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When God Let Down the Ladder - Genesis 28:10-22

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Jacob was a fugitive running away from the trouble he created. God ran after him, showing him that what he thought was a dead-end street was actually a new beginning. It's a classic case of God lavishing His grace on an undeserving creature. The creature (Jacob) in turn properly responded by worshipping the One who ' stooped to show such love.

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9/24/2000
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When God Let Down the Ladder
Genesis 28:10-22
Skip Heitzig
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Jacob was a fugitive running away from the trouble he created. God ran after him, showing him that what he thought was a dead-end street was actually a new beginning. It's a classic case of God lavishing His grace on an undeserving creature. The creature (Jacob) in turn properly responded by worshipping the One who ' stooped to show such love.
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Worship: Life with Passion and Purpose

Worship: Life with Passion and Purpose

Worship: Life with Passion and Purpose is a comprehensive look at the role of worship in the lives of believers. In the series, Pastor Skip Heitzig looks at examples of several people in the Bible who understood what it is to worship God. These people realized that worship is not just singing, but a lifestyle. God created us to worship Him and certain qualities will be evident in your life if you are a true worshiper. As we study the lives of worshipers in Scripture, we can understand what true worship is--and use it as a template to follow in our own lives.

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Outline

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  1. The Dream: God Broke Through

    1. What He Saw

    2. What He Heard

  2. The Discovery: God is Here

    1. "He's Been Here All Along"

    2. "He's Been Unaware All Along"

  3. The Decision: God Shall be my God

    1. Worship by commemorating

    2. Worship by Committing

    3. Worship by Contributing


Questions for Discussion:
  1. Can you think of a time when God broke into your busy life to bless you in a certain way that was totally unexpected? What did you learn from it?

  2. How do you "set up stones" (remember a spiritual event)? Is worship becoming more and more a part of your lifestyle or is it merely episodic?

Transcript

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Would you, uh, take the book in front of you, I presume it is the Bible, and turn to the first book, the book of Genesis, the 28th chapter. According to the Gallup Polling Organization, America's favorite hymn, what do you suppose it is? Amazing Grace. There's a phrase in that song that makes some of us wince. It's the phrase, "That saved a wretch like me." And we think, "Now what do you mean a wretch like me?" Maybe we sing, "Saved a wretch like him or her." But let me tell you who wrote that phrase. The one who wrote the psalm was John Newton. And John Newton, well he was a rabble-rouser. Ran away from home as a young teenager, joined the British Navy, became an alcoholic, boasted that he could swear, you know, cuss, for an hour without repeating himself with a single cuss word. He got involved with the Portuguese slave trade selling human beings for profit. Eventually, he became enslaved himself, almost drowned as he was knocked off of a ship for cussing out his captain, almost drowned. Was taken back to England, where he became converted, became a minister, and fought to abolish the slave trade. So he really meant it when he said, "That saved a wretch like me." He realized God's grace. It is amazing grace.

