Joseph

Joseph (1st Firewire 9.9.01 "Is IT In You?" series) Morgan Young

(This is on of the RARE messages I've done in a quasi-outline form---much of the actual message is not in this document, but was from memory.)

Joseph is 17 (relate?) --- one of 12 bothers --- HALF-brothers (relate?) --- tended sheep with his brothers & "Brought back bad reports of them" (relate)

His dad, Jacob, "Loved Joseph more than any of his other children." Can imagine Jacob said things in front of his other 11 sons like:

Jacob loved Joseph so much, he gave him a richly ornamented robe kind worn by royalty. Clothing, then like now, had EVERYTHING to do with social status.

Imagine your dad giving your brother a custom tailored 100% pure silk $2000 Giorgio Armani suit, a 100% silk Yves Saint-Laurent shirt from Paris with Italian Versachi leather shoes

Imagine you are wearing Sears Tough-skins jeans, the best plaid shirt $6 can buy & the kind of tennis shoes that are fastened together with little strings that are most often found under a flashing blue light. (How would YOU feel?)

1st Dream: "We were all out in the field tying up bundles of grain. My bundle stood up, and then all your bundles bowed down to mine! ISN'T THAT COOL?"

Relate to Joseph yet? Blended family --- dysfunctional family: gross favoritism --- tattle tale --- intense sibling rivalry.

Jacob sent Joseph to check on bro's --- Armani Robe gave him seen far away.

"Come on, let's kill dreamer-boy & throw his body into a pit. We can tell our father a wild animal killed him." But brother Reuben steps up & says, "Let's not have his blood on our handslet's just throw him in the pithe'll die but this way we won't directly be involved.

Throw Joseph into pit --- bros sit down to dinner --- See a caravan on its way to Egypt. Judah's eating his Whopper w/cheese, no tomato and says, "What do we really have to gain by killing Joseph?"

(for 20 pieces of silver --- ever want to sell your brother or sister?)

He could have "downward spiraled" --- "Ah, what's the use?!" --- BUT he didn't...He CHOSE not to.

so Joseph was entrusted with ALL of Potaphar's household and ALL of his business dealings. He was in charge of EVERYTHING all of his household affairs.

Speaking of affairsIt says that Joseph was "handsome & well-built." BUFF.

And MRS. Potaphar "wanted" Joseph. It says, "DAY AFTER DAY she pressured Joseph to sleep with her"!! (STOP RIGHT THERE) (imagine or relate?)

One day the Bible says, "She grabbed him by the shirt, demanding, 'Sleep with me!'" (left w/shirt he ran out of house.)

Mrs. Potaphar had had enough rejection from this "Hebrew"(less than). She screamed & told that Joseph tried to rape her.

Potaphar hears & throws in prison (slaveno trials---guilty 'til proved innocent)

"But the Lord was with Joseph." Once again, Joseph could have downward spiraledbut he CHOSE not to.

The jailer put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and everything that happened in the prison.

One day Joseph runs into Pharaoh's cupbearer & baker in jail. (What's a cupbearer?)

Both have dreams they can't figure out. (then in history, dreams were believed to have specific meanings and could determine your future)

Cupbearer's dream: "I had this trippy dream where these whacked out grapes grew before my eyes---then I squeezed them into the cup in Pharaoh's hand."

Joseph interprets: "Dude, you're going to be restored to your position as Pharaoh's cupbearer!" DO ME A FAVORMENTION ME TO PHARAOH!

Baker's dream: "Mine's kind of trippy toothere were 3 baskets of pastries on my head that were for Pharaoh. Then these birds came and ate them."

Joseph's interpretation: "Oooouh.dude.I don't know how to break it to you, but.In 3 days Pharaoh will cut off your head and impale your body on a pole and then birds will peck away at your flesh."

Do you think the cupbearer remembered to tell Pharaoh about Joseph??

TWO YEARS LATER! Pharaoh has a dream: 2 buff cows --- 2 homely cows

Pharaoh: "Joseph is wisest man in the land --- will be second only to me!"

