Have a good time. We'll see you at tea and coffee time afterwards.
For the rest of us, please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 35, please.
Genesis chapter 35.
We've been following the true story, the true account of Abraham and Isaac, which we've completed.
And today we finish up with the account of Jacob.
Jacob has been a friend to us over these weeks.
It's been encouraging to learn from his life,
but ultimately to meet the God that he knew and the God who intervened in his life.
So Genesis 35, we're going to read from verses 1 to 15.
Let's hear God's words together.
Then God said to Jacob, Go up to Bethel, settle there.
Build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.
So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him,
Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you and purify yourselves and change your clothes.
Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,
who answered me in the day of distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.
So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,
and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem.
Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them,
so that no one pursued them.
Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz, that is, Bethel, in the land of Canaan.
And there he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel,
because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
Now Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel.
So it was named Alon Bakuth.
After Jacob returned from Padam Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him.
And God said to him,
Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob, your name will be Israel.
So he named him Israel.
And God said to him,
I am God Almighty.
Be fruitful and increase in number.
A nation and a community of nations will come from you,
and kings will be among your descendants.
The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I also give to you,
and I will give you this land to your descendants after you.
Then God went up from him at that place where he had talked with him.
And Jacob set up a stone pillar at that place where God had talked with him.
And he poured out a drink offering on it.
He also poured oil on it.
And Jacob called the place where God had talked with him.
Bethel.
Well, let's keep our Bibles open and we'll pray.
Amen.
Our Father God, we thank you so much
for this true account of the life of Jacob
and all that he did, all that's recorded here for us.
For through it we meet the living God,
the same God who is speaking to us now through your word.
And so it is our prayer that we would encounter you afresh,
that we would know you greater and deeper.
And most of all, we will come to see
the wonder of your grace
to people like us,
your faithfulness
and your goodness.
So help us now, we pray.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, what do you do with a young lad
who smashes his father's car,
promises not to do it again,
and then goes off and smashes his father's car?
Well, I thought I was a done for.
And yet, to my surprise, within a week,
I was back driving again in my dad's car.
Now, maybe you think of that and you think,
well, your dad was pretty careless and reckless
to let you back in his car, wasn't he?
Well, for me, from my perspective,
it was grace upon grace.
You see, God has a habit
of not giving up on failures
and troublemakers.
And that's certainly been the case
with our friend Jacob.
We might think it's been reckless
and careless of God
to hang in with Jacob.
But from Jacob's perspective,
it is grace upon grace.
You see, that's what grace is.
It's receiving from God
what we don't deserve
again and again
and again
and again.
It's what we might call
the cycle of grace.
It just keeps going
round and round
and round.
In our text this morning,
there are three big things
we want to learn
about God's grace
towards us.
The first is
relentless grace.
Relentless grace.
Now, if we want to capture
this relentless grace,
we need to know
what Jacob has been up to.
The last time we met Jacob,
it was back in chapter 32,
where we had encountered
Jacob in a wrestle with God
and Jacob came away
from that blessed.
He was all fired up
and ready to do God's will,
going back to meet
his brother Esau.
Everything was going
to be good again.
Well, it seems Jacob
has begun to drift
again.
Look back with me
to chapter 33.
Having been promised
by God
that God would be with him,
that he would meet
his brother
and everything would be okay,
God called him
to go back
to the promised land.
Chapter 33,
verse 17.
Jacob, however,
went to Succoth,
which, well,
it's not in
the promised land.
And there,
Jacob built a place
for himself
and he made shelters
for his livestock
and he called that place
Succoth,
which means shelters,
which means he basically
settled down there
for a couple of years.
He didn't go
where God
commanded him to go.
And then in chapter 34,
we find he's in trouble
with the locals.
Horrifically,
his daughter
is raped.
But instead of doing
something about it,
look at chapter 34,
verse 5.
When Jacob heard
that his daughter
Dinah
had been defiled,
his sons were in the fields
with his livestock,
so what did he do?
He did nothing
until they came home.
What kind of father
is that?
In fact,
if we read on
in chapter 34,
it seems that he was
more interested
in keeping his own
peace and security
and not upsetting
the locals any further
and didn't want to
do anything about it.