Grace is, I believe, I'm convinced, the hardest concept for human beings to grasp. It's against our nature. It might be America's favorite hymn but it's not America's favorite concept. We're all about earning things in this country. You earn a living. You earn your right to be heard. You earn somebody's trust. There was even that commercial a few years ago, I bet some of you remember it- The Smith Barney commercial. They make money the old-fashioned way. They, they, "earn it," in the British voice. Those are good values. However, there is something you cannot earn. It's called God's favor. And here's why you can't earn it. It's simple. You see God is perfect. He needs nothing. We are imperfect. We are fallen. We are sinners. We need everything. So, for fallen, imperfect man to hang out with perfect, holy, righteous God is impossible alone without grace. Can't be done. You remember the disciples said, "Well, Lord, who can be saved?" And Jesus said, "Frankly, it is impossible. But what is impossible," Jesus said, "with men is possible with God." Grace is God's attitude toward humanity. Simply put, it is showing favor toward unfavorable people. Know anybody like that? I asked that question last night, I said, "Do you know any unfavorable people?" And I saw somebody go (inaudible gesture) pointing to the person next to her or him. Presumably they knew each other. God's favor toward unfavorable people. Grace is different from what we know- justice. We talk about justice being served. Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is different from justice and mercy, it's getting something you don't deserve. You've heard me use this example. You're driving, speeding down the freeway. You get pulled over by a police officer. If he's just, he'll give you a ticket. You deserve it. You can complain all day long, but you deserve the ticket. You were speeding, you broke the speed limit, you broke the law. Justice is served. If he's merciful, he'll say, "You were speeding. You were going 40 miles over the speed limit. But I'm going to let you off. You deserve a ticket, but I'm not going to give it to you. I won't give you what you deserve." That's mercy. But, grace would be the police officer writing you the ticket, handing you the ticket, then quickly taking it and says, "Tell you what. I'll pay for it." By the way, if you know any policemen like that, introduce them to me, would ya? Grace is the judge pointing his finger and saying, "You're guilty. You deserve the death penalty," then quickly rising from his bench, taking off his robe, and paying the death penalty for you. That's what God did in Christ. That is grace giving you what you don't deserve.

Now, the story before us of Jacob is a story of grace. God's grace awakens Jacob's worship. Here's a guy, and I'm just going to tell you the story, part of it, and we'll start in verse 10. Here's the story of a man who just manipulated his way into a blessing, an inheritance. He conspires with his mother to lie to his father to rip off his brother. He has not interest in the things of God, he's not seeking God, he's seeking only his own advancement. But God's grace finds him and wins him over. Some of you history buffs will remember the name Jonathan Edwards. He was Princeton University's third president. Brilliant man, one of America's finest thinkers, the history books say. He was also an evangelist; believed in God, preached the gospel. Edwards had a daughter, I read, who had an uncontrollable temper. But nobody knew about, even a young man who wanted to marry her didn't know about it. And so when he came to Jonathon Edwards and said, "I want to marry your daughter," Edwards said, "You can't have her." He said, "But I love her." Again the words, "You can't have her." "But she loves me." Again, even more demonstrably, "You can't have her." He said, "Why? She's a Christian, I'm a Christian. We want to be married." Edwards smiled and said, "Young man, the grace of God can live with some people with whom no one else could ever live." There are people even in the Bible like Edward's daughter- unlivable. But God touches them and makes them livable. You see, mankind is broken, needs mending. And it's God's grace, His favor toward the unfavorable, that is the glue.

We're going to begin, as I mentioned, in verse 10, and there's three phases to our story. There's a dream, there's a discovery, and there's a decision. Jacob has a dream. Through the dream he makes a discovery. Through the discovery, he comes up with a decision.
Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west, to the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" Then Jacob arose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, which is God's house; but the name of that city had been called Luz previously.
Now here's a guy heading north, 500 miles from Beersheba is Haran. That's the trip he's taking by foot. He's 50 miles out. The sun is setting. He has an uneasy conscience. He just fled from his brother who, by the way, threatened to kill him if he ever saw him again, and so he lies down to sleep wondering what his future had for him. And probably thoughts like this were in his head: "Will I ever see my mother again?" He's on a 500 mile journey from home, "Will my father ever forgive me? Will I ever see him again? Will my brother catch up with me to kill me?" And probably, he thought, "And where is God in all of this? Where is God?" He was edgy, I believe. I think that that night seemed a little darker than most every other night. Probably every sound was amplified. Ever had a night like that? You toss, you turn, you have an uneasy conscience. Something bothers you. Well put those things together- a long journey, a rock as a pillow and an uneasy conscience. That's what the kind of stuff that makes for dreams. And he has a dream: a ladder.


