11/23/2025 Midtown Church Sacramento

“Don’t Get it Twisted”

Pastor James Powell

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face
trials of many kinds, 3, because you know that the testing of your
faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so
that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

Biblical Background:

• Joseph was one of twelve brothers
• Not the oldest
• Not the strongest
• Not the most qualified
• But deeply loved by his father, Jacob

Seeing the Blessing in the Testing:

1. It Wasn’t Rejection. It Was Protection.

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his
robe, the ornate robe he was wearing, 2,4 and they took him and
threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty. There was no
water in it. – Genesis 37:23–24

• They took his robe, but they could not touch his calling.
• Rejection is not a reflection of your value. Rejection is a revelation of
  their capacity.
• Some people did not walk away because you were wrong. They
  walked away because you were right for where God was taking you
  you.

2. You Weren’t Sold Out. You Were Sent Ahead.

So when the Midianite merchants came by his brothers pulled
Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver
to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt. – Genesis 37:28

• Man handled the transaction. God handled the transportation.

• Purpose often comes wrapped in pain.

• They thought they were done with you. God was just getting
  started with you.

3. The Lie Didn’t Wreck You. It Revealed You.

11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties and none of
the household servants was inside.12 She caught him by his cloak
and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand
and ran out of the house. 13 When she saw that he had left his cloak
in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her
household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been
brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me,
but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his
cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”16 She kept his cloak
beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this
story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport
of me. – Genesis 39:11-17

• Her lie didn’t ruin his integrity. It revealed it. Her deception
  elevated the opportunity for his distinction.
• Integrity is confirmed in conflict not comfort.

4. You Weren’t Being Confined. You Were Being Refined.

1Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt
offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with
his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put
them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the
same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the
guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. – Genesis 40:1-4

• The waiting room is still a working room.
• You call it stuck. God calls it school.

5. It’s Not Just Survival. It’s Service.

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known
to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be
in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your
orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the
whole land of Egypt.” – Genesis 41:39–41

• Purpose is always people-centered.

Final Thought:

The test didn’t break me. The test built me. And that is why I count it
all joy.