IF YOU TAKE BETRAYAL PERSONALLY, YOU'RE ACTUALLY GIVING YOURSELF WAY TOO MUCH CREDIT FOR YOUR OWN HOLINESS. BECAUSE JESUS HIMSELF, WHO WAS PERFECT, DEALT WITH BETRAYAL. IF YOU DON'T HEAL FROM PEOPLE THAT CUT YOU, THEN YOU'LL EVENTUALLY BLEED ON A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO NEVER HURT YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE. YOU'RE BLEEDING ON THE NEXT RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE YOU HAVE NEVER GOTTEN HEALED FROM THE PAST ONE. HEY, GUYS, WELCOME BACK TO THE REBECCA WEISS PODCAST.
I'M HERE WITH PASTOR AARON BURKE, FROM RADIANT CHURCH IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. THANKS FOR BEING ON THE SHOW TODAY. YES. AN HONOR TO BE WITH YOU. YES. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YES. YES. AND WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT YOUR NEW BOOK, THE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE, TALKING ABOUT LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF JOSEPH, ONE OF MY FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTERS. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE WITH YOU. I LOVE THIS, LOVE WHAT GOD'S DOING THROUGH YOU AND THE MINISTRY HERE. AND SO I'M PUMPED, PUMPED TO BE WITH YOU.
SO I WAS GOING THROUGH THIS BOOK AND I WAS SUPER MOVED BY IT. AND BASICALLY WHAT I'M GATHERING, PART OF THE PREMISE OF THIS BOOK IS THAT WE ALL, FOR PEOPLE WHO FEEL LIKE THEY'VE HAD, KIND OF A HARD HAND IN LIFE. YEAH. HAVE BEEN HURT, HAD PROBLEMS, REALIZING THAT GOD CAN TAKE THESE THINGS AND ACTUALLY USE THEM TO OUR ADVANTAGE IF WE ALLOW HIM TO. YEAH. THERE WAS A GIRL THAT WAS, SHE'S OUR YOUNG ADULTS PASTOR AT OUR CHURCH, AND SHE'S BEEN WITH ME A DECADE, PLUS.
AND I'VE SEEN THE TURMOIL THAT SHE WENT THROUGH IN LIFE. HER PARENTS WENT THROUGH A BRUTAL DIVORCE. SHE HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED, MISTREATED, ABUSED, ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF. AND I WAS PRAYING FOR HER A FEW YEARS AGO DURING PRAYER AND FASTING, AND I'M TELLING YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU EVER HAVE THOSE MOMENTS WHERE YOU PRAY AND IT'S LIKE, YOU'RE CRYING, I MEAN THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS THERE. IT'S ONE OF THOSE LIKE BOO-HOO CRY MOMENTS. I'M PRAYING FOR HER AND I'M SAYING THIS PHRASE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
I WAS LIKE, IT'S UNFAIR. IT'S UNFAIR WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH. IT'S UNFAIR WHAT YOUR PARENTS PUT YOU THROUGH. IT'S UNFAIR THE REJECTION. IT'S UNFAIR THE BETRAYAL. AND AS I'M PRAYING FOR HER, AS CLEARLY AS I'M SPEAKING RIGHT NOW, I HEAR THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAK TO ME AND SAID, AARON, IT'S UNFAIR BUT IT'S FOR HER ADVANTAGE. AND IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT I STOPPED, AND I WROTE DOWN THE PHRASE, THE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE.
AND THE PREMISE OF THE BOOK IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID, IT'S WHERE GOD USES ALL OF THE UNFAIR THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, THAT WE GO THROUGH IN LIFE, FOR HIS ADVANTAGE, IF WE LEVERAGE THEM WELL. IT'S AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S NOT AUTOMATIC. SO, YOU KNOW, THE PHRASE THAT WE USE, IN ROMANS 8:28, YOU KNOW, GOD TURNS ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE CAVEAT TO IT. THE CAVEAT IS FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
WHAT HE'S SAYING IS, GOD CAN USE EVERYTHING YOU GO THROUGH FOR A GREATER PURPOSE, IF YOU LEARN TO LEVERAGE IT RIGHT. SO WHAT I DID IS, I WENT ON THIS DEEP DIVE OF THE PERSON WHO, OTHER THAN JESUS, WAS MOST BETRAYED, MOST REJECTED IN SCRIPTURES. AND IT'S THIS GUY BY THE NAME OF JOSEPH. JOSEPH'S STORY IS REMARKABLE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A 17-YEAR-OLD WHO GETS A VISION FROM GOD. AND THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO HIM DON'T BELIEVE IN HIM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING TO THIS AND THEY'RE FRUSTRATED, THEY'RE LIKE, NOBODY ELSE BELIEVES IN THE CALL OF GOD ON MY LIFE. NOBODY ELSE SEES IT. THAT WAS JOSEPH. SO HIS VERY FIRST UNFAIR SCENARIO IS THE SIMPLE FACT THAT HE'S OVERLOOKED AND NOT BELIEVED BY THEM. THEY DOUBT HIS DREAM. AND SO I WAS LIKE, WELL, WHAT'S THE ADVANTAGE IN THIS? THE ADVANTAGE IN THIS IS, THAT WE GET TO BELIEVE AGAIN. WE GET TO TRUST GOD AGAIN, EVEN WHEN THINGS DIDN'T WORK THE RIGHT WAY.
SO I WALKED THROUGH THE LIFE OF JOSEPH AND I WALKED THROUGH SEVEN DIFFERENT UNFAIR SEASONS THAT JOSEPH GOES THROUGH, THAT WE ALL GO THROUGH. WHETHER IT'S PEOPLE NOT BELIEVING IN YOUR DREAMS, PEOPLE REJECTING YOU, WRONGFULLY ACCUSING YOU. I MEAN, WE'VE ALL DEALT WITH THIS KIND OF STUFF. WHAT ABOUT THE SEASONS WHERE WE JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE OVERWORKED AND WE'RE UNDERPAID? THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE FEELING THAT. AND YOU GO, WHAT GOOD CAN COME OF IT?
IF YOU'LL LEARN TO LEVERAGE THAT SEASON FOR GOD'S GLORY, AND YOU'LL LEARN TO MAKE THE MOST OF THAT SEASON, THEN GOD WILL USE IT FOR HIS GLORY, AND YOU'LL SEE IT AS YOUR ADVANTAGE. SO I'LL GIVE YOU A COOL STORY. SO MY DAD, MY DAD IS A CRAZY ENTREPRENEUR. HE SOMEHOW CAN SELL ANYTHING TO ANYONE. AND I GREW UP, WE WERE ALWAYS -- WE HAD CAR BUSINESSES GROWING UP. AND I REMEMBER ONE TIME I CAME HOME AND HE'S LIKE, HEY, I BOUGHT SOME DONKEYS TODAY. WE'RE LIKE, WHAT? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?
