Sermon
Providence & Authority
Center Church
Speaker: Josh Miller
September 10, 2023 · 49 min
Summary
Genesis 41 demonstrates how belief in God's providence transforms our relationship with authority—both when under it and wielding it. Joseph models honoring those in power while remaining publicly Christian, speaking truth respectfully, and leveraging authority for others' good rather than abusing or abandoning it.
Highlights
Joseph did not waste his obscurity. He leveraged his obscurity. Rather than spending two years being angry at God, and angry at the cupbearer, and angry at his family of origin, and angry at Potiphar, and angry at Potiphar's wife, and pitying himself, he leveraged his obscurity and said, 'This is where God has me according to his providence, so I'm gonna become the godliest, wisest, most responsible version of myself that I possibly can.'
The only way you'll find the courage to be publicly Christian is if you stop trusting in people and you start trusting in providence.
When you believe in providence, you recognize there's no authority except from God. There's no authority except from God, so you honor those in authority, because God placed them there.