Faithfulness in Our Walk
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Faithfulness in Our Walk
Faithfulness in Our Walk
1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. 2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. 3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. 5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: 6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
Without faithfulness to God there can be no Christian life.
Christianity is based first on faith that God is, and then that through Christ Jesus we can be forgiven and are saved. Our faithfulness is a commitment to adhere to the One God who is true and supreme and to keep His commandments.
In fact, the first two of the Ten Commandments (), deal directly with our being faithful to God.
“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God...” These are the words given directly from God to Moses for all people, for all time.
Since God assumes a relationship with His people, He is declaring that He will not tolerate unfaithfulness and competition with anything else.
An idol can be in the form of anything that you might place in a higher priority over God. This includes false images of worship or placing anything in our lives that has preeminence over God.
52 Weeks we need to be faithful to God .....
More here -
A people that are faithful will be contagious
Faithful in Church attendance
Faithful in giving
Faithful in devotions
Faithful in serving
Faithful in reaching others
Faithful in standing for truth
in our text today Joseph was faithful......
I Faithfulness will Involve Suffering
I Faithfulness will Involve Suffering
1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
gen 47.1-6
1 Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. 2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. 3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. 5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: 6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
Wait a minute - this is the end of the story .... what God Joseph to this point ....
gen 47.1-
Joseph was faithful .... this is the end of the story but God walked him through some fire before he got to this point....
Training for a marathon involves suffering
4:30 AM runs
wet/cold
early to bed
nursing injuries
exhausted
But when you cross the finish line in front of 1,000’s of people its worth it
The weight loss the health benefit s’
The emotional high
But its not easy
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
How would you respond if your family despised you so much that they arranged for you to be sold to a slave trader? How would you feel if your boss, whom you had faithfully served with impeccable integrity, was quick to believe a lie about you and subsequently have you thrown into jail? How would you react if a comrade broke a promise and as a result, you spent several years in confinement?
Joseph experienced each of these circumstances. You can read the full account of his sufferings in .
God Had a Purpose for Allowing Joseph to Suffer
God Had a Purpose for Allowing Joseph to Suffer
By Joseph’s own testimony, the sufferings of Joseph—physical, mental, and emotional agonies—had been allowed by God so that Joseph could fulfill God’s plan: to save many lives. “But as for you [Joseph’s brothers who had sold him into slavery many years previously], ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” ().
20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
gen
5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Joseph Rejected Bitterness and Chose to Forgive
Joseph Rejected Bitterness and Chose to Forgive
As Joseph responded to suffering with faith, meekness, and humility, God molded and shaped a leader. And that leader would not only end up saving his betrayers’ lives, but he would fully forgive them and provide abundantly for their needs. Such is the potential when a man chooses to reject the empty revenge of bitterness and instead to embrace the benefits of suffering.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
matt 18
Why Did God Allow Bad Things to Happen to Joseph?
Why Did God Allow Bad Things to Happen to Joseph?
If Joseph asked you why God allowed him to be sold into slavery by his own brothers; to be torn from his family and home; to be falsely accused by the wife of Potiphar, to whom he had been loyal and devoted; and to be unjustly imprisoned and ignored, how might you answer?
Here are a few possible answers. There are many more.
To enable him to overcome a prideful attitude and learn humility (See .)
33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; And before honour is humility.
To teach him how to serve (See , , ; ; and .)
prov 15.33
To train him to be faithful (See and .)
To teach him how to serve (See , , ; ; and .)To train him to be faithful (See and .)To test him in moral purity (See and .)To prepare him to comfort others (See and .)To prepare him to lead his brothers to repentance (See .)To teach him patience (See , ; and .)To enable him to see God accomplish His purposes and fulfill His promises (See , , , , and 50:20.)To teach him how jealousy can cause suffering (See and 17-36.)To save many lives (See .)To let him experience the blessing of God’s favor (See and 21-23.)To place him in a position to tell Pharaoh of God’s power (See , , , , and 38-44.)
To test him in moral purity (See and .)
To prepare him to comfort others (See and .)
To prepare him to lead his brothers to repentance (See .)
To teach him patience (See , ; and .)
To place him in a position to tell Pharaoh of God’s power (See , , , , and 38-44.)
To teach him how jealousy can cause suffering (See and 17-36.)
To save many lives (See .)
To let him experience the blessing of God’s favor (See and 21-23.)To place him in a position to tell Pharaoh of God’s power (See , , , , and 38-44.)
We Can Choose to Trust God, Even as Joseph Did
We Can Choose to Trust God, Even as Joseph Did
We are not to regard suffering as a strange occurrence, but rather as a sign of God’s work in our lives. (See and .) “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil” ().
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1 Peter 4.12-
Faithfulness will involve suffering
II Faithfulness Makes you a Leader
II Faithfulness Makes you a Leader
gen 47.
2 And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh. 3 And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. 4 They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen.
look back to chapter 46
5 And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: 7 His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.
Notice -Joseph’s faithfulness and constancy made him a leader
early in
this also showed up in other areas he had integrity - he did not lie about their occupation its the truth .....
