Breakthrough: Against All Odds

November 15th, 2020 / The Lookout

Intro:

The goal of this message is to point you to the presence of God being the breakthrough and not our ability or creativity in this season. It’s a tough lesson. One I’m trying to lean in to more and more.

In the bible we read of a man named Joseph to did this. He remained faithful and God remained close by his side. So long as we recognize God’s plan, His ability to work all things for His good, and His sovereignty, we’re going to be ok. Our job is to be faithful. That word keeps coming to mind and I can’t help but think of Joseph. He was faithful to the end, despite a lot of terrible circumstances.

Big Idea: Breakthrough is not in your creativity, strategy, or ability, but in your consistency.

Too often we believe that breakthrough is possible in our power and effort. But what we find is that when we release control and surrender our lives to God, He begins to move in our lives in ways we didn’t think was possible. See, breakthrough is not about our power but His presence.

The closer we lean into His presence, the greater hope, peace, and confidence we have in the circumstances around us. When we truly recognize that God is with us, then our perspective shifts. We no longer fear the unknown, but we trust in the one who loves us and has a plan for our lives.

Question: What battle are you currently facing right now? Where do you need a breakthrough?

I believe that the greatest battle is not the one in front of us, but the one inside of us.

We like the idea of God changing our circumstances more than the idea of God changing us.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” - Psalms 139:23-24 CSB

Passage: Genesis 39:21-23 CSB

“But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden. 22 The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. 23 The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.”

Pray: (Pause 3-5 seconds)

Main Points:

1. Tormented In The Pit (Genesis 37:3-4)

   1. Brothers hated him (dysfunctional family)

      1. Genesis 37 – Jacob has 12 sons, but he loved Joseph the most. He made him a robe of many colors. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more they hated Joseph. Joseph tells his brothers of two dreams. In both dreams his brothers are bowing down to him. And in one of his dreams his father and mother are bowing down also. This made his brothers hate him even more.
      2. Joseph wasn’t making good decisions that would gain him any favor with his brothers. He showed a great lack of tact and discernment as he shared these dreams and flaunted the colorful coat.
      3. Question: How would you handle your brother or sister telling you that one day you would bow down to them? :) Probably wouldn’t work out so well for them.

      4. My brother beat me in a card game and I chased him around the house with a fire stick poker. (nobody was injured, but the story never dies)

         2. Thrown in the pit

      5. Jacob sends his son Joseph to go check on his brothers that were working in the fields. When Joseph found his brothers they had conspired to kill him.

      6. Joseph begged for his life. Genesis 42:21 says, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen.”

      7. Question: Have you experienced the pit? Or do you feel like you are in a pit right now?

         1. Maybe you’ve recently transferred jobs and it’s not going so well. Or your current job is putting immense pressure on you to produce.
         2. Maybe you’re struggling with some relationships in your life. Maybe it’s your spouse, kids, family, or friendships.
         3. Maybe finances are tight and you don’t know how you’re going to earn more money to make rent. So many are struggling financially in this season of a pandemic.

         4. Maybe you’ve made some choices that have put you in a compromised situation. 4. Application: It’s hard to see the bigger picture when you’re surrounded by dirt. When the walls are closing in around you and you feel like there is no way out! This is an opportunity for a turning point… this is an opportunity for breakthrough. 5. In these moments you have to make a decision. That decision is less about the circumstance, and more about where you’re going to put your trust.

         5. Your character is not formed on the mountain tops, but in the valley. Your character is not formed in seasons of favor, but is moments of failure. 6. Many of you watching this today are feeling an extreme case of claustrophobia.

         6. Definition: “an irrational or disproportionate fear of being in small or confined places and being unable to escape.”

         7. You feel tormented in a pit and there doesn’t seem to be any way of escape! God, save me!
         8. For Joseph, it goes from bad to worse!
            3. Sold into slavery

      8. A caravan came by after some time and they sold their brother as a slave for 20 shekels of silver.

      9. Genesis 39 – Joseph was brought to Egypt and sold to a man named Potiphar. Potiphar was the captain of the guards. Verses 2-3 say, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.”
      10. Joseph found favor with Potiphar and was put in charge over all he had.

2. Tempted In The Palace (Genesis 39)

   1. Pursued by Potiphar's wife

      1. Now Joseph was a good looking man and had caught the attention of his master’s wife. She tried to get Joseph to commit adultery with her but Joseph refused. He knew he had earned the trust of his master and said “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” She attempted day after day to try and get Joseph to sleep with her, but he remained faithful to God. One day she caught him alone and made one final plea, Joseph refused and she grabbed his garment, but he immediately fled the scene. He wanted no part of it. She then lied to Potiphar saying that Joseph forced himself on her. Potiphar was furious and he threw Joseph in prison.
      2. Question: Have you ever found yourself in a compromising situation where you had to make a choice? The truth is that we have all been here before!
      3. Application: We can learn alot from Joseph… when tempted, RUN! This is a good principle for us today. Don't stop and think. Don't analyze the situation.... RUN! Leave your coat, your car, and anything else behind and leave the situation.

      4. Oftentimes when we are tempted we do one of two things, rationalize, well maybe this sin isn’t that bad, or criticize, it’s really not even my fault that I’m in this situation. Joseph did neither of these. He did not want to sin against God, so he RAN.

         2. Convicted and sent to the dungeon

      5. When Jesus was speaking to His disciples He said “In the world you will have tribulations. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

      6. Application: You may not be responsible for the cause, but you are responsible for your response. Joseph remained faithful to God. Notice how nobody applauded his character.

         3. God was with Joseph

      7. We see it again in verse 21 “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Joseph quickly gained favor in the prison and was put in charge over all the prisoners.

      8. It’s those deep moments of vulnerability that God moves through relationships.

         1. When I couldn’t find healing… God.
         2. When my marriage was falling apart… God.
         3. When the addiction was taking over… God
         4. When I was consumed by debt… God.

3. Tested In The Prison (Genesis 40)

   1. Joseph in charge of prison

      1. Chapter 39:23 says, “The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.”
      2. Joseph wasn't just a good employee that worked hard and impressed his boss.

      3. Joseph's job was not his identity nor destiny. Not a title. Not a dollar amount. Not a status. His identity was in a personal relationship with the almighty God.

         2. Joseph goes on from prison and God raises him up for a special task that would ultimately change the world.

      4. We’ll talk about this more next week, but what I want us to see is that God is with you, even in the trials. And He has a great and wonderful plan for your life.

Back to the Big Idea:

In the pit, palace, and prison, Joseph trusted God and showed extraordinary character in the face of many trials and temptations. God was with Joseph and was preparing him for something greater than he could imagine.

Joseph endured family dysfunction, famine, slavery, false accusations, temptation, friendly fire, pressure from work, and so much more. Yet through is all, his breakthrough was in his faithfulness. Not his ability to rescue himself. That has to be a word for us in this crazy season.

Breakthrough didn’t happen when he became second in command. Breakthrough is happening inside of him throughout the entire process. It was just publicly revealed in the end.

“Through our faithfulness, God is able to work and His breakthrough is revealed.”

God wants to do a work in you personally so that He can do a work through you publicly.