A Chosen Vessel - Joseph Part 2 A Prosperous Servant

Is the image of Jesus reflected in him. We see it all throughout the story of Joseph in his attitudes, in his actions, and even in the things that happened to him are often a type of Christ. And so, This morning, we're going to look in Genesis 39 and we're going to pick up with the story of Joseph. Joseph, a chosen vessel of the Lord. The next youngest of 12 brothers and but it was God who chose him for a specific task.

You know, we are all we are all chosen vessels of the Lord. We who are the children of God who put our faith and trust in Jesus are his vessels. There's another song I thought about singing out of the hymn book this morning. It's entitled Channels Only. Channels Only, Blessed Master.

He is wants to be seen in and through us. We are simply channels for the glory of God to be seen in this world and how are they going to see Jesus? Well, hopefully, they're going to see Jesus in who? They're going to see Jesus in us. We are, he is the light of the world.

We are the lights that reflect the light of Jesus into a dark world that desperately need Jesus Christ. That was true today. It was no less true in Joseph's day. Joseph is going to end up in a place called Egypt which was not exactly a god fearing society. They had their all their own false gods and idols and but God wanted Joseph there and so, Joseph became sort of a missionary to Egypt.

Didn't get there maybe the way most missionaries get there but nonetheless, he got there and nonetheless, he was a witness and a testimony for his God as we ought to be today. I remember and I will make fun of me as he always does when I bring up the tire factory but when I was in college, I needed some extra money to earn a good bit of money every summer to help get me through college because as you know, it cost quite a bit of money and so, I found this job actually my wonderful dad found this job for me at a tire factory and he thought, well, this will be a really good job. They pay better, you know, mowing lawns or or doing working at McDonald's and so I went the fur I I took the job. The first summer I worked there, I worked nights. Midnight to 08:00.

Midnight to 08:00, the entire summer. I do not remember that summer because it was hard for me to sleep during the day. I was a walking zombie at night but but I got through the summer and got my bill paid the next year for college. Well, when next summer rolled around, I was determined. I am not going back to the tire factory.

I'm not doing that again. Hot, stinky, and they're going to put me on night shift again. I'm not going to be able to sleep and not going to be able to do stuff with my friends and so, I got another job. It didn't pan out. It was a temp job as a temper temp means temporary and it was temporary.

After two weeks, it was ended. The person came back who was out and I had to find another job. Well, I just couldn't find one. So, I I talked to the Lord and said, Lord, I really don't want to go back to tire factory but if I must, I will and so, low and behold, I went back and asked and they had, they had an opening. So, guess what?

But praise the Lord. I got to work days and not nights and that was so much nicer. But a couple weeks into it, the Lord really really touched my heart and said, you know, if you viewed the people that work here, as people who need the Lord and you as my witness, it will make life much much more meaningful. And purposeful and profitable to myself and to them and to the Lord and so I started looking at the tire factory as a mission field. I worked there the rest of the summer that I worked there the next two summers.

I I was never my favorite job. But but it changed everything when I started looking at the tire factory is not just something I had to do to make money but started looking at it as an opportunity to be a missionary, a witness for Jesus Christ and as we'll go, we look through the life of Joseph today. I think we'll see a little bit of that in Joseph. He he could've be got down in the dumps and he could've given up but instead, he was a testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. A chosen vessel like you and me.

The question is not, is God or will God lead us? The question is, are we listening? Praise the Lord Joseph was listening. A chosen vessel, a man of character, a young man of character, we learned last week, a profitable son, and yet a despised brother. What did his brothers do?

Well, they actually considered killing him. They hated him so much. They hated him because his father's favoritism. They hated him because of the dreams that God gave him that one day they would bow down to him. They hated him.

Most of all, I do believe because he did what was right and he wouldn't go along with the crowd. And that's true today. If you're determined to take a stand for the Lord, to take a stand for what's right, to not go along with the crowd, the crowd probably isn't going to love you and clap their hands and say, good for you. No, the crowd's going to be frustrated with you and the crowd was frustrated with Joseph but you know something? Joseph knew something that made it all worthwhile and that is Joseph knew that his Lord was with him.

