Moving Day

Good morning everyone, it is so good to be here this morning with you all. Right now we get to send out the kiddos to their class where you have the opportunity to learn about God in a way that makes sense to you. Then, remember, you gotta pay attention real good so that you can come find me after service and tell me something you learned today. Then of course we also want to welcome those of you joining us online, etc.

It is so good to be here this morning and get to share a bit more about Jacob’s story and a bit more about what is going on with Jacob and how God is working and moving in Jacob’s life. What is really cool is that when we look at Jacob’s life many times we are able to see how God is moving in our own lives, or how God has moved in our life in the past potentially. For instance today we are going to look at when Jacob actually moved from Laban and what that looked like. We are going to talk about how God led Jacob then and how God leads people today…and maybe even how God is leading you today. For instance, I’m going to tell you some story’s about Beth and I. I tell you these stories frequently because their real in our life and…well to be honest, I know them best since I lived them, so they are typically pretty fresh in my mind when I read through these Scripture. However, Im sure as we read through these passages you will be reminded about times in your own life when God moved and worked in your life and I want you to reflect on those times and be encouraged by those times as evidence of God’s faithfulness to you. If you can’t think of any of those times specifically then I want you to listen to the stories that I share and think about what God can do when he is ready in your life. Just because he hasn’t moved in some way yet doesn’t mean he isn’t going to…it just means he hasn’t yet, or…it means you haven’t been paying attention…so just be encouraged that God still moves in powerful ways and be excited about what it looks like to follow the Lord!

Now today we are going to see three stages of moving day for Jacob and his family. We’re going to see an Escape, We’re going to see a Confrontation, and we’re going to see an Agreement.

However, before we see all of that, I want to tell you a little bit about when Bethany and I moved away from Puerto Rico. See, Beth and I did everything weird…well, we still kind of do I guess. We met in Puerto Rico and then we proceeded to get married in South Bend Indiana…cause thats just what one does when you live on a tropical island…you have a destination wedding in the midwest. Anyway, we were married and I was a relatively new Christian at this stage, within a couple of years. I was serving as a youth youth leader at a Calvary Chapel there in Puerto Rico. Collin was a baby and I was working odd jobs as my full time job had kind of stopped…I don’t really remember what happened to be honest, but for some reason I wasn’t working at the daycare anymore, and I wasn’t working as an electrician anymore. Maybe those jobs weren’t enough to support the family and so I was having to work various jobs in order to pay the bills and support the family. Well, things weren’t going well, and I was getting a bit discontent with Puerto Rico to be honest with you. There was, well really is, such corruption there politically and I was in my early 20’s and I guess I didn’t realize that political corruption was a thing that is pretty much universal, but I had this growing discontent personally. I began to have a desire to return stateside to raise my family. Shortly after that, or really I guess kind of around that same time period Bethany’s grandmother was diagnosed with a second round of breast cancer. However, this time it had spread all over her body. Bethany was pretty close with her grandparents and so it was pretty hard for her to be unable to see her during this time, so she was beginning to get discontent as well. So within both of our hearts there began to be a desire to return to the states. Around that same time it seemed that all of the jobs I had been taking started to wind down, and I was having an increasingly difficult time finding new positions and even harder and harder times finding new side jobs. I was working everywhere from electrical to IT and was having trouble finding work that would pay enough to support a family. So Beth and I began to pray and search Scripture a bit in order to decide what we should do…within about a month (maybe 2) we were moved to the Midwest and another month or so I was working full-time and we had an apartment in Mishawaka which is where I would learn the HVAC trade and hone my plumbing and electrical knowledge to prepare me for my work outside of the church for the next 2 decades.

Why did I tell you all of that? Well, I told you that because many times when God moves us in some direction, whether that is literally moving us, or changing our job, or changing our education goal, or whatever it is…God leads us in different ways. Really what we are going to see today, is that the way that the Lord is going to tell Jacob to move is the same way he leads us here today. God uses the inner witness in our hearts, the outward circumstances of life, and the truth of his Word. That’s what we are going to see with Jacob, thats what we saw with Bethany and I, and thats what you will see in your own life when you pay attention to what God is already doing. Of course that goes to confirm one of the things that we have been saying through this series so far, you know…let’s see if you can finish my sentence here…In the life of the trusting Christian, there are no accidents, only appointments.In other words, in the life of the Christian, God is in control and you can trust that what is going on in your life is being overseen by the Father for your good. We are reminded that throughout Scripture.

