Topic: The Genesis Story: Part 157- “Who do you belong to?’
Bible Reading: Genesis 49
Memory Verse: Genesis 49:2
Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! How are you doing? The week has come to an end. I hope you had a great week! What are your plans for the weekend? Do you have something exciting to explore? Today, I challenge you to make a difference this weekend! Even through this lock down/ quarantine period, there are several ways to spread some positive cheer around. Just spend a few minutes thinking about it!
Today’s message is the last; looking at Genesis 49. Next week, we look at Genesis 50 and the Genesis Story series is over! What are some of your favourite messages in this series? Share them with us! We would love to hear which messages spoke to you! Also, you can suggest your favourite Bible chapter to us; you never know we might just explore it!
Ready to be blessed by this message? Well, let us get right into it!
If you were asked, “Who is your father?” What is the first response that comes to mind? Would you go on to speak about your earthly father or your Father, God, in Heaven! Do not get me wrong, our earthly fathers/ parents are very important! God uses them to guide and protect us on earth. They represent God here on earth. It is very important to obey and respect them! There are some people who over-glorify their earthly parents. Other people worship their parents. They (the parents) become a god to them. That is bad.
As a Christian, it is important to know that you are, first of all, a child of God. Once you become a child of God, you must dedicate your life (fully) to God. He must recognize that you are who you are because of Him! Many people forget this! They call themselves Christians, however, they have not given themselves to God. After all, your earthly parents are human! They make mistakes! We cannot depend on their words and way every time. You can depend and trust in God always. He has never failed, and He will never fail.
It is important to do that transition. Yes! It is a transition because you have lived your life focused on yourself (and your parents). Now, you have to dedicate your life to God and follow His will for your life. It is not a one-day-thing! Nor an easy thing! You need Faith to take you through and equip you with strength and good stature.
In the memory verse (Genesis 49:2), we see the Bible begins by saying, “Assemble and listen sons of Jacob…” In this case, we see that Jacob was acknowledged! Joseph and his brothers were identified as sons of Jacob. Jacob was their earthly father’s name! Then the verse goes on to say, “…Listen to your father Israel.” [Israel was the name God gave Jacob. Israel was God’s chosen nation! Israel was blessed.] Hear we see that Joseph and his brothers are told to listen to Israel. Israel is a representation of God. Now, Joseph and his brothers had to be children of God to receive their blessings! Without the change, they would not have received their blessing! That goes to say that being a child of God activates your blessing!
This brings us back to the question, “Who do you belong to?” Are you a son (or daughter of God)? Or are you a son (or daughter) of your earthly father? Think carefully about the question! Do not be quick to give an answer just because you think that is expected of you! Take your time, to look into your heart and assess the answer to this question. Do not be ashamed of your answer! The key is to be truthful so you can work on it.
To dedicate your life to God; you just have to pray and surrender everything to Him. This is coupled by your faith to know what to do and how to do it. Most importantly, you need to desperately yearn to be a child of God; fully immersed by His Word and who He is! Hallelujah!
I would encourage you to dedicate your life to God! Once you do that you unlock several blessings! A lot of things are broken once you do that! You are free! Take the time during this COVID-19 pandemic period; draw closer to God and let it transform you- now and forever! God bless you!
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!
The prayer below is for anyone who does not know God or maybe has been apart from God for a while. God is here to pour His favor over your life. All you have to do is call out to Him. Make that decision today!
Dear Lord,
I come to you today as a sinner. I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is your Son and He came on to this earth to die for my sins. Dear Lord, let your Son come and fill me. Lord, I ask that He cleanses me off my sins. I am ready to stand for you and profess your Name. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
If you repeated this prayer with all the sincerity of your heart, congratulations!! You are now a part of God’s family. Welcome to the greatest family ever. Heaven is jubilating on your arrival. Your fellow brothers and sisters are also excited to have you on board.
Being a child of God is a wonderful thing. The road might not always be easy, but God is with you each and every step of the way. Guiding you, helping you and encouraging up. You will never regret this decision; I can assure you of that. Two things I would recommend for you to do are;
Get yourself a Bible (in a version you understand) and meditate on it day and night. In Joshua 1:8, we are told that when you meditate on the Word day and night, you will be prosperous and successful.
Find a Bible- believing church to attend and fellowship with other Christians. This would help you grow spiritually.
I am excited that you made this decision. Welcome! If you would like some help or more understanding into anything, you can leave a message (adding your email address) and I would be willing and happy to help you out!