The Pit and the Promise: Sovereignty vs. Decision

• Child Dedication [00:12:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor invites families to dedicate children, citing Psalm 127:3 and Deuteronomy 6 to emphasize that children are a gift from God and parents are called to disciple them.
• Father's Day / Heavenly Father [00:31:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor acknowledges earthly fathers and those with difficult relationships with them, pointing to God as the active, loving Heavenly Father.
• Faith and Resilience (Joseph) [00:33:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The sermon introduces a series on heroes of faith, focusing on Joseph's journey from pit to palace as a model for trusting God's sovereignty and practicing forgiveness.
• Parenting and Family Dynamics [00:38:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor warns against favoring one child over another, citing Joseph's story as a cautionary tale of how favoritism creates animosity, jealousy, and envy, and emphasizes the importance of discipling children individually.
• Guarding the Heart [00:39:54 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses Proverbs 4:23 to teach that hatred must be guarded against and removed because everything flows from the heart, urging listeners to ask God for help in removing hatred.
• Trust in Suffering [00:40:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor discusses the 'pit' as a place to trust God's presence even when experiencing shock, heartbreak, and helplessness, asserting that God is at work even when it seems He has abandoned us.
• Work Ethic and Excellence [00:47:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using Joseph's time in Potiphar's house, the pastor teaches that working hard and striving for excellence honors God and inspires others, noting that God's presence brings success even in mundane tasks.
• Integrity and Character [00:48:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor highlights Joseph's refusal of Potiphar's wife as an example of high character and integrity, teaching that true character is who you are when no one is looking (except God) and that character matters most to the Lord.
• Character and Integrity [00:50:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor emphasizes that true character is who you are when no one is looking, noting that while doing the right thing doesn't guarantee right results, character always counts with the Lord.
• Humility and Giving God Credit [00:53:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using Joseph's refusal to take credit for interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, the pastor argues that humility creates a powerful testimony and giving God credit is an expression of faith and gratitude.
• Divine Timing and Sovereignty [00:53:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor teaches that 'God's delays are never God's denials,' explaining that the time in prison shaped Joseph's humility and prepared him for his role as prime minister.
• Forgiveness and Grace [00:59:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes the dramatic reunion with Joseph's brothers, highlighting Joseph's opportunity to offer mercy and grace rather than revenge, fulfilling the power of forgiveness.
• Forgiveness and Mercy [01:05:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor highlights Joseph's forgiveness of his brothers as a powerful scriptural example of mercy and grace, urging the congregation to extend the same forgiveness to those who have hurt them.
• Divine Sovereignty and Purpose [01:07:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor emphasizes that God is present and working even in 'pits' and 'prisons' of life, using trials to shape individuals for a greater destiny and purpose.
• Typology of Christ [01:06:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor draws a parallel between Joseph's betrayal, unjust suffering, and exaltation to save his people, and Jesus' betrayal, crucifixion, and exaltation to save all who believe.
• Evangelism and Response [01:07:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor issues a direct invitation for listeners to accept Christ as Savior, pray for salvation, and connect with church leadership for follow-up and discipleship.

• Sermon Illustration [00:32:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor tells three 'dad jokes': one about frogs wearing open-toed sandals, one about an ATM that only gives out coins, and one about a quiet game of tennis with no racket.
• Sermon Illustration [00:37:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the biblical narrative of Joseph, specifically his role as a 17-year-old shepherd who brought a 'bad report' about his brothers to his father Jacob, highlighting the tension caused by Jacob's favoritism.
• Sermon Illustration [00:37:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the biblical narrative of Joseph, detailing his birth as Jacob's favored son, the gift of the ornate robe, his 'bad report' to his father, his dreams of dominance, his brothers' hatred, the plot to kill him, Reuben's intervention to throw him in a pit, the sale into slavery by merchants, the deception of Jacob with the bloody robe, Jacob's inconsolable grief, Joseph's rise in Potiphar's house, his refusal of Potiphar's wife's advances, and his subsequent imprisonment.
• Sermon Illustration [00:42:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of a 'pit' to describe feelings of shock, heartbreak, pain, dread, and helplessness in life, asking the congregation if they have ever felt abandoned by God in such a situation.
• Sermon Illustration [00:50:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor quotes Billy Graham: 'When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. When health is lost, something is lost. but when character is lost all is lost.'
• Sermon Illustration [00:49:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the biblical narrative of Joseph: his refusal to sin with Potiphar's wife, his false imprisonment, his interpretation of the cupbearer's dream, his rise to prime minister of Egypt, and his eventual testing and reconciliation with his brothers who sold him into slavery.
• Sermon Illustration [00:50:34 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor cites Billy Graham's quote: 'When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. When health is lost, something is lost. but when character is lost all is lost.'
• Sermon Illustration [00:51:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references Rick Warren's statement that 'character is both developed and revealed in tests. And all of life is a test.'
• Sermon Illustration [00:57:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains the meaning behind Joseph's sons' names: Manasseh ('to forget' God making him forget his trouble) and Ephraim ('doubly blessed' or 'fruitful' in the land of his suffering).
• Sermon Illustration [01:02:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the biblical narrative of Joseph testing his brothers by planting a silver cup in Benjamin's sack, leading to Judah's plea to take Benjamin's place. This act of repentance leads to Joseph revealing his identity, restoring the family, and settling in Goshen. The story concludes with Joseph's forgiveness of his brothers and his assertion that God intended their evil for good to save lives.
• Sermon Illustration [01:05:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references an oil painting in the lobby depicting Jacob adopting Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, as his own.

• Pastoral Charge [00:16:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > Parents to verbally declare their desire to dedicate themselves and their children to the Lord.
