A Dream Is Tested Part 2

One minute Josephson jail the next vice region to region and kept it all in perspective. He knew that God was working out a plan plan placed into his heart in a dream so I was your dream coming from the Moody Church in Chicago this morning to win with Dr. Erwin Sir was clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Estimates are that the stage for us as we watch the hand of God on Joseph today.

You know Dave it's hard for me to believe that there's any story in the Bible that is as encouraging as this one, especially when people experience injustice. One of the most important things in the life of Joseph is this, we read that and the Lord was with Joseph and Joseph had this important position in Potiphar's house and then he's falsely accused. He's thrown into jail and it says the Lord was with Joseph in jail. I say to everyone who is listening today that God is with you in your ups and in your downs and speaking of downs I have in my hands a book entitled, when a good man falls. This book actually talks about some of the people in the Old Testament and the new who fell. Some of them fell morally and in other ways. And yet in the end God also revived them and still use them.

It's the story of people like Moses, people like Jonah lot who was overcome by greed. I think that you will be encouraged with this book is entitled when a good man falls for a gift of any amount. It can be yours. Go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now let us listen as we continue our study of the life of Joseph Beverly anyway now that that this dream is ever going to come alive. I'll tell you talk about an impossible dream.

God was going to have to resurrected from the ashes and the Standish. The smell the grinding and the vermin of the dungeon. Well you know it's interesting chapter 41 is a dream everybody's dream and it reminds me of a college class I had in psychology, everybody's draining. He has his dream 14 cows come out of the Nile River. Seven of them sleek and fat and then behind them. Another seven skinny ones and the skinny ones eat the fat ones and they still stay skinny, eat your heart out Jenny Craig by this and make a slim fast commercial. So then, finally, the cupbearer says you can't gas so they go get Joseph is as you remember either was a guy in jail. Joseph and and he could interpret dreams and Joseph comes and shaves then Pharaoh says what in the world. Tell me my dream and tell me what the interpretation is. And Joseph says look you're gonna get seven years of plenty and then there going to be seven years of famine and if you're smart, you're going to say during the years of plenty because the famine is coming Pharaoh's impressed verse 38 of chapter 41 Pharaoh said to his servants, can we find a man like this, in whom there is a divine spirit and he gives Joseph his ring and he gives in his chariot and he says they're going to be second to me in all the land of Egypt.

By the way, what is I do with old plot of her Joseph went up the corporate ladder rather quickly. At this point. In fact, all of his peers that he jumped a couple of wrong and as a result of that being next to Pharaoh. He could have gotten even with Potiphar who believe that lie in Potiphar's wife wait till I get ahead of you in the corporate structure. I'm going to teach you a thing or two is a bigger man than that bigger man and so what happens is Joseph actually ends up getting married. He could have said to himself, you know, this can't make any sense. Strictly speaking, I shouldn't even be here in Egypt. How could God have a wife for me. But Pharaoh named Joseph and they gave him a an Egyptian name and he gave him as an adverse 45. To wife because even their life for him, of all things students I will you know I'm at Moody Bible Institute. What if the one that God's chosen for me is a Philadelphia College of Bible and I will never never meet God's providence is much bigger than that. Much bigger, even if you took the wrong train, God has his ways. Well, he has two sons. In fact, when he names Manasseh verse 51, which means to forget that's looking at the past.

I'm forgetting the past.

I'm turning over a new leaf. Verse 52 and the second is Ephraim which means fruitful pastime forgetting a fruitful future. Joseph begins to feel as if life is coming around for him again. And as we shall see. Next time soon. He's gonna be on his way to his dream was, you know are learning lessons about dreams and if you missed last message I suggest that you get it because these are part of a whole piece of cloth that fit together about dreaming how we can find out whether a dream is God's dream and how to handle broken dreams. Let me give you four lessons that we've learned so far today about dreams for more added to the four that I believe I gave you in the last message number one. Don't ever sacrifice a great dream on the altar of the lesser dream. Don't sacrifice a great dream on the altar of the lesser dream Hubble. The history of so many lives can be written up foolish immediate decisions would sabotage the possibility of something so much greater. Hastily getting married without taking into account the larger dream that God may have for you. What would've happened if Joseph had committed adultery with this woman while God wouldn't have given up on him.

