In the Beginning WK 8

Can’t see the forest for the trees

Genesis 28:10–19 NRSV

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

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Genesis 28:16–18 NRSV

Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

Intro

Uncle Ralph

—> “the point” sometimes you aren’t sure what’s right in front of you

—> people

—> restraunts

—> God

Point 1

Things distract us from interacting with God...

—> life happens

busy

tired

priorities

—> All these things cause us to lose focus on God

Point 2

We get comfortable

—> we fall into patterns of behavior

—> we fall prey to tradition

—> We lose the meaning behind why we do and say certain things

—> We lose the expectation that God is going to show up and do something

Point 3

We don’t set reminders/we forget

—> Abraham takes something (physical) away from the encounter and sets it apart so he and others will know what happens.

—> Its a beacon that this is a special place

—> Remember who God is, and what God has done.

“The Big Point” —> God can use any place, at any time, to do something amazing. Its us to us to be ready to see and interact with God in the ordinary.