[00:00:00] Welcome to Gracious Words. Gracious Words is taken from the weekly women's Bible study, taught by Cheryl Brodersen at Calvary Chapel Host a Mesa, California We're behold a glory God in the Mesa of Christ Joseph to you, Christ We're feeling you
[00:00:36] On today's program we'll continue our look at the life of Joseph and see how in doing the right thing he was slandered and thrown into jail yet we'll see that God had a plan and that Joseph never lost hope
[00:01:13] And now here is part two of Cheryl's message titled, learning to cultivate the presence of God The enemy is always there to corrupt, to trip up But what happened was pot of our white begin to pursue Joseph it was a daily thing
[00:01:29] She was always trying to allure and seduce that Joseph's resistance was strengthened because it had to be exercised every day This would keep Joseph from being felt by the very things that removed his brother Ruben from the from being the patriarch of the tribe of Israel
[00:01:57] You see Ruben could not resist bill hop But here is Joseph actively daily pursued by this ungodly woman And he resist any continues to say no He loved Genesis 3910 where it says he did not feed her In other words, he wouldn't give her the time of day
[00:02:25] He wouldn't pay attention to her He didn't just say no He absolutely did not heed her In verse 9 of chapter 39 we read that Joseph said, how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Joseph recognized that all sin is ultimately against God
[00:02:51] Willful sin as an affront to God You know too often we try to make sin impersonal. I just did this for me I just felt I needed this and we don't recognize That when we sin we are insulting God
[00:03:06] We are saying God I want my will about your will I want to meet my desires even though they are in direct Violation of what you say I prefer this over your word in your will Just have had the right perspective of sin it was ultimately against God
[00:03:29] It was a great wickedness in the sight of God and Joseph couldn't afford that His survival depended on God Oh, how we need to get to a place where we cannot afford sin because our daily survival depends
[00:03:50] On the companionship of God and we don't want to do anything that would violate that Anything that would bring a distance One day alone in the house with Mrs. Potafar She corner Joseph she tried to force herself on Joseph even grabbing Joseph's garment Joseph
[00:04:14] Flat even leaving that garment Behind but as the same goes Hell have no fury like a woman's scorned Mrs. Potafar now scorn made up an elaborate tale of being attacked by Joseph You know it's interesting to me
[00:04:33] It says that she called together the men in the house this is one wicked walkie She doesn't call together the female slaves She doesn't even call her maid and no she calls the men of the house She had influence with those men Then she tells Potafar and
[00:04:57] His anger becomes aroused perhaps the way she told it But maybe because he felt betrayed by Joseph who he had entrusted with everything How difficult this must have been for Joseph in doing what was right He was slandered It was not only the loss of his job
[00:05:18] The loss of his responsibilities the loss of his freedom But I believe more than that the loss of his reputation you see a reputation takes a long time to build And losing your reputation hurts in the ministry personally One of the hardest things I have had to face
[00:05:39] Has been the slander and the loss of my reputation It was so unexpected to be lied about By those I knew and who were in Christian leadership and new better That hurt I remember crying about the loss of my reputation to the Lord same word
[00:06:00] I've lost my reputation And the Lord spoke to me from Philippians chapter two And there it says that Jesus became of no reputation and the Lord spoke to me and said Cheryl I became of no reputation in order to save you
[00:06:20] Are you willing to become of no reputation to save others will you accept it as part of my purpose for your life Honestly submitting my reputation to the Lord was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do I never realized how important it was to me
[00:06:40] I never realized how much I valued it you see I'm not trying to break but I've never had a drink of alcohol in my life I had a sit at communion because I didn't know it was wine in the cup
[00:06:55] I thought it was grape juice that was yet the only time I've never said a cussword in my life I've never done drugs ever never even been tempted to do drugs I've never been unfaithful in my marriage
[00:07:12] I never rebelled against my mother or father. I turned in every single school assignment on time sometimes early I set in the front of the classroom with my hands folded and I looked adoringly at my teacher because I loved every teacher
[00:07:29] I've ever had even this a subtle who is kind of mean I was citizen of the month every single month in school In fact, I used to have the reputation and public school of being a goody good a goody good That was my reputation
[00:07:45] In fact, I had kids say you're so good You make me look bad. I don't want to sit with you. I don't want to associate with you And now in a second by a lie it was all wiped out
[00:08:01] It didn't didn't do me any good that I had done that I had abstained No good at all before men But God knew God knows I Was accused of horrific things and I gave that tarnished reputation 100% to Jesus Christ and you know what the Lord said Cheryl
[00:08:29] I will give you a new name God often takes away our old reputation be it good or be it bad To give us a new reputation a reputation That will reach people you see if Joseph had held his reputation
[00:08:47] He would never have gone into the dungeon and had the opportunity to minister to a baker and a Butler You know, were we hold on to our reputation? We will never be able to go into the dungeons of this life
[00:09:03] And reach those who are perishing and those who will perish unless someone speaks to them about the Lord Joseph didn't blame God he didn't rebel from God and he didn't defend himself He went into the prison He submitted himself to God and even a greater degree
