Well if you turn with me again please to Genesis chapter 39 and we'll take up the reading at verse 7 to the end of verse 10. That's Genesis chapter 39 and verses 7 to 10. And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master what is not what is with me in the house? And he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I. Neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? 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. May God add his blessing to that reading of his own precious word. Let us come before the Lord and let us pray together. Our gracious God, our loving Father, we thank Thee that Thou art the God who has decreed all things for Thy glory, for Thine own glory. And Father, we thank Thee that that includes everything that You've made, even we ourselves here this morning, made for Your own glory, to enjoy You and to glorify You forever. And Father, we thank and praise Thee for Thy great saving purposes in that decree also. Lord, that it was in Your mind that You conceived of this plan. Lord, even before the foundation of the world, that Jesus Christ, Your Son, that He should come, that He should live and die. that he should rise again from the dead in order that we might know salvation, that we might be restored, that we might enjoy your covenant love, Lord, that we might be reconciled to Thee. And Father, we thank and praise Thee that, Lord, these things are firm and sure. We thank and praise Thee, our God, that we can rejoice in knowing that there's a God who in His providence looks over us, He cares for us, He provides for our every need and He works all things for the good of those His people who love Him. Father, we thank Thee it is so that even when a tiny sparrow falls to the ground, Lord it does so because You have decreed the matter long, long ago in eternity past. Lord that we have such an amazing, such an astonishing, such an astounding God as this. Lord it takes our breath away, we wonder, we worship and we praise and adore your great and wonderful name this morning. Father we are glad to be in your presence here this morning. We could have been anywhere, we could have been at home in our beds, we could have been out there in the wild enjoying ourselves doing many many other things but father we thank you that you've called us here together to worship and praise your glorious and wonderful name and father we thank you that you've brought us here this morning to hear your voice once again and lord to listen carefully to what you say And Father we pray that you would direct us, correct us, instruct us in the way of righteousness and holiness. And Father we pray that with every fiber of our being, that Father with every part of our existence, with every corner of our lives that we might glorify you. And Father that we might enjoy and that we might love you too. Father we pray that you would come to us this morning and that you would fill our hearts with your love again. And Father that your love would overflow in our hearts, that we might be devoted to you and to your cause, to your worship. And Father we pray that not just our voices Not just going through the motions, Lord of another service, save us and keep us, Lord, from any formality whatsoever. But Lord, please, that we might engage with you this morning. And Lord, please, that we might, as your word commands us to, that we might endure hardship like good soldiers of Jesus Christ. We've been singing with the children this morning that we're in the Lord's army and Father how true that is. Soldiers for Jesus Christ. And Father we pray that we would show ourselves to be courageous in the fight, in the fight against sin, in the fight against Satan, against the devil. That Father please, O Lord, that we might be much in prayer, that we might be careful, watching unto prayer. And Father please that you would keep us from, Lord, the wiles and the schemes of the devil, of the enemy, the one that seeks the destruction of our souls. and that father we might be diligent in our fight and our warfare against sin and against evil that we might be completely and totally committed Lord to a life of holiness and we would show ourselves Lord so to be to be soldiers in the army of Jesus Christ and father we pray that as we witness to Him and to His great love, as we testify to men and women around us, Lord, our family, our friends, our neighbours. Lord, as we seek to show Your great love, we pray that they too might come to know and to enjoy the same. O Lord, please, that through our witness, our testimony, that others too might believe. Lord, we pray for all those who are suffering this morning, Those who are unwell, Lord Debbie is not with us this morning. We pray for her, we pray Lord please that you would grant to her a full measure of health and strength. Lord that she might know your healing touch at this time. We pray for she and for her family, her husband and her children. Lord, that they might know you. That they might know the love of God. Lord, that it surpasses all understanding and all knowledge. Please, Lord, that you would bless them even this morning. Lord, we pray for Pat's mum, for Lily. Lord, that you would Lord that you would bring healing to her after her fall. We pray that you would return to her, her confidence and enable her once again to continue with her normal business. We pray for Peggy, for Vicky and Peter's neighbour. We pray Lord please there in the hospital that Lord please that you would bring someone across her pathway to tell her of the mighty mighty love of Jesus that someone would tell her Lord that there's