Dreams are typical, they tell us. Everybody dreams every night, so it is said. But some dreams are more unusual than other dreams. When my brother was just a little kid, my mom told me this week, that he would sleepwalk. Experts call it somnambulism. He got up out of bed, walked down the hallway, walked out the front door, walked out the driveway, open the car door, sat in the car, until one of my parents woke up, woke him up, and he had no idea how he got there. I have a friend who's a pastor. Talk about an unusual dream, first year of marriage, he said one night his wife was having a restless sleep so he woke up and he sat up in bed and she turned around off and hauled off and punched him in the face and he rolled out of bed. Now she said it was a dream, at least that's the, that's the best excuse to have when something like that happens. But Jacob's dream, now this was a dream from God and you can't say that about every dream, can you? I've had people say, "I had a dream. What does it mean?" They tell me the dream, "I have no idea except that maybe you had a late night taco with onions. That's all that could mean." But every dream isn't a dream from God. By the way, if God needs to speak to you through a dream, it says something about your ability or inability to listen. You gotta be pretty hard-headed if God has to resort to a dream to get your attention. Now, God can do it. And God may do it. But I think first, God seeks to speak through what he has already spoken through His Word and the Holy Spirit abiding in your heart. If He needs to go further, it says something about us. But it is true that so often God needs to get us alone before we'll listen. You know, we're so zoned in, honed in to our own agenda, our own life and it's only when we are alone, maybe on a vacation or even in a hospital or up early in the morning, earlier than usual and our ears are open. Jacob is ready to listen.


It comes to a dream, it is dramatic. God may not always and God did not always speak dramatically. He's not going to hang two-trillion-watt speakers from the moon, necessarily, and speak your name to the universe to get your attention. He's not going to rearrange the stars to spell, "Stop. Go no further" and then what exactly His will is for your life written underneath. But, if you are stubborn, God can match you. You see, He'll start with the still-small voice. He'll begin with the Scripture, and if that doesn't work, well let me just say, He has ways, like he did with Jonah, or Peter with the vision on the roof or Jacob with the dream or Saul of Tarsus knocked off his horse. But again, it would say something about your inability to listen. There's an old Yiddish proverb that says, "If one man calls you a donkey, pay him no heed. If two men call you a donkey, pay them no heed. If three men call you a donkey, go buy a saddle." And Jacob was as stubborn as they come, as manipulative as they come. Dug his heels in, but God is able to get a hold of him and He does, through a dream, a ladder. The Hebrew word is the word, sulam, would be better translated a staircase, or even a ramp. If it was an American dream- an escalator. The point is, it's reaching from heaven to earth. And we notice that the angels of God are, what? First, they're ascending and descending. They're going up first, which indicates they have been down on earth, previously. They're going up, and then more are coming down, like changing shifts, a whole new batch. This is the original Stairway to Heaven, no pun intended, by the way. It's a, it's a picture of God's sovereign control and presence over the affairs of mankind. You see, for Jacob, God seemed so distant, so far away, he was running from even the ordinary trusting in the Lord he manipulated. He's in a place where he thinks, "This is God-forsaken, God isn't here." And he has a dream and he sees God hovering over this ladder.


