Subject: Win the Day
by Rick Welborne
Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
Psalm 105:17-21 (NLT)
17 Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar.
19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.
20 Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
21 Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household; he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.
17 Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar.
19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.
20 Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free; the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
21 Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household; he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.
--The last several weeks we have been talking a whole lot about these three things in Joseph’s life:
1. It is not so much about us as it is about “them”.
2. It is about the timing of God.
3. It is about the test…the test of his character.
--Today I want us to look at Joseph and see how is it even possible to get from the pit to the palace in Egypt. How could this ambitious young man arrive at his dreams?
--So many look at Joseph types and just assume that they have ended up where they are by chance…by some fluke of life, they have arrived at popularity and fame just because.
--Some of you are old enough to remember when Jackie Robinson made his debut as the first black player to play major league baseball in the modern era. In the third inning he hit a three run homer.
--An Associated Press photographer captured the moment when Robinson crossed home plate and George Shuba (the batter up) extending his hand to him to congratulate him. A giant leap for racial equality in sports.
--In a book The Boys of Summer Roger Kahn made a statement about Shuba’s swing that it was as natural as a smile. Shuba laughed at the notion that his swing was natural.
Shuba – You call that natural? I swung a 44ounce bat 600 times a night, 4,200 times a week, 47,200 swings every winter. By the way, I did that for 15 years.
Mark Batterson – You cannot pray as if it depends solely on God; you also have to work as if it depends on you. It’s your work ethic plus your prayer ethic that will inch you toward your dreams. And it happens one practice, one day at a time.
1. To fulfill your dreams will depend on what you do in the pit.
--I hope all of us realize that we have choices every day that we have to make. That will either keep us on our journey toward our dreams or send us into a pit of despair.
--I wish the Bible would have given us more details about what Joseph was doing while he was in the pit…it is of a certainty the decisions we make there in the pit are vital.
--I often say…between the promise and the prize there is a process. Today let me say it this way…between the declared dreams and the fulfillment of those dreams, there are lots of decisions to be made.
--What I do in the pit I find myself in today will determine how the rest of my story will be written…there will always be plenty of opportunities for you to quit…to give up.
--Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him and throw him in a pit…they were really ticked about his dreams… Reuben intervened and the pit actually became his means of saving his life. How do you view your pit?
--What appears to you as the obstacle of your destruction may actually be God’s stepping stone to get you where you belong. The Dream Giver has the power to work everything for your good.
Lamentations 3:20-26 (NLT)
20 I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.
21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:
22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”
25 The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.
26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.
20 I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.
21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:
22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”
25 The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.
26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD.
--What is my attitude when I am in the pit…what is the inclination of my heart? Do I whine and complain or do I trust the God Who gave me my dreams in the first place? Do I trust Him with all my heart?
--You see, before you get to the palace God is testing your character to see if you are the man or woman He wants there to accomplish His will for that situation.
--Joseph exemplified certain disciplines for all of us to consider when life is not fair. He had to be intentional about not taking his eyes off of the promises and dreams of God. God’s promises are yes and they are amen!
--Think about how you react when you are detoured from your objectives and what do you do to make sure you do not lose your focus. Fix your eyes on Jesus, author and finisher, think about that. Beginning and the End!
--In the pit Joseph had to remember God is Omni-present…He is everywhere. God is Omniscient…He is all knowing. He is Omnipotent…He is all powerful.
--He is everywhere…even in the pit. He is all knowing…He knows his brothers are wanting to kill him but God knows Joseph will be used to save them. He is all powerful…He can protect him until the time is right.
--Let me ask you today…what do you know? More important…Who do you know? When you are in the pit and life isn’t fair…Who do you know? Paul:
Philippians 3:8-11 (NIV)
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
--Life ain’t always pretty…life can be hard and challenging but what you do when you are in the pit will be your declaration to the world how much you trust your God.
--Look at your neighbor and say…Trust God in the pit! Trust God in the pit! He is the only One Who can get you from the pit to the palace.
2. To fulfill your dreams will depend on what you do before you get in the pit.
--Say what? What are you doing to prepare yourself for the day you are thrown in a pit or thrown in jail. What are you doing to get ready for the day you are falsely accused or forgotten.
--Let me say it this way…games are not won the day we play them…they are won with all the days of practice. All the repetition of doing the same drills over and over.
--When I was going to college in Texas a hundred years ago, I was introduced to tennis by a bunch of my college buddies. I played two years of basketball there and loved it but I found myself loving tennis.
