Questions
• If you have specific questions for Os you can send them during the call or before the call to [email protected]
Everyone goes through adversity
• There are different levels of adversity• Some have a “Joseph Calling”
6 Reasons we go through adversity
1. Sonship• Our Heavenly Father sometimes uses
adversity to produce growth and maturity in His children. “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (3:11-12).
• In Hebrews we read, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” (12:7).
2. Our Identification with Others
• “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble” (2 Cor. 1:4).
• God has placed all of us into a community—the Church—in which we are a part of one another. As Paul writes, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Cor. 12:26).
3. Our Testing
• “These [trials] have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine” (1 Pet. 1:7).
• Joseph’s 4 Tests – Forgiveness, Perseverance, Purity, Stewarship
4. Our Calling and Preparation• Adversity teaches us how to endure pressure,
problems and stress.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (Jas. 1:2-4).
Depth and width of your call often determined by level of adversity.
5. Our Ability to Trust God’s Faithfulness
• Adversity is a school of faith where we learn to trust God and depend on Him completely to provide for our needs. As Paul tells us, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Cor. 10:13).
6. Sin
• Sometimes, we experience adversity because God is dealing with sin in either our individual lives or in our corporate lives.
• 2 Samuel 21, “After the famine had continued for three years, David went before God and prayed for an answer. The word of the Lord came to David: ‘It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.’”
A Conversation in Heaven
I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always (1 Sam 2:35-36) .
"So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Gen 45:8-9
"Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?" Gen 41:38
Crisis: a circumcision process to refine your call
Why?Why?
To bring you out of To bring you out of slaveryslavery of of ““EgyptEgypt”” (sweat (sweat and toiland toil in your work life).
• Then say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my
people go, so that they may worship meworship me in the desert. - Ex 7:16
God has to God has to disqualifydisqualify you from you from thinking you are thinking you are qualifiedqualified for for the mission He has for you. the mission He has for you. i.e. Moses, Josephi.e. Moses, Joseph
40 and 13 years of preparation40 and 13 years of preparation
Moses
• ““Moses spent his first 40 years Moses spent his first 40 years thinking he was thinking he was somebody.somebody.
• He spent his next 40 years learning He spent his next 40 years learning he was nobodyhe was nobody
• He spent his third 40 years He spent his third 40 years discovering what God discovering what God can docan do with a with a nobody.nobody.““
• D.L. MoodyD.L. Moody
“Obstacles” or “Motivation for Fulfillment”?
• 300 Surveys of Great Achievers • Franklin Roosevelt, Helen
Keller, Winston Churchill, George Washington Carver, etc
– ¼ had handicaps ¼ had handicaps – ¾ born into poverty ¾ born into poverty
Key:Key: AttitudeAttitude toward their crisis toward their crisis
Who Was Joseph and What Prepared Him For His Calling?
God Was The InitiatorI form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things (Isaiah 45:7).
He called down a famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them–Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true (Psalms 105:16-19).
Who Was Joseph and What Who Was Joseph and What Prepared Him For His Calling?Prepared Him For His Calling?
“…til the Word of the Lord proved him true.” (Ps.105:19)
BitternessBitterness
““Pit”Pit”Family Family RejectionRejection
Judas TestJudas Test
Sexual Sexual TemptationTemptation
DiscouragementDiscouragement
StewardshipStewardship
PurityPurity
PerseverancePerseverance
Political PowerPolitical Power1122
3344
Each of Joseph’s 4 Tests Moved Him Toward Fulfillment of God’s Ultimate Purpose for His Life
Potiphar’s WifePotiphar’s Wife
PrisonPrison
Financial Financial BlessingBlessing
2 Yr Delay2 Yr Delay DreamDream
Decision
“Spiritual BootcampSpiritual Bootcamp” “ “No Will Of Our Own”No Will Of Our Own”
EgyptEgypt
Egyptian Egyptian ValuesValues
•SlaverySlavery
•““Sweat & ToilSweat & Toil
•Pump Water Pump Water from Groundfrom Ground
•DisobedienceDisobedience
1. Consequence of Faith1. Consequence of Faith2. Judgment of Sin2. Judgment of Sin
Nature Nature Change vs Change vs Habit Habit ChangeChange
Gibeonite Gibeonite RuseRuse
Gibeonite Gibeonite RuseRuse
Death to Self/Giving Up Personal RightsDeath to Self/Giving Up Personal Rights
•Marriage ProblemMarriage Problem
•Business problemBusiness problem
•UnemployedUnemployed
•Financial Financial
•IllnessIllness
Promised Promised LandLand•Rain From HeavenRain From Heaven
•Land of Milk & HoneyLand of Milk & Honey
•ObedienceObedience
•VictoryVictory
Faith Faith ExperiencesExperiences Faith Faith
ExperiencesExperiences
39 Battles39 Battles
3 Phase3 Phase Obedience CycleObedience Cycle
Kingdom of Kingdom of
GodGod Manifested!Manifested!
