Sermon

Each of us wants to succeed in life. But if we want true success, it’s crucial to work out a biblical definition of the term. Otherwise, you’ll be like the guy who climbed the ladder of success only to find that it was leaning against the wrong wall. You’ll waste your life pursuing the wrong goals and making wrong decisions. If our target is wrong, we will fail even if we hit it.

Today’s culture defines success primarily in financial terms, throwing in lots of ideas of power, fame, and money. As Christians, we can easily see the fallacy in defining success in those terms, but often we are influenced by our culture more than we like to admit. As Christians, we show our skewed definition of success when we rush out to buy the latest story of some celebrity who has made a profession of faith, or when we parade famous athletes before the church as if they were spiritual authorities. So, we need to bring into the biblical answer to the question, what is true success? What’s the Secret of True Success

Last week, we read about the seventeen-year-old Joseph, sold by his brothers to Midianite traders on their way to Egypt. Joseph's great dreams were shattered. He was now a lowly slave of an Egyptian master. Three times Moses stated that Joseph's master was an Egyptian (in verses 1, 2, and 5). So, we see how far Joseph had fallen: from his father's favourite son and designated heir to a lowly slave in the land of Egypt, far from the Promised Land. It seemed from all appearances that Joseph’s future now was very bleak. It looks like he had been abandoned by God. But, in fact, that’s not the case. Because there is one fact—and only that fact—that should give us the hope that Joseph’s story will turn out well. That is in verse 2: The Lord was with Joseph.” That fact makes all the difference. The divine name “LORD” (Yahweh) appears 8 times in this chapter (39:2, 3 [twice], 5 [twice], 21, and 23 [twice]) but only 1 other time in the eleven remaining chapters of Genesis (49:18). So, we see even at the most uncertain time of Joseph’s life, the covenant God of Israel was still at work to fulfill His covenant promises through Joseph.

Clearly, Joseph was truly successful; three times in this chapter, Joseph is said to be "successful" or to "succeed" (in verses 2, 3, and 23). whether he was in Potiphar’s house or in prison, because God’s hand was on him. I believe that is the biblical definition of true success: True success is to have God’s blessing on your life. So, if you have God’s blessing, you have everything, even if you’re poor and unknown; But if you lack God’s blessing, you ultimately will have nothing, even if you’re rich and famous. So, we need to be careful to think biblically about what God’s blessing means.

I. Blessing isn’t about Easy Times

God’s blessing is not necessarily related to favourable circumstances. There are two symmetrical paragraphs in this chapter (Genesis 39:2-6a at Potiphar’s household and Genesis 39:21-23 in jail). There are some of the parallels:

• V2 and 21 “The LORD was with Joseph.” “The LORD was with Joseph.”

• V4 Joseph found favour in the sight of Potiphar. V21, Joseph found favour in the sight of the prison warden.

• V6 Potiphar put Joseph in charge of everything. V23 The warden put Joseph in charge of everything.

• V3, The Lord blessed Joseph’s work in the penthouse and made everything he did prosper. V23, The Lord blessed Joseph’s work in the prison and made everything he did prosper.

The symmetrical paragraphs Genesis 39:2-6a and Genesis 39:21-23 illustrate God’s sovereign and gracious control in different stages of Joseph’s life. Was Joseph more blessed by God or more successful when he was at the top of Potiphar’s household than when he was in jail? Clearly not! They were just different phases of God’s training program. Through these, God was preparing Joseph for the job He had for Joseph under Pharaoh. Many times, we are mistaken when we think that if everything is going well, God is blessing us, yet when trials or problems hit, God must have withdrawn His blessing. But God’s blessing is NOT necessarily related to favourable circumstances.

Joseph’s circumstances in prison were anything but favourable. The jail/dungeon, probably with no windows, was a dark and unpleasant place, especially if you had irons on your feet and neck! For a while, Joseph must have wondered what was going on. He had been obedient to God in resisting the advances of Potiphar’s wife. He knew that God had spoken to him in his dreams years ago, about how the sun, moon, and stars would bow down to him. But where was God now? Why was this happening? But friends, God’s blessing often comes through changelings. Every person God uses must go through times of training and testing, where character is refined.