So let’s go ahead and open your Bible to Genesis 31. We are going to look at the whole passage today, and we’re going to read the whole thing, so I need you to follow along and help me make sure I don’t mess it all up and make sure I know how to read, which is actually harder than it looks some days. :) Anyway, go ahead and open up and let’s take a look at

The Escape: (vs 1-21)

Genesis 31:1–22 ESV

Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. You know that I have served your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’ ” Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.” So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods. And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled,

Now remember, Jacob has been away from his family for 20 years now. For the first 14 years he had been working to pay for his wives, and now he has been working to build value and to support for his family. His father Isaac and his brother Esau area still alive and he has some relationship repairing that needs to happen there. Unfortunately his mother Rachel is no longer alive, but he would like to see his father and brother and reconcile there before it is to late. Six years ago, after the fourteen years of labor that Jacob agreed to pay for his wives God had put a discontent into Jacobs heart for Haran, and he had the desire to return to his own country, and that desire never really left him. Now, I think it’s wise to point something out here. You see, many times we are told to “follow your heart”. I mean that’s what all of the love songs tell us and Hallmark is all about the heart…the problem is that Scripture tells us something different…look at this,

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Ouch…So..if we simply follow our hearts, then we are following something that is deceitful and sick. Other translations would say wicked instead of sick. So, that tells me that we can’t go off of our hearts alone, but that maybe our hearts can be used by God to create a discontent in a situation which can lead us to do something different. In other words, the Lord often speaks to us using our hearts. Of course besides our hearts, and that growing discontent that Jacob had, there is the situation around Jacob. Did you see what Jacob heard from the sons of Laban as they were talking about him? Jacob noticed that his in-laws weren’t as friendly toward him as before, largely because of the increase in his wealth. Now, our circumstances aren’t always the finger of God pointing out His way…However, they can be significant indicators of God’s will. In other words, When God wants to move us, He makes us uncomfortable. He…”stirs the nest”, if you will…Now there is another way that is incredibly important and cannot be left out when considering a huge move like what Jacob is considering here. arguably this is the most important piece of the puzzle when seeking God’s direction in your life. God leads us through His Word. Remember, God has spoken to Jacob in a dream, but Jacob stuck around a little longer…Now God is being very clear and telling him to “go back home”. What is really cool is that at every important crisis in Jacob’s life God had a conversation with Jacob. When he left home, when he is returning home, when he will meet Esau, when he will visit Bethel, and move to Egypt later. God led Jacob…just like, God leads you and I as long as we are willing to follow!

Now 20 years ago Jacob escaped his brother Esau even though he had been blessed by his father Isaac. When he fled his brother he ran with what was on his back. In 20 years Jacob has learned how to run away with more than his staff, but he is still running. Instead of facing Laban honestly and trusting the Lord to keep His promises and work things out, Jacob fled with his family like a criminal escaping justice. This was an act of fear and unbelief, not an act of faith. This escape will of course lead to…

The Confrontation: (vs 22-42)

Genesis 31:22–42 ESV

When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods. Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

So you’ll remember there is a 3 day’s journey between Laban’s camp where his flocks are and where Jacob’s flocks are. They waited until Laban had gone to shear his sheep and that’s when Rachel went into Laban’s tent to steal his household god and then they all packed up and left. That means right off the bat there are a 3 days journey ahead of Laban. Well, by the time Laban gets the news and catches up its takes a week to catch up.

Of course Laban tries to get the upper hand immediately by manipulating the situation. Laban rebuked Jacob for stealing his god. So Laban accuses Jacob of deceit…the guy who has been cheating and manipulating Jacob for the past 20 years is accusing Jacob of deceit. The best part of course is the fact that Laban can not do anything about it because the Lord had already warned him to be careful…God promised to protect Jacob and God is keeping his promise.

So Laban pretends that he is upset because of his grandchildren and his daughters who he has been abusing and manipulating right along with Jacob while the whole time actually being upset becuase someone has stole his gods. Watching his deceitful father-in-law arrogantly search through all the family’s personal possessions made Jacob angry, and rightly so; and feelings just dumping from his heart these feelings that had been buried there for twenty years. The feelings that he’s been just dealing with. Jacob talked about Laban’s underhandedness, how he had deceived Jacob, given him the hardest work, and changed his wages over and over again. God had blessed Laban because of Jacob, but Laban had never thanked either the Lord or Jacob, nor had he repaid Jacob for the animals he replaced at his own expense. Jacob just let it all out here…

But did you catch what Jacob said about the Lord? “If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.” Jacob is realizing in real time as he is standing with Laban and in front of his family and everyone else that if it were not for God, Laban would steal from him again, but becuase God is keeping his promises, Jacob and his whole family is protected from this evil. What an incredible blessing!

