Sermon "Before You Come to the Altar" by Rick Shabi, February 6, 2021

well if you look at the hebrew calendar very often you'll know that next sabbath is the first day of the 12th month of god's sacred year god's calendar just uh just eight or nine days ago if you looked up at the sky on a thursday evening you saw a beautiful bright full moon and i know as we draw closer to the holy days when i see those full new moons i find myself counting how many full moons until we're together for the days of unleavened bread and in the fall until we are at the feast of tabernacles so we are we are closing in quickly on the spring holy days and as you heard in the sermonette it's time and really past time for us to be thinking about those holy days and preparing for the passover of course as god has given us those holy days that we that we observe every year and we learn more about his plan every year as we go through them we see there is a common principle in those and every single holy day god is working with something and there is a common denominator in all of them today i want to talk about that common denominator as we begin maybe begin our preparation for passover something that all of us can look at and something that all of us can pay attention to as we as we examine ourselves and see where we are in our walk with god you know if you think about every single holy day they're all about relationships with god every single holy day passover days of unleavened bread pentecost trumpets atonement feast of tabernacles last great day or eighth day whatever you want to call it all have to do with relationships relationships with god and relationships with each other can't escape it as you go through the meaning of those days and as we go through our lives god is a god of relationships we've heard that many many times and he looks to see how we are dealing with the relationships in our lives as we look at the world around us it's not a very pretty picture when you look at the successive relationships is it we can look globally and we see nations that just can't get along with one another you know leaders that don't like each other so wars erupt and all these other things begin to erupt around the world even the tensions we see in the world today you know it's a matter of failed relationships people don't know how to get along with one another nationally we're in a in a state that's you kind of unique and at least in our lifetimes as we look at look at the tensions between people in in our country in the political process there's people who don't like each other who don't get along with one another who aren't even talking to each other but just say stay apart it's a world of broken relationships if we bring it down to the individual levels we see a world that we live in that is marked by divorce friends that separate and don't talk to each other let little things you know part them so that lifelong friends no longer talk to each other we see marriages breaking up a divorce rate that's very high and a divorce rate that's only stays stable because most people are i shouldn't say most but many people don't even get married anymore they just live together and then they break up and that doesn't get reflected in the divorce statistics but those are really divorces when people have lived together for a year two years five years and then they break up and go their separate way we live in a world that is just messed up we can't learn how to have relationships by looking at the world around us and broken relationships breaking relation broken relationships is a sign of satan's influence in the world when we have broken relationships in our lives god's people who jesus christ on that last night before here before he was um arrested prayed how many times my will is that you be one with each other the way god the father and jesus christ are one when we aren't becoming that when we let our relationships whether it be friends whether it be marriages when we let those relationships sour when we don't bring them back together again and realize that part of our calling is to heal those relationships and that god is a god of reconciliation that god is a god of relationships that are put together not apart then we're missing the point and we're missing the point because god is about unity god is about healing those relationships putting people back together he's not about division and separation that's the mark of satan that's the mark of the world around us when we look at heaven you know the glimpses that we have of heaven you know and the beings that live up there with god the father and jesus christ at his right hand what do we see we see joy we see respect we see we see life up there if we can call it life up there the eternal life up there everyone is in unity everyone is at peace everyone is in joy when we hear when we read in revelation about jesus christ coming back to earth there's joy when he succeeded and completed his mission on earth there was joy in what he did because they could see the world will come back to the point where god will god it will be what god created it to be and mankind will finally experience what it's like to have those god-given relationships that are peaceful and joyful relationships that make each other better rather than sour people and bitter make them bitter and make them want to no longer talk with each other every single holy day points to the importance of our relationships with relationship with god and our relationships with each other god simply will not have people in his kingdom that don't know how to heal relationships and be reconciled to him but also learn how to reconcile with each other you've heard me say it before and i repeat it because i a pastor that we had decades ago made a comment in a sermon that has always stuck with me if both people in a relationship have god's holy spirit then that relationship will heal if it doesn't it's because one or both aren't being led by the holy spirit and that struck with that struck me when he said that so in the church if both people are if both are friends there should be reconciliation it should be able to come about because god that's what god is about that's what jesus christ came to earth to do that we might be reconciled to god he set the pattern he showed us the way let's go back and look at just a few free a few scriptures here as we begin and see the pattern that that god showed when he was going to reconcile man to himself it was adam and eve who made the choice to reject god break the relationship why because satan influenced them to do that when satan enters broken relationships occur in john 3 16 such a common verse the world talks about it you can see it well you still could see it when there were fans in sports stadiums but in john 3 16 we