Here Comes That Dreamer | The Garden, The Flood & The Promise | Chad Veach

0:01 Hey, what's going on, everybody? Thank you so much for joining us for this week's message from Zoe Church. We are concluding today a series that we've been in. We've been studying the book of Genesis, and we're concluding with the life of Joseph. Before I jump into today's message, I want to say thank you to everybody that gives and gives to and through Zoe Church. if you'd like to give in the area of tithes or offerings, go to our website, zoechurch.org backslash give, and you could give right there. Thank you for your generosity and helping getting the message of Jesus out around the world. But let's jump in to this week's message called Here Comes That Dreamer.

0:46 Genesis 37. Go there in your Bible, Genesis chapter 37. We are concluding today a series that we've been in. And we've been studying the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. And we've been marching through it. And we're going to conclude today. And we're going to study today as we conclude the life of Joseph. And I love this story. It's a powerful story. If you've never heard it, I think you're going to catch a lot of truth. And it's going to really mirror or apply a lot of things in your life that you need to hear today from God. If you don't know the story of Joseph, he is the son of Jacob, or remember his name got changed to Israel. And so he's one of Israel's sons. Israel has a lot of sons. This is one of them. And he is the favorite. He is the favorite. Raise your hand if you're the favorite in your family.

1:39 Just, you know it too. Just raise it. Yeah, we hate you. Just the fact that you raised your hand says a lot about you. i i just discovered everything i need to know about you that's why there's spears at your life okay and joseph is the guy that would have raised his hand in fact read here genesis chapter 37 go there on the screen now israel loved joseph more than any of his other sons but because he had been born to him in his old age and he made an ordinate robe for him. And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. I want to pause there, just help you out in your life. Some of the reasons why you are hated is because you have favor on your life. Remember, everybody loves a loser. We call them lovable losers, the Clippers. But you don't get hated until you surpass what people expected you to do.

2:44 And Joseph's brothers could not speak a kind word to him. Why? Because he had favor. And favor ain't fair. And so here they are. They're jealous of him. Pick up the scriptures now and go to verse six. And he said to, no, sorry, verse five. And Joseph had a dream. And when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. And he said to them, listen. Listen to this dream I had, man. You're never going to believe it. We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it. And his brother said, hold on. Do you intend to reign over us, Joe? Will you actually rule us? And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. They hated him all the more because of the dream that he had and what he had shared. And I just want to just take a truth right away. Joseph didn't have the character or the discernment to hide that dream in his heart. Remember when the angel of the Lord showed up to Mary and said, Mary, I know you've never been with a man, but we've put inside you the rescuer for humanity. The Bible says Mary pondered and considered all these things in her heart. Not Joe. Joe got the dream, walked up, was like, yo, bros, this is crazy. I had this dream last night. It's so crazy, man. In my dream, all y'all were worshiping me. And they're like, this is why we hate you. I want to preach a message today. Write down the title. It's called, Here Comes That Dreamer. And I want to speak over you that you've got a God dream over your life.

4:26 I want to declare over you that there's vision from heaven over your life. I want to encourage you. Good news. You don't have to come up with a dream for you. God already has the dream for you. It's not on you today to make a vision. It's after you to receive the vision. And Joseph received the dream from God. But I want to encourage you. We're going to see 22 years pass between the day he got the dream to when the dream is realized. See, some of you got to understand, I know God spoke to you a dream. God did not cruel. He's not cruel. He didn't lie to you. No, he's going to take you through a process. He's going to develop you over time so that in time, God's perfect time, that dream is going to come to pass. Clap today if you're thankful that God is going to give you a dream and in his perfect time, it's going to come to pass. my question to you is, do you have the character to withhold the blessing or the dream that God has for you? Because Joseph did not have the character. And so God took him through a series of tests and he had to pass these tests. So when God saw the fit time, the dream came to pass.