a Savior who died for sinners and that even now at this late stage in her life and with this serious condition Lord please that all that she might be brought to consider the things of eternity before it's too late minister Lord to this dear lady we pray and Lord we ask Lord please that you would be gracious to us this day this morning and this evening as we meet together in your name as once again we open the pages of your work Lord we thank you for the precious book for the word of God We thank and praise you, our God, it's for us. It's your love letter to us. And we pray, Lord, that you administer your word to us this day and in the coming days. And we pray that it would work in us that which is pleasing to you. that, Lord, it would bear fruit in our lives a hundredfold. Lord, to the glory and praise of your great name. We pray, Father, please, that we might be washed, that our minds might be cleansed and renewed by the reading and the ministry of your word. We pray that you would bring us to a clear understanding of how we must renounce the values of the world and that we must accept and live out the values, the principles of your word. And Father we pray that you would be gracious to us even this very day as you minister to us. We pray that our hearts might be open to your word. and do everything that you have to say to us. And Lord, we pray for this nation, this country of Romania this morning. We pray for your blessing, abundant blessing upon these people. Many Bibles, Scriptures have gone into that land since the fall of communism. And we pray that those Bibles might be read and that they might be believed, that the Word of God, the living Word of God, Lord, please, that it might be made lively amongst those people. And we pray for serious church and missionary endeavour amongst those people. And we pray that a work will be done that will bring glory and honour and praise to your name. We pray for our Queen and for her family. We pray that you would convert them. That you would bring them to a knowledge of yourself. We pray for our future King Charles. The one who tells us that he is going to be more of a King. He's going to be more outspoken. Well Lord we pray that before he does so, that you would clear his head of the nonsense that fills it at the moment. And Lord please that you would bring him to a knowledge of the Most High God. and that you would cause him to see that the king that he will be will be a king under the king of kings and that he is subject to a higher authority that he is under your kingship. We pray for Mr. Brown and for his family and for the members of cabinet and members of parliament that you would work in them your saving purposes and that you would bring them, Lord, many of them some of them at least Lord to a knowledge, a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and that you would grant to us Lord in this land something of a righteous government and in the meantime Father we pray that you would place your restraining hand upon each one of them Queen, Prime Minister, Cabinet, Members of Parliament that you would restrain them in their evil course, in the wicked things for which they legislate for in these days. Lord restrain them we pray, no more of this immorality, no more of this wickedness and evil in our land. Enough Lord, enough, this far and no further. and we pray Father please that you would give voice to your servants that you would raise up a force of men in this land filled with the Holy Scriptures and filled with the Holy Ghost Lord to thunder out your word throughout this land throughout this United Kingdom and we pray Father please that even yet that this nation might be conquered for you by the sword of the Spirit by the word of God. So now as we turn to that very word ourselves, we pray that it would conquer our hearts this morning, that we would heed how we listen, and that we would profit, Lord, as we receive your word and faith, that it might work in us that which is good and that which is pleasing to you. Forgive our sins, our many, many sins. Pardon us for Jesus Christ's sake. Wash us in His blood. Father fill us, pour out your Spirit upon us, most abundantly we pray, because we ask it in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. If you would turn with me again to those verses, Genesis chapter 39 verses 7-10. Just a few verses. full of meaning and purpose and much there of course for our instruction. Tempted yet without sin, surely there is a picture, there is some reflection here of our saviour and his temptations in the wilderness, in the desert when of course he came to be tempted of the devil. come to bed with me' in the Hebrew language is only just two words and it's an expression that is never used of marriage. The woman's clipped proposition expresses something of her British lust. In the former verses that we have seen of Joseph thus far, he stands out as being somewhat conspicuous. He stands out over and above, I think at least anyway, of the other patriarchs. There is a divine graciousness about him. There is the nearest distinction. He's a part, you know. Because the Lord is with him and the Lord is prospering him in his person, in all that he does, in his mind, in his body he excels. in all his tasks, in his discipline, his learning of the Egyptian lifestyle, Egyptian business practices, in his administration of Potiphar's household, in everything. He wins the hearts of men, he wins the favour of his master, he gives to his master a dutiful and a respectful obedience. and as a result of his presence amongst them, because of the