Joseph

[Music: Hymn playing] [Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 2] Welcome to our Singles Club, the first Saturday for this month of July, the second day in the second half of the year. We trust the Lord who has been helping us all through from January through June in the first half of the year. And as we move on again to this second half of the year, we trust in the Lord that He will carry us through again from July through December and beyond unto old age unto gray hair in the name of Jesus Christ. As we come together again this morning, I want to welcome everyone, those of us who are here physically and our brethren who are joining us online. Either you are joining us on Telegram or you are joining us on Mixlr, we want to say you are very welcome to this second half of the year. For the benefit of those of us who may not have seen the message I sent to every person, particularly those of us that follow us on Mixlr, I sent this message in respect of welcoming you to the second half of the year. I said, “Good morning. There is no storm that God won't carry you through. No bridge that God won't help you through. No battle that God won't help you win. Trust God. Never give up. Welcome to the second half of the year. The Lord will go before us in the name of Jesus Christ.” So as we begin this morning, let's have a word of prayer. Our Father, we are grateful unto You. We thank You for Your love and for Your mercies. We thank You for all who You are and all that You are to us. We honor You, we glorify You, we bless Your name. We say our Father be Thou exalted in the name of Jesus. As we gather unto You this morning, Lord we pray let Your Spirit work within us, among us in the name of Jesus Christ. Our brethren who are joining us online and we who are here, Lord meet with us all in the name of Jesus Christ. Every young man, every young woman that is following us this morning and listening to us everywhere they are, I pray that there will be light and strength and direction from Scripture this morning in the name of Jesus Christ. Thank You eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Our consideration this morning is our topic: Joseph. Joseph is our topic for this morning. We want to take examples, we want to learn from his life. Joseph was a young man, the eleventh child of Jacob, the firstborn of Rachel. Rachel had just two of them, Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph is the first, Benjamin the second, through Rachel. And we want to consider his life this morning. We want to take lessons from his life. The reason why we are trying to take lessons from his life, I just want to establish a few biblical reasons why we are taking lessons from his life. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and Romans chapter 15. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, the Bible was telling us about the benefit of things that are written down, that these things they were written down as examples for us. 1 Corinthians 10:1-10: "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud..." We should be aware of what happened to the fathers. It is important for us to see what happened. I've always told you young man, young woman, don't let anybody confuse you. Christianity did not begin with us. God began with some people and the collectivity of our heritage comes from those people through the prophets, through the patriarchs, through the kings, down into the apostles. The prophets representing the prophetic dimension of God, the apostles the apostolic dimension of God. All of these, they are our heritage. You will find that clearly stated in Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2, that should be around verse 20 if I'm not wrong. That's around verse 20, Ephesians 2:20. It says, let me read 19 and 20: "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." That is, if you remove Jesus Christ from the prophets and the apostles, they become meaningless. They become meaningless because all the fathers, they were looking forward to Jesus. They said Jesus is coming, this is what He is going to do. The apostles, they said yes, Jesus finally arrived and this is what He did. So if you remove Jesus, it means all the fathers they were telling lies because Jesus never came. All the apostles, they are liars because Jesus did nothing. That is why Jesus is the chief cornerstone. The prophetic dimension of God's fathers, they prophesied about Jesus. The apostles, they preached that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled what they prophesied, what they represented. So Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Jesus is the connecting person. He's the central. It is in Him that all things hold together. He holds the Old and the New Testament together. So what I'm trying to make you see actually this morning is the truth that we cannot neglect the fact that there were people that were part of the foundation: the fathers, the prophets, the kings. All they represented, they are things for us to learn from. And that is why we are looking at Joseph. We are looking at Joseph. That scripture that we are reading, 1 Corinthians chapter 10. That's why you notice why the Bible is saying that, brethren, I don't want you to be unaware. You should be aware that our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. You can see the matter of Christ from the beginning. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. That will not be your portion in the name of Jesus Christ. Our bodies will not be scattered in this wilderness of life, in this wilderness of Nigeria, this wilderness of the globe. We will journey through and get to a safe harbor to be with the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ. He says now, these things happened, these things become our examples. And that's the point I'm making. They are our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they did. So when we look at their life, we can learn some things what not to do and what to do. We should not become idolaters as some of them were. We should be careful about idol worship. That's why we look at the rule at that time. We should not be sexually immoral. Do everything to flee immorality. It had destroyed many of the fathers. That is why God was not pleased with them. If you are still sexually immoral now, it's very unfortunate. Very unfortunate. These are examples. They were written for us to see these things. He says as some of them did, and 23,000 died in one day. In one day God killed 23,000 because of sexual perversion. Let us be careful. Society is so sexually perverse today. The way women, generally ladies dress, indecent dressing, immoral dressing, suggestive dressing, particularly from the feminine angle. We also have it in the masculine angle. Immorality, making sex fun, everything, sexual perversion on phone, on internet, all of these things. They are things for us to learn from, that God killed 23,000 in one day. It shows you how God is angry with an immoral person. If you are immoral, God is angry with you. Let us be careful. 