Are You Living In Bethel Or El Bethel

Are You Living In Bethel Or El Bethel?

Have a time of praise (testimonies)

(The song I would Love to tell you )

Genesis 35:1-7 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And he built there an altar, and called the place El bethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

We have name this church Bethel which means The House Of God I would like us to go further than that of being just The House of God

To being El Bethel which means The God of The House of God

There is a difference of being in the House of God

To being in The God of the House Of God

It’s like living in the Valley verses The Mountain Top

The Valleys is where it seems to be full of troubles & bad things happen

We all know that all things run down hill.

It floods it goes to the valley

Sin takes us down

Sad times are the valleys On the mountain Top everything is better

It’s like living in darkness verses living in the light

In the dark bad things happen

In the light you can see & know where you are going

It’s like living on a house boat verses a house on dry land

The house boat will rock when the winds & storms come

The House is built upon solid ground will be stable It’s like having a big juicy T-bone steak verses a Big mac

It’s like Having Jesus verses just knowing of him

Many people including Baptist or going to Miss Heaven by 18 inches

1)El Bethel Bring Us To Remembrance

Vs1: And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

Remember when you were 1st saved how excited you were. (I remember the place the day & everything that happened) (re-live it) (5 rows back the song being sung) (I was sitting 5 rows back) The message was there are devils in the church) (I was teaching, driving a church bus, going soul winning BUT LOST) (The time was 12:25 on Sunday March 31,1982) (I ran those 5 rows and fell on my face and got rite with God) (I was born again) (I will never forget it Never)

When you saw God move in your life

Your 1st soul you led to the lord (Mine was at the SA Rescue Mission A black man) (I was riding high) (My 1st teenager was a gang girl) (My what a change in that girl) (she gave me a key chain that said Preacher Harold I love You Thank You (I still have it)

I remember when the Lord called me to preach (My was I scared still am) (I remember the 1st message I preached at the Nursing Home “When the Role is called up Yonder) (I remember the 1st Christmas message I preached “The unspeakable Gift) (Very loud I was stupid & young in the Lord))

Hey have you lost that 1st Love

Revelation 2:5a Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen,and repent, and do the first works; To get to El Bethel we need to remember & get back that 1st Love

2)El Bethel Brings Us To Repentance

Vs 2-3 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.