[0:00] All right, so we are continuing on in our series today on the life of Joseph, meant for good.
[0:12] And just by way of reminder, our series text is Genesis chapter 50 and verse 20. You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to save many people.
[0:26] You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to save many people. A few weeks ago, we covered Genesis chapter 37, and that was the beginning of the story of Joseph, favored but fallen.
[0:42] And our takeaway was pride and envy are warning signs, but the start of Joseph's story points us to Jesus. He is a type of Christ, someone in the Old Testament that points us to the future coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
[0:57] And we see that throughout his story. And then in week two, we talked about Joseph tempted and tried. Tempted and tried as he was sold to Potiphar's house as a slave and rose up through the ranks.
[1:09] And then the boss's wife tried to seduce him, and he stood firm in his faith in God and would not sin in that way. And so the trials that God allows us to endure are always designed to draw us into closer relationship with him.
[1:26] And then last Sunday, we talked about Joseph faithful but forgotten. Faithful but forgotten. Finding himself in prison, in Pharaoh's prison, after being falsely accused.
[1:39] And our takeaway last Sunday was to let your season of divine delay make a discernible difference in how you live your faith. Not just giving lip service to your faith, saying this is what I believe, but actually how does that affect your life?
[1:55] We saw Joseph continue to grow throughout this season of delay, this in the meantime season for Joseph. So now we're on to week four, and that is filled and fruitful.
[2:07] Joseph, filled and fruitful. Would you turn to Genesis chapter 41 with me? And just because you've been sitting a little while, if you're able to join us in standing, would you mind joining us in standing as we read Genesis chapter 41?
[2:21] Just the first eight verses, and we'll continue on following that. Genesis 41, verse 1. I'm reading from the New Living Translation this morning. Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.
[2:36] In his dream, he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. Then he saw seven more cows come up from behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin.
[2:49] These cows stood beside the fat cows on the river bank. Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows. At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up.
[3:01] But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. Then appeared seven more heads of grain, and these were shriveled and withered by the east wind.
[3:16] These thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads. Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream. The next morning, Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams.
[3:27] So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. And when Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant. Let's pray together now.
[3:38] God, please give us insight to the reading of your word. Let your spirit transform the text to apply individually to our lives and teach us what we need to learn from this morning.
[3:49] I pray that you would call each of us into a season of fruitfulness by your Holy Spirit. We'll give you the glory for it. It's in your name we pray.
[4:00] Amen. You may be seated. Thanks for standing. So the introduction here to our passage is that a full two years have passed since Joseph had this amazing victory where God gave him the interpretation of the dreams for the two VIP prisoners, Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker.
[4:24] God used him so powerfully, growing him through this time, giving him this wisdom and insight like he does to all of us as he grows us often in difficult seasons of life.
[4:39] But then two years passed. Can you imagine after Joseph had had this breakthrough moment where God gave him the interpretation of these dreams, he shared it with these guys, and then perhaps he had received word that they got out of jail and it happened exactly as God had said it would.
[5:02] like it always does. But can you imagine every day for two years waiting, wondering if that cupbearer would remember you?
[5:16] Would you ever get out? It all worked out great for him. Not so great for the baker, but it all worked out great for the cupbearer, but it hadn't yet worked out for Joseph.
[5:29] You ever been there? You ever been in a waiting season of life? Especially when someone else around you is thriving? They seem to be in a season of victory and you're just not there.
[5:42] You're just not experiencing it. You're thinking, what's wrong with me? God, why aren't you coming through? What am I not doing? I'm asking, I'm seeking, I'm knocking at the door, and you just don't seem to be answering.
[5:59] You don't seem to be coming through. Why? May I remind you that while we're waiting, God is working.
[6:12] While Joseph was waiting, God was working. And we see it happen. The Bible teaches us that one day, in God's eyes, is as a thousand years.
