Hello, and welcome to
Foundation of our Faith.
00:00:19.21\00:00:23.89
In this program you will hear
the preaching of God's Word.
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And we rejoice to be
able to bring you this message
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through Dare to Dream,
Foundation of our Faith.
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And we have two special
guests during this hour.
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And I would like to
speak to you for a moment
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about Pastor Edward Bryan.
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Pastor Edward Bryan was a person
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that the Lord
rescued from the shackles
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of addiction and crime.
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And now he is a
minister of the Lord.
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Conversion was
complete in his life
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as the Lord
called him to ministry
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and not only does he
rejoice in bringing the message
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to both young and
old, but he rejoices
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to be able to do this
along with his wife Xenia.
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They have two
children and it is a blessing
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to have him here
during the last opportunity
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he was with us.
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He presented the
message called Burn Baby Burn.
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During this hour you will hear
the message The Golden Touch.
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And I am happy to also tell you
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that we have
Brother Mark Prentice
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also with us during this hour.
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And the Lord called him
to ministry at a young age,
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at the age of three
already the Lord's blessing
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was upon him as
he began to sing,
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and also he enjoys
writing and singing.
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And not only that
his family recognize that
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the Lord blessed him
with the musical talent,
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but also his
peers have also done so.
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Wining a
national soloist contest,
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male soloist at the
National Gospel Competition
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for High Schools.
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And the Lord thus
far has brought him
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to have the opportunity
to prepare three CD projects.
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Number one, my testimony,
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several song that you will enjoy
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and that will take
you through a journey
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of how the Lord
blesses individuals
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through what He
does in their lives.
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Also CD number
two, Refashioned Hymns,
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also Way out of No Way.
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And the Lord continues
to use him also through
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the Dare to Dream network.
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He's also presented
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in Three Angels
Broadcasting Network.
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And we have the opportunity
to hear him in a moment
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as he presents to
us a message in song
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entitled "Great
is Thy Faithfulness".
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Before that we'd
like to invite you
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to go to the Lord in prayer.
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So wherever you are
let's take this opportunity
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to approach
God's throne of grace.
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Let us pray together.
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Our loving heavenly
Father, we thank You, Lord,
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for this
opportunity You have given to us
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to receive the
blessing through Your servants,
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Pastor Edward Bryan
and Brother Mark Prentice.
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We pray that Your Holy
Spirit will be upon them.
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And we pray, Lord,
for a blessing upon all,
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both young and old,
wherever they may be,
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may they hear You calling
them through Your servants.
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We pray, heavenly Father,
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for Your name to be
glorified in all things.
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And we thank You
for hearing our prayer,
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for we asked it in the wonderful
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and mighty name of Jesus.
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Amen. Amen.
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We'd like to invite
Brother Mark Prentice
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to join us and
immediately after that,
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the next voice
you will hear will be
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the voice of
Pastor Edward Bryan.
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May God bless you.
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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O God my Father
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There is no shadow of
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Turning with Thee
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Thou changest
not Thy compassions
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They fail not As
Thou hast been Thou
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Forever wilt be
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Morning by morning
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New mercies I see
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All I have needed Thy hand
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Has provided
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Lord, unto me
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Summer and winter
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Springtime and harvest
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Sun, moon and stars
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In their courses above
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Join with all nature in
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Manifold witness
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To Thy great faithfulness
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Mercy and love
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O Great is Thy faithfulness
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Morning by morning by morning
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New mercies I see
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All I have needed
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Thy hand has provided
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Lord, unto me
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Pardon for sin
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And peace that endureth
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Thine own dear presence
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To cheer and to guide
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Strength for today
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And bright hope for tomorrow
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Blessings all mine
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With ten thousand beside!
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O Great is Thy faithfulness
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Morning by morning by morning
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New mercies I see
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All I have needed
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Thy hand has provided
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Lord, unto me
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O Great is Thy faithfulness
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O my Lord
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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O my Lord
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Morning by morning by morning
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New mercies I see
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All I have needed
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Thy hand has always provided
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Great is Thy faithfulness
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Lord
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Un
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To
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To me
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Lord
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Unto me
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Amen.
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Praise the Lord once
again for that beautiful,
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beautiful music.
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Can't wait for the day
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when I can hold a note
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and glorify God in the way
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that Brother Mark just did.
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Today I want to share a message,
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a topic that I never in
my wildest dreams fathom
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preaching on when I
came to accept Jesus Christ,
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the prosperity gospel.
00:10:05.37\00:10:10.41
I used to be quite skeptical
and then studying God's Word
00:10:10.44\00:10:13.34
I actually found out
that prosperity is indeed
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God's ideal for His children.
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Now before you get too
excited or too irritated
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and change the dial.
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When I ask you to
hang in there with me
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for just a moment as
I make a biblical case
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for the prosperity
that the Lord desires
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us all have in our life.
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Invite you to bow
your heads as I kneel
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and we go to Lord in prayer.
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Dear heavenly
Father, though we come to You
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'cause we would
not be so presumptuous
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as to open your Word Lord
and pretend to understand it
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apart from Your Spirit.
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So far I just pray at this time
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that You would
speak to our hearts, Lord,
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and do for us what we
cannot do for ourselves, Lord.
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Make Your word
practical, in Jesus' name, amen.
00:11:04.16\00:11:07.73
There was a Greek myth
00:11:17.57\00:11:20.38
that was later
turned into children's story
00:11:20.41\00:11:24.41
and eventually became a cartoon
by the time I came across it.
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It talks of a King
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by the name of Midas
and his golden touch.
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It goes like this.
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King Midas was a rich ruler,
the richest in all the land.
00:11:38.96\00:11:45.17
He had an abundance
of gold of golden coins.
00:11:45.20\00:11:47.90
And his favorite hobby was
to sit around counting them.
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He would sit
around counting them
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as frequently as possible
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sometimes at the expense
of not getting to spend time
00:11:55.68\00:11:58.68
with his
beautiful young daughter
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who he loved very much.
00:12:00.32\00:12:01.75
On one occasion as he
counted his gold coins,
00:12:01.78\00:12:04.19
the story says that he
was approached by a fairy
00:12:04.22\00:12:09.42
whatever that is,
apparently a fairy
00:12:09.46\00:12:11.66
can grant wishes and
that fairy told him that
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he would grant him any wish
that he desired, any one wish.
00:12:13.63\00:12:16.97
And he didn't have to
think about it very much
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because he knew
exactly what he wanted.
00:12:18.87\00:12:20.44
He wanted the
ability to touch anything
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and turn it into gold.
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Well, the next day he
woke up and sure enough
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he had been
granted the golden touch.
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He grabbed his bed linens
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and immediately
it turned into gold,
00:12:32.61\00:12:34.25
he jumped out of bed,
went and grabbed his robe
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and it turned into gold as well.
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Then he started running
throughout his whole palace
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searching everything
he can lay his hands on
00:12:41.79\00:12:44.19
and it all turned to gold.
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He went outside,
touched the flower beds
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and the same thing.
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Well, he was
ecstatic as you could imagine.
00:12:48.60\00:12:51.30
Before too long
00:12:51.33\00:12:54.00
he had worked up an appetite.
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And he went to his banquet table
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and he sat down to
eat, he grabbed a grape,
00:12:58.34\00:13:01.44
took it to his mouth,
and he almost chipped a tooth
00:13:01.48\00:13:05.68
because it had turned to gold.
00:13:05.71\00:13:07.45
Then he grabbed a turkey leg,
attempted to take a big bite
00:13:07.48\00:13:11.39
and once again
almost split his tooth.
00:13:11.42\00:13:16.16
He was becoming
quite frustrated,
00:13:16.19\00:13:18.09
quite desperate to eat, hungry,
he wasn't sure what to do.
00:13:18.13\00:13:21.06
So he sat there
pondering this predicament
00:13:21.10\00:13:23.20
and he had a mixed
feeling of joy and frustration.
00:13:23.23\00:13:25.97
It was about that
time that his daughter
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came into the quarters.
00:13:27.84\00:13:32.21
And she was herself saddened
00:13:32.24\00:13:35.94
because her
beautiful bed of roses
00:13:35.98\00:13:39.21
had been turned
into lifeless shiny gold.
00:13:39.25\00:13:42.32
So he shared with her
00:13:42.35\00:13:43.69
this beautiful
extraordinary gift
00:13:43.72\00:13:45.05
that he had been
given but at the same time
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he shared his desperation to eat
00:13:48.96\00:13:51.83
and the
predicament that he was in.
00:13:51.86\00:13:54.86
Well, his daughter
feeling sorry for her father
00:13:54.90\00:13:57.63
as you can imagine
came up and embraced him,
00:13:57.67\00:14:00.84
and as he in return wrapped
his arms around his daughter.
00:14:00.87\00:14:05.57
You guessed it.
00:14:05.61\00:14:07.61
He turned her as shiny and
lifeless as everything else
00:14:07.64\00:14:11.45
that he had
taken so much pleasure
00:14:11.48\00:14:13.01
in just moments before.
00:14:13.05\00:14:17.19
Friends, isn't it the
truth that our ambition for gain
00:14:17.22\00:14:20.82
can become as much a curse
00:14:20.86\00:14:24.59
as it has
potential to be a blessing.
00:14:24.63\00:14:27.23
And while the golden touch
is not something to be desired
00:14:27.26\00:14:30.57
obviously in a physical sense,
00:14:30.60\00:14:34.50
it's something that we
certainly would all want
00:14:34.54\00:14:36.40
in a figurative sense.
00:14:36.44\00:14:39.04
Wouldn't we all like
for every aspect of our life
00:14:39.07\00:14:41.51
to flourish.
