Joseph Had a Dream...
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3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.
This evening we are going to look at a story of hardship. We are going to look at some crazy events in the life of Joseph and how God would use those events for His good and His glory.
But before we get there, we need to be honest. Suffering… is not easy. Sounds obvious, right? That’s why we call it… suffering.
By the world’s terms, suffering is something that should avoided at all costs. NO ONE likes to suffer and… if there is a way around it, that is the way we would rather take.
But God… has a way of taking a situation that a person would normally avoid… and do something through it that is truly unimaginable.
God has a way of bringing something good… out of something bad.
Now, this is FAR MORE than looking for the silver lining. This goes WAY beyond us trying to formulate or find good in the midst of the bad. THIS IS GOD MOVING IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS.
Someone might up and argue that God would NEVER lead a person to suffering… and yet He led His One and only Son to suffer for the sake of the world.
It was said of Paul by the Lord, in the midst of his conversion in Acts 9:16
16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Did God DESIRE for Paul to suffer? I don’t believe so. But in order for Paul to carry out the work God had intended for him, suffering would be a part of that plan.
We don’t like to talk about suffering… especially when it comes to our walk with the Lord. We would rather have blessing instead of suffering… but church… what I have found is some of the greatest blessing comes when we are FAITHFUL through the suffering!
We are going to watch this clip regarding our passage and then we will dive into the Word a bit more deeply. The point I want you to understand in this: Only God can take your suffering… and turn it into celebration.
WATCH VIDEO
It’s an incredible story for sure! And someone might think, “Pastor, that’s good and all, but does God really still do that kind of thing? I mean, what good can come of my broken circumstance?”
That’s a GREAT question that we will dig into - what good can come of your broken circumstance - but before we go there, I want to share another story with you.
In early 1927, after planting a church in Tangar, China, plans were underway for missionaries Victor and Grace Plymire to continue their work in Tibet. However, both Grace and their son John suddenly came down with smallpox. Within the month, they would both succumb to their illness. A single grave on a mountainside was purchased from a local man, and Victor laid his family to rest.
Victor’s work, however, was not over. Through God’s grace and strength, he would go on spreading the gospel for two decades with his second wife, Ruth. In 1949, political upheaval forced the Plymires from China. Their church went into hiding, and its property was confiscated by the Communist government.
Fast-forward to the 1990s; the Chinese political landscape was changing again, and some churches were allowed to reopen and regain their property. The condition, however, was that they must be able to present a deed. Unable to find a one, the leaders of the Plymire’s church reached out to David Plymire, son of Victor and Ruth, asking if he would search his father’s old papers. No deed for the church property could be found. But the deed for a small gravesite, tucked away on a lonely mountainside, was found. In God’s providence, the local man who sold Plymire the gravesite had deeded the property to the church, rather than to Plymire personally. Accepting the deed as proof, the government returned the property to the church.
The church in Tangar that Grace and John gave their lives to begin continues to this day. Our stories differ from the Plymires’ situation, but in our own way, we all experience suffering. God doesn’t promise we’ll never suffer, only that He will work it all for our good if we remain faithful.
The thing to consider here - Victor passed away in 1956 meaning he never got to see the incredible turn around in the story.
Another thing to consider is… his second wife’s sister - Elizabeth, married a man by the name of George Wood. Elizabeth and George would later have a son that would bear that same name and he would become the Superintendent of the Assemblies of God.
ALL WE CAN SEE IS A MOMENT. GOD SEES THE WHOLE PICTURE.
God can take your suffering… and turn it to celebration! But there are a few things we must consider as we walk through that season of suffering.
We MUST Remain Faithful.
We MUST Remain Faithful.
Joseph goes through a pretty crazy series of events as God moves him from despised brother to being in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”
But through it all, Joseph remained faithful to God. And this is ESSENTIAL if we desire to see God’s plan come to fruition in our lives! We cannot enter into God’s plan and then half way through take control for ourselves. We will either trust God with the details, or we won’t.
In the story regarding the missionaries… only God could have known how things would play out. In your life… when you walk through seasons of suffering, if you want good to come from your broken circumstances… YOU MUST REMAIN FAITHFUL TO GOD.