5:43 And so just to, just to encourage me, if your dream has not come to pass, God's probably up to something. God's probably doing something. In fact, I think there's four tests that you have to pass before your God dream comes to pass. There's four things you've got to complete before your dream is fulfilled. Write down the first one. You have to pass the test of rejection. You have to pass the test of rejection. Look at here, Joseph, he was sold by his brothers into slavery. Genesis 37. So when the Midianites merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him for 20 shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt. And when Reuben returned to the cistern and saw Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. And he went back to his brothers and said, the boy isn't there. Where can I turn now? Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in blood. And they took the ornate robe back to their father and said, we found the robe and examined it to see whether it is your son's robe. See, what happened was Joseph's brothers were down, you know, they're, they're, they're working. And Joe comes up on the scene and when they see him, they go, here comes that dreamer. You know, there's some people at your workplace that every time you show up, they're like, here comes that Laker fan.

6:56 and when they see him, they're like, let's get rid of him, so they concoct a plan. They go, let's throw him in the pit, and when somebody comes by, let's sell him as a slave, and eventually they do that. They sell their own flesh and blood as a slave, and he's taken down to Egypt, and then they take his Gucci coat. Come on, y'all. We got to have fun or not, and they kill a goat and they put blood all over the gucci and they go to dad and they go dad is this joe's coat this is and they lie to their own father and they tell their father jacob that joseph is dead this is when joseph has to pass the test of rejection and i know many of us have faced rejection rejection has pain rejection makes you think what's wrong with me rejection makes you think, why don't they want me around? Rejection makes you feel like, why was I not invited? Why was I not included? Am I not good enough? Oh, I'm thankful today that although man rejects you, God accepts you. Although some people don't want you around, anybody thankful that we serve the God that pursues us? Come on, clap today if you're grateful. There's some people that might reject me, but thank you that my God says, I will never leave you and I will never forsake you. In fact, we serve the God that so much loves you that he will leave the 99 to go find the one. Maybe you've dealt with the pain of rejection. Don't let it turn into bitterness.

8:29 Don't let it turn into unforgiveness. Don't let it turn into weirdoness. No, you stay sweet. You stay worshiping. You stay serving. You stay loving. You stay giving. You stay. Come on, Joseph kept his peace. and I wonder what's more powerful, rejection or acceptance. Man, there ain't nothing like being wanted. There ain't nothing like being loved. I want to tell you at Zoe Church, you are known and you are needed. It's not just that we're glad that you're here. We need you here, and we accept you. Come just as you are. Anybody thankful for a church that desires community and desires connection. The gospel's all about acceptance. It was so cool this last year, my boys were playing baseball, you know, and they emailed us and said, would you like to apply to make all-stars? And so we talked to our son and he knows, you know, we're traveling this summer and we're not going to be in LA enough to play all-stars. And so he was like, nah, it's good.

9:30 I get it. You know, we're not going to be around enough to play all-stars. So a few Sundays ago, we're leaving the 6 p.m. off La Brea. Come on now. Anybody love West Adams, our West Adams service? Meet me off La Brea. And we're leaving La Brea, and I got a text from the head coach that runs All-Stars, and the text read, hey, I know you guys didn't apply, but we'd love to have your son as one of the All-Stars this summer. Can you give me a call at your earliest convenience? So I was in the car, and I read this text on La Brea, and when I saw it, you ever get a text that just makes you smile and you can't hide it. Like I read the text and I'm like, I was just, and my guy was sitting next to me. So I was just like, how do I even tell him this? And so I was just like, Hey man, just, I got this text, read this. And I could just see him. He's just locked in on his text. He's just reading it. He's just like, and he looks up and he goes, no shot. And I was like, emphasis on the O.

10:31 and I was like yeah bro like they want you what is it that inside of all of us wants to be wanted and here's Joseph rejected and his flesh and blood said we you know most people would rather just get rid of you because of the favor that's on your life because they believe that when your light gets shining, their lights get, gets darker. I pray that we build a church that when somebody in our church's light shines, it doesn't mean that our gets dark. It means that we shine together. Come on, somebody say, man. they were threatened by Joseph. They were threatened and they threw him into a pit and he faced rejection. He felt rejection. I feel rejected. I feel, I feel, I feel like my family doesn't want me around. I feel like I'm not needed. I feel like, man, what, what, what's wrong with me? And, but you know, what I love about Joseph is it didn't mess him up. He kept serving and choosing Jesus. Listen, don't let man's rejection equate to God's rejection.

