Winners Know How To Say No

40 years ago in this country. If you have heard of a society where marriage vows are trivialized.

If you have heard of a society where adultery is winked at.

If you've heard of a society that calls homosexuality an alternate lifestyle. If you've heard of a society where sexual purity is left at if you've heard of a society where good is called evil and evil is called good if you've heard of such a society. 40 years ago in this country, you would've called it a pagan society 40 years ago.

If a political leader or any members of his Were accused of adultery and they dismissed the accusation as just a private indiscretion. His political career will be down the drain in 24 hour our reasoning for this would've been simple.

How can such a leader who will not honor freely. A promise that is made to his spouse be trusted to keep public promises. That is why we as Christians please listen to me very carefully.

We as Christians must say enough is enough and that morality must be above politics and public life that we must say that integrity and honesty, not expedience, must return to public life, we must say that fidelity and character on the test, not personal charm in the past 40 years, most Americans were totally unaware of the secret war that was taking place behind the scene. Now they are aware of it.

Now they see it where fighting a secret war that is being waged for so long war against our morality war against decency war against our biblical foundation warned against biblical faith and war against all very freedom of religion and at this point of life. It seems that the other side of one but I have news for you. Taken as a word of prophecy. If you like. Make no mistake about it, God's people are fighting back.

God's people are sending a clear message. We will not be fooled again today.

As we continue to look at the life of Joseph OC in the life of this young man. We see how he kept his dream how we Distrust and how he kept his faith. Turn with me please for the Old Testament reading of Genesis 39, and you'll see why this man turned out to be a giant leader, a great leader following from the last message Joseph now is sold to general Potiphar general Potiphar at this time was occupying the position of being the director of the Egyptian FBI. Now I have a problem with that kind of a job.

One mistake in your head is chopped off. But look at it.

Joseph moves from being a favored son to being a lonely slave. He moved from being a privileged son to being an unprivileged servant Joseph moves from being there) and all of his father's Empire and now he is not less than a slave with no rights whatsoever, except for one thing, a little phrase in verse two God was with Joseph.

Therefore it's a corpus cost. He was with Joseph. Therefore, the result of the consequences of being with Joseph is a Joseph was success.

Therefore, he was successful and because of that Joseph had more power than the Pharaoh of Egypt. Joseph had more peace of heart and peace of mind that all the noblemen of the land of Egypt.

Because of that Joseph was successful because God was with him successful in the eyes of whom you mask and eyes of God.

The rest of the Egyptian society not only alive, he was a loser. He was a winner.

As far as heaven was concerned regardless of what the Egyptian society thought of him and make no mistake about it when you are a success in God's book which matters the most. When you are a winner in God's eyes. Sooner or later the world will take note of none might be my take longer than you like it might be more painful than you like but ultimately you will be honored because that's God's promise when it wasn't long before general Potiphar began to notice Joseph's faithfulness.

He notices honesty. He noticed his integrity. He notices diligence. He noticed his hard work. He noticed all about Joseph and he met him in charge of his household now you live in the West, that means this means that he paid the bills and he did the shopping and drove the kids to school so you saying well. He oversaw the garden as the cooks, the cleaners, he oversaw everything that has taken place in the household.

But some of you when you look at this, you might be tempted to say wow you know how he is the heir apparent the privileged son now is working as a servant doing all the menial tasks carrying on the orders of Potiphar, but all what you've missed is this. Joseph was in the place of preparation. Joseph was in the school of preparation, the 8 to 10 years expand of time. We don't know exactly between eight or 10 years a Joseph spending part of his household is in charge of the student charge. He was there as a training school was not wasting time he was being prepared to learn how the Egyptian aristocracy lives because that's what is going to be inferior. Stop using David was part insole's palace. Why because a shepherd boy need to have opportunity to learn of how kings live because that's what is going to be Moses was put in Pharaoh's palace. Why so he can learn all about is a preparation for God's leadership upon him later on who else could've looked Pharaoh in the a mere slave not in your life and you say that my people go is because God put Moses there and he trained him. He understood the Egyptian language understood the customs he understood the fears they understood their hopes he understood their feelings.

