Momentum - Learning to Overcome the Evil Aimed at You, Part 1

Let me ask you to someone wounded you, betrayed you, done you wrong. Maybe it was someone you love someone you trusted someone you respected, but they just did you wrong and there's anger and bitterness and you don't what to do with it. That's where you find yourself today talk about how to overcome the evil welcome to this Tuesday edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram chip serves as our Bible teacher on this daily international discipleship program.

I'm debris today. Chip explains how you can overcome the evil that same even the unjust raw deals that leave you feeling angry, betrayed, hopeless.

You have to miss a portion of today's message. Remember, you can hear it anytime you want. Downloading the Chip Ingram now with today's message. Learning how to overcome the evil thing that you peers chip two main characters New Testament are Peter and Paul and Peter's ministries primarily to the Jews and price and Paul's primarily to the Gentiles and Peter would write.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial. Your suffering is a something strange were happening to you when things are very painful, difficult, evil, unjust in a fallen world. But don't be surprised.

The apostle Paul would take it one step farther. In second Timothy 312 and 13, he says. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted and the notice this while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived in the question I have for you as we get started this morning is who has wounded or betrayed or abused or abandoned or forsaken you or forgotten you or hurt you more than anyone else in the world had to just dinner. Let's you don't know my casket to share this thought and ask you to write it down, but I am not going to ask you to reach back and do some stuff that most of you have pushed down very very deeply and it could've been apparent could been a sibling given a mate could've been what your kids could been a business partner could been someone involved in a church but whose picture, whose face comes to your mind when you think of being lied to, betrayed her wounded or did something to someone you love. They did 20 your kids or they didn't your mama didn't your dad and in your most honest moments, yet a rock you got a rock of wound how do we as our 12 Christians respond and then overcome the evil it's aimed at us because everyone has it. You're not alone. But what we can to do is push it down go into denial and a lot of the issues we have in our lives is because walking around with rocks inside our heart and they weigh us down, and they block our relationship with God.

They produce all kind of things inside of us emotionally, look at a man's life who I think endured more injustice trail evil than anyone that I can find in all of Scripture, and he had a secret and he responded in such a way that he overcame the evil aimed at him. Joseph's journey reveals how to overcome the evil that is aimed at you and aimed at me, and if you open your Bibles to Genesis chapter 37 we begin a story of this amazing guy. He doesn't start out very amazing. However, and if you familiar with the Bible you know that a big portion of all of the book of Genesis chapter 37 all the way through 50.

Talk about him. The overview, let me tell you the beginning and ending with the entire story. It's gonna start in a pit is good and in a palace. He's going to start working to learn little bit about his life got a dysfunctional family. His father shows great favoritism that sets him up for failure and he's, you know, Joseph has a lot of good responses, but early on is can open up a 17 years old. He's the center of attention. He has the special coat that sorta marks them off is that shows favoritism. He tattled on his brothers. He's a narcissist. He thinks he's the center of the universe. God gives him a dream and instead of stewarding it like wow that's where the holy dream the blurbs that out and comes to his brothers. As you got in a bow down to me someday and so he has some issues to deal with, but if chapter 37 assessor Jacob settled in the land of Canaan, where his father lived and this is the history of Jacob's family when Joseph was 17 years old. He often tended his father's flocks with his half brothers, the sons of his father's wives, Bill Hines, Obama but Joseph reported his to his father. Some of the bad things. His brothers were doing, which made him very popular course now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children. By the way, that's it.

That's a recipe for disaster because Joseph had been born to him in an old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gift, a beautiful robe but his brothers hated Joseph because of their father's partiality. They couldn't say a kind word about it. One night Joseph had a dream, he promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more. Listen to the stream.

He said we were all out in the field tying bundles of grain in my bundle stood up in your bundles all gathered around and bow down before me. This is like boy don't you love your little brother and so they say so you get to be our king. Are you his brothers taunted and they hated him all the more for his dream when it said it the Joseph had another dream and this other dream is tells the same story. And so, let me give you sort of a running development of this pit to the palace story. You'll notice in your notes. He was born dysfunctional family to write down dysfunctional because what I'm gonna do some to go through this quickly, but I'm gonna give you like the trailer of the movie if you want to get the movie you need to go home and read chapters 37 through 50. Slowly and thoughtfully. But what I want you to get is the keywords that I have you underline is the kind of stuff that you go through some of us grew up dysfunctional families right well you can see that. I guess that can happen and God can still do something good so that dysfunctional family is his dad is partiality and a produces some not good things in Joseph in a bad family dynamic so that his his brothers. They rejected he's rejected by his siblings in the story will unfold. You know his dad says hey I want you go over there and check on your brothers because they're doing some sheep and so Josephus check on his brothers and can't find any assets guy.