blessing of God upon Joseph, it overspills to other people and they receive benefit as a result of God's blessing upon Joseph's person and his life. The blessing of God, you see, it always does that, beloved. If a man or woman says God has blessed me and they are exclusive, they don't touch or affect anybody else's lives, then I would say no God has not blessed you. God's blessing always over spills to others. He was goodly, that is he was a handsome, he was a very fit and a very good looking young man. And now as a result of that, we see here that he is exposed to this solitary temptation. He is led by the spirit into the wilderness and he is truly tempted of a she-devil, verse 7. But the temptation itself, verse 7. And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me, come to bed with me. Potiphar, he gives us the impression here of being very weak. He is a bad manager. He may be the minister of executions. He may be the minister of prisons in the government of Egypt. But as far as his own household is concerned, he's a bad manager. He just simply leaves it in the hands of a slave, Joseph. He seems to have no care for the domestic scene whatsoever. he knows nothing about where his wife is or what she is doing and that beloved is not good it gives place to sin it's his business to know where his wife is and it's his business to know what she is doing but the temptation itself is to youthful lust that is in Joseph and believe me this temptation is very very real you read the words and it's very easy to think yes she came to him she said to him come to bed with me he says no and he walks away it's that simple no it's not the temptation itself is to youthful lust it appeals to the appetite that is to the carnal to the bodily desires to the hunger of youthful lust which any of us who have lived for five minutes knows that that is naturally very, very strong. And the woman herself you see, she is an easy target for the devil because she is utterly faithless, she is sensuous and easily, very easily follows her own carnal lusts. And then of course if you add to that the treacherous liar that she is, as she appears to be later on, then that places Joseph in a doubly dangerous situation. But the temptation is strengthened because of Joseph's position, because he's not just an ordinary young man. He's a child of God, he's a son of God. God is with him and God has blessed him and God has honoured him and God has privileged him. Now the thing normally, come to bed with me, the thing normally would be unlawful But you see the suggestion of the devil here is, he comes to Joseph and he whispers into this young man's ears, he says to him, Joseph come on, you've got liberty son, you've got freedom, yes you're in the form of a servant but we know that you are, we both of us know that you're more than that. Why you're a son, you're a child of the living God. He has liberated you. He has justified you freely from all things. And He has placed you in this situation, in this privileged position. Why not take what you need Joseph? Joseph I mean it's not every servant it's not every slave in the household who's invited to bed the mistress and he flatters him with his position you're the head of the home you're the manager you're the supervisor Joseph take what you need your young body cries out for this Joseph He challenges him to take advantage of it, of his position to avail himself of what he desires. Turn the door into stones. Satisfy your natural appetite Joseph. In the New Testament it's called the lusts of the flesh. This I say then says Paul Galatians 5.16 Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh 1 John 2.16 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world 2 Timothy 2.22 Flee, that means put on your feet the best pair of trainers that you can find and run as fast as you can. Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness. Faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. The temptation itself is to his honourable place. It's more subtle you see, because if he can't descend, if Joseph will only can't descend to go to bed with his mistress, well he will know the enjoyment of such luxury and such grandeur Joseph you can be the top of the pile you can be the leader of the pack You're the supervisor in the household at the moment but you can be exalted to the most brilliant position in Egypt. You can have influence at your fingertips if only you will consent to this woman's desires to her proposition. She's the wife of the Minister of Prisons in Egypt and we understand, do we not beloved, how things work at court, how they work in Westminster. One of their own, Edwina Currie, a one time British Member of Parliament and a Member of the Cabinet, she said after her retirement, interviewed on television, she said, if not one of the three A's get you, she said. She said all three of them will get you in political life. Arrogance, alcohol or adultery. One of them will get you, she said, if not all three. Everybody knows. Everybody knows who's lying with his wife except him. And of course the transaction is cautiously covered over, ingeniously gotten over. A lavish gift here, a place of honour there. Oh the temptress, the temptress, she has her ways. I mean she can manipulate even her own husband. The one that she cruelly betrays, she can get him round her little finger when needs be. Joseph if you will just come to bed with me. Joseph, Joseph I can put you in high places. I can take you to places where you never dreamt was possible. I can make you the Prime Minister of Egypt. You don't have to go through