[00:09:27] For me personally I found a new area in my life that I could get to God Here was something I never thought I could give to God here it was a new get to the God who had given me everything
[00:09:41] The air to breathe my food to eat a great husband Healthy children wonderful grandchildren what can I give to a God I like that I can give him my reputation Joseph was put in prison under false allegations yet even in prison
[00:09:59] We read in verse 21 of chapter 39 the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of The prison God began to rebuild Joseph's reputation actually he began to build a new reputation for Joseph
[00:10:20] the keeper of the prison committed everything into Joseph hands all the prisoners who are in prison whatever the prisoners did In that prison was under the authority of Joseph so here in the prison Joseph learns to work with officers because we're told this was
[00:10:40] where the officers of Pharaoh were placed and again in this place Joseph proved trustworthy but this took time This took time but in this present prison Joseph had placement training teaching direction and God was working in the circumstances
[00:11:09] While in this present God was perfecting his plans for Joseph not only is Joseph learning how to leave prisoners Because again in first 20 of chapter 39 we learned that this is where the prisoners were confined This is also where he meets the butcher and the baker
[00:11:30] And we're told in verse 4 that Joseph served them Chapter 40 verse 4 Joseph served him what a lesson Joseph didn't take advantage of these men He didn't lord over them. He didn't order them around
[00:11:47] Joseph though he was over the prisoners he served them on a served them in such a way So attentively that he even was aware of a change in their demeanor verse 7 We read that he looked at them and he said
[00:12:06] Why is your countenance fallen? How important it is for those in leadership to notice the change in the countenance of those who lead and seek to minister to them In Proverbs 27 23 it says be diligent to know the state of your flocks and attend to your hurts
[00:12:30] It is so important to know and to recognize that others are going through hard places Joseph cared about these prisoners They just weren't under his guard He cared about them He knew when something was wrong
[00:12:49] He inquired he spoke to them. He wanted to know and it was willing to listen The Butler and the baker each had a dream and they knew it was significant But they didn't know its meaning
[00:13:05] Joseph said to them do not interpret patients belong to God tell them to me please hear If an imprisoned Joseph is giving a witness to God you have sometimes we think
[00:13:16] Nobody wants to hear from me my circumstances are so bad that maybe it would be better if they think That I was an accursed unbeliever rather than a cursed believer But in this place you see in the presence of life
[00:13:32] Is sometimes the most important place to give a witness for God Joseph believes and knows God will give him the interpretation of the dream Here are the two dreams Here are two dreams interestingly enough Joseph had had two dreams
[00:13:51] Perhaps the Lord is using this time to remind Joseph the certainty of the dreams of the word he had spoken to Joseph While Joseph was still in Canaan The Butler's dream
[00:14:06] Is of a vine with three branches and each branch has a cluster of grapes in his dream the Butler presses the grapes into the King's cup And places this Cup with new wine before the Pharaoh and of dream Joseph has the interpretation
[00:14:23] But I want you to notice how the interpretation goes far beyond what was revealed in the dream Also this dream is prophetic it pertains the future God has revealed the future and even the timing to this non-believer Those three branches represent three days
[00:14:42] Within three days the Butler would be restored to his position Joseph then asked the Butler to remember him to Pharaoh Here is the first time that Joseph proclaims his innocence
[00:14:55] Verse 15 of chapter 40 for indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews and also I have done nothing here That they should put me into the dungeon Dungeon here is a clue to the condition of the prison Adonjan
[00:15:09] Joseph does not accuse anyone by name he doesn't say Potter far through me in here was so wrong It's because of this is pot afar matchy as one wicked while he need He doesn't put down others To defend the honor of his name Wow
[00:15:28] What a lesson you see before remember Joseph was a paddle tell he named names And he told on people that here he is learned don't Tattle Don't destroy the reputation of others to secure your own reputation He only speaks of his innocence and not the guilt of others
[00:15:55] No doubt this interpretation gives the baker some hope I mean the Butler's going to be restored they both have three In their dreams so the baker tells his dream He saw himself with three white baskets on the top of his head white baskets in the top
[00:16:16] Baskets are all sorts of baked goods but birds descend on the ray of baked items and begin to eat them Oh, the interpretation is not so good After three days the baker would be hung on a tree and the birds of the air would eat his body
[00:16:35] Just as Joseph said it happened three days later on pharaoh's birthday Both the Butler and the baker were pulled out of the prison The Butler was restored to his position and the baker was hung However in the excitement of being reinstated The Butler forgot all about Joseph
[00:16:59] No doubt he wanted to forget all about that time in prison and the dungeon We like to rush gods time table However God knows the win and this is also another lesson Joseph would learn
[00:17:17] The importance of being in gods time table and not trying to force his time table on the Lord Interestingly enough in the third temptation of Jesus the devil says Throw yourself down from this temple and the angels of God will have to
