Sermon Outline

Prepared by

Joseph P. Metoyer, Jr., Ph.D.,

Pastor/Teacher

February 11, 2001

Text:  Genesis 37: 23-36

Subject:  “From the Pit to the Palace”

Message 1:  A Dysfunctional Family               

Introduction:  Join me in an exciting study of one of the greatest men of character who ever lived.  I’m confident Joseph’s life will speak to you at some point that is usually meaningful in your life.  It may be a serious crisis, but if it is, then I’m also confident you’ll experience God’s wonderful grace – especially if you demonstrate Joseph’s perspective in your own life.[1]

I.                   The Generations of Dysfunction

Joseph’s mother was Rachel, and his dad was Jacob.  His grandfather was Isaac and his grandmother was Rebekah.  His great-grandfather was Abraham, and his great-grandmother was Sarah. 

A.     Abraham created a dysfunctional family when he asked his wife to tell the men of Egypt that she was not his wife but his sister (Gen. 12:10ff).

B.     Abraham sleeps with his wife’s maid and gave her a child, that was more evidence of the creation of a dysfunctional family (Gen. 16:1-4).

C.     Isaac and Rebekah had their own set of problems.  They made a great start in trusting and serving God, but they got sidetracked from doing God’s will.  Isaac loved Esau best and Rebekah loved Jacob best.  Esau was the oldest and Rebekah tried to help God by convincing Jacob to portray himself as Esau to trick Isaac into blessing Jacob as the heir to the family’s promises.   Their first major mistake was to show parental favoritism.  This created the atmosphere to develop a “dysfunctional” family. 

D.     When Esau found out he wanted to kill Jacob.  (One sin always leads to another) and that creates a “dysfunctional” relationship. 

E.      Jacob on the way to the land of his grandfather, Abraham, fell asleep and God gave him a dream.  God repeated the promise He had made to Abraham.  Jacob, for the first time in his life, came to know God personally.  Jacob arrived at his Uncle Laban’s and met Rachel.  Laban promised Jacob Rachel in marriage but seven years later on the wedding day Laban tricked Jacob and at night slip his older, not as pretty daughter, Leah, into Jacob’s tent and they were married. Remember what goes around comes around!  The law of reciprocity, you reap what you sow!  The “dysfunctional family continues to grow. 

F.      Seven years later Jacob married Rachel but because God never intended for a man to be married to two women trouble was on the horizon.  Leah could bear children but Rachel could not.  Rachel gave Jacob her maid servant to have a child for her.  (Sounds familiar)!  A “dysfunctional” family.

G.       Ruben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah were from Leah, Joseph’s Aunt; Bilhah, Rachel’s maid servant, gave birth to Dan, and Naphtali; Now Leah, not to be outdone, gave here maid servant, and she gave birth to Gad and Asher.  Leah started giving birth again, Issachar, Zebulun, and Joseph’s sister, Dinah.  Rachel finally turned to God and asked for a child and she gave birth to Joseph and later Benjamin.   That’s one “Dysfunctional” family.  And that’s how Joseph got thrown into the PIT.   Reuben, (Gen. 37:21-22) disagreed with killing his brother.  That produced dissension in the ranks causing a dysfunction.  (v.24) The pit was empty and dry.  Ever been alone!

II.                The Nature of the Dysfunction

A.     Being less than truthful will create a “Dysfunctional relationship”.

B.     Being jealous will create a “Dysfunctional relationship”.

C.     Demonstrating favoritism will create a “Dysfunctional relationship”.

D.     When people try to help God, they establish the foundation for a “Dysfunctional relationship”.

E.      Deception creates a “Dysfunctional relationship”.

F.      Operating outside of the will of God will create a “Dysfunctional relationship”.

G.     Anger, manipulation and control can cause a “Dysfunctional relationship”.

H.     Sin is always at the root cause of  “Dysfunction”.

I.        When two walk together un-agreed a “Dysfunction” will incubate.  

Application:  Joseph is proof that God can take things meant for evil and use them for good.  Joseph opened the doors of blessing, opportunity, and friendship for his brothers, and because of it to the whole world…His life is a living testimony to the fact that perseverance will always outlast persecution.  He is the epitome of the truth “God puts no limitation on faith, and faith puts no limitation on God”.[2]

Stay focus, even when you are in the pit of life.  God will deliver you.  Even when it appears that God has removed you from your family, you are all alone in your situation, it’s not the end of the world, you’re just in a pit.

Whenever you are the victim of jealousy you are in a pit.

Whenever you are the victim of favoritism you are in a pit.

Whenever people lie on you, you are in a pit.

Being in a pit is lonely but realize that if God allowed your enemy to put you in a pit God has a purpose.  Nothing builds character in a person like being in a pit. 

Sin causes people to plot and conspire, while everybody in the crowd may not agree to harm you sin takes over.  James says, “When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15).

Sin Has:  embittered all human pleasures; corrupted all human goodness; infected all human desires; blemished all human beauty; contaminated all human thought; ruined all human hopes; Sin has also spoiled all human happiness.

If you are in a pit and God is in you then God is also in the pit with you.  It might be dry in the pit but, Jesus said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).   

He is my water when I’m thirsty!   When I’m hungry all I say is, “Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more!

[ Home ] [ Sermons ] [ Church Calender ] [ Newsletter ] [ About Us ] [ Contact Us ]