Hi, I am Pastor Floyd Bresee 00:00:31.38\00:00:33.93 and I have been thinking it seems to me 00:00:33.94\00:00:38.03 that there be a lot more Christians, 00:00:38.04\00:00:39.94 if Christians were a lot more Christ like. 00:00:39.95\00:00:43.29 Let's pray about it. Loving father, 00:00:43.30\00:00:47.84 please teach us something today 00:00:47.85\00:00:51.71 that will help us become more Christ like Christians 00:00:51.72\00:00:57.28 we pray in Jesus name, amen. 00:00:57.29\00:01:01.54 Our focus today will be on Joseph, 00:01:03.50\00:01:07.05 Joseph the pampered, 00:01:07.06\00:01:10.60 Joseph the pampered patriarch. 00:01:10.61\00:01:14.06 Please open your Bible to the book of Genesis 00:01:14.07\00:01:18.35 and the 37th chapter. I will be using the 00:01:18.36\00:01:23.39 New International Version. 00:01:23.40\00:01:24.87 They say that life is like a box of chocolates, 00:01:24.88\00:01:30.10 you never know what you are going to get. 00:01:30.11\00:01:34.08 You saw the pictures on the cover 00:01:34.09\00:01:37.76 but you open the box and you know in there, 00:01:37.77\00:01:40.24 there are some plain chocolates 00:01:40.25\00:01:42.74 and some with nuts, and some with fudge filling 00:01:42.75\00:01:46.88 and some with caramel and some with cherry 00:01:46.89\00:01:49.81 and your diet will allow just one. 00:01:49.82\00:01:52.58 And finally you make your pick and you bite into it, 00:01:52.59\00:01:59.18 only to find out it is not what you wanted at all. 00:01:59.19\00:02:02.89 Life is like a box of chocolates. 00:02:02.90\00:02:07.12 However, we hope for the best, 00:02:07.13\00:02:09.66 but when we bite into it, 00:02:09.67\00:02:11.13 we find that it's not exactly 00:02:11.14\00:02:14.21 what we wanted after all. 00:02:14.22\00:02:16.25 Life has trials, letdowns disappointments. 00:02:16.26\00:02:21.97 Our lesson today is it life's trials can help us 00:02:21.98\00:02:27.06 or hurt us depending upon how we handle them. 00:02:27.07\00:02:31.76 This is never better illustrated 00:02:31.77\00:02:34.61 then in the fascinating story 00:02:34.62\00:02:36.52 of the Patriarch Joseph. 00:02:36.53\00:02:38.60 Joseph was so important 00:02:38.61\00:02:42.56 to the Old Testament, 00:02:42.57\00:02:43.56 to the book of Genesis that fourteen chapters 00:02:43.57\00:02:46.60 in Genesis deal with Joseph, 00:02:46.61\00:02:50.07 and no place in scripture can we find 00:02:50.08\00:02:53.53 a better illustration of how to handle trials. 00:02:53.54\00:02:57.70 Now first lesson I would like to suggest in 00:02:57.71\00:03:03.94 the life of Joseph, is that pampering 00:03:03.95\00:03:07.20 can actually hinder us. 00:03:07.21\00:03:09.35 Joseph was a pampered kid. 00:03:09.36\00:03:11.60 He was a good boy. 00:03:11.61\00:03:12.61 He was just a spoilt rotten. 00:03:12.62\00:03:15.09 He was a tattletale. 00:03:15.10\00:03:16.94 At 17 he tattled on his brothers to his dad. 00:03:16.95\00:03:21.50 And Joseph's father Jacob, 00:03:21.51\00:03:24.20 Jacob was a lousy father. 00:03:24.21\00:03:27.44 He was a good man in many ways 00:03:27.45\00:03:30.09 and yet he was a deceiver 00:03:30.10\00:03:31.94 when he was young. 00:03:31.95\00:03:32.93 He was a polygamous when he was grown, 00:03:32.94\00:03:35.76 and as a father he practiced favoritism. 