Um, just as a point of comparison, a few chapters back and we haven't read this in our study on worship, but some of you will remember the Tower of Babel in Chapter 11 of Genesis. Remember, it was the tower mankind said, "Let's build a tower that reaches to heaven." It was man's attempt at reaching God, but they failed. The difference between Babel and Bethel is the difference between religion and relationship. Man always tries to reach toward God, we call that a religion. They construct their own value system, their own belief system. "I'm going to get to God by doing this or saying that or travelling to that place." Bethel is where God lets the ladder down, because only God can reach mankind. Only God can bridge the gap. And Jacob saw that that night. And he heard something as well. Beginning in verse 15, no not verse 15, verse 13, "Behold, the LORD stood above it and said: 'I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.'" Now talk about astonishing. If the dream itself was cool, the words were even better. Because, remember, Jacob had just fled from his father's house after stealing a blessing from his brother. He lied, he stole, he manipulated. Then God comes and what does God say? Does God reprimand him? He would deserve it if He did. God could've said, "You creepo. I have your number. The land that you lie on will swallow you up." But instead of a reprimand, it's grace. God says, "That land that you lie on? It's yours." Here's a guy who just stole a blessing and God says, "I’m going to give you a blessing." Interesting, isn’t it? This is gracious, folks. A ladder let down from heaven and God speaking and He says three things. Three promises. First of all, the promise of God’s provision, "The land on which you lie I will give to you." For you theology buffs, it’s the Abrahamic covenant. The same promise God made to Abraham and Isaac, he makes to Jacob. Second, is the promise of God's presence. He says, "I am with you." I bet Jacob thought, "You are? You're with me? After all that I've done? After being here in this god-forsaken place, you're with me?" And third, notice, it's the promise of God's protection. "I will keep you wherever you go, and I'll bring you back." In other words, "Jacob, I'm going to be good to you, man. I'm going to bless you. I'm going to undergird your life. Did he deserve it? No. This is God's grace. This is God letting down the ladder and opening up the access for even the worst of us. And that's the point.

No matter how bad your past is, no matter what you have done and are ashamed and guilty of it, right where you are can be a place of new beginning. God can take and wash away the past and make you, make me a channel, a blessing to other people. That's why God is called by some the God of the second chance. I've always like that term. But it is inaccurate. Yeah, He is the God of the second chance, but you know what? He's the God of the third chance, and the fifth chance, and the forty-fifth chance and the 5,236th chance as well. You might say, "Oh, but I've ran out of chances." Listen, this isn't Yahtzee. It's not baseball, three strikes and you're out. This is God we're dealing with, and God is merciful and God is gracious. Remember, I began by saying and I still firmly believe it that grace is one of those concepts that's tough for people to grasp?

Let me give you an example. Here's a letter from somebody I received sometime back:
Dear Pastor Skip,
I've been in town for about two months now. (He describes why he came. He says,) I have since then realized, (now listen carefully to the words) that I've got to find Jesus Christ and let Him into my life. Each Sunday you ask people if they'd like to come down after your teachings. I've wanted to join those who accept Jesus as Savior, but I don't really feel that I'm worthy of His holy love because I am a sinner and I feel this acceptance would be hypocritical. What should a person like me do? I need the Lord but I don't think I should let Him into my soul until its cleaner.

He's right, you know. He's not worthy. I'm not worthy, you're not worthy. That's where grace comes in. That's where God lets down the ladder and says, "Hey, you, Jacob, I'm going to bless you. I love you, I'm going to take care of you. We can hang out by My grace." It's interesting, this person wrote, "I need the Lord but I don't think I should let Him into my soul until it's cleaner." The truth is, you can't be cleaner till you let Him into your soul. You don't clean yourself up first and then come to Him, you come to Him and He cleans you up. He writes at the beginning, "I feel like I've got to find Jesus." That is the typical thinking of our culture, our nature. "I'm on a quest for God." Ever had somebody tell you that? "I'm searching for God." You know what my answer is? "Why, He's not lost. You're lost. You're the one that He's trying to find." The first question God asked to Adam is, "Adam, where are you?" God is searching for you today. The man writes and says, "I feel it would be hypocritical." It's not hypocritical, it is critical that you give your life to Jesus because it shows you that you don't trust in yourself, you're at the end of your rope. "I trust in Him." You learn something about grace if you're at that point. And so God intervenes in Jacob's life, not because Jacob was cool. Not because Jacob was good or Jacob deserved it. Why did God intervene? Because of God's character, God's nature. That's grace. Grace is God acting according to His own nature, not ours. So that nobody will ever be able to say, "He got into heaven the old-fashioned way. He earned it." Not so. Nobody earns it. It's by God's grace.

