I. New Beginnings 2021
1. Life is full of New Beginnings
· Every day is a new day
· Every week is a new week
· Every year is a new year
· Every season is a new season
· You are only one decision away from a new beginning
· God is a God of New Beginnings
Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Isa 43:18 "Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
Isa 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
Being born again is a new beginning
· We are constantly offered opportunities for new beginnings …we choose how we will respond
2. Jacob’s New Beginning
Key Passage
Gen 35:1 Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother."
Gen 35:2 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
Gen 35:3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone."
Gen 35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.
Gen 35:5 And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
Gen 35:6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
Gen 35:7 And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.
Gen 35:8 Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called Allon Bachuth.
Gen 35:9 Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him.
3. The Background
o Jacob was in a place of great fear and uncertainty about the future
o He was struggling with great grief and shame and fear because of a family and local situation
o His daughter Dinah had been raped by Shechem the son of Hamor, a prince in the land…
o Jacob and his family were experiencing immense shame and grief
o Two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi had tricked Shechem and the men of the city into getting circumcised, in the hope of uniting the families and becoming trading partners
o Then when the men were in pain recovering they entered the city and killed them all
o Jacob was terrified about the possible future, and attacks from other Canaanites
4. New Word…New Beginnings
o Gen 35:1 Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother."
“God said to Jacob”
o Jacob needed a needed a new beginning, a fresh start. Jacob needed a fresh encounter with God.
o God desires to speak to us and initiate a new beginning. He is the God of new things
o The words that God speaks to us personally bring life
o When we have lost our way, are overwhelmed, experiencing turmoil, or in fear of our future God wants to speak to us to return to Him, to return to our first love and passion for Him again
o God’s word to us brings direction and hope for the future
II. God’s Directives for a Fresh Start
These are also prophetic directives to us as we enter 2021
1. “Arise”
o “Arise”…..to stand up, to stir up, to raise oneself up, to become powerful
o No one makes any changes or achieved anything sitting down
o “Sitting down” frequently meant being in a place of defeat
§ Eg. King Saul sat under a tree, fearful and procrastinating in the face of a great enemy (1Sam.14:2)
§ Eg. Elijah the prophet sat under a tree fearful and overwhelmed and depressed in the face of threats from Jezebel who exerted a negative influence over the country (1Kin.19:4)
o “Arise”….God will not do it all. He requires we stand up and participate.
o Make a decision to arise from apathy, lukewarmness, fear, shame, hopelessness and respond to God
o “Arise”…God’s challenge to each of us to arise out of our current position
2. “Go up to Bethel”
o “ Bethel”…….The house of God, the place of Jacob’s first encounter with God in a dream, when he was running in fear from his brother Esau after massive family conflict
o His grandfather Abraham had built an altar in that place and encountered God there.
o His grandfather had opened a gate to the supernatural realm of God and access to blessing
o Our decision to arise an pursue God (or not) has generational consequences
o Jacob was so impacted that he built an altar, promised to come back and build a place of worship
o Bethel was a place of encounter, of promise, of purpose and calling, of inheritance
o “Bethel” …means the “House of God”…Jacob also called it the “Gate of Heaven” (Gen.28:17)
o “Bethel then means the presence of God in His house and the opening of access to the realm of supernatural life and blessing
(i). Personal…You are a Temple of god
§ 1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
§ We are called to be in personal relationship with God, to carry His presence, to advance His Kingdom
(ii). Corporate…Together we are the Temple of God
§ Eph 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
Eph 2:21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
Eph 2:22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
§ We are called to belong and build a community called the church
§ Jesus is building His Church..a community of people joined together in covenant relationship with Christ
3. “Dwell there”
o “Dwell”….to remain, to abide, to marry
§ Nothing can be built by the person who is casual and uncommitted
Personal
§ We cannot have a casual Personal relationship with God.
§ We become religious having words and a form of religion but no power to change
§ We are called into a covenant relationship…a committed intimate relationship
§ No one walks in the blessing and life of the Spirit by being casual
§ “Dwell there”…means build a committed daily relationship and walk with God
Corporate
§ We are called to participate actively in God’s family..to be committed not casual
§ A casual attitude to the church reveals a casual attitude to God
§ All who encountered God caught His call to love and to serve people
§ Jesus, the Pattern Son: I will build my Church..my people
§ Stop sitting down…stop being casual….arise and take action
§ “ Dwell there”….means commit to building relationship and serve the local church
4. “Make an Altar”
o What is an Altar?