God would've had something else for Joseph to do most assuredly, because God does not abandon his people when they fail, but but the dream of the great the great dream here would've either had to been modified or given up because the soul had to be a part of God's plan and Joseph had to playing the role that God desired that he placed so that it be fulfilled and you look at the lives of even Christians that are basically strewn with the wreckage all foolish decisions. Immediate dreams that are soft and that they blew lost sight of the big dream, namely, to know God, to enjoy him forever. And to be fulfilled in the way in which he called them, and gift them. Don't ever sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate don't give up big dream just for a little immediate dream that will stand in the way of the big one plus number one was number two God has as many dreams for us as there are circumstances of life. He has as many dreams as there are situations in which we find ourselves.

We had asked Joseph back there in Canaan. What is your dream.

My dream is to have a nice Jewish wife to sit down with my father and to have a tent in some animals and just be content until I die was his dream. Maybe something like that. He gets to Egypt and he gets to be Potiphar's assistant, Don has another dream for him is to be the best possible administrator that he can be because Joseph knew that if he was a good administrator or Potiphar he would be a good servant of God. So Eva builds that dream and that lasts a while and then he gets thrown into jail and does not abandon him and say well that's the way it is. Life is tough know God is with him there in prison, and God shows him kindness and asked what God has another dream for him in prison. It is to be a model prisoner and to minister to those who are in prison and to help them with their lives and get those lives unraveled and untangled Matt for his dream wise and then God brings them out of that and again raises him to a position of responsibility and now he has a new dream is they'll tell your God is never caught off guard by our mistakes and by the zigzags of our own careers, which sometimes go up and would sometimes go down and would sometimes go all different directions, and sometimes even belly up. God is not caught in a dilemma for which he can say to us. I have no more dreams for you. When God says I have no more dream is for you. You will be taken up into heaven and it will be all over on earth he has as many dreams are circumstances and there is no one to whom I'm speaking whose dream is so shattered that God has a ray of sunshine that comes to us from a cell in Egypt and that sunshine the says even there.

God has still one dream left at least third lesson we often fulfill our dream when we help someone else fulfill his or her dream. People say I have no dreams left. My dream is not being fulfilled. How about finding a needy child and filling his dream. Listen to what Isaiah says, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will arise in darkness and your gloom will become like the midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places and give you strength in your bones and you will be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters do not fail to find someone who is hungry and thirsty, and afflicted. Get involved in somebody else's dream and help them see it become fulfilled and who knows that God may graciously be in the process granting your very own dream to find a significant here, the dream of a pagan king, and the dream of a 17-year-old boy.

That's how old he was when he had the dream now when we are in Egypt. At this point is about 23 but isn't it interesting that these two dreams should converge and as Joseph helps Pharaoh fulfill his dream. That is going to be the key to have Joseph see his own dream come to pass, because in the sovereign work of God. These two dreams are concurrent. They are joined and they meet together on planet Earth's morning some of us prayed together by prayer partners gathered to pray in my study before I came down and one of them before we are praying not even really knowing exactly what I was gonna say today said no. I have a dream and that is to help my wife fulfill her dream. Some of you guys were hard to live with. Of course if you are, you probably don't know it. Know your to do you just begin to help your wife fulfill her dream for a little while and maybe what you'll discover is that in fulfilling her dream your dream also will come to pass.

Those of you without any dreams get involved in the life of someone else may be that child in compassion international that we heard about this morning and help somebody else fulfill his dream and the promise is that it will come back to you and lights will arise and will be like a watered oasis in the desert. Finally, we must leave our dreams with God at the end of the day when everything is said and done, by the way you ever noticed that when everything is said and done. Usually more things are said then done.

But when everything is said and done. God is the ultimate one who knows what dream is best for us. I urge you give him the dreams, even your shattered one even your shattered one. What God does when he gives us our dreams when we allow him to make the decision for us is he keeps us he keeps us sold wondrously sometimes from dreams that we want for ourselves that would be good for us anyway. I need to tell you this morning that standing right here. Today I am fulfilling my dream boys wanted to preach. There are no preachers in our family on either side father or mother yet here I am the last born growing up. The only thing I wanted to do is preach.

