Body Of Proof | Student Pastor Zach Hammond
by Zach Hammond
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Exodus 1:6-8, Psalm 22:1, Genesis 41:14, 2 Timothy 2:20-26, Genesis 50:24-25, John 14:12

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/zach-hammond--body-of-proof-2
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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Exodus 1 and verse number six we will cck quickly get into the word of the Lord tonight what a great crowd and it's a honor to be able to uh attempt to minister the word of the Lord to you tonight I'm thankful for the word of God the word of God is such a powerful powerful tool there's so many things that are connected to the word of God um in fact this week and and I would open up this way I think it would correlate with what uh we will try to communicate tonight but one of the most frequent questions that Jesus ask is have you not read in fact I believe it's the most asked question by Jesus recorded in all three of the four gospels and he he asked the question concerning a number of things that that you and I need to uh be aware of but he he he asked him he says have you not read because this is the first time you've heard it I'm going to speak it but I'm referencing something that you should have already known and and he does it over and over again he said they'll be doing this he says have you not read have you not read have you have you you you you not read the scriptures are you not aware of what's already been written and I think it's a very powerful concept that he just says that that he he'll reference David he'll ref reference this one then if you really get into scripture where you've read it then there's times where he'll reference and he if you don't haven't read it you won't know that he's referencing but he'll just He he'll say something and he's just quoting another scripture and uh in fact many people believe that on the cross that he was there and he was saying uh my God my God why hast Thou forsaken me and and we that that Eli Eli Lama sabat in the original language that's actually said before in the Old Testament right if you go read Psalms chapter 22 it's the first scripture and he's quoting David and perhaps again he's saying have you not read because the latter part of Psalms 22 just tells him basically that one day everybody is going to claim me king one day everyone's going to come to the knowledge that he is king of kings and he is Lord of lords that every knee is going to Bow one day and so he's standing there and he's testing them one last time brother John Stone he says my God my God and can you imagine being all the Pharisees that are just so scripted in the the the scripture thinking hey I think I've heard that before and if they knew the whole scripture they're sitting there puzzled again thinking here this guy is again claiming to be the Christ but it's so powerful to me what he does over and over again he's just saying hey have you not read and that's why we come to this time of the service and what a great word that we heard this morning that that I I believe that not only deserves a round of applause that Pastor ministered to us so powerfully but I hope you understand I hope you understand as a body of Christ that every time we hear the word that God can come back in and say did you not hear this morning did you not hear Wednesday night and then I'll take and twist it maybe brother brother osbor opened our eyes up up to it a long time ago he said you're not even it's not even what you heard that you're responsible for it's what you had the opportunity to hear right which changes a lot of things right you know so we uh we're just so thankful for the word of God Exodus chapter 1 and verse number six and Joseph died and all his Brethren and all that generation I think that's important that he he makes mention there all of that generation he dies all of his Brethren and all of that generation we have to be careful when a generation dies to acknowledge that something is being transferred Lord that something's not being forgotten it's a very powerful few words there and the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly multiplied waxed exceeding mighty and the land was filled with them and that famous verse beginning the book of Exodus now there arose up a new king over Egypt which knew not Joseph which knew not Joseph now those of you that weren't here a couple weeks ago I I I know that I preached a a message with a a skeleton and I want to just apologize to everyone that I referred to him as Mr Bones and for all of you that are in the medical field or had any clue by looking at that skeleton what gender it was it was M bones um so I'm not here to offend anyone but I don't normally do this wouldn't normally uh pull out a part two um but I'm going to preach the Body of Proof part two all right so we're just going to continue I'm going to pick up I'll give you kind of a quick little recap a little summary and some of you going to think man if you could have summarized that last time we could have got out of here A whole lot quicker I know I know how it works but I'm going to try to summarize just a quick little excert of it and then we're going to dive into this because I believe the Lord wants to revive someone tonight I believe God wants to resurrect something that once was and now it lives dormant in the back of your mind or in the depths of your heart somewhere is something that you know that you ought to be doing or something that you know you're called to do but I believe all of us could use just a little bit of stirring up a little bit of a Revival in our hearts tonight and if you want that to happen I wish you'd lift both your hands and could we pray together tonight that the Lord would speak to us Lord I know that your word Lord is so powerful it's sharper than any two-edged sword Lord It's that lamp that light that thing that we need and we cannot deny Lord that it is something that you even referenced when you were the word made flesh you were still referencing the word that was Lord and as we gather together in this house tonight I pray that you would open our eyes to see as you see that you would open our hearts and Lord that you would allow us to put into action what you have for us tonight Lord I pray that as we hear your word that we would become doers of your word and you would we would be so careful to do everything God to give you all the praise that you're worthy of in Jesus name we pray and as we say Amen could we give him that praise that he's worthy of tonight oh blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus name we pray amen and amen you may be seated tonight and a couple weeks ago we talked about a Body of Proof and Paul really gets somewhat confusing in his topic of whether we are dead or alive and we're trying to figure out as he goes through Corinthians and Romans and all these things of what we're supposed to be dead to and what we're supposed to be alive to and we try to navigate some of that and most of