[6:25] Now that may not give a lot of encouragement to you, and you say, man, a thousand years seems like a long time, and that's just one day in God's eyes.
[6:36] Not sure if I can wait that long, God. Need you to come through a little faster than that. I can't imagine what that two years was like for Joseph. Thinking, God, I stayed faithful to you.
[6:50] I did what you required of me. I did not give in to the temptation. I gave the accurate interpretation that your spirit gave to me, to these two guys, and now, I'm paying this price that I don't believe I deserve.
[7:11] Let's look back at verse 1 of Genesis 41. Two full years later, Pharaoh dreams a dream. These dreams are very similar.
[7:24] The fat, healthy cows versus the scrawny, thin cows. And then he has the second dream, the seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, and then the seven heads of grain that were shriveled and withered.
[7:36] And of course, the shriveled and withered and the thin and scrawny ate that which was healthy and plump. And so what does this mean?
[7:51] Well, Joseph is going to get his chance. But first, Pharaoh turned to those that he thought could interpret it. He turned to those that in the system of ancient Egypt Egypt were set up to interpret these dreams.
[8:07] His wise men, his magicians, he called them and he told them his dreams and not one of them could tell him what they meant. Surprise, surprise. When it comes down to it, the world will always fail.
[8:20] Worldly wisdom will always ultimately fail you. So may I remind you, church, as people of God, why would we then turn to that which will ultimately fail?
[8:31] But we find ourselves doing it like Pharaoh time and time again. The difference is Pharaoh didn't know better. That's all he knew to do. But we as the people of God should know better than to turn ourselves to worldly wisdom.
[8:45] But we do it. We do it continually. We do it when it comes to the areas of life that we're not sure about. And our trust in God starts to fade and we turn to the wisdom of this world and we find ourselves making decisions based on the wisdom of this world rather than the wisdom that comes from God.
[9:06] And that always will ultimately lead us to failure. At some point, you're going to run out of human answers. At some point, we will always run out of answers or explanations for the season we're going through.
[9:21] I'm sure Joseph ran out of reasons for why God was allowing him to sit in that prison. And Pharaoh certainly had no answers for the interpretation of his dream.
[9:32] Have you ever been at a point where you tried to figure out why God was doing something? You ever tried to do that? Maybe even in hindsight looking back, well, maybe God was doing this.
[9:44] Guys, we don't know why God does what he does. But we can trust that what he does is good and what he does is right. And what he does is best.
[9:54] So worldly wisdom will always ultimately fail. I had it on the screen. There it is. Worldly wisdom will always ultimately fail.
[10:07] Romans 1.22 gives us a great text about that. They claim to be wise but they are fools. You ever run into somebody that claimed to be wise and they thought they had all the answers but after they taught for a while you realize he's a fool.
[10:23] She's a fool. Nothing but foolishness ends up coming out although in their own minds they are so wise. Y'all, ultimately the wisdom of the world will always lead.
[10:36] Those wisest in all of its pursuits will ultimately reveal themselves to be fools apart from God and his wisdom because human answers are eventually going to run out.
[10:51] Genesis 41 verse 9. Let's get down and continue our story. Finally, what Joseph had been waiting on happened.
[11:04] The king's chief cupbearer spoke up. Today I have been reminded of my failure he told Pharaoh. Some time ago you were angry with the chief baker and me and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard.
[11:18] Boy, I wouldn't have wanted to bring that up again if I was the cupbearer. Remember that thing I did that made you so mad that you threw me in prison?
[11:29] Just kind of would have wanted Pharaoh to move on from that and not dredge that memory up, right? But he realized how critical this situation was and so he reminded Pharaoh of what had happened and he said one night the chief baker and I each had a dream and each dream had its own meaning and there was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard Potiphar, right?
[11:57] We told him our dreams and he told us what each of our dreams meant. Wow! Pharaoh's got to be looking at him. You're just now telling me this? And everything that happened, everything happened just as he had predicted.
