1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,840 Amen praise be to God this afternoon I have a word to share with you and I'm 2 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:10,660 gonna invite you if you can join me I'll be reading from the book of Genesis 3 00:00:10,660 --> 00:00:15,800 chapter 31 beginning a new series for a few weeks in preparation for our 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:23,100 upcoming revival this month God has laid some things on my heart that I want to 5 00:00:23,100 --> 00:00:27,720 share with you and so we're going to for a couple of weeks whatever God will 6 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:33,800 allow getting into some things get into some principles into his word and so 7 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:39,480 this the series is called Road to Revival Road to Revival and I believe 8 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:45,760 that in preparation for what God is doing in our church and what he wants to 9 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:51,840 do there are some steps there are some things that we personally individually so 10 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:56,600 this message and those that are coming after it I want you to take every 11 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:02,880 message personally I want you to think and pray and consider what God wants to 12 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:07,760 do in your life because before we can expect God to move in a in a corporate 13 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:13,520 way or extend outside of these walls we need to line ourselves up with his will 14 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:20,920 and his purpose amen so Genesis chapter 31 verses 1 through 3 amen and then we're 15 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:27,400 going to skip over to chapter 35 but where the Word of God says now Jacob 16 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:34,480 heard the words of Laban's son saying Jacob has taken away all that was our 17 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:44,060 fathers and from what was our fathers he has acquired all his wealth and Jacob 18 00:01:44,060 --> 00:01:51,600 saw the countenance of Laban and indeed it was not favorable toward him as 19 00:01:51,600 --> 00:02:04,340 before then the Lord said to Jacob return everyone say return return to 20 00:02:04,340 --> 00:02:12,560 the land of your fathers and to your family and I will be with you now I'd 21 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:23,760 like us to look at Genesis chapter 35 and verse 1 Genesis 35 verse 1 then God 22 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:34,800 said to Jacob arise go up to Bethel and dwell there and make an altar there to 23 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:43,560 God who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother what 24 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:50,400 we see here in these passages is that Jacob had to go back to Bethel for a 25 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:56,760 personal revival renewal and sometimes friend brother or sister church 26 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:04,960 sometimes in the Lord you have to go back in order to move forward not back 27 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:11,920 to the things he delivered us from but back to our first love back to the heart 28 00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:19,040 of worship back to faith back to the first works and so that's what this is 29 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:24,040 all about and today I'm gonna be preaching back to Bethel why don't we 30 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:29,240 pray right now Lord we love you we thank you for your presence that we feel so 31 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:33,280 tangibly here in this place and I ask God that for the next few moments that 32 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:40,200 we have Lord that as we expound on the word as we see what it has to say for us 33 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:45,920 Lord that you would open our ears our spiritual ears to understand so that we 34 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:51,000 can receive God have your way in our lives today Lord encourage edify 35 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:57,640 convict change challenge Lord this moment is yours God and anoint my lips 36 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:03,520 of clay put your word in my mouth every word I speak would be glorious in your 37 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:08,480 in your sight would be honoring to you father we ask this in Jesus name 38 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:14,360 everyone say amen amen everyone say man and then you can be seated in the 39 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:21,000 presence of God to understand our passage we need to look back 20 years to 40 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:27,840 Jacob's first encounter with God at Bethel so we're just going to rewind the 41 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:31,680 tape for a little bit and some of you don't even know what rewinding a tape 42 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:37,760 is you know it's just you know look it up Google it but we're gonna rewind the 43 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:44,240 tape a little bit back to a time in Jacob's life at that time Jacob was 20 44 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:51,080 years in the past a con artist on the run he was fleeing from Esau after 45 00:04:51,080 --> 00:05:00,080 swindling him out of his birthright and also deceiving his father by means of 46 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:05,560 manipulation pretending to be his brother and lots of interesting details 47 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:10,160 there that if you care you can read but I think many of us here today are 48 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:15,480 familiar with those scenes in Jacob's life but after doing these things he 49 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:22,160 felt very alone afraid and uncertain about his future and it was in this dark 50 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:30,360 period that God appeared to him in a dream and in that dream Jacob saw a 51 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:37,600 ladder set up on earth that stretched from earth to heaven and this was a very 52 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:43,120 