The Teenager Who Changed the World - I

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, to find out how to know God personally go to know God.org KNOW know God.org he would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear it is her time at Roche short temper and insecurity. Pastor Greg Laurie Winchester Joe soon as inspiration for the way we should live forever cultural value for this to work angry. From this work for� Just culture grades. We have cyber bullying fries payback for two shows a shows us a better way way of him like some looking for a fight. If something displeases the attack someone else attacked right back to that is that the new norm for human interaction what your long today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie shows us a better way.

A Higher Way, God shows us a fresh prescription for life demonstrated in the lives of some remarkable people know we live in a culture day in search of real euros.

I know we know what a hero is anymore. You know, we use the term very loosely.

We have a hero sandwich and start their way, like those by the way someone can you know dunk a basketball whether a sports hero were playing eight cords maybe only four on electric guitar there a guitar hero. Now those are fine things to do, but there's something heroic about those things I think we live in a culture that is a lot of celebrities but very few heroes. One person sums it up this way the hero is known for achievements. This celebrity is known for well-known nests.

The hero reveals the possibilities of human nature both celebrity reveals the possibilities of the press and the media celebrities are people who make news heroes are people who make history time makes heroes dissolves celebrities like that one line in particular.

Celebrities are people who make news, but heroes are people who make history. That is certainly what we have before us in this particular story we have a young man named Joseph, who was a true hero and he changed his world. There's a lot of things we can learn from young Joseph, one of them is how to overcome adversity. He had the deck stacked against him. His wife showed very little promise he was actually the 12 of 13 children, kind of a spoiled young man given to visions of grandeur. He was a teenager he like to sleep in but God gave to him, dreams, and in fact in the beginning. His dreams got him into trouble but in the end, other people's dreams got them out of trouble in the story of Joseph we discover how we can overcome, envy, how we can face adversity how we can resist sexual temptation and have faith in the promises of God.

But the most significant take away. I think in the life of Joseph is how to forgive those who have horribly wrong view and in order to culture that does not value forgiveness today were uptight were angry were were very prone to sewer very litigious culture we have road rage.

We have cyber bullying and we prize revenge and payback is virtues. But Joseph shows us a better way. The way of forgiveness and all that he went through, he was able to say to his brothers who betray the mobile get to that in a moment.

It was not you who sent me here, but God and Joseph were to have a life versus percent been written when he was alive because this is the book of Genesis and lifers. It would've surely been Romans 828 which says so. We know that all things work together for good to those that love God and other called according to his purpose. By the way, if anyone could've had an excuse for turning out bad with Joseph and he lived in the middle of a family dominated by line deceit, immorality, manipulation, even murder because he blamed his mom and dad for all of the problems of his life. He could've played the victim card big time for 17 years he put up with this nonsense can amazingly he turned out to be a very godly young man with a sterling character.

So if you live in a messed up dysfunctional home.

Take car because was really bad for Josep and he was able to come through it and I look at my own life and I think why did I live that life in particular. Why was I dealt this particular hand but I can look back in my life knows a kid you know with an alcoholic mom married and divorced seven times Molly's boyfriends in between and I think what an insane life I live. Actually, it's funny, my friends all envied me because I had no restrictions that my mom did not care about my grades and I was able to just live as I wanted. And every night I went out me what I wanted to eat and I happily go to a restaurant, nor did the same thing every night, hamburger, French fries, vanilla shake next night hamburger, French fries, vanilla shake it out for a while.

I wanted normalcy. I would go over to my friends. Also need bad food just to be in a more stable family environment.

But the reason I think God let me go through all the stuff visit. Give me a heart for kids and young people what they're facing.

