WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:23.760 If you've been with us, you know, we're in a study about Joseph's life. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:29.280 And as we get started, open to Genesis chapter 41. 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:34.000 And the title of this message is When Opportunity Knocks. 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:38.960 And if you've been around, you know that Joseph has been either betrayed or in prison. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:43.759 He's got 13 years of pain, difficulty, and being overlooked. 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:46.399 And this is the moment when opportunity locks. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:51.520 Chapter 41, open it in your phone or open your Bible and follow along. 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:55.280 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:01:02.799 He was standing by the Nile when out of the river there came seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:10.640 After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:15.920 And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek fat cows. 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:17.519 Then Pharaoh woke up. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:21.040 He fell asleep again and had a second dream. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:26.079 Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:32.319 And after them seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind. 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:36.959 Then the thin grains swallowed up the seven healthy full heads. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:38.959 Then Pharaoh woke up. 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:40.640 It had been a dream. 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:46.719 In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and the wise men of Egypt. 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:52.239 Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:58.159 Then the chief cup bearer said to Pharaoh, Today I'm reminded of my shortcomings. 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:04.640 Pharaoh once was angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:09.919 Each of us had a dream that same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:19.520 Now a young Hebrew, say Joseph, very good, was there, a servant of the captain of the guard. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:26.319 We told him our dreams and interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:30.960 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them. 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:36.000 I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:40.719 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:46.400 And when he was brought from the dungeon, he shaved, changed his clothes, and he came before Pharaoh. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:52.639 Pharaoh said to Joseph, I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:59.199 But I have heard it said that when you have a you can hear a dream, you can interpret it. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:00.400 Pause. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:17.680 Betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused of rape in the prison, where each time he kind of works hard and becomes the head of something. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:22.159 And then they forget after he interprets the dreams, it's been two years. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:23.439 This is his moment. 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:24.879 Here's the question. 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:30.159 How does Joseph respond when opportunity knocks? 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:37.520 And the second question is how will you and how will I respond when opportunity knocks? 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:45.680 As I was thinking about this, and by the way, we're gonna get back into the text just a minute, but I thought of seasons where you know you have an opportunity. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:51.280 I had probably was a month before I graduated from college, and I was a very slow starter. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:56.000 I didn't grow up as a follower of Christ, but I trusted Christ right before I went away to college. 00:03:56.240 --> 00:03:58.240 By this time, I'm in God's Word every day. 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:00.479 I'm in a small group Bible study. 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:06.879 I really came to the point where I believed that God was good, but I didn't know what to do after college. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:09.039 So opportunity, big decision. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:14.159 And so uh I got to the point where, Lord, I'll do whatever you want me to do. 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:17.759 And you know, I was pretty idealistic and thought, how do you really help people? 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:19.199 You know, Jesus, help people. 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:24.720 So I called my sister and I majored in a bunch of different things, changed my major about five or six times. 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:31.680 So I had sort of the whole liberal arts side of it, and then I had the whole other side if I wanted to go into medicine or something. 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:36.560 And so I called my sister who's a nurse, and I said, Punky, I'm praying and thinking about being a doctor. 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:37.839 What do you think? 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:44.959 She said, Um, Chip, when I even talk about blood, you can't handle it. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:46.639 You'd be a terrible doctor. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:52.959 And so that was really good because I thought I don't want four more years of school and internships and all the rest. 00:04:53.199 --> 00:05:00.160 And so I thought, you know, I'm not sure, but I know coaches are the ones that really, really influenced my life. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:06.240 My dad was absent because he was an alcoholic and very functioning, but just disconnected from family. 00:05:06.399 --> 00:05:07.519 So I thought, great. 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:15.680 So I became a teacher and coached basketball and loved it, and it was great, and sort of got to play all around the world. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:18.079 But that idea of more schooling was like. 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:26.560 And yet, what I realized a little bit later, I love coaching, but I wanted to be a major college coach. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:31.519 So I wanted, for some of you that are older, Bobby Knight was a famous coach in Indiana. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:32.800 I wanted his job. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.199 I grew up in Ohio, or maybe Coach Z. 00:05:35.439 --> 00:05:38.560 Or I mean, I wanted to be a great program, be a great coach. 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:44.560 And I'd done it in high school, and I actually was pretty good, and our teams won, and I loved meeting with the players. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:46.480 So I had to go back to school. 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:53.040 Two years of graduate school, West Virginia University, and uh said, okay, well, if you have to go to school to be a coach, great. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:54.959 Another opportunity. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:59.120 While I traveled around the world playing basketball, God tapped me on the shoulder. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:01.759 He brought this beautiful woman into my life. 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:05.199 We got married and said, I want you to coach my team. 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:10.800 The only problem is that you don't really, you know, the Bible personally, but you need training. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:14.959 So I went to seminary, it meant four more years. 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:16.959 Oh my gosh. 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:25.360 Well, the good news is I squeezed that four-year program into five, and uh, your lead pastor Ryan came along during that time. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:27.759 And so a lot of good things came. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:34.079 But what I learned was whether you have to have a lot of school or little school, because it's really different. 