His Lord was with him. His Lord was real. And he decided to stick with the Lord. Joshua one nine says this, have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage.

Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee. Whether so ever, thou goest. God was with Joseph. He was with Joseph. He's with Joseph when he was with his brothers.

He was with Joseph when he was looking for them. He was with Joseph. And he took care of Joseph. You know something? When Joseph was thrown in a pit by his brothers, was God still with him?

When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, was God still with him? Yes, he was. Joseph knew this. Joseph believed this and it dramatically affected the state of his mind and therefore, his behavior. Even as a slave in a foreign land.

If you look in verse one of chapter 39, chapter 39 and verse one, and Joseph was brought down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, and an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither. And the Lord was with Joseph and he was a prosperous man and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian and his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand and Joseph found grace in his sight and he served him and he made him overseer over his house and all that he had, he put into his hand and it came to pass from that time that he had made him overseer in his house and over all that he had that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field and he left all that he had in Joseph's hand. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for your word today and I pray as we continue to look at the lives of life of Joseph this morning that we would be encouraged convicted challenged to be more like Joseph even more like Jesus, our savior.

To look at life through a different lens than maybe many others are today and maybe even from a different perspective than sometimes we ourselves are. Through your lens today. And that we might see the opportunities that are before us. And not just the difficulties. That we find ourselves in.

Lord, help us to remember that you will never leave us nor forsake your children. And to cling to that. And therefore to live according to it. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Alright. So, Joseph. Joseph, a prosperous servant, okay? A despised brother, a despised brother, thrown in a pit, sold to traders, and now sold into slavery but the person we read about in the first six verses of Genesis 39 is maybe not quite what you would have expected of somebody who had just been sold by his brothers and then sold as a slave in a foreign land to a foreign master. Somehow, I think we may have struggled to be the person that Joseph clearly seems to be in the first six verses of this chapter.

A prosperous servant, a hardworking and faithful servant. Despite the evil which was propagated upon him by his jealous brothers, and despite the great in inequity of slavery in which he now found himself, Joseph continued to serve, be respectful, and do his best. Ecclesiastes nine ten says this, whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. Whatever it is thy thy hand findeth to do. Whatever the job it is, whatever the task it is, that God has put before you, do it to your best ability.

Do it with all your might. Now, sometimes, we're going to find ourselves in situations that we want to get into. We'll find ourselves with tasks that we enjoy and sometimes, we'll find ourselves in situations we did not want to be in. We'll find ourselves with tasks that just are not the favorite thing to do. Now, some of you in here, when you were younger and you were in school, you loved to go to school.

You loved to study. You liked reading in these things and you enjoyed that. Some of you fought almost of school like slavery. You you had to get up, you had to go, you didn't want to, you didn't want to read, you didn't want to study. You know something, we're not all the same and God did make us all the same and so, not all of us have the same likes and loves as other people but nonetheless, even though you weren't excited about school every day, you still had to what?

You still had to go. And seeing that's the case, you might as well do your what? Do your best, okay? Now, Joseph found himself in a even more difficult situation. But yet, Joseph still did his best.

The Bible never casts slavery in a good light. Whether it be Joseph or the nation of Israel or Onesimus in the New Testament. However, you will find in general God's instruction to the servant or to the slave to be this, do your best, be respectful, and let God take care of the rest. Ephesians six five through eight. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling and singleness of your heart as under Christ not with eye service as man pleasers but as servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.

With goodwill doing service as to the Lord and not to men. Knowing that whatsoever good thing man, any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond which in that day meant a servant or a slave or free. In other words, Paul wrote to many Christians in the early church who found themselves in a humble position. Often times, found themselves in a position as a servant or what we would call a slave. And this is the instruction Paul had for them.

Do your best. Don't do it just for the good of the person whom you serve. Do it for who? Do it for the Lord. Because you know something?

