God's Faithfulness to Ordinary People

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>God's Faithfulness to Ordinary People</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id547.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Source of Prosperity"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id562.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A New Start in Gods Faithfulness"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>“God's Faithfulness to Ordinary People,” </B><B>Genesis 31:1-55</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, November 20, 2005</B></div> <bR> <div>      When the devastating floods came to Mozambique in March 2000, families were separated as they fled from the rising waters. The death toll rose as the floods receded and bodies that had been submerged were discovered. Some counts were in the thousands. One Mozambique minister named Samuel Naftal gave thanks to God and mosquitoes for saving his life. As Samuel, along with 16 other people, clung tightly to the limbs of trees for 2 days, he began to preach. All of them hoped his preaching would keep them alert to their surroundings. They listened and watched as furniture, TVs, and dead cows floated by. Then the mosquitoes began swarming around them, repeatedly biting them. Naftal testified, "I thank God for those mosquitoes because they kept me from falling asleep. If we had fallen asleep we would have been carried away by the water." He and the others hung on and were finally able to wade to safety as the waters began to recede. It's not often that we are thankful for something like mosquitoes. They've ruined a lot of fun times outside on a summer night. (We sometimes wonder if it was really necessary that they had a place on Noah's ark.) But the mosquito story reminds us of another person who was thankful for an insect. Corrie Ten Boom, the well-known Dutch watchmaker who helped to hide Jews in her house during the Holocaust in Europe, was arrested and sent to a Nazi concentration camp. She too found it hard to find anything good about her desperate situation. But her sister Betsie found a hidden blessing. She thanked God for the fleas that tormented them each day. Fleas? Miserable fleas? Yes. The imprisoned women discovered that the presence of the fleas kept the guards away from their barracks, allowing the women to speak freely. It was a blessing wrapped up in a hardship (anonymous, from Bible.org).</div> <div>      As we live out our journey of faith, the Thanksgiving holiday reminds us  that God is always at work, sometimes out in the open, but often behind the scenes in our lives. We are just ordinary people, who live pretty routine lives. The patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are heroes of Israel. Yet there is an ordinariness about them. But we, like they, serve an extraordinary God, who faithfulness and love endure forever.</div> <div>      Please turn to <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+31:1-55" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Genesis 31:1-55</U></A>. Also recall God's promises of <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Gen+28:13-15" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Genesis 28:13-15</U></A>.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Genesis 31:1-55: Jacob </B><I><B>finally</B></I><B> testified to </B><I><B>God's faithfulness</B></I><B> after 20 years of both struggle and success.</B></div> <div>      Jacob struggled in that he had been deceived and manipulated by Laban. He succeeded in that he had a large family and he became very wealthy.</div> <div>      A. 31:1-3 – Circumstances and God's call meant it was time to leave Laban and return home.</div> <div>      B. 31:4-16 – Jacob's family agreed to leave Laban and go with Jacob.</div> <div>           In vss. 5-13, Jacob gives credit to God for being with him, watching over him, and working on his behalf. God's hand might have been unseen at the time (e.g., God is not mentioned in ch. 30), but he was there and at work the whole time.</div> <div>      C. 31:17-21 – Jacob and his family departed for Jacob's homeland (it was quite a contrast to his original, lonely journey). They left without telling Laban, and Rachel stole Laban's household gods (“god-napping,” Hamilton).</div> <div>      D. 31:22-25 – Laban got word and pursued Jacob.</div> <div>      E. 31:26-43 – Laban confronted Jacob at Gilead.</div> <div>      Vss. 26-35 – Laban's accusations (his household gods were not discovered, and in fact, were desecrated).</div> <div>      Vss. 36-42 – Jacob's defense, counter-claims.</div> <div>            Vs. 42 – if God had not been with Jacob, the story would have turned out differently – Laban's schemes would have succeeded, and Jacob would have had nothing. But God <I>was</I> with Jacob.</div> <div>      F. 31:44-55 – Laban initiated a treaty by which Jacob receives equality and independence. </div> <bR> <div>      Jacob walked away with his freedom, a family, and great wealth, after 20 years of hard labor and conflict. This was the first time Jacob publicly testified to God's goodness in his life, after 20 years of struggles and successes. God was keeping his promises, and Jacob finally recognized and affirmed it before others.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Recognize and affirm the faithfulness of God in your life, in both your stuggles and successes.</B></div> <div>      As a chapter draws to a close in Jacob's life and experience, let's review a couple of key lessons.</div> <bR> <div>      <B>A. Very rarely will life be all good or all bad – God is still faithful.</B></div> <div>      Scottish minister Alexander Whyte was known for his uplifting prayers in the pulpit. He always found something for which to be grateful. One Sunday morning the weather was so gloomy that one church member thought to himself, “Certainly the preacher won’t think of anything for which to thank the Lord on a wretched day like this.” Much to his surprise, however, Whyte began by praying, “We thank Thee, O God, that it is not always like this.” (Our Daily Bread, August 26, 1989). Fortunately, life is not always bad, but it is also not always good.</div> <div>      Jacob was a victim Laban's deceit and selfishness, but eventually became wealthy and had a large family. And even after <I>this</I> success, Jacob would have more serious challenges to face. Leah was unloved, but had lots of kids. Rachel was loved, but had no kids for a long time.</div> <bR> <div>      <B>B. God may allow us to be “tested” in painful ways to help us grow – God is still faithful.</B></div> <div>      The deceiver Jacob, who deceived his father and stole the blessing from his brother, was forced to be a victim of deception from a master deceiver, Laban. Eventually, Jacob gave credit to God, not to himself, for what he received from Laban.</div> <bR> <div>      <B>C. People may oppose you and scheme against you – God is still faithful.</B></div> <div>      Laban was a jerk, but God set boundaries or limits on him. But he changed agreements, he was selfish, possessive, clueless, manipulative, unreasonable. In vss. 26-30, after Laban had wronged Jacob and Leah and Rachel again and again, he says, “how could you do this to me?”</div> <div>      (Some helpful resources for dealing with the Laban's, the jerks, in your life (with links to Amazon.com): <A HREF="http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310247454/102-2090649-0312134?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/"><U><I>Boundaries</I></U></A>, <A HREF="http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0785280197/102-2090649-0312134?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/"><U><I>Don't Let Jerks Get the Best of You</I></U></A>, <A HREF="http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591450101/102-2090649-0312134?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/"><U><I>Who's Pushing Your Buttons</I></U></A>.)</div> <bR> <div>      So what is your story? Do you, can you, will you recognize and affirm the faithfulness of God in your life? Write it down, blog about it, share your story, even as it is still being written. Join us next week as we share our stories of God's faithfulness in our lives, in both our struggles and successes.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2005, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>