Today we are starting a new series called Boundaries ...

...and I believe God is going to challenge us in so many ways. Nehemiah has just received news about those who had escaped their captivity and had made it back to Jerusalem but there was a problem. Nehemiah 1:3-4 (NKJV)  “And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire." So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” The wall (the boundary) had been broken down and the gates had been burned. They were so glad to be home but because their boundaries had been broken down, they had no protection or security. 

So what was Nehemiah’s first response to this dilemma? Nehemiah 1:5-7 (NKJV) And I said: "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.” His response was to pray, to worship, and to repent of the sins of the people and himself. We should do the same. 

Let’s face it, so many people do not know where to draw the line or where to set boundaries in what they do and what they allow others to do to them. Even those close to them…especially those close to them. With God’s help in this series we will obviously look to God’s Word to see how we can obtain the boundaries and the security we need. After Nehemiah prayed, worshiped, and repented, he did something novel, he rebuilt the boundaries and restored the gates. We must do the same. As long as there are breaches in the wall, the enemy has access. Life Church, it is time to restore the boundaries in our personal lives, in our families, and in our churches. Let’s rise up and build!

Resilient People - 2

Resilient People - 2

Subject - Joseph Teaches Us to Deal with Our Rockies 

by Rick Welborne

Genesis 37:18‑28 (NLT) 

18 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. 

19 “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. 

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!” 

21 But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. 

22 “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.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father. 

23 So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. 

24 Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 

25 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. 

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? His blood would just give us a guilty conscience. 

27 Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed. 

28 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 twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt. 

–As we begin this message Joseph is captured by his brothers of whom he had gone to check on, they throw him in a pit, and eventually sell him into slavery.

–He is carried off into a foreign land, no money, no friends, no power, no home or daddy to take care of him...No beautiful robe…He is looking at the Rocky Mountains.

Ortberg: Your heart is revealed and your character is forged when life does not turn out the way you planned.

–Sooner or later we all see the Rockies...it may be in your marriage, your work, your ministry, your finances, or maybe in your health.

–It is in the act of facing the Rockies that you discover what lies inside you and decide what lies before you.

What important decisions do resilient people make when they face the Rockies.

1. Resilient people exercise control rather than passively resign.

–Something what surprises us about resilient people is how they exercise so much control in a stress filled situation.

–Many POWs or hostages share that the single most stressful aspect of their situation was that they had lost command over their existence.

–A study of those in Korean war camps found a group who had what they called “give up itis”...these were the ones who were least likely to survive and recover.

–Amazingly losing control of their daily lives was worse psychologically on them than threats, hunger, beatings, and isolation.

–In contrast, those who triumphed over adversity share a common trait...they managed to have a sense of command over their future.

Luke 18:1 (NLT) 

1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.  

–To take command some would exercise, they would memorize stories, figure out ways of communicating with one another, some kept a census of the bugs around them.

–Some used tapping to communicate or sweeping a broom a certain way...the POWs encouraged one another by reminding themselves and their friends that their bodies had been captured but their spirits had not, they prayed.

–Joseph was a prisoner...far from home, separated from his father, betrayed by his brothers, surrounded by strangers who bought him and sold him. The robe is gone and what it meant...his privileged life is gone but:

Genesis 39:2 (NKJV) 

2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 

–There is nothing more awesome or more important than knowing that when you are looking at the Rocky Mountains...The Lord is with you!

–Even though Joseph had lost his freedom he refused to look at himself as powerless...What have you lost that has made you feel out of control...The Lord is with you!

–You may have never thought of this but the Scriptures have many accounts of POWs and hostages who refused to be just victims. Daniel, Peter and the apostles arrested, Paul and Silas, the three Hebrew young men.

Ortberg: Faith believes that with God, we are never helpless victims.

–This is really amazing...Joseph began to serve his new master with all his heart:

Genesis 39:3‑6 (NLT) 

3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. 

4 This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. 

5 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. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. 

6 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! Joseph was a very handsome and well‑built young man, 

2. Resilient people remain committed to their values when tempted to compromise.

–You are making the best of a bad situation...things are getting better...God is giving you favor with your master...God is with you! Potiphar’s wife is attracted to Joseph because he is well built and handsome.

–Most preachers when they tell this story make her out to be like a super model because it makes for a juicer story so because of her persistence and his loneliness we will assume that he was tempted but did not give in.

