The Prison Test What Do You Do When You Get What You Don’t Deserve? Dr. Brandon S. Park – September 18th, 2013 One-­‐fourth of the entire book of G enesis is about Joseph. That’s a big deal when you compare that to only five words given to the creation of the galaxies of the universe (Genesis 1:16). Yet 14 chapters are devoted to Joseph’s life. This tells me that God is far more interested in getting across His message of redemption than describing the details of creation. Read Genesis 39:13-­‐ff. Every test that Joseph was given had to do with ___________________. How well would Joseph steward his actions? How well would he steward his own body? How would he steward his own attitude? You will not fulfill the destiny that God has for you if you are not a good steward. When Joseph was thrown into a pit by his own brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape, and thrown into prison – Joseph didn’t deserve any of that. He got what he did not deserve just like many Christians do today. What are we s upposed to do when we are “imprisoned by trouble” and get what we don’t deserve? There are three things we must remember: I. God is ____________ Beside Me When Joseph was first sold into s lavery, the Bible says in Genesis 37:2, “The LORD was with Joseph…” You would think that if God was really with him that everything would get better from this point. But unfortunately, things turn south! Gen. 39:7-­‐9 – chronicles Joseph’s temptation by Potiphar’s wife. Joseph chooses trust over lust. He chooses obedience over expedience. To Joseph, it was better to lose his coat than his character; it was better to lose his position than his purity. Now that he’s falsely accused of rape… Joseph finds himself in a prison cell. But then we read in Genesis 39:21, “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave h im favor…” From the outside, it doesn’t look as if the Lord is walking beside Joseph. PRINCIPLE #1 – When you find yourself in a prison of despair, don’t ____________ to _______________. There’s nothing wrong with trying to understand but don’t demand to understand because there’s some things you will never figure out! God is with you, even when there’s no _________________ that He is. Even when you’re getting what you don’t deserve – at that very moment – God is walking beside you. II. God is _____________ For Me Genesis 39:19-­‐20, “When h is master heard the story h is wife told h im, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he b urned with anger. Joseph's master took him and p ut h im in p rison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined.” Joseph has gone from the Pit, to the Palace, back down to the Prison. He’s done the right thing and chosen the right path – but he still gets burned. NOTE: In ancient Egypt, if you were arrested by a royal official—you were guilty with no chance of proving your innocence. Joseph was facing life without the possibility of parole if not the death penalty. Yet we read again in vs. 21, “The Lord was with Joseph.” If you were in Joseph’s shoes, would you believe it at that time? QUESTION: If you had a choice to be either on a relaxing exotic island WITHOUT God or in a foreign prison, falsely accused of rape but yet WITH God – which would you c hoose? How can we say that God was working for Joseph during this time? Genesis 41:39, “Then Pharoah said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.” If Joseph had not been through the prison, he would have never made it to Pharaoh’s palace. PRINCIPLE #2 – Don’t ________ to be ___________________. Even though Joseph was falsely accused and imprisoned, he just kept on serving the Lord. Are you a “Fair-­‐Weather Christian?” For some Christians, if somebody hurts their feelings – they’ll stop going to church. You can tell the ___________ of a Christian by what it takes to _________ him. If you serve God only when the sun is shining and life is going your way – you’re not much of a Christian. God’s way of getting Joseph to the PALACE was through the PIT and the PRISON. What we see as ______________ blocks are in reality _______________ stones that God is using to accomplish His plan and fulfill His purpose for your life. III. God is ________________ Through Me Genesis 39:23, “The keeper of the p rison p aid no a ttention to a nything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with h im. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.” Once again, the Chief Jailor (a pagan unbeliever) saw that the Lord was with Him. The Chief Jailor saw something in Joseph that others will see in you when you start acting and living as though God is walking beside you and as though God is working for you. He saw the reality of God in Joseph’s life. If you wake up every day believing that God is walking beside you and expecting that God is working through you – people will see your faith and see the reality of God in your life. PRINCIPLE #3 – Don’t _________ to be _______________. 1 Samuel 2:30 the Bible says, “To them that honor Me, I will honor.” In other words, God remembered Joseph because Joseph remembered God. Reputation is what people think you are. Character is what God knows you are. Don’t be overly concerned about y our reputation and what people think about you. The closer you get to Jesus the more mud this old world throws at Him will hit you! NOTE: If you compare Gen. 39:20 with Gen. 41:46, you will find out that Joseph stayed in prison for a total of 13 years. He spent that time in prison all because of jealous brothers, a lying woman, and an ungrateful butler. There will be things that happen to you that just don’t add up. You will get what you don’t deserve. The key to making it through is to realize that when those times come, y ou are not under these circumstances, you are under the God who is over your circumstances. The grace of God will ____________ you without inflating you and it will _____________ you without debasing you. God wanted Joseph to be a ruler but before any man can be a ruler he’s got to be a servant. If you’re not willing to be a servant you will never be a ruler! God always makes servants before He makes rulers. Joseph made wherever he was the temple of his devotion and the lampstand of his witness. The Prison Test What Do You Do When You Get What You Don’t Deserve? Dr. Brandon S. Park – September 18th, 2013 One-­‐fourth of the entire book of G enesis is about Joseph. That’s a big deal when you compare that to only five words given to the creation of the galaxies of the universe (Genesis 1:16). Yet 14 chapters are devoted to Joseph’s life. This tells me that God is far more interested in getting across His message of redemption than describing the details of creation. Read Genesis 39:13-­‐ff. Every test that Joseph was given had to do with _stewardship
