1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdik. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast and I wanted to 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: to see God has moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: Welcome to all of our locations, and we trust that 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: God's presence will be powerful wherever you are. And I 8 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: really mean that, and that's kind of what my sermon's 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: about today as well. So listen to this. In Genesis 10 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: chapter thirty four, verse thirty then Jacob said to Simeon 11 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: and LEVI, you have brought trouble on me by making 12 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Parisites, the people living 13 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: in this land. We are few in number, and if 14 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: they join forces against me and attack me, I and 15 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: my household will be destroyed. Now go to Genesis thirty five, 16 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: verse eleven, and God said to him, I am God Almighty, 17 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: community of nations will come from you, and kings will 19 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: be among your descendants. The n IV eighty four says 20 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: kings will come from your body. So I want to 21 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,759 Speaker 1: preach for a moment, and God told me to tell 22 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: you this. It's always been in you. It's always been 23 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: in you. God, what you showed me was so amazing, 24 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: and I asked for your help now that I could 25 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: share it with them, these people that you love, this 26 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: church that you're building. I pray, Lord, not that I 27 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: might just preach good, but that they would hear good. 28 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: Don't just annoint me to preach, anoint them to listen 29 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: with their heart. You have our attention, and we are 30 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: excited to see what the outcome will be. For the 31 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: grass withers and the flower fades, but your word, Lord 32 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: stands forever, and we thank you that the ingrafted word 33 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: is able to save our souls. And as the rainfalls 34 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: from the heaven and waters the earth and causes it 35 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: to butd and flourish, so shall your word be that 36 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: proceeds from your mouth, It will not return to you void. 37 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: This time will not be wasted. It will accomplish the 38 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: purpose for which you scent it. And we agree together 39 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: in Jesus' name, everybody say amen, Amen, may be seated. 40 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: I'd like to show you something before we get into 41 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: all this deep theological stuff from my oldest son's YouTube channel. Now. 42 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: One reason I'm doing this, it just makes me the 43 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: coolest dat in the world to be able to give 44 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: my son a YouTube shout out for thousands of people. 45 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna take advantage of that. But he has 46 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: this YouTube channel, do the dash. He's a beat maker, 47 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: a producer. He's good. He's good. One of my friends, 48 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: who is a producer, said, you need to know his 49 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: beats actually slap because I grew up on rock music, 50 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: and I said they do. He said, they actually do. 51 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: And I was proud of him because recently he decided 52 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: he didn't just want to make beats, but he wanted 53 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: to do some tutorials. I thought that's cool, and you 54 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: kind of wonder will he do it or not, and 55 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: he's been doing it. I'm so proud of you. Man, 56 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: he's got He's done two tutorials now and I'm proud 57 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: of me. Check it out. I'll show you just a 58 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: little snippet of one of his tutorials. Copy that over 59 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: command be to do that. I'm gonna aut an open 60 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: eye real quick to give it a little bit more 61 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: bounce pan. It fixed the panting a little bit. I'm 62 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: gonna pull up the classic z A eight O eight 63 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: for my kid. All right, so I'm gonna reverse the polarity, 64 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: turn the EQ up, and then turn the out knob 65 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: up a little bit. Amazing. Let's do the dash on YouTube. 66 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: I have no idea what any of that that he 67 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: said meant. And I'm a musical guy, but different generation. 68 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: We did find something the other day. We had the 69 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: best time for this YouTube channel that we didn't know existed. 70 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: We're Holly ten years ago. I used to post videos 71 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,040 Speaker 1: of the kids, and I don't know why we thought 72 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: that was a good idea for her to post some 73 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: of these because some of them are really just kind 74 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: of private. I mean not, it's just stuff that I'm like. 75 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: We posted this publicly, but we had the best time 76 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: watching it with the kids, just to show them stuff. 77 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: And here's here's one that we found. I want to 78 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: show you this from ten years ago. But job, I 79 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,159 Speaker 1: went back to beat for a measure. I know you 80 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: figure and I went back into the beat for another measure. 81 00:05:55,200 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: He was making tutorials. It's always been in you. It 82 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 1: was with you on that trash drum set, just like 83 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 1: it's with you on these trap beats. And the same kid. 84 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: That's the same kid that's wailing on this symbol and 85 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: now he's reverse polarizing a high hat or whatever the 86 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 1: crap he said about the eight oh eights. I don't know. 87 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: It's always been in you. And I joke a lot 88 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: about having kids, you know, and it's so hard, and 89 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,679 Speaker 1: I'm trying not to kill them, and if when they're 90 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: old they will not depart from it. But if that 91 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:49,640 Speaker 1: only happens if I don't kill him first Lord, you know, 92 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: I joke. I love it. It's my main job. I'm 93 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: a better I'm a way better dad than I am 94 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:55,839 Speaker 1: a pastor. I promise you that's my number one job. 95 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: But I showed you that because what often happens that 96 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: I think is one of my primary responsibilities as a 97 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: parent is to make sure that what's in him that 98 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: God put there gets out and that nobody puts anything 99 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: on him that causes him to forget or diminish what 100 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: God put in him. The rhythm has always been in you, 101 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: and what you do with it is up to you. 102 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: What you do with it is up to you. Getting 103 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:48,960 Speaker 1: to watch Jacob grow up, the Bible character Jacob, you 104 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: get to see this is a rare thing, the sonogram 105 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: of the patriarch through which the whole nation of Israel came. 106 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 1: And I think that's a real gift that we get 107 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: to see that Jacob was even wrestling in his mother's womb. 108 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: And then we get to see him at age seventy 109 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 1: seven running from his brother Esau, who he had been 110 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: in competition with his whole life. We get to see 111 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: him reconcile with Esau at age ninety seven after twenty 112 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: years of hiding with his uncle Laybin, having a family. 