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Amen so in Genesis 39 of course we're continuing on with the story of Joseph, which started a couple weeks ago in Genesis 37 where he's sold into Egypt by his brethren he's betrayed and then sold into Slavery essentially down here, and he ends up in Potiphar's house, and if you remember Genesis 38 There's that little bit of an interlude we have the story of Judah and Tamar and that whole thing that we covered last week So we're picking it back up here with Joseph Where he's actually been brought down into Egypt and Potiphar it says there in verse 1 the officer of the Pharaoh Captain of the guard and Egyptian brought him to the hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down hither And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian So if you remember the Lord has been blessing Joseph for all the way through this and we're gonna see his blessing continue throughout his life and There's a couple things I want us to kind of understand tonight about you know basically flattery and false accusations flattery and false accusations and One of the main things I want to take away is that just because somebody is accused of something Doesn't mean that it's true just because somebody is punished Because of being accused of something does not mean that it's true. This is a perfect illustration of that tonight, and it says there Again in verse 3 the master saw that the Lord was with him the Lord made him and the Lord made all that he did To prosper in his hand and again as I mentioned a couple weeks ago with Joseph He's such a great character study in the Bible because of the fact that he's a great example to us of what it means to be a hard worker what it means to be blessed of God and He's a great example especially to you know younger men Those starting out in life because in the story Joseph's a teenager and he started out with Joseph. He's 17 years old He's just a young man Just starting out in life And he's already facing all these trials and temptations and yet he overcomes them and not only that he prospers Through all these things because of the fact that the Lord is with him And you know this really isn't part of my notes But I want to point it out as we read along here in verse 3 it says that the master saw that the Lord was with him you know if you walk with God if you have a relationship with God if you keep God's commandments if you live your life according to the Bible other people are going to notice and it's Actually going to prosper you I think a lot of times Christians get this idea that you know if they're too open with their Christianity if they're just too You know obvious with it that they're actually just gonna be persecuted for their faith But you know your walk talks louder than your talk talks as they say You know it's one thing to tell people you're Christians another thing to live like a Christian in front of them And the Bible says that we ought to be obedient to our own masters that we ought to serve our masters now with eye service Not as men pleasers, but as unto the Lord knowing that of the Lord We shall receive a reward that we should obey even the forward and the good Masters that we have whether they're good or bad that we should be obedient to them And we should do their will you know and if you have that kind of an attitude at work You're gonna be well pleasing your boss You know people are gonna notice that and you're gonna be given more responsibility And you're they're gonna be the one that gets you know the the pay increase the promotion so on and so forth That's what's kind of happening here in the story the master saw that the Lord was with him now How do you think he saw that did you think? That Joseph walked around with a halo around his head, then he just had this glow about him or something No, he saw that he was with him because everything that he was doing was prospering because everything that he touched turned to gold so To speak because he was a hard worker. He was diligent he had character God Blessed him as a result and the master Potiphar of that house was able to perceive that and say hey God is with this young Okay, you know serve God be faithful other people will notice And by the way although notice the other way, too You know if we if we let people know we're Christian if we claim that you know We're you know born-again saved Christians, and then we're like everybody else. You know we're lazy on the job We do you know poor work, whatever you know that's also gonna make an impression, okay? But that's really not the thrust of the sermon tonight It says there in verse 4 Joseph found grace in his sight and served him and he made him overseer of his house So he gets the promotion all that he had He put into his hand and it came to pass from the time that he had made him Overseer in his house and over all that he had that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake And this is kind of the same thing that we saw with Israel or Jacob right when he was in Laban's house He was blessed of God and Laban was blessed as a result. They were enjoying the residual benefits of of Joseph's blessing right of the man of God that was there And again make yourself an asset at work. Okay. This is just some practical You know it's a Wednesday night Bible study You know it makes a practical application you want to succeed at work make yourself an asset You want to be the guy that keeps his job be valuable right that way when times get lean when things get tight at work And they start you know cutting people loose you're gonna be the last to go right because they're saying well Let's hang on to this guy because we're blessed when he's here. You know we profit from him being here He's profitable to us, and that's kind of what's going on here. You know the Potiphar here is Noticing that Joseph is you know blessed of God? And he's also being blessed as a result The Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake and the blessing of the Lord Was upon all that he had in the house in the field and he left all that he had in Joseph's hand for he knew Not what he had saved the bread which he did eat. I mean he's just giving