11:41 God still accepts you. God still forgives you and God still loves you. Somebody say amen. And so where was he carried? He's carried to Egypt, and over in Egypt, he's sold as a slave. And the man that purchases Joseph, his name is Potiphar. And when Joseph shows up in Potiphar's house, because of the favor that's on Joe's life, all of a sudden, Potiphar's world explodes, and his house starts to flourish. Why? Because Joseph is there. And the Bible says wherever Joseph went, he flourished. Why? Because of the favor that's on his life. I want to tell somebody today. It doesn't matter where you're at. Wherever you go, it's blessed. Whatever job you work at is going to flourish. Come on, clap if you believe you got favor on your life. It doesn't matter where you go.

12:30 You can go anywhere because the hand of God is on your life. And so Potiphar's world is taking off and his home and business is growing and he's doing great and things are great. And the Bible says the only thing Potiphar has to worry about every day is what is he going to eat for dinner. That's his only concern. Why? Because Joe's in his house. And so he's doing so good. And everything in Potiphar's world is good, except for his wife is crazy. His wife, she is thirsty. She, and she sets out thirst traps and she is the first desperate housewife in the history of the world. And her eyes are not on Potiphar. Her eyes are on Joe. She loves Joe. She, and every day she's like, Joe. Joe. Joey.

13:16 Joe. Joey. 39 verse 6. Now Joseph was well built and handsome like Nate Dogg. And after a while, his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, Joe, come to bed with me, Joey. But he refused with me in charge. My master does not concern himself with anything in this house. Everything he owns, he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. my master has withheld nothing from me except for you because hello you are his wife how then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God and though she spoke to Joseph day after day he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her one day he went into the house to attend to his duties and none of the household servants were inside and she caught him by his cloak and said, oh, Joey, come to bed with me, Joe. But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. Here's the second test you got to pass. It's the test of temptation.

14:25 Can you pass the test of temptation? And she's pursuing. You ever notice how temptation doesn't show up once a week? It's lurking every day. That's why, what did Jesus say? When you pray, you ought to ask God, Lord, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from Potiphar's wife. and she's day after day trying to wear him down day after day saying come on joe come on come on joe joe please come on come on and he said no and in one day he's in the house and nobody else is around and he's you know doing his duties and she comes and she comes from behind she crazy now she mad crazy so she comes she's like boo Thank you. Joey.

15:11 And Joe's like, oh God, the crazy lady. and she said come on joe and joe he said man this lady crazy and she got his jacket so he runs out of her jacket and you know what he's saying he's saying you can have my coat but you can't have my calling You can mess with my day, but you can't steal my dream. I'm choosing the better thing rather than the comfortable thing. I'm choosing what's eternal rather than what's temporary. I'm saying yes to God's plan rather than the passing pleasures of sin. Give them a praise today if you want to pass the test of temptation. That's why some of y'all need to stop watching Temptation Island.

16:06 I don't know. I just felt like saying it. But everybody's looking around like, who? Who's doing that? Who's doing that? You? In fact, when temptation comes, you've got to identify three things. When, where, and what. When does temptation come into your life? Are you prone and susceptible to being lured into temptation in the morning or in the nighttime? Is there a day of the week? you got to identify when do you get tempted? Where? Where is it? Why? Because you got to know where it is so you stay away from it. Where is that place? What is that? Where do you go that messes with you? And what is it? Remember, the devil knows the bait to lure you with. So with one person, he uses money. With another person, he uses lifestyle. With another person, he uses fame. With another person, he uses what they want. You got to know when it happens, where it happens, and what it is. For me, I've identified. I'm 45. I'm getting honest with myself. I know when it happens. I know where it happens. I know what it is. It happens every Sunday night at 11 p.m.

