GO BACK TO BETHEL
Notes
Transcript
Handout
This Week’s Theme: Spiritual Preparation
Word for the Week is Idolatry: It is the worship or adoration of anyone or anything other than the Lord God. Idolatry includes the worship of other gods, such as those of the nations surrounding Israel, images or idols and the creation itself.
Memory verse: 2 Timothy 2:21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
Essence of the Text: After the fallout from the massacred the men of Shechem, the LORD God told Jacob to go back and dwell in Bethel where he first heard from God.
Proposition: The Lord is instructing His people to go back and abide in the covenant made with Him.
Objective: I want those in attendance to prepare to dwell with the LORD God Almighty by cleaning your mind, heart, soul, and body.
Sermon Passage: Genesis 35:1-6
1 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”
2 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.”
4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.
5 And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
INTRODUCTION:
TRANSITION:
I. REMEMBER THE LORD
I. REMEMBER THE LORD
LOOK AT VERSE ONE,
IT PROVIDES US DIRECTION ON HOW TO REMEMBER HIM
1 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”
GOD IS THE ONE “who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”
A. Shows up when Distress
A. Shows up when Distress
REMEMBER HE CAN
DELIVER THE DISTRESSED
DELIGHT THE DISCOURAGE
RELIEVE THE RESTLESS
COMFORT THE CONFUSED
CONSOLED THE COMPLICATED
LIGHTEN THE LOAD
B. Shows up with a Declaration
B. Shows up with a Declaration
HEAR THE PROMISE OF GOD TO JACOB IN
15 Behold, 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 spoken to you.”
DID YOU HEAR IT
“I am with you” and “I will keep you”
SAME PROMISE GIVEN TO ABRAHAM
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
SAME PROMISE GIVEN TO ISAAC
24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.”
OTHERS OUGHT TO RECOGNIZE THAT GOD IS WITH YOU
TESTIMONY ABOUT ABRAHAM
Genesis 21:22 “22 And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.”
TESTIMONY ABOUT JACOB
Genesis 30:27 “27 And Laban said to him, “Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.””
41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”
ALTERCATIONS OF LIFE
Deuteronomy 20:1 “1 “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
AFFLICTIONS OF LIFE
Isaiah 43:2 “2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
ANYTIME IN LIFE
Matthew 28:20 “20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
WHO IS THE ONE WHO
TURNED YOUR DISCONTENTMENT INTO SATISFACTION AND YOUR SORROW INTO CELEBRATION
WHO IS THEY ONE WHO
TURNED YOUR TURMOIL INTO TRANQUILITY AND YOUR BURDENS INTO BLESSINGS
WHO IS THE ONE WHO
TURNED YOUR MISERY INTO COMFORT AND YOUR DESPAIR INTO DELIGHT
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME THAT WAS GOOD GOD DID IT.
He will never leave me NOR forsake me,
HE WILL NEVER MISLEAD me NOR forget me,
II. READY YOURSELF FOR THE LORD
II. READY YOURSELF FOR THE LORD
3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.”
Jacob remembering his promise in
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on,
21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.
JACOB PROMISED THAT THE LORD WOULD BE HIS GOD
THAT HE WOULD WORSHIP HIM
THAT HE WOULD SERVE HIM
THAT HE WOULD HONOR HIM
THAT HE WOULD LOVE HIM
THAT HE WOULD REVERENCE HIM
IN ORDER FOR THIS TO HAPPEN
YOU CAN’T JUST SHOW UP ANY KIND OF WAY
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
2 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
A. PUT AWAY THE IDOLS
A. PUT AWAY THE IDOLS
IDOL IS ANYTHING OR ANYONE THAT PREVENTS GOD FROM HAVING FIRST PLACE IN YOUR LIFE.
Exodus 34:14 states that God whose name is jealous, is a jealous God.
“Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
Remove the idols Cleanse themselves Change their garments
4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
B. PURIFY YOURSELVES
B. PURIFY YOURSELVES
2 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
PURIFY YOUR HEART
16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,
31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?
Ezekiel 20:7
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
MORALLY
PURIFY YOUR HANDS
Gave up the foreign gods in their hands Gave up the earrings to Jacob Jacob hid them Under the terebinth tree
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
If you need cleansing
He is the Holy One
He washed my wickedness
He disinfected my dirt
He cleansed me from my corruption
He sterilized my depravity
He sanitized my sin
He rinsed me from my rottenness
He purified my evil bad
III. REVERE THE LORD
III. REVERE THE LORD
6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
7 And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.
HE DID NOT WASTE TIME BUT IMMEDIATELY BUILT AN ALTAR THERE BECAUSE
God dealt with the surrounding people (verse 5)
5 And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
WHAT IS YOUR BECAUSE
COME TO THE ALTAR
BOW BEFORE HIM
AND
worship Him
WORSHIP THE LORD BECAUSE HE IS A ROCK IN A weary land
. . . praise Him BECAUSE HE IS A pain
. . . lift Him up BECAUSE HE IS THE LIFTER OFYOUR HEAD
2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
. . . glorify Him BECAUSE HE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
. . . reverence Him BECAUSE HE IS RECUES AND RENEWS
9 Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the Lord our God is holy.
. . . celebrate Him BECAUSE HE IS A CAPTAIN OF YOUR SOULS
Bound but God bailed them out
Enslaved but God emancipated them
Subdued but God set them free
Lock down but God liberated them
What about you? WERE YOU
Restrained by sin but God released you
WERE YOU Shackled by sin but God set you free
WERE YOU Detained by Satan but God delivered you