113 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: It's a lot that we get to see. And he 114 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 1: has finally made it to Canaan. Let's clap for Jacob that, 115 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: after all he went through, he finally made it to Canaan. Oh, 116 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: come on, you clap better for somebody who lost five pounds. 117 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: He made it to Canaan. He made it to Canaan. 118 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: He made it to the Promised Land, that's what Canaan 119 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: has called. He made it all the way to Canaan, 120 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 1: which is really remarkable because of the fact that along 121 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: the way to Canaan, where God was bringing him back to, 122 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: he had to deal with so many I mean, Jacob 123 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: talk about pressure. Jacob is the grandson of Abraham, not 124 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: like the son of a pastor, the son of the 125 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: progenitor of the faith of multiple religions. Make something of 126 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: your self, kid. And from the time that he comes 127 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: out of the womb, named Jacob, because Jacob means to 128 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: grasp or to supplant, and he's trying to make sure 129 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: that he gets out ahead of his hairy brother Esau, 130 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: his red brother Esau, this beat red beast of a man, Esau, 131 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: who is trained in the ways of warfare, but he 132 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: can't quite do it, so he comes out second, but 133 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: he tricks his way into being first. And I was 134 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: watching Tim last night. He's preaching a remix of some 135 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: sermons I did about Jacob back in twenty thirteen. Is 136 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: so fun watching you preach him. I love it because 137 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: he's going to through all the stuff right. How Jacob 138 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:06,079 Speaker 1: got Esau to give him is his birthright for a 139 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: bowl of stew. There are no beans in the world 140 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 1: that delicious. There's no beans in the world, but you'd 141 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: be surprised what you'll trade when you're tired. And Esau, famished, 142 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: came in from the field one day and as we 143 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: like to say in preaching terms, he gave up what 144 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: he wanted most for what he wanted. Now. The only 145 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: problem with Jacob's plan was that Esau was good with weapons, 146 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:40,199 Speaker 1: and Jacob was good with an apron. The Bible says 147 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 1: that he was a good cook, but Esau was a killer. 148 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: So let's do a paper rock, scissors, sword beat spatula 149 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: every time. And and Jacob's mother said to him, you've 150 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: got to get up and go to Padana Ram and 151 00:10:57,280 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: stay with my uncle. When Esau finds out what you'd 152 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: he's gonna kill you. Now, this is not the bowl 153 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 1: of beans. This this is the blessing that Jacob stole. 154 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: Because Jacob went into his father Isaac dressed up pretending 155 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:14,400 Speaker 1: to be Esau, and he got a blessing from his father. 156 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: And when he got the blessing from his father pretending 157 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,679 Speaker 1: to be Esau, it was the kind of blessing that 158 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:27,559 Speaker 1: can come from people. But it leads something internal unsettled 159 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: and had sent him in the direction of running. For 160 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: twenty years of his life. While he was with his 161 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: uncle Laban, some interesting things happen. He tried to marry 162 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:48,520 Speaker 1: a girl named Rachel, but Laban did a I guess 163 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: you would call it a switcher root and put Leah. 164 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: Now Leah is the sister of Rachel. She's the older one, 165 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: and she's the one with the good personality, as we 166 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 1: say in the sequels, and Rachel is beautiful and he marries. 167 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: I'm not going to preach on this because I've already 168 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: preached on this before, but I'm just trying to give 169 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:10,960 Speaker 1: you some background of all that Jacob has been through 170 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: to get to this point, because he worked seven years 171 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: to have Rachel in marriage, ended up with Leah on 172 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: his wedding night, and then had to work seven more 173 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: years for Rachel and he did it. And then he 174 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: stayed six more years, So that's twenty years at his 175 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: uncle's house. And now God has called him back to 176 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: the land of Canaan, and against all odds, he made it. 177 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: He made it. Not only did he make it to Canaan, 178 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: but check this out, he has reconciled with his brother Esau. 179 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: In Genesis thirty two, Jacob realizes that before he can 180 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 1: go back to Canaan and really settle, he has to reconcile, 181 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: or in his mind, he has to pacified his brother Esau. 182 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: But it's the craziest thing because when he finally meets 183 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: up with Esau. Esau isn't even mad about it anymore. 184 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: Esau's like, come on, bring it in, let's hug it out. Jacob, 185 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: it's good to see you. Look how blessed I am. 186 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:22,599 Speaker 1: Look how blessed you are. Because the real struggle of 187 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:29,719 Speaker 1: Jacob's life was never with his brother. Now let's put 188 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 1: everything in context. He escaped from Laban, who was chasing 189 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: him because Laban was upset about Jacob outwitting him. He's 190 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: reconciled with Esau, and now he's finally made it to Canaan. 191 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,320 Speaker 1: And he arrives at this place called shake him. Everybody says, 192 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,000 Speaker 1: sheck them. And when he gets there, he takes one 193 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: hundred pieces of silver and pays for a plot of 194 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 1: ground and puts up a tent so he can stay 195 00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: in Schhem. And no sooner can he make it to Canaan. 196 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: Then a tragedy strikes in his own family when day 197 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: his daughter Dinah, the one that he had with Leah, 198 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:16,199 Speaker 1: goes out exploring in the town of Shechem, and one 199 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 1: of the men of the town, it was actually the 200 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: son of the leader. His name was Haymoor. This young 201 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: man's name was Shechem. He took her and raped her. 202 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: And when the news of this reaches Jacob, he doesn't 203 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: know what to do because he's in a strange place. 