the dungeon. You don't have to go through the prison life. You can get there. You can shortcut it Joseph. And she boldly and shamelessly propositions young Joseph. Of course there's a history to this. This is the climax that you read here. This is the end game if you like. This hasn't just happened spontaneously. Come to bed with me Joseph. She's been working at this. She's been working up to this. She's been making herself appealing, you know? Dressing herself with as little clothes as it's possible to do so without getting locked up. making sure that she places herself conveniently in his presence, you know, a look of the eye, a gestural suggestion, the liberties that she would take and allow herself constantly, constantly in this young man's face so wonder his body isn't on fire expressing her adulterous intent. Proverbs 5.3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and their mouth is smoother than oil, but her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Proverbs 6.26 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. It's the devil's high mountain. Joseph come to bed with me. Look at Egypt. You can be the prime minister of Egypt. You can be the lord of the land. Just come to bed with me and it will all be yours Joseph. to unlimited power if only the spirit of ambition could grasp the heart, the mind of this young Joseph the love of pleasure to grip his soul I mean what more could follow the sky would be the limit I mean if he desired the kingdoms of this world and their glory I mean such privilege and power and influence he could have over civilization if only he will yield Even more, what limit can you set to the tempter's ability if only Joseph will listen, if only you will take her Joseph. an immediate foot on the ladder of promotion. Joseph even, even at the right hand of the throne of thrones it can be yours. Are you not a child of God? Can you see it beloved? the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life and of course the temptation also includes the results. Joseph if you decline this offer you've heard the saying amongst womankind haven't you? that there is no fury such as the fury of a woman scorned. Joseph you know, you know the result of refusal, you know the resentment, you know the revenge, you know the hatred that you will incur if you say no to this woman. She'll destroy you Joseph. Oh, the Prince of this world has recourse to threats and to violence. Believe me, there is no Marcus of Queensberry rules with Satan. He's still a roaring lion, beloved, and he's looking for those whom he may devour. The temptations resisted, verses 8 and 9, but he refused. He said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master, what is not what is with me in the house? And he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? If the promise of his earlier dreams, God-given dreams are to be realized, for Joseph it can only be through the path of suffering, shame, sorrow and much tribulation. Paul, he says in Acts chapter 14 and verse 22 to the Ephesian elders that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 1 Peter 1 verse 11, the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow, the suffering and the glory, the suffering and the glory. It's the Christian pathway. It's the pathway that Christ took and it's the pathway that we take, beloved. And the temptation is resisted here by Joseph, one because of his walk with the Lord. Remember the power, remember the secret power, remember the dynamic of the life of Joseph. It is the presence of God with him. And keep in mind, please do remember here that the power and the impetus of this temptation is utterly hellish. You are outside of the natural realms here, you are in the realm of the supernatural. Ephesians 6 verse 12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. This is beyond the natural, but the impetus to his resistance doesn't arise from merely natural or human resources or motives either. Because as a believer, as a child of God beloved, we have the power to resist the spiritual wickedness in high places. But I suggest to you that human motives are of no avail in such a war. Human motives are of no avail in such a time of temptation as this. For the natural man, the natural woman is an adulterer already. But Joseph's walk with God is the important factor. Because he has an awareness of the Lord. Because he has a closeness of walk with the Lord and has had so for some time. and he surpasses in terms of godliness and spirituality I suggest to you that he surpasses even the other patriarchs even his own father except maybe, maybe just maybe perhaps Abraham but he surpasses them all for morality, spirituality, for complete, for utter godliness and especially so with regards to his spiritual life. When I say that he has an awareness of God, when I say that he has a close walk with God, what I mean is he has a knowledge. He has a knowledge of God. He knows the God with whom he walks. He knows God's holy character. And he has a deep sense of debt and gratitude to this God who has indeed justified him freely from all things. And he has a consciousness, you can see it in his reply to the woman, how can I do this great wickedness against God? He has a consciousness of the real offence of sin to this God such as the visible church lacks in this day and generation. and with a constant awareness of the presence of the God in him and with whom he walks and he lives and he moves in reality under the gaze of God And I say to you this morning, beloved, but for this walk, if this walk with God had not been up and