You know how to talk to Pharaoh God's preparation is always important. You might not think so but it is now Joseph is in the place of the preparation will ask you this questions morning you feel trapped in your job do you feel trapped in your profession you ever feel as well. I wish I knew something else is accepting the school.

In your studies. Don't because where you are right now is a time of preparation for the next step God has already ordered for you, even the toughest pain in this life is a mere preparation for the glorious life of heaven until you learn how to rule here. You want know how to rule in the galaxy. And that is why the apostle Paul in Romans eight looks at the suffering of this world and is it when I consider the suffering of this present age.

I find it not worthy to be compared with the glories that about to be revealed in men all places of preparation can be tough. But you see, God does not waste experiences in our lives. He does not in the management training that Joseph was aquatic and part of his household was going to come handy later on part of a trusted Joseph you trusted him completely. So much so that he signed over a power of attorney to the Consonus checkbooks he can do the deposits and withdraw from the bank because Joseph was successful because Joseph had God's favor, please listen to me when you have God's favor when you have God's blessing when you are a success in the heavens.

I God will bless you neighbors he'll bless your friends who will bless your relatives you will bless your business associates feel blessed all associated with you because of you and that is why Paul said in Corinthians that the unbelieving spouse is sanctified in the believing spouse and that is why he said that the unbelieving children are sanctified in the believing parents listen God in his economy when he begins to bring someone to the kingdom from a family. He has a plan for the whole family. God works for the whole family loves the whole family was overly mixed covenants with family. What about the brother Potiphar well wasn't quite brother Bertha general Potiphar must've been the epitome of a workaholic. The moment he found somebody take all the worries of work of of the house and household activities. He just handed it to him and he got busy work. I'm in the moment.

This politician on the rise felt that he's being freed from all the household activities. He wrapped himself in his work and he got busy but you know what he is done in so doing, he left behind an unfulfilled on an empty wife where what about Joseph look at verse six of 39 Genesis 39 verse six is a Joseph was well-built and handsome and I got news for you.

Most of us fellows would rather have half of those two pronouncements as to descriptions. I think we settle for half of 1/2 in the vernacular of today's language that means he was a real stud what Joseph was doing during his spare time he was going down to permit Bodyworks and he was pumping iron. And guess what this is Potiphar noticed him that Joseph was about between 25 and 27 years of age at the time. That is something about Egyptian society at the time of Joseph Egyptian women of Joseph's day. Had a great deal of freedom. In addition, there is generally more laxity in the society which is a good formula for sexual promiscuity. The moral looseness of Pharaoh's palace. Trust me would match anything that comes out of Washington DC today, except Egypt was a pagan nation did not have a Bible, did not know God and that is why when Christianity was begun to be preached by the apostle Mark in the first century, within a mother a few years. 85% of the entire population embraced the Christian faith freely and willingly because they were tired of promised acuity. There were torrent of paganism that were tired of godless because I said earlier that when immorality is rampant at the top. Sooner or later is going to filter down but even in the midst of that God's winner, God's man knew how to say no then went to everybody else is doing it then went to. This is how you become popular.

Listen up. The only thing that will bring you true honor and respect in the long run is when you know how to say no.

The only thing that will save you heart ache in the future is when you know how to say no or what about Mrs. Potter or she was ignored, neglected and empty. She joined the Sphinx country and tennis club.

She was still in she went down and joined the Nile bridge club still empty.

She went down and joined us a holler Jazzercise class still empty. Then she joined the Heliopolis Junior League still empty number and I wanted to listen to me. I step on a lot of toes and I praise God for that and then I wanted to listen to me, your first priority. My first project.*Wives.

I didn't hear much room in here. Okay women listen up your first priority is not to the myriad of social activities and even religious activities. Your husband, your family God bless you where Mrs. Potiphar noticed this hunk of a guy hanging around and she zeroed onto him like a laser be. She puts on her feminine charm she gets her self all dolled up. Mrs. Potiphar tried once Joseph said no.

