 I'm not the best with technology, so turning the button on and off might be a bit of a stress. And this thing, I don't know how you do this, this is absolutely annoying. This feels weird. Well, thank you. I feel like I sound good. You all have probably heard and said that the shortest distance between two points are what? A straight line. The straight line is the shortest distance between two points, but not with God. Because how many of you all have had something that have kind of taken you off track? You mean to go from here to here, but you go from here to here to here to here. Did you look like it? Go back here. Go this way. You might get to your destination. That is, if it is a destination that's ordained by God, but oftentimes there is this detour. And this detour is how we, in many cases, experience pain. And it wouldn't be so bad sometimes, the pain, the detour, if it wasn't for the fact that there was this delay, because God, I got somewhere to be. I got a career to get to. I got somebody to meet, somebody to marry, somewhere to go, somebody to make some things to do. God, I'm trying to be Mr. or Mrs. Make It Happen, and you ain't working with me. That happens sometimes, right? And so, we want to talk about these delays, but I want to ask a question, though. I got to ask a series of questions. First of all, because I just want to kind of get in your business a little bit. Who's ever been in prison? Anybody ever been in prison? They ain't mad. They ain't mad. They don't say, like, why would you say, hey man, well, because there's something that comes out of that. Okay, fine. Anybody ever been unemployed? Okay. Anybody ever been homeless? I've been there. I asked them three for three so far. Anybody ever been, now I haven't been in this one. Anybody ever been divorced? Anybody ever been abandoned? That should be everybody at some point in time. If you haven't, if you haven't, let me just give you something. You will be. I've got some good news and some bad news for you guys. I'm going to give you the good news first. The good news is all of this, that we go through this pain, there's a purpose. And so we're going to talk about the purpose, but I want to also give you the bad news. I think you ought to know. You ought to be aware of this. It was bad news. You're going to go through it. You are going to have some pain. I don't know if you're 15. If you're 25, 35, listen, you're going to have some pain. Matter of fact, here's what I've also found out. When you through experiencing pain, there's some more to come. That's just what they call life. So you need to be ready for it. Now, the problem is, if you're not ready to deal with whatever the purpose for that pain is, God has not some sadomascus, meaning that he's not just going to just, let me just see what I can do to him. Let me just touch him. Even if we think about Job, there's a purpose to what he did with Job. Now, he didn't consult with Job. He didn't, Job, listen, I'm thinking about, and Job would have said, no, hold up. No, that's not how he works. He's got a purpose. The issue is, whatever this pain is, are we in line with whatever the purpose is? So a good example of this in the Bible would be the person by the name of Joseph. So let's go to Genesis chapter 15. I'm sorry, chapter 50 verse 15. I want to start at the end and then make our way to see why he went through all these things. And so I'm reading out of, I think I'm not an NASB, you may have the NLT up there, but he says in verse 15, when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, what if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pray and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we have done him? So they sent a message to Joseph saying, your father charged before he died saying, thus you shall say to Joseph, please forgive. I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong. And now please forgive the transgression of the servants of God, your father. And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, behold, you are servants. We are, I'm sorry, we are your servants. But Joseph said to them, and here it is, do not be afraid for am I in God's place? He said again, for am I in God's place? And then we know the next line. Some of you all may remember this. He says, as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant good in order to bring about this present result to preserve many people alive. That's a statement that we use often. You may have meant it for evil, but God meant it for it. Now sometimes it didn't always fit. Sometimes we just say that because we shine a little bit, things are going a little well. And you know, we got a little job, then we get fired. Then somebody will come back and say, what'd you say? So that happens sometimes. But if you in God, there is a purpose to what he's doing in you. And it's going to be some sort of pain. So now we've got to the end, but we need to go back a little bit. Now, if y'all don't mind, since we are Christians and this is a church, I'm assuming. Am I right? Okay, I just want to make sure because nowadays you don't know. So there are some folks that gather today under the umbrella, an auspice of a church and Christianity and that indicate anything about the word of God going on. But here I know that's the case. I promise you this, I would not be here if that wasn't the case. But I want to go back and let's see how Joseph can even make this statement because you got to have some things happening in you to be able to make this statement. So let's go to Genesis 37, chapter 37 verses 3 and 11. We're going to read pretty quickly because we got some moving. Won't be before you too long, hopefully. Verse 3 in chapter 37 says, Now Israel, that is Jacob, loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was the son of his old