There's no running
to God
and asking for help.
There's no prayers.
He doesn't get out
his Bible.
He delays
and he dithers.
It seems Jacob
is doing his own thing
again.
All of which
brings us
to our text
in chapter 35
where we meet
God's relentless grace.
What does God do
with a serial failure
like Jacob?
Well, look at verse 1
of chapter 35.
Then God said
to Jacob,
Now that should
just shock us.
Jacob doesn't get
the silent treatment.
God doesn't take
the huff
and refuse
to speak.
In fact,
God takes
the initiative
again
because God
always takes
the initiative
in people's lives
and he goes
after Jacob.
He pursues him.
God sees
his wandering heart
and he goes
after him
again.
He speaks
to him.
But perhaps
what is more
amazing
is what God
actually says.
Look at verse 1.
God said to Jacob,
Go up to Bethel
and settle there
and build an altar
there to God
who appeared
to you
when you were
fleeing
from your brother Esau.
Why is he
to go back
to Bethel?
Well,
Bethel has
history
with Jacob.
Go back with me
please
to chapter 28.
This is about
35 years
before.
35 years
before.
Here Jacob
is on the run
from his brother
Esau.
He's stolen
his brother's
blessing.
His brother
is out
to murder him
and kill him.
So Jacob
flees
for his life
and he stops
for the night.
He lays down
to sleep
and he has
a vision
of God
and God
is coming
down
these great
steps
to meet
with him.
God
present
with a
rebellious
sinner
like Jacob
and look
what God
says to him
in verse
15 of
chapter 28.
Here's the one
who's just
stolen
his brother's
blessing
and God
says
I am
with you
and I
will watch
over you
wherever you
go
and I
will bring
you back
to this
land.
I will
not leave
you
until I
have done
what I
have promised
you.
this was
the place
where God
confronted
Jacob
with his
amazing
grace.
Now go
back to
chapter 35.
This is
35 years
later
and God
comes to
Jacob
again
and God
says to
Jacob
let's go
back
to Bethel
settle
there
build
an altar
there
to God
who
appeared
to you
when you
were fleeing
from your
brother
Esau.
Back
to Bethel
back
to where
this all
started
back
to the
place
of grace.
You see
this is
Jacob's
life
isn't it?
This is a
summary
of what
his life
has been.
It starts
with grace
and it
will finish
with grace.
God is
relentless
year
after year
in chasing
and pursuing
and calling
his wandering
and wayward
people.
And isn't
that what God
is exactly
doing right
now as we
listen to
his word?
God
because now
as God
speaks to us
through scripture
his message
is still the
same.
He's bringing
us back
again
time and
time again
to the
beginning
where God
demonstrates
his grace
in all
its fullness.
We've sung
about it
this morning.
We've already
read about it.
He brings
us back
to Christ
and his
cross
and he
shows us
how Jesus
died for
our sin
our past
present
and future
sins.
He shows
us that
our walk
with God
always
starts
with grace.
It continues
with grace
and it
will finish
with grace.
Now I
don't know
about you
but that's
good news
for Jacob
like me
because
don't we
wander
and drift
all the
time?
Don't
our hearts
grow cold?
Don't
we forget
God?
Don't
we fail
him in
what we
should be
doing?
Well let
us listen
afresh to
God's
word today.
Let's
go back
to Bethel.
Let's
go back
to that
place of
grace
where God
first
intervened
into our
life
and
changed
us
and
has
continued
with
us
and
will
be
there
in
the
future.
So
first
relentless
grace.
Second
there's
transforming
grace.
Grace is
relentless
it continues
after us
but it
never
leaves us
where we
are.
Grace is
not a
license just
to live
as we
please and
go oh
it's okay
God will
forgive me.
No grace
changes us
and it
transforms
us.
Look at
the impact
it has
on Jacob
verse 2.
Jacob
said to
his household
and all
who are
with him
get rid
of the
foreign
gods
you have
and purify
yourselves
and change
your clothes.
In other
words this
is a
fresh start
a new
beginning
because if
we're going
to be
devoted
and loyal
to this
God of
grace
we need
to clear
out all
of the
gods
and the
idols
that we
carry with
us in
our life.