pivotal moment for Jacob he for the first time in his life had a divine 53 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:50,920 encounter with God and for the first time he got a glimpse of the invisible 54 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:59,240 nature of God's dealings saw the supernatural and this left an incredible 55 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:06,720 mark on him he realized in that very important time that that God was closer 56 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:13,360 than he had imagined and this was important because he was on the run and 57 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:19,760 feeling like perhaps that God had written him off but the fact that he has 58 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:25,800 this dream and he sees God or he sees these angels ascending and descending 59 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:33,040 send a very powerful message to him that God was not done with him and so this is 60 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:38,760 an important truth for all of us today and just to pause here to tell someone 61 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:46,680 today that that God is not done with you amen I said God is not done with you and 62 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:53,120 we're just pulling over to the to this little detour here for a moment just to 63 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:58,040 reflect on the fact that that God doesn't give up on us that easy amen he's 64 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:03,560 a patient God he's a patient God and he's long-suffering towards us and and 65 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:08,640 I'm so grateful to the Lord that he does not cancel our callings on him over a 66 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:14,920 season of disappointment and failure I'm so glad that God doesn't treat me or us 67 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:20,480 the way that humans treat one another in that he is so much more forgiving so 68 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:26,700 much more patient so much more willing to give us repeated chances to get it 69 00:07:26,700 --> 00:07:33,200 right and so we see the grace of God at work in Jacob's life that God does not 70 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:39,820 cancel his destiny over a season of mistakes and failures in his life and so 71 00:07:39,820 --> 00:07:45,360 it was that first visit to Bethel that not only saved his life but it reaffirmed 72 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:51,960 God's covenant with his grandfather Abraham it was a covenant to to bless 73 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:58,440 him to establish him to make him a great nation it was a covenant to bless him 74 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:03,600 with land with descendants and protection this was the Abrahamic 75 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:09,960 covenant and so God reminded him of that at that at that moment of seeing the the 76 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:15,280 staircase from earth to heaven it was so significant in his life there at Bethel 77 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:20,240 the first encounter at Bethel that he renamed Jacob renamed the place from 78 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:27,400 Luz which meant crooked to Bethel which means house of God that's how important 79 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:32,160 that's how significant it was that he changed the name of that place from 80 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:40,360 crooked to house of God and so for him this marked a moment this marked a time 81 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:46,560 that he would never forget in his life how God had visited him there however 82 00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:50,600 that's not really what I've come to preach about today because as we 83 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:57,440 continue on in the pages of Jacob's life after Bethel shows us some interesting 84 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:02,800 things that took place and one of the things that we begin to understand is 85 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:09,000 that that it that having an experience with God is not the same as fully 86 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:14,780 surrendering to God because Jacob had a divine encounter with God he had an 87 00:09:14,780 --> 00:09:21,840 experience with God but he was largely the same man he really didn't change 88 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:26,440 from that moment despite the fact that he had this great dream and vision 89 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:32,400 despite the fact that he renamed the place the fact is is that his name 90 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:37,100 wasn't renamed so you can rename a moment but until your identity gets 91 00:09:37,100 --> 00:09:42,200 changed you're kind of the same person as soon as what happened here is he he 92 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:48,560 was the same person and so for the next 20 years he settled in a place called 93 00:09:48,560 --> 00:09:55,160 Huron and we'll look at this this location a little closely here today but 94 00:09:55,160 --> 00:10:02,200 he spent time there and he met his wife-to-be Rachel and and married the 95 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:07,920 love of his life and began to build for himself a life and began to strive there 96 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:16,160 and and so he stayed there for for 20 years and it wasn't until God began to 97 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:22,760 deal with him again did he start to reevaluate his life the whole time that 98 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:26,840 he was there God didn't want him there this wasn't where God ultimately wanted 99 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:33,000 him to be and yet he spent all of that time settling himself into that place 100 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:37,500 and he he really think I think that Jacob really believed that this is where 101 00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:43,040 he was supposed to be this is where his life was meant to be lived this would be 102 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:49,040 the end-all be-all of everything I think Jacob since he had accumulated himself 103 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:56,820 