VHG – The Cost of the Crown – Part 2: Embarrassment – The 2nd Expense!

Summary:

The feeling of embarrassment is one that none of us desire, especially when we profess to be serving a great, big, wonderful God who loves us eternally. Surely, He would never allow His people to be embarrassed. The Scripture, however, tells another story that is often overlooked: that serving God comes with a level of embarrassment. There will be moments when what God has told us does not match our present circumstances. Never is this truer than in the lives of Joseph, the Dreamer and Jesus, the Saviour. One man speaks a vision of grandeur, [Gen. 37:11,23-24] and ends up in an Egyptian prison, and the other man declares a vision of salvation and ends up on a Roman cross for all to see, [Matt. 27:39-40]. What do we do when the picture of what God has said does not look like the current sketch of our situation? Let’s discuss how apparent shame, though not desirable, ultimately works for our good when viewed through the lens of God’s mysterious workings.

Discussion Questions:

• The story of Joseph is about two dreams given by God, the love of his father, the cruel envy of his brothers, the false allegations of an ungodly woman, and his ending up in an Egyptian prison. Not the resume of the righteous, or is it? Did you know that the story of Joseph is the most accurate Old Testament type of the life of Jesus, and it is also a type of those who will later follow Jesus. Discuss what it must feel like to be lied on, falsely accused, or unjustly consigned to low places in life and how one should react when their day of vindication comes.
• The life of Jesus takes the Joseph story to a new level in that He, who was sinless, suffered the most horrific death for sin. On the cross, the shame of Adam in Genesis 3:10 is on full display for all to see. The Sinless One was ridiculed, mocked, spat upon, and chastised for no sin of His own. If this was done to the Master who did not deserve it, should we not expect it to be done to us, who deserve it? Discuss why believers should not be offended if they’re ever mocked or ridiculed for their faith.