§ A place or platform dedicated for sacrifice or service to a superior being…God or evil spirits
§ A meeting place between the physical and the spiritual world
§ A gateway into the invisible realm of the spirit that allows the blessing of God to flow
§ A place of exchange ….something is sacrificed, or given in exchange for something received
§ The sacrifice is a trade, an exchange, an agreement established with a spirit being
§ Through the Bible men built altars to the Lord and fire of God fell….the Power of the Spirit
§ God has initiated the Altar as the meeting place between heaven and earth
§ The Altar of God is the Cross….Jesus Christ sacrificed and gave His life for all men
§ Great power was released when Jesus died on the cross (Matt.27:51-53)
o How does this relate to Us today?
§ Altars are built in the heart of man
§ Either God or Idols are worshipped in the heart of man
§ It is in our heart that we choose who or what we will agree with and yield to obey
§ The altar in our heart is our place of commitment and surrender to Jesus.
§ OT Priests were called to serve the altar daily and keep its fire burning
§ We are called to keep our passion and love for Christ alive and burning strongly through the sacrifices of praise and worship and surrender to obey Him
§ Whatever or whoever we worship will shape who we become …we become like them
If we worship idols we become like them(Ps.115:8)
If we worship Jesus we become like Him
2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
III. Responding to God’s Word
Jacob’s response: Obedience
o Gen 35:2 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
Gen 35:3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone."
Gen 35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.
1. Jacob Leads His Household
o Gen 35:2 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "
§ Fear and compromise causes people to draw back from their God ordained role of leadership
§ To Lead means to influence. To inspire others towards positive change
§ Men need to lead their households spiritually or the whole household is affected negatively
§ Everyone of us is called to lead others. We lead best when we learn to follow and imitate Jesus
o Eph 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself
2. Jacob Put Away the Foreign Gods
o Gen 35:2 And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
o The focus of God is on our new beginnings and not on our weaknesses or failures
§ God never even mentioned the presence of foreign gods.
§ Jacob had turned a blind eye to the slow and progressive defilement of his household
§ He tolerated the presence of foreign gods and compromised his spiritual authority and blessing
§ A new beginning requires we clean out “foreign gods”…freshly consecrate our lives to God
o What are the Foreign Gods?
o Gen 35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.
§ “Foreign Gods” refers to small idols that people had accumulated from the local culture
§ The reoccurring pattern through the Bible is one of people substituting idols for the Living God
§ Idols opened the door to defilement by demonic spirits
§ 1Co 10:19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything?
1Co 10:20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.
1Co 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons
§ The household had become defiled by the presence of idols that were accumulated over time and were tolerated…. It’s only a small thing. What harm could it do”
3. An idol is any substitute for the Presence and Person of God
§ The idols we have are “idols of the heart”
§ They are things in our heart that are dear to us and that we serve..we yield to obey them
§ People hold idols in the heart because they are hurt, broken, and looking to find life
§ Instead of looking to God for life we turn to substitutes that harden our heart and trouble us
§ People turned to idols for:
(i). Refuge…………………Place of hiding and avoiding storms and troubles in life
What do you turn to for refuge in the storms and pressures of life?
Psa 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
Psa 46:2 Therefore we will not fear,
(ii). Strength…………….. Things that seem to give us strength to stand up
What do you turn to to overcome feelings of powerless to make you feel strong?
Psa 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
(iii). Source of Glory…..Things that cause us to feel good about ourselves
What do you turn to to feel good about yourself, to overcome shame and dishonour
Jer 9:23 Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
Jer 9:24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.
4. God himself desires to be our refuge, to be our strength, to be our source of Glory
§ Psa 62:7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.
§ Psa 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
§ “Foreign gods in their hands…….”
Hands refer to your what you do, your daily works, activities, priorities
What we hold in our heart impacts what we do daily and how we do it
§ Earrings which were in their ears…”
Ears refer to the voices that you are listening to, voices that influence your decisions, priorities
What voices are you listening to influencing your thinking and actions?
Fear?, Insecurity?, Rejection?, Self Pity?, Inferiority? Envy?, Resentment? Lust?, Pride?, Culture?