• Pastoral Charge [00:17:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > The congregation to stand, commit to praying for the parents and children, encouraging their faith, and praying for the children's salvation.
• Pastoral Charge [00:40:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > Remove hatred from one's life and ask God for help in doing so.
• Pastoral Charge [00:45:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > Believe that current suffering is preparation for future purpose.
• Pastoral Charge [00:51:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > Turn around one's spiritual state/character starting immediately.
• Pastoral Charge [00:57:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > Let Joseph's story inspire them and faithfully trust God's work in their current situation.
• Pastoral Charge [01:07:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > Invitation to stand and pray
• Pastoral Charge [01:09:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > Invitation to accept Christ and pray a prayer of salvation
• Pastoral Charge [01:17:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > Instruction to share faith decision with leadership/shepherds

[00:11:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:11:41] You came to worship with us today. It is a beautiful summer morning, by the way.
[00:11:47] And, most importantly, Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there. I hope you feel a little extra love today.
[00:11:54] Yes, absolutely.
[00:11:55] Let's know about some ways we can connect with all the things going on around here at Watermark.
[00:12:05] You can definitely follow us on social media. I always see some great Watermark posts on Facebook and Instagram.
[00:12:12] you can also hop on our website and you can subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter which will keep you up to date on upcoming events and any and all new ministry opportunities you definitely don't want to miss out and stay connected with what's going on at watermark now i'm going to
[00:12:30] turn it over to pastor joel and we're going to share in a sweet time of child dedication

[00:12:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:12:35] an opportunity to sit down for just a couple of minutes very unusual in our service but i want to invite the families that are going to dedicate children to come on up this way now so i'm excited
[00:12:52] to have these two families with us today in the first service we had oh gosh i think five yeah go ahead and welcome okay all right very good um in the first service we had about five families
[00:13:08] who were with us. And it was awesome to have six children who were dedicated in that service.
[00:13:14] And of course, that to go along with the number of children that we were able to dedicate at Mother's Day. So this is the first time we've done Father's Day as well. So we're so excited about that. So we welcome these families up here. These beautiful children
[00:13:28] are excited about the opportunity to introduce them to you. So welcome, welcome. All right.
[00:13:33] So let me tell you who we got. First of all, we've got Liam Hilling. And Liam is here with his parents, Courtney and Kevin today. We're so glad that they're here with us. And then we have three of the Tresnor children with us today. Sawyer and Winifred and Ruth are here today to be dedicated.
[00:13:54] So again, we are so grateful to have this opportunity to share this moment with them, for you, for me, to have this chance to share this very important dedication time with them.
[00:14:07] You know, the Bible talks about how important children are to us, that they are a gift from God.
[00:14:13] In fact, in Psalm 127.3, we're told children are a heritage from the Lord.
[00:14:18] They're an offspring.
[00:14:19] They're a reward from Him.
[00:14:21] So as believers, we're called to recognize that children belong first to God and His goodness who has provided us as gifts, these wonderful children.
[00:14:32] They're not only an awesome responsibility for us, but they are an incredible privilege for us to enjoy raising them and leading them and discipling them to help them to come to know Jesus in a real and personal way.
[00:14:47] You know, we're told in 1 Samuel chapter 1 that Hannah presented her son Samuel to the Lord.
[00:14:55] And in Luke in the New Testament, we're told that Joseph and Mary actually brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem in order to present Him before the Lord.
[00:15:04] So in the same way, these parents are here today with their children presenting first of all themselves and then their children to the Lord.
[00:15:15] So parents, I want to call your attention to a very important passage in Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 4 through 7.
[00:15:22] It tells us, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
[00:15:26] So love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength.
[00:15:31] These commandments that I give you today are to be on your heart, so impress them on your children.
[00:15:36] Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you get up.
[00:15:42] We're also told in the New Testament, in Ephesians 6, 4, that fathers, don't exasperate your children.
[00:15:48] Instead, bring them up in the instruction, the training of the Lord.
[00:15:53] So parents, I encourage you, I implore you to love God with every ounce, with every fiber of your energy, and teach your children to do the same.
[00:16:03] As you love God, as you love one another and your children, you will model before your child a wonderful love for God, that he, that she will want for themselves one day.
[00:16:14] So parents, by coming forward before God and before his people, ask you this question.
[00:16:19] Do you hereby declare your desire to dedicate yourselves, your children, to the Lord?
[00:16:26] If you would, just respond, we do.
[00:16:28] All right.
[00:16:29] So I ask now that you enter into the following commitment, the presence of God and the presence of his people, so that your child may one day walk in the abundant life that Christ offers to you as parents
[00:16:42] bow to with God's help and in partnership with our church to provide your child a Christian home of love and of peace and to raise him or her in the Lord's instruction and the discipline
[00:16:56] and to encourage him or her to one day trust Christ as Savior and Lord.
[00:17:01] The answer is we do, right?
[00:17:04] That's right.
[00:17:05] So I ask that the church make a bow as well as we as a church family have some responsibility to partner with them in raising their children and they need our help and they appreciate our help so i ask you to stand for a moment as i ask you a question would you
[00:17:22] commit to pray for these parents and for these children and as god presents opportunity would you encourage them in their faith journey and then i ask you one other question will you commit to pray for the salvation of these children
[00:17:37] so that when they reach an age to make a decision for themselves that they would invite Jesus to be their personal Savior and Lord by faith.
[00:17:47] Will you do that?
[00:17:49] Yes. Thank you so much.
[00:17:51] They will appreciate that and they will need that.
[00:17:54] So I thank you for your commitment to do that.