17:10 at McDonald's. It's a McFlurry. When is yours? Where is yours? What is yours? Because we can't be so coy and so comfortable and convenient with our temptation and act like we can play with matches and not get burnt. I want to fulfill the calling and the vision and the dream that God's given my life so the Bible says have feet that run from evil. Come on. Joseph ran from that woman. He said, you can have my jacket. You can't jack. Give him a praise today. You can't jack my dream.

17:47 So it's like, I've been through rejection, and I went through that pit, and I know how to pass that test. But here comes the test of temptation. Stop indulging in things that erode your confidence. Stop messing with stuff that messes with your mind. Stop doing things that make you shy and filled with condemnation. You ought to stand bold and confident as the righteousness of God. Joseph said, uh-uh, uh-uh. Watch how he got out of it. He said, how dare I do this wicked thing and sin against God? You don't want to know how you can get out of temptation? Make it a God thing, not this person thing. It's not about them, it's about him. And the way you get out of temptation is I choose something better. You are better. Your plan is better. Your ways are better. Your will is better.

18:40 than indulging in the passing pleasures of sin. So the first thing Joseph did is he faced rejection. And I don't know if you've been rejected, but I'm so sorry that they didn't see the value and they didn't see the worth in you and they didn't see, or maybe they did see how valuable you were and they were threatened and jealous and bitter and envy. But if you've dealt with rejection, I'm so sorry. May we be a community of acceptance that the last place you deal with rejection is church. and if you've got issues with somebody in the church here's what Jesus says work it out Don't throw them in the pit. You can't cancel what God has set in motion. so there's rejection and then there's temptation and so he runs out the house and he's like man that lady's crazy she mad crazy and and she's standing there with his jacket and she's like I don't like being embarrassed she's like I'm gonna get Joe so she's like okay so she goes help anybody help and some attendants here and they run up they're like yes crazy woman because everybody knows when you crazy everybody knows you crazy and they run up on her and and and they said yes and she said it was joe he tried to and she spreads a lie about joseph it's a potter for comes home from pickleball and A lot of peas in this story.

20:25 And he sees his wife, and she says, Joe tried to do this to me. And he believes her side of the story. Remember, only a fool listens to one side of the story and draws conclusions. And so he hears his wife, and he throws Joseph in prison. By the time I'm about prison, if I was Joseph, I would have been like, God, I don't know what you're doing with my life, but you gave me this dream when I was a young man, and all that's happened since I got this dream was pits, crazy ladies, and prison. And now that he's in prison, the Bible says that even in jail, the favor of God allows him to flourish. In fact, he made some friends while he's in prison, and he makes a couple buddies, and you know, everybody's innocent. So he's like, how'd you get here? And he's like, crazy lady. It's like, how'd you get here?

21:18 And all of them are like, we did nothing wrong. We did nothing to deserve this. And they make a pact and they're like, okay, if we ever get out of here, let's help one another get out. And so one day, one of the friends gets out. In fact, read our next scripture, put it on the screen. Genesis chapter 40, verse 14. But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness. Mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. I was forcibly carried off from the land of Hebrews. And even here, I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon. Watch this. But the chief cupbearer, when he got out of prison, did not remember Joseph. He forgot him. Write down the third test you've got to pass. It's the test of isolation. Can you still serve and worship God when all of your friends have forgotten you? Can you still be planted in the house of God when you show up to church alone?

22:13 Can you still serve him and love him when there might not be anybody around you? Anybody thankful that I don't need everybody else around me for me to choose? Even if I got to be Daniel in the lion's den. Even if I got to be Jonah in the whale. Though the world forsake me, I will worship. And here he is, he's isolated. And I'm telling you, some of you gotta understand, loneliness will make you lethal. And here he is, he's been forgotten about. It wasn't just that he faced rejection or temptation. Now he's facing isolation and he's isolated and he's all by himself and he's feeling forgotten. But listen, put this on the screen. I wanna tell somebody today, you might be forgotten by man, but you are remembered by God. Sometimes your setbacks are a set up for God to do something greater in your life. There might have been some people in your world, they forgot the money they owe you. They forgot the thing they promised you.

