WITH GOD ON THE STAIRWAY
Real faith comes from a place of
This conviction is often forged during a season of
Our
(Genesis 28:1-9)
1 So Isaac summoned Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite girl.
2 Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father. Marry one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you so that you become an assembly of peoples.
4 May God give you and your offspring the blessing of Abraham so that you may possess the land where you live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
5 So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6 Esau noticed that Isaac blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to get a wife there. When he blessed him, Isaac commanded Jacob, “Do not marry a Canaanite girl.”
7 And Jacob listened to his father and mother and went to Paddan-aram.
8 Esau realized that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women,
9 so Esau went to Ishmael and married, in addition to his other wives, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. She was the sister of Nebaioth. —Genesis 28:1–9 (CSB)
FROM ISAAC TO JACOB:
When encountering God He will…
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.
11 He reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from the place, put it there at his head, and lay down in that place. And he dreamed: —Genesis 28:10–11 (CSB)
…meet you in an
(Genesis 28:10-11)
From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to the LORD there, and he called on the name of the LORD. —Genesis 12:8 (CSB)
Remember that God is
And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground with its top reaching the sky, and God’s angels were going up and down on it.
13 The LORD was standing there beside him, saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your offspring the land on which you are lying.
14 Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out toward the west, the east, the north, and the south. All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
15 Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” —Genesis 28:12–15 (CSB)
…reveal himself in an
(Genesis 28:12-15)
Remember that God is
!Remember that God is
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.”
17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early in the morning Jacob took the stone that was near his head and set it up as a marker. He poured oil on top of it
19 and named the place Bethel, though previously the city was named Luz.
20 Then Jacob made a vow: “If God will be with me and watch over me during this journey I’m making, if he provides me with food to eat and clothing to wear,
21 and if I return safely to my father’s family, then the LORD will be my God.
22 This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to you a tenth of all that you give me.” —Genesis 28:16–22 (CSB)
… leave you with an
(Genesis 28:16-22)
Remember that God is
FROM JACOB TO JESUS:
Today we encounter God through the person and work of
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways.
2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. —Hebrews 1:1–3 (CSB)
DISCUSSION GUIDE:
When did your faith become “your own?” Did personal crisis play a role in the development of your worldview?
How did your choices within those crises help shape your ultimate destination?
Why do you think God often chooses to meet us in unexpected places or reveal Himself in unusual ways? Can you share a personal example of this?
The sermon contrasts Jacob’s response to his crisis with Esau’s. How can we ensure we’re making choices that lead us closer to God during difficult times?
How does believing in God’s sovereignty affect how we view and handle crises in our lives?
The sermon emphasizes that God is both “with us” and “for us.” How does our understanding of each uniquely impact our faith? Can you give practical examples?
Discuss the difference between “us going up” and “God coming down.?” Is this alternative unique to Christianity?
Encountering God often leaves us with an “undeniable hope.” Have you experienced this in your own life? If so, how did it manifest?
How can we cultivate life of worship as Jacob did through his vow and tithe? What practical steps can we take to demonstrate this conviction?
Who is someone you are praying for so that they have an encounter with God in this way? How can we pray for them?