You can see this in Moses, who was the most competent, gifted man who was trained in all the knowledge of the Egyptians. But Moses had to spend 40 years in the wilderness before he could lead God’s people to Canaan. You see the same thing in David, the man after God’s heart. He was a teenager when the prophet Samuel anointed him as the future king. But he had to spend years running as a fugitive from the mad king Saul before he was ready to lead the whole nation. You can even see the same thing in the life of our Lord Jesus, who learned obedience through the things He suffered. I marvel when I think of the fact that Jesus was 30 years old when He began His public ministry. If there ever was a competent, godly young man, ready to minister at 20, Jesus must have been the one. And in terms of modern standards of success, we would have to admit that Jesus didn’t make it. Jesus only ministered for 3 years and left behind a group of confused followers. If God’s blessing means favourable circumstances, large numbers, and everything going well in your way…--- Jesus wasn’t blessed.

So, we all need to recognise that God is using our circumstances to shape us into the image of Jesus Christ. We don’t know what He has ahead for us. He may elevate us to a position of prominence, as He did with Joseph, or God may use us in a quiet, behind-the-scenes ministry that never gains attention. But in Joseph’s story, it’s obvious to us how God was using the trials to shape Joseph into a mature man of God.

But what if Joseph hadn’t submitted to God’s hand in these trials? What if he had sat in jail, complaining, “It’s just not fair! If that’s how God is going to treat me when I obey Him, then I’m not going to obey Him!” If Joseph had responded like that, he wouldn’t have been ready for the important task that God had laid ahead for him. I think that Joseph must have clung to God in faith while he was in jail, praying, “God, You promised me through my dreams a position of importance. I don’t understand how this jail fits in with that, but I trust that You know what You’re doing.” That’s how we need to trust God when we’re in our difficulties. Someone has said, “Interpret your circumstances by God’s love, not God’s love by your circumstances.” So, each of us must learn to turn to God, not away from Him, especially in a time of suffering. You may be thinking, “Well, if God’s blessing isn’t about easy times, how can I know for sure when I’m experiencing it?”

II. Blessing Comes Through Integrity

God’s blessing is related to personal integrity in every area of life. If you have come to God through faith in Jesus and thus know that your sins are forgiven through His blood, and you’re living with a clear conscience before God and other people, then you can know that God’s hand is on your life. We see this in Genesis 39:21, where it states that God “extended kindness to [Joseph], and gave him favour in the sight of the chief prison warden.” “Kindness” and “favour” both point to God’s unmerited favour and grace. Even though Joseph walked uprightly before God, he could not demand God’s kindness and favour but only accept it as undeserved grace.

Friends, this difference is very important because it has everything to do with our attitude, especially when we’re treated unfairly. And the right attitude is central to integrity. If you think, “I’ve been good, so God must bless me by sparing me from harsh circumstances,” then you’ll develop a bitter attitude when that doesn’t happen. But if you think, “As far as I know, I have confessed all my sin, and there is nothing between God and me or between me and any other person. But even so, I’m still an unworthy sinner, and I can’t demand anything from God. Any goodness God gave to me is due to His mercy and love.” Then, you’ll maintain your integrity before God and experience His blessing, even in the midst of trials.

Joseph could have developed a rotten attitude. He had been terribly mistreated by his brothers. After a few years, he had finally overcome that by rising to the top in Potiphar’s house. He obeyed the Lord by resisting Potiphar’s wife. But as a result of that, Joseph was banned from the penthouse and bound in prison. He went from the top floor to the basement. But we see: Joseph did exactly what you and I need to do with our shattered dreams. He decided to make the best of his circumstances and do the best he could. Friends, you can let the circumstances of life make you BITTER, or you can let them make you BETTER. It’s not so important WHAT happens to you … what matters is HOW you respond to WHAT happens. The difficulties can be a stumbling block, or they can be a stepping stone. Joseph chose to step up. It’s very easy for him to be a difficult, disagreeable prisoner. But I believe that Joseph was an agreeable, cheerful prisoner who did his duties with a positive attitude. If he had been disagreeable, the prison warden wouldn’t have promoted him.

Let me ask, “How is your attitude when you’re treated unfairly at work, at home, or at school?” You have a choice: You can either become disagreeable, angry at God and at the world. Or, you can think, “God doesn’t owe me anything but judgment, yet He’s shown me so much mercy.” And you can be cheerful and agreeable, doing your work with gladness in your heart as unto God. As Paul instructed slaves in Col. 3:23, “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.” That was what Joseph did. Joseph didn’t seek his own advancement, but rather sought to prosper his master, whether Potiphar or the prison warden. These men noted that and advanced Joseph. So, that’s a key principle in any situation, whether at work or at home: If you seek to make the one over you prosper, God will see to it that you’re advanced in due time.