him Complete oversight over everything in his house this young man Who's just you know it was literally brought in by slave traders? I mean just bought through human trafficking Essentially just a nobody that was just brought into Potiphar's house and now because of his diligence and because of God's blessing It's overseeing everything in the house and Potiphar's just trusting him wholeheartedly with everything he just sits down and says what the only thing he knows that he has is what's set Before him to eat. He just knows what's for dinner Joseph it says there at the latter half of six was a goodly person and well favored meaning. He was good-looking. He was handsome, okay? And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph And she said lie with me now of course. That's the Bible putting it very delicately. She wants him to Commit adultery essentially because she's a married woman But he refused and said unto his master's wife behold my master wadeth not what is with me in the house And he hath committed all that he hath to my hand There is none greater in his house than I neither hath he kept back anything from me But thee because thou were his wife. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? It's interesting that Joseph was pointing out the fact that he could get away with this It's kind of what it seems like he's saying to me. He's saying like look. I'm the greatest in his house You know he doesn't even know what's with me in the house He's committed all things there's none greater in the house than I he hasn't kept back anything else from me It almost sounds like Joseph probably could have maybe you know a humanly speaking gotten away with it right at least not got caught right away But notice again, and as I started a couple weeks ago Talk when we began to talk about Joe's Joseph we would notice different character traits about him We saw his obedience in Genesis chapter 37 now we see also here his integrity before God That even though perhaps he could have gotten away with this because he is the greatest. There's no one supervising him You know she doesn't want to get caught either so obviously there's some collusion there. They're gonna make this thing work But he has an understanding that this sin is great wickedness That's what he says how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God He's saying I'm not it's not that I'm worried about getting caught by Potiphar it's not worried that I'm about getting caught by my boss by your husband who I'm really afraid of getting caught by is God That's who he's afraid of and look if we would keep the fear of the Lord before eyes that would keep us out of a lot of trouble wouldn't it if We would just understand that hey there's things that God hates There's some things in this world that God considers great wickedness if we would understand that understand that the eyes of the Lord go with Throughout the whole earth be holding the evil and the good that there is no getting away with it with God You know we'd probably be more careful about the things that we do We'd probably say I'm not gonna do that sin even though I could get away with it Even though you're in on it with me even though the people around us might not know about it I know that God will know and Therefore I'm not gonna sin against God. It's God that he's concerned about Offending here in this in this situation not necessarily Potiphar It says there and it came to pass as she spake to Joseph day by day that he hearkened not unto her To lie by her or to be with her so she's not giving up. She's pressing upon him Okay, now again this speaks to Joseph's Character I mean he's a young man. He's in his teenage years He's probably like all teenagers. You know they have all these hormones. Just coursing through their body he's got like a leaner of testosterone just pumping through his body at that age and This is something that is actually a very strong temptation of course. It's a temptation for us. You know throughout most of our lives But it's especially strong. You know in these early teenage years When People's bodies have matured and these hormones are in their system And this is the kind of thing that they're thinking about they're curious about this They want to know more about it, and that's the stage that Joseph is in his life and along comes Potiphar's wife Hey, we can get away with it. How about today? How about today? How about today? How about today? How about today? She's pressing upon him sore and Yet he has the integrity even as a young man with all this temptation And all this natural desire to fulfill the lust of the flesh to say I won't do it because I'm not going to commit wickedness before God I'm not going to commit this wicked sin of adultery and let me just park it there for a second and remind us all that Adultery is a wicked sin and it's important to keep in mind in the day and age that we're living of course It's always wicked. You know we're living in a day and age where adultery is called an affliction Adultery is called an affair, right? Where it's just it's just spoken of so lightly. It's not that big of a deal. You know a lot everybody's doing it You know they have websites where you can go hook up with other married couples and commit adultery I? Mean it's promoted. It's in the media Every story every movie every book it seems like that that's out there. There's some adulterous relationship That's just treated as as you know no big deal Look joseph in the bible says hey adultery is a great wickedness before God you know there's there's not all sins are equal believe it or not and You know not every sin in the bible is punishable with death when you get into when the levitical law is given to moses one of the one of the Crimes that are punished with capital punishment death is adultery It used to be that if you got caught in adultery in old testament israel you were to be killed and Whose law was that was that man's law did man come up with that was that his idea? No that was God that said that God was the one that said the adulterer shall surely be put to death that was him and Joseph here even before that's even on the books so to speak that law already understands. This