God Fulfills His Promises

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God Fulfills His Promises

• Genesis 2815 3155

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Gods Promises to Jacob Genesis 28

• The Purpose of His Blessing
• So that we may be a blessing to others
• The Promises of His Message - Genesis 2815
• I am with you
• I will keep you
• I will bring you back
• I will not leave you

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Better Late Than NeverGenesis 2810 - 2913

• A Poor Start
• Jacob made a bad name and a horrible life for
  himself
• He deceived his father - Genesis 2735
• He angered his brother - Genesis 2745
• His mother had sent him 500 miles away to Haran,
  where her brother lived
• Jacob had a lot of spare time to reconsider his
  ways
• He was a changed man by the time he reached Haran
  
• What was different in his life?

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What was different?

• He Began to See Gods Providence - 281-14
• Jacobs ladder - Gods deliberate disclosure of
  His involvement in our lives

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Jacobs Stairway
John 151 . . . Most assuredly, I say to you,
hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the
angels of God ascending and descending upon the
Son of Man
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What was different?

• He Began to See Gods Providence - 281-14
• Jacobs ladder - Gods deliberate disclosure of
  His involvement in our lives
• God literally threw down a ladder of hope
• God promised His presence and providence in a
  powerful and unmistakable way
• From then on Jacob began to look for and see
  Gods provision in his life

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What was different?

• He Began to See Gods Providence - 281-14
• He Changed His Perspective of Life
• Previously The LORD your God gave me success -
  Genesis 2720
• God was in the second person and a second-hand
  experience
• Jacob vowed to make a change
• He offered to God an altar (Genesis 253), a
  tithe (v 22), and a commitment
• He did not ask for what God was not willing to
  give
• Instead of relying on his abilities, he began to
  trust God to supply His needs

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What was different?

• He Began to See Gods Providence - 281-14
• He Changed His Perspective of Life
• He Began to Care About Others More Than Himself -
  294-11
• The new Jacob was friendly, helpful, and more
  real
• He addressed strangers as my brothers, politely
  asked about his uncles welfare, and was genuine
  in his interactions with people
• He readily helped strangers and relatives without
  being asked, worked for free
• His education is not complete, but it is off to a
  good start
• Priorities God first, family and others next,
  and himself last
• Then God really began to work in Jacobs life

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Ways God Works in the Lives of His People

• After the dream, Jacob continued on his journey
• Chapters 29-31 - summary of the next 20 years of
  Jacobs life
• More than a biography
• A history of Gods presence and activity
• An example of the way that God works in the lives
  all of His people

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By Guiding Them Genesis 291-14

• The Lord is guiding His peoples lives so that
  His plan is fulfilled
• Our lives are not controlled by fate, chance, or
  luck, whether good or bad
• Gods guidance may not always be obvious but it
  is always there
• It is easy to see Gods guiding hand in Jacobs
  life

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By Guiding Them Genesis 291-14

• The Lord is guiding His peoples lives so that
  His plan is fulfilled
• Did Jacob just happen to arrive at the very well
  where there were shepherds who were from Haran
  and knew Laban? - Genesis 294,5
• Was it just coincidence that Labans daughter
  Rachel shows up at the very time Jacob is asking
  about the family? - Genesis 296
• Was Jacob just lucky enough to have encountered
  lazy shepherds who were unwilling to move the
  large stone from a well? - Genesis 298-11
• The circumstances were not coincidence - God was
  actively working in Jacobs life

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By Guiding Them Genesis 291-14

• The Lord is guiding His peoples lives so that
  His plan is fulfilled
• What is true Jacob is also true of all of us
• Good circumstances like Jacob
• Bad circumstances like Joseph
• You can be sure that God is present and active to
  bring about his plan
• Sometimes life may seem out of control and it may
  seem that were heading in the wrong direction
• Sometimes it may seem that we are all alone
• During those times we need to know by faith in
  Gods word that God is guiding and directing our
  lives

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By Disciplining ThemGenesis 2914-30

• After seven years of hard work, Jacob was
  deceived by Laban
• He woke up to discover that he had married Leah
• He would have to work another seven years for
  Rachel
• Not just a coincidence or bad luck!
• It was Gods discipline of Jacob for his
  deception of his father, Isaac
• Similarities - Labans deception and his own of
  Isaac
• Jacob pretended to be the oldest son in order to
  deceive Isaac, now he is Leah pretending to be
  the youngest daughter
• Jacob deceived Isaac by the disguising himself
  and most likely he himself was deceived because
  Leah was disguised by veils
• Laban specifically mentions the rights of the
  firstborn as his reason for deceiving Jacob

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By Disciplining ThemGenesis 2914-30

• Sometimes circumstances cause pain and trouble
• Discipline for sins we have committed so that we
  can learn not to do them again
• Not to harm us or in anger but to shape and
  develop us as His people
• We must learn that actions have consequences!
• When we disobey Gods standards or act in
  distrust of him were going to pay a price
• Were going to be disciplined by our loving Father

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By Disciplining ThemGenesis 2914-30

• Jacob had discovered a spiritual truth
• You reap what you sow
• God will work in our lives so that we take sin
  seriously
• Illustration Billy Graham
• Gods purposes in His correction are to shape us
  for the work He has prepared for us to do!

