From Prison to Palace (James 1:18)

Introduction

What Daniel didn’t know when he selected that song is that we’d be talking about that in the adult auditorium class this morning. And so very appropriate on how you did that. And I have one other public service announcement I need to make. Scott said I needed to fit this in somewhere, and I really couldn’t find a good place other than at the beginning. So his van is duly registered. So if you need to borrow his van, he might be willing to let you do that, and you won’t get a ticket like Ross did. In fact, Ross and Laura are headed to Florida to pick up a new van here, I think, in the next little bit. But the interesting thing about that story talking to Ross was that’s not the first encounter he’d ever had with that particular police officer, right?

I mean, what are the odds of that? Pulled over by the same officer twice. So go for the trifecta, Ross, you know. So anyway, the way that fits in, actually, is that this all came to Scott’s awareness that this was a matter of some urgency. And so I want to talk to you for a moment this morning about spiritual awareness. Okay, so that’s the segue into this morning’s lesson as we talk about a familiar character to many Bible students. Our young people know the story of Joseph so very well. There are many intriguing aspects to the story of Joseph. And I want to just catalog a few as we begin. And right at the top of the list for me was how that this young man was clinging to the promises of God, despite all that had happened to him.

And his mention and inclusion in Hebrews chapter 11 is simply upon the basis of that fact. In fact, it goes from Isaac to Jacob to Joseph, each doing something as their time on earth concluded, that related to the promise. Isaac blessed his sons. Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of his sons. And Joseph, it says in Hebrews 11 and verse 22, gave instruction concerning his bones, that they were not to be left in Egypt, but to be taken to the land of promise, further emphasizing this truth, and is one of the reasons why he is included in the great hall of faith. Of course, most of us remember in the story of Joseph this coat of many colors, and all that it signified as he was his father’s chosen, his special one among the eleven brothers that had been born to that point, and of course, the boyhood dreams that he had of his brothers bowing down to him, and that didn’t go over very well.

Which all of this would lead to the other brothers’ treachery that they would sell their flesh and blood into slavery. And a number of years later, as almost a decade of difficulties unfold, or more than a decade of difficulties unfold for Joseph, he finally things start getting on the right track, and he is over Potiphar’s house, but then there are the sensual advances of Potiphar’s wife. And he says, How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And so, even though he is by himself, he has no family or spiritual peers in Egypt. He still has a concept of what is right and serving God, and we’re going to notice something about that story in a moment. And of course, then there’s the fascinating story of Joseph’s revelation of himself to his brothers.

As finally, after several events unfold, and he’s really testing them among other things and inquiring about the welfare of his father, so on and so forth, there is this great revelation that takes place, and great weeping that could be heard all over the land of Egypt. I mean, so great was the weeping and the reunion between Joseph and his brothers. And then we come to the end of the story in chapter 50. And we have the brothers concerned that now that Jacob is dead, that he’s going to exact his vengeance. And he says, Am I in God’s place? You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good to preserve this family alive. And so Joseph has an awareness in the midst of his struggle, even toward the end when he could have taken vengeance on his brothers, that God has been involved in producing things for the fulfillment of this promise through him.

Now that’s six things, and for any good spiritual list to be complete, it needs a seventh. And so it is the seventh thing that I want to spend a little bit of time talking to you about. And that is as a result of this fourth thing, his tenure in an Egyptian prison, though he had committed no crime. And I just want to make this observation about point number four and number seven that despite the pain, despite the unfairness of the whole situation, I mean being sold into slavery by his brothers, then things starting to turn around as he’s in Potiphar’s house, and now the lies being told about him by Potiphar’s wife, despite doing the right thing, he lands in prison. The text makes something abundantly clear.

And that is that the Lord was with Joseph. And it says it again, and well, the master saw that the Lord was with Joseph, and everything that he did was caused to prosper as a result, and that’s going to happen in prison as well. In verses 19 through 23, that happens. And again, it says in verse 21, but the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him and gave him favor in the sight of the chief tailor. Though he explains the dreams of the butler and the baker. And the baker meets his demise as the dream would suggest, and then the butler is restored, the cupbearer to the king is restored to the presence of Pharaoh. It says, but he forgot about Joseph. Two years.

