Started from The Bottom Now We Are Here

Positioned to Prosper – Part 4

What Does It Mean to Prosper?

The word "prosper" in the Greek literally means "to help on the road" or "succeed in reaching." It means to advance, make progress, succeed, or be profitable.

It is very clear from this definition that prosperity is more than money and the accumulation of wealth, but rather an ongoing state of success that touches every area of our lives. It means to have nothing missing and nothing lacking. You can have wealth with no health and you are not prosperous.

If you can make what's important to God important to you, God will make what's important to you important to Him.

3 John 2 (AMP)

Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually].

To handle more, I have to build my ability to carry more weight.

Joseph's Journey: From Pit to Palace

Genesis 39:1-2 (AMP)

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the [royal] guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he [even though a slave] became a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

Joseph was not in control of his situation, for he was a slave. You don't have to be on top for God to be with you:

• Even though you're young
• Even though you're older
• Even though you're a woman
• Even though you're a minority

Joseph was in an "even though" situation.

Even Though, Even Now, Even If

NOW FAITH – Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

EVEN NOW – John 11:22 (AMP)

Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give to You.

EVEN IF – Daniel 3:18 (AMP)

But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!

Even if He doesn't save my marriage.
Even if He doesn't heal my child.
Even if He doesn't provide me with a new job.
Even if He doesn't save me from bankruptcy court.
Even if He doesn't give me a relationship with my estranged father.
Even if He doesn't rescue my spouse from addiction.

The Fruit of Spiritual Maturity

Genesis 39:3 (AMP)

Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper (succeed) in his hand.

Evidence of spiritual maturity is fruit. There is no invisible fruit—you can see it. Fruit duplicates based on the tree it came from. The fruit is for the benefit of others; fruit that eats itself is rotten and will make you sick.

Matthew 7:20 (NLT)

Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

Keys to Joseph's Prosperity

Key #1: Serve Well

Genesis 39:4

So Joseph pleased Potiphar and found favor in his sight and he served him as his personal servant. He made Joseph overseer over his house, and he put all that he owned in Joseph's charge.

Job 36:11 (AMP)

If they hear and serve Him, they will end their days in prosperity and their years in pleasantness and joy.

Key #2: Be Trustworthy

Luke 16:12 (AMP)

And if you have not been faithful in the use of that [earthly wealth] which belongs to another [whether God or man, and of which you are a trustee], who will give you that which is your own?

Genesis 39:5-6

It happened that from the time that he made Joseph overseer in his house and [put him in charge] over all that he owned, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house because of Joseph; so the Lord's blessing was on everything that Potiphar owned, in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph's charge; and with Joseph there he did not [need to] pay attention to anything except the food he ate.

Key #3: Be Faithful

Proverbs 20:6 (AMP)

Many a man proclaims his own loyalty and goodness, but who can find a faithful and trustworthy man?

With Prosperity Comes Testing

Genesis 39:7-9

Now Joseph was handsome and attractive in form and appearance. Then after a time his master's wife looked at Joseph with desire, and she said, "Lie with me." But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, with me in the house, my master does not concern himself with anything; he has put everything that he owns in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God [and your husband]?"

Count the Cost

1 Corinthians 10:13 (AMP)

No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].

Genesis 39:10-12

And so it was that she spoke to Joseph [persistently] day after day, but he did not listen to her [plea] to lie beside her or be with her. Then it happened one day that Joseph went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the men of the household was there in the house. She caught Joseph by his [outer] robe, saying, "Lie with me!" But he left his robe in her hand and ran, and got outside [the house].

Luke 4:13 (AMP)

When the devil had finished every temptation, he [temporarily] left Him until a more opportune time.

False Accusation and Imprisonment

Genesis 39:13-20

When she saw that he had left his robe in her hand and had run outside, she called to the men of her household and said to them, "Look at this, your master has brought a Hebrew [into the household] to mock and insult us; he came to me to lie with me, and I screamed. When he heard me screaming, he left his robe with me and ran outside [the house]." So she left Joseph's [outer] robe beside her until his master came home. Then she told her husband the same story, saying, "The Hebrew servant, whom you brought among us, came to me to mock and insult me; then as soon as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his robe with me and ran outside [the house]." And when Joseph's master heard the words of his wife, saying, "This is the way your servant treated me," his anger burned. So Joseph's master took him and put him in the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined; so he was there in the prison.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (AMP)

Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].

God's Presence in the Prison

Genesis 39:21-23

But the Lord was with Joseph and extended lovingkindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the warden. The warden committed to Joseph's care (management) all the prisoners who were in the prison; so that whatever was done there, he was in charge of it. The warden paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's care because the Lord was with him; whatever Joseph did, the Lord made to prosper.

From Prison to Palace

Genesis 41:40-44 (AMP)

The Pit, the Persecution, the Prison—all prepared him for the Palace.

You shall have charge over my house, and all my people shall be governed according to your word and pay respect [to you with reverence, submission, and obedience]; only in [matters of] the throne will I be greater than you [in Egypt]. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you [in charge] over all the land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and dressed him in [official] vestments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in his second chariot; and runners proclaimed before him, "[Attention,] bow the knee!" And he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission shall no man raise his hand [to do anything] or set his foot [to go anywhere] in all the land of Egypt [all classes of people shall submit to your authority]."

Discussion Questions

1. The "Even Though" Faith: Joseph prospered "even though" he was a slave in a foreign land. What "even though" circumstances are you currently facing that tempt you to believe God cannot prosper you? How does Joseph's story challenge your perspective on your current limitations?
2. Fruit That Others Can See: The sermon teaches that "there is no invisible fruit—you can see it" and that spiritual maturity produces visible results. What fruit is your life currently producing? Would those around you—your coworkers, family, neighbors—testify that "the Lord is with" you based on what they observe?
3. Faithfulness in Another's House: Luke 16:12 asks, "If you have not been faithful in the use of that which belongs to another, who will give you that which is your own?" How faithfully are you managing what God has placed under your care right now—whether that's your job, someone else's resources, or opportunities? What does this reveal about your readiness for greater responsibility?
4. Resisting Persistent Temptation: Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph "day after day," yet he remained faithful. What persistent temptation are you facing that keeps coming back? What practical steps can you take, like Joseph who literally ran from temptation, to protect your integrity and future prosperity?
5. The Pit-to-Palace Process: Joseph's journey included the pit (betrayal), persecution (false accusation), and prison (unjust punishment) before the palace (promotion). What painful season might God be using right now to prepare you for a level of responsibility and influence you cannot yet imagine? How can you maintain faithfulness when the process feels unfair or takes longer than expected?