AN ENCOUNTER WITH GRACE ON THE RUN (22)

THE DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES

•Genesis 27:42–44 42 Now when the words of her elder son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she sent and called her younger son Jacob, and said to him, “Behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you. 43 “Now therefore, my son, obey my voice, and arise, flee to Haran, to my brother Laban! 44 “Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury subsides,

A. COLLISION COURSE WITH GRACE

1. JACOB AS A COWERING MAN

•Genesis 28:10–11 10 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place.

We find Jacob forced to run away before his brother kills him.

Jacob is now reaping the consequense of his and his mothers deception.

Jacob is about 3 days into his flight before he makes camp for the night.

He is probably had enough time to consider his situation and his future. Fear, Loss of family, lonlines, anger at what his mother has done or possibly angry that he allowed her to do it.

HES PROBLY THINKING “WHAT IS THE POINT OF MY LIFE NOW. IM RUINED.”

2. JACOB AS A CONFRONTED MAN

•Genesis 28:12–13 12 He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants.

Jacob is confronted with a dream that is so real and so confrontational it has his attention.

God was offering Jacob more that a land h was offering him a spiritual land. A spiritual land flowing with milk and honey.

3. JACOB AS A CALLED MAN

•Genesis 28:14–15 14 “Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 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 promised you.”

follow me and you will grow. all your descendant will be blessed

follow me and you will go. I will keep you wherever you go.

follow me and you will know. I will not leave you, until I have done what i promised

GOD NEVER CHANGES THE SALVATION EQUATION: God calls, God enables, we respons to grace, He saves, seals and settles all accounts.

4. JACOB AS A CONVERTED MAN

•Genesis 28:16–17 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 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.”

SIGNS OF CONVERSION

•1.CLEAR ENCOUNTER WITH GOD: When a man has an encounter with God it is because God has sought him out not the man searching for God. v 16

•2. FEARFUL RESPECT OF GOD: Reverant humility towards Gods decrees and words.( If God’s says it that settles it.) He was afraid. v17

•3. HE WAS IN AWE OF GOD: When we encounter God our only response is how awesome He is in his power v17

•4. HE WORSHIPPED GOD: When we encounter the Lord we are drawn to worship.

•5. HE DECLARED HIS TRUST IN GOD. When we encounter his grace, our trust is refocused. Notice Jacob declares this is the house of God and the gate of heaven.

5. JACOB AS A CONVINCED MAN

•Genesis 28:18–19 18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz.

Jacob changes the name of the place from Luz to Bethel. Jacob understands changing names.

Jacob goes back to sleep: Jacob rose early in the morning.

6. JACOB AS A COMMITTED MAN

•Genesis 28:20–22 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, 21 and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God. 22 “This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.

Jacob is now a saved man but not a subdued man. Jacob will be on a journey for the next 20 years of his life to learn what it means to be a man sold out to God.

Jacob is relating the only way he understand at this point in his life: (THEN THE LORD WILL B MY GOD. )