00:14:41.54\00:14:44.21
Well, the annals of
history actually tells of a man
00:14:44.25\00:14:46.95
that had such an ability, a
man who had the golden touch.
00:14:46.98\00:14:50.42
He lived in Egypt
thousands of years ago
00:14:50.45\00:14:53.05
and his name was
Zaphnath-Paaneah.
00:14:53.09\00:14:55.36
Have you ever heard of him?
00:14:55.39\00:14:58.73
Very few seem to
have heard of him.
00:14:58.76\00:15:00.46
Maybe 'cause you knew
him by a different name,
00:15:00.50\00:15:03.80
by his Canaan,
his name in Canaan
00:15:03.83\00:15:06.30
before he come to Egypt.
00:15:06.33\00:15:08.90
You probably know him by Joseph.
00:15:08.94\00:15:11.11
We find his story in Genesis 37.
00:15:11.14\00:15:13.78
I invite you to join
me there in Genesis 37.
00:15:13.81\00:15:17.51
Now for time sake
I'm going to just kind of
00:15:20.62\00:15:22.75
highlight or give a quick...
00:15:22.78\00:15:26.96
Overview of how
his story started
00:15:30.09\00:15:33.06
and how we got to the point
that we want to focus on today.
00:15:33.09\00:15:36.00
See Joseph had several brothers,
00:15:36.03\00:15:39.07
his father had multiple wives,
the Bible doesn't tell us this
00:15:39.10\00:15:41.97
to condone such behavior.
00:15:42.00\00:15:43.34
As a matter of fact,
this became very problematic
00:15:43.37\00:15:45.61
in his life because his brothers
00:15:45.64\00:15:48.74
had strong resentment to Joseph
00:15:48.78\00:15:51.21
because Joseph was
clearly their father's favorite.
00:15:51.25\00:15:55.18
Joseph and his brother Benjamin,
00:15:55.22\00:15:56.79
they had been born
to his favorite wife,
00:15:56.82\00:15:58.15
and they had been born in
his father Jacob's old age.
00:15:58.19\00:16:02.66
So while Joseph's
brothers would be out
00:16:02.69\00:16:04.93
working in the
fields for his father,
00:16:04.96\00:16:07.83
Joseph would be back home,
00:16:07.86\00:16:10.33
him and his little
brother somewhat hampered.
00:16:10.37\00:16:12.73
On one occasion he even
got a coat of many colors
00:16:12.77\00:16:16.87
which you could
imagine sprung up envy
00:16:16.91\00:16:19.17
in the hearts of his brothers.
00:16:19.21\00:16:20.54
To make matters worse,
while he was a good boy,
00:16:20.58\00:16:23.71
he was also a little naive,
00:16:23.75\00:16:25.68
and he would share
with his brother's dreams
00:16:25.71\00:16:27.75
that he had that
seems to imply that one day
00:16:27.78\00:16:30.05
they would be bowing to him.
00:16:30.09\00:16:33.15
If that wasn't bad enough,
when his father would send them
00:16:33.19\00:16:35.32
to check up on his brothers,
00:16:35.36\00:16:36.69
sometimes he would
wind up coming back
00:16:36.73\00:16:38.96
and giving a bad report.
00:16:38.99\00:16:41.00
How many of you like
when your young siblings
00:16:41.03\00:16:43.23
would tattle on you.
00:16:43.26\00:16:44.67
As they say well
I'm from snitches
00:16:44.70\00:16:46.33
get stitches, right.
00:16:46.37\00:16:48.00
So his brothers
didn't like this whatsoever,
00:16:48.04\00:16:50.54
they did not appreciate this.
00:16:50.57\00:16:52.51
So on one
occasion Joseph's father
00:16:52.54\00:16:56.14
sends him to go and
check up on his brothers.
00:16:56.18\00:16:59.25
And as Joseph is
drawing near to his brothers,
00:16:59.28\00:17:02.28
they see him, and we'll pick
up that dialogue in Genesis 37,
00:17:02.32\00:17:05.55
we'll pick that up in verse 18.
00:17:05.59\00:17:07.39
We'll read 18-20.
00:17:07.42\00:17:08.79
It says and when they saw him...
00:17:08.82\00:17:11.26
and I'm reading from
the King James Version.
00:17:11.29\00:17:12.79
"And when they
saw him a far off,
00:17:12.83\00:17:14.76
even before he
came near unto them,
00:17:14.80\00:17:16.67
they conspired
against him to slay him.
00:17:16.70\00:17:19.17
And they said one to another,
'Behold, this dreamer comes,
00:17:19.20\00:17:23.81
come now therefore
and let us slay him
00:17:23.84\00:17:26.61
and cast him into some
pit,' and we will say that,
00:17:26.64\00:17:29.41
'some evil beast
has devoured him.'
00:17:29.44\00:17:31.41
And we shall see what
becomes of his dreams!"
00:17:31.45\00:17:36.32
Now looking for Joseph,
his older brother Reuben
00:17:36.35\00:17:38.85
didn't allow them to kill
him to carry out their plan,
00:17:38.89\00:17:41.22
instead they dug a pit
that he could not get out of,
00:17:41.26\00:17:45.29
and they grabbed the
boy, they ripped off his coat,
00:17:45.33\00:17:47.50
and they threw him into the pit.
00:17:47.53\00:17:49.33
And then he took the coat
and dipped it in goat's blood.
00:17:49.36\00:17:55.84
And eventually they
would send it to his father
00:17:55.87\00:17:57.61
and say that he was dead.
00:17:57.64\00:18:00.38
Now I got to back
up just a little bit
00:18:00.41\00:18:02.08
because as they
sat there eating.
00:18:02.11\00:18:06.65
They saw a caravan of travelers,
00:18:06.68\00:18:09.65
that caravan of
travelers was headed to Egypt,
00:18:09.68\00:18:11.95
they were Ishmeelites.
00:18:11.99\00:18:13.32
And they were heading to Egypt
which was the most prosperous
00:18:13.36\00:18:16.09
and powerful empire at the time,
00:18:16.12\00:18:18.49
they were going there to trade.
00:18:18.53\00:18:20.03
So they figured, you
know, what we might as well
00:18:20.06\00:18:21.40
get some money for the boy.
00:18:21.43\00:18:24.27
So they decided to sell him
to this caravan of travelers
00:18:24.30\00:18:27.50
headed to Egypt.
00:18:27.54\00:18:30.24
And that's where we will pick up
00:18:30.27\00:18:32.51
and break it down
just a little closer.
00:18:32.54\00:18:35.34
Genesis 39:1.
00:18:35.38\00:18:39.21
It says, "And Joseph
was brought down to Egypt,
00:18:39.25\00:18:45.52
and Potiphar, an
officer of Pharaoh,
00:18:45.55\00:18:50.79
captain of the
guard, an Egyptian,
00:18:50.83\00:18:52.96
bought him out of the
hands of the Ishmeelites,
00:18:52.99\00:18:55.76
which had
brought him down there."
00:18:55.80\00:18:58.23
Joseph was purchased it
says by a man named Potiphar,
00:18:58.27\00:19:01.10
the captain of the
guard, of Pharaoh's guard.
00:19:01.14\00:19:04.11
Now Pharaoh wasn't just any man,
00:19:04.14\00:19:05.91
Pharaoh was the king
of Egypt but even more so,
00:19:05.94\00:19:07.84
he was considered like a god.
00:19:07.88\00:19:11.31
And therefore
Potiphar, Joseph's master
00:19:11.35\00:19:14.65
would be something like
the head of the secret service
00:19:14.68\00:19:16.89
or the top ranking
general in the military.
00:19:16.92\00:19:22.12
While Joseph was a slave,
he had no ordinary master.
00:19:22.16\00:19:25.96
He was in a peculiar position.
00:19:25.99\00:19:27.50
Now when we look at verse 2,
00:19:27.53\00:19:29.06
we're going to see two
things that are somewhat.
00:19:29.10\00:19:34.47
It makes little sense
to conventional thinking.
00:19:34.50\00:19:36.91
Genesis 39:2, "And
the Lord was with Joseph,
00:19:36.94\00:19:41.54
and he was a prosperous man,
00:19:41.58\00:19:44.58
and he was in the house
of his master, the Egyptian."
00:19:44.61\00:19:48.05
Have you ever
thought about that verse?
00:19:48.08\00:19:50.09
It says, "And the
Lord was with Joseph."
00:19:50.12\00:19:53.76
Well, that may not
seem peculiar to you,
00:19:53.79\00:19:56.93
just think about it.
00:19:56.96\00:19:59.53
How do you feel
when you find yourself
00:19:59.56\00:20:02.06
facing the most trying
circumstances in your life?
00:20:02.10\00:20:05.70
Do you feel like God is
with you at those times?
00:20:05.73\00:20:08.57
Now I know you
guys are very pious,
00:20:08.60\00:20:11.71
but for some of us question
and doubt may even set in,
00:20:11.74\00:20:15.28
think about it.
00:20:15.31\00:20:16.64
When your car is broken
down on the side of the road,
00:20:16.68\00:20:18.45
and it's cold, and
no one stops to help.
00:20:18.48\00:20:21.08
Do you feel like God is
with you at those times?
00:20:21.12\00:20:24.95
When you're
diagnosed with a disease
00:20:24.99\00:20:26.82
while everyone around
you seems in perfect health,
00:20:26.86\00:20:29.69
and they don't even
practice the health message.
00:20:29.72\00:20:32.53
Does it feel like
God is with you then?
00:20:32.56\00:20:35.26
When you put your
heart and soul into studying
00:20:35.30\00:20:37.17
for a test only to fail.
00:20:37.20\00:20:40.10
When you already
can't pay your bills,
00:20:40.14\00:20:43.41
yet you're paying your tithe.