204 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: He's in a strange place, and I feel for him 205 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: in this moment because he's had to run from so 206 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: much to get here, and the Bible says he makes 207 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 1: it safely to Canaan, the place of the promise, only 208 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: to be struck by what I call a promised land problem. 209 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: The reason I call it that is because when he 210 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 1: arrives in Canaan, where God had ask him, something so 211 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: terrible happens within his own family. And this is where 212 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: I want to break away from the narrative and preach 213 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: to somebody, because often you get to a place, a 214 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: place that you imagined in your mind. Maybe it's an age, 215 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: a stage of life, a certain type of success, a 216 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: certain accomplishment, a certain achievement, something that you got to 217 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: that you worked really hard for. And no sooner can 218 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 1: you pay for it with a hundred pieces of silver 219 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: and put your tent up, than disaster strikes your very 220 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: own family and threatens to destroy what means the most 221 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: to you. Now, when Jacob's sons heard about it, particularly 222 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: his sons, Reuben and Levi, or Simeon and Levi. They 223 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: both decided to take matters into their own hands. Because 224 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: their sister had been defiled and because they were greatly outnumbered, 225 00:15:57,080 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: they decided that the only way for them to defeat 226 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: their enemy was to make their enemy vulnerable. So they 227 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: used something that was a part of their own covenant 228 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: with God called circumcision against their enemy. And they told 229 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: the men of the city, Okay, look, you can keep 230 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: Dinah and we'll settle with you, and we'll intermarry with you. 231 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: They were lying, and we'll share with you all the 232 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: sheep and all the flocks and all the herds, and 233 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: you can marry our women. But first you got to 234 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: do the thing that our people do to signify our 235 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: covenant with God, and be circumcised. And they did it 236 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: all the men of the city. I mean, Shechem must 237 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: have been very convincing because he got all the males 238 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: in the town to go through this procedure. Come on, y'all, 239 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: y'all wouldn't even join the church if I made you 240 00:16:54,400 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: take a class. They got circumcised, and on the third day, 241 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:05,880 Speaker 1: during their recovery, Simeon and Levi snuck in and killed 242 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,440 Speaker 1: all the males of the city. And so now Jacob 243 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:16,919 Speaker 1: is in Canaan, but he's still in danger. It's a 244 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 1: tricky thing because he's where God was leading him all along, 245 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 1: but he's not safe anymore. Or maybe we would say 246 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: this for our context. He's an adult, but he doesn't 247 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:37,360 Speaker 1: feel very adultish. He's a leader, but he doesn't feel 248 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: very certain of his own direction. He's in the place 249 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: where God had promised not only him, but his father 250 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 1: and his father's father, and he's in great danger. So 251 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 1: then he says something to his sons. I want to 252 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: read it to you again, now that you know the 253 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:54,120 Speaker 1: context what he said. Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, 254 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:59,640 Speaker 1: verse thirty, you have brought trouble on me. On top 255 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: of all of the pressure that Jacob has to be 256 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: the father of the tribes of Israel, to be the 257 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:09,439 Speaker 1: one through which God would continue the seed of his 258 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: promise to bless the entire earth, on top of all 259 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:17,359 Speaker 1: of that, now he is dealing with the consequences of 260 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 1: somebody else's decision. He's got a lot on him. In fact, 261 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:30,199 Speaker 1: he says, you have put all this trouble on me. 262 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 1: Have you ever had somebody download their drama on you. 263 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,199 Speaker 1: And this is tricky because did his sons do the 264 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,120 Speaker 1: right thing? Did his sons do the wrong thing? Were 265 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 1: they right to fight back? Or were they dumb to 266 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: attack somebody they didn't have to strength to defend against. 267 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: And Jacob doesn't know. And he's in Canaan, but he's 268 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: not safe. And he's in the place God promised him, 269 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 1: but he's now in the greatest danger of his life, 270 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 1: and he doesn't know what to do, and he's got 271 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: a lot on him. Not only is it the fear 272 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: of the Canaanites that they might hear about him and 273 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 1: attack him, but it is the decision of what to 274 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:09,920 Speaker 1: do next. And I want you to see what God 275 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: told him to do in Genesis thirty five to one. 276 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: And I really want to start preaching my sermon now 277 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: because this is what God said to do. Then God 278 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 1: said to Jacob, go up to Bethel and settle there 279 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: and build an altar there to God who appeared to 280 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 1: you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau. So 281 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 1: Jacob said to his household and to all who were 282 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: with him, get rid of the foreign gods you have 283 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, 284 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:45,719 Speaker 1: let us go to Bethel, where I will build an 285 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:50,199 Speaker 1: altar to God, who answered me in the day of 286 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 1: my distress, and who has been with me wherever I 287 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 1: have gone. So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods 288 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob 289 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,920 Speaker 1: buried them under the oak at Shechem. And they set out, 290 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:06,959 Speaker 1: and the terror of God fell on the towns all 291 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: around them, so that no one pursued them. Jacob and 292 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:14,360 Speaker 1: all the people with him came to us, that is Bethel, 293 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: in the land of Canaan, and there he built an altar, 294 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:23,439 Speaker 1: and he called the place El Bethel. This means the 295 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,680 Speaker 1: house of God, because it was there that God revealed 296 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: himself when he was fleeing from his brother. Now Deborah, 297 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: Rebecca's nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel, 298 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,879 Speaker 1: so it was named Alan Bakouth. And after Jacob returned 299 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,280 Speaker 1: from Padanna Ram God appeared to him again and blessed him. 300 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: God said to him, your name's Jacob, but you will 301 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: no longer be called Jacob. Your name will be Israel. 302 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:56,000 Speaker 1: So he named him Israel. God said to him, I 303 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: am God Almighty, be fruitful and increase in number. A 304 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: nation and a community of nations will come from you, 305 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 1: and kings will come from your body. What confused me 306 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 1: about this passage was that Jacob has been to Bethel before. 307 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: The First time he went to Bethel, he was running 308 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: from his brother. This time he's going back to Bethel 309 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: at the instruction of God. So it's different this time. 310 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 1: It's different this time. You know, we encourage you as 311 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,400 Speaker 1: a pastor, when you're in an uncertain situation, go back 312 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: and revisit all the things that God already did for 313 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 1: you in previous seasons of your life. Maybe God brings 314 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 1: you back to Bethel sometimes just to remind you of 315 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 1: when you killed it when you're struggling, and maybe God 316 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 1: brings you back to Bethel sometimes to remind you of 317 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: things that you accomplished that really defy your educational background 318 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: or your pedigree, or anything that you were taught or 319 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: trained to do. Maybe God brings you back to Bethel 320 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:19,440 Speaker 1: sometimes to remember all the ways that you even surprised yourself. Wow, 321 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:24,679 Speaker 1: I didn't even know that I could do that. But 322 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: see the more I meditated on it, I realized that 323 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: that wasn't really what Bethel meant to Jacob because the 324 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,920 Speaker 1: first time he went to Bethel, he was scared to death. 325 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 1: So now Jacob is in a place in his life 326 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,719 Speaker 1: where he's never been more uncertain, and God leads him 327 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:47,440 Speaker 1: back to a place where he had never been more uncertain. 328 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: And when he is in need of the greatest faith, 329 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:55,879 Speaker 1: God takes him back to the place of his greatest fear. 330 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: The first time that Jacob went to Bethel, he had 331 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 1: no idea what would happen next. His brother wants to 332 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 1: kill him. His uncle is someone that he has never 333 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: been exposed to. He's only heard about. Jacob is seventy 334 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 1: seven years old the first time that he goes to 335 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 1: Padonna Rahm and stops through a place called Bethel. Bethel 336 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: was not a place where Jacob shouted and danced. Jacob 337 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,719 Speaker 1: was not in Bethel feeling goosebumps. Jacob was not in 338 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: Bethel singing praise songs. Jacob was in Bethel wondering will 339 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: I make it? And so now God says, in the 340 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: season of your life, and I'm appreaciing to somebody where 341 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:45,640 Speaker 1: you have no idea how you have enough to defend 342 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: yourself from the attack. That's happening, cause you've got a 343 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: lot on you right now. You've got a lot on you. 344 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: Some of it is your fault, some of it is 345 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: decisions that others have made, and none of it is 346 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: anything that you have ever experienced. Because you are the 347 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 1: oldest that you've ever been, and you have never progressed 348 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: through this season of your life, this stage of your development. 349 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: You have never been through this emotional place before. So 350 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:15,200 Speaker 1: now what does God do? He doesn't call you back 351 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:19,160 Speaker 1: to the place where you felt the greatest faith. He 352 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,159 Speaker 1: calls you back to the place where you felt the 353 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: greatest fear. But you made it anyway to remind you 354 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: what it really felt like when God revealed himself to you, 355 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 1: because we whitewash our understanding of what it means to 356 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: remember what God did you know? I wonder, do you 357 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:51,199 Speaker 1: remember how it really felt at certain stages in your life, 358 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 1: like close your eyes, let's go to Bethel, because we 359 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:54,239 Speaker 1: can't go to a place. We're not going to load 360 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:55,959 Speaker 1: up the church vans or anything like that. There's too 361 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: many of y'all in your two spread out, so close 362 00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: your eyes. We got to go to Bethel, but we 363 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: got to go in our imagination remember the time, anytime 364 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 1: you want. I got enough to choose from. I've got 365 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: an entire cafeteria of times to choose from. When you 366 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 1: thought you wouldn't make it, I'm not gonna make it 367 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: another day, I'm not gonna I'm not There's no way 368 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: forward for this. Okay. Remember, I'm not gonna make it. 369 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna make it. I'm not gonna make it. 370 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 1: Like to me, I'm not going to make it. Up 371 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: to the pulpit, I have nothing left to say. I'm 372 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:24,560 Speaker 1: not gonna make it through this. Uh, through what I 373 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 1: feel right now, I think i'm losing. Okay, right, you 374 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 1: got it. You got it. And I know that for 375 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 1: some of us it's a hard place to visit, But 376 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: I want you to go there for just a moment. 377 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:39,199 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna make it. That's how Jacob felt the 378 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:45,120 Speaker 1: first time in Bethel, and he saw a vision while 379 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: he was asleep, and he saw a ladder resting on 380 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:49,120 Speaker 1: the earth and reaching to the heaven, and the angels 381 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: of God ascending and descending. Twenty years later, God calls 382 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:59,159 Speaker 1: him back to that same place called Bethel where he 383 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,159 Speaker 1: thought he wouldn't make it. And you thought you wouldn't 384 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: make it. On the inside, everything was telling you you're 385 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,639 Speaker 1: not going to make it. You're not going to make it. 386 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:18,879 Speaker 1: Open your eyes. You did. No, no, no, no, no, 387 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 1: you did. And Jacob is now instructed to build an 388 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: altar in the place of his greatest fear. And that's 389 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 1: where God calls you to build an altar and to 390 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: believe him, to believe him in Bethel. In fact, one 391 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: time the scripture calls God the God of Bethel. I'm 392 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: not sure if I like that, because Bethel is scary. 