Genesis Week 40 • Pour Out Your Life

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Good morning.

If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do,

I want to invite you to join us in Genesis chapter 35.

Genesis 35 · chapter mention

As you turn there, if you're a first-time guest,

we're so grateful and honored and blessed that you are here with us today.

After the service is over, back here to my left, my wife and I will be back there.

We'd love for you to stop by on your way out the door.

We'd like to thank you for being here.

Face-to-face, maybe learn your name and introduce ourselves to you

and give you an opportunity, if you may have questions about who we are as a church,

to get those questions answered for you.

And we're so blessed to have you here with us.

We will have our Harvest Hangout here coming up very quickly.

It feels like it was summer and then fall's been really nice over the last several weeks.

I know it's warming up a little bit, but we hope July's not about to kick in.

But we will have our Harvest Hangout.

We're inviting our community.

We're inviting you.

We're inviting your friends.

We'd love for you to be here and be a part of that.

You can come and attend if you would like to volunteer.

I know we still need some candy.

We need more trunks.

We need all sorts of things.

And so just let us know.

We'd love to connect you in areas that you could serve in our Harvest Hangout.

As we have been doing since Hurricane Helene hit, we've been sending out crews.

At first, it was every day for a week.

And then now we've been sending out crews on Thursday.

For this coming Thursday, we're going to pause on our Thursday work that we've been doing.

And I want to explain what we will be doing instead.

Joel Van Ham is kind of a liaison for us as a church between Willow Ridge Church and Black Mountain Children's Home.

And Joel received a phone call from Rodney.

Many of you have had the opportunity to meet Rodney.

Rodney works up there at the children's home.

He's been here with us and worshiped with us.

And Rodney said, listen, man, we were in a meeting this week with the president, the board, and it was a tough meeting.

And I don't know what all these people in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee are going through.

But I know it's tough.

I know it's hard.

And Rodney, if you know Rodney, and I know a lot of our youth do,

he is like the most laid-back, positive individual to be around.

And Joel was talking to me and just was like he could hear the hurt and the desperation in his voice.

And he said, we were talking in the meeting, volunteers are slowing down,

which is what we thought would happen.

And they're working hard.

And I guess it's like, in my mind, what they're having to do literally and figuratively

is move a mountain one shovel at a time.

And you spend all day and you feel like you haven't gotten anywhere.

And I do not say this boasting about our church, but I do say this praising God.

God says, let your light shine so that others will see and give glory to God in heaven.

And he said, in our board meeting with our president,

they said, we need Willow Ridge to come and to help.

And so we said, okay.

So what we're going to do is after the Harvest Hangout on October 27th,

we're going to take a group of men from our church to go up to Black Mountain Children's Home

to work from that Monday to that Thursday.

Now, I know a lot of you ladies would like to go.

Here's the reason why we're doing what we're doing in the order that we're doing it.

They've told us that they can get us one cabin that we can stay in.

And since we can only have one cabin, and many of you who've been there,

you know these cabins, this isn't a whole lot of privacy in these cabins.

We got one cabin that we can use.

And so because of that, we're just going to be taking men.

But we are looking at opportunities where we can take more than that up there.

And we look forward to that opportunity to be able to do.

We're going to leave that Sunday after the Harvest Hangout.

We're going to go up there, work that we know that needs to be done.

And we're going to find out some of our details a little bit more this week as they evaluate.

Is we need plumbing work to be done.

We need electrical work to be done.

And so if you have those skills and those capabilities,

and you have the time, and you would like to come and be a part of this,

please come see me after the service, and we'll have a conversation.

But also, beyond that, we need people that can dig dirt out, dig mud out,

that can run chainsaws, that can move heavy things,

and that can go and serve in this opportunity.

So we count it a little bit as a blessing and an honor and an act of trust as we step out,

not knowing.

I was talking to a group of people in the lobby this morning,

and I said, what's been remarkable in my,

it has taught me how small my perspective is.

I'll see a picture and think that I grasp the devastation that's there,

and I don't until I see it.

And so I've seen the pictures, just like many of you have,

of what this part of our country looks like.

And my mind says that I know, but I don't.