Love-motivationLove-motivationOutcome-based Outcome-based ObedienceObedience
Pain-Motivated Pain-Motivated ObedienceObedience
IntimacyWith Jesus
ConvenienceConvenience
CrisisCrisisConvictionConviction
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor
as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matt 22:37-40
God Will Often Use a Workplace Problem to Initiate a New Calling
The Calling of King Saul 1 Samuel 9,10 “Now the donkeys belonging to
Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, ‘Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.’”
1 Samuel 9:3
When God Gives A Vision
• “The word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision. God’s method always seems to be vision first and then reality, but in between the vision and the reality there is often a deep valley of humiliation (“and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him” Gen. 15:12).
Treasures of DarknessTreasures of Darkness
““I will give you the treasures of I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.summons you by name.”” -- Isa 45:3 -- Isa 45:3
““He reveals the deep things of He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.into the light.””
- Job 12:22- Job 12:22
“I would ‘kill’ you myself if I could.” – Mentor.
Both God & Satan want you dead, each for different reasons.
Why Does GodCall Us Out of Egypt?
God called the people out of Egypt in order for them to worship Him.
Coming out of the Esau (self-life) can often mean a severe time of withdrawal from the old system.
The Black Hole• A place of total nothingness. • God is strangely silent• Inability to do anything successfully• Loss of confidence in abilities• Removal of all that we placed
confidence in
The Desert StageThe Desert Stage
After the Black Hole we have a period After the Black Hole we have a period in the desert.in the desert.
Coming out of Egypt required Coming out of Egypt required passing through the passing through the desert.desert.
Hebrew word for desert is midbaar, Hebrew word for desert is midbaar, from the word dahbaar, meaning from the word dahbaar, meaning ““to to speakspeak””..
CrisisCrisis
VictorVictorVictimVictim
““..what has happened to me has really ..what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.served to advance the gospel.”” Phil. 1:12 Phil. 1:12
The process of circumcision can be dependent on our level of cooperation with God.
“If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes (Psalm 82:13,14).
You must not seek to deliver yourself. You must simply obey.
Provision and destiny follows obedience.
• Every servant of God who had great anointing also had great adversity -- Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Paul, David, Peter. Many business leaders who made a difference in the Kingdom also experienced great adversity.
J.C. Penney
• In 1910 his first wife died.
• In 1923 his second wife died • In 1929 the stock market crashed - lost $40 million.
• By 1932, he had to sell out to satisfy creditors and was broke.
• Penney wound up in a BattleCreek, Michigan sanatorium
JC Penney
One morning he heard the distant singing of employees who had gathered to start the day with God: Be not dismayed, whete'er betide, God will take care of you...
Abraham Lincoln• Failed in business at 31.• Defeated for legislature at 33.• Again failed at business at
33.• Elected to legislature at 34.• Sweetheart died at 35.
Nervous breakdown at 43.• Defeated for Congress at 46.• Defeated for Congress at 48.
Elected President of the United States at 51.
C.S. Lewis
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is a megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
-- C.S. Lewis, The Problem with Pain
Jesus’ Training
“Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” Heb 5:9-10
Key Objectives of the Process
To Be Trustworthy of a Large Vision
“Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity.” –
–– Oswald Chambers
Joseph was given privilege, power, and prestige. It takes a special person not to succumb to such temptation.
1) Geographical Control 2) Financial Authority 3) Social Prestige 4) Royal Privileges 5) Political Power 6) Religious Position
““Beware of any Christian Beware of any Christian leader who does not walk with leader who does not walk with a a limplimp.”.”
–– Bob Mumford
After Death Comes Resurrection
The Resurrection In Business
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him - we will also live with him - Romans 6:8Romans 6:8
How do you know when you will begin to come out of your adversity?
• Usually when you come to a place when it doesn’t matter any more.
The Bottom Line“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of
wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”- John 12:24-26
You Are Not Your Own
“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Cor 6:19-20
Action Response to Adversity
1) Take one day at a time and ask God for grace for that day only
2) Don't project outcomes to the future. In other words, don't think about all the ramifications of what "may" happen resulting from your circumstances
3) Meditate on the Word of God and be obedient to the small things He shows you.
4. Spend times alone with God in praising Him. We overcome the spirit of heaviness through praise.
5. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Isa 61:3
6. Reach out to others in the midst of your pain.