[00:17:57] And parents, I'm so grateful that you took this time and that you were willing to stand here and make this commitment before God and before His people.
[00:18:04] So I want to pray for you. Can I do that? Let's pray.
[00:18:08] Father, we are so grateful for who you are, that you care for us, that you care for our children, that you bless us with children, God, for these parents that are standing here with me today.
[00:18:18] I pray your blessings on them as parents. I pray for wisdom in their lives.
[00:18:23] I pray that you'll give them patience and endurance and whatever they need to raise these children in the way you want them to be raised.
[00:18:30] and God we pray for their salvation we pray that when they come to the realization of who Jesus is that they too will declare Jesus is the Lord that's our hope our prayer we pray it in Jesus name
[00:18:45] and all God's children said Amen and blessings alright so if you would just head that way and we'll share that with you and thank you again for coming we appreciate y'all doing this yeah And thank each of you for being here
[00:19:06] We're going to continue our worship

[00:19:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:19:08] Seasons where we may not even see it

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:30:15] You are there and you walk alongside of us God thank you for being a good Good father That you would send your only son to die In our place so that we could live eternally with you
[00:30:26] God that is a sacrifice That we could never repay And it's a gift that we could never fathom And so Lord we just praise you today Thank you Jesus Thank you for your goodness Thank you for the way that you love us
[00:30:40] the way that you watch over us. Lord, we love you, and it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

[00:31:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:31:19] Well, good morning. So great to see you on Father's Day. Well, you know what? The first service continues to outpace the second service. Y'all are going to have to get on the ball in here, right? Invite your friends, your family to come join you. We were packed in the
[00:31:33] first service, but we are so glad that you're here today. And I just want to say to all of our dads in the building and God's house today. Happy Father's Day to you. So glad you're here. We are
[00:31:45] thankful for you, for dads. You mean so much to us. My dad's here today. He is every Sunday and I'm so thankful for him. So grateful for him back here today. So it's a blessing when you have your
[00:31:58] dad with you, right? Always is. And many of you have your dads with you today. And if you don't have your dad with you, then you can have special memories for your dad, right? And I hope you'll
[00:32:10] think about him in a special way today. And maybe for some of you here today or watching today, maybe you didn't have the kind of relationship with your dad that you hoped for. Maybe your dad
[00:32:21] wasn't there for you, but I want you to understand that there is a father in heaven who loves you dearly and who wants a relationship with you and has made a way for you to have a relationship
[00:32:32] with him, and he's very active in your life, and you'll see that today. I'm encouraged by that.
[00:32:38] So happy Father's Day to everyone today. And so in honor of Father's Day, I thought, well, you know what? Maybe I should start today with a couple of dad jokes. How about that? Yeah, we got some dad jokes fan, dad jokes fan. How do you say that? Dad joke fans in the building,
[00:32:55] right? So here we go. What kind of shoes do frogs wear? Anybody know? Open-toed sandals.
[00:33:03] Open-toed sandals. So I just built an ATM that only gives out coins. I don't know why no one's thought of it before. It just makes sense. Thank you. Thank you very much. One more.
[00:33:17] I had a quiet game of tennis yesterday. There was no racket. Thank you. I'm done. All right.
[00:33:24] Good night. All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. So today we're continuing our legendary series. We're exploring the lives of some remarkable heroes of faith that are found throughout scripture. And we've been looking at some of those so far in this series, including
[00:33:40] Abraham and Enoch. We've looked at Noah and last week, Ruth. And this week, we're going to talk about a guy that we could easily spend a dozen weeks on. In fact, we have in a series by his
[00:33:54] life, outlining his life, his name, of course, is Joseph. And his story is remarkable. If you want to learn even more about his life, you can go back and listen to that series. Today will be
[00:34:07] kind of a survey message. We'll look at his life and then we'll go just a little bit along today because we had some stuff going on, but the life of Joseph is captured for us in Genesis chapter
[00:34:17] 37 to 50, and it is the ultimate. It is the biblical master class on faith and resilience.
[00:34:25] His journey teaches us how to trust God's sovereignty when we're in a pit in life. He teaches us how to maintain character in the crucible of temptation. He teaches us how to unlock the power of radical forgiveness when vindication finally comes. His story has many
[00:34:44] lessons that we could share with our children and with our grandchildren, and I hope that you will today. You know, I have no doubt that you're going to be stirred by Joseph's faith story, and here's
[00:34:55] the truth. Some of you, you may find yourself in your own pit today, a pit of pain and hurt, and you're unsure how you got there. You're not sure how to get out. You're wondering if God
[00:35:07] has forgotten you. Some of you may be facing a critical character choice in your life right now.
[00:35:14] You need some guidance. You need some inspiration today. Others of you feel trapped or in neutral in life and you're wondering if God's going to help you to get back on your feet and when that's
[00:35:24] going to happen. Some of you have been badly hurt by another in your life and you wrestle with that pain every single day, and you've thought about offering mercy and grace and even forgiveness, but so far to this point, you've struggled with that. Listen, here's the truth. No matter where
[00:35:44] you are in your faith journey, no matter where you are in life's journey, I don't think the Lord has led you here today by accident. I think that you're here on purpose. I think you're here for a
[00:35:55] purpose. I think the Lord has much to teach you, to teach me today from Joseph's remarkable story, from his journey from the pit to the palace, a story of perseverance, of integrity, of faith and forgiveness. But before we dig into God's word today, let's pray. Our Father, I'm so grateful for
[00:36:16] this time we have to come together for the opportunity to worship you, to offer you the adoration, the praise that you so richly deserve. God, I pray that everything you've heard from us today has honored you. And I pray now that as we open your word to continue our worship, God,
[00:36:33] that you would speak to our hearts, that you would teach us something fresh and new from his story.
