CHEATERS NEVER WIN Part 3

 THE LAST CHAPTER

Cheaters Never Win, Part 3

Many people today want to change their life or their lifestyle. One of the fastest growing career fields is being a “life coach”. I found 30 life coaches and 4 life coach schools in the El Paso area on only the first page of a Google search. What does a life coach do? Help people make the changes they want to make. 

Jesus specializes in life change. He makes all things new. We are seeing this in the life of Jacob. 

Today, we get to the last chapter for Jacob.  He will have another encounter with God that will set his destiny for the future.  Last week, we saw his wrestling match with God that forever changed the way that he walked.  Allow me to go forward a little bit and see that some things that will happen to set the stage for this final encounter with God.

Proverbs 16:7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 

 We have already seen Jacob make peace with Laban. Now he has a chance to face Esau.

 TEXT Let’s begin in our text today, Genesis chapter 33.

 Genesis 33

 1 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men… 

 There comes a time in our lives when we have to face our greatest fear. For the past twenty years or so, the driving force in Jacob’s life has been Esau killing him. It caused him to run, run from Esau and run straight into the middle of God’s will. Fear of death and fear of man are powerful adversaries and God will bring us face to face with each of them in order to free us from their bondage.

 As it tuns out, Jacob had nothing to fear. As Franklin D. Roosevelt declared, “All we have to fear is fear itself!”

Esau was not looking for revenge, but reconciliation. Jacob offers confession; Esau grants forgiveness. You can read the details in this chapter. 

 Let’s skip down to verse 12…

 12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.” 

 Esau wanted Jacob to go to Edom with him. Jacob did not go with him because he knew he had a different destiny based on the promises of God. His future lay in Canaan. Sometimes the enemy will tempt us with something good while all the time God has something great for us. Never trade the good for the great! 

 18 Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. 

 19 And he bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 

 20 Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel. 

 God, the God of Israel. Jacob now claims a personal relationship with God, calls Him my God, the God of Israel.

 You can read chapter 34 on your own. We will skip over to chapter 35.

 Genesis 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 is calling Jacob back to where he met God for the first time. There may be many times in life where God takes us back to the first things, our first love, our first encounter. God wants to renew that freshness, that passion we had when we first came to Jesus!

 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. 

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.” 

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. 

We now begin to see signs of change in Jacob and his family. Let’s look at four things that happen here.

1.    Idols removed

2.    Purity inside

3.    Holiness outside

4.    Instant obedience

 These signs of change also appear in anyone who comes to Christ.  He is a new creation. He worships only God; He purifies himself in his heart; He changes his outward behavior and appearance; He becomes obedient to his new Lord. A man who says he is a believer but does not have a changed life is not a Christian!

 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. 

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. 

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. 

 The first time Jacob came here, God was present and he did not know it. It was only after his encounter that he recognized God and tried to bargain with Him. The important thing to him was the place, the house of God. 

 Now, he knows God. He recognizes His presence here but makes no attempt to bargain. He simply acknowledges God is God and what is important is not the house of God, but the God of the house! He renames the place, El Bethel, the God of the House of God. 

 What is important to you? Is it the things God does? Or is it God Himself? Do we know God or do we just know His acts? Many follow Jesus for the things He does for them, but would they follow Him if the acts went away?

9 Then God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and blessed him. 

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. 

God changed his name and changed his character. In fact, God changed his character so completely that Jesus would recognize it in his descendants.

John 1:45-49 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” 

Literally, a descendant of Israel in whom there is no Jacob! God had broken the chain of Jacob in the lineage of Israel. Jesus did the same thing for us. 

Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Everything I was in Adam died with Jesus. That body of sin, Adam’s sin, my sin, was destroyed so I could walk in liberty!

1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Using the same play on words, it can literally be said, “A Christian in whom there is no Adam!”

CLOSING Several years ago I had the privilege of leading a group of migrant laborers in a weekly Bible study. While teaching from Romans 6 one night, the Lord gave an illustration I never forgot.

Illustration: Now I’m Jesus’ slave; I don’t belong to satan anymore!

One last picture. God renews the covenant again and blesses Jacob. He will go on to bless his sons. The last words about Jacob are in the book of Hebrews. 

Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 

The “tricky one” was now a worshipper, and he still walked with a limp of dependence on His God, the God of Israel, the God of house of God. 

MINISTRY TIME