The Pit Test

Welcome to worship and the word with pastor today were continuing past Robert series from dream to this, he describes the 10 character building test we must pass before God allows us to realize her dreams and step into art as well. This is an absolutely incredible message so let's listen into past Robert now were looking at the life of Joseph. Joseph had a dream from God stepped into his destiny when he got dream 70 he stepped in the destiny will use 30 actually did not fulfill his destiny until he was in his 40s, but it was a process, but he had the past 10 character test but I want you to think about what is it in my character God is trying to to help in the shape so that I could reach the destiny God has for me right so turn to Genesis chapter 37 and that's where will be.

You might want to just read in Genesis is the story of Joseph. During this time about two weeks ago when we began, we talked about the pride test and how Joseph actually failed or another way of sailing that is got to take again the pride test and this week going to talk about the PIP test right. We talked about the pride test now were going talk about the PIP test so look at Genesis chapter 37 beginning in verse 1313 verse 13 and Israel. That's the same name as Jacob Joseph's father said to Joseph, are not your brothers feeding the flock and checkup, and I will send you to them. So I said to him, here I am.

Then he said to him, please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flock and bring back word to me. So we sent them out of the valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem now certain man found him. And there he was wandering in the field. Now I want you to. As you read the Bible. I want you to get in the habit of seeing if things jump off the page elegant notice it says a certain man found him.

And there he was wandering in the field mother to go to the man and asked he was just wondering how we know he was a dreamer but I think he was a daydreamer. And yet you have to give them a little grace is only 17 years old so anyway he sees these he sees this wondering if wandering in a field and the man said to him about what you're seeking. So I said to him, I'm thinking my brothers.

I think the Aussie map.

Thanks for reminding me. Please tell me why where they are feeding their flocks and the man said they departed from here for. I heard them say let us go to Dothan so Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan that's in Alabama versus a tape. Now, when I saw in the far-off inmate for even before he came near them. They conspired against him to heal him.

Then they said to one another look.

This dreamer is coming.

Therefore let us not kill him and cast him in the sump pit Tom at the PIP test and we shall say some while B's has devoured him.

We shall see what will become of his dreams. But Ruben, who was the firstborn, by the way, the oldest heard it and he delivered him out of their hands and set us said, let us not kill him and Ruben said of them shed no blood, but cast him into this pit second time we see the word.

Which is in the wilderness and do not lay a hand on him and that the reason he said it was that he might deliver him out of their hands and bring him back to his father so it came to pass, when Joseph would come to his brothers that they stripped Joseph of his tunic or his robe. His coat the tunic of many colors that was only me and then I took my cast him into a yet and the pit was empty and there was no water in it. What this reminds me of a story I heard about a guy one time that worked till the late shift and is always dark when he got off work and so he would cut across the cemetery on his way home and one evening please cut across the cemetery and the moon was an out very dark and they had dug a fresh grave and so he fell in and he began to shout, scream and holler and pull up dirt and rocks and grass and finally decided when Billy get out so just sit down and surely someone would come along in the morning and find him and helping and so we just sat down in the corner of the grave. Later that evening. A drop was walking across the cemetery and fell in the same open grave, and he began to shout, holler and pull up dirt and rocks and grass and finally when he was just about to give up a hand.

Out of nowhere, touched him on the shoulder and said hey buddy, you can't get out of here, but he did okay to get out of the pit.

If you're properly motivated, so I will talk to about getting out of the pit arrived and three things I want you notice about the PIP test. Here's number one. The position of the pit.

The position of the pit. In other words, what brought you to this position. How did you get in this position. It is a wise thing when were in the pit to see if we did something to attribute to our circumstances. I'm not talking about condemning now. I'm talking about soul-searching, talking about saying to God search me oh God, and know my heart try me and know my thoughts.

Joseph could have easily said you know it's not my fault it's my brothers it, it's not. It's not the way that I talk about my dreams is not the way I present myself. It's not pride. Give me it's in the in them and that's what many many people do when we go through a difficult time.

We blame someone else listen to me carefully.