God will reward you. God knows. God understands. God sees. Trust the Lord.

Do your best. Be a good testimony. Now, that's not always easy to do. When you find yourself in a position as literally millions of people throughout the history of the world have found themselves. But God says, do your best.

Trust me. I notice, I see, I will reward you. And this was the attitude of who? This was the attitude of Joseph. This was the attitude of Daniel in the book of Daniel as well.

Today, so many spend their energy looking for a reason to be upset. Looking for a reason to be slack or to be angry, angry, angry, angry at the inequities of life. And the faults of others. Rather than looking for ways to overcome the hardships of life. By doing right and working harder.

Let me read that again. Today, so many spend their energy looking for a reason to be upset, to be slacker, to be angry at the inequities of life and the faults of others rather than looking for ways to overcome the hardships of life. By doing right and working harder. There are some things we cannot immediately change no matter how much we would like to. But what we can do is we can honor the Lord and we can do our best regardless of that situation.

As I was thinking about this, I thought about this phrase I've heard, the greatest generation. The greatest generation in The United States is what some people call the World War two generation. The greatest generation. Why? Why so?

Well, many of them, a lot of them worked tirelessly here in The United States to support a very costly war that was going on. Many fought and put their lives at risk to protect us and other innocent people and other parts of the world from the likes of Hitler. Many of these people lost loved ones to the war. Saul atrocities suffered greatly but then they came home and they built this country and they built their families and they built businesses despite the atrocities of war that haunted them day after day. They were heroes.

Life was not easy. But rather than complaining and finding a reason to quit, they came home. And they got busy. And we, in many respects, are privileged because of them. I think of my parents.

My parents were born into pretty hard lives. My mom's dad was a dirt poor coal miner. He worked very hard, many many hours a week to earn enough to feed his family and to keep up the humble abode some might call a shack that they lived in in the mountains of West Virginia. My dad's dad was a struggling farmer, whom life dealt many hard blows. And when my dad was 10 years old, my granddad rolled a tractor over on himself and died.

Probably had a heart attack. He was 60 years old. My parents worked harder than I can imagine Particularly in their younger years. To over call, overcome the so called inequities. Big word today in our culture.

Or what we call might call hardships of life. Yet, they faced them and they did overcome them. On so many levels by God's grace and strength. They are my heroes. Yes, I am privileged in many ways today.

I am privileged because of both the hard work and dedication of many who went before me and particularly of my parents and my grandparents but also because of their faith in God and the grace he showed toward them and toward me. We will all find ourselves with some hardships in life though my generation and younger often see things we call hardships that previous generations might not have seen as quite a big a problem as our generation does. So, what about us today? How about you? Do you do your best at work?

You see, we we don't have slaves so to speak in our society today today. Praise the Lord. But we do have employers and sometimes, as an employee, you might feel like a servant to your employer. Do you do your best at your job? Are you on time?

Do you work hard? Are you respectful? That was Joseph. Do you focus your energy and time on raising your kids, giving them a good example of hard work, faithfulness, and love? Do you give thanks for the goodness God has shown you and the opportunities God has given you and there are many that we overlook today.

Or do we like many today particularly in The USA ungrateful, spend our time and energy moaning and groaning about the inequities of life, or looking for excuses for our failures and laziness rather than working our hardest to succeed. And no, you won't succeed at everything. Sometimes, you will fail. Sometimes, it will be your fault. My fault.

Sometimes, it'll be others fault. But we need not allow the faults of others or even our our own faults to destroy us. There is a god in heaven who forgives. There is a god in heaven who answers prayer. There's a god in heaven who will help us if we will but call on him.

Call unto me and I will what? Answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. The answer to our problems today is not better government. The answer to our problems today is people praying and calling out in faith to the God who can change their life and make a difference. We've got too many people that have the wrong God.

We have too many people that are looking to the wrong place and we have too many people that are caught up in what they call hardships or inequities and they're willing to just give up. When God want what God wants them to do is get busy. Keep working hard. Keep doing your best. Learn from your mistakes.