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:39.279 Some of the most successful people I know, college was even too boring, didn't go. 00:06:39.759 --> 00:06:43.279 But whether it's a little or a lot, here's what I want to tell you. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:46.959 You never graduate from God's school of faith. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:52.240 You're in a school all the time, and he has certain things he wants to teach us. 00:06:52.319 --> 00:06:54.319 So open, open your notes if you will. 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:55.759 I think it's gonna be real helpful. 00:06:55.920 --> 00:07:13.040 I want to give us a context about God's school of faith because what we're gonna find out is that if you're not prepared, if you don't stay up and kind of pass his tests like Joseph passed, um, you won't respond in the right way when he brings that opportunity. 00:07:13.279 --> 00:07:16.079 And so let me just give you an understanding of God's school. 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:17.519 There's four basic objectives. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:21.360 Objective number one in God's school of faith is to know him personally. 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:32.319 I mean, he wants every single person to actually understand that he loves them, he's forgiven them, he's risen from the dead, and you can have a personal relationship. 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:36.720 His last prayer in John 17, he said, this is eternal life. 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:39.120 It's not just something that lasts a long time. 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:43.199 It's to know you, Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ whom you sent. 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:47.519 And that word know is a deep, personal, rich relationship. 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:53.360 So God's number one objective is first we come to know him, and then actually that's the big objective. 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:58.160 Whether you're two or 72, that we keep getting to know him better and better. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:02.560 The second objective in God's school of faith is to develop our character. 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:10.240 In Romans 8, 29, after 28, it says that God uses all these circumstances and people for good. 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:13.759 The good is to conform us to the image of his son. 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:21.040 So, so the big program is not so much that you're religious or you don't do this, you start this. 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:26.319 The goal is God is about making you more and more like Jesus. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:27.519 But like practically. 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:48.799 So you would drive your car the way Jesus would drive your car if he was inside your car, that you would use your money the way Jesus would use your money if he was inside of you, that you would treat poor people the way Jesus treated poor people, that if God gave you a lot of big things, you would treat it as a stewardship and not think it's all about you. 00:08:49.039 --> 00:09:03.200 In other words, in every area of your life, God in this school of faith is to help you and me, little by little by little, to act and think and feel because actually Jesus lives inside of us. 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:05.120 So that's a big part of the agenda. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:13.919 The third objective in God's school of faith is to use us to fulfill his kingdom agenda in this world. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:28.639 Uh, in Ephesians 2.10, uh, after talking about this miraculous, loving, amazing grace and forgiveness of God, he says, You, each one of us, are God's workmanship or poem or masterpiece. 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:37.120 And that God has prepared for you and for me, every single person who knows Jesus personally, he actually has a good work. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:41.919 He has a purpose, something that only you can fulfill. 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:44.240 Something from the foundations of the earth. 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:50.559 It'll take into account your family of origin, your natural talents, your spiritual gifts, circumstances. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:56.080 And he has something that only you can do in a way that only you could do it. 00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:59.440 And so he wants you to discover it and he wants to use you. 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:05.600 He wants his kingdom to come, right, and his will to be done on earth the way it happens in heaven. 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:19.120 And that's where people get loved, and people experience kindness and uh people get their needs met, and you become a conduit literally of the very life of Jesus for other people. 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:31.919 And then finally, uh objective number four, and I love this part of it, is to give us inexpressible joy, supernatural peace, and unconditional love in the process. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:38.799 So this isn't like God has some plan and you get this job, and okay, it's gonna be really hard, and you know, just buckle up. 00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:45.279 Jesus said, This is the very last night in John 15, he goes, guys, look, I know I'm leaving, it's gonna be better for you. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:50.399 The Holy Spirit's gonna come, he's gonna live in you, and all you need to do, just stay connected to me. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:52.639 Abide in me, abide in my word. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:54.240 Um, just follow. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:56.159 And he says, Here's the deal. 00:10:56.399 --> 00:11:04.559 These things I've spoken to you about my relationship with you, so that my joy will be in you, and that your joy will be made full. 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:06.879 That it ups and downs and struggles. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:09.440 I want you to know there's this connection with me. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:14.000 I want you to have that joy that overcomes whatever you face. 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:18.080 And then in verse 12, he says, Greater love has no one than this. 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:21.039 That one lay down his life for his friend. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:22.960 And of course, he would do that. 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:30.559 And then what we know of the eleven apostles who heard this at the time, 10 of them would give their life for others. 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:33.919 And then he went on to say, you know, about friends. 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:37.600 He said, No longer did I call you slaves, I call you friends. 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:41.519 For all things the Father has been made known to me, I've made known to you. 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:44.320 He didn't choose me, I choose you. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:46.720 That you could be with me. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:48.320 And then he gives them a command. 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:51.200 Now I want you to love each other the way I've loved you. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:59.039 And in Jesus' mindset, loving him means obeying him, so that those first three objectives become a reality. 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:09.440 And so the principle that I've learned after these many decades, and I was just realizing at the last service, is I I met Jesus a little over 50 years ago. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:17.600 And this agenda, this school of faith, it just keeps, you know, it keeps playing itself out. 00:12:17.919 --> 00:12:25.039 And the principle I've learned is that God must work deeply in us before he works significantly through us. 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:32.159 Life is so much more than what you accomplish and what you get to do, or doing this for people. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:38.480 This idea, this game plan is that God wants to work in you. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:46.799 He wants to shape your character and your attitudes and your life, and most of all to have you and me connected very, very deeply. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:49.279 What he longs is for a relationship. 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:56.080 He wants to enjoy you and love you, and then produce that as an overflow of your life. 00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:01.440 And so Joseph is like an amazing case study of how that works. 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:15.679 Uh, last week uh Ryan shared sort of the journey God takes us on that is anything but a straight line, and he talked about the zigzag curriculum of God, and you can see on the on the screen here, you know, this is this was God's role. 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:21.759 Those four objectives were for Joseph, for Moses, for David, for you, for me, for Paul, for everyone. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:23.919 God's agenda, it's exactly the same. 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:26.240 And this is the way it usually happens. 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:30.000 You know, it's you think, God, I'm following you. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:31.440 You mean it's not easy? 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:35.600 You mean if I believe and I walk by faith and I'm obedient? 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:36.240 No. 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:42.080 For Joseph, it started at 17 and he ends up in a pit betrayed by his brothers. 00:13:42.399 --> 00:14:02.000 Then he rises and he's a slave, and as a slave, he's faithful and obedient, and he refuses to sleep with the guy's wife, and so he gets falsely accused, and then he ends up in jail, and you know, he's he has a great attitude and uses his gifts, and pretty soon he's supervising the jail, he interprets some dreams, and then they forget him. 00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:05.600 I mean, imagine, let's not make this a Bible story. 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:12.240 Imagine having a dream in your heart, something you're sure God spoke to you about. 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:14.639 And it's like, really? 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:18.559 I'm like, when is this gonna happen? 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:20.559 I mean, how long? 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:27.919 I mean, think think of back for some of you are 17, and some of you can remember what it was like to be 17. 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:37.120 I mean, 17 to 30 is like I'm I'm thinking there's some days where he thought, maybe I should have just slept with his wife, things would have gone better. 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:38.720 You know, God, I feel lost. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:40.639 I feel like you've abandoned me. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:44.000 But by the grace of God, he remains faithful. 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:50.399 And what you're gonna find is that as you trace his life, there's certain tests that God gives to him. 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:59.279 And by the way, this case study of his life, every test that Joseph has, you and I following Jesus will have the same tests. 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:01.919 And by the way, here's what's different, right? 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:11.200 In in school, whether it's high school or college or graduate school, or you know, you take tests in your business and your life at work. 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:13.840 God's tests are different. 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:18.480 His desire is that everyone gets an A on every test. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:20.639 In other words, he wants you to pass. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:22.960 I mean, he wants to give you the answers. 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:30.960 I want you to pass, because as you pass, those objectives get really fulfilled in your life and through your life. 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:33.679 So I just I just gave you the kind of the list of tests. 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:40.159 And in chapter 37, Joseph has the test of the family of origin, and so will you, and so did I. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:44.559 Some of you came from really great, wonderful homes, and some from really challenging homes. 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:48.399 Here's the deal: your dad and mom weren't Jesus. 00:15:48.639 --> 00:16:01.840 So they weren't perfect, so that means they had issues and they passed on their issues to you, and my parents passed on my issues, as Ryan will tell you, and he will pass them on to his kids. 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:09.360 The family of origin test is to know your family of origin shapes you. 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:11.440 It doesn't have to define you. 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:21.120 God has a bigger plan, and he'll use even the challenges from your childhood when you turn to him and trust him to do some of the best and biggest things. 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:24.320 The second is the morality test, chapter 39. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:27.279 He's sexually tempted and he runs. 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:28.799 He passes the test. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:30.879 Mark this down. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:39.360 Sexual purity is a prerequisite to experience God's power, to hear his voice, and to know his way. 00:16:39.919 --> 00:16:41.039 Let me say that again. 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:48.080 Sexual purity is a prerequisite for experiencing God's power and for hearing his voice. 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:53.200 Sex outside of a marriage relationship is a false intimacy. 00:16:53.440 --> 00:17:01.759 And whether it's through pornography or whether it's sleeping around or whatever form, God wants higher and God wants better. 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:07.200 And the world wants to suck us into a process and a journey. 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:13.440 God says, I need you to be sexually pure so that you can hear my voice. 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:24.960 There's nothing worse than living one foot in the world and one foot, you know, with following God and that tension and that guilt that just keeps coming up and down. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:27.920 So God says, that's a test we need to pass. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:30.640 The third test is the identity test. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:37.440 You know, he's an entitled sort of, I'm better than anyone else with his brothers and gets rejected. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:42.400 Then he becomes a slave, and then he becomes a convicted rapist. 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:48.720 And each time he had to pass the identity test, people will label you. 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:56.319 They'll label you at work, they'll label you in your community, you grow up and they'll label you, you're this, you're that. 00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:02.000 God says the identity test is you need to see yourself the way I see you. 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:05.039 You are my precious son or daughter. 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:06.960 I love you just for you. 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:19.279 I bought you, I chose you, I ransomed you, I sealed you, I deposited gifts, I got a plan for you, I'm sovereign, I'm with you, and I don't care what anybody else says, that's how I see you. 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:23.440 And the identity test is learning to see yourself the way God sees you. 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:27.279 And then you have the waiting test, and Ryan talked about that last week. 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:32.720 And the waiting test is simply this God's timing versus your timing. 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:34.480 And it's hard, right? 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:35.839 I don't know about you. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:44.079 I was talking outside to um Camellia's husband, Camilla's husband, and um I guess we both have in common. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:45.039 I want it now. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:46.079 I want to do it now. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:50.960 I want to, you know, all those years that I spent in school, it's like, God, I don't want to be in school. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:54.319 I'm gonna get out on the field, I want to make a difference, I want to go. 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:56.720 I didn't realize I wasn't ready. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:18:59.279 I didn't, I needed things to learn. 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:01.519 My character needed to be developed. 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:09.359 And I didn't know that God, when we're waiting, he's not only changing you, but he's preparing places and people for you. 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:11.119 He's got it under control. 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.440 And then there's the preparation test, and that's what we're gonna see with Joseph. 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:23.039 See, what you find is that all 13 years, Joseph wasn't whining and complaining that this isn't fair. 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:25.200 Uh, why did you let me do this? 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:26.880 Why am I still here? 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:29.920 Uh, if you gave me that dream, why is it not happening? 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:32.240 How come other people are doing well? 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:42.720 And instead, the preparation test is wherever God has you, you positively lean in and say, I might want to be somewhere else. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:52.480 I'd like this to happen sooner, but until it does, today I'm in the center of God's will, and I will be God's man or God's woman or God's student right where I am. 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:56.240 So do what you need to do in me and do what you want to do through me. 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:59.440 And when you do that, then you're ready when opportunity knocks. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:03.759 And then finally, this is a spoiler alert this is the success test. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:13.920 Uh, what we're gonna find as we as we read this, and some of you know the story, is that Joseph will actually interpret the dream, and then Joseph will do a number of very humble things. 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:21.839 He will basically say, only God can interpret these dreams, um, but I'll I will do whatever he says. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:24.559 And then he gives some wise counsel. 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:31.599 He's very administratively gifted, and he says, you know, let me let me tell you, this is how it goes. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:36.079 Um, Pharaoh, uh, the two dreams are one and the same. 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:39.039 And when you read the text, I'm gonna narrate part of it. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:44.079 The reason it's said twice is God has firmly decided that this is going to happen. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.759 So here's what it means. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:50.720 The first seven years, you're gonna have abundance like never before in Egypt. 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:53.839 I mean, you're gonna have more grain than you could ever imagine. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:56.319 There's gonna be blessing in every area. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:02.640 And then the next seven years, there's going to be one of the most severe famines that ever occur in Egypt. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:04.720 That's what your dream means. 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:10.079 And then, because of his administrative gifts, we all we all think and flow out of how we're made. 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:15.039 He obviously has great administrative gifts because he keeps getting promoted to run things. 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:17.279 And he and so he here's your counsel. 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:22.079 Let Pharaoh find someone who's wise and discerning, and then it's specific. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:33.119 Uh, for the next seven years, take one-fifth of all the grain that comes in and store it very specifically in all the various cities and and come up with a very clear plan. 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:46.880 And then once you have organized that in all those cities, one fifth, then the next seven years you'll have enough that when there's nothing, you can have this grain, it will sustain the people in the cities. 00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:50.480 And Pharaoh, you continue to read this maybe a little bit on your own. 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:53.279 Pharaoh goes, Well, how can we find such a discerning man? 00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:59.599 I'm not exactly sure where or when or how, but wow, seems like if you gave that wise counsel, maybe you're the discerning man. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:05.759 And then what you see is he goes, Okay, I'm going to make you in charge of all of Egypt. 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:16.880 And then some of these symbols, you get a signet ring that's for power, and you're going to have a robe put upon you that tells you you have a completely new identity, and a gold thing around your neck that says you're second in command. 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:20.559 And then you ride in the number two chariot, and everyone's going to cheer you. 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:31.920 And Moses is going to experience after 13 years of I'm a slave, I'm a convicted rapist, I'm a forgotten person, I'm a guy that needs a shave to even get out in front of public. 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:43.519 He's going to be wealthy, he's going to be powerful, he's going to be successful, he's going to have position, and they're even going to throw in a wife, and he's going to have a couple kids, and he's going to name his kids, wow. 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:48.400 God actually has caused me to forget all the pain that I've been through. 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:54.240 And then the second kid is, God has given me favor basically beyond my wildest imagination. 00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:55.920 Here's the deal. 00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:59.599 Jot down in your notes, Proverbs 27, 21. 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:09.839 It says, The furnace, the crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the man is tested by the praises given him. 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:13.599 In other words, the the crucible or a furnace, what? 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:18.799 It's heat that brings out the impurities to see the quality of the metal. 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:36.079 When you receive position or power or money or great esteem, and you get a lot of praise from people, how you respond will tell you a lot about who you really are. 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:55.759 As one of my friends who works in a world where there's lots of money with not just millions, but with B's per billion, he said, for every hundred people that can handle adversity and still walk with God, there's on less than one hand the people that can get great success, receive a lot of money and still walk with God. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:07.599 Because there's something that's seducing about power, there's something about money that it just causes you little by little, it's powerful, and you just start to wander, wander, and to drift. 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:10.000 And it is very, very challenging. 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:19.279 Jesus made it clear, it's challenging for a rich man or a rich woman to enter the kingdom of God because you're so independent. 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:22.319 You don't need people. 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:28.480 You have so many options, and it seduces us away from our love for Christ. 00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:32.160 Notice Joseph passes the test. 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:37.920 Two years of waiting in verse 1, the two dreams that Pharaoh has in verses 2 through 8. 00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:42.160 Joseph interprets the dreams in verses 15 to 24. 00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:48.240 And then in verses 25 to 32, he tells him the advice all the way up to verse 36. 00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:49.839 And here's something I want you to see. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:51.519 I want you to actually read this. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:53.519 Where I stopped, remember? 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:55.599 Was in verse 15. 00:24:55.839 --> 00:25:05.359 Pharaoh said to Joseph, I had a dream, and no one can interpret it, but I have heard it said that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:06.960 Notice his response. 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:11.680 Look at you, you should be looking either in your phone or your Bible rather than at me. 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:16.480 Are you there? 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:22.799 I cannot do it, Joseph replied to Pharaoh. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:27.440 But God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires. 00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:31.680 Now at this point, he's Joseph hasn't heard the dreams. 00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:34.799 Who does he give the credit to? 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:37.920 It took 13 years. 00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:41.119 When he was 17, who was the center of his world? 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:42.640 Who was arrogant? 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:43.920 Who was the dreamer? 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:46.000 Who thought he was better than other people? 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:52.960 After 13 years of these adversities of the zigzag line, he understood God is on the throne. 00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:57.839 I have gifts, I have an ability, I'm only a steward of them. 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:01.759 Notice too, he's developed something called faith. 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:09.680 He hasn't even heard the dreams, and he looks Pharaoh in the eye and says, God will reveal to you what the dreams mean. 00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:14.480 You've got to remember that, like if he's wrong, he's dead. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:18.240 See, he was prepared. 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:22.319 His opportunity locked, and then he stepped into it. 00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:24.640 Pharaoh then tells his dream. 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:29.039 Joseph interprets it, the plan seemed good to him. 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:34.240 In verse 37, can we find anyone in whom the Spirit of God dwells? 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:42.000 Then he says to Joseph, Since God has made all this known to you, therefore no one is as discerning and wise as you. 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:51.759 You shall be in charge of my palace, all my people are submitted to your orders, but only with respect to the throne will it be greater than you. 00:26:54.880 --> 00:26:58.960 When opportunity knocks, you need to be ready. 00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:05.759 And the way we get ready is to really be prepared and understand what God is doing. 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:17.839 He gives advice, and then after the preparation and the humility, he ends up with position, authority, wealth, wife, children, a purpose, and another huge spoiling alert. 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:26.319 He saves not only the nation of Egypt, he saves the Israelites and all the known earth at the time. 00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:28.400 The famine is so great they come. 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:38.079 And God uses this man in this way because for 13 years he was leaning into God's personal agenda, those objectives. 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:45.200 And so what I want to do with the rest of our time is take some lessons from Joseph's life that are for us. 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:47.920 It's on the back page of your notes. 00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:52.480 Lesson number one is God is always working even when we can't see it. 00:27:53.680 --> 00:28:02.319 In verse 23 of this chapter, Joseph is in prison and Pharaoh has a dream. 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:08.880 God's working by giving Pharaoh a dream, and he's working, and Joseph is still waiting. 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:11.200 Joseph doesn't know that's happening. 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:14.240 God is working for you right now. 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:15.920 He's always working. 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:25.440 And Romans 8.28 is that God, we know that he works all things for the good for those of you that are the call, that love him, that are walking with him. 00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:35.440 He's going to take all the circumstance, all the people, all the ups, all the downs, all the changes in the economy, all the new technology, all the things you face. 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:42.319 And if you are one of those people saying, I'm in, I'm gonna stay in your school of faith, I want to follow you. 00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:46.480 It's hard, doesn't seem fair, seems like a zigzag. 00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:49.039 Gosh, this person broke up with me. 00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:50.640 I I should have been promoted. 00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:52.000 That person was promoted. 00:28:52.319 --> 00:29:02.720 A sovereign God who knows all things, who is all wise, who has all power, and you're his child, is working for you all the time, even when you can't see it. 00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:10.240 He's working in your character, he's developing your faith, he's developing your relationships, and he's developing circumstances. 00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:17.119 He's doing something somewhere with some other people and some other places they're not ready for you yet. 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:18.960 But you just don't know that. 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:26.559 We lived in Atlanta for some time, and at one point, living on the edge is the nonprofit that I have the privilege of being a part of. 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:31.359 And we teach God's word and we train pastors, and we're reaching the next generation. 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:40.880 But we were in a moment where we had just kind of gotten on our own for just a few years and barely making it every month, like, oh Lord, bring in enough money to pay for our staff. 00:29:41.039 --> 00:29:47.200 And we realized to scale, to take a big step, we needed, you know, a significant gift from somewhere. 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:50.079 And our chairman has a lot of faith, and he said, you know what? 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:51.680 God can do the impossible. 00:29:51.839 --> 00:29:56.160 Let's pray that the Lord will bring a million-dollar gift to the ministry. 00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:57.440 That would help us to. 00:29:58.240 --> 00:29:59.839 So we started praying that. 00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:01.359 Prayed it for a year. 00:30:01.680 --> 00:30:03.440 Prayed it for another year. 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:11.839 And then we got, I got a message, an email from an attorney that said, so-and-so in some place has done something and you need to check it out. 00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:13.440 And I thought, is this like fishing? 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:14.400 Is this a scam? 00:30:14.559 --> 00:30:18.559 So I I sent it to the kind of people at the office, and you need to check this out. 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:22.559 And so they contacted that attorney, and that attorney said, This man's name. 00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:23.759 This man has died. 00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:24.799 He's in Las Vegas. 00:30:24.880 --> 00:30:33.839 He was a he was a dentist, a cosmetic dentist, and and um he's left you all$1.5 million along with an airplane hanger. 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:36.400 And you know, like, yeah, right. 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:40.480 I said, We he's never given us a gift. 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:42.319 We don't have his name anywhere. 00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:45.920 And we searched and we found out, and this is crazy. 