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Genesis: Foundational Principles for Life • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 41:05
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The HURTING...
A spouse going through a difficult time, wrongful words of hurt pain in the heart
A son or daughter who is feeling the pain of a parent who continues to tear down, say things that hurt
One who has suffered loss of a loved one, still hurting yet those around you go on and treat you as though life is normal
Those who are feeling the knife still in their back from not just anyone, but a friend, family member, someone trusted who you thought would have your back
One who is the direct attack of peoples false statements, lies, slander… just for having a different view or perspective on a matter
Those who are facing uncertainty about the future, your livelihood holds on by a thread
The one who is consistently passed up at work or other areas for reasons outside of their control
Those who’s heart and motives are attacked by those who will not even speak to them to hear your perspective
Those suffering in so many tangible ways, unnoticed, no longer cared for, passed by, and hurting to depths that words find a loss to express clearly…
Maybe your are there or maybe you have been there.
Those closest to you seem to have FORGOTTEN you, worse yet as you go day to day you may even struggle with the thought or feeling that GOD HAS FORGOTTEN you!
The place of the hurting, suffering, testing, & hardship is a hard place to be… BUT NECESSARY FOR THE BELIEVER!!! James 1:2-3
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Read the narrative in Genesis 39:20-41:1 …
So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail. But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it. The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made to prosper. Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. The captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time. Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. He asked Pharaoh’s officials who were with him in confinement in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?” Then they said to him, “We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please.” So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me; and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. “Now Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.” Then Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer. “Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. “For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon.” When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, “I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” Then Joseph answered and said, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.” Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand; but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.
Looking at Circumstances
Looking at Circumstances
You and I have a unique view to our situations that no one else has… it is called PERSPECTIVE!
Joseph’s Circumstances
He is in jail (verses 20, 3, 5, 7, BUT in verse 14 NOTICE Dungeon)
He is forgotten by people, left, abandoned, and God seems silent!
GLASS… we tend to look at our circumstances and look hard at them
we see them from a certain perspective 1/2 full? 1/2 empty and we rely on our perspective
we try to tell ourselves to be positive… 1/2 full… 1/2 empty
(slowly empty cup) betrayed by family… sold as slave… lied about… falsely accused of wrong… thrown in prison
Are our circumstances 1/2 full … 1/2 empty???
TRUTH IS… you and I need to be aware of the circumstances (THEY ARE REAL)
BUT… the circumstances should NOT be our focus!
I will come back to this… (leave glass on stool)
Ministering In Our Circumstances
Ministering In Our Circumstances
When we are hurting and suffering it is natural to desire to be ministered to… HOWEVER it is not a natural response to reach out and minister!
*** I have found and seen through life that those who have hurt the deepest, suffered the most, and know pain most intimately are one of two outcomes… the most bitter and resentful people you know OR the most compassionate caring individuals that God uses in powerful ways!***
CONSIDER JOSEPH’S MINISTRY:
Zealous in his work and example… integrity (39:22-23)
Caring for others (40:4)
Observing others emotions and feelings (40:7)
Pointing others to God almighty! (40:8)
Being real even when the truth hurts (40:14-15)
Integrity with God’s message… good and bad news
Endurance In Our Circumstances
Endurance In Our Circumstances
If hardship were quick, brief, and over with quickly it would be much easier to “endure”
TIME:
Verse 1… “after these things”
Verse 4 … “they were in confinement for some time”
Verse 23… “but forgot him”
Verse 1… “the end of two full years”
FULFILLED DREAMS:
The interpretation of each dream was accurate and fulfilled
Maybe as Joseph saw this he would remember his dreams from so many years ago and wonder and consider the faithful God he served
GOD IS FAITHFUL:
Verse 23… “the Lord was with him”
God knew about chapter 41
God understood that Joseph would one day see and understand what we know in chapter 50
Until then Joseph had to wait… and endure with patience in the Lord
Hebrews 10: 36 states
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
Later the writer states this in Hebrews 12:1-3 after describing so many who have gone before us…
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Deuteronomy 31:8 so beautifully states what Joseph demonstrates in his actions and understanding that the Lord was with him…
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
The writer of Hebrews repeats this truth stating God will never leave us nor forsake us!
Joseph although he looked and saw his circumstances… a glass truly 1/2 empty if not more, learned to look to the One who fills the glass as David would one day write in the Psalms that even in the presence of his enemies (difficulties, sufferings, hurts) that God can cause the glass to overflow!!!
(Take glass) are we going to focus on the glass (circumstances) EVEN WHEN WE FEEL FORGOTTEN or the ONE who fills our cup?!!! He has not forgotten you! Don’t grow weary or lose heart!