I'm sorry for what your parents did to you but get over here 48 years old man do something for God. Stop blaming people weekly. We live in a Boise society. It is amazing, amazing how many people that I talked to the day that say you know I didn't understand all the things I'm going through now understanding of my parents fault know it was how you respond. It is not the action that puts us in a pit. It's our reaction to the action. Please hear me it is. It is right to do some soul searching and find out why am I in the position that I'm in.

For instance, let me just take one a financial pit.

I know people who go from financial pit. The financial pit and yet you never think about while I'm robbing God. I'm not tithing I'm under giving and I'm overspending. I'm not. I'm not less stewarding my finances well and they think is just something there some other reason.

It's the economy, or some other reason why I'm in this pit, do some soul searching. His brothers hated him.

Why did they hated why did he ever think about that as a matter fact, think about this.

Why is he not with his brothers tending the flock in the first place wising out there.

Most theologians believe it's because there was such animosity between his brothers and him that Jacob had to separate the Jacob says go check on your brothers I want you to just think about this for a moment he didn't really expect Joseph to check on them. He was trying to develop a relationship with them that Joseph was 17 years old. His brothers were older. There are 10 of them that most of them nine and were in their 20s and 30s, Ruby and Reuben and Simeon were probably in her 40s, and how to take care she needed a 17-year-old coming to check on them, but Jacob thought maybe maybe Joseph will comparable will conduct himself a little more maturely and everything will be okay. Obviously we know it's not the case.

But how did they know by the way wink wink when Joseph it says. The Bible verse 13 verse 18 it says when he was a Sarma far off even before he came near. They conspired they Sarma along well. How did they know it was him it was because he was wearing that blasted coat that that orange purple polkadot. You know whatever it was that you could see from the way I think you were to ever worry when I think he was proud about thinking Warden, Texas in August and I wanted it now draw some similarities again. Every time I read the Bible we need to say God what you saying to me through this passage I want you to think about this. Joseph had his father's favorite own view. Guess what your son or daughter who has your father's favorite and Joseph's father gave him a gift. Guess what your father gave you a gift, but Joseph was proud of his gift and showed it off every chance he got how many believers are proud of the gift that God's given them is when I want to say to you, the giver is so much better than gift.

We need to be in love with the giver, but it's amazing how many people slip their gift into the conversation and the reason is it's because we have our identity in our gift, not in that workshop a favor child and saw be talking to people notice, slip it in the discounts that you know, I'm up S.

Robinette, profit filling station. I knew that nonprofit that unites us.

This is crazy why we do that, why do you have to tell me about your gift, why do you have to show your coat off, why can't you just be your father's shop and and this this product this insecurity. This inferiority is what got Joseph in trouble, it's what gets us in trouble. Now listen carefully, because this is a strong one about to tell you he got a gift from his father.

We could get from our father because of his pride because of his arrogance. Listen carefully, listen, he lost his gift.

A lot of people meatless all way way way way no no no, God would never take the gift back that he gave me benefit. Romans 1129 the gifts and callings of daughter that repentance was telling someone is not talking about you so much Jewish nation number two if you want to use it as an analogy, I'm okay with that.

The dots on the take to get back because I didn't say that the father gives his father took his gift back. I said he lost listen to me very carefully. Wishing a lot of high profile ministers lose their gift because of lack of integrity, lack of character that you say will wave at me when what is asked me what if I done some of lost my gift. Can I ever get it back. Listen, listen, Joseph had one coat he member worry, when we finally fulfill his destiny, governor of Egypt, the second wealthiest man in the world. He had hundreds of coats gutless and whatever you loose through foolishness. If you repent and get back get back a hundredfold. I'm a Joseph at Willows Plaza church walking with a button she coaches when now you might be thinking well yeah but he didn't get this coat back. I'm not so sure to get it back because remember he was restored to relationship Jacob open Jacqueline through the coat away and not say this here is the most important thing whether he got that coat back or not. Got relationship with his father which was more important than one gift so that's the position of the pit. What got me in this position. Here's number two the perspective of the pit. I want us to take a perspective and say what one of one of my doing and what's God doing my lot in other words, the that when I say what got me in this position I'm saying let's get God's perspective on the pit. But when I talk about the perspective. Now I'm saying let's make sure we don't get Satan perspective every time you're in the pit. Listen to me shows up first the accuser of the brethren he will show up and he will begin to condemn you and accuse you and there is a tremendous difference between conviction and condemnation conviction is specific condemnation is general conviction. Yes you did this and this and that's why you're in this pit condemnation is your bad person. Your horrible person you are worse than everyone else and you'll never do anything for God and you and you will never accomplish anything that's that's what they invest in God never please hear this dog never never condemned sheet.