wealth resources started his family got married and and began to really get 104 00:10:56,820 --> 00:11:01,920 things going in his life that this was all that his life was meant to be and so 105 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:07,080 he probably figured that his future was tied to this place Huron that his family 106 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:12,920 was tied to this place his his income was tied to this place and so he settled 107 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:18,840 in but the fact of the matter remains is that this place was not the place that 108 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:24,120 God had called him to of Bethel that place of fullness that place where God 109 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,560 ultimately wanted to meet him and so what I want to tell somebody from the 110 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:34,520 get-go today is that you'll never be truly satisfied or effective until you 111 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:40,080 get back to that place called Bethel amen somebody you'll never be truly 112 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:46,240 satisfied or fulfilled in your walk with God until you get back to that place 113 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:52,480 called Bethel Huron it may offer some things it may have some appealing 114 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:59,180 attributes characteristics about it but it is far from where God wants you to be 115 00:11:59,180 --> 00:12:04,240 in fact the name Huron means dry place dry place and you know sometimes God 116 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:11,000 has to dry up a place in order to push us into our purpose and push us into our 117 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,600 destiny but you know we're kind of stubborn let's just be honest and even 118 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:20,520 when God like literally dries up the ground underneath us spiritually because 119 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,840 we can be hard-headed stubborn stiff-necked in our ways we just refuse 120 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:30,280 to see the writing on the wall sometimes and so when dryness doesn't work God will 121 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:35,840 allow discomfort and pain to get our attention and this brings me to my first 122 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:40,440 very important point today which is that discomfort someone say discomfort 123 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:49,240 amen discomfort is a doorway discomfort is a doorway dryness didn't work and 124 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,640 other things that God had allowed to happen and Jacob wasn't getting the 125 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:59,360 message it just wasn't dawning on him that it was time for a change it was 126 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:05,680 time to spiritually reboot his faith and get back to the first things so when 127 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:11,520 Genesis 31 Jacob finds himself in a conflict probably that he never he never 128 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:16,880 first saw coming with his own father-in-law Laban mmm hallelujah 129 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:23,760 hallelujah it was a family term and turmoil between a son-in-law and the 130 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:29,340 father-in-law and this man Laban he once had a very cooperative relationship 131 00:13:29,340 --> 00:13:36,720 with it wasn't always bad from but but it kind of went off the rails from not I 132 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,520 guess from the beginning I mean there was like a short season where things are 133 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:44,200 okay but then from the very beginning after a few years of being settled 134 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:50,680 there with Laban things took a turn for the worse and as time went on tension 135 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:57,440 continued to brew between Jacob and Laban and things got worse and until 136 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:03,880 finally it got to the point where Laban's sons his sons began to complain 137 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:08,640 and they went to their father Laban and they started to complain to Laban it 138 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:14,040 said you know dad whatever they call them you know Papa let's have we need to 139 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:18,800 talk about what's going on here because we've been looking a lot at what's 140 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:22,320 happening over there with Jacob and we've been paying attention to this guy 141 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:27,160 and what we don't like is the fact that that he's accumulating all of this 142 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:33,840 wealth you know he he's got like all of these herds and and wealth and and we 143 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:38,240 just something doesn't see this is this is not right this is not fair this is 144 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:45,240 not equal and so what they were sort of insinuating is that Jacob had achieved 145 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:50,600 these things through dishonest means that was the insinuation that that you 146 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:55,320 know this guy can't be trusted you know this guy's crooked he's a con artist 147 00:14:55,320 --> 00:15:01,040 and and so he probably cheated to get what he had and so they painted Jacob as 148 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:05,640 as a thief you know oh there's got to be something wrong even though check this 149 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:10,560 out they had no proof that he was conning his way or that he was a schemer 150 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:16,480 they just had a hunch and I think their hunch was driven by their own jealousy I 151 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:21,040 think their hunch was driven by the fact that that he was blessed and they just 152 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:26,120 could handle the fact that this Jacob character was blessed and so they just 153 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,200 had a problem with it now I