Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. We no longer have to live under the power and the dominion of sin in our lives. We can overcome temptation. We can win over sin in this life, and therefore live a godly life with a character that honors Christ. On today's PowerPoint, Dr.
Graham brings a message about the victory you can have over sin.
Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message: Iron Man. You know there are no shortcuts to character, and in today's message we are going to see how God continues to shape the character of His servant Joseph, and enable him to elevate in life to the degree. That he would stand as one of the most powerful men on earth, saving a nation of people, including his own family. In the series of tests and trials and temptations that Joseph faced, we also face these same trials.
In Christ, we are saved not only from the penalty of sin, which means every sin, past, present, and future, is forgiven, but we are saved from the power of sin, the reigning power of sin in us. In other words, we no longer have to live under the power and the dominion of sin in our lives. We can overcome temptation. We can win over sin. In this life, and therefore, live a godly life with a character that honors Christ.
Now, let me remind you what temptation is, because we're going to be dealing with the subject of temptation. Temptation is the seduction or the solicitation to fulfill a God-given desire in a God-forbidden way, to take what God has. Made and abuse it and misuse it, and certainly that's true when it comes to sexual behavior, because God gave this gift, but it is to be a gift that is to be cherished and nurtured in the boundaries and in the blessings and the beauty of a commitment that we call marriage, and that's what the Bible teaches. Temptation in itself is not a sin; it is the yielding to temptation that produces sin. Did you know?
Every time you resist temptation and overcome temptation and win over sin, you are building the moral fiber and character of your soul, and this will enable you the next time temptation comes along to win again. Successfully resisting temptation in our lives will enable us to grow strong in faith.
So today we're going to see how Joseph handled intense sexual pressure and temptation, and how he chooses purity over wickedness. His choice would cost him dearly. He would be falsely accused and even imprisoned, not for doing the wrong thing, but for doing the right thing. But what is important is that God never abandoned him in the midst of all of this. The steadfast love followed him wherever he went, and God was making it all possible because God's word was coming true in his life.
There's a psalm. Psalm 105, which says that God's word tested Joseph, even when his neck, when his neck was shackled with iron. Thus, the title of my message, Iron Man. Because when God allowed his neck to be shackled with iron, He was doing something deeper, and that was. Framing his soul, forging his soul with iron, so that he could fulfill his destiny.
Now everything is going great for Joseph at this point. He's written on the back of camels into Egypt, sold as a slave. But a man by the name of Potiphar purchases him, and Joseph determined one day that he would rise above the circumstances of his life and situation. And rather than die in Egypt, and his dreams with him, he chose: If I'm going to be a slave, I'm going to be God's slave. I'm going to be the best man in Egypt that I can possibly be.
And Joseph himself must have been stunned by the success. That he experienced. Potiphar saw that there is something unique about this man. There is something so strong about this man. What was it about Joseph?
Was it the obvious favor of God upon his life? Was it the fact that he refused to bow down to the gods of Egypt, and there were many. They worshipped the Nile. They worshipped the sun god Ra. They worshipped Pharaoh himself.
Was it the fact that this Hebrew young man, now in his twenties and single, is it now because of the fact That he worships God and he lives an honorable life, a life of integrity. Was this what made the man stand out? Probably all of the above. And so Potiphar, the master of the house, gives Joseph ultimately. Oversight of the entire household, he is now commandeering the entire operation of this huge Egyptian estate.
Potiphar was an aristocrat, a bureaucrat of sorts, powerful in the Egyptian world at that day. And so Joseph is carrying on, doing the right thing, and notice what happens beginning in verse six. Of the thirty ninth chapter, 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 in 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 yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And as she spoke to the to Joseph day after day.
He would not listen to her to lie beside her or to be with her. But one day, when he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house were was there in the house, 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. And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 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 into me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 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.
Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and And she told him the same story, saying, "The Hebrew servant whom you have brought among us came in to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house." Now, not even Hollywood can make this story up—a sordid, sensual situation. Potiphar's wife notices Joe because you see, Joe's no average Joe. He's successful, in spite of being a slave. He's good-looking and gifted.
The Bible says that he was handsome and fit. He exudes confidence. And charisma, and undoubtedly being a single young man in his twenties, quite a bit of chemistry. And so Potiphar's wife, she begins to lust after him, and so she hits on him again and again and again. And it is in the throes of this temptation that Joseph shows the iron of his soul.
This woman says, "Come lie with me." Not a very subtle approach, would you say? Historians tell us that Egyptian women of this era were particularly immoral. Think Cleopatra, generations later. But apparently, the aristocratic women of Egypt in this day were extremely immoral, along with their husbands.
So she thinks nothing of it, apparently, and she goes after Joseph.
Now, there are tests in life, and then there are tests, and this was a test. With a capital T E S T, and the battle is on. And so Joseph begins to deal with this. Joseph refused; he resists at the outset, but it doesn't stop. It keeps on.
She came after him, according to verse ten, again and again.
Now we can only imagine what is being said at this point. Come on, handsome. Nobody's going to know. I'm a married woman. I'm sure not going to tell my husband.
You're young. You're beautiful. You're in your twenties. Have you ever even had a girlfriend? Come on, Joseph.
I mean, we can only imagine what she was saying. But Joseph, with iron. In his soul, said no again and again, and you have to wonder how, because all of us know when we face temptation. Certainly, and there are different kinds of temptations. I should say, there are temptations that have to do with personal ambitions.
There are other temptations that have to do with our spiritual allegiances. The Bible talks about. The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. There are all kinds of temptations, but this one in particular is a powerful, seductive tool of the enemy. And we live in a sexually saturated culture and society, and these kinds of temptations are in our faces every single day.
So we must be prepared. To resist and to be resolute in our self denial. You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message Iron Man. Did you know that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotion?
It's a study of God's Word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life. To sign up, text DEVO D E V O to five nine seven eight nine and begin receiving Dr. Graham's devotional every day. Again, text DEVO D E V O to five nine seven eight nine. Every day, people around the world are hearing the truth of Jesus Christ through PowerPoints, broadcast, podcast, television ministry, and digital outreach.
Often during some of the most difficult moments of their lives, and friends like you help make that ministry possible. That's why this month we want to say thank you for your gift of ten dollars or more by sending you Dr. Jack Graham's book Destiny. In this encouraging resource, Dr. Graham walks through the life of Joseph to show how God is always working, even through painful and confusing circumstances, to accomplish His greater purpose.
To give your gift and request your copy, text OCT to five nine seven eight nine. That's OCT O C T, as in October, to five nine seven eight nine.
Now, let's get back to today's message. Iron Man. How did Joseph do this?
Well, let me mention a couple of reasons of many, I'm sure, but several that that jump to the top of the list. One is trust. Joseph said no to this woman because he knew that Potiphar, her husband, trusted him explicitly and completely. Joseph. Obviously, was loved by this man.
Cared for by this Egyptian, and though he was a pagan, there was this definite connection with Joseph the Hebrew, and he knew Potiphar was counting on him, and so the trust factor comes into play here.
Someone trusted him, and I should say here. That someone is trusting you, sir, you ladies. God has entrusted you salvation. Your wife, your husband has entrusted you their, their life. Your children trust you.
Your friends, your family trust you. Your church. Trust you. The question is: Are we trustworthy? Joseph said, "How could I do this thing to my master, to Potiphar, who has blessed me in such a way?" The trust factor.
Secondly, spiritual values. Joseph, along the way, had developed a strong core of spiritual values that developed his character. These are the iron core convictions of his life.
Now, remember, this is before Moses and the Law. This is way long before the Ten Commandments are given.
So, the seventh commandment hasn't been written yet. You shall not commit adultery. And yet, somehow, Joseph knew instinctively that this kind of sin was wrong and disobedient to the will of God in his life. I believe it is because he had a love for God. Joseph knew God.
He knew his presence and his hand upon his life, and because Joseph had this relationship with God, he spiritually knew that to break God's commandments by committing a sin like this would be wrong.
So he had developed moral character and convictions. He had a moral code, a strong one, a good one, but there was a third reason, and that is God's reputation. Joseph said, "How could I do this thing to Potiphar, my master, and commit this sin against God?" Now, ultimately, all sin and rebellion is against God. Had Joseph taken the woman up on her offer, it would have been a sin against her. It would have been a sin against Potiphar, her husband.
It would have been a sin against Joseph himself. In fact, the New Testament tells us that this kind of sin, in particular, is a sin against your own body. He would have sinned against the woman, sinned against her husband. He would have sinned against himself, but ultimately he said, "How can I do this thing and sin against God?" Because he was committed. To the love of God of his life, Joseph viewed himself as God's man in Egypt, and therefore he was a representative of God in Egypt.
And he had faith that was working. The whole house understood this. Everybody knew that Joseph was a godly man. Everybody in the house knew that he professed a faith in the one true God. In the midst of all of this darkness of Egypt, he is shining as a bright light for the glory of God in this place.
So how could he deny and dishonor the name of his God? He recognized he had the responsibility to live his faith by making the right choice, and this choice is critical to us as well, because we live in a generation primarily who does not know God. There are people in your school who know that you profess Christ. There are people at your office who know you profess Christ. There are people in your neighborhood.
You are a representative of the Lord your God, and it is our witness of God's reputation in the world, who He is, and what we believe about Him that is at stake. In our own generation, and so like Joseph, let us be trustworthy. Let us form strong moral convictions and the fiber of the soul, the iron of the soul, that stands against this kind of of wickedness in our lives. And yes, let us be concerned about the reputation of God, our witness in the world.
Now, there are some principles that I want to share with you that I believe give us guidance as to how we can do this. Number one, principle number one: when we are successful, we are most vulnerable to sexual temptation. Satan uses promotion and prosperity to produce pride in our lives. And when that happens, when you achieve some measure of success in life, whatever your chosen field, if you are not careful as a Christ follower, you can begin thinking that the rules don't apply to you anymore. Or that the boundaries have moved.
You can you can take the position that you're above all of this, and you're not responsible as other people are responsible. I've seen ministers and pastors play this game. And the higher we rise in life, the more likely we are to be susceptible to pride, which is the root of all of this. Anyway, we're put in this precarious position, and and this is why we must always guard our hearts, protect ourselves. Because Satan can attack us seemingly out of nowhere.
It it appears that when you read this passage of scripture, that that that Joseph is minding his own business, doing the right thing, and then out of nowhere comes this storm in his soul, and the temptation is on. But he wasn't surprised, and Satan was not allowed to deliver a crushing blow.
So, number one, when we are successful, we are most vulnerable. That's what happened to Joseph. Secondly, to resist temptation, you must build strong moral, biblical convictions in your life. To do what Daniel did, according to Daniel one nine, to purpose in your heart not to defile yourself. Joseph illustrates this, of course.
As I mentioned earlier, building these core convictions in his life. When she finally made her last-ditch effort to grab him, what does he do? He he leaves his outer cloak behind. She apparently grabbed his outer tunic and pulled it away, and he put on his Nikes and he ran out of the room as fast as he could. She screams bloody murder.
Says he tried to rape her. Here's the proof. And he goes into jail. Joseph must have been thinking, "God, I, I did the right thing. I obeyed you, and now look." But the scripture says, in verse twenty-one, "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him His steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." Let me tell you what followed him into prison.
He said no to lust, but he said yes to the love of God. He said no to sin, but yes to God's favor and blessing upon his life. It cost him to obey God, but ultimately it became the greatest favor of his life.
So I'm saying, build strong biblical character in your life, and when the time comes to run, you run. The Bible says, "Flee fornication." This is one sin you don't want to debate. Run. The final principle: when we obey God, it may cost us, but God will bless us. If you stand for righteous obedience, God knows it.
If you stand alone when all your friends are failing and falling around you, God knows the character of your heart, and what God did for Joseph, He will do for you. People may reject you, laugh at you, mock you, exclude you, but just like God was faithful to Joseph, God will be faithful to you. God will bless you. As you trust in Him, His steadfast love. Would you rather have the steadfast love of God, or the worldly lust that is all around us?
God's preparing Joseph for something greater in His life, and God's preparing you for something great in your life as you faithfully follow Him. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message Iron Man. We want to tell you about an encouraging resource available this month from PowerPoint Ministries. It's Dr. Jack Graham's book Destiny.
Have you ever wondered if God really has a purpose for your life, or questioned what He might be doing through the seasons of disappointment, waiting, or uncertainty? In Destiny, Dr. Graham explores the life of Joseph to reveal how God's sovereign hand is always at work, even when we can't see it. This powerful resource will help you trust God's plan, find peace in a difficult season, and move forward with confidence and hope. And when you give a gift of $10 or more to help share the biblical truth around the world through PowerPoint, we'll send you Destiny as our thanks.
To give your gift and request your copy, text OCT O C T to 59789. That's OCT O C T, as in October, to 59789. Let me remind you that you can join Dr. Graham for his daily devotion. It's a study of God's word that will help you grow in your faith, encourage you in your walk with Christ, and show you how to navigate through the challenges of life.
To sign up, text DEVO D E V O to five nine seven eight nine and begin receiving Dr. Graham's devotional every day. Again, text DEVO D E V O to five nine seven eight nine. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? If you have fallen to sexual temptation or any other kind of temptation, remember, as a child of God, it's not too late for you.
It's not too late for you to repent and for God to restore you. You are not an exception. God's love and grace will meet you at the point of your confession and your surrender to Him. If you've fallen into any kind of sin, the first step is to really confess your sin to God, and to realize and experience His forgiveness. The Bible says, "Repent." That means to turn from your sin.
To confess means that you agree with God that what you've done is wrong, and that you will forsake your sin in the power of God's Spirit.
Now, I know that some sins, like addictions. Unholy habits in our lives are more difficult to turn from than others. That's why I want to encourage you to surround yourself with godly people who will counsel you and encourage you, and keep you participating in activities that will strengthen you rather than tear you down. Most importantly, I want to encourage you to fill your heart and mind with the truth of God's word. God's word will purify you.
Jesus prayed to the Father, sanctify them by Your truth. God's truth cleanses us and enables us to have strength and power to overcome temptation. In the essence, when you are concentrating on the Word of God, you can't be thinking the wrong things if you're thinking the right things, and the right thing ultimately is the eternal truth from the Word of God. No matter what's in your past, God will turn your life around and do amazing things in your life in the days ahead. And I pray that you will take those steps necessary to start this transformation today.
And that is today's PowerPoint. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how God can use adversity in your life. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