393 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,920 Speaker 1: Bethel is when you don't though. Bethel is the place 394 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: where you can't figure it out and all you have 395 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: is faith. God said, I'm the God of Bethel. That's 396 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: where my house is. That's where my habitation is. That's 397 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: where I live, That's where I reveal, that's where I 398 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: show myself. That's where you get to know me. I'm 399 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: the God of Bethel. And Jacob is afraid, and God says, 400 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: I want you to go back to the place you 401 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 1: were most afraid and build and alter there because if 402 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: you don't, what's on you is going to cause you 403 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: to forget what's in you. So I need you to go. 404 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 1: Somebody say it's always been in me. It's always been 405 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:54,919 Speaker 1: in me. I need you to go to the place 406 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:58,679 Speaker 1: where you didn't think you would make it. I want 407 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:01,119 Speaker 1: you to go to the place where you didn't know 408 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:03,280 Speaker 1: what was next. I need you to go to the 409 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:07,439 Speaker 1: place where you realized where. And this is the crazy 410 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,920 Speaker 1: thing about Bethel, right like, this might be your Bethel 411 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 1: right now. What you are going through right now might 412 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 1: be the place that you go back to in the 413 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 1: future when your family needs to know that God is 414 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:27,280 Speaker 1: a promise keeper and that God is a waymaker. So 415 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 1: I need to teach you about a concept. This is 416 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: not a pop culture concept. It's the concept of covenant. 417 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: Everybody say covenant. Jacob isn't just going off of a 418 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 1: good feeling. Jacob isn't just going off of a track record. 419 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,920 Speaker 1: Jacob isn't going off of a fortune cookie. Jacob isn't 420 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 1: going off off of an emotional hive. Jacob isn't going 421 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:49,239 Speaker 1: off of something that he got from a you know, 422 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 1: Jacob's not going off of something that he read on 423 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: one Bible verse of the day. He's a covenant. Say covenant. Now, 424 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: in the Bible, a covenant can be first of all, 425 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 1: it can be with another person. It can it can be. 426 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: In the Bible, the context of marriage was not convenience. 427 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: It was covenant. In the Bible, the context of my 428 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: relationship with God was not my behavior, It was my 429 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: covenant with him, covenant covenant. Jacob, Jacob is moving, not 430 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: in certainty, he's moving in covenant with God. You know 431 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: that the relationship that I have with God is not 432 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 1: based on the same covenant that Jacob had. Jacob had 433 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: a covenant with God that God will be with me, 434 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: And that's awesome. How many thanks God that he's with you. 435 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 1: That's awesome. But look what what happens on our end 436 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: of the bargain. We can't keep that up. Oh, so 437 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,560 Speaker 1: you followed God perfectly through every season of your life. 438 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: Of course, in the valley you faint. Of course, in 439 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 1: the hard times you get led astray. Of course, your 440 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: heart is drawn to other gods, to worship things that 441 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: you can see instead of the God that you can't 442 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:11,840 Speaker 1: see or figure out. So God said in Jeremiah thirty one, 443 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: this is what he said. In Jeremiah thirty one. He said, 444 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you a different covenant. These days are coming, 445 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 1: declares the Lord. When I will make a new covenant 446 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 1: with the people of Israel and the people of Judah. 447 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: I will be. It will not be like the covenant 448 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: I made with their ancestors as Jacob, when I took 449 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:28,920 Speaker 1: them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, 450 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband 451 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:36,200 Speaker 1: to them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I 452 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: will make with the people of Israel. At that time, 453 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:43,200 Speaker 1: declares the Lord. I will put my law in their 454 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: minds and write it on their hearts. That's the inside 455 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 1: for what the Law was powerless to do, in that 456 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: it was weakened by the sinful nature. God did by 457 00:30:56,560 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: sending his son Jesus in the like of sinful man. 458 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: I don't have the Jacob covenant. I have the Jesus covenant. 459 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: I have a covenant that whatever you put on me, 460 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: God puts something in me that is greater than what 461 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: you put on me. So I know you got a 462 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: lot on you, But I came to preach there's something 463 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:29,600 Speaker 1: in you that has always been greater. Are you getting 464 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: this revelation it's in me. When Jacob said God has 465 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:37,760 Speaker 1: always been with me, I know why he's been with you, 466 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: because he's in you. So going back to the place 467 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 1: means not allowing anything that someone puts on you. Do 468 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 1: you know what Jacob had them do before they went 469 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 1: back to Bethel. It's a very small detail, and I 470 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: don't know if we caught it, but it's in Genesis 471 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 1: thirty five three. First of all, he said, bring me 472 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:10,800 Speaker 1: everything that you picked up in Schechem that can't go 473 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 1: with us into Bethel. All the idols, all right, And 474 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: then I want you to bring me all the things 475 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 1: that all even even down to the gold hearings. I 476 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 1: don't even want you having gold that you'll be tempted 477 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: to melt into an idol that will remind you of 478 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:34,640 Speaker 1: what you depended on that wasn't God. Down to the jewelry, 479 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: and let's bury that. But before we go to Bethel, 480 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: look at verse three. This is thirty five to three, 481 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:51,560 Speaker 1: and this is this is what he said. No, it 482 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 1: must not be three, it must be something else. What 483 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: is it? Two? I'll find it. I'll find it. I'll 484 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,479 Speaker 1: find it. I'll find it. I'll find it. Yeah, it's 485 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 1: in verse two. It's in verse two. He said, change 486 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: your clothes. Don't worry. This is as far down as 487 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: I'm going to go. It's just a limited illustration. Now 488 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: put that on this camera. Yeah, there you go. I 489 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: want that off you. I want that off you because 490 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: if you go back to Bethel dressed like Shechem, and 491 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: this is what has to happen for you to realize 492 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: it and really fulfill purpose God has put in you, 493 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:46,840 Speaker 1: that everything that has been put on you, remember for 494 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: Jacob's family, Schem represented shame, the shame of what had 495 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 1: been done to Dinah, the shame of what they had 496 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: done in response. And if you go into what God 497 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 1: has for you wearing the shame of what was done 498 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 1: to you, you got to get it off you. I 499 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,000 Speaker 1: realized a couple of years ago that what the enemy 500 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:17,759 Speaker 1: would do to shut down my gift that he gave 501 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: me was to try to put layers of guilt on me, 502 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: and he would want to use things that were imperfect 503 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,880 Speaker 1: about me or others to keep me from ministering freely. 