Genesis Series #53 July 14, 2002
Title: 4 Things to Remember in Uncertain Times
Email: pastorsarver@yahoo.com
Website: www.newlifeinchrist.info
Welcome to New life in Christ. Today we continue with message #53 in our verse-by-verse study of the Book of Genesis.
Read Genesis 28:10-22
Opening Prayer
Illustration: Willie Mays began his major league baseball career with only one hit in his first 26 at-bats. Though he went on to hit 660 home runs (third on the all-time list), and steal more than 300 bases, his debut was so unimpressive it seemed unlikely he would last more than a few weeks as a big-leaguer, let alone become one of the greatest to play the game. He had a very uncertain future in baseball.
The turning point for Mays occurred when his manager, Leo Durocher, found him crying in the dugout after yet another miserable performance at the plate.
The coach put his arm around Mays and said, "What’s the matter, son?" Mays said, "I can’t hit up here. I belong in the minor leagues."
Durocher said this to Willie Mays: "As long as I’m manager of the Giants, you’ll be my centerfielder."
You know how the story ends. It wasn’t long before Mays began hitting the ball, and he was on his way to becoming a legend of the game.
Fortunately there was someone there to encourage him and tell him, "I am behind you, this will work out." Source: www.sermonnotes.com by Steve May. I have modified parts of this story from the original in order to fit this sermon.
We also will face times in our life when we are discouraged and despairing because our future seems so uncertain. Life may be falling apart as a result of our own wrong decisions or through no fault of our own, just as a result of living in a fallen world. Doubt, discouragement, and uncertainty can affect varied aspects of our lives. We might be uncertain about our ability to fulfill ministry obligations. We might be uncertain about our material needs be met. We may be uncertain about our personal relationships, our physical health, or some other area of our lives.
During those times of uncertainty and discouragement we need the same thing that Willie Mays needed. We need a word of encouragement. We need to know that the "coach" is behind us. We need to know that things will work out. The good news is that we can have this need for encouragement and assurance met because God, through his word and Spirit, reminds us of what we need to remember in uncertain times. In fact, this particular passage of Scripture contains four things we need to remember in uncertain times.
Jacob was facing a very uncertain future. He was far from home and could not be sure of ever coming back. He had no assurance of finding a wife, a job, a home to stay in, or even having his basic needs met. He was seemingly all alone in a hostile world with no guarantee that he would not be hunted down and killed by his brother Esau or that he would not be harmed by a bandit or wild animal. Jacob was living in very uncertain times and needed a word of encouragement and assurance from God. Jacob did deserve anything from God, but God in his mercy came to Jacob anyways.
Read Genesis 28:10-12
Jacob had traveled about 70 mi. of its 450 mi. journey to Haran. He needs to rest for the evening and so he set up camp in a "certain place." This place is not especially noteworthy, it does might even have a name. It is not known as a place for Divine visitations. There’s nothing particularly holy about this place. It is just a place of dirt and stones, so Jacob has no reason to expect anything unusual. Soon after Jacob goes to sleep with this head on a rock, which is not unusual for people in ancient times, God comes to Jacob in a dream.
God sometimes shows up at unexpected times and unexpected places. It may be in the shower, during the drive to work, or when you’re cooking dinner. The well known worship course, "Lord You Are More Precious than Silver" was actually received by a lady while she was cooking French fries at McDonald’s. God is not limited to showing up at so-called spiritual places, such as the church building. Now of course God is everywhere, but I am referring to God showing up or manifesting himself to us in a special way. In this case, God visits and encourages Jacob through a special dream.
In the dream Jacob saw a stairway going from earth to heaven, with angels going between the two realms, and the Lord (Yahweh) at the top. Jacob would have understood the dreams symbolism as the stairway being representative of a place where there was access to God. The main point of the dream being to affirm to Jacob that the Lord and his angels were present and active even though he’d been unaware of them, as verse 16 attest. Most of us will not have special dreams like Jacob did, but it has been revealed to us through the Bible that God is present and active even when we are unaware of him.