00:03:35.77\00:03:40.32 Joseph was born to his favorite wife, 00:03:40.33\00:03:44.65 beautiful Rachel, 00:03:44.66\00:03:46.33 when Jacob was in his ninety's. 00:03:46.34\00:03:48.10 Genesis the 37th Chapter notice verses 3 and 4, 00:03:48.11\00:03:54.62 "Now Israel loved Joseph, 00:03:54.63\00:03:56.76 more than any of his other sons, 00:03:56.77\00:03:59.57 because he had been born to him 00:03:59.58\00:04:01.98 in his old age, and he made a richly 00:04:01.99\00:04:05.34 ornamented robe for him. 00:04:05.35\00:04:07.73 When his brothers saw that their father 00:04:07.74\00:04:10.27 loved him more than any of them, 00:04:10.28\00:04:12.09 they hated him and could not speak 00:04:12.10\00:04:15.09 a kind word to him." Joseph was a favorite. 00:04:15.10\00:04:22.15 He was a pampered kid, 00:04:22.16\00:04:25.41 and favoritism created a dysfunctional home. 00:04:25.42\00:04:30.33 You know, if our heavenly father 00:04:30.34\00:04:34.09 gave us everything we wanted, 00:04:34.10\00:04:36.01 if he pampered us we would never grow. 00:04:36.02\00:04:40.31 Pampering was holding Joseph back 00:04:40.32\00:04:42.74 and it can hold us back. 00:04:42.75\00:04:44.38 Our chief goal is comfort, 00:04:44.39\00:04:46.51 but fortunately God's chief goal 00:04:46.52\00:04:50.37 for us is character. 00:04:50.38\00:04:52.21 No wonder that we often disagrees, 00:04:52.22\00:04:55.85 no trails, no goals. Now life brought 00:04:55.86\00:05:02.57 Joseph a long series of trials. 00:05:02.58\00:05:06.52 And trials can hurt. His brothers took 00:05:06.53\00:05:11.59 the cattle and sheep to the northern Pastors 00:05:11.60\00:05:14.81 for someone grazing and Joseph 00:05:14.82\00:05:16.79 was sent by his father Jacob up to Dothan 00:05:16.80\00:05:19.73 to check on how things were going. 00:05:19.74\00:05:22.50 Chapter 37, notice now verse 18. 00:05:22.51\00:05:26.50 But they saw him in the distance, 00:05:26.51\00:05:29.81 and before he reached them, 00:05:29.82\00:05:32.21 they plotted to kill him, they plotted to kill him. 00:05:32.22\00:05:38.02 Let's get in. They tore off his hated coat. 00:05:38.03\00:05:43.07 They threw him in a dry cistern 00:05:43.08\00:05:45.51 planning to kill him. 00:05:45.52\00:05:47.78 Those boys were so deprived 00:05:47.79\00:05:51.53 and so filled with hatred that they sat down 00:05:51.54\00:05:54.14 to enjoy their lunch. Now fortunately for Joseph, 00:05:54.15\00:05:58.58 Dothan was on the interstate, 00:05:58.59\00:06:00.50 that is the main route from Cannon down into Egypt 00:06:00.51\00:06:05.37 and so they found some traders coming by 00:06:05.38\00:06:09.77 and they sold the boy, 00:06:09.78\00:06:11.28 at least they got rid of him. 00:06:11.29\00:06:12.48 They didn't get much far him but he was gone. 00:06:12.49\00:06:14.83 And they took a rope, 00:06:14.84\00:06:16.67 and they tied one end of the rope 00:06:16.68\00:06:20.12 to this pampered favorite Joseph, 00:06:20.13\00:06:23.69 17 years old and they tied the other end to a camel. 00:06:23.70\00:06:29.44 It's amazing how quickly life can take a change 00:06:29.45\00:06:34.97 in the bottom fallout of our world. 00:06:34.98\00:06:39.11 Perhaps it's happened to you. 00:06:39.12\00:06:41.65 Everything was looking wonderful and suddenly 00:06:41.66\00:06:44.29 everything was looking terrible. 00:06:44.30\00:06:46.57 Instantly, this boy who had been a pampered 00:06:46.58\00:06:50.43 kid became a slave, a lonely slave. 00:06:50.44\00:06:55.89 Poor Joseph, his mother of course was dead. 00:06:55.90\00:06:59.86 His father was getting farther and farther 00:06:59.87\00:07:03.68 away at every step. He knew no one around him. 00:07:03.69\00:07:08.16 He couldn't even speak the language. 