Sermon: Don't Give Up On Your Dreams, Genesis 37

 

DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS

 

Genesis 37:2-32

 

 

We all have dreams from time to time. Many times I can remember the dreams and

Many time they don’t may sense.

 

Through out the Bible God has used dreams to communicate His directions.

Sometimes God uses Dreams to chart our future.

Dreams promote men and women to go beyond current knowledge and technology.

People who pursue their dreams develop new product and find new ways of doing

Things.

 

Alexander Gram Bell invented the telephone. The Wright brothers built the first airplane,

Henry Ford built the Model T, Elan Musk started us on the journey to electric cars.

Steven Jobs envisions the personal computer. Just to name a few.

 

Don’t Give up on your dreams.   

They may be the future God intends for you

Your dreams may be wild and seem out of the range of possibilities.

But you dreams are important in your life.

 

Today I want to look at the story of Joseph

V:37.3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."

8 His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

"

V:17 So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

 

I titled this text   Don’t Give Up On your dreams

With a subtitle  Bless By God With a Troubled Future.

 

YOU ARE  FAVORED BY GOD

The first thing we notice about Joseph is that his father, Jacob favored him because

He was the son of his old age. It is not unusual for parents to have a favored child.

 

One thing we must never forget is that we are favored by the Lord.

His grace and mercy endures forever.

When you wake up in the morning you are a favored person.

You are a favored person because God loves you.

 

The text tell us that Jacob made  Joseph a coat of many colors.

God dresses us in a coat of His righteousness. We are gifted to deal

With the many colors of life. Under God’s direction we are able to deal with sadness, anger,

Jealousy, hatred, joy, peace, and disappointments.

 

Joseph paraded around with his muliti colored coated to his own demise.

We ought to ware the full armor of God boldly and with confidence.

 

The text tell us the Joseph brothers were jealous and envious of him.

They hated his guts. They refused to find anything good to say about

Joseph.

 

When people know you have the favor of God and you ware you heritage

With confidence, they may hate you.

 

FIND YOUR ENCOURGAGEMENT IN THE WORD

One thing we know about Joseph is at the age of 17 he had a relationship

With the heavenly father. He was obedient to his earthly father and his

Heavenly father.

 

When you have a relationship with heavenly Father, he will give you

Future insight.

 

CHERISH YOUR DREAMS

Joseph was given a dream from the heavenly Father.

Just because people don’t understand your dreams don’t mean they have no meaning.

A. Write your dreams down and place them in a safe place in you heart.

B. Joseph’s brothers couldn’t stand the idea that one day he would rule over them.

    This tells us that Joseph’s brothers had a disconnect with heavenly Father.

    They hated Joseph because of his father’s favor and his divine commission.

 

C. You can’t tell your dreams to everybody.  You can’t expect everyone to support

   You in your dreams. You can’t expect everyone to encourgage you in your goals.

 

GOD WILL CONFIRM YOUR DREAMS

If the dream is in the will of the Father, He will confirm it.

V:9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

 

A.  It does not matter what other folk think about your dreams. It is between you and God

      1. Some times the very folk you would expect to support you will not

      2. Joseph’s father who favored him down played his dreams.

B. There are people who want to destroy your dreams.

     1. Then there are people who want to destroy your because of your dreams.

     2. Folk will smile in your face, resent you for being you.

 

TRUST GOD WITH YOUR DREAMS

On the road to the fulfillment of your dreams will be some ups and downs, some

Failures and disappointments.

 

You never know who is plotting your demise. It could be family folk.

 

Joseph father sent him to check on his brothers. They saw him coming and

Ploted to  murder him.

 

SEE THE TRIALS OF LIFE AS STEPPING STONES

A.    God allows evil misfortunes in our lives to grow us into the position he planned for us

1.     Joseph, a 17 year old teenager had the joy knocked out his life by his brothers

Evil deeds.

2.     Even in the mist of evil men, God mercy abounds for those He loves.

3.     God saved Joseph to fulfill his dream.

B.     All the brothers except Ruben wanted to kill Joseph.

1.Ruben saved him in an a dry well to let his brothers cool down

2. The brothers sold Joseph to Ishmaelites traders for 20 shekels of silver,

      Less than 150 dollars.

4.     Joseph was taken to Egypt where he was sold to Egyptian captain.

C.     No where in the text do we hear of a complaint of Joseph about how

He was treated by his brothers

1.     Forgiveness is not an option, it is a requirement.

2.     God forgives us of the horrible sins we committed against Him.

3.     Maybe this event taught Joseph how to forgive and still love.

4.      

SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM PEOPLE WHO CAN’T SEE THE GOOD IN YOU

D.    Sometimes God uses evil to take us out of a bad situation.

1.     At the moment, the brother wanted to kill Joseph, God

Sent Ishmaelite traders by the well holding him, ready

To make a sale.

2.     We have to recognize a bad situation and get away from it.

3.     Sometimes to love the family is remove yourself from the family.

E.     Sometimes God may use evil to force us to the place of blessing.

1.     When Hardships show up in your life, don’t give up on your

Dreams.

2.     Treat the trials and trubulation of your life as stepping stones to success

 

BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD DISPITE YOUR SITUATION.

