Joseph’s Big But – Part 2 is a continuation from the week before and the second message of our BIG BUTS OF THE BIBLE series (click here to listen).  I thought I would share a couple of thoughts here.  Let me remind you of two big buts from the end of Genesis.

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ²¹ So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

If you’ve read Genesis chapters 37-50 then you know Joseph had a difficult journey in life.  As a teenager he discovered God’s dream for his life, BUT that dream would take Joseph through a pit and a prison before arriving at a palace. BUT he held on to the dream.  As a result his family was spared from famine and Joseph was able to save many lives.

Last week I talked about the first destructive tool to God given dreams: DESERTION.  This week I want to mention two additional tools of the enemy that destroy dreams: DISTRACTION & DISCOURAGEMENT.  Joseph was faced with both in Genesis 39-40.

He is sold into slavery by his brothers and ends up serving Potipher, captain of the guard in Egypt.  He finds favor with Potipher and is placed in charge of the estate.  Then Joseph is faced with a potential distraction when Potipher’s wife asked him to have sex with her.  After all, it could be their little secret, right?  WRONG!

The enemy always tries to convince us that our sinful distractions can be “our little secrets.”  What the enemy fails to tell us is that a temporary distraction can turn into the permanent destruction of our God-birthed dreams.   If Joseph gives in the story could have ended in Genesis 39.  BUT he didn’t.

Joseph ends up falsely accused by Potipher’s wife and lands in prison anyway.  It seems like he is paying the price for making the right choice.  Then Joseph has a ray of hope.  God gives him favor in prison and uses Joseph to interpret a couple of dreams.  He tells Pharaoh’s cup-bearer that he will be restored to the palace.  He then asked the cup-bearer to remember him…BUT the cup-bearer forgets.

Two years pass.  I can’t imagine how Joseph must have felt by this time.  He’s been abandoned by his family, wrongfully accused of a crime, and completely forgotten by someone he helped out while in prison.  I think it is fair to say Joseph was faced with DISCOURAGEMENT.

At this point, he probably wrestled with the thought of letting his dream finally die.  After all, prison seemed permanent.  BUT God had a plan.  After two years of freedom the cup-bearer mentions Joseph to Pharaoh.  You can read the full account here from Genesis 41.  Joseph is released from prison and put second in command in all of Egypt.  He went from the pit to the prison to the palace. 

His DREAM led to his DESTINY…the saving of many lives.  BUT first Joseph had to overcome DESERTION, DISTRACTION and DISCOURAGEMENT.  Your dream is no different.  The destination of your dream is ahead, BUT so are the destructive tools of the enemy.  The path to fulfilling your dream will be filled with dream destroyers so…

don’t desert your dream…

don’t become distracted…

don’t get discouraged…

just keep the dream…

no if’s, and’s or BUT’S about it!

(click here to listen to JOSEPH’S BIG BUT – part 2)

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. ²¹ So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

If you’ve read Genesis chapters 37-50 then you know Joseph had a difficult journey in life.  As a teenager he discovered God’s dream for his life, BUT that dream would take Joseph through a pit and a prison before arriving at a palace. BUT he held on to the dream.  As a result his family was spared from famine and Joseph was able to save many lives.

I’ve found that God ordained dreams always lead to the saving of many lives.  BUT I’ve also learned that these dreams are often tried and tested before they come true.  Often times God-sized dreams are never fully realized because we give up too soon.  BUT look back at what Joseph had to endure before his dream became a reality.

His first test was one of desertion.  His own brothers threw him in a pit with the intention to kill him and his dream.  After discussing this they decided they could do one better.  Instead of killing him they could sell him into slavery.  They could still destroy his dream, BUT this way they profit in the process.

It’s hard for me to imagine being sold by my own family.  BUT it’s not hard for me to understand feeling deserted by a family member.  My own father left when I was nine years old and I didn’t see him for several years.  Even after seeing him again I never felt like He believed in my dream.  Instead it felt like he believed in his dreams for my life.  I know many who can relate to a close friend or family member not understanding God-sized dreams.

Joseph experienced desertion, BUT he kept his dream.  What dream has God given you that others may not understand?  Have you deserted the dream because others have deserted you?  If so, pray for God to revive the dream in your heart.  Then keep the dream no matter what happens.  For Joseph things got worse before getting better.  BUT he held on to the dream!

So keep the dream…no if’s, and’s or BUT’S about it!

(click here to listen to JOSEPH’S BIG BUT – part 1)

So please allow me the opportunity to introduce to you my 2012 Blogger of the Year…

(drum roll please)

VANESSA HAWK

(click here to read for yourself)

Every year I set goals to get in SHAPE.  I use the word SHAPE as an acronym to focus on the following five areas of my life:

S – Spiritual Growth

• Spiritual growth is at the top of the list because it’s the most important.  I set Bible reading goals and focus on areas of my devotional life that need improvement.

