PURSUING THE GLORY
#4 – AVOIDING THE ESAU SPIRIT
This morning, we are CONTINUING our sermon series entitled PURSUING HIS GLORY
And when it comes to THAT GLORY, we’ve been learning several lessons…
--HEAVEN is guaranteed, GLORY is not
--God’s greater manifested glory is not a “done deal”
--it has to be pursued, it has to be CHASED
--the meaning of the word “Pursue”
And, so far, we’ve talked about…
--1. Pursuing His Glory Through Worship
--2. Going Beyond the Veil
--3. Going A Little Father
Next Sunday – in the final message in this short series, I want to talk to you about 5 Ways To Attract God’s Glory
But this morning, we’re going to be looking at AVOIDING THE ESAU SPIRIT
And you’ll understand what I mean when we read our text this morning…
Genesis 33:9 (KJV) "And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself."
INTRODUCTION
Let me give you the background of our text this morning
Jacob and Esau were twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca
Esau was the oldest, and was set on tap to inherit the spiritual and physical inheritance through his BIRTHRIGHT
But (and I don’t have time to go into it), Esau came in from hunting and he asked Jacob for something to eat and Jacob said I won’t feed you unless you give me your birthright
And Esau took him up on the offer – and what a horrific, tragic mistake that was
He gave up SO MUCH for SO LITTLE
Esau, literally for a “quick fix” sold his whole family and destiny out from the plan and purposes of God
And so, as you can imagine, Esau gets pretty mad at Jacob, and so Jacob flees for almost 20 years
Time has passed and now Jacob has to return home – and he really doesn’t know how Esau is going to take him
He was so afraid – and to make a long story short, Jacob finally meets Esau and they hug and embrace and everything seems fine
And Jacob tries to give Esau a gift – and here’s what I want to hone in on this morning
Esau said – I HAVE ENOUGH
And I want you to know that this Esau spirit has killed…
--many a revival
--many a service
--many a church
--many potential moves of God
Because so many are like Esau when they say I HAVE ENOUGH
WE’VE BEEN LEARNING over the last few weeks that God’s glory doesn’t just come automatically
We must…
--search for it
--long for it
--ask for it
--seek for it
--knock for it
It takes BELIEVING for it
John 11:40 ( KJV ) 40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
It takes being willing to move out of our comfort zone
When the CLOUD MOVES we have to pack up and move
We’ve been learning what A.W. Tozer told us…
We taste Thee, O Thou Living Bread, And long to feast upon Thee still: We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead, And thirst our souls from Thee to fill. Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking.
We’ve been learning about…
--John Wesley’s 21 daily questions
--Jonathon Edward’s 70 life-long resolutions
We’ve been learning what Paul was talking about when he says…
Philippians 3:14 ( KJV ) 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
We’ve been learning that if you think you’ve arrived, then you’ve aimed too low!
And here’s the key – WE’LL NEVER HAVE THE GLORY OF GOD IF WE HAVE THE ESAU SPIRIT THAT SAYS, “THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I HAVE ENOUGH”
And I want to tell you that I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH
When it comes to God’s…
--glory
--power
--Pentecost
--souls saved
--lives changed
I don’t have enough!
Let me tell you something – Satan never says these words – I HAVE ENOUGH
Listen to what the writer of Proverbs says…
Proverbs 30:15-16 (KJV) "The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: (16) The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough."
There are four things that never cease to keep crying out
--the grave
--the womb
--earth
--the fire
Isaiah 5:14 (KJV) "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure…"
The devil and all his demons say I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH
We see this in our society today
They are pushing the envelope…
--gay marriages
--crazy protest groups
The children of the world are motivated and activated, while the church sits on the corner and says I HAVE ENOUGH!!!
God forbid!!
Revelation 3:16-17 (KJV) "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:"
My friend, I want you to know that I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH!!!
1. WHEN IT COMES TO MY PRAYER LIFE, I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH
Now understand that you don’t have to pray three hours a day to be close to God
But if you’re satisfied with your prayer life, then you’ve missed it!
Concerning prayer – I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH
Jesus said…
Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV) "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (8) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
Jesus also told us about the closet…
Matthew 6:6 (KJV) "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."
Let me talk to you about the closet…
2 Kings 11:1-3 (KJV) "And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. (2) But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. (3) And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land."
In this passage of scripture we find three things about the closet…
--It was a place of protection
--It was a place of potential
--It was a place of power
It’s in the closet
There’s power in crying out!
2 Chronicles 18:31 (KJV) "And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him."
You may be overwhelmed, surrounded
2. WHEN IT COMES TO THE FULNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH!
Ephesians 5:18 (KJV) "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"
In the Greek, it says – BE ALWAYS BEING FILLED
Psalms 92:10 (KJV) "…I shall be anointed with fresh oil."
3. WHEN IT COMES TO THIS CHURCH, WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH!!!
Acts 2:41 (KJV) "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
Acts 2:47 (KJV) "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
Acts 5:14 (KJV) "And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)"
Acts 11:24 (KJV) "For he[Barnabas] was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord."
But that’s not all
Acts 6:7 (KJV) "And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith."
Acts 9:31 (KJV) "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."
Acts 12:24 (KJV) "But the word of God grew and multiplied."
We don’t have enough!
We need…
--the gifts of the Spirit
--souls to be saved
--drug addicts set free
As long as there is one sinner left within a 40 mile radius of our church, THEN WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH!!!
IN CLOSING
Thank God that Esau finally took it…
Genesis 33:9-11 (KJV) "And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. (10) And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. (11) Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it."
Will you receive the greater things God has for you? Or, do you have enough
If you don’t know Jesus, come to Him today!