running, Joseph at this point would have been slaughtered. He would have been devoured by the roaring lion. It's that that preserved him. But beloved, that walk needs to be cultivated. It's too late when the devil comes knocking on your door. It's too late when you turn the corner and you run slap bang into him face to face. It's too late then to take out your Bible. It's too late then to get on your knees and pray. It needs to be cultivated before the temptation comes. If you don't keep that worldliness at bay, then you will be a target for the devil. He will devour you. But the temptation is resisted because it would violate a trust. And his reasons in verse 8, well my master he says, he doesn't know what he's got in his house and he's committed everything that he has he's committed it all to me so Joseph reasons and absolutely correctly which probably leaves Potiphar's wife stunned you probably wouldn't have got a better reaction out of her if you'd slapped her with a sledgehammer the one whom she betrays The one whom she seeks to dishonour, Joseph, a slave in her house, wants to honour. Joseph, he says, he would be breaking a trust, his master's trust. Her husband had entrusted to him his entire household. Now obviously Joseph would be breaking that trust if he accepted his wife's offer to bed her. But remember that Joseph saw his position, he saw his place of privilege in this household as being given to him of God. and remember that as he was serving in this household he saw himself not as serving a man not as serving Potiphar but serving God so ultimately that trust that he would be violating would not be Potiphar's trust but he would be violating God's trust who entrusted him with this privileged position But the real strength of his resistance, the solid rock upon which he stands immovable, is it would be a sin against the God who is the source of all his favours. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Because it would violate God's law. because adultery is sin it is the violation of God's covenant that has been established with Joseph man you see was originally God's and no others but through man's own willful disobedience he became faithless and he joined himself he married himself to the devil and he became a covenant breaker by nature and also as a result of that he became faithless too in regard to that unique covenant in human life the covenant of marriage which God says reflects man's relation to God that's why it's so precious in God's sight Hence in the natural passions they reign supreme. Instead of faith and love and trust, as long as man remains in adultery to God, then there is nothing, beloved, that will stem the sin of adultery. Not the consequences of it, not the fallout from it, not education against it, not the fear of corrupting society. There is nothing that will avail against this temptation to immorality and to adultery. Because man is a natural adulterer, he's an adulterer to God. There is only one thing. There is only one thing that will stand. There is only one thing that will bring an end to it. And that's the fear of God. I mean the holy, holy, holy respect for the true and living God. That and nothing else. When the covenant relation is restored through Jesus Christ, through the Son of God, and man becomes again the friend of God, and returns to his rightful husband, divorced from the devil, and filled with the love and fear of God, then alone you'll bring an end to this temptation. But here's the very reason why the devil, why he tempts Joseph because Joseph has divorced himself from the devil and the devil hates all those who have divorced themselves from him. But this is Joseph's motive. I no longer belong to you. I'm married to God. I'm married to another. I've returned to my true husband. and he refuses, he tries to explain, he leaves no room for argument and neither does he tamper with the temptation because if he even thinks about it he's gone. A minister who once worked in the United States of America in the state of New York as he travelled about New York City. I remember him saying that he had this native of New York City who used to drive him around, up and down the streets of New York City, busy. thoroughfare as you know and he said this friend of him, this buddy of his, he said he would be travelling down this broad road, this main road and he said there would be all kinds of streets coming out, shooting out and there would be cars poking their nose out seeking to get onto the broad road that he was travelling on. And he said his friend would sit there with his foot on the gas pedal travelling down this road and he would see these cars poking out and he would say, he would mutter under his breath, don't even think about it, don't even think about it. Challenging the cars to come out in front of him. But there lies the answer to temptation, beloved. Don't even think about it. Because the moment you start to think about it, you're gone. You're finished. You're devoured. Don't even think about it, Joseph. How can I do this great wickedness? Great wickedness, beloved, that's what it is. Adultery. great wickedness and sin against God. King David fell. What was he doing at the time when he fell into this sin? He was on the roof. Instead of being out with the army, in the field, on the battlefield, at the head of the army fighting, he was kicking his heels, he had got nothing to do, and he thought to himself, what will I do? I'll take myself, I'll take a walk on the roof, and there up on the roof he looks down and hears this young woman, unclothed, bathing herself, pornography! Living