May 28 2017 Getting Ahead 6 - Acknowledging Who We Are Before God

Marianne: It always amazes me how God uses ordinary people… I don’t always get it right – but here is my story –

A while ago, my son’s mother-in-law asked – Marianne, why don’t you drink – and unthinkingly, I just replied – I used to drink and do drugs, but eventually I just grew up! There was no backpedaling. Oops. At another family gathering – someone asked – about it again – and when I quit smoking – I also needed to stop drinking. So, Marianne – what made your church’s Good Friday service the best you had ever been to in a while? I had posted this on Facebook – and I tried to explain – we had a song, and scripture, and another song – and some scripture – so it was good – because it didn’t take too long? That is not where I was going either. So I went into more detail – how we shared a meal together – and took communion at the tables and how intimate that was and the rest of the evening and the movie – and how I felt closer to God – and I realized that everyone else in the room had stopped talking and were now listening to me. I had spoken from my heart and no one felt that I was judging them. I want to always be ready to share when God gives me opportunities to share about him. One of our small group members talked about always being prepared – and I spoke from my heart – and no one said – that’s good for you – but not for me – but as a result, they learned a little about me and a lot about God.

God, this memorial weekend, we want to thank you for those who have served and for those have made the ultimate sacrifice that we might enjoy the freedoms in this country – we have been blessed in many ways – and we know without You we are nobody – so help us to come humbly before You, always. You are the one who seeks our hearts – and who seeks us to be the ones You want us to be. As Christians, help us to learn to be great representatives of Yours – that others can see the Light of Christ bursting forth into a dark world. You said we are the light of the world, so help us, Lord, to know how to be that light where it is so needed.

We have been looking at Jacob’s life – with sibling rivalry and favoritism – and it resulted in 12 children from 4 different women – and it created all kinds of problems. That family had significant issues and it ran through that story. When there are family issues that are not addressed, things are going to happen. We talked about that last week.

Genesis 30:25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph,

(Remember Rachel had been barren – and she was finally able to have a child)

Jacob said to Laban, "Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I've done for you." 27 But Laban said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you." 28 He added, "Name your wages, and I will pay them."

When we look at these verses – it is a little odd in our culture – Jacob is asking his father in law to give him his wives and his children. But this goes again – it is one of those things – another situation where the ways of the world – where their culture – God is in opposition to the ways of the world. This is a form of ancient patriarchy – and God is opposed to this – He is against this. Because Jacob has come under his father-in-law – his father-in-law has ownership of everything.

Laban is not a dummy. He realizes that Jacob has been working for Laban for 20 years or so – and Laban has become wealthy. He wants to keep him around! You don’t want to lose the guy who is winning the sales thing every month. Divination – gaining unseen knowledge through spiritual means and not through God. This is later condemned and prohibited.

Then he says – name your wages and I will pay them.

Originally – Jacob asked for his daughter, Rachel, as payment. Laban is the type of person who believes that money is the answer to everything – and he uses money and wealth to control people. And some use it to get to very high positions. (Heh, heh!). I didn’t mean anything specific by that! A long time ago, I was in the OLD Natatorium – and I was leaving – and it was election day – and people were talking about it – and someone said – how did you vote – but no one was saying names – one said – I’m better off four years ago than I am today – so that is how I voted! And I asked – is that the only criteria you use to vote? Aren’t’ there more important things than money and how well off we are? Hmmm….

29 Jacob said to him, "You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. 30 The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I have been.

This may be the first time we get this out of Jacob – a long journey of faith – and he is saying – the Lord has blessed you. Maybe there is something about the Lord in all of this, Jacob is beginning to see.

But now, when may I do something for my own household?" 31 "What shall I give you?" he asked. "Don't give me anything," Jacob replied. "But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them:

Laban wants to make another deal. Fool me once…. Jacob has been fooled about ten times – so he refuses to be fooled again.

So he comes up with a plan – I will take all the sheeps and goats that are speckled, spotted, or striped – and you can have the ones that are one color – and nothing can be hidden/changed/or done about it!

And at the end – Jacob superstitiously put down spotted rods and so forth – but at the end of it all – all the offspring are either speckled or spotted!

Gen. 31: 1 Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father."

Jacob’s plan worked! (But no, it didn’t – rather, God acted on his behalf) and this caused tremendous trouble for Jacob.

2 And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been. 3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." 4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were.

So God is done with all this – Jacob – Just leave! You don’t need permission – just go!

And He does a similar call that He did for Abraham

Gen. 31: 5 He said to them, "I see that your father's attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I've worked for your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said, 'The speckled ones will be your wages,' then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, 'The streaked ones will be your wages,' then all the flocks bore streaked young.

