A Tale of 2 Stivers
Genesis 25:27-34 (NIV) 27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.) 31 Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright." 32 "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" 33 But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.
The Birthright: Entitled to the firstborn.
1. Leadership: Assumed the authority, rights and responsibility the family.
2. A Double Portion of the inheritance.
3. The specific special blessing of the father.
Jacobs desire for the birthright was appropriate.
“Good intentions without good decisions don’t matter.”
ESAU….
Hebrews 12:16-17 (NIV) 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
Things to remember in the Drive of Desire
1- Don’t pass up your position.
Romans 6:20-23 (NLT) 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Grow up and take your rightful place in the family of God!
2- Value virtues over vices
Don’t blow it for the bowl.
“With every choice we make we are revealing what we value most.”
Romans 8:5-10 (NIV) 5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
3. Choices have Consequence
James 1:13-15 (NIV) 13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
3- Seek repentance
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT) 10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
Psalm 51:10-12, 17 (NIV) 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast(loyal) spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. ….17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Halt The Hustle
Jacobs story starts in barrenness.
“God creates greatness out of barrenness!”
Genesis 25:21-27 (NLT) 21 Isaac pleaded with the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The LORD answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the LORD about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked. 23 And the LORD told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.” 24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. 26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born. 27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
“Pray for your Promise and prepare for the fulfillment.”
Proverbs 14:4 (NLT) Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.
Jacob was born for greatness…
Greatness always carries tension.
Our striving must come from the right posture.
Striving was part of Jacobs nature.
“God doesn’t need your gifting, your personality, strengths, your passions. He wants your dependance.”
John 3:3 (NLT) “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“When we are too focussed on our own nature we tend to remove God from the equation.”
We become self-dependent we can also become insecure.
Striving was part of Jacobs nurture
-Rebecca heard what the Lord said & she was gonna make it happen.
-She wanted God’s will but didn’t want to do it Gods way.”
“The promise is not just what you possess but who you become.”
Halt that Hustle…
1. Stop fighting for the wrong approval
Galatians 1:10 (NIV) Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
-We function from and towards the approval of God.
2. Give into Grace
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT) 8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
3. Settle Down
Psalm 46:10 (NLT) “Be still, and know that I am God!”
4. Establish a new stride
Depending on Jesus by focussing on Jesus.
“Our striving should never be to exercise our strength but to depend on his.”
Philippians 3:6-16 (NLT2) I obeyed the law without fault. 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! 12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. 15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.
Mothers Day 2019
Lessons I Learned From My Mother
Job 12:12 “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?”
1. Stand against injustice
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Luke 13:34… how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
2. Walk in forgiveness
Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
3. Love like Jesus
John 13:34-35 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
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