all we understand that we pulled from a passage of scripture that says that we are Paul says we are bearing we are always bearing the body of the Lord Jesus and the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our body so we're bearing his body through the gospel through the death baral and Resurrection we are bearing his body as the gospel in our body being manifest we talked about how the gospel is followed by the book of Acts that once you get the gospel there is action there is responsibility there's a demand for us to re respond to the goodness of God we talked about being present is simply not enough that it requires the Bible requires for us to be productive and that faithfulness is great but fruitfulness is demanded Dry Bones as we closed out a couple weeks ago need the word of the Lord right that was the passage there is the valley of dry bones and that that we are dead to the flesh but we are alive in the spirit and the letter kills but the spirit gives life we find ourselves tonight where I want to build upon a little bit of what we've talked about and we want to talk about a man named Joseph everybody say Joseph Joseph a uh a wonderful story most of you would know Joseph as Joseph he he has the the the code of Many Colors right that's the that's what he's known as that's how he's depicted it's probably the top selling coloring sheet in Sunday school we want to color the the the coat of Joseph try to picked this coat that it described him as being the favorable son the the favorite son anybody uh believe that you're the favorite son or favorite daughter huh yep it's all right I know you have some siblings here just go ahead and claim it there's no reason hinting around I see sister sister Brianna you go ahead and claiming that tonight we'll we'll um they claim to be the favorite Joseph not only claimed it but his father was very adamant about it he just went ahead and say hey guys love all the rest of you but I really like this guy a little bit more um so things around the house could get a little bit um you know it could there be some tension at times but um we see so many times in scripture Joseph is just one example that I want to pull from tonight that the man the person Joseph and who he is as a character is directly connected to the plan of God you cannot separate who Joseph is as a man with who Joseph is as in in the plan of God okay we look at it that way you could see it in Moses all of Moses all that he went through was because of who he was he characterized himself he went through certain things and the man and the plan lined up and we can see that over and over and over again in scripture the man was the plan there is a Body of Proof of not only the goodness of God but the discipline of the individual the body is a testimony of an outward it's an outward sign of something that's been inwardly filled it goes on and on that there's it's more than just the internal organs that makes your body work there are some external features that make who you are uh function and and we're all thankful that we have skin and we all you know cover all of those things up and so there's all the things in the Bible not only nature teaches us but the scripture teaches us that there is this Body of Proof and we know that we referenced it last week but I want to make sure that we understand you cannot separate who the person is from the plan Jesus taught us that he said he could have got up and preach the most powerful message said hey forget Peter I don't have to deal with that cussing guy I'll just get up and I'll Minister a word that just says hey you should repent of your sins and when you do you'll repent and everything that you've ever done you can repent of it at an altar and I will remove it but then not only is it enough for me to remove to to to to forgive you but then you're going to go to a watery grave of baptism you're going to be baptized in water for the remission of sins and they're going to apply the name of Jesus over you you're going to speak my you're going to be buried in my name you're going to become adopted into into the kingdom of Christ and then when when you get all that taken care of and we get sin going the right direction we get you going the right direction then we've empty this vessel then all of a sudden I'm going to fill you with the Holy Ghost and when I fill you with the Holy Ghost that when you're filled with that Spirit then you'll be able to be alive and you'll be dead to the flesh but you'll be alive in the spirit and you'll be able to do things that the law which was you know the law is something you you'll never live up to but with the spirit I can give you life and I could he could have preached the message he could have spoke it he could have ascended but he decided I'm going to be a living example Jesus became everything that he wanted us to become he walked into the he he walked through the whole plan he says I'm not just going to tell you to do it I'm going to do it and then allow you to do a much simpler version of it you know walking to an altar is much easier than what Jesus went through being buried in water is is much easier than being put in a tomb and to be dead Amen to be filled with his spirit all of these things but the man was the plan the plan was the man it is a Body of Proof and we know that through our our conversation our our our our message the last time of how much they went through to fight over the body of Jesus there there's still lies to this day that believe that the disciples took him they said the Jews believe it even to this day that this is what happened and we all know that that is not true but we we see that Joseph is this perfect example many would say that there is a direct just kind of correlation we just see there's so many s similarities between Joseph and Jesus Joseph is favored by his father but hated by his brothers he was his father's answer but he was his brother's problem they threw him into a pit and quickly because he was his brother's problem all of a sudden he become the midianites answer Joseph was always an answer Joseph was always a solution he became an answer in Pharaoh's house but then he became a problem to Pharaoh's wife he became an answer in the prison to some folks that he you know you could put Joseph anywhere and and you could you can see many times as you read Joseph you can see Jesus he was despised he was rejected but he remained a solution at all times there's one thing we can learn from Joseph is are you the person on scene that would be seen as a solution at your job in your family in your home are you the person someone could come to and say hey I really I need prayer or I need this or I need that you could be a solution in the midst of no matter what it doesn't matter if Joseph was among his amongst his family or amongst people that he didn't even know it didn't matter he he had a way of just being a solution when there was a problem he had a way of just seeing the the the the the good and and all the bad and the butler's dream was about bringing wine