WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.279 Over the summer, I've been reading the autobiographies of two great football managers, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:14.480 As you would probably expect, they come across as men who are really driven, 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:20.339 whose lives are dominated by their love of the game and by trying to succeed in it, 00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:28.120 and who have a huge self-confidence, who believe that if they work hard, if they look after their staff, 00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:32.100 if they plan well, then they'll be successful. 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:34.920 Very self-reliant. 00:00:35.899 --> 00:00:39.359 I was particularly struck by one passage in Arsene Wenger's book. 00:00:40.140 --> 00:00:45.280 He wrote about how when he was growing up as a child in the Alsace region of France, 00:00:45.980 --> 00:00:51.179 he used to go along to the football matches of his local team clutching his prayer book, 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:58.000 and he'd stand on the touchline and he'd be praying desperately that his team would win. 00:00:58.119 --> 00:01:00.079 And then he says, 00:01:00.579 --> 00:01:05.259 In later years, I replaced the prayer book with good players, 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:09.019 and being well prepared for the likelihood of winning. 00:01:09.819 --> 00:01:12.759 Reason instead of faith. 00:01:13.620 --> 00:01:18.560 And it was that last phrase, reason instead of faith, that really struck me. 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:25.200 Now, I wouldn't say it was appropriate for us to be praying about the results of football matches. 00:01:26.100 --> 00:01:29.960 But I think Arsene Wenger maybe is speaking wider than that. 00:01:30.060 --> 00:01:34.299 And if he is, then he reflects something I think is quite a common belief today. 00:01:35.020 --> 00:01:37.620 You can't rely on blind faith. 00:01:38.340 --> 00:01:40.560 You've got to rely on rational planning, 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:44.900 on being able to do things for yourself, 00:01:45.100 --> 00:01:47.560 and on being in control. 00:01:48.620 --> 00:01:51.659 I hope most of us here, given we're in a church this morning, 00:01:52.020 --> 00:01:55.980 would recognise that faith and reason go together. 00:01:56.520 --> 00:02:01.079 That we don't throw our brains away when we come to trust in Jesus. 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:05.200 But I think there's still a question a lot of the time 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:11.620 of how much we should be depending entirely on God to do things for us, 00:02:11.979 --> 00:02:15.639 and how much we should be trying to do things for ourselves. 00:02:16.699 --> 00:02:20.819 So if you like, it's the kind of conflict between let go and let God, 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:24.360 and the Lord helps those who help themselves. 00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:29.600 And I think that's what's at the heart of this passage we're looking at today. 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:34.400 It's a question of how much is Jacob depending on God, 00:02:34.920 --> 00:02:39.520 and how much is he trying to do things by himself. 00:02:41.040 --> 00:02:44.260 Now at the end, having read the passage quite a number of times, 00:02:44.540 --> 00:02:47.400 I still can't quite make my mind up about Jacob. 00:02:48.180 --> 00:02:50.580 Was what he was doing really in faith, 00:02:50.580 --> 00:02:54.500 or was he trusting in himself and almost hedging his bets 00:02:54.500 --> 00:02:56.800 by praying in the middle? 00:02:56.920 --> 00:02:59.360 I'll leave you to come to your own judgments on that 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:00.740 once we've been through the passage. 00:03:01.200 --> 00:03:03.580 But after we've done that, we will look more broadly. 00:03:03.720 --> 00:03:06.820 We'll try to find other answers from the Bible to this question. 00:03:07.260 --> 00:03:09.560 How much should we depend on prayer? 00:03:09.860 --> 00:03:13.980 How much should we be trying to work things out ourselves? 00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:20.120 So we're in Genesis 32, and if you remember the story of Jacob, 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:22.400 some of you have been here every week, I'm sure, or most weeks, 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:26.920 the story of Jacob starts in Canaan with his father Isaac 00:03:26.920 --> 00:03:29.719 and mother Rebekah and his brother Esau. 00:03:30.599 --> 00:03:34.580 And Jacob coerces Esau into giving up the birthright 00:03:34.580 --> 00:03:36.360 that was due to the first son. 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:38.400 It was only a few minutes Esau was ahead of Jacob, 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:41.939 but he was the first son, and he gave Jacob his birthright. 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:46.700 And then Jacob tricked Isaac into giving him the father's blessing. 00:03:46.699 --> 00:03:50.219 And then he had to flee because Esau was out to kill him. 00:03:50.839 --> 00:03:53.739 And for the last few weeks, we've been thinking about the 20 years 00:03:53.739 --> 00:04:00.119 that he spent with his uncle Laban far away from his immediate family. 00:04:01.379 --> 00:04:05.579 Well, today he's come back, and he's come, in a sense, to face the music. 00:04:05.739 --> 00:04:07.699 He knows he's going to have to meet Esau, 00:04:07.699 --> 00:04:11.439 but he doesn't know what kind of response he's going to get. 00:04:12.119 --> 00:04:14.060 Is Esau still out to kill him, 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:19.159 or is there a possibility that the two of them can be reconciled? 00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:21.399 As we go through this chapter, 00:04:22.039 --> 00:04:25.639 we see alternating Jacob interacting with God, 00:04:26.039 --> 00:04:28.219 and then Jacob trying to do things on his own, 00:04:28.419 --> 00:04:30.480 more interaction with God through the angels, 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:32.579 Jacob trying to do things on his own, 00:04:32.579 --> 00:04:36.379 and then finally the decisive interaction with God, 00:04:36.479 --> 00:04:39.180 which we'll be looking at next Sunday. 00:04:39.639 --> 00:04:42.439 But there really is this tension in Jacob's mind, I think. 00:04:42.699 --> 00:04:45.159 I need to be saved from Esau. 00:04:45.539 --> 00:04:50.019 Do I do it myself, or do I rely on God? 00:04:51.459 --> 00:04:55.000 So we look at the first of the sections in the chapter. 