Amen. Touched my soul to say this, amen. Thank God for His goodness. What a God we serve. Amen, amen. Appreciate the preaching we've heard, the worship we've had in our soul this morning, amen. My heart is just filled up to the top, praise the Lord. We'll be in Psalms chapter 105, Psalms 105. I can see, Brother Larry, but these tears are making it difficult. Hallelujah. I don't know how he bottles them up, but he does some way, man. Thank God for that tremendous message we heard this morning. The Psalms, I love the Psalms, I preach out of them pretty regularly when the Holy Ghost certainly draws my attention somewhere. I appreciate the Lord being so kind to allow our mind to be directed by the Holy Ghost and He'll take your mind and put it somewhere, amen, and that is tremendous when He does that. And you can be reading somewhere else and just look back at a reference and there it is, bang, it jumps right up in your face and the Lord gives it to you. And now you've got me crying and now we've got my sinuses running. Praise the Lord, amen. Laughter is the medicine so we'll laugh a little bit and get rid of that, amen. God is so good to us, isn't he? The Psalms are such a tremendous book. It is an HISTORICAL book because he gives us NUMEROUS accounts of Israel and things that happened in the nation of Israel, and then he gives us historical accounts of his own life. David tells us a lot of things about himself in the book of Psalms. It is also a PROPHETICAL book because it talks about the Lord Jesus. There's more of the sayings of Jesus on the cross and the events of Calvary in the book of Psalms than even the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. It tells us about the crucifixion in Isaiah 53, but the very words of Jesus on the cross is in the book of Psalms. It's amazing, amen. It's a tremendous book. And so when the Lord draws our attention to a place, it is tremendous and I appreciate it. He's given us a lot of events. He starts with the very early part of the book. He says in verse 6, O ye seed of Abraham, his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen, he is the Lord our God, his judgments are in all the earth. He begins to talk about Israel's earliest beginnings, Abraham. He talks about the covenant in verse number 9. and Jacob receiving that everlasting covenant in verse number 10. So He's given us kind of an outlay of the things that's taking place as God begins to structure the nation of Israel. We know that Abraham was promised that promise, that even through Abraham the whole world would be blessed. And through the seed of Abraham the nations of the world will be blessed. And then of course Paul tells us in that seed he was talking about not a numerous seed but one seed and that was Jesus. That through Abraham Jesus would be born and that seed would be Christ and Christ would bless of course and make salvation for the world. Thank God He did. That's how come you and I are saved. Amen. And that's how we're connected to Abraham. Praise God. Amen. We're not Jews, but we're definitely connected by faith. Paul says in Romans chapter four, we're connected to Abraham. He believed and we're believing. Amen. So we thank God for it. But in the chapter, he draws attention to Joseph and I'll try to get my J straightened out. When you've got three sons, Jacob, John, and Josh, uh, I'll be hollering at Josh, and he'll say, I'm not Jacob. I'll be hollering at Jacob, and he'll say, I'm not John. And I'll be hollering at John, and John doesn't know who he is half the time anyway, so he'll answer anything. Whatever I say, he'll come running. Amen. So that's good. He's the oldest son, so he knows just if I say something to come. Amen. So that's good. But we do have Jacob and we have Joshua and we have all the J's in the Bible and sometimes it's kind of like preaching on Daniel and the lions and then you'll have Noah killing the giant or something. I guess some preachers may not have that problem but I do sometimes. But he talks about Joseph and we're going to read about Joseph, amen. The Bible says, let's start in verse number, we know that Abraham was told in advance that his seed, his people would go into Egypt and would be in bondage for 400 years. So Abraham knew that all in advance before everything ever transpired, before all the 12 sons were born, before they had children, before all these things took place, before the famine ever come, before they ever went to Egypt, it was prophesied to Abraham that that would happen. And so God already had told what was going to take place. But the Bible says concerning this famine and all that took place, verse 16 says, Moreover, and he called for a famine. So the famine was the work of God. He called for a famine. You see, God had said they were going to leave, but He didn't say what was going to make them leave. He said they would go into Egypt, but He didn't say what would make them go to Egypt. But God knew what He was going to do. Amen. And sometimes He's working in our lives and we may not have all the answers, but He does have all the answers. We may not even understand all the reasons, but He does understand all the reasons. So the Bible says, He called for a famine upon the land. He break the whole staff of bread. So God is the one who is designing all these events. He is the one that's bringing these things about. The Bible says He sent a man before them. Now before the famine comes, this man has already been sent. He's talking about Joseph. Now YEARS before the famine, Joseph is sent down to Egypt. And the Bible says God sent him down there. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant. Now, He is sending him to Egypt, but the way He sent him is in slavery. Amen. In the great revivals in Europe, there was actually men who would step up on the auction block and allow themselves to be sold as a slave. so that they could go into the mission field where they were taken as a slave. And they allowed the money that was brought from their purchase to be given to the church where they were leaving, amen. And they'd be sold as a slave, carried off to some other place, and that was their way of doing the work of God. Boy, we've come a long way, but I'm afraid maybe not in the same direction, amen. That's unimaginable, isn't it? Many of the folks who came to America came as slaves. There was white slaves before there was ever black slaves in America. Matter of fact, most of the folks that come over come over as indentured servants or indentured slaves. There were a shortage of workers in America in the colonies and so they would come across the ocean, they were penniless, They had to serve as a slave for a period of years before they could even begin to obtain their freedom. The man who, and many of those were captured and brought over against their will. One of the great events was when a ship was in port there in Birmingham, England, it promised a large number of teenagers, I think it was over 200, a trip up the English Channel. And they got on the ship, it never went up the English Channel, come across the ocean and sold all them white young teenagers as slaves in America. Why don't nobody talk about that? Amen. The man who founded the town I live in was one of those John Cook. He was brought over against his will. He worked hard and he purchased his freedom and then he worked hard and purchased a young lady's freedom who come over also and they were man and wife and they made their way to the West Virginia mountains to obtain more freedom. Amen. And that's how our town got started. What we think of Christianity and how we enjoy the freedom we have is far different than what our forefathers had. We have liberty and we have ability to go about on our own and serve the Lord and yet in the midst of that we're lazy and don't do our best. Joseph was carried as a slave to serve God. What a transportation he made. The Bible says, Whose feet they hurt with fetters, he was laid in iron. So when his brothers pulled him up out of the pit and took him out and sold him, JESUS DIDN'T HAVE A NICE GROUP OF PEOPLE COMING DOWN THROUGH THERE WITH POPSICLES AND LOLLIPOPS. HE HAD A GROUP OF PEOPLE COMING DOWN THROUGH THERE THAT PUT HIM IN SLAVERY, THAT PUT SHACKLES ON HIS LEGS AND CHAINS, AMEN, AND BOUND HIM TIGHT ENOUGH TO WHERE THEY KNEW HE WASN'T GOING TO GET AWAY. THEY WASN'T WORRIED IT WAS GOING TO HURT HIS LEGS, HURT HIS FEET. THAT'S HOW GOD TRANSPORTED HIM TO EGYPT. Amen. When things happen in our life and they're not what we want, we immediately question everything around it. And sometimes get out of the will of God because things are not exactly like we want it to be. Can you imagine a young teenage boy being sold into slavery? I'm not talking about into good slavery, I'm talking about bad slavery. And the Bible says that God did that. Amen. He says his feet, they hurt with fetters. He was laid in iron until the time that his word came and the word of the Lord tried him. God said He TESTED or He TRIED Joseph, and that He had to go through these HORRIBLE NEGATIVE EVENTS UNTIL God fulfilled His Word and Joseph was tried. The Bible says, "...the king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the people, and let him go free." He made him lord of his house and ruler of his substance. We know what happened in Joseph's case. He was brought down and he was sold first to Potiphar. Now remember Potiphar, Joseph was not a shirker, he was a HARD WORKER. He was so faithful and such a hard worker, he come to the place that he was in control of everything Potiphar had. To the place that the Bible says Potiphar didn't know what he had. Potiphar didn't know how much money he had, he didn't know how much wealth he had, he didn't know how much his income was. Joseph was so faithful, he trusted everything to Joseph. And Joseph had everything under his control. So Joseph has come from a shackled situation and slaves and chains until now he has an honored position in control of a very wealthy income that belonged to somebody else and everything was trusted to him except one thing. And that was the man's wife. And she was