-- Gives him wife, that if she were a President would be "Babe-raham Lincoln"

Remember Jacob & Joseph's bros back in Canaan? Famine EVERYWHERE, so Jacob sends sons to Egypt --- where Grain MUST be bought from Joseph. (can you see this coming? Revenge time!)

As most powerful man in Egypt under Pharaoh, when the brothers came into Joseph's presence, THEY BOWED DOWN BEFORE JOSEPH. (remember dream?)

So Joseph knows them --- they don't know him --- finally Joseph is in control.

Joseph plays cat & mouse with them, exerting his supreme power over them. WHY?Because he can!

He even tricks them into bringing their youngest brother, Benjamin, back to Egypt --- Benjamin was Joseph's only BLOOD-brother.

After they bring Benjamin, Joseph tricks them again & tells them he is going to put Benjamin in prison & keep him in Egypt.

At this Judah, the oldest, can't take it and begs for Joseph to take him instead of Benjamin

Joseph CANNOT take it any longer & tells his servants to leave ---

And he breaks down and it says, "His cries could be heard throughout the palace."

I brought this story to you for a lot of reasonsThere's a lot that Joseph has in common with people sitting here tonight.

We find Joseph at age 17not all the kids in his family have the same set of parents either---it's a blended family, probably like about half the people here.

It's a dysfunctional (normal) family where one child is liked more than anotherI bet that in your family, you could tell me right now, who wears the coat of many colors. Odds are if there's more than one child in your family, you or your brothers or sisters have very strong opinions about who wears the coat in your house.

And with Joseph and maybe some of you, the kids in the family don't always get along too well.

But here's where I want to hang out tonight ----- the most important thing

Just like Joseph there are things happening in your life that you cannot control and that you don't like. (repeat) If that's not true now, it has been true in the past, or I GUARANTEE it will happen in the future.

I imagine that when we first met Joseph he was probably diggin' his life. He had a happen' robe that set him apart from all the rest. His dad thinks he can do NO wrong. He doesn't even have to work with his other brothers.

But when Joseph's brothers sold him for 20 pieces of silverhe had no control over it and I'm sure he didn't like it.

As far as I know, no one here's been sold into slavery lately, but I wonder what things have happened to you that you don't like and you cannot control

Are you stuck with the last teacher in the whole school that you wanted?

Financially, were you not able or allowed to buy all the back to school clothes you wanted?

Let's go deeperperhaps some of you wish you were in a dating relationship that's just not happening. Or maybe it already happened, but you wish it hadn't ended.

Maybe some of you live in a family that looks different than it did when you were younger because your parents made a decision that's changed your whole lifeand they didn't ask you if you wanted it this way.

Let me go for the whole chalupa heremaybe some of you who were here last year, have some emotions rolling around inside you because whether you like it or not, there are a couple people conspicuously missing from this ministry.

Maybe we haven't all been sold into slaverybut perhaps there are situations in our lives that we feel have been forced upon us and we don't like it and we can't understand it and perhaps we don't know what to make of all of it

The story of Joseph can be summed up by this verse from (ppt) Romans 8:28:

"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him"

Listen to meif we can chew on this verse in the middle of situations we don't like it has the power to help change our life How?

Look at Joseph for a minutewhen he was sold into slavery, he could have checked out right thereHe could have said,

(Go with this >)"Man, what is the use of even trying any more?! This is all my life is ever going to be! My life could have been this and should have been that . But man, now it's all down the drain I'm not even going to try!"

Listen up without the truth of this verse, life is hopeless and life is helpless (repeat)

Because Joseph knew that God was ALWAYS with him, working for his good it totally changed how he reacted to his circumstances. And it can totally change how you and I react to circumstances.

Because Joseph knew God was with him, he did the best he could working for Potaphar. He did the best he could even in a disgusting prison. In bad situations that he had no control over, Joseph's faith helped him rise to the top.