23,000 fell in one day. "Nor let us tempt Christ, as some also did, and were destroyed by serpents. Nor complain, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer." Verse 11 where I stop: "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." You see a similar thing in Romans chapter 15. Romans chapter 15 verse 4: "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope." I pray, may you not read all, may you not see all that happened to the fathers and still repeat their mistakes in the name of Jesus Christ. Now I want us to move in to look at Joseph, our major character we want to look at today. Joseph. The story of Joseph you will find it in Genesis chapter 37, from chapter 37 to almost the end of Genesis the story of Joseph was recorded. We just want to pick a few things, particularly the ones that relate to happenings around us today. What is happening in our society today. For you as a young person, we want to look at a young man, Joseph. His story began, the Bible began his story from age 17. He was a teenager. I believe as you are listening to me, you might be as young as that. The Bible recorded his story from teenage years till his adult life till his death. So it's an opportunity to look at this patriarch, this hero of faith, and look at some things so that we can pick lessons for our own life. Look at some things. Are you still a teenager? You can learn something from Joseph. Are you in your early twenties? You can learn something from Joseph. Are you in your thirties? You can learn something from Joseph. Your forties? You can learn. Fifties, sixties? There are a lot... we are just looking at his life on and on like that. We just want to pick some things across and just look at some things this morning and then we learn from his life and then we challenge ourselves this morning. I pray you will fulfill destiny in the name of Jesus Christ. You will not be wasted. You will not be cut down and you will not be cut short in Jesus' name. Let's look at the story of Joseph. Let's begin from the early life as a teenager in his father's house. Genesis chapter 37. I read from verse 1. Actually 37 wants to tell us the background to Joseph's life, the early history. It says: "Now Jacob..." that's the father "...dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of Jacob." They want to tell the history of Jacob but in telling that history it's so interesting. That's the first thing I want to call your attention to. Bible said "this is the history of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old..." Are you seeing something? They want to tell the history of Jacob, but they told the history of Jacob beginning with Joseph. May your life be so significant that your name will not be removed from chronicles in the name of Jesus Christ. That's the first thing I'm showing you, that as a teenager, the life of this young man became so significant. The Bible said holy men just as they were inspired by God, God inspired them to write these things. Every time when I read the Genesis I just marvel at the depth of work that Moses had with God. For example, I just wonder how Moses was able to write Genesis chapter 1. How he was able to know that in the beginning this is what God did the first day, the second day. I mean God must have directly spoken to Moses, the things that is not known to any human being. When I look at the life of Moses it's something honestly it's something I marvel about, that somebody could write that Genesis chapter 1. You know when Moses was born? Moses took a story from Adam the first man, took it through like that until it got to him, himself, Moses, in Exodus. How was he able to put down all of those things? Particularly the part of Genesis chapter 1 and 2. When I look at those things I look at a man who has such an intimate walk with God that is amazing. One of these days we'll also look at the life of Moses, some things to learn from him. But what just interests me this morning was that in putting down this holy record, the record was that they wanted to make us know the history of Jacob. That was the intention of Moses. But in putting down this history, the divine inspiration he received was to begin the history of Jacob in telling about the history of Jacob, tracing that history, Jacob's history was traced from Joseph's significance, from the place where Joseph started. Honestly, that's something every young man should see as a challenge in their life. That can God want to tell your family history and God find you so significant to say okay begin the history from that point of Joseph? Can God want to start your family history and just put your name there, okay... take it from Funke, take it from Bose, take it from Josephine, take it from Dada, take it from Godwin, take it from David, take it from the point, from that point of his early life? Honestly, it's something that should be challenging to you. How are you living your life today? If God is to begin to take chronicles of your life from age 17, because that was where Joseph started, from age 17. You want to begin to take the chronicles of your life, what chronicles are they going to write down? What are they going to put down that will put down the story of your life? What will even put down in divine record? May your life be so significant. That's my prayer for you. Please, one smart way, let me tell you, people who are smart align their life with God. That is the truth about it. I'm telling you you are not a smart child if you don't align your life with God. In fact, of all men you are the most stupid. Smartness is not first about money. Smartness is not first about riches. Smartness is not first about academics. Smartness is not first about wealth. To be smart in this life is to quickly align your life... that is the smartest thing to quickly do. You will tell me how? Let me quickly tell you something. I have taken time to read the life of many, many Hollywood stars, football stars, young men today, successful young men, musicians, pop stars who are very wealthy. I was just taking time to check their personal life, their family records, their personal life story, their marital life, their relationship life, the personal life they live and I saw wretchedness. For many of them, you just hear that this one impregnated one girl, this one have a child outside wedlock, that one scattered marriages, this one have a... you'll just see all kinds. You will hear again about this one he has been to prison two or three times on the issue of sexual violence, this one was given penalty for drug addiction, that one was punished for alcoholism, this one has done that has done... you just see all kinds. So my question is, do you see that when a man does not develop character, character is the central thing about life. Character is the central thing about life. Character. And no man, when it comes to building character, when it comes to living, I mean being human, living an upright godly decent life, it is impossible for man to do it the way he ought to do it if he does not reflect the image of whom he has been made. Man was made in the image of God. So until he reflects the image of God he cannot be a normal man. He will be an abnormal man. He is the image of God and in the likeness of God. So if he's not reflecting that he cannot be a normal person. He may be wealthy, he may be academically sound, he may be just whatever the person may have. But when it comes to the place of being human, when it comes to the totality of what it means to be human, it is an impossible thing without God. And that is the point I'm making. The smartest thing to first do with your life is to find God. If you have not found God you are not smart. You are not smart enough. You are not building them correctly. That's the