Making of a Man | Rise to the Occassion

Though I was born and raised in California, I grew up in West Virginia and attended college in the beautiful hills of the Appalachian Mountain Range.

It was a small school located in a small town in one of the state’s smallest counties.

And while the nightlife on a weekend usually meant dinner at Applebee's and a walk around the local Walmart, the picturesque running trails all but made-up for the party scene.

On one run in particular, while training for a marathon, a friend of mine told me about a trail that veered off from a gravel road and up into the hills behind our school.

I had not been on that particular trail, but I knew the woods well and where that trail ended.

And so one afternoon, I decided to go on an adventure by myself with nothing else other than the clothes on my back and my thoughts.

As I reflect on that decision, clearly my frontal lobe had not yet fully formed because I do not recommend ever running on an unknown trail without the proper means of communication or protection.

About 5 miles into the run with 3 miles left to go, I saw figure standing in front of me about 100 yards away that resembled some kind of monstrous beast… something straight out of Stranger Things.

I kept running, partly out of curiosity, partly out of fear, and soon recognized it as... a cow.

I stopped about 20 feet in front of it. How did he get on the trail? I think he looked at me with the same question in mind. For about a whole minute, we both just stood there, looking at each other eye to eye, Mono E mono.

I thought to myself, could this be where my life ends? By the hooves of an angry cow? What am I to do in the situation, I thought? If I turn around, then I am going to double my distance back and barely make it home. If I try to run around this cow, then that may very well be the last thing I do.

There I stood, eye to eye with this cow, contemplating my fate.

Sometimes, the circumstances of our lives confront us in such a way that leave us with no easy decisions.

I think real life... real faith… real relationships… tend to present themselves like angry cows and rocky trails without easy answers or easy solutions.

In the midst of it all, Healthy masculinity knows when to resolve and when to manage life’s tensions.

While boyhood mentality, no matter what your age, believes that all tensions should work out for your own good.

Healthy masculinity, however, knows when to discern between the not so good and the not that great, while possessing a proper confidence that your life and identity matter for something greater!

Perhaps no other narrative from the Old Testament embodied these tensions more than Joseph whose history unfolds in Genesis chapters 37-50.

Joseph lived these tensions among his family. Last week, Pastor Bill talked about the complexities of Joseph's family system and his own naivety concerning his brothers relationships.

Joseph’s life was not utopic. He endured awful pains and tragedies, some of which came at the hands of his closest family members.

Yet, Joseph’s life bears witness to a greater vision at work amidst his circumstances: and that is, your setback can actually become a setup for your comeback.

Though his circumstances may differ from yours, Joseph’s life is every life, and so the question I want to unpack with you today is: “How did God make the man amidst these circumstances?”

Because someone is making you, and the real question for you is: Who? Who’s making you? Is it your clothes? Is it our job? Or is it the God of the universe who created you and formed you and gave you a dream?

Who’s making you?

Now, ladies, I want you to know that I am not giving this message at the exclusion of you. Rather, I hope you listen tonight with your ears wide open to help the men in your life live out their God-given dream for the sake of Christ and his kingdom!

Last week, Pastor Bill unpacked chapter 37; this week, the Genesis author unfolds Joseph's life further in chapter 39 as he encounters the woman and the empire.

So much of this narrative speaks for itself, so tonight, I simply want to read it to you, and then unpack certain sections of it with you:

Beginning with chapter 39, verse 1:

1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelite who had taken him there.

2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Here, the author makes clear that even in Potiphar’s house, the house of the empire, the house of power and control, the house of life and death, that even there in that place, God reigns and makes his will done, for through Joseph’s presence in Potiphar’s home, as the author records in verse 5, “The Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph."

Here, I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s opening lines of his letter to the Colossian Church, saying of Jesus:

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:15-17.

In essence all things, everything, exist and hold together through Jesus Christ, including our wills… including our tensions... and especially our dreams.

God gave every man and woman a will to make decisions for either good or evil. Yet, within the mystery of God’s sovereignty and grace and also because your will comes to you as a good and perfect gift from above, every decision you make exists within the sight of God.

We believe that about God’s sovereignty, and I thank God everyday for his grace and mercy on us as we work through our decisions both good and bad. And I thank God all the more that God doesn’t condemn us because of our poor decisions. Sometimes, we endure consequences, and rightly so. But so long as we call Jesus Christ Lord, God demonstrates steadfast, gracious patience with us as we surrender over our wills for his.

