Many will be offended
by David Lazarus

How do we cope with difficult situations in life? Do we get offended? Bitter?
 
Mat. 24:9-10
Don’t need to be offended.
Learn secret of successful Messianic living.
Life of Joseph
 
You remember the story:
Dream—Brothers jealous—Pit to die—Slave to Egypt—Potifar’s wife—Prison
 
Could have blamed his brothers
 
· “I’ve served God all these years”
· “I had a dream. I was only obeying the dream”
· “Why try so hard it only causes me problems”
 
He was destined for greatness, and now look what has happened.
Of course his brothers are to blame!
 
How often we blame others.
 
· If only I was born into another family wouldn’t have so many problems
· If I had another wife I could be a great man
· If I had other parents who could help me I could have done something with my life
· If this congregation would only get moving I could do something great for God
 
Easy to blame others for our problems
Easy to think you could do much better if not for problems you have.
 
Joseph’s brothers tried hard to destroy the vision God gave him
Gen. 37:20
 
Is God in heaven said to Yeshua his son, “What are we going to do now? They’ve sold Joseph into slavery. They’ve ruined our plans. Maybe we can think of something else to do?”
 
Believers often respond in similar ways
 
· Moshe looses his job because boss doesn’t want to give him pitzuim so he gets angry and doesn’t want to work anymore for nobody.
· Yafa is already 36 years old and not married so she goes into confusion and marries the first guy who comes along
· The man Vered wanted to marry just got married to somebody else so she gets bitter and decides she’s not going to have a relationship with anybody.
 
Maybe even our heart fills with vengence
“I’m going to get that person back. “I’ll never speak to him again”
 
Heb. 12:15 “Look carefully” because often hidden
It spreads with you wherever you go.
 
Wounded people wound other people
Parable of people moving out West
 
Man standing at cross road:
People: What is this city like?
Man: What was the city like where you came from?
People: Lot of problems. People don’t care about one another. Nobody was there to help me.
Man: Our city is the same as where you came from
And they moved on to anther place
 
Other people came to ask
People: What is this city like?
Man: What was the city like where you came from?
People: Everyone was so helpful. People shared with one another and helped one another. We loved it there, but felt we would like to try pioneer life out here
Man: Our city is the same as the one you come from
And they rejoiced and joined that city

Look at Joseph again
 
·Slave to Egypt—becomes head of Potifar’s house
·Resists Potifar’s wife, in prison---Given to be in charge of all prisoners
·Butler and Baker in prison–Interpretes dreams—asks to be reminded to Pharoah—2 years waits with no answer.
 
Plenty of reasons for Joseph to be offended.
But he didn’t let people or situations offend his heart
He just kept trusting God
 
Because he kept his heart right, he was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream
Gets out of prison. Promoted into Pharaoh’s cabinet. VIP in Egypt.
 
Brothers come down for bread in Egypt—He kept his heart right—Blesses his brothers—He is blessed---Vision comes to pass
 
All of us have had opportunity to be offended. Mistreated. Missed opportunities. Difficult situations not your fault.
 
Choose to keep your heart in right place before the Lord.
Trap of Satan to be offended
 
You will be tested
 
Joseph’s secret
Gen. 50:20
No matter what happened to him the Lord was working out his purposes through it.
Every situation is an opportunity to grow.
 
No person or no situation can keep you out of God’s will!
 
Psalm 92:13-16
Learn from fruit tree.
Put in dark, dirty soil. Hot sun. Wind. Rain storms.
If a tree could talk say, ‘ Get me out of here. Put me in nice warm, comfortable place.”
 
If gardener listened, could harm tree.
 
Tree that learns to endure, roots go down deeper.
Adversity is source of stability.
 
Sweetest apples grow in the coldest winters.

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