Now we
don't have
to live
back in
Jacob times
to figure
out what
a God
is.
We've
all got
our own
little
gods
that we
carry
around
with us.
A God
is something
or someone
that we
must have
to get us
through life.
And we
look to
these gods
for our
peace
and our
happiness
our hopes
and our
dreams
and we
think that
if I
could just
have this
new job
or a
successful
family
or a
secure
pension
then I'm
going to
be happy
if I
could have
better
health
or more
friends
or greater
freedom
then I
will be
satisfied.
Now these
things are not
bad things
many of them
are good
things to
pursue
but can't
they become
distractions?
They begin
to consume
our thinking
and drive
our decisions.
they become
replacements
for the
one
true
and
only
God.
So how
do we
get rid
of the
gods
that we
carry
around
with us
and
build
our
lives
on?
How do
we purify
ourselves
from these
gods?
Well
we set
our focus
on the
one
true
God
of
grace.
Look at
verse
three.
Jacob
says to
all his
family
come let
us go
up to
Bethel
where I
will build
an altar
to God
who answered
me in
the day
of distress
and who
has been
with me
wherever
I have
gone.
Now why
would you
ever turn
away from
a god
like this?
You see
the gods
of our
making
let us
down
all of
the time.
But the
true
God
verse
three
well
he
answers
me
in
all
of
my
distress.
He
hears
me.
He
is
concerned
for me.
He
knows
what I'm
going
through
in my
life.
He
sees
it
all
and
he
provides
all
that I
need
as I
go
through
life.
And
this
same
true
God
is the
God
who
is
with
me
wherever
I
go.
He
never
leaves
me,
never
abandon
me.
There
is
nowhere
I
can
go,
not even
the
depths
of my
greatest
sin.
There
is
nowhere
where I
can
go
where
he
is
not.
You
see
in all
his
wanderings
Jacob
could
look
back
and
see
a
God
who
has
been
faithful
and
loyal
and
dependable.
He's
been
there
at
every
twist
and
turn,
every
disaster
and
every
disobedience.
Here
is a
God
who
doesn't
give
up
despite
the
sin
and
the
mess
that
we
have
caused.
So
for
Jacob
and his
family
to get
rid of
the
gods,
well it
meant
living a
daily
life
of
repentance.
We
see that
in
verse
4.
They
gave
Jacob
all the
foreign
gods
that they
had in
the
rings
and the
ears
collections
that they
had
gathered
and
Jacob
buried
them
under
the
oak
at
Shechem.
He
put
them
to
death.
Now
don't
we
have
gods
ourselves
that we
need
to
bury?
Distractions
and
desires
in our
own
lives
that we
need
to
put
to
death.
What
are
they?
Well
you know
what
they
are.
They
are the
things
that we
go to
in our
minds
all the
time
even
now
as we're
thinking
they
consume
us
and
they
keep
us
from
looking
to
God.
But
how do
we
put
them
to
death?
How
do
we
bury
these
gods?
Well
we
don't
do it
by making
promises
to
ourselves
and to
God
to say
well I'm
going to
do better
this time.
I'm
going to
make a
better job
of my
life.
No
what we
do is
we fill
our minds
with the
greatness
and glory
of God.
We set
our hearts
on him.
We
gaze
at his
beauty
and his
goodness.
Verse
three
God
who
answers
us
in
our
distress
and
who
is
with
us
wherever
we
go.
This
is
the
God
we
fill
our
minds
with.
This
is
the
vision
that
is
set
before
us.
You
see
as we
focus
as we
meditate
and reflect
on
God
instead
of being
distracted
by these
little
gods
we're
beginning
to be
attracted
by his
amazing
grace.
We're
drawn
to him
more
and
more.
You
see
all
that
we
ever
need
is
found
in
this
God
of
grace.
We
don't
need
to look
elsewhere
because
that's
what
grace
is.
It's
receiving
from
God
what
we
don't
deserve
again
and
again
and
again
and
so
we
gather
together
as we
are
today
to
remind
ourselves
to fill
our
vision
with
the
greatness
and
glory
of
God
so
that
we
are
attracted
to
his
beauty
and
not
distracted
by
our
helpless
gods.
