Principles for Handling Change
Genesis 46:1-7
by Andrew Chan, Senior Pastor, PBC, Vancouver, BC
Sermon preached at South Vancouver Pacific Grace Mennonite Brethren August 8, 2001.
A young minister just out of seminary, decided to take a job on the police force for a few months, in hopes that the experience would be useful to his calling. After passing the physical, he took the oral exam, which was designed to test his mental alertness, and his ability to think and act quickly and wisely in an emergency. One of the questions he was asked was, “What would you do to disperse an agitated crowd?”
His quick reply “I’d take up a collection.”
Today I hope I don’t have to use that tactic and quickly disperse you.
A Chinese Buddhist monk strode into a Zen pizza parlor. “make me one with everything on it” As the monk said looking at 5.99 special GST included. When he got his order, he gave the owner of the pizza parlor a $20.00 bill, which the guy pocketed. “Haiya” said the monk, “where’s my change ah?” “Change” replied the owner profoundly “must come from within.”
We live in a world that is filled with challenges and changes esp. in multi-cultural Vancouver. Quite a bit of that is stressful, try changing a lane in traffic during rush hour, you know it is so true. Try changing your mind after you purchase a stereo, wait in line, at customer service, fill a form explain why u change, process credit card, takes another 10 minutes, find manager to sign it, then maybe you get your refund in 2 weeks.
Change is not easy, isn’t it. We are creatures of habit. Find comfort in habits, routines. Even with kids, change is not easy. Take kids out for camping, first thing they look for is cable tv.
Invite you hear from the Bible about a guy who has to change, - he had to deal with change in a big way. How big? According to psychologist – one of the biggest stressors in life is moving. Imagine if change is not easy for kids, for those who now have to put up with closed Lions Gate. how about for an old guy who is close to 130 years old, like Jacob who is the con artist also known as Israel. He was just told his most favorite son, thought dead long ago, Joe was still alive 45:26 and ruler of all Egypt. “Yikes” it is a wonder he did not clutch his chest and died of a heart attack. Jacob, con artist aka Israel, was “stunned” (NIV), he could not believe the news. Maybe that’s ancient Hebrew way of saying he had a mild cardiac arrest, because the text reports later, “the spirit of their father Jacob revived”. Maybe someone was there who applied CPR, but he revived “I will go and see him before I die.” He sure didn’t expect this bit of news.
Suddenly things changed all around him. All along Jacob believed son Joe was lost forever, torn to shreds, eaten by Godzilla or something. Did he mourned, refuse to be comforted, wept and tore his robes, sons and daughters brought no comfort, many days (Gen.37:34). Think about it, emotions, stress of keeping his big family together, head of clan, big boss, the head honcho, stress of having to feed them all, especially 11 sons of his. Gotta imagine the ladies must be slaving in kitchen all day to cook for these guys. Anyway, here in his situation, Jacob or the con artist aka Israel, dire straits, keep alive, famine stricken, hardly any food. Now he hears of Joe, he must be saying How much more can this old heart take. and the old stress-o-meter must be going ding ding.
On top of that he’s got to go to Egypt to see his son and make a life or death trip to a foreign country. Old folks don’t like too much routine disturb. And now his Hebrew mind is racing - Egypt represents isn’t that place anti-God, in fact Jake’s father Isaac had been warned by God not to go down to Egypt (Gen.26), even when there was a famine.
Now a severe famine struck the land, as had happened before in Abraham’s time. So Isaac moved to Gerar, where Abimelech, king of the Philistines, lived.
2 The LORD appeared to him there and said, “Do not go to Egypt. 3 Do as I say, and stay here in this land. If you do, I will be with you and bless you. I will give all this land to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 5 I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, regulations, and laws.”
6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar.
Isaac must have drilled into Jacob, not to go to Egypt, stay here in Promised Land, land of idolatry, go there evil influence, dirt of land and people will rub off on children of Israel. Danger of losing family, being absorbed into culture and pleasures of land. Fear of immigrant Chinese, their kids lose their culture… Also, Jacob was in tune with the fact that the plan of God is tied into the promised land where he resides and to leave it, seems like disobedience to God. Furthermore, Traveling in those days, is not like today, there are no Holiday Inns or Motel 6’s with a free continental breakfast every morning, there, no minivans with tiny weeny tv sets and surround sound stereo system, with a/c if hot or heat if cold, brave elements, really rough it with no rest stops with clean washrooms, Plus the fear of bandits, who knows what can happen, Plus weather can get you too, get caught in sandstorms, Plus, the fear of family being enamored with pleasures of Egypt. Yet he wants to see Joe before he dies, those who are in Psych 101, cognitive dissonance. Messages of all sorts going haywire in his brain, emotions must be trying hard to keep up where his head is going.