HE'S LIKE, YEAH, YEAH, WE BOUGHT DONKEYS. AND BASICALLY HE WOULD TAKE ANYTHING ON TRADE FOR THESE USED CARS THAT HE HAD. AND SO WE HAD DONKEYS FOR A WHILE. IT WAS CRAZY STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT HE MADE A LIVING THROUGH BUYING AND SELLING. SO I ASKED HIM, I SAID, HOW DID YOU LEARN HOW TO DO THIS? HE GREW UP SO POOR IN MIAMI. AND HE GOES, ONE TIME MY DAD TOOK ALL OF OUR MONEY AND GAMBLED IT AWAY, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FOOD.
SO I WENT UP THE STREET AND I PICKED AVOCADOS FROM THE TREE, FROM A TREE IN, LIKE, SOME PUBLIC PARK. AND THEN I WENT TO THE STREET CORNER AND I STARTED TELLING THEM FOR A QUARTER APIECE, OR FIVE FOR A DOLLAR. AND HE SAYS, SO I LEARNED HOW TO SELL THROUGH THE LACK IN MY LIFE. AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT A PERFECT EXAMPLE. HE TOOK AN UNFAIR SCENARIO, AND THEN LEVERAGED IT BY LEARNING A SKILL THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BE THE THING THAT PROVIDED FOR ALL OF US GROWING UP.
AND I WAS LIKE, IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF HOW GOD WORKS IN OUR LIVES. HE DOES NOT PROMOTE US THROUGH THE EASY SEASONS. I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS IT. YOU'RE LISTENING TO US RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE LIKE, I'VE SIGNED UP FOR EASY. IT'S NOT GONNA WORK. AND YOU KNOW THIS. WE ALL GO THROUGH PAINFUL, DIFFICULT SEASONS, BUT THAT'S GOD'S SCHOOLING FOR US TO HELP US BECOME WHO GOD'S CALLED US TO BE.
IT'S ROUGH. AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH MY HUSBAND, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT THE DREAM JOSEPH HAD, HOW INCREDIBLE THAT IS. YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN GOD FIRST CALLS YOU INTO MINISTRY, IF HE GIVES YOU A PROPHETIC DREAM, OR YOU HAVE A VISION, AND IT'S JUST THIS INCREDIBLE MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE. BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT TO FOLLOW THROUGH, THROUGH THE HARD. AND I REMEMBER TALKING TO MY HUSBAND AND I WAS LIKE, I DID NOT REALIZE THIS IS WHAT I WAS SIGNING UP FOR.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN IDEA, BUT JOSEPH HAD NO IDEA WHEN HE HAD THIS INCREDIBLE DREAM THAT IT WAS GONNA BE FOLLOWED BY HIS BROTHERS BETRAYING HIM. YES. THROWING HIM INTO A DITCH, SELLING HIM TO SLAVE TRADERS. AND SO, LET'S GO THROUGH ONE OF THE FIRST HURDLES, BECAUSE THIS IS WHY I LOVE THE BOOK, AND I LOVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IS THAT WE HAVE BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO US, BUT WE HAVE TO LEVERAGE IT TO OUR ADVANTAGE. WE HAVE A DECISION. THERE'S A VALLEY OF DECISION.
SO WHEN WE HAVE PAIN OR HARD THINGS GIVEN TO US, HOW ARE WE GOING TO REACT? SO HOW DOES SOMEONE DEAL WITH BETRAYAL AND REJECTION, FROM THE PEOPLE THAT -- YOUR FAMILY, I REMEMBER IN JOSEPH'S SCENARIO, THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO YOU? HOW DOES SOMEONE REDIRECT THAT SITUATION? WELL, WE'VE ALL DEALT WITH BETRAYAL. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S INTERESTING. IF SOMEONE HURTS YOU ONLINE, YOU'RE LIKE, EH, MOVE ON.
WHEN IT'S FAMILY, WHEN IT'S A FRIEND, WHEN IT'S A SPOUSE, THERE'S PROBABLY PEOPLE LISTENING TO THIS AND A SPOUSE, WHETHER THEY HAD AN AFFAIR OR SOMETHING, BETRAYAL IS THE WORST. WHAT I'VE REALIZED IS, OUR DECISION IN THE MIDST OF BETRAYAL THAT MAKES BETRAYAL BECOME OUR ADVANTAGE, IS TO REFUSE TO GET BITTER. THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE DECISION. THE NUMBER ONE DECISION WHEN YOU DEAL WITH BETRAYAL, IS GOD CAN USE THAT BETRAYAL TO DIRECT YOUR LIFE INTO SOMETHING BETTER IF YOU REFUSE TO GET BITTER.
AS SOON AS WE BECOME BITTER CHRISTIANS, WE BECOME -- WE REMOVE THE ABILITY FOR GOD TO USE THIS FOR OUR GOOD BECAUSE WE NOW MAKE IT ABOUT -- WE BECOME AS SICK AS THE SITUATION'S BECOME. YEAH, WE GET TAINTED. WE GET TAINTED. WE GET FRUSTRATED. AND YOU'VE ALL MET BITTER CHRISTIANS. LIKE, MY GOAL IN LIFE IS TO GROW OLD WITHOUT GROWING BITTER. THAT'S MY GOAL, TOO. I DO. AND IT'S HARD BECAUSE THE OLDER YOU GET, THE MORE PEOPLE HURT YOU. YEAH. AND I'VE DEALT WITH IT.
I'VE DEALT WITH SOME OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS, I MEAN, YOU KNOW THIS, THEY'RE GOING, I'M RIDE OR DIE. WE'RE WITH YOU FOR LIFE. AND THEN THEY LEAVE. AND YOU'RE JUST LIKE, WHAT HAPPENED? AND WHAT I KNOW IS, WHEN I'M GOING THROUGH THOSE SITUATIONS, I CAN ONLY -- I DON'T HAVE TO DEFEND MYSELF. JOSEPH DID NOT SIT THERE AND MAKE A CASE FOR HIMSELF. HE'S LIKE, OKAY. HE GOES, I AM NOT GONNA GET BITTER. WE DON'T SEE ONE TIME IN THE STORY OF JOSEPH WHERE HE TRIED TO GET REVENGE, COME BACK AT THOSE PEOPLE.
LET GOD TAKE CARE OF IT. AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT YOUR HATERS IS, YOU CAN PAY THEM BACK AND GET BACK AT THEM, OR YOU CAN LET GOD. AND I'VE REALIZED WHEN GOD GETS BACK AT 'EM, IT'S WAY WORSE. LET GOD TAKE CARE OF THEM. EXACTLY. BECAUSE WHEN YOU TRY TO TAKE IT IN YOUR OWN HANDS, YOU ACTUALLY LESSEN THE CONSEQUENCE BECAUSE YOU CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH. SO I RELEASE MY HATERS, I RELEASE THE PEOPLE THAT DID IT, AND I'M JUST GONNA PROTECT MY HEART.
