born into a situation that he never asked for. Frankly, Joseph’s home life was a mess. He never asked to be:

§ Love of his mother’s heart

§ The favorite of his daddy

§ The envy of his brothers

I declare Joseph was born into some serious dysfunction.

A. THE PROBLEM- I want you to see how stuff just happened to Joseph. Bad things over which he had no control happened to Joseph. He was born into a situation he never asked for. He was born into a dysfunctional family over which he had no control.

When Joseph was born there was going on a competition between his momma and his brothers’ mommas. I declare there was this baby momma drama going on.

Just look at the mess into which Joseph was born. His daddy had two wives, his momma and his aunt. Now that’s bad, but it doesn’t stop there. His mamma was jealous of her sister because she had 4 children by Joseph’s daddy. Gen 29:31-35

31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32 So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me." 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon. 34 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now I will praise the LORD." Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing. NKJV

Leah, Joseph’s aunt was not the woman his daddy really loved. Yet God gave her children while Rachel the one Jacob truly loved at that time was barren. Leah made a classic and tragic mistake many sisters make today. She said, “if I can just have a baby by him I know he will love me then”.

So many beautiful sisters from the depths of their loneliness and desperation have said, “if I can only have a baby by him I know”:

§ He will start treating me right

§ He won’t leave me

§ He will marry me

§ He will really love me

Let me tell you something sisters, if that Negro don’t love you for who you are he will not love you because of the baby you have. He will mess around and not only leave you, but he will leave you with another mouth to feed. You deserve better than that.

Leah has four boys for Jacob, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Joseph’s poppa was a rolling stone. Gen 30:1-3

30:1 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die!" 2 And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" NKJV

Rachel goes to Jacob and says get me pregnant and get me pregnant right now or I am just going to die. You know that is putting a lot of pressure on a brother. Jacob got upset and said I can only do what I’m doing the rest is up to God.

So Rachel in the same spirit as Jacob’s Grand Mother Sarah, comes up with a plan. Gen 30:3-8

3 So she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her." 4 Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said, "God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan. 7 And Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, "With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed." So she called his name Naphtali.

NKJV

Impatient and frustrated Rachel decides to give her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob to have children that she could adopt as her own. Bilhah has two sons, Dan and Naphtali. Now Jacob has 6 sons, four by Leah and two by Bilhah that Rachel claims. This is what you call family dysfunction.

The dysfunction continues. When Leah sees that Bilhah is having these children for Jacob and she was no longer having any she came up with a plan. Gen 30:9-13

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. 10 And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, "A troop comes!" So she called his name Gad. 12 And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, "I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed." So she called his name Asher. NKJV

Now Jacob has 8 sons by three different women. I’m telling you this is some mess. Joseph is born into some serious dysfunction. Let me show you further just how messed up this domestic situation was. Gen 30:14-21

14 Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." 15 But she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?" And Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes." 16 When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." And he lay with her that night. 17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar. 19 Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 And Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun. 21 Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. NKJV

Mandrakes were supposed to be an aphrodisiac. For those who don’t understand that Greek language, it was love potion #9. Rachel wanted some. She says to Leah “I’ll let you have the old man tonight if you give me some mandrakes”. Leah agrees and so when Jacob comes in from the field, how this busy brother had any time or strength to work in the fields I do not know. Anyway, he goes into Leah and she gives him a son named Issachar. She gets pregnant again and gives him son named a Zebulon. Finally, she has a daughter named Dinah.

Jacob now has 11 children by three different women. Leah gave him 6 sons and a daughter. Bilhah gave him 2 sons and Zopar gave him 2 sons.

By this time Rachel must have been going crazy. God remembers her plight. Gen 30:22-24

22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach." 24 So she called his name Joseph, and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son." NKJV

Into this dysfunctional mess Joseph is born. His family situation left a whole lot to be desired. He was born into a situation where the odds were stacked against him. Later Joseph’s mother dies, and he is left to be raised by these other women in the house.

My brothers and sisters, the sons and daughters of Africa, I think I ought to tell you as an African American you are born with the odds stacked against you . Not because of anything you have done but because you were born black.

