Dr. Wayne A. Lawson
Preached at Perfected Praise Worship Center
Oklahoma City, OK
Sunday, May 30, 2010
TITLE: WE DON’T LOOK LIKE MUCH
SCRIPTURE: GENESIS 30:34-43
What an exciting time to be a part of this Ministry and experience what God is doing for us. I pray that we enjoy the moment for we do have some challenges and trying times before us. But for now it is simply good to be here. Let me encourage each of you this morning to enjoy the moment, for God uses each of us in the performance of His Perfect Will. That is all that I desire to be - in the Will of God.
In our text this morning we can identify and understand the significance of Being in God’s Will. Those on the outside looking in can’t possibly understand what it is that God is doing. When we consider the movement of God in this place through the lenses of the natural eye, I would venture to say that “We Don’t Look Like Much.” I found this same theme throughout our text that has been read in your hearing.
In our text we recall how Jacob took his refuge at his Uncle Laban’s in Haran, escaping his angry twin brother Esau. He married Laban’s daughters, Leah and Rachel. Then Jacob wanted to go back home with his family and livestock, but Laban wanted to keep him working for himself. Laban knew that the Lord blessed him because of Jacob’s working for him and the Anointing on his life.
Finally, after many years, Jacob went to Laban and announced his decision to return to his home. He intended, further, to take his wives and all his children with him. Jacob had worked for Laban for 20 years at this point. He reminded Laban that he had more than lived up to his part of the bargain, so that he had no further moral or legal claim on him or his family. Laban, however, was very reluctant to see him go. He had prospered greatly because of Jacob’s abilities and faithfulness, and he was willing to make almost any bargain that would keep him working for him. Laban even acknowledged that the Lord was with Jacob, and that it was of the Lord that he had profited so much through Jacob. Once before, he had gotten the better bargain by letting Jacob name his own wages; so now he made the same proposition again. Jacob had merely to name his price, and Laban assured him he would meet it, if Jacob would only keep working for him.
I don’t know about you, but I like to attach myself to those who are being richly blessed of God. I like to be in the presence of those that walk in God’s will. Every now and then those blessings begin to overshadow me. The anointing on your life will touch me. PSALM 133:2 “IT IS LIKE THE PRECIOUS OINTMENT UPON THE HEAD, THAT RAN DOWN UPON THE BEARD, EVEN AARON’S BEARD THAT WENT DOWN TO THE SKIRTS OF HIS GARMENTS.” The anointing of God will fully overshadow his servants. It will start at your head and run down to your feet, fully anointed. I need to spend my time in the presence of God. You remember when Peter’s Anointing was so strong that the Bible calls to our attention that His Shadow alone would fall upon those in need and they were healed of whatever ailed them. I have sense enough to know where God is moving, that’s the neighborhood that I want to live.
So, Laban asked Jacob what he wanted. Jacob answered, “Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the black ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages” - Jacob said let me take the cattle that appear to have some problems – those that don’t look like much. The cattle that were Pure, that is to say Pure Black or Pure White, or Pure Brown - you know the one’s that look real good they would belong to Jacob’s Father-in-Law. Those that don’t look so Pure would belong to Jacob, those that Don’t Look Like Much, I’ll take those.
Jacob would examine the flocks that day, removing all the Speckled - Spotted animals, and – catch this - these would be set aside as Laban’s property. These animals would be taken three days’ distance and kept by Laban’s sons. Therefore, only those newly born spotted or striped would become Jacob’s property. They would have to be birthed by the Pure Cattle. At some later time the herd would be examined, and the spotted or striped animals would go to Jacob, while the rest would be Laban’s. Removing the spotted and striped which were in the flock benefited Laban in two ways:
• First, it left these animals to him, not Jacob
• Also, it lessened the chances of other spotted or striped animals being conceived, since these would not be mating with the flock
Jacob agreed that none of the solid-color animals would be taken into his own flocks. If any should be found by Laban in Jacob's flocks, Laban would have the right to take them out. Only those future animals that would be born speckled or striped or spotted, or abormatively colored in some way, would become Jacob's wages.