Have you seen my brothers.

He said yeah the guys over there.

This is very loose translation of the exact Hebrew course and so he got on the way he's there. His brothers are thinking we hate this guy's guts what's killing and there's little argument about the best way to get rid of him and one of his brothers, cares, and so he talks the other brothers and toothless putting in this pit to me why Killingly just putting in this pit and then while they're waiting this caravan of Ishmaelites come by in one of the other brothers goes we know why should we have his blood on her hands. Let's get something for them. So 20 pieces of silver. They sell into this caravan and this caravan is on its way to Egypt so so he's 17 years old yeses dysfunctional family. His dad doesn't do a really good job on this. He's got some narcissistic arrogant issues and so those are his issues, but is rejected by his siblings and then is abandoned to a foreign land. So imagine one of you if you're older and have a 17-year-old or so. Imagine your 17-year-old getting on a caravan with people who speak a different language being taken to a world with all these different gods. The gods of Egypt and he gets dropped off a dozen of the culture does know the language and he goes from being the privileged Mr. on the center of the universe to his life. So life is getting pretty difficult in a hurry so when he gets there. Others little slave auction and pot of her who is the head of Secret Service for the king of Egypt. He buys Joseph and so he is, so he sold as a slave and Potiphar brings him in, and Joseph has this unique ability is to great strengths one God is given them ability to interpret dreams and number two he is administratively gifted. The guy just gets it. I mean, he's a he's a strategic thinker who knows how to implement a strategic plan and so Potiphar watches and God's hands on Joseph and everything he puts his hand on his like it goes really well. So Potiphar is a very smart guy. He eventually turns over everything to him and basically says Joseph you run my world and the text says he he didn't worry about anything as a Joseph.

Even though he's a slave using a gods hands on his life. Things are going pretty well and his wife Potiphar's wife gets the hots for Joseph.

This is all in the original text, and so on and so she says hey you know my husband is does a lot of business travel or whatever. I want to sleep and Joseph says I will not betray your husband's been good to me and I couldn't ever do this against God. And so, day after day, I mean imagine being 19 years old, a young male in a very difficult situation, and some gal wants to have sex with. I'm just telling you most young men in that situation are saying. That sounds like a good idea, but there's something about Joseph his convictions. There's something about Joseph. He's learning.

There's something about Joseph understanding whose blessed his life he resist any resist. Finally, she ends up along with them some time as he walked into the house she grabs and pulls him into the bedroom he takes off his jacket runs for his life.

And then when when Potiphar comes home he she says this Hebrew that you brought into our house tried to rape me.

Will Potiphar is very upset and so he's falsely accused of rape by chapter 39 and that he sent to prison unjustly now. Does anybody have any situations in your life for people that you love where you come from a dysfunctional family. You suffered great rejection you been abandoned you been sold into slavery falsely accused about something or been in prison so what I'm trying to build the case that I don't know what you've been through her. I've been through, but this guy probably has been through in spades. Finally he's forgotten by a friend and here's where I'm gonna have to ask you to read a little bit on your own to really enjoy the entire historical truthful documentary movie displaced in Genesis 37 through 40. Because to get the feel about what you need understand is that he's in this prison and Wally's in prison are two of the king officials a baker and a cupbearer. They both land in prison.

They both have dreams that come to Joseph. They're totally distraught and the cupbearer has a dream and he interprets the dream it says in three days you can be restored. Your position in the Baker goes this guy is great with dreams what he think about my dream, he interprets his dream he says in three days you get your head cut off.

Both things come true. And so Joseph says to the cupbearer and I'm you seen me like I'm innocent I didn't do any of this when you get back to Pharaoh and then put in a good word for me to come on man this is so unfair. I'm losing my youth, I mean my dad my brothers so I been rejected every level. I mean, he's probably now and is is early to mid 20s. To me this is so unjust and so unfair and he's been betrayed and rejected in the cupbearer get so excited and so faithfully totally forget effect. Joseph is 28. By this time he's been in prison the better part of probably 89 years and is forgotten. Anybody ever have these kind of things happen you. These are rocks.