[12:12] I was restored to my position as cupbearer. The chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole. Yikes! Verse 14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once and he was quickly brought from the prison.
[12:26] Well yeah, if all his wise men, if the system had failed Pharaoh, everyone who was supposed to be able to give him answers had no answers and now one of his most trusted advisors who he had gone through a trial with, a storm with, and he had doubted his loyalty and had to throw him into prison and then finally had it reconfirmed somehow and trusted the guy again and now he's telling him, by the way, there's a guy in that prison that I was in.
[12:53] Who can explain this to you? Then he said, get him here. Then he sent for Joseph, he was quickly brought and after he shaved and changed his clothes, Joseph went in and stood before Pharaoh.
[13:08] Verse 15, then Pharaoh said to Joseph, I had a dream last night and no one here can tell me what it means but I've heard that when you hear about a dream, you can interpret it.
[13:23] This was Joseph's big moment. Joseph could have said, yeah, listen, Pharaoh, I got this special gift, all right? I got this special ability. You tell me what you need, I'm your guy, okay?
[13:37] I'll tell you what it means but that's not how Joseph responded. This was his big moment to win the favor of the king, Pharaoh to impress him, to get high up in his regard.
[13:54] He could have let Pharaoh make him possibly the chief wise man in Egypt but instead he said, I'm sorry, Pharaoh.
[14:06] I can't do this. That's what he said. He said, it's beyond my power to do this. I can't help you.
[14:18] I can't tell you your dream. And in my playing out of this story, there's a dramatic pause right there. And Pharaoh's probably looking at him, well, that's not what I heard about you.
[14:33] That's disappointing. And then he's probably giving the side eye to the chief cupbearer saying, I thought this guy was supposed to be able to come through for me. But then Joseph kept talking.
[14:45] He said, but God can tell you what it means and set you at ease. I can't but God can.
[14:56] And that's a reminder that I believe every one of us needs to walk out of here with this morning. It's beyond my power but God can. Listen, you might come up up against something that you cannot figure out a way through.
[15:09] It's beyond your power but God can. As a child of God, you know that. You have full knowledge and understanding and belief and faith that God can.
[15:20] Otherwise, you never would have put your faith in him for the forgiveness of your sins. But if you believe that God can forgive your sin, conquer death, rise victoriously from the grave, then you believe also that God has power over whatever you're coming up against in your life.
[15:43] And that kind of power is available to you all day, every day. So when you come up against a problem, it's not, oh man, what are we going to do?
[15:58] It's not pulling out your hair and thinking this is it, this is the end. It's thinking I can't but God can. If there's a problem at work, if there's a problem with your finances, if there's a problem with a relationship, if there's a problem with your mind and your struggle and your own self and your own heart, I can't but God can.
[16:22] powerful words from Joseph spoken to this Pharaoh. It's beyond my power but God can. He had the opportunity to give himself the glory but he pointed all glory to God.
[16:38] How many times do you and I do that? Or do we instead try to give all the glory to ourselves and forget to give God the glory for what he's done?
[16:50] all the glory and the honor to the son. My sins are forgiven. My future is heaven. I thank God and I give him the glory for what he's done.
[17:04] Worldly wisdom had failed Pharaoh and now Joseph tells him I'm sorry I can't help you. I'm just like all your other wise men. I can't help you but there is a God in heaven.
[17:17] Just like Daniel said we talked about it last week when he was facing King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon many years later he said there is a God in heaven who can help you with this and Joseph told him the same thing.
[17:29] God can tell you what it means. At some point folks we're going to run out of human answers and we've got to turn to that God in heaven and say God I know you can.
[17:41] Whatever it is I know you can. Back in King Jehoshaphat 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 12 King Jehoshaphat was leading God's people up against attacks from the armies of Moab and the armies of Ammon two of the most powerful armies of the day.