point I'm making for you. Please be among the smartest young people. Be very smart. Be very smart. The Lord will help you. If you have not found Him, God will be found of you in the name of Jesus Christ. And if you have found Him, may you grow in that experience, may you deepen that experience in the name of Jesus. So the first thing I just want to mention to you is that may your life become so aligned with God, so significant to God, that when God wants to tell your family history they cannot set you aside. That's the point I'm making. Joseph was so aligned with God that divine chronicles have to pick Joseph. May the searchlight of God pick you in the name of Jesus. The history of Jacob: "Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock of his father with his brothers, and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought bad report of them to his father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him." Now Joseph had a dream and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him even the more. He said to them, "Please hear this dream I dreamed. There we were binding sheaves in the field. Then behold my sheaf arose and also stood upright, and indeed your sheaves stood around and bowed down to my sheaf." 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 the more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream. This time the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me." So he told it to his father and his brothers, and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed bow down to the earth before you?" And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in his mind. We are looking at Joseph again. Another thing you find about Joseph, the first thing I pointed to you was that this young man aligned his life with God very, very early and he began to focus on God. He began to focus on God. How will you know? You will know because of two things that happened from what we just read. Number one, how do we know that somebody is focused on the Lord? How do we know that God was the focus of this young man? You will notice that the Bible says that he does not join his brothers to do evil things. Rather, whenever he's back home, he reports his brothers to their father. So you can see that Joseph is somebody who does not join the multitude to do evil. Joseph was not somebody that was moved by the multitude around. Joseph is not somebody like that. When he goes with them to the field and his brothers they are doing what is wrong, even though they were much older than him... don't forget what I told you at the beginning, that Joseph was the eleventh child. And please don't forget this story too, that the gap between Joseph and some of the earlier ones was much because Rachel did not give birth on time. You must not forget that. It took several years before Rachel finally gave birth. In fact, Leah have given birth to five good children before Rachel could start giving birth to children. So the gap between them is much. What is it that I want you to learn as a young man from this? Look at Isaiah chapter 60. What do I want you to learn from that? Isaiah chapter 60 verse 1 and 2. It says: "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen in you." Are you seeing something? It says darkness will cover the earth but and at the same time gross darkness the people, but for you the glory of God can be seen in you. I don't know whether you understand what that means. What it means is that even though society has become so dark today, despite the deep darkness, it is not enough for the darkness to make you dark. I don't know whether you understand me. It says darkness will cover the earth. Everybody may be telling lies, everybody may be immoral. Nigeria in fact, Nigerians are evil, this Nigerians are that. That may be the darkness that covers the earth. That is the darkness covering the earth. Immorality, perversion, deceitfulness, wickedness, indecency, everything, darkness everywhere, corruption at every level. Political corruption, economic corruption, educational... all the institutions. Corruption in the family, domestic violence, gender violence, deceitfulness, wives cheating on their husband, husbands cheating on their wife, husbands extramarital affairs, wives extramarital affairs, young men premarital sex, multiple sexual partners, risky sexual behavior, pornography, masturbation, homosexuality, lesbianism. I mean darkness covers the earth. Gross darkness the people. Alcoholism, drug addiction. The Bible says even though gross darkness will cover the earth, it is not sufficient for that darkness to make you to be dark. It says gross darkness cover the earth, it says but the glory of the Lord can still shine. It means that no matter how dark society is, you can still shine as light. You can still be different. That is what we are learning from the life of Joseph. Joseph was surrounded by elder brothers that were corrupt. Darkness covered the earth, gross darkness the people. All Joseph would go with his brothers, they'll be doing all the evil, but the glory of the Lord, like we said in Isaiah 60, Joseph did not join that darkness. He would rather come home and report their brothers, simple report. I'm telling you that one sign to know that a man is focusing on God is that he does not join the multitude to sin. If you notice that you are joining the multitude to sin, God is not your focus. Joseph was focused on God. When you are focused on God, everywhere you are you want to please God. So Joseph don't join the brothers. He does not join the multitude to do evil, never. He will never join them. That is how you know. The second thing about how you know that focus on God... you will know in this place from the life of Joseph, you will notice that at that age 17 the Bible said Joseph began to dream. May your life not be void of vision. As a young man, as a young woman, may your life not be void of vision. May you not be a life that does not have a vision of what you are to become. I can remember as far back I encountered God at the age of 17, coincidentally too. I met God when I was 17. And today I'm over 50. I met God at 17. I remember that that walk with God that began at 17, by the time I was 18, I already knew what I'm to become. I'm talking about focusing on God. It became very clear to me what I can become. It became clear because you see one thing about you as a young man is that if you don't know what you are standing for you will fall for anything. You must know what you are standing for. That is what I saw in the life of Joseph. The Bible says he had a dream and he came to his brothers. Of course, he was not wise enough, he shouldn't have told them that dream anyway. You know you go meet people and say, "Look, you know I will become your ruler." They will kill you now. And that's why they wanted to kill him. But thank God for his preservation. Even in our shortcomings, God is our keeper. That's one thing about God. If you are focusing on Him even in your mistake God will help you. God will turn those your mistakes for good if you really love God. That's why the Bible says all things work together for good to them who love God. Let me tell you one thing about God. You see when you truly love God, that love in God is the thing that has the capacity to make everything around your life to favor you no matter how bad they may be. He says all things work together for good to them