--One of these friends took me to a tristate tennis tournament at the Samuel Grand Tennis Center in Dallas Texas. Keep in mind I had been playing tennis about 2 months. I was the worst in our group.
--As we sat there watching the match, I got inspired and I got a dream in my heart and I blurted it out of mouth. I said (out loud) I will come back to this tournament next year and win the whole thing.
--My friend laughed so hard and so loud that the tournament director came over and told him to be quiet or leave. He said, “Rick, these guys have played tennis all their lives…there is no way you can win!”
--I had one year to learn how to play a game that I had just started playing and to come back and fulfill a dream in my heart. My friend kept mocking but I kept dreaming. Within a month I could beat all my friends.
--I watched tennis on TV as I held my racquet in my hand imitating how they were swinging, I went to the library (remember those) and got books on tennis. I ordered tennis magazine and read it cover to cover.
--At that time I was 200 lbs. so I started jumping rope every day and eating better until I got down to 170 lbs. I would hit on the wall for hours and finally got where I could hit 2000 times without missing. I biked a lot.
--I would go to the courts and beg people to let me play but I was not good enough to play in their little groups. Within three months I could beat everyone in our city except one little Korean guy…he was so good.
--He beat me over and over again but each time I was getting better and getting wiser about the game. He would laugh and tease me that he could see a little improvement…He was just fuel to the fire!
--I would practice every day serving for two hours…I would practice in the wind and in the sun…I knew I had to be ready for what the conditions would be. Picture in the paper shoveling snow off the court so I could play.
--I found a small tennis tournament close by entered…I won. There were only three rounds but I got the trophy! I was so excited but my friends kept saying…that’s not the big tournament…I just shut them out!
--I met an older man in a tennis tournament who wanted to play every week…he was like a human backboard, he never missed and he would beat me because I made so many mistakes. I told him my dream.
--He was the first person who did not laugh at me when I mentioned my dream…He said to me…You can win if you do what I tell you…I could not wait for his wisdom…tell me…tell me!
--He said…quit trying to hit a winner every time you hit the ball and use your ability and athleticism to win…in other words hit the ball back at least seven times before you go for a winner…let your opponent lose the point.
--As soon as I applied his wisdom, I beat him for the first time and he never won against me again. I kept practicing every day. I would set up three matches in one day…I put in the time. The day finally came.
--I was so excited and so nervous, that in the first round I was so nervous I could not hit the ball back and forth with my opponent. He said, Good grief, let’s just start…All that preparation kicked in…I won. 2nd won. 3rd.
--After winning 6 matches I found myself in the finals…it was tough…He won the first set…I was nervous and wanted to abandon the game plan but I didn’t. Keep the ball in play 7 times, 8 times, and more. Be consistent!
--I squeaked out the second set using that strategy and I perceived the plan was wearing down my opponent…I won the third set 6-2 and was elated and thankful. I won it three years in a row.
--The first place I went was to my buddy who laughed at me when I told him my dream to show him the trophy. Of course, he was in shock! Pastor Rick, what is the point to this long story.
--The point is this…before you find yourself in a pit, in a prison, falsely accused, forgotten, or discouraged by family there are certain disciplines you need to have in your life.
--On the job training is okay, sometimes, but that can be overwhelming if we have not done our homework ahead of time. Peter says it this way:
2 Peter 1:3-8 (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
--In other words, David didn’t win the battle with Goliath the day he hit him in the head with the stone and cut his head off…He won the battle as he daily disciplined himself to worship and to protect the sheep.
--David was being prepared to handle the giant as he was taking care of a bear and a lion. We win our battles (our pits) by the daily disciplines we have put into practice…we keep adding to our faith.
3. To fulfill your dreams will depend on you winning the day…win the day!
--This could be one of the greatest years of your life! Sure, Pastor, that sounds great but that seems impossible from where I am sitting right now…it seems like just a dream to get there…can’t do it.
--Let me ask you this…can you discipline yourself to have a good hour…of course. Can you put enough hours together to have a great day…I think so! How about a week…maybe! What about a month?
--Here’s the key…win the day…win today. You see, you get in shape one workout at a time, you get out of debt one payment at a time, you graduate one class at a time, you get the job promotion one project at a time.
--You win the game or the match one practice at a time…just win the day! Win today! Do what it takes today! Pray today! Learn today! Persevere today! Have self-control today! Win the day! Psalm of Ascent:
Psalm 40:1-5 (NKJV)
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.
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