is a wicked thing to do You know people people know That when they're committing sin The bible says that the gentiles which have not the law When they do the things which are contained in law or a law unto themselves because they have the law of God written in their hearts Everyone you know I didn't know it was a sin. Yes, you did no one has to be told murders wrong stealing's wrong lying's long Adultery is wrong you have to be told that those things are right you have to be brainwashed think oh adultery is not a big deal Fornication is not a big deal stealing is not a big deal lying is not a big deal False accusations not a big deal Murder you know it's not a big deal as long as it's before they're born Pedophilia is not a big deal. That's the world we're living in but Joseph Is a godly young man who walks with the Lord has blessed of God and understands something about God that before God These things are wicked and adultery is a as it says they're great wickedness and a sin against God but you know this doesn't stop her from You know pressing upon him as it says there. She spake to him day by day, and he hearkened not unto her You know some temptation some sins aren't just gonna go away the first time the Bible says resist the devil and he will flee from you But that's not always gonna be a one-off Well, I resisted that one time never have to deal with that sin again No, it's gonna be there tomorrow If it's not tomorrow be there the next day if it's not the next day It'll be next week if it's not next week It'll be back next month if you could go several months without that temptation. It'll be there next year Maybe it'll show up in several years, but you know what we're always going to have to resist the flesh Always got to resist the devil Some sins are just gonna be every day got to get up and die got to get up and die Got to mortify the deeds of the flesh got to bring my body into subjection like Paul said And some sins you know they're gonna come back around every so often You resist the devil he'll flee, but he'll come back Maybe he'll try you know another lure You know and how about this you go through one trial or persecution in a church? You know you get through that one don't think the battles over There's another one coming To me it seems like one shows up about every four years Been keeping track So as soon as this net the one we're in you know temp he's in right now I got a cop saying we cuz we're not we're not them anymore We're us right well, amen But you know once this one next one this one's over just start the clock again because there's another one coming you Resisted some sin today praise God But you know what sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof You know boast not thyself for tomorrow, you don't know what a day will bring for it Tomorrow could be the same sin, or it could be a whole nother sin altogether But notice here her tactics, right? She's pressing upon him, and you know you have to imagine. She's she's using her words right she spake to Joseph day by day It's the things that she's saying I don't know if that there was anything. Maybe she was doing some things Maybe she was dressing a certain way But the Bible tells us for certain that she spake to Joseph day by day Lie with me lie with me lie with me. I want you You're so good-looking. I have to imagine That in her trying to get her way with Joseph. There was some flattery Okay, and the Bible talks about the the woman who flatters, okay, you would go to Proverbs chapter number six Proverbs chapter number six the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 7 talking about The the man the young man who was assert without understanding right who was observed observed among the simple ones talks about the the woman who came to him with the attire of an harlot and Seduced him right and it says in verse 21 of Proverbs 7 with her much fair speech. She caused him to yield With the flattering of her lips. She forced him He was resisting. I don't want to do this. It's not what I came here for But you know what through the fair speech the fatter flattering of the lips She forced him She forced him Bible says he goeth after her straightway as an ox goeth to the slaughter. I Mean, that's that's basically a big dumb animal that's going to be executed right or as a fool to the correction of the stocks That's what happens To people who allow themselves to be flattered and taken into the sin of adultery the sin of fornication Look at Proverbs chapter 6 verse 20 my son keep thy father's commandment and forsake not the law of thy mother Bind them continually upon thine heart tie them about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou wakest it shall talk with thee For the commandment is a lamp and the laws of light and reproofs of instruction are the way of life Let me say that again the reproofs of instruction are the way of life. Well, I don't like what the Bible says about that Well, the Bible says a reproof Is the instruction that a reproof is the way of life And if you don't like what the Bible says about some sin Well, you know what tough that's what the Bible says and It's actually gonna keep you as it says here from the evil woman verse 24 to keep thee from the evil woman From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman and it doesn't mean strange like she's a little odd, right? Strange as meaning she's foreign to you She's not your wife It says in verse 25 lust not after her beauty in thine heart neither. Let her take thee with her eyelids So obviously, you know, the strange woman is going to use her physical attractiveness. But again, she also uses her words Look at verse 26 for by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread and the Adulterous will hunt for the precious life. I mean isn't a perfect picture of Joseph Joseph is a precious life. He's a rare kind of young man The Lord is with him. He has integrity. He's obedient. He's a hard worker He wants to do those things which are pleasing unto him. You know what that makes him a target to the adulterous woman She wants to get him to fall You Know because a lot of times these women they could go out and get any old any man they want There's