[00:36:38] Maybe we've heard many times for some in this room. Maybe they've never heard before. But God, I know that you have powerful lessons for all of us in Joseph's story. So unlock those for us today.
[00:36:51] Challenge us, encourage us, convict us in a way that only you can.
[00:36:57] We trust that you'll be at work.
[00:36:59] We pray it in Jesus' name.
[00:37:01] Amen.
[00:37:02] So Joseph was the 11th son of a man named Jacob.
[00:37:08] His first son by his favored wife who was Rachel.
[00:37:13] Now after the announcement of his birth, we see Joseph next as a 17-year-old shepherd returning from the fields where he had been with his half-brothers.
[00:37:24] And here's what the Bible tells us about that in Genesis 37-2.
[00:37:29] Joseph brought their father a bad report about them.
[00:37:34] Now, that probably didn't win him any favor with his brothers, right?
[00:37:39] We're not told exactly what that bad report was, and we don't have time to go into speculation about that today, But chances are, again, it didn't strengthen his relationship with those brothers, which was already tenuous at best.
[00:37:53] It was not good.
[00:37:54] And you know why?
[00:37:55] Because Jacob favored Joseph over his other sons.
[00:38:00] And in fact, we're told in verses 3 and 4, now Israel, that is Jacob, loved Joseph more than any of his other sons because he had been born to him in his old age.
[00:38:09] He made an ornate robe for him.
[00:38:12] When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him.
[00:38:18] They couldn't speak a kind word to him.
[00:38:21] Now, do I need to point out the obvious lesson here for us?
[00:38:25] It's pretty clear, right?
[00:38:26] That it is never a good idea to favor one child over another.
[00:38:31] That's always a bad idea.
[00:38:32] It's going to create animosity and jealousy and envy.
[00:38:36] It's clear that we as parents must treat all of our children well if we have multiple children.
[00:38:43] It's also true that each of your children are going to have different skill sets and talents and aptitudes.
[00:38:48] But leading them to Christ, helping them to come to an understanding of who He is, as we talked about with those parents on this stage today, discipling them, and helping them to individually understand what God's will,
[00:39:02] What his purpose and plan is for their life is one of the most important roles that parents play.
[00:39:08] Playing favorites never creates unity in a family.
[00:39:12] And for Joseph, it would be devastating.
[00:39:15] It also didn't help Joseph's relationships with his brothers that he told them about a dream he was having.
[00:39:23] A recurring dream that one day they would bow down to him.
[00:39:28] Now imagine when he shares that with his older brothers.
[00:39:31] What do you think they're going to think about that?
[00:39:33] Think they're going to like that?
[00:39:35] No, not so much.
[00:39:37] In fact, it calls them to hate him all the more.
[00:39:41] It's an important lesson here for us.
[00:39:43] Because this hatred is going to cause some serious trouble in Joseph's life.
[00:39:48] And in their lives too, to a large degree.
[00:39:51] Here's a lesson you might write in the margin.
[00:39:54] Guard your heart against hatred.
[00:39:57] Don't ever let it take root in your life.
[00:40:00] Here's what the Bible says in Proverbs 4.23.
[00:40:03] Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.
[00:40:08] This is imperative.
[00:40:10] And it's an important lesson that fathers can teach their children.
[00:40:14] In fact, I would encourage you to tell your children that.
[00:40:17] I want you to guard your heart because everything you do will flow from that.
[00:40:23] So if you're harboring hatred today, if that's you, then I would challenge you to trash it.
[00:40:28] To get rid of it.
[00:40:29] to ask God for help in getting rid of whatever that hatred is or the source of that hatred, whatever that might be, because it can cause serious hurt and pain, as we'll see in Joseph's life.
[00:40:41] So we learn a lot from Joseph's remarkable faith journey from this pit to the palace.
[00:40:46] And we're going to make five stops in his journey along the way.
[00:40:49] So you might follow along in your outline.
[00:40:51] The first stop is the pit.
[00:40:53] And this is an opportunity for Joseph to trust God is at work, even in his pain.
[00:40:59] And the same lesson is for you and me.
[00:41:02] You know, the animosity toward Joseph really peaked when his brothers plotted to kill him in the wilderness.
[00:41:08] Can you imagine?
[00:41:09] It got that bad.
[00:41:10] In Genesis 37, 19 and following, Here comes that dreamer, they said to each other.
[00:41:15] Come now, let's kill him.
[00:41:17] Let's throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him.
[00:41:22] And then we'll see what comes of his dreams.
[00:41:25] So Reuben, the eldest, objected to outright murder.
[00:41:28] and he suggested that they just throw Joseph into the cistern alive.
[00:41:35] Reuben had planned to come back and rescue Joseph later, so his brothers agreed and they threw him in the pit.
[00:41:42] Now, I want you to imagine for a moment what Joseph was experiencing as he sat in that pit.
[00:41:49] He must have been trapped in this dark, musty cistern, feeling like, you know, there's this mixture of sheer terror in his life. There's this deep betrayal. There's this profound abandonment, all he's experiencing in this moment. The realities
[00:42:06] of his situation really paint a harrowing picture for us, right? First of shock and heartbreak.
