主題：新的開端 NEW BEGINNING
經文：創世紀28章10節-29章1節Genesis 28:10-29:1
賴俊明牧師 Rev. David Lai
January 1, 2017
Bible Verses Genesis 28:10-29:1, Reader Ethan Chang
10. Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. 11.He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12.And he dreamed that there was a ladder* set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13. And the Lord stood beside him* and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14. and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’ 16. Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ 17. And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’18. So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he 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. 19. He called that place Bethel;* but the name of the city was Luz at the first.20.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, 21.so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God,
22.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 surely give one-tenth to you.’
I. Introduction
1.Time goes by really fast. We thank God as we embrace the coming new year.
2.Today, we will study the story of Jacob in the Old testament focusing our thoughts on “New Beginning”
II. Main Theme
1. First, we will go over the story of the famous inventor Thomas Edison when his lab was burned down facing bankruptcy. Facing the adversity and future.
2. Genesis Chapter 28 v. 10 to Chapter 29 V. 1. The story of Jacob
a. Jacob was deceptive in front of his father. He had to escape and run away because of the wrath of his brother.
b. In the wilderness and at night, he put a stone under his head and lay down to sleep. In his dream, he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it (Genesis 28:12). He was alone but God was with him. He rested in peace in God’s house.
c. God does not want us just like flowers in the green house enjoying his blessing staying in our comfort zone without moving forward. Genesis 29: 1 “Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples”
3. The “Mustard Seed Vision” in Taiwan and the vision of Lillian R. Dickson (1901年1月29日－1983年1月14日）
Once in the world of hardship among the people, You will never be inseparable from, and you will walk with them –
Their lack of becoming your lack, Their pain is your pain, Their problem is your problem, Their burden of bringing up their children has become your burden. You can not leave, forget them, can not turn around and ignore.
– Sun Li-lian (Lilian Dickerson)
IV. Conclusions:
1. God wants everyone of us to move forward with a new beginning.
2. Genesis 28:22: “the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be Godʼs house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”