from The Grapes to pharaoh and the baker there he's got a much much more uh unfavorable dream as you know and and we see that there's so many powerful things again and you read Joseph and you see Jesus and so you you put Joseph in prison and just so happens he runs into a baker and a butler he runs into somebody that represents bread and somebody that carries wine and so you read Joseph you see Jesus and it just so happens that the baker is the one who dies because his body is but the everybody following along am I keeping you awake do I have to explain this whole thing we'll go through it but the the the the butler's the one who represents the wine he says that he he he calls him back and he reinstates him and when it all comes down to it who was it that got Joseph out of prison it wasn't Pharaoh the butler spoke up and said oh I forgot about this guy who interpreted dreams for me down in the prison because the blood will speak for you because the blood will always speak on your it doesn't matter where you're at if you feel like you're in the midst of of a prison tonight spiritually emotionally whatever I'm telling you tonight the blood of Jesus Christ can reach down to wherever you're at and speak on your behalf and you may have got may may have got this word or that word they might be saying this about you no matter what it is I'm telling somebody tonight that same blood that you know forgave you at this altar is that same blood that'll speak on your behalf and he says I plead the blood over that situation I plead the blood over the healing of your body I plead the blood why because the blood of Jesus Christ is always speaking on our behalf you read Joseph but you see Jesus I was in prison but the blood began to speak and we're going to call for Joseph the dreamer call for Joseph but wait this time it's different Genesis 41:14 says then Pharaoh sent forth he called for Joseph and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon and he shaved himself and changed his reignment and came unto Pharaoh now there's so much here we could preach but we got to get to where we're going but Joseph lost his first coat in the time of tribulation yeah at the hand of his brotherr but he forgave him Joseph lost his second coat in the time of Temptation at the hand of Piper's wife but he ran from her but Joseph III time the third time Joseph gets a coat of exaltation and he's being promoted at the hand of pharaoh himself and this time he saw perhaps in this moment what God was up to he saw perhaps at this moment you know it's odd that my dream got me into this mess yes but a dream is going to get me out of this mess a dream ultimately is what got me here and the whole time I'm thinking man is this the plan of God for my life is this really how it was supposed to go when he's the most power one of the most powerful stories of being able to just stand and say in in all things God works together for the good but you can't separate the things from who he was I think many times if Joseph wasn't a dreamer how was he supposed to interpret Pharaoh's dream because you cannot and I know I've said it number of times and I'm G to say it over and over again you can't separate the plan from the man you want to be used of God you want to do the things that God called you to do you want to uh see the promises and the Prophecies of God come forth in your life the plan and the purpose of God is based upon the preparation and the consecration of the man you cannot and I know that sounds quite simple we consecrate ourselves we attend church we come we do the right thing we want to be used of God but how many people want to be used of God but won't read the Bible statistically it's amazing the number of people who claim to be going to to to to stand before God and be judged by this book who do not read it on a daily basis we want to be anointed but we lack prayer it's Hit or Miss but we expect God to be faithful you know our our our dedication and our devotion it it it it has some inconsistencies but oh God he's always faithful right and we want him to be there at any moment but we'll only give him just a few moments it's a Body of Proof it requires action but in a great 2 Timothy 2:20 but in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and Earth and some of honor and some of Dishonor if a man therefore Purge himself of these he shall be a vessel un honor Sanctified to and meet for the Master's use and prepare prepared for every good work I want to make sure that you understand tonight it's not popular preaching it's not popular teaching but you just don't automatically just get this powerful plan and be used by God God because right you're just you he he said there's some of honor and some of Dishonor and they're in the same house and the vessel of honor is the one that gets used so he goes on here I want to be used by the master amen that's what God we want you to use we I want you to use my life so therefore we've got to be a vessel of Honor well how you do that flee youthful lust follow righteousness Faith charity peace and them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strives and the servant of the Lord must not Strife but he uh but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves and God per Adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him as well the Lord has a plan for each and every one of us absolutely he does there's nothing more true in scripture he he he said I open I opened a door of opportunity for each and every one of that you would walk through he says I am that door but we must walk through it we must be the person that God has called us to be we must do what God's commanded us to do there must be fruit I'm not I I don't know how if I can get this to but you you have to connect the potential and the capacity of an individual to who they are so many people walk up and they you know and the only thing sadly and you really ought to use this as a as young people and if you even if you're a young single person for dating the only thing that you and I have to go on is a past don't don't don't don't marry somebody on a promise well we got more promise rings floating around people make promises every Saturday Sunday now on Tuesday nights they get married all over the time Pro but divorce is still at all time high why because they weren't prepared to make a promise you can make we make promises but in pro pro just I love you to yeah three weeks later we're talking to somebody else on social media and huh proom no I if I'm going to date you and I better if I'm going to give you a ring if I'm going to commit to you if I'm going to let you build me a house I want to look at your past I want to see a house you built I'm not even though we have a biochemist I'm not going to ask the biochemist how to build a house I'm going to go ask a contractor why because he has a past to building houses that's right that's right think about it in all the things you do you you're not going to go over here and and and we we all know you know you're looking for the best rate it