age and made him a very colored tunic or we may say a coat of many colors. In other words, he made him a sharp coat. Do they say sharp anymore? They still say sharp. Okay, I know. What is the word nowadays? If something looks good. Fresh? No, that's... Drit? Okay, okay. Yeah, I'm out of loop then. Okay, we'll go with sharp. You look... Joseph was looking sharp. His brother saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers. Verse 4. They hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms. Verse 5. Then Joseph had a dream and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said, Please listen to this dream which I have. For behold, we were binding sheaves in the field and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf. Then his brother said to him, Are you actually saying are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and his words. Talking to people who don't like you, telling them how great you're going to be. Verse 9. Now he still had another dream. Joseph needs to stop telling folks about his dream and related to his brothers and said, Lo, I have still another dream. And behold, the sun and the moon and the 11 stars were bowing down to me. He related it to his father and to his brothers and his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves before you to the ground? His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind. In other words, his father's thought. Let me think about this for a second. Now let me say this. Little off topic, but on topic. You don't have to. As a matter of fact, let me just recommend not sharing all of your dreams with everybody. Everybody is not going to handle or even want to hear even want to see you succeed in whatever your dreams are. There are a lot of people. All you got to do is go on the internet today, go on YouTube, go on Facebook, go on whatever platform and you're going to see folks sharing a comment, making a statement, doing these selfies. Got to take a picture here and there. I got to show you what I'm wearing, what I'm doing, what I think about something. All these little comments, even some of the little cute comments like do grits. Should you put salt on grits? Or should you put sugar on grits? Well, obviously we know sugar go on grits. If you put salt on grits, you ain't safe. That's all it is doing. So, but I rebuke you in the name of Jesus. But people have this thought, cheesy grits as well too. Amen. People have this thought in their mind that people really do care as much about you as you care about yourself. Truth be told, people got stuff to do. Folks are so busy about whatever it is they're doing. They really don't care about what color clothes you're wearing, what you said, what you saw, what you thought. And not right now. That's just how it is. But now Joseph had that same issue. Why? Because Joseph is walking around. He's sporting his coat. As a matter of fact, if we were to go to verse 23, we see Joseph flaunting his coat before his brother's out in the field. And he ought to, first of all, maybe Joseph didn't have any kind of discernment. Maybe Joseph cannot get a gauge of what's happening because his brothers don't like it and it should have been apparent and obvious. Joseph, they ain't talking to you. They're keeping their distance. You think that you all that and now you're coming up here in our face, smiling, telling about how great you're going to be with this coat on and we got a rag zone. Joseph, you got to grow up. Well, Joseph is going to grow up. And so he's wearing this tunic, this coat of many colors before him. But I want you to also notice this. Did you notice God never told Joseph to tell anybody about the dream? I just want to go ahead and I just want to let you know how great I'm going to be. I just want to let you know how awesome I am, how awesome I'm going to be and how you're going to be. I'm going to be here and you'll be here. I just want you to know that. Well, that didn't go so well for Joseph. So now I want to pick up. Hopefully you all have heard the story. So I want to just jump through to verse chapter 39 verse 1 and read this. Now Joseph, after being sold into slavery, finds his way into Egypt by his brothers. They decided not to kill him, but instead, let's just throw him in the pit. These folks came. They sold him to and he makes his way down to Egypt. So let's pick up in chapter 39 verse 1. Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, brought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. Verse 2, and the Lord was with Joseph. So he became a successful man and he was in the house. He was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord calls all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant and he made him overseer of his house and all that he owned he put in his charge. It came about from the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph. Thus the Lord's blessing was upon all that he owned in the house and in the field. So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. So now we've got Joseph. It looks like Joseph has a little come up. Y'all gonna sell me into slavery? Okay, fine. Look how I'm doing now. I'm doing all right. I am the guy in charge of this man's house. Looks like everything is going all right. Looks like everything is going all right. Now we're reading a lot because as we're reading I'm dropping some crumbs that we're gonna go back and pick up. I don't know if you call them but we're dropping some crumbs. I'm gonna wrap this thing up and I want y'all to see how all of this doesn't just apply to you to you or to me but to everybody. So Joseph is doing well until she comes. Until he comes. Until they come. Every time you're doing good you need to know somebody's coming. Somebody want to mess it up. Matter of fact, a lot of times the people