Mountain Life Church

Life PackIsaac & Israel series

August 14, 2011

Stairway to Heaven

Stairway  to  HeavenSermon  NotesAugust  14,  2011

I. Tale  of  Two  SonsA. Jacob  sent  away  to  Haran  to  marryB. Esau  remarries  to  gain  approval

II. A  Vision  of  The  Kingdom  of  GodA. Jacob  sees  a  ladder  going  to  heavenB. God  blesses  him  with  the  blessing  of  AbrahamC. Jacob  names  the  place,  Bethel  (House  of  God)D. Jacob  now  walks  in  God’s  providence  and  directionE. Jacob’s  vow

III. The  Deceiver  Meets  His  MatchA. The  difficulties  of  polygamy

1. Jacob  marries  Leah  by  Laban’s  deceit2. Jacob  marries  Rachel  and  must  work  7  more  years  3. Leah  is  unloved  -­‐‑  She  has  6  sons  and  a  daughter,  Dinah4. Rachel  is  loved,  but  barren.    She  finally  has  a  son,  Joseph

B. More  Wives,  more  competition1. Bilhah  -­‐‑  She  has  3  sons2. Zilpah  -­‐‑  She  has  2  sons

IV.Jacob  Deceives  Laban  and  FlourishesA. Wanting  to  leave  Haran,  Jacob  makes  a  deal

1. He  will  keep  the  speckled  and  spoUed  sheep2. Laban  agrees  to  the  deal

B. Jacob  hatches  a  plan1. Jacob’s  flock  grows  more  

numerous  than  Laban’s2. Laban  and  his  sons  get  

angry

Write any notes from the week here

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Table Talk

TeensMeal One: As a family read Genesis 28, then ask these questionsIn Genesis 28:6-9 Esau attempted to find favor in Isaac’s eyes by doing what Isaac wished by marrying Mahalath. Esau believed he had met the standard Isaac had given Jacob. Sadly, Esau could not regain his lost blessing.

We can’t try to gain blessings from the Lord by meeting the standards of men. It’s by God’s grace not works or attaining to certain standards.-Describe the difference between grace and works.

Meal Two:In Genesis 28:15, God said to Jacob, “I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.”

-How does this make you feel when the God of the Universe says, “I am with you”?

Meal Three:In Genesis 28:15, right when Jacob was running away from the consequences of his lies, God mercifully chose to reaffirm his promises. Jacob was in no position to earn God’s favor, yet God promised to be with him.

-Describe how you feel when you mess up and God continues to show his Grace and Mercy toward you.

V. Jacob  and  his  new  sizable  clan  departA. They  depart  secretly

1. The  women  are  willing  to  go2. Rachel  steals  Laban’s  household  idol

B. Laban  pursues  and  catches  them1. The  idol  issue2. The  covenant  between  Laban  and  Jacob

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Life  Group  Questions  for  August  14,  2011

“Isaac  &  Israel”  SeriesMessage  =  Stairway  To  Heaven

Ice  Breaker:    Tell  about  a  contest  or  raffle  you  have  won  in  the  past.(Leaders,  if  people  have  never  won  a  contest  or  a  raffle,  ask  them  how  they  feel  about  themselves  since  they  have  never  won)

Read  Genesis  28

1.  What  do  you  observe  about  this  passage?  

2.  When  Esau  went  and  married  one  of  his  uncle  Ishmael’s  daughters,  what  do  you  think  motivated  him?    

3.  When  Jacob  saw  the  ladder  going  to  heaven,  what  do  you  think  the  ladder  represents?

4.  Have  you  ever  had  a  vision  or  a  dream  you  thought  was  from  God?    Can  you  describe  it?  What  was  God  saying  to  you  through  it?

5.  Why  do  you  think  God  revealed  Himself  to  Jacob  so  brilliantly  and  not  to  Esau?    Do  you  think  Jacob  deserved  it?

6.  Read  out  loud  Genesis  28:  22.    Why  do  you  think  Jacob  said  he  would  give  God  one  tenth  of  all  God  gave  to  him?  

Pray  for  one  another

Table Talk

Elementary

Day  1  –  Read  Genesis  28  together  as  a  family.  (Suggestion:  read  from  The  Message)

★ Ask  your  child  if  they  would  like  to  trade  in  their  soft,  feather  pillow  for  that  of  a  stone!?  BeUer  yet,  place  a  stone  in  your  child’s  pillow  without  telling  them…as  a  reminder  of  this  story!)

Day  2  –  Talk  about  the  significance  of  Jacob’s  dream.  Remind  your  child  that  God  is  with  them  wherever  they  go  and  He  will  always  protect  them.  (This  could  also  be  a  great  springboard  discussion  to  going  back  to  school…remind  your  child  that  God  is  with  them  in  that  seUing  as  well!)