23:08 They forgot your birthday, your anniversary. They forgot something about, they forgot all the good things you did in their life. Listen, there might be some people that have forgotten, but God hasn't. God remembers you. God is watching you. God is obsessed with you. God is for you. Clap today if you believe. If God be for me, who can be against me? Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are. You're with me. I think the hardest thing about COVID was people, their faith was tested in isolation.

23:42 You know, Zoe didn't have a Sunday morning service for 17 months. We didn't get to meet as a church like this. And when people were stuck in their homes, having to choose faith and choose worship and choose Jesus, It's easy when we get together on Sundays and we worship God together. What's going to happen to you when you're isolated and there's nobody around? And here's Joseph. He's in prison, and he doesn't get weird. He doesn't get bitter. He doesn't go sideways. He doesn't lose his faith. He just keeps serving and trusting God. And I pray that you get connected in community. I pray that you are not living an isolated life. The Bible says that a man that isolates himself seeks his own desire and rages against all wisdom. The enemy of your life wants you to be in isolation. But God wants you to be connected in community. Because it's in community you get encouragement.

24:36 You get joy. You get strength. You get love. You get blessing. You get healing all in community. But there might be a season of your life that you don't have the right community. Don't worry. You just keep your eyes on Jesus, who is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Clap today if you agree. he's rejected. He faces temptation. He's in isolation. But you know what I love about God? God is not in a hurry. Again, it takes 22 years for all this to come to pass. So one day, remember, he's in Pharaoh's courts now. He's in Pharaoh's regime. One day, Pharaoh has a dream. And Pharaoh has this dream that he can't interpret. And so he tells his guys, and nobody can interpret it. And then somebody says, you know, there's a kid right now in prison. His name's Joe.

25:28 I think he can interpret his dream. There's a great truth out of this. Remember, you never have to promote yourself. If you're great, they'll find you. And so they call on Joe, and they say, Joe, can you come interpret Pharaoh's dream? So in one day, he went from the prison to standing in front of the most powerful person in the region. Pharaoh tells him the dream. And Joseph goes, I know exactly what the dream means. It means that there's seven years of abundance that's on the way, seven years where it's gonna be unbelievable. And then right after that, seven years of famine. When he says it to Pharaoh, Pharaoh's like, O-M-U, this is unreal, you are so right. And he promotes Joseph to be in second in command. In this region, it goes Pharaoh and now Joseph. Anybody believe today that promotion cometh not from the east nor the west? Promotion cometh from the Lord.

26:21 God can change your life. Come on. With the blink of an eye. He woke up in a prison cell. He went to bed in Pharaoh's kingdom. and while he's here running things for pharaoh seven years it goes crazy seven years i mean it's abundance seven years interest rates down to two percent again i mean they kill it seven years it goes off, seven years, seven years it goes now into the seven-year famine, and they're about two years into the famine, and remember, his dad and his brothers live in a distant land, and they're in the famine, and his father, Jacob, says to his sons that are still alive, go down to Egypt and get us some food, because now we're desperate, so his brothers take the journey and they come down and they get into Pharaoh's courts and they see Joseph.

27:20 When they see Joseph, they don't recognize him, but he recognizes them. And Joseph is thinking to himself, what in the, I'm sure you ever see somebody and right away when you see him, it takes you back to a moment and he sees him and he's like, oh, last time I saw you guys you were putting blood on my jacket and he talks to them, and they still don't recognize him, and he asks them about a brother, and they still don't recognize him, and he sends them back to get him, sends them back on a journey, and stuffs their camels full of all kinds of goods, and they go back to their dad, and they tell him, we met this guy, and he's asking for this son, and eventually they make their way back to seeing Joseph again. And this time, the second time they see Joseph, Joseph spreads out a dinner for them. And while he's sitting with them, he can hold himself no more. He weeps and cries and reveals himself to his brothers and says, it's me, Joseph, the one you sold into slavery.