don't know these guys names because the Bible 154 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:34,080 doesn't tell us in the text but I can tell you I definitely know their type 155 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:39,960 because Jacob's sons are excuse me Laban sons are the types who will stir up 156 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:47,880 things stir up a strife or or drama or controversy simply because they are 157 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:54,880 dissatisfied with their own lives instead of celebrating what God is doing in 158 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:59,080 someone else's life instead of celebrating someone else's success 159 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:05,320 someone else's advancement they try to find ways to tear it down or to cast 160 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,760 down or say yeah you know but but there's just some of the smells it 161 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:13,320 doesn't pass the smell test you know they're always looking for for something 162 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:17,520 to catch that's wrong or or looking for something to find you know I bet you 163 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:22,400 they're guided through dishonest means they just can't handle the fact that 164 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:28,280 maybe God has just been good and God has blessed them sometimes opposition 165 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:32,640 doesn't come from our enemies it comes from people who can't handle the fact 166 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:37,840 that God has blessed you or God has raised you up or God has anointed you 167 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:43,880 but let me tell you those people cannot stop but God has destined for you to be 168 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:52,960 well no come on I wish I had a witness today and so Laban sons they got there 169 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:56,720 they got their dad's attention say there's something wrong with him and and 170 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:01,640 they made him out to be a bad character and so suddenly Laban turned on Jacob 171 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:06,400 from one night to the next their relationship soured and the next day 172 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:11,400 Jacob was met with cold stares and whispered complaints something had 173 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:17,320 shifted probably the moment he greeted him he said that that greeting felt a 174 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:23,640 little icy you know it's not quite the same love or warmth that I once felt 175 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:27,960 with Lee you know they started maybe giving him the cold shoulder and and 176 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:32,360 icing him out and he felt that there was something that has shifted there was 177 00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:36,760 something different in the air and so he definitely did not make him him 178 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:41,320 comfortable and and he realized that something is everything has changed I'm 179 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:46,480 no longer in good favor now with with with Laban and and and all of this 180 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:52,200 discomfort in his life started causing him to reevaluate where he was and and 181 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:57,840 it was a pivotal moment and the Lord spoke to him going back to Genesis 31 182 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:03,120 and verse 3 the Lord began to speak to him and he said return everyone say 183 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:10,160 return he said return to the land of your fathers and and to and your family 184 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:14,360 and I will be with you what God was trying to do listen we've kind of wake 185 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:18,320 up Jacob and understand the reason why I'm allowing you this frustration and 186 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:23,800 pain and discomfort is because you were never meant to dwell here this was not 187 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:28,520 your final destination this was not my will just because you got settled there 188 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:33,040 doesn't mean that that was in it just because I blessed you there that's just 189 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:37,120 because I'm a good God and I love you and so I'm gonna bless you because of 190 00:18:37,120 --> 00:18:41,720 who you are and because you're my child but but I've always had more for you 191 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:46,500 than that I've always had greater things but in order for you to see that I had 192 00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:52,240 to allow some holy friction in your life some divine disturbance in your life for 193 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:56,960 you to awaken to the fact that there was more in store for you and so sometimes 194 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:03,360 God will allow discomfort and pain and frustration and offense and all sorts of 195 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:09,400 things that bring about bad feelings and wrongness in our life why so that he can 196 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:16,120 break us out of where we've been and lead us into his holy purpose I've come 197 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:20,800 to tell you today that discomfort is not a dead end it's a doorway 198 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:26,880 hallelujah it's an invitation if you've got some discomfort in your life if you 199 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:32,360 been experiencing a season of discomfort if it's internally if it's externally if 200 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:37,680 it's on the job if it's in the church if it's in your own mind or spirit it could 201 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:44,000 be that God is using that discomfort to break you out of the mold of where you 202 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:50,220 are discomfort is not meant to destroy you it's meant to redirect you it's 203 00:19:50,220 --> 00:19:55,280 meant to call