learned some of the keys about relationships and if we have broken relationships in our lives how we can begin to put them together the way god opened the door that we might be reconciled to him verse 16 for god so loved the world there's that word agape god so loved the world at the bottom line even though mankind had rejected him even though mankind was living apart from the way that he wanted them to live he still loved mankind and he was going to take the step to begin the reconciliation process when we find ourselves at odds with friends spouses people that we used to be at one with but we've let whatever has come up has come between us separate us that we no longer want to talk to that person we don't want to deal with them at all you know where's the love jesus christ loved every single man woman and child he died that every single man woman and child might have eternal life and part of our calling is that we will love mankind as well we will develop if we have god's holy spirit or once we have god's holy spirit that love certainly for everyone in his body but for the whole world so there's an action there god so loved the world that he gave jesus christ sacrificed god the father sacrificed okay i'm going to give you this i'm going to give you my son that your sins that separate you mankind from god the father i'm going to give him that you could be reconciled that your sins could be given in reconciliation it requires some sacrifice on our part we can't stand on old laurels can't stand and say i'm right they're wrong everything is wrong about them it's 100 percent they're our fault or mankind and relationships are concerned there's problems on both sides usually but it takes the communication god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son why that whoever believes in him remember every time you read the word believe in the bible it's an action word it's not just a feeling it's not just like the world would say oh i believe in jesus christ when we believe in him that means we have to do something about it we can't just say i believe and that's enough belief in jesus christ belief in god requires an action and a change on our part whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life christ came that we that the door to reconciliation might be opened between mankind and god let's go over to romans 5. romans 5 and verse 8. again hallmark verses that we're very familiar with but as we head toward the days of unleavened bread and passover the spring holy days things for us to remember and to focus in on what god has done for us and as we've talked about in those in the bible studies how much how much god and the father and jesus christ have sacrificed for us verse 8 romans 5 god demonstrates his love toward us in that while we were still sinners christ died for us we weren't reconciled to god we weren't coming to him but jesus christ even though we were still living in ways that were apart from him that would separate us from him he was willing to sacrifice that while we were still sinners christ died for us the ultimate sacrifice much more than having now been justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him we all earn the death penalty it's only through jesus christ that we can escape that eternal death that comes upon us if we don't repent it's only upon through him that will escape the wrath at the end of the age and the day of the lord that will come upon mankind for if when we were enemies what a strong word enemies do we have enemies in our lives do we have people that we would look at and say i look at that person as an enemy i don't want anything to do with them they only have my worst interest at heart but god says when we were enemies we were reconciled to god through the death of his son he was willing to give because it is important to him to have mankind reconcile to him he created mankind for a purpose he created the earth for a purpose and that purpose wasn't going to be wasn't going to be nullified by the actions of man he made the first step to reconcile we were reconciled to god through the death of his son much more having been reconciled will be saved by his life when we follow when we commit when we yield ourselves when we sacrifice our own desires ideas whatever it is so that our will becomes his will be saved by his life and not only that we also rejoice in god through our lord jesus christ through whom we have now received the reconciliation let's think about the word reconciliation for a moment know jesus christ came that our sins could be forgiven that was a necessary first step in reconciliation forgiveness is necessary for two parties to come back together like god the father says when we repent when we acknowledge our sins he forgives our sin and we're baptized he forgives our sins and he doesn't even remember them anymore it's a new life let's get a new beginning and start afresh and our relationships with each other sometimes we have to do that as well there has to be forgiveness for reconciliation to occur because parties just don't don't separate and and become bitter with one another or strange from each other something has happened that created that something along the way one party was offended both parties were offended or whatever they did forgiveness has to happen but forgiveness is not the end product forgiveness is a necessary part jesus christ died that we could be forgiven but that isn't the only reason he came he came that we could be reconciled to god forgiveness had to happen he was willing to forgive but we have to be reconciled to god looking at the greek word for reconcile it says that it is primarily and this is from uh vines dictionary primarily an exchange it denotes a change on the part of one party induced by an action on the part of another so let's look at this reconciliation that jesus christ made possible between us and god it's the it denotes a change on the part of one party does god need to change does jesus christ need to change no they're perfect the same yesterday today and forever they're the answer they're the way jesus christ said he's the way the truth the life they don't need to change but reconciliation denotes a change on the part of one party induced by an action on the part of another what's the action jesus christ came jesus christ died he instituted the opportunity for reconciliation he took the first step and if we're going to be reconciled to god change has to occur in us we need to become like him he doesn't change he doesn't need to change there's perfection where he is there's perfection in heaven there's joy there's unity that's what we aspire to for us to achieve that in this physical life among each other among among parents and children between friends between marriage partners that are estranged it