And don't walk out of here tonight without taking this next sentence with you: How you and I react to bad situations is our CHOICE (ppt) (repeat)

When things happen we don't like, we can moan & complain & get sideways & let it negatively effect our outlook on our life. We can say things like:

"Man, this totally sucks! There goes this & there goes that I coulda & I shoulda " / Or the mother of all downward spiraling phrases:

We can choose to react to bad situations like that. OR after we've worked through our emotions (disclaim that emotions need to come out)we can realize that:

(ppt) God is always with me, working for my good. (now, say that with me)

Here's my challenge to you: The next time you're at home and your parents lay down one of those laws that you hate ----- instead of saying "IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Instead, under your breath, mutter: "God is always with me, working for my good."

And your mom or dad will say, "WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOUNG MAN?! or "WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOUNG LADY?!"

And you'll respond, (downcast) "I said, God is always with me, working for my good."

And then you'll totally freak 'em out(elaborate"Am I in the right house?Right kid?)

Here's God's promise: He's always with you working for your good. If you and I hold on to God's promise, it will get us through anything.

I am sure that in the moment, Joseph didn't know WHY he had been sold into slavery or WHY he had been thrown into jail

BUT, 13 YEARS LATER he FINALLY realized that being sold into slavery got him into Potaphar's housewhich got him into jail which got him next to the cupbearer which eventually got him next to Pharaoh which put him in a position to SAVE HIS ENTIRE FAMILY. It took Joseph 13 years to UNDERSTAND WHY God did these things.

And parts of this story Joseph never did understand. Because thousands of years later, a son was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Jesus of Nazareth was a descendent of Joseph. God worked in Joseph's life, not just to save his family, but so that Jesus could eventually save you and me

(change tone) At the beginning of the summer I had no idea that I would be standing here tonight. In fact if Joseph would have interpreted one of my dreams and told me this would happen, I would have laughed in his face

But for some reason I got on a bus to go to Big Stufand I said, "God whatever you want." And in that week I got to be around 32 of you that I wouldn't have been around otherwise I got to see you in new ways and I got to see God in new ways

I could have got on that bus with an attitude that was saying things like:

"Man, why did I end up on this trip? I don't even think that teenagers are my thing! What do I have in common with them? What if they don't even want me here?

When I got on that bus, instead of saying, "This isn't fair." I was saying, "God is always with me, working for my good." Because I CHOSE to have a spirit that said, "GodYOU are in charge of this life not me I'll do whatever You want I'll go wherever YOU want me to and do whatever YOU want me to."

Because I allowed God to work His plan this summer, He's worked in huge ways in my heart --- and I can't think of anywhere else that I would want to be tonight.

I don't understand all the WHY'S of how God has worked in this ministry from last Spring to now. God doesn't promise "why's". But I do understand that as long as God wants me in this ministry if it's 3 months or 13 years I'll be sold out to Him and I'll be sold out to you.

Let me ask you a question: What do you feel like you've been sold into lately?

What is it that you don't like and you don't have any control over?



