The eternal perspective of God changes what you see, what you say and how you live where you live.
If you’ve ever been in your car and that song came on. You know the song. The one you can’t listen to without getting your groove on! Suddenly you begin moving and grooving and then you realize the car next to you sitting at that light has people in it watching you. If they were hearing what you were hearing they might be doing what you are doing but they’re not! Life by the spirit is very much like this.
We are equipped with the mind of Christ to be able to live life from God’s point of view.
Even in your worst moments in life God’s big enough to transformation to your situation. Gen 28 Jacob has deceived his father and betrayed his brother and is now running for his life.
Jacob came by his sinful attitudes and behaviors very naturally. His mom was a source of motivation for what he’d done. His uncle Laban was deceptive. Deception runs in the family. Some people only know how to survive by manipulation. No matter how destitute your situation may be God’s point of view can change it all!
We understand Jacob came by his sinful attitudes and behaviors very naturally. His mama pushed him to deceive his father and betray his brother. His uncle Laban is also deceptive. It’s all he knew because it runs in the family.
Some people only know how to survive by manipulation. It’s not that they set out to be manipulative or wicked. They’re just desperate because they’re destitute never having the skills and tools they need for decency. Desperate people do desperate things.
Jacob was desperate. He was weary and tired of dealing with instability and confusion in every direction. It was night and he was exhausted. He was on the run fearing for his life. He was in a very bad place. We can probably all relate.
Genesis 28:11-22 At sunset Jacob stopped for the night and went to sleep, resting his head on a large rock. 12 In a dream he saw a ladder that reached from earth to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down on it. 13 The Lord was standing beside the ladder and said: I am the Lord God who was worshiped by Abraham and Isaac. I will give to you and your family the land on which you are now sleeping. 14 Your descendants will spread over the earth in all directions and will become as numerous as thespecks of dust. Your family will be a blessing to all people. 15 Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won’t leave you—I will do all I have promised. 16 Jacob woke up suddenly and thought, “The Lord is in this place, and I didn’t even know it… 18 When Jacob got up early the next morning, he took the rock that he had used for a pillow and stood it up for a place of worship. Then he poured olive oil on the rock to dedicate it to God, 19 and he named the place Bethel. Before that it had been named Luz. 20 Jacob solemnly promised God, “If you go with me and watch over me as I travel, and if you give me food and clothes 21 and bring me safely home again, you will be my God. 22 This rock will be your house, and I will give back to you a tenth of everything you give me. CEV (Contemporary English Version)
This rock upon which Jacob placed his head speaks of Jesus. The oil he poured upon the rock the next morning speaks of the anointing upon Christ to bring transformation to our world. It was when he laid his head on the rock that the heavens opened up. And whenever you put your mind on the rock, heaven will always open to you in ways beyond your imagination. Take your weary head and lay it on the rock. Praise Him in your dark place, your weary place, your confused place. The Lord was in this place and I didn’t even know it. Jesus dwells in the hard places of life with us and so many times we don’t even know it but He is right there.
When we believe in Jesus Christ, as our Lord, Savior and King, we are turned aside from our crooked ways of sin and the Holy Spirit of God is poured upon us, like oil anointing our head (Psalm 23:5) and Jesus who has been standing at the door of our heart and knocking (Revelation 3:20) comes into our lives and takes residence. In other words, we become the house (temple) of God. We go from being Luz (crooked and perverse in our sinfulness) into being Bethel (the House of God).
Jacob goes to sleep and God appeared. Our God is a God who can show up even when we aren’t where we need to be. When we are faithless he remains faithful. Even when you missed your Bible study, haven’t been praying, you’re not living the way you should – You and I need a God who shows up like a loving Father when our faith has gone to sleep - here He comes to wake us up to a greater reality of his presence and his love.
When Jesus shows up our world changes. Not the whole planet at once. He uses you to transform your five foot circle in life. Then generations of people are impacted by the difference you have made! Jacob’s promise wasn’t just about Jacob but about his descendants who have continued to bring God’s blessing into all generations that followed Jacob’s life.
Jesus doesn’t just want to make you free. He wants to make you a freedom fighter! Not just for your generation but for generations to come!
2 Cor 1:4 He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. MSG
This week let’s bring GP2RL:
…by inviting God’s perspective into our lives daily as we search for ways to bless other people every single day.
This looks different for every person. Just want to say how inspired I am by Jay & Jenn Dannelly – Callum & Dharani
Sarah’s Covenant Homes in India: https://www.schindia.com
DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY GROUP LEADERS
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
LEADER’S NOTES: In this season we are focusing on what it means to live our lives in light of eternity. Eternal priorities enlarge life’s perspective well beyond where temporal priorities exist. Our hearts were made to be enlarged by Christ, and all creation cannot replace his supremacy.
Knowing the supremacy of Christ enlarges the soul so that the world and its little thrills become as small as they really are. The human soul was made to see and savor the supremacy of Christ. Nothing else is big enough to enlarge the soul as God intended and make little lusts lose their power.
THE POINT: We are created to behold the eternal perspective of God. When we do this it changes our world from the inside out.
Open by reading these verses and asking people to listen thinking about of the details of the story and the insights for life application.
Genesis 28:11-22 At sunset Jacob stopped for the night and went to sleep, resting his head on a large rock. 12 In a dream he saw a ladder that reached from earth to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down on it. 13 The Lord was standing beside the ladder and said: I am the Lord God who was worshiped by Abraham and Isaac. I will give to you and your family the land on which you are now sleeping. 14 Your descendants will spread over the earth in all directions and will become as numerous as the specks of dust. Your family will be a blessing to all people. 15 Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won’t leave you—I will do all I have promised. 16 Jacob woke up suddenly and thought, “The Lord is in this place, and I didn’t even know it… 18 When Jacob got up early the next morning, he took the rock that he had used for a pillow and stood it up for a place of worship. Then he poured olive oil on the rock to dedicate it to God, 19 and he named the place Bethel. Before that it had been named Luz. 20 Jacob solemnly promised God, “If you go with me and watch over me as I travel, and if you give me food and clothes 21 and bring me safely home again, you will be my God. 22 This rock will be your house, and I will give back to you a tenth of everything you give me.” Contemporary English Version (CEV)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What details and insights do you notice from this portion of Scripture?
2. Just because God is quiet doesn’t mean He isn’t there or that He isn’t at work in your situation.
Share a time when you realized God had been at work in bringing his plans to pass in your life.
We really are designed to carry God’s blessing in a way that blesses others. Spending time in prayer and God’s Word creates a greater awareness of God’s presence awakening the perspective of God’s blessing!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
3. Share something God has been speaking to you or revealing in Scripture recently?
4. As you conclude make time for your group to pray together perhaps tying in some of the things they have shared God has been speaking to them lately. Let’s practice God’s presence together!
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Purpose every day to make time to pursue the presence of God in prayer and reading Scripture.