I lived in a world I didn't want to live in, but the Lord got hold of me and my life changed, and 17 in Joseph's life changed at 17 as well. There are 14 chapters in the book of Genesis dedicated to the story of Joseph. I'm only gonna touch on is storing on in this message and I recommend that you go back and read it for yourself. The fact is Joseph story occupies more space in the book of Genesis and any other person more space and Adam or Noah or Abraham or Isaac or his own father, Jacob, you can basically divide Joseph's life up into three sections to start this struggle in his success to start was basically birth to 17 years while he was growing up he was a son of Jacob's true love Rachel and he was hated by his brothers that antagonism and hostility toward him, fueled by envy was beginning to brew. Then there was a struggle from age 17 to 34 was elevated and then falsely accused of rape and actually serve prison time with the Lord was preparing him for what was yet a head and then success. That would be age 30 to death and he shines in this section as he was blessed by God in every way and extended undeserved forgiveness to his brothers� Let's start him as a kid. Okay, sorry told you had a bunch of brothers. He was favored by his father. His dad noted on him, even giving him a special code that maybe you've heard it called the coat of many colors of that's a King James translation, see what I was was sort of a longsleeved tunic I something that you would wear maybe to one wonderful event while his brothers probably had outfits cutoff sleeves are working in the hot sun and all Joseph would show up in his supercool cauldron, walk around and looking at them and they were very envious.

Why doesn't he afterward got here like the rest of us and then to make matters worse, he writes out his brothers because Allman tells on them to his dad and the representing the more more every day. So much so they think that she's killed while really yes they decided they wanted to kill their young brother and I and there were about to do it. They change their mind when a group of Midianite slave traders were traveling by and they sold their brother for 20 pieces of silver. So now he's purchased by a man named Potter for Bodiford was a very powerful man. He was actually the head of sort of the Secret Service of the Pharaoh's is Amanda could have you executed at will end up water brought them into his house as a slave, but Joseph was so responsible so hard-working, so full of integrity that as part of her game a more more responsibilities.

He ultimately put them in charge of his entire estate to boy you just run it. You're doing such a great job but Zapata ever had a really psycho wife. Her name was Mrs. Robinson know that you it's a movie, forget it. It's an old cultural point, but she was like Mrs. Robinson, if you know the movie I'm talking about. She she will was older, probably attractive.

I suppose and I know Joseph was very good-looking because the Bible specifically says of him. He was well-built and handsome comes from the Hebrews through Dedo which is stud but he was a good-looking guy if the Bible says someone was good-looking you can be sure they were good-looking and so she looked at this very handsome muscular young man and though she was far from subtle to this basically said why don't you have sex with me right now and he was like no way and he kept his distance from her, but she persisted day in and day out.

Then one time she had all the servants leave the house. It was just her and Joseph to grab Tim and pulled him down on the bed and the Bible says that he ran out of that house as fast as he could. You know sometimes when you're getting tempted.

That's the best thing to do.

University mystics who can't just give me strength.

Right now I'm in this hotel room with this girl and I'm getting tempted get out of the hotel room. You idiots know just praying for strength so you need to pray that your brain were then you need to pray that your hand words and turns the knob and walks out of the door because you shouldn't be there in the first place. While detrimental Lord help me in this place wire you win that place and Joseph Dewey needed to get out of that place out for the Bible says flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace is a new living translation puts it run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. By the way that verse is not just to young people. It's to all people. It says youthful lusts, you can be old and still have youthful lust right so he ran from her which was the right thing to do because he was a godly young man, what is she do she falsely accuses him of rape and Potter first sends him to prison.

By the way, I think part of her new Joseph was innocent, but he had to live with this cycle, cougar check, so he went along with it. So that brings us to the next stage of Joseph's life as he is imprisoned. Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here. I wanted tell you about a great way to hear God's word and worship with fellow believers, not only around the nation. But around the world. It's called Harvest at Home. Millions are turning in from all over the planet and tens of thousands of make decisions for Jesus Christ.

When I joined, she just go to our website harvest.more. We have our weekend services there. Of course, but we also have great industry. There every single day. Sometimes it's visiting the message from a harvest Crusade another time. It's a Q&A session were doing. Maybe it's something my wife is doing for the ladies, we even feature Christian films researcher/boy's life story, Steve McQueen, American icon, and hope are hurting hearts with Jeremy can make the voyage all that and a lot more harvest.org human resource for family enrichment and spiritual growth. So join us for Harvest at Home each week, harvest.org Pastor Greg is introducing us to a biblical hero today. Joseph from Genesis chapter 41 were seeing his integrity, in spite of earthshaking trials and troubles how easily Joseph could have been so discouraged how easily he could have said to God, Lord, I can't take this anymore. First time sold by my brothers in the slavery and then this woman tries to entice me and I resist her enticements as your word tells me to, and then she lies about me and now I'm in prison. This isn't fair and it wasn't fair, but yet the Bible never tells us that Joseph said anything of the kind.