H – Health & Fitness

• The older I get the more I realize how much I need to take care of my physical body.  This year I have set some weight loss goals as well as workout goals.

A – Activities & Relaxation

• I am a very driven person (with a type A personality) that thrives on the challenges of a busy schedule.  However, I realize I need to set some goals to relax and refresh doing things I enjoy.

P – Personal Growth

• I think it’s extremely important as a leader to focus on personal growth in addition to spiritual growth.  One of my personal growth goals is to read 52 books this year.

E – Expenses & Giving

• Creating financial goals through a budgeting process is important for everyone.  However, I like to take it a step further and set giving goals above and beyond my tithe.

What goals have you set for this new year?  If you haven’t set any goals yet then try this pattern and get in SHAPE in 2012!

So this Christmas season let me share with you the following quote from Dick Foth that reminds me of both of my favorite holidays and why they mean so much to me.

“Jesus left His place to come to my place.  He then took my place so I could go back to His place.”

WOW…that’s the gospel summed up into a few words.  That’s Christmas and Easter together.

Jesus left His place to come to my place…that’s Christmas!

Jesus then took my place so I could go back to His place…that’s Easter!

Never forget why Jesus came and take the time to celebrate Jesus during one of my two favorite holidays!

“Baptism gives believers the opportunity to communicate to the world their heart-felt commitment to christ!”–I read this and everything fell into place, the missing puzzle piece to my life was the Lord, and he is no longer absent from my life! I could never be more thankful for a second chance as I am by the one given to me from our father, God. I am so thankful to all of you at Epic for the opportunity you have given to me to find myself and to begin my Journey with God! I look forward to the future with great hope and I am so happy to have met you all. and to Pastor Bobby, thank you for changing my life.

I’m so happy for Kendra and all of the others that went public with their faith last night through the act of water baptism. 

This is exactly why we do what we do…and we will keep doing it to see others like Kendra find the missing puzzle piece of life!

Motivation and Mobilization must be Married!

motivate – stimulate interest in or enthusiasm for doing something.

mobilize – organize and encourage people to act in a concerted way in order to bring about a particular objective.

Leaders must both motivate people to action and mobilize people for action. The two must be married for the end result to be accomplished.

If we motivate without mobilizing we generate passion without a product.

If we mobilize without motivating then we create a team without a target.

Our team tries to evaluate our efforts by comparing the two side by side. We know we are striking the balance when the plan becomes the product through a team of people with a targeted purpose.

Are you motivating and mobilizing your team for success?

The rate of moral failure in my denomination has not increased over the last 25 years.  The percentage is actually less than 1% according to national statistics.  As grateful as I am for a small percentage of moral failures, I agree with our General Superintendent Dr. George Wood that “one is one too many.”

Over the past two weeks I have heard the disturbing news regarding two of my ministry friends.  Each has succumbed to a personal moral failure that has brought great reproach to both of these men.  My prayers extend to them, their churches and their families.  I don’t condone their behavior, but I do believe in God’s redemptive power.

With that said, times like this cause me to check my own heart and ask myself some tough questions.  Am I guarding my heart?  Do I have any habits or behaviors that are potentially destructive to my life, family or ministry?  If so, after true repentance what do I need to do to protect myself from the destructive nature of my sin?

As I said from the outset, one is one too many!  Whether you are a full-time minister of the Gospel or not, let me share the following principles from God’s Word that will help us avoid being the one.

To avoid being the one we must be:

• Accountable not Secretive (Heb. 4:13, James 5:16)

Accountability is a voluntary relational means by which I invite God to stand me face to face with myself, so I can see and acknowledge who I really am.  It seeks no escape, makes no excuses, accepts no compromise, and entertains no backsliding.  Commitment, confidentiality, compatibility, truthfulness, trust, and initiative are essential.  Herein I confront the issues of my life, the consequences of my choices, and the options for my future. (definition from Ron Bradley)

• Attached not Isolated (Prov. 27:17, Mark 6:7, Ecc. 4:12)

This goes hand in hand with accountability.  Jesus never intended that you become isolated in ministry (Mark 6:7).  Isolation leads to destruction.

None of us can do it alone.  We are not the sole solution to the world’s problems.  We all need each other (Prov. 27:17).

Jesus never isolated himself except to pray.  Jesus had the twelve with him, and the three that made up the inner circle.  Jesus understood the importance of attachment.  Paul needed Silus, Barnabas needed John Mark.  You and I need each other (Ecc. 4:12).

• Alert not Oblivious (1 Pet. 5:8-9, Eph. 6:10-18, 1 Cor. 10:12)

Satan attacks where passion is strongest and principle is weakest!

The enemy of our soul knows our weak points.  Not because he is omniscient, but because he has seen our track record.  If I knew your entire past, then I would know your areas of weakness and vulnerability.  Satan knows the areas where we are weak and will attack in these areas.  We must be alert to the enemy’s schemes.