requires change and it requires commitment to god on the part of both parties because reconciliation can begin but unless the other party wants to reconcile and change it's not going to happen jesus christ died for all mankind he opened the door for reconciliation but only a few today are in the process of reconciling even in the second resurrection not every man unfortunately isn't going to reconcile with god they will choose to do their own things but god took the first step you and i as christians if there are estrangements in our lives or things that people we just don't even really want to have anything to do with we might want to consider as we're headed toward passover this is an area of examination what do we do do we go to passover recognizing that there are issues in our lives as we come to pass or we're supposed to examine ourselves look at who we are look at our attitudes and one of the key parts that god wants us to have is this idea or this process of reconciliation that we're in let's go forward to first corinthians not first corinthians 2 corinthians 2 corinthians 5. you and i who have been called you and i are sitting here today everyone who's listening this to this today and and the more besides that we understand the reconciliation that god that jesus christ made possible through his death that god made possible by sending jesus christ to us and resurrecting him and he sits at god's right hand today and as we have received the reconciliation into the process of reconciling with god as we go through our physical lives in verse 18 of second corinthians 5 we find that we have a responsibility as a result of that second corinthians 5 verse 18 all things are of god who has reconciled us to himself through jesus christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation oh now we've got a job now we understand the reconciliation now we're in the process of doing what god wants to do now we have this responsibility that we demonstrated to others that by our examples we're not going to be people who say i never want to talk to you again i never want to see you again it's hopeless this relationship is over might be if that's what the other party decides but for those who are christians i'll have the door open i'll have the door open has given us the ministry of reconciliation that is that god was in christ reconciling the word world to himself not imputing their trespasses to them and has committed to us the word of reconciliation now then we are ambassadors for christ as though god were pleading through us we implore you on christ's behalf be reconciled to god and so that's one of the messages of the church be reconciled to god jesus christ came jesus christ did die that our sins could be forgiven accept that sacrifice but understand there is a responsibility on your part to be reconciled to god and that requires a change on your part jesus christ is not the offending party god the father is not the offending party you and i were the offending parties you and i now have the responsibility as we have received the reconciliation and count on it that we would follow the example that christ gave us in the relationships in our lives just an aside let's go back to second corinthians 1 just a few chapters back and we see a pattern in the bible and as we as we read through these things we see how god demonstrates his love for us expects us to pass that love on to others and these things that he gives us he expects us to build into our lives and and be that for other people is one second corinthians 1 in verse 3 we see this we see this concept says blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ the father of mercies and the god of all comfort you know god it really is a god of comfort for everything that we go through in life we come to realize there is he he is there to comfort us as well as to give us the strength to go forward who comforts us verse 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation as well as in times of death and times of grief and times of stress who comforts us in all our tribulations why not because he's that god who wants who's there with us that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by god we receive we learn we see the goodness of god and then he expects us in turn to have that part of our lives that we can share that and benefit others with what god has shown us so that we are people who are people of agape that we are people who can comfort others and learn how to comfort others who may be going through a trial a tribulation the death of a loved one whatever it may be that people need comforting for a time of sickness a time of illness financial stress whatever it would be to help remind them god is there god knows he's working with you he's preparing you let him prepare you so you are there in his kingdom because he does have requirements for us he does have a model in his mind of who we need to be to be in that kingdom and unless we use this lifetime to become what he wants us to be we simply will not be there there's actions that have to be taken in our lives to show god that we really do understand his calling and what he has called us to and we demonstrate our love to him by the things we do and the way we draw closer to him by the choices we make and the changes we make in our our attitude let's go back to matthew 5. let's look at jesus christ's own words you know it's instructive as you as you look at jesus christ how he lived his life and the words he said and here in matthew 5 6 and 7 we have the sermon on the mount and he provides many principles during that time of course if we get into chapter five he talks about um the beatitudes he talks about us being lights to the world the salt of the earth then he then he mentions that he didn't come to destroy the law or the prophets he didn't come to do away with the old testament he came to fill them up and so we know that by that we now keep the his way of life which is perfect from day one to there and our our instructions on how to live to get along with one another and if we live by those principles it would be a much different world than we live in today but that those were no longer just physical commands but also the spiritual end of it that we've talked about many times so let's look at verse 19 and read down through it because it's instructive as jesus christ goes through this what he highlights first as we begin to follow him verse 19 matthew 5 whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven how do we teach oh we can teach by speaking things i mean we can tell people it's okay you don't have to do that you have to pay attention to that that would be a wrong thing but we also teach by our example don't we so others may see us doing something and think oh well that must be okay i