Jacob standing up to Laban like that led to

The Agreement: (vs 43-55)

Genesis 31:43–55 ESV

Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me.” So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, and Mizpah, for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight. If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.” Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country. Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.

To come to a final agreement Laban makes the proposal that he and Jacob make a covenant that would bring peace as well as a separation between the future Israelite and Aramean branches of the family. Different parts of this process would be building this stone pillar and mound, as well as gathering witnesses and making the covenant with each other. Then the pillar and mound would serve as a marker as well as a dividing line, or a treaty line of where they would be allowed to go up to, but not cross. If they were to cross this boundary, they would be breaking their covenant, and then their would no longer be peace. This is much like peace treaties and military zones today. You see, in that sense, this wasn’t a declaration of peace, it is more of a temporary cease fire that can be broken if either party violated the terms of the agreement.

Jacob did something incredibly valuable here though and it’s something that I think we can all learn from this morning. Jacob closed the day by offering sacrifices to the Lord and inviting his relatives to share in the sacrificial meal. Jacob is setting up to bless his family that he has just lived with and served with for the last 20 years. He wanted the God of his fathers to be honored before this pagan family that had caused him so much grief. The next morning, Laban said his farewells and returned home; and a long and difficult chapter in Jacob’s life came to a close, a chapter in which God was with him from beginning to end.

signal worship team

I recently learned about the closing of a place that I am both happy about and terribly sad about. This is a place that God was with Beth and I from the beginning to the end. You see, the church that Bethany and I served at for 10 years prior to moving here to Leaf River recently held their last service on May 5th. For the last 2-3 years we were there I saw more and more of a liberal drift that I did not tolerate and that is what led to my needing to leave that position. To be clear I am speaking of a Theological liberal drift, not a political or social drift. I fought the drift until it became clear that it didn’t matter what I did the drift would happen, and the Lord was removing his hand from that place. However, when I left I did not leave under cover of night the way that Jacob did, and there were those that attempted to harm me in the process, even attempting to prevent us from moving, mu as Laban desired to harm Jacob. Those that attempted to harm me have been removed from ministry in 2022, praise the Lord, and their influence has now been erased. I say praise the Lord because they are no longer pushing a false gospel.

Life isn’t easy, but if we submit to God’s truths and let Him guide us in our decisions, we can endure those difficulties victoriously and develop the kind of character that glorifies God. We can conquer those moment by claiming promises like

1 Peter 5:10 (ESV)

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

You see…The God of Jacob…Isaac…and Abraham never fails.

Stand up and reflect on the God of Abraham this morning.

worship team leads song

Let’s pray (pray that we are able to trust God’s promises in our life)

Now, here is something that is pretty important that I will say that I do not always have the wisdom to do. See, I am many times certain in how God is leading and I will get so excited that I will just start moving…like Ill start packing the boxes and getting ready. That happened when we moved from Mishawaka to Lafayette, In. I mean I didn’t start packing the boxes, but i practically did. At the end of the school year I took a group of high school kids to youth camp and I was convicted about the fact that i was not following what God had led me to in vocational ministry…meaning ministry as a job. So I got back from that camp and I just started passing out my resume all over the US. I started emailing all over. I didn’t tell Bethany about this conviction that I had. I just started emailing people and I would get messages back from churches and I would talk with churches from all over. I would talk to them and I would either decide it was not a good fit based on their theology or some other issue or there were a couple that i felt would be potential…I still hadn’t talked to Beth about it. I continued having conversations with a couple of churches. Then it came down to a couple of churches and one was in Lafayette and they would like me to drive down on a Monday evening for an interview. Now….I have to tell Beth because I’m gonna be gone for a few hours. Here’s the deal. I didn’t tell Bethany because I didn’t want to get laughed at for the dumb idea of thinking that God could use a looser like me. So I put it off…The thing is…It’s God’s choice what kind of looser he wants to use, Amen…Here’s the thing though…that was dumb, because then I have to tell Bethany that Im going down for an interview and then like 2 months later we are moved down to Lafayette, IN and starting over in life again. That’s not easy in case you’re wondering…to start over with friends and no family within a few hours and you have to just be there to serve others…its incredibly rewarding, but it’s not easy…especially when my pour wife had no idea it was coming like I did. That’s not what Jacob did…Jacob took it to those closest to him and they all talked about it and made the decision together.