[18:01] They were certainly outnumbered. They certainly had no chance to win this victory and King Jehoshaphat turned to God as the leader of God's people and said our God we have no power to face this vast army that's attacking us.
[18:18] We do not know what to do but our eyes are on you. 2 Chronicles 2 Chronicles 20-12 I think if there's a verse you can commit to memory that has to do with this theme this is one of the best ones you can find.
[18:32] Our eyes are fixed on you. Our eyes are turned toward you. We have no power against this enemy. We don't know what to do. Admitting that is hard for us.
[18:44] It's hard for American men but listen it's hard for any of us right to admit that we don't know what to do in this situation but sometimes that's what we have to do and just say God I don't know I don't know what to do.
[18:59] Boy it's hard for bosses to admit that. You're supposed to have all the answers. You're supposed to have a plan. You're supposed to have a vision. The king himself had to stand before God and say God I don't know what to do.
[19:13] I don't know how to win this. We've got an army coming up against us. Two armies joined together. They knew they couldn't maybe defeat us single handedly against themselves because we have God fighting for us but now they've joined together.
[19:26] We have no might here. We have no power here. There's no military strategy that allows us to win this battle. Our eyes are on you.
[19:37] What are you going to do God? What did he do? God said stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. He said don't do anything.
[19:49] Let me fight this battle for you. Sit this one out. I'll fight it for you and God won one of those powerful battles that we have victories that we ever see recorded in scriptures or in history that day.
[20:01] That's not the only time we see this happening. 2 Corinthians 12 verses 5 through 10 the apostle Paul you might think of him as one of the greatest Christians that we ever get to see in the Bible. He had a special relationship with God but he reveals his vulnerability here in 2 Corinthians.
[20:17] He said I will boast only about my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast I would be no fool in doing so because I would be telling the truth but I won't do it.
[20:28] He said I have a lot to boast about. Humanly speaking I've accomplished a lot both before Christ and after I was converted I have done a lot of great things I have a lot of things to boast about but you're not going to catch me boasting about them.
[20:45] I'm not going to give you all the records of my exploits and accomplishments. I'm not going to point it all the attention to myself.
[20:56] I'm going to be like Joseph and I'm going to say I can't but God can. He said I won't do it because I don't want anyone to give me credit credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message.
[21:08] That's what it was about for Paul. It was about follow me as I follow Jesus. What you see me doing in my life and the message that you hear me proclaiming in our starting point course this morning the foundational discipleship truths that we're going through with some of our folks.
[21:24] We talked about the gospel message this morning. That is the mission of the church. That is the message of scripture from the Old Testament to the New Testament from Genesis to Revelation everything that we see in the Bible points to a single message salvation in Jesus.
[21:41] That's before you're saved and that's after you're saved. There's still salvation in Jesus. He's still the one we turn to and so Paul said I don't want them to see anything beyond what they hear in my message what they see in my life even though I've received wonderful revelations from God but to keep me from becoming proud I was given a thorn in my flesh a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
[22:08] People have tried to figure out what that thorn in the flesh was that Paul was talking about. He never really told us but whatever it was it kept him humble. It was his weak spot.
[22:21] Was it a physical problem? Was it a sin problem? We don't know what it was for Paul but it was something that aggravated him like crazy. It bugged the fire out of him.
[22:34] He wished he could overcome it. He wished he could conquer it but he couldn't ever do it. You ever had something you just can't overcome?
[22:47] You just can't get past? Maybe it's a physical problem. Maybe it's a mental hang up. Something that you just can't seem to resolve.
[23:02] You're right there with Paul. He said it kept me from becoming proud because those of us who maybe have a blind spot toward our weaknesses maybe we've become a little proud.
[23:17] Maybe we feel like we've got it all figured out. We would never say that we're sinless but we kind of act like we are. We would never say that we can't be wrong but we kind of act that way.
[23:35] Paul didn't want that to happen. He said God three different times I begged God to take this thorn in my flesh away from me and each time he said my grace is all you need.
[23:48] Don't miss this. My power works best works best in weakness. So now I'm glad to boast about my weaknesses so the power of Christ can work through me.
[24:00] That was what it was about for Paul. He said that's why I take pleasure in these weaknesses. I've grown to the point in my Christian faith where I'm not trying to be perfect anymore. I'm thanking God for the weaknesses that he's given me because I realize that when I am weak then I am strong in his strength.
[24:18] I take pleasure in the weaknesses. I take pleasure in the insults. I take pleasure in the hardships. I take pleasure in the persecution. I take pleasure in the trouble that I suffer for Christ because when I am weak then I am strong.
[24:33] So it's beyond my power but God can.
[24:46] It's one of the biggest themes of Genesis 41 here. I don't want you to miss it. Let's look back at the text. Verse 17. So what happened? Pharaoh told Joseph his dream.
[24:58] Joseph said I can't do it. It's beyond my power but God can tell you what it means and set you at ease. Boy, Pharaoh was happy to hear that God this God of Joseph could set him at ease.
[25:10] So he said why not? Let's give it a try. In my dream he said I'm standing on the bank of the Nile River. I saw seven fat healthy cows come up out of the river began to grazing in the marsh grass but then I saw seven sick looking cows scrawny and thin coming up after them.
[25:23] I've never seen such sorry looking animals in all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh was kind of giving his commentary about his dream. These thin scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows but afterward you wouldn't have known it for they were still as thin and scrawny as before.
[25:37] Then I woke up. Then he had another dream and in my dream I also saw seven heads of grain full beautiful growing on a single stalk then seven more heads of grain appeared but these were blighted shriveled and withered by the east wind and the shriveled heads swallowed the seven healthy heads and I told these dreams to the magicians but no one could tell me what they mean.
[25:57] So Joseph responded both of Pharaoh's dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. The seven healthy cows the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity.
[26:10] Basically Pharaoh this was the same dream and you had it twice using two different examples. Alright? The seven thin scrawny cows that came up later the seven thin heads of grain withered by the east wind represent seven years of famine.
[26:24] This will happen just as I have described it for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. Pharaoh you should consider yourself blessed because God has revealed to you what he is about to do.
[26:37] The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt but afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land.
[26:49] This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased. As for having two similar dreams it means that these events have been decreed by God and he will soon make them happen.
[27:02] Just in case you missed the first one God gave you another one so you're sure that this comes from him and this is going to happen. Therefore Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt.
[27:18] Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh's storehouses.
[27:33] Store it away and guard it so there will be food in the cities. That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.
[27:47] Verse 37 Joseph's suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials.
[28:01] So Pharaoh asked his officials can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God? Did you catch that?
[28:13] Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God? Here's my question.
[28:25] Is it obvious to those around you that you're filled with the spirit of God? Boy it was obvious in that moment. Pharaoh is sitting here as Joseph starts to just go off.
[28:39] He's explaining I feel like a mile a minute just how this is going to go and then God gives him wisdom in this moment and not only does he explain what the dream means he gives Pharaoh advice on what to do.
[28:53] Here's what it means now here's how you should handle this. And Pharaoh's just sitting here looking at him like man I haven't heard anybody like this. All these wise men all these magicians that I have surrounded me they don't hold a candle to this guy.
[29:10] this guy is filled with the spirit of a real God. A true God that actually gives him wisdom. He didn't know it was the one true only God.
[29:25] So is it obvious to those around you that you're filled with the Holy Spirit? Or is it more obvious that you're filled with another spirit?
[29:38] I'll be honest with you I'm the pastor and that means pastors wake up and go to bed and all the hours in between we are filled with the spirit of God right? Why y'all laughing?
[29:51] Course not. We're human like anybody else. We have to be filled moment by moment with God's spirit just the same as you do. Joseph needed wisdom for that moment.