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:57.019 I've called it Jacob's protector, 00:04:57.019 --> 00:04:58.279 and if you've got it in front of you, 00:04:58.579 --> 00:05:00.759 that's the first couple of verses. 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:04.319 Jacob comes back from Laban. 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:07.300 He's on the border of Canaan, the promised land, 00:05:07.699 --> 00:05:08.819 and when he's there, 00:05:09.180 --> 00:05:12.420 he has a vision of a group of angels. 00:05:13.659 --> 00:05:14.879 Now, I think when we see this, 00:05:14.939 --> 00:05:17.500 we're supposed to think back to how Jacob had left Canaan 00:05:17.500 --> 00:05:19.579 in the first place when he was fleeing from Esau, 00:05:19.779 --> 00:05:22.120 and he came to a place he called Bethel, 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:24.159 and there he had an encounter with God. 00:05:24.159 --> 00:05:26.379 So angels going up and down the ladder to heaven, 00:05:26.599 --> 00:05:30.379 and he received promises from God. 00:05:31.139 --> 00:05:34.000 Now, I think as Jacob comes back to the land, 00:05:34.500 --> 00:05:35.719 this is God saying, 00:05:36.139 --> 00:05:37.839 I am still with you. 00:05:38.620 --> 00:05:41.959 I made promises to you in the past, 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:45.779 and I am still there to honor these promises. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.039 And so Jacob gives the place a name, 00:05:49.099 --> 00:05:50.459 which means two camps. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:51.759 There's his camp. 00:05:51.819 --> 00:05:54.539 He's come back with much more than he ever left with, 00:05:54.540 --> 00:05:56.520 but there's also God's camp. 00:05:56.900 --> 00:05:57.780 God is with him. 00:05:58.180 --> 00:06:01.000 God is there to be his protector. 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:06.600 Good for us sometimes to be reminded of God's goodness 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:08.900 and of God's presence. 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:12.879 When we are facing difficult or disturbing situations, 00:06:13.280 --> 00:06:15.259 to be able to think back and to say, 00:06:15.400 --> 00:06:17.040 God was with me in the past. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:19.980 God is still with me now. 00:06:19.980 --> 00:06:23.439 Now, in the first book of Samuel, chapter 7, 00:06:23.580 --> 00:06:27.180 there's an incident where the Israelites are being attacked by the Philistines, 00:06:27.780 --> 00:06:30.680 and Samuel prays, and they are miraculously rescued. 00:06:31.520 --> 00:06:34.860 And Samuel sets up a stone at a place called Ebenezer. 00:06:34.860 --> 00:06:36.960 And he says, 00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:40.580 Thus far the Lord has helped us. 00:06:41.280 --> 00:06:43.120 And that stone that was set up there, I think, 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:46.500 was a reminder to the people that God was good to them, 00:06:46.540 --> 00:06:47.740 that he was their God, 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:52.080 and that he would be with them through the most difficult times. 00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:56.000 Good for us to have these reminders as well. 00:06:56.100 --> 00:06:57.139 Paul says in Romans 8, 00:06:57.220 --> 00:07:00.379 If God is for us, who can be against us? 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:04.600 He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, 00:07:04.860 --> 00:07:11.960 how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:14.060 If our trust is in the Lord Jesus, 00:07:14.420 --> 00:07:16.540 then we have God's presence with us, 00:07:16.740 --> 00:07:20.020 and perhaps sometimes we need a reminder of that. 00:07:21.699 --> 00:07:25.460 Having got that reminder, Jacob kind of goes off on his own. 00:07:25.540 --> 00:07:27.360 He thinks, well, what can I do? 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:33.160 What are the options for me to get back in favor with Esau? 00:07:34.100 --> 00:07:36.760 And so he thinks, well, I should make contact with them. 00:07:37.540 --> 00:07:41.280 And he sends him a bit of a groveling message, I think, 00:07:41.840 --> 00:07:44.420 talking about Esau as his lord, Jacob as his servant. 00:07:44.500 --> 00:07:46.040 Remember, they're brothers, twin brothers. 00:07:47.100 --> 00:07:50.100 And reminding him that Jacob has been a waste, 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:51.740 not that he's been avoiding him, he says. 00:07:51.940 --> 00:07:54.080 And he's come back having left with nothing. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:08:00.500 He's come back with two wives, two concubines, 11 sons, a daughter, 00:08:00.740 --> 00:08:02.240 lots of servants, lots of cattle. 00:08:02.539 --> 00:08:03.740 He's quite a wealthy man. 00:08:03.819 --> 00:08:07.199 I think he's saying to Esau, well, actually, I don't need anything from you. 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:10.060 I just want to make up with you. 00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:14.879 And he sends them off, and he's told that Esau is coming back, 00:08:15.139 --> 00:08:17.180 and he's got a huge company with him. 00:08:17.180 --> 00:08:19.660 He's bringing an army with him in Jacob's sight, 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:21.360 and Jacob is terrified. 00:08:21.540 --> 00:08:24.519 What is Esau likely to do now? 00:08:24.620 --> 00:08:27.439 And Jacob, again, Jacob being the schemer he always was, 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:30.579 he says, well, if I divide my group into two different camps, 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:33.000 maybe remembering the two camps from verse 1, 00:08:33.340 --> 00:08:35.139 if one of them gets attacked and destroyed, 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:36.879 then the other might be safe. 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:41.259 And if Jacob's in behind, then he's hoping he'll survive either way. 00:08:41.259 --> 00:08:42.759 That's the kind of man he was, 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:46.419 and still had elements of that, it appears, in him. 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:48.980 Trying to do his thing. 00:08:49.539 --> 00:08:52.759 Trying to work things out for himself. 00:08:54.019 --> 00:08:57.379 But I think it's a bit more positive because Jacob prays. 00:08:57.419 --> 00:08:58.179 Sorry, I missed my point there. 00:08:58.220 --> 00:08:59.259 Jacob's plea to Esau. 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:00.600 Then there's Jacob's prayer. 00:09:00.700 --> 00:09:01.659 Lots of peas this morning, 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:04.019 but we're spending, I think, a little bit of while 00:09:04.019 --> 00:09:06.439 thinking about Jacob's prayer. 