00:20:43.44\00:20:45.77
And then an emergency
springs out of nowhere,
00:20:45.81\00:20:48.28
they just crash the bank.
00:20:48.31\00:20:51.51
When you lose
your job, no worse.
00:20:51.55\00:20:54.28
When you lose a loved one.
00:20:54.32\00:20:57.62
Are you not tempted at
those times to feel like
00:20:57.65\00:20:59.49
God has abandoned you?
00:20:59.52\00:21:01.49
Sometimes you feel
like God has abandoned us.
00:21:01.52\00:21:03.56
You had to understand that
Joseph, he was a pampered kid,
00:21:03.59\00:21:06.90
his father's favorite,
and in the blink of an eye
00:21:06.93\00:21:10.27
his whole life changed.
00:21:10.30\00:21:12.60
Now there's someone
out there who can relate
00:21:12.63\00:21:14.50
because you've had some kind of
00:21:14.54\00:21:15.87
traumatic situation in your life
00:21:15.90\00:21:17.24
that caused everything
to change in just a moment.
00:21:17.27\00:21:19.27
But you know what?
00:21:19.31\00:21:21.78
The good thing
about those moments
00:21:21.81\00:21:23.18
when we find
ourselves on our back,
00:21:23.21\00:21:24.58
the good thing
about those moments
00:21:24.61\00:21:25.95
when like Joseph, we
find ourselves in a pit
00:21:25.98\00:21:27.58
is that it causes us to look up.
00:21:27.62\00:21:30.69
Before he was
thrown into the pit,
00:21:30.72\00:21:32.29
he had grown up with a
daddy who trusted in God.
00:21:32.32\00:21:35.42
As a matter of fact you
probably read in the Bible,
00:21:35.46\00:21:37.29
the God of who?
00:21:37.33\00:21:39.13
Of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
00:21:39.16\00:21:43.67
They were men
known for their faith.
00:21:43.70\00:21:45.67
But now Joseph find
himself having to question
00:21:45.70\00:21:49.64
whether God had abandoned
him, having to question
00:21:49.67\00:21:51.67
whether to just leave
behind all of this God stuff,
00:21:51.71\00:21:56.78
or whether to
make his relationship
00:21:56.81\00:21:59.08
with God his own.
00:21:59.11\00:22:00.45
And he had to decide
and he made a decision.
00:22:00.48\00:22:02.88
I'm convinced
that Joseph probably
00:22:02.92\00:22:06.32
on the journey to Egypt
00:22:06.35\00:22:07.86
had to make the
decision that you know what?
00:22:07.89\00:22:09.42
The God of Jacob,
the God of Abraham,
00:22:09.46\00:22:12.13
the God of Isaac
that's going to be my God,
00:22:12.16\00:22:14.63
that's the God of Joseph.
00:22:14.66\00:22:17.47
He had to make it real.
00:22:17.50\00:22:21.10
God has no grandchildren,
00:22:21.14\00:22:23.41
you've probably
heard that before.
00:22:23.44\00:22:24.77
He only has children.
00:22:24.81\00:22:26.71
And Joseph decided
to hold on to the Lord.
00:22:26.74\00:22:31.81
The second part of the verse
00:22:31.85\00:22:33.25
makes even less
sense, watch this.
00:22:33.28\00:22:36.32
Verse 2, it says, "And
he was a prosperous man."
00:22:36.35\00:22:42.82
Now how does that make
any sense, you tell me,
00:22:42.86\00:22:44.56
how was Joseph a prosperous man?
00:22:44.59\00:22:48.76
I mean, he used to have it
good back in his father's house.
00:22:48.80\00:22:52.10
When he had servants
00:22:52.13\00:22:54.07
that would serve him
and his little brother,
00:22:54.10\00:22:55.64
when they were
nice and pampered,
00:22:55.67\00:22:57.01
when he walked
around in a Gucci tunic,
00:22:57.04\00:22:58.97
he had it good.
00:22:59.01\00:23:02.74
But now he has been relegated,
reduced to being a slave,
00:23:02.78\00:23:07.95
he doesn't own anything himself.
00:23:07.98\00:23:11.05
He himself is the
property of another individual.
00:23:11.09\00:23:13.62
Please tell me, how can
that be considered prosperous?
00:23:13.66\00:23:18.13
Easy, you got to
revert back to that first line
00:23:18.16\00:23:21.83
because God was with him.
00:23:21.86\00:23:27.40
You see, I've realized
that preacher sometimes will do
00:23:27.44\00:23:30.64
a lot of hooping
and hollering about
00:23:30.67\00:23:32.67
how if you get
right with the Lord,
00:23:32.71\00:23:34.64
he will rain
down blessings on you.
00:23:34.68\00:23:36.44
If you are
generous in your giving,
00:23:36.48\00:23:37.81
then your cup will overflow.
00:23:37.85\00:23:40.98
And generally when
folks get to preaching
00:23:41.02\00:23:42.62
about prosperity,
what are we talking about?
00:23:42.65\00:23:46.05
Material gain.
00:23:46.09\00:23:48.02
We're talking about it
from a material standpoint.
00:23:48.06\00:23:50.53
However in God's perspective,
00:23:50.56\00:23:53.09
true prosperity is
not about what you have,
00:23:53.13\00:23:55.50
true prosperity is
about who you have.
00:23:55.53\00:23:58.97
Therefore if you have nothing
but you got God by your side,
00:23:59.00\00:24:03.84
then you've got it all.
00:24:03.87\00:24:06.04
And if you've got it
all but you're lacking God,
00:24:06.07\00:24:09.14
then, buddy, trust me
you ain't got nothing.
00:24:09.18\00:24:13.72
The verse seems
contradictory on the surface
00:24:13.75\00:24:15.92
to call an
adolescent boy a prosperous man.
00:24:15.95\00:24:20.22
At this point Joseph
is only 17 years old.
00:24:20.26\00:24:22.52
But age doesn't make you a man,
00:24:22.56\00:24:25.89
and money doesn't make you rich.
00:24:25.93\00:24:29.30
Some of the
wealthiest people I know
00:24:29.33\00:24:32.33
would not consider
themselves prosperous
00:24:32.37\00:24:36.87
because there is
much that is missing,
00:24:36.91\00:24:38.34
and much to be
desired still in their lives.
00:24:38.37\00:24:42.21
It's not about
what you have, friends,
00:24:42.24\00:24:43.75
it's about who you have.
00:24:43.78\00:24:45.25
We continue reading
in verse 3, it says,
00:24:45.28\00:24:48.48
"And his master saw
that the Lord was with him,
00:24:48.52\00:24:51.45
and that the Lord
made all that he had
00:24:51.49\00:24:54.06
to prosper in his hand."
00:24:54.09\00:24:56.96
I love how it points out
that his master took notice
00:24:56.99\00:25:00.16
that the Lord was with him.
00:25:00.20\00:25:02.16
It doesn't say that Joseph
had to point it out to him.
00:25:02.20\00:25:04.87
His life testified to the fact
00:25:04.90\00:25:06.97
that he had a
relationship with God.
00:25:07.00\00:25:10.71
You know for as much
scriptures as we can quote,
00:25:10.74\00:25:14.54
for as much as we
can post a Bible verse
00:25:14.58\00:25:18.51
on our social media accounts,
and we can name, jot God.
00:25:18.55\00:25:21.75
I wonder whether
people would be able to deduce
00:25:21.78\00:25:24.85
that we were Christians
00:25:24.89\00:25:26.35
without us
having to say anything
00:25:26.39\00:25:29.09
by just observing
us from day to day.
00:25:29.12\00:25:31.36
I wonder if our
neighbors and our coworkers
00:25:31.39\00:25:33.16
would be able to
draw these conclusions
00:25:33.19\00:25:35.03
for themselves.
00:25:35.06\00:25:37.37
The Bible does say
after all that by their fruits
00:25:37.40\00:25:40.17
you shall know them.
00:25:40.20\00:25:43.10
The verse says
that his master notice
00:25:43.14\00:25:44.61
that the Lord made
all that he did prosper.
00:25:44.64\00:25:47.18
There was something
different about Joseph,
00:25:47.21\00:25:49.34
it didn't matter where
he put him, it prospered.
00:25:49.38\00:25:53.95
He put him out in the
field to tend to the garden
00:25:53.98\00:25:57.65
and everything
just seemed to flourish.
00:25:57.69\00:26:00.79
He put him over in the
shop to work on the chariot,
00:26:00.82\00:26:04.23
it seems like everything
had extra horse power.
00:26:04.26\00:26:06.90
He put him out in the
kitchen to look over the chefs
00:26:06.93\00:26:10.07
and everything was
never had tasted better.
00:26:10.10\00:26:13.50
Joseph had that golden touch,
00:26:13.54\00:26:16.44
whatever you put in
his hands turned into gold.
00:26:16.47\00:26:21.38
See we ought to
look at his prosperity
00:26:21.41\00:26:23.01
as God's means of blessing us.
00:26:23.04\00:26:25.71
However maybe our prosperity
which we've already defined
00:26:25.75\00:26:30.42
as having God
with us is God's means
00:26:30.45\00:26:33.15
of blessing others through us.
00:26:33.19\00:26:37.56
But here's a
question worth thinking about.
00:26:37.59\00:26:40.60
Is my relationship with God
00:26:40.63\00:26:42.56
a blessing to
the people around me?
00:26:42.60\00:26:45.90
Does my work
place, my community,
00:26:45.93\00:26:48.54
my
neighborhood, my local church,
00:26:48.57\00:26:51.37
do they benefit as
a result of the fact
00:26:51.41\00:26:55.31
that I am a
Christian and that I am there.