[30:03] God's spirit filled him and gave it to him and it was so evident. evidence. When was the last time that somebody said wow you are filled with the spirit of God?
[30:15] If not have you got to spend a little more time with God? Have you got to intentionally carve out time in your day whenever that is?
[30:26] Whether it's waking up earlier or staying up a little later or carving out some of your lunch break or whatever it is finding time throughout your day to intentionally stop and turn your eyes back to Jesus.
[30:40] Get in the word. Man it's never been easier. The Bible gets to go around with us on our phones now. We always have access to God's word and we always everywhere we go have access to prayer.
[30:55] Talking to our Lord. Anytime, any place we can stop and be filled again with the spirit of God. He's always present. He's always with us.
[31:07] We believe that if you place your faith in Jesus Christ then his spirit comes and lives inside and goes around with you everywhere. But if you want to be filled with the fullness, with the goodness, with the power, with the transforming grace, love, the attributes of the spirit of God, the fruit of the spirit of God, you want to be filled with that and see that make a difference in your life?
[31:31] You got to stop and make time for him. See what he has to say. Listen to him. Let him speak to you. So is it obvious that you're filled with the spirit of God like it was for Joseph?
[31:44] And then in verse 39, we're picking it up and we're almost finished. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, first he looks at the guys around him, can you believe this guy? We've never seen anything like him.
[31:55] This guy is filled with the spirit of God. And then he said to Joseph, since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are.
[32:06] Something that no one's ever said to me. No one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. That's all right. You will be in charge. If y'all come up after church and say that to me, I'm going to know that you're not being sincere, okay?
[32:17] You will be in charge of my court and all my people will take orders from you. Only I sitting on my throne will have a rank higher than you. Wow! Joseph went from zero to hero in no time at all.
[32:30] This guy was promoted in the blink of an eye. I have to question maybe Pharaoh's methods of promoting staff here, but elected officials, there was no elected officials, was there?
[32:41] This guy is now second in command of all of Egypt just because Pharaoh was amazed at the way he interpreted his dream. But Pharaoh sensed something about this guy. He knew that there was something different.
[32:52] He knew that it was God's spirit and I believe God maybe prompted him to do this. So he said, now you only answer to me. You are in charge of everything else in my nation.
[33:05] Pharaoh said to Joseph, I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt. Can y'all just stop and realize what's happening here?
[33:16] Joseph's ship finally came in. Anybody know what that means when your ship comes in? I heard that growing up. It's like the big great thing that you've been waiting for finally happens.
[33:32] Everything had been going bad for Joseph time and time and time and time again and then finally, boom, it all came together. And Pharaoh says, now I place you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.
[33:45] Last night you slept in a jail cell. Tonight you're sleeping in the palace. Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph's finger.
[33:58] He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second in command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, kneel down.
[34:10] So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt and Pharaoh said to him, I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.
[34:21] Don't mistake this, Pharaoh, Joseph. I'm still in charge, all right? I'm still Pharaoh. But besides me, you're in charge of everyone else. I finally found a guy I can trust.
[34:32] I finally found a guy I believe in. I finally found a guy I have absolute confidence in because you're different. So I'm putting you in charge of everyone else.
[34:43] Then Pharaoh gave Joseph a new Egyptian name, Zephanath-Paneah. I like Joseph better myself, but that's all right. He gave him a wife whose name was Asenath and she was the daughter of Potiphar, the priest of On.
[34:57] Just in case you're thinking, it seems like those are two different people, okay? If you're thinking, Potiphar and Potiphar, the same people, it seemed like they were two different people. If you want to argue that with me, we can talk after.
[35:10] That's all right. But at first I was looking at this. Did he marry Potiphar's daughter? How crazy would that be? It seemed like they were two different people. For one, this guy was a priest and the other one was the captain of the guard.
[35:22] So Joseph, sorry, a minute, just lost my place. Here we go. So Joseph, end of verse 45, right? There we go.
