Even If You've Had a Few Bad Chapters, You Can Still Have a Good Book Genesis 37:1-5 (Genesis 37-50)

I. Introduction

a. All of us have had to endure many bad chapters in our lives.

I know we thought that once we accepted Christ, once we became saved, we would be on easy street.

It would look like once I gave my life to Christ, that the hard and ruff parts were behind me.

After all, we serve a God that is All Powerful, All Knowing, All Present, All Wise, All Gracious, All Merciful, All Joyous, and All Miraculus.

If He’s all of that, why in the world would He let his child go through so much hardship and trouble.

But truth be told, some of my hardest moments have been since I became a Child of God.

I’ve had to be nice to folks that were nasty to me.

I’ve had to be friendly to folks who were really my foes; folks that were fake and phony in my face.

I’ve had to pray for those who despitefully misused me.

I’ve had to love those who hated me.

I’ve had to deal with people who should have been lifting me up but they were the very ones tearing me down.iiI’ve had to preach the Word of God to folks who should have been celebrating but instead, look like they were pouting on my praise.

Mount Olive, I was on my way to Heaven but I stopped by here to tell you that on this journey called life we will have a lot of bad chapters. But you can still have a Good Book inspite of a few bad chapters.

b. I have had a few bad chapters myself.

i. In November of 1987, I had to have a kidney removed.

ii. In November of 1992, I got shot. The doctors told me that I had a 10% chance of survival; and if I survived I would be on dialysis, have a colostomy bag, and be in a wheelchair.

iii. In November of 1997, my girlfriend, who was my best friend left me and moved to Detroit, MI.

iv. In March of 1999, I was sentenced to 8 years in Federal Prison.

v. In December of 2006, the doctors put me on Prednesone and I began to loose my vision, I was falling asleep everywhere. So I went to see my doctor, she discovered I had diabetes and had me admitted to the hospital.

They got my sugar down, but they said that my vision was permantly damaged. They said I would need glasses or corrective surgery.

vi. I’ve experienced some bad chapters in my life.

II. The first bad chapter Joseph had was the Pit. (Two things landed Joseph in the Pit)

a. The first thing was His Coat that his daddy gave him.

When his father gave him the coat, his brothers became jealous.

It was a long trench coat.

It had many colors.

This was not the type of coat that workers in the house wore.

This type of coat was reserved for one who was lord over the house.

It should have gone to the oldest brother; but because Joseph found favor with Jacob, he gave him the coat.

b. The second thing that landed Joesph in the pit was His Dream that God gave him.

i. vs 7&8 (He told his brothers that he was in the field binding sheeves with and his sheaf stood up. And their sheaves bowed to his.

ii. They took this to mean that they would bow to Joseph. And they grew angryer with him.

iii. vs 9 (He had another dream that the sun, the moon, and the 11 stars bowed to him.

iv. And that angered his brothers even more.

You have to be careful who you tell your dreams to.

Everyone who’s hanging around you don’t want to see you blessed.

Everyone who claims to be a friend is not necessarily your friend.

Some people are just jealous because you look like you’re doing better than them.

They don’t know all the hell you had to go through to get what you got.

They jealous of you and they don’t know you’re in debt for life trying to payoff those bills.

Even in the church, you will sometimes encounter jealousy.

You may be an Usher, doing the best you can to not give people a piece of your mind when you’re on the door. But another usher will get jealous because it looks like you’re doing a better job than them.

You might be a Choir Member, up here struggling every Sunday just to stay on key. But another Choir Member will get jealous because they thing you sing better than them.

And as Preachers, we are not exempt. We get up here on Sunday Mornings and give our little Easter Speeches and sit down. But another preacher or pastor will get jealous because he thinks we preach better than him.

v. As I was studying this text, I discovered that the coat his father gave him was his Appointing. But the dream that God gave him was his Anointing.

Do me a favor, toe-tap your neighbor and tell them: you can take my appointing but you can not touch my annointing!!!!

III. The next bad chapter I see in the text is Potiphar’s House.

a. So his brothers sold him into slavery. And he was eventually sold to Potiphar.

b. And Potiphar made Joseph an overseer over his house and all that he had.

c. And God blessed Potiphar because of Joseph.

d. But then Potiphar’s wife began making advances toward Joseph.

Joseph refuses her.

He held on to his integrety.

There are a lot of men today that wish they would have resisted temptation and held on to their integrety.

One of the greatest Presidents of our time, Bill Clinton lost his integrity.

Many great preachers and pastors of our time should havce run, but instead they lost their integrity.

e. So oneday when Potiphar’s wife was attempting to entise Joseph, he ran from her and she grabbed his clothing and tore it.

She then lied on Joseph.

She said he tried to sleep with her

And so potiphar had Joseph cast into the prison.

