January 21, 2007 - God’s Con: "The Dream"

By: Rev. Steve Bass

Scripture Meditation: Genesis 28:10-22

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

• Let’s face it:
• Despite all the benefits and insights it provides
• 21st century science has an ability to suck all the mystery and romance out of life
• Take dreaming for an example
• According to scientists...
• You dream because of alternating currents of electricity flowing through your brain while you sleep
• Evidently these surges of electricity helps your brain process information- and store it away in memory
• Which- if I remember correctly- is important stuff-
• But come on- it IS kind of boring
• I mean where’s Walt Disney when you need him? THERE was a guy who understood dreams!
• The people of the Bible had a strong belief in the power of dreams
• They saw dreams as mystical things- filled with meaning and mystery
• They believed that God often spoke to His people- and revealed the future- through dreams
• Read what the Bible says in Judges 7:13-15
• Do you see what I'm getting at?
• Gideon understood this man’s dream to be a direct revelation from God
• He acted on the dream- and won a great victory over the Midianite army
• The reason I bring all of this up is because this morning we're continuing our sermon series on the life of Jacob
• Specifically we're going to focus on a dream that became the foundation of Jacob’s faith
• Please read Genesis 28
• Let me give you a little background about today’s message

JACOB IS FORCED TO FLEE

• If you remember-
• Last week we learned how Jacob-
• Manipulated his brother Esau into forfeiting his birthright
• And then- with his mother’s help- conned his father Isaac into giving him the blessing intended for Esau
• Well... in the words of Eddie Murphy- Jacob’s actions had consequences and repercussions

Genesis 27:30-38

• Esau was crushed when he learned what Jacob had done
• His birthright was already gone- but that was mostly about money
• But his father’s blessing was infinitely more valuable because it involved the covenant God had established with Esau’s grandfather Abraham
• Because of Jacob’s deception:
• He would be the special recipient of God’s love and grace
• And Esau would always be on the outside looking in
• Suffice it to say- Jacob’s con artistry made Esau a very bitter man
• And in his rage he made a decision
• Read Genesis 27:41
• Now I'm not advocating murdering your brother
• But come on- you gotta feel some sympathy for Esau
• I know... / But Esau...
• The Bible says all of this was a part of God’s eternal plan
• Must have felt like he'd been hosed!
• Through no fault of his own
• he'd lost everything
• Would have made me mad too!
• Well anyway, Rebekah learns of Esau’s plan
• Even though she was Esau’s mother too- Jacob had ALWAYS been her favorite
• And she wasn't about to let her older son hurt her golden child
• So she did two things:
• First- she told Jacob to ‘get out of town’ until Esau’s fury subdued
• Then- to cover her tracks- she encouraged Isaac to send Jacob back to the land of their ancestors to find a wife
• Now look at what it says in Genesis 28:1-4
• Essentially- this is the same blessing Isaac gave Jacob in chapter 27
• Except this time there had been no deception- this was a free-will decision on Isaac’s part
• Once again- he’s given Jacob the ‘keys to the kingdom’
• The covenant promises God had made to his father Abraham- and then to Isaac himself
• Now belonged to Jacob and his descendents
• Now this tells us something important about Isaac- and his understanding of the Will of God
• See- if it would have been up to him-
• Esau would have been the child of the promise
• Esau was his firstborn- and his favorite son
• But Isaac knew it wasn't up to him to decide whom God would bless
• Just as God had freely chosen Abraham and then Isaac- He had now chosen Jacob
• And Isaac knew he had to submit to God’s Will- PERIOD!
• You know- that’s one of the toughest things you can do as a Christian
• See:
• Sometimes your hopes and dreams in life
• aren't in line with God’s plans and purposes for your life
• When that becomes clear- the way it became clear to Isaac- you've got to make a choice:
• You can get angry with God- and rebel against His Will
• Or you can trust and believe God- and submit to His Will
• And here’s want you need to understand:
• When you submit to God’s Will- in spite of the way you might be feel
• God will always...
• Honor your effort- and pour out His blessings in your life!
• GAY-RON-TEED!