00:26:55.34\00:26:58.08
Does my
integrity, does my character,
00:26:58.11\00:27:01.28
my work ethic and
willingness to participate
00:27:01.32\00:27:03.92
shine in the places
where God would have me
00:27:03.95\00:27:06.05
be even if I am not in the place
00:27:06.09\00:27:08.36
where I would
like to be like Joseph.
00:27:08.39\00:27:13.33
Can onlookers see
that the Lord is with me
00:27:13.36\00:27:17.17
and then my environment
prospers as a result?
00:27:17.20\00:27:22.04
Let's jump to verse
4. I'm reading verse 4-6.
00:27:22.07\00:27:25.27
It says, "And Joseph
found grace in his sight,
00:27:25.31\00:27:29.41
and served him, and made
him overseer of his house,
00:27:29.44\00:27:33.08
and all that he had
he put into his hand.
00:27:33.11\00:27:35.68
And it came to
pass from the time that
00:27:35.72\00:27:37.95
he had made him
overseer in the house,
00:27:37.99\00:27:40.22
and over all that
he had, that the Lord
00:27:40.26\00:27:42.22
blessed the Egyptian's
house for Joseph's sake.
00:27:42.26\00:27:45.36
And the blessing of the
Lord was upon all that he had
00:27:45.39\00:27:49.46
in the house, and in the field.
00:27:49.50\00:27:51.33
And he left all that
he had in Joseph's hand,
00:27:51.37\00:27:53.94
and he knew not ought he had,
00:27:53.97\00:27:56.07
save the bread which he did eat.
00:27:56.10\00:27:59.01
And Joseph was a goodly
person and well favored."
00:27:59.04\00:28:03.88
There is a whole lot
there, I want to start
00:28:03.91\00:28:05.31
by looking at that
last line, it says,
00:28:05.35\00:28:08.25
"That he was a goodly
person and well favored."
00:28:08.28\00:28:10.09
You know, we often talk about
00:28:10.12\00:28:11.45
being blessed
and highly favored.
00:28:11.49\00:28:13.05
But sometimes we talk about it
as though we have some kind of
00:28:13.09\00:28:17.03
preferential treatment
because of the fact that
00:28:17.06\00:28:19.69
as Christians we drop
into church once a week
00:28:19.73\00:28:26.60
and we profess
to follow the Lord.
00:28:26.63\00:28:29.30
However in this verse
we see that Joseph's favors
00:28:29.34\00:28:31.74
directly
connected to his character.
00:28:31.77\00:28:34.24
And then he's finding
favor in the eyes of his master
00:28:34.28\00:28:37.05
because of who
he is as a result of
00:28:37.08\00:28:40.12
his connection with the Lord.
00:28:40.15\00:28:43.69
Potiphar decides that
he's going to entrust Joseph
00:28:43.72\00:28:46.25
with everything he has,
00:28:46.29\00:28:47.99
after all why
wouldn't he, right?
00:28:48.02\00:28:49.69
Everything that
touches Joseph's hand prospers.
00:28:49.72\00:28:53.09
The verse said
that he had no reason
00:28:53.13\00:28:55.30
to question Joseph,
to check up on Joseph.
00:28:55.33\00:28:58.17
He didn't have to
double check Joseph's work.
00:28:58.20\00:28:59.63
He didn't have to check
his punch card to make sure
00:28:59.67\00:29:01.07
he wouldn't
stealing out with the job.
00:29:01.10\00:29:03.30
He didn't have to run
audit on Joseph's taxes.
00:29:03.34\00:29:06.24
I'm being facetious, I'm
making it practical to us
00:29:06.27\00:29:08.64
but he didn't have
to run an audit to see
00:29:08.68\00:29:12.08
if he was lying
on his taxes, right?
00:29:12.11\00:29:14.32
See this is what we
call integrity, friends.
00:29:14.35\00:29:19.59
And it's what we call prosperity
00:29:19.62\00:29:20.96
having God with you.
00:29:20.99\00:29:22.32
If God is truly with
me, if I acknowledge that
00:29:22.36\00:29:23.83
God is with me, then I
realize that it doesn't matter
00:29:23.86\00:29:27.73
what man is able to catch me in.
00:29:27.76\00:29:30.43
I would not
compromise my character
00:29:30.47\00:29:32.50
because the Lord is
with me, no matter what.
00:29:32.53\00:29:34.94
So I don't have to
run around scared that
00:29:34.97\00:29:38.67
my teacher may
find out that I cheated,
00:29:38.71\00:29:40.18
that my boss might find out
00:29:40.21\00:29:42.81
that I added extra
hours to my time clock,
00:29:42.84\00:29:46.41
that I don't have to
run around scared that
00:29:46.45\00:29:48.32
I may have left my
computer or my phone unlocked,
00:29:48.35\00:29:51.79
and my wife may find something
00:29:51.82\00:29:55.76
troubling on my account
00:29:55.79\00:29:59.59
because the Lord is
with me and what I do,
00:29:59.63\00:30:01.63
I don't do out of fear for man,
I do it out of love for God.
00:30:01.66\00:30:05.33
So while Joseph may
not have owned anything,
00:30:09.74\00:30:14.84
God provided for all his needs.
00:30:14.88\00:30:17.91
Check it out, he was
young and gifted, he ate well,
00:30:17.95\00:30:20.98
in all likelihood
he lived in luxury,
00:30:21.02\00:30:22.95
he probably dressed
well, he probably drove
00:30:22.98\00:30:25.29
a late model
chariot fully equipped.
00:30:25.32\00:30:28.89
I know we like to
have the title to the car,
00:30:28.92\00:30:31.29
I know we want to
have the deed to the house.
00:30:31.33\00:30:33.43
But you know what?
00:30:33.46\00:30:35.00
God provides for
all of our needs,
00:30:35.03\00:30:36.56
and best of all He's
there with us through it all,
00:30:36.60\00:30:38.77
is that not enough?
00:30:38.80\00:30:40.97
And in some cases
as in Joseph's case
00:30:41.00\00:30:42.77
as a result of his fidelity,
the Lord had him living better
00:30:42.80\00:30:46.68
than most of the
Egyptians despite being a slave.
00:30:46.71\00:30:49.71
And he had him living
better than most of the world
00:30:49.74\00:30:53.88
to be quite honest
even at a very young age.
00:30:53.92\00:30:57.85
Now I wish I could say it
was all blessings for Joseph
00:30:57.89\00:31:02.56
but there was an area in
his life when he was cursed.
00:31:02.59\00:31:06.13
Some of you might be
able to relate with it, I can.
00:31:06.16\00:31:10.03
Joseph was
cursed with good looks.
00:31:10.07\00:31:13.74
Joseph was
cursed with good looks.
00:31:13.77\00:31:16.84
Let me explain how
that could be a curse?
00:31:16.87\00:31:18.27
And some of you
already know where I'm going.
00:31:18.31\00:31:20.51
See Joseph's
mother, we told in the Bible
00:31:20.54\00:31:22.54
is very beautiful.
00:31:22.58\00:31:24.08
And his
grandmother were told in Bible
00:31:24.11\00:31:25.51
was very beautiful
on his father's side.
00:31:25.55\00:31:28.88
And his great
grandmother on his father side,
00:31:28.92\00:31:31.29
we're told was so beautiful
00:31:31.32\00:31:32.69
that his great
grandfather Abraham had lied
00:31:32.72\00:31:36.69
because he was afraid he
might be killed by a king
00:31:36.73\00:31:38.99
who wanted to take her from him.
00:31:39.03\00:31:40.36
And she was 65
years old at the time.
00:31:40.40\00:31:44.57
So not only was the
young man Joseph honorable,
00:31:44.60\00:31:48.77
trustworthy, and prosperous
00:31:48.80\00:31:51.94
but physically speaking he
also had genetic advantages.
00:31:51.97\00:31:56.11
Well, this is a
fact that was not lost
00:31:56.14\00:31:58.68
on his master's
wife unfortunately.
00:31:58.71\00:32:02.12
She took notice and she
began lusting after the boy.
00:32:02.15\00:32:05.22
And made a series
of attempts to lure him
00:32:05.25\00:32:07.86
into sexual misconduct.
00:32:07.89\00:32:10.06
But he refused telling her...
00:32:10.09\00:32:12.33
We'll pick up in verse 9.
00:32:12.36\00:32:14.36
Genesis 39:9, "There is
none greater in this house
00:32:14.40\00:32:18.00
than I, neither hath he..."
00:32:18.03\00:32:20.00
Talking about Potiphar...
00:32:20.04\00:32:21.37
"Kept back any
thing from me but thee,
00:32:21.40\00:32:24.61
because thou art his
wife: how then can I do
00:32:24.64\00:32:27.28
this great wickedness, and sin
against Potiphar, my master?"
00:32:27.31\00:32:33.08
Is that what he said?
00:32:33.11\00:32:34.95
No, you got to read your Bible,
00:32:34.98\00:32:36.38
don't even trust
what the screen says.
00:32:36.42\00:32:38.32
You got to read your Bible.
00:32:38.35\00:32:39.69
It says, "How can I
do this great wickedness,
00:32:39.72\00:32:41.62
and sin against God?"
00:32:41.66\00:32:45.56
Look here's what
we have to understand,
00:32:45.59\00:32:48.26
Joseph was a hard worker,
honest, dependable, respectful,
00:32:48.30\00:32:53.50
not because he
feared the consequences
00:32:53.54\00:32:55.87
from his master but
rather because he loved God,
00:32:55.90\00:32:58.87
and he lived his life
before the audience of one.
00:32:58.91\00:33:03.61
Therefore despite
having every opportunity
00:33:03.65\00:33:05.98
to take
advantage of the situation,
00:33:06.01\00:33:07.88
he declined out
of respect for God,
00:33:07.92\00:33:10.55
not out of fear for man.