Two years. You have revealed an inspired dream and its meaning to the butler. The butler is restored to his position, but now the butler is apparently more concerned about his position with Pharaoh than he is this fellow who had miraculous insight into his dream. And he forgets about Joseph. Wait a minute. You mean to be so mistreated and forgotten and in so much pain and all the difficulty that Joseph has gone through over a dozen years or more, surely that signals that God is not with him. It doesn’t signal that at all. And yet, so many times in the midst of pain, people conclude that there must be something wrong in their relationship with God, or that God would not allow these kinds of negative circumstances to unfold in their lives.

And that’s not necessarily the case. But in Genesis chapter 40, one, Pharaoh has a dream. And perhaps the cupbearer is feeling a little bit more secure in his position, and Pharaoh has a dream. And so in God’s time, as we talk about a lot, the butler tells Pharaoh about this fellow Joseph in prison. And we know how the story turns out. Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find a man like this in whom is a divine spirit? So Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God has informed you of all of this, there’s no one as discerning and wise as you are, you shall be over my house. He was over Potiphar’s house, but now, at the right time, in the right place, he is now over Pharaoh’s house.

He says, only in the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh says to Joseph, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. And so as I think about the story of Joseph and the seventh thing, I want to talk about this morning from prison to palace. A true rags to riches story that illustrates, I think, your rags to riches story. If you are indeed this morning in a right relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It is James chapter 1 and verse 18. And if you don’t remember anything else about this story, I want you to remember this verse that illustrates from prison to palace. We’re going to be looking at the context of this particular statement, notably what follows in an upcoming lesson. Won’t be next week, but it’s on the agenda. It might be a couple of weeks from now where we’ll start in verse 19 and move down the text. So that’s why I gave you the whole flavor of the context here by the graphic. But I want to notice verse 18 and the verse that precedes it, where it says, of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits among his creatures.

Now, what I want you to notice about the context of this statement is that it actually flows out of verse 17, which might be too small on the screen for you to read, but you might be aware of this verse. But every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow or shadow due to change. And so this verse naturally leads into verse 18 because we have an outstanding example of God’s good gifts as he brings us forth by the word of truth. And so I want to look at James chapter 1 and verse 18 and its hearts as we notice our rags to riches story from prison to palace.

1. In the Exercise of His Will

And another translation, in the exercise of his will, he brought us forth. And the thing that I want you to notice about this statement is God’s role and involvement in what has transpired for us spiritually. Who deserves the credit? Who deserves the glory? Who deserves the praise? God does. This doesn’t mean that God did everything, because if God did everything, that when Jesus died on the cross, then everybody would automatically be saved and saved forever. Universal salvation. But that’s not what we read in the New Testament. Obviously, there is a means of coming into a right relationship with Christ, and that’s going to involve some activity on your part. And we’re getting to that. But it is God who initiates, it is God who provides. These are God’s doings, and they are marvelous in our eyes.

And thus those who are saved in Christ can say and proclaim, This is the Lord’s day. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This part of God in our salvation should never be undervalued or minimized in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 10, I am what I am by the grace of God. It is by his doing that we are in Christ. Paul would say earlier in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 that no man should boast, just as it is written, let him who boasts boast in the Lord. Verse 30 has said, but by his doing you are in Christ Jesus. Now hold that thought. By his doing, his doing, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us, Jesus became to us, wisdom from God, and righteousness showing the right way, and sanctification that is setting us apart for God’s purposes, and redemption being purchased by God unto this redeemed state that we enjoy.

2. The Vehicle: By the Word of Truth

So in the exercise of his will, never forget God’s greater part in our salvation in what we have discovered and achieved and received in him. It is only because of him that we have been brought forth. But there is a message here as to the means or the instrument, or the vehicle, we might say. And the reason why I like the word vehicle is that we all use them, and our kids can’t wait until they’re 16 and they finally get their license.

And we can drive the car because the car gets us places. It moves us in the direction we would really like to go. There is a vehicle. There is a means that causes us to be brought forth. And that means is by the word of truth. Now, all the parts of that are not explained here. But simply the overall means of us coming into Christ or being brought forth by God into this saving relationship. Now, Peter is going to talk about that in 1 Peter chapter 1 and say, our souls are purified in obedience to the truth. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 22. We are born again by the living and incorruptible seed, which is the word of God. So we have further explanation of this phrase by the word of truth in 1 Peter chapter 1, 22 and 23.

Now, something interesting about this expression, the word of truth. How is Jesus identified? In the Gospel of John as the Word.