00:07:08.17\00:07:10.98 The wonderful book, 'Patriarchs and Prophets' 00:07:10.99\00:07:14.86 says this terrible calamity transformed him 00:07:14.87\00:07:18.63 from a petted child to a man. 00:07:18.64\00:07:21.75 Trials hurt, but they also can make men 00:07:21.76\00:07:27.26 and women of us. They can hurt, 00:07:27.27\00:07:30.43 but they can help. 00:07:30.44\00:07:32.43 Archibald Rutledge was walking up a mountain path, 00:07:32.44\00:07:39.72 came across a farmer carrying an axe 00:07:39.73\00:07:43.71 over his shoulder and they fell in the conversation 00:07:43.72\00:07:47.92 that the farmer said that he was out looking for 00:07:47.93\00:07:53.83 a new tong for his wagon. Well said Rutledge, 00:07:53.84\00:07:58.60 trees all around us why to climb the mountain? 00:07:58.61\00:08:02.53 Farmer said that toughest wood comes 00:08:02.54\00:08:05.84 from on the top of the mountain 00:08:05.85\00:08:07.98 where the storms hit the hardest. 00:08:07.99\00:08:10.76 The storms of life can make us stronger, 00:08:10.77\00:08:14.89 and so Joseph became a lonely slave. 00:08:14.90\00:08:21.09 Perhaps you as you've tuned into Faith Chapel 00:08:21.10\00:08:26.40 today perhaps you are lonely. 00:08:26.41\00:08:30.04 Perhaps you are a lonely listener. 00:08:30.05\00:08:33.56 May be you've lost the loved one, 00:08:33.57\00:08:36.23 perhaps you feel friendless. 00:08:36.24\00:08:38.79 May I suggest possibly what you need, 00:08:38.80\00:08:43.52 is the fellowship of the church family. 00:08:43.53\00:08:46.88 No one should ever feel alone around Christians. 00:08:46.89\00:08:51.93 It happened in New Orleans, September of 1985. 00:08:51.94\00:08:59.19 Two hundred people met for a celebration. 00:08:59.20\00:09:02.46 A hundred of them were lifeguards, 00:09:02.47\00:09:04.42 and they were celebrating because 00:09:04.43\00:09:06.42 in all of New Orleans all season long 00:09:06.43\00:09:09.32 and all of the swimming pool there 00:09:09.33\00:09:12.62 had not been one single death. 00:09:12.63\00:09:15.83 But when the celebration was about over, 00:09:15.84\00:09:19.63 somebody looked down at the deep end 00:09:19.64\00:09:21.93 of the pool and there lay 31-year-old Jerome Moody, 00:09:21.94\00:09:27.72 drown surrounded by friends, 00:09:27.73\00:09:31.18 surrounded by people who were trained 00:09:31.19\00:09:34.18 to save him but they were simply too self 00:09:34.19\00:09:37.52 absorbed to notice. 00:09:37.53\00:09:39.91 And this can happen to Church people too. 00:09:39.92\00:09:44.10 If when you go to Church you become 00:09:44.11\00:09:47.09 too self absorbed with perhaps your duties 00:09:47.10\00:09:50.12 or being with your friends, to notice. 00:09:50.13\00:09:52.61 Then you are not going to help some lonely person 00:09:52.62\00:09:57.78 that perhaps the Holy Spirit has brought 00:09:57.79\00:10:00.72 to your Church just looking for a little love, 00:10:00.73\00:10:04.31 a little friendship. 00:10:04.32\00:10:06.71 And now back to Joseph. 00:10:06.72\00:10:10.74 Joseph was learning to trust God, 00:10:10.75\00:10:13.76 and when we trust God, 00:10:13.77\00:10:16.05 any place becomes a good place. 00:10:16.06\00:10:20.02 Chapter 37 again, 00:10:20.03\00:10:23.18 notice now if you were with me the 36th verse. 00:10:23.19\00:10:27.84 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph 00:10:27.85\00:10:31.68 in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, 00:10:31.69\00:10:35.83 the captain of the guard. 