Biddulph Sunday am 16th March 2008
Place: Biddulph AOG. Date: Sunday am 16th March 2008.
Text: Genesis 33:9. Theme: Having enough!
Introduction: Reading: Genesis 33:1-12.
“But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”
1 AND JACOB raised his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming and with him 400 men. So he divided the children to Leah and to Rachel and to the two maids.
2 And he put the maids and their children in front, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last of all.
3 Then Jacob went over [the stream] before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.
5 [Esau] looked up and saw the women and the children and said, who are these with you? And [Jacob] replied, they are the children whom God has graciously given your servant.
6 Then the maids came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her children came near, and they bowed themselves. After them Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed themselves.
8 Esau said, what do you mean by all this company which I met? And he said, these are that I might find favour in the sight of my lord.
9 And Esau said, I have plenty, my brother; keep what you have for yourself. 10 But Jacob replied, No, I beg of you, if now I have found favour in your sight, receive my gift that I am presenting; for truly to see your face is to me as if I had seen the face of God, and you have received me favourably.
11 Accept, I beg of you, my blessing and gift that I have brought to you; for God has dealt graciously with me and I have everything. And he kept urging him and he accepted it.
12 Then [Esau] said, Let us get started on our journey, and I will go before you. Genesis 33:1-12 (AMP).
A family argument brought about bad feelings between these two brothers of Esau and Jacob. Jacob had tricked Esau out of their father's blessing. But now Jacob wanted an end to the fight, so he presented to Esau a great gift. But Esau's reply was: “You keep the gift, I have enough!”
At first, Esau's statement “I have enough!” Seems a very spiritual statement. But this was nothing less than ungodly contentment! Esau's character defect, and it may be yours also, happy to stay where you are in God!
1st POINT: YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH IN THE LORD!
You need more of the Lord! There are some things that you cannot get too much of. Let us look at some examples:
1. The Lord's Blessing, Proverbs 10:22.
“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.” When it comes to God's blessing we cannot get too much! When Esau said, “He was content!” It was not godly contentment, but ungodly contentment, for he was happy to stay where he was. Esau did not think too much of the blessings of God. He was once willing to sell his birthright and blessing for a bowl of stew, he was easily pleased with what he had, to stay where he was!
2. The Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” This means there is no limit in what we need! You cannot have too much!
Do you have enough love?
Do you have enough joy?
Do you have enough peace?
Do you have enough self-control?
No! You can never have too much of the fruit of the Spirit of God.
3. Holiness. Luke 1:75.
“In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.” We are as holy as we want to be! We say we want to be holier and be closer to God, but we need to take time to be holy. Lord grant me more of You that I may be like unto your holiness!
2nd POINT: YOU MUST WANT MORE IN THE LORD!
The lives of Esau and Jacob, though brothers, stand in difference to each other. Esau was a hunter, a man of the field, a man's man! Yet Jacob was a gentleman who lived indoors! “Esau was a skilled hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents” Genesis 25:27. The meaning of “mild man” is upright and perfect.
Even their parents were split in their taste regarding them, “And Isaac loved Esau because he eat of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob” Genesis 25:28.
There was also another difference between these two men: Jacob wanted more! Esau was easily satisfied! What was it about this man that God loved so much? Malachi 1:2-3 “The Lord said “I loved Jacob.” It was because Jacob wanted more of the blessings of God.
Note Genesis 32:24-28 “God I will not let You go until you have blessed me!” He prevailed and he got more!
For there has to be craving, a longing, a desire in the heart of men and women if they want more of God. Jacob placed a high price on blessing. He would go to any lengths for the blessing of the Lord. What about you?
3rd POINT: HERE IS HOW TO GET MORE IN THE LORD!
1. Ask for more!
Jacob pleaded for more. Jesus Himself said, “Ask, and it shall be given you” Matthew 7:7. “All things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive” Matthew 21:22.
2. Give more!
This was not the first time Jacob had been in God's presence. Note: Genesis 28:16-22 “And of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” Jesus also taught that God's way is often opposite to man's way. If you want to get, we have to give! If you want to lead, we have to be servants! “Give, and it shall be given you, for with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you “Luke 6:38.
3. Pay the price!
Oh! I thought the blessings of God were free! No! It is not! We do not earn it! We do not deserve it! But there is always a price to be paid! In Jacob's case he had to wrestle all night, Genesis 32:29-30. Are you willing to pay the price for the blessing of God?
CONCLUSION:
Do you want more of God? Or have you enough?
I for one always want more of the blessings of the Lord!
When was the last time you pleaded with God?
When was the last time you wrestled with God?
When was the last time you paid the price?