hallelujah this is what God allowed to the first century church 204 00:19:55,280 --> 00:20:00,360 as they got comfortable in the within the confines of Jerusalem they were 205 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:04,480 having comfortable church they were having comfortable gatherings and they 206 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:09,360 begin to forget about the mission that God had for them to reach outsiders from 207 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:14,560 their Jerusalem so what did God allow to happen he allowed persecution he allowed 208 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:19,960 pain he allowed offense he allowed problems and not force the people of 209 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:25,240 God outside so that they could get back to doing what God has called them to do 210 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:29,260 don't sit there and blame the devil don't sit there and blame your neighbor 211 00:20:29,260 --> 00:20:33,200 blame the pastor blame no if you're gonna blame anybody blame God because 212 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:37,520 he's the one that is orchestrating the events of your life and bringing it to 213 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:44,040 you your promise and your destiny God wants us to go into revival but we won't 214 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:48,680 have revival if we're in our comfort zones and we've accepted whatever has 215 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:55,120 been handed to us we've got a break out of that and sometimes it's discomfort 216 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:59,680 ask yourself today what is the discomfort in your life come on ask 217 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,720 yourself be real with yourself today could it be that God is calling you back 218 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:09,480 to something instead of resisting it instead of resisting it instead of 219 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:13,480 grieving it and turning back oh it must not be for me how do you know what's not 220 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:18,320 for you you got an a bag ask yourself these questions my friend today and step 221 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:22,560 through that door and trust that God is leading you to a greater purpose I can 222 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:26,320 tell you that every great thing that God has done in my life it started with a 223 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:33,920 place of discomfort started with some something or someone that went sideways 224 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:39,560 or went wrong or hurt or pain or just restlessness sometimes it's just a 225 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:47,160 season of restlessness and unsettling God is trying to awaken us hallelujah 226 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:54,320 but once you have made up your mind that you're ready to respond to the message 227 00:21:54,320 --> 00:22:01,320 that God is sending you respond to the writing on the wall respond to the word 228 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:05,600 that God is trying to deliver to your life the message he's trying to make as 229 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:09,560 clear as day something I mentioned me my wife are talking the other day I said 230 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:14,160 you know what there's this one language that everyone understands is pain I 231 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:20,680 don't care who you are what you are where you live what you make and who I 232 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:25,080 could tell you it doesn't matter who you are language the one language that 233 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:29,080 everyone speaks is pain and when God needs to get our attention he'll use 234 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:33,720 pain to do that and if it breaks us out of where we are great because when you 235 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:38,360 have decided hey I'm ready for change I've got good news for you today number 236 00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:45,440 two is that God accepts returns you know something that bothered me recently that 237 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:50,840 I read and for those of you who ever have like have retail therapy you know 238 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,200 when you just yeah I need to go buy something I don't know what it is I'll 239 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:57,920 find out when I get there you guys are so holy you never do these things praise 240 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:02,560 God you know it's just but something's calling my name you know and do I got 241 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:06,080 any people here that that you'll just buy something you know I haven't made up 242 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,640 my mind yet but but I'm just gonna buy I'm gonna take it home I'm gonna try it 243 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:14,920 on and see how that but as long as I can return it how many of you ever change 244 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:19,080 your mind to return something huh you ever change your mind to return something 245 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:24,040 yeah so you know what I I don't like this after all isn't it nice that you 246 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:29,120 can return something and then get your money back huh do you know what I read 247 00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:32,640 the other day that a lot of retailers are changing their return policies you 248 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:36,040 better read the fine print on the back of that receipt because now there's a 249 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,000 lot of retailers that don't allow they're not allowing returns anymore or 250 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:43,480 check this out they're charging a fee for you to return the devil is a liar 251 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:49,000 hallelujah but I thank God today because God's got the most gracious return 252 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:54,040 policy policies of all time because it doesn't matter how far you've drifted 253 00:23:54,040 --> 00:24:02,520 how much time has passed how uncertain