who love God. Once you truly love God, if you truly focus on God and you love God, even your errors God will turn them around for your good. That is the truth about it. Although we will still see that later in Joseph going to prison, but I'm just because it's occurring here, but I'm just trying to mention that to you that you see the same mistake again in his early life. It happened again in his later life. He should not be telling his brothers and telling them, "You know that I'll be greater than you. We're in the field, my sheaves just stood up and your own bowed. We went again to his father... even the sun and the moon you have bowed." That is not wise. But it was because he was a young boy. He did not understand the capacity, he had not developed capacity for handling information. And that is why I tell people no matter how good you are, no matter how much you know God is helping you in life, as a young person be sure to have a mentor. Be sure to have somebody who has passed through this life ahead of you. In the multitude of counsel there is safety. That's what the Bible says. If you have a good walk with God, I tell people, even the best of players they have coach. Go and check them. The best of football players they still have coach. So no matter what God is doing with your life, don't just stay in isolation. Be sure to be in a community of life that you can look up to, that you can ask questions. "God is telling me this thing, this is what I want to..." they can say, "Ah yes, that is correct. Look at it, look at it." They can help you balance some things because actually men life is in stages, men are in sizes. That is the truth about life. There are people who have walked with God better than you no matter what you think you are doing now. And there are people you will be better than. So you will have those that you are discipling and you also have those that are discipling you. Those are things you must have in life. A Timothy and a Barnabas. Go and check the life of Paul. There was a Timothy, there was a Barnabas. Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man the countenance of his friend. Don't ever be a loner in life. It's not Christianity. Never be a loner. Never do. Have people you are looking up to. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God. So as you have your walk with God, at the same time in the multitude of counsel there is safety. With good advice make war. That is the place of the Bible. Who is your advisor? So as a young person it's a principle you must learn in life. That's the third thing we are learning from the life of Joseph. One thing you will know that how you will know that you are focusing on God, anybody who focuses on God will have a dream. Oh, I'm telling you the truth. You will have a dream. When I say dream I don't necessarily mean dreaming in the night like Joseph was dreaming. I mean God will begin to declare your ends to you from the beginning. That is the way God operates. He says I am a God who declared the end from the beginning. God will begin to declare your end from your beginning. And you know why God does that? It's very simple. Go and check it in Proverbs 29:18. It says where there is no vision the people perish. One thing God used to preserve people who are focused on Him is to give them vision. I was 18, I was getting into 18 when my vision became very, very clear. I knew where I was going. And that's why I tell people that that thing that God did for me became the enabler in my life. I knew what I... distraction quickly appeared as distraction. They were not attraction to me. Because I saw that no, this thing will destroy this thing I want to do. That's what I'm trying to say that when young people cannot see what God is doing, they will be stumbling all over themselves. That is why you notice what God did for Joseph at a very early life. What did God do? God gave him a vision. So two things I'm showing you about focus on God. If you are focusing on God, two things will come out in your life. You will not join the multitude to sin. Darkness may cover the earth, gross darkness the people, but you will see this glory will rise upon you. Say, “No, others may do, I cannot. I can't join them to do this. I am different. I have a place I'm going.” You will not join multitude to do evil. Another thing that will be very, very clear about your life, to know that you are focused on God, is that God will give you a vision. There will be a dream. You will see where you are going. One thing again we are learning from the life of Joseph as is very, very distinct, is that you must be... don't just be a young man without fathers over your life. Don't be a young man without mentor. Don't be a young man, don't be a young man, a young woman, don't be this youth that does not have oversight, that does not have a discipler, that does not have a role model, that does not have somebody that is there that you discuss your revelation, your insight, your whatever with, that will say, “No, no, like this, like that,” can be a kind of guide to you and be a kind of counselor and advisor. It's very, very crucial for you as a young person. Even as we all grow older, today I still have those that are my advisors. You will now grow with those people as they grow much more older you are growing older, they will be growing older too. The relationship will continue. That is how it goes. Don't ever be a loner. It is not a correct life. Don't ever be a loner. It is not a correct way to live. It's not biblical. Walk with the wise, you will become wise. That is what the Bible says. In the multitude of counsel there is safety. With good advice make war. That is the place of the Bible. I show you another one again. That was David. David began to meet with God at a very early life. One of these days we'll look at the life of David to learn some things from his own life. In the next few three months in our Singles Club we'll be looking at different lives that we can just pick some lessons from. I saw that most young men today join the multitude to do evil. Immorality, indecency, fornication, pornography, setting their desires on money, pursuing money first before God, placing wealth above godliness. These are just foolishness, these are confusion. It's not correct for you. The Bible says those that seek to be rich will enter into various temptations that destroy the souls of men. Don't seek to be rich, seek to know God. If you find God you will live in abundance. That is the truth about it. Seek to know the Lord. You will discover that you will not lack in life. I'm telling you that. It is the truth. Go and look at men who seek God, they did not lack in life over time. What they will eat, what they will drink, they will have it. Don't waste your energy seeking to be rich, seeking to be wealthy. First put your life in the right place. Consequently, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, these things shall be added to you. Certain things, they are to be added to you. I told somebody if you labor for everything around your life, you are not blessed. It says these things will be added. There will be blessings. They will come in different ways. God will raise helpers around your life. If you focus on God, that is the truth about it. If God is your focus you will not lack. That's the truth. Helpers of destiny academically, helpers of destiny financially, helpers of destiny... God will just