I come home and listen to the sermon, come home and imitate the preacher. I don't know why just always wanted to preach on fulfilling my dream I want you to know today that the reason that I'm able to fulfill my dream is because God very graciously Made from stupid dreams along the way that I thought I wanted and if he had not. I would not be here today fulfilling this dream in love with a young woman one time thought had the hand of God on it. If there's anything any marriage that was made in heaven. It was this one course lightning and thunder are also made in heaven. God graciously kept me from that relationship graciously kept me from that. Even though it killed me, but I want you to know today that if I had married that young woman I would not be here today absolutely certain that that is the case, God kept me from it and then yet another woman prepared for me by the name of Rebecca so that we could share our dreams together.

You don't know what is best for you. Don't be so confident that you know the very thing that is best. Only God who sees the future, knows why not give him the whole shut and trying to plant your own dreams which are going to break anyway. I love to tell that story about the guys were walking through it. Insane asylum come to a padded cell.

This one good beating his head against the wall angle Linda how could you do with Linda. How could you do it so the visitor said to the administrator.

What's his problem. He says he was just madly in love with Linda but Linda broke the relationship and she ran off and she married another lover, and he couldn't take it and it broke it many all that he does is sit here all day. It is head against the wall saying Linda how could you do it. They walked a little further they got to the end of the hallway and they came to another cell. And here's a man hitting his head against the both England, how could you do it when Linda how could you do it visitor said what's his problem is as well. He's the man that Linda married. Do you really think that you know what is best for you.

Do you really think so there been all kinds of things that have happened in my life where I thought I knew and God graciously protected me from dreams that would have been nothing but detours from the bigger larger drain. Give God your dreams. Give him your dream broken, shattered, smashed, helpless, wonderful dreams fulfilled dreams partially fulfilled dream. God loves you and cares and will give you the best dream he can give you. Given with what you give them at this point your life give you the best dream he's got for where you're at, if any. Crosby was not born blind, six weeks old.

The doctor comes by because she has some problems with arise. Kind of a rash and they put some medication on and she goes blind age of six weeks at the age of nine she wrote oh what a happy soul, the mind, although I cannot see I am resolved that in this world it contented. I will be how many blessings I enjoy that other people don't to weep and I because I am blind, I cannot and I will you talk about somebody who wrecked her dream when she was six weeks old, she could she could have grown up bitter and angry saying you know why did this happen here I sit in darkness. What kind of a dream can there be for me. Somebody wrecked my future possibility how she could react the other possibilities disabled on your bigger than all that your bigger than a stupid decision by foolish Dr. and as long as I'm alive. I still have a dream and I will sit here and I will dream. Then today our hymnal is at least 25 hymns written by Fanny Crosby. It was about 1856. If I remember the year correctly that she needed five dollars and those days that was a lot of money and she is so she prayed about how she would get those five dollars, but she had no idea as to where it would come from, and a visitor came to the house and as he left he shook hands with her and left a five dollar bill in the palm of her hands.

She was overwhelmed with God's gratitude to think that he would take note of someone who was so insignificant and so blind. She said you know God, I love you so much.

I'm to write a song just to remind myself and others of the faithfulness of God. And so she wrote of him all the way my Savior leads me what have I to ask beside can I doubt his tender mercy, who through life has been my guide heavenly peace divine is to come forth here by faith in him to dwell for I know what air the full day Jesus do with all things well remember God always gives the best dreams to those who leave the choice with him. Let us pray our father, we thank you so much for the life of Joseph for the reminder that you are with us in injustice, yet you work and you continue to be faithful. We ask father today for those who go through those hurts. Help them to seek God even in injustice, even in a prison cell. We pray today father that graciously graciously by hand, would be upon them.

In Jesus name, amen) pastor's or Joseph was a very remarkable man. He did not fall into temptation. He resisted it, and God did marvelous things through him, but perhaps you are among those who has fallen.

I'm thinking for example of the fact that the news is constantly filled with those who have fallen into immorality or greed. What does God do with them what I've written a book which I think will be hopeful to you. It's entitled when a good man falls what is it that Moses and Jonah and locked and no and Gideon. What do they all have in common. Well, they all fell and yet God in the end restored them and use them when a good man falls for a gift of any amount. This book can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 now. Did I give you that phone number too quickly.

Well let me give it to you again 1-888-218-9337 or you can go to RTW offer.com. You can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Joseph's dream was almost destroyed by frightful circumstances, but God sought to this dreams fulfillment and international consequences. There was a far bigger purpose of work. Joseph even realized in the same may be true for you next time I'm going to win. Dr. listserv brings his third message on the life of Joseph join us then for dream is revived. Thanks for listening for Dr. Erwin looser, this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the teacher