JACOB’S STATE OF MIND

• With all that in mind- let’s get back to Jacob
• With his father’s blessing- Jacob sets off for Haran
• Read Genesis 28:10-11
• You know, if this had been Esau... / But this is Jacob...
• Sleeping under the stars with a rock as your pillow wouldn't have been a big deal
• The Bible says Esau was an outdoorsman
• He thrived in this kind of environment
• The soft, ‘stay-at-home’ ‘Momma’s boy’
• He’s not used to living like this
• And so as he tried to go to sleep that night- Jacob’s mind must have been churning
• On the one hand he had achieved his goal.
• Through deception he had gained:
• His brother’s birthright
• And his father’s blessing
• For better or worse- HE was now the child of promise
• On the other hand- look where it got him
• He was a long way from home-
• Headed towards a place he'd never been-
• Hoping to find an uncle he'd never met
• At that moment Jacob must have been more frightened and lonely than he'd ever been
• Folks- that’s a picture of what sin does in your life
• Sin may bring you some short-term pleasure and satisfaction
• But you always wind up where Jacob was:
• Miserable and frightened
• Lost and lonely
• Feeling totally cut-off from the love of God
• And let me tell you something: That’s NEVER a good place to be!

THE DREAM

• Now let’s look at Jacob’s dream

Genesis 28:12

• I want you to notice what you just read here:
• Verse 12 says the angels were ascending and descending the ladder that reached from earth to heaven
B) In other words:
• Instead of the angels coming to Earth with God’s message- and then going back to heaven
• The angels are ascending- or going up to heaven- and then returning to back to Earth
• Now you might be thinking: So what? Angels are moving between heaven and Earth. What difference does the direction they're traveling make?
• Well here’s where you have to go back to Jacob’s state of mind:
• He’s out there in the middle of nowhere
• Feeling terribly alone and afraid
• But what he sees in this dream reminds him that he’s NOT alone
• That God knows EXACTLY where he is
• And what’s more: God’s angels are with him- offering Jacob their protection and care

Genesis 28:13

• You know it’s interesting: Jacob had grown up in a home where the name of the Lord was known
• All his life he'd been taught that Yahweh- or Jehovah- was the one true and living God
• But here God personally introduces Himself to Jacob
• I am the God your grandfather Abraham knew and worshiped
• I am the God your father Isaac knows and worships
• And I want to be the God YOU know and worship
• You know- a lot of people go through life trying to be spiritually dependent on someone else’s credentials
• My grandmother was a strong Christian lady- my parents taught me about Jesus from the day I was born
• With all that going for me- I MUST be saved
• Here’s where you need to remember what the Bible says:
• When it comes to your salvation- you can't depend on someone else’s faith
• The only way to be saved is to make a personal decision to receive Jesus as YOUR Savior and Lord
• Romans 14:12 says: So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
• In other words: Family connections can't help you
• Someday you'll have to stand before God- and the only thing that will save you is to be able to say: I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord
• The promise God makes with Jacob is virtually identical to the one he'd made with Abraham and Isaac. The promise involved four things:
• The promise of a country to call home
• The promise of a great posterity
• The promise to be a blessing to all the nations on Earth. This meant God’s only begotten son would be one of Jacob’s descendents.
• And finally- the promise of God’s undying love and presence. Powerful stuff!
• But here’s the thing: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob never saw these promises fulfilled in their lifetimes
• The promise of a home land?
• Abraham and Isaac were still living a nomadic existence when they died
• Jacob died in exile in Egypt
• How about the promise of a great posterity? Look at the facts:
• Abraham fathered only three children
• Isaac had two kids- Jacob and Esau
• Now Jacob did pretty well for himself: He wound up with 12 sons and a daughter
• Which is a big family by any stretch of the imagination
• But hardly a mighty nation
• As far as the promise of being a blessing to the nations went- Jesus wouldn't be born for nearly 2000 years
• The only promise that was fulfilled in their lifetimes was the unending love and presence of God in their lives
• But here’s the thing:
• The fact they didn't see all of these promises come true in their lifetimes didn't shake the faith these men had.
• Please read Hebrews 11:1-2, Hebrews 11:6, and Hebrews 11:8-16
• Here’s the point the Bible is making: Faith...
• Sees beyond the present circumstances and situations you may be facing in life
• And places its absolute trust and confidence in the promises of God!

