Ep 63: Unshackling the Chains of Doubt Embracing the Promise of Salvation

"Come explore the parallels between servant leadership, exemplified by Joseph and Jesus Christ, unveiling the hand of God's sovereignty through trials. Embrace redemption and faith, finding hope and grace in the Genesis Joe story."

Discover the transformative power of servant leadership through the timeless tale of Joseph and how it mirrors the life and lessons of Jesus Christ. Today, we unveil the profound connections between these pivotal figures and the overarching hand of God's sovereignty through our trials. As we examine Joseph's story of unjust imprisonment and his divine aptitude for dream interpretation in Genesis 40, we also uncover the unwavering faith that carried him through the darkness. This faith beckons us toward the light of salvation.

We extend a call to those grappling with doubt, inviting you to embrace the promise of redemption and the Holy Spirit's guiding presence. Pastor Teddy's insights remind us that the journey of faith is marked by moments of revelation and the fulfillment of God's plan, even when we feel forgotten. We wrap up with an encouraging reminder of the closeness of God's love and the importance of accepting salvation before it's too late. Join us as we share a message of hope, strength, and the boundless grace awaiting those who seek it.

Does any of today's podcast resonate with you? Let us know here:
https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/podcast-reviews
To Support Plays On Word Radio and Plays On Word Theater, please visit:
https://playsonword.networkforgood.com/

Plays On Word website
Plays On Word YouTube
Plays On Word Instagram
Plays On Word Facebook
Email us: team@playsonword.org

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Lord, you know you listen on the place of word. The radio is the best.

Speaker 2: 0:04

This is what gets lost with a lot of people who have been given authority. They believe that they are to be served because they're in a position of authority. Christ modeled it for us as a position as a person with the ultimate authority. Yet he became a servant. He was one who was to serve, and he has served us and continues to serve us through his spirit.

Speaker 3: 0:59

Hello and welcome to plays on word radio, where we discuss, analyze, work and play on the word of God. Thank you for joining us on this excursion. Today let's join Pastor Teddy, also known as Fred David Kenny Jr, the founder of plays on word theater, as he does a deep dive into the word of God.

Speaker 2: 1:21

Okay, thank you very much, Mr Josh Taylor and Katie Kenny, and welcome to all of you who are tuned in streaming or whatever else it is you do to get this program. We absolutely love you and thank you so much for joining us on this excursion through the scripture. We are diving in to the book of Genesis, which is what gives us the Genesis Joe story. The Genesis Joe play that plays on word travels the world bringing. We did that play Genesis Joe over in Europe this past fall, or last year in 2023, in the fall of 23. A bunch of different places in the country of Albania, and we are looking forward to where the Lord is going to bring Genesis Joe in the future. Genesis Joe, just for your information, was the very first play that plays on word did and Genesis Joe. We're going to have. A birthday party is actually a little over the birthday of Genesis Joe. Officially, genesis Joe was the very first one we did. Was, I want to say, january 3rd or 4th? It was a Friday, 2014, so I could probably look it up, but that was the first time we did Genesis Joe and then we set off on this voyage that we've been on for 10 years. Thank you for all of you, all of you that have come out to Genesis. Joe participated and been part of helping to send us to other places where the gospel goes forward.

Speaker 2: 3:08

What we're doing, we've been going through Genesis, starts in 37, chapter 37, and it rolls all the way to Genesis 50. The story and we were in Genesis 39 last time where Joseph or Joe, got set up by Potiphar's wife and he got thrown in jail in the house of the captain of the guard, who we are told Potiphar is the captain of the guard. So it's going to be interesting. He's got to. I guess he's got a jail dungeon thing going on in his house where the king's prisoners were put. What I'm going to do is I'm going to read we're now in chapter 40. I'm going to read from chapter 40 and then we'll come back and we'll we'll dissect this. So I'm going to read from the ESV. Listen to this. This is after Joe was thrown in prison and it ends with the Lord was but the Lord but God we've talked about that but God, god was with Joseph when he was in prison and it's so important to leave space for that. So, verse 40 verse. Chapter 40, verse one.

Speaker 2: 4:26

Sometime after this, the cup bear of the king and his baker committed an offense against their Lord, the king of Egypt, and Pharaoh was angry with his two officers and the chief cup bearer and the chief baker. His two officers comma, the chief cup bearer and the chief baker, and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard in the prison where the where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. There's five and one night. They both dreamed the cup bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt who were confined in the prison.

