Joseph - Part 2

He descended to the dead, and on the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the fellowship of believers, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Good to have you with us here this morning. As we just said, we believe in the fellowship of believers. We're connected with all people of faith, even those that we cannot see. We share this universal connection through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Uh this last week in uh uh the Congo, North Africa, uh Islamic militants gathered up seventy Christians, uh men, women, children, and elders. huddled them into a Protestant church and proceeded to behead all of them. Uh and it's quite shocking. And you know, I'm not into DEI or equality or all this political nonsense. But sometimes you just gotta stop You know, if that had been seventy white Europeans, all hell would break loose.

And it would be on the news twenty-four-seven. But when it's a bunch of black people from Africa. You hardly hear about it. We need to just make sure that we don't get caught up in apathy. people that we don't value that much highly. They are brothers and sisters in Christ. They have suffered and done what I wonder if most of us would do. Uh can we all stand and I want to pray for these people.

Heavenly Father, we are rem remembering the seventy martyrs who were beheaded for no other reason than their faith in you. God such an evil act in this world. We pray, O Lord, for your grace over those who are left behind, the families that are devastated. The believers that are feeling all this pressure and intensity

in that area. We ask you God for uh the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon those that are still there, that the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit would be evident in their lives. God that you would do great miracles And we pray, Lord God, that this evil would be overcome and removed from the earth. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. You may be seated. Good to have you with us this morning. Didn't mean to bum you all out.

You know stuff. If you're a first time visitor, we're we're we're glad to see you. Uh we have a first time visitor here. This morning, I I think the name is Deanna, is that right? Fill out one of those cards with you so we can get a chance to know you. She's been gone for over two months. One thing after another, you know, just

family emergencies and stuff and actually her wonderful dad is in the hospital right now. And uh she was uh up in Marinette dealing with that and she walked in the house more Six thirty. So if you had to leave, you know, at five. She's been up early. Anyway, mercy and grace on her and her daddy. Amen. Looking at the scriptures. Last week we talked started the story about Joseph, and today we're going to pick this up.

uh was one of the twelve sons of uh Jacob, who God changed his name to Israel. These this became the twelve tribes of Israel. Uh and uh the nation of Israel today is still named after Turn to Israel. Joseph, one of his uh youngest sons, um was uh had dreams And uh he had a spiritual gift to be able to see stuff that most people couldn't see. But his dreams were that his brothers and family were all gonna bow down to him.

And he'd share this with them. Not a smart thing to do. But he couldn't shut up. And he was a little bit of a tattletale, the Bible tells us, you know, and his brothers didn't like him. So they plotted to kill him, but instead of killing him, they sold him off into slavery. Uh And uh so he winds up going to Egypt, he gets sold to a guy named Potter Who's uh in each in Egypt. He works as a slave for Potiphar, and but he succeeds greatly in everything he does.

And uh Potiphar eventually trusts his everything he has to Joseph. The Bible says the only thing he worried about was what he's gonna eat, you know. Everything'cause Joseph was so trusted. But then Mrs. Potifer got the hots for him. And the Bible says Jose Joseph was well built and handsome. She thought, Come here, boy and she starts chasing him around and uh he f resists her and then she claims that he tried to rape her'cause she got mad.

And then Joseph now is thrown into prison. And you can imagine the horrible circumstance. Bad enough to be a slave. You can't make your own decision. You have no life. Uh and now he's in prison. Said last week is not Brown County lockup. This is prison thousands and thousands of years ago. Unbelievably horrible. Every awful movie you've ever seen of a dungeon, this is Joe.

And he's there now uh for uh something he didn't And uh life is hard and uh but he decides to be the very best Prisoner he can be. To the point that he gets in charge of all the other prisoners because he's so effective in what he does. And we talked about last night, uh la last week, you know, whatever circumstance you're in, man, we need to learn to be content and succeed.

You know, if you got a sucky job, we'll be the best sucky job person you can. Okay? Don't just sit around and moan and groan and get depressed. My life's staying. Here's a guy who and the Bible talks about it being content. Paul said, I have learned the secret. To be content no matter what my circumstances

And that's when he says these famous words, because I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Christians love to quote that verse as a victory verse. It's really my life sucks verse. He says all these things, what things, these lousy, miserable, horrible things that he just mentions, I can do them all. Why? Because of Christ who strengthens me, and I've learned the secret to be content, no matter what the circumstances.