Here is Jacob, with 130 years of not an easy life, finally feeling comfortable in life, where you want to retire and rest maybe go to Club Med, at the stage of his life, not move his entire household, he has thoughts of dying in his homeland, expect to stay and live out his life but now face with moving to of all places Egypt, change in lifestyle, culture, learn another language, learn ESL Egyptian as Second Language - stressful!! Never been there, now he goes into the unknown? Can his heart even handle the traveling? Do u sense what he must be going thru? Journey into Egypt, sure is not a great thing? Gotta see go Joe but will Joe really accept him or blame him for misery caused earlier in life?
How About you? Got your own journey into your own “Egypt”? Does your Egypt look a lot like Jake’s land of idolatry, pleasures of what Vancouver can offer and its bright lights have to offer, into the wired world, the world wide web? How do u keep it all together, spiritual life, family life, journey into Egypt? Million questions going through your heart, finding hard to keep it all together?
I wonder too, if you are going thru changes, changes in way your body smell, look, comfortable being a kid, now gotta be adult, changes in hormones, changes in school, feel stress out with family life, brother sister mom and dad gets on your case, changes maybe got dumped in relationship, stressed out, feel cardiac arrest coming on, changes in workplace, feels load of stress, uncertain of future, will I get fired, “chau yau yee”, and all this brings pressure, stress, giant size, no mega sized cognitive dissonance, heart has not caught up yet with all that goes on in the head? Feeling unprepared, ill at ease? Can I handle it keep it all together, and still stay true to God.
Listen to what God’s word.
READ (46:1).
Principle #1: BEERSHEBA: No matter where you are at, stop and worship.
I like what Jacob did as he reached Beersheba, reminded of need to worship, for Beersheba, is where Abraham and Isaac worshipped. This is where he’s reminded his father and grandpa met God, special Place meet with God. Stopped and offered sacrifices to God.
In your journey do u have special places, such as a “Beersheba”, reminded of the beauty of worship, seeking God alone and nothing else. Where you declare like the pslamist
“better is one day in your courts and a thousand elsewhere”
You will note, that this was not a time where Jacob flooded God with prayer requests, but offer sacrifice, attention is on God, on his holiness, preparing to enter into his presence, not about getting things from God, not about ourselves.
When the music fades, all is stripped away and I simply come.
Longing just to bring something that’s of worth that will bless your heart.
I bring you more than a song, for a song in itself is not what you have required.
You search much deeper within through the way things appear
You’re looking into my heart. I coming back to the heart of worship… about you.
Take time to renew relationship with God, begin to know God’s forgiveness, spirit is calmed, peace of God surrounds u…enter His presence, prepare to experience him.
I know almost every church provides worship experiences for its people, but reality is as found in surveys done by the George Barna group among regular church-going adults, one third do not experience God’s presence. Half of all regular church-going adults admit that they have not experienced God’s presence at any time during the past year. The younger the adult, the more likely they are to state God is a distant impersonal reality for them. I really believe it breaks the heart of God that his people do not come near him, experience him. Hear once again from God’s word, personal invite:
is.55 Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters, i.e. experiencing dryness, real parched throat,
and you who have no money (no more resources)
come buy and eat, come buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
4 x mentioned come i.e. invitation is really there, not a trick question at all.
Experiencing lost of resources, hunger, … Jesus says in Jn.6:37 “whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
find a Beersheba, not a Bathesheba, beer…not bath…, got a bathsheba coming, drown self in a beer sheba. Only place in bible where beer is served and is legit.
Principle #1: No matter where you are at, stop and worship.
Principle #2. COVENANT: No matter what you go through, God is committed to you.
When God speaks of relationship he speaks in words of covenant. Unbreakable word, for God is faithful and a God of personal relationship. That is why writer of Genesis carefully wrote: “God of his father Isaac”, (v,1,3) meaning the God who was committed in personal loving unconditional relationship to his father, is now same God who is committed to him. real worship can only be experienced in context of remembering God communes with us in covenant relationship. That is why when Jesus revealed what needs to be remembered when he goes away, he told his disciples drink his blood, the wine Jesus says “is new covenant in my blood” this do in remembrance of me!
he is to be within us, drink him in, can’t leave, part of you, committed covenantly
Rodney Dangerfield says: “I don’t get no respect. Why, I even phoned the Suicide Prevention Hotline and they put me on hold.”
