Delays & Detours

We are on a journey:

I don't want to end this life as someone who was a believer, but not a follow

Story of Joseph - Genesis 37 - 47

He knew he was called to be a leader, but you can’t lead until you learn how to serve. 

So Joseph, who is called to be a leader:

• Betrayed by his own family

• Sold into slavery

• Becomes a servant to Potipher

• Accused of trying to rape Potipher's wife after he refuses her

• Put into prison, where he spends significant time, but the excellence that he serves with ends up bringing him out

So, as we talk about "The journey" let’s take a pretty broad look at Joseph's life and draw a few conclusions:

• Don't stop dreaming about the destination

  • Joseph was promised the palace, but every time he looked around he was:

    • In a pit

    • In Potipher's house as a slave

    • In Prison

• When you are in a situation that doesn't look like your promise (Joseph)

  • Its easy to:

• Get distracted

  • As in, you forget about everything ahead, and you are consumed with the current struggle

• Get discouraged

  • As in, you assume the current struggle has negated the promises of God

• 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.    2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)

• 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.    Romans 11:29 (ESV)

• Become defiant

  • As in, you throw a fit when God doesn't do it the way you want him to

  • We have to learn:

    • To: Process our "now" through the lens of our promise 

    • Not: Process our promise through the lens of our "now"

• Don't neglect those who are on the journey with you

• I'm not saying that it was enjoyable, but do you know who moved Joseph from each season into the next?

  • The people around him!

    • This is why you can't afford to ignore the people around you - God is going to use them to move toward your calling!

      • If Joseph's brothers hadn't betrayed him, he'd never have made it to Potipher's house

• If Joseph had never been falsely accused by Potipher's wife, he'd never made it to the prison

• If Joseph had never met the cupbearer in prison, he'd never made it to the palace

• In every stage, it was the people around him that God used to move him toward his promise!

• Don't be afraid to take the next step

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

We want the "Waze" version of the Journey:

• I want the fastest route

• I want to know about every delay before I get there

• I want to know about all of the potential hazards

• I want to know about all the highway patrolmen ahead

The authorship of Psalm 119 is not known, but the author undoubtedly knew about walking with God:

• You may not get the trip overview, but you will get the next step

If you don't take this step, you'll never get to the next one!

• I can only get the directions for the next step when I'm connected to the one who guides my steps:

If he gave you the whole journey + the destination you'd never need him again

You must be more committed to the person than the purpose

• The only way you'll make it to the promise is by following the person of Jesus Christ

If you’re on a journey with Jesus - it will take you longer to get where you're going than you think and you’ll take a route that you didn’t know was coming

• When you're driving - you assume delays and Detours are not optional

  • What if you gave Jesus the right to interrupt your life

    • Do you have a “Yes, Lord” relationship or a “gimme a minute” relationship with Jesus?

I want to go back to what we said at the beginning this morning:

I don't want to end this life as someone who was a believer, but not a follower.