Becky just carried on because Joseph had his dream God gave him a drink when it is a young man in his dream he knew he was going to be placed in a position of influence and prominence when he told his brothers about it for just tick them off even more. Maybe God is giving you a dream, maybe a sense of where you're going to go in your future. Another people laugh at you, tear you down and you just using on your dream of God is giving you one and I heard a story about a crab fisherman who I had a bucket full of craps, but no lit and a friend said to him, why don't you have a lid on your bucket of craps. I want to get out.

He says oh no problem. The moment one crab tries to escape the others reach up and pull him back down is people like that aren't there, you know it's it's easy maybe to offer little sympathy to someone who is suffering. But if someone get something wonderful. I have something wonderful happened to them now and be starts to kick in and you want to pull them down to where you are in.

So here's Joseph.

It makes no sense because I felt like God had forgotten him. But the Bible gives us one very important detail Genesis 3921 it says the Lord was with Joseph. So sitting there in the dungeon. The Lord was with them. Listen, I'd rather be in a dungeon with God than anywhere else without I'd rather be in a lion's den with God than anywhere else. Without them, I'd rather be in a storm with Jesus on board my boat than anywhere else without maybe you feel like you're in a dungeon right now. Maybe it's a bad marriage. Maybe it's a really difficult job. Maybe it's a horrible sermon you're listening to right now I'm joking maybe it's an illness or maybe it's a literal sell and I know no one's in a prison in the place I'm speaking but people watch us in all kinds of interesting places and I get letters from people who are incarcerated so he could be someone listening to me right now in a literal sell. I think of my friend Michael frenzies to serve time in prison because he was a member of the Colombo crime family and that he wouldn't rot out as friends and so they they sent him to solitary confinement in a prison guard gave him a copy of the Scripture and hit a little radio and he told me he is the listen to me on the radio when he was in this horrible prison in solitary confinement, so you never know who you gonna reach with the word of God but God was preparing Joseph for what was ahead.

Meanwhile, over in Egypt's in the court of the Pharaoh, the most powerful man on the planet had a very unusual dream.

Pharaoh dreamt that he missed any by the Nile River and out of the river came seven healthy fat cows gazing among the reeds and after that came seven other cows who were ugly and God and they ate up the seven healthy jobs Pharaoh that I knew I shouldn't have the pizza with pepperoni last night but Thursday he was having a dream that was predicting the future of Egypt and he woke up in a panic. What is this dreaming so he calls and all of his magicians and people that are supposed to interpret dreams for him and nobody was able to interpret it there clueless my left one detail up really important thing when Joseph was in the dungeon the Kings Butler and the Kings Baker joined him in his cell. They both had troubling dreams and Joseph interpreted them for them and then the baker was being released back to serve the king and Joseph said, remember your old buddy Joseph who interpreted your dream when you get together. Baker said absolutely and he forgot all about Joseph so suddenly the baker remembers right, sir. There is a man I met in a prison cell was able to interpret my dream. So no, Joseph is brought up to the court of the Pharaoh that so we start Genesis 41 that was the introduction by the way, Genesis 41 verse 14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph and once he was brought hastily from the dungeon. After a quick shave and a change of clothes.

He went in and stood in Pharaoh's present. I had a dream last night. Pharaoh told him, in none of these men can tell me what it means but I heard that you can interpret dreams. That's why called for you.

Joseph boldly responds Genesis 4116.

It is beyond my power to do this but God will tell you what it means, and he will set you ready.

He was bold listening. He's going to tell the Pharaoh know what this dream is all about not only telling the meaning of the dream he's going to tell him the dreams is okay Pharaoh. This is what's going on those those seven cows that are ugly and gaunt, eating the other cows.

Here's what it means you can have a time of famine. You're not going to have enough food for your kingdom. So you need to start setting food aside now for when the famine comes in. If you do this you love enough food to get you through the hard times and you need to put someone over the food supply as your starting to put it together all the magicians or think me me me and Pharaoh says I want you son and all of a sudden Joseph.