With covenant making God, you’ll never be put on hold, he is absolutely faithful committed to mold you into his image, never leave nor forsake you. remember how he reminded disciples, he will with them till end of the age, oh you’ll get more than respect, personal stamped signed sealed and delivered Spirit to help you, so his faithfulness is guaranteed.
People generally don’t hear very well, if it is not personal relationship, so much info overload we screen out messages that don’t hit us where we live.
Many times I try to correct people but if I don’t know them all you get is angry stare, punch your lights out, but if there is connection not just correction where relationship of trust and atmosphere of love is built, feel commitment, unconditional acceptance you can hear better.
My Kids hear better than when a stranger talks to them, cos’ relationship, but hear better. Better rephrase that, most of the time they hear me
They hear strangers, they run away, “my sheep listen to my voice”
“This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood”
Do you hear that he is for you? If you’re a believer, remember where u live, he lives. make a decision to trust that He is for you not against you.
Principle # 3: GRACE: No matter what your needs are, God’s grace is enough.
1. I believe that as you enter regular Beersheba experience, internalize God’s covenant with you, you will begin to know that God canspeak to your fears. You will find that He touches our real and felt needs, no matter what life throws at you, you find His grace is sufficient for you, you will be met by God.
Look at how God’s grace move into Israel’s personal fears.
Look at God’s commitment “Jacob, Jacob” really calling out to him, responding to his worship. Accepting him unconditionally as he is, calling him Jacob, which has connotations of in the Hebrew, trickster, heel grabber, supplanter, it’s like “yo, crook” yet renews his covenant to him: “I am God, the God of your father” That is just so neat.
“Do not be afraid to go down …” (v.3) addressed his real need.
Look at how God comforted, spoke to his need:
a. Multiply “make u into a great nation” i.e. not lose people - fear lose his family to Egypt, pleasures of the land idolatry, don’t fear absorbed into culture and value of pagan land addressed. Yes Egypt’s multi-cultural experience will not drown u out, in fact in that mulit-cultural land, God has for Israel a “multiply” plan. Today God speaks about His church the same way “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
b. presence “I will go down…with you”, not fear being left to battle alone the enticements of Egypt. Today Spirit of God is given to us, word of God, people of God, not alone!
c. “bring you back” - won’t get lost in Egypt, return to promised land, won’t be left stranded in some strange land. Come back home. Jesus too confirms he will come again, won’t get lost.
d. “Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes” even in death he will not be alone, comfort, Joe, his beloved son will be there for him, great comfort to the 130 year old man whose life has not been easy.
God did not have go thru the trouble with this joker, yet he did, speaks volume of His grace… willingness to work on people, not giving up on us …
Here as Jake journeyed into Egypt, God’s word was enough for him.
Read into text? then he got up and extra spring in his step, filled with courage (v.5).
How about you?
Do u see benefits of these principles (vv.4-7):
1. stability (v.4)
2. energy (v.5)
3. hope for the future (v.6)
4. comfort in the fact God will take care of family (v.7)
5. strength for the rest of the journey (v.5)
6. fears are conquered (vv.6,7)
7. know for sure that God’s will is for blessing (vv.5-7)
9. soar like “Air Jordan” in the sea of change
Do you have a Beersheba experience with God in your crowded over pressured schedule, God’s covenant word applied to you, spoken directly to your heart? And have you experienced his sufficient grace in your fears?
Jesus too see his church today as a great nation, preserve them, protect, not lose family to Egypt, be absorbed into culture of pagans around us, if we would respond like Jacob, he will go down to with us to our Egypts, not left to battle alone, His presence is promised, and bring us back to promised land, resurrection of Christ, guarantees we will make it back home to God, in heaven, he with them forever. See that extra spring in step of Jacob.
Life is difficult. The world, its problems, pressures, bad transit system and its influence will come but it is how we respond that makes the difference, whether we emerge victorious with an extra spring in our step or whether we become folks that are defeated, unmotivated, depressed. What the monk said is true “Change must come from within” or else change in world will drag u down. Will u determine in your heart to hear God speak clearly to you, your needs? Let me challenge you to be renew self with a commitment to keep a Beersheba appointment, keep applying God’s new covenant commitment written in Jesus’ blood, and be ready to let Him speaks to your fear with his words of grace.
