Sermon Nuggets Mon Jan 7 Handling
Decisions
Gen 46: So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached
Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.
2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I
am,” he replied.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.4 I will go
down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your
eyes.”
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their
children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 They also took with them their livestock and the
possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring
went to Egypt. 7 He took
with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and
granddaughters—all his offspring.
Handling Decisions.
In spite of
the title the sermon is not on Sunday morning collections. Although we have
been talking about Joseph and his situation these recent weeks, the emphasis in
this chapter is once again on Jacob, who is also called Israel. For the first
time in over 20 years there is a reunion with his beloved son Joseph, whom Dad
thought was killed. Now he is asked to leave the land promised by God to his
grandfather, Abraham and his father, Isaac. It is a hard call to make when you
are 130 years old. Change is hard for anyone, but especially the elderly who
have developed habits and rituals. Older people especially are attached to
their home and furnishings because it gives them a sense of security. Jacob had
to leave all that was familiar to him to go to a foreign land, live among those
with a different culture and language, and cope with an attitude that was
hostile to Hebrews.
There may be many reasons not to
leave your home. But the biggest reason for going would be to see his long lost
son, and perhaps equally important, the circumstances of the famine. There was
no food in the land. If they didn’t go to Egypt they would starve to death.
Joseph, as the second in command, offered to take care of his whole family and
be given land.
What goes
into a big decision like moving lock, stock and barrel? Perhaps you are facing
some decisions in your life. It is obvious that for those part of our lives you
know that we have been making lots of major decisions which will affect change
in our live in the future. We are winding down our ministry at Stanchfield
Baptist after 28 years. We are moving back to house we started out living in 38
years ago. We are building a “retirement” home in McGrath. We are downsizing
and leaving a lovely parsonage. We are on a stricter budget. Life changes.
With many families there are
children, grandchildren, college, job changes, housing concerns that affect us
for years to come. Those decisions by necessity involve change. That can be
scary. That can be exciting.
Now it
would be nice if the decisions of life were always clear. We wish we always knew
where God wanted us to turn and what God wanted us to do. But that is not
always the case. In fact, there are times in our lives when we aren't sure
which way to turn. There are times when we face a major decision and we seem to
be pulled in different directions.
When you make such decisions it
must be made more than desire and circumstances need to be considered.
Sometimes change is forced on us. I read in the local paper of a family who
will be homeless because the mobile home park they live in must go through
renovation to keep safety an issue. Now they don’t know where to go. People are
cleaning up after floods and tornadoes and fires almost always in the news and
force people to move.
An unexpected death, an illness, an
unexpected pregnancy all bring about major changes that cause us to make
decisions we which we didn't have to make.
There are other important decisions
people make than jobs and moves. Choosing a mate for life is perhaps the
biggest decision anyone can ever make next only to accepting Christ to be the
Lord of your life. Jacob illustrates change and important steps taken.
What changes are you facing? What decisions must you make in
the next week? Month? Year?
How important are they? What steps must be taken before you
reach a decision?
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Jan 8 Prayer
Gen 46:1-4 So Israel set out with all
that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered
sacrifices to the God of
his father Isaac
.2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at
night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.4 I will go
down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your
eyes.”
Making Decisions with Prayer
The one thing important in making
decisions is to ask the Lord. Make prayer a first step.
Jacob stops in Beersheba to
offering sacrifices to God and to ask His will. Beersheba is significant.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had all lived in Beersheba for a period of time. There
was an altar in Beersheba at which Abraham and Isaac had both worshipped. It is
thought that it was at Beersheba that Abraham was told by God to sacrifice
Isaac. And Beersheba was also considered a boundary line of Israel. The phrase
"from Dan to Beersheba" was used in later days to denote the
boundaries of Israel. So, while Jacob was in Beersheba he was still in the
promised land. When he left Beersheba he was facing the desert which led to
Egypt. And at this final checkpoint Jacob stops to talk things over with God.
