A Life Of Integrity

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                         January 1,2012
Lesson Focus:
Live a life of Integrity
Lesson Scripture:
Genesis 39:7-21

Introduction:

A life of integrity,"Lord make me more like Joseph in this upcoming year",is an excellent request to bring before God at the beginning of this new year.Joseph was a biblical character who exemplified a life of integrity.He was sold into slavery by his brothers,and Pharaoh's captain of the guard, bought Joseph in Egypt, and from age 17 when he was sold,to age 30,Joseph was an Egyptian slave and imprisoned. God gave him favor with Potiphar,who made Joseph overseer of his household.But there was one problem,Potiphar's lustful wife,who was set on seducing Joseph.She asked Joseph to lie with her and he refused.He said this would be a sin against God.Her final trick was to grab him in the house when they were alone,but Joseph ran away from her.She then lied to her husband and Joseph was imprisoned.But even in prison God was still with Joseph and gave him favor with the head jail keeper.Because Joseph was a man who lived his life in the light of God,God continued to bless him and use him for His glory.

Joseph's Integrity Is Tested

Genesis 39:7-12KJV

 ⁷And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

   ⁸But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
   ⁹There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
   ¹⁰And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
   ¹¹And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
   ¹²And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
Footnotes:
Joseph's brothers had originally planned to kill him,but sold him instead to a caravan of Ishmaelites specifically Midianite merchants, who happened to pass by on their way to Egypt.The merchants then sold him to Potiph,the commanding officer of the royal bodyguard for Pharaoh.Scripture says Joseph prospered and Potiphar experienced the Lord's blessing on everything he possessed.After a while  Potiphar wife asked Joseph to have a sexual relations wih her.Joseph said no to her advances and saidsuch an action would be a sin against God.Nevertheless she continued day after day badgering him to go to bed with her,and onday when Joseph came to do his daily duties and they were alone,she grabbed him and he fled  leaving behind his cloak.
     The enemy's tacks are consistant as was Potiphar's wifes advances on Joseph and like Joseph we must continue to say no to the advances of sin,even when it tells us we are all alone and no one will know.God sees everything.

Joseph's Character Shines in Prison
Genesis 39:13-21KJV
¹³And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
   ¹⁴That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
   ¹⁵And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
   ¹⁶And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
   ¹⁷And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
   ¹⁸And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
   ¹⁹And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
   ²⁰And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
   ²¹But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
Footnotes:

After Joseph fled from Potiphar's house and his wife's aggressive hand-on demand for a sexual liaison, she used th eclock Joseph left in her hand to full advantage. This was not the first time an article of Joseph's clothing was used to support a lie about him.When Potiphar returned home and heard his wife's charge against Joseph he burned with anger and had Joseph imprisoned where the king's prisoners were confined.In prison like in Potiphar's house,Joseph was also successful in everything he did because God was with him.In this instance,Joseph had oversight of the entire prison operation and all of the other prisoners.In every circumstances of his life,Joeph conducted himself with integrity as a faithful obedient servant of the Lord,and his faithfulness brought rewards for himself and glory to God.

Our outward actions are the eveidence that the spirit of God is or is not dwelling within us.The ultimate test of Joseph  character was his moral resistance to temptation.To give in to temptation would have been a sin against God.Intergity flourishes when God's spirit is working in our lives.The person's integrity in consistent,not on way in this circustance and another way in another circumstance.We should be the same rather it is Sunday at church or Monday at the ballgame.Jesus said without the indwelling of the Holy spirit,godly integrity can never grow(John 15:5).