a witch. Amen. I'm not talking about a broom carrying witch. Another kind. And the Bible says she pressed Joseph every day. Every day. Lie with me, lie with me, go to bed with me. The Bible doesn't dodge the issue, it's very plain what it says. She pressed him day after day after day. He said, I will not commit this sin against my God and against my master, I will not. And he stood faithful. He has come from slavery, from irons, from change to the place he has an elevated position, he has a financial income, he is well taken care of, he is a man who is looked up to, he's above every other servant in Potiphar's place. But this woman, amen, presses him, presses him, and one day she takes him by his clothing, amen, and intends to force him into adultery. He has to FLEE from his cloak, he has to RUN OUT without his clothes, without his outer garment. She calls for the servants that were there, others, to come in, and she LIES and said, HE has tried to FORCE ME! And I've got his clothes here. Potiphar comes home, she is lying to him over the issue JOSEPH NOW HAS GONE FROM A CHAINED SLAVE TO A HIGH RESPECTED SERVANT, NOW HE'S IN PRISON. God said when he has finished TRYING Joseph, he will fulfill his word in Joseph. Joseph didn't call CLA. He didn't go through a whole lot of rigmarole. He didn't complain He didn't fuss and cry and moan He was the best prisoner in the prison How do you act when things don't go your way Can you imagine this HORRIBLE, ROLLER COASTER LIFE that he has been HURTLED INTO AGAINST HIS WILL? He never made ANY CHOICES to get there! He never made a purchase. He never made investment. He never went nowhere. He never went on a vacation, got into trouble. None of that. What he done was just simply decide as a boy, I want to serve God and live for the Lord. And all these events have happened to him against his will. He goes to prison. He's lied on. He's there unjustly. He does not deserve what he's getting. How do you act when something happens you don't deserve? What do we do when something comes our way and we don't deserve it? Joseph's in prison. He's the best prisoner the official of the prison has, so he puts Joseph in charge of the prison. He watches Joseph, he become like one of these honorary prisoners that used to be in the local jail houses. They would be a good prisoner, they wouldn't cause trouble, so they put him in charge of the prison or the jail. So he's in charge. They decide, Joseph's side, are we gonna play horseshoes or badminton? He decides that, amen. He is in charge. We know he's there more than years, he was there at least two years after he told the dreams, so we know he's there years, not just a year. Two of the king Pharaoh's servants are brought to the prison. One was the baker and one was the butler. The baker He was in charge of baking all the baked meats and cookies and candies and so forth and bread and bringing it to the king. The butler brings in the cup and he pours the cup. He probably had to sample every bit of it, make sure it wasn't poisoned. And so he's the butler. He gives the cup to the king. He takes care of that. Well, I don't know what all they got into, but anyway, they both got thrown into prison. We're not for sure how long they was there. But while it was there, they had a dream. Both of them had a dream one night. They were upset about the dream. They couldn't figure it out. Well, Joseph heard they had this dream and he said, that ain't a problem. God knows everything. And God does know it in all of this. It never affected his faith in God at all. He realized his God was still able to do anything Now he's done gone from being a young boy at home say sold into slavery He's gone from there until he's a elevated as a servant part of his house He's lying and and and he is his name is scandalized by this woman. He's thrown into prison His confidence in God hadn't changed How's your confidence in God Some Christian can't even handle a Democrat being voted into office, amen. And I don't like Democrats either, amen. I love people, but I'm not voting for somebody that wants to kill babies, amen. Molest little children and change them into something they're not. Amen, amen. Hallelujah, and I'm not running for office. Joseph has gone through all these things, but he says God can do anything My God is able Even though he is going through everything opposite of what he wants. He's getting nothing done that he wants He is obtaining nothing how he thinks it ought to be Everything's going opposite for him, but he said, you know, God can do anything That's pretty good So he tells the dreams. He told the butler, he said, you're gonna be reinstated to your butlership. He tells the baker, they're gonna cut your head off, it's bad news. He's like some of the guys, you know, and I'm not trying to be funny, but he said, I got good news and bad news. He said, which you want first? They said, let's get the good news. He said, the butler's gonna get his job back. Boy, that made the baker feel good. But he said, you're going to get your head cut off. You're