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By Prospering ThemGenesis 2931-3023

• God prospered Jacob by providing the two most
  important things that he lacked children and
  flocks
• God still does the same today for his people
• Prosper does not always mean money, wealth, or
  possessions
• God prospers us by providing us with what we need
  to fulfill Gods plan and promises
• Jacob needed offspring and flocks but the
  Christian today can prosper in other ways
• We can prosper in our ministries
• We can prosper in our relationship with the Lord
• We can prosper in our growth in Christian
  character
• God is actively working to provide all that we
  need

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Leah

• She was not the most beautiful woman, but God was
  going to bless her tremendously
• God knew that Leah was not loved by Jacob as she
  should have been, so he had compassion on her and
  blessed her with being the mother of six of
  Jacobs sons directly, including Levi and Judah,
  and two more sons indirectly by her maidservant
• Genesis 2935 This time I will praise the Lord
• Genesis 3017 God listened to Leah
• Leah turned to the Lord to seek his blessing
• Rachel who turned to superstition

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Jacob

• Failure to exhibit leadership in his family
• Abraham with Sarah and Hagar
• Isaac with Rebekka, Jacob, and Esau
• The end result is a very messed up family
• When Christian husbands and fathers abdicate the
  leadership role they have been given by God then
  the family will not function correctly

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Rachel

• Beautiful but she lacked the godly
  characteristics of Leah
• Blames Jacob for her barrenness instead of going
  to the Lord for answers - Genesis 301-3
• Turns to superstition as a means of resolving her
  barrenness instead of to prayer - mandrake root -
  Genesis 3014-15
• Steals idols from her fathers house - Genesis
  3119
• Rachel finally prayed and Genesis 3022 says,
  God listened
• God in his grace and mercy blessed Rachel with
  two children her own Joseph and Benjamin

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By Prompting Them in the Right Direction -
Genesis 311-16

• God uses various means to encourage us or prompt
  us to do His will
• Opens and closes doors
• Puts the pressure on
• Remind us of what His will is for our lives
• Gods will for Jacob is to return to the Promised
  Land
• Jacob learns that Labans sons are angry
• He notices Labans attitude has become bad toward
  him
• His wives agree that their father has acted
  unfairly and that theres no reason to stay
• In a dream God reminded Jacob of his vow to
  return to Bethel and instructed him to leave at
  once

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By Protecting ThemGenesis 3117-55

• Leaving Haran was very risky
• A strong chance that Laban and his sons would
  interfere forcefully
• A strong chance that Esau was still angry and
  would kill Jacob
• God was the only source of protection Jacob
  needed
• If we are doing Gods will, we can be confident
  that He will protect us so that His work in us
  and through us is completed

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By Protecting ThemGenesis 3117-55

• Jacob and Rachels faith that God would protect
  them was not as strong as it should have been
• They turn to their own devices to provide
  protection and in the end this caused them more
  trouble
• Rachel stole her fathers household idols
• Something she could fall back on in case things
  didnt work out
• We too may find our security in other things
  besides God
• Our bank account
• A relationship
• A certain job
• Because we trust in these things and find our
  security in them we desperately try to hold on to
  them, but God wants us to trust in him alone!

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By Protecting ThemGenesis 3117-55

• Jacob doesnt trust God to protect him either
• He depends once again on deception instead of God
• Jacobs deception and Rachels theft come from a
  lack of faith and they only produced more
  hostility with Laban.
• Life lessons
• When we act in distrust of God we only bring more
  trouble to ourselves
• God protects His people despite their foolish
  choices
• Laban intends to harm Jacob but God intervened in
  a dream
• Do not say anything to Jacob either good or bad
  
• A Hebrew idiom which means Dont mess with
  Jacob!
• God was watching over him just as he has promised
  and does with us

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Be Encouraged!

• God is present and working to accomplish His will
• Trust His promises
• I am with you
• I will keep you
• I will bring you back
• I will not leave you
• Watch for Gods providence in your life
• Change your perspective to Gods perspective
• Care more about others than about yourself

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Be Encouraged!

• Then you will see that
• God is guiding your life
• God is disciplining you when you sin
• God is prospering you so that you can accomplish
  His will in your life
• God is prompting you in the right direction
• God is protecting you