Bro Gary Sunday Morning 12/11/11

Bro Gary Sunday Morning 12/11/11

Gen 28:1  And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

Gen 28:2  Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

Gen 28:3  And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

Gen 28:4  And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Gen 28:10  And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

Gen 28:11  And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

Jacob began his journey, after going a distance at night he took stones as a pillow and lay down to sleep.

Gen 28:12  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

He had a dream where there was a ladder set up.  It was not set up by man, but by the God in heaven.  It reached from earth to heaven.  There were angels of God ascending and descending on it.

Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

Here was God looking down upon a man lying on the bare ground.  The man was scared; God had something to say. 

Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

You and I are blessed through Jacob’s seed.  We will see it as we go through the lesson.

Gen 28:15  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

The Lord stood above the ladder and spoke.  We have read a lot of things about people climbing the ladder.  Men have picked up this teaching of a ladder and have tried to position the ladder so that they can climb into whatever position that they want to be in. 

This ladder was set up by God.  The reason that it started in earth and went to heaven was because this man was on earth.  The reason that he saw the angels ascending and descending from the earth is because that was where he was.  You and I have a ladder, it is vitally important that we have the right ladder and that God is at the top of it. 

There is something that we want to know as we all face challenges this next week.  God knows what He is doing and we need to know what we are doing so that we are climbing the right ladder. 

Song: “We are climbing Jacob’s Ladder.  Every step gets higher, higher.”

God was there to bless Jacob.  He told him He was with him.  Four places in verse 15 God emphatically used the word, “I.”  We are all going to go through seasons of need; we will all go through seasons of walking by faith.  Whatever rung you are on the ladder, the important thing is that you are going up.

God said, “I will keep thee.”  The storms are going to come.  There will be accusations and temptations.  There will be many roads and voices that will say, “Why don’t you go this or that way.”  God is in the keeping business.  He knows how to keep you.  “I will keep him in perfect peace whose heart is stayed on me.” (Is 26)

Look up and see Christ.  God said, “I will bring you again.”  You may have had some losses, but we serve a God that is able to bring and restore over and over again.  He said not only am I going to give you back what you lost, I will restore a hundredfold.  This is the God that set up the ladder that went from heaven to earth.

God will not leave you.  “I will not leave thee.”  Keep your eyes to the voice that is at the top of the ladder.

Everyone here is facing the unknown as Jacob was at this time.  We don’t know what we will face tomorrow if we are even here tomorrow.  We don’t know what joys or what sorrows we will face.  This man had a rock for a pillow, on the bare ground.  He was in a situation where he couldn’t return home at this time.  Sometimes there is no place to go except forward.  God met him in an unexpected place.  It is ok to be expecting God in an unexpected place.

Let’s look for a ladder in the New Testament:

Mat 1:1  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Mat 1:2  Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

Mat 1:3  And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

Mat 1:4  And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;

Mat 1:5  And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

Mat 1:6  And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

Mat 1:7  And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

Mat 1:8  And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

Mat 1:9  And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

Mat 1:10  And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

Mat 1:11  And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:

Mat 1:12  And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

Mat 1:13  And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

Mat 1:14  And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

Mat 1:15  And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

Mat 1:16  And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Mat 1:17  So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

I wanted to read this so that we could get the understanding that what God had spoken to Jacob He already had in his plan.  7500 or 8000 years before the birth of Jesus, God had the plan that he would send Jesus Christ through this lineage. 

Only one time in all 66 books of the bible is the word ladder used.  There is only one ladder in all time that reaches from heaven to earth and from earth to heaven. 

It is because of Jesus Christ that there is hope in the time world and in eternity for those that are at the top of the pole and for those that are at the bottom of the pole.  The expressions that are on men and women’s faces would create an album that would scare men and women out of sin.

Mat 1:18  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Mat 1:19  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

Mat 1:20  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Mat 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

This is the ladder that Jacob saw in a dream.  Mary and Joseph heard about it.

Mat 1:22  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Mat 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

He said, “I will be with thee.”  How true this is in the Gospel Day.  God is with us. 

Mat 1:24  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

Mat 1:25  And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Mat 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 3:14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Mat 3:15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Mat 3:16  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

Mat 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Joh 1:43  The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

Joh 1:44  Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

Joh 1:45  Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Joh 1:46  And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

Joh 1:47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Joh 1:48  Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

Joh 1:49  Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Joh 1:50  Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

Joh 1:51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

God left the beautiful account of the ladder that went from heaven to earth. 

Gen 28:16  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

It is wonderful how God has a way of coming to us.  I don’t know what your pillow is this morning, what your burden is, what you are laying out before the Lord.  He knows just what your situation is.

Gen 28:17  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

We are blessed, when God comes to us in the Gospel Day; the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit of God comes to work with us, they always bring the ladder.  Jesus is always there.  You may feel as Jacob felt that you are in a dreadful place.  I cannot go this way and I’m afraid to go that way.

“This is none other than the house of God!”  How blessed we are that we have God to meet with us.  How blessed we are that there is only one ladder.  This is the gate of heaven.  1760 years before Christ there was only one ladder.  In 2011 AD there is still only one ladder.  Bethel: a place of vision and covenant. 

When God comes He comes to visit with us.  I understand about the chastening and scourging of the Lord.  If there is something that God desires to correct us with then He will correct us.  If we refuse to take His counsel then He will scourge us.

I want you to understand something different about God.  If you have done what God wants you to do when God draws close, then it is a blessed time.  There is a ladder with angels ascending and descending.  We can lay out that which we want to give to God: There are some things that you and I cannot take care of our self.  When you give something to God, unless you have a good memory, maybe you should write it down so that you don’t take it up again.

While you have time and mind, allow God to help you to know what to do with what you have.  When the ladder comes down, you say, “Here is my nice power saw.  It is important that they go to the right place.”  You have treasures.  Your bibles and commentaries, the jeep… Let God help you know what to do with them.  God is the one that helped you work to buy them.  Give them to God.  “God this is yours.” 

The story isn’t finished yet.  It may be just around the corner that God will raise up a work and He may have given you the means to support that work.  Allow Him to direct you.

The angels came down.  We enjoyed the angels last week.  It was a tough week.  God had the ladder with the angels down to our house all week last week.  It was for all the saints, not just us.  We put those things that were burdening us down there and the angels just took them up. 

It is beyond our comprehension what all God did for us December 11, 2011.  Why?  Because there is a ladder.  The angels bring things down and take things up.  Look at the health that you have.  Think of how hard that you worked last week.  Thousands of miles were traveled last week, think of the protection.  How good God is.

Jacob anointed that rock.  The thought was, “God is in this place.  I want to remember what God did that night when I needed Him so bad.” 

Today Jesus is the only ladder that reaches to heaven.  There are people that think, “I’m going to get to heaven some other way.  I’m going to build this ladder; I’m going to be good without God.”  It will not happen.  There is only one way and that is that ladder where God stands at the head of it.

Jacob vowed a vow, “If God will keep me in the way that I go and give me food and raiment then shall God be my God.”

Jesus is the only ladder that reaches to heaven.  The ladder designer is God.  The serious question of the hour is “Do you have a ladder?  Where does it reach to?  Where did it come from?”

God is reaching His ladder to many people.  Many people are under conviction and we thank God for it.  The ladder always brings deep reverence and always draws people to Him.