Day  3  –    Jacob  saw  something  very  important  in  his  dream.  He  saw  the  Lord  in  heaven  and  angels  going  up  and  down  a  ladder  or  stairway  between  the  Lord  and  the  earth.  

★ Jacob’s  dream  represented  how  people  on  earth  communicate  with  the  Lord.  The  angels  stand  for  the  good  and  true  things  from  the  Lord.  

★ The  Lord’s  truth  comes  down  to  us.  When  we  learn  it  and  follow  it,  we  do  His  good.  Its  like  we  send  good  back  to  the  Lord.  

★ Ask  your  child  to  create  a  picture  of  what  they  image  Jacob’s  dream  might  have  looked  like.  (Allow  them  to  choose  the  medium:  paint,  crayons,  etc.)  Post  the  masterpiece  in  a  prominent  place  in  your  home!

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Personal Devotion PagesThe following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom.

LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God.

BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol:

INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol:

ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him.

These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don’t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming.

Enjoy!

Table TalkPreschool & Nursery:

Read a children’s version of Genesis 28 or tell

the story of Jacob’s dream to your children in your own

words. Talk about the following:

What did Jacob see in his dream?

Who was at the top of the ladder?

What did the Lord promise Jacob?

What did Jacob promise the Lord?

Bible Verse: “A man can receive nothing unless it has

been given him from heaven.” (John 3:27)

Prayer: O help me, Lord, this day to be

Your own dear child and follow Thee;

And lead me, Savior, by Your hand

Until I reach the Heavenly land.

Amen.

Activity: Make a simple ladder with your child out of

popsicle sticks for the

sides and toothpicks for

the rungs. Write a favorite

Bible verse along the

popsicle sticks. Talk

about Jacob’s dream and

how the ladder symbolized

the path between heaven

and earth.

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Day One1.  Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is,  and  enjoy  thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.    

2.  Read  Genesis  28  slowly  and  think  about  what  you  have  just  read.

3.  Write  down  your  needs  in  this  space.  Ask  God  to  meet  your  needs.

Take  5  minutes  and  pray  for  your  family  for  whatever  comes  to  your  mind.  Memorize  I  Corinthians  6:  17

Take  10  minutes  to  pray  for  your  family,  and  10  minutes  to  pray  for  people  in  your  life  who  need  the  Lord.  Memorize  I  Corinthians  6:  19-­‐‑20

Take  10  minutes  to  pray  for  your  family,  and  10  minutes  to  pray  for  people  in  your  life  who  need  the  Lord.    Take  whatever  time  you  have  left  to  pray  for  your  church  leadership.    Memorize  I  Corinthians  6:17-­‐‑20

In  Genesis  29,  Jacob  the  Deceiver  meets  his  match  in  his  uncle  Laban.    He  too  finds  whatever  way  possible  to  get  what  he  wants  -­‐‑  by  hook  or  by  crook.    Jacob’s  response  to  him  is  almost  humorous.  He  can’t  believe  someone  else  would  do  what  he  has  done  to  others!    He  finally  gets  to  feel  what  his  actions  have  done  to  others!

Jesus  taught  us  that  we  will  reap  what  we  sow.    The  people  of  Asia  call  it  Karma.    Whatever  you  want  to  call  it,  we  will  reap  a  harvest  of  whatever  we  sow!    If  I  treat  others  with  judgment  and  a  critical  nature,  I  will  be  judged  in  the  same  way.    

What’s  amazing  about  this  concept  is  that  it  too  is  an  act  of  love  by  God.    He  loves  us  so  much  that  He  built  this  law  into  the  universe.    When  I  reap  what  I’ve  sown,  I  get  a  dose  of  reality.    When  Jacob  found  out  that  he  had  been  deceived  by  Laban,  he  FELT  in  HD  what  others  had  felt  when  he  deceived  them!    

When  I  walk  in  love  and  tenderness  toward  others,  others  return  kindness  to  me  in  even  greater  ways.    It’s  quite  humbling!    

“Don’t  be  misled.  Remember  that  you  can’t  ignore  God  and  get  away  with  it.  You  will  always  reap  what  you  sow!”  ~Galatians  6:7

Day Five

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Day Five1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  from  your  heart.    Enjoy  Him  thoroughly  before  moving  into  a  time  of  thanks.    Thank  God  for  all  the  good  things  He’s  done  for  you  lately.

2. Meditate  slowly  on  James  4:  1-­‐‑10.

3. Ask  God  to  teach  you  about  submission  today.    Is  there  an  authority  (boss,  teacher,  parent,  etc)  in  your  life  who  is  difficult  to  respect?    Tell  God  that  you  will  choose  to  respect  that  person,  even  though  they  are  not  very  respectable  in  your  eyes.    Write  their  names  here.