raise helpers at different places academically, financially, maritally. All those things, they will just come around your life. Someone just somehow just sent things to them. Pam, pam, pam, pam, pam. You'll just get so many things around your life that you did not work for. That's the truth about it. So please, I am so concerned with the way young men are living their life today. You need to be redefined. You need to be reoriented about the way people are living today. It's not correct. It's not right. Reorient your life towards what will make you last. That you will look back after 30 years of living and you will still see... you will be thanking God that wow, this is how far God has helped me. I'm telling you. Not after 30 years you begin to look back and say, “Ah, I wish I did it like this. Hey, I wish I never did this.” Ah, I wish, I wish, I wish. But honestly those things they are not things that you can reverse. I pray for you, may you not enter into irredeemable mistakes in the name of Jesus Christ. Some mistakes are irredeemable. But the point I'm just making this morning is about learning from the life of Joseph. The third is have fathers over your life. It's very, very crucial. Have fathers. Look at David. He wanted to go to war. Saul gave him his armor, everything to wear. By the time he put on the thing, David said he could not walk. So he removed everything from him. He said, “Let me go with my shepherd's sling and staff.” So he went to that battle and God gave him victory. But I want to ask you this simple question: as David was growing in capacity throughout his life, was he still using stone and sling? Was he still using stone and sling? Did he not learn how to use sword and how to wear armor later? He had to be taught. Those who have been using it have to teach him how to use that for battle. At one point he did not know how to use it. He could not move. But at another point he was able to wear armor and carry sword. You see men, please don't ever forget this, that life is in stages and men are in sizes. Men are in sizes. Very important, please know that. So that was the third thing we are looking at in the life of Joseph. It was a life that was focused on God. The consequence of that life, how do we know it? Does not follow multitude to sin, he had a dream. Another thing we pick from the life of Joseph is that oh, look at how he managed that information because there was nobody to properly advise him. Properly advise him. Please have oversight. It's very, very important. Be sure you have an oversight. It's very good. Still looking at the life of Joseph, we want to pick one or two more lessons before we close for today. Joseph as a teenager, that's what we are looking at this morning. Joseph as a teenager. So the fourth thing I mentioned about his life was that you notice that if you really love God, God will make all things work out for your good. And that is where we are going. So his brothers, his father, they rebuked him for the dream when he said, “I had a dream.” He repeated the dream again. This is the dimension and the trend of that dream. His father rebuked him, his brothers hated him the more, his father kept the dream in his heart. Please always remember God declare your end from the beginning. It's very, very important. And let me tell you one good thing about this thing. Do you know that if you begin to walk with God that way, one thing you will realize that there will be no major thing God leading you into that you will not have a clear word of God for? If you want to enter into academics, a particular direction in your academics, God will declare the end of it to you. If you enter into a business, God will declare the end of it to you. If you want to marry a sister or marry a brother, God will declare the end of it to you. That was my own experience. When I was taking sociology God declared the end of sociology to me, what I will eventually become with sociology. When we were taking entering into marriage, God declared the end with the sister I'm to marry. He just told me, “Look, this person is like this and this is like that and this is what it's going to be.” It makes you to live a more stable life. Your life becomes more stable. You not just be jumping here, you see, you not just be jumping. Most people today are just haphazard with their life, pursuing shadows, chasing the wind. Your life you will just see your life consistently. It will be a consistency growing along a pattern, along a line. You just be increasing along that line. It's something very grace and a very, very wonderful. Relocation to Jos was the same thing. Lord said, “Go, your soul will dwell at ease, your seed will establish you upon the land. Go, I'm going ahead of you.” And we came here. You know, it will make you see what the end will look like. When we were leaving Jos then people felt that, “Ah no, don't do that, don't do that. How will you just sell all your land, just do everything? No, first go and check in case it is not good, you can quickly run back.” But we left in 2004 and we have not of course run back to Jos. The point I'm making is that it makes your life more stable. Honestly I don't know why young people are not seeing this thing about their life today. Please I beg you, be among the smartest young people. First align yourself with God. That is what it means to be smart. Those are the smartest youth. I'm telling you. Youth who begin to put their life in a position where their life can be stable over time. Because stability is the thing. It's not just going up down, up down, up down, scattered. You do this one, you scatter it, you... and then you find that so common sometimes with some young men and young women. In so many things: academically, maritally. Some people will say their marriage is not good. In marriage of just two years, “I hate this sister, this and that.” They scatter that one. “I'm divorcing, I'm picking another.” You just be seeing... just living haphazardly in their career, in their academics, in their marriage, in their this. You just see them living scattered. Align yourself. I pray you'll be among the smartest youth in the name of Jesus Christ. Please wake up and be smart. Wake up, wake up! Don't be sleepy, you're still sleeping, wake up! Time is going, time is not waiting for you. Before you know now you begin to grow white hair. Please be smart with your life. Be smart with your life on time. Be smart, be very, very smart with your life. So that you don't get to old age, you begin to wonder where do I start from again, what do I turn to? No, it's not a good way to live at all. So we saw that we are looking at all that in the life of Joseph. And then the other thing that I mentioned is from verse 13. "Israel said to Joseph, 'Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.' So he said to him, 'Here I am.' Then he said to him, 'Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.' So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, 'What are you seeking?' So he said, 'I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.' And the man said, 'They have departed from here, for I heard them say, "Let us go to Dothan."' So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near, they conspired against him to kill him. Then they said to one another, 'Look, this dreamer is coming!'" See, let me tell you one thing. When you are consistent with your vision, you will be identified by