• Active not Stagnant (Judg. 16:20-21, 2 Sam. 11:1)

Faith without faithfulness ends in failure (Jud. 16:20-21).

Of course we can all say that will never happen to me.  Samson probably thought that before Delilah in the book of Judges.  David probably said that before he ended up committing adultery and murder in 2 Samuel 11.

When a brook is in motion its waters are pure.  But if there flow is stopped they become stagnant.  So there are men who cannot pass from a life of activity to one of repose without degenerating in character. (quote from Matthew Henry’s Commentary)

• Authentic not Counterfeit (1 Tim. 3:2, 2 Tim. 1:8-9)

You cannot go out to do the will of God without going out with the character of God. (quote from Dick Foth)

Jesus never equated activity with authenticity. (quote from H. Maurice Lednicky)

If your desire is to live a life worthy of the calling you have received, and you desire to avoid being the one, please pray this prayer with me.

God help me to avoid being another casualty in this war.  Help me to guard my heart for it is the wellspring of life.  Help me to cover my blind spots with genuine accountability and to eliminate destructive secrets.  Help me to attach myself to the right people to avoid isolation.  Help me to live alert to the schemes of the enemy.  Help me to have an active prayer and devotional life to avoid stagnation.  Help me to live an authentic life before you and those around me.  Forgive me for my pride in thinking it can’t happen to me and help me to always walk humbly before you.  In Jesus name, amen.

By way of review our first value is this: We will do anything short of sin to reach people.

The second value at EPIC is this: We exist more for the people outside the church than the people inside the church.

The third value at EPIC is this: We are a church for anyone, but not for everyone.

Our fourth value at EPIC is this: We will never be too big…or too small.

Our fifth value at EPIC is this: We are going to say no more than we say yes.

Our sixth value at EPIC is this: We don’t want you to like everything about our church.

Our seventh value at EPIC is this: We view everything as an experiment…so failure is an option.

Our eighth value at EPIC is this: We believe that playing it safe is actually risky.

Our ninth value at EPIC is this: We pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on us.

Our tenth and final value at EPIC is: We believe that God deserves our best and anything less is unchristian.

The Apostle Paul pens the following words in Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” What a powerful statement!  God didn’t hold back on us; He gave us His absolute best!

If God gave His best then why should we give back anything less than our best.  Even though our best will never compare with Jesus we can still offer our best to Him.  Since God gave his one and only Son to us He definitely deserves more than our leftovers!

Every time I think of this value I’m reminded that I get to partner with God in the greatest cause the earth has ever seen and the only cause that’s eternal.  Now that’s an overwhelming thought!  If the cause is so great then my commitment to the cause must be great.

Great Cause = Great Commitment

How do we do that?  Jesus told us we need to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Him.  In other words, He wants us to give our best if we desire to be known as Christ followers.  Following Jesus requires great commitment to both the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

According to the words and example of Jesus, anything less is unchristian!

This concludes the series of posts on EPIC Church’s Top Ten Values.  If you want to view the full vision, strategy and values of EPIC Church click here to visit our website.

By way of review our first value is this: We will do anything short of sin to reach people.

The second value at EPIC is this: We exist more for the people outside the church than the people inside the church.

The third value at EPIC is this: We are a church for anyone, but not for everyone.

Our fourth value at EPIC is this: We will never be too big…or too small.

Our fifth value at EPIC is this: We are going to say no more than we say yes.

Our sixth value at EPIC is this: We don’t want you to like everything about our church.

Our seventh value at EPIC is this: We view everything as an experiment…so failure is an option.

Our eighth value at EPIC is this: We believe that playing it safe is actually risky.

Our ninth value is this: We pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on us.

Without prayer, all of our hard work, even our best efforts, are useless. The Bible is clear that unless the Lord builds the house its laborers build it in vain. Prayer builds the structural foundation on which the church can stand.

However, prayer apart from work accomplishes nothing of great value.  Prayer becomes a powerful tool to advance the kingdom when we commit our hands to the plow.  But praying without working is a lazy response to both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

At EPIC we work like it depends on us.  We work hard.  We give our best efforts.  We dream, plan and implement.  We try to motivate and mobilize our volunteers.  As a leadership team we try to live by example.  There is no room for faith without work at EPIC.

With that said, we realize even our best efforts could never build God’s church.  We work hard, and we pray even harder.  We don’t plan and pray for God to bless our plans. We pray for God’s plan and try to listen to what He has for us at EPIC.  Then we pray that God will bless His plan and our best efforts.

Praying hard and working hard are not mutually exclusive.  The two were never meant to be opposites.  At EPIC these two go hand in hand.  We will not work without praying and we refuse to pray without working. Simply put: Working Hard + Praying Hard = Kingdom Advancement.

That’s why we pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on us…and so far it has worked!

Stay tuned for value #10.