Waiting Rooms, part 4
The Life of Joseph, Gen. 39:21-23
Sunday, July 10th, 2016- MRWC
We are going to be concluding our waiting rooms series this morning.
next Sunday, we’ll be launching a new series, called Post It Notes from God, part two, this is where you tell us your favourite Scripture verse, or maybe there is a passage of Scripture that leaves you scratching your head
We’ll take a look at the submissions and pick a few of them to preach on this summer…. if summer ever decides to get here….
This series has been based upon being in a waiting room, and examines some of the life lessons that God has been teaching me.
By way of a quick recap, the first sermon in this series focused on the paralyzed man of Mark chapter 2.
This man was unable to get to Jesus on his own, so his four friends taped him to his mat; went to the house Jesus was teaching at, cut a hole in the roof of this house, and placed this man right in front of Jesus.
The life lesson from this sermon was that “we all need someone who will take us to Jesus.”
We need to have 1 or 2 people that we can call upon when— not if— but when we are having a bad day.
We need this someone, so they can take us and place us “right in front of Jesus.”
(Luke 5:19, NIV84)
The second sermon in this series focused on the man who was born blind, and his story can be found in John chapter 9.
Jesus told His disciples that the man had been born blind: “So that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3, NIV84)
IOW, God was going to tell a better story— His story— through this man who had been born blind.
The life lesson that day was “You can either be bitter at God (for placing you in a WR), or you can be better for God.
When God places us in a WR, we can either be bitter at God, or we can be better for God. These are the only two options we have.
The third sermon in this series, focused on the life of Moses.
He spent 40 years in a WR, before he was able to do what God wanted him to do, and then he spent another 40 years doing what God wanted him to do. That’s 80 years in a WR!
The life lesson from that sermon, is that “When God places you in a WR, it’s so you will learn what you need to learn.”
Moses needed to learn the ways of the desert before leading thousands of people into the desert, and the same type of thing can be said about you and me.
When God places us in a WR, it’s so we will learn what we need to learn in order for God to use us for the next part of our journey with Jesus.
This morning’s message is going to focus on the life of Joseph.
Maybe not the entire life of Joseph, after all, his story does take up several chapters in the book of Genesis, so we will just look at a time when Joe spent some time in a WR.
Just to give you a refresher on who Joseph was, he was the favourite son of Jacob.
This wouldn't have been a problem if Joseph was Jacob’s only son, but he wasn’t.
Joseph had 11 other brothers, so needless to say, it becomes a problem.
Joseph’s brothers didn't like him too much. This is true for a couple of reasons. The first reason was that Jacob gave his favourite son a multi--coloured coat.
While, I can’t prove this to be true, I imagine that Joseph flaunted his coat in front of his brothers.
I imagine this, because this is what I would do in front of my brother; and he wouldn't like it, so he would probably beat me…
The second reason Joseph’s brothers didn't like him very much is that Joseph had a dream where all his brothers bowed down to him.
Author and Pastor Louie Giglio writes: “Here’s a hint for successful living: If you ever have a dream where your brothers bow down to you, don’t tell your brothers about the dream. (Giglio 2015, 47)
Apparently Joseph didn't get that memo, and one day he found himself on the raw end of a deal that his brothers had made that turned him into a slave and into a WR.
Off Joseph goes to his new home, Egypt, where he eventually makes his way to Potiphar’s
house.
We’re told in Genesis 39 that: “The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of
his Egyptian master.
3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.
4 This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.
5 From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake.
All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished.
6 So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!” (39:2-6, NLT2)
God used a very bad experience in Joseph’s life and turned it into something good… only to
have Joseph end up in a WR again.
We’re told that Joe was a good looking man— like me— and Potiphar’s wife, Hotiphar, took notice of this and tried to get Joseph to sleep with her.
Joseph was able to keep his distance from her for a while, until one day, he and she were alone.
Hotiphar demanded that Joseph sleep with her, he said no, and ran out of the house, “but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.” (Gen. 39:12, NLT2)
Let’s now read the rest of the story, beginning at verse 13 of Genesis 39:
“When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, 14 she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running.
“Look!” she said. “My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us!
He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed.
15 When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.”
16 She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. 17 Then she told him her story. “That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,” she said.
18“But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!”
19 Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. 20 So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained.
21But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.
22 Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison.
23The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he
did to succeed.” (NLT2)
In a manner of a few moments, Joseph went from The Penthouse to the dog-house, from living a life of freedom, to living life in a WR.
But take notice of 5 little words in this account. These five words are found first of all in verse 21, and then they are found again in verse 23. (actually they can be found all the way back in verse 2….)
Genesis 39:21 tells us that: “the Lord was with Joseph. and verse 23 reminds us that “the Lord was with him…” (NLT2)
I have these verses highlighted in my Bibles and I think you should, too.