00:10:35.84\00:10:39.82 His fancy coat was gone. 00:10:39.83\00:10:43.93 First thing he knew he was down on his knees 00:10:43.94\00:10:47.81 doing slave work. 00:10:47.82\00:10:50.29 But the results of this slavery 00:10:50.30\00:10:54.40 and all of these hard works 00:10:54.41\00:10:56.70 that suddenly he was having to do 00:10:56.71\00:10:58.18 for the first time in his life, 00:10:58.19\00:10:59.69 it begins to show a plan that's developing 00:10:59.70\00:11:04.92 and a good reason for this whole thing. 00:11:04.93\00:11:07.61 Ten years of service in the world's most 00:11:07.62\00:11:10.85 advanced country, he learned the language, 00:11:10.86\00:11:14.00 even had a chance to get some education 00:11:14.01\00:11:16.22 and study some science 00:11:16.23\00:11:17.66 and above everything else 00:11:17.67\00:11:19.49 he developed a managerial genius 00:11:19.50\00:11:22.89 and he ended up running this house. 00:11:22.90\00:11:25.56 God was preparing him for something, 00:11:25.57\00:11:30.10 through slavery, through trial. 00:11:30.11\00:11:33.59 Now beside this poor Joseph was unjustly accused. 00:11:33.60\00:11:41.51 Joseph was one handsome hunk. 00:11:41.52\00:11:45.00 Look if you will at chapter 39, 00:11:45.01\00:11:49.41 Genesis 39 verses 6 and 7. 00:11:49.42\00:11:54.29 So he left that is part of her left in Joseph's care 00:11:54.30\00:11:59.09 everything he had, with Joseph in charge, 00:11:59.10\00:12:03.03 he did not concern himself 00:12:03.04\00:12:04.70 with anything except the food he ate. 00:12:04.71\00:12:06.85 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 00:12:06.86\00:12:11.28 and after a while his master's wife took 00:12:11.29\00:12:15.12 notice of Joseph and said, 00:12:15.13\00:12:16.82 "Come to bed with me!" 00:12:16.83\00:12:19.24 One handsome hunk Joseph, 00:12:21.98\00:12:25.69 probably took after his beautiful mother Rachel. 00:12:25.70\00:12:31.03 Potiphar's wife was impressed, 00:12:31.04\00:12:34.09 come to bed with me not once 00:12:34.10\00:12:36.61 but the scripture goes on to say 00:12:36.62\00:12:38.11 day after day after day. 00:12:38.12\00:12:40.23 But he always turned away. 00:12:40.24\00:12:42.74 So she got to figuring he is afraid of getting caught, 00:12:42.75\00:12:46.42 wait until someday when the servants 00:12:46.43\00:12:49.27 are not around. Then he will come to bed with me. 00:12:49.28\00:12:54.54 Character, you know, 00:12:54.55\00:12:57.11 is what you are when nobody is looking. 00:12:57.12\00:13:00.45 Do you have some habits, 00:13:00.46\00:13:02.94 some things in your life that you want 00:13:02.95\00:13:05.83 to hide from everybody, 00:13:05.84\00:13:07.61 that you might engage in when nobody is looking, 00:13:07.62\00:13:10.74 and Joseph was a stronger man in that. 00:13:10.75\00:13:15.69 And on this invitation he left his coat 00:13:15.70\00:13:19.52 and he ran and then the ague hit the fan. 00:13:19.53\00:13:22.60 Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned 00:13:22.61\00:13:25.81 and she told Potiphar that Jew slave tried to rape me. 00:13:25.82\00:13:29.90 I screamed he ran; 00:13:29.91\00:13:31.20 here is his coat to prove it. 00:13:31.21\00:13:32.67 Poor Joseph had coat tumble again. 00:13:32.68\00:13:36.18 Bible says Potiphar burn with anger. 00:13:36.19\00:13:40.74 Possibly he was supersensitive 00:13:40.75\00:13:44.36 over this subject in the first place. 00:13:44.37\00:13:46.48 Men with his position in court were 00:13:46.49\00:13:49.19 often required to be eunuchs, 00:13:49.20\00:13:51.08 but anyway Joseph was thrown into prison. 00:13:51.09\00:13:55.98 You know when we do the right thing we expect 00:13:55.99\00:14:01.03 to be praised for it. 00:14:01.04\00:14:02.81 Joseph was jailed for it. 00:14:02.82\00:14:06.56 It's tough to be unjustly accused. 