Lessons From Joseph's Pit

Four lessons from the life Joseph - Pastor Kevin (COP camp) 

1. A place of development but not destruction. (Gen 37:18-20). Joseph was a dreamer, but he was not ready for the dream. He was thrown into the pit. But the pit is not a destruction but for development. 

Like building a tunnel, you can it see it. All you see a mess and dust on the surface.

God will Refined, Redirected
Repositioned.

God uses setback and emotional and physical pain to develop us into something we don't expect. 

2. The gift of grace. Reuben told them not to kill Joseph. This is not luck, it is grace of God. 

Grace is strategic - it's a purposeful. 

Grace is sufficient - it is more than enough. (eg Paul and his thorn). We want God to remove bad things and bad people - remove my Mil.) But God is not the business of removal and the business of improvement. God wants us to grow in our challenges and suffering

3. Your identity is being investigated. (v23-24) the robe represent identity and status. You can strip what is external but you can't strip away what is inside.

Is our identity based on money, status, title or fame, then it can be destroyed. Who defines who you are? But if our identity is Christ, it will never be taken away.

(PowerPoint is when my point has power to get a person to build my presentation)

Our self-esteem is based on our work. When our job is gone we loose our self-identity. ("I'm doing a new thing... 43:19)

If u are in a pit, u are chosen called, love by God. 

4. The pit is provisional not permanent. Joseph did not stay in the pit, but was lifted up. Though his struggle hasn't been solved - he still need trust in God for his future. 

"know that I'm doing a new thing" Isa 43:19. 

Stand Firm - Trust on God's promises. 
Surrender - let go of our past and present. We surrender our future 
Strengthen - do not fear when we are in the pit. We walk by faith and not by sight. 

Conclusion: we need to surrender to the Lord. 

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