[35:34] Joseph took charge of the entire land of Egypt. Can you believe this? What a transformation. And Joseph is a type of Christ.
[35:46] Joseph was first humbled and then he was exalted. Philippians 2 says this, let us be like Christ Jesus who took the humble position of a slave.
[35:57] He humbled himself in obedience to God. Now God has elevated him to a place of the highest honor and given him the name above all other names. So at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow.
[36:07] You see what was happening in Egypt with Joseph. They would all have to kneel to him as he drove by in the chariot. And someday every knee will bow to Joseph, to Jesus.
[36:18] I'm sorry. Not Joseph. Yeah, not, not, not Joseph. They're not going to bow to Joseph anymore. That was just for that time. But now for all ages, every knee someday will bow to Jesus in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue will declare that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
[36:34] So once again, we see a type of Christ here. And that is the nations blessed through him. So we see that Jesus was lifted up. He was a slave and then he was lifted up.
[36:46] And then we're going to see that the nations were blessed through Joseph, just like the nations will be blessed by Jesus. So before we get there, would you look here?
[37:00] Verse 46. Let's look back at verse 46. He was 30 years old when he began serving the court of Pharaoh. Can I just throw a little interjection in here?
[37:11] Don't despise young people. Okay? Joseph was younger than I am. I'm turning 40 in a couple months.
[37:22] But I'm still young, right? How many of y'all think I'm young? The rest of you can just leave, all right? I'm young. Messing. Don't leave. I am young, all right?
[37:37] Young people, I am young. You're old, man. No, I'm not. Don't despise young people. The Bible even says, as a challenge to young people, don't let anyone despise your youth.
[37:50] Let it be an example of the believers. Boy, that's exactly what we see Joseph doing here. This guy was in the prime early years of his life when all this was going on. And by age 30, he sees himself second in command of all of Egypt.
[38:07] That had to be just a shocking reality for him to wake up to every day. God brought Joseph from the pit to the palace, but he was careful to give God credit for every blessing.
[38:25] Now, as predicted, God came through. Every time that Joseph predicted something, we know it came from God because God came through just as Joseph had predicted it.
[38:37] In verse 47, seven years the land produced bumper crops, and Joseph gathered all the crops grown in Egypt and stored the grain from the surrounding fields in the city, piled up huge amounts of grain like sand on the seashore.
[38:49] Finally, he stopped keeping records because it was too much to measure. And during this time, before the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar, the priest of On.
[39:00] His oldest son was named Manasseh, and he said, God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father's family. And then the second one was named Ephraim, for he said, God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.
[39:13] God gave Joseph everything that he thought maybe was never going to come to pass. Sitting in that jail cell for two years, wondering, is God ever going to come through? His faith stayed with him.
[39:28] And in just a blink of an eye, his moment came. Your moment will come. I don't know what it's going to look like. Can't promise you that you're going to be made wealthy.
[39:39] Can't promise you you're going to be put in charge of anything. I don't know what it's going to look like for you, but I know that at some point, God is going to have a moment for you like he had for Joseph. And then the waiting period will end.
[39:51] The in-between period will end. And then God will say, I need you now. And Joseph was ready. He was called, dragged from the prison cell.
[40:02] Before Pharaoh, boy, his faith had to be strong. Had to be ready in that moment. God, I need you. I need you right now. Tell me the meaning of this dream. And he did.
[40:15] And then God brought Joseph from nothing to everything. And then gave him a family. Gave him sons. And these names of his sons show that God gave, Joseph gave God credit for every success and every blessing.
[40:31] And then the nations were blessed through him. Galatians chapter 3, verse 8. The scriptures look forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith.
[40:45] God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago. This is the Abrahamic covenant we learned about a couple Sundays ago. All nations will be blessed through you. So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing that Abraham received because of his faith.