THE NEXT MORNING

• Read Genesis 28:16-17
• Jacob was a man of great faith- but he wasn't much of a theologian
• One of the fundamental truths about God is His omnipresence
• This means He’s in all places at all times
• That He can't be confined to a particular location- even if it’s a place of worship
• But Jacob’s dream was so powerful he thought he'd found the magical place where heaven and Earth intersected
• This assumption reflects Jacob’s understanding of holy places
• In those days people believed there were certain places where heaven and Earth literally came together
• Places were you could worship God with special power- and be particularly close to Him
• That sounds odd to our ears, but some religious people still believe that
• For-
• Orthodox Jews the Western Wall of the Temple Mount is that place
• Muslims the city of Mecca- and the rock of the Kaballah- is the holy place
• The one location on Earth where you can draw closest to God
• Now as Christians we know it doesn't work that way
• Because the Holy Spirit dwells within you-
• And He dwells within you if you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord
• You can be as close to God here in Charlotte, North Carolina
• As you'd be if you were standing at the entrance to the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem
• Read what Jesus says in John 4:23-24
• When Jacob built his pillar of rocks at Bethel he was honoring and worshiping God
• But he'd kind of missed God’s point
• God was trying to tell him: Jacob- I'm going to be with you no matter where you go- or what you do in this life
• Read how David puts it in the 139th Psalm

CONCLUSION

• Before Stephanie left for Africa I was more than a little bit nervous
• I mean that’s my daughter 8,000 miles from home- that’s a LONG way
• Let me put it like this:
• If Stephanie were in Beijing China right now
• she'd be 400 miles closer to Charlotte than she is in Southern Africa
• But here’s the thing that brings me comfort
• While I can't be there with her- God is!
• He’s watching over her. He’s protecting her
• He will be with her come-what-may
• And as much as I love my daughter-
• I know God loves her even more!
• And I KNOW- beyond a shadow of a doubt- that He will never- no not EVER!- fail or forsake her
• That’s the promise God...
• Made to Jacob
• Has made to Stephanie
• And that’s the promise God has made to YOU!
• Folks-
• If you're...
• Facing a time of struggle and uncertainty in your life
• Feeling lonely and frightened
• Dealing with crises that seem to pile one on top of the other
• I want you to read what the Bible says in 1 Chronicles 28:20
• Listen to these words- absorb them
• And then take them with you no matter where you may go in life

"Be strong and courageous... Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God... is with you."

• Let us pray

January 14, 2007 - God’s Con: The Rivalry (Part 1)

By: Rev. Steve Bass

Scripture Meditation: Genesis 27:1-36

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERMON SERIES

• This morning we’re beginning a two-month long sermon series on the life of Jacob
• That’s a lot of time to devote to one person- but I think he’ll hold your interest
• On the one hand, Jacob was a man who had a deep- and abiding- faith in God
• He also happened to be a world class con artist
• Jacob was the kind of guy who:
• Wasn’t reluctant about using dishonesty and deception to get what he wanted in life-
• No matter who it hurt
• But here’s where it gets strange: God chose this con artist to be the recipient of His special grace and favor
• And frankly- it doesn’t make any sense
• In fact- in a ‘just’ world the twists and turns of Jacob’s life would have never happened
• But in the real world of the Bible it did happen
• And it makes for a fascinating story
• A story we’ll unfold over the next few weeks
• We’ll begin this morning by reading Genesis 25:19-26

INTRODUCTION TO ‘THE RIVALRY’

• I have a theory I’m going to put to the test this morning
• My theory is that twins always know who was born first
• One may have come out...
• Just one or two minutes before the other
• But they go through life always remembering who was born first
• So, do we have any twins here today?
• (Start with Nick & Nicole- then ask others)
• Ask: Who’s older? You or your twin?
• The reason I bring all this up is because Jacob was a twin
• His brother was named Esau
• And trust me- these two well-aware of who was born first! Genesis 25:24-28
• Because Jacob was grasping his heel when he was born-
• Esau couldn’t have been more than a few seconds older than Jacob
• But to the ancient Hebrews that would have made all the difference in the world
• By popping out first- Esau would have been the considered the more important child
• He was the oldest and that meant he would have been entitled to a double portion of the family inheritance
• It was his birthright
• Now let me explain how the double portion worked
• Essentially- the oldest son would be entitled to twice as much of the family inheritance as his brothers
• In this case- since there were only two sons- Isaac’s fortune would be divided into three equal shares
• As the oldest Esau would receive two of the shares
• While Jacob would receive a single share
• So let’s say Isaac’s fortune was worth...$600,000
• Esau would have received $400,000
• While Jacob would have received $200,000
• Now to our way of thinking this isn’t fair
• Children should be treated equally
• Particularly if you were conceived- and born- at the same time
• But that’s not the way the people of the Bible saw it
• Esau was older and entitled to the best
• Jacob was younger and would be left with the scraps
• As you can probably guess this created a bitter rivalry between the brothers
• A rivalry that would define their lives
• And it wasn’t helped by the fact their Mom & Dad each had a favorite son Genesis 25:27-28
• Now I don’t want you to get the wrong idea:
• Isaac loved Jacob- but he preferred the company of the ruggedly, handsome Esau
• Rebekah loved Esau- but she had a special place in her heart for Jacob