that want to mess up don't even know they come to mess it up. They might think they are right. No. You know how I know you come to mess just me. I'm assuming Potterford might have been bald. She's finding some attractor. They know I don't get a witness in. Nowhere, okay, all right. I don't get no bald head witness. Okay, all right. Every man can't wear bald head but okay. I see you rubbing your head but that's okay though. One day you might get old. And so she sees them and so what does she want? Him. Yeah, there were cougars in the Bible. She sees this young, this young Tenderoni and she wants to talk to him and she wants to grab ahold of him and so he says no. There's a reason why he says no. Been dropping these breadcrumbs. I know if you can pick it up but we'll pick them up later but he says no. He says I'm not going to do this. My master has blessed me in this way. I can't do such a thing. Now I want to read, pick up in verse 19. He says now when his master heard the words of his wife because his wife after she makes his advance he runs away and some kind of way either he just drops it. It comes off easily or she tears it. It's not really all that understanding of which happened but she's got what looks like some evidence and she says he made some advances towards me. So he's upset. Verse 19, when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke to him saying this is what your slave did to me, his anger burned. So Joseph's master took him and put him in the jail place where the king's prisoners were confined and he was there in jail. That's why I ask a question. Anybody ever been in prison? At least me and Reginald and Joseph we can relate. We understand what's happening. I'm going to share with y'all what's happening in this sale with him. Verse 21, but the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph charge all the prisoners who were in jail. So whatever was done there he was responsible for it. The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the Lord was with him and whatever he did the Lord made prosperous. So it seems like everywhere Joseph goes he gets some favor. It seems like God is with him. But how come God if you with me I keep going through these things? God, God how come you can't see my faithfulness? God, what are you doing? God, I'm calling you God because you act like God to me. God, I'm being as faithful as I can. I ain't did nothing to nobody. I just bragged a little bit and flaunted my colorful coat. But other than that though God, I've been with you. God, what gives God? Well, God has blessed Joseph in the ability since Joseph is a dreamer. He also has blessed him to interpret dream. So while he's in jail this cup bearer and this baker show up. Now I don't know why they're in jail and I don't know why the baker is in jail. I don't know what he baked if he messed up the banana pudding. I don't know if his collar was off. Some reason the baker is in prison. You got to be a horrible baker. You got to bake worse than me to be in prison. That don't make any sense. I don't know what the deal was. The cup bear maybe he wasn't tasting it. Maybe he got a little fly with somebody but they're in prison and so they have a dream. The cup bear tells his dream and Joseph interprets. Then it sounded good. So since you interpret in dreams and you got a good interpretation. The baker says what is mine? Well it ain't going to be so good. He's going to cut your head off. Now what he does is he tells him in chapter 14 of verse 40 to the cup bearer when you get out. Remember he says in verse 14 only remember me when it comes with you and please do me this kindness to mention me to Pharaoh so that I get out of this house. Remember me. I'm alone. So I asked the question early that anybody ever been in prison but truth be told we all have had some sort of imprisonment. It didn't necessarily have to be a physical but can I just tell you this though? Being physically restricted in that regard is hard. I have had a lot of things happen to me in life. I won't go through all of those things. Homeless shot it run out of town all these different things. Being homeless but being in prison was easily the worst. Some other time I'll tell you all the things that happened to me when you're down by yourself. I know one person can identify having yourself shackled where you can't even lift your hand up where your ankles are shackled and then you hear that song that Mary Mary used to sing take the shackles off my people that actually that's what I was thinking of like you can't you can't move you listen it's rough. Let me just give you another piece of advice. Don't ever go to jail. The food ain't good and the people are worse. Don't ever go to jail and you got a lot of time in prison. Sit back and reflect especially if you know the Lord because knowing the Lord does not keep you from going to prison as Joseph. But what it does is it gives you a cellmate that they didn't put on the ledger with you because you can have somebody there to talk with you can have somebody that because the for the first time he's got a time where it's just you and him just you ever been around a bunch of people and it's and no one ever matters it's just you and him you feel alone. That's how it is in prison. Now you may feel that way when you at work some of you are like I can't stand these coworkers. I wish they fire all of them. I wish COVID come back so we can all work from home. Anybody feel that way? I can't I can't stand the people around me. The finances have got me feeling like I can't do anything. I feel like giving up but if you got somebody in the cell with you that I know Joseph has well then you're gonna you're gonna feel a little bit different about the whole situation but it doesn't stop you from feeling lonely and it doesn't stop you from