Run To God
Genesis 39:1-23
Introduction
We are observing Recovery month and have been looking at some Bible Heroes who got a lot of things right but also had some recovering to do when they didn’t. Noah taught us to Believe, Obey, Abide, Trust God. Abraham taught us to Hear God’s call to leave some things behind, believe God’s promises, and Come all the way Home. Today we are going to spend some time an amazing man of God who remained in contact with God and sought to live by His will - through some really difficult experiences.
The story of Joseph in the Bible is a long arc - and we are going to focus in on one area. But to get us there, we remember…
-He was the 1st son of Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife.
-He was therefore a favorite son / coat of many colors.
-Joseph dreamed his brothers bowing down before him
-Joseph showed no wisdom telling his brothers about it.
-They hated him for his favored status and his dreams.
-So they were going to kill him - but eldest brother Reuben talked them out of it.
-So instead they sold him to some Ishmaelite traders.
-They dipped his colorful coat in goat’s blood and cold-heartedly told their father that Joseph was dead.
-Next we see Joseph as a slave in Potiphar’s house.
No one would think Joseph was a lucky guy. He was victimized, enslaved, harassed, accused, incarcerated - but he remained committed to God every step of the way - and that saw him through. In this text, he is facing some major temptation “Victorious living does not mean freedom from temptation, nor does it mean freedom from mistakes.” E. Stanley Jones
What can we learn from his faith response that will help us with victorious living?
1. PREPARE TO WIN (39:1-6a)
Genesis 39:1-6a Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
A marathon is 26.2 miles - and nobody runs a marathon without intense training. Many weeks in advance preparation involves long runs, cross training, pacing, strength training, recovery, nutrition, and mindset. All Essential or risk failure.
Joseph is preparing for a marathon and the first challenge is right around the corner. Things are going well for him at this point - the source of his strength is that the Lord is with him (2, 3, 5 - three times in the first 6 verses).
How do we prepare?
*Rely on the Lord. If we are going to be victorious over the temptations we face, we must rely on the Lord to see us through. The 11th step of AA is “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” The power Joseph had was that the Lord was with him.
*Connect the Lord through spiritual disciplines. We prepare with the common known disciplines: Scripture Reading, Prayer, Connection with believers. It’s when we think we have it in us to overcome on our own that we fall into trouble.
*Live for the Lord Daily. To be in training for a marathon is to run many shorter, lighter races - it’s an every day commitment. Every day you live for the Lord is a day you are preparing for temptations that the Enemy is preparing for you.
The power to carry out God’s will for your life is established NOW … in the preparation … as we go through our lives we need to always be prepared to run.
2. PREPARE TO FIGHT (39:6-10)
Genesis 39:6-10 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” 8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
The temptation Joseph faced was a marathon - it went on ‘day after day’. There was a relentless attack on his commitment to the Lord and Potiphar - and this fight was not going to be over in a moment. One reason why we think of our Christian life as a marathon is that it isn’t for a day or two - but it is a long term commitment. It isn’t always an easy road.
-We have an intensely devoted enemy.
1 Peter 5:8 ESV Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
-We have our own internal temptations.
James 4:14 AMP But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).
-We have the ability to downplay our temptations.
“We are too quick to forget that sin will very rarely present itself to us in its true colors saying ‘I’m your deadly enemy and I want to ruin you forever in hell’” - J. C. Ryle
-We are surrounded by a world that is not committed to the Lord nor to our recovery.
In spite of that, we need to resist / fight. (James 4:7 NCV So give yourselves completely to God. Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you.)
We can prepare to win and prepare to fight, and also we need to …
3. PREPARE TO RUN (39:11-20a)
Genesis 39:11-20a 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
There was nothing cowardly about Joseph’s run - he did it out of his deep devotion to God. In that sense he wasn’t just running away from temptation - but he was running to God.
Today I want to encourage us all to run to God when it seems temptations may be winning out.
1 Corinthians 10:13 - when we are tempted, God will provide a way out - and that way out may be to run.
When we run we are leaving behind people, places, friends that can keep us locked in to the struggles that have
caused us and others so much pain.
2 Timothy 2:22 AMP Run away from youthful lusts—pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Don’t sit down with your temptation. Don’t listen to it. Don’t entertain it. Refuse to have anything to do with it. Running away is a sign of courage, strength and obedience to God!
I don’t know what running to God looks like in your situation, but be willing to remove yourself from the setting of greatest temptation. Take radical action to take the way out.
-Accountability with someone who experienced victory.
-Professional help is available.
-A Christian friend to pray with and whom you can call.
-Whether it’s a call to a sponsor, a time out of the situation, or simply walking away from the scene - prepare to run.
Conclusion
At the end of this chapter, Joseph is in jail, the story unresolved.
That’s a good description of our life - we don’t always know what’s ahead. But we do know that we need to prepare - it’s a marathon . Prepare to win, Prepare to Fight, Prepare to Run!
The decisions we make today can impact the rest of our lives.
Serenity Prayer - to change the things I can - that’s when we run.
Run to the Lord today!
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Video of this message will be available on our YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/ForsytheChurchofChrist
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Discussion Questions on Genesis 39:1-23
1. How was it that Joseph continued to have such faithfulness in
spite of the enormity of terrible experiences he had in life?
2. What would you say are specific ways that we rely on the Lord?
What practical ways would you tell a new Christian to rely on the
Lord?
3. What are some ways that God strengthens us during our times of
hardship / crisis / hurt?
4. Though we may deal with all of them, which of the four sources of
temptation are the most deadly for our spiritual life: the Enemy,
internal temptations, downplayed temptations, outward
temptations (world/culture)?
5. Which part of the Serenity Prayer catches your attention most?
God, grant me the serenity to accept
the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
6. Read the following verses that use the imagery of running a race
and talk about what is emphasized in each: Acts 20:24; 1
Corinthians 9:24-26; Galatians 5:7; Hebrews 12:1-3.
7. Joseph’s story mirrors multiple contemporary situations such as
human trafficking, slavery, sexual harassment, racism, and false
incarceration. What do you see as the Christ’s role in fighting
against these evil behaviors? Can you name some ineffective and
effective methods you have observed?
8. What else did you want to talk about as it relates to Joseph’s Run?
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Resources
25 Rules of Successful Marathon Training https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/marathon/a36969929/successful-marathon-training-rules/