Speaker 2: 5:09

Each his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. Verse six when Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled, or seven. So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house why are your faces downcast today? Verse eight they said to him we've had dreams and there is no one to interpret them. And Joseph said to them do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me. Verse nine so the chief cup bearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him in my dream there was a vine before me and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded it, it's blossom shot forth and clusters ripened in the grapes Verse 12,. Then Joseph said to him this is the interpretation the three branches are three days. Verse 13, and in three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to his office and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand, as formerly when you were his cup-bearer.

Speaker 2: 6:25

Verse 14,. Only remember me when it's well with you and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh so to get me out of this house. Verse 15,. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I've done nothing that they should put me into the pit. Verse 16,.

Speaker 2: 6:44

When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph I also had a dream. There were three cakes, cake baskets on my head Verse 17,. And in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating out of the basket on my head. Verse 18,. And Joseph answered and said this is the interpretation the three baskets are three days, and in three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you on a tree and the birds will eat the flesh from you. Verse 20,.

Speaker 2: 7:32

On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all of servants and lifted up the head of the chief cup-bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cup-bearer to his position and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand, but he hang the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cup-bearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Man, that's heavy. He forgot him Now, in the play. At that point Joseph says everybody's forgotten me. Everybody's forgotten me because he had high hopes. I mean, you imagine what was going through his mind.

Speaker 2: 8:21

This guy, the cup-bearer to the king, was not just a butler or not just some guy that took a sip of the drink and then gave it to the king. He wasn't like a butler on Batman. You know, alfred the butler that's sitting there dusting the bookshelves, and that's just one guy. No, no, no, it was much more like let's see if I can get a contemporary reference Mr Carson from Downton Abbey, who had he was the head butler, but the butler was in charge of all kinds of stuff. I mean, he had a staff under him. Everybody answered to him and so he had much influence and he even had influence with the king. As we see in the book on the, nehemiah the cup-bearer had an important role and Nehemiah was the cup-bearer, so, and in fact it's the same word, same word in Hebrew, so it's the same role.

Speaker 2: 9:26

Now, no doubt Joe was thinking to himself this guy, it doesn't get any closer to the king than this guy, no doubt. So he had high hopes he was getting out of there. But as we say in the play, the hours turned into days, the days they turned into weeks, the weeks they turned into years. And two years past I mean two years past, where he heard nothing, and it's the low point of the play, even this story, it's the low point where Joe says everybody has forgotten me. He looks up to God and he says have you forgotten me too? Then we play this song, cut.

Speaker 1: 10:25

Lord, do you remember my name? And Lord, don't you see my pain? I find it so hard to believe when my broken heart feels so grieved. If I could remember what the Lord has done for me, then I could remember what it was like to be happy. And, lord, I trust you. Lord, I need you right now. So I call upon your name. Yes, I do. And Lord, I trust you.

Speaker 1: 11:34

But I feel so alone right now, feels like it's just me and you. But I do, I trust you. Lord, I feel forgotten in the storm From this prison. Can't you see my heart's been torn? And, lord, in my soul, I know you do. If you could just find some way and pull me through and if I could remember what the Lord has done for me, then I could remember what it was like to be happy. Oh, lord, I trust you. Lord, I need you right now. So I call upon your name. Yes, I do, and, lord, I trust you. But I feel so alone right now, feels like it's just me and you. But I do, I trust you. Yes, I do, I trust you, lord, I trust you, and it's because I remember what the Lord has done. I trust you. I trust you, lord, I trust you Because I remember what the Lord has done. I remember what the Lord has done. I remember what You've done.

Speaker 1: 14:11

Lord, who's to say that it's the time To break these earthly chains that bind? Though I'm shackled to this fate, I will not hide, I just pray. I'm always tethered to your side Because I remember what the Lord has done for me and I remember what it was like to be happy. Oh Lord, I trust you. Lord, I need you right now. So I call upon your name. Yes, I do, lord, I trust in you, but I don't feel so alone somehow, because it's just me and you. So I do, I trust you.

Speaker 2: 15:52

Amen, amen. We have no clue what God is doing in the background. We have no clue when we feel completely alone. If we could see those that are with us in the heavenlies. The Lord surrounds us like a shield and no doubt Joseph was bummed out and concerned because the guy forgot him and he thought he was getting out of dodge. But two years go by and finally the cup bearer remembers Joe. But let's back up this verse. I said he's not like. It wasn't like Alfred or this cup bearer.