B. THE PRINCIPLE- The principle to ponder and the lesson to learn from the life of Joseph is simply this, just because you are born into a mess does not mean the mess is born in you. Just because you are born in the:

· Ghetto does not mean the ghetto is born in you

· Dysfunction does not mean the dysfunction is born in you

· Mess does not mean the mess is born in you

· Family with destructive habits does not mean the habits are born in you

I’m just trying to tell you that you can choose to live above the conditions of your birth. Don’t let conditions beyond your control keep you from meeting your God given destiny. Make no excuse, that’s easy to do. Go ahead and just handle your business. Be determined you don’t have to repeat the mistakes of those around you. You can learn from their mistakes and seek to do better.

· You may not be able to prevent drugs from coming into the neighborhood but you don’t have to smoke it, snort it or shoot it

· May not be able to prevent guns from coming into the hood but you don’t have to use it against your neighbors

· May not be able to prevent a liquor stores being on every single block of the hood, but you don’t have to drink it

So many brothers and sisters just accept their lot in life as if they can do no better. That’s not true; you can if you are determined enough. Determined enough to:

· To go to school and get your education

· To go to work and excel

· To do what has to be done when it has to be done

· Not to let up, back up or give up

· Opt out, cop out, or drop out

My brothers and sisters have some determination. Dare to be different, young brothers pull your pants up, put a belt on, act like you have some sense. Young ladies put some clothes, make sure your secrets are covered, if you don’t have anything for sell don’t advertise. Don’t give in to the frustration. Others may be able to out spend you, others may be able to out dress you, but you don’t have to let anyone out work you.

II. FORCED LIMITATIONS ARE OVERCOME BY DISCIPLINE

One of the things we learn from Joseph is that life is not fair. It takes real discipline to overcome the limitations others attempt to put on you.

A. LIFE’S LIMITATIONS- You may as well get used to the idea, life is not fair. There will always be people in your life that will try to limit who you are and what you can do.

Joseph’s father tried to limit him by his favoritism. Parents you don’t help your favorite child when you let everyone know that he or she is your favorite. That is a set up for a let down. Gen 37:2-4

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.

NKJV

Parents I declare you can do real damage to your children by showing favoritism. Don’t spoil your children. You will not being doing them any favors by playing favorites.

Joseph’s brothers tried to place limits on him. They were envious of Joseph’s dream. Gen 37:5-8

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf." 8 And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

NKJV

You have to be careful whom you tell your dreams to. Everyone will not be thrilled to hear that your have dreams, goals and plans. There are people who have no:

o Motivation

o Drive

o Purpose

o Determination

o Aim

o Ambition

o Goals

o Dreams

Not only do they not have any dreams they don’t want you to have any either. Joseph’s brothers didn’t have any dreams and they got hot at Joseph for telling them his.

So jealous and envious were Joseph’s brethren that they decided to do away with Joseph and his dream. Gen 37:18-21

18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured him.' We shall see what will become of his dreams!"

NKJV

I think I ought to tell you there are people who are uncomfortable with a brother who has a dream. They prefer you to:

· To hang out on the street corner

· Hang out in the halls instead of in class

· Walk around with your pants hanging down under your hip

· To be content with mediocrity

· To satisfied with the minimum

· To happy with the average

The world has always been uncomfortable with a brother who has a dream. As long as Martin King was content with things as they were in the segregated south he was alright. As soon as he started sharing his dream of justice and equality for all, it got him killed.

Joseph’s dream got him in trouble. Brothers sometimes your dreams will get you in trouble. Go ahead and dream anyway. Go ahead and dream about:

o Who God wants you to be

o What God wants you to do

o What God wants you to achieve

o What God wants you to have

Go ahead and dream and then like Joseph in spite of whatever gets in you way, wake up and work to bring that dream into reality.

Joseph’s brothers were going to kill him but hey sold him into slavery instead. Gen 37:23-28

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe--the richly ornamented robe he was wearing-- 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. NIV

In case you are not feeling this yet let me say again, life is not fair. Joseph has done nothing to deserve this type of treatment from his brothers. Let me tell you something life will sometimes deal you a rotten hand. You will have to be discipline enough to deal with whatever life brings your way.

Joseph’s employer’s wife also tried to place limitations on him. When Joseph refuses to be used as a boy toy, she lied on him and got him thrown in prison. Gen 39:6-10

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!"