STEALING THE BIRTHRIGHT

• Now if Jacob had been a different kind of person this arrangement might have worked out just fine
• But remember- he was a con artist
• His ambition was to take what belonged to Esau
• His first objective was to steal Esau’s birthright. Read Genesis 25:29-34
• Let’s get one thing straight:
• What Jacob did was wrong
• Through manipulation and blackmail he had stolen Esau’s inheritance
• In other words: Jacob would now get the double portion of the family inheritance
• And Esau would be left with scraps
• But here’s the thing: According to the Bible- what Esau did was worse than what Jacob had done
• Notice what it says in verse 34: So Esau despised his birthright.
• The Message Bible probably captures Esau’s attitude a little better. It says Esau shrugged off his right as the firstborn
• That was Esau’s sin
• Say what you want about his methods- but at least Jacob recognized the value of the special relationship His family had with God
• On the other hand-
• Esau was so short-sighted, so incapable of recognizing what was really important in life
• He gave up his birthright for a lousy bowl of soup!
• Folks, that’s a pretty good picture of sin in the life of a Christian. When you choose to sin:
• You’re giving up the most important thing you’ve got: The intimacy of your faith-relationship with God
• For whatever short-term buzz sin can bring
• This is what Romans 6:23 means when it says the wages (the pay-off) of sin is death
• Sin always promises excitement and pleasure and good times that never end
• But it always pays off in brokenness and loneliness and misery and ultimately- death
• Think about it this way: Have you ever been happier after you’ve sinned against God?
• If you’re a born-again Christian the answer is NO!
• Read what 1 John 3:9 says.
• I want you to understand what this is saying:
• It doesn’t mean Christians never fall into sin
• Rather it’s saying a genuine child of God can’t be happy continuing to live in sin
• Whatever short-term satisfaction sin might bring
• It can’t compare to the eternal joys and blessings of your life in Christ
• To put it another:
• It’s stupid to give up your birthright for a lousy bowl of soup!
• But that was a trade Esau was willing to make- and it marked him as a fool

STEALING THE FATHER’S BLESSING

• With all that in mind- turn with me to Genesis 27
• Before we start reading at verse 15 let me set the stage for what’s about to happen
• Even though Esau had exchanged his share of the family estate for a bowl of soup
• He still expected to receive a special blessing from his father Isaac
• Now there are four things you need to know about the way the people of the Bible understood these paternal blessings
• First of all- by custom the blessing would always go to the oldest son
• It wasn’t even a subject of debate
• That’s just the way it was
• Two- this blessing conveyed power
• People believed the father’s blessing could literally determine the future
• If the father had...
• Blessed the child- he would be blessed the rest of his life
• Cursed the child- he would be cursed the rest of his life
• Three- the blessing had the binding force of law
• In these blessings the father would designate one of the sons to become the head of the clan
• Once that decision was made- it was permanent
• And finally- once a blessing had been given it could not be revoked
• Under any circumstances
• Even if the father later realized he’d made a mistake
• Anyway- when Isaac was blind and near death he called Esau and made a request
• I want you to go and kill some wild game
• When you get back- fix me one of these tasty meals I love to eat
• And then I’ll give you my blessing before I die
• It seemed like a done deal-
• But Isaac’s wife Rebekah had other plans.
• She was determined that her husband’s blessing...
• Wouldn’t be given to her foolish older son Esau
• But to her favored child- Jacob
• And so she hatched a plot to trick Isaac into giving the blessing to Jacob
• So get the picture here- Jacob already owned Esau’s birthright
• Now he and his mother were going to steal the paternal blessing that would determine the future of the family
• We’ll pick up the story at the fifteenth verse
• Essentially Isaac has just handed the keys to the kingdom to Jacob
• Even though...
• The blessing had been gained through dishonesty and deceit
• Isaac later regretted what he’d done
• Jacob had become the child of the promise

