A Commitment To God

Introduction

Good morning. It’s a good day, and we know that it’s a good day because our Lord Jesus lives. And uh, before we get started with the lesson, I just want to thank uh South Bambi. Thank you for to the elders. Thank you guys for letting me come and speak. Um, many of you have known me since I was a little kid, and many of you have just recently met me, but I want to say it is such a blessing and a pleasure to be here with you guys. And I want you to ask yourself this question and hold on to this question while we go through this lesson. The question is, am I committed? Am I committed? Hold on to that question. Today’s lesson we’re going to be going over commitment and a commitment to God.

1. Joseph’s Dreams and a Rough Patch

And we’re going to do that by looking at the story of Joseph and then making some applications of how our commitment can strengthen. And so if you have your Bibles, turn into Genesis chapter 37. Genesis chapter 37. In Genesis chapter 37, beginning in verse 5, it says, Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him even more. So he said to them, please hear this dream which I have dreamed. There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright. And indeed, your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf. And his brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Then he dreamed still another dream and took it to his brothers and said, Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me. So he told it to his father and his brothers, and his father rebuked him and said, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you? And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter at hand. And so what we’re understanding is that Joseph was one of Jacob’s 12 sons. He was Jacob’s favorite son. He got the tunic of many colors, he was very loved. Joseph was known as the Rotnah as a family too, as we see and understand.

His brothers were not a big fan of Joseph at the time. But Joseph is having these dreams, and we need to understand well, what were these dreams about? And what we’re seeing with these dreams is that Joseph may not realize or may realize that God is showing him a very bright future ahead of him. But what we understand with the dreams, the first one is the sheaves. And if you don’t know what a sheaf is, I’ll try my best to explain it as as simply as possible. It is uh a bundle of wheat that is tied together, and if you look really closely, it kind of looks like my hair. Then we have the sun, the moon, and the stars bowing down to Joseph. And really, if I’m Joseph right now, I’m I’m really I’m really getting the picture, or I’m really liking this picture that I’m seeing.

But we have to see how Joseph’s family reacted. Number one, Jacob rebuked Joseph for having these dreams and telling them. And number two, is his brothers weren’t really good fans. But like I just said, Joseph is having these dreams, and Joseph, if I’m Joseph right now, life is good. I’m a daddy’s favorite. I got the school coat. I mean, life is good. Well, what happens next? Joseph is then trapped. And so look at Genesis chapter 237, beginning in verse 23.

So it came to pass when Joseph had come to his brothers that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit, and the pit was empty, and there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat a meal, and they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with their camels bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother in our flesh.

And his brothers listened. Then the Midianite traders passed by, so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. Now, this is a really rough patch for Joseph right now. Joseph’s brothers initially wanted to kill him. They disliked Joseph so much that they had a whole plan. But in verse 20 and 20 through 22, Reuben, the oldest son convinced them not to kill Joseph. But the brothers didn’t want to let Joseph off that easy. And so Joseph is sold and then taken to Egypt. But when he’s taken to Egypt, we now are introduced to a new character. If you look in Genesis chapter 39, turn to chapter 39 of Genesis.

2. Stay Committed When Life Gets Bad or Good

Beginning in verse 1 of Genesis chapter 39, it says, Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in the sight in this in his sight and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was from the time that he made him overseer of the house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake.

And the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Now we understand Joseph is bought by Potiphar. But Potiphar saw that God was with Joseph. And how do we see that? It says, Well, everything in Joseph’s hand prospered. And it says that God even blessed Joseph, God even blessed the house for Joseph’s sake. And so if I’m Joseph right now, I’m facing this heartbreak with a little bit of hope.

So the more I stay committed to God, the more that I stay on this good path. Surely more things will happen, more good things will happen, things will get better. But look in verse 7. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused and said to his master’s wife, Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house. And he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in the house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? So it was as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her to lie with her or to be with her.

But it happened about this time, about this time when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house were us were inside. That she caught him by his garment and said, Lie with me. But he left his garment in her hand and fled and ran outside. And so it was when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, See, he has brought into us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.