not getting your job back. And that's exactly what happened. And so he says to the butler, when it goes well with you, tell the king about me. Tell the king that I've been put in here unjustly. Tell him what I did and that I did nothing wrong and he can handle this thing. So apparently up to this point, Joseph's never had even a hearing. He's never been able to talk. He's never been able to even defend himself. Guess what happened? Butler forgot. A week went by and he's probably, have you ever had something you were expecting to happen real good for yourself and it didn't happen? He's sitting waiting a week. He said, I'll probably hear from Pharaoh by tomorrow. It didn't happen. A month, it didn't happen. Six months, it didn't happen. A year, it didn't happen. A year and a half, it didn't happen. Two years is how much time went by. Two years. Didn't change his confidence in God one bit. Didn't change his attitude. He didn't quit being a good prisoner. He didn't quit doing his job. He didn't start acting wrong. He didn't start cussing, using bad language. He's just like he always was. He's gonna serve God no matter what. You see, God, the Bible says, was trying Joseph. He had a real big job for Joseph. He couldn't just put a 16, 18 year old boy in this job. He needed a real man for this job. And all this time he's prepared. What's he preparing for you and me? I believe in this Bible it's clear that God tests every one of us. He tested Abraham. I believe he tested Noah. Matter of fact, I believe the Bible teaches he tests nations. I believe the Bible teaches he tests kings. I believe the Bible teaches he tests churches. We've got seven churches in Revelation, and if you read it, he tests every one of them. Every one of them. All of them he has to overcome. Five of them he has to repent. But all of them, he asked to do something. The first one, he asked to return to his love. The second one, he asked to be willing to die. The third one and fourth one, he asked to get the sin out of their churches. The fifth one, he asked them to return back to what they had already heard and knew was right. The sixth one, he asked that church, amen, to hold fast what they had and let no man take their crown and to be faithful unto the end and to keep on going. He'd open doors and he could shut them, he could open them and nobody could interfere with God and he gave them a great opportunity to serve the Lord. The last one, he's knocking at the door on the outside. Excuse me. HE'S WANTING ANYBODY THAT'S IN THERE, NOT JUST THE CHURCH, BUT ANYBODY THAT'S IN THERE TO OPEN THE DOOR! AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, HE PROMISES A BLESSING IF THEY'LL OBEY WHAT HE SAID, AND HE ALSO PROMISES GREAT TROUBLE IF THEY DON'T! THAT'S TO CHURCHES! I BELIEVE THIS NATION THAT WE'RE LIVING IN TODAY IS GOING THROUGH SOME TESTS, AND IF IT DOESN'T PASS THEM, I BELIEVE WE'RE That's exactly what I believe. Amen. God tests individuals. I want to preach for a few minutes on this subject and I'll not be real long, I don't think. God will move when you and I pass the test. God wants to do and will do and has great plans. He's waiting on us to pass the test. Let's pray and ask God to help us. Father, in Jesus' name, my heart is stirred, Lord. I could, I feel the urge to preach, Lord, without praying, but I feel you'd have me to pray this morning. Lord, I magnify your holy name. I exalt the name of Jesus. I bless your name. Oh, God, in reading these verses and talking about them, my heart is stirred how you are the one WHO GUIDES THE HEARTS AND LIVES OF MEN AND WOMEN TODAY. I PRAISE YOU FOR IT. I EXALT YOUR NAME. I MAGNIFY YOU, LORD. I ASK FOR YOUR POWER, YOUR TOUCH. LORD, THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN DO THAT. I GIVE YOU THE GLORY IN JESUS' NAME. AMEN AND AMEN. I BELIEVE THAT JOSEPH IS AN EXAMPLE IN SO MANY WAYS IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO COVER IT ALL IN A MESSAGE. I believe he's a picture of Jesus, like we heard in the message this morning. I believe he's, in a sense, a type of Christ. He saved his people, amen. There's a number of things about Joseph's life that's outstanding, and even the few things we read about this morning, his faith was definitely tested. One of the things this brother Pastor testified a few moments ago Joseph's life was different than some other people's lives Joseph had a faith when he was young It is different growing up It's different growing up in a church when you're hearing the Word of God From birth all the way up your mom and dad's reading the Word of God to you. You're in the womb You're memorizing verses at the age of three and four years old. All you ever sang in your life is gospel songs You've never tasted, smelled, or even seen alcohol. You've never said a smutty word, never heard anybody else say a smutty word. But you got to get saved, just like everybody else. And so you have struggles to try to get things straightened out sometimes and figure out. Most young people get saved early, seeing more after they get saved