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:11.799 This is the first prayer that we really read of Jacob in the Bible. 00:09:11.799 --> 00:09:14.139 He refers to God previously, 00:09:14.579 --> 00:09:17.539 but it's the first time we see him actually coming before God 00:09:17.539 --> 00:09:19.639 and praying to him. 00:09:20.439 --> 00:09:22.559 And the four verses from verse 9 to 12, 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:23.740 I've got one heading for each. 00:09:24.079 --> 00:09:25.979 Verse 9, I've said, is Jacob's premise. 00:09:26.099 --> 00:09:30.179 The premise is the basis on which he thinks he's able to come to God 00:09:30.179 --> 00:09:32.379 and ask for things from him. 00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:35.000 A part of the premise is a promise. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:38.299 It's what God said to him when he left the land. 00:09:38.299 --> 00:09:45.219 And the other part of it is a reminder of God's dealings with his ancestors. 00:09:46.459 --> 00:09:49.299 Jacob, at this point, isn't able to say, 00:09:49.819 --> 00:09:51.459 God is my God. 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:54.859 He says he's the God of Abraham, his grandfather. 00:09:55.339 --> 00:09:57.959 He's the God of Isaac, his father. 00:09:58.859 --> 00:10:01.039 Perhaps it was after the end of this chapter 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:02.699 that Jacob would have been able to say 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:06.040 that God was his God as well. 00:10:06.640 --> 00:10:10.360 But he did feel he had a premise for coming to God. 00:10:11.160 --> 00:10:12.720 Can I say, if we are Christians, 00:10:12.900 --> 00:10:15.520 if we are following the Lord Jesus today, 00:10:15.879 --> 00:10:19.860 we have a much stronger premise for coming to God. 00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:22.360 We come not because of any good in us, 00:10:22.580 --> 00:10:25.500 not because we deserve anything from God, 00:10:25.500 --> 00:10:27.720 but because through the Lord Jesus, 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:29.159 our sins have been forgiven 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:32.340 and we can come to God not just as our God, 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:35.279 but as our heavenly father. 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:39.240 We have a stronger basis for approaching God than Jacob did 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:41.899 if we are trusting in Jesus. 00:10:43.139 --> 00:10:45.519 Verse 10, Jacob then looks to his past. 00:10:45.940 --> 00:10:48.000 He recognizes his own unworthiness, 00:10:48.539 --> 00:10:50.940 recognizes all the times he's tried to trick people 00:10:50.940 --> 00:10:52.700 and do things by his own strength. 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:55.300 And he's recognized that despite that, 00:10:55.860 --> 00:10:57.620 despite everything he's done, 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:01.500 that God has been with him and has blessed him. 00:11:02.420 --> 00:11:03.780 Again, if we know Jesus, 00:11:04.259 --> 00:11:07.900 good to recall the past and all that we've done wrong, 00:11:08.280 --> 00:11:11.100 not for the sake of dwelling on all our faults, 00:11:11.420 --> 00:11:14.560 but to recognize the grace of God that's in our lives 00:11:14.560 --> 00:11:18.620 and all that he has done for us through the Lord Jesus. 00:11:19.820 --> 00:11:21.740 Verse 11, we need to go fairly quickly. 00:11:21.860 --> 00:11:22.520 Verse 11, 00:11:22.700 --> 00:11:24.400 there's Jacob's petition. 00:11:24.920 --> 00:11:26.680 What really struck me about Jacob's petition 00:11:26.680 --> 00:11:28.200 is the three words in the middle, 00:11:28.680 --> 00:11:30.080 I am afraid. 00:11:31.400 --> 00:11:32.800 I am afraid. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:35.560 Isn't it good when we can come to God 00:11:35.560 --> 00:11:37.960 and recognize that we can be honest 00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:39.680 about how we're feeling? 00:11:40.500 --> 00:11:43.000 We don't have to come with flowery words 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:46.620 and think that we need to approach God in a certain way 00:11:46.620 --> 00:11:48.379 before he will listen to us. 00:11:48.820 --> 00:11:51.740 If we will come to God and say exactly how we're feeling, 00:11:51.740 --> 00:11:52.779 he already knows, 00:11:52.779 --> 00:11:54.700 but he wants us to acknowledge that. 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:57.159 That is the great basis for prayer 00:11:57.159 --> 00:11:59.519 and the basis on which Jacob can come and say, 00:11:59.620 --> 00:12:01.340 I'm afraid, I don't know what to do, 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.799 but God can please you intervene in this situation. 00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:08.740 And then finally in verse 12, 00:12:08.740 --> 00:12:10.439 Jacob talks about God's promise 00:12:10.439 --> 00:12:13.599 and what God has said to him that he will do. 00:12:13.719 --> 00:12:16.919 God has promised both prosperity in terms of having lots of descendants 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:20.199 and prosperity in terms of wealth. 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:22.639 It's been partially accomplished so far, 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:24.480 but Jacob clings to that promise. 00:12:25.059 --> 00:12:26.620 And like for us too, 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:29.179 it's good to cling to God's promises. 00:12:30.379 --> 00:12:32.580 If we don't know what to pray in a situation, 00:12:32.740 --> 00:12:35.519 think about what the Bible says about something that's relevant, 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:37.699 what God has promised to us 00:12:37.699 --> 00:12:41.159 and use that as part of your prayer. 00:12:41.779 --> 00:12:46.120 So there's a lot in Jacob's prayer that we can learn from. 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:51.399 But then he appears to kind of destroy it a bit by what he does next. 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:54.340 He's not prepared to leave it with God 00:12:54.340 --> 00:12:57.060 and to let God work in the situation. 00:12:57.840 --> 00:12:59.460 Jacob has to make another plan. 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:03.980 And this plan is to flood Esau with gifts. 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:08.240 If you add up all the numbers of all the animals that Jonathan read about, 00:13:08.659 --> 00:13:13.019 there are 550 different animals in five different groups. 00:13:13.019 --> 00:13:17.799 And the idea is that Jacob sends them out in these groups one by one 00:13:17.799 --> 00:13:22.639 and he seems to be more and more generous to Esau as he approaches. 