00:33:10.59\00:33:14.46
He repeatedly
turned down her advances.
00:33:14.49\00:33:17.43
But one day things got
ugly for the pretty boy.
00:33:17.46\00:33:21.86
Look at verse 11, 12.
00:33:21.90\00:33:23.26
It says, "And it came
to pass about this time,
00:33:23.30\00:33:25.93
that Joseph went into
the house to do his business,
00:33:25.97\00:33:29.54
and there was none of the
men of the house there within.
00:33:29.57\00:33:33.21
And she caught
him by his garment,
00:33:33.24\00:33:34.98
saying, 'Lie with me.'
00:33:35.01\00:33:36.54
And he left his
garment in her hand,
00:33:36.58\00:33:37.98
and he fled and got him out."
00:33:38.01\00:33:41.12
You know what Joseph response
00:33:41.15\00:33:42.85
was the only
appropriate response
00:33:42.88\00:33:44.69
in such a scenario.
00:33:44.72\00:33:46.15
Psychology, if you've
ever had to take it in college
00:33:46.19\00:33:49.32
teaches the fight
or flight response.
00:33:49.36\00:33:54.66
Some of you guys
are familiar with it.
00:33:54.70\00:33:56.03
The fight or flight response.
00:33:56.06\00:33:59.27
It says that when the
heart gets the beating,
00:33:59.30\00:34:01.40
when the adrenaline gets going,
00:34:01.44\00:34:02.77
you find yourself in a
compromising situation,
00:34:02.80\00:34:04.64
your natural inclination
is to either run or stay
00:34:04.67\00:34:09.68
and fight, and
stand your ground.
00:34:09.71\00:34:12.78
And I say Joseph's response
was the only appropriate one
00:34:12.81\00:34:15.58
because despite
the fact that today
00:34:15.62\00:34:17.95
he would probably be
ridiculed for what he had done.
00:34:17.99\00:34:21.06
In his day he was probably
ridiculed for what he had done.
00:34:21.09\00:34:26.06
He realized that if he
stayed and fought the urge,
00:34:26.09\00:34:29.50
he may very well fall.
00:34:29.53\00:34:31.70
So instead he did the
only appropriate thing
00:34:31.73\00:34:33.57
and he ran.
00:34:33.60\00:34:37.41
Isn't it sad how
often we're willing to run
00:34:37.44\00:34:39.67
into temptation as opposed
to run from temptation...
00:34:39.71\00:34:45.08
At the expense of what?
00:34:45.11\00:34:46.98
At the expense of our values,
at the expense of our families,
00:34:47.02\00:34:50.19
of our livelihoods,
sometimes of our own freedom.
00:34:50.22\00:34:55.29
How many homes,
how many careers,
00:34:55.32\00:34:57.49
how many friendships,
00:34:57.53\00:35:01.00
how many lives
could be salvaged,
00:35:01.03\00:35:03.16
would have been
salvaged if we only knew
00:35:03.20\00:35:05.43
how to flee from
temptation rather than sit there
00:35:05.47\00:35:08.40
and try to fight
temptation presumptuously?
00:35:08.44\00:35:10.94
The sad thing in Joseph's
case was that Potiphar's wife
00:35:10.97\00:35:14.18
accused him of trying
to sexually assault her.
00:35:14.21\00:35:17.95
And when Potiphar came home,
00:35:17.98\00:35:19.61
she shared her false
accusations about Joseph.
00:35:19.65\00:35:23.22
We read about it in 19, 20.
00:35:23.25\00:35:26.72
It said, "And it came to
pass, when the master heard
00:35:26.76\00:35:30.16
the words of his wife,
00:35:30.19\00:35:32.59
which she spake unto him saying,
00:35:32.63\00:35:34.76
after this manner
did thy servant to me,
00:35:34.80\00:35:37.87
that his wrath was kindled."
00:35:37.90\00:35:40.47
And Joseph's master took
him, and put him in prison,
00:35:40.50\00:35:42.90
a place where
the king's prisoners
00:35:42.94\00:35:44.87
were bound, and he
was there in the prison.
00:35:44.91\00:35:49.71
Now we have to believe that
Potiphar's anger was kindled
00:35:49.74\00:35:54.42
not at Joseph but at who?
00:35:54.45\00:35:57.29
But at his wife.
00:35:57.32\00:36:00.36
See, he already knew
the character of Joseph.
00:36:00.39\00:36:03.76
And if he had believed
that Joseph was capable
00:36:03.79\00:36:06.56
of such a thing, Joseph
would have lost his life,
00:36:06.59\00:36:08.43
after all he was just a slave.
00:36:08.46\00:36:10.33
But in order to spare himself
any further embarrassment,
00:36:10.37\00:36:12.30
he wanted to take in Joseph
and placing him in prison.
00:36:12.33\00:36:17.44
Now this is the second
time that Joseph finds himself
00:36:17.47\00:36:21.08
facing a
completely unfair consequence
00:36:21.11\00:36:24.41
through no fault of his own.
00:36:24.45\00:36:27.42
He went from being a
slave who had worked himself
00:36:27.45\00:36:29.58
up in the ranks to
the point of overseeing
00:36:29.62\00:36:32.42
the entire
property of this wealthy
00:36:32.45\00:36:37.63
and empowered
individual Potiphar,
00:36:37.66\00:36:39.66
to now being a prisoner
on the very same grounds
00:36:39.69\00:36:42.13
that he used to manage.
00:36:42.16\00:36:44.87
This must have been
devastating for Joseph.
00:36:44.90\00:36:47.14
And once again the Bible
makes the same crazy claim
00:36:47.17\00:36:51.37
in verse 21 of chapter 39.
00:36:51.41\00:36:54.34
It says, "That the
Lord was with Joseph."
00:36:54.38\00:36:59.78
Once again in a
similar situation
00:36:59.81\00:37:02.25
how would we feel?
00:37:02.28\00:37:04.05
I don't know if anybody
else here has ever found himself
00:37:04.09\00:37:06.89
in shackles for
something they didn't do.
00:37:06.92\00:37:10.63
And the first thing that happens
00:37:10.66\00:37:12.73
is you start to
question, is there a God,
00:37:12.76\00:37:16.06
'cause why would He
allow this injustice.
00:37:16.10\00:37:18.63
It's probably somebody
out there watching right now
00:37:18.67\00:37:20.87
who has been
falsely incarcerated
00:37:20.90\00:37:22.24
or who is falsely incarcerated.
00:37:22.27\00:37:23.61
And you say, "Where is God?"
00:37:23.64\00:37:24.97
Once again we would
question, where is the Lord?
00:37:25.01\00:37:29.58
Has He possibly abandoned us?
00:37:29.61\00:37:31.45
However the reality is
this, in Joseph situation
00:37:31.48\00:37:34.85
that God actually
spared Joseph's life
00:37:34.88\00:37:38.09
for the second time.
00:37:38.12\00:37:40.36
Think about it, the first time
00:37:40.39\00:37:41.72
what did his
brothers initially want to do
00:37:41.76\00:37:43.76
rather than
throw him in the pit.
00:37:43.79\00:37:45.59
They wanted to kill him.
00:37:45.63\00:37:47.16
This time around when
Potiphar's wife lied on Joseph,
00:37:47.20\00:37:51.83
he should've gotten what?
00:37:51.87\00:37:53.80
The death penalty.
00:37:53.84\00:37:55.34
But God has spared
him for the second time
00:37:55.37\00:37:57.67
because God was with
him, and his master knew that,
00:37:57.71\00:38:04.25
he knew he wasn't
capable of such a thing.
00:38:04.28\00:38:06.58
So he wind up
getting a lesser charge,
00:38:06.61\00:38:08.72
even while it may not have
been the most pleasurable thing
00:38:08.75\00:38:13.25
or definitely was not
something Joseph was desiring.
00:38:13.29\00:38:15.92
Now let's read verse 21-22.
00:38:15.96\00:38:18.93
It says, "But the
Lord was with Joseph,
00:38:18.96\00:38:21.53
and shewed him
mercy, and gave him favor
00:38:21.56\00:38:24.17
in the sight of the
keeper of the prison.
00:38:24.20\00:38:27.10
And the keeper of the prison
committed to Joseph's hand
00:38:27.14\00:38:30.04
all the prisoners
that were in the prison,
00:38:30.07\00:38:32.04
and whatsoever he did
there, he was the doer of it."
00:38:32.07\00:38:37.35
Look, I'm just
going to be honest.
00:38:37.38\00:38:39.55
There's a part of me
that wishes that Joseph
00:38:39.58\00:38:42.15
when he got into that prison
and just started to revolt.
00:38:42.18\00:38:45.42
That he would
have gone in there,
00:38:45.45\00:38:46.79
rallied up the
troops, and gone wild.
00:38:46.82\00:38:48.56
But you know what?
00:38:48.59\00:38:50.96
God's ways are not our ways.
00:38:50.99\00:38:53.90
God has a way to
say that we know not of.
00:38:53.93\00:38:57.83
Joseph's
character spoke volumes.
00:38:57.87\00:39:00.54
And it didn't take long
before the keeper of the prison
00:39:00.57\00:39:03.87
was able to see in
Joseph the very same thing
00:39:03.91\00:39:07.14
that Potiphar had seen earlier.
00:39:07.18\00:39:09.31
So he started entrusting
Joseph with everything.
00:39:09.34\00:39:11.61
And then we read in verse 23.
00:39:11.65\00:39:14.58
"The keeper of the prison
looked not to anything that
00:39:14.62\00:39:18.32
was under his hand,
because the Lord was with him,
00:39:18.35\00:39:22.19
and that which he did,
the Lord made to" what?
00:39:22.22\00:39:26.53
"To prosper."
00:39:26.56\00:39:28.03
There was that "P"
word again, prosper.