Hebrews 4:15 (NKJV) 

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 

–Joseph could have taken the attitude of a victim and could have given in but he did not! He tells her of his master’s trust...honoring relational commitment.  This is a classic case of resilient thinking.

–When John McCain’s biography came out in his presidential campaign of 2000 people were fascinated by the account of how he could have been released by Hanoi but refused unless his comrades were freed also.

–Loyalty to values even when it means suffering is a powerful catalyst for character formation...what values do you cling to? Look at how sin and temptation works:

Genesis 39:9‑10 (NIV) 

9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" 

10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.  

–Ok, Joseph, let’s don’t sleep together...let’s just be together...just hang out and talk, right! He still refuses and she becomes angry...

Genesis 39:11‑12 (NIV) 

11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 

12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 

–What is it with Joseph and garments? He ran to get away! Many think people are most tempted to sin when they are partying and having a good time but most of us are most vulnerable when we are sad or lonely.

Carl Jung: Sin is always a substitute for legitimate suffering. It is an attempt to obtain the pleasure that does not rightly belong to me or evade the pain that does. 

–Discouragement is the blue light that makes sin appear irresistible. All of us in one way or another know the temptation of Joseph...the temptation that comes when life does not turn out the way we expected...Rockies.

–If Joseph would have given in here he would have betrayed the one who trusted him, would have betrayed God, and would have probably never known his destiny. He ran!

–It is good that he ran...it is great to run from sin but sin can be very persistent so run to God.

–Joseph stands firm, he is loyal to his master, very honest with his seductress, and true to his values. Surely God will have to reward him...right?

–Mrs. Potiphar stands there with his cloak in her hand and then she does so much we hear today...she plays the “race card” before those in the house...this Hebrew who was brought here has done this.

–We think...this cannot be...this floozy cannot get away with this...Joseph is right and righteous...He must be rewarded...not yet...more mountains! God’s ways…not our ways.

–Potiphar goes on the war path and has Joseph thrown into prison and his wonderful wife goes home and waits for a more compliant servant.

–Keep in mind...the story is not over yet...Joseph goes to prison...bad things happen to good people....Key:

Genesis 39:20‑21 (NIV) 

20 Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 

21 the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 

–The Lord did not spare Joseph from prison...The Lord often does not spare his children from the Rockies or from adversity. But the Lord was with Joseph just like He is with you in your situation. 

–Joseph decided he would rather face life with the Lord and have nothing than face life without the Lord and have everything...what about us?

3. Resilient people find meaning and purpose in their mountains.

–Victor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning he shares how he discovered that the imprisoned person who no longer had a goal was unlikely to survive the Nazi death camps.

–He said that even though there were few...He could remember those who walked thru the camps encouraging others and giving them their last piece of bread.

Frankl: Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms–to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way. The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the sufferings that it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross gives him ample opportunity to add a deeper meaning to his life.

–Joseph was able to find purpose and meaning even in prison...even looking at the Rockies...The Lord was with Joseph.

–God shows up on the mountain (transfiguration) but He also shows up in the storm and when we find something bigger than we are.

Genesis 39:21‑23 (NLT) 

21 But the LORD was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. 

22 Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. 

23 The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him and caused everything he did to succeed. 

–What could your purpose be in a prison when you were not supposed be there anyway? He had a couple of cell mates...a baker and a butler who needed him. Look what adversity taught him about his beautiful robe. 

Scott Peck: It is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning...It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually...it is for this reason that wise people learn not to dread but actually to welcome problems and actually welcome the pain of problems.

Key: 

A. As long as he was wearing the Robe, Joseph could never move into community with his brothers.

B. As long as he was wearing the Robe, Joseph would never know what he was capable of under pressure.

C. As long as he was wearing the Robe, Joseph would never understand that God is enough even when you have lost everything.

Resilient People - 1

Resilient People - 1

Subject: Joseph Teaches Us to Face Our Rockies

by Rick Welborne

Genesis 37:1‑10 (NLT) 

1 So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father had lived as a foreigner. 

2 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. 

3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. 

4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. 

5 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. 

6 “Listen to this dream,” he said. 

7 “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” 

8 His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. 

9 Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” 

10 This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” 

–In his book Undaunted Courage Stephen Ambrose shares of Lewis and Clark’s expedition across America.