[00:42:14] I mean, imagine the whiplash of going from this favored, pampered son to now a condemned captive in just a matter of hours and then the physical pain the dread that he must have felt as he sat
[00:42:27] mired in the mud of this cold and dark and and musty pit wondering if if this would be his final resting place his grave and then finally the helplessness as he gazed up at those towering
[00:42:41] walls above him now sitting at the mercy of the brothers who were filled with hatred and envy have you ever found yourself in a in a pit like that maybe not for the same reasons that joseph
[00:42:58] did but for whatever reason you found yourself in a kind of pit in life and you too were filled with shock shock and heartbreak with pain and dread and maybe helplessness wondering if god was at work at all, or if he had abandoned you there, if he had left you there. And Joseph must
[00:43:14] have been thinking the same thing, because now he would be left to trust God explicitly, even as he endured enormous heartbreak and pain. You know, if we ended Joseph's story right here, you might think that God was not at work in his life at all. But you would be wrong. You see, God was very much
[00:43:33] at work in Joseph's life, even in his despair, because while the immediate experience was one of utter isolation, it sets into motion one of the most inspiring stories of resilience, of providence, of eventual reconciliation that we see in biblical history. And for you and me,
[00:43:53] it means that we can trust that God is at work in our lives too, even in the pain, even in the heartbreak even in the pit of life when you can't yet see it or can't yet comprehend
[00:44:05] it so when Reuben was away from his brothers who had decided by the way to eat lunch after they tossed their brother into the cistern which shows how cold-hearted they were some merchants passed by and Judah suggested selling Joseph into slavery because he didn't want to kill him either
[00:44:24] so that's what the brothers did they sold him into slavery before Reuben could rescue him and they decided they would deceive their father by taking Joseph's ornate robe and dipping it in the goat's blood and then taking it back to Jacob and telling him that his son his favorite son
[00:44:42] had been killed slain by wild beasts so later when the brothers told their father this story that Joseph had been killed, Jacob was inconsolable. Here's what the Bible tells us in chapter 37, verse 35. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be
[00:45:03] comforted. No, he said, I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave. So his father wept for him. You know, there's no greater loss in this world than the loss of a child by a parent.
[00:45:19] I don't think there's any greater pain than that.
[00:45:22] And that's what Jacob was experiencing in this moment.
[00:45:25] And it's sad that these young men would treat their father that way, that they would treat their brother that way.
[00:45:30] And I have to wonder if they were feeling at least some twinge of guilt or regret over what they had done.
[00:45:36] It's hard to imagine they didn't.
[00:45:38] And for Joseph, as bad as the situation appears, I want you to understand the Lord had not left him.
[00:45:44] He had not abandoned him.
[00:45:46] Though the trajectory of his life seemed ruined, the Lord was still with him.
[00:45:53] And the truth is, the pit is not the end of your story either.
[00:45:58] I want you to understand that.
[00:45:59] I want you to believe that today.
[00:46:01] It may yet be preparation for your purpose, for your destiny in this world.
[00:46:06] It would be for Joseph.
[00:46:08] There's a second stop on this journey, and that's Potiphar's house, where Joseph will have an opportunity to choose character over compromise.
[00:46:18] So despite the fact that he had been abandoned by his own brothers, thrown into this pit and now sold into slavery, Joseph landed on his feet and not by good luck, but by the hand of the good Lord, right?
[00:46:29] So Joseph was sold by the merchants to this high-ranking Egyptian named Potiphar.
[00:46:38] And here's what we're told in verses 2 and following of chapter 39.
[00:46:41] The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.
[00:46:48] And when his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and he became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge
[00:46:59] of his household and he entrusted in his care everything he owned. You know, that's remarkable, don't you think then because Joseph was diligent in the mundane because Joseph was willing to honor God in whatever he did the Lord was with him and he quickly climbed the ladder of success in his
[00:47:21] life I think that's another great lesson especially for young people it's one we want to share with our children that is to work hard wherever you find yourself to strive for excellence for excellence honors God and it inspires people. And people can't help but notice that kind of
[00:47:41] work ethic. You think that's something important to teach your children? It absolutely is.
[00:47:47] Potiphar saw that in Joseph. So he gave Joseph this huge promotion. Now here's this Israelite slave who's in charge of a prominent Egyptian's entire estate. That didn't happen by accident, guys. But here's another vital truth. I want you to understand this. When God is at work,
[00:48:08] the enemy is too. In these parts, it's often said like this, where the Lord is working, the devil is lurking. I've also heard it said, when the Lord is blessing, the devil's a messing.
[00:48:20] And he is, right? Joseph is about to face some, you know, a real test, a stiff test of integrity here. Take a look at verses 6 and following in chapter 39. Now Joseph, he was well built. He was
[00:48:34] handsome. And after a while, his master's wife took notice of Joseph. So it seems that Potiphar's wife had an eye for Joseph. And her advances become very overt. They become very aggressive.
[00:48:50] She didn't take no for an answer. Though Joseph consistently refused her. He wanted to show honor to his master who had entrusted him with so much. In fact, here's what he says to Potiphar's wife.
[00:49:02] No, no one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?
[00:49:15] Joseph's integrity is impressive and it is inspiring. Ultimately, Joseph knew that the sinful choices that he made in life were not just against any one person, but ultimately against the one who mattered most, the Lord. And he didn't want to dishonor his earthly master, but more
[00:49:35] importantly, he didn't want to dishonor his heavenly master. But Potiphar's wife persisted, and one day she got really aggressive, but Joseph wisely didn't walk away from her. He ran away, and as hard as he could go and in fact he left in her hands his cloak which she used to then accuse
[00:49:57] Joseph falsely of attempted rape and sadly Potiphar believed her and he had Joseph thrown into prison for it I want you to understand something that is vital in this story that high character is a trait that we as parents must teach our children and instill in our children
[00:50:16] You know, I've heard it said that true character is who you are when no one else is looking except, of course, God.
