The God of the Moment.

Genesis 25:1-8

Opening

We serve a mighty God.

He has been faithful.

There is no one like the Lord.

Our hope comes from Jesus.

He is our provider, He is the great I am!

The alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end!

Can I tell you that this is not just a routine.

This is not something that we do out of tradition, But we believe that God still delivers,

That God is a restorer, and He is still a savior.

We do not come to church, just because we do not have anything better to do.

Just because we like to look at ourselves dressed up, but something happens when two- or three are gathered in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 18:1–6 KJV 1900

1 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. 4 The sorrows of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: The snares of death prevented me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Has anyone every been through a trial. Through a situation.

A tragedy perhaps, a dark time in your life.

Maybe there was a sickness you were dealing with.

Maybe there were internal turmoil in your life or external factors that was robbing your hope, your joy.

You weren’t sure how you were going to get out of it, you didn’t necessarily see the bright line at the end of the tunnel.

Has someone found Psalm 30:5 to be true:

King James Version (Psalm 30)

5- Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Listen, theres’ a time for fancy preaching.

There’s a time for revelatory theology.

There’s a time for more knowledge.

But let us never forget our testimony!

Let us never forget where we came from!

I was lost but now I am found!

Share Testimony:

I grew up in Church.

I had the privilege of growing up in a Apostolic Pastor’s home.

My mom would sing

Sister sang,

Brother played drums and I just sat there and look pretty.

My Dad was a well respected preacher, and was well know within the Spanish Organization we were a part of.

Unfortunately as the ebbs and flow of life happens my parents split up.

It started a series of unfortunate events, I would have to deal with the adventure of two homes,

Deal with the instability of consistently moving from home to home, living with one parent for a little and the next.

Dealt with moments of poverty. Didn’t have electricity.

Did not have the ability to wash my Football uniform.

Came to a point where we had our mattress in our car that we had to sleep in with no place to live.

All this while dealing wiht the interturmoil of abuse from a close family member.

This would lead to a roller coaster of identity.

Would try to find it through “Gangs”.

Through.

Jacob’s Bio:

Throughout the latter half of the book of Genesis you hear about a man named Jacob.

Maybe you have heard of him before.

Jacob came from a powerful lineage

His grandfather was Abraham- Who was considered the Father of Faith.

He was the man that God made a covenant/Promise with:

“That he would be a father of not just many children, but of many nations.

Kings will come out of thee.

And this covenanat/promise/agreement was not just for him but to all the generations that will come after him. (Genesis 17:1-8)

Abraham had a son named Isaac and Isaac had Jacob.

And although we see him mostly for the postive aspects.

Jacob is considered one of the most unlikable people in the word of God.

He steals from his brother what God was going to give him. (Esau Birthright inheritance)

He lies to his blind father Isaac

Jacob and Bethel

Jacob convinces his brother Esau to give him his Birthright.

And trick his father to bless him instead of his brother.

In fear of his brother’s retaliation, he has to leave home.

He ends up heading to Haran, where Abraham’s family is from.

Genesis 28:10-18

King James Version (Chapter 28)

And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it

There’s still a promise for Jacob- There is still a promise for you!

Jacob in a time of loneliness.

Being afraid of his brother, but also of this journey that his heading to.

Here he is working for a blessing to received what His Grandfather Abraham had, and his Father had, but now it seems to be all out of the picture.

And now he is leaving the land that God promised for his family and lineage.

It seems as if things are going the opposite direction.

and Then God enters into the picture.

He speak to him in that place through a dream.

God begins to remind him of the promised he still has for Jacob.

Although, there have been hiccups

Although, thee have been wrong decisions made.

Although, it seems as if it all has been messed up.

God reminds him there is still a promise for Him!

Listen, you may have made some bad decisions.

Maybe things were done correctly.

Maybe things seem bleak, But God still has a promise for you!

He is not done yet!

It may seem like you are going backwards, but God has not forgotten about you.

Jacob was sent to leave the land of Canaan that God promised Abraham/Isaac and had him Go back to Where Abraham was from.

v.15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

And although it seemed like a failure, your setback is just a setup.

Him going back to Haran led him to a God Moment.

God moments are important.

God moments are perspective changers

God moments are milestones in people’s life

What is a God moments in your life?

(I.E Camp, altar crying, Seeing my Bestfriend baptized etc…)

“Talk about Mother in Law and prayed for his Kids to have God Encounter God Momments, because that is what will make God real to them.

Can I challenge you today to grab those God moments and put a stone on it.

Let it be a reminder.

God was with you then, then He will be with you now.

He spoke to you then, He still wants to speak to you now.

He had a plan for you then, He still has a plan for you now.

I have had many revelations of the Word of God, but my most cherished revelations were those God moments.

Jacob I needed to take you back, so you can have a God moment.

Don’t forget your testimony, put a stone on it, make it a pillar.