than the day before they get saved. I mean, if you get saved before the age of 14, there's thoughts you never had before you got saved. There's temptations you never imagined before you got saved. And so therefore, there's a struggle. Joseph's faith was early in life. God spoke to Joseph in dreams and gave him prophetic dreams while he was a child. Those prophetic dreams he told to his brothers, they hated him for it, and even the last dream he had, his daddy didn't even like it. He said, what you're saying, son, is you're actually gonna rule over me one day. Joseph didn't argue, didn't fuss, just stayed silent about it from then on, never made no fuss about it, but I believe without a doubt, he believed everything God said. He didn't have any doubt God was gonna do what he's gonna do. HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW HE WAS GOING TO DO IT, BUT HE KNEW GOD COULD DO ANYTHING. AMEN. I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A JANITOR OR THE PRESIDENT. IF YOU'RE GOING TO SERVE GOD, YOU'VE GOT TO BELIEVE GOD CAN DO ANYTHING. AMEN. HIS FIRST DEATH WAS IN HIS HOME WHERE HIS DAD AND BROTHERS WERE. I'm going to tell you something, if you can't pass the test at home, you are out of business as a Christian. Son, you'll never make it on the job if you can't make it in your home. If you can't make it with dad and mom, you won't make it down at the high school. You won't make it in the college. You won't make it in the military. You won't make it anywhere if you can't make it with mom and dad. Now, you may go through a horrible situation and get saved and get straightened out, but I'm going to tell you, you're a whole lot better off if you start where you are and get right with God now and not have all the heartache to have to put up with. Joseph's first test was in his home. If you ain't doing well there, you need to get right with God. If you're not doing well there, wife, You need to get right with God. If you're not doing that thing in your home right, husband, you need to get right with God. Teenager, the same thing. It doesn't make any difference. The home is the building block of every church. You'll never build a church without homes. Amen. JOSEPH WAS TESTED BEFORE HE WAS EVER PUT INTO SLAVERY. BUT THEN HE'S DEFINITELY TESTED WITH HIS KINFOLK, HIS BROTHERS. THEY BRING HIM DOWN, HE COMES DOWN TO ACTUALLY DO HIS DAD'S WILL. HE COULD HAVE SAID, DAD, MY BROTHERS DON'T LIKE ME, THEY HATE ME. THEY HATE BENJAMIN ALSO. And if you send me down there and probably they won't they won't treat me. Well, you know what his dad wouldn't have said his dad loved him But instead when his dad said I want you go check on your brothers. He never shirked on obeying his dad He simply done what his dad asked him to do Amen You're gonna be tested in your home, let me say this I There's probably no two people who can live together in any sense without being tested. Amen. Whether it's two brothers, bachelors, two sisters, old maids, two whoever it is, amen. You're going to be tested. You've got to learn that God in heaven expects us to get along and you can excuse all your nasty ways, amen. That's right. You can't excuse your bad attitudes. You can't excuse all your hatefulness. You can't excuse any of it. God expects us to be right with him regardless of how the other side does. Well, I have a right. No, you don't have a right. Joseph was the one that was mistreated. His brothers was wrong, but Joseph stayed right. He stayed right. We'll tell you to help you in your home, marriage, children, mom and dad, I don't care what the circumstances, if you'll just get you right with God, if you'll just get you in God's will, I tell you, you will see a smoother sailing in all the circumstances. The circumstances may not change, but you can sail better out. Amen. God can move when we pass the test. Moses was going to be placed into position. We read about Moses' life. This is far down in the future from here. We know that Moses come to years and said, I'd rather suffer the affliction of the children of God THEN ENJOY ALL THE PLEASURE OF SIN IN EGYPT AND HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WAS THERE. HE GOES OUT TO CHECK ON HIS BROTHERS. THE FIRST ONE HE SEES MISTREATING ONE, HE KILLS HIM APPARENTLY WITH HIS FIST AND BURIES HIM IN THE SAND. YOU KNOW WHAT GOD KNEW? HE'S NOT READY TO LEAVE NOBODY. IT TOOK 40 MORE YEARS TO GET HIM READY. YOU KNOW WHAT? GOD TOLD ABRAHAM 400 YEARS, DIDN'T HE? IT WAS EXTRA YEARS, WASN'T IT? It took Moses 400 years. When he came back, God said, the meekest man that ever lived. Forty years cured his temper tantrums. God is testing Joseph first in his home. You say, I want God to do great things in my life. Pass the test. Are you blowing up? Are you blowing out on God that you can't accept things? You're never going to get anywhere if you don't pass the test to move you forward as a shipwreck. I've seen pastors shoved forward. I've seen evangelists shoved forward. I've seen young men shoved forward in marriages. I've seen all sorts of things. And if they