[00:50:23] And sadly, in this fallen world, doing the right thing doesn't always guarantee you right results.
[00:50:29] But character always counts, especially with the Lord.
[00:50:34] You know, Billy Graham once said, when wealth is lost, nothing is lost.
[00:50:40] When health is lost, something is lost.
[00:50:43] but when character is lost all is lost it matters in this case joseph lost a lot his reward for obedience was false accusation it was imprisonment yet his character remained now joseph's faith would be put to the test again by the way fellow pastor rick warren says that character is both
[00:51:07] developed and revealed in tests. And all of life is a test. A question for you and me is how are you doing on that test? How are you doing with that? Because if you're failing it
[00:51:20] right now with the Lord's help, you can turn it around and starting today. So the third stop on Joseph's journey is the prison. And here he'll find the faithfulness in the darkness. Even though Joseph was in a dark place. He was unjustly accused. He was falsely imprisoned. The Lord had
[00:51:39] not forgotten him, no matter how he may have felt in this moment. Take a look at verses 20 and following in 39. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him. This is
[00:51:53] important. He showed him kindness and he granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
[00:51:58] So Joseph had an opportunity to interpret these dreams of two of his fellow prisoners.
[00:52:05] Both interpretations proved to be true.
[00:52:08] And one of the men was later released from jail and restored to his position where he was the king's cupbearer.
[00:52:16] But even though the cupbearer had promised to advocate for Joseph with Pharaoh, the cupbearer forgot.
[00:52:23] and imagine the agony that Joseph must have felt when he realized that this cup bearer had forgotten to speak to Pharaoh about him you know I wonder if there was any part of Joseph that might have
[00:52:36] wondered if God had forgotten him too you know some would have and maybe sometimes you think that but to be clear God had not forgotten about Joseph and he will never forget about you so
[00:52:48] Joseph lingered in that prison for two more years before the king himself began to have these troubling dreams of his own and then the cupbearer remembered this guy Joseph oh yeah let me tell you
[00:53:04] about a guy who can help you to understand these dreams so Pharaoh wanted to see him there's another important lesson here for us by the way and you might write this in the margin that God's timing
[00:53:14] is always perfect. That God's delays are never God's denials. The delay in prison helped to shape Joseph's humility, helped to prepare him for an even more important task. So the king summoned Joseph. He told him about his dreams. He wanted Joseph to interpret them. But I want you to look
[00:53:33] at what Joseph told the king in verse 16 of chapter 41. I can't do it, he said, but God will give Pharaoh the answers he desires. I want you to notice something important here that Joseph gave
[00:53:48] God the credit that God deserved. He didn't take any of the credit for his abilities, for his intellect, for his gifts. It was all from God and Joseph knew it and he made sure that Pharaoh
[00:54:01] knew it too. This is an important lesson to teach our children. You know, humility creates a powerful testimony and giving God the credit where credit is due for anything that you achieve in life is
[00:54:13] an expression of gratitude. It's an expression of faith. And again, it's important for us to teach this to our children. The best way to teach it is to model it, to model humility for them,
[00:54:26] to say to them, you know what? Anything we have, anything I've achieved in life is not by my own hand, but by God's work through me and in me. It's true always. And Joseph showed humility here by
[00:54:42] giving God the credit for his gift, not taking credit for himself. So based on Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph predicted seven years of bountiful harvest, followed by seven years of severe famine in Egypt.
[00:54:56] And he advised the king to begin storing grain in preparation for this coming famine, which takes us to stop number four on Joseph's journey, the palace, fulfilling a divine destiny. So Pharaoh was impressed by Joseph's insight, by his wisdom, especially if he was going to be right, and he
[00:55:16] would be, so much so that Joseph at the tender age of 30 was made a ruler, essentially prime minister of all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. So imagine this, a former Israelite slave, abandoned by his brothers, imprisoned by his former master, now serving, elevated to a
[00:55:42] position of prime minister, answering only to the king. Joseph had now, by God's hand, made his way from the pit to the palace, and none of it was by accident. The Lord was at work every step of the
[00:55:55] way. Yeah, Joseph had to wait for the right timing, for God's timing. But in his time, God elevated Joseph to this remarkable position, a position that he could have only dreamed of, point and pun intended. You know, there's a reason that Joseph appears in the hall of faith
[00:56:16] in Hebrews chapter 11. He remained faithful to the Lord, even when his life was hard, even when it was dark even when it seemed hopeless so Joseph faithfully believed that God was with him that his sovereign hand was on him that he was working his will in Joseph's life and Joseph
[00:56:34] had to trust the Lord and he did believing that God had a purpose that God had a destiny for his life so my question for you is this will you believe that too when life is hard when it's dark
[00:56:49] when it's seemingly hopeless for you because maybe you're in that season right now.
[00:56:56] So I want to challenge you to let Joseph's faith story inspire you.
[00:57:01] Your faith journey may not be as epic as Joseph's, but it matters.
[00:57:07] So faithfully trust that the Lord is working in your life even through the situation you find yourself in or the good, again, or the not so good.