So far we’ve learned to import spiritual principles. First, God sometimes shows up at unexpected times and unexpected places. Second, God is present and active even when we are unaware of him.
In verses 13-15 The Lord speaks to Jacob, and it is from that speech we learn the four things we need to remember in uncertain times.
Read Genesis 28:13-15
1. First, in uncertain times remember God’s promises.
The first thing God reminds Jacob of is the promises he had made. He basically says, "I made a promise to your father Isaac and your grandfather Abraham to give you the very land where you are now asleep as a stranger and to bless the whole world through your offspring and I am going to do it." When you consider that Jacob was leaving the Promised Land and that he had not one descendant at this time, this is a very reassuring promise. At this point in Jacob journey, his return to the land and future offspring are very uncertain, so this promise is very encouraging.
1. In uncertain times remember God’s promises.
This principle is not true only for Jacob, but for us also. When we are facing hard or uncertain times we need to open up our Bibles and let the Holy Spirit remind us of what God has promised. You can pace back and forth, worry, and focus on the problem or you could be strengthened by focusing on the promises of God; the choice is yours. Now let’s look at the second thing we need to remember in uncertain times.
2. Second, in uncertain times remember God’s presence.
We must know that God is with us if we’re to face the uncertain and fearful future with confidence. Jacob needed to know this also, so in verse 15 God said very clearly, "I am with you!" Jacob may have felt alone, but he never was alone and neither are we! God is with us. Remembering his presence has been a source of encouragement in uncertain times for all the saints. King David said in Psalm 23, "I will fear no evil for (because) you are with me." Jesus encouraged his disciples in Matthew 28 by assuring them, "Surely I am with you always." Hebrews 13:5 says, "God will never leave us nor forsake us." God’s word to us is the same as his word to Jacob, "I am with you." This does not mean we will escape the storms of life but the knowledge of his presence in those storms can give us peace and confidence in uncertain times.
Illustration: My children are sometimes fearful during the violent thunderstorms we can have here in Florida, especially when the power goes out and the house is dark. When this happens, my first words are usually, "Don’t worry I’m right here with you." They cannot see me but the knowledge of my presence calms their fears. It is the same with the knowledge of our Heavenly Father’s presence.
Now to the third thing we need to remember in uncertain times.
3. Third, in uncertain times remember God’s protection.
God’s protection is the next thing that the Lord reminds Jacob of. He says in verse 15, "I am with you and will watch (keep) over you." In other words, I’m going to protect you on this perilous journey. This did not mean that nothing hurtful or bad would not ever happen to Jacob but it did mean to him and it does mean to us that God will protect us so that his plan, which is good, comes to fruition. Jacob did not have to worry about his brother’s anger, bandits, or wild animals. God would protect him.
In the same way, we do not need to fear the dangers we face in today’s world such as: terrorist, disease, crime, wicked people, etc. God has promised to watch over us and certainly that is enough.
3. In uncertain times remember God’s protection.
To understand this principle we must recognize that God protect us from harm but not necessarily from hurt. We may be hurt by others, we may be hurt by life, or we be may hurt by sickness and even death but God protects us from being harmed. It’s like when I or my wife Amy take our children to get their immunization shots, the shot hurts them but does not harm them. Rather they benefit from them in the long run, though they would still rather avoid the hurt of the needle.
So far which seen three of the four things we need to remember in uncertain times.
1. In uncertain times remember God’s promises.
2. In uncertain times remember God’s presence.
3. In uncertain times remember God’s protection.
Now to the fourth thing we need to remember in uncertain times.
4. Fourth, in uncertain times remember God’s provision.
The promise in verse 15 to "watch over you" had a dual meaning. The Hebrew word for "watch" meant to protect and to provide for or to take care of. The Hebrew word is first used in Genesis 2: 15 where God instructed Adam to "take care" of the garden i.e. provide for its needs. This means God was also promising to provide for Jacob’s needs in addition to promising to protect him from harm. Jacob clearly understood this because he expects God to both watch over him on his journey and provide food and clothing for him as we see in verse 20.