you feel God accepts all returns he 254 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:09,040 accepts all returns and he will welcome you with open arms you can return back 255 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:13,880 to your first love you can return back to to surrender back to service back to 256 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:18,560 giving back to faith God says come back but there's a cat someone say there's a 257 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:23,200 catch oh hallelujah I gave you a chance to praise God I give you a chance to 258 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:29,760 clap but now there's a catch and the catch is this that returning to God the 259 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:37,920 place he wants you requires leaving behind your old self so there is a catch 260 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:44,440 God accepts all returns but the catch is that if you're going to return to that 261 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:51,120 place it requires shedding that part of you that you need to leave behind 262 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:55,080 shedding that part of your life shedding that part of your identity that needs to 263 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:59,480 change for Jacob you know what that meant shedding his identity as a schemer 264 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:05,400 that was his biggest character flaw and God is saying for you to step into this 265 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:09,440 new place for you to return back to Bethel Jacob you can't just come and 266 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:15,200 stay the way you are you can come but you've got to be willing to change mmm 267 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:20,800 hallelujah somebody got to be willing to repent someone say repent you got to be 268 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:25,080 willing to change and something interesting happened during his years in 269 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:31,560 Huron Jacob you know what happened Jacob got a taste of his own medicine he got 270 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:36,240 a taste of his own medicine you know why because the trickster got tricked he got 271 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:39,480 tricked you know what Jacob found out you ain't the only one that knows how to 272 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:46,640 scheme buddy because his father-in-law was like the schemer of schemers Jacob 273 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:52,560 found out that Laban he was a masterful schemer and he's scheme him he got him 274 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:59,600 good because he was supposed to marry the love of his life ended up with Leia 275 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:06,960 instead poor Leia my god and then he's scheme them again and again and he just 276 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:11,000 kept scheming but you know this this was good for Jacob you know why because 277 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:19,400 Jacob was having he was being forced to confront things about himself oh my god 278 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:24,920 he met his match with Laban and and Laban did these things to him and it 279 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:29,080 hurt Jacob and it was hard for him and it forced Jacob to confront his own 280 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:33,520 reflection looking at Laban was like looking in the mirror because he was 281 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:38,760 looking at the trade that he himself had to overcome in his own life you see at 282 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:43,280 some point church you're gonna have to face who you are at some point you're 283 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:52,080 gonna have to face who you are and confront yourself and come to terms so 284 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:56,760 Jacob finally has got to confront himself and realize there are things 285 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:00,840 about me that needs to change and that means facing a situation what does that 286 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,760 mean for someone today it could mean facing a situation hallelujah or a 287 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:11,240 person who is mirroring or reflecting your own behavior maybe you've heard 288 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:16,440 this saying that we dislike most and others what we see in ourselves and 289 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:21,640 Jacob was having a hard time dealing with Laban because Laban was exactly like 290 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:26,240 he was just an older version of him and and and this is what begins to happen in 291 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:30,560 our life as God is accepting returns as God is working in our life preparing us 292 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:34,000 for a greater revival we're not gonna have greater revival in the church a 293 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:38,600 great revival in us and seeing souls being saved which I am believing church 294 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:44,200 that God's gonna do in our midst but how can we save others when we are our own 295 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:49,720 salvation is hanging in the balance how can we rescue others from the world when 296 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:54,720 we've got one foot in and one foot out how can we convert how can we evangelize 297 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:59,480 the world that has converted us how can we reach people unless we've allowed 298 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:06,800 God to reach us God change the things about me that need to be changed so that 299 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:11,760 I can get back to being that force in your kingdom so that I get back to being 300 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:17,880 hallelujah that lover that giver that that surrender her God that a worshiper 301 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:23,000 that prayer warrior that intercessor God that loving thy neighbor type of person 302 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:28,400 God make me who you want me to be Lord so