Embracing your identity as a worshiper of God - Genesis 33

Genesis 33 Embracing your identity as a worshiper of God INTRO The passage we are studying through today is Genesis 33….which is the continuation of what Nathan led us through last Sunday. When he and I spent time reading through and studying the passage together,…we wrestled a bit with how to go through it,…for chapter 32 and 33 are one account broken up into 3 parts. We weren’t sure if we should tackle the whole account in one setting. Covering both chapters together….Another thought was to preach through each of the 3 parts, over the course of three separate Sunday worship service gatherings. JACOB wrestling with God being the middle one. OR, if we ought to just take each chapter individually. Chapter 32 last Sunday and chapter 33 this Sunday. Which is what we did. I say all this to begin our approach to chapter 33 with the whole account in mind,… for I believe that will help us move through it with clear direction. SO let’s start with an aerial view. These two chapters together place before us the main take home for today…and that is - Embracing your identity as a worshipper of God. Embracing your identity as a worshipper of God. In chapter 32 we see JACOB encounter,…what we all must encounter if we are to embrace our identity as a worshipper of God and that is,…our fears. His is pretty clear here. When he fled his home and people in the land of Canaan 20yrs ago his brother ESAU was determined on killing him. And now he finds himself returning to the same very place and therefore the fear of his brother,….weighs heavily upon him…… for good reason. There has been nothing communicated to Jacob to assure him that his brother has changed his plans to kill him. And so, we see Jacob taking these steps of Embracing his identity as a worshipper of God by, #1 - Prayer - There is recorded, as Nathan stated, a model prayer by one pouring his heart out to God. It is indeed a model prayer that opens in praise and adoration, then moves to recounting Gods’ faithfulness to him and ends with petitions to God on the basis of God’s faithfulness to him;….that it would not depart but continue as he faces the deadly threat of facing his twin brother Esau. Following the prayer is - - Preparation - JACOB wisely makes preparations for this. He has a thought -out - plan, Actively putting together efforts to essentially walk (Micah 6:8) out. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” JACOB makes great measures of preparations to rightly love his brother Esau with kindness and to do so in a very humble manner. And then, right before stepping forward in faith he obtains something that is of upmost importance when one faces their fear head on….and that is… - The Presence of God -, the presence of God. When facing your fear head on it is of upmost importance to have the presence of God with you. JACOB wrestles all night with God without fail till rest is found by God blessing him, or in other words, assuring him that HE - God will be present and not break His promises to him as JACOB faces his fear head on. And this now brings us up to where we are today….with Embracing your identity as a worshipper of God. And Our First point leading up to that…Embracing your identity as a worshipper of God….leading up to that reaching it’s consummation is: Obedience to God’s call on your life; found in (verses 1-2) BODY 1) FIRST POINT - (Genesis 33:1-2). Obedience to God’s call on your life Obedience to God’s call on your life…..In other words - DOING that which God tells him to do. JACOB could have gone all the way up to this point in this process of Embracing his identity as a worshipper of God,….to then, at the sight of Esau and the 400 men with him as (verses 1-2) tell us,…to at that point….turn and go a different direction altogether. What direction we don’t know but one thing for sure - not in the direction of his fear. NOT in the direction of ESAU. JACOB could have changed course, veered a different way, by any and all means fled from his brother Esau…i.e… - Fled from his fear. This is no doubt a temptation we have correct? God is calling you to do this or that and commonly what accompanies it…is….difficulty. Difficulty to varying degrees that we would rather not have in existence. But this doesn’t change God’s calling on your life? It remains and so does the necessity of your Obedience to it, if you are to Embrace your identity as a worshipper of God. What does JESUS say about following him in (Luke 9:62) “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Like JACOB here, we are not to look back but instead be Obedient to God’s call on our lives, if we are to Embrace our identity as a worshipper of God. JACOB remains obedient to God’s call on his life….and faithful to walk out (Micah 6:8) in doing so. As we progress on here to our second point. He puts in place all the preparations to rightly love his brother ESAU with kindness and to do so in a very humble manner. Look at (verse 3) describing JACOB who places himself ahead of all that is his as he Faces his Fear head on; which is our Second Point. 1) SECOND POINT - (Genesis 33:3-11). Facing your Fears head on Faces his Fear head on. (Verse 3)….“He himself (that’d be Jacob) went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.” It’s gotta start there,…when facing your fear head on doesn’t it? To do it with humble courage. JACOB isn’t at the very back of all his family,…but rather right in front,…ahead of them all. Humble courage at play here and a beautiful example to us when Facing our Fears head on. Support is fantastic,….if not needful in living this out successfully, but in the end….in the end…you must be in the lead. YOU!