[00:17:40] Give witness to your divinity. He is saying to Jesus Force gods time table you don't have to do it in three years in according to the cross You can do it now You can have it all now But Jesus refused this temptation
[00:18:02] saying you shall not tempt the Lord God he refused God has a specific time Table to complete his work and let me say this there is nothing worse than unripe fruit Isn't that true nothing worse than an avocado that's so hard
[00:18:27] I bought a papaya this week because it looks so good But was never allowed to ripe him properly and when I cut it open It was not sweet there's something about a Not sweet papaya that is not tasty If God brings alleviation too soon we will not learn
[00:18:52] The whole lesson what began as a practice never becomes a discipline Disciplines take time to develop they have to be repeated day after day In order to be established in our routine And established in our heart and our mind To create a new Neuro pathway
[00:19:17] We've all seen people make commitments when times are hard But as soon as the circumstances is alleviated They re-nick on their word and go right back to life as it was we've seen people on diets
[00:19:34] They forgot all the great things of life but as soon as they reach their goal weight They start eating everything that made them fat in the first place. I'm just saying my own experience all right But after we see that with Pharaoh In Moses or Diel
[00:19:55] That whatever the frogs were alleviated whenever the flies were alleviated Whenever the nap stopped biting Pharaoh went right back to his refusal to let the people go I have seen countless men when their wires finally get fed up and say I'm done
[00:20:14] I can't take it anymore. They have a pseudo repentance they're out church whenever the doors are open They're volunteering for whatever John's but as soon as that wife comes back or that husband realizes that that wife is never coming back He leaves his commitment to the Lord
[00:20:35] I know a woman who Way back when Her husband wanted to make a commitment to the Lord and she discouraged him from doing it. She didn't want to give up her lifestyle Her choice resulted in 15 years later her husband leaving her for another woman
[00:20:58] Oh my goodness, she was so diswrought she came she sought out Brian and she sought out me She was at church all the time praying for her husband wanting him back talking to him
[00:21:08] She was reading her Bible and I prayed with her over the phone in person for this man to come to Jesus as He had wanted to do at one time and I remember the Lord speaking to me and saying
[00:21:21] Cheryl, there's a specific timetable in this if I bring her husband to Jesus right now She will discourage him and try to pull him back to their old lifestyle
[00:21:31] This is gonna take some time and you tell her this work is going to take time and during this time She needs to become rooted and grounded in me. That's exactly what I did
[00:21:43] I said to her God's not gonna bring your husband back until you are rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ So that you are no longer serving Jesus to get that man back
[00:21:53] But you are serving Jesus because he is everything you need and all that you need and you can't live life without him That's exactly what happened It was a process of about two to three years and that man came back
[00:22:07] And when that man came back they both began to grow in Christ Jesus and you know what? Today they are both serving in ministry Together you see God's timetable is perfect
[00:22:19] It is not only training us in the ways of the Lord it is moving us into the purposes of God Now in Genesis 41 we read two full years later again Two years is a long time for us But God uses it to finish the work that he is
[00:22:42] Doing in us to establish it we read that Pharaoh has two dreams in one night He wakes up after the first dream Goes to sleep and has another dream Much like the first dream and it troubles him this is not just any dream
[00:22:59] It is a dream that stays with him. It's a dream that troubles him He senses that there is something divine about this dream that God or one of the God is trying to speak to him
[00:23:14] But when he calls on the magicians those who supposedly know the gods of Egypt They are unable to offer him the interpretation There is now perplexity in the court of Pharaoh none of the gods of Egypt can interpret the dream of Pharaoh
[00:23:37] It is at this moment that the Butler remembers what he forgot and he relates to Pharaoh the circumstances is Own testimony of when he was in the dungeon That he and the Butler had had dreams and there was one in the dungeon Joseph who interpreted their dreams
[00:23:57] An exactly what Joseph said happened by this time the Butler had become a trusted advisor to the king Joseph is sent far in an unexpected moment suddenly Joseph's entire life is changed Joseph was familiar with suffering he experienced betrayal from his brothers as they sold him
[00:24:23] into slavery he faced false allegations from potifers wife and ended up in prison But Joseph never blamed God he didn't rebel turn away or even tried to defend himself When he went to prison he submitted himself to God in a greater degree
[00:24:41] The Lord was with Joseph as he experienced mercy and favor there God was working restoring his reputation and preparing him for the new redeemed life that was ahead
[00:24:53] Joseph's story reminds us that no matter the suffering we may experience we can hold on to hope because we can know that God is working behind the scenes for our good
[00:25:04] We hope you have been blessed by today's Bible study for more information about the gracious words radio program and the teaching ministry of Cheryl Broderson Please visit our website at GraciousWords.com
[00:25:15] Coming up next time on the GraciousWords program we'll look at how God redeemed Joseph as we continue our series Our great creator in the book of Genesis with Cheryl Broderson
[00:25:26] We do hope you make plans to join us again for more information please visit our website at GraciousWords.com This program is sponsored by Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa California
Sponsors
