DESTINY
Cotr/ss031702
I. Genesis 37:5-10
5 ¶ And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
7 For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
8 And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
A. “Dreams and Visions Are The Language Of The Spirit.” DR Paul Yonggi Cho
1. Destiny can be revealed
2. Eph 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us …
3. 2Tim 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
4. Isaiah 46:9b … I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
A. Many people can tell you what has just happened
B. Some can even guess what may happen
C. But God, and those whom He chooses to reveal it to, know what will happen. This is Destiny
D. Destiny is simply the will or purpose of God
E. However, Destiny neither waits for nor depends on any person.
B. Five Reasons People Don’t Accomplish God’s Will
1. Mistakes and failures derail them
2. Temporal and worldly things detour them
3. The cost discourages them
4. Other people disillusion them
5. Their lack of patience disqualifies them
C. One Reason People Succeed
* They pray and obey!
II. Four Major Test Joseph Faced En Route To Destiny
A. Rejection
B. Confusion
C. Injustice
D. Endurance
III. Rejection
A. Watch out who you share your dreams with.
B. Watch out who speaks into your life.
1. Even well meaning people can hurt you
2. People who don’t like you anyway, will probably not be happy that you are excited about your future … leave your enemies alone
IV. Confusion
A. When people can’t figure it out
1. They sometimes won’t faith it out
2. So they just get out
B. Joseph took a licking and kept on ticking
1. Nothing was sane about his dilemma
2. There are times when God’s will does not make any sense at all to us.
C. David was also confused at times on his road to destiny
1. Psa 22 … why hast Thou forsaken me …
2. Psa 44:24 Why did You hide Your face?
V. Injustice
A. Gen 39:12 Joseph did the right thing but went to prison anyway
1. Joseph could never have successfully defended himself here
2. He had to depend on God who justifies the righteous
3. He had to wait!
Note:
* Truth is not determined by a show of hands
* Truth will finally have it’s say
* There is a truth that reflects reality
* There is a truth that transcends reality
* The truth was and is, God always has the last word!
4. But still Joseph had to wait!
VI. Endurance (Gen 40:23 the butler forgot Joseph)
A. Gen 41:1 At the end of two full years …
B. Joseph gave God room to:
1. Work in him
2. Work on him
3. Work through him
4. While He was at work for him
C. Signs a person is loosing it
1. “If you don’t do something soon, I am going to …”
2. “I am not changing until something else changes”
3. “Take this cup from me … this cannot be Your will.”
D. No one gets longsuffering by suffering only a short while!
VII. The Keys To Destiny
* Pray and Obey (then)
* Keep Praying and Keep Obeying
Thought: If a person cannot rise to the top in a pit, as a servant in Potipher’s house or in a prison, then it is most likely that they cannot rise to the top in a Palace.