00:30:46.000 --> 00:31:08.480 Uh, I was doing an event, I don't know, seven, eight years earlier, and it was in a city, it was a weekend event, and I have a friend who works for Morgan Stanley, did at the time in the finance world, and he was his financial planner, and he was sharing Christ with this guy, and we were kind of near Las Vegas, wherever we did this event, and he said, Why don't you come with me this weekend? 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:15.440 And so they came, and this guy listened all weekend, and on Saturday night, he trusted Christ. 00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:17.359 He followed Jesus. 00:31:17.599 --> 00:31:32.319 We never heard from him, he never gave us a gift, but God did something in his heart, and while we were over here praying and waiting and needing this, God was working in his heart, and isn't that a great story? 00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:37.039 Do you realize God's doing that right now for some of you? 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:42.079 He's preparing something that you can't see, but you get discouraged. 00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:44.640 You have to remember he's always working. 00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:48.960 The second lesson is delays don't mean you've done something wrong. 00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:53.759 Proverbs 69 says, the mind of a man or the mind of a woman, right? 00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:54.799 You plan your way. 00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:55.599 You're supposed to. 00:31:55.839 --> 00:31:57.839 Here's where I am, this is what we need to do. 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:01.519 I have a plan for our marriage, I have a plan for our kids, I have a plan for my work. 00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:06.960 The mind of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes and directs our steps. 00:32:07.839 --> 00:32:10.240 But sometimes there's a delay, right? 00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:17.680 God, you know, this is the plan, and and and nothing's happening. 00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:24.319 I've had times where I would be praying, God, I'm following you. 00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:25.839 Why am I still single? 00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:29.039 God, why do I why am I in this dead end job? 00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:31.119 God, I I'm spiritually stuck. 00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:32.640 I mean, I don't get it. 00:32:32.880 --> 00:32:35.200 Um, why are my plans so frustrated? 00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:37.039 Why is this so slow? 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:45.359 God's delays, if you're not careful, you can begin to think that you did something wrong. 00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:47.920 Or maybe you didn't really hear from God. 00:32:48.160 --> 00:32:56.079 Uh, one of the early times for Teresa and me, uh, it was during seminary, it was my had one year of seminary left, and we were broke. 00:32:56.319 --> 00:33:04.880 And I had this job where I was sort of managing a small uh janitorial company, which sometimes meant doing the floors myself. 00:33:05.279 --> 00:33:20.079 And uh I went away on vacation and we lost a couple big accounts, and the owner was a good friend, and he came to me and said, Look, it is a very small company, there's only enough money for one person in these roles, and I own the company, so I will have the money, and you need to find something else. 00:33:20.319 --> 00:33:21.839 And so it was like, oh wow. 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:35.680 So a door opened to this little church out in the country, 30 miles outside of uh Dallas, with 35 people in a super rural area in a world that if I could ever choose a world not to go to, this would be it. 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:47.759 And I don't mean this badly, but you know, there were guns in the back of pickup trucks, all the all the youth had a big hole, a circle in the back of their jeans, and they'd carry around Coke bottles, but instead of drinking out of them, they would spit in them. 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:50.480 And for some of you, you have no idea what I'm talking about. 00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:51.680 It's called skull. 00:33:51.839 --> 00:33:57.279 And you put it right in here, and you and you and you spit all the time, and it's tobacco. 00:33:57.440 --> 00:34:02.480 And and the N-word was like just normal, and I just thought, what where have you brought me? 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:05.680 Oh God, you know, I grew up in suburbs, and this was new. 00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:19.599 Number one, I had to learn I had prejudice against various people groups, and this was a people group, you know, the John Deere Hack guys, and and um and God wanted to do something in my heart. 00:34:19.840 --> 00:34:25.679 And so we uh, you know, when you're broke, you know, any door is a door to walk through. 00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:31.679 And so uh, you know, I didn't share this in the first service, but since my wife's here, we went out to visit it. 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:36.800 Ryan was 18 months old and he climbed up on this jungle gym, and I thought, oh my gosh, he's gonna kill himself. 00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:39.519 But he actually did that a lot growing up. 00:34:39.840 --> 00:34:42.639 And uh so we went to see the opportunity. 00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:51.760 And outside of outside of the little place was a white schoolhouse with not any facilities or anything, and that was the church. 00:34:52.000 --> 00:35:00.000 And so we drove back to Dallas and we stopped at this place to have Chinese food to talk about this opportunity. 00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:07.199 And we sat down and Teresa looked at me and just started bawling, please don't take me there, please don't take me there. 00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:08.400 And she was right. 00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:10.320 I mean, it was like, are you kidding me? 00:35:10.559 --> 00:35:26.159 And uh for the next eight years we learned um how to be a pastor, but I had to make a five-year commitment because apparently it uh they had about eight different full-time or part-time pastors in the last five years, and so they wanted a commitment. 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:32.480 So we committed, and then after five years, it was like, you know, the people were loving, they really helped us. 00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:40.159 You know, we mushroomed up to like a hundred people, you know, or maybe 120 or something, you know, maybe a little bit, and it's making some progress. 00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:42.639 And I was just, I mean, I'm putting resumes out. 00:35:42.719 --> 00:35:45.119 I've did my five years, and God, would you open the door? 00:35:45.280 --> 00:35:45.920 Open a door. 00:35:46.079 --> 00:35:47.599 I was completely frustrated. 00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:49.440 I, this is not where I want to be. 00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:59.920 I didn't go through school, a bunch of school that I didn't want to go to, in order to end up in a rural, tiny community, and there's 16 churches within a mile, and they can hear about Jesus. 00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:01.679 God, this, please, please. 00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:05.519 And literally, I remember thinking, God, have you forgotten my name? 00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:11.599 And some of the leadership literature talks about in scripture there's a test of obscurity. 00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:19.360 There's a test where God places you someplace where He needs to do a lot of work in you that you don't see. 00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:24.719 And um I didn't leave after year five. 00:36:25.199 --> 00:36:37.360 God slammed every door, and I finally came to the point where I will please don't answer this prayer. 00:36:38.239 --> 00:36:48.719 I will stay here and I will give it my very best, and I will have a positive, godly, thankful attitude until you move me, and I will learn whatever you want me to learn here. 00:36:49.519 --> 00:36:54.719 In years six, seven, and eight, the church went in that town of 3,000 to almost 500. 00:36:55.039 --> 00:37:00.239 The churches partnered together and we solved the whole issue of foster care. 00:37:00.400 --> 00:37:01.920 We built a foster home. 00:37:02.639 --> 00:37:11.519 Blacks and whites began to worship together, and we had a gymnasium and we had a place that God did more in six, seven, eight than he did in the first three. 00:37:11.599 --> 00:37:14.480 And I learned how to be a pastor. 