00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:28.559 Also, maybe an element that if Esau has all these animals coming along with him, 00:13:28.860 --> 00:13:32.579 then he's not going to be in such a good shape to make a surprise attack on Jacob. 00:13:33.100 --> 00:13:35.019 And if Jacob thinks he's at all hostile, 00:13:35.559 --> 00:13:37.740 there might be a chance to escape. 00:13:38.620 --> 00:13:42.199 But this is very much Jacob back to his old scheming. 00:13:43.019 --> 00:13:46.960 And I find it quite difficult to think that having prayed like that, 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:52.240 he would then be exercising faith in God by what he does here. 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:57.059 He's being crafty, but does he need to be? 00:13:57.740 --> 00:14:00.720 But when we come on to see what happens when Jacob meets Esau, 00:14:00.899 --> 00:14:02.799 spoiler alert, it works out well. 00:14:03.179 --> 00:14:06.519 But it works out well, I think, because of what God does in Esau's heart 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:11.000 more than what Jacob does to soften up his brother. 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.820 But that's the story in Genesis. 00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:18.539 Jacob alternating between throwing some faith in God 00:14:18.539 --> 00:14:21.899 and depending on what he's doing himself. 00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:26.059 I think Jonathan's taking us through the last part of the chapter next week, 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:29.240 which is Jacob's real encounter with God. 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:33.639 But let's go back to the question that we started with. 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:37.000 How much is it right for us to say, 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:40.279 I just need to pray and everything will work out? 00:14:40.919 --> 00:14:44.639 And how much should we be planning and trying to work things out 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:46.759 and acting upon it? 00:14:47.699 --> 00:14:49.939 Let me present you with four different scenarios, 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:53.100 and I hope they'll help us to think through what the issues are. 00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:58.639 First thing I suggest is sometimes we just need to act. 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:01.179 There's no question of what we should do, 00:15:01.379 --> 00:15:03.539 we just need to do it. 00:15:04.600 --> 00:15:08.419 When I go to bed, the first thing I do, or last thing I do rather, 00:15:08.740 --> 00:15:11.039 is I turn the keys in the locks. 00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:15.240 I don't pray to God that there won't be any burglars in the area tonight 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:16.319 because my doors are open. 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:20.740 I take sensible precautions to make sure my house is secure. 00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:25.060 If I have toothache, I don't just pray. 00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:27.600 I probably would pray about the pain that I'm suffering, 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:29.419 but I don't just pray about it. 00:15:29.779 --> 00:15:33.180 I phone the dentist and I take some painkillers. 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:35.940 And actually in these situations, 00:15:36.460 --> 00:15:39.779 what God expects is my common sense that he's given to me 00:15:39.779 --> 00:15:41.279 will tell me what to do, 00:15:41.659 --> 00:15:46.060 and the skills he's given to the dentist will help resolve the issue. 00:15:47.019 --> 00:15:49.720 Now if you're particularly worried about your security at home, 00:15:49.720 --> 00:15:52.500 or if I'm particularly anxious about going to the dentist, 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:53.820 of course we should pray. 00:15:54.379 --> 00:15:57.220 God wants to hear all our prayers, all our anxieties. 00:15:58.060 --> 00:15:59.360 But in these situations, 00:15:59.660 --> 00:16:01.800 there's really no question what we should do. 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:03.940 We should just do it. 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:07.240 And do, as I said, perhaps in a prayerful way, 00:16:07.680 --> 00:16:09.620 and this wonderful verse from 1 Peter, 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:11.980 cast all your anxieties on him 00:16:11.980 --> 00:16:16.200 because he cares for you. 00:16:16.200 --> 00:16:18.800 Okay, so that's the first situation, 00:16:18.920 --> 00:16:20.680 probably the most straightforward. 00:16:21.460 --> 00:16:23.820 The second, I think, is probably the most dangerous. 00:16:24.820 --> 00:16:27.740 This is situations where we have to make decisions, 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:28.940 we have to do things, 00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:30.220 and we think, 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:32.080 yes, I know what to do here. 00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:34.620 I can deal with this. 00:16:35.780 --> 00:16:37.360 And maybe in thinking that, 00:16:37.700 --> 00:16:38.820 we don't really think, 00:16:38.920 --> 00:16:40.700 well, I should be putting it before God, 00:16:40.700 --> 00:16:43.080 I should be speaking his guidance. 00:16:43.259 --> 00:16:44.620 It's only when things go wrong 00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:45.780 that we suddenly think, 00:16:45.900 --> 00:16:48.379 well, perhaps I should pray about it. 00:16:49.580 --> 00:16:52.580 If I stood up this morning and said to you, 00:16:52.980 --> 00:16:54.780 I haven't read the passage for today, 00:16:55.040 --> 00:16:56.960 but I'm going to pray that God will give me 00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:58.040 the right words to say, 00:16:58.500 --> 00:17:00.360 I suspect you wouldn't be very impressed. 00:17:01.340 --> 00:17:03.600 But actually, it would be worse 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:05.539 if I came along 00:17:05.539 --> 00:17:06.460 and I felt, 00:17:06.580 --> 00:17:07.860 I've got a wonderful sermon, 00:17:07.859 --> 00:17:10.019 I'm really going to impress people. 