 

V:39.1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

 

2 The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.

 

A.    Joseph was sold as a slave, yet he didn’t forget his fathers Godly training.

1.     Your situation shouldn’t change your character.

2.     You can do good in the worst situation.

3.     Because of Joseph character, he excel to be incontrol of his master household.

B.     Whenever you do good, Satan is always busy, You can’t let your guard down.

1.     Potiphar sex craze wife tried to seduce him into have sex with her,

2.     Joseph repeatedly resisted her advances.

3.     But Satan thought he had the upper hand when Potiphers wife

Grabbed Joseph coat as ran from her.

a.     She lied on Joseph and he was put in jail.

b.     Again we find no complaint from Joseph.

4.     The time at Potiphar house taught Joseph to be a leader.

1.     He was a 17 year old boy with no real responsibility under his father.

2.     The job at Potiphar house gave him the opportunity to be

Responsible.

3.     The ordeal with Potiphar’s wife was a test of character in

Resisting temptation of the flesh.

USE EVERY SITUATION TO PROMOTE GOD RIGHTEOUSNESS

A.    Sold into slavery by his brothers, lied on and framed by employer’s

Wife, Joseph maintained his faith in God.

1.     Joseph was thrown into prison for doing the right thing.

2.     Joseph continued to be the best person he could be.

3.     Genesis 39:20-23

“But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. “

4.     Despite continuing adverse situation, Joseph continued to grow in statue, and

In Faith.

a.     In the worst situation, the Lord showed him favor.

b.     A bad situation can be a growth situation.

c.      A bad situation can be a blessed situation.

d.     A bad situation can be an opportunity to serve others

e.     A bad situation can be an opportunity to glorify God.

f.       A bad situation can be an opportunity to grow closer to God.

g.     A bad situation can be an opportunity to gain confidence in

The power of God.

h.     A bad situation can be a positioning situation.

 

DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS

 

USE YOUR GIFTS TO HELP OTHERS

A.    God can position you to be at the right place at the right time for

Your elevation.

Genesis 40:1-4

V:40 Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.

A. This was the place where God was sending Joseph.

    1.  Because of Joseph’s compassion, he was put in charge of men who had a connection

        With the Pharaoh of Egypt.

               2,  God can give you connections in the jail house that can take you to the white house

               2,   God will make room for your gifts.

    3, The cup bearer and the baker both had dreams which Joseph correctely interpreted

               4, While in prison, hurting and disappointed, Joseph found the strength to comfort

     Others.

B.      God will reward your faithfulness.

1.     You may not see the hand of God but He is always at work in your life.

2.     You don’t know how your kindness to others will be your blessing.

 

GOD WILL ARRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES TO ELEVATE YOU

V:40.20 Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, 22 but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.

23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

 

A.    Joseph was in prison for 2 years for a crime he didn’t commit.

1.     Don’t let failure and hardships destroy your dreams.

2.     Don’t let hardships destroy you relationship with Lord

3.     When you serve the Lord faithfully, in time He will elevate you to the positon

                He designed for you.

4.     Two years later the king had a dream with none of his advisors could interpret.

5.     To save his head, the cup bearer remembered Joseph

B.     Don’t give up on your dreams

1.     That connection in the jail house paid off in the white house.

2.     There will be times when you may feel as if everybody has forgot about you.

3.     There may be times when you may feel like you are in a grave yard of despair.

4.     Know that God knows where you are.

 

USE YOUR GIFTS TO BLESS OTHERS

Genesis 41:25-27

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.

 

A.    Joseph endured 13 years of hardships because of hatred of his brothers.

1.     God used the evil of his brothers to bring Joseph to Egypt

2.     God gifted Joseph with dreams at 17 to be used to meet the Pharoah at 30.

3.     His gift elevated him  to second in command to the nation of Egypt.

4.     This position Joseph to save the seed of the nation of Israel

B.  Don’tgive up on your dreams because God’s got a plan for you.

Watch this:

Genesis 41:44-46

44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt." 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt

 

 

WHEN GOD ELEVATES YOU DON’T GET THE BIG HEAD.

 

A.    Your elevation is the beginning of the work God planned for you.

1.     You didn’t get to where you are without God.

2.     You can’t stay where you are without God.

3.     You can’t prosper where you are without God.

4.     Your success is part of God’s plan to for you to bless others.

B.     God didn’t bless you to live a comfortable life.

1.     God bless you to improve the lives of others.

2.     You are blessed to bring God glory.

 

Joseph’s brothers head that there was gain in Egypt. So they

Came to buy grain. The same brothers sold Joseph into slavery

Came before him in fullfillment of the dream

 

Genesis 45:4-7

4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

 

 

God has a plan for your lives. Don’t give up on your dreams

 

Every trial of Joseph life was a learning and growth experience.

 

From his brothers, Joseph learned that

a.     Every body don’t have you back

b.     People hate you because of your dreams

                 From Potiphar’s he learned

a.     How to be responsible

b.     How to lead

c.      People will lie about you to protect themselves.

d.     You can be right but people may not believe you

 

                 From the Jail

a.     His leadership skill grew

b.     He learn to be compassionate

c.      He developed his dream interpretation skills

d.     He was positioned to know the Pharoah of Egypt

                From the Pharoah

a.     His gift of dream interpretation elevated him to second in command

b.     He prepared Egypt to survive the famine

c.      He saved his family from starvation

d.     He learned the meaning of his trials

They meant it for evil, but God meant it for good so that

 A nation could be saved.

 

 

DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS

 

  Watch this

              Jesus was hated because He was favored by the Father

              He was lied on and thrown in Jail for crime of proclaiming the Gospel

              He was crucified and buried

              On the third day He arose from the dead with all power over heaven and earth

 

             His trials were to save us from Hell.

 

DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS

 

Rev. M. Mitchell