00:14:06.57\00:14:10.35 It's bad enough facing just the accusations 00:14:10.36\00:14:14.06 that we deserve. 00:14:14.07\00:14:15.04 But it becomes very easy 00:14:15.05\00:14:18.92 to drown ourselves in self-pity. 00:14:18.93\00:14:21.68 When we are abused undeservedly, 00:14:21.69\00:14:26.30 trials can hurt. But there was 00:14:26.31\00:14:30.22 another big trial coming up for Joseph. 00:14:30.23\00:14:32.39 Joseph now sent to prison was neglected. 00:14:32.40\00:14:37.20 He was forgotten, Joseph was like a cat. 00:14:37.21\00:14:41.72 He always landed on his feet. 00:14:41.73\00:14:43.51 His character and his administrative 00:14:43.52\00:14:46.48 genius soon had him virtually 00:14:46.49\00:14:48.91 running the prison. 00:14:48.92\00:14:49.99 By the way that proves this not where you are, 00:14:50.00\00:14:54.56 but what you are that counts. 00:14:54.57\00:14:55.88 Any place that Joseph went, 00:14:55.89\00:14:57.20 he became a success in spite of where he was. 00:14:57.21\00:15:01.17 The King's cupbearer was in prison with Joseph 00:15:05.76\00:15:09.67 on suspicion of conspiracy to poison the King. 00:15:09.68\00:15:12.58 Joseph did him a favor. 00:15:12.59\00:15:15.75 The investigation was finally finished 00:15:15.76\00:15:19.86 and the cupbearer was reinstated. 00:15:19.87\00:15:22.31 But before he left and went back to the presence 00:15:22.32\00:15:26.40 of the King, Joseph said 00:15:26.41\00:15:27.85 please remember me. Chapter 40 and verse 23, 00:15:27.86\00:15:35.27 Genesis 40 verse 23, the chief cup-bearer, 00:15:35.28\00:15:40.19 however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. 00:15:40.20\00:15:46.89 It's exasperating to do a favor for somebody. 00:15:46.90\00:15:51.48 Loan them money or give them 00:15:51.49\00:15:54.39 a book or may be the use of your lawn more and then, 00:15:54.40\00:15:58.06 they ignore you in return. 00:15:58.07\00:16:01.93 Poor Joseph was ignored. 00:16:01.94\00:16:05.51 It hurts to be ignored. 00:16:05.52\00:16:08.79 As adults we are ignored may be 00:16:08.80\00:16:12.07 by a spouse or by a boss. 00:16:12.08\00:16:15.66 As young people we are, 00:16:15.67\00:16:18.89 annoyed and ignored by perhaps 00:16:21.51\00:16:25.68 the opposite gender. 00:16:25.69\00:16:27.05 As children we are ignored by everybody. 00:16:28.06\00:16:32.26 Joseph was enslaved. He was unjustly accused. 00:16:34.50\00:16:40.49 He was ignored, neglected, forgotten. 00:16:40.50\00:16:44.79 Life's trials can help or hurt, 00:16:44.80\00:16:48.83 but to Joseph's credit, 00:16:48.84\00:16:51.94 Joseph is a beautiful example 00:16:51.95\00:16:54.63 of one who learned how to handle trials. 00:16:54.64\00:16:58.14 Trials help or hurt depending upon 00:16:58.15\00:17:00.75 how we handle them, trials can help. 00:17:00.76\00:17:03.17 What God can make of us depends 00:17:03.18\00:17:06.80 on our reaction when life tries us. 00:17:06.81\00:17:09.57 Little blind girl was out walking with her father, 00:17:11.61\00:17:16.24 came across an icy bridge 00:17:16.25\00:17:19.55 and the water was dashing below, 00:17:19.56\00:17:22.29 the father turns the little girl 00:17:22.30\00:17:25.43 and said are you afraid. 00:17:25.44\00:17:28.52 She said no, but you don't know 00:17:31.42\00:17:34.11 where you are going. 