00:17:10.859 --> 00:17:13.039 And I was totally depending on myself 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:14.479 and not on God. 00:17:15.139 --> 00:17:15.859 No prayer, 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:17.319 no reliance on God. 00:17:18.199 --> 00:17:20.159 And if God isn't directing my thoughts 00:17:20.159 --> 00:17:21.000 as I prepare 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:23.079 and working in all our hearts 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:25.619 as his word comes to us, 00:17:25.879 --> 00:17:28.419 then we're wasting our time being here. 00:17:29.199 --> 00:17:31.259 And I think there are lots of situations 00:17:31.259 --> 00:17:33.139 where we might be tempted 00:17:33.139 --> 00:17:35.099 to just do things ourselves, 00:17:35.199 --> 00:17:36.819 to make decisions on our own, 00:17:36.819 --> 00:17:39.879 when actually what we really should be doing 00:17:39.879 --> 00:17:42.859 is bringing them to God in prayer. 00:17:43.879 --> 00:17:45.779 And that's not always the first thing 00:17:45.779 --> 00:17:46.740 that comes to mind, 00:17:47.099 --> 00:17:49.259 but actually it is almost always 00:17:49.259 --> 00:17:51.439 the most important thing. 00:17:52.439 --> 00:17:54.740 Jacob, after all these years away, 00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:57.439 as he had been trying to do things 00:17:57.439 --> 00:17:58.659 in his own strength, 00:17:59.159 --> 00:18:00.960 and he's finally having to come back 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:01.819 to face the music, 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:03.819 he realizes at least to some extent 00:18:03.819 --> 00:18:06.399 that the most important thing 00:18:06.399 --> 00:18:08.419 is that he depends on God 00:18:08.419 --> 00:18:11.159 and brings his prayer to him. 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:13.079 So for us, 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:14.939 when we're in situations 00:18:14.939 --> 00:18:16.139 where we might think initially, 00:18:16.259 --> 00:18:17.539 yes, I know what to do here, 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:19.179 let's just pause 00:18:19.179 --> 00:18:20.200 and say, well, 00:18:20.419 --> 00:18:23.119 let's seek the Lord's guidance on this. 00:18:23.379 --> 00:18:24.700 Let's try and do it 00:18:24.700 --> 00:18:26.419 in his way. 00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:29.080 Maybe remember this verse from Proverbs, 00:18:29.380 --> 00:18:30.340 Proverbs chapter 3, 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:32.660 trust in the Lord with all your heart 00:18:32.660 --> 00:18:37.400 and lean not on your own understanding. 00:18:38.300 --> 00:18:39.220 Going our way, 00:18:39.340 --> 00:18:40.940 things are liable to go wrong 00:18:40.940 --> 00:18:43.560 and they won't work out the way we expect. 00:18:44.140 --> 00:18:45.560 If we go God's way, 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:48.519 he will guide us and help us. 00:18:49.360 --> 00:18:50.140 So that's situation two. 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:51.100 Situation three, 00:18:51.480 --> 00:18:52.080 in some ways, 00:18:52.120 --> 00:18:52.960 is almost the opposite. 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:55.240 So sometimes we get things 00:18:55.240 --> 00:18:56.420 that come into our lives 00:18:56.420 --> 00:18:57.299 and we think, 00:18:57.559 --> 00:18:59.519 what can I possibly do about this? 00:19:00.259 --> 00:19:01.600 And perhaps we pray about it, 00:19:01.660 --> 00:19:02.740 but we really struggle 00:19:02.740 --> 00:19:05.700 with the doing part of it. 00:19:06.680 --> 00:19:07.819 During the last week, 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:09.180 I got a phone call 00:19:09.180 --> 00:19:10.460 from someone who said 00:19:10.460 --> 00:19:11.759 that some of my relatives 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:14.200 were in a real crisis situation. 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:16.680 They felt I needed a family member involved. 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:17.559 And I just thought, 00:19:17.660 --> 00:19:20.100 well, what could I possibly do? 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:21.799 So I could pray 00:19:21.799 --> 00:19:23.720 and I sent a WhatsApp to my sisters 00:19:23.720 --> 00:19:25.119 to ask them to pray as well. 00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:26.460 But then I had to think 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:27.480 about the situation, 00:19:28.220 --> 00:19:29.680 think what the priorities were, 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:31.299 and any way I could help. 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:31.839 In the end, 00:19:31.919 --> 00:19:33.079 my main contribution 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:34.759 was connecting people together 00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:36.000 who were much better placed 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:37.720 on the ground to do it 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:38.919 than I was. 00:19:39.859 --> 00:19:41.240 But we do get quite a lot 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:42.359 of situations like that, 00:19:42.399 --> 00:19:42.859 I think, 00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:44.859 where something comes up 00:19:44.859 --> 00:19:45.519 and we think, 00:19:45.639 --> 00:19:46.919 I just don't know 00:19:46.919 --> 00:19:47.799 what to do 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:49.220 in this situation. 00:19:49.899 --> 00:19:51.139 I'm just totally struggling 00:19:51.140 --> 00:19:52.700 and perhaps we pray about it. 00:19:53.360 --> 00:19:54.900 But also in these situations, 00:19:55.060 --> 00:19:56.440 perhaps God is saying to us, 00:19:56.740 --> 00:19:57.620 you need to act, 00:19:58.000 --> 00:19:59.780 you need to do something. 00:20:01.080 --> 00:20:01.680 When Paul was on 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:03.000 his second missionary journey 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:04.400 and going with Silas 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:05.000 and others, 00:20:05.360 --> 00:20:06.180 he went and visited 00:20:06.180 --> 00:20:06.759 the churches 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:07.780 he'd established 00:20:07.780 --> 00:20:09.800 on the first missionary journey 00:20:09.800 --> 00:20:11.440 and then they weren't sure 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:12.360 what to do next. 00:20:12.420 --> 00:20:12.960 So what do you do? 00:20:13.040 --> 00:20:13.680 Well, they could pray 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:15.060 and I'm sure they did pray. 00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:17.519 But they also tried 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:18.460 to explore where God 00:20:18.460 --> 00:20:19.480 wanted them to go. 00:20:19.940 --> 00:20:20.299 They thought, 00:20:20.379 --> 00:20:22.119 we'll go north to Asia Minor. 00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:22.980 We're in Turkey, 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:23.279 basically. 