Well that's the dream. Now look down at the next two verses. Verse 16 and 17. Let's see the discovery. Let's see if this guy cops a clue. "Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said, 'Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.' And he was afraid," or better word awestruck, "and he said, 'How awesome,'" he was a Californian, "'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, this is the gate of heaven!'" Please notice the wording in his discovery. God is in this place. Not God was in this place last night. It wasn't a visit. It was permanent. God is in this place. And then, he says, "I did not know it," or, I love the Old King James, it's even better, "And I knew it not." "I know it now, but I knew it not." "God is not was in this place. It's not a visit, He's permanently here and I knew it not but I know it now. Last night when I laid down to sleep in this God-forsaken, barren place of gray rock and no trees, a place called Beth-el, a place called Luz, I thought, 'God isn't here.' And now I wake up and I realize God has always been here. But I just didn't know it. But now I do."

The one place Jacob did not expect to find God, he now discovers that God is there. He lands on a truth. A very important truth. We call it the omnipresence of God. Ever heard of that term? Most Christians know it. It's a theologian's term, but most Christians know it. The omnipresence of God, meaning that God is everywhere present. He's not in one city; He's not in one building. God is everywhere present. I've discovered that it is a truth that is easily mastered by most Christians. Ask most Christians, "Do you believe God is everywhere present?" "Oh, of course." Though it is the truth easily mastered by Christians, I've also discovered it is a truth that it is difficult for Christians to be mastered by. How real is the presence of God in your life at work? At home? On the freeway? In the parking lot trying to get out of church? God is in this place? Psalm 139 is a familiar psalm that most Christians, you don't have to turn there; I'm going to read it to you in a different translation, a modern one, to make more of an impact. David discovers it, "Oh Lord, You have examined my heart. You know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. You chart the path ahead of me and You tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am, You know where I'm going to be, You know what I'm going to say before I say it. You both precede and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Listen, I can never escape from Your Spirit. I can never get away from your presence. If I go up to heaven, You are there. If I go down to the place of the dead You're there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell in the farthest oceans, even there, Your hand will guide me. And Your strength will support me." Great stuff, right? We all know that, right? Do we? How real is the presence of God? How come we who believe in the omnipresence can in some situations, in some place, with some people, live as though God didn't even exist? Because it is a truth easily mastered by us, but it's a truth that we find hard to master us. Even David, same psalm, Psalm 139 says, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high, I cannot attain to it." He realized it was tough to grasp. And perhaps, let me make a suggestion. Perhaps, the reason circumstances have happened to you the way they have lately, whatever they may be, I don't know, I haven't been following you around. But perhaps they have turned out the way they are just to get your attention so that you would realize this. "God has been in this place all along. I just didn't know about it." And that that would cause, that realization would cause something to happen. Worship.

Remember Thomas? Remember the guy who didn't believe that Jesus was risen from the dead. But the rest of his buddies said, "Hey we saw Him, He appeared right here in this room, Thomas." What did Thomas say? "Yeah, right. I don't believe it. I'm the apostle from Missouri, remember? Show me. You don't show me, I won't believe it. I wanna touch the wounds in His hand. I wanna put my hand in his side." Now, Thomas was all alone with his buddies when he said that. Or was he? Because a few days later Jesus appears and goes, "Hi Thomas," and didn't go, "Thomas, come here. Shame on you for doubting." No, once again, in grace, like God did to Jacob, He stretches out his wounds, doesn't He? He says, "Thomas, you remember that thing you said about having to touch My wounds? Touch them. Remember that thing you said about taking your hand and putting it in My side? Go for it." Remember Thomas's strong exclamation? He said, "My Lord and my God!" Why such a strong affirmation of the deity of Christ? Because He suddenly was aware of the omnipresence of Him. "I was in this room alone with these guys when I said that. You weren't here. Oh yes You were here. You were here. I didn't see you, but You were here. You were in this place. My Lord and My God." The omnipresence of God.