…gotta take those steps forward with a heart of courage. Which is not a self confidence but instead a confidence in God that is present with you due to what chapter 32 worked out for us. Humble courage will not come of your own making,….it stems from God as the source. When this is the case you can say with the Psalmist…(Psalm 62:6-8) “He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” With that posture and assurance of God’s presence,..you,….by virtue of it,…will have an abiding humble courage to face your fears head on. Are there any fears before you right now that you have yet to face head on? FOR your well being, confide in,….with a trusted soul what-that-is,…that you may begin the steps towards receiving this humble courage to do so. For GOD so often brings His help through one another if we give Him the opportunity to do so. What accompanies this humble courage? As we trek through the rest of our Second point seen in (verses 3-11)? What accompanies this humble courage? Immediately JACOB is met with,…the grace of God right at (verse 4).. “But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” Where did that come from? Anyone hearing this story for the first time may likely be on the edge of their seat anticipating the potential for a roaring conflict. But this is not the case. One of the last things we hear of Esau in chapter 27, is that he was hellbent on killing Jacob. 20 years go by, ….no interaction between them…JACOB certainly not expecting kindness from his brother,…makes wise efforts,…to appease his brother’s wrath prior to seeing him…by way of abundant gifts that came in 3 spaced-out-droves…do you remember this from the prior chapter?…These 3 spaced-out-droves carrying along with them the message to the obvious question ESAU would ask when he met them (Genesis 32:17-18) “‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’” The repeated answer,….as instructed by JACOB…to be spoken by each of the 3 droves when they met ESAU….“‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he (Jacob) is behind us.’” In all likelihood a help in the outcome here…but not to be given credit to the most unexpected sweet exchange between these two estranged - once hostile to one another -brothers. “Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.” JACOB, in Obedience to God’s call on his life…takes steps of faith to Face his Fear head on,…with a humble courage,…and is immediately met with the grace of God. And how fitting this is right? We are not to presume upon God’s grace but we can rest in knowing He will supply it to the measure we need with every step of faith taken. He does so here with JACOB and He will do so with you. What follows is a gentle resolve to “outdo his brother in showing honor” (Romans 12:10) by remaining steadfast in walking out (Micah 6:8). From (verses 5-11) Generosity, Kindness, Gratitude and Humility just saturate the text. Let’s simply read them,….with a listening ear. - read WOW…right? What a happening here. Brothers united once again by the hand of God. What follows may not be what you expect. It’s what ESAU expects…but the outcome is different. (Verses 12-20) bring us to our closing point in JACOB Embracing his identity as a worshipper of God And that Third and closing point is Making a Distinction in this Life 1) THIRD POINT - (Genesis 33:12-20). Making a distinction is this life (Verse 12) starts us off with what you would expect. ESAU, ready to travel home together with Jacob,….to where they lived before and dwell in the area as brothers. “Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” NOW, what I want to give attention to in this very sincere and kind invitation from brother to brother is first off, what already was spoken to… ESAU says “Let us journey on our way …our way. As in, “We are together once again and will dwell in the land where we grew up.” But notice how ESAU closes that invitation “….and I will go ahead of you” Which is not wrong to consider it as an escort by Esau and the 400 men with him as a family courtesy in providing protection and support during travel. But doesn’t it also give way to Jacob, yet again coming under the banner of someone else? It’s been 20 years since JACOB has been home. In many ways, he is a stranger in the land. HIS twin brother ESAU,…on the other hand,…is well established in the region, has multiple connections and resources available to him by sheer fact that he has lived there his whole life. This would all be a help to JACOB being newly returned to the area he left with just a staff in his hand but now has become two camps….having great possessions, droves of herd animals along with male and female servants. Entering along side his now reconciled brother would have served helpful I believe. But it would also put JACOB in a familiar place…for he has always been under the care or oversight of someone else. FIRST it was under the tender care of his mother. Then it was the strong arm of his Uncle Laban. What is next for JACOB? …To be that distant brother of Esau’s who is now back in town with the help of his brother? JACOB is not on the same page. In Obedience to God’s call on His life…taking steps of faith to Face his Fear head on….JACOB knows it is TIME for him to