let me ask what patterns of behavior 303 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:36,360 or thought defined your old self that God wants you to shed from your life what 304 00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:42,480 is it what patterns of behavior and thought for Jacob it was deception it 305 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:48,800 was deception for him but for us for us for someone today it could be it could 306 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:55,800 be pride it could be it could be fear self-reliance and it could be rebellion 307 00:28:55,800 --> 00:29:01,120 you know it could be rebellion and or disobedience and and so and so what what 308 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:06,320 pattern of behavior what attitude you know sometimes come on come on sometimes 309 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:12,400 we need an attitude adjustment sometimes we just need got to fix that thing it's 310 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:16,400 just it's it's hurting us we're hurting ourselves we are like our own worst 311 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:20,800 enemy and Jacob had to shed that part about him because guess what Jacob 312 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:25,360 you're called to Bethel you're called to the land of promise but but you can't 313 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:29,480 come in with that old mentality you can't come in with our old way of thinking 314 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:33,480 that old way of living that old no no no no that's that that that's got to end 315 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:42,640 and it's got to end here and it's got to end now so Jacob by the time he gets to 316 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:51,640 Bethel again he's a changed man he's a changed man he things have happened in 317 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:56,360 his life he's got a give me a couple more minutes here he's got a different 318 00:29:56,360 --> 00:30:00,880 perspective now you know the thing about experiences we go through life they give 319 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:06,560 you perspective help you see things differently and then you know what starts 320 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:10,360 to happen over time the people that you didn't like you start to feel sorry for 321 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:17,280 them how bad it must be to live that you start to feel sorry and then you start 322 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:21,800 praying for them yeah that's when you know you've changed that you start 323 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:27,520 praying for the people that you were secretly wishing would fail you start 324 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,720 loving the people that you're struggling to love forgiving the people you 325 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:36,040 struggle to forgive that's when you know start praising like you've never you 326 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:39,160 used to praise him only when you were in the mood but now you praise him all the 327 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:44,520 time that's when you know who you would only pray when you were in the mood but 328 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:49,320 now you get up every morning and you set your prayer time aside with the Lord and 329 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:55,760 you get into prayer and that's when you know things are changing when you see 330 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:59,960 someone God raising up where they're in the workplace or whether it's in the 331 00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:04,320 church whatever instead of instead of your initial reaction thinking well they 332 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,580 must have done something to cheat to get that it must be you know be a teacher's 333 00:31:07,580 --> 00:31:11,200 pet or something instead of doing you say well praise God for them I'm happy 334 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:18,640 for them good for them that's it you know you start to change when you see 335 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:23,920 these things happen but here's here's the next step here's the next step 336 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:29,000 because now Jacob has decided I'm gonna go but he's not there yet and this 337 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:35,720 big is my third and final point which is don't settle for Shechem don't settle 338 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:46,360 for Shechem hmm when Jacob returned to the land of Canaan unfortunately it was 339 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:56,800 not a straight line unfortunately it was not a straight path even though he was 340 00:31:56,800 --> 00:32:02,320 on his way we see some things about him that tell us that he was still a work in 341 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:08,120 progress he was changing he was improving he was getting better getting 342 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:13,720 closer but he still wasn't everything that he needed to be he still hadn't 343 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:18,880 completely gone through his change and so unfortunately he didn't go all the 344 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:23,880 way to Bethel and he settled in a place called Shechem now on the surface let me 345 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,960 tell you I'm gonna preach about this for a little bit here on the surface Shechem 346 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:34,440 seemed like a good place to just camp out why because Shechem was 347 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:40,520 geographically speaking in the land of Canaan which means that Shechem was in 348 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:48,200 the promised land okay it was in the promised land so on the surface Shechem 349 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:54,640 seems like a good place to to settle down it's in the promised land after all 350 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:59,520 it's in the land that is flowing with milk and honey it's it's this must be the 351 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:05,800 place and so technically speaking Shechem was it was an improvement from 352 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:11,880 Haran because Haran if Haran