She tried twice and Joseph said no. She tried 1/3 time Joseph said no to the begun obsession with her not I wanted to think the Joseph was made of metal or clay.

It was a rugged healthy individual, and no doubt he was flattered. No doubt he was tempted. No doubt it flattered his ego. It surfaces pry no doubt he thought through the many months and that's what the Scripture said she continued on for a long time so the many months and she's trying to entice him is trying to seduce him.

They probably said well maybe this is my ticket to a high promotion and maybe that is how God wants me to get my dreams fulfilled not out of probably thought to himself or said I'm not living at home anymore doing Egyptians do no doubt Joseph thought well, this woman must really think I'm something in the public crossed his mind that letting her get getaway would be an easy way out of the predicament.

After all, having a happy boss's wife might have a happy boss.

But Joseph refused all the kinds of rationalizations that are running rampant in our society. Instead, he emphatically said no one's on the hundredth time.

Did you know that this is the beginning of just say no company and while I'm at it.

This was actually the first sexual harassment on the job ever recorded in history. Listen to what Joseph said verse nine. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God.

What is Hardee's is not me and my need and how I fulfill my needs. God help us, how we need more politicians like Joseph not like I haven't Jezebel. We need more church leaders like Joseph not like Judas Iscariot.

Now the church hierarchy is coming up with this pronouncement on sex. The sex is not a gift but it's not like to be fully expressed and enjoyed by any two persons as long as there are in a loving, committed, meaningful relationship. Hogwash trash.

In fact, I think back what I said about Judas Iscariot here the more sensitive conscious he hung himself no parents please listen to me. I don't preach to you are free to us on the billing for parent like the rest of you. What we need to teach our children what we need to commend our children for what we need to praise in our children now that looks not that outward appearances, but the moral string.

Jacob and Rachel have done something right with Joseph. They taught him right there is strength in his will. We need to still instill in our children strength of the will. You heard about the strong-willed child who was one thing God we want the children to have strong will, in the right places in the right places. We need to teach our children to define the culture we need to teach our children how to swim upstream, we need to teach our children how to stand up and be counted. We need to teach our children how to be winners for God and for themselves how the Joseph win this battle. Three things jot them down if you're writing first by keeping his dream a godly vision, a godly dream must surely include sexual purity. Joseph knew that God gave him a dream and the only way God is going to fulfill his dream is going to be God's way.

Joseph knew that shortcuts must sound good that shortcuts may feel good, but they will never bring about the fulfillment of your God-given dream single people.

Please listen to me have a word from the Lord for you.

I don't do that very often. As you know, God knows the depth of the temptations you face God understand the enormous pressures that you are under, but don't give up those dream hold on to them tenaciously. Don't sell those dreams were a mess of don't compromise your standard, God is able to fulfill your dreams and he will secondly Joseph won the battle by keeping the trust verses eight and nine. He said how can I do such a wicked thing. How can I betray my Masters trust. He made me responsible for everything he was held nothing for me except you you is not what loyalty, what sensitivity what trusteeship you know this is a principal. This moral principle is just at the heart of loyalty and faithfulness in marriage and Joseph knew that document double-click is to break the commitment and to betray the trust of the spouse whom God has given you, psychiatrist Frank Pittman who bemoans a lightheartedness by which we treat adultery said infidelity is a breach of trust and betrayal of a relationship that's a breaking of an agreement. Someone said that there is no difference between breaking and entering and stealing and breaking the marriage vow and Joseph was not going to be a party to this. So the Joseph one by keeping the faith. Joseph knew that sin anything is primarily a sin against God.

David said again this year because I sent it is a sin against individual whom you injured, but it is primarily sin against God and Joseph knew that, you know, when I was a youngster going to Sunday school. The very few times I concentrated on Sunday school lesson. I was about the third grade and a member of the Sunday school teacher. I remember as a field yesterday. I remember him telling us what is an Egyptian myth about Joseph extradited know that was in the Bible and the last course of his theology, and I realize that this was a common myth in Egypt and he described this way. He said Mrs. Bodiford took a sheet and she went to the got statue of the God of the Egyptians that's in his house every household had a God statue of the garden. She covered I just look at Joseph like a going to bed with me got fancier and Joseph looked at her said no, no, no. Mrs. Bodiford don't understand is why God sees all three so Joseph said no. Once he should know. Twice he said no hundred times.