This place where your Grandfather built an altar,

Can I speak to the Church of the Living God!

It may seem like we are out numbered.

It may look like there is still a lot of work to do

You eyes may suggest that we have missed the mark, But God still has a promise for his Church!

Be encouraged that The “Lord is in this place”,

What we do here on Sundays is not just a show,

It is not just tradition.

But the Lord is in this place.

What we do on Wednsdays is not in Vain, because the Lord is in this place.

Don’t forget the testimony of the Church.

We were built on the foundation of the Apostles.

We are still the Acts 2 church.

Nothing has changed God is in this place.

God of the house of God.

Jacob after the God moment at Bethel went on to Haran.

Met Rachel, had Children with Rachel and Leah.

Worked for his Father in law Laban.

There was drama there.

He then goes on a quest to restore his relationship with his Brother Esaue in Genesis 32.

While on this journey in verse 24 you see that Jacob has an encounter with God.

Scriputres says that he wrestled with a man. Possibly an angel of God.

The angel touched the hollow of his thigh and it was out of joint.

Jacob claims that he won’t let go until he gets his blessing.

God changes his name to Israel

Bethel to El Bethel

Those God moments are important and pivotal in our walk.

But the God Moments are to lead us to the God of the moment.

It’s not just about having a moment, feeling Good,

But it is about knowing God.

At first God had a relationship with the moment the place,

now He has a relationship with the God of theplace.

Jesus is the gate From Earth to Heaven.

King James Version (Chapter 1) John 1:43-51

d go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. 50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

We can get use to the House of God, but for get the God of the House.

It doesn’t matter how far you messed up God can still reveal himself to you!

There is still one way to be saved that works! Believe it!

Chapter 28 the vision came after one of his worst failures.

Gods sovereignty overrules the strategy of evil and his love offers hope in the midsyt of failure.

Out of failures he makes new men

When Jacob came to Him, He knew God had come to him

That God had spojed to Him

“Surely the Lord is in this place, And I was not aware of it.’

“How awesome is this plac”

“This is the house of God”This is the gate of Heaven”

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 25

Beer-lahai-roi,

This is where Hagare had and encounter with God and then later where Rebekah had a divine miracle in having Esau and Jacob.

God told Rebekah that Esau and Jacob would each form a nation.

abbreviated verions of jacob is “May God protect”

Isaacs life shows him as a well digger than any other active role

God repeats the promise he made to Abraham again Jacob.

Gen 28:15 - Althought Jacob is being exiled from the Land due to his acts, God reminded him that he is entitled to the very ground form which he is being driven out of.

House of God - Temple

Faithlife Study Bible Atonement

When Christians speak of atonement in the context of the Bible, they are generally referring to the idea that Christ died for people’s sins. Often, this is limited to discussions of what Christ accomplished on the cross. But sometimes the discussion includes Christ’s entire life—from His birth through His resurrection. The word “atonement” is an English word that reflects the biblical idea of reconciliation. It is used primarily to translate the Old Testament word kippur, which technically means “to cover over.” It is also used, though only three times, to translate the word hilasterion or its derivatives. Despite its basic absence in the New Testament (with three exceptions), the idea of reconciliation permeates the New Testament ideas of Christ’s work.

Jacob had initially just laid a stone but ended up coming back and laying up an altar.

God of Israel - Name the Altar

35:3 I will make an Altar unto god in th eday of my distress.

House of God-

Jacob arrived safely at Bethel and erected an altar, as God commanded. Then he renamed the sacred place El-Bethel, “the God of Bethel” (literally, “the God of the house of God”). The narrator explains Jacob’s reason for the new name: “God had appeared to him when he fled before his brother” (Gen 35:7). When Jacob first named the place Bethel (“house of God”), he simply acknowledged that the place was sacred because God had been there (Gen 28:17). Now God has taken care of Jacob, and the place becomes much less significant than the God who met him there.4

Let;s not just be satisfied with the House of God.

The moments,

But let’s look for the God of the House of God.

Lets desire him again only.

I don’t want just a moment, I don’t want just a feeling, but I want the Lord. I want to know him.

GOd prevails-Israel

Jacob-Heel Catcher-Supplanter

bethel- IT HAD ABUNDANT SPRINGS, THE AREA WAS FERTILE AND ATTRACTIVE TO SETTLEMENTS AND FIRST SUPPORTED A CITY AROUND ABRAHAMS TIME.

wAS A SANCTUARY AND SEEN AS A RELIGOUS CENTER.

King James Version Chapter 12

7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD

John Main Homiletics of the Paragraph.—Verses 45–51

The answer of Jesus is a gracious promise of a higher revelation still of His Messiahship to all His disciples—a promise first made in type at Bethel. Through Christ’s incarnation the stairway uniting earth and heaven, humanity and God, was completed, and through “the new and living way” all blessings, angelic and others, would come to man (ver. 51).

HOMILETIC NOTES