doesn't matter how good of a rate they have if that bank you pull up and all the shrubs are just overgrown and you can't even hardly get through there you're you're you're hitting the you know the potholes as you pull into the parking lot it's like man I'm not really sure I want to have my money here right because it has an outward appearance that it's not doing well you you can't you can't separate we especially in the Christian world just think just because we choose Christ that all of a sudden everything's going to work we're going to let God be God and I'm like the Lord I change not well that don't really work that way there's to two totally different words for them expressing who he is and who we are we just read it as new but he's it's him with new it's just more of the same with us it's new knew it's radically different it's like notepad and iPad with him it's like hey it's another child it's just more of the same just more kids you know with us it's radically different we don't get to just sit back and just say Lord we're going to let you do whatever know who God wants us to be and how what what all is in front of us and all the things that we can do they're they're all connected what we are doing cannot be separated from who we are the solution for the people in our lives in our world on our workplace in our family has to be connected to who we are in Christ the solution for people today seems to be uh let's change everything but ourselves let's be honest we see it all the time we change friends we change jobs we change Majors some change churches some change religions it's but God forbid we look at ourselves you know we we we change this we change that it never could be that you know I just didn't study for the test it's the teacher's fault right it never could be that you know if that that coach just don't have a brain you know it couldn't be that they've never played before you know you have a plan for them to be in the you know major league but they've never you can't separate the outcome from the input that's right you can't separate these two things I can't control a lot of things but I can control me and how I react therefore the requirement of discipline in the Bible for Christians it's so intriguing how someone can be so committed in one thing so disciplined in one area of their life but in the other area is so undisciplined huh and I we're we're going to get to a little bit better part of this sorry I know some of you are like well let's just be honest you know some people are very disciplined in their Fitness but then that person that's so disciplined in their Fitness is so undisciplined in their finances you got a six pack but you got $6 you know what I'm saying how how can you be so disciplined in one area but so undisciplined in others let me get right down where we're at we wouldn't dare miss a day at the ball game we're disciplined to that because if Johnny don't make it he might get cut from the team but Church yeah extremely disciplined on when it you know what what what truly matters is what will put us in the place where we want God to do all these great things but we want to be disciplined to only things that really aren't attached to his kingdom let's be honest there's there's a lot of people that claim to be extremely spiritual they know the scripture they prophesy they are extremely disciplined spiritual people but um they're not very disciplined in their diet sorry Bible talks a lot about money and food but we don't like to talk about it it's a whole lot easier to bang on the head of all the homosexuality and the alcoholics and the drug addicts but God don't really put that on a pedestal over here or a category that we just get to and be exempt from these things yeah am I the am I the most healthy person when you go to eat absolutely not but I do make sure that every few weeks I remind myself that I can go without food huh why because I believe the Bible talks a lot about it so if you you can't be so disciplined in one area I encourage you to look at your life are you extremely disciplined when it comes to making sure that your goals and and and and and and maybe some of the things you're trying to accomplish we're extremely disciplined but in over in this area we've got you know what we consider spiritual things or Kingdom things or church you don't get to separate those things all things are spiritual they're all connected because the plan of God and the man or the woman it all works together you can't separate the Christianity from the character you can't separate the den ination from who you are you can't separate these two things and so the effects we see it it's I can't stress to you enough the disciplines in fact let me give you something I thought was intriguing they I read I read some some statistics that's fun to say the effects of reading the scripture on people's life according to the Institute of Bible research check this out someone who reads the Bible one day a week they see no effect in their lifestyle just one day a week someone who reads the Bible two to three days a week they said they don't see very much difference it's it's it's very hard to tell that they are uh Christian or that they have a a Biblical background but four days a week once you break the threshold of four days a week or more the statistics are outrageous listen to some of this you are 22 28% more likely to share your faith what does that tell me if I read the scripture if I if I characterize myself in the discipline then I am going to walk in the plan of God if I read the Bible I'm 228 per more likely to be a Body of Proof if I put the word of God in Me it naturally has to come out of me you're 47% more likely to memorize scripture now so you can't memorize something you don't read 59 let's let's get to some statistics we like to throw out 59% less likely to look at pornography wouldn't that fix the epidemic in the world today just reading the Bible more than four days a week 59% less likely to look at pornography and at least 30% less likely to struggle with depression or anxiety just from reading the scripture you say what what what does all that mean when the word of God instead of the world becomes your consumption it will change who you are and where you're going it's very simple but just adding one principle of Bible reading will not only change all these other parts of you but it changes your destination because your destination is connected to who you are in your discipline I I I can't stress it to you enough that you've got to see Joseph went from being the favorite in Dad's house to a pit he went from favor favorite in Pharaoh's house to a prison and Joseph remained the same Joseph passed the test everything Joseph faced for a nation he had already been through individually I think that's the most powerful thing about Joseph's life everything that he faced publicly he had already been through privately he had already experienced his brothers they throw him in a pit and you you you think think of the favor of your father rather than the the