is you know way out there in the world then then 353 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:18,960 Shechem is it's at least like in the vicinity of God's here in fact he was so 354 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:22,080 convinced that this is where God wanted him you know he built himself an altar 355 00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:27,880 there he said this looks like a good place for an altar he built an altar you 356 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:33,760 know what he did he even named his altar he called it El Elohim Israel it sounds 357 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:40,120 so spiritual you know what it means it means God the God of Israel he was 358 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:44,560 convinced this is where God wanted him but we got to be very careful when we 359 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:50,640 start building altars in places that God didn't call us to I don't care what you 360 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:58,120 call it you can call it first best apostolic Church of Mountain View put an 361 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:02,200 altar put a pulpit put a sign on you can call it whatever it is you want to call 362 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:09,200 it but if that's not what where God called you to be what he's doing is he's 363 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:13,440 he's kind of doing things on his own terms he's like okay this looks good 364 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:21,480 right here except for the fact that even though it was in the geographic 365 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:31,200 vicinity of Canaan it was still not Bethel Shechem was not the destination 366 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:40,800 it was a detour it was inside so this is what can happen it was inside of Canaan 367 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:49,240 but it was still outside of Bethel you see you can be in the church but the 368 00:34:49,240 --> 00:34:54,680 church not be in you I'm gonna help somebody right now you can be somewhere 369 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:58,920 in God but God not be in you in me well I got the Holy Ghost I speak in tongues 370 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:04,680 I'm talking about in your decisions I'm talking about in your relationships and 371 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:10,920 in your attitude and in your worship you can be in the in the covering of hey I'm 372 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:14,960 in the land of promise I'm here aren't I 373 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:19,720 piano player come on up hallelujah I'm in the right place you know I'm in the 374 00:35:19,720 --> 00:35:31,680 right place hmm but it was a place of compromise it wasn't a place of full 375 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:39,440 obedience where God had called it hear me today church hear me friend brother 376 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:50,480 sister give me you cannot consecrate what God calls compromise care what you 377 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:58,360 call it how you dress it up how it makes you feel you cannot sanctify something 378 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:06,720 that God has not ordained and while it may serve a purpose maybe for a season 379 00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:13,200 and while it may give you some level of validation for wherever you're at 380 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:21,000 spiritually it is not and you know it and God knows it where you really need 381 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:23,360 to be 382 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:35,600 don't be deceived you know why because with God it's all or nothing and I'm 383 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:40,920 seeing this more today's world it's not a new problem I guess it's been around 384 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:48,360 since Jacob's time here they settled in Shechem and they and you know what they 385 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:55,760 say they say well at least it's not her on at least I'm not as bad as they are 386 00:36:55,760 --> 00:37:10,560 at least I'm like mostly apostolic pastor at least I'm still here don't let 387 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:16,000 the devil deceive you and a thinking and settling into a false sense of 388 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:22,460 spiritual security by comp by by consecrating an area of compromise we 389 00:37:22,460 --> 00:37:26,040 think compromise just looks like you know dressing worldly on Saturday and 390 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:29,880 coming to church on so yeah those are there's a lot of different facets of 391 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:34,460 compromise and sometimes we could be compromising areas in our life that that 392 00:37:34,460 --> 00:37:43,240 are hidden from you my question today is are you back at Bethel if her on let me 393 00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:47,600 picture and I promise I'm gonna wrap it up I promise but but but if her on is is 394 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:57,920 is the world and Bethel is the church of the will of God then Shechem is 395 00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:08,640 somewhere in between if her on is no and Bethel is yes then Shechem is maybe 396 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:18,840 like maybe you see me maybe you won't maybe maybe not if her on is cold and 397 00:38:18,840 --> 00:38:29,600 Bethel is hot what is Shechem Luke warm would you stand with me today 398 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:39,120 hallelujah Shechem may seem like an improvement 399 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:45,440 but God's not interested in just improving your life friend God's 400 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:52,760 interested in change oh hallelujah I feel the Holy Ghost here right now oh 401 00:38:52,760 --> 00:39:02,880 thank you Jesus you can build an altar in Shechem you could even sacrifice there 402 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:12,380 you can even worship there dare I say you can even have church there but God 403 00:39:12,380 --> 00:39:21,680 is still calling you all the way back to back to the way you used to worship 404 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:25,440 hallelujah Shechem