504 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:31,719 Speaker 1: I'll tell you about one thing Holly leaned over to 505 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:34,360 Speaker 1: me one night. I was struggling with feelings of resentment, 506 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:37,920 Speaker 1: and people were criticizing our ministry a lot in this 507 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 1: particular season. I'm sure they still do now. I just 508 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:42,480 Speaker 1: don't look as much because I'm not as stupid as 509 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:44,640 Speaker 1: I was back in the day, thinking that God had 510 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: profits in the comments section. But now, listen what happened. 511 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 1: I began to think that everybody was like that, right, 512 00:34:55,920 --> 00:34:59,120 Speaker 1: and I took it on me, and I took it 513 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 1: on me. Well, she looked at me one night and 514 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,120 Speaker 1: she said, you can't keep preaching out of anger, and 515 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:11,959 Speaker 1: you can't keep leading this defensively because you love people. Well, 516 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:15,280 Speaker 1: when she said that, it contradicted exactly how I felt 517 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 1: about this species that she mentioned called people. So I 518 00:35:21,719 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 1: you know, even even the look on my face. I 519 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,879 Speaker 1: remember her like rubbing my eyebrows a little bit because 520 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:30,759 Speaker 1: they were so furrowed. And you know, sometimes I have 521 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:35,680 Speaker 1: that RBF is like wrestling believer face, but a resentful 522 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 1: believer face. And she was rubbing my eyebrows, and she goes, 523 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 1: she goes, You've always loved people, she said. You remember 524 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 1: in college, how everybody on that campus we couldn't even 525 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:53,960 Speaker 1: go when we were dating. We went to the strict school, 526 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 1: this Baptist school. They wouldn't let you go in each 527 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,000 Speaker 1: other's dorms. And that was probably a good thing. Co 528 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:01,479 Speaker 1: ed dorms. They didn't do that. So we'd be trying 529 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,680 Speaker 1: to sit outside on a bench or something, and she'd say, 530 00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:06,920 Speaker 1: there was always a receiving line of people who wanted 531 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 1: to talk to you, not because you had a title, 532 00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:13,680 Speaker 1: just because of what was in you. You've always loved people, 533 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:16,759 Speaker 1: she said. I was scared to go outside with you 534 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:18,279 Speaker 1: because I didn't feel like talking to them, because I 535 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:24,560 Speaker 1: don't love people like you love people. But there was 536 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: a lot on me. Like I said, you put a 537 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:31,360 Speaker 1: lot of trouble on me. Put a lot of trouble 538 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:34,319 Speaker 1: on me, and I was allowing what was on me 539 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:41,719 Speaker 1: to make me forget what was in me. Have you 540 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 1: ever done it before? She said, you love people. She said, 541 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 1: you had a secret handshake with everybody on that campus, 542 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:51,319 Speaker 1: and it's really true. And then I was thinking, well, 543 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:52,680 Speaker 1: you don't even know the half of it. When my 544 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:56,440 Speaker 1: high school class was two hundred and eighty people at 545 00:36:56,440 --> 00:36:58,400 Speaker 1: Berkeley High School, I hugged every one of them on 546 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 1: our graduation night, I hugged every one of them. I 547 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,240 Speaker 1: mean every down to the last one of them. The people. 548 00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:06,839 Speaker 1: I couldn't stand in all of them, but that was 549 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:13,239 Speaker 1: in me. But now I realize that the pressures in 550 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: the problems of what life puts on you. Things like 551 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:28,439 Speaker 1: a fence and bitterness can keep you from remembering what's 552 00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 1: in you. But if you really go back to Bethel 553 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:38,359 Speaker 1: and remember, it's always been in you. It's always been 554 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:43,120 Speaker 1: in you. Tony. I had my friend Eric, my best friend, 555 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 1: come with me to the recording that we did in January, 556 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 1: because he was with me at the college when we 557 00:37:50,239 --> 00:37:53,719 Speaker 1: had a choir and my choir was not good, but 558 00:37:55,360 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 1: we it was in me then and then through what 559 00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:06,879 Speaker 1: God has given you. It was amazing because Eric said, 560 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:10,719 Speaker 1: this is it. This is what you were trying to 561 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:12,400 Speaker 1: do in college, but you sucked at it, and that 562 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:19,359 Speaker 1: guy did it, and now you that part. And I said, yeah, 563 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:24,719 Speaker 1: it's always been in me. It's always been in you. 564 00:38:24,719 --> 00:38:26,600 Speaker 1: You were beating on that high. It sounded like a 565 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 1: trash can, but it was in you. The rhythm was 566 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,320 Speaker 1: in you. It's in you, and what you got to 567 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:40,919 Speaker 1: be so careful about is not to let people put 568 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:47,200 Speaker 1: anything on you. And I'm not just talking about failure. 569 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: I'm talking about success. Jacob's biggest issue is that he 570 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:58,319 Speaker 1: always identified himself by something external. So when it came 571 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,520 Speaker 1: time to make peace with Esau, he sent gifts ahead 572 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:04,680 Speaker 1: of him because he thought, maybe my gift will bring 573 00:39:04,719 --> 00:39:07,360 Speaker 1: me peace. And some of us are like that. We 574 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:09,680 Speaker 1: always think we have to make a good impression. We're 575 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:12,839 Speaker 1: always living in an avatar, We're always living in some 576 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: version of ourselves that seems presentable, or we're always identified. 