I can't tell you the burden I carry for correct theology. I Can't tell you we have the least knowledgeable society body of Christ we've ever had on earth when it comes to theology we have absolutely horrible theology. We don't have the basics down. The more we have a new age new generation theology, about God and we are so mixed up about the character of God.

Listen to make God never condemned sheet.condemnation is always from any enemy. If you ever get an accusatory or a condemning thought is not from God and I'm preaching about one verse. I wish everybody in the world would memorize the verse after the most famous verse in the Bible John 316.

Great verse not take anything away from John 360 John 317 says God did not did not did not did not did not.

I will keep saving until you get it did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him, the world might be saved.

Listen, here's the whole theological reason why God doesn't condemn God didn't send Jesus to condemn us, we were already condemn. We were born condemn one man sin in the world was to be a much Romans five, we were already condemn God did not send Jesus to condemn us, but to save us from from our condemnation.

So when I say let's get a perspective I'm saying let's get God's perspective, but let let's not not let the enemy coming. Here's what the enemy does. He's a liar and he's the father of all lies when he said another way of Satan is talking. He's lying.

His lips are moving his line. I promise you he's a liar.

Let me show you one of the most famous lies in this story so we can learn from it. Look at verse 31 Genesis 37 verse 31, so they took Joseph's tunic killed a kid of the goats and dipped the tunic in the blood.

Then I sent the tunic of many colors and they brought it to their father and said notice what the brothers that we have found the S. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not. And he recognized it and said it is my son's tunic. Now watch what Jacob says only zone a wild beast has devoured him without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces. Lemanski very simple question had a wild beast devoured Joseph know this was a lie.

Listen please remember what I'm up to. Satan is such a good liar that he will fabricate evidence to back up his lights. This was fabricated evidence and the brunt most people believe that that the brothers because earlier they said let's tell them if let's kill them and tell them a while based, but they never told her father. They never said I well be skill. Joseph never said that and we found his body or knife. They simply said that your son's goat.

They ripped it up with blood on that your son's goat and Jacob own his own came to the conclusion he's been killed by wild beast course that you know anything about it really makes you angry at the brothers because Joseph coming Jacob believe this lie for 22 years 22 years. He didn't know until Joseph was 39 that he wasn't killed by wildly seated noise like Village 39 years old and I think of all the times that he cried himself to sleep in the next room in the brothers listened to their father crying and never walked across the hall to say it's not true your sons alive century. That's the hardness of sin is a lie and it was famous evidence. I'm telling you God that Satan will do the same thing when you jail fabricated a site you knew not to be healed look that report did your lifestyle change like this. You make it in your business. Look at that that the Wall Street Journal would look at this. The report here. Here's his. Here's his number one probably the number one lie he's doing today. Here is probably number one you're married to the wrong person. And there's evidence of it right there. Let me give you evidence look look look look at how opposite you are that's that's amazing lie to me that he went believe black locale offset of your course your opposite. You don't want to marry someone like you think about it you know you if you married you. You kill yourself the whole reason you married her, so she would not like you and here's what happens some golf start going to the GM and will start working out and he DTV, and enjoys that that's that's what he likes doing his wife. She's that's not what she enjoys. Pretty soon you'll see a woman there and that's what she enjoys segments I say she has the same values you think she's she's your perfect match facies work listen listen listen to me man listen to me it's a lie. The line from the enemy and he will fabricate evidence of give you evidence at the gym. She's the one for you and your giddy evidence of home.

She's not the one for you and your site yet, but I that I felt I fed me and tell me Robert when we take the signs God's given me the dog and give you signs for divorce. I say that again and I know I know that I preached to 50% of our society. It's been through divorce and I never ever ever want you to feel condemnation but I will never back off.