So
there's
relentless
grace
there's
transforming
grace
and then
there's
promised
grace.
So
in
obedience
to
God
verse
6
Jacob
and
all
the
people
with
him
came
to
Bethel
in
the
land
of
Canaan
just
as
God
had
said
all
those
years
ago
he
comes
back
to
the
beginning
verse
9
after
Jacob
returned
from
Padam
Aram
that is
as he
came
back
to
Bethel
God
appeared
to
him
again
and
blessed
him
now
isn't
that
wonderful
the
writer
wants
us
to
take
note
end
of
verse
9
God
appeared
to
him
again
and
blessed
him
because
this is
the
God
who
just
does
not
give
up
he
is
relentless
in
pursuit
of
his
people
there
are
a hundred
reasons
why
God
should
not
show
up
again
but
he
does
God
comes
again
to
Jacob
to
remind
him
of
his
promised
grace
verse
10
he
says
no
longer
will
you
be
called
Jacob
but
you
will
be
called
Israel
this
is
you're
a
new
person
you're
changed
I'm
giving
you
a
new
name
verse
11
and
God
said
to
him
I
am
God
almighty
I
am
the
all
powerful
God
I'm
the
one
who's
created
all
things
I
own
all
things
I
rule
all
things
I
am
sovereign
over
everything
and
over
everyone
I
am
God
almighty
be
fruitful
and
increase
in
number
and
a
nation
and
a
community
of
nations
will
come
from
you
how
big
and
how
great
and
awesome
is
that
he's
just
a
small
family
but
he's
going
to
have
nations
and
out
of
those
nations
will
come
more
and
more
verse
12
and
the
land
I
gave
to
Abraham
and
Isaac
I
also
give
to
you
and
I
will
give
this
land
to
your
descendants
after
you
God
will
these
are
God's
extravagant
promises
that
God
will
have
a
people
living
in
God's
place
who
will
enjoy
God's
presence
so that
they can
be a
blessing
to those
around
them
these
promises
are not
new
these
are the
promises
we've
already
seen
that
God
gave
to
Jacob's
father
Isaac
and
to
his
grandfather
Abraham
in
fact
these
promises
aren't
new
to
Jacob
either
he's
heard
them
all
before
so
why
does
God
take
the
trouble
to
go
and
repeat
them
all
over
again
well
go
back
with
me
please
to
chapter
28
chapter
28
remember
we've
already
read
from here
this
morning
reminding
us
that
well
we can
see it
in
chapter
28
verse
14
that
the
descendants
will be
like
the dust
of the
earth
they're
going to
be a
great
big
nation
God
says
I'm
going to
bring
you
back
to
the
land
I'm
going
to
be
present
with
you
I'm
not
going
to
leave
you
here
35
years
ago
Jacob
first
heard
these
promises
from
God
and
in
response
Jacob
makes
a
promise
to
God
look
at
verse
20
then
Jacob
made
a
vow
saying
if
God
will
be
with
me
and
will
watch
over
me
on
this
journey
I
am
taking
and
will
give
me
food
to
eat
and
clothes
to
wear
so
that
I
return
safely
to
my
father's
household
then
the
Lord
will
be
my
God
I'm
going
to be
for
you
God
I'm
going
to
be
with
you
you're
going
to
bring
me
back
again
I
promise
God
I
promise
well
for the
next
35
years
after
that
promise
Jacob
would
spend
his
time
breaking
that
promise
and
making
new
promises
and
breaking
those
promises
round
and round
it went
for
35
years
let's
go back
to
chapter
35
so
why
does
God
repeat
these
same
promises
again
to
Jacob
at
Bethel
well
to
show
Jacob
that
if
the
promises
ever
depended
on
Jacob
then
it's
doomed
to
failure
it's
just
not
going
to
happen
in
other
words
God
is
coming
to
Jacob
afresh
to
say
I
am
the
promise
making
promise
keeping
God
what I
say
is
what I
do
you
fail
I'm
faithful
it
depends
on
me
Jacob
it
all
depends
on
me
it's
all
promised
grace
because
that's
what
grace
is
it's
receiving
from
God
what we
don't
deserve
again
and
again
and
again
the
question
is
how
long
could
this
cycle
of
grace
go
on
for
how
long
is
God
going
to
persevere
with
the