[40:59] And now Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. So all of us can now partake in the same promise that God gave to Abraham because of Jesus.
[41:09] When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing that he promised to Abraham. So now we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
[41:24] Listen, God blessed the nations through Joseph, but that was just a pale picture of someday that how God would bless all nations through Jesus Christ.
[41:35] And you and I get to be part of that blessing. D.L. Moody said this quote. Famous preacher, one of the most famous preachers in our nation's history.
[41:49] He said, no one can sum up all God is able to accomplish through one solitary life, wholly yielded, adjusted, and obedient to him.
[42:01] We have a hard time with the adjusting part, don't we? We're willing to say, God, I yield myself to you. Whatever you want, I'll do it.
[42:12] God, I will obey you. If you command me to do something, I'll do it. The hard part is adjusting. What if God wants you to change something? What if God wants you to stop doing something?
[42:25] What if God wants you to start doing something? We fight that sometimes, don't we? But I think he got it right when he said, there's nothing that God can't accomplish.
[42:36] We can't even begin to sum up what God can accomplish through one person, adjusted to God. God, always willing to adjust to what God says.
[42:49] So, we see at the end of Genesis 41, the nations carried out what Joseph said. The wisdom of God came through.
[43:01] Egypt prospered when the famine came. They were ready. The grain was stored up. And he was able to feed the nations because of the wisdom that God had given him.
[43:11] Folks, there's no limit to what God can do through you. There's no limit. The only limit is us. Joseph was filled with the Spirit of God.
[43:28] So much so that the heathen Pharaoh saw it, called it out, said, this man is filled with the Spirit of God. But to be filled, we have to be empty.
[43:44] We have a hard time being filled with God's Spirit because we're filled with everything else, aren't we? We fill ourselves with everything else under the world.
[43:57] So we don't have room left for God's Spirit to adjust us, to change us. But there's no limit to what God can do. Our takeaway this morning is God can do what I cannot do when I am empty and he fills me.
[44:13] We saw that play out in Genesis 41. I can't do it, God, but you can. So I empty myself and I offer myself to you.
[44:24] God, fill me and use me to accomplish what you want to do. Maybe you're going to bless the nations through me. Maybe you're going to bless my family through me. Maybe you're going to bless my friends through me.
[44:36] Maybe you're going to bless my workforce through me. Maybe you're going to bless my coworkers. Maybe you're going to bless this county. Maybe you're going to bless this church. Maybe you're going to bless far beyond what I could ever see or predict.
[44:50] But I've got to empty myself so you can fill me. Would you bow your heads with me right now? God, we ask you to do what only you can do. There are people in this church who love you.
[45:01] There are people in this church who've been following after you for many, many years. But God, sometimes over the course of following you, we get filled up with things other than you.
[45:13] God, empty us today. Church, can I ask you this question? How many of you would say, I know I'm a sinner and I know that Jesus died for me and I've never placed my faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sins.
[45:28] I believe that he died, that he rose again, that he's alive, and I want to place my faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sins to become his child. Would anybody here who would say that, say, I've never done that and I'd like today to be the day.
[45:40] Thank you. Thank you. Let me ask you this question. How many of you would say, I need to empty myself this morning so the Holy Spirit can fill me and work through me? Would you slip your hand up and just say, that's me.
[45:52] Thank you. Thank you. God, there's too many hands to count. And I just need you right now to work with each person supernaturally. You can speak to each of us at the same time and you can show us exactly what we need to let go of, exactly what we need to change, exactly what we need to start.
[46:12] Empty us, God. We're full of pride. We're full of fear, full of jealousy, full of discontentment, full of worry, full of fatigue.
[46:35] Sometimes we find our joy in things other than you. Sometimes we find our confidence in things other than you. And God, that just fills us up, not with your Spirit, but another Spirit.
[46:50] Empty us, God. We'll give you the glory for it. It's in Jesus' name we pray.