It was just the night before and it dungeon is now the second most powerful man in the world ruling over the food supply of Egypt. Unbelievable turn of events and of the story ended here would have been an amazing one, but instead it culminates with one of the most amazing demonstrations of forgiveness ever extent so fast forward many years. Time is past Joseph looks like a completely different guy. He doesn't have the long hair and the beard of the of the Hebrew. He looks like an Egyptian. He walks like an Egyptian. He has cool Egyptian eyeliner dozens little moves I do know you lease at the way they look on the walls and didn't look anything like himself anymore and and what happened was the famine came just as Joseph predicted, and so meanwhile back home with the family there all hungry and they hear that back in Egypt are over in Egypt they have a lot of food so the family of Joseph goes to get food from him and they show up in this court, and he looks at them and recognizes his brothers but they don't recognize him. So he starts peppering them with questions about what's going on in. Ask questions that only a brother would know. And then this amazing scene unfolds.

Genesis 45 rating from the new living translation, starting at verse one. Joseph couldn't stand it any longer. All of you. He cries of the attendant wanted to be alone with his brothers.

Then he broke down and wept. A lot of the sobs could be heard throughout the palace and the news was quickly carried to Pharaoh's palace and then Joseph said, I am Joseph is my father still alive but his brothers were speechless minarets in that moment I shall set in their thinking, we are dead dead dead dead. Your Joseph life again and for us right now they were rendered speechless. They were stunned to realize Joseph was standing there in front of them. Come over here. He said they came closer and he said I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold in Egypt but don't be angry with yourselves and you did this to me. For God did it underlying that don't be angry with yourselves or what you did to me. For God did it and sent me here ahead to preserve your lives stop there.

What came Joseph the grace to make a statement like that this could have been the ultimate revenge story.

If this was a movie at all. What a goner. The slow motion as he killed each brother killing each one in a different way than he killed the one before, and we visit he had. That's not what happens. Instead, forgive all of them are great glory. Great story of forgiveness today from a life of Joseph and obviously this study is and finished there's more to come here on a new beginning is a study titled, the teenager who changed the world to get a replay of any portion of today study just go to harvest.org or use our free harvest mobile app or if you'd like a CD sent right to your home, call 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 what were privileged to have authors Catherine and Jay Wolf with us today.

Authors of the book suffer strong, chronicling the journey following Katherine's near fatal brain stem stroke in a people can sometimes say the most insensitive things when someone's been through a time of suffering may mean well, but it comes out sideways, Catherine.

What experience have you had what we have actually seen that we felt like really should be how Chris didn't move forward in talking to people in the middle of suffering and grief is to pray and cry and be present but don't talk stem lives like the words are the best words like stop putting on man named Ned Babylon like let God do his healing work and you shall and arrest people deeply. There is a powerful ministry of tears that happened the powerful ministry of presence much more than trying to act like you can fix the problems here.

One interesting and practical tip because again, here's the deal. Even us.

Having been through this. Probably all to you find yourself guilty of when somebody you know you know is going to a horrible time asking how are you doing but just a natural thing just comes out and you want to slap yourself in the face like I know they're not doing great one and 1/2 that you notice sherbet but Sheryl Sandberg was at Facebook have this book in just this thought really capture me sometimes that Frazier come out. How are you doing and she recommends and how are you doing today because you know there's all this regrets from the past and fears for the few guys that swirl around the question of how are you what you can do in this life with your tragedy and and yet saying how you doing today is kind of a quick save. So I love that really practically to say it but shrinks it down to the moment. How are you doing today cannot look I do to walk through this day with you.

Having people know in their tragedy when there been appended when the bottom sauna that they're not alone, that there that they're gonna our community for me carrying the weight of this in that season and trying to maintain hope against all odds. The captain was gonna have a life again and then trying to care for our child and think through all the medical issues and insurance above about and you know I think our church when we needed it the most. The body of Christ does what the body of Christ does best wishes make the invisible God become visible, and you know are our community said look we will hope for you until you can hope for yourself and That's What They Said Beautiful and I Think That's Something That Is so Important You Know People Have Asked Me How Do You Get through Hardship for Us Dealing with Our Son Going to Be with the Lord. I Thought of Three Things. It Was Number One Prayer Because It's so Hard to Get to Sleep You're Filled with Worry and Anxiety. So It Just Was. Pray a You Know Is Flippy and Says Paul Tells Us, Don't Worry about Anything, Pray about Everything in the Peace of God That Passes All Understanding, Will Guard Your Heart and Mind in Christ. Number Two. It Was the Word of God.