So we're going to go, and as best as they can,

they're going to communicate what we need to bring and what we need to do,

and we're going to, as much as we can do in a week,

we're going to prepare and plan in that capacity,

but we're just going to go, and we're going to serve, and we're going to love.

And I'll be honest with you,

Joel and I were talking about this on the phone this week.

Here's what it felt like.

They need a friend that can encourage.

And so we're just going to go and be a friend and encourage and lift heavy things.

And in the coolest moment in my life this past week,

and I hope to be able to do this again up there,

maybe I'll get to run again a 36-inch chainsaw.

Because that was a whole lot of fun, right?

So if you're interested in going, men, please let me know.

Ladies, we're going to be working on some other opportunities of what's there

and why we are there, praying through what is Willow Ridge,

continued partnership with them as they walk through

and as they face these difficult days, weeks, months,

and potentially even years ahead.

I apologize, I was a little tardy, and I don't have this verse on the screen.

So just listen to it this morning.

And out of Genesis 35, verse 10.

Genesis 35:10

So he called his name Israel.

Would you pray with me?

God, I thank you for the opportunity that we have to open up your word.

God, I pray as we gather in here today

that what we do will not be done so that we can just obtain more knowledge,

but God, so that our hearts will be changed,

so that our lives will be changed,

so that the world will be impacted by the gospel.

God, remove any part of this that is me,

and may it all be you.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Well, if you were here last week,

it was a little heavy passage.

Warren Wearsby, who's one of the pastors and authors

that I read most weeks,

said this.

He said,

moving from Genesis 34 to Genesis 35

is like going from a desert to a garden

or from moving from an emergency room

to a wedding reception.

Genesis 35 definitely has some things

for us to work through,

but there's this heaviness

that what we're moving from

as we come out of Genesis 34.

But here's the deal.

You and I,

we've all had

a Genesis 34 moment

or multiple Genesis 34 moments

in our life.

Like, I hope we get that.

I hope we get that.

That oftentimes,

that the very specific

chaos and dysfunction

that we find in the Bible

might not be the exact chaos

and dysfunction

that you and I experience

on a day-to-day capacity

in our lives,

but yet we can look at

and we can see points and times

where we fall short,

points and times

where we choose lesser,

points and times

where we choose rebellion

in our life,

that we see these things

and these aspects of there,

that we go through

these very critical,

chaotic moments

in our life.

And oftentimes,

as we walk through

these devastating moments

moments of sin

that have filled

our life,

our response

can be this,

how can I get

out of this?

Like middle school Bo

with a report card

waiting for his mom

and dad to get home.

how do I get

out of this?

But the question

that we need to answer

in these moments

is this,

what can I get

out of this?

Not how can I get

out of this,

but what can I get

out of this?

You see,

God is so big,

God is so powerful,

God is so strong

that what God does

is God doesn't waste

an opportunity

in our life

to grow us.

God uses every moment

in our lives,

the good,

the bad,

the pretty,

the ugly,

and everywhere

in between

to work and move

in the hearts

of those

who follow him

and love him

even in the midst

of our rebellion

to grow us

in the moment

for the next season

so that we don't

see a Genesis 34

so that we learn

that we grow,

we learn how to seek

and honor

and glorify him

with all that we are

in our life.

God's not wasting it

because God's working

in it

and God's working

in it

and God's working

in it

and that's what I love

about what we see here

beginning in Genesis

Genesis 35 · chapter mention

chapter 35

so let's read,

starting off,

let's read the first

four verses.

God said to Jacob

Arise,

go up to Bethel

and dwell there.

Make an altar there

to the God

who appeared to you

when you fled

from your brother Esau.

So Jacob said

to his household

and to all

who were with him

put away

the foreign gods

that are among you

and purify yourselves

and change your garments.

Let us arise

and go up to Bethel

so that I may make there

an altar

to the God

who answers me

in the day

of my distress

and has been with me

wherever I have gone.

So they gave to Jacob

all the foreign gods

they had

and the rings

that were in their ears

and Jacob hid them

under the tree

that was near Shechem.

So here's what we begin

to see

and understand

in this process

of what is happening

in the life

of Jacob.