00:20:23.399 --> 00:20:24.099 We're going north 00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:25.359 within Turkey 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:26.599 and the Holy Spirit 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:27.480 prevented them. 00:20:28.159 --> 00:20:28.539 They thought, 00:20:28.619 --> 00:20:29.480 well, we'll go to Bithynia 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:31.419 and see if we can serve God there. 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:32.200 And again, 00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:33.339 it says the Holy Spirit 00:20:33.339 --> 00:20:35.079 closed the door. 00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:36.299 And eventually, 00:20:36.399 --> 00:20:37.200 they ended up going 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:38.559 right the way along west 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:39.099 through Turkey 00:20:39.099 --> 00:20:40.819 to the coast at Troas 00:20:40.819 --> 00:20:41.679 and there, 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:42.439 Paul had a vision 00:20:42.439 --> 00:20:43.700 of a man from Macedonia 00:20:43.700 --> 00:20:44.759 saying, 00:20:44.980 --> 00:20:46.439 come over and help us. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:46.899 And that was how 00:20:46.899 --> 00:20:49.039 the gospel reached Europe. 00:20:50.439 --> 00:20:51.039 I think the thing 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:51.939 they must have thought 00:20:51.939 --> 00:20:52.639 when they were looking 00:20:52.639 --> 00:20:53.399 back on it 00:20:53.399 --> 00:20:55.220 was we didn't know 00:20:55.220 --> 00:20:56.220 what to do. 00:20:56.939 --> 00:20:57.639 But we knew 00:20:57.639 --> 00:20:58.819 we needed to try 00:20:58.819 --> 00:20:59.480 and reach out 00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:00.099 with the gospel, 00:21:00.259 --> 00:21:01.019 reach to others 00:21:01.019 --> 00:21:02.179 and in the end, 00:21:02.259 --> 00:21:02.779 it was God 00:21:02.779 --> 00:21:04.079 who was directing us west. 00:21:04.439 --> 00:21:05.019 We were thinking 00:21:05.019 --> 00:21:05.879 of going north 00:21:05.879 --> 00:21:07.200 and God kept saying, 00:21:07.299 --> 00:21:07.960 no, go on 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:08.799 and eventually, 00:21:08.939 --> 00:21:09.639 we went west 00:21:09.640 --> 00:21:11.240 and got to Europe. 00:21:12.420 --> 00:21:12.940 And again, 00:21:13.040 --> 00:21:14.500 there will be many situations 00:21:14.500 --> 00:21:15.060 where we say, 00:21:15.120 --> 00:21:15.860 well, what can I do? 00:21:15.940 --> 00:21:17.080 What is the best thing 00:21:17.080 --> 00:21:18.020 to do? 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:19.420 And we just need 00:21:19.420 --> 00:21:21.140 to rely on God's guidance. 00:21:21.380 --> 00:21:22.000 And it doesn't always 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.759 come apparent immediately 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:24.840 as it didn't for Paul 00:21:24.840 --> 00:21:25.620 and his companions, 00:21:25.960 --> 00:21:26.960 but God knows 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:27.620 what's happening. 00:21:27.800 --> 00:21:29.040 God knows what's best. 00:21:29.380 --> 00:21:30.380 And if we proceed 00:21:30.380 --> 00:21:31.480 trusting in him, 00:21:31.840 --> 00:21:33.759 then he will guide us. 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:35.620 So here's the verse 00:21:35.620 --> 00:21:36.300 for this one. 00:21:36.300 --> 00:21:37.160 It's from James. 00:21:37.360 --> 00:21:37.560 It says, 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:39.100 if any of you lacks wisdom, 00:21:39.099 --> 00:21:40.619 you should ask God 00:21:40.619 --> 00:21:42.139 who gives generously 00:21:42.139 --> 00:21:42.879 to all 00:21:42.879 --> 00:21:44.619 without finding fault 00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:46.500 and it will be 00:21:46.500 --> 00:21:48.199 given to you. 00:21:48.879 --> 00:21:50.139 We need to trust God 00:21:50.139 --> 00:21:50.859 in the situations 00:21:50.859 --> 00:21:51.740 where we don't know 00:21:51.740 --> 00:21:52.419 what to do, 00:21:52.740 --> 00:21:53.980 that he will guide us 00:21:53.980 --> 00:21:54.959 and it may be 00:21:54.959 --> 00:21:55.919 a step at a time 00:21:55.919 --> 00:21:57.179 rather than everything 00:21:57.179 --> 00:21:58.179 becoming clear 00:21:58.179 --> 00:21:59.339 at once. 00:22:00.619 --> 00:22:01.500 And then finally, 00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:02.500 there are situations 00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:03.779 where there is nothing 00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:04.539 we can do 00:22:04.539 --> 00:22:05.519 but pray 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:07.039 and rely on God. 00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:08.299 when actually 00:22:08.299 --> 00:22:09.480 we really are helpless 00:22:09.480 --> 00:22:12.639 and we can only pray 00:22:12.639 --> 00:22:13.879 and know that God 00:22:13.879 --> 00:22:14.659 is in control 00:22:14.659 --> 00:22:15.740 of everything. 00:22:16.159 --> 00:22:16.759 That comes up, 00:22:16.879 --> 00:22:17.139 I guess, 00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:17.819 in situations 00:22:17.819 --> 00:22:18.359 which we see 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:19.000 in the news 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:19.759 in our world, 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:20.720 in Ukraine 00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:21.619 or in Yemen, 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:23.019 what's been happening 00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:23.559 in Hawaii 00:22:23.559 --> 00:22:24.559 and other things 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:25.460 that are going on 00:22:25.460 --> 00:22:26.519 that we look and say 00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:27.359 this is terrible 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:29.059 and we just have to pray 00:22:29.059 --> 00:22:30.680 and depend on God 00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:32.059 who knows best 00:22:32.059 --> 00:22:34.359 to do his work. 00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:36.459 And one specific situation 00:22:36.459 --> 00:22:38.079 where that is definitely true 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:39.740 is when we think about 00:22:39.740 --> 00:22:40.699 our relationship 00:22:40.699 --> 00:22:42.359 with God. 00:22:43.159 --> 00:22:45.279 We are in no position 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:45.919 ourselves 00:22:45.919 --> 00:22:47.299 to come to God 00:22:47.299 --> 00:22:48.139 and to say 00:22:48.139 --> 00:22:48.979 we have anything 00:22:48.979 --> 00:22:50.259 that deserves 00:22:50.259 --> 00:22:51.240 his attention. 