Verse 5 testifies to God’s faithfulness in all things, even when we find ourselves in places or with people where God seemingly does not exist. Why? Because God lives right here (point to heart), not in the walls of a building… or in the air… not in our things… not in a candle… but instead, God makes his dwelling place here.

Thus why even in Potiphar’s house, even in the house of power, God remained faithful to fulfill the covenant that God made with Joseph’s great-grandfather, Abraham, 27 chapters earlier from this narrative in Genesis chapter 12 when God called to Abraham and said:

“I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3

Including an unsuspecting captain of the guard named Potiphar... and his home.

Now, his wife on the other hand:

7b 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.

Now, the author does not mention why she acted this way toward Joseph. Evidently, he was handsome and successful, according to chapter 37. Perhaps, that got her attention? Maybe she felt board… lonely… insecure… overlooked? Perhaps she believed that the embrace of a younger man would satisfy her? That a rush of sex would bind her wounds or resolve her tensions? Possibly she enjoyed the power rush of wielding control over another man? Whatever her motivation, she became interested in Joseph day after day.

But he always resisted.

Imagine facing temptation of that magnitude day after day. That’s integrity, brothers. That’s character. Men, that’s loyalty. In fact, this is the first recorded instance in the history of the created world since the brokenness of humanity that a man upheld healthy sexual boundaries with a woman. Thirty nine chapters of recorded history… first time.

What would compel a man to live and act this way? Gentleman, what would compel you to live and act this way?... A moral code?... A deeper sense of responsibility to another human being?... From where do these compulsions originate? Only God with you. Only the Spirit of God dwelling within a man can give this kind of courage and strength to honor his body, see value in another human being, live with integrity of heart, and lead with strength of character.

Only the Spirit of God!

The narrative continues...

11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

Whoa, Joseph! Danger zone!

Here, this instance marks the second time that someone stole Joseph’s robe.

The first instance occurred in Genesis 37 when Joseph’s brothers stole his robe and sold him into slavery because his brothers burned with envy over his dreams and his favored relationship with their father.

Did God leave Joseph then? Was his colorful robe some kind of magical conduit for God’s Spirit?

No.

After being given another robe of honor by Potiphar and it being stripped away, did God leave Joseph then? Was his new robe some kind of magical conduit for God’s Spirit?

No.

Did Joseph's clothes make the man? No.

His clothes did not make the man... nor did sleeping with some other man’s wife… nor did the temptations of power… nor did the responsibility of leadership.

You know what made this man? The dream made the man, not the stuff of power, women, or belongings.

And as Joseph honored God as God and sought to see his dream come to fruition with integrity of heart and strength of character, God blessed Joseph and Potiphar’s enture household for it.

God desires to do the very same with you.

The author makes clearly evident in this passage that Joseph's identity and blessing came from God and God alone, not from what Joseph might attain through women, power, or possessions.

Gentlemen, God cares for you the same with or without those special labels in your life that enhance your power, authority, or reputation within our culture? Do you believe that?

Would you feel the same way about yourself and your relationship with God without your car... or your degrees… or your money… or your titles… or your clothes… or even your full potential?

You are worth more than your full potential.

Indeed, you should steward well those resources and relationships that have been entrusted to you, but for God’s sake and for the sake of your dream, don’t make your identity become about those things, for when those things fail you or deteriorate over time because they will, then so will you.

We become what we love… for better or for worse.

Though Joseph may not have known the full scope of what his dream meant, he knew that something about his dream meant infinitely more than a temporary fling of passion, so he fled to preserve it. He kept the dream free from becoming entangled with adultery and lustful affairs with power and greed.

That’s an important statement. Joseph fled for integrity reasons, but not for integrity’s sake. Rather, Something else altogether motivated his integrity of heart and strength of character, which was the dream!!!!!

For Joseph, his God-given dream given to him at 17 years old so deeply motivated him to preserve it all costs, no matter what the obstacle… no matter what the temptation… no matter what the circumstance.

Now, let me acknowledge that on the surface in Genesis 37, if you read it, this dream seems to be about his own family system issues. But as this narrative unfolds over the next several chapters and throughout the scope of Scripture, his dream becomes about so much more than his own family issues.

Rather, this dream will one day see Egypt saved, and most importantly, Abraham’s family reconciled, for through them, the covenant promise of blessings flow and the eventual Messiah, Jesus Christ, saves the world.

From what we know, Joseph couldn’t see the future and have known this anymore than we can know our own futures.