00:17:34.12\00:17:35.19 The little girl answered, 00:17:37.20\00:17:38.86 but I know that you know. 00:17:38.87\00:17:41.75 We don't have to be afraid 00:17:43.45\00:17:45.37 whatever situation we find ourselves in, 00:17:45.38\00:17:48.04 if we really trust our heavenly Father, 00:17:48.05\00:17:51.49 to have a plan for us 00:17:51.50\00:17:53.22 and He is leading us 00:17:53.23\00:17:54.82 and He knows where He is going 00:17:54.83\00:17:57.00 and when we get there, 00:17:57.01\00:17:58.27 we will be glad for the way we were led. 00:17:58.28\00:18:01.69 Now where was God in all of this? 00:18:03.65\00:18:08.08 The answer is astounding 00:18:09.66\00:18:11.59 and it is profound theology. 00:18:11.60\00:18:14.98 See if you catch the theological lesson. 00:18:15.58\00:18:18.42 Where was God in all of these? 00:18:18.93\00:18:21.85 Well, when Joseph was in Potiphar's house, 00:18:21.86\00:18:24.93 notice Chapter 39 and verse 2, 00:18:24.94\00:18:28.68 the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, 00:18:28.69\00:18:32.63 and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 00:18:32.64\00:18:35.75 During all of this trial, 00:18:35.76\00:18:38.05 during all of this slave work 00:18:38.06\00:18:39.59 where was God when we come to a difficult trial. 00:18:39.60\00:18:42.66 A hard time in life we ask, oh, where is God? 00:18:42.67\00:18:46.00 Well, God was there all the time. 00:18:46.01\00:18:50.84 Notice in verse 21 of Chapter 39. 00:18:50.85\00:18:59.58 The Lord was with him speaking now in prison, 00:18:59.59\00:19:02.86 the Lord was with him and he showed him kindness 00:19:02.87\00:19:06.99 and granted him favor in the eyes of 00:19:07.00\00:19:10.26 the prison warden. Where was God 00:19:10.27\00:19:14.60 in the midst of all this trial? 00:19:14.61\00:19:17.76 God was there all the time, 00:19:17.77\00:19:21.14 and when we are in the midst of trial 00:19:21.15\00:19:24.28 where is God. God is there all the time, 00:19:24.29\00:19:29.57 through all of the slavery, 00:19:29.58\00:19:31.61 through all of the loneliness, 00:19:31.62\00:19:32.90 through all the unjust accusation, 00:19:32.91\00:19:34.95 through all being ignored, 00:19:34.96\00:19:36.87 God was there all the time. 00:19:36.88\00:19:38.91 God had not forgotten him. 00:19:38.92\00:19:40.68 God had not forsaken him. 00:19:40.69\00:19:43.20 God was not neglecting him. 00:19:43.21\00:19:45.56 God was preparing him. 00:19:46.07\00:19:48.43 Cars are built nowadays with airbags 00:19:48.44\00:19:55.27 and airbags have become very popular, 00:19:55.28\00:19:59.95 and airbags are wonderful safety device. 00:19:59.96\00:20:05.00 But the truth of the matter is airbags 00:20:05.01\00:20:09.42 do not prevent accidents. 00:20:09.43\00:20:12.31 They do what they are meant to do, 00:20:12.32\00:20:15.31 they prevent injury. 00:20:15.32\00:20:17.88 Christianity is not necessarily 00:20:17.89\00:20:21.85 to prevent trial; Christianity is meant 00:20:21.86\00:20:26.57 to prevent injury. God turns trials 00:20:26.58\00:20:30.60 around and uses them to help us 00:20:30.61\00:20:33.93 instead of bringing injury to us. 00:20:33.94\00:20:37.18 God is not punishing Joseph. 00:20:37.19\00:20:43.08 God is not forsaking, 00:20:43.09\00:20:44.73 God is not neglecting Joseph. 00:20:44.74\00:20:46.83 God is preparing Joseph. 00:20:46.84\00:20:49.57 Now, I want you to notice this. 00:20:49.58\00:20:51.99 As the plan begins to unfold, 00:20:52.00\00:20:53.85 we can't understand this far 00:20:53.86\00:20:55.49 why all of these trials, 00:20:55.50\00:20:57.03 but now we understand. 00:20:57.04\00:20:58.67 God was preparing Joseph 00:20:58.68\00:21:01.52 for a number of very important things. 00:21:01.53\00:21:04.06 First of all, he was preparing him 00:21:04.07\00:21:05.75 to feed Egypt. At the age of 30 00:21:05.76\00:21:09.00 Joseph became the Prime Minister 00:21:09.01\00:21:10.88 whose managerial ability fed Egypt 00:21:10.89\00:21:14.02 through 7 years of famine. 