After Joseph had been sold into slavery, an interesting situation arises. The Bible says that Joseph was a good looking fella… it describes him as “Well-built and hansom.”
He was a slave to an Egyptian man named Potiphar and Joseph had earned this man’s trust. In fact, Potiphar had placed Joseph in charge of the household - everything Potiphar owned was in Joseph’s care.
That’s a lot of trust! Joseph must have shown some deep respect and worked hard for this guy! Yes, Joseph was a slave but I can’t imagine that Potiphar would have given Joseph this kind of authority had he not been doing a good job. Joseph… was killing it!
And with all the authority, the good looks, and so on… someone else was taking notice of Joseph… Potiphar’s wife! And she had some other thoughts in mind what to do with this guy.
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.
Joseph slammed the brakes on that one! But Potiphar’s wife was relentless! We know the story! She tried to get Joseph in bed and when he refused, she concocted a story that led to Joseph’s imprisonment! And I know what some of you are thinking, “Wait a minute!?! Joseph did the right thing, he refused the invitation, he respected the master of the house, he refused to sin against God and… wound up in jail? WHERE IS THE SILVER LINING IN THAT?”
First Off - STOP LOOKING FOR THE SILVER LINING! If our faithfulness is nothing more than an avenue to a “silver lining” then we will miss out on what God really has in store!
Think about this if you want the “silver lining.” Joseph could have given into the wife’s demand and ended up in a far worse situation! Not only would he have disrespected Potiphar but he would have also sinned against God. WATCH THIS: Joseph may have ended up in prison… but he REMAINED in the will of God! There is no greater silver lining than that!
Joseph remained faithful. And yes… that faithfulness landed him in jail. But it was in that jail that he found favor with the authorities, that he interpreted the dreams of the cup bearer and baker… that would eventually land him in the presence of Pharoah. Joseph would end up becoming second only to Pharoah in the land of Egypt!
NO ONE could have predicted this. NO ONE could have planned this but God! What started as a dream that caused his brothers to despise him turned into a pathway that led to God’s promise!
Here’s my encouragement to you: Don’t allow your broken circumstance… to break your faithfulness!
IF your circumstance is a result of broken faith, then you need to get that thing under the blood. You need to allow God to redeem this situation through repentance and deliverance.
IF your broken circumstance is a result of unbroken faith - STAY THE COURSE!!! God will bring you through as only He can. I cannot promise what it will look like but I do know this: WE SERVE THE ONE WHO HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD! Jesus will not let you down!
We MUST Not Become Bitter.
We MUST Not Become Bitter.
Suffering has a way of doing two terrible things if we are not careful.
Suffering can lead to a hardening of the heart. And suffering can often cause a person… to become bitter.
Suffering is no fun… that is for sure. And we can find ourselves going in one of two directions when suffering occurs.
One is the direction of pity. A person begins to feel like they deserve better than this. A person begins to pity themselves and wonder why they must go through this.
Two is the direction of humbleness. A person holds on to God. A person realizes that this is only a season and God will get us through.
Hardened hearts often turn into bitter spirits. How often do we see people hardened by their broken circumstances instead of humbled by them? A humbled heart remains not only faithful but also dependent on God through the broken season.
Joseph remains humbled. Can you imagine what it must have felt like to have your siblings sell you into slavery? Yikes! It doesn’t get much worse than that! I would never want to see them again!
Joseph was hurt by his family. He was separated from his father, sold into slavery, placed in prison… he suffered greatly because of their actions! Talk about a reason to be upset with these guys!
But Joseph’s heart… it doesn’t go there. Instead, he remains humble before the Lord. Joseph doesn’t become complacent and bitter, instead he remains faithful and in the will of the Father.
When the time finally comes for Joseph to be reunited with his brothers, we see a remarkable ting take place.
First, Joseph kind of messes with these guys. H recognizes them but they have no idea who he is. But when it all comes down, Joseph reveals his identity and says something we cannot ignore.
Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers In Genesis 45:1-7
1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Joseph isn’t biter against his brothers… he is GRATEFUL to see them! AND… Joseph revealed why he wasn’t bitter in verse 7 and he reiterates that in verse 8
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
Joseph fully recognizes that it was God’s plan all along. The situations he found himself in were no fun… but now he was able to provide for his family in a time of severe famine. AND… because Joseph chose not to become bitter, the door remained open for him to shower blessings upon his family.
Bitterness closes doors. Bitterness will cause us to miss out on God’s blessings. Bitterness will rob us of what God can do.
Joseph was separated from his family for a long period of time. Joseph was dragged through the mud because of what had happened… but instead of blaming his brothers… HE GAVE GOD THE CREDIT!
Think of this: how many times do we play the blame game… even with God… when instead we should be giving Him praise!?!
It is CRITICALLY important that when we find ourselves in the midst of a storm, that we don’t slip into a mode of complacency. God deserves our highest praise when we are on the mountain top and in the valley low.
I cannot tell you how many people I have encountered that became bitter in their suffering… bitter towards others AND bitter toward God. The enemy would like nothing more to not only rob you of the blessing God has for you but to also damage your relationship with the Lord through bitterness.
The key is guarding our hearts with the peace of God. Philippians 4:4-7 gives us this reminder.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Did you catch that? It said to rejoice in the Lord when things are going your way! No… it said to rejoice in the Lord when you make it through the valley! NO… it said to rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS!!! ESPECIALLY when you’re in the valley!!!
When you choose to honor God despite your broken circumstance, when you decide to praise and to pray, the Word says the peace of God THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND OUR UNDERSTANDING will guard your heart and mind.
It’s a CHOICE to praise. It’s a CHOICE to pray. AND… It’s a CHOICE to become bitter.
Two will lead you closer to the Lord, the other will lead you away from Him.
Although Joseph had no idea why God was doing what He was doing, Joseph knew God was in this. He knew one day His brothers would bow… but how and why were left a mystery.
But then, when the famine hit and Joseph was now in a position to provide for his family… IT ALL MADE SENSE. Bitterness would have robbed him of this moment… but he remained in the peace of God even as he walked through the season of suffering.
We MAY Not See the End.
We MAY Not See the End.
As we close, there is one more thing I want us to consider… and it brings us back to the story of the missionary who lost his family to smallpox.
For Joseph, he was able to see the promise become reality. For the missionary, he had no idea that the graves of his family would become the way forward for the church.
Had the missionary not been there… had his family not died… had the burial spot not been acquired… the church in Tangar… now called Huangyuan (HO-ONG-YOU-IN)... would not exist today. And remember, the missionary died before this all came about. Did he die a broken man?
I have no doubt he experienced a heavy season of mourning… but the storm didn’t break him.
I have no doubt he experienced a heavy season of suffering… but the storm didn’t break him.
Joseph experienced a long-lasting journey of betrayal, slavery, accusation, and imprisonment… but the storm didn’t break him.
Victor Plymire never saw what took place on this side of heaven… but he knew the call of God on his life… and despite the suffering he had incurred, he remained faithful, full of God’s peace, and free from bitterness.
Church, we may or may not see the end result of our faithfulness. We may or may not see God’s plan made reality. Does that lower the level of our significance regarding our faith in the midst of the suffering? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
God sees the whole picture. God knows what it will take and who it will require and how long it will play out. Our job and privilege is… to remain faithful. We must trust in the Lord. We must guard ourselves against any and all bitterness… and we must know that GOD will see this through.
And… I have no doubt that Victor Plymire is celebrating in the presence of God with those who have come to know Jesus because of his faithfulness in the ministry.
There was a moment in his life where he lost it all… but in all reality… God was setting the stage for something amazing.
Are YOU willing to be used of the Lord like that? Are you willing to move beyond your comfort, your convenience, your control, so that God can do a work in and through you?
Yes… it might mean you will walk through seasons of suffering… but we know how this story ends. JESUS WINS. Our suffering for the sake of the gospel is not for nothing… for God has a purpose… and there is no greater silver lining than knowing you are living in and operating in the plan God has for you.
How far are you willing to go?
Prayer
Help us God to remain faithful
Help us God to not become bitter. Guard our hearts with your peace as we praise and as we pray.