Many years before, there had been a
famine in Canaan, and Abram had gone to Egypt to survive. This had proven to be
a very painful experience, one that seemed to be contrary to God’s word (Gen.
12:10ff.). Later there was yet another famine, and Isaac considered going to
Egypt, but God forbade him with these words: “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in
the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land and I will be with you
and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands,
and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham (Genesis
26:2-3).
So it is understandable that if
Abraham went and got into trouble. If Isaac were planning to go but instructed
not to, then wouldn't Egypt be out of the will of God. I believe that he
determined not to go one step further until his doubts were resolved.
Consequently, it was at Beersheba that Jacob offered sacrifices to the God of
his father.
By means of a vision God assured
Jacob that it was His will for him to depart from Canaan to dwell in Egypt.
Three assurances were revealed to confirm God’s approval of the move to Egypt.
First, the God of Isaac promised Jacob that He would go with him to Egypt and
in that pagan land would make of him a great nation. Many years before, God had
assured Jacob at Bethel that He would be with him as he journeyed north to
Haran. Now He would be with him as he traveled south to Egypt. Strangely, it
would be in Egypt, not Canaan, that his offspring would multiply into a great
nation
.
Secondly, God would bring Jacob
back to Canaan, the land of promise. I do not think that Jacob felt he would
bodily and personally return to Canaan so quickly for he knew his death must be
imminent.
Furthermore, God told Jacob that
Joseph would close his eyes, and it was unlikely that Joseph would be leaving
Egypt for some time, if ever. It was necessary for the nation of Israel to
return to the land of promise, for there all of God’s promises would be
fulfilled concerning the land:
The lesson is the most basic. If we
want to know what to do, pray. Ask God for direction and wisdom. Let's be
honest, now. When do you turn to God for guidance and help? Think about
it. Do you earnestly seek God when you
are at the end of your rope? You've exhausted everything you can think of,
you've gotten advice from other family and friends. Maybe you have read a book
on the subject or done research on the internet. Maybe you have made a decision
and felt that was the wrong decision.
Why don't we ask as the first step
and do those other things later?
Maybe we have a faulty view of
God. Maybe we believe He doesn't care,
or He can't help, or He won't help. Maybe we believe that God doesn't want to
be bothered with the decisions that weigh on my heart. Certainly we would never
profess these things, but wonder if that is really behind some thinking.
Maybe we have a faulty view of our
own ability. We think we can do it on my own. We believe that we can make our
own way. We think that we can avoid the Devil's traps and find the right way
without help. But surely we can't even say those words without realizing the
foolishness of them. We sometimes make decisions based on emotions. We are shortsighted
and tend to live for the moment.
I wonder if we really see the great
disparity between the philosophy of the world and the wisdom of God. At times
we figure that what God wants is for us to be "happy". So, we
conclude that we should do whatever will lead to that end. But that is the
world's approach. What God wants is for us to be holy. He wants to lead us to
faithfulness and to prepare us, not for a life of indulgence but a life of
faithfulness. God doesn't want to lead us to momentary happiness . . . He wants
to lead us to an abiding joy. He doesn't even want us to be too attached to
family of this world, but to Him only and primarily. That is where eternity
begins and ends.
The story is told of one new
minister was visiting an older parish members in his home. The older man was
bed ridden and there was an empty chair. The man explained that he had a very
difficult time with prayer, not knowing what to say or how to say it. A fried
told him, “It is like having a chair in your room and picturing Jesus sitting
in the chair. You talk to him like you would any friend in the room.”
“Since that time”, the old man explained,
“praying has been much easier and I see Jesus in the room with me and talk over
many things together.” That was a wonderful way to do it thought the minister.
One day he got the call from the
old man’s daughter saying that her father passed away. But there was something
unusual about this death. She found him dead with his head resting on this
empty chair.
Asking God for direction is part of the
practice for those who have faith. The Bible says this again and again.1
Chronicles 28:9 [David to Solomon] “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the
God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing
mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the
thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he
will reject you forever. Also see (Jeremiah 29:13 Matthew 7:7-8 ; Acts 17:26,
27; James 1:5; James 4:2,3.)
