 If you want God to use your life in this message for you, I want to talk to you about the seven ways that God will test you before He can use you. Seven ways God will test you before He can use you. You know, there is a process before the platform. And before God can raise you, God will first process you. I want to take a look at the life of Joseph. And in looking at the life of Joseph, we're going to glean biblical truths and see the many ways that God tested him before he was raised to places of influence. In Psalm 105 verse 19, the scripture says, until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph's character. So let's take a look at this first test by going to Genesis chapter 37. And I'm going to read verses 12 to 14 where the scripture says, Soon after this, Joseph's brothers went to pastor their father's flocks at Shechem. When they had gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, your brothers are pastoring the sheep at Shechem. Get ready and I will send you to them. I'm ready to go. Joseph replied, go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along. Jacob said, then come back and bring me a report. So Jacob sent him on his way and Joseph traveled to Shechem from their home in the valley of Hebra. Now this is what's so interesting. This was after Joseph had received divine revelation about his destiny. He already knew that he was going to come into a place of influence. God had already revealed that he was going to raise Joseph and that his family members would one day bow to him. But even though Joseph knew what his destiny was, even though he knew that he was called by God for a specific task, even though he knew that he had God's favor, he still was willing to serve. And this is the first test, the test of service. If God is going to use you, you must first learn to serve. God does not anoint the lazy. God does not anoint the self important. If God is going to raise you to heights of influence, you must first demonstrate your faithfulness in the little things. Going now to Genesis chapter 37 verses 18 through 24, we find that the scripture says, when Joseph's brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. Here comes the dreamer, they said. So they're very jealous of him and they're mocking what God has spoken to him. Verse 20, come on, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father a wild animal has eaten him. Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams. But when Ruben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph's rescue. Let's not kill him, he said. Why should we shed any blood? Let's just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he'll die without our laying a hand on him. Ruben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father. So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty. There was no water in it. Here is the second test. Now these tests don't necessarily go in chronological order, but these tests you will face if you are going to be used by God. Joseph was taken from his father's house. Joseph was taken from the place of comfort and he was thrown by those who were jealous of him into a cistern where no one could see him. They hid him there. This is test number two, the test of hiddenness. This is where your motives are purified. The only people who knew that Joseph was there in that cistern were the ones who were trying to keep him hidden. This is where God does indeed purify your motives. In this season, you're either doing it just because you love God or you're not doing it at all. What do you do when you feel buried? What do you do when you feel overlooked? What do you do in the season of hiddenness? God will hide you before he will reveal you. Moving on now to verses 25 through 28, the Bible says, then just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum balm and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, what will we gain by killing our brother? We'd have to cover up the crime instead of hurting him. Let's sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother, how kind of him. Our own flesh and blood and his brothers agreed. So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders came by, Joseph's brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for 20 pieces of silver and the traders took him to Egypt. Now this is a very difficult circumstance indeed because not only was Joseph placed in a lonely place, but he was betrayed by those he loved. Those who should have been celebrating him were hiding him and selling him into slavery. His own brothers turned on him. This season of being sold into slavery represents the third test. This is the test of discouragement. What do you do when people betray you? And the thing about betrayal, what hurts the most about it, is that betrayal only hurts when it's the people you didn't expect to betray you. It's the people that you thought were with you. It's the people that you thought would stick it out with you long term. That's when it hurts. That's why it hurts and that's why betrayal is so difficult to deal with because betrayal only hurts when betrayal comes from those who you least expected it to come from. This is the season of discouragement, disconnection, isolation, heartbreak, betrayal, discomfort. He didn't know what his future held, but it's in this season of isolation that God will truly process you. When you come under this pressure, what's in you will be revealed by the circumstance. This season of discouragement is where God begins to shape and mold your character. He begins to strengthen your spiritual endurance. This disconnection and isolation is actually God's invitation into greater depths of his presence. Looking now, the Genesis chapter 39, Genesis 39 verses one through three, the scripture says, when Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything that he did. So even though Joseph was sold into slavery, even though he was put in a circumstance that he did not want to be in, even though he had been betrayed, even though he was taken from his home, even in the house of Potiphar, even in slavery, Joseph still did his best. Joseph still walked in excellence and because he stood faithful even in the difficult circumstance, there was favor on his life. You can have favor even in difficult circumstances. You can have the favor of God even when things aren't going the way you want them to go. Joseph committed himself to still serve, to still be a man of integrity, to still do things with excellence so much so that Potiphar took notice and gave Joseph a place of influence. So this is test number four, the test of faithfulness. And by the way, faithfulness isn't just activity over time. It's excellence over time. Some people get stuck here. Here's the thing about a test. When you fail a test, you have to take it again until you pass. And some people get stuck in cycles because they're not passing their tests. And in this season where God is wanting you to demonstrate your faithfulness, is it possible that you have activity without excellence? Is it possible that there is some motion? There is some action. But though there is action, there is not a godly attitude. Faithfulness isn't just action over an extended period of time. Faithfulness is action over an extended period of time with the right spirit, the right mindset, and the right attitude. The surest way to slow down this process is to try to rush it. Can you remain faithful? Can you stay faithful even when things aren't the way you want them to be? Here's the thing about perseverance and faithfulness. Perseverance doesn't even begin until you think you've given all you have. Perseverance doesn't