You see, in the strangest places, in the oddest and weirdest circumstances, God will let down to you a ladder. And in that wheelchair, in that hospital bed, in that lousy job you have, God is here. And you can say, "And I know it not," or you can say, "And I knew it not but I know it now." It brings us to a decision that he makes, it doesn't end there. Verse 18. In the rest of the chapter, Jacob responds three ways now. He did something, he said something, and he gave something.
"Then Jacob arose early in the morning, and took the stone that," was his pillow, "and set it up as a pillar," not a pillow, a pillar, "and poured oil on top of it. And called the name of that place Bethel," which is Bayith-El in Hebrew, "God's house, the house of God; but the name of the city had been Luz previously." Keep that in mind. "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."

Jacob worshipped God in his way. In a way that is also pleasing to God. Let me explain. First of all, he worshipped by commemorating, doesn't he. He takes the stone, it was his pillow, he sets it up as a pillar, pours oil on it. It's a reminder if he ever sees it again. Abraham back in Genesis 12, at the exact same place, Bethel, but it was called Luz previously, remember I said keep that in your mind, built an altar to worship God with. Same place. Grandpa was there and he built an altar to worship God with. Now, I can't say for sure, I can't hang my hat on it, but it's tempting to think that Jacob, perhaps, took one of the stones that Grandpa used for an altar to worship and slept on it that night, had his own dream, and used that very stone to make his altar to God. We don't know for sure, but we do know he renames it Bethel, God's house. Doesn't build a shrine, doesn't make a church, but he realizes with just this simple stone that God's house is anywhere I'm at and realize who He is and have communication with Him because He let the ladder down; the access is open. "I can make this place God's house." That was the commemoration. He worshipped by commemorating. He has access to God any place, any time.

Second thing he does is he worships by committing. He makes a vow. Notice what he says, "And Jacob said, 'If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothes to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.'" Now, I know, it sounds, in this translation, like this is a bargain, right? That, he's at his old antics again, he's bargaining with God, and he's saying, "Okay, tell you what God. You give me the clothes I want, you give me the food I want, you treat me good, then I'll be religious." No, this is a response to the promise that God had made because in the context of his life and all of the rest of the chapters, this is where the realization of God begins and the trust of God is followed from this point on. And he gives a tithe, verse 22. He makes it his policy, "I'm going to give a tenth back to God," because he realizes who he's dealing with so that most translators believe and the commentators say that rather than the word if a better translation would be since. "Since God has made me this promise, since God is going to take care of me and be with me and give me this land, you know what, my response to Him is that I devote my life to Him. He's going to be my God. He's going to be my God." Just like Thomas said, "My Lord and my God," Jacob says, "He shall be my God."

And then third, he worships by contributing. "The stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You." This is the tithe. What's interesting about the tithe, the ten percent of his income to God, is that this is way before the Law of Moses was ever given, right? This predates the law where it was required of Israel to give to the Lord. Which means, then, that he is giving to the Lord voluntarily. It's just something he decided to do to thank God. "God, you give me everything. You promised you would. And because you promise that you would, I'm going to give a token back to the God who gives me everything anyway." An indication that he has been converted. You say, "Well, how is that an indication?" Well, Jesus said, "Wherever a man's treasure is, there will his heart be also." And that's why Martin Luther said, "There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, the conversion of the mind and the conversion of the purse." One would indicate the other. Of all that you've given me, I will give you this portion. So, as flawed as Jacob was, as manipulative, as much of a liar that this guy was, he has a vision of God, a dream, a voice, he makes a vow, and he becomes a changed man. It is a process, by the way. He's not perfect. If you read his life throughout, you find that there's several episodes of change. But perhaps, at this point, he hung a bumper sticker on his chariot. "Be patient with me, God isn't finished with me yet." You've seen it. It was the beginning of something new, however.

God is omnipresent. It's a fact that we don't always feel. It's reality that we don't always recognize. God is in this place. I knew it not. So he had a dream. God let the ladder down. "Hey Jacob, you, creep, I love you. You can have access to me. I'm going to take care of you, I'm going to provide for you." And, after realizing all of that, he doesn't stop there. Why? Because God's revelation demands man's resolution. "God is in this place, and God's going to take of me and if all the things He said are true, then He'll be my God. I'll make Him mine."

