Stay On Target!

God’s Purpose will prevail

Don’t allow circumstances to change your pursuit of God - stay on target!

God uses opposition as well as conformance to accomplish His purpose

Israel’s opposition to God’s purposes, in spite of which and by means of which those purposes were accomplished.

Read Act 7:9-16

Don’t allow circumstances to change your pursuit of God - stay on target!

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Act 7:9 (ESV) “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him

God gave promises thru and to Joseph. His brothers were human and desired those promises for themselves - jealousy

Gen 37:4 (ESV)

4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Gen 37:8 (ESV)

8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Accept what God has given you, be satisfied with it, thankful for it, and make the most of it.

Be who God has created you to be.

Don’t allow circumstances to change your pursuit of God - stay on target!

Php 4:11-13 (ESV)

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Don’t allow circumstances to change your pursuit of God - stay on target!

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Act 7:10 (ESV) and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

Was this a quick process?

An easy process?

17 - Sold as slave by his brothers

Falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife

Jailed

Betrayed by those he helped

30 - Raised to Governor

13 years

Don’t allow circumstances to change your pursuit of God - stay on target!

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Act 7:11 (ESV) Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.

Act 7:12 (ESV) But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit.

Act 7:13 (ESV) And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.

Don’t allow circumstances to change your pursuit of God - stay on target!

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Act 7:14 (ESV) And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.

Act 7:15 (ESV) And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,

Act 7:16 (ESV) and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

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God‘s perspective is the big picture.

The drama that was Joseph’s life is just one small part of the whole picture.

Bottom line, we all live and die inside the working out of God‘s plan.

Don’t allow circumstances to change your pursuit of God - stay on target!

Php 3:12-14 (ESV)

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

PRESS ON!