can't pass the test, I'll tell you what they're going to do. They're going to make a shipwreck out of their life. Mark it down. They can't pass the early test. They're not passing the home test. Hey, young man, don't you marry a girl that can't pass test at home. Don't you marry a man, young lady, if he's not passing the home test. You're headed for a shipwreck. Joseph. And I didn't even look at the time, so I'm not paying attention to it. He had to pass the test at home. He had to pass the family test. He had to pass the test with those who was closest to him all the time. I'll tell you who knows more. I'll tell you who knows more about this preacher right here than anybody, and that's that woman sitting right there. But I'll tell you one thing. I'll tell you who knows more about that woman than anybody, and that's that man sitting there. He knows more about her than she does and he does. Amen. Had to put up with a lot more. God wants you to be real no matter where you're at. But if you can't be real at home, everything else is just cover up. If you're not real at the house, you're not real here. Now you might fool us, but you'll never fool God. You're a sweet, nice lady here, but you're a raging, I'm not gonna say witch, a raging woman at home, amen. That never happens, that happens all the time. You're a sweet, loving gentleman here at the church, but you talk to your wife like a dog, and your children like a dog, and you don't know how to act like a man. I'm telling you, you're failing the primary test. You're in kindergarten, you're not getting anywhere, amen. I feel sorry for those who end up marrying somebody in that shape. Amen. There's no need to lie about it. It's the truth. We can all put on our colors and our picture of fine face, but I'll tell you, God knows what we are. But Joseph is passing every test. He has to pass the test of being full and blessed and having. You see his dad gave him the code of many codes. I'm going to tell you something, it may not be the best to give him everything. It's one of the things that kept him in hot water. I want to thank Kevin and Hot Water for these brothers because only one boy got the coat of many colors, and that was Joseph. But be careful what all you give your kids. I mean, give her what she needs, but for God's sake, don't make her think she's the queen of Sheba, amen? She's not. I'm trying to be serious. I'm trying to be honest. You've got to be careful, amen? You're raising someone to serve God. They're going to serve God and live for the Lord. They're one day going to be a husband or a wife. Hey, you got all a woman needs, a pouty, sissified man that's got to have his way all the time. That's stupid. Amen. I've been teaching on marriage in our church. I've been teaching on the doctrine of marriage. We have had exciting moments. You don't have to win every argument. So what, you're smarter? So what, you know more? So what, so what, so what? I'm gonna tell you to have a good kiss in the mouth and a good hug and a bright-eyed wife and a bright-eyed husband is a whole lot better than winning a stupid argument. So what if you won the argument and now you don't talk the rest of the day? That's dumb, amen? Your family is where it's at. God can move in your life outside when you're getting things straight inside. Amen! God will do when you pass the test. God's waiting on us to pass the test. The Bible said He tested Him, He let Him go through all these things, and when He had passed the test, God fulfilled His Word in Him. God fulfilled that dream that he had as a boy when he is a grown man after he's gone through the test and passed the test. We don't want to pass the test. He's got this coat of many colors, but it seems as if even though it causes him trouble, he doesn't flaunt it. Let me say this, every child's not blessed the same. In every way. Every girl isn't as pretty as every girl. Might as well be honest about it. Every young man is not as handsome as every young man. There's no need to lie about all this nonsense. And one family can buy a new bicycle every year for their children. One family never gets a new bicycle for any children. Everybody's different. We don't understand how God works in all these things, but what we've got to do is be right with God in it all. That's a battlefield. One family buys a new car when they want one. You have to drive a junker maybe, amen. And wonder if you're gonna get there and back. That doesn't change God. That doesn't change your responsibility to be a Christian. That doesn't change your responsibility to do the will of God. Young couple may have a difficulty getting a house. Another young couple may have done both three. Doesn't change God. God wants us to be a Christian regardless. To live for the Lord and do what's right. Don't be harping at your husband and say, why can't we do all these other things? Maybe they're so deep in debt, they're going to jail for it. Don't worry about the other people. Amen. Joseph had to think, what's God doing? But he knew God was right, no matter what