pornography. If you play with fire, you'll get burned. Flirting in the office, that's just a game, isn't it, you know? Nothing's gonna happen, you know, we're just playing a game. or, you know, the porn, and of course, well, I mean, it's in your face all over the place, I mean, television's pornographic today, and of course you've got the internet source, and it's not like you're looking for it, you know, you're just, you're shuffling, and, you know, and it's passing by you, it's like, you know, you're kind of like a rubbernecker on the M6 when there's been an accident on the other side, you know? You just can't help looking. I'm telling you, you'll get burned. You'll get burned. You take fire into your bosom, you will get burned. David's payback, his chastisement for going to bed with Bathsheba, another man's wife. God said, I will take your wives, David. And he said, before all Israel, I will publicly defile them, every one of them. And he did. And his chastisement, his payback, for raising his sword against her poor defenseless husband, For this, David, the sword will never leave your house. And it never did. This may be a very popular sin, beloved, in society today. And it is. And it may even be an excusable sin in the visible church. And it is! Rest assured, rest assured from God's word this morning, it is great wickedness, it is sin against God. Exodus 20 verse 17, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife. Exodus 20 verse 14, thou shalt not commit adultery. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers shall inherit the kingdom of God. Be warned. But the temptation is repeated. Verse 10, And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, That he hearken not unto her to lie by her or to be with her. Oh it wasn't just a once for all offer. The temptation is repeated daily. The hunting harlot is not easily put off. and day after day relentlessly she pursues Joseph, she pursues this young man and probably at the same time using every womanly while and everything at her means in order to get this young man into bed with her. Well beloved in the modern scene Both men and women are found seeking illicit sexual affairs. You know as well as I do, it abounds in society today, in the western world here in the United Kingdom. You know that it abounds, you see it, you see it, that you are taught it on the television, that it's good to go, it's quite acceptable. If you're bored with your own marital sexual life, go and have an affair they tell you. That's the modern scene, that's the modern philosophy. And then you have people who are put into situations similar to that of Joseph, you know the boss where he pressurises his male, his female employees, perhaps even threatening them with job loss if they do not comply to his sexual wishes. and then of course the single mother with perhaps desperate needs. Favours are offered to her by the vendor if she will just make free her wares. There are times, beloved, when people are put in the most extremely difficult circumstances. from which they can see no way of escape. Joseph, what did Joseph do? Joseph can't quit his job, he's a slave, he's been bought. He can't quit his job. He can't go to Potiphar and say Potiphar your wife is trying to seduce me. So what does Joseph do? Does he yield? Does he give in? He did only what he could do. He suffered for righteousness sake beloved and he suffered greatly. He endured this false accusation. He went to jail as an accused rapist. His character was defamed. He was imprisoned for his integrity. Oh yes, in the end the Lord vindicated him. In the end the Lord established him. In the end the Lord lifted him up to a much higher position than he ever dreamed of. Yes, the Lord exalted him. Yes, the Lord vindicated him. But that doesn't always happen beloved. Sometimes the believer has to wait until glory to be vindicated. But Joseph did the one thing, the only thing that he could do, he trusted himself to God. But he wouldn't do the great wickedness. People find themselves in unhappy marriages and their targets for adultery. Well I can only say to that beloved that you keep your marriage and you keep it very healthy and you keep it very happy. You make sure that it's happy, that you love one another. And especially so on the sexual side of it. that no matter how long you've been at it that you make sure that it is romantic that it is exciting because if you keep yourselves from one another in a bodily fashion then you will make your spouse a target for the devil and a target for adultery if you cry and whinge and moan every night about oh I've got the headache you know I've had a long day I'm tired you know then don't come crying to the Lord when your spouse is unfaithful to you because you've driven them into the hands of the adulterer. Maintaining integrity in the modern scene where the moral standards are corrupt and become so more and more so daily It's vital, beloved, that we are committed to holiness. In the midst of a church that has given over to easy believism, all you do is you just make a profession of faith. You call yourself a Christian and that's it. You carry on and you just live as you please. Beloved, we are committed, we are called to holiness. Be holy as I am holy. That is the call of God's people, a commitment to holiness. One fall, one fall in this realm beloved, it will terminate your testimony. Your service to the Lord will be finished and any ministry that you have or might like to have is over and done with. there are not many people, yes David was forgiven David remained the king of