plenty of men that would line up and commit that sin that would be more than happy to do it But the one that they really want is the one that is precious the one that is Has integrity the one that has to be forced It's like a trophy to them And the Bible is telling us that there's consequences look at verse 27 Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned can one go upon hot coals and his feet not be burned So is he that goeth into his neighbor's wife whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent Men do not despise a thief if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry But if he be found he shall restore sevenfold He shall give all the substance of his house But whoso committeth adultery with the woman lacketh understanding and he that doeth it destroyeth his own Soul you cannot take fire into your bosom and not be burned You cannot walk upon coals and not be burned if you go into an your neighbor's wife if you commit adultery, you will get burned the Bible says you'll destroy your own soul a Wound and dishonor shall he get his reproach shall not be wiped away And even in this wicked and adulterous and perverse generation that we live in you could still have a bad reputation as an adulterer You could still be known as that guy that cheated on his wife There's still people out there in this world that it does matter to Don't let Hollywood completely snow you on that This isn't France after all Where in France they like I heard some statistic the other day. I Think was in a sermon. Someone said it was like 70% of people think that there's nothing wrong with adultery in France Right the city of love the city of sin Paris you know, I know France is a country, okay But it says a wound and dishonor shall I get his reproach shall not be wiped away for jealousy is the rage of a man Mean it might you might destroy your own soul in the sense that you could die Right because sometimes soul just means a person a body, right? If you kill out commit adultery the husband might find out, you know, and and he might just kill you straight up It's called a crime of passion You know, it'd be just chalked up as manslaughter, you know Third degree murder he'd do some time and everyone would go. Well, you know, he was sleeping with the guy's wife I mean, let's give him ten years and let him out People would understand Jealousy is the rage of the man. Therefore. He will not spare in the day of vengeance He will not regard any ransom neither. Will he rest content? Though thou givest many gifts you try to pacify him you try to make up for it How are you gonna make up for something like that? You can't You're not gonna pacify the person and it could go the other way around You know, it could be the wife that finds out that you someone's been sleeping with somebody's husband and she could say well I'm gonna I'm gonna get some vengeance So, you know, that's that's a real practical application here that's a warning to all of us That Adultery is a wicked sin with serious consequences. But again, how is she trying to get him to commit this sin through flattery? Pressing upon him trying to get him to commit the sin and you know I want to kind of break away from the this cotton the the sin of adultery and just speak more generally about how wicked people use flattery To get what they want out of you or to bring you harm And if you would go over to Psalm chapter number five Psalm chapter number five And look this is something that people don't Aren't Aren't very They don't really They're not really familiar with this. They have to see it happen They have to see this hat take place either to themselves or somebody else where someone comes along and flatter somebody and then stabs them in the back and If you you stick around, you know, you'll see it I've seen it several times. It's never it hasn't happened to me. I Don't know maybe you guys are setting me up it's a nice shirt just kidding I'm just playing Right, but I have seen it happen to other to happen to other people They flatter him and then they stab in the back. I mean, I've seen this happen to Pastor Anderson. I don't know how many times In fact, it just happened But I want to point out some things in Psalm chapter 5 look at verse 8 It says lead me O Lord in thy righteousness because of mine enemies Make thy way straight before my face For there is no faithfulness in their mouth Their inward part is there is very wickedness their throat is an open sepulcher. They flatter with their tongue See, this is the thing about the flatter. It's all the wickedness is within you can't see it The throat is an open sepulcher. I mean, it's just it's that's how you know, the wickedness comes out of it, right? Their inward part is wickedness they flatter with their tongue. They don't walk up and say I want to stab you in the back I'm gonna betray you. I'm gonna do evil unto you. They don't walk up and say that they walk up and flatter you You know, the adulterous woman doesn't walk up and say hey my husband's gonna kill you when he when he finds out No, he says you're so good-looking. No one will know. I want you so bad, you know, whatever they say I've never been flattered like that If they ever flattered me like that I'd know what was going on You Know you're so good-looking like I own a mirror You know, I mean my own reflections put in for a divorce. Like I I know what's going on here. All right My shadow can't even stand me But you know, that's how they work they they're inwardly they're wicked but what comes out of their mouth It's not doesn't sound wicked at all. It sounds nice. It sounds good Mm-hmm. They're gonna walk up and say oh you're such a great pastor. You're the greatest preacher that's ever lived You changed my life. I owe everything to you This is the kind of stuff that takes place when someone starts telling you something that you know is too good to be true it's because it is and They've got an agenda And now look I'm not saying that every time somebody does something nice for you, okay buys you a nice shirt and tie Or sometimes, you know that they if they give you a genuine sincere compliment that you have to be like, are you flattering me? You know, what are you