§ If you are listening to these things and yielding to them you are serving “Foreign Gods”
5. “Put Away Your Idols”: Repent
§ “Put away”…….. To dispose of, turn aside from, depart from
§ Put away means to Repent! To turn away from your idol and to turn towards God
§ Act 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Presence…the face of God, personal relationship and intimacy
§ Repentance is “so that” you find freedom from unwanted and sinful behaviours, damaging pursuits, harmful reactions, long term addictions, co-dependence.
God’s desire is to bring refreshing to our heart and spirit …to bring life, hope and joy
§ Repentance means to turn away from the substitutes….things we turn to to meet our needs and desires because we don’t believe in the goodness of God
Repentance is not about taking things away we love, but turning us again towards God the true source of the life we need and long for
§ Repentance means to turn the heart…it is not just about behaviours but heart connection
§ Repentance means to turn and set your heart and affection upon God
§ Repentance is not just one decision but a lifestyle, a daily action of setting our heart and affection upon God
This is why so many believers come to an altar call in genuine grief to repent but there is no lasting change because they do not daily set their affection towards God and draw near to Him
§ Repent and Believe…they go together!
§ Gen 35:4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.
§ Idols were buried under an Oak Tree….symbol of the Cross of Jesus
§ What idols do you need to abandon because they are a substitute for drawing near to God and because of their negative influence ?
6. “Jacob Built an Altar at Bethel”
o Gen 35:7 And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.
§ Altars don’t just happen they are built by people hungry for God, hungry for supernatural life of the Spirit
§ This altar was an altar of consecration…..setting apart for the call and purposes of God
§ We build altars in our heart through repentance….turning back to God and breaking agreement with the things we have served as substitutes for God
§ Repent……..turn again towards a face to face relationship with The Lord
§ Personal Altar..This is a personal and a daily activity ….yielding to please God
§ Family Altar…..Jacob’s altar was not just for himself but for his whole household
IV. God Responds to Our Obedience
1. Spiritual Authority is Restored
o Gen 35:5 And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
o Every place of compromise in our lives leaves open doors for demonic spirits
o Jesus said : Joh 14:30 for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
o When we live in compromise with sin we lose spiritual authority and become separated from access to the life and resources of God
We also give access to demonic spirits and we become oppressed
o When we break our agreement with demonic spirits and agree with God we become empowered spiritually. We have spiritual authority over our enemies
2. Fresh Encounter with God
o Gen 35:9 Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him
§ God always responds when we draw near to Him in faith and expectation
§ Jas 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you
§ There is a part that God will play…..There is also a part that we must play
§ The initiative is with us…we must act in faith that God will respond to our drawing near
§ We are responsible to draw near…..don't just wait and see what God will do. Nothing!
o God Blessed Jacob
§ Encounters with God always result in blessing….empowerment to succeed in life
§ Blessing is more that just good words….it is the release of Spiritual empowerment
§ We do not work to earn blessing…we position our heart and life to receive blessing by faith
§ We are blessed with every blessing in Christ. We access these by faith
3. What Blessings did God empower Jacob with after he built the altar?
Gen 35:10 And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name." So He called his name Israel.
Gen 35:11 Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.
Gen 35:12 The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land."
§ Jacob’sThreefold Blessing
(i). Changed Name: Transformed life, no longer living out of old identity but in confidence
(ii). Fruitful: Harvest of souls. We begin to influence those around us towards God
(iii). Land: Inheritance… financial and spiritual enlargement
o Jacob Responds with Gratitude and thankfulness
§ Gen 35:14 So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it.
Gen 35:15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.
§ Jacob responds by building another altar…. a memorial of gratitude for being so blessed
V. Personal Reflection and Response
1. What has the Holy Spirit spoken to you about in this message>
2. What response do you need to make?
3. In what areas of your life are you “sitting down” and passive and need to arise?
4. Who or what are the key negative influencers in your life? What will you do about them?
5. What are the idols you have been tolerating in your heart and quietly yielding to their influence?
Things that you turn to for refuge or comfort
Things that you turn to for a felling of strength?
Things you turn to for glory, to feel good about yourself?
6. What false beliefs about God are hindering you turning to Him?
7. Will you build an altar of consecration to Him today?