wanting folks to remember you. He said would you remember me? When I got to prison I just knew some people that that that stood by me that liked me as they said that talk friendly on my behalf would show up send a letter nope nope when you're going through something this will show you how much folks think about you when you're going through something they don't want to go through it with you. Remember you who? Corey who? I just wanted somebody to remember me just send me a letter you have no idea how much just a letter in prison would do for you and folks don't I thought you was my buddy I thought even family members I will say this though and y'all ladies forgive me but you all are in competition for number two the number two wife and the number two mama because my wife got y'all beat that's just my personal opinion that's just my personal opinion because there was two people that stayed with me stuck it out my mama and my wife when I needed she would do now my kids don't understand this yet they will they'll get in their thirties and forties and understand what a mama's going to do but I know what my wife did and what she went through to have everything up here then everything dropped and now it's all on her and then the steal deal with me God was with me and I know that when I see her that's just a little f-y on the side but I just want to let y'all ladies know y'all running for number two now number one she's already got that spot that being said Joseph is there saying remember me because he feels forgotten he feels alone by himself because I'm doing what I'm supposed to do God even in prison I'm doing what I... and now Joseph feels like I gotta shout I got some hope because all I gotta do is this cup bearer who's going back out there he'll remember me but the Bible says the cup bearer forgot about him until if you're in God there's always an until until or you might hear it said as but God had a dream Pharaoh has a dream and we'll just kind of just summarize it Pharaoh has a dream and then no one can interpret it but the cup bearer says I must have lost my mind I know somebody Pharaoh let me tell you about somebody that I know and so Pharaoh brings him out and so in verse 30 well before we have 33 Joseph interprets the dream and says you're gonna have seven years of good and what he does is he gives him some wisdom he says in verse 33 he says now let therefore Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years why not one seventh it's gonna be seven years a seventh here no why because we're gonna need more than that why is Joseph asking for one fifth which is more than setting aside the one seventh I want that to kind of just marinate you I don't know if most folks don't even look at that but he says to give them one fifth we're gonna set aside one fifth of every seven years that means you're gonna have more to cover those seven years of bad time again we're dropping out breadcrumbs we're gonna get to it but notice what he says let Pharaoh therefore select a discerning and wise man when Joseph wanted to be remembered Joseph wasn't ready or was God ready for Joseph Joseph God is gonna deal with you when the appointed time comes all of this has to do with God's timing we're gonna deal with that as we go we're gonna wrap all this up in one nice neat little bowl but God's timing in all ways matter of fact rarely is it ever your timing God was gonna deal with Joseph when he got ready Joseph wanted God to deal with him to be remembered when he was ready but no wait a second Joseph while I'm getting you ready I'm getting them ready and I'm getting that ready and I'm getting it ready what is it whatever the purpose is for you and so he says now set over you a discerning and wise man well guess what Joseph wasn't at the beginning discerning nor wise you ain't trying to flaunt that little that little colorful coat where's that coat at now I don't know I don't know somebody using it as a washrex then look at this verse 33 do you know what Joseph did I think it's kind of cool he actually created a position that wasn't in existence a position that only he was appointed and made to fulfill how do I know that I'll get there in just a second so he applies for this new position only he can fulfill and we're talking about timing the issue is the purpose of what he was going through was I'm sorry the reason for the pain has to deal with the purpose well what purpose God's purpose God is trying to bring about a purpose and before I get to that I want to ask you guys a question and I want you to think about this why was Joseph made after all this he becomes a second in command in all of Egypt why is Joseph second in command in Egypt well because he interpreted Pharaoh's dream well how was Joseph able to interpret Pharaoh's dream well he was able to interpret his dream because he was there in prison well why was Joseph in prison to be in a place to hear the dream well because a woman lied on him why did a woman lie on him well she was she lied on him because he was in a place in the first place he was there with her for her to make these advancements why was he with her in the very first place because he was put in charge of Potiphar's house why was he in charge of Potiphar's house because Potiphar bought him well why did Potiphar buy him Potiphar bought him because he was sold in the slavery why was he sold in slavery because his brothers hated him and were jealous of him why were his brothers jealous of him because Joseph had a dream question why did Joseph have a dream now we get into the end turn to or just listen to me in Genesis 15 verse 7 Joseph's great-granddaddy Abraham who God said he's going to bless asked a question sometimes it's just good to shut up sometimes it's just goodness and so Abraham asked a question of God verse 7 of chapter 15 