really up to? Is there a wickedness in your inward parts? Is your throat an open sepulcher? No, they're being sincere and look once you really don't you really can't Call it out until after the fact once you even after you kind of get wise to this and you see it happen and you see the person flattering and You know just bigging somebody up and then they turn on it's like well it makes sense I Go to Proverbs if you I should I keep something there. Oh, no, I'm sorry go to Psalm 78 So it's an inward thing flattery comes from within The Bible says in Psalm 12 help Oh Lord for the godly man seeth it for the faithful fail from among the children of men They speak vanity everyone to his neighbor with flattering lips and with a double heart. Do they speak? They're saying one thing but their heart me is is saying something else Look at Psalm 78 verse 6 verse 36, excuse me Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues For their heart was not right with him neither were they steadfast in his covenant So the flatterer again everything that's coming out of their mouth sounds nice But their heart is not right The Bible says in Proverbs 26 a lying tongue Hadeth those that are afflicted by it and a flattering mouth worketh ruin Says again in Proverbs 29 a man that flattereth his neighbor Spreadeth a net for his feet and a net it's not a safety net Okay, it's a trap like a bird or an animal. That's that's what he's doing People that are flattering you they're setting a trap Now In Joseph's instance here the she tries flattery when she doesn't get her way she then moves on to a false accusation Okay Look at the Genesis chapter 39 verse 11 And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went into the house to do his business And there was none of the men of the house There within now the Bible is telling us some real specific details, right? It's just him and Potiphar's wife in the house behind closed doors and nobody else Okay. Now I I'm not gonna say that this is a sin because it's not it look it's not a sin to be alone with Somebody else in a closed room behind closed doors. It's not a sin. It's just a really bad idea It's just a really bad idea to be alone with somebody else's wife Even if you think well, I'm not gonna try anything. I'm not gonna do anything. How do you know? She's not just gonna say you did You know, that's that's a really important concept to keep in mind you're gonna be alone with somebody of the opposite gender And I say opposite because there's only two of them You're gonna be alone with somebody of the opposite gender in another room and close the door, you know, maybe nothing will happen But I mean look what happened to Joseph It's just a good, you know, just avoid that the Bible said says avoid the mere appearance of evil Even if nothing happens and neither of you say anything What's it gonna look like when you both come out of the room when you both come out of the apartment you both come out? Of the house when you both come out of the hotel room what's going on in there? It looks bad Now Joseph it got really bad because she goes from flattering him and he's resisting her good for him Then he puts himself in this compromising situation What I he didn't maybe he just didn't know maybe it was once he got in there. It was too late He didn't realize that he was the only one there. I don't know But what happens next is he gets falsely accused she starts with flattery that doesn't work She's just like well, I'm just gonna fall asleep use him now And she came it says there and she came in verse 12 and she caught him by the his garment saying lie with me And he left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out. So maybe he realized I'm the only one in here And he leaves and it says that he left his garment meaning and she's like pulling on it You know and the jacket comes off and now she's got you know his garment in her in her hand And it came to pass when she saw that he had that he had left his garment in her hand and Was fled forth that she called on the men of her house and spanking on them saying see he hath brought in in Hebrew to mock Us she's not getting her way. I mean, this is how wicked she is again the flatterer They say all the things you want to hear they'll tell you nice things but inwardly their heart is wicked. I Mean what why is she doing this because she's not getting your way because she's a wicked woman I mean she's wicked for wanting to commit adultery to begin with So it's not really surprising that you know, she'd be this vindictive against an innocent man You know and it shouldn't surprise us when we see people who are vindictive and malicious Against people and falsely accused them who have done nothing wrong It happens all the time folks You Say oh, why would anyone lie and make up a story because they're evil because they're wicked. Oh Why would anyone make up a story and falsely accuse their parents? Because they're wicked because they're evil because they're rebellious Why would any woman make up a story about some man and and ruin his good name because she's wicked People need to wake up to the fact that there's just wicked evil people in this world That just get pleasure out of harming other people. It's it's as plain and simple as that So she calls the men into her house and she says see he hath brought in Hebrew unto us to mock us He came in unto me to lie with me and I cried aloud with the with a loud voice And it came to pass when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried that he left his garment with me and fled it got him out and she laid up his garment by her until his Lord came home Potiphar and She spake unto him according to these words saying the Hebrew servant which thou brought has brought unto us came in unto me to mock Me and it came to pass as I lifted up my voice and cried that he left his garment with me and fled out She's just lying Just makes up a story And it came to pass when his master heard the words of his wife Which is which she spake unto him saying after this man who did thy servant to me That his wrath was kindled just like the Bible says he's he's not he's honestly thinking this is what happened This guy's trying to commit