words of the world we see that he is this perfect example that we need to be reminded of how the father thinks of us that no matter what anybody around us says that no matter what anybody arounds us say oh we don't really care for you and we don't really think that that no he he says I'm just going to be reminded of how my father thinks me he remains positive because he was a dreamer he had his eyes eyes set far out in front of maybe perhaps everybody else he was thinking about his future he was thinking about what was to come and so we we have to be careful that we don't get so caught up in the moment we don't get so caught up of where we're at and this this current season it might be a prison it might be a pit it might be you know hatred it might be this one turned their back whatever the case may be but he remained positive because he was looking well beyond where he was and so Joseph gets called up and Pharaoh says I've had this dream and what a dream he had let's just say this if you ever have a dream of cows eating cows it's probably just like some bad pizza or something you know but that was Pharaoh's dream it was odd it was keeping him it was it was bothering him and and all of these skinny malnourish looking cows start devouring all of these massive Cows say I mean cows don't even eat they just eat grass so you you got this weird picture going on in your mind of you know they're they're out of their nature and there's so many things that I'm sure there's some prophets that could really make that come to life but basically Joseph just is able to interpret this dream because it was Joseph Joseph said basically in our modern day verac he said don't let all the bad eat up all the good no matter what bad happens to you father still loves me that's right no matter what happens to me I'm still going to be a solution that's right no matter how negative it is I'm going to remain positive he said don't let all that negative eat up all that positive boy couldn't we learn from that today huh boy there's times I'm like hey hey can you just thank God you're breathing right huh some people are just so negative that's just like hey God's been good to you you realize you have the truth and there's a large part of the population of the world today that don't have the truth of God they don't have enough knowledge right now to be able to call upon the Lord say Lord I love you and I need you today and I thank you for your peace that passes all understanding I thank you for your goodness and mercy that follows me all that are could could we just be maybe we take a few moments here in our world today that seems to be so negative and maybe you just say Lord I'm going to be positive for just a few moments I wonder if we thought that way what would happen in this place for just a second would you just tell the Lord how grateful you are could you just focus on the goodness of Jesus and all that he's done for you for a moment come on that's it there there ought to be a Hallelujah that raises forth there ought to be a thank you Jesus oh God Lord You've Been So good to me I can never repay you Lord for all that you've done oh Hallelujah come on if he's been good to you clap your hands to him Lord you've been good to me oh God hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah Joseph said don't let all that bad eat up all the good and oh what a picture of his life but if you don't see the future if you don't see the whole picture all the bad in the moment will consume you all the negative in the moment will consume you because you don't see the future the whole Narrative of the dream is save up store up take all the goodness of God take every good moment and put it inside your heart take everything that he's ever done for you and don't you forget it put all of the goodness of God every time he's he's been there for you every time he's healed you every time he's kept your hand on you didn't deserve to wake up today but if you can think that way if you can put it all there you can store it up for a famine that's ahead perhaps you can store it up for a time where it's not so favorable but you still have something to consume because you're focused on the positive it was all about thinking ahead it was the powerful Narrative of Joseph's life and so the plan and the purpose of Joseph he's able to speak into that situation because of who he was in a world today where negativity just produced what I would perhaps say with a generation that has no grit one single obstacle can throw your whole world one single little thing in the morning routine and all of a sudden your whole day is ruined I just I I can't I can't challenge you enough to focus on the goodness of God you know and again I I just can't I think it's so applicable the discipline part that if we will do if we will do our part then I believe God will do his part right we we we're we're begging God for a new job we're begging God for the promises to come but we won't we just won't simply get out of bed and be on time right you so well that's awful simple but that that that's where we got to understand that it's connected and and the Consecration and the discipline are the things that a lot of times we don't like to talk about but you're not going to accidentally just end up somewhere the right person will always end up in the right place yes sir I I can't say anything to you tonight that that is that is more biblical than the right place person is not is always going to end up in the right place but here's the thing you're not just going to accidentally wake up in heaven you're not just going to accidentally be strolling down streets of gold huh it's not going to happen it's going to take action it's going to take you choosing today to focus on the goodness of God it's going to take someone being faithful but also being fruitful you're not just going to end up this place you got to think about where you're going but don't get distracted from your dream because it isn't easy or it isn't happening fast enough how long it took Joseph's dream to become reality and I think it's so powerful that phoh he's not used to delayed gratification Pharaoh snaps and it happens Pharaoh in fact if you look at it when he called for Joseph he called for him hastily the Bible says he he he's not one that Waits but notice that he has a he has to call in a struggler in order to Sur survive he has to call in somebody who's been through something he has to call in somebody that has has has has went through some things that in fact he he's still trying to figure out how his dream's going to come forth and I I can't I can't stress to you enough in this fact tonight do not get distracted by a delay Joseph tells him he said you got a plan for tomorrow you got to set up a future but you got to be grateful for now and you can't cook that whole cow you got to push it forward you got to think about tomorrow I know you've been through a lot but you got to thank God for his faithfulness now and it's Joseph who makes statements that the devil my brothers my adversary