You do what is right by God and eventually despite all the roadblocks that others throw up in your path, by God's grace and strength, you shall prevail. Our Bible is filled with examples. Noah, 100 it took him to build the ark. How many people bought in to his message? Nobody.

How many people probably mocked and sneered and made fun of him? A lot of people. And was it hard work? Yeah. Did it stop him?

No. Who prevailed? He did. Moses and Aaron, Abraham, and Sarah, David, and Daniel, and Ruth. Our Bible is full of examples.

The heroes of scripture are people that overcame. Our savior, he overcame for us on the cross of Calvary. Overcame sin and death by his sacrifice and his resurrection. We are more than the Bible says, conquerors and overcomers through Jesus Christ, our savior. Our history as a nation is filled with similar examples of overcomers.

This is the example of Joseph that God has given us today and how pertinent and relevant it remains. Does that sound relevant to you? Sounds relevant to me. And something we can apply to our lives. Joseph was a hard worker.

Joseph didn't quit. He didn't get angry. He didn't get bitter. He served. His authority and he did his best and what happened?

Well, what happened was he prospered. Verse two, the Lord was with Joseph and he was a what? Anybody reading? A prosperous man. Now, what is he?

A slave but yet he's a slave and at the same time, he's a what? A prosperous man. Now, how do those two things go together? That just doesn't make sense. But it does when you're serving the Lord and it can when you will trust him and honor him and do your best.

He did prosper in the house of the Egyptian Potiphar. His master, verse three, saw that the Lord was with him and the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand and Joseph found grace in his sight and he served him and he made him overseer of all his house. He prospered. He rose in authority and privilege in the house of Potiphar despite the setbacks. He did not give up.

He did not throw in the towel. He did not disrespect God and others. He showed himself to be trustworthy, a person of integrity, and he worked his tail off. And as he did, he did what? He prospered.

And he rose. In privilege and authority in the house of Potiphar. The Bible says Psalm one three and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit and his season, his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. If you will take the attitude of Joseph, if you will trust in the Lord, if you'll remember that God is with you even in in the places that you don't want to be, and if you will honor the Lord and do your best, you'll be like a tree planted by rivers of what? Water and that was Joseph.

He prospered. He had a good testimony. He had a good testimony. Matthew five sixteen says, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Does that mean that you're we're supposed to let our light shine?

Let Jesus shine through us so that others can see Jesus in our works and our attitude if everything is going great. If everybody's treating us like we should be treated, right? No. A matter of fact, we shine brightest for Jesus when we do what's right, when others are doing what's wrong. That's where Joseph found himself.

He did what was right. He followed the Lord. He stayed true and his light shown and others saw it. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that Lord is in all capital letters. That that's God's name.

His master in Egypt who was an idolater who worshiped all of these different idols saw that this God who Joseph talked about, this God who Joseph served prospered him. Even in this difficult situation and he was a testimony. So, it became parent to others with whom he worked and for whom he worked that God was real to him, that God was with him, that his God blessed him to for his faithfulness. Much like we read about the life of Daniel as well. And it should also be true in whose life?

Our life. You say, well, I I I expected to be, you know, up here right now. I expect to have this job, be having to work this, do that. You know, my employer, he's hard to get along with, you know, and and maybe you're still going to school. Whatever the case may be.

You don't have to like it so to speak and you don't have to, it doesn't have to be the thing you wanted to do in life. To trust the Lord and say, okay God, this is where you put me, place me, and so I'm going to shine for you where I am. That's what Joseph did and what a testimony he was. He was placed over the whole house in Potiphar. He eventually rose to be the highest of the servants in Potiphar's house.

In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, Jesus tells us this, and so he that had received five talents, the servant, came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliverest unto me five talents, behold I have gained beside them five talents more. And his Lord said unto him, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou has been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord.

Joseph was faithful in the what? Little things, the small things. You know, the test begins not with the big things. The test begins with the the small things. Be faithful in the small things.