THE PROMISE GOD MADE TO ABRAHAM

• And oddly enough-
• This was a part of God’s plan to save the world
• Read Genesis 12:1-3
• Of all the people on the face of the Earth God had chosen Abraham to be the recipient of His special grace and favor
• God promised He would bless Abraham with riches, honor and power
• God had designated Abraham as the one through whom all the nations on Earth would be blessed
• And most importantly- God had decided His only begotten Son would be one of Abraham’s descendants
• It was a promise Abraham believed- and God fully intended to keep
• But there was a problem
• Abraham and his wife Sarah didn’t have any children
• I mean let’s face it: It’s hard to start a family dynasty when you don’t have any kids!
• So the question was:
• How was it going to happen?
• How was God going to keep all the promises He’s made to Abraham?
• Now here’s where you need to understand something about faith. Faith always demands two things:
• One- an absolute belief that what God says is true
• And two- a willingness to trust God even when it seems His promises aren’t being kept
• This is what the Bible is talking about in Hebrews 11:1
• Think about this in terms of your own salvation: God says if you confess your sin and believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ- you will be saved
• But what happens if you...
• Don’t feel any different?
• Never get any written confirmation of your salvation?
• To a person of faith it doesn’t matter! Faith is what lets you say:
• I believe it anyway!
• God said it- I believe it- and I’ll continue to believe it until I see Him face-to-face!
• Unfortunately in Abraham’s case- his faith in God’s promise begins to waver
• Years and years went by
• But there was no baby-
• Sarah couldn’t seem to get pregnant
• Which meant there was no one to carry on the family’s name
• So finally Sarah proposes a solution
• She suggests that Abraham take one of her maidservants- Hagar the Egyptian- and have a child with her
• And sure enough- within a year Hagar gave birth to Abraham’s firstborn son- Ishmael
• Now according to the ancient customs we’ve already talked about-
• Ishmael should have been entitled to all the rights and privileges that went to the eldest son
• Which would have suited Abraham just fine. He was an old man:
• He would have been glad to give Ishmael the family blessing and inheritance
• But that was not God’s plan
• Let’s read at what the Bible says in Genesis 17:1-19
• If you look at it from the perspective of heaven- God’s decision was perfectly understandable
• For better or worse- Ishmael was the result of an illegitimate relationship between Abraham and Hagar
• By the way- there are no illegitimate children
• Only illegitimate ways to have them
• But in this case- with so much on the line- God’s plan dictated that the child of the promise:
• Wouldn’t be the son of a concubine
• But the fruit of Abraham and Sarah’s marriage

WHY JACOB WAS BLESSED

• Now here’s what all of this has to do with Jacob’s story
• The decision to skip Ishmael and make Isaac the child of the promise makes perfect sense in Abraham’s generation
• But both of Isaac’s sons were the result of his loving marriage to Rebekah
• In other words: There was no reason for Esau not to be the child of the promise
• Except for one thing: God had an different idea
• For reasons known only to Him- God decided to make Jacob the child of the promise
• Read Romans 9:10-13
• This sounds pretty harsh- but it doesn’t mean God abandoned Esau
• In time God caused Esau to become rich and powerful in his own right
• And a great nation of people- the Edomites- would trace their ancestry through Esau
• But Jacob would be the child of the promise
• HE would become the father of the 12 Tribes of Israel
• HE would experience the assurance of God’s love and abiding presence
• HE would know the joy of having an intimate faith-relationship with God
• And HE would be the one God’s only begotten Son would count as an ancestor
• When you think about it in those terms- it’s really ironic:
• Jacob had conned and schemed in order to get something that God had intended for him all along
• Jacob’s blessing was a gift of grace- plain, pure and simple
• It wasn’t merited- it couldn’t be earned- and considering what he did- it certainly wasn’t deserved
• But nevertheless- God chose to pour out His special love and blessings on Jacob

CONCLUSION

• And here’s the thing: Grace is- was- and always will be- a gift of God
• It will never be merited- it can never be earned- and it most certainly isn’t deserved
• It just is
• For reasons known only to Him
• God has chosen to love you in Christ Jesus
• I want you to read what the Bible says in Ephesians 2:1-9
• Thank God for His gift of grace! Let us pray