God has promised to provide for all the needs of his people. Jesus reminds us that the Father knows we need these things and that since he provides them for the birds of the air certainly he will provide them for us. We need to remember the promise of God’s provision because even in America, where we are materially blessed, there can be times when we are uncertain as to how our needs will be met. This can cost a lot of unnecessary and harmful anxiety in our lives but it doesn’t have to do this because God has promised to provide for us. The following story is one example of God providing.
Illustration: Doctors and nurses were doing everything possible for my wife, the mother of my seven children, yet I could see the hopelessness in their faces. Through an emergency C-section during the fifth month of her pregnancy, it was discovered the detached placenta had grown through the uterus and attached itself to her bladder. Bleeding was so profuse during surgery that Kris was given 30 units of blood. As the night wore on, her battle for life became desperate.
I cried out, "God, what do you want? I know you can heal her; why don’t you?" In the middle of my darkest night, God began to speak. I wanted a miracle. He wanted to discuss his nature.
"Do you believe I am a loving God?" the Spirit asked.
Sitting beside my wife’s bed, amid the chaos of ICU, I needed to answer that question. I could have said, "No, God cannot be a loving God. Look around here. My wife is dying. My newborn daughter may die. I have to go home and tell six children that their mother will not come home again…ever."
But that night God gave me the grace to see him as he is.
"Yes," I told him. "You are a loving God. No matter what happens here tonight I will not question your nature."
Kris’s condition worsened.
Kris understood that all life is precious and was determined to give our child all she had to help her in her struggle to live. In the end, it cost Kris her life. Grace lived 16 days.
"What about our plans, God?" I asked. "Who will teach the kids, guide them, and love them like their mother?"
God laid it on the heart of a man to head up an effort which became known as "Help Bring Hope to the Hoyt Kids." In six months, hundreds of people worked, sent money, donated supplies and poured love into our family. Churches provided food daily; on weekends, as many as 50 people were fed.
I received more than 500 letters, e-mails and cards from people who said they were praying for us.
I am writing this in the house God has given us. The medical bills are gone. The house is paid for. I am working as well as schooling my children.
One night I lay awake, tormented with the memory of Kris fighting for her life. I tried to remember her with the light of life in her eyes, but all I could see was death. I could feel myself falling into depression when suddenly before me was a vision of Kris, so perfectly alive in Christ, shining and healthy. No pain, just pure joy on her face.
"See her as she is now," the Holy Spirit seemed to say. "She is alive."
Someday we will all be together with Jesus and our daughter Grace.
I asked God for the life of my wife; I received instead a lesson on the nature of God. God is good. Armed with that knowledge, I have no fear for today or the future. God will always be enough…for any situation. Source: Randy Hoyt, "Seeing God," Pentecostal Evangel (1-21-01), pp.14-15
There are four things we need to remember in uncertain times: God’s Promises, God’s Presence, God’s Protection, and God’s Provision.
Now let’s look at Jacob’s response to God’s gracious encouragement and assurance.
Read Genesis 28:16-22
In verse 16 we see that Jacob recognizes that God has intervened in his life in a very special way and that such a Divine visitation should elicit a special response. Jacob then proceeds to set up a stone pillar as a memorial of worship. We also should worship God, especially when he reveals himself to us in special ways. Then in verses 20-22 Jacob made a vow or commitment to the Lord. This vow could be seen as conditional, "If God does what he promised, I will follow him." The vow could also be translated as, "Since God has promised these things, I will follow him." In either case Jacob’s response is to serve Yahweh as his God and King and to worship him. We also should respond to God’s assurances to us with worship and commitment.
Conclusion: Each of us will face uncertain times but we can be encouraged because God is with us and for us.
Closing Prayer.