577 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:18,879 Speaker 1: I talked to you about this last week, about what 578 00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:21,160 Speaker 1: we can do, and so in doing what we can do, 579 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:23,560 Speaker 1: other people will identify you by what you can do, 580 00:39:23,719 --> 00:39:25,480 Speaker 1: and then they will limit you by what you can do, 581 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:27,120 Speaker 1: and then you will begin to think that you are 582 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 1: what you do, and then you will lose yourself and 583 00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 1: gain the world. And Jesus said, what good is it? 584 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:36,720 Speaker 1: Don't let anybody put anything on you that will cause 585 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 1: you to forget what God put in you that goes 586 00:39:40,239 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: for your struggles. See I think Jacob, I think Jacob, 587 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:47,080 Speaker 1: his name means supplanter, but his new name Israel, is 588 00:39:47,120 --> 00:39:52,359 Speaker 1: almost just as bad. It means struggles with God. So 589 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:54,799 Speaker 1: he's trying to get him to see, you've never been 590 00:39:54,840 --> 00:40:01,319 Speaker 1: fighting with Laban, You've never been fighting with Esau. The 591 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:04,520 Speaker 1: fight that you have to win for your life has 592 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:10,920 Speaker 1: not been with them. It's always been in you. Because 593 00:40:10,960 --> 00:40:14,960 Speaker 1: if you believe it's in you. There's nothing anybody can 594 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:19,520 Speaker 1: put on you that can cancel what I put in 595 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:23,600 Speaker 1: you before you were bored. I appointed you a prophet 596 00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:30,200 Speaker 1: to the nations. It's always been in you. It's always 597 00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:34,720 Speaker 1: been in you. That teaching gift has always been in you. 598 00:40:34,719 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 1: You just had to get past what you would put 599 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:40,160 Speaker 1: on yourself, the idea that I'm not a preacher. I'm 600 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:43,560 Speaker 1: just a little girl. I don't have anything to say. 601 00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:45,960 Speaker 1: That was always in you. It was in you when 602 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,920 Speaker 1: you were sitting in Life Action Revival, listening to Steve 603 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,759 Speaker 1: Canfield six nights a week, and God was filling you 604 00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: with this word. It just took the right rein to 605 00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:57,399 Speaker 1: bring the seed out of the soil for what God 606 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:01,600 Speaker 1: put in you when you were just a little girl. 607 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:07,759 Speaker 1: It's always been in you. And there's nobody that can 608 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:11,880 Speaker 1: leave my life that can keep God from keeping his 609 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,440 Speaker 1: covenant with me. I'm not in covenant with a person. 610 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:18,920 Speaker 1: I'm not in covenant with a political party. I've been 611 00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 1: covenant with God, Almighty. I am gone, all light. Get 612 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:28,800 Speaker 1: that off you. That's not your name, that's not your station, 613 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 1: that's not our is. It's in me. It's in me. 614 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:39,400 Speaker 1: It's in me. It is God that working at you. 615 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:51,479 Speaker 1: It's always been in you. The struggle has never been 616 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:57,040 Speaker 1: with someone else. The struggle has been within yourself. And 617 00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:02,920 Speaker 1: God gave Jacob a new name, Israel, but he still 618 00:42:03,040 --> 00:42:13,160 Speaker 1: has to struggle. Oh, are y'all confused? I'm confused. God 619 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:17,439 Speaker 1: already gave him his new name in Genesis thirty two. 620 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:27,080 Speaker 1: I'll show you, and I'll get out of this vocal register. Now. 621 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:31,719 Speaker 1: This is right before Jacob made peace with Esau, and 622 00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:37,239 Speaker 1: Esau had already made peace with Jacob. Jacob had to 623 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:46,759 Speaker 1: make peace with Jacob. It's in you. And uh, this 624 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:49,280 Speaker 1: is what the Lord said. Your name will no longer 625 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 1: be called Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with 626 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:57,040 Speaker 1: God and with humans and have overcome. So no, hold on. 627 00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:03,719 Speaker 1: Why is he telling him again? In Genesis five, I'll 628 00:43:03,719 --> 00:43:08,600 Speaker 1: tell y'all next week. Goodbye. If y'all want to know, now, 629 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:16,200 Speaker 1: call me back. Because already I thought, well, God must 630 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:18,239 Speaker 1: have told him something extra the second time that he 631 00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:21,680 Speaker 1: didn't tell him the first time, and so I compared 632 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:24,400 Speaker 1: the two. In Genesis thirty five to ten, he says, 633 00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:26,719 Speaker 1: your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be 634 00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:31,720 Speaker 1: called Jacob, your name will be Israel. So God actually 635 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:33,839 Speaker 1: said less the second time than he did the first time. 636 00:43:37,880 --> 00:43:41,480 Speaker 1: Then I thought, maybe it wasn't what God said, it 637 00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:44,600 Speaker 1: was what he didn't say that would show me what 638 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 1: we needed to know about the struggle that we find 639 00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:56,120 Speaker 1: ourselves in right now. See, the first time God focused 640 00:43:56,160 --> 00:44:01,200 Speaker 1: on Jacob's struggle, I'll call you Israel because you've struggled 641 00:44:01,200 --> 00:44:04,719 Speaker 1: with God and men and have overcome. The second time, 642 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:13,680 Speaker 1: God didn't mention his struggle. He mentioned his seed because 643 00:44:13,719 --> 00:44:17,440 Speaker 1: Israel was more than a name. Look at verse eleven, 644 00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:24,160 Speaker 1: I am God Almighty, be fruitful and increase in number 645 00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:32,520 Speaker 1: a nation. Did you catch it? A nation? Israel wasn't 646 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:41,720 Speaker 1: just a name. It was a nation. And Simeon and Levi, 647 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:45,400 Speaker 1: the ones that Jacob said, you're bringing me all this trouble, 648 00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:50,600 Speaker 1: who were teenagers at the time, were the forefathers that 649 00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:55,399 Speaker 1: God would use to birth the nation through which God 650 00:44:55,440 --> 00:45:02,080 Speaker 1: would extend his covenant with all peoples. But you will 651 00:45:02,120 --> 00:45:05,879 Speaker 1: never produce your nation if you don't know your name. 652 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:18,200 Speaker 1: So this word is for anyone who you've had so 653 00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:21,839 Speaker 1: much on you. And I'm talking about shame, I'm talking 654 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:25,400 Speaker 1: about regret, I'm talking about pressure. I'm talking about the 655 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:31,239 Speaker 1: things that make you anxious, questions that you've forgotten what's 656 00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:35,280 Speaker 1: in you and how God met you in your bethels 657 00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:40,640 Speaker 1: along the way. This season of your life is going 658 00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:43,319 Speaker 1: to be a bethel that you will return to in 659 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:52,560 Speaker 1: future days. There's kings in you, there's crowns in you. 660 00:45:54,400 --> 00:46:02,040 Speaker 1: There's legacy in you. There's dreams in you. There's ministry 661 00:46:02,040 --> 00:46:07,839 Speaker 1: in you. There is medicine in your leaves, there is 662 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:13,200 Speaker 1: healing in you. There are things that God desires to 663 00:46:13,239 --> 00:46:16,640 Speaker 1: release through your life that will change the generations that 664 00:46:16,719 --> 00:46:24,400 Speaker 1: will share your last name. So do not let what's 665 00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:31,280 Speaker 1: on you kill what is in you. You are Israel. 