–For two years they battled hunger, fatigue, desertion, hostile enemies, severe illness, and death but finally reached the head waters of the Missouri River. 

–The information they had led them to believe that once they reached the continental divide, they would face about a half day trip and then reach the Columbia River.

–They were on their way to becoming heros or at least that is what they thought.  They assumed the hard part was behind them...smooth sailing after this.

–Lewis left the rest of the party to climb the bluffs that would enable him to see the other side hoping to see the waters that would carry them the rest of the way.

–Imagine how he felt, rather than seeing what he expected, he was the first non-Native American to lay eyes on the Rocky Mountains?

1. What do you do when you think your biggest problems are behind you, only to find out you have just been warming up?

–How do you rally the troops who are following you looking for good news?

–I can imagine Lewis turning to see some of the party coming to the top of the bluff wanted to see their wonderful victory.

–Hey guys, don’t come up yet...what will he say...I have just a little surprise for you.

–Have you ever thought you have finally defeated the giant (the sickness, the family crisis, the marriage problem, the financial issue) just to be faced with yet another giant.

–A few years ago...Economy goes south, people go south, family issues, church issues, H-plori, broken foot, melanoma on the back, chest, head,...the ear...really.

–Major problems with the back...surgery...another giant defeated...smooth sailing and a time of peace and rest...surprise...no cartilage between the bones in your feet...ok!  

–What do you do when you think your biggest problems are behind you, only to find out you have just been warming up?  We will get to Joseph.

–Lewis and Clark would eventually see that crossing the Rockies would be the greatest accomplishment of the whole trip.

–This new revelation and new challenge would call forth from them creativity and perseverance that they never knew they had.

–They would create memories and see sights that would be spectacular...taking on the Rockies would build into them tremendous confidence because if you could take on the Rockies you could tackle anything.

–On this side of the Rockies, of course, they could not know any of this.  When they thought the trip was about to get easy they had to face their highest challenge.

–Hear your pastor, whether you have walked for God a short time or for many years...

Unexpected mountains can throw you for a loop.

–We launch into a great adventure, start a new job, take on a new ministry assignment, start a family...there seems to be so much promise and we are filled with so much hope.

–Then it happens, we endure some stuff and face challenges that stretch us to what we thought were our limits and there it is...not just the mountain but a whole range.

John Ortberg: Reality sets in.  We face the obstacles.  Unexpected conflict saps our spirit.  Plans go awry.  People we were counting on let us down.  The economy zigs when it should have zagged.  Just when we were hoping for easy portage and smooth sailing, we are looking at the Rocky Mountains.  What happens next?

2. This is where being resilient servants of God becomes our survival. 

–There is a field of study in social sciences known as resiliency...Researchers study people who have survived traumatic ordeals...when life did not turn out the way they had planned.

–Prisoners of war, hostages, those in consecration camps, victims of crippling accidents

were studied to see how they responded to their trauma. 

–These studies found that people responded in two ways: Many are simply defeated by such adversity and are defeated by their difficult situations...basically give up!

–Others are marked by resiliency, a condition whereby they actually enlarge their capacity to handle problems, and in the end, they not only survive but grow.  

–What makes the difference?  How do you endure when you face a mountain so big that it seems un-cross-able?  Why do the Rockies energize some people and defeat others?

–The researchers found:

–Resilient people continually seek to reassert some command and control over their destiny rather than seeing themselves as passive victims.

–Resilient people have a larger than usual capacity for what might be called moral courage–for refusing to betray their values.

–Resilient People find purpose and meaning in their suffering.

–We can add to this list as believers in Christ is that - Resilient people have a deep dependency on God. 

3. Let’s look at Joseph in the light of good news/bad news.

–It has always been fun to look at stories that were good news/bad news and actually back to good news before the story was over.

–Two friends agree that whoever dies first will get word back to the other one whether or not there is baseball in heaven...The good news is there is baseball in heaven.  The bad news is that you are pitching on Friday.

–Joseph’s life was definitely one of those good news/bad news stories.

–Joseph is daddy’s favorite...that’s good news...His brothers hate his guts...that is bad news!

–His daddy gives him a beautiful coat...that’s good news...his brothers rip it off, cover it with blood, pretend he’s dead, sell him into slavery in a distant land...that’s bad news.