You Know Just What Scripture Says Sometimes Even Quoting Scripture out Loud to Myself When I Engage Someone I Might Call Stinking Thinking You Know Thinking That's Not Biblical Thinking.

Thoughts of Despair and Hopelessness in St. Louis and Greg. The Bible Says and I've Quoted Scripture out Loud to Myself, Even Rebuking Myself You're Wrong or That.

Here's What the Bible Says in the Third Thing and You Hit on This Case, a Beautifully Is the Church You Know the Church. Yes, It Has Its Flaws but My Goodness, the Lord, You Know Him.

Jesus Only Started One Organization When He Walked This Planet and It's Called the Church and You Don't Have To Do Life Alone. There Is a Loving Church near You That Can Help You and to Be a Family for You and Is J You Said the Hope for You until You Can Hope Again. Wow, What a Statement That's Just a Sample of the Insight Contained in J and Katherine's New Book Again Called Suffer Strong and Would like to Send a Copy Your Way. What a Lifesaver. This Book Can Be When You're Facing an Insurmountable Hardship. Sometimes We Just Don't Know Where to Turn. Life Is Brought Us to Our Knees and Suffer. Strong Can Point You Back to the Lord. In a Poignant Way from Two People Who've Walked That Same Better Path When You Send a Generous Donation Right Now. Be Sure to Ask for Suffer Strong You Can Write a Set a New Beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or Call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or Go Online to Harvest.org When Next Time. Hope You'll Join Us for More Insight from the Life of Joseph about the Value and Importance of Forgiveness. Join Us Next Time You're on a New Beginning. But before We Go a Pastor.

Greg Wants to Close Today's Program in Prayer Here on This National Day of Prayer Everybody. Let's Pray Father We Pray Now for Our Country, the United States of America, a Country That Openly and Proudly Says in God We Trust but yet in Many Ways, Lord, We Turned Away from the God Were Supposedly Trusting in. And Therein Lies the Problem. The Crime in the Streets, the Divisions Politically, the Divisions Racially the Divisions across the Board That Are so Great. We Wonder Can This Country Ever Come Back Together Again and I Believe the Answer Is Yes, If We Come to You.

First of Were First Reconciled to You. Lord We Can Be Reconciled to One Another. So Lord, We Turn to You. We Call on You.

We Plead with You to Help Our Nation.

We Pray Lord for a President That She'll Give Him Wisdom That You Will Provide Them with People That Will Give to Him Godly Counsel That He Will Follow It. We Pray Lord for Our Military That You Will Protect Them As They Service Overseas and Put Their Lives on the Line Each and Every Day.

We Pray for Governors and Our Mayors and Are Members of Congress and the Senate, Who Represent Us, Lord, That They Would Seek Wisdom from You Would Do What Is Right.

We Pray Right Now for Anyone Who's Lost a Loved One Due To the Coronavirus Lord I'm Asking for Your Comfort to Be Extended to Them Because You Are the God of All Comfort. If That Person Was a Believer.

We Rejoice That We Will See Him Again and Then Not Only a Part of Our past, but There Also a Part of Our Future Comfort. The Broken Hearted. We Pray for Protection for Anybody Here Who's Been Exposed to the Coronavirus Lord Let Them Not Get Sick.

And If They Are Sick. Lord Healed and Quickly Quicken the Healing Process. Lord I Pray That You Will Use This Moment in American History to Wake up the Church to Share the Gospel with Our Generation. We Pray That You Will Send a Spiritual Awakening to America and Father Are Eyes Are upon You Now Intervene, Hear Our Prayer. We Ask This All in Jesus Name and Possible by Harvest Partners, Helping People Everywhere Know God Sign up for Pastor Grades Free Daily Email, devotions@harvest.org