That Jacob

is understanding

is coming to grasp

it's this moment

not with a guy

who doesn't know

the Lord

but a guy

who knows the Lord

who has chosen

to not follow God

and God's saying

well I'm not done

with you

I'm not wasting this

I'm going to work

and I'm going to move

so God says

to Jacob

Jacob hears

and then we'll see

these responses

in Jacob's life

of what Jacob does

coming out

of a Genesis 34

moment

out of a Genesis 34

season

out of this point

in time

of weakness

and rebellion.

I think it's very interesting

and one of the things

that he does

is I'll label it

changing course

of what it means

to come out

of these moments

and these seasons

is it's changing course.

You know it's not

it's not always about

getting it right.

You see you and I

because you know you

and I know me

and I know you

and you know me

we don't always

get it right.

we're not always

obedient.

Do we want

to be obedient?

Do we desire

to be obedient?

Do we have the

expectation of obedience?

Absolutely.

Like the call

on our lives

is holiness.

I don't want

to belittle that.

We're not minimizing

sin.

But the reality is

it's not about

always getting it right

because we're not

going to get it right

so we've got to deal

with the reality

that we're going to have

Genesis 34 moments.

We're going to have

them tomorrow.

We're going to have

them today.

And you know

you had them

yesterday.

That even in our

obedience what we're

going to find are

these patterns of

rebellion that sneak

into our life

and in that

the goodness of God

and how God works

in his grace

and his kindness

and his mercy

and his love for us

and what God's doing

in the work of the

Holy Spirit

in the lives

of those who

were saved

by his grace

is he's recognizing

that and the

question becomes

well then what are

you doing when

you get it wrong?

what are we doing

when we miss

the mark?

What are we doing

when it's right

it's obedience

it's righteousness

it's godliness

it's holiness

and then that moment

happens and it's

depravity.