your vision. That's one thing you need to know. You'll be identified with it. You'll be identified with your vision. When you're consistent with your vision, once the... let me give you an example of what I'm trying to say. If people notice that you don't... you are somebody when they are discussing ungodly things, you will just say, “Ah, no no no no no, that is not correct. The Bible says this and this and this.” You see any time you enter among your friends, your colleagues now... not your friends now, your colleagues who are otherwise, they will just change the topic. Say, “Ah, the pastor is around.” They will just change. They will always conspire against the dreamer. They will always, once they... that is one thing about it. I want to tell you, if there is nothing that you can be labeled for, there is nothing serious about your life. Go and mark my word. If there is nothing about God you can be labeled for, your walk with God is not yet serious. There should be something you should be labeled with. We know him now, you know him, he's evangelical. Ah, you know, ah, you know him now, he has his ministry of giving. You know, there will be something you are named for. I'm talking of early life, things that have to do with us in early life. There should be something that you are labeled with. You get the point when I say... when they call him dreamer, was he actually a dreamer? Is that what he actually is? It's to become a prime minister. The shape may not still be very clear. But if your walk with God is serious, people will label you with it. There will be something to label about you. I remember when we were back then school, once we just see this my friend... we still relate today. In fact, he's designed to bring me to his church in Lagos so that I'll come and minister to them. One of these days we'll arrange it, I'll be with them for a weekend. Once we just see him they say, “Ah, the rural villager, the rural evangelist is coming.” He was so... it should be clear. Today he's a pastor with Redeemed. Certain things will be clear. You see there are these things that Yorubas normally say. They say it in different ways. That: "Ohun t'eeyan maa se lo l'owo, talaka lo ti n beere." That is what you will do when you become very rich, you will have started it before you become rich. If you are stingy now, you can't become rich and be generous. If you are generous now... you see what you are, increases with you. "A maa n dagba ni." It will just be increasing with that thing. What you are now. That is why you must be careful as a young man, as a young woman. "Wa maa n dagba," that thing will be changing to bigger something. That's what will be happening. If you are not loving now, if you are not patient now, if you are not somebody who is sacrificial now, somebody who is painstaking, who can tolerate now, don't think it will just come into your life when you get to when you become two years older. No, except you are deliberate and intentional about what you are now, you will be increasing with what you are. That's the truth about it. Something must be labeled with you. It may not be very, very perfect. They may be relabeling you, calling you one thing, but over time the vision will be clearer. It will be clearer. “Hey, the dreamer is coming oh!” They had changed the topic they had before. Have they not changed the topic? They have changed the topic from whatever they are discussing to begin to discuss, “What do we do with this dreamer? Maybe we should just kill him, let's just...” They begin to... and that is what it is. We see them changing topic, you see them changing discussion. You see them talking around what you are and then knowing what to do, how to respond and all of that. It is something that is very, very crucial. Then you find in verse 19: "This is the dreamer coming." May you have something in God to be labeled with in the name of Jesus Christ. May you not just be there without a label. It's not good for you as a young person. There must be a label. Trust God for a label. Be known for something. It may not be very, very perfect, but be known for that thing in God. It's very, very important. When you move on, on verse 20: "Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into the pit and we shall say some wild beast has devoured him. We shall see what will become of his dreams." But Reuben heard it and he delivered him out of their hand and said, "Let us not kill him." And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness and do not lay hand on him, that he might deliver him out of their hand and bring him to his father." Out of their hand and bring him to his father. So it came to pass when Joseph had come to his brothers, they have concluded their plan. The plan now is they will not kill him. They strip Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they cast him into a pit, and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. That was the alternate plan of Reuben. And they sat down to eat a meal. They lifted up their eyes and look and there was a company of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead with their camels bearing spices, balm, myrrh on their way carrying them to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?" You know Judah did not know that the plan of Reuben is that after they have gone he would go and take him out and take him to their father. That's why he said they should cast him inside that pit. Judah was thinking that he's going to die there if we leave him and go away. So you know, instead of him dying that way, let us make profit from him now. We can make money. He says what profit will we make from this? So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh." And the brothers listened. There is no need to make him die now, there is no need to kill him. Let us allow him to go, let us just sell him, it won't be we who will kill our brother. Then the Midianite traders passed by so the brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver and they took Joseph to Egypt. Then Reuben returned to the pit and indeed Joseph was not in the pit and he tore his clothes. So he was really sincere with what he wanted to do. He really wanted to return him to his father. And he returned to his brothers and said, "The lad is no more. Where shall I go?" So he was not aware of the sale. How these things happened somehow, you just wonder. And that's why sometimes when we are reading biblical story, it's good to where things are not very, very clear, good to clear them with where the Bible is clear. It means somehow Joseph was... Reuben was not with them when they were selling his brothers. Although they were in the field together because this scripture says he went back to take him out of the pit. I'm saying this because sometimes when you read biblical story, it's just like this other day when they were arguing something in the teenage church, in my church, that Adam was there when Satan was tempting Eve. And after it was tempted he now Bible said he ate and gave to him. I said look, don't just take story, there are things in between the line. I now took them to 1 Timothy chapter 2 where the Bible says Adam was not deceived but Eve was. I said so if you look at this place, this is a clear word that explain to us that Adam was not deceived even though we don't know how it happened. Just like this type of story. We don't know how, because they were all on the field. So how