everyone that was against me thought it evil but God meant it for good that's the kind of person that's a solution that's the kind of person that is a that is an answer to a problem that's that's the kind of person that is a body of proof that is a living example that can save a whole generation that's the kind of person that God can step in and say hey that's a characteristic that I can work in that's a characteristic that I can fulfill some dreams and Joseph passes that test that I think many people are failing today and the thing that I think is all too powerful is we are consumed with our dreams so much what if Joseph J would have just gave up on his dream all the things he we would have all probably Ste back and say hey he I mean it just didn't work out he's been through a lot he he you know everybody was against him this guy he just died in prison for the cause of Christ you know but that he remains faithful no matter where he's at he's speaking things that are positive but here's the powerful thing look look at this with me he is faithful to Pharaoh's dream Pharaoh didn't do it he appointed Joseph to be over the Fulfillment of his dream and had he not fulfilled Pharaoh's dream in his action it would have never fulfilled his so what does that tell us it tells us us many times in scripture in order for your dreams to be fulfilled you're going to have to fulfill someone else's fulfilling another man's dream is the only way that you'll ever fulfill yours because this Covenant is not just between you and God and your dream this Covenant is between you and your brother and God and it's all connected the characteristics are there selfishness will keep you stuck selfishness will will feel like you are just going in circles you are a stick in the mud and it all will come back to well God gave me this dream so many people are sitting on callings and sitting on anointings and sitting on a word that was spoken to them as a young person why because they are selfishly looking at God I'm waiting for everybody to bow down to me I'm waiting I'm waiting for all the things that happened that night in the field where my brothers he said but but then Lord you they threw me in a pit and this is happening that happen what what what's going on we can't see the positive and so selfishness and stubbornness will put you in a place where you got cows eating one another and you got this I don't know what that means but you got a man that's able to focus on the positive and able to see and he's a dreamer and he's remained a dreamer through everything and God has a plan but he needs a man he needs a woman he needs someone that is going to answer the call to act to prepare to be willing to do to be willing to stand up in our world today to be willing to speak up in our world today to be willing to do what pastor T taught on Wednesday night and that is win a soul to be a body a living proof all right of the body of Christ Joseph was 17 years old when he was taken to Egypt he lived there 93 years in the land and he took it upon himself as an individual to look after the Jewish people to never forget what God spoke to him no matter if it wasn't really he didn't give me this part of the dream but I believe that I'm just going to focus on the goodness of God he is this Living Truth his family they treated him wrong he remained faithful he's surrounded by false religion he remained faithful and the Book of Genesis closes with this and Joseph says to his brethren in verse number 24 of chapter 50 Joseph says to his Brethren I die and God will surely visit you he's still speaking it he's still speaking promises he's still speaking the future in moments of his death he says I'm going to die but God's going to visit you and bring you out of this land which he swear not just to me but to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob I'm holding on to a promise that's who Joseph was and Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel saying God will surely visit you but then he asked something of them he said You shall you shall carry up my bones from here from hence the situation changes in Egypt The Story begins to just have a little bit of a curve to it the Jews are no longer residents of just favor but now they become slaves so Exodus begins with this opening text that we use for our text tonight there arose a king in Egypt who knew not Joseph and I couldn't help but think that all there there was a king who didn't know Joseph his bones were still there he said I need you to make me a promise the promises of God are sure he spoke to Abraham and Isaac and to Jacob he's going to bring you out of here in the midst of him closing his life and and and and shutting the pages of the story of Joseph that oh had changed so many we we wouldn't even have to be dealing with slavery if it wasn't we wouldn't be in Egypt doing anything if it wasn't for Joseph we we we wouldn't even be here we we would have all died in a famine but because of Joseph J were all here and he says just just don't leave me here in Egypt because although God was good to us here and he spoken we can still see the positivity in Egypt don't don't forget where they were God was doing all that he was doing in Pharaoh's house and before Moses got there Joseph was there and Jo Joseph was taking care of things and he says but by all means don't you leave me here don't don't you leave my bones in Egypt so oh I think it's so powerful that at the beginning of the story and at the end of the story we see one book closes and one book opens and they forgot about him but he says my bones are still here and there's a body of proof that every time the people of God had to move they had to take these old bones with them I don't know if you quite understand what Joseph represented but Joseph was the Arc of the Covenant before there was an arc of the Covenant they put Joseph in a box and they said carry these bones around why because if it wasn't for Joseph we wouldn't even be here can you imagine oh the the the the father comes in and he's got welts on his back from a whip his hands are bleeding from the the the mar of just trying to do what Pharaoh says to do and he walks by and he just touches them old bones says I can see the positive when there's all this negative he says no matter what you do he said don't I can't help but think Joseph sitting there and he knows he knows there there's going to be some time before they get out of here they're not just going to March right out of this land and so at the time when he was there he was favorable but he had lived through enough negativity to know that there's coming a day where i'm not going to be able to speak verbally but these bones these bones had a voice and I can't help but think that you know that son comes through there and he's a new generation and there just it's his first day on the job and he just don't understand why we have to do all that we're doing we're supposed to be the people of God Dad we're supposed to be the people that are favored by God haven't you read all the Scriptures it