Where is your Bethel? Where is your barren spot where you think, "Okay, God's there but not here." What situation, what relationship, what hard spot can you think of? And I bet you can think of at least one or two. Some of you are far from God. You're running. You've got something in your past you're ashamed of. It makes you uneasy. And the truth is you need a ladder. You need a bridge that would bridge heaven and earth. That bridge is Jesus. In fact, and I'm going to close with this Bible story.

In the New Testament there was a guy named Nathaniel. One day he was under a fig tree all alone, John Chapter 1, all alone. Maybe he was even contemplating the story of Jacob's life, don't know. Phillip comes and says, "Nathaniel, we have found the Messiah, you know the guy that the prophets have all spoken about, Jesus of Nazareth." And Nathaniel's very pessimistic, very Jacob-like. He says, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Phillip says, "Come and see." Just then, Jesus finds him and Jesus looks at Nathaniel and says, "Now there's an honest man. Nathaniel. A man in whom there is not guile. A true Israelite. A son of Abraham." Nathaniel says, "How do you know me?" Jesus said, "Well, before Phillip called you when you were under the fig tree all alone, I saw you." And his response is, "You're the Son of God." Because he, he thought he was all alone. Nobody saw him. Jesus said, "Yeah I heard the whole thing, I saw the whole thing. Before Phillip called you, I saw you." "You're the Son of God." Then Jesus says, "You believe me because I said I saw you under the fig tree. Man, stick around man, you're going to see greater things than this." Then He says, "Hereafter, you shall see," now listen to His words, "heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." He takes the story of Jacob's ladder and now applies it to Himself and he says, "I am the ladder. I am the bridge. You can't make your way to God. You can't reach toward heaven and find God. You can't construct a system whereby, like Babel, you're trying to get to him. Won't work. I am the ladder. I have come down from heaven to get you up there." As Jesus would later say, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father unless he comes through Me."

Some of you today need that ladder, that bridge. And at the Cross, Jesus took the hand of God and the other hand was outstretched, He took the hand of men and through His death, He brought us together so that we could have fellowship. Impossible apart from His grace. There was another preacher who preached on this passage of Genesis 28. His son heard it, was impressed by it. Three days later he came to him and said, "Dad, I had a dream of a ladder." His father said, "Did you really?" He said, "Yeah, I did. But in my dream at the bottom of the ladder there was a whole bunch of chalk and nobody could climb the ladder unless he took a piece of chalk in his hand and on each rung of the ladder would write a chalk mark for every sin he had committed. And so there I was dad. I had a chalk in my hand, I was climbing the ladder and I was marking the rungs and then I looked up and somebody was coming down." He said, "And who was coming down." He said, "You were coming down, dad." "Whatever reason would I come down the ladder for?" The son said, "For more chalk, dad." I like Jacob's dream better, don't you? It's not about more chalk, it's about more grace. And so we sing, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch, yes a wretch like me." Jacob could've pinned that hymn. And so could any of us.