Notice - he told the truth and wanted the best for his brethren
22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: But they that deal truly are his delight.
31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. 33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? 34 That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
gen 46.2-
We note Joseph’s plain instructions to his brethren (46:33–34a). “And it shall come to pass when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we and also our fathers.”
In other words, the brethren were to confess to Pharaoh their shepherd character. They were to confess it before him and all his splendid court. Unlike the Egyptians who were a settled, agricultural people, shepherds were a nomadic, migratory people, ever on the move, never sending their roots down deeply into any one spot. That was of vital importance. Unless the brethren held onto their shepherd character, pilgrim character all would be lost. The Lord would also have us be pilgrims and strangers on the earth and take our stand before the throne above in that character.
We note also Joseph’s plain intention for his brethren (46:34b). “That ye may dwell in the land of Goshen,” he explained, “for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.” That is what he was after. He wanted to keep a clear line of demarcation between the chosen family and the Egyptians. Goshen would secure their separation from Egypt even though they must live in that land. Goshen was on the Canaan side of the land, so settling there would make it that much easier for them to leave Egypt when the time came.
Moreover, the Egyptians despised cattlemen, one of the seven castes, or guilds, into which the Egyptians were divided. They were held in such contempt by other Egyptians that they were not allowed to enter the temples or to marry any other Egyptian outside their caste. Joseph’s intention, therefore, in insisting that his brethren confess their shepherd character was obvious. He did not want them to get involved with the Egyptians either in the matter of worship or marriage; spiritually and socially they were to be separate from the Egyptians. His concern illustrates what the Lord expects of His people in the world today. The world’s attractions are not for us; its religious systems
if we are going to be faithful and bless others we must be honest on who we are and let God take care of the rest....
That is leadership
They followed and did what Joseph said
III Faithfulness Blesses Everyone
III Faithfulness Blesses Everyone
5 And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: 6 The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.
gen
Does God have a heart to reward His faithful servants? I just want to encourage those of you out there who are serving Christ with your whole heart. If you are serving for the right reasons you are definitely in line for rewards that are so huge, you cannot begin to fathom them now!
22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: But they that deal truly are his delight.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. 33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? 34 That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Look at what Joseph family received .......
Goshen the best land given
Rules over all cattle of the land
18 And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. 19 Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. 20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
Illustration - personnel
1998 - financially struggling out of college .... invited to the board room at my company
daughter had scoliosis surgery
This was a watershed moment - was I going to be faithful to the call of cave in to the world ?
Joseph Sold in slavery by his own family
Accused by Potpher wife of infidelity
Abandoned in prison by the man he helped get freed
But God had a plan to put him in front of Pharaoh to save his people .
Joseph was faith full
20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Are You Faithful to God?
Are You Faithful to God?
In other words, the brethren were to confess to Pharaoh their shepherd character. They were to confess it before him and all his splendid court. Unlike the Egyptians who were a settled, agricultural people, shepherds were a nomadic, migratory people, ever on the move, never sending their roots down deeply into any one spot. That was of vital importance. Unless the brethren held onto their shepherd character, pilgrim character all would be lost. The Lord would also have us be pilgrims and strangers on the earth and take our stand before the throne above in that character.
We note also Joseph’s plain intention for his brethren (46:34b). “That ye may dwell in the land of Goshen,” he explained, “for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.” That is what he was after. He wanted to keep a clear line of demarcation between the chosen family and the Egyptians. Goshen would secure their separation from Egypt even though they must live in that land. Goshen was on the Canaan side of the land, so settling there would make it that much easier for them to leave Egypt when the time came.
Moreover, the Egyptians despised cattlemen, one of the seven castes, or guilds, into which the Egyptians were divided. They were held in such contempt by other Egyptians that they were not allowed to enter the temples or to marry any other Egyptian outside their caste. Joseph’s intention, therefore, in insisting that his brethren confess their shepherd character was obvious. He did not want them to get involved with the Egyptians either in the matter of worship or marriage; spiritually and socially they were to be separate from the Egyptians. His concern illustrates what the Lord expects of His people in the world today. The world’s attractions are not for us; its religious systems
if we are going to be faithful and bless others we must be honest on who we are and let God take care of the rest....
Joseph’s ministry to his brethren was successful.
They took the stand before Pharaoh and his court that Joseph had instructed them to take. “And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.”
Out of the election there was a selection, not all of his brethren being taken in before Pharaoh. Five is said to be the number of grace in the Bible.
It was saving grace that led Joseph to forgive and embrace and royally accept all the brothers; it was special grace that enabled some of them to be confessed before Pharaoh in a unique way.
It is grace alone that puts us in the family of God, forgives our sins, and makes us accepted in the
“If thou knowest any men of activity among them,” said Pharaoh as he surveyed Joseph’s brethren, “make them rulers over my cattle” (47:6).
The words “men of activity” mean “men of strength.” The phrase comes from a root meaning “to twist” (the idea is that of a cord being twisted to make a strong and reliable rope). Those who had proved themselves could be given places of responsibility in Pharaoh’s kingdom. Our place in the coming Kingdom of Christ will depend on whether we are “men of activity” now.