Sermon # 4 "God Keeps the Christian"

How does God give us unshakable confidence in our threatening world?

Big Idea: God keeps every Christian.

 I.       How does God give us unshakable confidence in our unsafe world?

A.    God promises his presence (1-15).

Setting

“Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, ‘You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women’” (v. 1).

“’Go to Paddan…take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother’” (v. 2).

“’God Almighty bless you’” (v. 3).

“’May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring…. take possession of the land’” (v. 4).

Genesis 3:15, 12:3

Presence

“He came to a certain place” (v. 11).

“And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!” (v. 12).

“The LORD stood above it and said, ‘I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land…I will give to you and your offspring’” (v. 13).

“’Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth… and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed’” (v. 14).

“’Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go…I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you’” (v. 15).

Luke 19:10; John 1:51; Hebrews 10:19-20

B.     God promises his protection (15-22).

“’Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land’” (v. 15).

“’Surely the LORD is in this place’” (v. 16).

“And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place!’” (v. 17).

“So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it” (v. 18).

“He called the place Bethel” (v. 19).

“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you’” (vv. 20-22).

Genesis 37:31

C.    Principle

Psalm 32:7; 34:7; 121:3; Isaiah 41:10; 43:2; John 10:27-29; 1 Peter 1:5

    II.      Conclusion

Big Idea: God keeps every Christian.