00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:21.760 And Santa Cruz wasn't quite ready, but things happened there during those years that allowed the alignment. 00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:34.000 And Santa Cruz Bible Church was not only one of the sweetest, maybe one of the best seasons of ministry, but everything I've pretty much done in all the years after, the roots of it, the core of it, got birthed. 00:37:34.320 --> 00:37:38.159 When Teresa and I spent 12 and a half years in Santa Cruz at Santa Cruz Bible. 00:37:39.599 --> 00:37:42.159 Delays don't mean you've done something wrong. 00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:44.320 God is at work. 00:37:45.280 --> 00:37:46.400 What are you doing? 00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:47.920 And that's the next one. 00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:55.199 The third is that faithfulness where God has you is the prerequisite for experiencing his plan for you. 00:37:55.440 --> 00:37:57.760 Underline the word prerequisite. 00:37:58.079 --> 00:37:59.840 Luke 16, 10. 00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:05.519 When you are in a place that, like God, where are you? 00:38:05.679 --> 00:38:07.039 There's two responses. 00:38:07.280 --> 00:38:18.880 Response number one is to whine, to blame, to drift, to be anger, to compare, to lose heart, and just do the minimum to get by until God does something. 00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:24.400 I don't like this job, I should have been promoted, this isn't fair, I can't believe it. 00:38:24.960 --> 00:38:25.599 Right? 00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:33.039 And then you're kind of half-hearted, you know, they were promoted, I'm smarter, he's getting more playing time, I'm a better player. 00:38:33.199 --> 00:38:34.559 You you just name it. 00:38:34.719 --> 00:38:36.000 That's one response. 00:38:36.239 --> 00:38:42.880 The other response is this may not be fair, but these people don't have control of my life. 00:38:43.039 --> 00:38:47.519 That boss, that coach, this organization does not have control. 00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:52.639 The king of heaven who created the universe, I'm personally connected to him. 00:38:52.800 --> 00:38:55.039 And he has me in his school of faith. 00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:56.800 And I want to know him better. 00:38:56.960 --> 00:38:58.639 I want my character to be developed. 00:38:58.800 --> 00:39:06.320 I want him to greatly use me, and I want to be the man or the woman he wants me to be to fulfill the destiny he has for me. 00:39:06.480 --> 00:39:11.519 So I'm gonna get up today until he changes my circumstance, and I'm gonna be like Joseph. 00:39:11.679 --> 00:39:15.280 I'm gonna lean in, I'm gonna trust God, I'm gonna have a great attitude. 00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:16.079 And guess what? 00:39:16.239 --> 00:39:18.159 Joseph, everywhere he went, what happened? 00:39:18.320 --> 00:39:19.599 He got promoted. 00:39:19.840 --> 00:39:21.440 But what was he learning? 00:39:21.679 --> 00:39:25.280 A set of skills, yet competence, and what? 00:39:26.639 --> 00:39:27.760 Dependency. 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:30.400 His character was being developed. 00:39:31.039 --> 00:39:39.280 See, Luke 16, 10, he who is faithful in a very little thing, this is Jesus speaking, will be faithful also in much. 00:39:41.039 --> 00:39:47.519 But he or she who is unfaithful in a very little thing will be unrighteous also in much. 00:39:48.559 --> 00:39:58.320 Your faithfulness today in the little thing or where you are is the preparation and the prerequisite for God promoting you to the next place. 00:39:58.960 --> 00:40:02.400 Now, do you know what the topic was when Jesus taught this? 00:40:02.719 --> 00:40:03.360 Anybody? 00:40:03.519 --> 00:40:04.960 You can yell it out. 00:40:05.760 --> 00:40:06.559 Okay, good. 00:40:06.960 --> 00:40:08.159 I'll tell you then. 00:40:08.639 --> 00:40:12.639 The little thing in this context is money. 00:40:12.960 --> 00:40:18.000 He's talking to Pharisees who are greedy and their money is about them. 00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:33.760 And so he teaches about money, and then it says, if you can't be faithful in a little thing, like putting God first in money, by being generous with your money, by tracking your money, by being a good steward of your money, then you'll be faithless in big things. 00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:39.199 And the big things are like being the conduit of changing people's life and their eternity. 00:40:39.360 --> 00:40:41.039 How can I trust you with wisdom? 00:40:41.199 --> 00:40:42.800 How can I trust you with a position? 00:40:42.960 --> 00:40:45.599 How can I trust you with influence and affluence? 00:40:45.840 --> 00:40:51.599 If you can't be faithful to me in money, you won't be faithful in big things. 00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:57.360 And that's why the group I was around early on, they they kind of did teaching. 00:40:57.440 --> 00:41:00.239 And I mean, I was, you know, I didn't grow up as a Christian. 00:41:00.400 --> 00:41:10.880 I thought when I went to church, if I put 20 bucks like, you know, they used to pass a plate or something, I just thought heaven must just be going crazy and because it was better than a dollar I used to give. 00:41:11.199 --> 00:41:20.159 And uh when I learned to give the first portion, you know, and Old New Testament, there's sort of, it's not a law anymore, but 10% is a good place to start. 00:41:20.239 --> 00:41:24.559 And then Teresa and I graduated would we'd give more and more percentages. 00:41:24.719 --> 00:41:28.400 Not because of o should it, it's like God owns it all. 00:41:28.559 --> 00:41:32.000 But we wanted to be faithful in the little thing. 00:41:32.239 --> 00:41:38.079 So a day would come where God could say, Chip, Teresa, you see the souls of these people? 00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:41.519 You see these lives that I'm gonna entrust into your hand? 00:41:41.760 --> 00:41:49.920 You you see that there's people in darkness that can come to light, and I'm gonna give you the stewardship and the responsibility of leading them and shepherd them. 00:41:50.079 --> 00:41:54.400 How could I ever do that if you can't do it in a little thing like money? 00:41:54.960 --> 00:41:56.480 And that's true of all of us. 00:41:57.280 --> 00:42:00.320 Being faithful to the little things, where you're at. 00:42:00.639 --> 00:42:03.599 I mean I mean, it was hard for me. 00:42:03.679 --> 00:42:05.519 I I had a hard time getting up. 00:42:06.079 --> 00:42:07.599 But for some of us, right? 00:42:08.320 --> 00:42:10.880 You you don't have any problem checking your Instagram. 00:42:11.440 --> 00:42:13.119 You don't have any problem scrolling. 00:42:13.440 --> 00:42:16.000 You don't, you know, your your phone's in your back pocket. 00:42:16.239 --> 00:42:19.760 And I and yet I'll tell people tell me, I don't have time to read the Bible. 00:42:20.320 --> 00:42:22.480 I mean, I mean, by the way, this is not a guilt trip. 00:42:22.559 --> 00:42:27.440 This is that if you don't take in God's truth, you don't hear from him. 00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:33.440 Jesus said, man won't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 00:42:33.760 --> 00:42:40.719 And we didn't have, you know, phones like you all have and I have now, but unlike a lot of people, I like to eat breakfast. 00:42:40.880 --> 00:42:42.559 I mean, I love to eat breakfast. 00:42:42.719 --> 00:42:48.639 And I was so undisciplined, I finally got to where no Bible, no breakfast. 00:42:49.039 --> 00:42:49.519 Guess what? 00:42:49.599 --> 00:42:51.519 I got in the Bible every day. 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:54.559 You know, or or think of something you really love. 00:42:54.639 --> 00:42:59.760 And and by the way, if it's a drag at first, if you don't quite understand it at first, you know what? 00:43:00.079 --> 00:43:03.039 God will so honor, you will learn, you will grow. 00:43:03.199 --> 00:43:06.239 There's lots of resources here and other places. 00:43:06.880 --> 00:43:16.320 But of all the things Teresa and I have done, and you know, yeah, I got pushed and I had to take, you know, Hebrew and Greek and theology. 00:43:16.960 --> 00:43:20.639 I would trade all of that for what a bricklayer taught me. 00:43:20.880 --> 00:43:23.840 And what he taught me is, Chip, God wants to meet with you. 00:43:24.480 --> 00:43:31.199 Make an appointment every morning and meet with him, even if it's only 20 minutes, meet with him before anything. 00:43:31.760 --> 00:43:35.920 And then say, Lord, together, let's face this day. 00:43:36.320 --> 00:43:41.760 Let's face the test I'm gonna have, the hard meeting, let's face the challenge in my marriage. 00:43:42.079 --> 00:43:48.400 And as you do that, God looks down from heaven and says, You know what? 00:43:48.880 --> 00:43:59.760 This son or this daughter that I'm so proud of, they're listening to me, and their values and their priorities because of what they do, first things with their money, they actually think. 