Text: Genesis 37

Favoritism Leads to Jealous Resentment (Gen. 37:1-11)

• Jacob's favoritism paved the way for sibling rivalry.
• Joseph's dream caused division among his brothers.

Resentment Leads to Hateful Betrayal (Gen. 37:12-36)

• Joseph's brothers plot to betray him by selling him into slavery.
• Joseph's brothers deceive their father by telling him that Joseph was killed.
• Jacob is crushed with inconsolable grief over the loss of his son.

TRACING GOD'S HAND OF PROVIDENCE

• The story of Joseph points us to God's providence over all circumstances (Gen. 39:2-3, 21, 23: "The Lord was with Joseph)"
• The story of Joseph proves that God is at work for His glory and our good (Gen. 50:20: "God meant it for good").
• The story of Joseph points us to Jesus, who suffered and died under the predetermined, redemptive plan of God (Acts 2:22-24)

Main Idea: God is sovereignly at work through our sinful actions and family conflict to accomplish His redemptive purposes.

Text: Genesis 36:1-43

A Persistent Rejection of God's Ways (Gen. 36:1-8)

• Esau was driven by his own desires (Gen. 25:29-34; Heb. 12:16-17).
• Esau was driven to disobeying God (Gen. 26:34-35; 28:6-9).

A Perilous Pursuit of the World's Values (Gen. 36:9-43)

• Esau prized wealth and prominence over faith in God.
• Edom eventually faced God's judgment for their wickedness (Obadiah 1:10; Malachi 1:4-5).

LIFE APPLICATION: WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY?

• A Legacy of Unbelief: Gaining the world and losing your soul (Mark 8:34-37)
• A Legacy of Faith: Believing in Christ and Treasuring Christ above all things (Phil. 3:7-11)

Main Idea: Your greatest legacy is not what you build in this life, but who you are trusting in for eternity.

Travis Thompson preaches to us from Psalm 78:1-8.

Text: Genesis 35

Repentance and Renewal (Gen. 35:1-8)

• God calls Jacob to return to Bethel and renew his faith.
• Jacob proves his repentance by purifying himself and forsaking the foreign idols of the culture.
• God's call to return is matched with His protection.

Promise and Purpose (Gen. 35:9-15)

• God reminds Jacob of his true identity and His unchanging character.
• God reaffirms His covenant promises to Jacob.
• Jacob responds by offering a sacrifice of worship to the Lord.

Funerals, Failure, and Fulfillment (Gen. 35:16-29)

• Jacob is faced with the deaths of his wife Rachel and his father Isaac.
• Jacob is confronted with the sinful failure of his son Reuben.
• Jacob's family is a result of God's fulfilled promises.

Main Idea: God is able to bring His people back from failure to a life of renewed faith in His never-failing promises.

Texts: Genesis 34:1-31; Psalm 94:1-23; Revelation 19:1-3; Romans 12:17-13:4

Shameful Acts of Injustice (Gen. 34:1-4)

• Dinah makes an unwise decision to "see the women of the land."
• Dinah suffers through violation and humiliation.

Sinful Responses to Injustice (Gen. 34:5-31)

• Jacob's disgraceful indifference
• The brothers' deceptive plot and deadly vengeance
• Jacob's damaging pursuit of self-preservation

The Right Response to Injustice

• God will execute perfect justice against the wicked (Psalm 94:1-23; Revelation 19:1-3).
• We must overcome evil with good and leave vengeance to God and government (Romans 12:17-21, 13:1-4).

Main Idea: Human sin produces escalating destruction when it is answered with more sin. We must look to God for justice and deliverance.

Texts: Genesis 33:1-20; Ephesians 2:12-19

From Separation to Reconciliation (Gen. 33:1-11)

• Jacob's posture of humility toward Esau
• God's faithfulness in bringing about Esau and Jacob's reconciliation
• Jacob's gratitude for God's provision, acceptance, and protection

From Reconciliation to Redirection (Gen. 33:12-20)

• Esau's sincere offer to Jacob to join him at his home
• Jacob's cryptic refusal and redirection toward the Promised Land
• Jacob's altar of worship to the God of Israel

Gospel Connection: Because of Christ, we can go from being separated from God to being reconciled to God (Eph. 2:12-19).

Main Idea: Reconciliation is made possible by the transforming work of God.

Text: Genesis 32:1-32

Grappling with Fear Leads to Self-Reliance (Gen. 32:1-21)

• God reassures Jacob of His abiding presence and protection.
• Jacob grapples with his greatest fear and resorts to self-reliance instead of depending on God.
• When we are struggling with fear, our only hope is found in trusting in God (Ps. 27:1-3; 56:3-4).

Wrestling with God Leads to Total Transformation (Gen. 32:22-32)

• God wrestles with Jacob in order to wrestle him out of self-reliance to submission and surrender to Him.
• Transformation happens when God brings you to the end of yourself and you turn to Him as your only hope.

MAIN IDEA: God transforms us by taking us from self-reliance to total surrender and dependence upon Him.

Text: Philippians 3:7-11

Main Idea: Enjoying fellowship with Christ is worth any hardship for Christ

1. Jesus is worth suffering the loss of all things
2. Hardship for Christ produces deep fellowship with Christ
3. Deeper fellowship with Christ is the supreme reward for faithfulness

Text: Matthew 28:1-20

The Resurrection of the Risen King (Matt. 28:1-10)

• The Witnesses of Christ's Resurrection
• The Proof of Christ's Resurrection

The Rejection of the Risen King (Matt. 28:11-15)

• The False Report of Christ's Resurrection
• The Settled Unbelief of the Religious Leaders

The Reign of the Risen King (Matt. 28:16-20)

• The Authority of Christ Over All Things
• The Commission to Make Disciples of All Nations

The Risen King gives us new life in Him and compels us to proclaim this message to the world.

Text: Genesis 30:25-31:55

God's Gracious Prosperity (Genesis 30:25-43)

• Jacob receives God's blessing of prosperity in spite of his track record and Laban's schemes.
• God's blessing is not dependent upon our plans and performance, but on His character and ability.

God's Guiding Presence (Genesis 31:1-21)

• God speaks to Jacob to call him back to the land of promise and reassure him of His abiding presence.
• Where God calls us to go, He will be there to lead us.

God's Governing Protection (Genesis 31:22-55)

• God protected Jacob and prevented Laban from thwarting His plan for Jacob.
• We can trust God to be faithful to us; therefore, we must guard against trusting in our backup plans or savior substitutes.

LIFE APPLICATION

• We can trust in God to be faithful to His promises.
• We can trust God to faithfully care for us.
• We can trust in God's faithful providence to shape us (Job 23:8-10).