So she kept his garment with her until his master came home, then spoke to him with words like these, saying, The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us into me to mock me, came in to mock me. So it happened as I lifted my voice and cried out that he left his garment with me and fled outside. So it was when his master heard these words which his wife spoke to him, saying, Your servant did to me after this manner that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, a place where the king’s prisoners are. You need to understand this all happened because Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife.

Joseph was staying committed. He was staying convicted to God. And here was a temptation. And we even see in verse 9, he says, How can I sin against God? How can I do this wickedness against God? Joseph wasn’t gonna go, wasn’t going to give up his commitment to God because things saw like slightly got better. And here’s the thing, brothers and sisters. We really need to focus on that. When your life gets bad, stay committed to God. Stay convicted. When your life gets good, when things start turning around, stay committed. Don’t abandon God. And I think Joseph shows us a great example of that. Look in Genesis chapter 41. And Genesis chapter 41, beginning in verse 17. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river.

Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat, and they fed in the meadow. Then, behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor, very ugly, and gaunt. Such ugliness as I have never seen in the land of Egypt. And as the gaunt and ugly cows ate up, and the and the god and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up from one stalk, full and good. Then behold, seven heads withered thin and blighted by the east wind sprang up after them.

And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me. Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, the dreams of Pharaoh are one. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams are one. And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. And so we need to get to this point. There’s a lot of context that needs to be explained right here, brothers and sisters.

Joseph, when we last leave off, is in jail. He just got he just got thrown in jail for refusing Potiphar’s wife. But while Joseph is in jail, he meets these people. He meets a baker and a cupbearer. And Joseph starts interpreting dreams in prison while he’s there. And he becomes very respected in prison also. And unfortunately, one of those men do not make it and are not restored, but one of them are. But when Joseph tells him that he’s going to be restored, he also says, Hey, remember me. But that’s just not the case. When we say Joseph was forgotten, it wasn’t like a simple, it slipped my mind. No, Joseph was forgotten for two more years before he was remembered by the man who was restored.

But we see that Pharaoh started having these dreams. And Pharaoh had no answers. And he went around his house looking for answers. But we have to understand a man of God was just what Pharaoh needed. And Joseph interprets these dreams. And because Joseph explains these dreams, Joseph rises to power. Look in verse 37. So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said such to his servants, can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God? Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there was no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word.

Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.

Then he was almost killed. Then he was sold. Then he tried to make the best out of his situation. And where did that land him? In prison. But now, now, staying committed to God, staying a man of God, even Pharaoh understands that this is a man from God. And what does he say? Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. Joseph has showed a lot. He didn’t fall away. He didn’t blame God. He stayed on the path, he stayed committed. And brothers and sisters, don’t get me wrong, it was probably hard for Joseph to stay committed at times.

3. Conviction Is Crucial to Our Commitment

But what do we need to realize from this? What about our commitment? Do we understand? We need to understand that conviction is a crucial point in our commitment to God. Just like Joseph and Potiphar’s house, our conviction plays a huge part in our commitment to God. Because without conviction, without something to tug at your heart, without something to tell you whether something is wrong or right, the sacrifice or commitment that you need would be too easy. It would kind of have little point to it. But we need to be set apart. Look at 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. Beginning in verse 14. As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust as in your ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

Because it is written, be holy, for I am holy.

We don’t conform to our former lust. And it describes what the former lust made us ignorant. But be holy. What does holy mean? We all understand. Holy means to be set apart. And the Bible even says, Be holy, for I am holy. Be holy because God is holy. Be set apart because God is set apart. If you want to be like God, if you want to be set apart like God, you need to be in his word, and you need to be convicted of the word. Conviction, that is that is the true character. When nobody is looking. You need to ask yourself, how much does God really mean to me? How much does God really know that I love him when I do my day-to-day things?

Whether somebody is with me or whether someone isn’t with me. That is the conviction that we need to show, brothers and sisters. And with that conviction comes commitment. We need to commit ourselves to God, going through hard times. Joseph didn’t have an easy life. There are plenty of people that don’t have an easy life. Most of the apostles didn’t have an easy life. Most of the prophets didn’t have an easy life.