adultery with my wife And as we read in Proverbs, he will not spare in the day of vengeance It says in Joseph master took him and put him into the prison Which maybe was you know a fate worse than death. I don't know why he didn't have him killed. Maybe God was protecting him I'm not sure what Egyptian civil law was back then But that's what happened He shoves him into a prison a place where the king's prisoners were bound and he was there in the prison but the Lord is with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison and The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph all the prisoners that were in the prison Now the next thing out the thing I want to point out here is that you can be imprisoned and be completely innocent and It's just so funny me because so many people as soon as they see somebody Imprisoned or taken captive and held against their will they just think oh well that person must must deserve to be there Or could it be or just maybe could it be that there was a lying flattering Judas? That filed a false report and had somebody taken away against their will and held against their will Oh is that possible? Well you know it's a story that happens over and over and over and over and over again in the Bible Don't just assume because somebody's sitting in prison that they're a wicked person Don't just assume because somebody ends up in a mental health clinic that they're insane You know we had I keep saying we you gotta get over it You know the church in Tempe they just had to deal with this they had that Judas that's up there I I don't I've never met the guy, but apparently he's been over there there for over two years Something like that. I don't know And he's been there, and you know he files a false report against his own pastor files with the mental health whoever The mental health court and has his own pastor hauled off and held against his will and to be evaluated by a team of You know clinicians or whatever. I don't know the whole story pastor Anderson I'm sure will will tell give give you all the juicy details at some point But you know it's just interesting to me that we land on this chapter tonight after that just happens You know and that same guy after getting busted and called out Just proceeds to just continue to flatter him I'm watching I'm looking at messages for this guy just calling in the greatest pastor. It's the greatest church ever Just using all these flattering words Messaging me telling me how great I you know I could you know I know right It's like oh, I owe you you helping me get some kid saved or something like I don't know you I Don't even know who you are I? Just know you go to church up there, and I know that you betrayed your own pastor because you're a Judas You know one of the scariest things I should probably just preach a whole sermon on Judas is the scariest thing about being a Judas is you could be one and not even know it I Believe that Judas Iscariot came to after he sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver into the hands of the Jews Goes back to the Jews and said I've betrayed innocent blood You know Satan enters into him at the Last Supper Jesus says what thou do is do quickly he goes out and covenants with them betrays him in the all you know in the in the in the garden and Then comes to his senses later and says I've done wrong and tries to give the money back And they say we don't want it and they and they they cast out they it falls on the floor You know he doesn't take it He goes and hangs himself and his guts burst asunder right and they bought the field the potters field And they buried him there with that same silver, but the point is this is that I believe that Judas Didn't even know it Didn't even know that he was a wicked evil reprobate. That's what makes these people so dangerous Is that they could not does that mean every Judas doesn't know I don't know but to me I I thought about this For several years does a Judas know that he is one Some of you might be saying am I Judas Is it I Lord? But isn't that what he said at the Last Supper is it I Lord thou sayest Judas is saying is it me and Jesus basically said yeah, it's you You know that's the scary thing about Judas's and that's why I believe anybody I Don't care how good intentioned or how well-meaning they were anybody that would call mental health services on their own pastor is a Judas Through and through a Judas and It's not to ever be allowed back in any church And you know the sad thing is that guy is gonna that guy is gonna go on with his life And if God doesn't judge him harshly, which I pray that he does Years from now that guy will be in another church and no one will ever know what he did No one will ever know And he could just do the same thing again unless God steps in And God very likely will in my opinion And he's just so crazy You know and honestly. I'm just burnt out on this whole Controversy that's been going on, but to me It's just like if the people out there especially these pastors who are siding against pastor Anderson Don't have enough discernment to see that everything that's taken place is a coordinated attack of Satan After this I don't know what to tell them They need to go back and read the qualifications again to pay attention to this word called vigilant sober I Mean how I mean how else do you explain what's taking place? Because it you know it wasn't these wicked sons that did this to him. You know they're saying we had nothing to it I actually believe them I Believe all this was going on and then Satan had his little Judas just waiting there and said now's the time Judas what thou do is do quickly And he picked up his little phone and made his little phone call And you know the story and a man of God has to sit and You know basically in a psych ward with a bunch of just you know seriously to serve people And Then you have other pastors that are out there that are just gleefully rejoicing over this There there's people that are happy to see this and then you have these idiots and these morons that are out there say well He must actually have mental health problems because after all he ended up in a mental health clinic But hey idiot you can go to