“When You Can’t See What God Sees”
BIG – Week One
January 7, 2018
Pastor Kris Freeman
Revolution Church
Scripture: Genesis 37:1-36 (NLT)
2 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was 17 years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day, Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph – a beautiful robe. 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.
In verses 5-18, Joseph has two DREAMS and tells his family and his brothers CONSPIRE to get back at him out of jealousy.
Let’s say you have big dreams – have you ever shared them with someone CLOSE to you and gotten a reaction you did not EXPECT?
God had a plan – but neither Jacob nor Joseph’s brothers could SEE it.
23 So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him in the cistern.
When his brothers consider what they are doing, they get a GUILTY CONSCIENCE.
Here’s the thing – people will do bad things, but often feel remorse. Satan, who is the enemy of God, has NO REMORSE for what he wants to do to stop your dreams and hurt God!
Joseph’s brothers sold him to traveling traders:
31 Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. 32 They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”
Joseph was NOT dead – he was eventually sold in Egypt.
What often feels like a SET BACK is most likely a SET UP.
That is what the scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9
Adversity causes us to GIVE UP on our dreams! Don’t quit just because it gets tough!
Three reasons people give up on their big dreams:
1. You can’t see what God sees.
God has an advantage – he knows the end and you’re battling in the beginning!
2. You fear the UNKNOWN
Really, this is the same as the first statement except that the first is hesitation, and this is an end game. People quit when they are scared!
Fear not, for the Lord God is with you.
3. You want the jubilee and not the journey.
If there are 12 chapters in the book, our human nature is to skip the first 11 and read the end!
The final chapter (the Jews called this culmination the “jubilee”) is the CELEBRATION – but the journey is where you are MADE.
Joseph had big dreams, but God had to set up the ending of the story with an amazing journey of deliverance, overcoming, miracles and forgiveness.
And God is not done with YOU either!
#BIG #RevWhiteHouse