says in Abram and he said to him I am the Lord God said Abram who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess but he said oh Lord God how am I to know that I shall possess it how am I going to know what you're going to do to let me know that I'm going to possess this alright Mr. Smarty Pan is not trusting in me fully I'll tell you how you know he said bring me a heifer 3 years old a female goat a ram 3 years old a turtle dove and a young pigeon and he brought all of these cut them in half and laid each half over again but he did not cut the birds in half now what he's getting ready to do is this is this Hebrew way of ratifying this covenant that they're making and he's going to put Abram asleep and God is going to walk through signifying that he is the one keeping the covenant, setting the covenant holding the covenant alright this is a covenant that we don't have we don't determine, we don't keep this is what's called an unconditional covenant God makes with Abraham but with all of mankind but he says something he's getting ready to answer Abraham's question how am I going to know what sign are you going to give me to let me know verse 13 then the Lord said to Abram know for certain that your offsprings will be so generous in a land that is not theirs that will be servants and there I'm sorry servants there and they will be afflicted for 400 years but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve and afterwards they shall come out with great possession where are they going to be so generous in what's the land they're going to go to that the Jews, the children of Israel are going to go to Egypt where is Joseph how did he get there because God said I got to get y'all there y'all don't have very much right now I got to get you some possessions and so why is Joseph having his dream he doesn't know but he's having them how is Joseph even able to even make this statement because look what Joseph said he says God meant it for good you meant evil for me I'm not caring about that all the folks that abandoned me that laughed at me that talked crazy about me they did all these things I don't care about you you meant it for evil that's not the issue with me my issue is what I'm going to tell you is that God meant it for good all the stuff that is if you're in God God meant it for good how is Joseph able to say that and he gave the key indication am I not in the place of God am I not exactly what God wants me to be how can Joseph after going through all this even make this statement well remember I said I've been dropping some crumbs as we've been going and so if we go back through the chapter 39 specifically verse 2 he says the Lord was with Joseph verse 3 saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did in his hand verse 5 also in verse 21 the Lord was with Joseph after he goes to prison verse 23 and the Lord was with him if you keep reading you keep seeing that the Lord was with Joseph indicating that Joseph was also with him Joseph was spending time with God when you alone by yourself sometimes that's a good thing sometimes you ain't got to call nobody out up and tell them what's going on what do you call miss so and so or brother so and so what are they going to tell you that he can't tell you what are they going to do maybe you just want some advice or something to make you feel good to get you off track of the truth maybe that's what it is and if so you'll stay there but if you seek him who is going to be the one like Joseph who could be with you the only way Joseph can even make the statement that am I not in the place of God is because he knows where God wants him you gotta be with God you gotta spend some time with God what this does it brings you closer to God the purpose of pain is not so that you can get stronger just so that I can handle it no the purpose of pain is so that you can endure it and brings you about as close as with God there's a passage that I remember and it stuck with me it was hard while I was in prison now for those who don't know let me just tell you this today is what is it November I don't know 2022 I know the month in the year I don't know the date 2022 I'm supposed to get out of prison in 2025 last time I checked I don't see a guard I don't see any barb wire I don't see any I'm supposed let me tell you why the Bible says this and let us not grow weary let us not grow weary in doing good but in due season the word that shoes there is Kyros which is the appointed time to time that he appoints in at that moment sometimes you just go through this pain to get you ready and while I'm going through what I'm going through listen I thought I had a way out I'm telling my wife honey I got this my case is this and that or whatever or I'll get out in the midst of them taking me off the compound putting me in the shoe you know what the shoe is the shoe is like solitary you either by yourself don't know what's going on my wife has been told that I must have did something bad but I'm in there by myself now my mother had just died they take me off the compound put me in the shoe and a few weeks later I get a letter from the court saying that my case has been dismissed not dismissed in favor but they're not going to hear it that I've lost so you're going to do the rest of this time boy while I was in there there was this calm this warm calmness that came over me okay okay whatever God God are you going to be here yep that I'm good I'd rather be in prison with God than free without him and so be not weary and well doing for in due season you will reap what God has appointed for you that is if you don't what faint if you don't stop now you can stop if you want to because God got all the time that he wants to but the fact of the matter is just wait on him if you endure it he's going to bring you through amen