00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:04.559 I'm more important and I'm more wise than the latest purchase. 00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:14.800 And as they do that, the plans that I have for them are exceedingly abundantly beyond what they could ever ask or think. 00:44:14.960 --> 00:44:17.519 And see, that's what Joseph learned. 00:44:18.239 --> 00:44:29.840 I think for those uh those of you in the football world, there was a six-round draft choice who was behind two other quarterbacks, but apparently had an amazing work ethic. 00:44:30.559 --> 00:44:41.599 And um he's playing, you know, back up, back up for the Patriots, and one quarterback goes down, and another quarterback goes down, and you know, he just kept working and working and working. 00:44:41.679 --> 00:44:44.079 And then finally Tom Brady got a shot. 00:44:44.960 --> 00:44:53.280 And once he became the quarterback and got his shot, a lowly sixth-round pick, he became the greatest quarterback of all time. 00:44:53.920 --> 00:44:58.400 Because opportunity knocked, and he was ready. 00:44:59.199 --> 00:45:00.079 How about you? 00:45:00.400 --> 00:45:05.360 Are you doing the things today that prepare you to receive for the future? 00:45:05.679 --> 00:45:10.880 The final one is where God is exalted, his favor follows. 00:45:11.760 --> 00:45:18.639 Um here you notice that Joseph gives God the credit. 00:45:18.880 --> 00:45:25.440 And did you notice, too, he said, you need to find a man who's wise who could pull this off? 00:45:25.519 --> 00:45:27.599 Did you notice he didn't volunteer? 00:45:27.920 --> 00:45:30.079 Did you notice he didn't promote himself? 00:45:30.320 --> 00:45:37.119 I mean, I I don't know about you, but after 13 years, if I got in front of the most powerful person in the world and I said, hey, this is the dream. 00:45:37.199 --> 00:45:40.480 And by the way, I have a candidate, and I think he's really good. 00:45:40.559 --> 00:45:43.599 And have I told you what I did, you know, like like in the prison system? 00:45:43.760 --> 00:45:47.599 And did I let me tell you, get Potiphar in here a little testimony? 00:45:47.760 --> 00:45:54.880 I'm really good at this, and what see, he's learned. 00:45:55.519 --> 00:45:57.840 Leave those big decisions to God. 00:45:58.159 --> 00:45:59.599 Let God promote you. 00:45:59.840 --> 00:46:04.079 Psalm 75, 5 through 7 says, Do not lift up your horn on high. 00:46:04.239 --> 00:46:08.880 Don't be arrogant, for not from the east or the west or from the desert. 00:46:09.440 --> 00:46:13.440 But God puts down one and promotes another. 00:46:13.840 --> 00:46:22.800 The sovereign hand of an all-wise, all-knowing God knows the right time, the right place to put you exactly where he is. 00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:39.199 But he's looking for a humble, godly, sensitive, Christ-centered follower so that when he gives you the success that would bless others, you would be the kind of steward that would handle it well. 00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:47.440 But everywhere his favor comes and where he's exalted, um, the Lord works. 00:46:48.239 --> 00:46:50.079 God wants, are you ready? 00:46:50.320 --> 00:47:12.239 The disposition of God, you know, the definition of his goodness is that God, not because of something we've done, the definition of the goodness of God is that in his nature, he has a predisposition to long to bless, exalt, and help, just, you know, like a father on his very best day, who'd want to give the very best to his children. 00:47:12.320 --> 00:47:13.599 We get that from God. 00:47:14.960 --> 00:47:20.239 And he says, the psalmist in Psalm 84 says, The Lord is a son and a shield. 00:47:20.480 --> 00:47:22.079 The Lord gives grace and glory. 00:47:22.159 --> 00:47:27.840 That means I want to come underneath of you, I want to help you, I want to multiply it, I want you to have great favor. 00:47:27.920 --> 00:47:32.239 He says, No good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. 00:47:32.639 --> 00:47:39.840 And what I would say as we close is that uh you never graduate from God's school of faith. 00:47:40.239 --> 00:47:42.400 Uh final word here. 00:47:42.639 --> 00:48:00.719 This was seven years ago, and uh I had a chance, it was called a Blue Med Conference, and it was all the um I I didn't go for a couple years because it just sounded like a weird name, but apparently Malta was a safe place for Arab leaders, mission organizations, pastors, whole denominations. 00:48:00.880 --> 00:48:09.599 All the Arab leaders and all the Middle East would come to Malta for some training that were Christians, because it was illegal and a lot of their countries were very, very dangerous. 00:48:09.760 --> 00:48:19.199 And I got asked to be the speaker, and we had some information for them and Romans that was translated, and and when I was preparing, Teresa did something unusual. 00:48:19.280 --> 00:48:21.679 She says, I was praying, I'm supposed to go with you. 00:48:21.920 --> 00:48:31.599 I said, Well, this is, you know, we're gonna go to Egypt afterwards, and if you think I mean it was really dangerous then, and then Jordan, and I said, I, you know, I don't think this is a really good idea. 00:48:31.679 --> 00:48:35.920 She goes, Well, God spoke to me, so I've learned to say, okay. 00:48:36.159 --> 00:48:42.719 And so I taught there, and then we went out in the kind of boom docks and did a thing for pastors in Egypt. 00:48:42.800 --> 00:48:51.760 And you know, there's a SUV behind you and one in front of you, and a guy in the front seat that had a briefcase with a machine gun in it, and it was like, you know. 00:48:52.079 --> 00:48:56.719 And um out of that trip we came back, and you know, Teresa's very kind. 00:48:57.039 --> 00:49:04.960 She says, You know, I've listened, you speak a lot, and I still, you know, after 40 some years, still appreciate that, which is really good if you're the husband. 00:49:05.199 --> 00:49:07.840 But she goes, I've never seen God use you the way he did there. 00:49:07.920 --> 00:49:09.599 I think he's up to something. 00:49:10.320 --> 00:49:18.559 And I said, Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm gonna, I was 64 at the time, and I thought, you know, probably in a few years, um, I'll talk with the elders. 00:49:18.639 --> 00:49:25.840 We have a transition plan, and being the bold, loving wife, she says, Well, in our 40s, you could say in a few years, we're in our sixth decade. 00:49:26.000 --> 00:49:28.400 If God's up to something, I think you better act. 00:49:29.199 --> 00:49:32.079 And I'm thinking, oh, wait, look, I'm I'm 64. 00:49:32.400 --> 00:49:37.280 I'm not sure this is, you know, I said, you know, that church, venture church, they actually pay me a salary. 00:49:37.840 --> 00:49:39.199 And if I leave, guess what? 00:49:39.360 --> 00:49:46.159 They don't pay that salary anymore, you know, like and again, you know, God and the Holy Spirit sound a lot like Teresa at times. 00:49:46.639 --> 00:49:49.360 And she said, When have we ever taken a great step of faith? 00:49:50.400 --> 00:49:51.440 And God not provide. 00:49:52.960 --> 00:49:59.280 See, some of you that are plus fifty, or even plus sixty, and you think, well, you know, I've kind of done my deal. 00:50:00.400 --> 00:50:10.800 Um Harvard study says the most impactful decade of your life will be your 60s, the second most impactful is your 70s, and the third most impactful is your 50s. 00:50:12.159 --> 00:50:18.400 And that was when we left Venture Christian to be full-time with living on the edge and follow what God showed us to do. 00:50:18.559 --> 00:50:22.239 And honestly, the first three or four years, it was not very easy. 00:50:22.400 --> 00:50:24.000 It was very challenging. 00:50:24.320 --> 00:50:42.800 And um, I just got a had a big board meeting, and I found out over the last five years that we uh have had the privilege in country of training 500,000 pastors throughout all of India, Africa, Latin America, Malaysia. 00:50:43.280 --> 00:50:44.960 And we would have missed that. 00:50:46.079 --> 00:50:47.280 And God has provided. 00:50:51.599 --> 00:51:06.159 If you could get just a snapshot of the exceedingly abundantly amazing things that your heavenly father wants to do, um that you would be so all in. 00:51:06.800 --> 00:51:09.199 And Joseph says be prepared. 00:51:09.679 --> 00:51:20.480 There's some questions on the back that I encourage you, especially if you have a friend or a mate or if you're in a small group, to ask yourself, which of these tests have I passed? 00:51:21.119 --> 00:51:23.039 Which of these am I in? 00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:27.039 And which of these am I kind of struggling with? 00:51:27.199 --> 00:51:32.159 And maybe I maybe I get connected and maybe here so that I pass. 00:51:33.119 --> 00:51:41.920 Lord, thank you that you want us all to get an A, and that your plans are better than our wildest and best dreams. 00:51:42.239 --> 00:51:43.599 We help us trust you. 00:51:43.840 --> 00:51:44.480 Amen. 00:51:45.440 --> 00:51:47.679 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:51:47.840 --> 00:51:52.320 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:51:52.480 --> 00:51:54.559 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:51:54.719 --> 00:52:00.639 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.