What we need to remember when we find ourselves in a Waiting Room is that God is with us.
Just because we end up in a situation that we don’t want to be in, doesn't mean that God has washed His hands of us and our situation. He has not left us to fend for ourselves!
On the contrary, God has promised in His Word, that He will never leave us. Let’s look at a few of these promises.
Joshua 1:5: “For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.” (NLT2)
Joshua 1:9: “Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”(NLT2)
Matthew 28:20: “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”(NLT2)
John 14:16-17: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.
17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.” (NLT2)
Hebrews 13:5: “For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
(NLT2)
All of these verses remind us that God is with us. Not only when life is grand and we’re sitting on the mountain top, but God is with us when we are in, what David called, a Dark valley.
The Name that was to be given to the God-Man was Immanuel, which means what church? “God is with us.” (Matthew 1:23, NLT2)
In Good times and in bad times, God is with us.
John Wesley, who was an Anglican Preist in the 1700’s, whose teachings influenced the formation of The Wesleyan Church, is quoted as saying, on his death bed: “The best of all is, God is with us!”
I don’t want to overstate this one truth. As the Lord was with Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Paul, John…. He will be with you, He will be with me, He will be with us! He is Immanuel: God is with us!
In Waiting Rooms and not in Waiting Rooms, God is with us; and He has promised that He will never leave nor forsake us!
ILLUSTRATION- I’m still learning this life lesson. Not a day goes by when I don’t need to be reminded that I’m not alone in this world,
and that God is with me.
No where was this more true than when I was in the Intensive Care unit after my second liver transplant.
As you may know this transplant wasn't without it’s complications and as I was doing the only thing I could do— lie very still in my hospital bed, I would cry out and call out to God saying “Where are you God?”
It took a little bit of time to figure out that God was right beside me, and He was also in the form of my Doctors and nurses who provided me with excellent care.
He showed that He was with me everyday, through the love of my wife and kids.
God showed me that He was with me through my pastor friends who came in to see me.
God showed me that He was with me when folks from home texted, sent cards and even visited me in my hospital room.
God was reminding me that He was looking after me; that He was with me, by sending the right people at just the right time.
God was showing me that He was— and still is— with me— Just as He promised; God is with
me.
God is with you, too. No matter what you may be going through; no matter the season of life you find yourself in, stuck in a WR, or coming out of a WR, God is with you.
God was with Joseph as well. Even though He was in a prison cell, God still showed His favour to Joseph.
Eventually God took Joesph out of the WR and set him up as 2nd in command in all of Egypt, where Joseph would guide Egypt through an extreme famine, and eventually Joseph would meet up with his family again.
After their reunion, Joseph’s father dies and his brothers think that Joe will finally get them back for what they did to him, but while Joseph was in a WR, God had been working on him.
Instead of being mad at his brothers for forcing Joseph down an alternate path, Joseph actually praises God!
Look at Genesis 50:19: “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you?
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
21 No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.” (NLT2)
Joseph recognized that God was with Him and God had used Joseph’s WR experience for good.
It kind of sounds an awful lot like what Paul wrote in Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called
according to his purpose for them.” (NLT2)
B/C we’re Wesleyans, we don’t believe in coincidences.
We believe in a God who uses all things in our lives, both Good and bad, to transform us into the men and women He intends for us to be.
And He will use all things to fulfil that mandate, even and especially our WR experiences.
So we need to know that God is with us, always. He will never leave us or forsake us.
If you find yourself in a WR, at any point in time in your life, remember these 4 life lessons:
We need someone who will take us to Jesus.
We can either be bitter at God or we can be better for God;
When God places us in a WR, it’s so we will learn what we need to learn.
God is with us always.
God does something in us, on us, while we wait. When we find ourselves in a WR, He is working on us. He hasn't washed His hands of our mess.
Remember, “While we wait, God is at work.”
What we must do is turn to Him. Our Key verse reminds us that:
“Those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Is. 40:31, NLT2)
God will give you the strength for your journey with Jesus. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us.
So, what do I want you to do with what you're hearing?
Write it down!
Get a sticky note. Get a tattoo, get a parrot. Highlight Genesis 39:21&23 in your Bibles. Have someone call you to remind you that God is with
you!
Because we’re human we tend to forget…often. Let this one truth be one we never forget: “For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.” (Josh. 1:5 NLT2)
To make it easier for you to remember all of the life lessons in this series, I’ve put together a reminder card, be sure to pick this up before leaving this morning, and place it where you will see it often.
The last life lesson from the Waiting Room may be the most important of them all: God is with
us. Always!
The Team is coming back to lead us in our last song, and as they do you might want to come up and grab one of our reminder cards.
If you don’t want to come up as the band plays, be sure to get one on your way out.
Let’s remember that God is with us, Even when we find ourselves in a WR!