it's about

recognizing

it's about

changing course

it's about

understanding

the holiness

of God

and the

offense of our

sin

it's about

repentance

and that's

what we

see here

in Jacob

it's the lesson

of Abraham

in Genesis 13

it's the lesson

of Isaac

in Genesis 26

and now it's

the lesson

for Jacob

as well

and the thing

with repentance

you see repentance

is about more

than feeling

sorry

or saying

I'm sorry

those things

are important

it's what God's

called us to

we're to confess

we're to repent

we're to say

the things

that we've done

God gives us

the Holy Spirit

who convicts us

and we experience

a feeling

of remorse

as we

as we experience

these moments

of depravity

in our life

from a Holy God

who loves us

enough

not to be

numb by our

sin

but to be

remorseful

for it

but the thing

about repentance

is there's

action

there's action

the remarkable

thing about

this whole

deal

with Jacob

we know

that God

had called

him to Bethel

and we talked

about this

last week

where he hadn't

sought through

the obedience

and there had

been this

partial obedience

there had been

this break

in his obedience

to God

and for years

for years

he'd been 30

miles away

from where God

had called him

to

and that's why

I love that

in the midst

of all of this

because I don't

know about you

but I feel like

that can be the

pattern for Bo

Bradbury

30 miles away

a one day

journey

of where

do you need

to be

of what

do you need

to do

of just

missing

what God

has

but I love

this

verse

verse 1

God said

go

God said

go

God didn't

say go

away

God didn't

say get

out of my

presence

God said

go

God said

go

and Jacob

responded

Jacob

changed course

but specifically

what did he

do

you see

they had been

living amongst

pagan people

and we had

seen

where one of his

wives had already

brought with them

a pagan idol

and we could

only begin

to think

that as they

had lived

for years

amongst pagan

people

that we're

seeing pagan

practices

being brought

in

and so

Jacob's like

listen this is

what we need

to do

this is what

we need

to be

so here's

what you

gotta do

you gotta

put away

your idols

you gotta

put away

your idols

and so

they brought

their idols

to him

when we

hit these

moments

when we're

changing course

from the path

of sin

and destruction

that we've

chosen

and we

point our

eyes

we center

our compass

we aim

who we are

toward the

God

who's called

us

and the

God

that

loves us

what we

have to do

in our

lives

is put

away

the idols

as well

we gotta

put away

the things

that we've

trusted

we gotta

put away

the things

that we

desire

we gotta

put away

the things

that we

want

and long

for more

than anything

else

I don't know

if you're

aware of this

or not

but we live

in a pagan

culture

and you

and I

in our

ignorance

if you want

to be nice

but in our

rebellion

which is

more

accurate

I've said

yeah let me

take some

of these

into

and we

tried to

partner

God

with our

pagan

idols

that we

bring

into the

moment

and when

we change

course

we gotta

look at

and we gotta

identify

and we gotta

get rid

of

you see

put away

was not

pack them

up

carefully

in your

bag

because we

gotta go

it's not

we gotta

trash

this

Jacob says

put away

your idols

the next

thing he

says

purify

yourself

purify

yourself

this was

common

practice

purify

yourself

wash

yourself

he says

change

your

garments

change

your

garments

you see

it wasn't

just that

hey

we're

physically

some

dirty

people

we're

gonna go

into a

new

place

and so

let's

look like

we're

ready to

go for

what

God

has

for us

this

isn't

a

put on

your

Sunday

best

type

speech

that

they're

giving

here

it's

recognized

that

this is

what

we've

done

this

is

what

we've

taken

on

we

gotta

get

rid

of

this

the

Bible

doesn't

fully

explain

in

commentaries

kind of

argue

a little

bit

back

and

forth

of

they

turned

in

their

idols

but

they

also

took

off

their

earrings

and

this

is

not

an

appeal

for

earrings

for

anyone

but

what

I

think

is

happening

here

as they

purified

themselves

and washed

themselves

they

begin

to

understand

that

there

were

things

about

them

that

they

brought

on

that

marked

them

and

that

had

marked

them

not

as

God's

people

but

people

of the

pagan

world

and

so

wash

yourself

you know

part of

repentance

is

we've been

made

clean

by the

blood

of

the

lamb

but

sometimes

we pick

up

the

slop

and

we

put

it

on

us

and

we

come

to

God

understanding

that

our

eternal

state

we've

been

made

clean

but

in

this

moment

Lord

cleanse

me

wash

me

make

me

new

and

then

I love

this

very

simply

maybe

in

the

story

that

he

heard

about

his

grandfather

when

God

called

him

to

go

sacrifice

his

son

and

he

chose

not

to

delay

but

to

go

James

says

let's

go

today

we

obey

today

we

obey

you

see

if

it's

not

about

living

in

the

reality

of

what

God

has

saved

us

from

it's

about

living

in

the

reality

of

what

God

has

saved

us

for

so

I

don't

look

back

and

hold

on

and

think

that

I

can't

because

of

my

sin

but

I

look

forward

and

think

that

I

can

because

of

who

my

Savior

is

it's

about

going

maybe

you're

here

today

and

you're

thinking

about

your

too

late

to