didn't see that as part of the biblical teaching but if they're doing it it must be okay we can teach people that way too okay so whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so they'll be called least in the kingdom of heaven but whoever does and notice the word and does and to teach them teaches them he'll be called great in the kingdom of heaven understand and apply do them and build them into your lives for i say to you that unless your righteousness succeeds the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven now we know what the pharisees did one thing that marked the pharisees is they were full of broken relationships weren't they were the pharisees or the jewish world of that time were they a picture of unity no way they couldn't stand the samaritans they couldn't stand the gentiles they weren't even going to be seen with them and thought it was a sin these people are so far beneath us we don't even have to have anything to do with them they didn't like each other the little groups that they had among each other and like jesus christ that that system that religion was full of broken relationships jesus christ said if you're like the pharisees and what they're doing you're not going to be in the kingdom of heaven don't look at them look to him look to him who came to reconcile who said before he died my will is that everyone be one not like the pharisees not like the scribes but like him and the father like jesus christ was then demonstrated when he was on earth no one was beneath him he was willing to talk to anyone there was no partiality and if he had an issue with someone he was willing to bring it to them to be reconciled if they would accept that reconciliation so he said unless our righteousness unless the way we live our lives is different than the pharisees or the people around us or the world around us that is marked by broken relationships everywhere he says you'll by no means enter the kingdom of heaven you've heard that it was said to those of old you shall not murder it's the ultimate broken relationship isn't it you have heard that who said to those of old you shall not murder and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment but i say to you that he was even angry with his brother just angry i wish you were gone i don't ever want to see you again now let's pause for a moment look at that word brother because when we see the word brother in the bible it's different than neighbor it's not every man if we look at matthew 12. you don't have to turn there matthew 12 or verses 46 to 50. you'll see there where jesus christ his he's with his disciples and his mother and brothers come in and they say your mother tell him you know your mother brothers are waiting for you and he says who are my brothers they are the ones who do the will of my father in heaven so everyone in this room everyone that's listening we're brothers we're brothers if we have accepted this the sacrifice of jesus christ if we have repented if we've been baptized we become the family that he puts us in there are neighbors that are out in the world there are neighbors we work with neighbors we live next door to but what he's talking about here is the body that he puts us in whoever is angry with his brother now it doesn't mean that it's okay to be angry with your neighbor and angry with your co-worker or anyone else but he's saying you know what in the church you need to be united you need to be practicing this unity in the church you need to be working on this together you need to be there with each other you need to be learning this this is a skill a learn skill prompted by god's holy spirit led by god's holy spirit that we learn to follow him how what we need to do when we need to do it when there's a problem in our lives and we need to approach someone and say i might have offended you i might have offended you we need to talk about that because i don't want that to be separating us god is not about separation and here he's talking about the cocoon that he has put us in the training program he's put us in in this church in this body people need to become one we learn today in this body that he's given us what we will be teaching in the kingdom if we can't be one in the in the area that god today how will we be teaching people in the millennium how to reconcile and be one with one another because it will mark his kingdom we have to be learning that today and that takes some things that will take some uh character traits here that we'll talk about in a little bit i say to you that whoever is even angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whoever says to his brother raqqa that's uh you know what be gone with you i wish you weren't here i wish you would cease from being whoever says to his brother raqqa shall be in danger of the council but whoever says you fool shall be in danger of hell fire that's all about relationships we may not say those things but what's in our hearts what's in our hearts with some people in our lives verse 23 quite instructive therefore all these things have gone before therefore if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember and there's a days of unleavened bread word that word remember we talk about it every year the holy spirit leads us into remembrance correct the holy spirit teaches all things helps us to understand all things will lead us into what we need to do the holy spirit will bring to remembrance o oh there's someone that i can't say i'm at one with there's someone that i just don't care for i don't really want anything to do with them you know only that comes to mind it means we may need to pray we may need to look at things and say i need god's guidance in this because he's bringing to our attention something we need to do therefore if you bring your gift to the altar you're coming to god and there remember that your brother remember your brother has something against you now in this case it means you've done something there's something that your brother has against you i've done something to offend you not the verse this is what it's talking or not the reverse talking about this you know sometimes we don't even know that we've offended someone else and i'll publicly state right now if i've done anything to offend anyone here or if there's ever been a word that you didn't understand please let me know please let me know we'll get to that point of the relationships and the responsibilities on that in a minute but if we've offended our brothers and we know there's something oh in the past i did do that i need i need to talk to that person i need to get this straightened out before passover before i come to passover i need to enact this process of reconciliation if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember your brother has