he did. So he's being tested. Now he has to be tested in his flesh. The first test was giving him everything he wants. He is the head of Potiphar's kingdom. Fullness. Man, he's elevated. I mean, you've got to have, this is a real jump start to go from shackles to being a head of everything. Now he's got to be tested to lose everything. That's a big test. I mean, it's a pretty good thing to just lose an automobile. Did you wreck it? Oh, that's a pretty big test to see how you're going to act when she wrecks it. If you're going to bring it up again in preaching and things like that. Hey man, we're getting somewhere my boy. Hey man. Loss is difficulty. Nobody likes loss. Nobody likes to be demoted. Nobody likes to be put down. Nobody. And you couldn't get any worse put down than Joseph got. He was put down by immoral lies. That's about as low as you can get in, brother. But you're talking about being thrown under the bus. He was thrown under the train. So he's having to be tested. But in the midst of that, he's tested with moral flesh or sensual flesh. He's tested whether he will commit adultery or not. Boy, it's gotten awful quiet in here. His sensuality is going to be tested. If you don't think God will test you, you're full of baloney. And if you think you're past taking tests, I don't care. I'm not going to say as old as Brother Larry, but I'm not young myself. The tests keep going on and on and on. He's tested and he's tested and he's tested and he's tested. And then he's tested in friendships. The butler and him, they become friends. We don't know how long they spent together in prison. It's kind of like, you know, if you work on a job every day with somebody, they're just like brothers and sisters. They're just like kin people, you know. Here he's in the prison every day with these folks. They become close. If he thought anybody was going to stand up for him, he would have thought the butler would have. But the butler forgot him. You know what people always do in one way or another? Fail you. If you can't cope with failing people, don't ever try to pastor. Amen. But God doesn't fail. He cannot fail. So Joseph is tested. Then we know the story. Joseph is brought out of prison. Now he's elevated to the top again. He's talking about being at the top of the food chain now. He's really up there. Only one person more powerful than him, and that's Pharaoh. I don't think he had part of his wife arrested. He could have. But guess what? It wasn't long until Potiphar's wife had to come and get some food. I think he said, Harry, you miss Potiphar? It's good to see you today. How you been doing? He said, why do you think that way? Because I'm going to read you the rest of the story. We know what God did. He let the famine also be where Jacob's family was. So there was no food. Now they apparently had honey, nuts, almonds, there were certain things they had. So they weren't starving to death like starving to death, but they had no bread. So the famine God sent was no grain. Because they sent gifts to Pharaoh. They sent honey and almonds and other things. And plus those things can be stored up for long periods of time. But they needed bread. I'm going to tell you what, the bread represents the Word of God. You ain't going to make it without it. Nobody ever has and nobody ever will. So Joseph has to pass, now, the final test. You say, what's that test? The test of forgiveness. We know they'd come down and he wanted to find out if Benjamin was alive and if they'd killed Benjamin. So he tricked them by putting their money back in their sack. Then he tricked them the second time by putting the cup in the sack when they brought Benjamin down. But he had to find out. And he has not explained to them who he was. They don't know who he is. But here's what he heard them say. The older brother said, God is bringing this on us because of what we did to Joseph. And he said, I'm going to keep Benjamin. They said, oh, keep one of us. We wouldn't hurt our daddy for nothing. We brought so much heartache on our daddy already. And Joseph saw a repentant family. And Joseph started crying. He broke down and started crying. And he said, I'm Joseph. and it scared him to death. They thought, oh my, not gonna be good. He had the power to do anything he wanted to to them. He said, I forgive you. He said, y'all meant it for bad, but God meant it for good. And Joseph loved his brothers. One of the toughest tests we take over and over, Brother Doug, is forgiveness. God won't let us by without it. There's not a person in this building that won't have to do it. Everyone will have to forgive, and you'll have to do it more than once. And God tested Joseph, and he passed every test. with flying cars. And God used Joseph. He sent the wagons. He brought his family. He saved the whole nation of Israel, blessed them to be in a prosperous land of fruitfulness until they multiplied to possibly four million, at least two and a half million. And God fulfilled His Word in Joseph and through Joseph. I want God to move in my life. I want God