9 So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me. 10 "In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.' 12 And he said, 'Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

God is bringing about justice – setting things right.

13 I am the God of Bethel,

(20 years have passed since the vision of God and the ladder – and God brings him back to the starting point of his faith journey. God wants to bring us back – sometimes it is time to go back where God began with you. We all have these points in our lives – maybe it was a conference or an event – or a church service – or a conversation that just stirred things. We need to ask – what was it about and who was I then and why did I make that decision –and what is going on now? Is it possible that now doesn’t look like then and why not?)

where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.' " 14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, "Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father's estate? 15 Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. 16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you."

First we see – even Laban’s daughters have no trust in him. None at all. Because of his deceptive way of living – that we can destroy our family relationships. The dowry – when a man would marry a woman – would need to pay the family – and Jacob paid 7 years of work for one and 7 for the other. That money was paid – and saved – so if the husband left – the father could take care of his daughter. But Laban had lost it all. Jacob had been doing his thing for 40 years – and he finally does things God’s way.

Jacob left – Laban caught up – and they come to an agreement. Jacob is now free from Laban. Completely.

Gen. 32: Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is the camp of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim.

Here we are again –Jacob made this decision – and God comes to him.

3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants

Jacob is free from Laban – but now he must face Esau. Remember, when he last saw Esau – he had stolen Esau’s birthright and Esau had vowed to kill him.

Jacob’s real challenge will – he will be forced to face himself! Back to Star Wars again – in the Empire Strikes Back – Luke is in the swamp with Yoda – what is in the dark place? You don’t want to go there – you are not ready – Ready you are not – and he faces Darth and chops his head off and it is himself…

He is going to see Esau – And sends a delegation…

Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.' “

There is a different tone here – it is more of an appeal. Progress is being made in Jacob’s life. He is right where God wants him.

6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."

Esau has become powerful – and he has an army!

7 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape."

Jacob is basically cutting his losses – and hedging his bets. The deceitful one is now the desperate one. And in his desperation – he is doing something he had never done:

Most of the time – it takes desperation to get us to pray! Until the hard stuff and difficulty comes in.

9 Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, LORD, you who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,'

Jacob is like – God, this is your idea! Just sayin’! It wasn’t my plan! This is YOUR fault!

10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.

We see a radical attitude change – God has broken Jacob down and the result is humility. We all need humility and the only way to do it is to be broken down. Daniel says that God is able to break us all down to humility. We desperately need Him just to make it.

11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.

It starts out – save ME! (And also – the mothers and the children).

12 But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.' "

It is almost like Jacob is saying – You said this, you said that – and that is not going to happen unless you intervene! It seems he is bargaining with God – but I think it is an honest thing – and I think God likes this one – gut honesty! He wants us to pull off all the masks – and just as raw and honest as we can be.

Jacob sends all these gifts…then

24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.

I think we avoid being alone. I won’t spend time on the wrestling match – some compare it to prayer – others to the conflict within – but it is an illustration of Jacob’s life – a window – a scene that defines him – and it is a defining moment for him.

25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

So there is this picture of a guy with a broken hip begging for a blessing.

27 The man asked him, "What is your name?"

This is the place God brings this story – remember when Isaac asked – Who are you? What is your name – and Jacob replied – I am Esau! Now, what is your name?

"Jacob," he answered.

Jacob – schemer – manipulator – and there is an enormous turning point and Jacob will be different from this time forward.

28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with human beings and have overcome."

This is a huge turning point – to turn and acknowledge our true selves in the presence of God. It is your choice when you do this – but it is going to happen.

A couple practical things – Where are you on your faith journey? Some Christians have asked Jesus into their hearts and are saved – but they never enter the journey – they have done the minimum requirements to get into heaven – to them, to be a Christian is the activities you do or the religion you identify with. Christian is Christ-one – little Christ – we are always becoming a Christ-one – it does not happen just once but continually – yes, it happens when you come to Christ – but it has to continue.

Some come to a stop in the transformation. Paul said – with unveiled face – we are being transformed from glory to glory! It should be more than it was last year! If you are at the beginning or near the end, it doesn’t matter as long as you are moving forward.

For some – it is as if the best is behind them – like coming home from vacation and only having the pictures

We need to allow God to meet us like He met Jacob. That is our choice. God will meet us when we position ourselves so that God can confront us – to stop us on the road.

Then we must acknowledge who we really are – allow God to let us face that reality without fear. He wants us to be transformed into whom we are to become – and He knows we can’t do that unless we face who we are. Then we begin the process – we jump into that – we start the journey – we get the car going again. Let’s pray

29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."