So, live with integrity, which includes having the right attitude and maintaining your purity, as Joseph did, and you’ll experience God’s blessing, even in the difficult times of life.

III. Blessing Points Others to God

God’s blessing should be used as a witness to others. God never gives His blessing to be bottled up or wasted on us; God wants us to be the channel of His blessing to others. And the greatest blessing He gives is not just material wealth, but the contentment that accompanies godliness. Joseph had something which both Potiphar and the chief prison warden lacked. Both of those two men were fairly successful in worldly terms, which Joseph was not. But Joseph, like Paul, had learned the secret of being content whether he was living in splendour or in suffering. That is far better than worldly success!

And true success doesn't come without problems. How we handle success can tell more about who we are than how we handle failure. How are you dealing with God's goodness right now if He’s blessing you? Do you depend on Him more? God blesses us when we are humble. Notice that both Potiphar and the prison warden, these two unbelievers, recognised God’s hand on Joseph because they saw it in Joseph’s life. I doubt if they saw Joseph’s prayer or his quiet time in front of them. But at least, these two masters were impressed by the results in the workplace. And when they commented on that, Joseph was careful to give the glory to God, not to himself. All too often, we’re quick to tell people that we’re Christians, but the results on the job are a bit shabby. So, the employer may think, “If this guy is a Christian, then give me a pagan anytime!” But Joseph’s life teaches us that we need to be cheerful, diligent and faithful in our work, even when we’ve been mistreated, so that others will ask, “How can you still be so happy and hard working when you’ve been treated so badly like that?” Then we may have a platform to tell them about our Saviour.

We ought to view any promotion or job success as a platform for greater witness, not just as a way to satisfy ourselves or promote our personal welfare. William Carey, the great missionary to India, became deeply concerned by the attitude of his son, Felix. He had professed to be a believer and had promised to become a missionary, but he broke his promise when he was appointed as ambassador to Burma. Carey requested prayer for his son in these words: “Pray for Felix. He has degenerated into an ambassador of the British government when he should be serving the King of kings.” God blesses us so that we can be a channel for witness, to bring His true blessing of salvation to others, not just to make us happy or give us a better lifestyle. So, if God gives you a promotion or a position of influence, ask Him to show you how to use your position to bear witness for Jesus Christ, both by your character and your words.

So, true success is to have God’s blessing on your life. His blessing is not necessarily related to favourable circumstances. It’s related to personal integrity in every area of life. And God’s blessing should be used as a witness to others.

Conclusion

God's blessing is something God does, which is NOT based on what we do. If we figure out that a certain amount of work and activity should lead to a certain amount of results, that’s not God’s blessing. But when the results are far beyond what we might reasonably expect, that is God’s blessing! I really want that for myself. So, I'm constantly asking God to reveal any negative attitudes or actions in my life that would hinder it. I ask God for His blessing. And I want each of you to seek God's blessing for yourself. Yes, you can live a comfortable Christian life, serve in the church and succeed in worldly terms. But if you lack God’s blessing on your life, you’ve missed true success. True success is when others can say towards us, whether we are in Potiphar’s house or in prison, “The Lord is with that man or woman.” Being blessed by God, we will then be used as His channels of blessing to the nations through the Lord Jesus Christ.

But the first thing we do is that we must understand that as we walk with the Lord, He too will be with us. Four times this chapter repeats, “The Lord was with Joseph” (39:2, 3, 21, 23). When we move to the New Testament, to Acts 7:9, God gives us a one-sentence statement of Joseph’s life. The Bible simply says, God was with him. God summed up Joseph’s life in 4 words: God was with him. So, Joseph becomes successful not because of his own wisdom or ability, but because “the Lord is with him." Friends, in the end, it doesn't matter if we do well in business, get rich, become famous, or become powerful; what matters is that the Lord is with us.

True success is not where you are, but whether God is with you where you are. Even though the circumstances of life may not seem to go our way, God is in control. He will orchestrate His purposes behind the scenes, and He will be faithful to us. It has been said, “Peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always.” So, whatever you are going through today, I can assure you that God’s gracious and sovereign hand is with you. He simply wants you to trust in Him as you walk through the fires of life. Will you?