00:21:14.03\00:21:16.13 What a witness to all of Egypt 00:21:16.14\00:21:20.05 that Jehovah God was omnipotent. 00:21:20.06\00:21:22.79 God could bring the rain 00:21:22.80\00:21:24.11 and bring the crops 00:21:24.12\00:21:25.09 and God could control the weather 00:21:25.10\00:21:26.64 and crops would dry up. 00:21:26.65\00:21:28.47 And as Joseph, led them through 00:21:29.78\00:21:31.90 this difficult experience. 00:21:31.91\00:21:34.09 Joseph saved Egypt, 00:21:34.10\00:21:37.70 and he showed the omnipotence 00:21:37.71\00:21:40.75 of a God who was worthy of worship. 00:21:40.76\00:21:44.39 And then another purpose of all of this, 00:21:44.40\00:21:49.77 we are beginning to see God's plan. 00:21:49.78\00:21:51.96 Another purpose was to help 00:21:51.97\00:21:54.58 create the nation of Israel. 00:21:54.59\00:21:57.10 God had promised cannon to Abraham, 00:21:57.11\00:22:00.60 you remember, but Jacob's family up 00:22:00.61\00:22:03.81 there was too small to drive out the Canaanites. 00:22:03.82\00:22:07.37 And the nation was not being established 00:22:07.38\00:22:10.63 so what did God do. 00:22:10.64\00:22:11.82 Through Jacob's being a favorite down in Egypt, 00:22:11.83\00:22:15.38 Joseph being a favorite, 00:22:15.39\00:22:18.38 Jacob brought his family down 00:22:18.39\00:22:20.83 into Egypt and there in friendly Egypt, 00:22:20.84\00:22:23.41 they became a nation. 00:22:23.42\00:22:25.61 It was there that they became strong enough 00:22:25.62\00:22:28.35 to go back and possess the land of Cannon. 00:22:28.36\00:22:32.19 And so God you see I had a plan. 00:22:32.20\00:22:37.41 He was preparing Joseph to, 00:22:37.42\00:22:40.19 to help establish the nation of Israel. 00:22:40.20\00:22:45.00 And another thing, 00:22:45.01\00:22:45.98 He was preparing Joseph to be a reconciler, 00:22:45.99\00:22:49.60 a reconciler in a dysfunctional family. 00:22:49.61\00:22:54.21 Jacob died Joseph could have said pay back 00:22:58.89\00:23:03.25 time instead notice in Genesis Chapter 50, 00:23:03.26\00:23:11.22 Genesis Chapter 50 and verses 18 to 21, 00:23:11.23\00:23:19.27 we come to the close now of the book of Genesis. 00:23:19.28\00:23:23.32 Genesis 50 and verse 18. 00:23:23.33\00:23:27.84 His brothers then came and threw themselves down 00:23:27.85\00:23:31.23 before him "We are your slaves, "they said. 00:23:31.24\00:23:33.88 But Joseph said to them, "don't be afraid. 00:23:33.89\00:23:37.49 Am I in the place of God? 00:23:37.50\00:23:40.24 You intended to harm me, 00:23:40.25\00:23:43.01 but God intended it for good to accomplish 00:23:43.02\00:23:46.78 what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 00:23:46.79\00:23:51.66 So then, don't be afraid. 00:23:51.67\00:23:53.68 I will provide for you and your children." 00:23:53.69\00:23:57.00 And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. 00:23:57.01\00:24:01.88 Ah! Joseph understood now, God's plan. 00:24:01.89\00:24:07.56 God intended, you intended it for harm 00:24:07.57\00:24:10.64 but God intended it for good 1963 George Wallace 00:24:10.65\00:24:18.13 was governor of the State of Alabama. 00:24:18.14\00:24:22.20 He stood one day in the door way 00:24:22.21\00:24:25.63 of the University of Alabama to prevent Vivian Jones 00:24:25.64\00:24:30.18 from enrolling. 00:24:30.19\00:24:31.28 Thirty three years later these two were together 00:24:32.36\00:24:36.81 once more on a platform and he turned to her 00:24:36.82\00:24:40.89 and he apologized and she turned to him 00:24:40.90\00:24:44.37 and forgave him. This has been called 00:24:44.38\00:24:49.71 one of the true moments of reconciliation 00:24:49.72\00:24:52.26 in all of American History. 