Finally, when she pushed him in the corner he ran you know it is somewhat easier to say no. The first time.

So the more difficult the second time. It's a more difficult assert that when the temptation of any kind, any temptation of any kind. But Joseph understood what the apostle Paul told Timothy to nearly 2000 years later that when it comes to temptation. The only answer is not to negotiate with. It is not the discussant is not to have a prayer meeting about it. The only answer is to run a David put on his Nikes and went out to the Jerusalem Park and went around the block few times he probably would've avoided the trap that she will sitting for and running. Joseph left his coat behind you notice this is a second coat now. Second time he loses his coat someone said is better to lose your coat and keep your character meant to lose your character and keep your coat now. Those who think that the price of purity is too high. They don't understand the real cost of impurity is a very important principle biblical principle here. Please listen carefully. The Bible tells us that we must resist the devil and free from temptation. What he has some Christians do the reverse of formula. They tried to resist temptation in the free from the devil and then the phone both counts when it comes temptation run though discussant run. Joseph wins the battle by running loses his coat, but he keeps his character.

While the rest of the story is predictable. Mrs. Potter, for now is left holding the coat the steering of such obvious rejection ignited her fury and I'm told that hell has no fury like a woman scorned as a court just in case some of you don't realize that frustrated, embarrassed and angry depression gives way to hostility. Now her thirst for romance gives way to thirst for every inch Joseph ends up in the person of the common prison.

This is kind of a White House prison for the White House staffers who misbehave.

Don't you wish it wasn't in-service palace dungeon down in the bottom in the basement. What is Joseph thinking about this point prison here we go again. Stay tuned. I'll talk about this in the next message as I bring this message to conclusion. I want to tell you this, the man who made it possible for me and for you to read the Bible in English man who translated the Bible in English's name is William Tyndale, William Tyndale was thrown into the prison because he translated the New Testament he was devastated because he was going to be killed was the last of the least of his worries he was in anguish because he's about to die and he has not finished the translation of the Old Testament into English next time you open your Bible, don't take it for granted. Somebody love Selassie can read it in English there ought to friends saying the following words he said the day of my execution has not yet been set in winter is coming. Bring me a warm, something to patch Mulligan's.

I will ensure above all, bring me my Hebrew all test questions. We don't know what it is to suffer for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that we don't. I doubted personally, but I pray that we don't if we stand up and be counted. We can reverse the tie but I want to tell you this, you can be absolutely certain of this that you will suffer when you say no you will not very popular when you know how to say no.

But as far as heaven's concern. You are a winner. The I pray that the Holy Spirit, the drums these words in my ears and my heart throughout this week he would drown them in your ears and your heart today.

I don't know where your I don't know where you stand with Jesus. I don't know whether you have repented of your sins where you are saved from eternal hell and damnation will not you know that in your heart. The apostle John said that the Holy Spirit testifies in us. I don't know whether you are trying to put 1 foot in the world and 1 foot with God. What are you trying to compromise and you going through hell right now and you heard the spirit of God saying to you turn to me. I want to make you a winner. I want to make you heavenly success. The greatness about God and I would literally break down talk about is his grace, God is not interested in merely condemning you he's interested in convicting you so that you and I would repent and be restored. That's what God is interested you invite his grace to come into your life right now as I praying so Lord forgive me. I've tried and I blew it because I tried it my way now.

Want to try to Holy Spirit empower me that my live a life of purity and integrity that heaven would proclaim that I'm a winner for Jesus, young or old, it makes no difference.

Father, I stand in the gap on behalf of your people. As I pray right now. I pray for the spirit of forgiveness to come and sweep across the shrewd for your grace to be in abundance right now for the assurance that you are not the God, condemning God, but your convicting God you bring us to conviction right now. We met repent of our sins, whatever they may be father.

Pray for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, punctuated his name on a man.

Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael.

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