28:33 And when he sees them and reveals himself, they're like as white as a ghost. Like there's no way this is happening in real time. And watch what he says. Worship team, come join me. Watch what Joseph says to his brothers. Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still living? But his brothers were not able to answer him because they were terrified of his presence. And then Joseph said to his brothers, come close to me. And when they had done so, he said, I am your brother, Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourself for selling me here because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now, there have been a famine in the land. And for the next five years, there will be no more plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then it was not you who sent me here, but it was God that sent me here. Here's the fourth test. It's the test of retribution. It's the test of forgiveness.

29:41 Can you forgive the ones that have hurt you? Can you forgive the ones that have caused you the greatest pain? Listen to what he said to his brothers. You didn't do this to me. God did this to me. Never give control to somebody over the narrative over your life. No, God is bigger. God is greater. God is good. God is sovereign. God is in control. God is the author. Come on, clap a little bit louder. God is the author and the perfecter and the finisher of my faith. Just because the chapter wasn't good doesn't mean the story is complete. And maybe your setback was a set up for God to do something bigger. because surely the dream does come past and come to pass. And surely as God showed him in the dream 22 years earlier, his brothers do bow down at his feet. And it's then that he has the character and he has the goodness and he has worked through all of his issues that it doesn't move him. It doesn't move his ego. It doesn't move. It doesn't, he's not going to post about it on his story. He's just like, Whoa, God showed me that 22 years. And I've had one heck of a journey of getting ego and pride and arrogance and isolation out of my life.

30:51 And now when this comes to pass, it doesn't mean much to me because I didn't fall in love with my dream. I fell in love with my God. you want to know what would change your life stop serving your dream and start serving your maker stop falling in love with your vision start falling in love with the vision giver it doesn't matter what god does with my vision it doesn't matter what god does with my dream i've been following god serving god worshiping god you're the in control not me and I feel like some of us they call LA the land of broken dreams because people move here from Ohio and Pennsylvania with the dream of being an artist with the dream of being a producer with the dream of fill in the blank and maybe those dreams haven't come to pass but I'm here to tell you today maybe God's still developing you and raising you and training you for just the right time here comes that dreamer. Maybe you're stuck in rejection. Maybe you're stuck in isolation. Maybe you're stuck in temptation. Maybe for you, it's forgiveness. Forgiveness is that weird one, right? Because forgiveness, they say, is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

32:14 Jesus said, when you pray, pray like this, Father, forgive me my sins as I forgive those that have thrown me into the pit. he reveals himself to his brothers and he weeps over them and they hug and they cry and he says his dad's still alive you know what he ends up doing with his power he doesn't have them executed he doesn't have them killed he doesn't take off one of their limbs he actually gets them houses and he actually lives right by him. He restores relationship. I pray that for some of you, you walk in such forgiveness that you become a bridge builder rather than a wall builder.

33:04 God didn't call you to build up walls, walls of hatred, walls of disgust. God called you to build bridges with people. And the great thing about this story, I look at Joseph. I'm like, oh God, help me with rejection. Help me with temptation. Help me God with ice. Help me with forgiveness. But to me, the greatest part of the story is it's just a typecast. It is a foreshadow of a greater deliverer that will come whose name is Jesus. And Jesus had to pass every test, didn't he? He was rejected by man. They questioned him. They mocked him. They laughed at him. He was rejected by man. Temptation? He's in the garden of Gethsemane and he's tempted to throw in the towel. But he says to his father, not my will be done, but your will be done. Isolation? How about all of his disciples, all of his followers? They left him all alone in that midnight hour. And when he hung on the cross with nails in his hands. He said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Come on, clap and praise him today. If you're grateful, a greater deliverer came and his name is Jesus.

34:15 Come on, stand to your feet. Thank you so much for listening. Hope that you enjoyed today's message and it brought great encouragement and strength to your life. For more information about our church, go to our website. And thank you so much for everybody that helps share and get this message out to those that are in need of hope. We'll see you next Sunday at Zoe Church.