00:24:52.27\00:24:53.95 So, life trials help us or hurt us 00:24:53.96\00:24:58.72 depending upon how we handle them. 00:24:58.73\00:25:01.09 In the midst of them we tend to get pretty short 00:25:01.10\00:25:03.74 sighted but God never leaves his children 00:25:03.75\00:25:06.48 otherwise then they would choose to be led 00:25:06.49\00:25:08.28 if they could just see the end from the beginning. 00:25:08.29\00:25:11.36 God had a master plan for Joseph life 00:25:11.37\00:25:14.44 only a positive reaction to life trials 00:25:14.45\00:25:18.33 prepared him to fulfill it. 00:25:18.34\00:25:19.92 And God has a master plan for your life. 00:25:19.93\00:25:22.71 None of us knows just exactly what it is 00:25:22.72\00:25:26.20 but I know one part of it, 00:25:26.21\00:25:27.38 He wants to make each of us reconcilers like 00:25:27.39\00:25:31.86 Joseph. Down in Puerto Vallarta, 00:25:31.87\00:25:34.94 Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton 00:25:34.95\00:25:37.69 owned a home together. 00:25:37.70\00:25:39.84 They built on the other side of the street 00:25:39.85\00:25:43.10 in Annex, and in order to not have to go through 00:25:43.11\00:25:47.35 the street where all the paparazzi were, 00:25:47.36\00:25:49.21 they built a bridge overhead. 00:25:49.22\00:25:51.36 And when they had a disagreement, 00:25:51.37\00:25:54.51 Burton would go over and sleep in the Annex, 00:25:54.52\00:25:56.86 and she would sleep in the main house. 00:25:56.87\00:25:58.68 But sometimes in the morning, 00:26:01.25\00:26:02.57 they met on the bridge of reconciliation. 00:26:04.94\00:26:08.80 She would have locked the door 00:26:08.81\00:26:12.23 behind him as he left the night before 00:26:12.24\00:26:14.90 and he would lock the door on his side. 00:26:14.91\00:26:17.36 And in the morning having cooled 00:26:17.37\00:26:22.40 their tempers a bit, 00:26:22.41\00:26:23.51 they would sometimes step out onto the bridge 00:26:23.52\00:26:27.38 of reconciliation and they would be 00:26:27.39\00:26:30.61 reconciled together. 00:26:30.62\00:26:33.18 Is there someone with whom 00:26:33.19\00:26:35.31 you need to be reconciled today? 00:26:35.32\00:26:38.38 Perhaps someone you need to forgive. 00:26:38.39\00:26:41.59 Is there, perhaps someone in the family 00:26:41.60\00:26:46.53 whom you need to be reconcile with? 00:26:46.54\00:26:49.96 How about your relationship with God? 00:26:49.97\00:26:51.82 Have you blamed Him for the trials 00:26:51.83\00:26:53.63 that have come your way? 00:26:53.64\00:26:54.66 Step out today on the bridge of reconciliation. 00:26:54.67\00:27:00.74 Let's pray. 00:27:01.44\00:27:02.41 Father, please forgive us 00:27:04.24\00:27:09.54 where we have accused you when life was unfair. 00:27:09.55\00:27:13.73 And may we today commit ourselves to your plan. 00:27:13.74\00:27:17.84 Make us reconcilers, may we, 00:27:17.85\00:27:22.04 everyone today meet our Savior 00:27:22.05\00:27:25.31 on the bridge of reconciliation, 00:27:25.32\00:27:29.16 we pray in Jesus name, amen. 00:27:29.17\00:27:32.92 Thanks for tuning in Faith Chapel. 00:27:32.93\00:27:36.87 Is there someone with whom you need 00:27:36.88\00:27:40.43 to make reconciliation? 00:27:40.44\00:27:42.11 If so, don't you think maybe today 00:27:42.12\00:27:47.82 would be a right day to do it, 00:27:47.83\00:27:50.62 may God richly bless you and yours. 00:27:50.63\00:27:55.21