even begin until you feel like quitting. Once you feel like you've given all you can, you've exhausted yourself, you've tried everything you can do, and you've given yourself to something and you feel like quitting, that's when perseverance begins. Going back now to the Scripture, from the day Joseph was put in charge of his master's household and property. The Lord began to bless Potiphar's household for Joseph's sake, so the favor was rubbing off on Potiphar's house. All his household affairs ran smoothly and his crops in livestock flourished, so Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn't worry about a thing except what kind of food to eat. Now Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar's wife soon began to look at him lustfully, come and sleep with me, she demanded, but Joseph refused. Look, he told her, my master, trust me with everything in his entire household. So Joseph refused to give into this temptation. Joseph refused to sin. Now we see that Joseph was tested in his service, in his hiddenness, in his discouragement, in his faithfulness, but here now Joseph is being tested in his blessings. You know, you really think about the story of Joseph and you might conclude that maybe Joseph thought that Potiphar's house was the fulfillment of the dream. Think about it. It matched what the dream had said. There was influence, there was favor, he stood out in a place of authority. Joseph had it good in the house of Potiphar. He could have said, oh, here it is. I've arrived. The dream has been fulfilled. And even in that place of blessing, he stood faithful. He chose not to sin. He chose not to turn against the Lord. He chose to keep his integrity. And though there was a woman asking him to sleep with her, he refused that temptation. He kept his integrity even in the season of blessings. And this is the test of blessings. Can you still remain faithful? Can you keep your integrity? Can you be just as intense on your focus toward the Lord in the season of blessing? You see, when we become blessed, we grow apathetic. We forget the Lord. We have the tendency to forget the Lord. But in the season of blessing is where a real test of integrity comes. Now you're comfortable. Now you have what you think you need. Maybe you think you've arrived. Maybe you think the dream has been fulfilled, but he remained faithful to the things of God. Now here's what's interesting. Because Joseph resists the temptation, Potiphar's wife turns on him, accuses him, and so he is thrown into prison. What do you do when doing the right thing seems to put you in the wrong place? Lord, I've obeyed you. Lord, I've done what you've asked me to do. Why is it that things aren't happening the way I want them to happen? What do you do when doing the right thing seems to put you in the wrong place? Joseph knew what this was. He was being tested in this area of blessings, this area of comfort. And now he comes to the place of the prison. Think about it. The prison was a promotion, though it did not look like a promotion in the natural realm. And so we read in Genesis chapter 40 of these two men that meet Joseph in the prison, a cupbearer and a baker. Joseph's been there for a while. The cupbearer and the baker come into the prison. The baker ends up being killed by the king, but the cupbearer is restored to his position. Joseph prophesies to them. He prophesies to the cupbearer saying you're going to get out of the prison, you're going to be restored to your position. And then in Genesis chapter 40, verse number 14, something interesting we see. This is what Joseph says to the cupbearer, and please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh so he might let me out of this place. In other words, he gives him a good word. He tells the cupbearer, look, though you've been thrown in prison, you're going to get out of here. You're going to be restored to your place of position. But remember me when you get out of here. And so the cupbearer, as Joseph had prophesied, is restored to that place of position, but he forgets all about Joseph. This right here, test number six, this is a big one, is the test of jealousy. You see, it's easy to celebrate others when they're blessed. It's difficult to celebrate others when they're blessed with what you've been praying for. Oh, you're blessed in that area. You're blessed in a different area. Wonderful. I celebrate you. But what do you do when others seem to get a quicker response to their prayers than you do? Joseph had spent more time in prison, but the cupbearer got out sooner than he did. That must have been frustrating to watch others come and go when he's been faithful to the Lord. What do you do with the test of jealousy? Do you celebrate others who are being blessed in the way you want to be blessed? Or are you filled with envy? Are you filled with ungodly ambition? Are you filled with a competitive spirit? The test of jealousy will truly test the motives of your heart. Finally, we see test number seven by looking at Genesis chapter 41. I'm going to read verses one, nine and 12. Verse one, two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. So Pharaoh has a dream. In verse nine, we see, the scripture says, finally, the king's chief cupbearer, the guy who said he wouldn't forget Joseph spoke up. He says, oh, today I have been reminded of my failure, he told Pharaoh. And then in verse 12, there was a young Hebrew man with us. He's telling Pharaoh about Joseph now. There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he told us what each of our dreams meant. Now, finally, God puts the pieces together in his perfect timing. But imagine being Joseph waiting all that time. And finally, Joseph is released from the prison. He interprets Pharaoh's dream, but think about the fact that he had to step out in faith to interpret Pharaoh's dream. If you interpret Pharaoh's dream and you get it wrong, not only are you going to prison, you'll probably be executed. So he had to come from this place in which he had grown comfortable. He had to leave the familiar surroundings and he had to take a step of faith. You want breakthrough? Take a step of faith. Some people get stuck in their ministries, in their call, and they wonder how they're going to get to the other side. They wonder how they're going to reach the destiny that God has revealed to them. It's time to take a step of faith. Very few things can break up the monotony of everyday life like a step of faith can. How big is your faith? How confident are you in your God? Has he called you or not? If he's called you, take the step of faith. So then, the seven trials of the called. Test number one is service. Test number two is hiddenness. Test number three is discouragement. Test number four, faithfulness. Test number five, blessings. Number six, jealousy. Number seven, faith. Father, I pray that you would help us to pass our tests. We would remain faithful to you, that we would turn to you in our darkest hour, that we would remain faithful to your call. Lord, help us do it. Give us discernment. Give us wisdom. Help us to pass these divine tests that we might be used for your glory. Want you to say it to them? Say, Lord, use me for your glory. Want you to say it because you agree? Say amen. Here now is a question for conversation. Which of the seven tests are you currently facing? Tell me about it in the comment section right now. Make sure you're subscribed to EncounterTV and do click that notification bell. That means you'll receive notices whenever we release new content. You can also follow us on whatever platform you're watching us. 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