The Final Word | Week 9

The Final Word

Week 9 – Be on the Alert Overcoming Prayer – Part 2

I. The Sins of the Fathers

God created us for relationship. When sin entered the garden it separated Adam and Eve from God and from each other. Sin has been separating ever since. Sin ruptures relationships. That is why our focus is to be on loving the Lord with our whole being. Sin causes us to protect self at all costs, while Christ calls us to die to our self.

We can trace patterns of ruptured relationships through families. Sinful strongholds are passed from one generation to the next. But sin is never satisfied. It must always have more. Consequently, the sins we don’t deal with will deal with us, and they may destroy our children.

A. Abraham – lied about Sarah

Pharoah

Abimilech

B. Isaac – lied about Rebekah

Isaac and Rebekah showed favoritism

Isaac favored Esau

Rebekah favored Jacob

Remember that when Rebekah and Jacob were conniving, they used a kid for the savory meat dish, and they took the skin of the goat and put it on the hands and arms of Jacob to deceive his father. Now the brothers of Joseph are using the blood of a goat to deceive their father, who is none other than Jacob himself. They hand the coat to him and say, “Do you recognize it? We just found it up there in the mountains. It looks like a wild beast must have got to him. Old Jacob came to the conclusion that his son Joseph had been killed. Notice this very carefully. Jacob is deceived in exactly the same way that he had deceived. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7)—not something else, not something similar, but the same thing.” McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible Commentary (electronic ed.) (Genesis 37:33). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

C. Jacob – lied, deceived and fled

Jacob was deceived by Laban.

Rachel and Leah – manipulated, compared and competed.

Rachel stole the household idols.

When Jacob returned to Canaan, his sons deceived the men of Shechem and they murdered them to avenge the rape of Dinah.

Jacob favored Joseph, the oldest son of Rachel.

Jacob’s sons – lied, deceived, murdered, were jealous, betrayed, plotted murder against Joseph and instead sold him into slavery.

D. Joseph at 17 had two dreams given to him by God.

Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers who were tending their sheep. The brothers plot against him, planning first to murder him, but then selling him to Ishmaelite traders. Killing a lamb, his brothers dip the coat of many colors in it to deceive their father into thinking Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.

Joseph broke the lineage of sin because he believed God! We act out of what we believe. Joseph had an accurate and exalted view of God. Thus, he could obey even when the sins of his father and brothers continued to be perpetuated against him.

The story of Joseph reveals that not every man has his price. Satan says that he does, but there have been several men whom Satan could not buy. Joseph was one of these. Job was another, and the apostle Paul was still another. Satan despises mankind, but these and many more are men whom Satan found he could not buy. McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible Commentary (electronic ed.) (Genesis 39:23). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Joseph’s faith made him faithful! God had spoken, and he believed even in the face of excruciating circumstances.

In Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potipher.

Potipher’s Wife – tempted and seduced, then lied and falsely accused.

Joseph understood he could not burn with God’s fire and also burn with her fire. He had to decide which fire he wanted burning in his soul. To have God’s fire, he would have to reject her fire. He looked at his spiritual inheritance, saw the fiery exhilaration that God had destined for his life, and chose to burn with God’s flame rather than temptation’s flame. He passed the test! (Bob Sorge, Unrelenting Prayer, Loc. 354)

Potipher – judges and condemns Joseph, sending him to prison.

Prison – Joseph interprets the dreams of the baker and cupbearer. The cupbearer is restored, but fails to remember Joseph. Two long years go by before Pharaoh has a dream that no one can interpret.

If Joseph had given in to self-pity, he would have given in to sin!

Because Joseph believed God’s promise, he could stand firm while his character was being developed to prepare him for a divinely appointed position of power and protection.

Without steadfast dependence and humility, positions of power will destroy us.

When Pharaoh called for Joseph, he told him about his two dreams. Joseph interpreted them and said, “the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God” (Genesis 41:32). God had also given Joseph two dreams. As he stood before Pharaoh, he was about to see them fulfilled. As second in command in Egypt, his family would have to bow to him for provision. God had been faithfully preparing His deliverer.

You too can be free of generational sins and patterns of sinful behavior that have been part of your family lineage. But you must know and believe your God. Standing on His Word, you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Christ was able to stand against the enemy without ever sinning. He said, “The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me” (John 14:30).

That is why God’s greatest command is for our greatest good! When our love for Christ surpasses our love for self, sin loses its hold. When I love the Lord with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength, I am able to stand against the enemy and my flesh. Strongholds are torn down and God’s love prevails. Love wins!

II. Overcoming Prayer

When we love the Lord with our entire being, we will love our neighbor as ourselves. We begin by praying for them.

Pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Pray for your local church.

Pastor and Staff

Pray for your city.

Mayor Jim Strickland County Mayor Lee Harris

Pray for your state.

Governor Bill Lee

Pray for your nation.

President Donald Trump Vice President Mike Pence

Senate
House of Representatives

Supreme Court Justices

• John G. Roberts, Jr.
• Clarence Thomas
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Stephen G. Breyer
• Samuel Alito, Jr.
• Sonia Sotomayor
• Elena Kagan
• Neil Gorsuch
• Brett Kavanaugh

Pray for the nations.

When Christ returns, will He find faith on the earth? (Luke 8:8).

LOVE, PRAY, SERVE until we see Him. Then this light and momentary affliction (2 Corinthians 4:17) will be totally eclipsed by all that He has prepared for those who love Him! (1 Corinthians 2:9)