Lessons from the Life of Joseph (Summer 2022)

Google “Joseph” and you’ll get a lot of hits about “St. Joseph”, the earthly father of Jesus.  You might also see something about Joseph of Arimathea, the New Testament follower who gave Jesus his tomb (John 19:38).  If you keep searching, you’ll get hits about “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” 

But the life of this Old Testament character (see Genesis 37-50) went much deeper than the cliche “multi colored coat.”  From being a favorite son and a hated brother, Joseph became a mistreated servant and a prisoner.  But through God’s grace, he eventually became a ruler and savior of his people.

What can we learn from the life of Joseph?  Pastor Jim has prepared a series of sermons which will challenge and encourage us as we learn from Joseph.  The sermon series will be presented during this summer (2022).

Joseph’s Ups and Downs

Joseph is a man who didn’t have an easy life.  Joseph loved his father Jacob, and Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son.  But Joseph’s brothers sold Joseph into slavery and led Jacob to believe that Joseph was dead.  The father and his loving son were separated for many years.  Wrongly accused of “making a pass” at his boss’s wife, Joseph spent much of his life in prison.

But God used all of it for good.  While in prison, Joseph explained an inmate’s dream, and that eventually led to his release and a summons to Pharaoh when Pharaoh needed to have a dream explained.  A famine was coming.  The “dreamer’s” ability to explain Pharaoh’s dream put him in charge of Egypt’s food supply.  Pharaoh made Joseph the top ruler in Egypt (second only to Pharaoh himself). 

In an ironic twist, Joseph’s brothers travel to Egypt to beg for food.  They bow before the unrecognized brother that they had despised and sold as a slave. 

But God used it all for good.  God’s covenant with Abraham, His plan to raise up a nation through which the Messiah would come, and His ultimate plan of salvation were all being fulfilled. 

Lessons from Joseph

Starting on Sunday June 26 and continuing through August, Pastor Jim has prepared a collection of sermons on the life of Joseph. 

Joseph’s life presents many parallels with Jesus:  Loved by his Father, desiring to please His Father, despised by His brothers (the Jewish nation), imprisoned, wrongly accused.  And yet, Jesus (and Joseph) remained faithful to God and their lives led to the salvation of many.  Joseph saved his people from starvation.  Jesus saved His people from sin.

Joseph’s  life tempted him in many ways.  He could have carried a grunge against his brothers.  He could have been angry at God, screaming “Why Me???”  He endured a lot of dark times and many types of “prisons.”  And yet, he kept his faith and continued to live for God.  His patience was tried, but he endured and forgave.  He was given awesome responsibilities, but he depended on God’s guidance and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

God meant it for Good.

When it was all over, Joseph declared to his brothers that “God meant it all for good.” 

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. (Genesis 50:20)

What about our own “twists and turns”?  Can God use them for good too?  What can we learn from Joseph and apply to our own lives?

Sermon Series

The following topics are scheduled to be preached throughout the summer.  There may be a few breaks, but the series will run from June 26 until its completion in September.

1. Gen 37:1-11     “Being Someone Special”
2. Gen 37:1-12,    “When Dreams are Shattered”
3. Gen 39:1-29,    “Winning the Battle with Temptation”
4. Gen 39:20-23, “Thriving in the Prisons of Life”
5. Gen 40:1-23,    “Give Me Patience and Give it to Me Now!
6. Gen 41:38-44,  “When Life Gives a Promotion”
7. Gen 41:41-57,   “The Bride of Joseph”
8. Gen 43:11-14,   “Gifts Fit for a King”
9. Gen 45:1-15,     “Graduating from the School of Grace”
10. Gen 47:13-26,   “Crisis Management”
11.  Gen 50:15-26,  “God Meant it for Good”

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