He had no clue what the potential of this dream would mean for the world… for you and me.

And yet, Joseph still chose the dream over and above everything else that sought to distract his attention away from it.

Why? Because somewhere deep down in the recesses of Joseph's heart, he must have believed that God entrusted this dream to him for that time and place and then… not knowing why or how… except that God now entrusted to him a dream with a destiny to follow.

There’s nothing special about this guy. He was obedient. That’s all. And God honored him for it.

God for Joseph. God for every man.

Dreams to build up the local church, the hope for the world.

Dreams to rebuild your family tree.

Dreams to set your hands to good, productive work.

Dreams to break the cycle of pain.

Dreams to honor your body.

Dreams to be a good father.

Dreams to be a loving husband.

Dreams to help others along their way.

Dreams to live with peace and show comfort.

Dreams to forgive.

Dreams of being forgiven.

In Christ, as God’s Spirit becomes alive within you, then so does the dream. And as the dream becomes clearer in your sight and rooted in your heart, then so also does your sense of urgency to preserve it and see it come true, no matter what the cost, because God entrusted it to you, and the world needs it… your family needs it… your friends, your colleagues, and your work all need it… and so, too, does the kingdom of God need you alive, active, and fully engaged with your dream!

Fan the flame! As you do, then all of a sudden, the empty seductions of a woman will fade like mist in the wind up against your dream with a destiny.

Courage, instead, will override fear, and God will give you the power to run from any and all temptation that threatens the hope of God’s given dream to be accomplished through you!

Fight for it, men, even when the path turns rocky and the cows turn angry. Fight for it.

Now, in the interest of time, allow me to glance over verses 13-20. There, Potiphar’s wife betrayed Joseph and told her husband that Joseph tried to rape her, which resulted in Potiphar sending Joseph to prison.

Sold into slavery. Entrusted over the palace. And then left to die in prison. That looks a lot like angry cows and rocky trails to me.

Between the not so good and the not that great. Every been there? You thought you were on a steady, predictable path toward a bright future, until your colleague betrayed you… until you said those same hurtful words again that you promised you’d never say… until death visited your friend.

Is God still faithful even amidst those circumstances? Is God still faithful to the dream that he birthed in your heart?

God proved faithful to Joseph, even in prison, when the author wrote:

But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

Four times in chapter 39, the author declares “The Lord was with Joseph.”

Though imprisoned, stripped of his robe and royal designation, considered dead by his Father, and probably feeling crushed in Spirit, the Lord was with Joseph and beckoned him toward his destined dream.

That’s what saved him from an affair, that’s what saved him in the prison.

Brothers, it’s common place within forums like education, professional development, athletics, and even the church to talk about virtues like honor, integrity, character, courage, and others.

And that’s good. In fact, let’s never stop talking about those kinds of virtues for our personal lives and society.

But friends, virtues are the “what” that follow the “why.” And what is the why? It is your God-given dream that compels everything else that follows, including a virtuous, passionate life filled with satisfaction and joy and peace.

Men, what is your dream? Because if you’re trying to live a virtuous life for virtue’s sake, then you will always feel frustrated and incomplete.

“I don’t have a dream,” you might say? To which I want to tell you: slow down, take a breath, find some trusted friends, and ask yourself with depth and clarity, “What makes me come alive?”

Because your dream is one part you and one part God in tandem together, fighting for the Kingdom of God on Earth here and now!

Perhaps you don’t know your dream because you're chasing everything else for just a glimpse of satisfaction.

Fellas, choose to see God’s dream come true over anything and everything else in the world begging for your attention. God’s dream come true in you… that, my friends, now that’s satisfaction.

Choosing the dream doesn’t necessarily mean a perfect life. It certainly didn’t mean that for Joseph.

But choosing the dream does mean choosing a life confidently settled into God’s assurances and faithfulness.

The author mentioned four times:

“The Lord was with Joseph.”

And the Lord is also with you for those who place their trust in him...

So fear nothing.

The Lord is with you, so

take heart

be comforted

stay calm

love well

be content

keep going

be satisfied

finish strong

rest well

for the Lord is with you.

From the Garden.. to Jesus… to now. God has made himself known to us as God with us giving the name Emmanuel to his Son, the Savior of the World, “God with us.”

So, brothers, may we draw closer to God and to one another in friendship and brotherhood as we live dangerous and confidently settled lives so that we may see God’s dream come true in us and through us.

The world needs you, brothers, and so does the Kingdom of God!

Would you pray with me?