The truth of God's word that he believes in the covenant of marriage can back off of that. So don't believe a line. Don't get Satan's perspective look at the position area and see what God is saying about it.

We don't get things perspective. Here's number three. The purpose of the PIP. What is the purpose of the PIP one-on-one K-1 this and then show it to you right out of Scripture. The purpose of every pit is to get us to cry out to God. The purpose of every pit is to get us to cry out to God, let me say it another way, what else is there to do the pit and nobody else adopting I mean you can walk around and write for a while but eventually you have to say money.I'm not get now this. Let God you know what's amazing to me is will get the pit and and and will say Lord will pray about it some and then what will it was not that big of a pit and so will get out in essence, her attitude is like nevermind yeah I don't really need you God it's okay, you go back to whatever you're doing and we get the big cat and we say okay I really need to. The stem is I can't do this on my own just so you'll know correct theology. Again, you can do anything on your own. Every breath comes from God. Every breath comes from God. So we get thrown in the pit. When we do we have tried to me show you another got got thrown in the pit. Jonah member. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh so they went to Tarsus which is the opposite modeling takes in the different direction. Jonah to verse one then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish's belly and he said I cried out to the Lord that the purpose of the pit. Listen why cried out because of my affliction deflection could be a good thing for get you cried to God and he answered me out of the belly of Sheol.

Sheol is an Old Testament Hebrew word that means the pit and it is translated the pit several times how to shield the belly Sheol I cried. And you heard my voice verse six. You have brought up my life from the pit say I am wondering if for the first for the first few hours or whatever. When Joseph was in the pit.

I wonder if he was rehearsing how bad his brothers and how good he was no.I just can't believe this in here. These guys have done this to me and you know got I got that dream.

But these guys bowing down to me and no I'm in this post be bound down and let you know what God, I know you're going to get paid them for what they did to me and I wondered if his prayers went along those lines, and after a while he started thinking you know probably call some of this myself. Maybe just a little God, I just wanted to admit that to you while I was talking to you, maybe a little bit of this brought on myself only after few hours. These downers need God. I did it. Maybe I'm the one that's wrong to me, and I think he did something happen to him and that pit the changes line and I think when that happened is when Judah got the idea, pull them up out of the pit saw the Midianite traders and said let's sell. Let's not kill them at selling and so that's when things begin to change. For now we show just a couple things have happened that are types and shadows.

Anytime you read the Old Testament. It's true can happen literally but it's a type in the shadow of something us. It it it it's for our instruction. According first reviewed student Genesis 37 verse 22 says, and Ruben said to them shed no blood that cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness and do not lay a hand on the this is the reason that he said it that he might deliver him notice his words deliver him out of their hands and bring him back to his father and we take something that Ruben Ruben is the firstborn, by the way, remember Joseph was the favorite son everybody knew that Ruben should have been the favorite son, and yet here he is looking out for him and protected mount. Remember that Ruben was the firstborn Colossians 1 tells us, Jesus is the first born of God, the firstborn among many brethren, the firstborn, so the firstborn wants to deliver Joseph out of this. Listen why 62 reasons to deliver him and bring them back to the father case a try to remember this.

The purpose of every pit is to deliver us and bring us back to the father. That's the purpose of every pit.

The purpose of every pit is to set us free from those things are holding us in bondage and bring us in a close relationship with the father. If you're in a pit I can guarantee that the father will not leave you there.

You know how I know because he did leave his own son in the pit. Psalm 1610 says you will not leave my soul in Chino referring to messianic Scripture referring Jesus you will not leave my soul in the pit listening. If you're in a pit right now. If you're if you cry out to God.

Hill delivered in your restore your relationship with. We want you to take a moment to think about what Pastor Robert Sharon today and listen to what the Holy Spirit seem to you if you want to connect with us or check out some of Pastor Roberts. Other messages visit Pastor Robert.com and if you haven't already, go follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter so we can be a part of your community.

Well, we hope you've enjoyed this message next time. Pastor Robert is going to share about the test of stewardship.

We hope that you have a great week and