I REMEMBER SOMEONE TOLD ME YEARS AGO, YOU'VE GOT TO LIVE WITH THICK SKIN AND A SOFT HEART. THICK SKIN AND A SOFT HEART. LIKE I'M GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA LET IT AFFECT ME, BUT KEEP A SOFT HEART. YOU ALSO DON'T WANT TO BE THAT PERSON THAT GOES, I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY DOES TO ME. YOU'RE LIKE, OH, YOU'RE SO CALLUSED, YOU'RE NOT PASTORAL ANYMORE.
YEAH. SO I'M CONSTANTLY DEALING WITH THAT BECAUSE BETRAYAL, WHICH BY THE WAY, IF YOU TAKE BETRAYAL PERSONALLY, THEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY GIVING YOURSELF WAY TOO MUCH CREDIT FOR YOUR OWN HOLINESS. BECAUSE JESUS HIMSELF, WHO WAS PERFECT, DEALT WITH BETRAYAL. SO IF YOU SIT THERE AND GO, WELL, I GOT BETRAYAL BECAUSE I'VE GOT ISSUES. NO. PEOPLE BETRAY US BECAUSE THEY'RE CRAZY. BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE ISSUES. AND THEY'RE FALLEN AND THEY'RE BROKEN.
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN PETER WAS SAYING, JESUS, WE'LL NEVER BETRAY YOU. AND HE SAYS, JESUS TURNED HIM AND SAID, GET BEHIND ME, SATAN. LIKE, THERE'S SOMETHING DEMONIC WHEN PEOPLE ARE BETRAYING YOU AND HURTING YOU. SO YOU RELEASE IT TO THE LORD. AND I'VE REALIZED IN MY LIFE THAT THROUGH ALL THE REJECTION, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN GOD'S WAY OF REDIRECTING MY LIFE. I AGREE. ALWAYS. AND SOMETIMES HE RESTORES THE RELATIONSHIP AND SOMETIMES HE DOESN'T. YEAH. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU HAVE TO MOVE ON.
AND IF YOU DON'T HEAL FROM PEOPLE THAT CUT YOU, THEN YOU'LL EVENTUALLY BLEED ON A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO NEVER HURT YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE. OH, THAT'S SO GOOD. SO THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT IS WATCHING THIS, AND YOU'RE BLEEDING ON THE NEXT RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE YOU HAVE NEVER GOTTEN HEALED FROM THE PAST ONE. AND THAT'S WHY YOU CAN'T HAVE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. SO THE PERSON REALLY HURTS YOU. I'LL SAY IT THIS WAY. YOU'RE BLEEDING ON THE NEXT CHURCH BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS CHURCH THAT DISAPPOINTED YOU.
IT'S LIKE YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING SUCH A DISSERVICE TO THE NEXT PEOPLE THAT GOD'S PUT IN YOUR LIFE. SO JOSEPH, CRAZY STORY, HE GETS BETRAYED. HE GOES INTO POTIPHAR'S HOME. HE GETS PURCHASED BY POTIPHAR. IF SOMEONE HAD A REASON TO BE OFFENDED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN JOSEPH. BUT HE REFUSED TO LIVE OFFENDED. THAT'S ONE OF MY GOALS IN LIFE. I WANT TO LIVE AN UNOFFENDABLE LIFE. HE GETS TO POTIPHAR'S HOUSE AND THE BIBLE SAYS, AND HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN EVERYTHING HE DID. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT SHOWS ME?
THAT SHOWS ME HE DID NOT SIT THERE AND TRY TO ESCAPE, I'M GETTING BACK TO MY BROTHERS. I'M GONNA GET EVEN WITH THEM. BY THE WAY, I'M SO ANGRY EVEN THAT POTIPHAR BOUGHT ME SO I'M GONNA GIVE HIM THE WORST PART. NO, HE GOES, THIS IS THE NEW SEASON GOD'S GOT ME IN, I'M GONNA BE FAITHFUL WITH IT. THAT SHOWS A LOT ABOUT HIS CHARACTER.
THAT'S A REALLY GOOD -- YOU KNOW, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT POINT, WAS THAT HE MADE THE MOST OF HIS CIRCUMSTANCES AND CHOSE TO BE A BLESSING, AND THAT'S HOW GOD WANTS TO WORK THROUGH US. WHEN GOD PLACES US SOMEWHERE, WE HAVE TO MAKE THE CONSCIOUS DECISION, OKAY, I'M NOT GONNA GET OFFENDED, AND I'M GONNA BE A BLESSING TO THOSE AROUND ME, EVEN IF THIS IS NOT THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT I WANTED TO BE IN IN THE FIRST PLACE. YEAH, WE'RE ALL IN SITUATIONS THAT WE DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR.
YEAH. YOU ALL GET HIRED ON AT A SALARY THAT YOU DID NOT THINK WAS, YOU KNOW, IS ENOUGH. WE ALL LIVE IN THOSE LIVES. WHAT I'VE REALIZED IS IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT'S HANDED TO YOU, IT'S ABOUT HOW YOU HANDLE IT. THAT'S TRUE. IT'S LIKE GOD IS VERY CLEAR THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURES THAT HE CARES ABOUT STEWARDSHIP, AND THAT'S NOT JUST STEWARDSHIP OF MONEY. IT'S STEWARDSHIP OF SEASONS.
AND SO WHEN YOU HANDLE WELL THE SEASON GOD'S GOT YOU IN, WHETHER IT'S AN UNFAIR SEASON OR NOT, I ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE GOD HAS HONORED ME MORE FOR MY STEWARDSHIP OF UNFAIR SEASONS THAN EVEN THE SUCCESSFUL SEASONS. OH, WOW. BECAUSE IT'S THE SEASONS IN THE VALLEY, IT'S THE SEASONS OF DIFFICULTY. SO JOSEPH GETS TO POTIPHAR'S HOUSE AND THE BIBLE SAYS HE'S SUCCESSFUL AND POTIPHAR PUTS HIM IN CHARGE OF EVERYTHING.
THIS SHOWS ME A LOT ABOUT HIS WORK ETHIC, THAT JOSEPH WAS NOT WAITING TO GET TO THE FULFILLMENT OF THE DREAM TO WORK HARD. AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING THIS OR LISTENING TO THIS. WE ALL SAY STATEMENTS LIKE, WHEN I GET HERE, THEN I'LL BE FAITHFUL. AND GOD'S LIKE, NO, I'M GOING TO SEE IF YOU'RE FAITHFUL WHERE YOU'RE AT RIGHT NOW. SO, LIKE, YOU WANT TO BE A MANAGER, BUT YOU'RE JUST -- YOU'RE AN EMPLOYEE RIGHT NOW. WELL, ARE YOU FAITHFUL AS AN EMPLOYEE?