–He get’s a great job with Potiphar, a wealthy not to bright boss who likes him. He empowers Joseph to run his house...he is handsome...things going well..that’s good news.

–Potiphar’s wife thinks he is handsome and tries to seduce him...that’s bad news.  Joseph resists the temptation...that’s good news!

–The wife is furious and lies about him and has him arrested...he ends up in prison...that is bad news.

–In prison Joseph meets Pharaoh’s butler, interprets his dream that predicts he will be paroled, arranges for the butler to get him released...this is good news.

–The butler forgets and Joseph languishes in prison...that’s bad news.

–As you read Joseph’s story you have to wonder how will it all end.  (Of course we know but he didn’t). What matters in a good news/ bad news story is how it all ends.

–If it ends with bad news, all the good news that went before was just a cruel farce that raises false hopes. If it ends with good news, the entire story gets redeemed. 

–All the bad news is seen in a new light...With Joseph, let’s go back to the beginning.

4. When you speak of Joseph it is almost impossible to not talk about his fancy coat and his dreams.

–Joseph wore the robe...the robe said he was the chosen one by his father...the golden boy

–Any of you ever feel that another sibling was the golden one in your family...the oldest!

–He never had to worry about whether daddy loved him or not...the robe declared it.

–When his brothers walked in the room their dad might ask how the flocks were doing but when Joseph walked in Jacob would light up.

–Parents may not think their kids can see it when they have a favorite but your kids can see it a mile away.  Comedian...we have two great kids and then this other kid!!!

–The robe definitely let the cat out of the bag...a long coat with sleeves...coat of many colors...a hand tailored coat from Nordstrom while yours came from Target.

–Price did not matter for this son...what made this so explosive was that in that day clothing was an expression of status...dad’s pet...in your face favoritism. 

–When Joseph wears the robe it makes him feel special but every time the brothers saw it

...it made them die a little on the inside.

–The brothers can’t take it anymore...they tear the robe off of him and sell him into slavery...Joseph thinks this is bad but the Rockies are still ahead.

–Joseph’s dreams did not help his relationship with his siblings either...dreams in that day were considered to be prophetic...even though the author of Genesis never says they are from God.

–These dreams are about Joseph’s future and you would think he would have enough sense to keep quiet:

Proverbs 17:28 (NLT) 

28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. 

–Joseph does not keep silent...he gathers his brothers...who don’t have a special robe...

Who have been hurt deeply by their father...who hate him and tells his dream to them.

–There was a field of sheaves...mine stood up and yours bowed down to mine...I guess this means one day I will rule over you and you will bow and submit before me...let’s play

Genesis 37:8 (NKJV) 

8 And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.   

–Joseph must be a SH...he tells them another dream about the sun, moon, and stars bowing before him...

–It never dawns on him to keep quiet...all he can see is he is going to accomplish great things, he is going to be famous, he is going to make his father proud, he is wearing the robe and he is dreaming great dreams.

–What he does not know is that he is about to see a mountain range that looks a lot like the Rockies and life is not going to be easy!

Happy 35th Anniversary to my sweet wife Tricia! Love you!

Joshua has always been one of my favorite Bible characters, so much so that we named our second son by that name. I believe that Joshua (the one in the Bible) can be such an inspiration to us by the things God commanded him and how he walked those things out in his life. Can you imagine trying to fill the shoes of Moses?  Over and over in Joshua 1 God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous...I believe He is saying those things to us. As a review here are the points to Joshua 1. 

 1. God wants us to put our past into perspective!  Joshua 1:1-2(NIV)

2. God wants us to realize He has a place for us!  Joshua 1:2-4(NIV)

3. God wants us to know that His power and presence will go with us to defeat our enemies!  Joshua 1:5 (NIV)  

4. God wants us to know that He will keep His promise to us!  Joshua 1:6 (NIV)

5. God wants us to have true prosperity!  Joshua 1:7-8 (NIV) 

6. God wants us to take possession of what He has promised!  Joshua 1:11 (NIV)

7. God wants us to be passionate about being obedient to Him! Joshua 1:16-17 (NIV)

  A.W.Tozer said, “The true follower of Christ will not ask, "If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?" Rather he will say, "This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may!"  What I am saying is that this is God’s truth and with His help we can and will walk victoriously in it!