No one comes to the Father but through me. John chapter 14 and verse 6. And so there is a direct association and an intimate relationship between Jesus the Word and His message that causes us to be born again. As we read about in 1 Peter chapter 1.

3. In Christ Jesus

This is how, this is the means that we arrive in Christ Jesus. And I thought about this. I was going to preach about this verse, and Jared was talking about Ephesians last weekend, and this was sort of the fuel for all of these thoughts. You start reading in Ephesians chapter 1 and Ephesians chapter 2, you keep noticing something. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. And this is the essence of the lesson this morning. Right here. I want you to look in it. We’ve been talking about Ephesians 1 and verse 4. God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. And our lessons meant to be. And how predestination actually works in the Scripture and what that means. And we were looking at Ephesians 1 and verse 4, but God chose us in Him.

Well, I just want to focus now on those two words in Him. Because whatever James 1 and verse 18 is saying, He brought us forth by the word of truth. When that occurs, then we come into a relationship with Jesus, we are in Him, or as He would say in Ephesians chapter 2, over and over again, in Christ Jesus. I want you to notice this. I have these underlined in my Bible. After it talks about the problem of sin, and that’s going to relate to my next point in verses 1 through 6. He says in verse 6 that he raised us up with him. Okay, we’ve we’ve been brought forth, raised up with him, and seated with him in the heavenly places. That’s the Powell’s part.

Seated with him in the power in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I have those words underlined. Verse 7. In order that an ages to come he might show the surpassing riches. That sounds like Palace, does it? Doesn’t it? Surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us. -oh, there it is again. In Christ Jesus. Verse 10. For we are his workmanship created. Okay, that’s a good thing. God’s employing me. He’s using me. I’m one of his vessels. We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Now, that phrase keeps coming to view, does it? Created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Verse 13. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were formerly afar off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

So here’s what I want to do with this. Are you in this sphere of relationship? Are you certain? Are you confident? You need to be. Have you been brought forth by the word of truth, that incorruptible seed? And have you been raised up with Christ, seated in the heavenlies? Are you in this sphere? And I’ve got to tell you something. This is really all that matters. What do you mean, all that matters? I mean all that matters about anything that matters. It’s all that matters.

Are you in Christ Jesus? Have you been redeemed by the Savior? Have you been raised up with Him by heaven’s accounting? I could say, yeah, you are, but that’s not what gets it done. We’re brought forth by the word of truth.

Are you in this sphere? Your residence in that sphere in Christ Jesus is your most overriding concern at this moment. It is not your stomach that is saying, where’s the nearest Mexican food restaurant? That is not your most overriding concern. And I’ll tell you this in Christ, that’s just the ending. There’s a greater harvest that follows. There is a wonderful harvest of righteousness in our lives, and all of that produces, but perhaps he’s even pointing to the resurrection of our body here, as Paul does in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, as further fruits to follow in your rags to riches story from prison to palace. Or maybe it’s simply a greater harvest of souls that will occur. So I want you to appreciate being brought forth by the word of truth.

4. They Never Perceive the Prison

And I want to make two observations quickly in conclusion. Going back to our original illustration and our sermon title, From Prison to Palace, one of the reasons why folks don’t find themselves brought forth and in Christ Jesus, in that most important sphere, is that they never perceive the prison that they’re in. As the earlier part of Ephesians 2 says, and when you were dead in your transgressions and sins. Look, if there is transgression and sin on your account by heaven’s accounting, then you are dead, spiritually undone. And if you don’t perceive that, you can’t fix the problem. In fact, the devil is good at what he does. These things are only spiritually discerned and discerned when we look at the message of God’s word, which explains these things to us.

Some people, when they’re in their transgressions and sins, when they’re in the prison, actually feel pretty happy and liberated in where they are. There’s no perception, see the awareness that I was talking about. There’s no perception of the prison. And I’ll tell you why that is. Because the devil doesn’t want you to be aware. We wonder why bad things happen to good people and why Christians suffer, like righteous men like Joseph had a period of suffering in his life and difficulty. And he’s not the only one, of course. There are many biblical narratives that speak of the suffering of the righteous. What’s that all about? We have an adversary, that’s what that’s about. Just like as he accused Job in the book of Job, you put a hedge about him.