[00:57:17] so during the years of plenty but before the famine began joseph actually had two sons of his own their names manasseh and ephraim the names joseph gave his son all for insights about his faith to take a look at this in verses 50 and following of chapter 41 before the years of
[00:57:35] famine came two sons were born to joseph joseph named his firstborn manasseh and he said it's because god has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household the second son he named
[00:57:46] Ephraim. And he said, it's because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering. So even the names that Joseph gave his sons were a reflection of his gratitude to the Lord for
[00:58:00] the Lord's work in his life, transforming past pain into abundant blessing. So Manasseh means to forget. Ephraim means doubly blessed. Joseph knew that God had been at work in his life all along, even in the most painful and the most hurtful seasons of his life. So his prime minister,
[00:58:23] Joseph, was in charge of storing up food during the years of plenty and selling it to Egyptians and to foreigners during the years of famine. In verse 57 of chapter 41, and all the world came to
[00:58:37] Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe everywhere. You know, the Lord was clearly using Joseph in remarkable ways, no doubt to save many lives, not only in Egypt, but in the countless countries surrounding it. That would include his very own family,
[00:58:58] the family who had abandoned him. You see, Joseph's suffering was not by accident. God had used it as a vehicle for a much grander mission. This is the way the Lord often works, even in your
[00:59:13] life and in mine, bringing us to the last stop on Joseph's journey, where he would have an opportunity to experience the power of forgiveness, offering mercy and grace. So in a dramatic twist, Joseph's brothers come seeking grain in Egypt, sent by their father Jacob. Little do they know
[00:59:34] that the very brother that they sold into slavery is now in charge of the distribution of grain.
[00:59:40] Their faith, their survival, actually lays in the hands of this man.
[00:59:46] If he was angry, if he was bitter, if he had pain stored up in his heart, now would be the opportunity to exact his revenge.
[00:59:55] So while in Egypt, the men met their long-lost brother, whom they did not recognize.
[01:00:02] Joseph, however, did recognize them.
[01:00:05] He tested them by accusing them of being spies.
[01:00:08] He confined them for three days.
[01:00:10] And then he released all but one, sending with them the grain for their households, but requiring them to come back with their youngest brother, Benjamin.
[01:00:18] Still unaware of Joseph's identity, the brothers were wrought with guilt.
[01:00:23] They were feeling terrible for having sold their brother into slavery all those years ago.
[01:00:29] And Joseph is overhearing the conversations, the discussions that they're having with one another before they leave Egypt with that grain.
[01:00:37] And it caused him to weep.
[01:00:39] The lingering pain was still very real for him.
[01:00:42] But he kept Simeon back and he sent the others on their way, secretly having the money that they had paid for the grain put back into their grain sacks.
[01:00:52] And when the brothers later realized that the money had been returned, they feared that they would be in huge trouble for not paying for that grain.
[01:00:59] So once they got home, they told Jacob all that had happened in Egypt.
[01:01:02] And now Jacob mourned again for the loss of Joseph, but now also for Simeon.
[01:01:09] He refused to send Benjamin back with them, despite Reuben's promise that he would get him back safely.
[01:01:16] But the famine became so severe that Jacob finally acquiesced.
[01:01:22] Judah persuaded Jacob to send Benjamin with him, giving his own life as a pledge.
[01:01:31] And so Jacob agreed, sending also choice fruits and double the money for the grain.
[01:01:36] So when they get back to Egypt, Joseph sees them and he met them.
[01:01:40] And he asked that an animal would be slaughtered for a very special meal with these men.
[01:01:47] And so they're wondering, what is going on here?
[01:01:51] Why is the prime minister being so kind to us?
[01:01:54] Why would he want to have a meal with us in his home?
[01:01:58] But he does.
[01:01:58] And they're thinking, well, he's going to pounce on us for not paying for that grain on the first trip.
[01:02:03] But when Joseph came home, note this in verse 26 of chapter 43.
[01:02:09] When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gift that they had brought into the house.
[01:02:15] And they bowed down before him to the ground.
[01:02:20] The brothers bowing before Joseph obviously fulfilled the details of that dream that he had shared with his brothers all those years before.
[01:02:29] He asked about their family's welfare, and he was so overwhelmed by emotion that he had to leave the room again to weep.
[01:02:36] He didn't want his brothers to yet know who he was, who he really was.
[01:02:40] And when the men sat down for their meal at a separate table, they couldn't believe that they were set in order of their birth.
[01:02:50] That didn't make sense to them.
[01:02:51] How could this be?
[01:02:53] So Joseph again tested his brothers, this time returning money into their grain sack.
[01:02:58] But he also put into Benjamin's grain sack a silver cup.
[01:03:03] And then they went on their way.
[01:03:06] Joseph sent one of his stewards after them.
[01:03:09] And he finds the cup in Benjamin's sack.
[01:03:12] And he fiends anger.
[01:03:15] And he hauls them all back to Egypt.
[01:03:17] And when they get back there, Joseph is standing before them and they're ready.
[01:03:26] You know, they don't know what's going to happen.
[01:03:27] They're pleading and hoping that he won't kill Benjamin.
[01:03:31] So Judah pleads for Benjamin's life, saying that if Benjamin were to die, so would their father Jacob.
[01:03:38] So Judah offered his life in place of Benjamin's.
[01:03:42] In verse 33 of Genesis 44, Now then, please let your servant remain here as my Lord's slave in place of the boy.
[01:03:52] And let the boy return with his brothers.
[01:03:55] This is important.
[01:03:57] You'll see why in just a moment.
[01:04:00] When Joseph saw proof of the brother's change of heart, Joseph sent all of his servants away.
[01:04:06] And he wept openly and loudly.
