Beginnings: Cultivating God s Promises: Back to the Land of Promise Genesis 30:25-31 Introduction (A time where I had enough drama, or thought I had

Transcription

1 Beginnings: Cultivating God s Promises: Back to the Land of Promise Genesis 30:25-31 Introduction (A time where I had enough drama, or thought I had been dramatically wronged Saints fans Jacob had enough) Retell the passage (30:25 31:42) Main Point: We have all been wronged. Every human being at some level has been both the victim (Sinned against), and a victimizer (We sin against someone else). It is usually really difficult to see our own sin, but the other persons sin is glaring at us? I. God Prospers and Protects. Genesis 31:6-9 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, The spotted shall be your 1

2 wages, then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, The striped shall be your wages, then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. (ESV) A. Jacob acknowledges the God s hand. 1. When it comes to blessing or prosperity, only a very proud foolish person would not acknowledge the hand of the Lord. 2. Even Jacob, the schemer of all schemers, acknowledges the Lord s hand has been with him. Specifically Jacob acknowledges B. God prospered him. Genesis 31:11-12 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob, and I said, Here I am! 12 And he said, Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. (ESV) 2

3 C. God protects him. (I am allowing you to leave and go back to your home country) Genesis 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred. (ESV) Genesis 31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night. (ESV) D. Thanksgiving flows from the heart of a believer. 1. As God is developing a nation to fulfill his promises, and develop a nation of faith that will house and birth the Messiah thankfully 3

4 acknowledging the hand of God is essential. 2. How often do you pause to give thanks? 3. How often do you really stop to count your blessings? Colossians 3:16-17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (ESV) 4. At the center of knowing Christ, His word, and walking with Him is Thanksgiving. 5. Let s pause for a moment, take your note sheet, and as a prayer of Thanksgiving, write down 3 or 4 things you can Thank God for. 4

5 Transition: The second point I want to make that we can pull from this story is II. Living with God as my witness. Retell (Genesis 31:43 55) Genesis 31:48-50 Laban said, This heap is a witness between you and me today. Therefore he named it Galeed, 49 and Mizpah, for he said, The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another s sight. 50 If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me. (ESV) The idea of God being my witness: A. Encourages us to live in righteousness. 1. Laban challenges Jacob that even when he can t see how he intends to treat his daughters, God does see. 5

6 2. God sees all that we do and all that we are doing. Luke 8:17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. (ESV) 1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. (ESV) 3. This thought, this reminder should cause us to walk in righteousness, even when we think no one is looking. Illustration: What we are looking at on the internet, what we set before our eyes, God sees and it is not hidden to him. 6

7 How we date, what we are doing with our boyfriend or girlfriend, God sees and it will not remain hidden. The effort we give at work when the boss isn t around, God sees. God sees how we handle the loose change, or the product that we think the company won t miss, or the IRS won t catch. Gospel: If your are really honest, this should drive you to understand your need for Christ. This should drive you too, the idea that I do not want to stand before God on my own accord, with my own sins, and my own thoughts fully exposed and left to answer to a Holy God all by myself. The Gospel is ultimately telling on myself. I am a liar, and cheater, and a fornicator, and an idol worshipper, and my only hope is that God is true to His promises. And He has promised that only those who confess and repent of sin, and believe in God s salvation plan Jesus Christ, who died for sin and rose again conquering the 7

8 penalty of sin, have any hope of justly standing before God. Standing in His right living, not my own. And in worship to Him we strive to live in righteousness as a life of praise and worship to our savior. Not cheapening the shedding of His blood by choosing sin and disobedience over a life of righteousness, faith and obedience. Secondly (Letter B) the fact that God is our witness B. Allows us to freely forgive. 1. Only those that understand the gospel are truly free to forgive. Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV) 2. Only when we consider our sin against God can we consider how much we have been forgiven that we are then free to forgive. 8

9 3. But the idea that God sees and God ultimately doles out justice allows us to let others off the hook. 4. No matter the offense against us God sees, or God saw, and God will take care of justice. 5. Every individual will either bear the penalty of their sins against God and others on themselves, or it will be born for them on the cross by Jesus Christ. 6. So we can now forgive, and turn justice over to God. 7. We can be freed from the burden of anger, and hatred, and retaliation because we know that God sees and God meets out justice. 8. Some of you need to hear that this morning. 9. Some of you need to turn that person over to God in your heart, mind and spirit, and trust that God 9

10 Finally saw the offense and God will take care of justice. 10. That person, that offense, that burden, has weighed you down long enough. 11. The fact that God sees everything allows us to forgive. III. Reconciliation is possible when we fear the Lord. Genesis 31:51-53 Then Laban said to Jacob, See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us. So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, (ESV) A. Genuine reconciliation requires we fear the Lord. 10

11 Matthew 7:3-5 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother s eye. (ESV) So what? 1. The Fear of the Lord keeps us humble towards others. 2. The Fear of the Lord makes us self-aware of our own sin, so that any time we approach another person we approach from the posture of humility. 3. The Fear of the Lord reminds me that I am giving an account to him, so as much as it depends on me, I must keep peace with everyone (Romans 12:18) 11

12 B. The church must blaze the trail of reconciliation. 1. The church, meaning made up of Christians certainly defining Christians as people who fear the Lord must be the place that operates with the idea that we can reconcile. 2. The church must be a place where attempts (As much as it depends on you) must be made at reconciliation. 3. The church must be a place where when our feelings get hurt, we work toward relational healing. Conclusion Is there anyone in this church you need to make amends with? Is there anyone this week that you need to schedule an appointment with? If Jacob and Laban can walk away in peace, certainly New Testament believers filled with the gospel of Jesus Christ and an appropriate Fear of the Lord can walk away in peace. How else will 12

13 there be peace on earth, if there can t be peace in the church? Story of when Caleb was little and I was helping him with his homework (Probably kindergarten, after that it got too hard for me). He wasn t getting what I was trying to show him, and the longer it took the grumpier I got. I was short with him, but we finally got through it. When we finished, he turned, hugged me, and said, Thanks for the help with my homework. What??? Main Point: It is incredible how one act of kindness can change a heart, and even change the direction of a persons life. Kindness, forgiveness, patience, love, gentleness: They may be some of the most power things on earth. Way more powerful than the US military. Way more influential then money. And each of us has the power to grant it and ask it. I forgive you, will you forgive me? 13

14 The birthing of the nation of promise, is the seeds of peace on earth. Pray 14