to do something in my life. Maybe you're a husband, maybe you're a wife, maybe you're a teenager, maybe you're a young couple. Then pass the test. Whatever, wherever the friction is, wherever the problem is, wherever the issue is, bring it to the altar. this church may be passing a test even today or tomorrow or these three or four or five preaching messages. Who knows? But I'm going to tell you this, God is serious about what we do with His message. He don't send a message just to fill up gaps. He sends a message so that He can see fruit in our and God can see prosperity spiritually in the church and in the families in the church and the work of God can blossom and bloom and be blessed of God. And the negative events that we don't like to happen many times are to bless this congregation and the families in it. And God is wanting us to pass the test. Have you ever had one of your children Go to school, and they said, mommy, I've got this test. It's going to be tough, daddy. You know what you do is they're going to take that test that day. You've got them on your mind. He said, boy, I hope he passes that test. Lord, help him. You know what the Father wants us to do, brother? He wants us to pass the test. He's rooting for you. He's pushing for you. He's pulling for you. He's throwing all in for you. He wants this church. He wants your family. He wants you as an individual. to be blessed and to pass the test. He wants you to be blessed. He's not against you. He's for you. If God be for you, Paul said, who can be against you? What are you going to do? This could be the starting place of God victoriously using you from here on out. Are you passing the test? Let's pray. Father in Jesus' name, Lord, the sweetest name is your name. There's none like you. I'm amazed at all you told us about in this little passage of scripture. And how you done all that, how you worked, and how you, Lord, what you done. I'm amazed. And Lord, we want you to do great things here. Even today, this morning, in this meeting, Lord, in this church, and in the family sitting here. It's our heart's desire that your will be done, that you be exalted and magnified and praised. Help us today, Lord, I pray. And Lord, help God's children to be victorious in passing the test of this life. We'll thank you for it. might be some struggling soul here today, Lord, and their test is, will they accept you as their Lord and Savior? Will they repent and turn to you from all the other things that's keeping them and accept you today? I pray your will be done, not one soul leaves defeated in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. As the pianist is playing, folks are already So preacher, I want what's best for me. I want what's best for my wife, my husband, my children, my home, my job. I want what's best. To bring all them hiccups to Jesus this morning and say, Lord, I'm tired of failing. I'm tired of failing. I'm tired of failing. I do not want to fail the next test. And I'm giving it all to you. And I'm trusting you to give me victory. And I'm going to give all the glory to you. Mind the Lord this morning. Mind the Lord. You said, Preacher, you didn't touch my little issue, but the Holy Ghost already has. He already has. He doesn't miss anything. He doesn't miss anything. I want Him to use me. I want Him to be blessed. I want my family. I want my home, my church to bring it all to Jesus. Casting all your care upon Him. for he careth for you. Others are praying, what will you do? What will you do this morning? It's been made very clear this morning, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses from all sin. Victory is in the Lord. Victory is in the Lord. Mom and Dad, maybe you need to join hands and just pray for them children. Maybe young couples need to just get on the altar and say, Lord, make our life what it should be. It can be heaven on earth or hell on earth, whatever you want to make it. But only Jesus can make a difference. He is a great God. He wants you to be blessed. He wants you to be blessed. Folks are praying. Folks are praying. I don't know a lot, but I know I preached the message God wanted this morning. I know that. I have preached a few times in my life and wasn't sure, but I know when I'm sure. I know when the Lord says, that's it right there. You're right on the spot. Don't miss what he wants to do for you today. Others are still praying. I don't want you to quit. You pray as long as you'd like brother pastor, you come this way. We want to obey Jesus and do the work of God. This meeting is for the Lord so He can have glory and victory in our lives. It's not just so we can, we want to shout and praise the Lord. We want to be excited. We want to be thrilled, but we want to be right. We want to leave with victory in our soul and God getting all the glory. That's what we need. Don't fail the test. Don't fail the test. Maybe your test is just coming down this aisle and getting on the altar. Maybe that's the test. Pride issues. We need God to help us. We need God to help us. Brother Pastor, you come.