start

again

God

hasn't

given

up

on

you

and

God

won't

and

God

won't

and

so

maybe

you're

like

hey

listen

like

Genesis

34

man

that's

not

a

day

that's

not

a

moment

man

that's

my

life

oh

there's

a Savior

who's

bigger

there's

a Savior

who's

more

powerful

there's

a Savior

who's

more

loving

than

your

sin

is

offensive

verse

five

through

eight

so

they

go

and

as

they

journeyed

a

terror

from

God

fell

upon

the

cities

that

were

around

them

so

that

they

did

not

pursue

the

sons

of

Jacob

and

Jacob

came

to

Luz

that

is

Bethel

which

is

the

land

of

Canaan

he

and

all

the

people

who

were

with

him

and

there

they

built

an

author

the

place

El

Bethel

because

there

God

had

revealed

himself

to

him

when

he

fled

from

his

brother

and

Deborah

Rebecca's

nurse

died

and

she

was

buried

under

an

oak

below

Bethel

so

he

called

its

name

Elan

Bakuf

number

two

when

we're

coming

out

of

these

seasons

here's

the

challenge

walk

and

worship

walk

in

worship

what

Jacob

had

to

do

was

walk

in

the

path

of

God

to

walk

in

the

path

that

God

had

for

him

now

if

you

remember

back

to

Genesis

34

and

you

remember

the

assault

that

took

place

on

Jacob's

daughter

and

you

remember

his

unwillingness

to act

to move

to lead

and

when

his

sons

come

back

specifically

Simeon

and

Levi

they

went

and they

concocted

a plan

and

the

plan

that

was

in

their

heart

was

the

revenge

of

men

and

they

murdered

and

Jacob's

fear

in

that

moment

was

what

are

they

going

to

think

of

me

and

what

are

they

going

to

do

to

me

an

eye

for

an

eye

are

they

going

to

come

to

kill

are

they

going

to

come

to

take

revenge

what

are

they

going

to

do

but

what

we

have

to

remember

is

that

God

sets

the

path

and

in

the

journey

of

the

path

God

keeps

his

promises

in

Genesis

Genesis 28:15

chapter

28

verse

15

passage

that

we

studied

months

ago

Jacob

had a

dream

and

God

spoke

to

him

this

is

what

he

said

your

offspring

shall

be

like

the

dust

of

the

earth

and

you

shall

spread

abroad

to

the

west

and

to

the

east

and

to

the

north

and

to

the

south

and

in

you

and

your

offspring

shall

all

the

families

of

the

earth

be

blessed

behold

I

am

with

you

and

will

keep

you

wherever

you

go

and

will

bring

you

back

to

this

land

for

I

will

not

leave

you

until

I

have

done

what

I

have

promised

you

from

this

day

in

Genesis

28

in

this

dream

to

this

moment

in

Genesis

35

years

have

gone

by

this

has

not

been

a

brief

period

of

time

Jacob

has

gone

through

the

highs

and

the

lows

and

walking

the

path

that

God

has

had

for

him

and

God

in

his

goodness

and

God

in

his

kindness

when

Jacob

breaks

off

of

the

path

God

allows

him

to

choose

what

he

chooses

as

God

works

and

moves

in

the

midst

of

that

as

he

draws

him

back

to

the

loving

God

who

created

him

who

called

him

who

chose

him

and

who

will

fulfill

everything

that

God

has

for

him

but

the

path

will

not

be

easy

but

God

will

always

be

faithful

now

the

path

will

it

challenge

logic

absolutely

but

the

choice

is to

trust

God

will

the

path

be

faced

with

difficulties

absolutely

but

the

choice

is

to

trust

God

will

the

path

have

uncertainties

absolutely

but

the

choice

is

to

trust

God

brothers

and

sisters

I

do

not

know

for

every

single

one

of

you

the

difficulties

the

uncertainties

and the

moments

that you

were

having

on

the

path

that

you

were

on

but

here's

what

I

know

because

it

is

who

I

know

is

that

you

can

trust

the

God

who

has

you

on

the

path

you

can

trust

the

God

who

has

gone

ahead

of

you

you

can

trust

the

God

who

will

come

after

you

you

can

trust

the

God

who

walks

with

you

and

you

can

trust

the

God

who

carries

you

right

now

in

the

midst

of

all

of

those

because

our

God

has

done

all

of

that

he's

he is

the

friend

who

is

ever

with

you

and

he

is

the

warrior

who

carries

you

that

that

is

the

God

that

we

trust

and

so

we

walk

the

path

of

what

we

see

but

we

also

worship

we

also

worship

in

this

why

why

do

we

worship

because

he

is

faithful

because

he

is

faithful

Jacob

worshipped

I think

this is

important

Jacob

worshipped

why did

you

come

here

today

why

did

you

stand

and

sing

of

all

the

things

that

you

could

do

while

worship

you

see

there

there

is

I

don't

want

to

not

look

at

coming

and

worshiping

and

praising

God

with

with

a hope

and

an

expectation

even

of

what

God

is

going

to

do

because

we

do

we

do

I

can't

wait

to

do

tomorrow

I

can't

wait

to

see

what

God

is

going

to

do

this

afternoon

I

can't

wait

to

see

how

God's

going

to

work

and

move

in my

life

and

use

me

for

things

that

I

am

not

capable

of

but

he

is

I

can't

wait

to

see

how

God's

going

to

work

and

use

and

refine

me

and

make

me

more

like

him

I

can't

wait

to

see

all

of

these

things

of

what

God

is

going

to

do

but

I

think

sometimes

what we

miss

in

worship

of

why

we

come

to

worship

and

it's

been

a

driving

reminder

of

what

we

see

is

that