4. Sanctify the Lord God in Your Hearts

But stay committed. Look at 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3, beginning in verse 13. And he and who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good. But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. Do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Having a good conscience that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

When we’re looking at the story of Joseph, Joseph didn’t necessarily fall away.

And we need to be like that. We need to sanctify the Lord our God. And how do we sanctify? I mean, we’ve heard that before. Jesus sanctifies. But what does it mean when we sanctify the Lord in our hearts? We put God as our priority. We set him on high. God is my king, God is my father, God is my ruler, and he will stay there. God will always be number one. And he will stay there. And that is how we sanctify God in our hearts, brothers and sisters. Make him the first priority to everything you do in your life.

5. Providence: God Working in Natural Ways

When we talk about providence, it’s sometimes not spoken about a lot. But providence is God working in natural ways. Unlike miracles where it was spontaneous, and you could definitely tell. Providence is getting you from A to B, but the A and B might have some loop-de-loops and some side lines, and it won’t get you necessarily in the straight line. But I want you to look at Genesis chapter 45. Genesis chapter 45. Beginning in verse 5. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years, the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will neither be plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Brothers and sisters, Joseph eventually understood why he was there. Joseph understood that it wasn’t his brothers that sent him to Egypt. It was God. God showing him those dreams. God staying in the house. God blessing him no matter where he went. Joseph understood that this providence, this is how God was going to fulfill all those dreams he showed me back then.

6. Committed, Convicted, and Content

Joseph had a hard life. We understand that. And I made it clear that we have a hard life. And I want to tell a story. And I’m being vulnerable, so bear with me if I get a little choked up. Ken’s roommate, Mr. Shane Scott, was my teacher. For many semesters, I talked to him a lot. We made fun of each other. We were close. So much to the point where I used to make fun of him and posted on Facebook for my assignment for his class. It was weird, but it worked. If you want to know somebody who’s had a hard life, that man has had a hard life. He lost his wife. And then his body started shutting down. And the one thing that he stayed was committed, convicted, and content.

I watched him from walking to going on a cane to going on an ECV to being pushed around by somebody to being homeridden. And the more and more his disease grew.

It didn’t seem like he ever wanted to stop preaching. And you know what? He understood. God’s got me. I’m in the Lord’s hands. And he’s nearing the end of his life, and it’s hard.

But having that contentment to say that my God has got me, that my God is a forgiving God, and that my God has something better for me is one of the most beautiful blessings we could ever have, brothers and sisters. Look at Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13, beginning in verse 5, it says, Let not your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have. For he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Verse 8 says, Jesus Christ is the same today and the same today, same yesterday, today, and forever. Be content with what you have. God’s got you. Many of you know Rob West. I know Rob West. He’s a great guy. I have the same intro to my sermon every single day because of that man.

The one time I first started out, he told me it’s a good day, and we know that it’s a good day because our Lord Jesus lives. And I’ve carried that every single sermon. I’ve said that every single time. Because sometimes that is why it is a good day. Every day is a good day because Jesus lives. That is enough to be content. To know that God loves you, to know that God is with you, to know that God forgives you, and to know that God wants you. Even when you let him down. But the number one thing that doesn’t change, brothers and sisters, while we’re going through these hard times, while we’re trying to stay committed and convicted, while we’re trying to understand the providence of God, is that God is in heaven reigning.

Conclusion

And there will be a day when he calls all his college children home. And that will be a marvelous day. And so I want to ask you the question are you committed? Have you been committed to God?

Have you been through trials and tribulations and understood that God has been the one to get me through all those things? Maybe you’re not a Christian here today and you like to be one. We can help you commit yourself to God. We can baptize you this morning in water, help you be committed and convicted that God is your Savior. Or maybe you have decided that you wanted to commit yourself to God. And maybe you started to stumble. We can help you. If there’s any way that we can help you this morning, won’t you come forward as we stand and sing the song of him?