So we want to pick up the story now. What happens uh we're in Genesis the 40th chapter, uh it says sometime later, and when it says sometime later, it's now been eleven years. Eleven years. Now we don't know how long he was in Potiphar's house. But based on the behavior of misses Potiver, probably not all that long before she goes nuts and then he winds up in prison. So it's eleven years later. He was seventeen uh seventeen when this all started.

Now live that's sometime. Sometime later. You know we read these stories in the Bible, you know, because one thing happens right after another thing, it all happened immediately. It did not happen immediately. There are long chunks of time. Between stuff. People say, well how come God answered my prayer? I've been praying for eight days. Really? Reality check. Okay? Sometimes things take a while. Why? I don't know. They just do. He's now eleven years in the situation.

So sometime later the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master. We don't know what they did. But people used to live in absolute fear of these kings. Why? You so much as sneezed in the wrong direction. they'd kill you. I mean these were h power hump hung hungry psychophants, man. And there's crazy

Full of power, who knows what they did, probably little to nothing for our standard. I'm sure they didn't walk up to him, punch him in the face, but something they did he didn't like, so he throws him in prison. Now Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined.

The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them because now Joseph is in charge of everything, even in the large situation lousy situation,'cause he keeps rising to the top. Always decides he's going to be the best no matter what his circumstances. After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men, the cupbearer and the king the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison, had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.

So what? People have dreams all the time. These are spiritual dreams. I don't know if you've ever had a spiritual dream. Most people have not. Uh I must admit, in my seven years, I've had two. They are impactful, they are powerful. have the time to go into it, but uh it's it's amaz it's something it's not a normal dream. I mean it's like wow, God speaks to you in these dreams. Anyway, so they have this dream. It's obviously something very powerful.

And when Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. They were all freaked out. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, why do you look so sad? Well we both had dreams, they answered, but there's no one to interpret them. And then Joseph, who knows he has the spiritual gift. So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine were three branches.

As soon as it budded, it blossomed. As clusters ripened into grapes, Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. And I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand. This is his job. That's a cup bearer literally he car as a guy, his full time job to carry the cup. Extremely powerful. Nutty. So that's his job and he has a dream about his job. And Joseph says, Well this is what it means.

The three branches of three days, within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position. And you will be put uh you will put Caros Pharaoh's cup in his hand just as you used to do when you were his cupcake. But when all goes well with you, Now this is important, this part. Remember me and show me kindness. Mention me to Pharaoh and get me the heck out of you. So when I talk about being content in lousy situation, I'm not saying just accept the situation.

You know, if you're in a lousy job, be the best lousy job person you can be. But you get an opportunity to improve yourself, do it. It doesn't mean you just give up ambition. It doesn't mean you sit and just go, woe is me, you know, la la la la la. Well, here's I'm stuck, I'm just gonna be stuck here. If you can improve yourself, do it. Look for opportunities. Trust God to open doors for you.

And certainly this is Joseph, a person who's been extremely content through all this nonsense, right? Everything going wrong in his life. And he's still succeeding in the nonsense and the horrible stuff. But he says this guy, get me out of here. He doesn't want to be there. It's a horrible situation. He tells him the story I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing deserve being put in a dungeon.

Then the chief baker saw that Joseph had given him a favorable interpretation. He said, Joseph, I too had a dream. On my head were three baskets of bread, in the top baskets were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head. And Joseph says this is what it means. The three baskets are also three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head. and impale your body on a pole, and the birds will eat away your flesh.

If I'm the baker, I'm going, wait a minute. How come he had everything is good and I'm gonna get my head removed and stuck on a pole? Baker on a stick. Anyway, uh The third day the third day was Pharaoh's birthday and he gave a feast for all his And they lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials brought him in.

And he restored the chief cupbearer to his position, as Joseph had said, so that once again he put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, but he impaled the chief baker just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. Again, we have no idea. For all we know, he burnt his toast. It didn't take much for these kings to lose. It cost this baker his life. In verse 23, the chief cupmaker, uh cupbearer, who is now back in the employee of the king, however, did not remember Joseph, and he forgot him.

Dirty rat, right? So he said, Listen, when you get up there, talk to the king, get me out of here. I don't want to be here. Uh and then this guy, everything turns out well for him, and he doesn't. In all fairness, these guys were kinda afraid to say anything because the kings would go nuts. So anyway he just Chapter forty one. When two full years had passed. Now it's thirteen years. This is I I don't know if we can get our heads around.

Know we have people today they're just so impatient. Why doesn't God fix my situation right now, right now, right now? And they get all bummed out and depressed and Goodness gracious, show some patience. I you know, I deal with couples. I actually I try not to deal with couples. I know it's shocking to some of you. I get emails once in a while. I'll I'll ask a few questions, but I don't really want to meet with couples. We have people in the church who will. At my age I don't have the patience.