Joseph was faithful in the small things. He didn't start out the overseer of the house. He started out one of the lowest servants in the house but he was faithful and whoever his supervisor was saw it and they promoted him and eventually, Potiphar saw it and he promoted him. He was faithful in the little things. So, he was made ruler over bigger things.

Though still a slave in his day, he lived better than most including his brethren that were still living at nomads in the desert. Joseph, though sold as a slave, was living in many respects better than they were. And God was not done with him yet. He's not going to die a slave. Okay.

God is not done with him yet. Even Potiphar prospered because of Joseph's faithfulness. We read in if you look again in verse five, it came to pass from that time, he made him overseer in his house over all that he had and the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake. Even the Egyptian master benefited from the obedience and the faithfulness of Joseph. You know, if you are faithful to the Lord, if you do what's right, if you work hard, not only are you going to benefit but guess what?

The businesses you work for, they'll benefit. Your family, they'll benefit. Your church, they'll benefit. Because of your faithfulness to the Lord. Others benefit.

Do you assist and help with the work of the Lord? Or you are a hen or are you a hindrance and a drag on it? There are all times when there are times when all of us need a little help, okay? And God understands that. And God's put us together in each other's lives to help when those times do do happen whether they're emotional, financial, whatever they may be.

But God has put us here also to help other people and as we are faithful to the Lord, we will see those opportunities and we will be blessed to be a blessing to somebody else and what a blessing you can be in the lives of others. When you say, I'm not going to get bitter. I'm not going to get angry. I'm going to serve the Lord and I'm going to trust in him and we see even Potiphar's house here blessed by Jacob, by Joseph and then if you look in verse six, look if you would in verse six. Everything's going good.

He's being blessed, right? It's all going to be great. And then what happened? Well, let me ask you a question. When you're doing what's right, when you're growing in the Lord, when you're benefiting and your churches and your family is, who's happy?

Who's not happy? God's happy, Satan's not. Satan's not happy. And a lot of times, Satan is going to try to throw a wrench into the works. Look if you would again, verse six, the last part of the verse and Joseph was a goodly person and well favored and it came to pass after these things that his master master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and she said, lie with me and he refused and said unto his master's wife, behold my master, what if not what is with me in the house and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand.

There is none greater in the house, in this house than I, neither, hath he kept back anything from me, but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And it came to pass as she spake to Joseph day by day that he hearken not unto her, to lie by her, or even to be with her. And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went into the house to do his business, and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment saying, lie with me and he left his garment in her hand and he fled and got him out and it came to pass when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and was fled forth that she called unto the men of her house and spake unto them saying, see, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us.

He came in unto me to lie with me and I cried with a loud voice and it came to pass when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried that he left his garment with me and fled and got him out. And she laid up his garment by her until his Lord came home and she spake unto him according to these words saying, the Hebrew servant, thou hast bought brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me, and it came to mass as I lifted up my voice and cried that he left his garment with me and fled out and it came to pass when his master heard the words of his wife which he spake unto him saying after this manner did thy servant to me that his wrath was kindled and Joseph's master took him and put him into prison. A place where the king's prisoners were bound and he was there in prison. Joseph, a prosperous man, I want you to see Joseph quickly as a righteous man. When tempted, when it would have been more convenient for him to give in than to take a stand, what did he do?

He took a stand. He truly was a man of integrity. A righteous man. Joseph refused the advances of Potiphar's wife. Like Job refused to curse God when Satan took everything away from him.

I imagine there may have been a similar story similar conversation between God and Satan in heaven as there was in the book of Job where where Satan came to God and said, well, look at all these people what they're doing and God said, have you considered Job? He said, well, yeah. Well, he just serves you because you're so good to him. You take it all away and he'll curse you. God said, no.

Satan said, yes. God said, okay. Take it away. We'll see. Who was right?

God was. Who got rewarded in the end? Job did but did he suffer a lot in the middle? Yes, he did. Was it all worth it in the end?