00:22:51.899 --> 00:22:53.019 We've all gone wrong, 00:22:53.139 --> 00:22:53.919 we've all sinned 00:22:53.919 --> 00:22:54.419 in the language 00:22:54.419 --> 00:22:55.059 of the Bible, 00:22:55.439 --> 00:22:56.899 we've all been far away 00:22:56.899 --> 00:22:57.619 from God 00:22:57.619 --> 00:22:59.219 and there is nothing 00:22:59.219 --> 00:22:59.859 in ourselves 00:22:59.859 --> 00:23:00.819 we can do about it. 00:23:00.859 --> 00:23:02.039 However hard we try, 00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:03.460 however religious 00:23:03.460 --> 00:23:05.099 we may try to be, 00:23:05.460 --> 00:23:06.240 there is nothing 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:07.220 that we can do 00:23:07.220 --> 00:23:08.700 that is going to restore 00:23:08.700 --> 00:23:10.000 that relationship. 00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:11.460 And the only way 00:23:11.460 --> 00:23:12.139 back to God 00:23:12.139 --> 00:23:12.879 is through Jesus. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:13.920 Through Jesus dying 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:14.619 on the cross, 00:23:15.059 --> 00:23:15.899 taking the punishment 00:23:15.899 --> 00:23:16.859 for our sins 00:23:16.859 --> 00:23:18.899 and then rising again 00:23:18.899 --> 00:23:19.940 and we can put 00:23:19.940 --> 00:23:20.960 our trust in him 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:22.079 and know that 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:23.700 we will be forgiven. 00:23:24.759 --> 00:23:26.039 Nothing we can do 00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:27.740 apart from pray 00:23:27.740 --> 00:23:28.879 and accept 00:23:28.879 --> 00:23:29.539 the forgiveness 00:23:29.539 --> 00:23:30.519 that is on offer 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:31.660 when we recognize 00:23:31.660 --> 00:23:32.440 our sins 00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:33.559 and trust 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:34.639 in Jesus. 00:23:36.299 --> 00:23:37.139 You'll probably be 00:23:37.139 --> 00:23:38.119 familiar with this verse 00:23:38.119 --> 00:23:38.759 from Ephesians 00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:39.259 if it comes up, 00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:39.779 there it is, 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:41.099 it is by grace 00:23:41.099 --> 00:23:42.000 you have been saved 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:42.779 through faith. 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:44.759 This is not of yourselves, 00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:46.259 it is the gift of God, 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:47.759 not of works 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:49.220 so that no one 00:23:49.220 --> 00:23:50.420 can boast. 00:23:51.139 --> 00:23:52.059 Let's all make sure 00:23:52.059 --> 00:23:53.139 we understand that 00:23:53.139 --> 00:23:53.900 and have applied it 00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:54.519 this morning 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:56.139 that we need Jesus 00:23:56.139 --> 00:23:57.500 as our Savior, 00:23:58.099 --> 00:23:59.619 that there's no other way 00:23:59.619 --> 00:24:01.459 back to God. 00:24:03.799 --> 00:24:04.919 Let's finish with a story 00:24:04.919 --> 00:24:05.919 about a spider's web 00:24:05.919 --> 00:24:06.699 and it's not going to be 00:24:06.699 --> 00:24:07.579 about Robert the Bruce. 00:24:08.059 --> 00:24:09.000 It's about a man 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:10.379 called Frederick Nolan. 00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:12.099 Frederick Nolan 00:24:12.099 --> 00:24:12.879 was a Christian 00:24:12.879 --> 00:24:13.719 who was living 00:24:13.719 --> 00:24:14.599 in North Africa 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:16.500 and for whatever reason 00:24:16.500 --> 00:24:17.559 he had enemies 00:24:17.559 --> 00:24:19.099 who were pursuing him. 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:20.799 They were hot on his tail, 00:24:20.959 --> 00:24:21.899 he was on his own 00:24:21.899 --> 00:24:22.939 and he knew 00:24:22.939 --> 00:24:24.199 that if he got caught 00:24:24.199 --> 00:24:25.959 he would be killed. 00:24:26.899 --> 00:24:29.439 And he was almost exhausted, 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:30.240 he was at the end 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:30.840 of himself 00:24:30.840 --> 00:24:32.960 when he came to a cave 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:33.460 and he thought 00:24:33.460 --> 00:24:34.940 well at least I can make 00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:35.960 some kind of effort, 00:24:36.380 --> 00:24:37.660 I'll go and I'll hide 00:24:37.660 --> 00:24:38.519 in this cave, 00:24:38.860 --> 00:24:39.860 I'm sure my pursuers 00:24:39.860 --> 00:24:40.580 will get me 00:24:40.580 --> 00:24:41.840 but at least I've done 00:24:41.840 --> 00:24:42.420 my best 00:24:42.420 --> 00:24:43.620 and I know that he went in 00:24:43.620 --> 00:24:44.960 and he prayed. 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:46.180 You could hear the pursuers 00:24:46.180 --> 00:24:47.080 coming closer 00:24:47.080 --> 00:24:48.700 but as he heard them 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:49.480 he also saw 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:50.460 that there was a spider 00:24:50.460 --> 00:24:51.720 that was building 00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:52.460 its web 00:24:52.460 --> 00:24:53.640 at the entrance 00:24:53.640 --> 00:24:54.779 to the cave. 00:24:55.140 --> 00:24:55.620 That was a bit 00:24:55.620 --> 00:24:56.779 of a distraction for him, 00:24:56.860 --> 00:24:57.759 didn't think very much 00:24:57.759 --> 00:24:58.220 of it 00:24:58.220 --> 00:24:59.319 but the spider 00:24:59.319 --> 00:24:59.879 was there 00:24:59.879 --> 00:25:00.879 and it was building 00:25:00.879 --> 00:25:01.960 its web. 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:03.940 Then the pursuers came 00:25:03.940 --> 00:25:05.359 and they were outside 00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:06.099 the cave 00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:07.319 and they said 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:08.619 he can't be in there, 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:09.859 there's a spider's web, 00:25:10.119 --> 00:25:11.339 if he had gone in 00:25:11.339 --> 00:25:12.559 he would have destroyed 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:13.420 the web 00:25:13.420 --> 00:25:14.359 and they went on 00:25:14.359 --> 00:25:15.559 and he managed 00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:16.640 to escape. 