Additional Messages in this Series

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8/13/2000
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You Are Invited...To Worship
Psalm 95
Skip Heitzig
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For the next several weeks, we take a fresh look at worship. In every book of the Bible and in every generation, people worshiped God. Worship also seems to be one of the chief activities of heaven. What does it mean to worship, and how can worship become a way of life that is both appropriate and fulfilling?
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8/18/2000
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Why Are You Here?
Matthew 21:12-17
Skip Heitzig
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When you go to a doctor's office you are typically asked, "So, what brings you here?" The answers may range from having a sore throat to something far more serious.  The same is true of coming to church.  Don't be so naive as to think everyone comes for the right reasons.  While Jesus was in the Jerusalem Temple one Passover, he encountered four different groups of folks who were there for four different reasons.  He dealt with each crowd accordingly.
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8/27/2000
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Worship - True or False?
John 4:20-24
Skip Heitzig
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The world is full of worshippers. It's a God-given propensity to want to worship. At the same time it could accurately be said to many who claim to be worshippers, "You worship what you do not know" (John 4:22), but what is the worship that God desires? Does God consider all worship to be true worship? In Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well we get insight into what is true worship and what is false.
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9/3/2000
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Lift Up Your Voice - Part 1
Psalm 47
Skip Heitzig
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Somehow, a large number of churchgoers have bought into the idea that "singing in church is for singers." Wrong! Singing is for believers! The question is not, "Do you have a voice?" but rather, "Do you have a song?" Singing is a part of history – spiritually, culturally and socially. It is a prominent part of a Christian's worship experience and will occupy an important place in our future. So clear your throat, arch your back (if you can), and get in practice...for eternity!
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9/10/2000
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Lift Up Your Voice - Part 2
Ephesians 5:19
Skip Heitzig
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Songs are everywhere. In almost every culture and country, music and singing leave their mark. Singing is also a main component of worship. Every time we gather, we spend a good portion of our time singing the truth we believe. But what makes our singing so different and unique from just a folk song or an anthem? Is the music and singing a time-filler for late-corners or merely a Christianized form of entertainment? Or, is it something much deeper and significant?
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9/17/2000
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Abraham - Worship On Display
Genesis 18:1-33; 22:1-24
Skip Heitzig
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To study about worship is one thing; to observe it is yet another. There is nothing like worshippers in Scripture to inspire our relationship to God in worship.  When we glimpse at their lives and see their worship displayed, we can understand what kind of worship is acceptable to God. Three different "worship cameos" in the life of Abraham show us what is involved in true worship.
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10/1/2000
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Bowing Before the Battle Begins
Joshua 5:13-15
Skip Heitzig
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Following the plan of God for lives is the best and most exciting way to live.  It's an adventure.  But it's not without its difficulties.  In fact it can sometimes seem like a battlefield.  The problem l see is that too many of God's soldiers are beat and burned out!  How can we keep our heads above the water of adversity and conflict?  By a life of worship! Let Joshua show you how!
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10/8/2000
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Worship From an Ash Heap
Job 1:6-22
Skip Heitzig
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Worship is easy when life is good, when the cupboards are full, when we and everyone around us is healthy. Anyone can pull that off! It's no big deal. But songs sung in the dark nights of affliction and loss can only come from God. Is your worship conditional? Do you respond well to God only when God performs well for you? The example of Job compels us to move to a deeper level of worship - the worship of a broken heart!
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10/15/2000
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A Worship That Transforms
Isaiah 6:1-8
Skip Heitzig
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What good is worship if it doesn't change us? If week after week we leave the assembly of worshipping saints exactly the same way we came in, then why do it? Of course, the primary reason we worship is simply because God is worth it. But if we've really been in contact with the living God, there ought to be the evidence of changed lives. The change will be visible in our serving Him.
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10/22/2000
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The Lavish Worship of an Overflowing Heart
John 12:1-8
Skip Heitzig
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When you're really grateful to God for something he's done, how do you show it?  Do you ever really show it at all? Do you shoot up a quick "Thanks, God," or do you justify your non-response with an excuse like, "Well, God knows I'm thankful"? Are you worried about how people would react if you became "too spiritual" or "too excited" about god? Mary of Bethany is a prime example of an adoring worshipper who lavished her love on Christ.
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10/29/2000
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Worship: Welcome to Your Future
Revelation 19:1-10
Skip Heitzig
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What will heaven be like? Among things it will be a place of worship. You might say that heaven will be the culmination of all our worship experiences. Seeing God face to face, having our salvation completed, knowing God has righted every wrong and is firmly in control of everything and everyone will evoke a lively response of great joy and praise. In this final study on worship we peek ahead into the worship service of the future!
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There are 11 additional messages in this series.
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