Do you see the common denominator
in these passages? God invites us, encourages us, and maybe even pleads with us
to ask Him for help. God wants to guide us, to lead us, to bless us. The best
thing you and I can do, is learn to ask BEFORE we act. Because if we wait, we
have a tendency to make up our mind and to then ask God to "approve"
what we have already decided to do. God won't give direction to a person who is
not really seeking direction.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Jan 9 Patience
Gen 46: 2 And
God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
3 “I am God, the God of your father,” he
said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into
a great nation there.4 I will go down to Egypt with
you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will
close your eyes.”
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and
Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives
in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him.
Making Decisions with Patience.
Second step is to have patience
waiting for an answer. Not only did Jacob check things out with God. God was
pleased to assure Jacob of His leading. God honors those who are concerned to
do His will. I wish that every time we were confused God would audibly speak to
us. I wish every time we were at a crossroads in our life we could hear God
say, "Don't be afraid I'm with you." He says that in His Word, but wouldn't it be neat to have a special message? But that is not our usual
experience.
More times than not I realize I
have not quieted myself down to listen. God does speak through the Word, but
also through the Holy Spirit and through other people. The problem is not that
God doesn't speak. It's that we don't listen, or learn to listen to the Spirit.
It isn't always so easy to listen when we haven’t quieted our hearts and minds
and really wanted to listen with the attitude that we will be open to
following. Sometimes that just takes patience. It takes time to reflect and
watch and wait.
Henry Blackaby in his best-selling
book, Experiencing God writes, “I think God is crying out and shouting to us,
"Don't just do something. Stand there! Enter into a love relationship with
Me. Get to know Me. Adjust your life to Me. Let Me love you and reveal Myself
to you as I work through you." A time will come when the doing will be
called for, but we cannot skip the relationship. The relationship with God must
come first.” (p. 30)
Have you ever had the experience of
walking when you see someone you know? As they approach they say, "How are
you?" but before you can begin an answer they are already down the street.
Now what do you conclude from this scenario? Of course, you conclude that even
though they asked they really didn't want to know. It’s called “language of
politeness”
And we pray like this. We use great
sounding words: "O God, please show us the way you want us to go." Or
"Lead us according to your will" . . . but then we rush on without
ever stopping to hear what God is saying. Does it surprise you that you don't
get any direction in those situations? Sure, you asked but our prayers are more
like “language of spiritual politeness.
I’ve prayed about some things in my
life and in the life of the church that haven’t been answered yet. At least to
the way I wanted it answered. So what do I do? I've prayed. I have read Scripture. I have asked others to pray. So I
wait on the Lord. I keep doing what I know He calls me to do and keep waiting
in His time. And in his time there is a change of circumstances, a word of a
friend, a verse, or the quiet and sometimes not so quiet experience of the Holy
Spirit that shows His will. And if not, and the time comes for a decision, then
I just do what I want and what I think best. God has honored that.
Waiting for clarity comes sometimes
and not at other times. But patience allows God also to move in the
circumstances and I find comfort that is as much in the hands of God than
special signs or meaningful verse. I have had a quiet assurance on a decision
that was changed because of circumstances. I don’t see that as getting the
message wrong. I see that as a faith walk with a God that will lead in
different ways and often is more concerned about changing me than my direction.
Prayer and patience are two important aspect in making decisions.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Jan 10 Moving
Gen 46: 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and
Israel’s sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives
in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him.
Decide to Move
I think we can then go forward in
confidence of being in God’s will and believing He will prepare the way. God
changed his tactic with Israel. They were to go to the promised land. It was
revealed. But now was the time to leave it for a temporary time, They would
return some 400 years later, but for now this is right and in the will of the
Father.
So Jacob left Beersheba, and his
sons brought him to Egypt. Jacob faced an uncertain decision. Instead of
forging ahead (like he had done in the past) He stopped and sought God's
guidance. Then he listened for God's answer. When he heard the answer he obeyed
and moved forward obediently and with confidence. That's the sequence. It's not
complicated.