00:39:28.06\00:39:33.60
How do you prosper in prison?
00:39:33.64\00:39:36.54
Was he
stockpiling or commissary?
00:39:36.57\00:39:39.51
He had more honey
buns, burritos in,
00:39:39.54\00:39:41.61
and cigarettes
than anybody else.
00:39:41.64\00:39:43.11
Was he cranking
out license plates
00:39:43.14\00:39:44.81
faster than
anybody else in the county?
00:39:44.85\00:39:50.09
I don't know, I can't tell you
00:39:50.12\00:39:51.45
how it was that
he was prospering.
00:39:51.49\00:39:52.89
But wherever you put
Joseph, it was blessed,
00:39:52.92\00:39:56.42
the results were seen.
00:39:56.46\00:39:58.33
The keeper of the prison
put his keys in Joseph's hand,
00:39:58.36\00:40:02.60
he walked out, he
says, "I'm taking a vacation,
00:40:02.63\00:40:04.77
do me a favor man,
please don't run off.
00:40:04.80\00:40:06.77
I don't even know
what I'd tell Potiphar.
00:40:06.80\00:40:08.34
But I know you can be trusted."
00:40:08.37\00:40:10.27
He entrusted Joseph's...
00:40:10.31\00:40:15.71
integrity.
00:40:15.74\00:40:18.31
It will get you'd probably
say, "He's still locked up."
00:40:18.35\00:40:23.32
We'll see, hold on.
00:40:23.35\00:40:25.32
Now we mentioned a moment
ago that it's possible that
00:40:25.35\00:40:27.92
the Lord prospers us not
simply to bless us but to what?
00:40:27.96\00:40:32.19
But to bless others through us.
00:40:32.23\00:40:35.66
So we're told that
during his stint in prison
00:40:35.70\00:40:38.80
that Joseph met two prisoners,
one of them was formally
00:40:38.83\00:40:43.00
the chief butler for Pharaoh,
00:40:43.04\00:40:48.24
and the other one was
formerly Pharaoh's chief baker.
00:40:48.28\00:40:52.01
One day Joseph noticed
that they were troubled,
00:40:52.05\00:40:55.55
and he asked them
about, he asked them
00:40:55.58\00:40:57.25
why are you guys so disturbed.
00:40:57.29\00:41:01.62
And he told them
about troubling dreams
00:41:01.66\00:41:04.26
that they both have had.
00:41:04.29\00:41:05.76
Joseph asked them to
recount the dreams to him
00:41:05.79\00:41:08.00
knowing that if God
so chose he could reveal
00:41:08.03\00:41:13.37
the interpretations
of those dreams to him.
00:41:13.40\00:41:17.11
So they both confided
their dreams to Joseph.
00:41:17.14\00:41:20.41
The chief butler
and Joseph went to God,
00:41:20.44\00:41:24.01
and he got the
interpretation for.
00:41:24.05\00:41:25.48
He told them, he
told the chief butler
00:41:25.51\00:41:27.58
that he would be
released after three days.
00:41:27.62\00:41:30.62
He would be released and
restored to his position.
00:41:30.65\00:41:32.99
However he told him, "Hey, man,
00:41:33.02\00:41:34.36
when you get out
don't forget about me.
00:41:34.39\00:41:37.26
When you get out,
don't forget about me."
00:41:37.29\00:41:39.36
And then to the chief
baker he revealed the dream
00:41:39.39\00:41:42.76
and he said, "Unfortunately,
you two are going to
00:41:42.80\00:41:46.84
get out of the
prison but he would get out
00:41:46.87\00:41:49.74
by having lost his
head after three days."
00:41:49.77\00:41:52.81
Well, sure enough
Joseph's interpretations
00:41:52.84\00:41:55.51
all came to fruition.
00:41:55.54\00:41:57.55
After three days
the baker was executed
00:41:57.58\00:42:00.25
but the butler was
restored to his position.
00:42:00.28\00:42:02.88
Now what do you
think was the first thing
00:42:02.92\00:42:04.25
that butler did when he got out.
00:42:04.29\00:42:07.56
He remember his
boy Joseph, right?
00:42:07.59\00:42:10.19
Of course not.
00:42:10.23\00:42:12.86
I hate to say but
when people are in a box,
00:42:12.89\00:42:15.30
you tend to forget about them.
00:42:15.33\00:42:17.13
That's a society
and that hasn't changed
00:42:17.17\00:42:19.57
in all of these years
00:42:19.60\00:42:20.94
Joseph was
completely forgotten about,
00:42:20.97\00:42:22.64
that is until two
years later which to us,
00:42:22.67\00:42:27.14
"Oh, two years flies."
00:42:27.18\00:42:28.51
But imagine for Joseph
how long that time felt.
00:42:28.54\00:42:31.81
Until two years
later when Pharaoh himself
00:42:31.85\00:42:34.58
had a troubling dream
which none of the wise men
00:42:34.62\00:42:37.42
could interpret,
00:42:37.45\00:42:38.85
then the chief priest
remember, that dude Joseph.
00:42:38.89\00:42:44.26
He told Pharaoh that
there was a man in the prison
00:42:44.29\00:42:46.46
by the name of Joseph
00:42:46.49\00:42:47.96
who had the ability
to interpret dreams.
00:42:48.00\00:42:50.50
And he told them
how he had interpreted
00:42:50.53\00:42:51.87
his dream as well as the bakers.
00:42:51.90\00:42:54.64
So Pharaoh had Joseph
brought out of the prison.
00:42:54.67\00:42:59.07
We read about it in,
we're jumping to Genesis 41.
00:42:59.11\00:43:04.51
We read about in 15, 16.
00:43:04.55\00:43:06.31
It says, "And
Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
00:43:06.35\00:43:08.52
I have dreamed a dream,
00:43:08.55\00:43:11.45
and there is none
that can interpret it:
00:43:11.49\00:43:13.99
and I have heard say of thee,
00:43:14.02\00:43:16.79
that thou canst understand
a dream to interpret it."
00:43:16.83\00:43:19.03
And Joseph
answered Pharaoh saying,
00:43:19.06\00:43:20.76
"It is not in me, but
God shall give Pharaoh
00:43:20.80\00:43:24.47
an answer of peace."
00:43:24.50\00:43:27.40
So Pharaoh told
Joseph his troubling dream
00:43:27.44\00:43:30.41
and immediately God gave
Joseph the interpretation.
00:43:30.44\00:43:32.81
He told them, you know what?
00:43:32.84\00:43:34.18
You guys are going to have
seven years of great abundance
00:43:34.21\00:43:37.28
followed by seven
years of great famine.
00:43:37.31\00:43:40.68
And he told him
what he needed to do.
00:43:40.72\00:43:42.08
He said, "You know
what? You need to...
00:43:42.12\00:43:44.59
During the seven
years of abundance,
00:43:44.62\00:43:46.86
save a portion of
that which you guys get
00:43:46.89\00:43:51.43
in order to last you during
the seven years of famine.
00:43:51.46\00:43:55.43
And you need to
find somebody wise
00:43:55.46\00:43:58.53
to put in charge of
this whole operation
00:43:58.57\00:44:01.30
because your livelihood
is going to depend on it."
00:44:01.34\00:44:04.77
We see Pharaoh's
response in verse 37.
00:44:04.81\00:44:11.11
We'll be reading
down to verse 44,
00:44:11.15\00:44:12.48
but we'll be pausing.
00:44:12.51\00:44:13.85
Verse 37 says,
"And the thing was good
00:44:13.88\00:44:16.89
in the eyes of Pharaoh,
00:44:16.92\00:44:18.32
and in the eyes
of all his servants."
00:44:18.35\00:44:20.66
Verse 38, "And Pharaoh
said unto his servants,
00:44:20.69\00:44:23.22
'Can we find such a one as this,
00:44:23.26\00:44:25.86
a man in whom is
the Spirit of God?'"
00:44:25.89\00:44:30.10
What powerful words.
00:44:30.13\00:44:33.07
A heathen ruler who
considers himself a God
00:44:33.10\00:44:36.34
saying, can we
find such a man as this,
00:44:36.37\00:44:38.97
point to Joseph and saying,
00:44:39.01\00:44:40.34
a man in whom is
the Spirit of God.
00:44:40.38\00:44:44.48
Oh, that the same
thing would be said of us.
00:44:44.51\00:44:47.78
Has somebody
ever walked up to you
00:44:47.82\00:44:49.85
or converse with you
and say, "You know what?
00:44:49.88\00:44:51.92
I just feel like
I can talk to you,
00:44:51.95\00:44:53.56
there's something
different about you."
00:44:53.59\00:44:55.42
Has somebody ever
said, "You know what?
00:44:55.46\00:44:57.03
I see something
different in your face,
00:44:57.06\00:44:59.33
it's as though it shines."
00:44:59.36\00:45:00.70
This was Joseph's experience.
00:45:00.73\00:45:02.20
This is the experience
when you have prosperity,
00:45:02.23\00:45:06.00
real prosperity meaning what?
00:45:06.03\00:45:09.00
God is with you.
00:45:09.04\00:45:11.24
He's been in the presence of God
00:45:11.27\00:45:12.71
all these years
through good and through bad.
00:45:12.74\00:45:14.94
Well, really
through bad and through bad.
00:45:14.98\00:45:17.08
Through trial after trial.
00:45:17.11\00:45:18.55
And now Pharaoh
notices in him the same thing
00:45:18.58\00:45:20.98
that the keeper
of the prison did,
00:45:21.02\00:45:22.35
the same thing
that Potiphar had,
00:45:22.38\00:45:25.39
that there is some
special about this man
00:45:25.42\00:45:27.39
and he can be
entrusted with much.
