Sermon Series: The Gospel of Joseph
Sermon Text: Genesis 37-38
Sermon Title: A Tale of Three Men
Big Idea: God's people endure the presence of suffering while clinging to the promises of their Savior.
Sermon Points:
1. Joseph - Faithful to God through Intense Suffering
2. Judah - Faithfulness of God Despite Intense Wickedness
3. Jesus - The One Who Makes It All Make Sense
Daily Devotional Guide
Living for Jesus does not guarantee that we will enjoy a pain-free life right now. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Paul tells us that those who live for Jesus will endure hardships. For many, the abundant life of following Jesus means a life filled with nothing but success and good health and the absence of pain. In this view, those who do suffer simply don't have enough faith.
Somewhere in heaven, Joseph must laugh when he hears such nonsense.
Among men in the Bible not named Jesus, Joseph was one of the best. While he was a sinner in need of God's grace like all the rest of us, you'll have a hard time finding a lot of character flaws in Moses' narrative of this faithful servant. And yet, among men in the Bible not named Jesus, few suffered as much as Joseph did.
But that still doesn't get us to the heart of what Joseph's life was all about. We miss the point if all we take away is the importance of remaining faithful while suffering. Something else is at work here. Better said, Someone else is at work.
While there are many lessons we can and should learn from Joseph's life, the most important is this. God rules over all things and keeps His promises for His ultimate glory and the good of His people. That's why we're referring to this portion of Genesis as the Gospel of Joseph.
Joseph's life should point our attention to Jesus. In that sense, we are no different from Joseph. God really does work all things together for the good of His people. That goes for Old Testament heroes and modern day business leaders, parents, teachers, coaches, and students. Our hardships rarely make sense when we look at them as stand alone events. But when we see them in the light of Jesus, we can more easily trust in Him as we await the day when He'll make it all make sense.
The cross never physically shows up in the life of Joseph. But if you want to truly understand this remarkable story, you have to read it with the cross in mind. When we read Joseph, we can't help but see Jesus. Through intense hardship and injustice, God was working, not just for the good of Joseph but for the eternal good of all His people.
Monday - Matthew 1:1-25
Tuesday - John 5:1-47
Wednesday - Acts 7:1-60
Thursday - Romans 8:1-39
Friday - Hebrews 11:1-40
Saturday - Genesis 39:1-23
Sunday - Genesis 40:1-23