Israel but I tell you there are not many who come back from this sin of adultery I remember a pastor who committed adultery in North Manchester some years ago and he was exhorted by the congregation to repent of his sin which he said he did do and he even exhorted him to come back to the church which he did do on the first Sunday night along with the adulteress who was a member of the congregation too and he sat there through the service and he said to this friend of mine who was in the congregation he said to him afterwards no he said I'm finished I'm going he said there's nothing left for me he said but just to sit here for the rest of my Christian life Nothing left. Nothing left. All gone. Come to bed with me. Get lost, Satan. Get lost. We are called to resist the modern values of society, beloved. On Corinthians 6, that the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord. and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid! What? Pardon me. Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit, free from fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Again of course accountability to others can be helpful. I know one pastor who has only one internet source in his household and he says it's right in the middle of the parlour. So he says if anybody in the house wants to do the internet you have to do it publicly where everybody can see it. What you're looking at. And the same with the television. No television in bedrooms. The kind of friend, another Christian friend, preferably of course the same sex, but somebody who will maybe give you a call or maybe knock on your door and say, yeah, let's have a look at your internet history for the last week. What's the viewing? What's the movies that you've been watching this week? Some people can stand with others can't. I read just the other day a young woman, she used to read these romantic novels. You and I would probably call them harmless romantic novels, nothing explicitly sexual about them, but she confesses that as a result of reading these novels she ended up in pornography. So, you know, but accountability to others can be helpful. If you're struggling, I mean, you know, in this area, in this realm, and if someone's a threat to you, beloved, tell someone. Even your husband, your wife. My dear, do not allow me to be in the presence of that person alone. I know there is a threat there. make sure you're never alone with that person you shouldn't be alone with another person of the other sex other than your wife anyway in private I mean you may resist once you may refuse once but when it's persistent when it's relentless beloved when it's coming at you day after day after day as it was with Joseph I tell you it gets very very it gets extremely wearing and don't even trust yourself to stand because if your attitude this morning beloved is this I will never fall in this area this could never never happen to me then I say to you, you are a fool and you do not know yourself what you are made of. But ultimately, maintaining a close walk with God as Joseph did. Joseph would not even be with her. It's called walking in the light, beloved. He made it his business He made sure that he put as much distance as possible between himself and Potiphar's wife. He made sure that their paths didn't cross as much as it was in him so to do. 1 John 1, 5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. out in the open beloved where everyone can see where it's safe and that's why you need to watch that's why you need to be careful be careful little eyes what you see be careful little ears what they hear be careful little hands what they touch for there's a father up above looking down with tender love so watch careful and praised as the Lord Jesus. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak. Lead us not into temptation is a good prayer. But that prayer can partly be answered by ourselves by refusing to be totally stupid. Maintaining a close walk with God. But if our relationship to God has not been restored, if we're still hostile to God, if we're still adulterous to God, then you are wide open to the flesh and to the devil. In fact, you are under their sway. You are under their control constantly. You have no protection whatsoever against the sin of adultery. I say to you this morning, the best protection that any marriage can have is a marriage in God. In God. That's the only place of protection for any marriage. Hebrews 13 God will, ultimately He will judge adulterers. The marriage bed is undefiled, but adulterers God will judge. But then ultimately He will judge all sinners. And the only way that that can be averted is through Christ alone. reconciled, remarried to God, divorced from the devil, renouncing the devil in his ways, renouncing the world in your own strength, in your own works, reconciled through the blood of Calvary, the grace of God realised by faith in Jesus and walking in covenant, love and fear of and with the Lord. In the fear of the Lord. That's the only place that your marriage can truly be protected. And the fear of the Lord, Job tells us is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom, power, self-control, grace. Amazing, astonishing, astounding grace that is able to say, How then can I do this being wretchedness? and sin against God. No! Only the grace of God can enable a man to do that in the face of a whorish adulteress. The grace of God says no to all ungodliness. Titus 2, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. Just like Joseph, not pleading ourselves, but pleasing God. May God grant us the grace so to do.