says that God's going to bring us out in the promised land and God's going to do this and God's going to do that and he's going to save us and we're supposed to be the people of God why are we having to do what we're doing why are we enslaved and it just takes him over to the bones Joseph and just reminds him son God promised it to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob now if you really want to get into this it gets fun because couldn't you know that there was those people who had the responsibility that when that night came and that first that first that first whole thing begins to happen I I can't even remember what the the the first thing that was was it maybe let's just say the the locust come through huh Joseph's not there but his bones are thinks oh oh we're getting we're getting close he experiened the angel coming through the blood on the doorpost they marched these bones through the river through the Red Sea as it split I don't know who got to do it but there was no better there was no better March than the people that got to fulfill a promise and he says whatever you do don't leave me here whatever you do take me to the promised land because I am one that I believe that God's promises are sure and they are they're going to come to pass even if I don't get to go physically take these bones as a Living Testament that God will fulfill every promise that he's ever I I don't know who I'm preaching to tonight but you have been sitting and you and the devil's just been beating you up and God's not going to do it he's got you in the pit he's got you in the palace he's promised you this he's proom I'm telling you remain faithful and get your eyes on the positivity the goodness of God don't you let all those little cows eat up all them no I'm telling you God is going to do it it's it may not come when you want it but it'll be there H God's faithful God's good I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread he's able to do it and he's going to if you remain the right person oh can you imagine perhaps they put it in the hand of a new generation they gets to carry the bones over brother Nolan they get to they get to put their hand hands on the man that saved their whole saved the whole tribe saved everybody they but they said they they get to fulfill A Promise by walking the bones of Joseph across the Red Sea as you know so many things happen oh I believe Joseph would have been one of those that says have you not read I know you're discouraged but he said it to Abraham and he said it to Isaac and he said it to J I mean just open the book God's too good for you to be down and out God's too good for you not to see God God's too good for you no he he said I want you to make sure you take my bones cuz I want to participate in the promise I want to participate in what God said he would do so they get Joseph and they fin they get his bones and we know the story it ends where they've got Joseph and they put him sorry I think I we go they've got Joseph his his bones and he makes it all the way how I think we just need to stop here for a moment I'm I'm getting close I don't know I don't know if you it just every time they picked up that promise let's just make it a little more personal huh just got Joseph he said don't you remember he healed brother Kirby's eyes he just just put your hands on what what God's done don't you remember he healed brother Todd balone don't don't you remember he brought he's now he's redeemed him now he's done took him but but he brought Brother Andy Holland back in as a prodal don't don't you remember that God delivered Brother Thompson from don't you remember remember the goodness of God I know it don't look good right now I know there's unfavorable but could you just take my bones with just don't forget there's a Body of Proof there's a church that's a living breathing Testament God's been too good for us to stop now God's done too much for us to think we've arrived we've got to keep moving and we've got to take the Testament with us he said take my bones with oh he's been too good for me not to praise him he's been too good for me not to share he's been too good for me not to give he's been too good for me not to worship he's been too good for me not to be here he's been too good oh Hallelujah God's not done with us Church God's not done with us us that's right there's a generation's got a dream I know this carnal world's not going to be in favor of it but one day they're going to have to bow to it he said I've got a dream and this is just the beginning but these bones are connected to a promise these bones are connected to a promise Joseph said don't you leave me here he said don't you leave me here this ain't my home he said I got favor I got riches I got everything I need if anybody would have been buried properly huh he would have been buried like a king yes if at that moment Pharaoh would have put him in there he would have got the best spot in Pharaoh's house and they may have they may have mummified this Joker and put him in the top of a pyramid you could visit today I don't know he' had got everything he had it all there but he said this is not my home I've got favor here God's used me in a wicked world but God's this is not where he called me to I don't know if anybody could attest to that tonight but this is not my home and I don't don't you don't you leave me here it doesn't matter how good it is doesn't matter how great it is doesn't matter how how much you you you achieve in our world today but this is not our home we're just passing through he said don't you leave my bones here in Egypt I'm coming out when you come out I'm going over the water just like you are I'm going to experience this promise and you know over and over again we see that Jesus is compared to Joseph but it's odd so odd to me that there's one other person that is compared and actually has the same name meeting as Jesus the Lord Jesus is compared to John the Baptist and to the Prophet Elijah in Matthew 1711 but he Compares himself in Luke chapter 4 to the prophet Elisha Elisha's name means my God is salvation which is the same as Jesus which means God Saves both Elijah and Jesus began their Ministries at the Jordan River where the mantle descends and the spirit descends upon them they both cleanse leers they both healed the sick they both minister to widows in Desperate circumstances raise sons from the dead open blinded eyes multiply food for the hungry they both do it they both defy gravity Jesus walks on it and the ax head floats they both correlate all through the scripture they both had a betrayer Judas had gazi Jesus had Judas the most amazing thing of the story is that both Elisha and Jesus were laid in a tomb a grave where death ends up becoming a place of Resurrection the difference of course is that Jesus came out of the Tomb himself while the bones of Elisha brought an Earthly life to one man the blood of Jesus Christ brought eternal life to every man but I can't help but think that when Jesus uses an Old Testament character to