make a distinction in his life of who he has now become. In step with walking out (Micah 6:8),… In (verses 13-15) JACOB politely declines the offers,…..with an element of question as to whether he is being completely forthright. For he states quite clearly in (verse 14) …after giving legitimate concern over the care of his livestock and children in regards to the pace of travel…he says this…. “Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”…and I repeat. “..until I come to my lord (that would be Esau) until I come to my lord in Seir.” Sounds like a good and honest plan. But then listen to (verses 16 & 17). - read NOW hold on a minute. Seir and Succoth are on opposite directions from each other on the map. And JACOB didn’t pitch a tent but rather built houses and. booths for his livestock….permanent structures…not temporary ones. I don’t want to make much of this. Perhaps he intended to do as he spoke to ESAU and then abruptly changed his mind shortly thereafter. MAYBE he wasn’t being honest. JACOB is a new man but he is still Jacob,….who bears a long history of deceit. A lot of that garbage is out of his life…but not all of it. He is still a work in progress like the rest of us. The important distinction to make….is that JACOB is making a distinction of who he is. GOD,…the night before gave him a new name… “Israel” (Genesis 32:28). “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” GOD gives him a new name; a new identity. ISRAEL here, Obedient to God’s call on his life, taking steps of faith to face his fear head on, is determined to Make his distinction in this life. To no longer be under the rule of any man but rather under the rule of God alone. ISRAEL, fully Embracing his identity as a worshipper of God.…goes the opposite direction of the care and protection he could have received from his brother ESAU,…to seek out land of his own to live by faith this new identity he has been given. Under GOD’S care and rule….(verse 18) God safely brings ISRAEL from Succoth,…. where he has built permanent structures…to Shechem “…which is in the land of Canaan (the promise land), ……., and he camped before the city.” The camp being the place at which he is able to purchase from the people who dwelt there,…showing further progress of God’s promise to Abraham,…that GOD would give them this land. Abraham made the first purchase of property in the promise land to acquire the cave to bury his wife Sarah,…and here,…more of the promise land is taken ownership of,…by God’s people,…according to His promise made that they would. How does JACOB…How does, we should say now, ISRAEL…how does Israel consummate the embracing of this new identity as a worshiper of God here in the closing verse of chapter 33? (Verse 20) “There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel”. Translation - God, the God of Israel. CONCLUSION ISRAEL sets up a place of worship to his God, unapologetically identified as the God of Israel. The God of his father’s before him, the fear of his father Isaac, as he said a couple chapters prior….the GOD who has confirmed his covenant with him time and time again. ISRAEL makes clear distinction,….as a new face in this homeland of his that he has been away from for 20 years…he makes clear distinction that he is fully Embracing his identify as a worshipper of God. The God of Israel. ——— IS being a worshiper of God the identity you embrace? We by default embrace identities of our own making. Sometimes knowingly…but oftentimes unknowingly. Meaning, we say our identity is in Christ, that we are a child of God…a true worshiper of God…YET,..our lives declare otherwise so often at times. SADLY, this is a truth we all face daily. FOR we live out roles in our daily living that compete for our identity constantly. Our craft, our possessions, our positions in the public, in the church,….our type of recreation competes for it, our bank account balance, our home, our looks, accomplishments, health, intellect, family (spouse and children alike)… these, and many more,…are false gods, not bad or evil in and of themselves…but false gods that compete with where our true identify belongs as a CHRISTIAN…if you bear that name. (Galatians 3:26-29) “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise..” Embracing your identity as a worshiper of God means that the reality of this works itself out in every facet of your life. It even touches all the false gods that compete for it. They are not what defines you but become means to express it,..in the fullest measure you are able,…that you are a worshiper of God. “….ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19) And because so, in humble glad obedience….let’s “conduct ourselves with fear throughout the time of our exile.” Throughout our days here on earth till we are called home to heaven. - PRAY COMMUNION - (2 Corinthians 5:14-21) Identity, Identity, Identity….Perhaps you are pondering that word some more and wondering “what other passages of scripture captures the essence of that well to contemplate the Galatians passage?” Another one that the Holy Spirit led me to which speaks to this effect of our identity in Christ is (2 Corinthians 5:14-21) which I would like to turn to and read for the invitation to come to the table and partake of the elements of communion. As you come to the table to partake of the elements…proclaiming his death dill he returns. I encourage you to *****Embrace that Identity as a worshipper of God***** BENEDICTION (? 62)