Defend the Dream 18 Dec 2012
Through the ups and downs of life, Joseph stayed
the course when he could have crashed and burned.
He is honored as a man of faith.
He fulfilled God’s dream for his life,
but he had to defend the dream along the way.
1. FIGHT UNBELIEF WITH FAITH. (James 1:6)
Joseph had a dream. It was sketchy,
a big picture, and a shade unclear,
but God told Joseph that He would
use him to bless His people (Gen. 37).
Joe believed God and embraced God’s dream for his life.
God chooses ordinary people with
an unordinary faith and uses them in
an extraordinary way… and
He has a dream for your life, too!
Take Him seriously. Accept His will.
Whatever He wants you to be, do, or become, go with God.
2. OVERCOME ADVERSITY WITH PERSEVERANCE. (James 1:12)
Joseph’s brothers were not happy when
they heard about Joseph’s dream.
In fact, they threw him in a pit,
sold him as a slave, and told their
father that Joseph was dead.
Is there anything that can steal our dream,
rob our joy, or dismantle our faith
more than pain in life?
But Joseph teaches us that having problems—
whether our own doing, someone else’s doing,
or simply a product of life—
does not mean that God is dead or rendered powerless.
3. BEAT TEMPTATION WITH INTEGRITY. (1 Cor. 10:13)
Joseph ended up as Potiphar’s slave (Gen. 39),
and soon he was running a wealthy
household in an environment that was
ripe for compromise—but he remembered
his God and lived with integrity.
Like Joseph, we need to determine in
advance where we will land on issues of
character and integrity.
We need to stay away from temptation,
not just from sin.
4. RESIST RESENTMENT WITH FORGIVENESS. (John 10:10)
Potiphar’s wife made a false accusation
against Joseph, and he was put in
prison for over two years. While he
was soon running the place again,
Joseph had to defend against the
roots of resentment and bitterness.
Sometimes bad things happen to good
people due to no fault of their own,
but forgiveness is the antidote to resentment.
5. CONQUER SELF-ABSORPTION WITH INFLUENCE. (Gen. 50:24)
Through his God-given ability to interpret dreams,
Joseph was brought to prominence in the king’s palace.
Although he was made second-in-command of all of Egypt,
Joseph could have blown it even at this point.
He could have used his position for
personal gain or for payback when
his brothers came to him to buy food,
but instead he allowed God to use him to save His people.
God will accomplish His purposes,
and He is looking for those who will defend the dream.
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