connect to himself and a plan he for some reason wants them to hold on on to the bones you hear some they they they've been dead for quite some time all of a sudden Them Bones show up Joseph you read Joseph you see Jesus you read Elisha you see Jesus the man that was thrown into a grave I don't know there there's so many it's hard for me to determine which story I would love to see more in person but can you imagine imagine the funeral let's make it modern right Paul Bears bring them up we read the psalm everybody walks away they start lowering him down in all of a sudden about 4 and A2 ft he rubs the shoulder of some bones in the grave next to him and you hear someone banging on a casket this man just comes out of the grave nobody says nothing Jesus is Calling Lazarus there's nobody Parade's over funeral's over they've sung the last song and here comes a guy of the Grave why just because he touched the bones nobody sung a powerful song it wasn't Sunday night there was no big no just touch the bones of Elisha why because there was a promise connected to the body so what in the what in the world was the promise you see for quite some time Elisha had been laying in the laying in a grave the musicians want to come they can Elisha's been laying in a grave and Elisha is the double portion Prophet he's a prophet of of double portion and you know Elijah who he had he had come in after had performed eight Miracles and everybody knew elishah brother sister he's the double portion guy that's what he wanted huh he he couldn't he couldn't give his manle to anybody cuz they just weren't double portioned enough you know you got to smoke the ground let's let's get with it huh let's go you either going to do something for God or you ain't getting there that ain't happening but Elisha dies and I just can't help but think that the devil he had pushed doubt to perhaps the people around him for gener for years I don't know how long he laid there some of you might know the scripture might know the the the the the the history a little bit better than what I know but I know his his bones are there and if you look at it Elisha has only performed 15 Miracles so Elisha many people would have made Elisha out to be a false prophet but there was a promise in these bones there there was one more miracle in these bones and I can't help but just think that God Of Heaven wanted to use that tactic on the people surrounding that moment that had allowed doubt to creep in that had been distracted by the delay said oh perhaps Elisha wasn't who oh you'd seen 15 Miracles but because you didn't see the last one you thought maybe he wasn't who he said he maybe God and who God says he is maybe God really ain't going to do what what I read about maybe maybe I'm not really called to do this maybe I'm really not supposed to do and doubt crept in but there was a man who was thrown in a grave yes and it was a whole lot more than just one man coming out of a grave it was a whole lot more than just one man getting his life back all of a sudden it brought life to a congregation because there was a promise connected the completion of the double portion was in the bones of Elisha God uses the bones of what God has done to resurrect what God's going to do that's the story that's it as you stand to your feet God will use the bones of what remains it's a past Victory to resurrect what God is going to do in the future God will take a marching Joseph's bones he will take take just just just carry the bones around with you why because it is a trophy it is a memorial it is a monument of the faithfulness of God and not just the goodness of God but the character of a man the ministry of an individual because you cannot disconnect them they did everything they did they did everything please hear me this last couple minutes the prophecy they did everything they did to Jesus but a bone was not broken Jesus didn't come limping out of the Grave not one bone was broken you can feel the holes the you could feel the wounds but but not one bone why because he was a Body of Proof he was a Body of Proof and John listen to this John chapter 14 this is this so John 14 verse number 12 verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and Greater Works than these shall he do because I am going to my father you haven't seen nothing yet as long as we can stay intact as the body of Christ as long as we can stay connected and everybody do their part as long as we can stay active there is no telling what God will do why because if he did it for Elisha he'll do it for you if he did it for Joseph he'll do it for you if he did it for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob he'll do it for you the promises of God are here in this place tonight and I've come to this Pulpit tonight to see a resurrection happen and I I know you say well none of us are dead no not physically but there are some people who are dead spirit l in this place tonight and God is ready to make you once again a living breathing walking talking Testament of his glory and so if it's you tonight if it's you tonight you say God called me Jes God God God God spoke to me God put this in my life God is he he has a plan for me but you realize that you got to get that person in LED with that plan if that's you tonight I invite you to this altar to connect your heart to heaven I invite you to this altar if you think God has a plan for you and you want to get the man you want to get the woman in line with what God has to do in your future I invite you to step out and I believe God is going to birth something inside of each he's going to revive something inside of us come on if you can reach and grab a hold of the goodness of God if you can reach and grab a hold of something that God's done in the past and just begin to praise him for it you say God I know you've called me to do this I know you've called me to do that God I know you have a plan for me God and I want to get back to come on that's it come on that's it I wish if you would push up as far as you can to the front to allow everybody if God's called you you feel like you got a call of God on your life I wish you'd press toward this front throw your hands up and would you grab hold to the goodness of God come on nothing negative right now come on nothing negative right I I want you to think of the goodness of Jesus I want you to think of all that he's done for you come on Joseph don't let all the bad eat up all the good for God's been so good to us come on God's been so good to us oh hallelujah hallelujah come on Church Greater Works Greater Works Greater Works Greater Works Greater Works are ahead of us we have a dream that God is working on we have a dream that God is going to fulfill come on dad grab a hold of it right now come on Mom grab a hold of what God has for you come on don't let it lay dormant Let It Be resurrected by the spirit tonight how long's it been since you spoken tongues how long's it been since you've you've received the gift of the Holy Ghost oh hallelujah oh hallelujah oh hallelujah oh hallelujah