• The dominant color traits in Laban's flocks and herds were evidently white among the sheep, black among the goats, and brown among the cattle
• Most of the animals were of these colors, but there were a few that were spotted and speckled among the cattle and goats, and brown among the sheep
• It was of such as these that Jacob's pay would be
No sooner had they made the agreement than Laban sent his own sons to gather all the speckled, striped, and spotted sheep and goats and take them to a different pasture three days' journey away, so that Jacob wouldn't be able to find them--Laban always was a tricky sort. But Jacob had his own thoughts. The cattle was now separated into separate flocks, keeping the speckled and spotted away from the normal-colored animals. Only such spotted and speckled animals as would be born in the future from the normal-colored animals would become his. Since the solid-colored animals were by far the more numerous, and since it was much less likely that they would bear striped and speckled offspring than those animals that were already striped and speckled - or brown among the sheep - this arrangement clearly was highly favorable to Laban and of very doubtful value to Jacob.
• Indeed, it was an act of pure faith on Jacob’s part
• He had put himself entirely at God's Mercy
• He was in the Hands of God’s Grace
• It would be up to the Lord to indicate, by a very unlikely set of circumstances, whether Jacob should prosper personally or not
The Practical Application of the text this morning Church, is the fact that this is exactly where I see us this morning –“We Don’t Look Like Much.”. Compared to where many of us have come from, and based upon what we are faced with –“We Don’t Look Like Much.”.
• Churches that have been around for quite some time – they are watching us
• Churches much larger and more comfortable – they are watching us
• Church vans and Church buses will drive down our street – they are watching us
• Skeptics in the Household of Faith don’t understand us – they are watching us
• Those that want to be a part of us but waiting for signs of success – they are watching us
• To those on the outside – Perfected Praise Worship Center, “We Don’t Look Like Much.”
We come from various backgrounds this morning. We come with our hurts and our issues. Some come not really understanding, but you have come. We come ready to Praise and Worship our God. We come this morning, just like Jacob:
• “We Don’t Look Like Much.”– But we come in a Pure Act of Faith
• “We Don’t Look Like Much.”– But we are Leaning and Depending on the Lord
• “We Don’t Look Like Much.”– But God will bless our Unlikely Circumstances
• “We Don’t Look Like Much.”– But we Walk by Faith and not by Sight
• “We Don’t Look Like Much.”– But when the Praises go Up the Blessings of God shall come down
Let me call one more point to our attention -- Jacob knew a great deal about Sheep - Goats and Cattle, however - much more than Laban. He had kept his father's flocks for decades, and now had been in charge of Laban's for over fourteen years. As a very observant and intelligent man he had apparently learned something that is now referred to as -- Mendalian Genetics -- simply by long-continued observation of generation after generation of these animals, Jacob knew that, even though a species of animal may have certain 'dominant' traits, those traits were not permanent.
Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, exposing the white which was in the rods. And he set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the gutters, even in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink; and they mated when they came to drink. So the flocks mated by the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. And Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with Laban’s flock. Text goes on to say that Jacob’s cattle were stronger than Laban’s.
It should not be overlooked, that Jacob was over ninety years old at this time - he was a very intelligent and careful observer, and had spent most of his long life raising and studying cattle, sheep, and goats. Importance of the words we find in ST. MARK 14:38 “WATCH AS WELL AS PRAY….”
Here is a word for the Leadership of the Church. There were certain things that Jacob understood fully. He was a Master at his Craft/Occupation. He knew how to handle the flock. This is a message for us today. If we too are to see this congregation grow Strong and Healthy, we must also Master our Calling.
• We must be Leaders of Faith
• We must know how to handle the Word of God
• We must know the Word and be Familiar with its Contents
• We must know how to Feed the Sheep
• We must Study together - Deep issues of God’s Word
• We must know how to Strengthen this Congregation
Through this whole process, Jacob is counting on God. You’ve heard it said that God plus one equals a majority.
• “We Don’t Look Like Much.”– But if God is on your side, it doesn’t matter if the deck is stacked against you
• “We Don’t Look Like Much.”– But if God is on your side, it doesn’t matter if the game is rigged against you
• “We Don’t Look Like Much.”– But if God is on your side, it doesn’t matter if you are dealing with unscrupulous people
• “We Don’t Look Like Much.”– But if God is on your side, he can take the solids of life and turn out a thousand speckled sheep
• He can do it because he is God!
--You might find yourself getting the bad part of life in some ways, but when you trust God it will turn out well – anyway
-- Jacob seemed to be getting a bad deal. He was only going to get the poor cattle and inferior sheep and goats.
--But God made it up to him, and he got by far the better deal in the end
--God can do anything, if we Trust Him and Obey Him
--It is no good just trusting Him, and then going on doing what you want and being disobedient to the Lord!
--TRUST AND OBEY ALWAYS GO TOGETHER
TRUST AND OBEY
FOR THERE’S NO OTHER WAY
TO BE HAPPY IN JESUS
THAN TO TRUST AND OBEY