4.  Finish  your  Bible  memorization  today.

Day OneAt  the  top  of  the  stairway  stood  the  LORD,  and  he  said,  “I  am  the  LORD,  the  God  of  your  grandfather  Abraham  and  the  God  of  your  father,  Isaac.  The  ground  you  are  lying  on  belongs  to  you.  I  will  give  it  to  you  and  your  descendants.”  

~Genesis  28:13Jacob  found  a  place  near  the  Jabbock  River  and  a  stone  upon  which  to  lay  his  head.    As  he  slept,  he  saw  a  ladder,  or  stairway  going  to  heaven,  with  angels  ascending  and  descending  upon  it.    At  the  top  of  the  ladder,  he  saw  God  Himself.    God  spoke.    He  spoke  the  same  promise  He  gave  to  Jacob’s  dad,  and  his  grandfather,  Abraham.    God  seems  determined  to  give  the  land  to  this  family,  and  to  bless  the  world  through  this  family.    

God’s  plan  was  to  use  one  people  group  to  reach  the  other  ethnic  groups  of  the  earth.    He  was  promising  to  give  them  the  land  of  Canaan  as  a  base  of  operation  to  run  a  missionary  enterprise.    

Certainly  Abraham  had  told  his  son,  Isaac,  of  God’s  promise  to  give  their  family  the  land.    Isaac  had  surely  told  Jacob  about  it  as  well.    Yet,  we  see  here  a  principle  of  Scripture.    Though  parents  can  share  all  about  what  God  has  said,  each  generation  needs  to  hear  and  believe  God  for  themselves.    

I’m  sure  Isaac  told  Jacob  all  about  how  he  was  almost  sacrificed  on  Mount  Moriah.    He  told  Jacob  how  God  had  saved  the  family  through  famines  and  difficulties.    But  Jacob  needed  to  hear  God  for  himself.    He  needed  an  encounter  with  the  King  of  the  Universe  to  make  his  faith  his  very  own.    

Pray  today  for  your  children  to  hear  and  encounter  God  for  themselves.

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Day Two1.  Take  some  time  to  quiet  yourself  before  God  and  thank  Him  for  all  He’s  done  in  your  life  lately.    Then  praise  Him  for  who  He  is.

2.  Go  back  to  your  list  of  needs  you  made  on  day  1  and  ask  God  again  to  meet  your  needs.

3.  Read  Genesis  29  slowly  today.    

4. Take  time  to  pray  for  friends,  loved-­‐‑ones,  and  co-­‐‑workers  who  don’t  know  the  Lord.    Ask  Him  to  bring  people  into  their  lives  who  will  boldly  live  and  speak  the  grace  and  truth  of  God  into  their  lives.    Ask  God  if  you  are  one  of  those  people  who  should  be  investing  into  their  lives

5. Continue  memorizing  and  meditating  on  the  scriptures  for  this  week.

Day Four“But  because  Leah  was  unloved,  the  LORD  let  her  have  a  child,  while  Rachel  was  childless.”  

~Genesis  29:31

Genesis  29  and  following  reveals  a  sad  story  about  Jacob’s  first  wife,  Leah.    She  was  substituted  as  a  veiled  bride  on  their  wedding  night.    Jacob  thought  he  was  marrying  the  woman  he  loved,  Rachel.    But  the  girls’  father  had  deceived  Jacob  and  gave  him  Leah  instead.    

The  Bible  implies  that  Jacob  treated  Leah  well,  but  he  was  truly  in  love  with  Rachel.    God  seems  to  teach  us  through  this  messy  family  that  multiple  wives  is  a  crazy  idea.    It  never  works!    God  made  us  for  one  man  and  one  woman  (Genesis  2).    

Leah  spends  her  life  hoping  that  Jacob  will  love  her;  but  he  has  given  his  heart  to  another.    God  sees  her  plight,  and  gives  her  children  to  show  that  He  loves  her  even  when  she  feels  unloved.    She  names  her  children  in  ways  that  show  her  need  for  Jacob  to  show  her  that  she  is  his  prize,  but  it  will  never  be.

I’m  amazed  that  a  woman’s  life  could  be  so  sad  because  of  the  sin  of  her  father.    Laban  deceived  Jacob  into  marrying  her,  and  it  caused  her  to  live  a  lonely  and  sad  life  without  the  love  of  a  man.    

I’m  even  more  amazed  that  God  doesn’t  erase  the  consequences  of  people’s  sins  against  others.    God  has  given  man  the  autonomy  to  make  his  own  decisions  -­‐‑  and  to  live  with  the  results  of  those  decisions  as  well.    