You take the hedge away, and he won’t be faithful to you. But I’ll tell you who the devil isn’t opposing. The devil isn’t opposing those that are already in his prison. He wants them to feel great and wonderful there. Now, there’s a problem even still with that, and that is there are problems simply associated with rejecting God’s purposes and committing transgression. The way of the transgressor is hard. As those who hook up with the wrong friends in Proverbs chapter 1, it says they ambush their own lives. There are consequences to rejecting God’s ways of doing things, and some people experience those temporal consequences in their lives, drug addiction, etc. Alcohol consumption, and all the troubles that go with not listening to God about sobriety. Oh, I know there’s some of that.

But sometimes those who reject God’s purposes do not perceive the prison. From prison to palace. I want you to notice Colossians chapter 1 and verse 13. This is what happens as we are brought forth into a relationship with Christ. Colossians 1 13. For he delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of God’s dear son. Without God and without fellowship, without transference into the kingdom of his dear son, one is excluded from the life of God and attributed to the ignorance that is in them. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 18, and they are enslaved. And so what I want you to know is if this is not happened, if sin is on your account, and you’ve not been brought forth by the word of truth into Christ Jesus, you are in prison.

When we transgress the will of God, if only we could see in our minds and be aware of what it would be like to be in prison. I don’t know if anybody in our midst has ever spent any time in prison. Perhaps you visited someone in prison as I have.

5. Perceive the Palace

Who has already spoken of brutality and things that have happened to him in his short time in prison as he now requests a new trial. Good luck with that, Larry. And I’ll just say this. The way we do prison in 2018 is a far cry from the way they did prison in the days of old. I’m pretty sure the beds are a lot more comfortable than they were back in the day. If we would just think about sin on our account as the incarceration, that it is. And then if we could just appreciate having gone from prison to where we now sit in Christ in the heavenlies. As Paul would tell the Corinthians, look, all things belong to you. You belong to Christ. Christ belongs to God.

I’ve always loved 1 Corinthians 3 in that regard. He’s going to say many wonderful things about what it means to be in Christ or a temple of God in chapter 6. We’ve already looked at verse chapter 1, verses 30 and 31 in Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 15. All things belong to you. You sit in the heavenlies, as we saw in Ephesians chapter 2. If anyone loves God, he is known by him. 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 3.

We would more likely produce the fruits of the kingdom that our Savior wants from us if we would perceive the pouch.

Do you ever do any murmuring?

Complaining.

Get disgruntled, discontent. Failing to perceive. I’m afraid so often we get too horizontally focused. And don’t stay vertically focused.

When it comes to our lives as Christians, we start looking around and well, the people of God failed me in this way and that way. But I would just say, don’t expect of others what you don’t expect of yourself. So often that’s the killer. Well, they have this thing about them that rubs me the wrong way. And all people get annoyed and disconcerted about all kinds of things. And what happens is we’re looking too horizontally and not enough vertically about our rags to riches. Instead, we ought to be saying, as David did. As David was contemplating the great promise of 2 Samuel chapter 7, that he would not lack a man to sit upon the throne, the great promise of his descendants that ultimately would be fulfilled in a way that he could have never dreamed.

The Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, would set upon his throne perpetually, that one of his descendants could be as great as that. But even then he still says, Who am I? Oh sovereign Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me thus far. I’ve always loved 2 Samuel 7 18 because that is so true of me. So true of all of us. Who am I? And what am I? David did some things that I could only dream about. So I know if he can say it, I can say it. But who am I? And what am I? That God has brought me thus far. And oh, how far we have come if we truly find ourselves this morning in that sphere in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

Mark down if you’re taking notes, Romans 6, Romans 8, because Paul would have a lot more to say in those two chapters about some specifics about how we have come into Christ and what that means in our lives. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus as we walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. Understanding where we are is critical to how we will behave and respond to our living King, Jesus Christ. If you’re in this audience this morning and you’ve not come into this sphere, in Christ Jesus, we would like to see and witness a glorious thing happen today. That is, for your journey from prison to palace to happen right now. For you to be brought forth by the word of truth.

Can we assist you in some way? Perhaps there’s someone in the audience this morning who has lost sight of the palace, who’ve lost sight of the heavenly places in which we reside as God’s people and all of the privileges and blessings associated with our inclusion in these things. Do you need help and assistance on the path as we aim beyond the palace that in which we now reside to the ultimate palace, a place at God’s throne. Let’s stand and say.