was it that they pulled him out of the pit and they sold him? So maybe they have discovered that this brother is like he want to deliver him out of their hand or something, I don't know. So maybe some of them just quickly secretly and then they just sold him quickly and then brought the money back. It's possible. It's a field. And then he was sold. But he was not aware even though he was in the field with them. He had no knowledge of it. So by the time he came back, “Ah, where is the boy? How will I go and face my father now?” You know he's the firstborn. So how will I go and face my father? Where is the boy? I'm sure these ones will just be laughing that, “Ah, the twenty shekels of silver is already in our pocket, you are talking about the boy. Which boy? The boy have gone to Egypt jare!” You get the point I'm making. So they killed Joseph too... they killed a kid of goat and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they sent the tunic of many colors and they brought it to their father and all of that. What's the lesson we want to learn from this place? We will stop at that verse 34 today. From the last verse, it was the other side of Joseph's life, Joseph in Potiphar's house. He had become a young man, he was no more a teenager. That's another level in the work of Joseph. We are stopping at verse 34, just Joseph. We are looking at the story of Joseph as a teenager in his father's house, the lesson we can take. If the Lord permits some other days again we will take Joseph as a young man in the house of Potiphar. All of that. But as a teenage life I believe we are learning so many things from his life as a teenager. Too many things to learn from his life. So the concluding one we want to see is the one I mentioned earlier. I've mentioned it earlier but we are just concluding with it. You will notice what happened. Joseph was coming. When he got to his brothers, they have already conspired. I've talked about being you must be labeled with something. I've spoken about that already. Now the other thing we are looking at now is that please look at how everything went. They conspired to kill him. Reuben, the Bible says Reuben heard about it. He heard about it. Which means Reuben was not part of the conspiracy. When it says his brothers conspired, we must be looking at biblical story with carefulness. It means when they conspired it was not all of them even though it didn't mention Reuben was not among. He now told them that, “No, don't kill him, put him inside this pit.” As the eldest brother with an intention to take him back to their father, he changed the initial thing. He heard it, he changed it. And then Reuben was to deliver him and take him to their father. Now look at it. If Reuben did not hear, they would have just killed him and he will not know. So somehow he heard. Number two, when they now want to sell him, look at what happened again. Reuben did not hear. He did not hear. That was not part of that information. They sold him. Now look at it. What made them to sell him? They would not have sold him if the Ishmaelites were not walking around that time to pass that place. That was why they saw people to sell him to and then they sold him. What am I trying to make you see in all of these things that I'm emphasizing? Look at ten people deciding over one person. Look at how that decision was just going, going, going, turning, going, going, going. If Reuben did not hear, they will kill him. If Reuben heard that they want to sell him, they wouldn't sell him. They wouldn't sell him. If Ishmaelites did not come, there would not have been reason to sell him or somebody to sell him to. If the Ishmaelites were not going to Egypt, Joseph would not have gone to Egypt, he would have gone elsewhere. It was the Ishmaelites that were going to Egypt, the next place of his destination and calling. Not Ishmaelites, they could have been going to another town. What I'm trying to see, I'm trying to make you see in all these things that I'm emphasizing, two scriptures I've quoted the first one: if you truly love God, I want you to know that it doesn't matter who is deciding, what they are deciding, what is happening in government, what's happening in politics, what they are deciding about tax, about salary, about ASUU strike, about this, about that. People are just... Joseph don't have any capacity to do anything. They were deciding on him. You know it looks like you are powerless sometimes as a youth. Your parents are talking, your mother is talking, that one is talking, this one is doing, this one is saying, this one is advising. Your father's friend will call him, say, “I think of this, that one will say, this one will say, Nigeria situation, the policy, the tax, UK is talking, Ukraine war is going on.” Everything is just happening. I want you to know this about your life: that if you truly love God, God will make all those things work together for your good. Now why do I say all of these things? Do you know that if, for example, Reuben was able to take him back to his father, what would have happened to Joseph? You say, “Wow, thank God for the deliverance.” So you see that even though his life missed some deliverances, it was God patterning his life into something. So don't mind when it looks like, “Ah, this uncle said he would help me. See now, he now said because they didn't pay salary he will not sponsor me again. Anyway let me just go to this...” Look, don't worry. God is patterning your future. The point is to just cross-check that you love the Lord. That's what is important. Just be sure that you are focusing on God. All things work together for your good. The Bible says "we know." Please listen. We may not feel it. We may not see it. We may not even be experiencing it because what Joseph was experiencing was weeping and crying. You know what it means they threw him inside the pit, they want to kill him all those things. He was weeping, he was crying, but God was working for his good. We may not even be experiencing it emotionally. What we may be experiencing may even be pain. But you must never forget this. You must always know it. It's something you must know. You may not feel it sometimes you may not feel it, you may not see it, but you must know it that if you love God everything work together for your good. Look at the second scripture that supports that and then we close this afternoon. Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11. Are you there? Ephesians 1 verse 11. What does the Bible say? "In Him also we have obtained..." We have obtained what? "...an inheritance." Being what? "...predestined according to..." According to what? "...the purpose of Him who..." Who does what? "...who works..." How many things? "...who works how many things? Who works all things according to the counsel of His will." There is nothing God cannot work according to the counsel of His will. There is nothing. I don't want you to fear. Don't be afraid of the future. What you should be afraid of is if you are not among the smartest young men, among the smartest young women. Once you don't truly love the Lord, be afraid. I know what I'm trying to say. If you don't truly love the Lord, fear oh, fear. But if you truly love the Lord, I am telling you there is a working of Him. You have this heritage. That heritage is that you have been predestined. There is a working around your life according to the person who has the power to do what? To work all things after the counsel of His will. You will not falter, you will not fall. You will not be cut down, you will not struggle in life, you will not stumble in the name of Jesus. Bow down your head and talk to the Lord this morning. Bow down your head and talk to the Lord this morning. Lesson from the life of Joseph as a teenager. God permitting us we will be looking at lessons from the life of Joseph as a young man. But that is our focus this morning: lessons from the life of Joseph as a teenager. Things we can learn from his life as a teenager. As a teenager he was so focused on God that the story of his father picked on the story of Joseph. God could not but put his name into the chronicles. This is the story of Jacob: Joseph being seventeen. It began with Joseph. They began the story because they want to tell the story of Joseph. How do you know you are focused on God? Two things must be in your life. You will see these two things. You will not join the multitude to sin. You will see it very sharp in your life. You will not join the multitude to sin. Darkness may cover the earth, gross darkness the people, but you will see this glory will rise upon you. Say, “No, others may do, I cannot. I can't join them to do this. I am different. I have a place I'm going.” You will not join multitude to do evil. Another thing that will be very, very clear about your life to know that you are focused on God is that God will give you a vision. You must dream, there will be a dream. I'm not talking of just sleeping to dream, I've made that very clear. You will see where you are going. The way God works is that He says, “I am the Lord who declared the end from the beginning.” From your beginning God will begin to declare your end to you. God will begin to make you to see vision because without vision you will perish. God will make you to see what and where you are going. It becomes very, very clear. Very, very clear to you. You begin to see your vision of where you are going in God, concerns very, very clear. One thing again we are learning from the life of Joseph as is very, very distinct, is that you must be... don't just be a young man without fathers over your life. Don't be a young man without mentor. Don't be a young man, a young woman, don't be this youth that does not have oversight, that does not have a discipler, that does not have a role model, that does not have somebody that is there that you discuss your revelation, your insight, your whatever with, that will say, “No, no, like this, like that,” can be a kind of guide to you and be a kind of counselor and advisor. It's very, very crucial for you as a young person. Very, very crucial. Even as we all grow older, today I still have those that are my advisors. You will now grow with those people as they grow much more older you are growing older, they will be growing older too. The relationship will continue. That is how it goes. Don't ever be a loner. It is not a correct life. Don't ever be a loner. It is not a correct way to live. It's not biblical. Walk with the wise, you will become wise. That is what the Bible says. In the multitude of counsel there is safety. With good advice make war. That is the place of the Bible. We also talk to God about your life. You're asking the Lord again this morning that God Almighty, let my life be so conversant with You. There must be a label. What are you labeled with? What is your label? When you are coming, what does your colleagues, what will they call you? What does your contemporaries, what will they call you? What would they call you? Is there something about God that you are labeled with? Is there something that is clear, that is true, that is sincere about you? Very, very important. Lastly we learned something about the life of Joseph. Oh, you don't need to fear the future. You don't need to fear the policies of government. You don't need to fear the policies of the world. Don't fear what men are saying, what they are deciding. Don't fear conspiracy. Don't fear traitors. Don't fear all of them. Don't fear darkness. As long as you love God, God will use all of them for your good. The wicked men, the bad men, the evil men, all of them will work out for your good. That is what God is able to do. God will conform all of them after His counsel for your life. That is the truth about it. There is nothing to fear. Don't fear if you love the Lord. But I tell you, you have a lot of things to fear if you don't fear God. You have a lot of things to fear if you don't fear God. There will be nobody to work the conspiracy... look at their conspiracy. God ordered their conspiracy to become what will favor Joseph. Even the conspiracy of the wicked will favor you if you love God. Take time to make up your mind this morning. Be intentional, be deliberate about your life. Be intentional and be deliberate. Don't just live carelessly. Don't waste your time. You are growing old. Every day you are growing old. Decide early in life and do what is correct and clear. Decide early. Make up your mind about certain things. Make up your mind about what you will always do. Make up your mind about what you want to do. I've always told you that we were just 17, 18 then when the Lord helped us to decide that every 4:00 AM before 5:00 we want to be up to be with God. And that thing continued for over 30 years. We decided... ask the Lord to help your mind. Take decision. It helps you to be responsible. Don't just say any how it comes I will do it any how. I will do it any time. anyway it's not any how any way. No. Take a decision about your life. Take a decision so that you can be responsible in life. You can be responsible. Thank You eternal Father. Blessed be Your holy name. Thank You our Jesus. Help us our Father. Let me invite Gospel to close the meeting this morning. Gospel come and close the meeting. [Speaker 3] In Jesus' name. Amen. Our heavenly Father, Lord we appreciate You. We thank You for Your word which You have given unto us. We thank You for everything You've done for us. We thank You for the life of our daddy that You've used for us greatly. Lord, accept our thanksgiving in Jesus' name. We ask that as the seed of this word has been sown into our life, we ask that this word will germinate and bring forth fruit in us in Jesus' name. That we shall not always be the hearer only, but we shall be the doer of Your word in Jesus' name. We ask that You order our steps in Thy word forevermore in Jesus' name. That Your kingdom come and Your will be done in our lives in Jesus' name. Thank You Father. Thank You Lord. For in Jesus' name we have prayed. Amen. [Collective Voices] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry, a Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and married through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission aid. Our regular activities are: Discipleship class, every Monday 5:00 PM; Adolescents and Singles Club, every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Marriage Forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM; Family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and every day counseling. For further counseling you can reach us at our location: Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilere community, opposite Rejoice filling station along Ije road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 0803-386-1136, 0703-361-3848. God bless you all. [Music: Hymn playing]