2014 Messages

Sovereign Grace that Preserves (Genesis 37:1-36, Genesis 39:1-23)

Mark Pitman, August 5, 2018
Part of the Abounding Grace series, preached at a Sunday Morning service

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About Mark Pitman: Mark is the lead pastor at Bridgewater Community Church
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Genesis 37 (Listen)

37:1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.

These are the generations of Jacob.

Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.

Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

(ESV)

Genesis 39 (Listen)

39:1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” 10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.

11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”

19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.

(ESV)

Date Series Sermon Scripture Special Events
5-Jan Inclement  Weather Day – No Services
12-Jan Living Life Together Why Are We Here, Where Are We Going, and How Do You Fit In? Ephesians 3:14-21
19-Jan Living Life Together Living Together As the People of God Exodus 1:1-2:10, 23-25 Sanctity of Human Life; Baby Dedication
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9-Feb Living Life Together Living Life Together by Selecting the Right God Exodus 5:1-6:13
16-Feb Living Life Together Living Life Together in the Joy of Our Redemption Exodus 11:1-12:41 Valentine’s   Day
23-Feb Living Life Together Living Life Together by Trusting Our Mighty Deliverer Exodus 14
2-Mar Inclement Weather Day – No   Services
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16-Mar Living Life Together Living Life Together by Joyful Obedience to Our Covenant Exodus 19
23-Mar Guest Speaker Chris Gendron
30-Mar Living Life Together Living Life Together in Celebration of the Mercy of God Exodus 32 5th Sunday; BCC 101
6-Apr Friend Request Joining the Celebration Philippians 2:1-18 Camp Selah
13-Apr Friend Request The End of Blah, Blah, Blah John 12:1-19 Palm Sunday
20-Apr Friend Request When You Give and Receive Nothing in Return Matthew 26:42-56 Easter
27-Apr Friend Request Who’s Got Your Back? 1 Samuel 18:1-16, 19:1-7, 20:1-42
4-May Friend Request Strength in Numbers: Praying for One Another Colossians 4:2-4
11-May Friend Request Hospitality for Busy Lives Romans 12:1-13 Mother’s Day
18-May Friend Request When You Need a Friend – Because Two is Better Than One 1 Peter 1:-2:3, 3:13-18, 4:1-10, 12-19 Congregational Business Meeting
25-May  Guest Speaker Scott Towers Memorial Weekend
1-Jun Friend of God An Outrageous Possibility James 2:14-26 Honor Graduates
8-Jun Friend of God God Dwelling With Us 1 Corinthians 6:1-20 Communion
15-Jun Friend of God God Ruling Us – Coming to Grips with Jesus as Our Benevolent King Romans 10:9-13 Father’s Day; Baby Dedication
22-Jun Friend of God God Loving Us Romans 8:31-39
29-Jun Friend of God God With Us Isaiah 7:1-16 5th Sunday
6-Jul Friend of God God Interceding For Us Romans 8:12-27 Independence Day
13-Jul Friend of God God Our Father Romans 8:12-17
20-Jul Friend of God God Preparing For Us Revelation 21:1-22:5 Communion
27-Jul Living Life Together Living Life Together Because Our Family Had a Great Beginning Acts 11:1-11, 2:1-16
3-Aug Living Life Together The Message That Draws Us Together Acts 4:1-36  VBS Day
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17-Aug Living Life Together Proclaiming the Name Acts 5:12-42
24-Aug Living Life Together Solving Problems Quickly Acts 6:1-7 Baptism and Family Night
31-Aug Living Life Together Facing Pressure Courageously Acts 6:7-15, 51-60 5th Sunday
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26-Oct Guest Speaker Scott Towers
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9-Nov Stewardship LLT by Taking the Next Step in Your Financial Earning  Col 3:22-25
16-Nov Stewardship The Next Step in Spending  Luke 12:13-33 Thanksgiving Dinner
23-Nov Stewardship The Next Step in Giving  2 Cor 8:1-15; 9:14 Communion
30-Nov That Crazy Family of Yours Tis the Season for OCD Philippians 3:1-16 5th Sunday
7-Dec That Crazy Family of Yours Too Much Sugar, Too Many Presents Deuteronomy 6:1-9
14-Dec That Crazy Family of Yours Fixing Your Focus Matthew 2:1-12 Children’s program
21-Dec That Crazy Family of Yours Loving Your Outlaws Genesis 2:18-25
24-Dec, Wednesday  That Crazy Family of Yours  Christmas Has Always Been Crazy  Luke 2:1-20  Christmas Eve
28- Dec That Crazy Family of Yours The Biggest Bill Has Been Paid Colossians 2:1-15