prison and not be guilty That's what happened to Joseph Joseph ended up because somebody filed a false report with the authority Joseph ends up falsely accused and imprisoned innocently Because of some whore wife he didn't get her way and she goes running and crying to the captain Potiphar and You know what they came and they hauled him off And I've just got I mean and I haven't even scratched the surface of all the instances where good men of God prophets of God preachers Apostles were imprisoned Wrongfully by people who just hated them Marvel not my brethren at the world hate it hate you Jesus said if the world hate you know that it hated me before it hated you Should it really surprise us That People are going to attack men of God Should is it is it really a far-fetched thing? I mean we if we believe the Bible right we believe there's a devil is it may be just maybe within the realm of possibility that Satan would attack a Pastor that Satan would attack a church. That's doing great works for God And look and I understand that you know, I'm a pastor now and this is our church but this you know the people here that attend this church and To anybody else, you know, take that as take it as a word of warning. I Mean they might come for me next I might be hauled off in some paddy wagon next You know, we might have to change the name of the church to straight-jacket Baptist Church You know Come back like this Now if I went you'd probably go that do him some good, you know Hopefully he finds the help he needs Right, but I'm just saying look if it could happen there it could happen here And in fact I promise you that if we continue on the path that we're on if we keep winning souls and preaching the Word of God and Changing lives. It's only a matter of time until it happens or Something of that nature and God can protect and God has God allows things to happen to different people for different reasons I understand that and I don't know it's gonna show up exactly like that But I promise you as this church grows there will be Judas's there will be attacks There will be persecution the Bible says all day that live godly in Christ. Jesus shall suffer persecution It will happen It's only a matter of time. So just accept that fact You know and and here's the thing you've been warned so when it happens don't freak out Don't jump ship Don't flake out And I promise you that I won't do the same You know, I'll take it on the chin I'll bear the brunt of it You know just like pastor Anderson up there is and has many times over What he really needs is people to just stand alongside him stand behind him Support him I Mean there's just so many passages and so many characters Samson Was taken by the Philistines and had his eyes put out and was made to work the mill like an like a like an ox like a beast of burden and I get it that he had committed sin and perhaps I was a punishment of God But his real job is to But his real crime was, you know, the fact that he was beaten up on all the Philistines and they didn't like him And they were plotting against him and they used a woman Delilah to get to him Just like Joseph What about Micaiah right with Ahab and Jehoshaphat if you remember that story And they you know, they got all those other prophets and Jehoshaphat wants a hundred and fifty percent And Jehoshaphat wants another prophet of the lord And he comes before him and he preaches and says, you know preaches basically against them saying you're not going to come back The battle's not going to go well Preaches against the king just says what the bible says And the king says put this fellow in prison And feed in the bread of affliction with water affliction until I come in peace And I love Micaiah and I had to put this in there because I love Micaiah's response He said if thou return it all in peace, then the lord hath not spoken by me That's such a powerful response Right. The king says haul this guy off. I don't like what he has to say He he doesn't prophesy good to me, but evil so get him out of here And freed him with bread and water of affliction cast him in the prison Now what did Micaiah do that was so wrong? Nothing. Nothing He just preached the bible And got cast into prison for it How about Hanani the seer who came to king Asa of Judah and said unto him because thou was relied on the king of Syria not rely on the lord thy god Therefore is the most is the host of the king of Assyria escaped out of thine hand And then Asa was wroth with the seer and put him in a prison house For he was in a rage with him because of this thing What did what did the seer Hanani do? Nothing he just preached the bible. He just said thus saith the lord And that's what people understand when you have a man of god that's willing to get up and say thus saith the lord Don't be surprised if he gets cast into prison quite literally It happened to joseph, what did he do maintained his integrity didn't give in to temptation Refused to commit adultery great wickedness before god And let's you know, jeremiah you can study out jeremiah jeremiah went from prison to prison to prison to basically a slime pit He was cast into the prison which is in the king of judah's house He was cast in the prison that was in the house of jonathan the scribe And it says in chapter 38 verse 6 then they took jeremiah cast him into the dungeon of malchiah That means in three different prisons one prophet They're just moving him around taking him out. He's preaching he keeps saying doesn't say it the lord well put him back You know, he goes before the parole board or whatever have you changed no Babylon you're going to be destroyed the babylonians are going to destroy this place put him back in prison until he learns his lesson What's he done wrong? Nothing How about john the baptist John the baptist all he did is he went to harrod and said hey, it's not lawful for you to have to have your your brother's wife You're committing adultery Kind of reminds me of joseph again, doesn't it? That's a that's a sore topic And we all know how that story went he gets cast into prison and eventually gets beheaded For doing what what did he do wrong preach the bible say thus saith the lord How about the apostles I