It is what it is. I love you, but not that much. Anyway, but I'll come to call me and say, uh, Pastor Mark, we've been married for twelve months and we're in hell. Pastor Mark, we've been married for six months and we're in hell. The worst call I ever got. Pastor, we've been married for two weeks and we're in hell. I'm thinking, it should take you years to get to hell. How are you getting to hell so fast? No patience.

It takes a while to figure it out. If you've been middle there for less than seven years, you're just a rookie. Suck it up buttercup. So what do I do? I get to the end of my rope, tie it on. Now I'm not talking about situations where there's abuse or infidelity. I'll help you cut the rope. But just regular everyday stuff, just come on. Just move on, Mark. Leave it alone. Okay, talking to myself. All right, two full years have passed. Then Pharaoh has a dream.

This is his dream. He's standing by the Nile River, and when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. And the cows that were ugly. But the ones who were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek fat cows, and then Pharaoh woke up. Oh that's a creepy dream. Cows. Then he falls asleep again and has a second.

This time seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stock. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy full heads, and Pharaoh woke up. In the morning his mind was troubled. He has a spiritual dream. He doesn't know what it even means. Throw in number. Hey, thank you. You know, you touch the screen and ye it takes off.

All right, here we go. Eight. In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent out sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told him his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. And then the chief cupbearer steps out of the shadows. He says, You know, today I'm reminded of my shortcomings

Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. Now a young Hebrew was there. a servant of the captain of the garden, he told him we told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us.

I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. Now, probably not as quickly as we think, because he had to shave him and clean him up. I'm sure he just reeked. Can you imagine? Looks horrible, dirty, they gotta clean him up before it comes to Pharaoh. And then Pharaoh says to Joseph, I had a dream. No one can interpret it. But I've heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.

Joseph said, I cannot, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires. So then Pharaoh tells him about the skinny cows eating the fat cows and the skinny crabs. And just as I said to Pharaoh, God has shown Pharaoh what is he about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.

The abundance of the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason Pharaoh has given or the reason. The dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that this matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it. And I'll let Pharaoh look for a certain a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.

Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land and take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance, and they should collect all the food for of these good years that are coming, and store them up in the uh under the authority of Pharaoh to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined.

The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, Can anyone find can we find anyone like this man?

One in whom is the Spirit of God. Then Pharaoh says to Joseph, Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise You shall be in charge of my past. And all the people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you. So Pharaoh said to Joseph, I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh took his signet ring and put it on his fingers, a sign of power and authority.

And put it on Joseph's fingers. He dressed him in robes of fine linen, put a gold chain around his neck, he looked like a rapper. And he had him ride in a chariot as the second in command, and the people shouted before him, Make way. Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. I want you to try and pick.

He wakes up that morning in a filthy, miserable dungeon in which he has been shoved into for some 13 years. And by the end of that day, He is the most the second most powerful and influential man in the world, along with And I die. And I die. You might come here this morning thinking man my started out this morning's already miserable. I got good for news for you. God can turn it all around in a day. Will he? I don't know. You might be sick for thirteen years.

Suck it up buttercup. But don't lose heart. Don't lose faith. All things are possible nothing is impossible with God. In a day this is the most amazing transformation in the Bible how that happens in a day. Wow, his head had to be swimming. As I said, far too many people today give up far too early. Get angry and they get depressed, they need to be medicated or they medicate themselves with drugs and alcohol. Even young people. And I'm gonna be talking about this in probably in two.

Those of you who deal with the depression. Most of our young people. You know how many teenagers are on antipr antidepressants and drugged up? It's the most wonderful time of their life. And they're depressed as they can be, worrying about everything. It is a poison that'll enter someone's mind and doesn't want to let go. When people of faith, we have the answer. Stay tuned. Anyway, it was his willingness to be content and be his best in whatever position God put.

That allowed God to do such an amazing miracle. Now next Sunday we'll pick up part three. Keep coming and find out what happens now to Joe. Incredible. Praise God. Somebody say amen. Okay, we have our time of communion. This is when we celebrate God's goodness in our lives because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross.

He died for the sins of the world, for all our mistakes, all our failures, and teaches us by his spirit to trust him with our futures. I don't know what Well, t chances are nobody here is gonna become the second most powerful man in the world and buddies with Elon. If you do, remember celebration church. Don't don't be like these rascals who forgot. All right. You don't know what God has, but God has been.