00:45:27.42\00:45:31.49
Verse 39, "And
Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
00:45:31.53\00:45:34.00
for as much as God
has showed the all this,
00:45:34.03\00:45:36.77
there is none so
discreet and wise as thou art.
00:45:36.80\00:45:40.87
Thou shalt be over my house,
and according unto thy word
00:45:40.90\00:45:44.17
shall all my people be
ruled only in the throne
00:45:44.21\00:45:47.44
will I be greater than thou.
00:45:47.48\00:45:48.81
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
00:45:48.84\00:45:50.18
'See, I have set the
over the land of Egypt.'
00:45:50.21\00:45:53.52
And Pharaoh took off
his ring from his hand,
00:45:53.55\00:45:56.99
and put it on Joseph's hand,
00:45:57.02\00:45:58.62
and arrayed him in
vestures of fine linen,
00:45:58.65\00:46:03.26
and put a gold
chain about his neck.
00:46:03.29\00:46:06.19
And he made him to
ride in the second chariot
00:46:06.23\00:46:09.70
which he had, and
they cried before him..."
00:46:09.73\00:46:13.17
Talking about the people.
00:46:13.20\00:46:14.60
"Bow the knee: and
he made him ruler over
00:46:14.64\00:46:17.24
all the land of Egypt.
00:46:17.27\00:46:18.61
And Pharaoh said unto
Joseph, 'I am Pharaoh,
00:46:18.64\00:46:20.71
and without thee shall
no man lift his hand or foot
00:46:20.74\00:46:23.98
in all the land of Egypt.'"
00:46:24.01\00:46:27.52
This is an
incredible turn of events.
00:46:27.55\00:46:29.28
Imagine this amount of
power being given to a man
00:46:29.32\00:46:34.72
who just days earlier was
away, was a convict, a prisoner,
00:46:34.76\00:46:40.03
a man who just
years earlier was a what?
00:46:40.06\00:46:43.26
A slave.
00:46:43.30\00:46:44.63
And now he is the
second most powerful man
00:46:44.67\00:46:47.37
in all the world
and arguably we can say,
00:46:47.40\00:46:49.74
he was the most
powerful man in all the world
00:46:49.77\00:46:51.51
because he is the one
who made all the decisions.
00:46:51.54\00:46:55.64
Incredible turn of events.
00:46:55.68\00:46:58.91
Pharaoh, a pagan ruler
00:46:58.95\00:47:00.38
had testify out
of his own mouth,
00:47:00.42\00:47:03.05
that he had seen God in him.
00:47:03.08\00:47:05.32
What did it say he did?
00:47:05.35\00:47:06.69
It said, he took and put a robe,
00:47:06.72\00:47:09.89
a kingly robe on him.
00:47:09.92\00:47:11.73
He put what on his hand? A ring.
00:47:11.76\00:47:14.70
He put what around his neck?
00:47:14.73\00:47:16.40
A chain. Think about this.
00:47:16.43\00:47:18.23
How did the story
start with his brothers?
00:47:18.27\00:47:20.90
What did they do before
they threw him in the pit?
00:47:20.94\00:47:22.77
Whether they stripped off him?
00:47:22.80\00:47:24.44
They stripped
off his robe, right?
00:47:24.47\00:47:26.57
And now when a story ends,
he's got an even better one,
00:47:26.61\00:47:30.85
one that comes with authority.
00:47:30.88\00:47:34.22
When the story started,
when his hardship started,
00:47:34.25\00:47:37.39
he was what?
00:47:37.42\00:47:38.75
He was enchained,
right, as a slave.
00:47:38.79\00:47:41.39
And now what he gets at the end?
00:47:41.42\00:47:44.03
He gets a chain to
prove his authority.
00:47:44.06\00:47:50.43
And here goes a
crazy, crazy, crazy fact.
00:47:50.47\00:47:57.44
Well, it made no sense to
me when I read about Joseph
00:47:57.47\00:48:03.75
being a slave is
that he said that
00:48:03.78\00:48:05.11
he was a prosperous man.
00:48:05.15\00:48:08.78
And then when he
becomes a prisoner once again
00:48:08.82\00:48:10.85
he repeats what?
00:48:10.89\00:48:12.22
It says he's a prosperous man.
00:48:12.25\00:48:15.42
You know when it's the
only time in his experience
00:48:15.46\00:48:17.73
that I was able to see that
the Bible didn't refer to him
00:48:17.76\00:48:19.76
as a prosperous man?
00:48:19.79\00:48:21.63
Now that he was
completely empowered.
00:48:21.66\00:48:24.57
Now that he was
the second in charge.
00:48:24.60\00:48:26.50
Now that he had the gold
chain, the ring, the robe.
00:48:26.53\00:48:30.71
Second in command.
00:48:30.74\00:48:33.88
Second most powerful
man in all the world.
00:48:33.91\00:48:35.54
And he doesn't even mention that
00:48:35.58\00:48:36.91
he's a prosperous man, why?
00:48:36.95\00:48:38.45
'Cause at this point
you should already know.
00:48:38.48\00:48:41.68
Lest you mistake
prosperity with money
00:48:41.72\00:48:44.42
'cause prosperity
once again is not what?
00:48:44.45\00:48:46.99
Is not what you have,
prosperity is who you have,
00:48:47.02\00:48:51.26
because God wants
us to understand this
00:48:51.29\00:48:53.53
that despite your
circumstances or setting,
00:48:53.56\00:48:55.36
you can be prosperous.
00:48:55.40\00:48:56.73
Whether you were
pampered by your parents
00:48:56.77\00:48:58.83
or whether you grew up
in the pits of poverty,
00:48:58.87\00:49:02.17
you can have prosperity.
00:49:02.20\00:49:04.47
Whether you're in the penthouse
00:49:04.51\00:49:05.84
or whether
you're in the poorhouse,
00:49:05.87\00:49:07.84
you can have prosperity.
00:49:07.88\00:49:09.74
Whether you're in prison
or whether you're in a palace,
00:49:09.78\00:49:13.08
you can have prosperity.
00:49:13.11\00:49:14.45
Whether you're in paradise
00:49:14.48\00:49:15.82
or whether
you're in the projects.
00:49:15.85\00:49:17.19
I can keep saying
peace but I don't want
00:49:17.22\00:49:18.72
to keep spitting
over the front row.
00:49:18.75\00:49:20.96
The point is, you
can have prosperity
00:49:20.99\00:49:23.96
right there in your situation
00:49:23.99\00:49:25.33
because if you have God
with you, you have it all.
00:49:25.36\00:49:30.50
It's not about
what you have, friends,
00:49:30.53\00:49:32.20
it's about who we have.
00:49:32.23\00:49:36.87
Now you see when Joseph became
the second most powerful man
00:49:36.91\00:49:40.54
in the world and
the great famine hit.
00:49:40.58\00:49:44.15
God revealed to the world
00:49:44.18\00:49:48.38
why He had made
Joseph a prosperous man.
00:49:48.42\00:49:51.25
Once again we mentioned earlier
00:49:51.29\00:49:52.95
prosperity is
having God with you.
00:49:52.99\00:49:54.32
But why is it
that God prosperous?
00:49:54.36\00:49:55.69
Why is it that He
blesses us to do what?
00:49:55.72\00:49:59.53
So that He can
bless others through us.
00:49:59.56\00:50:02.60
And this is
exactly what Joseph did.
00:50:02.63\00:50:06.94
Not only that he saved
Egypt by the storehouses...
00:50:06.97\00:50:13.27
that accumulated the grain
under seven years of abundance,
00:50:13.31\00:50:16.51
he saved the surrounding region.
00:50:16.54\00:50:19.08
But not only that he
saved their neighbors
00:50:19.11\00:50:22.18
the surrounding region
who wind up coming into Egypt
00:50:22.22\00:50:26.02
for those of you
who know the story,
00:50:26.05\00:50:27.39
who wind up coming into
Egypt when the famine hit?
00:50:27.42\00:50:32.23
His brothers, the very ones
that had sold him into slavery.
00:50:32.26\00:50:35.70
He wind up saving his brothers.
He wind up saving his father.
00:50:35.73\00:50:39.80
He wind up saving his neighbors.
00:50:39.83\00:50:41.50
He wind up saving
the very Egyptians
00:50:41.54\00:50:43.27
that had him as a slave.
00:50:43.30\00:50:44.64
He wind up saving
the very individual
00:50:44.67\00:50:46.01
that put him in prison,
00:50:46.04\00:50:47.91
'cause he was a prosperous
man and God gave him prosperity
00:50:47.94\00:50:50.75
that he might
bless others through him.
00:50:50.78\00:50:53.72
God wind up saving
a substantial portion
00:50:53.75\00:50:55.95
of the world through Joseph.
00:50:55.98\00:50:58.45
And you wonder why am I
going to this trial in my life?
00:50:58.49\00:51:00.99
Because God is
trying to get you ready
00:51:01.02\00:51:02.76
for something incredible
that requires preparation.
00:51:02.79\00:51:07.80
Why can I get nowhere in life?
00:51:07.83\00:51:10.57
Well, why don't we
be faithful to the Lord
00:51:10.60\00:51:12.47
in the little things.
00:51:12.50\00:51:13.84
Be faithful to the Lord
00:51:13.87\00:51:15.84
when you feel like
a slave with your job.
00:51:15.87\00:51:17.61
In the small things
be faithful to the Lord,
00:51:17.64\00:51:20.11
in prison and let Him pull you
00:51:20.14\00:51:22.21
and do something
incredible with you.
00:51:22.24\00:51:24.98
Be faithful in the little
thing that God might be able
00:51:25.01\00:51:27.15
to entrust you
with the big things.