OR YOU'RE A MANAGER, BUT YOU WANT TO BE AN EXECUTIVE. WELL, WERE YOU FAITHFUL AS A MANAGER? LIKE, GOD CARES ABOUT OUR CURRENT SEASON. AND YOU GO, WELL, I DESERVE MORE. WE DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING. THE BIBLE SAYS, WE DESERVE DEATH. SO FORGET THE I DESERVE. ENTITLEMENT HAS NO PLACE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. WE DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING. WE SERVE OUR WAY TO SUCCESS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. SO JOSEPH SERVED HIS WAY TO SUCCESS, AND AS HE SERVED HIS WAY, GOD OPENED DOORS.
AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR NEXT STEP, BE FAITHFUL WITH YOUR CURRENT ONE. AND OUR CHURCH, WE STARTED THIS CHURCH AT A SMALL, LITTLE RUNDOWN THEATER IN SOUTH TAMPA, IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA. AND IT WAS A TERRIBLE BUILDING. IT WAS THE WORST PLACE. BUT WE MADE THE MOST OF IT. LIKE, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN LIKE A RUNDOWN DOLLAR THEATER? LIKE, YOU WOULD SIT THERE AND JUST LIKE, THERE WOULD BE SODA ALL OVER THE FLOOR FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE FROM PEOPLE WATCHING MOVIES IN THERE, AND POPCORN.
BUT WE MADE THE MOST. WE CLEANED IT UP. I PUT SCENT MACHINES OUT. WE PUT PIPE AND DRAPE EVERYWHERE BECAUSE IT WASN'T MY DREAM, BUT IT WAS WHAT GOD GAVE US. AND A LOT OF YOU ARE, YOU'VE GOT THIS DREAM, BUT YOU'RE HANDED THIS THING THAT GOD'S SAYING, HANDLE THIS WELL. AND WE HANDLED IT WELL, AND THEN WE WENT TO TWO SERVICES AND THREE SERVICES AND FOUR SERVICES, AND WE LAUNCHED A SECOND LOCATION. AND THEN WE HANDLED THAT AS GOOD AS WE CAN DO IT. THEN WE DID A THIRD AND A FOURTH.
AND NOW WE'RE AT 11. AND PEOPLE ARE LIKE, HOW DO YOU GET TO 11? I GO, YOU HANDLE ONE WELL. EVERY TIME YOU -- STEWARDSHIP IS A PRINCIPLE THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE THAT MATTERS. SO JOSEPH, IT WAS UNFAIR, BUT IN AN UNFAIR SEASON HE WORKED HARD AND GOD USED IT FOR HIS ADVANTAGE. YEAH. IT'S ALL THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE. AND HE WAS WILLING TO SERVE SOMEONE ELSE'S DREAM. ABSOLUTELY. NOT JUST HIS OWN.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE DESIRING THE DREAM TO BECOME FULFILLED WITHOUT EVER SERVING THE OTHER PERSON'S DREAM IN THEIR LIFE, AND THAT DOESN'T WORK. GOD ALWAYS PUTS US IN A PLACE, YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE GOD CARES ABOUT THE SUBMISSION OF OUR HEART. AND IF HE GIVES YOU THE PLATFORM YOU WANT RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE NOT PREPARED FOR IT. YEAH. YOU GET PREPARED IN A SEASON OF SUBMITTING TO ANOTHER PERSON'S VISION.
AND SO SIX YEARS BEFORE, FOR THE SIX YEARS BEFORE I CAME TO TAMPA, I SERVED ANOTHER MAN'S VISION AT A CHURCH THAT WAS REALLY STRUGGLING. AND I'M TELLING YOU IF YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED ME A YEAR AND A HALF BEFORE I MOVED, DO YOU EVER WANT TO START A CHURCH? I'M LIKE, NO, I'M LIVING MY DREAM. I AM FAITHFULLY CONTENT AND SERVING WHERE GOD HAS ME. I WAS LIVING THE DREAM. I JUST GOT MARRIED. IT WAS AWESOME. AND THEN GOD CALLED ME, AND THEN MY PASTOR AFFIRMED THAT CALL AND ANOINTED ME AND SENT US OUT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE WAY TOO MANY SELF-APPOINTED PEOPLE. YEAH. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH YOUTUBE, BY THE WAY, IS YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF SELF-APPOINTED EXPERTS THAT ARE ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACKS, MEANING THEY'VE NEVER THROWN THE BALL, BUT THEY ARE SITTING THERE, THEY HAVE A REALLY GREAT TAKE ON ANYTHING, BUT THEY'VE NEVER BUILT SOMETHING. THAT'S SO TRUE. AND I'M LIKE, LISTEN, BE CAREFUL. ANYBODY CAN BUILD A PLATFORM WITH SOCIAL MEDIA IF YOU'RE JUST SAVVY ENOUGH.
THAT'S NOT SUCCESS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. THE SUCCESS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS MAKING DISCIPLES, DOING THE HARD WORK BEHIND THE SCENES OF LOVING PEOPLE AND BUILDING THE CHURCH LIKE WE'VE DONE FOR 2,000 YEARS. SO I'M OVER THE CRITICS. I'M LIKE, LET'S BUILD SOMETHING REAL. YEAH, SOMETHING THAT'S REAL THAT'S GOING TO LAST. SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY HELPS GOD'S KINGDOM.
YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO BUILD A PLATFORM OFF OF STUFF THAT'S APPEALING TO THE FLESH AND IT'S SENSATIONAL, BUT THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY CAUSING REAL CHANGE. ACTUALLY A LOT OF IT CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE BODY OF CHRIST. IT'S VERY DAMAGING. YEAH, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S SO MUCH OUT THERE TODAY. YOU KNOW WHAT BOTHERS ME, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO, BUT WHAT BOTHERS ME IS THE -- EVERYBODY'S GOT TO TAKE ON EVERYBODY ELSE'S MINISTRIES. AND, LIKE, HOW DO WE HAVE THAT MUCH TIME?
I DON'T -- I DON'T KNOW HOW -- IF HEAVEN AND HELL ARE REALITIES, THEN WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO BE SITTING THERE AND POINTING THE FINGERS AT EACH OTHER. LET'S GO. LET'S GO CHASE THE LOST. THAT'S SUCH A GOOD POINT. LET'S GO REACH PEOPLE. LET'S GO, YOU KNOW, TRANSLATE THE BIBLE. LET'S GO PLANT CHURCHES.
I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN THE MUD WITH EACH OTHER JUST FRUSTRATED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT -- DID YOU SEE WHAT SHE WROTE AND WHAT HE DID, AND WHAT THAT GUY PREACHED, AND THAT'S THE PERSON -- AND I'M SITTING THERE GOING, WHO HAS THAT MUCH TIME? YOU KNOW WHO HAS THAT MUCH TIME? IT'S PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT BUILDING. WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING THE CHURCH, YOU SAY THINGS LIKE NEHEMIAH SAID WHERE HE'S JUST LIKE, I CAN'T COME DOWN TO WHERE YOU'RE AT BECAUSE I'M BUSY.