We must ask, listen and move.
And if we do that, God will lead us, protect us, and give us the strength to
face the future. God's counsel is flawless. His plan is perfect. His ways are
straight. But, if it so simple, why is it so difficult? I'm sorry to say, that
it comes down to a simple fact: we love the world and it's pleasures more than
we love the Savior of the world. We choose things over Him. We choose the world's
applause over His "Well Done". We choose the present over the
eternal.
How do we change this course that
leads to heartache? We must begin by learning to love the Lord more. I was
talking to a pastor this past week who was challenging his deacons to share
something they have been learning from God in the Word lately. No one could say
anything, so he told them he would ask at the next deacon meeting, so they
might be prepared, Nothing. The next month nothing. He was finally concluding
his church leaders were not reading the Bible and having no personal walk with
the Lord. They were not praying and growing. How said.
How is it with you? Read to get
better acquainted with the Lord. Look at how He dealt with His people. Ponder
the coming of Christ, the things He taught, the way He lived, His death and the
reasons for His death. Allow yourself to dwell on the resurrection. Get to know
God! See His love, His wisdom, His power, and you will find it easier to trust
Him.
I was reading a sermon by Bruce
Goettche from Indiana who had some good insights on seeking directions from
God. He suggested that we spend a month praying a simply prayer: Search me O
God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is
any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm
139:23,24) And after you have done this listen. And then deal with the things
that God brings to your attention. Use your time of prayer to build a
relationship with God.
We must learn the habit of moving
on what needs to be done. It often is a step of obedience. By this I mean that
we need to learn to obey God in little things. For example, God tells us to
"put others above ourselves" so deliberately let someone go in front
of you in the checkout line. Give someone else the bigger piece of pie. Let
someone else hold the remote control for the television. Begin to obey in
little things. Don't expect to be able to obey God in the big things if you
haven't learned to obey in the little things.
Jacob obeyed and took all his
family with him and they are recorded for us in the bulk of this chapter by
name. Now there is another list that is not identical to this one. Moses here
intended not to name every person who went into Egypt, but every leader of
family or clan who would come forth from Egypt. It was vitally important for
those who came forth from Egypt to know their “roots” since the land would be
divided according to tribes. In addition to this, tasks were assigned and the
nation was administrated by tribal and family divisions. The purpose of Moses
in this genealogy, therefore, is selective. It does not intend to name every
one. but to name those who will become tribe and family heads.
When you ask, and you wait, when
you hear then move on it wholeheartedly.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Jan 11 Trust
Gen 46:7ff
Decide to Trust
The last
step in making a decision illustrated in the life of Jacob, even in his old age
is to trust that God will lead, provide, and will work through the circumstances
in his own way.
Max Lucado
writes, “Don't go to God with options and expect him to choose one of your
preferences. Go to Him with empty hands--no hidden agendas, no crossed fingers,
nothing behind your back. Go to him with a willingness to do whatever he says.
If you surrender your will, then he will "equip you with everything good
for doing his will." (Hebrews 13:21) It's a promise. [On the Anvil p. 96]
Years of fears, regrets, and
bitterness must have flowed from the soul of the patriarch as the tears flooded
from his eyes. Much that could have been said of this reunion was not recorded,
for it was an intimacy not to be invaded by curious eyes. Jacob, satisfied at
the sight of his son, was now ready to die in peace, but God still had 17 years
of blessing in store for him (47:28).
Pharaoh had already promised
Joseph’s family the best of Egypt, but Joseph was careful to see to it that
this became reality. His family was sent to Goshen even before he greeted them
or they were presented before Pharaoh. When Joseph reported the arrival of his
family, he knew that Pharaoh would want an interview with them. They were told
to stress the fact that they were shepherds and that this was their sole
occupation, as it had been for generations. This would assure that they would
be given the land of Goshen, not only because it would provide pasture for
their flocks, but because it would keep the Hebrews somewhat removed from the
Egyptians, who despised shepherds
Notice the great reunion with his
son. We see love and expression of love. But there is a problem. Joseph also
instructs his father and the brothers to be careful how they present themselves
to king Pharaoh because they have a prejudice against sheep herders and that is
what they were. Joseph wanted to soften the
blow as a family honor for generations to take care of the livestock, not just
sheep.