	< back

		Joseph (1st Firewire 9.9.01 "Is IT In You?" series) Morgan Young (This is on of the RARE messages I've done in a quasi-outline form---much of the actual message is not in this document, but was from memory.) Joseph is 17 (relate?) --- one of 12 bothers --- HALF-brothers (relate?) --- tended sheep with his brothers & "Brought back bad reports of them" (relate) His dad, Jacob, "Loved Joseph more than any of his other children." Can imagine Jacob said things in front of his other 11 sons like: "Have I told you about my son, Joseph? My son, Joseph is doing great in school My son, Joseph is quite a ballplayer My son, Joseph is the BEST Nintendo player in our house My son, Joseph is just a pleasure to be around" Jacob loved Joseph so much, he gave him a richly ornamented robe kind worn by royalty. Clothing, then like now, had EVERYTHING to do with social status. Imagine your dad giving your brother a custom tailored 100% pure silk $2000 Giorgio Armani suit, a 100% silk Yves Saint-Laurent shirt from Paris with Italian Versachi leather shoes Imagine you are wearing Sears Tough-skins jeans, the best plaid shirt $6 can buy & the kind of tennis shoes that are fastened together with little strings that are most often found under a flashing blue light. (How would YOU feel?) Brothers HATED him. 1st Dream: "We were all out in the field tying up bundles of grain. My bundle stood up, and then all your bundles bowed down to mine! ISN'T THAT COOL?" --NO 2nd Dream: "The sun, moon & ELEVEN stars bowed down to me." (The bad relationships are getting worse.) Relate to Joseph yet? Blended family --- dysfunctional family: gross favoritism --- tattle tale --- intense sibling rivalry. Jacob sent Joseph to check on bro's --- Armani Robe gave him seen far away. "Come on, let's kill dreamer-boy & throw his body into a pit. We can tell our father a wild animal killed him." But brother Reuben steps up & says, "Let's not have his blood on our handslet's just throw him in the pithe'll die but this way we won't directly be involved. <<< Joseph dreamedbrothers schemed >>> (ppt) Throw Joseph into pit --- bros sit down to dinner --- See a caravan on its way to Egypt. Judah's eating his Whopper w/cheese, no tomato and says, "What do we really have to gain by killing Joseph?" (a rational thought finally??NAH!) "Let's not kill him..LET'S SELL HIM TO THOSE ISHMAELITES!!!" (for 20 pieces of silver --- ever want to sell your brother or sister?) Show Jacob the bloody robe <<< Joseph soldJacob told >>>(ppt) In Egypt Joseph was bought by Potaphar, capt. of palace guard. "And the Lord was with Joseph."(recurring phrase) He could have "downward spiraled" --- "Ah, what's the use?!" --- BUT he didn't...He CHOSE not to. so Joseph was entrusted with ALL of Potaphar's household and ALL of his business dealings. He was in charge of EVERYTHING all of his household affairs. Speaking of affairsIt says that Joseph was "handsome & well-built." BUFF. And MRS. Potaphar "wanted" Joseph. It says, "DAY AFTER DAY she pressured Joseph to sleep with her"!! (STOP RIGHT THERE) (imagine or relate?) Joseph refused "It would be a sin against God." <<< Bought by Potapharchased a lot by her >>> (ppt) One day the Bible says, "She grabbed him by the shirt, demanding, 'Sleep with me!'" (left w/shirt he ran out of house.) Mrs. Potaphar had had enough rejection from this "Hebrew"(less than). She screamed & told that Joseph tried to rape her. Potaphar hears & throws in prison (slaveno trials---guilty 'til proved innocent) <<< Ran out of the housejailed as a louse >>>(ppt) "But the Lord was with Joseph." Once again, Joseph could have downward spiraledbut he CHOSE not to. The jailer put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and everything that happened in the prison. One day Joseph runs into Pharaoh's cupbearer & baker in jail. (What's a cupbearer?) Both have dreams they can't figure out. (then in history, dreams were believed to have specific meanings and could determine your future) Cupbearer's dream: "I had this trippy dream where these whacked out grapes grew before my eyes---then I squeezed them into the cup in Pharaoh's hand." Joseph interprets: "Dude, you're going to be restored to your position as Pharaoh's cupbearer!" DO ME A FAVORMENTION ME TO PHARAOH! (he agrees) The baker is impressed with Cupbearer's positive dream. Baker's dream: "Mine's kind of trippy toothere were 3 baskets of pastries on my head that were for Pharaoh. Then these birds came and ate them." Joseph's interpretation: "Oooouh.dude.I don't know how to break it to you, but.In 3 days Pharaoh will cut off your head and impale your body on a pole and then birds will peck away at your flesh." In 3 days both dreams came true exactly like Joseph said. Do you think the cupbearer remembered to tell Pharaoh about Joseph?? <<< Cupbearer forgets Joseph sits >>> (ppt) TWO YEARS LATER! Pharaoh has a dream: 2 buff cows --- 2 homely cows ALL wise men & magicians in Egypt CANNOT figure it out. Cupbearer : D'OH!!! NOW, I remember Joseph is cleaned up & brought to Pharaoh --- interprets dream --- Joseph's suggestion Pharaoh: "Joseph is wisest man in the land --- will be second only to me!" -- Tommy Hilfiger clothes -- Air-conditioned chariot -- Gives him wife, that if she were a President would be "Babe-raham Lincoln" -- Gives him an MTV Cribs-type PALACE with servants -- Joseph 30 YEARS OLD NOW (13 years as a slave & in prison) <<< Pharaoh dreamedJoseph redeemed >>> (ppt) Sure enough, 7 good years 7 years of UNBELIEVABLE famine no food Remember Jacob & Joseph's bros back in Canaan? Famine EVERYWHERE, so Jacob sends sons to Egypt --- where Grain MUST be bought from Joseph. (can you see this coming? Revenge time!) As most powerful man in Egypt under Pharaoh, when the brothers came into Joseph's presence, THEY BOWED DOWN BEFORE JOSEPH. (remember dream?) <<< Family comes to townbrothers do bow down >>> (ppt) Don't recognize Joseph (looked like Egyptian, not Hebrew) -- last time they saw him he was 17, now he's 30 -- different name -- head shaved -- spoke in Egyptian language through interpreter So Joseph knows them --- they don't know him --- finally Joseph is in control. "YOU ARE ALL SPIES!" "NO, we are HONEST men!" Joseph plays cat & mouse with them, exerting his supreme power over them. WHY?Because he can! He even tricks them into bringing their youngest brother, Benjamin, back to Egypt --- Benjamin was Joseph's only BLOOD-brother. After they bring Benjamin, Joseph tricks them again & tells them he is going to put Benjamin in prison & keep him in Egypt. At this Judah, the oldest, can't take it and begs for Joseph to take him instead of Benjamin Joseph CANNOT take it any longer & tells his servants to leave --- And he breaks down and it says, "His cries could be heard throughout the palace." "I AM JOSEPH!" They're freaked out"huh??" (Read from Genesis 45:4-8) <<< Joseph cavedfamily saved >>> (ppt) I brought this story to you for a lot of reasonsThere's a lot that Joseph has in common with people sitting here tonight. We find Joseph at age 17not all the kids in his family have the same set of parents either---it's a blended family, probably like about half the people here. It's a dysfunctional (normal) family where one child is liked more than anotherI bet that in your family, you could tell me right now, who wears the coat of many colors. Odds are if there's more than one child in your family, you or your brothers or sisters have very strong opinions about who wears the coat in your house. And with Joseph and maybe some of you, the kids in the family don't always get along too well. But here's where I want to hang out tonight ----- the most important thing Just like Joseph there are things happening in your life that you cannot control and that you don't like. (repeat) If that's not true now, it has been true in the past, or I GUARANTEE it will happen in the future. I imagine that when we first met Joseph he was probably diggin' his life. He had a happen' robe that set him apart from all the rest. His dad thinks he can do NO wrong. He doesn't even have to work with his other brothers. But when Joseph's brothers sold him for 20 pieces of silverhe had no control over it and I'm sure he didn't like it. As far as I know, no one here's been sold into slavery lately, but I wonder what things have happened to you that you don't like and you cannot control Are you stuck with the last teacher in the whole school that you wanted? Financially, were you not able or allowed to buy all the back to school clothes you wanted? Let's go deeperperhaps some of you wish you were in a dating relationship that's just not happening. Or maybe it already happened, but you wish it hadn't ended. Maybe some of you live in a family that looks different than it did when you were younger because your parents made a decision that's changed your whole lifeand they didn't ask you if you wanted it this way. Let me go for the whole chalupa heremaybe some of you who were here last year, have some emotions rolling around inside you because whether you like it or not, there are a couple people conspicuously missing from this ministry. Maybe we haven't all been sold into slaverybut perhaps there are situations in our lives that we feel have been forced upon us and we don't like it and we can't understand it and perhaps we don't know what to make of all of it The story of Joseph can be summed up by this verse from (ppt) Romans 8:28: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" Say that with me(repeat) We know that in which things? (all) Who works? (God) For the what? (good) Listen to meif we can chew on this verse in the middle of situations we don't like it has the power to help change our life How? Look at Joseph for a minutewhen he was sold into slavery, he could have