mean We it take it take a long time to go through all the different instances and acts where the apostles and paul and others are just cast into prison and released and cast into prison and divinely, you know, uh, Brought out by angels and then cast back in beaten scourged whipped stone stone to death Death Just over and over and over again and yet it's so stupid today that you have people go Oh, well, if that pastor was in prison and taken against his will then he must have deserved it Or it just might be That when you preach the word of god Satan is going to work against you and satan will plant a judas in your midst I absolutely believe it It's what the bible teaches I mean if jesus had and people go. Oh, well, how can you just have these allow these judices to be in your ministry? I don't know. Why don't you go level you that criticism at christ? Because the bible says that jesus knew from the beginning who was the devil Jesus who's god and knows all things chose judas it said you got you know, he's fulfilling prophecy He's fulfilling prophecy I understand all that but I mean would you level that criticism at jesus who actually knew from the beginning? Well, that was pretty stupid. Don't you think jesus to bring a judas into your midst? That's wicked And yet people will level that same criticism. Oh, you're too dumb to know there's a judas around Look, we don't want to go on a witch hunt. I'm not going to stop you at the door. Say are you a judas? You know, we're not going to set up a sweat lamp back here in a lie detector You know I'm not going to start, you know torturing you back there and be like admit it. You're a judas And get a forced confession As much fun as I might have doing that's Right And here's the thing if you won't even know a judas until he shows his fangs Until that little tail pops out from you know, that big wolf's tail comes out from underneath that sheep that sheep's clothing until it's all peeled back And it's revealed and it's their actions because they say all the right things They flatter with their mouth, but inwardly they're ravening wolves What about all the people in hebrews 11 What about all the people in hebrews 11 Just you know in hebrews 11 chapter 36 Where you know, he's he's going through the hall of faith. He's talking about moses He's talking about this great saint and that great saint and this patriarch and that patriarch and the things that they endured And then he just gets to verse 36 and he's like and others Had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings yay moreover of bonds and imprisonments And he goes on said of whom the world is not worthy Look if it can happen to joseph if a man like joseph who has integrity Who is obedient who is blessed of god can find himself in prison. Don't be surprised if it if it happens to someone we know It means nothing Obviously, there's people that are in prison that you know Well, I I don't even think you can make the case for prison. Honestly, it's not a biblical punishment But according to this world's standards and their laws. Yeah, there's people that deserve to be in prison because they've broken certain Certain laws I get it But just because somebody goes there does not automatically mean that they're wicked Let's just wrap up here in genesis right just as an encouragement right what if we find ourselves in a position like this What if someday, you know, we're on some mission trip somewhere or you know, we're what you know, we're just out knocking doors in some apartment and some You know manager gets upset and calls the cops and get hauled off. I mean it's happened I know people it's happened to Your pastor gets you know locked up taken away You know, is is it all over You know, it's it's God we know the story of Joseph God meant all these things for good And all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are called according to his purposes. We can't always Understand it We can't only see it at first but we just walk by faith and we know that that's the case Look at verse 23 the keeper of the prison looked out to anything that was under his hand Because the Lord was with him and where was the Lord? He was with Joseph and where was Joseph in prison the Lord didn't abandon him the Lord didn't quit on him. The Lord was there with him The Lord didn't go well it serves you right So, you know some great lessons from Joseph and we'll see many more Joseph again is just such a great character And what we see tonight is that you know, he is concerned about his walk with God about having integrity with God He has real character because character is what you do when you can get away with it It's how you act when no one is watching That's what character is it's not putting on a show in front of other people making people think you're a certain way It's what you're doing when no one sees you It's how you behave when you could have gotten away with it and who knows if he actually could have or what would have transpired? But you know, thankfully we don't have to really even wonder about it because Joseph And as I said in the beginning with his life two weeks ago when we were in chapter 37 He's given that vision at the very beginning of his story Of the 12 stars and the sun and moon bowing down before him of the 12 sheaves rising up and bowing He's already has a hope he already has an understanding that ultimately this is going to lead to something And he's given that vision at the very beginning of his story He already has an understanding that ultimately this is going to lead to something great Obviously he can't see how it's going to come to pass But he's a great example of somebody I believe just walk by faith And if we're going to make our way through these highs and lows through our lives and through our ministries We also have to have a have a vision like he did a vision from God We have to understand that one day You know all things will be made right that we one day as the bible says rule and reign with christ He knew he was going to rule and reign one day You know the same promise is given to us as god's children. So be faithful have integrity be like joseph Let's go ahead close in a word of prayer dear lord again. Thank you