If anyone endured evil in their lifetime. It was Joseph, rejected, abandoned, falsely accused a slave, imprisoned, forgotten, and yet here's the thing, instead of breaking him. It makes him very difficult, painful, especially unjust times, especially when someone walks out on you. When someone lies to you.

When someone betrays you when someone abuses you.

In most cases it breaks a person they get bitter, they have unresolved emotional issues and social issues. Often they turn against people they turn against God you talk to people and recovery programs and alcoholic programs and drug rehab programs. What you find is they start telling their story and they usually have one of seven of these are a handful of others, and yet you find some people they come through those things and it's like it makes them there's character and his compassion in their strength.

What eventually happens is is Pharaoh is going to have a dream and his magicians can't figure out what the dreams all about, and the cupbearer has a moment of his amnesia goes away it goes all hey Pharaoh, because Pharaoh's get little angry about no one being able to answer this in the cupbearer having been in prison once I think he's thinking you know I think we got a mannequin solve this and he brings Joseph in front of him that give them a quick shave. Literally, the text says, and he comes before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh tells him his two dreams.

Joseph accurately interprets both of the dreams.

In fact, but when he does it.

Something's happened to Joseph was arrogant and narcissistic on the center of the world and now he's got his one window of time to get out of prison and Pharaoh says Joseph I understand that you can interpret dreams and he says actually Pharaoh. No one can do it and you know if you if you were watching a movie right now you take Joseph, you idiot. This was your chance. Don't say that telling you can do it and then as is only God can now think of that, there's all these gods of Egypt is only the God Yahweh my God. Only he can reveal these things, so he's got this amazing integrity and Nineveh Pharaoh Scana say well you know, my God, my magicians can't pull it off. So tell me any interprets both accurately and then the Pharaoh goes you know, in light you have the greatest discernment and wisdom, and he gave the recommendation because the dream is that this can be seven years of bounty, followed by seven years of absolute famine that's going to destroy all the land, and unless the king builds all the storehouses and saves the grain during the bounty years Egypt and all the nations around the region to go down the tubes well.

He appoints Joseph to be second in command. He rules all of Egypt.

And that's how the story progresses a little bit later what you can find is his brothers because of famine will have any food and they can be ready to die, you know. Hey, there's food in Egypt and they will go up to Egypt and I wish we had time to get to this whole story and so they come up to Egypt and is accompanied Egypt, they don't recognize Joseph is now he's in all Egyptian garb of the Pharaoh actually gave him a wife and these had two children and he's the second most powerful person in all the world and Pharaoh basically saw the same thing as part of her.

He said you know what when this guy runs it. It goes great over and over as you would read it little bit later this week. This phrase, the Lord was with Joseph is the theme of his life in bad times and good times. The Lord was with Joseph. The thing is when you look at his circumstances, you'd say, I don't think the Lord's within the Lords with him how to get up in prison if the Lord's with them how to get rejected for the Lord's with him how come he gets a raw deal for the Lord's with him that how come that cupbearer and forgets Joseph by faith is in a trust that even though he can't see it in his circumstances.

God really is with me and then notice how he responds to give you an overview of his response is response to evil.

First he survived about away when you go through a time like this. Sometimes that you A+ just for surviving. You've been abused.

You come home and there's a note on the refrigerator and your mates walked out. I don't love you anymore, you been in a business relationship, and you realize this. Good quote Christian business person that you been in width is also a good embezzler and he's left town and you got all the debt and then you're just fuming, Joseph learned a new language. He learned a new culture, and he went from being hyper privilege to being a peasant. He survived second thing he did is.

He thrived.

He used his gifts were he was that he ended up being the head of the prison. Everywhere he goes he didn't say well you know God's rejected meeting world rejected me life isn't fair, but it's so terrible I'm just going to stay home and watch soap operas and the chocolates.

He took his gifts and he said you know I can't control that out there, but his gifts of administration. His gifts of interpreting dreams he jumps in and he thrives where he's at. He does what he can with what he has and he doesn't look at circumstances. Third, he resisted he refuses to bail out on God's agenda for his life. You know when you're down when you're tired when life's unfair when you've been betrayed.

What you feel like doing. You feel like you know what maybe an extra glass of wine or two would make me feel a bit better. You know those prescriptions are for those migraine headaches are for my back but I get little by dozen, I feel depressed.

So I think I'll take one.