The  greatest  way  to  be  free  from  others’  sins  against  me  is  to  forgive.    I  may  live  with  the  consequences  of  their  sin  for  the  rest  of  my  life,  but  I  will  be  free  from  the  chokehold  of  biUerness.

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Day Two“At  the  top  of  the  stairway  stood  the  LORD,  and  he  said,  “I  am  the  LORD,  the  God  of  your  grandfather  Abraham  and  the  God  of  your  father,  Isaac.  The  ground  you  are  lying  on  belongs  to  you.  I  will  give  it  to  you  and  your  descendants.”  

~Genesis  28:13

Think  about  how  significant  it  must  have  been  to  wake  from  that  dream!    Jacob  saw  the  angels  coming  and  going  from  heaven,  and  then..  he  saw  the  Lord!

From  that  moment  on,  Jacob’s  life  was  different.    When  you  think  about  it,  Jacob  became  a  marked  man.    He  was  now  part  of  God’s  covenant  with  his  grandfather,  Abraham.    He  would  flourish  in  everything  he  did.    Even  when  he  was  deceived  and  ripped  off  by  his  uncle  Laban,  all  those  around  him  saw  that  he  was  blessed  by  God.    

When  someone  encounters  the  living  God,  their  life  is  forever  changed.    Religious  people  love  God  and  have  a  theology  about  Him.    Then  there  are  those  who  have  ENCOUNTERED  HIM.    Their  lives  are  different.    They  are  still  imperfect  people,  but  there  is  a  joy  in  them,  a  sense  of  fulfillment,  and  an  overwhelming  sense  that  they  are  loved  by  the  King  of  the  universe!    

A  pastor  friend  of  mine  used  to  tell  me,  “a  person  with  an  encounter  with  God  silences  a  person  with  an  argument  every  time.”    

“You  will  search  for  me,  and  you  will  find  Me  when  you  search  for  me  with  Your  whole  heart.”~Jeremiah  29:  13

Day Four1. Take  time  to  praise  God  for  who  He  is  and  then  thank  Him  with  a  grateful  heart  for  all  He  has  done  for  you  lately.    

2. Meditate  on  MaUhew  6:  19-­‐‑34.

3. Ask  God  to  speak  to  you  today,  in  a  simple  or  maybe  even  a  profound  way.    Give  Him  permission  to  say  whatever  He  wishes  to  say  to  You.

4. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  scripture  for  this  week.

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Day Three“This  memorial  pillar  will  become  a  place  for  worshiping  God,  and  I  will  give  God  a  tenth  of  everything  he  gives  me.”  

~Genesis  28:22The  concept  of  giving  God  a  tenth  of  our  increase  is  a  preUy  old  one.    Abraham  gave  Melchizedek,  a  forerunner  of  Jesus,  a  tenth  of  his  gains.    Now  Jacob  promises  God  a  tenth  of  all  God  will  give  him.    In  their  minds,  these  early  believers  understood  a  principle  taught  by  Jesus...  “For  where  your  treasure  is,  there  your  heart  will  be  also.”  (MaUhew  6:  21).

Andy  Stanley,  one  of  my  favorite  preachers  asks  this  question...  “How  can  someone  get  a  tangible  knowledge  that  I’m  sold  out  to  God?    By  looking  at  my  Bible?    Is  it  ta;ered  and  underlined  all  over  the  place?    No,  the  best  way  to  find  out  if  I’m  sold  out  to  God  is  by  looking  at  my  check  book  register!”

Stanley  correctly  shows  us  that  the  way  we  handle  our  money  is  the  most  tangible  way  we  can  tell  if  our  heart  belongs  to  the  king  of  glory.    

I  can  sing  at  the  top  of  my  lungs.    I  can  read  scripture  day  and  night.    But  if  God  doesn’t  have  my  money,  He  doesn’t  have  my  heart.    Giving  Him  a  tenth  tells  him  this,  “Lord,  this  is  a  downpayment.    If  you  want  the  other  90%,  just  ask...  It’s  all  yours,  Lord!”

Lord,  though  it  is  difficult,  I  commit  to  you  at  least  a  tenth  of  my  income.    I  give  you  my  whole  heart,  and  this  is  a  tangible  way  of  telling  You  that  You  are  my  Lord,  my  Boss,  my  God!

Day Three1. Take  some  time  to  praise  God  for  who  He  is,  and  then  thank  Him  for  what  He’s  done  for  you  lately.

2. Read  Luke  18:  1-­‐‑8.    Why  does  God  want  us  to  continually  lift  up  our  needs  before  Him?    Pray  again  today  for  your  needs  you  wrote  down  on  day  1.

3. Take  time  to  pray  for  the  needs  you  know  of  in  the  lives  of  three  other  people.    

4. Ask  God  to  show  you  someone  to  show  kindness  to  as  you  go  through  the  day.

5. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  verses  for  this  week.    

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