family
through
whom
he
gave
his
promises
well
God
did
persevere
didn't
he
and
God
did
bring
about
that
person
that
someone
who
was
deserving
of
his
promise
someone
who
was
faithful
and
in
Jesus
we
meet
that
person
the
God
man
who
comes
who
lives
the
faithful
and
dependable
life
for
us
who
fulfills
the
promises
so that
the
promises
would
always
flow
to
us
in
grace
you
see
God
had
made
a
promise
that
he
would
have
a
people
and
they
would
live
in
his
place
and
they
would
enjoy
God's
presence
and
they
would
be
a
blessing
to
those
around
him
God
says
I
will
do
it
and
here
we
are
what
how
many
thousands
of
years
later
from
this
time
of
Jacob
isn't
this
what
Karageline
Baptist
Church
is
God's
people
in
God's
place
in
this
community
enjoying
God's
presence
and
blessing
those
around
us
within
this
community
with
the
good
news
of
God's
grace
how
did
it
ever
happen
look
at
us
we're
messes
we're
failures
but how
God has
been
faithful
to
his
promise
not
just
35
years
but
centuries
if
it
depended
on
us
we
are
doomed
to
failure
it's
all
promised
grace
now
you
might
think
this
is a
very
careless
and
reckless
kind
of
God
but
for
those
who
believe
it's
grace
upon
grace
and
we
need
to
remember
that
look
at
verse
14
Jacob
set
up
a
stone
pillar
at
the
place
where
God
talked
with
him
verse
15
and
Jacob
called
that
place
where
God
had
talked
with
him
Bethel
have
you
ever
set
up
a
pillar
do
you
have
memories
of
God's
grace
are
there
points
in
your
time
of
life
that
you
remember
distinctly
God
intervening
God
speaking
to you
through
your
word
coming
to you
afresh
and
you
remember
yes
that
pillar
of
grace
God
has
been
good
I
had
that
experience
not
too
long
ago
I
was
invited
back
to
Waterford
to
where
I
grew
up
there
was
a
pastor
being
installed
to
the
church
there
a
new
pastor
and
I
was
invited
along
with
lots
of
others
and
the
service
wasn't
held
in the
church
but
in a
school
the
school
I
used
to
go
to
when
I
was
younger
and
there
I
sat
in
this
room
with
lots
of
other
people
it
was
the
same
classroom
I'm
just
getting
upset
now
and
there
I
was
and
the
best
I
ever
did
was
to
say
to
God
you
leave
me
alone
and
I'll
leave
you
alone
35
years
later
God's
grace
has
been
with
me
every
step
of
the
way
your
life
is
a
pillar
of
grace
God
has
been
good
to
you
he's
been
good
to
me
we've
all
got
our
memories
of
what
God
has
done
but
don't
we
gather
together
like
this
isn't
that
the
reason
why
we
gather
round
the
Lord's
table
when
we
meet
together
because
that's
where
it
all
starts
we
come
back
to
grace
we
gaze
on
the
beauty
of
the
one
true
God
who
answers
us
in
our
distress
who's
with
us
wherever
we
go
and
together
we
rest
on
his
blessings
to
us
you
might
think
this
God
is
careless
and
reckless
but
for
Jacob's
like
you
and
I
it's
grace
upon
grace
amen
let's
pray
father
god
thank you
for your
work
in our
life
thank you
for your
amazing
grace
that
doesn't
give up
but
continues
to
pursue
us
father
in
response
and by
your
holy
spirit's
help
would you
enable us
to put
to death
to bury
the gods
the idols
that we
carry
that offer
us
nothing
that are in
the end
are helpless
and hopeless
but help
us
that we
might
trust
and rest
in the
God
who
hears
us
and the
God
who is
with us
you have
been so
faithful
you are
faithful to
this church
and we
look forward
to the future
resting
in your
promised
grace
to come
thank you
God
in Jesus
name
amen
we're going
to sing
together
in response
and I
hope
that this
is a song
you can
sing
maybe it's
a song
you sing
truly for
the first
time
as you
come face
to face
and encounter
God's
grace
sacrifice
かな
него
j
years
he