Surely the Lord is in This Place
From the Beginning • Sermon • Submitted
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· 1,431 viewsSometimes it seems hard to find God in the midst of the pains and the struggles of life, but the truth is He is always right there, ready to save, ready to heal, ready to restore.
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Introduction
What a great God we serve. The God of Abraham. The God of Issac. The God of Jacob.
The last time we saw Jacob he was wresting in his mother’s womb with his brother Esau.
It didn’t get any better when he came out.
Jacob’s life was full of deception and betrayal.
Bad choices led to bad relationship. Bad relationships led to isolation and loneliness.
He had manipulated is brother for personal gain of Esau’s birthright.
He was spoiled and protected by his mother his whole life.
He and Rebekka tricked his father Issac into giving him the blessing of the firstborn son.
Esau vowed to kill him.
His mother feared for his life.
His father sent him away to find a wife.
Jacob finds himself all alone. Haunted by his past and unsure of his future.
Life is hard.
Relationships are hard.
People are dishonest.
Families are dysfunctional.
The road is long.
The future is uncertain.
Anybody relating to Jacob this morning?
Many times what we need is a fresh vision from the Lord.
We need God to show up in the midst of our craziness and calm the storm.
We need direction and guidance to restore our hope in the journey.
We need to learn to rest in the Lord.
Genesis 28:10-12
10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!
Message
Message
When the journey gets hard, God will meet you in the rest.
When the journey gets hard, God will meet you in the rest.
There is a major doctrine that our culture and society know nothing about. Resting.
We are constantly going.
We feel guilty when we take a break.
We are pushed to our limits and wonder why we snap.
God tells us over and over to rest and to rest in Him.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
ps
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
God met with Jacob when he got away from all the noise of life just rested.
He gave him a fresh vision and a fresh fire that renewed his soul.
God spoke to him and loved on him.
Genesis 28:13-16
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Genesis
Provision (v.13)
Production (v.14)
Protection (v.15)
When your journey get hard, God will meet you in the rest.
When your journey get hard, God will meet you in the rest.
What time are you taking to meet with God through resting?
God has demanded a Sabbath rest for his people since the beginning of time.
If you never still in rest how will you ever hear or be renewed.
Some of you are so busy for God that you miss God all together.
Take time to be still and know that He is God.
Take time to ascend up to heaven and be with God.
You might ask, “How can I experience God is such a real way?”
Jesus is your ladder between heaven and earth.
Jesus is your ladder between heaven and earth.
Jocob’s ladder had become a bedtime story to the Jewish children.
Everyone knew the story of God with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.
When Jesus was calling his disciples early in his ministry Philip went to Nathanael.
John 1:47
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
John 1:49-
49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Jesus is Jacob’s Ladder.
Jesus is the bridge between heaven and earth.
Jesus is the only way to ascend into heaven.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jacob is a picture of the lost and weary soul.
He is unaware of God.
burdened with his sin.
Alone in the journey.
Maybe that’s you.
You’ve been unaware of God in your life.
You’ve been burdened with the load of your sin.
You feel alone in this journey of life.
I have some good news for you this morning: Its time to wake up.
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
Gen 28:
It’s time to wake up and realize “the Lord is in this place.”
Jesus has opened heaven for you.
Jesus is your ladder to meet with God for He is God.
When you wake up you have new eyes to see.
When Jacob woke up it didn’t look like when he went to sleep. Everything changed.
He realized he was not alone, he was in the presence of God.
And “how awesome is this place.”
That’s what happens to you as well. You find Jesus and see God all around you.
Conclusion
Some of you need to stop and rest for a minute.
You might see God for the very first time through Jesus Christ.
You might get a fresh vision from the Lord and have your spirit renewed.
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”