My back not hurting. That's how it starts. You know I just I been walked out on and you know I don't have anybody to be with and it can't hurt to watch just a few little pictures but Joseph said he resisted no shortcuts. I'm gonna honor God in the midst of the difficulty and the pain and the notice he waited on God's time in God's place and I and I hope I really do hope that you look at the whole movie later this week because what you'll see is watch this God had a really big wonderful plan and since God is an absolute control going to get a little help myself. He got here this now and God is all wise and God is caring and God is loving when people try and wreck your life with their tiny little bad evil plans. God takes them re-fashions them, puts them back into the big good plan and he orchestrates even their bad stuff to bring about his highest good stuff. So if his brothers had never rejected him.

He would've never been on the caravan if the caravan had never sold him. He would never been a slave in Potiphar's house if his wife wouldn't unjustly have accused him you have never gone to prison if he wasn't in prison he would've met the cupbearer. If you would him at the There that he wouldn't have been interpreting the dreams by the second.

But most powerful man in the world and by doing that 13 years of all that adversity was a part of God's sovereign plan to get the right man at the right place at the right to time for his good and God's glory and I want you to know that the person that walked out on you.

I want you know that the business deal fell through. The father or mother or person that abused you the person that lied to you, they don't have the power to ruin your life God takes all the small bad things to make a good big faith, but most people bail out on those things. Most people feel like one of the human life is terrible and I deserve to indulge my insert nerve to sedate more medicate my pain. She will be right back final thought about this teaching, but if you're just joining us, you're listening to living on the shipping room chips message. Learning how to overcome the evil aim to do is from his series momentum how to ignite your faith from the base camp of Romans 12 ship leaves this Old Testament track.

Exploring the lives of some of the most famous men of the Bible from Abraham and Joseph to Moses and Daniel. Chip helps us appreciate how these men of faith lived out the practicalities of true spirituality and with continual encouragement. Chip fires the momentum of our own faith journey. No momentum is one of those series you're going to want to keep handy you listen to from time to time because these lessons from Chip are well worth revisiting for your convenience, you'll find all of the discounted momentum resources on our website for pricing and ordering information. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org or were always happy to talk with you when you give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. Now here's Chip with a quick thought, hey, before I come right back and give some application about one of my most favorite characters on them. Talk about someone to learn from Joseph I want you to know that today and tomorrow are the very last days on this whole momentum serious. So if you been listening and thinking to yourself, I would love to dig in today and tomorrow are the final two days. Don't miss out like strip. We have several ways for you to get your arms around all of this. Romans 12 momentum material momentum series resources are all discounted ships free message notes for momentum are online and make a great study guide as you listen or dig in on your own.

And finally, all of the series resources for chips are 12 series true spirituality are also discounted. We believe so strongly in the Romans 12 journey we wanted to make them as easy as possible for you to get so the audio the video versions and the book are all discounted for a limited time for specific pricing and ordering information on either true spirituality or momentum.

Just go online to LivingontheEdge.org or if you prefer, give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will now here's Chip with some final thoughts about today's teaching as we close today's program.

I want to remind you first and foremost that God has not forgotten you when you go through the kind of rejection, abandonment, his case falsely accused. When you go to the kind of pain and difficulty, especially when it's unjust, you can begin to start thinking and believing that God has forgotten you, for 13 years, Joseph hung on to the promises of God that he got in that dream because I will tell you what his circumstances didn't look good, but he survived.

He thrived, he resisted and he waited so let me encourage you, just where you're at right now. Learn to adapt. Use your gifts where you are refused to bail out of God's agenda for your life and no matter how much it hurts right now wait for God's time in God's place.

He understands and the one word through all of Joseph's life was this in the Lord was with Joseph.

You know there's times where you need to walk outside in the midst of your pain and just pour out your heart and cry and talk to the Lord.

Tell them how you feel. Tell him how disappointed you are telling what a struggle it is. And then look up at all the stars and remember the God that made those is in control and he's all powerful. And he promised, I will never leave you or forsake you.

He wants to do something good in you. He wants to comfort you guard your heart against resentment and bitterness.

Guard your behavior from a quick fix that will make you feel good now and you pay great consequences later. Let me encourage you hang onto the promises of God regardless of how you feel and God's promises. This he will work it for your good.

Don't give then don't give up. Trust him. He will be faithful you know a great way to stay engaged and connected to Chip and Living on the Edge is with the Chip Ingram map you'd be getting all of these momentum messages ships free message notes and much more. Not only that, but it couldn't be easier to order resources or give us a call right from the app will tomorrow. I'm Living on the Edge. Chip wraps up our current series, so be sure to make plans to join us that still live this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge