Fruitfulness
Sermon Recording
Due to technical difficulties, a portion of the sermon is missing.
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: The Joseph Stories
Genesis 41:37-57 (ESV)
37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, 48 and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. 49 And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.
50 Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. 51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house.” 52 The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
56 So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.
Sermon Outline
The Bible’s narrative shows how God uniquely brings redemption out of our life stories.
1. Success Narrative
v40 “only as regards the throne will I be greater than you”
vv42-43 “signet ring… clothed… gold chain… second chariot… over the land”
vv47-49 “Joseph… gathered up… put the food in cities… stored up…”
v39 “can we find a man… in whom is the Spirit of God?”
v45 “Pharoah called his name Zaphenath-paneah… gave him in marriage Asenath.”
v55 Pharoah said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
2. Forget Narrative
vv51-52 Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”
3. Fruitful Narrative
v52The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”
Prayer of Confession
Our great Redeemer, we look to you as the only one who can truly transform us, and the only one who offers real hope for us and for our world. We admit our weakness. We have bought into the hopes and dreams of our world, and have participated in and experienced the corruptions of it. We are guilty of compromise and confusion. Forgive us all our sins, and renew our hearts and minds. Fill us with grace and truth. We look to Jesus, who alone fulfilled righteousness and who alone offers us redemption. Thank you for your mercy to us. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
What strategies do you have for engaging a world with good and evil? What expectations do you have?
Should Christians strive for success? Why or why not? What would a Christian understanding of success look like, and how would it be different from other conceptions of success?
What do you think Joseph meant when he named his son Manasseh, declaring God has made him forget all his hardship? What are we forgetting when we forget hardship?
What are examples of being fruitful in affliction (the phrase Joseph used in explaining Ephraim’s name)? What kinds of good can come out of hard periods? What attitudes or expectations should we have when going through affliction?
The gospel story is the true redemptive story. How does inclusion in the life of Jesus make our stories redemptive? How does grace and truth provide a foundation for healing and hope?