So many
think it is better to do God’s work man’s way and lie about it than to just
trust the Lord. The ends do not justify the means, the means must be consistent
with the ends as well. Jacob was a deceiver in the past. God used that, but
there were problems years later. Abraham and Sarah found trusting hard and
committed sin with Hagar. David covered sin up rather than face it with
freedom. His family was a mess.
Jacob was not always this wise. Jacob
made mistakes and they were costly. But he grew from those mistakes. He learned
to turn to God and trust His guidance and you and I can too.
Many of you
might remember the Moonies, the cult that followed the false grip of Rev. Sung
Moon. They sold flowers on street corners all over America to raise money for
their religion. When asked if they were Moonies or followers or Rev. Moon there
were instructed to say no, because many would not give to them then. They were
told to lie. How did they justify lying?
Simply, “Satan is a liar and we are going to beat him at his own game.”
So many
people can twist and rationalize their ways to do what they want and call it of
God. I have done that. When someone has a program they believe in, or want to
be like others it is easy not to trust and instead manipulate.
We can’t
find enough people to serve in some areas of our church. We have asked anyone
who breathes and moves. But that’s not Gods’ way. We haven’t waited because we
are in a hurry. It is tempted to twist arms and manipulate people with guilt to
try to take the job instead of trusting God. There is a need that is not being
filled. If good people won’t trust God, then those who have different motives
will. We keep asking, but likewise we must trust the Lord and not our own ways
of doing things.
Which
disciple was in charge of the youth program? Which apostle was the apostle of
children’s church? What would happen if we announced we are not going to have
Sunday School because we couldn’t find a Sunday School Superintendent What if
we can’t find deacons and deaconess positions filled? Do we trust men or God?
Are we being obedient or disobedient? Do we want to do Gods work men’s way, or men’s
work God’s way? Maybe we are trying to put new wine in old wineskins. If you
are willing to be obedience trust God to give you what you need.
I think the
hardest thing I would have to ever face is losing a spouse. Yet many here have
lost their spouses and found God to be faithful. I would think it would be
devastating to lose a son or daughter. There are people here today who have
lost sons and daughters and found that in the hurt and sorrow God is faithful
friend. I would think that the loss of job or friend would be a hard bitter
pill to take. But there are believers in Jesus Christ here today who have lost
houses, possessions, jobs, friends, and family, but like Job have said “blessed
is the name of the Lord.”
Trust is the commitment and rest in God that will not quit
when life doesn't make sense and when the asking has been so long and so loud
that you don’t think God even loves anymore, but underneath it all, maybe in
ways very different that we can image, the sweet presence of the love that
extends because circumstances moves our souls to know, not guess, but know that
underneath are the every loving arms or a wonderful Lord and he has been
carrying you all along.
Please note that God can even take
our foolish choices and use them to accomplish His purposes. God used even the
bitterness and hatred of Joseph's brothers to accomplish His purposes. God will
accomplish what He has set out to do. You and I will not "mess up"
God's plan. God is able to bring good even from foolish people. But foolish
people don't enjoy the journey. Foolish people are generally miserable.
So, maybe you have made foolish
choices. Maybe things are really messed up in your life and it's your fault.
You can continue to wallow in self-pity, you can continue to put your trust in
schemes and resign yourself to worldly wisdom, or you can trust God to lead you
out of the muck and into the life He wants for you. He did it for Jacob. He'll
do it for you. Learn from an older Jacob who when presented with a choice he didn't feel he could do prayed about it, shown patience to listen to God, move
when it was time, and trusted him with the unknown. That is what I hope to do.
Pastor Dale