8 But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. NIV.

Sister girl saw this fine well cut brother and she wanted her some Joseph. When she couldn’t have her way with him, she lied on him. Gen 39:13-20

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. NKJV

I’m telling you stuff just happened to Joseph. Even when trying to do what is right, things still happened to him. I think I ought to tell things can and will happen to you even when it is not your fault.

B. THE ELEVATION- What I want you to see is that no matter what limitations others tried to place on Joseph he always rose above them. You never let other people define you, because when they define you, they also confine you.

Brothers if you want to be about business and rise above your circumstances, if you want to experience elevation, remember who you are. You are not:

· The negative image the larger society often portrays that you are

· The Narrow bigoted and hateful thoughts some people have about you

· The backward and harmful notions you have about yourself

The worst prison in the world is not made with bricks and bars. The worst prison is the prison of the mind. Chains on a person’s body is one thing, placing chains on his mind is all together worst.

Brothers, don’t let anyone place chains on you mind. Even when you have to deal with a slave reality, you don’t have to have a slave mentality. Our fore parents who were stolen from the shores of Africa had a slave reality, but not a slave reality. They would sing “before I be a slave I’ll be buried in my grave.

Brothers remember who you are. I think I ought tell you, you are more than:

· what you make

· what you drive

· what you wear

· the size of your house

· what you put in your house

· what other people think about you

· what other people say about you

· what other feel about you

· than the mistakes of your past

· than the habits you struggle with in the present

Brothers you be careful of the sister who is more interested in what you do than in who you are. Be careful of that sister who is more interested in what you drive than in what drives you. Some sisters got shovels and they are digging for gold.

Remember who you are, you are loved of God created in His image. You are an object of divine affection. You are the crowning act of God’s creative genius. You are special, you are significant. You matter, you count. Others may count you out but God counts you in.

Remember who you and that will help you make good decisions about what you need to do. Live consistent with who you are. You need to also remember whose you are. In the life of Joseph we hear a recurring theme. Gen 39:1-6

39:1 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.

NKJV

The secret to Joseph’s success was the fact that no matter what happened to him the Lord was with Him. Brothers is you really want to handle your business than the first order of business is to make God’s business your business. You need to be a child of God. You need to make sure the Lord is with you.

Sisters I realize there is a real shortage of real men, brothers who are handling their business, but don’t you settle for less. You need to make sure the man you chose has the Lord with him. That alone has the power to transform all of your:

· problems into possibilities

· difficulties in to doors

· dead ends into a super highway

· stumbling blocks into stepping stones

Oh my brothers if you are going to be about business you need to be a faithful member of the Church of Christ for whom Christ died. Sisters please hear me before you make any man your head you need to make sure Christ is his Head.

CONCLUSION

LIFE AIN’T FAIR, BUT GOD IS GOOD:

· LIFE WILL KNOCK YOU DOWN, GOD WILL PICK YOU UP

· LIFE WILL DEFEAT YOU GOD WILL DELIVER YOU

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU MISERY, GOD WILL BRING YOU MERCY

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU GRIEF BUT GOD WILL BRING YOU GRACE

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU HARDSHIP GOD WILL BRING YOU HOPE

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU FEAR GOD WILL BRING YOU FAITH

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU PROBLEMS GOD WILL BRING YOU PEACE

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU TO THE PIT GOD WILL BRING YOU TO THE PALACE

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU REJECTION GOD BRING YOU A RECEPTION

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU BURDENS GOD WILL BRING YOU BLESSINGS

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU TROUBLE GOD WILL BRING YOU TRIUMPH

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU CRISES GOD WILL BRING YOU COMFORT

· LIFE WILL BRING YOU FALSE ACCUSATIONS GOD WILL BRING YOU A FAITHFUL COMMENDATION

· WHAT LIFE MEANS FOR EVIL GOD WILL MAKE IT FOR GOOD

· WHAT LIFE TEARS DOWN GOD WILL BUILD UP

· LIFE WILL BRING DAMNATION GOD WILL BRING SALVATION

· LIFE WILL HURT YOU GOD WILL HELP YOU

· LIFE WILL STRIP YOU GOD WILL SUSTAIN YOU

· LIFE WILL KILL YOU GOD WILL RAISE YOU UP

(BROTHERS BEING ABOUT BUSINESS--Jones)