__________________. How well would Joseph steward his actions? How well would he steward his own body? How would he steward his own attitude? You will not fulfill the destiny that God has for you if you are not a good steward. When Joseph was thrown into a pit by his own brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape, and thrown into prison – Joseph didn’t deserve any of that. He got what he did not deserve just like many Christians do today. What are we s upposed to do when we are “imprisoned by trouble” and get what we don’t deserve? There are three things we must remember: I. God is _Walking
___________ Beside Me When Joseph was first sold into s lavery, the Bible says in Genesis 37:2, “The LORD was with Joseph…” You would think that if God was really with him that everything would get better from this point. But unfortunately, things turn south! Gen. 39:7-­‐9 – chronicles Joseph’s temptation by Potiphar’s wife. Joseph chooses trust over lust. He chooses obedience over expedience. To Joseph, it was better to lose his coat than his character; it was better to lose his position than his purity. Now that he’s falsely accused of rape… Joseph finds himself in a prison cell. But then we read in Genesis 39:21, “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave h im favor…” From the outside, it doesn’t look as if the Lord is walking beside Joseph. PRINCIPLE #1 – When you find yourself in a prison of despair, don’t _demand
___________ to _understand
______________. There’s nothing wrong with trying to understand but don’t demand to understand because there’s some things you will never figure out! God is with you, even when there’s no _evidence
________________ that He is. Even when you’re getting what you don’t deserve – at that very moment – God is walking beside you. II. God is _Working
____________ For Me Genesis 39:19-­‐20, “When h is master heard the story h is wife told h im, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he b urned with anger. Joseph's master took him and p ut h im in p rison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined.” Joseph has gone from the Pit, to the Palace, back down to the Prison. He’s done the right thing and chosen the right path – but he still gets burned. NOTE: In ancient Egypt, if you were arrested by a royal official—you were guilty with no chance of proving your innocence. Joseph was facing life without the possibility of parole if not the death penalty. Yet we read again in vs. 21, “The Lord was with Joseph.” If you were in Joseph’s shoes, would you believe it at that time? QUESTION: If you had a choice to be either on a relaxing exotic island WITHOUT God or in a foreign prison, falsely accused of rape but yet WITH God – which would you c hoose? How can we say that God was working for Joseph during this time? Genesis 41:39, “Then Pharoah said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.” If Joseph had not been through the prison, he would have never made it to Pharaoh’s palace. PRINCIPLE #2 – Don’t _bow
_______ to be _bitterness
__________________. Even though Joseph was falsely accused and imprisoned, he just kept on serving the Lord. Are you a “Fair-­‐Weather Christian?” For some Christians, if somebody hurts their feelings – they’ll stop going to church. You can tell the _size
__________ of a Christian by what it takes to _stop
________ him. If you serve God only when the sun is shining and life is going your way – you’re not much of a Christian. God’s way of getting Joseph to the PALACE was through the PIT and the PRISON. What we see as ______________ ______________ stones that God is using to accomplish His stumbling blocks are in reality _stepping
plan and fulfill His purpose for your life. III. God is _Witnessing
_______________ Through Me Genesis 39:23, “The keeper of the p rison p aid no a ttention to a nything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with h im. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.” Once again, the Chief Jailor (a pagan unbeliever) saw that the Lord was with Him. The Chief Jailor saw something in Joseph that others will see in you when you start acting and living as though God is walking beside you and as though God is working for you. He saw the reality of God in Joseph’s life. If you wake up every day believing that God is walking beside you and expecting that God is working through you – people will see your faith and see the reality of God in your life. PRINCIPLE #3 – Don’t _fail
________ to be _______________. faithful
1 Samuel 2:30 the Bible says, “To them that honor Me, I will honor.” In other words, God remembered Joseph because Joseph remembered God. Reputation is what people think you are. Character is what God knows you are. Don’t be overly concerned about y our reputation and what people think about you. The closer you get to Jesus the more mud this old world throws at Him will hit you! NOTE: If you compare Gen. 39:20 with Gen. 41:46, you will find out that Joseph stayed in prison for a total of 13 years. He spent that time in prison all because of jealous brothers, a lying woman, and an ungrateful butler. There will be things that happen to you that just don’t add up. You will get what you don’t deserve. The key to making it through is to realize that when those times come, y ou are not under these circumstances, you are under the God who is over your circumstances. The grace of God will _exalt
___________ you without inflating you and it will _____________ you without humble
debasing you. God wanted Joseph to be a ruler but before any man can be a ruler he’s got to be a servant. If you’re not willing to be a servant you will never be a ruler! God always makes servants before He makes rulers. Joseph made wherever he was the temple of his devotion and the lampstand of his witness.