00:25:17.879 --> 00:25:18.960 They later said this, 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:21.059 where God is, 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:23.480 a web is like a wall. 00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:25.819 Where God is not, 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:29.360 a wall is like a web. 00:25:30.460 --> 00:25:31.180 In other words, 00:25:31.279 --> 00:25:32.480 if we try to do things 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:33.960 just by our own efforts, 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:36.319 if we do the best we can 00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:37.539 in everything, 00:25:38.120 --> 00:25:39.559 it's like a spider's web 00:25:39.559 --> 00:25:40.940 that can easily be destroyed 00:25:40.940 --> 00:25:42.779 and that doesn't give us 00:25:42.779 --> 00:25:44.299 any protection. 00:25:45.299 --> 00:25:46.559 If we realize 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:47.619 that we are weak, 00:25:47.980 --> 00:25:49.879 that we need God's help 00:25:49.879 --> 00:25:51.220 in every aspect 00:25:51.220 --> 00:25:52.119 of our lives, 00:25:52.639 --> 00:25:54.059 even though we may feel 00:25:54.059 --> 00:25:54.639 we're a bit like 00:25:54.639 --> 00:25:55.599 a spider's web 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:56.359 and there's nothing 00:25:56.359 --> 00:25:57.240 that we can do 00:25:57.240 --> 00:25:58.000 that's productive. 00:25:58.879 --> 00:25:59.460 With God, 00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:00.399 says Frederick Nolan, 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:01.799 it's like we've got a wall 00:26:01.799 --> 00:26:03.839 because God is so much stronger 00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:05.659 and God can be with us 00:26:05.659 --> 00:26:07.079 and protect us 00:26:07.079 --> 00:26:09.059 in every situation. 00:26:10.379 --> 00:26:11.480 That was a lesson 00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:12.759 that Jacob needed 00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:13.879 to learn. 00:26:13.880 --> 00:26:15.180 He was getting there, 00:26:15.280 --> 00:26:15.600 I think, 00:26:15.860 --> 00:26:16.820 in today's passage. 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:17.980 I'm not sure he's quite 00:26:17.980 --> 00:26:19.140 got there yet. 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:20.980 It's a lesson we too 00:26:20.980 --> 00:26:22.460 need to apply in our lives. 00:26:22.980 --> 00:26:24.160 If we try to do things 00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:25.280 in our own strength, 00:26:25.420 --> 00:26:27.040 we will fail ultimately. 00:26:27.660 --> 00:26:29.540 If we do it in God's strength 00:26:29.540 --> 00:26:31.080 and trusting in Jesus, 00:26:31.080 --> 00:26:31.900 we can know 00:26:31.900 --> 00:26:33.000 we have salvation 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:35.040 and we have eternal life 00:26:35.040 --> 00:26:36.740 and we can also experience 00:26:36.740 --> 00:26:37.460 God's help 00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:38.380 and God's guidance 00:26:38.380 --> 00:26:40.180 in all the difficulties 00:26:40.180 --> 00:26:41.420 of life. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:42.700 If you're in a difficult 00:26:42.700 --> 00:26:43.680 situation today, 00:26:43.840 --> 00:26:45.279 you don't know what to do. 00:26:45.620 --> 00:26:46.220 Pray about it. 00:26:46.279 --> 00:26:47.319 Talk to some Christian friends 00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:47.920 you can trust 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:49.080 and they can pray with you 00:26:49.080 --> 00:26:50.240 and perhaps can help 00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:52.360 give you spiritual guidance. 00:26:53.500 --> 00:26:54.539 If you've not yet come 00:26:54.539 --> 00:26:55.299 to put your trust 00:26:55.299 --> 00:26:56.120 in the Lord Jesus, 00:26:56.860 --> 00:26:57.759 recognize today 00:26:57.759 --> 00:26:58.660 that without him, 00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:00.259 you can never be forgiven. 00:27:00.819 --> 00:27:01.299 With him, 00:27:01.640 --> 00:27:02.819 your sins can be forgiven. 00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:03.880 You can have God 00:27:03.880 --> 00:27:06.019 as your heavenly Father. 00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:07.740 Let's join together in prayer. 00:27:07.740 --> 00:27:08.980 Father, 00:27:08.980 --> 00:27:11.099 Father, 00:27:11.220 --> 00:27:11.839 we thank you 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:13.380 for the account 00:27:13.380 --> 00:27:14.299 of Jacob's life 00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:15.059 that we've been reading. 00:27:15.180 --> 00:27:15.460 Thank you. 00:27:15.519 --> 00:27:16.420 There are so many lessons 00:27:16.420 --> 00:27:17.079 we can learn 00:27:17.079 --> 00:27:18.599 not just from Jacob's 00:27:18.599 --> 00:27:19.099 good things 00:27:19.099 --> 00:27:20.059 but from his failures. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:20.640 And thank you 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:21.420 for the reminder 00:27:21.420 --> 00:27:23.420 that we need you 00:27:23.420 --> 00:27:24.680 in our situation. 00:27:24.819 --> 00:27:25.700 As Jacob prayed 00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:27.720 that we are afraid often, 00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:29.220 we don't know what to do 00:27:29.220 --> 00:27:30.579 and we need you 00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:31.599 to intervene. 00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:33.059 Help us to trust in you 00:27:33.059 --> 00:27:34.759 but help us also 00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:36.579 when you would want us 00:27:36.579 --> 00:27:37.619 to act, 00:27:37.980 --> 00:27:38.619 when you would want 00:27:38.619 --> 00:27:39.279 to guide us 00:27:39.279 --> 00:27:40.039 in the right way. 00:27:40.119 --> 00:27:41.179 Help us to be obedient 00:27:41.179 --> 00:27:41.759 in that 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:44.319 and to do the appropriate things 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:45.200 following you 00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:46.879 and living for Jesus. 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:47.960 Help us above all 00:27:47.960 --> 00:27:48.879 to have our trust 00:27:48.879 --> 00:27:49.659 in the Lord Jesus 00:27:49.659 --> 00:27:51.619 and to seek to follow him. 00:27:52.179 --> 00:27:52.879 We give you our thanks 00:27:52.879 --> 00:27:53.659 for our time today. 00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:54.399 We commit ourselves 00:27:54.399 --> 00:27:55.059 to you now 00:27:55.059 --> 00:27:56.319 in Jesus' name. 00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:57.319 Amen.