IV. The next bad chapter I see in the for Joseph is the Prison.

a. The Bible says, “But the Loard was with Joseph…and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

The hand of the Lord was still on Joseph.

So Joseph was like a trustee in the prison.

God is still blessing Joseph.

b. The Prison is a place of protection for Joseph.

Once he got in the prison, he still had enemies but his enemies couldn’t reach him.

Church, when your enemies attack you and push you so far, don’t worry.

Because once you get where God wants you , your enemies can’t reach you.

That’s why David said, “He prepares a table before me in the presents of my enemies.”

See our enemies are at a table, but not our table.

And they can see God blessing us but they can’t reach us.

Now I must admit, I’m not as holy as Joseph. Joseph needed protection for one-way. But I need protection for two-ways.

Joseph only needed protection from his enemies.

But I need protection also so I can’t get to my enemies.

c. Protection for Joseph’s enemies.

See I not only shout about what God has done for me. But sometimes I have to shout about what God didn’t let me do.

Sometimes you ought to shout about what God didn’t let you do.

If He would have let you do it, you would have a case right now.

If He would have let you do it, you would be incarcerated right now.

If He would have let you do it, you would be divorced right now.

If He would have let you do it, you would be unemployed right now.

You remember when you drove all of Sacramento looking for that joker and you never could find them.

Somebody ought to praise God right now that He didn’t let you do it!!!!!

d. This is the place Joseph needed to be to get to his next destination. (His Dream)

See he needed to be in the prison because someone is coming that God wants him to meet.

Pharaoh’s chief butler and chief baker are thrown into the prison.

While the butler and the baker were there, they both had a dream.

And they told Joseph their dream.

And Joseph interpreted their dreams.

He told the butler: in three days Pharaoh is going to restore you back to your position. And when you get back remember to tell Pharaoh I’m here.

He told the baker: in three days Pharaoh is going to hang you from a tree, and the birds are going to eat of your flesh.

And on the third day, the dreams were fulfilled just as Joseph said.

So the butler was restored back to his butlership. But he forgot about Joseph.

Isn’t it just like people to forget about you.

You help them.

You show kindness towards them.

But then they just forget about you.

That’s what happened to Joseph.

The butler forgot about him.

Two years later, Pharoah had a dream.

He sent for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men.

And they couldn’t interpret his dream.

And the butler remembered there was a man I met in prison who can interpret dreams.

Pharaoh had Joseph brought to him; and Joseph interpreted his dream.

And Pharaoh made Joseph the Prime Minister of Egypt.

V. The Palace. (He Made It to the Palace)

a. He made it to his dream.

b. To get to his dream he had to journey:

From his Pop’s house to the Pit.

From the Pit to Potiphar’s House.

From Potiphar’s House to Prision.

All to get to the Palace.

c. Sometimes to get to where God wants us to be, we have go through a lot of bad chapters!!!

d. But I stopped by this morning to tell you to don’t give up, don’t through in the towel. God will bring you through.

VI. Let Down My Landing Gear. (Story: Bounce Back)

a. Don’t give up just because of a few bad chapters.

b. Don’t throw the book away.

c. You can still have a good book.

VII. Testamony.

a. My Testamony

Earlier I told you In November of 1992, I got shot. The doctors told me that I had a 10% chance of survival; and if I survived I would be on dialysis, have a colostomy bag, and be in a wheelchair.

But what I didn’t tell you is 8 days later I walked out of the hospital, no dialysis, no colostomy bag, and no wheelchair.

I told you In November of 1997, my girlfriend, who was my best friend left me and moved to Detroit, MI.

But I didn’t tell you is April 5, 2005, we got married. And just incase you don’t know, there she is right there.

I told you In March of 1999, I was sentenced to 8 years in Federal Prison.

But what I didn’t tell you is while I was in prison, I started preaching and been preaching for almost 21 years now.

What I didn’t tell you is I got an Associate Degree in Business from Vance-Granville Community and graduated Valedictorian!!!

I told you They said I would need glasses or corrective surgery.

But what I didn’t tell you is I prayed and 3 days later God gave me back my vision.

b. Bible Heroes Testamony.

The Three Hebrew Boys had a bad chapter when the King decided to throw them into the firey furnance. But they still had a good book, because when they came out they didn’t even smell like fire.

Job had a bad chapter when he lost all he had. But he still had a great book when God gave him double for his trouble and 3 more children.

Daniel had a bad chapter when the King had him thrown into the lions den. But he had a great book when the King discovered that Daniel was unharmed by the lions.

Naaman the Leper had a bad chapter when he had Leprosy. But he had a good book when he dipped in the Jordan 7 times and came up clean.

Paul had a bad chapter; he had a thorn in his flesh. But Paul still had a good book, because he wrote over half the New Testament with a thorn.

Jesus had a bad chapter in the Garden of Gethsemane when they came and arrested Him.