I'M BUSY. AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING TO THIS, LIKE, DON'T MAKE A MINISTRY OFF OF KNOCKING OTHER PEOPLE'S MINISTRIES. THAT'S WEIRD. THAT IS A CHEAP WAY TO USE A PLATFORM AND I REFUSE TO DO IT ON MY PODCAST, I REFUSE TO DO IT ON MY -- ON MY PLATFORM FROM SUNDAYS. TO ME, I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY WAY OF GOING, OF USING ANY OF THAT ENERGY GOING -- AND YOU KNOW WHO DOESN'T CARE? THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THERE THAT ARE GOING, I'M A SINGLE MOM.
I'M TRYING TO RAISE MY KIDS. I'M GIVING GOD ONE MORE SHOT. SHE DOESN'T CARE WHAT YOUR TAKE IS ON SUCH AND SUCH MINISTER AT SUCH AND SUCH CHURCH. LIKE, JUST PLOW THE GROUND GOD'S CALLED YOU TO, PREACH THE WORD. AND ANYWAY, I THINK -- SO WE SEE IT THROUGH JOSEPH'S LIFE. WE SEE FAITHFULNESS AND SERVING. CAN I GIVE YOU THE NEXT ONE? IT'S REALLY CRAZY. YEAH. BECAUSE HE'S FAITHFUL IN SERVING, IN SERVING POTIPHAR, AND THEN POTIPHAR'S WIFE GETS A LITTLE THIRSTY.
YOU KNOW, SHE MAKES A MOVE ON JOSEPH, WHICH IS FUNNY. THE BIBLE'S SO INTERESTING. IF YOU'RE BORED READING THE BIBLE, YOU'RE NOT READING IT WELL, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH -- IT'S THE BEST BOOK. IT'S PRETTY OUT THERE. IT'S AMAZING. AND SO SHE MAKES A MOVE ON HIM AND HE MAKES THE DECISION TO BE A PERSON OF INTEGRITY. SO I SAY IN THERE, THE UNFAIR THING IS THAT WE'RE TEMPTED, AND IT'S UNFAIR HOW BROKEN OUR WORLD IS. BUT HERE'S WHAT'S AMAZING, IS THE ADVANTAGE IS INTEGRITY.
THE ADVANTAGE IN OUR WORLD TODAY IS IF YOU JUST DO THE RIGHT THING WHERE NOBODY NOTICES, THAT GOD WILL PROMOTE YOU IN DUE TIME. AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN OUR WORLD TODAY IS WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO GET EVERYBODY TO NOTICE THE ONCE-IN-A-WHILE MOMENTS OF FAITHFULNESS, AND GOD'S GOING, HEY, WHAT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING ALL BEHIND THE SCENES? SO I WANT TO CHALLENGE PEOPLE LISTENING TO THIS, LIKE JUST WORK ON YOUR INTEGRITY. WORK ON DOING THE RIGHT THING AT THE RIGHT TIME.
MAKING THE HARD DECISION. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE HOW YOU SPEND $1 MILLION. IT'S LIKE HOW DO YOU SPEND $100? LIKE THAT TO ME MATTERS. AND WHEN YOU'RE FAITHFUL WITH SMALL THINGS, GOD WILL BLESS YOU WITH MORE. SO JOSEPH MAKES A DECISION OF INTEGRITY. WHAT'S CRAZY IS HE MAKES THIS DECISION OF INTEGRITY AND IT LANDS HIM IN PRISON. YEAH. SO SOME OF YOU ARE LIKE, I'VE DONE THE RIGHT THING AND I GOT THE WRONG RESULT. AND I FEEL LIKE I'M IN LIKE THIS PERSECUTION BECAUSE OF IT.
OF COURSE, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS THAT THERE IS -- THERE'S ALSO THIS SEASON WHERE GOD BRINGS YOU INTO WHERE HE'S WORKING THINGS OUT OF YOUR LIFE THAT ARE DARK. AND I'VE SEEN IT ALL THROUGH MY LIFE. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH IT. WE'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH DARK, DIFFICULT SEASONS, BUT THAT'S WHEN GOD PREPARES US THE MOST FOR THE PALACE HE HAS FOR US. YEAH. I MEAN, IN THAT SITUATION, IT'S LIKE HE GETS DEALT THIS BAD HAND, HE GETS SOLD INTO SLAVERY.
THEN RIGHT AS THINGS ARE GOING WELL, BOOM, ANOTHER BLOW. HE GETS LIED ABOUT, BETRAYED. ONCE AGAIN, LANDS IN PRISON. AND SO HE HAD THIS MOMENT ONCE AGAIN WHERE HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN BITTER. YEP, HE COULD HAVE. AND HE DIDN'T, AND HE MADE THE MOST OF A SITUATION IN A PRISON. CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING CRAZY ABOUT THE PRISON? SO I DID A BUNCH OF RESEARCH FOR THE BOOK ON THE EGYPTIAN PRISON SYSTEM. SO THIS IS 4,000 YEARS AGO, SO PRISONS WERE NOT LIKE THEY ARE TODAY.
PRISONS 4,000 YEARS AGO REALLY DIDN'T EXIST. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE IF YOU DID SOMETHING WRONG, THEY'D PUT YOU INTO -- THEY'D PUT YOU INTO LIKE THIS HOLDING CELL WITH TEACHERS. THEY WOULD PUT YOU IN THERE, AND WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS THEY'D GO, OKAY, SO YOU STOLE, SO WE'RE GOING TO PUT YOU INTO THIS PROGRAM. WE'RE GOING TO BRING A TEACHER IN AND WE'RE GOING TO TEACH YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN EGYPTIAN. BECAUSE AS AN EGYPTIAN WE DON'T STEAL. SO THEIR -- LET ME SAY IT THIS WAY.
THEIR PRISONS WERE MORE ABOUT REPROGRAMMING THE PERSON THAN IT IS IN PUNISHING THE PERSON. SO SCHOLARS TELL US THAT JOSEPH IS IN PRISON ABOUT A DECADE, SO IT'S 13 YEARS FROM HIS 17TH TILL HE BECOMES SECOND IN COMMAND. TEN YEARS OF THAT HE'S IN PRISON IN EGYPT. WHY? AND THE LIGHT BULB CAME OFF. IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BOOK. IT'S THAT GOD PUT HIM IN A PLACE WHERE HE WOULD BE TRAINED ON HOW TO BE AN EGYPTIAN BECAUSE WHERE WAS HE GOING TO LEAD? HE'S GOING TO LEAD EGYPT.