I believe Job Job would say yes. Same thing here with Joseph. He was being a good testimony for the Lord. Satan didn't like that. So, he put in the mind of Potiphar's wife said, I'm going to take care of this guy.

Especially when he refused her. Then, then, she got angry. And she lied but Joseph stood strong. Bible has a lot to say about being wary of temptations. Particularly, Solomon, Proverbs chapter five to his son concerning a seductive woman.

Joseph didn't have that passage to read and look back on but Joseph knew right from wrong and he did that which was right. He trusted God. He told Potiphar's wife, I can't do this. Potiphar's entrusted me with everything in the house. This would be a terrible betrayal.

I won't do it and he said, besides that, I am not going to do this and offend my God. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good. Joseph stuck by the Lord. Joseph ran away when caught by Potiphar's wife and first first Corinthians six eighteen, it says what? Flee fornication.

What's flee mean? Run away. What did Joseph do? He ran away. He ran away.

When temptation comes knocking, how do you beat it? Run away. Don't toy with it. Don't ponder it. Don't think about it.

Don't do it. Do as Jesus did when he was tempted. As it is written, as it is written, as it is written. Let God take care of it. Lay it on God's shoulders.

God can take it. Go to his word. It is written, Satan. I will not give in. It is written.

It is written. Just stand by God. Don't argue with Satan. Run from him. Run from temptation.

Don't ponder it. If you sit and ponder it, then, you probably already lost. And then finally, what happened? What happened to Joseph? Falsely accused.

He's doing what's right. He's trusting the Lord. He's being a good testimony and what happens to him? Could anything be worse than slavery? Yeah, prison.

That's right. Yeah, there is. Prison. So, where does Joseph find himself next? He finds himself in prison.

He thought, oh, yes. See? Doesn't pay to do what's right. You think maybe Joseph thought that a few times? I don't know but I do know Joseph's actions and we're going to read 21 through 23 and we'll be done this morning but the Lord was with Joseph.

With Joseph where? Where was he with Joseph? In the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison and the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.

So even in prison, Joseph is still a good what? He's a good prisoner. The prison keeper made him what we would call a trustee. He became the trustee and warden in the prison while he was there. And he even prospered in prison.

Amazing. Thrown in the prison for seeming misconduct, he didn't do. He didn't get bitter. He didn't get depressed. He just continued to do that which was right and God continued to bless him.

Proverbs 2,723 says this, I mean, Psalm twenty seven thirty seven twenty three. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighted in his way. Was God delighted in the way of Joseph? As a slave, as a prisoner? Yes, he was.

He was with him. You say, how can that be? I mean, God let him be slave. God let him, yeah. But you know something?

God's got something better. We're not done with the story yet. Hang on. But no matter where God let him be, no matter where God put him, he continued to be the same righteous man. Faithful servant, and he prospered.

Galatians six nine, let us not be weary in well doing. For in due season, we shall reap if we faint not. If we don't give up, we don't get in, we don't throw in the towel, keep doing what's right. Who sees? God sees and he will reward us.

God is not done with Joseph yet. He's not done with you either. Praise the Lord for that. Have you given up? Have you given in to temptation?

Have you thrown up your hands that I can't do it? You can but only by God's grace and strength. Have you come to him for that? Have you come to him for salvation? Have you come to him in repentance and faith?

Have you come to him in humility? He said, ask and I'll what? I'll give but you gotta ask. You gotta ask and don't quit and don't give up. Trust in the Lord.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, Lord, we thank you for the testimony of Joseph today that we see here in this passage. We thank you Lord for his good attitude, for his faith, for his righteousness. Lord, make us to be a people like Joseph. Help us, Lord, to to make God a part of our everyday life and decisions.

Lord, forgive us when we have decided to put you aside or get angry and bitter. At life and give up. Lord, draw us to yourself. Make us a people of faith Give us peace and blessing and help us to be. More like Joseph wherever we find ourselves today.

And Lord, we pray if there's one here that's never trusted Christ as the Lord and savior of their life. They would come as we give this hymn of invitation this morning. In Jesus name, we do pray.