something against you you've done something and god all bring our to our minds what it might be leave your gift there before the altar and go your way before you come to me before you come to the altar he would say first be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift first put the relationship back together first begin the process of getting that relationship back in order and then come to me because it's very important to god that our relationships are intact they don't happen overnight sometimes but the process needs to begin if you recognize something that's there don't delay before you come to me says before you come to the altar go and be reconciled to your brother well you may be thinking okay but there's someone that has offended me they may not even know it let's go back to matthew 18 or forward to matthew 18. and in verse 15 we find the other part of the responsibility of reconciliation if we know we've done something and it doesn't may not even be something active we just if we just ignore someone if we just don't ever ever even like contact them if they you know sometimes you just know people want nothing to do with you if we have that in our hearts we might want to begin looking at that now matthew 18 15 is the other end of the coin because you know we just don't sit back there and someone's offended us do nothing about it and just say and we become more and more bitter against them in matthew 18 15 we have the people who have been offended matthew 18 15 moreover if your brother notice brother not neighbor moreover if your brother sins against you i've done something to you i may not even know it so i repeat if there's something there talk to me talk to each other sometimes it's hard to do and it requires the spirit on both parts when these things happen right the god's holy spirit needs to be there so that we receive these things in the right attitude and not become all defensive and angry and upset that we do it the way god would have us do it moreover if your brother sins against you go and tell him his fault between you and him alone did you know you did this do you know i've been kind of harboring this grudge for a while you know that i kind of feel that you want nothing to do with me or it might have been times you know a few months ago you ignored me i sent you an email you never responded to i sent you a text you didn't respond to all the little things that we can do that can well up in people's minds and think it's offensive and on the other party's part it may not be anything else but if it never gets talked about it never gets resolved and it's something that's there that's interfering in the relationship if your brother sins against you tell him his fault between you and him alone if he hears you you gained your brother the unity has been back all of a sudden there's this relationship again oh i didn't know that but look at the beauty that's there when that happens when both parties have god's holy spirit and they even have to catch themselves and think you know i don't i was wrong i don't need to be defensive i don't need to justify i was wrong and i need to be aware of this going forward that i don't make the same mistake or whatever if he hears you you've gained your brother there's the oneness the relationship but if he doesn't hear take with you one or two more that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established if he says this is all in your head i am the greatest person that ever lived whatever it might be you know what take a couple people with you because this is a this is a problem what god is interested in is not showing anyone up but showing us our sins that they may be repented of and that they may be dealt with and that we can go to work on overcoming as we heard in the in the um sermon ed if he won't hear take with you one or two more that by a mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established and if he refuses to hear them tell it to the church because now we know there's an attitude problem here that needs to be dealt with everyone in the resp everyone who's a brother everyone in the church everyone the body has a responsibility you know that we're supposed to be living the way that god has called us to it's not okay to continue in sin and this is an indication where someone is just simply not paying attention at all and is completely rejecting anything that even two or three people have come to him and said this is a problem and the answer is not me it's all your problem you know what that's an attitude problem that has to be with because that attitude won't be in the kingdom of god and so it is an act of love and building the relationship between you and him and between him and god to then get the church involved and it says there if he refuses even to hear the church in verse 17 let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector meaning you might have to be put out for a while like that man in first corinthians 5 who was sinning and the church was tolerating it all that time and paul said put him out and we remember don't we what the what the result of of that process was the man did repent when he was apart for a while he recognized his problem he did repent and we can go back to second corinthians seven it's always instructive to see the result of applying god's way and the results of it in second corinthians 7 we see what the result of doing thing god's way were it wasn't easy for that church to say okay we're going to follow what paul says put him out no one wants to be put out of the church no one wants to do that but apparently he wasn't listening the church wasn't listening they did to their credit follow what paul said and down in verse 2 corinthians 7 and verse 10 i'll begin in verse 9 it says i rejoice this is the aftermath of the actions of first corinthians 5 i rejoice not that you were made sorry well they were sorry no one wants to do that but that your sorrow led to repentance for you were made sorry in a godly manner that you might suffer loss from us in nothing for godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation not to be regretted the sorrow of the world produces death that's the sorrow that says oh i'm sorry unless that thing goes back to normal and then within a day week month or whatever the same behavior results godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation okay to say i'm sorry reconciliation and repentance requires change and again when you look at vines in the verb reconcile it means to change thoroughly completely a process through life okay godly sorrow reproduces repentance verse 11 for observe this very thing that you sorrowed in a godly manner what diligence it produced in you what clearing of yourselves what indignation what fear what vehement desire what zeal what