FOR TEN YEARS, HE'S IN THERE AND THIS IS LIKE PROVING THAT THE BEST TEACHERS, LANGUAGE, ARTS, CULTURE, THEY WOULD COME IN AND REPROGRAM THESE PRISONERS ON HOW TO BE EGYPTIANS. SO JOSEPH THOUGHT HE WAS BEING PUNISHED, BUT HE WASN'T BEING PUNISHED, HE WAS BEING PREPARED. WOW. GOD BRINGS YOU INTO DARK SEASONS TO PREPARE YOU FOR WHAT HE HAS FOR YOU NEXT. AND WE OBVIOUSLY KNOW HE WASN'T PREPARED BECAUSE HE DIDN'T KNOW THE LANGUAGE. HE DIDN'T KNOW THE CULTURE. HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO LEAD.
NOW, HE GETS OUT OF THERE, OUT OF PRISON, AND HE'S GOT ALL THAT. ALSO, IT'S IN THE PRISON THAT HE MEETS THE CUP BEARER AND THE BAKER THAT WOULD BRING HIM OUT OF PRISON. IT'S IN YOUR DARK SEASONS -- AND BY THE WAY, YOU'LL KNOW WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE IN YOUR DARK SEASONS. THAT'S TRUE. YOU'LL KNOW WHO THE PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP AND DON'T SHOW UP. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE -- ACTUALLY THE PEOPLE THAT'LL STAY WITH YOU FOR THE LONG HAUL. YOUR GREATEST RELATIONSHIPS ARE BUILT IN YOUR DARK SEASONS.
YOUR GREATEST -- GREATEST REVELATION OF WHO GOD IS AND KNOWING GOD IS BUILT IN DARK SEASONS. SO JOSEPH IS DEVELOPED FOR TEN YEARS IN THE DARK SEASONS. DON'T EVER DESPISE THE DARK SEASONS. THE DARK SEASONS ARE NOT GOD PUNISHING YOU. IT IS GOD PREPARING YOU FOR YOUR ULTIMATE CALLING. SO I'VE LEARNED TO ACTUALLY EMBRACE HIM A LITTLE BIT. LIKE, I WANT TO GET TO A PLACE LIKE PETER SAYS, TO REJOICE IN HARD TIMES. I'M NOT THERE YET, BUT I'VE STILL GOT A LITTLE BIT OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY TO DO.
BUT I WANT TO EMBRACE THE DARK SEASONS GOING, OH, THINGS AREN'T GOING WELL. WOW, GOD'S GOING TO TEACH ME SOMETHING GREAT. HE'S GOING TO FORM SOMETHING GREAT IN ME. HOW DOES SOMEONE NOT ALLOW THE DREAM TO BECOME ALL-CONSUMING WHERE IT BECOMES AN IDOL? OOH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN -- THE AMERICAN CULTURE IS FOLLOW THE DREAM. GOD'S CULTURE IS YOU FOLLOW THE DREAM GIVER. AND WHAT I HAVE FOUND, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR YOU.
I REMEMBER BEING CALLED IN THE MINISTRY AT 16 YEARS OLD AND THERE WAS THIS IDEA THAT WAS PUT IN MY MIND. AND I'M LIKE, I DON'T -- I'M NOT SEEING THAT NOW, BUT IT WAS THE IDEA THAT WAS FROM THE LORD THAT GOT ME THIS CONNECTION WITH THE LORD THAT HE'S BEEN ABLE TO SHAPE MY LIFE EVER SINCE. SO I WOULD SAY DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH A DREAM; FALL IN LOVE WITH THE DREAM GIVER.
FALL IN LOVE WITH THE ONE WHO DEPOSITS THE DREAM IN YOUR LIFE BECAUSE HE MIGHT BE USING THAT DREAM TO LURE YOU SOMEWHERE TO ACTUALLY GIVE YOU SOMETHING BETTER THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE. BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH RIGHT NOW I'M NOT SEEING WHAT I SAW AT 16, I'M ACTUALLY SEEING IT'S BETTER. IT'S GREATER. MY FAMILY IS GREATER. WHAT I IMAGINED FOR A FAMILY AND FOR LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER. SO I'M GLAD I DIDN'T CHASE WHAT I THOUGHT THE DREAM WAS. I CHASED THE DREAM GIVER.
THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. AND JOSEPH, THERE'S ONE PHRASE THAT THE LIFE OF JOSEPH THAT IS SHOCKING EVERY SEASON HE WENT THROUGH. AND IT SAID, AND THE LORD WAS WITH HIM. SO HE'S SOLD INTO SLAVERY. THE LORD WAS WITH HIM. AND HE'S PURCHASED BY POTIPHAR. AND THE LORD WAS WITH HIM. HE'S INTO THE PRISON, AND THE LORD WAS WITH HIM. THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, I CAN GO THROUGH DARK SEASONS AS LONG AS GOD'S WITH ME. EXACTLY. LIKE, LEAN INTO THE LORD. DON'T MAKE THE IDOL -- THE DREAM THE IDOL.
THAT'S NOT THE GOAL. THE GOAL IS THAT YOU LIVE A LIFE WITH THE LORD WITH YOU. EXACTLY. THE GOAL IS NOT GETTING TO THE DREAM, WHICH IS SO HARD NOT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THAT, THE GOAL IS TO DO LIFE WITH HIM. HE WILL BRING THE DREAM ABOUT IN HIS WAY AND HIS TIMING. ABSOLUTELY. AND IT'LL ALWAYS BE BETTER. I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT GOD'S TIMING IS NOT YOUR TIMING. IT'S GOING TO TAKE LONGER THAN YOU WANT IT TO TAKE. IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE.
BUT IT'S GOING TO BE WORTH IT BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING IT WITH HIM. AND, AGAIN, THE PRIZE IS NOT THE MINISTRY. THE PRIZE IS NOT THE DREAM. THE PRIZE IS NOT THE PLATFORM. THE PRIZE IS NOT THE PALACE. THE PRIZE IS HIM, THAT WE DO LIFE WITH HIM, AND REALIZING THAT'S THE GOAL IN THIS WHOLE THING AND THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO GET. I MEAN, IF WE -- YOU KNOW, WHATEVER HAPPENS WITH OUR CHURCH IF WE HAVE 20, 30 CAMPUSES AND REACH TAMPA BAY AREA FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, GREAT. AS LONG AS I'M DOING THAT WITH HIM.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST GOAL. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CUP BEARER. YEAH. AND THE LESSON IN THAT WITH JOSEPH. YEAH, THE CUP BEARER IS SO WILD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE'S THROWN INTO PRISON. THE CUP BEARER IS SO CRAZY BECAUSE HE'S -- WHO'S THE OTHER GUY, A BAKER? A BAKER. OKAY. SO THE CUP BEARER AND THE BAKER, THIS IS CRAZY. I DIDN'T PUT THIS IN THE BOOK AND I SHOULD HAVE. SO EXCLUSIVE HERE, FOLKS. THIS IS EXCLUSIVE RIGHT HERE.
