Work – Part 2 – power and ambition

Introduction

Recap on last week

· 2 weeks on work – using the life of Joseph

· Can approach work in 2 ways

o Aligned to world values – Proverbs 14:12 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

o Aligned to kingdom values – Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

· God is more concerned about how we do our work than what we do

· Looked at Success (Cultivate our relationship with Him first)

· And Integrity (God is the boss – we work for Him and we work smart)

The power struggle

Struggling with a powerful boss

· Genesis 41:8-10 8 The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant. 9 Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh. 10 “Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard.

· Pharaoh never earned his right to be ruler – the right to power

· There are always difficult bosses

o Pharaoh’s anger had people imprisoned

o The stresses of work - Difficult bosses

· Daniel 2:5 penalty was brutal death – Management by threat

The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.

· Power belongs to God - Psalm 62:11 God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you;

· Recognize that even princes and kings are subject to God

o Psalm 47:9 For all the kings of the earth belong to God.

Struggling with your position of power

· Genesis 41:15-16

15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."

16 "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."

· “No-one ever listens around here”

o Wherever you are, build a good reputation (v15)

· The lies of work - Value is your position

o Lead wherever you are

· Be prepared to acknowledge what you cannot do (v16)

· The stresses of work - What if I lose my job, Don't get fired

· Maintain your walk with God in low and high times

Struggling to not abuse power

· Genesis 41:33-40

“Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. 34 Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. 35 Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. 36 That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.”

37 Joseph’s suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. 40 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

· You’re best noticed when you’re not trying to be noticed (v39)

o Don’t be driven by personal interest (v33)

· Why do you want power? - May 28, 1991 President Václav Havel of Czechoslovakia acceptance speech

Why is it that people long for political power, and why, when they have achieved it, are they so reluctant to give it up?

In the first place, people are driven into politics by ideas about a better way to organize society, by faith in certain values or ideals and the irresistible desire to fight for those ideas and turn them into reality.

In the second place, the’re probably motivated by the natural longing every human being has for self-affirmation. It gives tremendous opportunity to leave your mark on your surroundings, to shape the world around you, to enjoy the respect that every political office almost automatically bestows upon the one who holds it.

In the third place, many people long for political power and are so reluctant to part with it because of the wide range of perks that are a necessary part of political life -- even under the most democratic of conditions.

These three categories are always intertwined in complicated ways, and at times it is almost impossible to determine which of them predominates. I have never met a politician who could admit to the world, or even to himself, that he was running for office only because he wanted to affirm his own importance, or because he wanted to enjoy the perks that come with political power. On the contrary, we all repeat over and over that we care not about power as such but about certain general values. We say it is only our sense of responsibility to the community that compels us to take upon ourselves the burden of public office. At times, only God Himself knows whether that is true, or simply a more palatable way of justifying to the world and ourselves our longing for power, and our need to affirm, through our power and its reach, that we exist in a truly valid and respectable way.

· The lies of work - It's all about the next step

· The lies of work - I = Me / You

o Be prepared to wash feet – (I make the tea!)

Struggling to use power for good

· Genesis 50:16-21

16 So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us 17 to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. 18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.

19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 21 No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

· Those at work who have it in for you (brother’s past)

o See God at work in it all – “God intended it for good”

· Resist revenge - Behave with integrity

o Live at peace – Rom 12:17-19 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

· See the opportunities of work - to demonstrate Christ's character

o Like Josephs kindness to his family and others

What is your ambition?

Our dreams are rose tinted

· Genesis 37:5-8 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. “Listen to this dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.

· His beginnings were privileged - attitude was arrogance/triumphant

o Do we dream like this “I’ll show them” (e.g. The Apprentice).

· Our defeats knock us into shape

o Genesis 37 – Brothers sell him into slavery

o Genesis 40 – Falsely imprisoned

· His 'defeats' humbled him and formed his character

o God will train the called – not call the trained

The end isn’t the way we planned it

· Genesis 42:21-24 Speaking among themselves, they said, “Clearly we are being punished because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his anguish when he pleaded for his life, but we wouldn’t listen. That’s why we’re in this trouble.” “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?” Reuben asked. “But you wouldn’t listen. And now we have to answer for his blood!” Of course, they didn’t know that Joseph understood them, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter. Now he turned away from them and began to weep. When he regained his composure, he spoke to them again. He chose Simeon from among them and had him tied up right before their eyes.

· The fulfillment was not triumphant but emotional

· If I just ……. Then I will be happy - Promotion – To the top

o Eccl 3:22 there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work

· Never satisfied with the ending (More overtime – promotion)

o 1 Tim 6:6-10 6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

· We don’t love money? We just don’t have enough

o Eccl 5:10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income

The final analysis

· Genesis 50:24-26 22 So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. 23 He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own. 24 “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.” 26 So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

· Joseph died - he saw his great grandchildren

· No-one on their death bed wishes they spent more time at work

· What do you want your final words to be?

o More time at work? More time with family? Live for a purpose

· 1 Tim 4;6-8 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.