vindication and all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this manner do you see the energy that resulted from doing things god's way do you see the joy that was there do you see how in how how much closer that church was the people were to each other doing things god's way when it's received by both parties if when it's done god's way and receive god's way it produces all the things that we're looking for the joy the excitement the zeal but when things are just kind of left by the side and we have these little obstacles between us that keep us apart there's not the joy there's not the zeal there's just kind of this feeling of okay when we do things god's way the way it's done with the relationships in heaven there's joy there's energy there's a desire to please god and we are excited about doing his work and seeing the progress that he makes in our lives and others lives and even in the world around us as we march closer and closer to the return of jesus christ so we see we see how important it is to god that our relationships be healed his desire is that we would all be one how do we go about it it's not an easy thing to do it does require commitment to god well like all things with the bible god does just doesn't leave it to us just to figure out the steps to reconciliation he shows us through the life of jesus christ the death of jesus christ how to do it but he also provides us examples in the bible if we look closely so let's go back to a well-known example of a reconciliation between brothers that we find way back in the book of genesis you know making restitution can be a difficult step but it's an important and unnecessary step the twin brothers esau and jacob learned that they needed to reconcile actually it was jacob who god brought to his remembrance you did something way back when you were a teen or a younger man you offended your brother greatly and you know the story of jacob and esau tricked him out of his birthright and then he and his mother conspired to trick him out of the blessing as well so esau had very good reason to be upset with jacob if that had happened to you or me we also would have been pretty upset with jacob and and everything it was so bad that esau wanted to kill him and so jacob had to run to uncle laban and live there all those years no one can doubt that what jacob did was wrong it was a major offense that changed the course of both lives jacob did go to laban and he lived there for many years he married a couple wives there leah and then rachel he worked well with laban and while he was there he did remember the things that he was taught he did remember that what his father had taught him about being god he didn't become a renegade he didn't become a rebel he remembered the laws of god and he applied them he when he told laban he would do something he did it he became a very good employee and i'm sure jacob prayed for the blessing of laban and he labored in that regard toward that end and as he was there blessed with several children god enriched him you remember the story of the speckled goats and the white goats and all those things that happened and god did enrich um jacob because of the way he lived his life he was living god's way in a time of exile away from his family he did apply god's way of life god blessed him and he became a different person when we pick up the story in genesis 31 than he was back when we first speak of jacob and esau back at the time of the the deception so in chapter 31 and verse 1 jacob's been there for a while god has enriched him but the attitude the attitude and the atmosphere of laban and his family has changed toward jacob you know sometimes we can see this in our lives when we read verses one through three here sometimes we work with with people and we can kind of see a change in attitude we think you know what maybe it's time that i need to change jobs there's something going on here that just doesn't seem right maybe we sense that even in our relationships with each other that you know something's just not right it might be the time we want to go and address it we might want to go and address it chapter 31 and verse is one through three god is about to bring to remembrance to jacob that he needs to do something because reconciliation has to be part of everyone's life january 31 1. now jacob heard the words of laban's son saying you know jacob has taken away all that are was our fathers and from all what was our father's he's acquired all this wealth and jacob saw the countenance of laban and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before so the eternal said to jacob return to the land of your fathers and to your family and i will be with you it's time to go back jacob there's work to be done what you've done and learned here but there is something in your life that has to change go then down to verse 13. i am the god of bethel were you annoying to the pillar and where you made a vow to me now arise god says get out of this land return to the land of your family it's time you might tell us you know what i'm bringing this to remembrance you need to go to this person you need to get this worked out my will is that you become one and that takes some effort down in verse 32. let's let's just visit verses 20 and 21 here just as a as an aside as we're headed to verse 32. verse verse 20. jacob jacob follows god's commands but jacob makes a mistake as he leaves laban's laban's um domain jacob stole away it says in the middle of the night unknown to laban the syrian and that he didn't tell him that he intended to flee so he just left with all that he had he arose and crossed the river and headed toward the mountains of gilead so now here's jacob he's making a mistake okay god tells him to leave but he doesn't even bother telling laban i'm going back and this is the reason why and laban understandably is a little ticked off as you would be if your you know your children and grandchildren left and they just stalled out in the middle of night didn't even say goodbye jacob had to learn a lesson i've got to be upfront with people i've got to tell people what the plan is i can't just steal off in the middle of the night and here in verse um 24 we see god he knows this is going to be a difficult thing because laban is of course is a little ticked off he's coming after jacob wondering what's going on at verse 24 says god came to laban the syrian of the dream by night and said to him be careful that you speak to jacob neither good nor bad not going to be a problem here okay you need to go see him he was wrong on what he needs to do he needs to realize that he needed to close the door on this he needed to do things the right way and i'm sure jacob learned his lesson all worked out okay as you read through the story now we can go back over or forward to chapter 32 and we see jacob coming to the point where this reconciliation needs to occur remember god led him it's time to reconcile i brought this to your mind now jacob get back there and do it chapter 32 verse 1 jacob went on his way and the angels of god met him it was god's will that was going on here when jacob said that saw them he said this is god's camp god is with me i'm doing what god wants me to do i'm doing his will and he called the name of that place mahania and so jacob makes a commitment there that he's not going to turn back he makes the phone call he sends the email whatever message he's giving he saw i'm coming we've got something to talk about he just doesn't show up on his doorstep ring the doorbell after years of not having seen him and and say what's going on he sends a message ahead of time we can learn when this is done maybe we need to maybe send an email send a text send a letter if you don't know how to get a hold of the person you know i'd like to get together with you i'd like to get together and talk about something i'd like to go to lunch i'd like to go get a cup of coffee we have some things to talk about jacob sent messengers before him verse 3 to he saw his brother in the land of seer the country of edom and he commanded them saying speak thus to my lord esau thus your servant jacob says i've dwelt with laban and stayed there until now i have oxen donkeys flocks and male and female servants that i have sent to tell my lord that i may find favor in your sight i remember esau might still be thinking of jacob is that guy who stole everything before him thinking what is jacob coming back for is he coming back to take what i have now is he looking for something jacob tells him you know we i'm not coming i've got plenty of my own i'm coming back because i want to find favor in your sight i want to heal whatever it is that's been there between us we need to talk is what the message was and if we are going to be in a process we need to send the message and just say i'm coming and i'd like to get together and talk i'd like to i'd like to resolve whatever issues that might be there or even mention years ago i did something that i want to talk about and apologize for set the tone you know jacob just didn't show up on his doorstep jacob sent the message and god is showing us pave the way pave the way a little bit with that but he also for the reconciliation at that time he determined he was going to follow through that when he sent the message he was committed to following the course that god set for him in verse six things take a little bit of different turn maybe jacob didn't get the message from esau that he expected it says the messengers returned to jacob saying oh we came to your brother esau he's also coming to meet you and 400 men are with him wow what is they saw again they haven't seen each other in all these years if you or jacob you would have the same thought he did he hasn't forgiven me at all he just wants me dead the same the words that are still ringing in my head as i left that i'll kill you i'll kill you jacob and so he panics as people do and he's he devises his own little plan here on how he's going to save part of his family so he divides them into two into two camps and maybe we will get a a sour retort from someone when we do that maybe we'll get some kind of cryptic comment back shouldn't let that deter us we should offer to keep going forward but if the other person point blank says i want nothing to do with you i want i don't want to see you ever again you know we have to respect that we can want reconciliation we should we should take that step esau was taking that step or jacob was taking that step he gets this response from esau and he's thinking well does what does he saw how is he going to take this it's our responsibility to do it but we can't make the other person do it you know certainly in the church as i said if both people are in the same with the same spirit there should be this accord and desire to be together that's what god's spirit is about in the church in the body that he places us in and it's important that we are we know each other we're with each other and we have these opportunities there is a reason god puts us in a body because we would never learn how to get along with one another and the things that we need to do if we were all sitting at home by ourselves week in and week out and never dealing with each other and the human mistakes that we all make or the human personalities we have that others might even take the wrong way you know it's important for us to be where god places us to be and not moving around from place to place to place because if we if we aren't where god put us to be we can't learn the things that he wants us to learn we have to be there we have to learn the way he says it and hopping from place to place to place one week here one week there another week there another week nowhere at all that's not how god is training us that's not how he's that's how not how he's preparing us we have to be where he wants he wants to be we have to learn the things that he wants us to learn we can't do it by running here and there and everywhere we have to be in the place of instruction that god wants us to be so we can learn these things and exercise that with one another and become the people that he wants us to become in the body he places us and then the larger body that he will make us part of as we learn in this element how to do the things that he wants well so anyway so esau going back to the story here sends this retort it doesn't keep jacob from moving forward he doesn't say call off the guards i'm not going he drives us his own plan and sometimes that's what we do but in verse nine he does what we always have to remember in reconciliation if we were going to if we're going to approach someone if we're going to take this step that takes humility to take we have to have god involved and so jacob gets god involved in verse 9. jacob said o god of my fathers my father abraham and god of our my father isaac the lord who said to me and he reminds god of the promises that he you know you told me this god you said to me return to your country and to your family and i'll deal well with you i don't know what this response from esau makes but you told me to go i am going i'm going to do this verse 10 you see the humility i'm not worthy of the least of all of the mercies and of all the truth which you have shown your servant if we're not humble enough to do this if we're not humble enough to realize we were the problem and we have to admit to some of the things that we did then the reconciliation isn't going to work i'm not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which you have shown your servant for i crossed over