SO THE CUP BEARER AND THE BAKER, MANY TIMES WE THINK WE'RE JOSEPH IN THE BIBLE BECAUSE WE LOOK AT IT AND WE GO, JOSEPH IS THE ONE THAT THAT'S BEEN MISTREATED AND LOOK WHAT HE DID. BUT JOSEPH IS A TYPE OF CHRIST. YOU SEE IT ALL THROUGHOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT. ALL THESE -- THEY WERE ALL LIKE TYPES, THEY WERE SHADOWS OF JESUS. SO JOSEPH IS A SHADOW OF JESUS. AGAIN, BETRAYED BY HIS BROTHERS WRONGFULLY ACCUSED. DID NO WRONG BUT WAS THE ONE THAT WAS THROWN INTO THE PRISON, INTO THE DARK PLACE.
AND THEN I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I GO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ACTUALLY THE CUP BEARER WAS THE ONE THAT'S LIKE US. WE'RE THE CUP BEARER IN THE STORY. THE CUP BEARER'S THE ONE THAT SINNED AGAINST PHARAOH. SO THE CUP BEARER DESERVED DEATH. SO THE CUP BEARER AND THE BAKER WERE BOTH IN THERE BECAUSE THEY DESERVED DEATH. SO WE'RE THE CUP BEARER. LET'S REMIND OURSELVES WHO WE ARE IN THIS STORY. WE'RE NOT JOSEPH, THE ONE THAT DID NO WRONG AND WENT INTO PRISON.
THAT WAS JESUS. HE DID NO WRONG AND WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH. WE ARE THE ONES THAT DID WRONG, SHOW UP IN PRISON, BUT GUESS WHO ALSO SHOWS UP TO THE PRISON? JOSEPH DOES. AND THAT'S WHAT JESUS DID FOR US. JESUS SHOWS UP IN THE PRISON WITH US, THE ONE THAT DIDN'T DESERVE PRISON, TO DO WHAT? TO RESCUE US OUT OF IT. AND THE CUP BEARER GOT OUT OF THE PRISON BECAUSE OF JOSEPH. AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF THE GOSPEL. I WISH I WOULD PUT IT IN THE BOOK. I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL AFTER.
I NEVER HAD ANYONE MAKE THAT CONNECTION BEFORE. THAT'S SO INTERESTING. I WISH I WOULD'VE WROTE ABOUT IT BECAUSE I LITERALLY, I PREACHED ABOUT THIS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND I STARTED STUDYING ABOUT THE CUP BEARER. AND I WAS LIKE, I MISSED THIS WHOLE PART OF THE STORY, WHICH IS WHY THE BIBLE IS SO AWESOME. THE BIBLE'S SO RICH. AND SO ANYWAY, THEY -- SO WE'RE THE CUP BEARER. SO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S WHY JESUS CAME.
JESUS STEPS INTO OUR SCENARIO AND HE BRINGS US OUT OF THE PRISON WE'RE IN, AND HE DOES IT BECAUSE OF HIS GRACE AND BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE. LIKE I JUST -- I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT IT THAT WAY, YOU JUST GET A FRESH, JUST JOY OF THE GOSPEL OF THE FACT THAT NONE OF US DESERVE THIS. BECAUSE THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING RIGHT NOW OR LISTENING TO THIS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE REALLY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT LIKE JOSEPH. THEY'RE LIKE, I WISH I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN PURITY.
I DIDN'T. I WISH I WOULD HAVE NOT GOTTEN BITTER, BUT I DID. GREAT, YOU'RE IN YOUR PRISON BECAUSE YOU MESSED UP. THAT'S WHY JESUS CAME. WOW. AND HE RESCUED US OUT OF IT AND HE GIVES US A FRESH START. YEP. AND SO IT'S SIMPLE. IT'S JUST SAYING, GOD, I REPENT. I DO. YEAH. I SUBMIT MY LIFE TO YOU. YEAH. AND I THINK IT'S IN THAT, SUBMISSION TO GOD'S PLAN, AND THAT'S WHAT -- I MEAN, THE CUP BEARER IS JUST LIKE OH, JOSEPH, THAT'S WHAT YOU SAY. I'LL DO THAT. AND HE DOES THAT AND WHAT HAPPENS?
HE GETS OUT. AND THAT'S THE GOSPEL. THE GOSPEL IS JUST SAYING, OKAY, JESUS, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO, YOU WANT ME TO GIVE YOU MY LIFE? I'LL GIVE YOU MY LIFE. AND THROUGH THAT THAT'S WHERE SALVATION IS FOUND. SO GOOD. SO THE CUP BEARER GETS OUT, BUT HE FORGETS ABOUT JOSEPH AND HE'S IN THE PRISON. HE FORGETS ABOUT JOSEPH. AND DON'T WE ALL DO THAT? WE ALL GET OUT AND WE FORGET ABOUT THE ONE WHO SAVED US. AND IT'S A GOOD CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF US. HE STAYS IN THERE ANOTHER TWO YEARS.
BUT THE CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF US IS DON'T FORGET ABOUT JESUS. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE ONE THAT BROUGHT YOU OUT. DON'T LIE TO YOURSELF TO THINK, WOW, I REALLY GOT MYSELF OUT OF THAT SITUATION. YOU DID NOT. NONE OF US ARE THAT GOOD. YEAH. YOU'VE GOT TO STAY HUMBLE AND REMEMBER WHAT HE DID FOR US. STAY HUMBLE. STAY LOW IN THIS THING AND REALIZE, MAN, IT'S BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT ANYTHING GOOD WE HAVE IN OUR LIFE IS BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD.
AND SO JOSEPH HAD TO LEARN THAT WHAT HE THOUGHT WOULD BE HIS WAY OUT, THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO TRUST THAT GOD WOULD BE THE ONE TO LEAD HIM OUT, IT WOULDN'T BE A PERSON. YEAH. IT WOULDN'T BE A PERSON. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THAT WHERE WE THINK, OKAY, THIS PERSON'S GOING TO BE THE CONNECTION. THIS PERSON'S GOING TO BE THE ONE THAT BRINGS ME THE BREAKTHROUGH. IT'S NOT. NORMALLY THOSE PEOPLE YOU'LL GET REALLY FRUSTRATED AND THEY'LL LET YOU DOWN, BUT YOU REALIZE IT'S NEVER A PERSON THAT DOES THIS.
THIS IS ALL GOD. YEAH. SO GOD PROMOTES HIM, AND IT'S CRAZY. THE LAST PART OF THE BOOK IS CALLED THE LIMITED LEADER, WHERE JOSEPH IS PROMOTED, BUT HE'S ONLY GIVEN ONE TASK. LIKE, HEY, PREPARE FOR THE FAMINE. IF I WAS JOSEPH, I'D BE LIKE, BUT I SAW THE WHOLE NATION WORSHIPPING ME. WHY IS THIS? AND PART OF BEING THE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IS KNOWING THE FACT THAT YOU'RE LIMITED.
THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO AND IT'S YOUR ADVANTAGE TO RECOGNIZE THE SEASON GOD'S GOT YOU IN AND NOT TRY TO DO ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT SEASON. WOW. I REMEMBER MY PASTOR, I TOLD HIM ONE TIME, I SAID I'VE GOT TOO MUCH GOING ON. MY LIFE IS TOO BUSY. IT'S TOO CHAOTIC. I JUST DON'T HAVE TIME FOR EVERYTHING. HOW DO I HAVE TIME FOR EVERYTHING? HE SAYS IF THERE'S MORE THINGS ON YOUR SCHEDULE THAN YOU HAVE TIME FOR, THEN YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF GOD'S WILL.
I SAID, YIKES. HE GOES, GOD WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE TIME YOU NEED TO DO EVERYTHING HE ASKED YOU TO DO. BUT THE FACT IS WE'RE LIMITED PEOPLE AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO WAY TOO MUCH. THAT'S TRUE. SO LEAN INTO THE FACT THAT WE'RE ALL LIMITED. GOD'S GIVEN YOU A CERTAIN ASSIGNMENT. BE FAITHFUL WITH YOUR ASSIGNMENT, AND IT'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TESTS WHERE JOSEPH HAS TO FACE HIS FAMILY AGAIN.
NOW, HE'S PROMOTED. HE'S HELPING, YOU KNOW, THE NATION OF EGYPT WITH, YOU KNOW, FOOD, AND JOSEPH'S FAMILY COMES BACK. YEP. HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN BACK AT THEM. HE COULD HAVE HAD FINALLY, A MOMENT. A PERFECT SETUP. GOT THE SETUP. HE'S IN SOME KIND OF DISGUISE WHERE THEY DON'T SEE HIM AND HE HAS TO MAKE A DECISION AT THAT MOMENT, TO JUST LIKE FORGIVE AND MOVE ON, AND I THINK THAT'S VITAL. I THINK THERE IS A MOMENT WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUST BITE THE BULLET AND GO, YOU KNOW WHAT?
THIS PERSON HURT ME, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S OKAY. WHAT THE ENEMY MEANT FOR BAD, GOD TURNED AROUND FOR THE GOOD. THAT'S GENESIS 50:20, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS VERSES IN ALL THE BIBLE. AND I HAVE LEARNED IN LIFE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT MOST HURT ME, THEY MEANT IT FOR BAD, A LOT OF THEM WERE USED BY THE ENEMY, BUT GOD HAD A BIGGER PLAN. YEAH. I WANTED TO ACTUALLY GET A SHIRT MADE, HATERS MADE IT HAPPEN. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, HATERS MADE IT HAPPEN.
IT'S ACTUALLY THEIR HATE AND THEIR HURTING ME THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS GOING TO HURT THE CALL OF GOD AND IT ACTUALLY MADE THE CALL OF GOD HAPPEN IN MY LIFE. WOW. IT WAS THE DYSFUNCTION. IT WAS THE CRAZINESS. IT WAS THE OPPOSITION THAT ACTUALLY PUSHED ME FORWARD TO WHAT GOD HAD FOR ME. SO I HOPE PEOPLE WILL LISTEN TO THIS, ARE ENCOURAGED, BECAUSE IT IS THAT MOMENT WHERE YOU RECOGNIZE IT LATER ON IN MATURITY, I NEEDED THAT PERSON TO ATTACK ME TO GET ME TO THIS NEXT LEVEL THAT GOD HAS FOR ME.
THAT'S SO GOOD. ANY LAST CLOSING THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK? DON'T MAKE IT ABOUT YOUR HATERS. DON'T MAKE IT ABOUT THEM. THEY COME AND GO. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE FACT THAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU, HE'S WITH YOU. AND I LOVE THIS PODCAST. I LOVE THE WAY THAT EVEN US HAVING THIS DIALOGUE, AND I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY HURT.
I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE SO FILLED WITH RESENTMENT TOWARDS THESE PEOPLE, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A GENESIS 50:20 MOMENT WHERE YOU LOOK BACK AND YOU GO, THEY MEANT TO HARM ME, BUT GOD MEANT IT FOR THE GOOD. AND YOU COULD GO, WELL, THEY ARE HARMING ME RIGHT NOW. THAT'S HOW JOSEPH FELT. BUT WHEN HE LOOKED BACK, YOU LIVE LIFE FORWARD WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND IT BACKWARDS.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK BACKWARDS, I'M TELLING YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HOW GOD USED IT FOR THE GOOD. AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, YOU'LL CONFRONT THAT PERSON IN YEARS TO COME AND YOU'LL SAY THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IT WAS YOUR HATRED TOWARDS ME AND ATTACKS TOWARDS ME THAT PUSHED ME TO THE NEXT LEVEL TO WALK INTO THE CALL OF GOD FOR MY LIFE. MAYBE, JUST MAYBE. CAN YOU JUST CLOSE WITH A PRAYER FOR ANYONE WHO FEELS LIKE MAYBE THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HARD?
YES. YES, LORD. WE COME TO YOU AND I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE. I KNOW IT'S BETRAYAL, IT HURTS SO MUCH. AND YOU DEALT WITH IT, GOD. YOU DEALT WITH PEOPLE CLOSEST TO YOU BETRAYING YOU AND YOU STILL DEAL WITH IT. YOU GAVE YOUR LIFE FOR HUMANITY AND YET PEOPLE STILL BETRAY YOU AND TURN THEIR BACK ON YOU. AND, LORD, HELP US TO WALK FREE FROM OFFENSE.
I PRAY EVEN RIGHT NOW FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING WITH JUST THE BITTERNESS IN THEIR HEART, THAT THEY WOULD RELEASE IT TO YOU, AND THAT YOU WOULD TRULY TURN THE SITUATION AROUND. LORD, LET US TRULY GET TO A GENESIS 50:20 MOMENT, WHERE WE SAY, GOD, WHAT THE ENEMY MEANT FOR BAD, GOD, YOU TURNED IT AROUND FOR THE GOOD. AND WE TRUST YOU. WE BELIEVE YOU FOR IT. LET US LIVE AN UNOFFENDABLE, BITTER-FREE LIFE. IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY. AMEN.
AMEN. AND FOR ANYONE WHO'S WATCHING AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN THAT PIT LIKE JOSEPH, AND YOU'RE THINKING, I HAVE THIS HUGE HILL IN FRONT OF ME, HOW AM I GOING TO GET TO THE PLACE THAT GOD HAS CALLED ME, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN THAT VALLEY OF DECISION AND I'M JUST ENCOURAGING YOU TO FORGIVE AND PRESS FORWARD, THAT GOD IS GOING TO TAKE YOU WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GO. AND DON'T GIVE UP, THAT'S THE KEY. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. HONORED. IT'S SO FUN BEING WITH YOU.
AWESOME. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, PASTOR AARON BURKE. AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THE REBECCA WEISS PODCAST.