00:51:27.18\00:51:28.72
Man, it is beautiful
that God used this situation,
00:51:28.75\00:51:34.39
the whole time He
choreographed this situation,
00:51:34.42\00:51:37.06
He allowed
these things to happen
00:51:37.09\00:51:39.29
to bring about great good.
00:51:39.33\00:51:40.66
That's what we
read in Genesis 50:20.
00:51:40.70\00:51:44.00
Joseph's saying,
"But as for you..."
00:51:44.03\00:51:46.37
Talking to his brothers now.
00:51:46.40\00:51:48.67
He says, "But as for you,
ye thought evil against me,
00:51:48.70\00:51:51.87
but God meant it unto
good, to bring to pass,
00:51:51.91\00:51:55.61
as it is this day, to
save much people alive."
00:51:55.64\00:51:59.58
Friends, this is why God
wants a relationship with you
00:52:02.98\00:52:06.45
not so you can be know
more than your neighbor
00:52:06.49\00:52:09.12
about the Bible,
00:52:09.16\00:52:10.53
not so we can puff our
chest up and feel righteous.
00:52:10.56\00:52:13.29
God wants a relationship with us
00:52:13.33\00:52:15.63
so that He can
bless others through us
00:52:15.66\00:52:18.40
'cause He's coming soon.
00:52:18.43\00:52:19.77
But He doesn't just
want us to be ready,
00:52:19.80\00:52:21.14
He wants us to
bless our neighbors,
00:52:21.17\00:52:22.57
He wants to bless
those who persecute us,
00:52:22.60\00:52:24.37
He wants to utilize us to save
our very own family members.
00:52:24.41\00:52:28.64
I close with the
story, another "kid story."
00:52:32.11\00:52:38.79
It's called the goose
who laid the golden egg.
00:52:38.82\00:52:41.59
I'll say the chicken who laid...
00:52:41.62\00:52:42.96
How about that chicken?
00:52:42.99\00:52:44.33
The chicken who
laid the golden egg,
00:52:44.36\00:52:45.69
you might have heard it.
00:52:45.73\00:52:47.13
See there was a farmer, right?
00:52:47.16\00:52:48.50
And he had a barn
00:52:48.53\00:52:50.23
I think that's where
you keep chickens, right?
00:52:50.27\00:52:52.47
I'm from the city, sorry.
00:52:52.50\00:52:54.24
He was a farmer, he had a
barn, and he went over there,
00:52:54.27\00:52:57.04
and he would go every
day, and he'd pick up,
00:52:57.07\00:52:58.41
and he collected
chickens, I mean the eggs.
00:52:58.44\00:53:01.54
He would lift up every chicken,
he would collect the eggs,
00:53:01.58\00:53:03.21
I believe that's how it goes.
00:53:03.24\00:53:05.25
And one day, as he
was doing his routine,
00:53:05.28\00:53:08.15
he picked up
one chicken or goose
00:53:08.18\00:53:12.72
and lo and behold, it
had laid a golden egg,
00:53:12.75\00:53:18.99
and he couldn't believe it.
00:53:19.03\00:53:21.16
He couldn't believe it.
He got it, he looked at it.
00:53:21.20\00:53:24.97
Flip the thing
around, put it back down,
00:53:25.00\00:53:28.04
and he went home,
he showed his wife,
00:53:28.07\00:53:30.34
and he was elated.
00:53:30.37\00:53:31.71
He went, and I'm
sure it didn't take long
00:53:31.74\00:53:33.27
before he went and sold it.
00:53:33.31\00:53:35.08
And then next day
00:53:35.11\00:53:36.44
when he comes to
pick up his eggs,
00:53:36.48\00:53:39.41
he lifts up the chickens,
he picks up all the eggs,
00:53:39.45\00:53:41.95
and he gets to that one chicken,
00:53:41.98\00:53:43.32
and he thinks to himself...
00:53:43.35\00:53:44.69
Oh, sorry I was
on this side, right?
00:53:44.72\00:53:46.05
He gets that one
goose and he thinks...
00:53:46.09\00:53:47.52
the chicken sorry
and he thinks to himself,
00:53:47.56\00:53:49.52
"Wouldn't it be crazy
00:53:49.56\00:53:50.89
if there was
another golden egg,"
00:53:50.93\00:53:52.26
then he picked it
up and sure enough
00:53:52.29\00:53:54.16
there was another golden egg.
00:53:54.20\00:53:55.53
And he took it,
and he went home,
00:53:55.56\00:53:56.90
and he was ecstatic.
00:53:56.93\00:53:58.27
The next day he
could hardly sleep.
00:53:58.30\00:54:00.50
He could hardly
sleep, he just waited until,
00:54:00.54\00:54:02.80
soon as the sun
came out he ran over
00:54:02.84\00:54:04.21
to check this
chicken and sure enough
00:54:04.24\00:54:05.71
another golden egg.
00:54:05.74\00:54:07.21
He's not even
picking up the other eggs.
00:54:07.24\00:54:08.78
He's just going
for the golden egg.
00:54:08.81\00:54:12.48
That night he
couldn't even sleep
00:54:12.51\00:54:14.12
in his own bed,
he just came out,
00:54:14.15\00:54:15.48
and he sprawled out
right there in the barn.
00:54:15.52\00:54:18.65
Soon as he woke up
the first thing he did
00:54:18.69\00:54:20.02
was pick up that
chicken, he grabbed it,
00:54:20.06\00:54:21.52
he checked the golden
egg, he said, "Beautiful."
00:54:21.56\00:54:22.99
Well, he started
becoming so greedy and ambitious
00:54:23.02\00:54:26.86
for wealth and
for self prospering
00:54:26.90\00:54:28.43
that one day he walked in there,
00:54:28.46\00:54:30.30
and he reach in his back pocket,
00:54:30.33\00:54:31.67
and he pulled out a
big old sharp knife.
00:54:31.70\00:54:34.94
And he grabbed that chicken
and he says, "Sorry, buddy,
00:54:34.97\00:54:36.91
but you've got a
gold making factory
00:54:36.94\00:54:39.47
inside that body somehow
and I got to get through it."
00:54:39.51\00:54:43.14
And he slit that
chicken open, tore it apart,
00:54:43.18\00:54:50.15
and to his dismay
00:54:50.19\00:54:52.29
there was nothing
out of the ordinary,
00:54:52.32\00:54:53.89
it was just an ordinary chicken.
00:54:53.92\00:54:58.49
However what had he done
00:54:58.53\00:55:02.16
with his fountain of blessing?
00:55:02.20\00:55:04.73
He had killed it.
00:55:04.77\00:55:07.14
You know in the
pursuit for riches, for wealth,
00:55:07.17\00:55:12.67
sometimes for
prosperity we wind up dissecting
00:55:12.71\00:55:17.28
and severing the most
important things in life,
00:55:17.31\00:55:20.12
our very fountain of blessing,
00:55:20.15\00:55:22.98
or we're trying to
accumulate wealth sometimes,
00:55:23.02\00:55:26.55
we become
careless about our families
00:55:26.59\00:55:30.73
those who matter most.
00:55:30.76\00:55:34.16
While we work nine to
five and put in extra hours,
00:55:34.20\00:55:38.63
and make time to pay the bills.
00:55:38.67\00:55:40.97
We negate our time with the Lord
00:55:41.00\00:55:44.67
through prayer and study.
00:55:44.71\00:55:46.04
In our great rush to
advance and get ahead in life,
00:55:49.38\00:55:54.28
we let go of what is
most important oftentimes,
00:55:54.32\00:55:58.65
our relationship with God.
00:55:58.69\00:56:00.26
God is the source
of every blessing.
00:56:00.29\00:56:04.39
But it doesn't always
come in the form of gold.
00:56:04.43\00:56:10.60
It doesn't always come in
the form of currency, of money.
00:56:10.63\00:56:14.57
Friends, I appeal to
you to make a decision
00:56:14.60\00:56:20.18
to follow Jesus
with all your heart,
00:56:20.21\00:56:23.31
to be prosperous
in its real sense
00:56:23.35\00:56:25.61
having God with you, to
allow God to enrich your life
00:56:25.65\00:56:31.45
with the purpose of
blessing others through you.
00:56:31.49\00:56:35.72
I don't know what your
social economic situation is.
00:56:35.76\00:56:40.90
I've been all over the place,
I've had highs, I've had lows,
00:56:40.93\00:56:45.50
but I tell you something,
I've never felt richer
00:56:45.53\00:56:48.10
than I feel right now.
00:56:48.14\00:56:49.47
And that's on
the pastor's salary
00:56:49.50\00:56:50.84
which I can
promise you is not great.
00:56:50.87\00:56:52.81
I've never felt
richer, wealthier than I do now
00:56:52.84\00:56:58.75
because the Lord
has restored my family
00:56:58.78\00:57:00.82
when our
situation used to be chaotic
00:57:00.85\00:57:02.58
and dysfunctional.
00:57:02.62\00:57:03.99
And this came as a
result of trusting in Him
00:57:04.02\00:57:06.82
and allowing Him
to reign in our home.
00:57:06.86\00:57:09.76
I've never felt in better health
00:57:09.79\00:57:13.83
because the Lord
has been with me.
00:57:13.86\00:57:15.86
He has shown me
that He is there with me
00:57:15.90\00:57:17.83
through thick and thin.
00:57:17.87\00:57:20.40
Friends, I want to appeal to you
00:57:20.44\00:57:23.41
to look for the
Lord Jesus Christ
00:57:23.44\00:57:25.57
to make Him your everything,
00:57:25.61\00:57:28.11
to allow the Lord
to infiltrate your life
00:57:28.14\00:57:31.38
in such a way
that everything else
00:57:31.41\00:57:32.75
becomes secondary.
00:57:32.78\00:57:34.12
God bless you all.
00:57:34.15\00:57:35.52