this jordan with my staff and now i become two companies and he asks deliver me we might have to ask god i i don't know what that means but if you want this and i want that please help us to reconcile and be together again deliver me i pray from the hand of my brother from the hand of esau i fear him lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children and again he reminds god you said i will surely treat you well and make your descendants as the sand to the sea which cannot be numbered for multitude you told me to do this i'm doing your will maybe if we receive one of those emails or text messages or phone messages or letters in the mail that says i want to talk maybe we need to ask god too okay i do have something an issue with this person but i'm going to do what god said something that something being god led him to contact me that's something i'm going to go there and i'm going to put it in your hands because your will is that we reconcile your will is that this relationship you put me in because he's put us all in these relationships we have with each other in this church and whatever church body we're in in our marriages it's my responsibility to work with them and to become one that's what god is looking for us to become i have to take the lead let's and but ask god on both parties that we can be done the way that he wants it done so jacob you know provides this prayer that we need to be remembering that we need to get god involved in everything that we do he'll lead us and again if both parties have the holy spirit the reconciliation may not be immediate but it will occur sometimes we have to wait we can't just give up we can't try once and say well that didn't work i'm done no it's a process just like our lives of overcoming is a process if we go down to verse 13 we see that jacob after he prayed to god he even sent on he sent the gift okay okay esau just so that you know i'm not here to usurp everything of yours again i'm sending you this present i am coming in peace i am coming because i have a purpose the right purpose in mind for for looking at you or for contacting you i wish we had the time to go through but you'll see in in verse in chapter 32 it's interesting at this time god comes that that jacob has the occasion of wrestling with the one who is jesus christ for the entire night the entire night is the rest of chapter 32 and this is a momentous occasion in jacob's life as momentous in his life as abraham these the sacrifice of isaac was in abraham's life this is a telling moment the messenger the angel comes down and jacob won't let him go no matter what pain that he endures with his hip being put out of soccer we can only imagine the pain he went through i won't let go of you no matter what pain we may go through never let go of god never let go of his purpose never let go of what he has called us to do and what he leads us to do wrestle with self go through the pain stay loyal to him have that defining moment that you are completely loyal to him no amount of pain no amount of tiredness separated jacob from what was going on that night he had other things on his mind but he stayed there and it was that night that god looked down on jacob and said you know your name is going to change now i know now i know you'll do my will you're no longer going to be called usurper which which jacob means but now you'll be called prevailer israel keep close with god and and and committed to him don't let someone or our pride or our inability to face up to what we've done and what we need to acknowledge keep us from what god's will is there has to be the reconciliation we have to become one with one another it is a part of our calling and a part of what he expects us to be if we truly want to be in his kingdom and it's not a process that's going to happen overnight it's going to happen throughout our lives and as we enact these things in our lives so in chapter 33 and verse 4 you know among all the turmoil and the plans that east jacob had and he didn't know what to do when the two brothers came together joy resulted chapter 33 verse 4 esau ran to meet him when they met and they embraced him and he fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept look at the joy look at the energy look at all that when things are done god's way when we engage him when we seek it and when we do it and when we follow through on it god is a god of relationships he wants us to do that he promises us and again we both need to be we both are both parties and all of us need to be examining ourselves what it is are we ready to reconcile is there someone out there that we have offended ask god and before we come to the altar before we come to passover make the step is there someone who's offended you that you think they don't like me they don't want anything to do with me pick up the phone send a text send an email set up a time do that let's begin where god begins with relationships and of course the other examination we do is in addition to that the sins and the faults that we have perhaps the lack of pride because it does take humility to do these things and to own up to what we've done and then to recognize the effect that we've had on other people and be deeply repentant of that and determine that we won't have perhaps that negative effect going forward or at least be cognizant of it so as we as we examine ourselves and as we you know may see where we've got some broken relationships remember that our relationship with god is broken too as long as there's broken relationships between us and our brothers our brother between us and our spouse our relationship with him is broken before you come to the altar first be reconciled to them and that means the steps that we have to take in order to be one let's close in isaiah isaiah 58 again as we enter into the kingdom and people live over into that time that you and i will be teaching they're going to be coming from so many broken relationships it's not even funny in their personal lives they've watched the world around them completely fall apart and you and i will be the ones teaching them how to reconcile this is the training time for that and it'll be up to us under god's direction and as jesus christ leads us to rebuild and restore and teach how to do that isaiah 58 12. those from among you that's you and me here those from among you shall build the old waste places you shall raise up the foundations of many generations you shall be called the repairer of the breach those that are separated you're going to be the ones teaching it i have to learn it today you'll be called the repair of the breach the restorer of streets to dwell in

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Length: 64min 39sec (3879 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 06 2021