[01:04:08] loudly enough that the whole of pharaoh's household heard and then joseph said to his brothers come close to me and when they had done so he said i'm your brother joseph the one you sold
[01:04:25] into slavery in egypt and now do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. I'm sure his brothers were
[01:04:41] astonished to say the least. So now relationships are restored and because of mercy and grace, Joseph's brothers are then brought along with their families, including Jacob, to live in Egypt where they settle in this fertile land of Goshen. They were taken care of for all of these years
[01:05:01] by Joseph. 17 years after moving to Egypt, Jacob died, but not before blessing, adopting Joseph's sons as his own, Manasseh and Ephraim. By the way, we have an oil painting of that in the lobby today, if you'd like to see what that might have looked like by that artist's
[01:05:25] interpretation. But after Jacob died, his brothers feared, feared that Joseph might hold a grudge against them. But in one of the most powerful expressions of forgiveness, of mercy and grace in scripture, Joseph said to them, don't be afraid. Am I in place of God? You intended to harm me,
[01:05:48] but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
[01:05:54] so then don't be afraid I will provide for you and for your children and he reassured them and he spoke kindly to them you know the lesson for you and me is very clear isn't it
[01:06:08] that if Joseph could offer mercy and grace and forgiveness to his brothers then we can do the same for those who have hurt us in life and what a powerful lesson to teach your children
[01:06:21] is there anyone in your life right now who needs your mercy, who needs your grace, who needs your forgiveness? Would you offer it? You know, Joseph's story points to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as Joseph was betrayed,
[01:06:40] as he suffered unjustly, as he was exalted to save his people, Jesus was betrayed. He suffered on the cross and he was exalted to save all who by faith would believe. The question is, do you believe? Because if you're currently in a pit, if you're in a prison in your own life,
[01:07:02] I want you to remember that God is with you, that God is for you, that God has not abandoned you, that he's using these trials to shape you for a greater purpose, a greater destiny.
[01:07:15] Will you choose to trust His sovereign plan?
[01:07:18] Will you release the pain of the past through mercy and grace and forgiveness?
[01:07:26] The same mercy, grace, and forgiveness that He's modeled for you, that He's offered for you.
[01:07:33] By the way, the line of Jesus came through one of these brothers.
[01:07:39] Do you know which one?
[01:07:42] It was Judah.
[01:07:43] it was Judah who would provide the lineage of Jesus the same one who offered his life in place of his brother Benjamin Jesus has done the same for you, he's done the same for me, the question is
[01:07:58] do you know him, if not you can know him today I want to invite you to stand to your feet, I want to pray with you and for you, oh father I'm so grateful for your word
[01:08:11] for the power of your word, for this incredible journey that joseph took from the pit to the palace god you were with him every step of the way your hand was on him there was no pain in his life that was wasted you were at work and god
[01:08:30] you're at work in our lives too father i know that there are people in this room today or those watching today who are struggling they're hurting for whatever reason maybe they find themselves in their own pit or in their own prison of darkness and hopelessness. And God, they're struggling
[01:08:45] and they desperately need to know that you're with them, that you are for them, and that God, you are work, work on purpose and for a purpose in their lives. So God, assure them of that in
[01:09:00] this moment. And God, if there's one in this room today who realizes for the very first time what you've done for them in Jesus. And the fact that they are a sinner in need of a savior and that
[01:09:11] Jesus offered himself on that cross for us. He paid sin's penalty of death for us. He offered his life in place of ours. And God, we're so grateful for that. If someone in this room or
[01:09:28] watching today realizes that for the very first time, I pray that they would open their heart to you now and declare jesus is lord and say god thank you for saving me i don't know everything
[01:09:39] it means but i know you're going to teach me i love you and i want to honor you with my life god we thank you for all that you've done for us for all that you will do for us you're amazing
[01:09:53] and worthy and wonderful in jesus name we pray amen

[01:09:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:09:58] You know what?

[01:16:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[01:16:23] The moment's still here, right?
[01:16:25] We are grateful and we are thankful.
[01:16:28] And He deserves our hallelujah.
[01:16:29] He deserves our praise.
[01:16:31] He deserves our worship every single day and in every way because He's there to guide us, to direct us.
[01:16:39] No matter where we find ourselves in life, whether we're in a pit or we're in a prison of darkness, God is with us and He is for us. He has a plan and a purpose in your pain. Never forget that.
[01:16:53] Joseph's story reminds us of that, doesn't it? It's a story of inspiration. It's a story of life change. It's a story of perseverance, of resilience. It's a remarkable story of faith and it can be your story. You trust that God is at work in your life. I don't know where you are
[01:17:14] in your faith journey today, but you leave here today inspired.
[01:17:18] You leave here today changed.
[01:17:20] You leave here today knowing and believing that promise that God is with you and that He is for you.
[01:17:27] Amen?
[01:17:28] And by the way, if you accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord, we want to welcome you to the family of believers.
[01:17:35] We're so thankful for that.
[01:17:37] So grateful that you made that most important decision in this life.
[01:17:42] And I want to encourage you Before you leave this place today to share that with someone, you can come and see me.
[01:17:48] You can share it with one of our renewed ministry shepherds who are wearing the gold lanyards and the bridge.
[01:17:53] If you need prayer or encouragement, they're there for you today as well.
[01:17:56] So see them.
[01:17:58] So before we leave, I just want to say a special word of prayer.
[01:18:01] And again, I want to say Happy Father's Day to all of our dads.
[01:18:06] Let's pray.
[01:18:08] Our Father, we love you.
[01:18:10] We're so grateful for you.
[01:18:12] We're so grateful for the direction that you offer us in life. God, we're so grateful that your hand is on us, that you are for us. God, that you are guiding us each and every step of the way when we seek to live and to honor you. And so, God,
[01:18:27] that's our heart's desire. As we leave here today, we leave trusting you. We leave here today with our faith fully in you, trusting in Jesus. So, God, use us this week to make an impression
[01:18:40] and to leave a mark for Him.
[01:18:43] We pray it in the glorious name of Jesus, in the holy, the redemptive, the remarkable name of Jesus and all God's children said, Amen.
[01:18:54] Blessings.