checked out right thereHe could have said, (Go with this >)"Man, what is the use of even trying any more?! This is all my life is ever going to be! My life could have been this and should have been that . But man, now it's all down the drain I'm not even going to try!" Listen up without the truth of this verse, life is hopeless and life is helpless (repeat) Because Joseph knew that God was ALWAYS with him, working for his good it totally changed how he reacted to his circumstances. And it can totally change how you and I react to circumstances. Because Joseph knew God was with him, he did the best he could working for Potaphar. He did the best he could even in a disgusting prison. In bad situations that he had no control over, Joseph's faith helped him rise to the top. He didn't let bad situations control his life. And don't walk out of here tonight without taking this next sentence with you: How you and I react to bad situations is our CHOICE (ppt) (repeat) When things happen we don't like, we can moan & complain & get sideways & let it negatively effect our outlook on our life. We can say things like: "Man, this totally sucks! There goes this & there goes that I coulda & I shoulda " / Or the mother of all downward spiraling phrases: (ppt) THIS ISN'T FAIR TO ME! (now, say it with me) We can choose to react to bad situations like that. OR after we've worked through our emotions (disclaim that emotions need to come out)we can realize that: (ppt) God is always with me, working for my good. (now, say that with me) Here's my challenge to you: The next time you're at home and your parents lay down one of those laws that you hate ----- instead of saying "IT'S NOT FAIR!" Instead, under your breath, mutter: "God is always with me, working for my good." And your mom or dad will say, "WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOUNG MAN?! or "WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOUNG LADY?!" And you'll respond, (downcast) "I said, God is always with me, working for my good." And then you'll totally freak 'em out(elaborate"Am I in the right house?Right kid?) Here's God's promise: He's always with you working for your good. If you and I hold on to God's promise, it will get us through anything. But hear me God doesn't promise that He'll explain WHY. I am sure that in the moment, Joseph didn't know WHY he had been sold into slavery or WHY he had been thrown into jail BUT, 13 YEARS LATER he FINALLY realized that being sold into slavery got him into Potaphar's housewhich got him into jail which got him next to the cupbearer which eventually got him next to Pharaoh which put him in a position to SAVE HIS ENTIRE FAMILY. It took Joseph 13 years to UNDERSTAND WHY God did these things. And parts of this story Joseph never did understand. Because thousands of years later, a son was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Jesus of Nazareth was a descendent of Joseph. God worked in Joseph's life, not just to save his family, but so that Jesus could eventually save you and me (change tone) At the beginning of the summer I had no idea that I would be standing here tonight. In fact if Joseph would have interpreted one of my dreams and told me this would happen, I would have laughed in his face But for some reason I got on a bus to go to Big Stufand I said, "God whatever you want." And in that week I got to be around 32 of you that I wouldn't have been around otherwise I got to see you in new ways and I got to see God in new ways I could have got on that bus with an attitude that was saying things like: "Man, why did I end up on this trip? I don't even think that teenagers are my thing! What do I have in common with them? What if they don't even want me here? When I got on that bus, instead of saying, "This isn't fair." I was saying, "God is always with me, working for my good." Because I CHOSE to have a spirit that said, "GodYOU are in charge of this life not me I'll do whatever You want I'll go wherever YOU want me to and do whatever YOU want me to." Because I allowed God to work His plan this summer, He's worked in huge ways in my heart --- and I can't think of anywhere else that I would want to be tonight. I don't understand all the WHY'S of how God has worked in this ministry from last Spring to now. God doesn't promise "why's". But I do understand that as long as God wants me in this ministry if it's 3 months or 13 years I'll be sold out to Him and I'll be sold out to you. Let me ask you a question: What do you feel like you've been sold into lately? What is it that you don't like and you don't have any control over? A dating relationship? Issues with your parents? Money problems? Peer pressures? A divorce? Firewire changes? Whatever it is you have a CHOICE as to how you respond. Is it: IT'S NOT FAIR. Or, God is always with me, working for my good. (pray & set up Discussion groups) < back top o'page home page