Speaker 2: 16:39

Pharaoh was angry with the two officers. Verse two he's angry with the two officers, the chief cup bearer, the chief baker, and he put him in custody in the house of the captain of the guard. And that was. We said that's Potiphar. And here Potiphar's addressed with his official capacity name the captain of the guard. Before he was addressed as Potiphar or described as Potiphar, and because it was, that was his house, that was personal under his roof. But this is like an official capacity thing. These two guys, these two employees for Pharaoh had to be locked up. So we get a chance to see inside the official capacity of Potiphar.

Speaker 2: 17:21

And it says, verse four the captain of guard appointed Joseph to be with them and he attended them. And you got to wonder if Potiphar, at this point, knew that his wife was shady, probably did. And he appointed Joseph Potiphar. This is Potiphar appointed Joseph to attend the cup bearer and the baker. And you know, thinking about it, if Potiphar knew that Joseph was innocent and he probably did he still had societal pressure on him to protect his wife's honor and so that society would look at his wife as she is. So if he were to exonerate Joseph, then everybody would know that his wife had lied and it just would cause a whole bunch of grief. So it might have been easier for him to just leave Joe in prison there, verse four. And he attended them. Joseph attended them.

Speaker 2: 18:16

Now notice Joe was a servant. Even though he was an authority, he was still a servant. Joe attended them. And this is what gets lost with a lot of people who have been given authority. They do not. They believe that they are to be served because they're in a position of authority. Christ modeled it for us as a position as a person with the ultimate authority all power and authority Just park on that for a second. All power and authority he had. Yet he became a servant and served. He was one who was to serve and he has served us and continues to serve us through his spirit.

Speaker 2: 19:04

Verse five one night they both dreamed the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt who were confined in the prison. Each had his own dream and each with its own interpretation and dreams again throughout the book of Genesis and throughout the scripture. Dreams are very important. God speaks to many Gentiles through dreams in the scripture, but we also see him speaking clearly. Nebuchadnezzar was crystal clear more than once too. Verse six when Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw they were troubled. So he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house why are your faces downcast today?

Speaker 2: 19:42

Notice the sensitivity and perception of Joe for others. I mean, that's, it's deep. He could have just been moping around the prison and concerned about him himself legitimately, had a legitimate gripe, and he could have been just. You know what was me? I'm in here. I was falsely accused, yet he was concerned for others when they were distressed. He doesn't seem bitter or consumed with reparations or getting everything right. I've been wronged and not like that. Well was me. Well, no, joseph is actually concerned about others, legitimately concerned, not because it's his job. But he got up and noticed that they were distressed and because Jesus is one of us and lived here in our prison, he can relate to us. He understands our predicament and he's concerned when we are downcast.

Speaker 2: 20:37

There are similarities there between Joseph and Jesus throughout the story, but specifically there the innocent prisoner, joseph, wrongly accused and illegitimately put in prison. He was concerned about these guys and served them, and Christ himself is concerned about us and this world that is broken by sin and these chains that we have before. He breaks them. But these chains of sin in our life, these things that weigh us down, the things that keep us from God, keep us from being truly free. It is only through faith in Christ that those chains are busted. He breaks them and sets us free and restores relationship with God, the Father.

Speaker 2: 21:24

Verse eight they said to him we've had dreams and there's no one here to interpret him. Joseph said don't interpretations, don't they belong to God? Tell me, what did you dream? Notice, he gives credit to God, not some mystical power or divining or special potion you have to drink. No, he understands and gives the credit to God. His brothers rightly interpreted his dreams. They didn't give credit to God, verse nine. So the chief cup bearer told his dreams to Joseph All the way down to verse 20,.

Speaker 2: 21:51

It's amazing, these dreams that Joseph interprets, they do come true. Three days they came true and the dreams were not for the cup bearer to be calmed and reassured and the baker to be alarmed. They were from God for the purpose of confirming to Pharaoh, two years later, that Joseph interpreted dreams from God accurately. The byproduct might be it might have been that the cup bearer was calmed and reassured and that the baker was alarmed. But the primary purpose for these dreams was not some random oh, let me just give random dreams. God gave these dreams to these guys specifically so that Joseph would interpret them. Because God gave the interpretation also and it became prophecy, because Joseph said this is what's going to happen in three days, and in three days it was confirmed. And then, two years later, this entire incident would be the reason that Joseph was called before Pharaoh.

Speaker 2: 22:58

So God, you can see his hand throughout the entire book moving, even though when you're on the ground, right there, at the granular view, with Joseph, it seems as if he's forgotten and it seems like there's nothing happening but God, the sovereignty over the entire situation, the entire story of Joseph, the entire book of Genesis, the entire Bible. The sovereignty of God to bring about what he wants and desires is absolutely amazing, and this is one of the reasons why he's worthy of all praise. Now notice Jesus, like Joseph, is a man that shared in our situation and spoke God's word to us, and on the third day he was proven right. Also because he said on the third day he will be raised to life. And it was proven right. You know, when I think about this situation.

Speaker 2: 23:52

The cup bearer was restored to Pharaoh's service. What was he supposed to say to Pharaoh? It says he forgot Joseph. But if he didn't forget Joseph, what is he supposed to run into Pharaoh's presence and say, hey, you know, there's a Hebrew that told us that this was going to happen. It's possible Pharaoh might have just dismissed him and be like okay, get back to work. It wasn't until Pharaoh needed, needed Joseph that the cup bearer miraculously remembered Joseph. It had to be in God's time. Still, it's so easy to forget God when good happens, you know, when good things happen, it's easy to forget him. When things are not going well, it's usually when people remember God. This forgetting, though, this cup bearer. Forgetting him must have been absolutely difficult for him. He was a man like us, with feelings like us.

Speaker 2: 24:49

The takeaway is God was working, even though it seemed like everything was forgotten and everyone had forgotten about him, and I would encourage you to keep that in mind that God is indeed working. He didn't just call you to him, those of you that have put your faith in him. He didn't just call you to him so that you have a get out of jail card and he's kind of you know. Now he's left you hanging. Now he is concerned with every aspect of your life. He is conforming us into the image of his son. He is heavily invested in us walking right before him and living the life that he designed for us, as men and women filled with the Spirit of God, glorifying him in our lives. He is heavily invested, to the point of death and beyond. Can't say that about a lot of investors, but this investor shed his blood, gave his life for the joy set before him. He endured the cross.

Speaker 2: 26:03

Something to think about and to be thankful about and to remember when the enemy tries to cloud your mind and distract you so you don't remember. Look at the investment God has put into us, each one of us. That should be an encouragement, even when we are in our darkest hour. He's given us his word as an example for us to hold on, to have hope, to look forward, to be amped up and excited. Even in the midst of difficult times, he has not left us hanging. He says I am for you, not against you. On top of that, he has given us of his Spirit, the Paraclete, the one that comes alongside, who is within us, emmanuel, god, with us. He has given us of himself as the guide and the source of the power, because he knows that we are just dust and we cannot do this on our own. We can't live this life on our own. So he has given us of his Spirit. Can I get an Amen?

Speaker 2: 27:08

We need to recognize that, and I know many of you Personally. I know many of you are going through difficult time right now, going through some hard stuff. Lord knows, I've been through some difficult stuff too. I'm not comparing or nothing like that. I'm just saying that difficult times come. Nobody is exempt from them.

Speaker 2: 27:29

I want to encourage you in the midst those of you that are going through it, in the midst of it, seek Him. He will be found by you. He has not left you alone. He has not forgotten about you and those of you that have not given your life to Christ. Maybe it's an academic thing. I would encourage you to give your life to Him. Ask Him to come into your life, forgive you of your sins, fill you with His Holy Spirit and live through you and show you what this is all about.

Speaker 2: 28:00

Time is too short to be playing games. You have heard the gospel. You are without excuse. The days are drawing near when he's going to wrap all this stuff up and there will be a division and he's going to sift and separate the goats from the sheep. My sheep know my voice. He says what do you have to lose? By actually asking Him. If you are real, lord Jesus, please come into my life, forgive me of my sins, help me, show me what do you have to lose? You honestly pray that from your heart.

Speaker 2: 28:36

It's not a magical formula. Oh, let me just say these words and see what happens. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. God looks at the heart. You pray them from your heart. You will be saved. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved and that's how you can call on the name of the Lord. Well, that's all the time we have for today's episode of Plays Onward. We're going to continue this next week and until we get back together, may the Lord bless you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.

Speaker 3: 29:37

This program was made possible by the Plays Onward family of supporters. To find out more, check out our website at PlaysOnwardorg.