666 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:36,839 Speaker 1: There are nations in you, and it's always been in you, 667 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:42,040 Speaker 1: and there was nothing that you could do to change it. 668 00:46:42,480 --> 00:46:45,839 Speaker 1: The gift has always been in you, and so has 669 00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:49,960 Speaker 1: the fear, and they both wrestle with each other in 670 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:54,279 Speaker 1: the same womb until the day you die. But do 671 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:59,359 Speaker 1: not let anybody, or situation or set back put a 672 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:04,800 Speaker 1: name you by which you call yourself that will cause 673 00:47:04,840 --> 00:47:08,920 Speaker 1: you to forfeit what God had put in you. I 674 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:12,040 Speaker 1: believe there are some things I need to bury under 675 00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:15,600 Speaker 1: the oak and scheck them today. And I believe God 676 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:18,879 Speaker 1: wants me to turn this church into a changing room 677 00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:23,120 Speaker 1: today where you remember that it is not circumcision or 678 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:26,799 Speaker 1: uncircumcision that counts. None of that external stuff matters not 679 00:47:26,920 --> 00:47:29,880 Speaker 1: when it comes to the heart of God. What matters 680 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:35,319 Speaker 1: to God has always been in you. And if you 681 00:47:35,360 --> 00:47:38,840 Speaker 1: win this in you, there is nothing that will happen 682 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:43,360 Speaker 1: around you that can keep God from establishing his covenant 683 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:52,920 Speaker 1: in the earth. You have a covenant with God. Have 684 00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:55,279 Speaker 1: you made your covenant with your struggle greater than your 685 00:47:55,320 --> 00:48:04,440 Speaker 1: covenant with your God? You love the pressure of it, 686 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:08,640 Speaker 1: the fear of it, and the terror of it. God 687 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:11,960 Speaker 1: was dealing with all the external stuff. God was preventing 688 00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:18,600 Speaker 1: the enemies from even attacking Jacob. If you pay attention 689 00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:26,600 Speaker 1: to what's in you, God knows what's on you. He 690 00:48:26,680 --> 00:48:30,920 Speaker 1: knows that you've been trying to manage and multitask, and 691 00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:34,319 Speaker 1: he sees all of that, and he knows all of that, 692 00:48:36,239 --> 00:48:42,080 Speaker 1: and he knows that you don't know what's next. And 693 00:48:42,120 --> 00:48:45,920 Speaker 1: that's why he gave me the Bethel revelation. I'm the 694 00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:51,759 Speaker 1: God of Bethel, I'm the God of I don't know 695 00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:55,960 Speaker 1: what's next. I'm the God of your new name, and 696 00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:59,360 Speaker 1: there are nations in you. And it's always been in you. 697 00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:05,240 Speaker 1: It's always been in you since you were a little girl, 698 00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:10,360 Speaker 1: since you were a young boy. God said, be fruitful 699 00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:15,960 Speaker 1: and increase, bring forth what I planted. Don't let anything 700 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:21,680 Speaker 1: stop you from it. For I am God Almighty. I 701 00:49:21,719 --> 00:49:27,560 Speaker 1: put a nation in you, and those teenagers you stand 702 00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:31,520 Speaker 1: with today are going to be the heads of the nations. 703 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:40,000 Speaker 1: Stand to your feet. Father. In this moment, I don't 704 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:43,239 Speaker 1: know what to say, so I'm going to ask you 705 00:49:43,280 --> 00:49:47,440 Speaker 1: to say it. There comes a point where my message 706 00:49:48,239 --> 00:49:52,800 Speaker 1: and my stories and my points and my sub points 707 00:49:54,040 --> 00:49:58,200 Speaker 1: can only take the hearer so far. And that's why 708 00:49:58,200 --> 00:50:00,640 Speaker 1: we need your Holy Spirit to write it our hearts. 709 00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:10,319 Speaker 1: For just a moment. We're not focused on what's around us, 710 00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:20,239 Speaker 1: even what's on us, but what's in us. It is 711 00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:26,000 Speaker 1: Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is God 712 00:50:26,040 --> 00:50:27,600 Speaker 1: that works in you both to will and to do 713 00:50:29,920 --> 00:50:36,359 Speaker 1: according to His pleasure. So let's bury those idols, let's 714 00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:42,680 Speaker 1: change those clothes. Let's go back to Bethel and build 715 00:50:42,719 --> 00:50:47,120 Speaker 1: an altar in the place of our anxiety, build an 716 00:50:47,160 --> 00:50:49,120 Speaker 1: altar in the place of our fear. And build an 717 00:50:49,160 --> 00:50:55,280 Speaker 1: altar in response to our questions. Lift your hands to heaven. 718 00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:02,400 Speaker 1: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob. We 719 00:51:02,480 --> 00:51:07,920 Speaker 1: call on you right now, and we ask you to 720 00:51:07,960 --> 00:51:10,439 Speaker 1: speak into each Bethel that is represented in this room 721 00:51:10,960 --> 00:51:15,440 Speaker 1: online around the world. I think you, Lord, that the 722 00:51:15,480 --> 00:51:18,680 Speaker 1: stages of our life do not surprise you, and the 723 00:51:18,680 --> 00:51:23,439 Speaker 1: weakness of our flesh does not repel you. I thank 724 00:51:23,480 --> 00:51:26,399 Speaker 1: you Lord that you don't just give us a name, 725 00:51:26,440 --> 00:51:31,319 Speaker 1: You make us a nation. So we're coming back to 726 00:51:31,360 --> 00:51:37,920 Speaker 1: Bethel today just to remember that we felt afraid before 727 00:51:38,680 --> 00:51:43,000 Speaker 1: and you saw us through. We were so confused before, 728 00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:49,680 Speaker 1: and you made it clear. We felt too little then. 729 00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:54,880 Speaker 1: But you are more than enough, and you are right now, 730 00:51:56,440 --> 00:52:00,880 Speaker 1: Oh God of Bethel. I pray that he would rise up, 731 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:07,840 Speaker 1: supplanting doubt and burying the idols of our false dependents. 732 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:16,520 Speaker 1: Your name is Israel, and greater is he that is 733 00:52:16,560 --> 00:52:22,000 Speaker 1: in you than he that is in the world. We 734 00:52:22,080 --> 00:52:27,160 Speaker 1: thank you for your presence. Lord, in Jesus' name, everybody 735 00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:30,600 Speaker 1: who receives this word, give God a handclap of praise. 736 00:52:42,840 --> 00:52:45,120 Speaker 1: I don't know who this is for, but the Lord 737 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:49,120 Speaker 1: said one more thing. He came back to Bethel. But 738 00:52:49,200 --> 00:52:52,200 Speaker 1: the last time he was there, he was alone, and 739 00:52:52,239 --> 00:52:59,160 Speaker 1: he wasn't anymore. That's right. The difference between this time 740 00:52:59,760 --> 00:53:15,439 Speaker 1: and last time that you were here. You're not alone anymore. God, 741 00:53:15,480 --> 00:53:21,279 Speaker 1: we thank you once again for this amazing revelation that 742 00:53:21,320 --> 00:53:23,759 Speaker 1: you do not wait for a place of our full 743 00:53:23,840 --> 00:53:29,200 Speaker 1: understanding and cooperation to bless us with your presence. God 744 00:53:29,239 --> 00:53:33,760 Speaker 1: of Bethel, we praise you one more time for meeting 745 00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:42,400 Speaker 1: us at all points in between. In Jesus Nay, well, 746 00:53:42,440 --> 00:53:45,719 Speaker 1: I'm praying for you today that you would internalize that 747 00:53:45,800 --> 00:53:48,279 Speaker 1: word that you just heard, the part of it that 748 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:50,319 Speaker 1: you needed the most, the part that spoke right to 749 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:53,720 Speaker 1: your soul, and plant it. Get it in the soil. 750 00:53:54,040 --> 00:53:56,080 Speaker 1: The Bible says that when the word of God is sown, 751 00:53:56,520 --> 00:54:00,720 Speaker 1: there will always be those snatchers and those storms, and 752 00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:04,600 Speaker 1: some seed that falls among the wayside. But some soil 753 00:54:04,680 --> 00:54:07,680 Speaker 1: is good soil, and it produces thirty sixty one hundredfold. 754 00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:10,800 Speaker 1: And I pray that you will be that good soil, 755 00:54:11,239 --> 00:54:14,520 Speaker 1: and that your life would bear fruit. God Almighty said, 756 00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:17,799 Speaker 1: be fruitful and increase in number. Now, I wonder what 757 00:54:17,880 --> 00:54:20,520 Speaker 1: alter you need to build in your Bethel today, What 758 00:54:20,600 --> 00:54:23,360 Speaker 1: place of remembrance you need to create. One thing I 759 00:54:23,360 --> 00:54:25,840 Speaker 1: didn't get to put in the sermon is that Jacob 760 00:54:25,840 --> 00:54:28,440 Speaker 1: went back to Bethel to fulfill a vow that he'd 761 00:54:28,480 --> 00:54:29,960 Speaker 1: made to God. He said, if you will be with 762 00:54:30,000 --> 00:54:33,360 Speaker 1: me and be my God, then I'll give you a 763 00:54:33,440 --> 00:54:37,040 Speaker 1: tenth of everything that you give me. And that's not 764 00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:41,120 Speaker 1: really about finances. It's just about faith. It's about knowing 765 00:54:41,120 --> 00:54:43,920 Speaker 1: who you belong to and knowing where your help comes from. 766 00:54:44,320 --> 00:54:46,799 Speaker 1: God says, I am God Almighty, and I'm with you 767 00:54:47,280 --> 00:54:49,640 Speaker 1: and I'm in you. I want you to be blessed 768 00:54:49,640 --> 00:54:52,400 Speaker 1: in that knowledge today. I want you to be blessed 769 00:54:52,400 --> 00:54:54,879 Speaker 1: in that certainty, not the certainty of where you are, 770 00:54:54,920 --> 00:54:57,800 Speaker 1: but the certainty of what's in you. Okay, I'm sorry 771 00:54:57,800 --> 00:55:00,200 Speaker 1: now I've preached a second sermon. I really didn't mean you. 772 00:55:00,600 --> 00:55:02,560 Speaker 1: I know you're full already, So just know that we 773 00:55:02,680 --> 00:55:04,640 Speaker 1: love you and I will see you next time.