Just like Me: Uncover the painful truth about

your own struggles to reach perfection, through a careful study

of the Patriarchs of the Bible

Lesson 2 Genesis 25:21-38 Esau and man’s impulsiveness Too many of man’s decisions are made on

impulse.› We seldom think of the impact of our

decisions until it is done & too late

› Aim tonight is to gain a fresh perspective on our impulsive nature and what we can do to curb our desire

I. Receiving God’s blessing requires God’s grace

A. Like father like son1. Isaac the son of Abraham

a) Was the miraculous son of promiseb) God intervened and a barren mother

conceivedc) Fulfilled God’s promise of descendants as

numerous as the stars

I. Receiving God’s blessing requires God’s grace 2. For God’s promise to be fulfilled it had to

continue with the son, but like father there was a problem

a) wife Rebecca was also barrenb) Isaac trust God to fix the problem

I. Receiving God’s blessing requires God’s grace3. Isaac prays and Rebecca conceives

a) Entreats means to make an earnest prayer or request to beseech or implore

b) Isaac cried out to God to intervene just as he had for his parents

c) Isaac’s prayer was similar to the one that Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethesemane when drops of blood fell from his head

d) We have to get desperate before God and cry out to him

e) If we want the blessing we must be willing to pay the price

I. Receiving God’s blessing requires God’s grace4. It took divine intervention for the promise

to come to pass for both Isaac and Abraham

a) Isaac and Rebecca did everything rightb) Isaac was the son of promisec) Rebecca was from the right family and was

hand picked by God himself to be Isaac’s wife, yet she was barren

I. Receiving God’s blessing requires God’s grace

B. Blessing and grace1. Most Christian make the same mistake

Abraham and Sara dida) They think the rights words will bring them

the blessing of Godb) They think if they say the right Bible verse it

will bring the blessing of Godc) They think if they are in the know, in every

show, they will win over God and get His blessing

I. Receiving God’s blessing requires God’s grace 2. It doesn’t matter where you go or what

book you read, it still takes the grace of God to receive the blessing of God

a) We can’t force God to bless usb) God doesn’t owe us anything

3. Good news is that God wants to bless usa. James 4:6

II. Receiving God’s blessing requires stuggle

A. The children struggles within her1. Again there was a problem (v.22)

a) Struggle means to crush or break in pieces b) No mild discomfort for Rebecca – worse

than normal laborc) Rebecca knew something was wrong

“If all is well why am I feeling like this”

II. Receiving God’s blessing requires struggle2. There was literally a war going on inside

Rebecca. Questioned how God could answer her prayers yet, allow this

a) She communicated with the Lordb) When in doubt talk it out – with the Lord

II. Receiving God’s blessing requires struggle3. Two nations in your womb…and the older

shall serve the youngera) Two nations would be Edom and Israelb) Two patriarchs were Esau and Jacobc) Esau was the founder of Edom which means

redd) Jacob was founder of Israel, God’s chosen

peoplee) Israel became a stronger nation than Edomf) Esau served Jacobg) It was all a part of God’s plan

II. Receiving God’s blessing requires struggle

B. Without struggle there can be no progress – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

1. God knows that struggles are good for us because they produce

a) Characterb) Patiencec) Hope

2. James 1:2-4

II. Receiving God’s blessing requires struggleQ: How do struggles rob of our joy and what

steps can we take to avoid being robbed of our joy?

A: God knows that if he made every blessing easy, all the time, that it would deprive us of things we need to grow like a loving father

He does not like to see us struggle but he knows that is how we learn

III. Receiving God’s blessing requires good decisions

A. Night and Day1. Like siblings in many families Jacob and Esau

were different as night and daya) Esau was an outdoor man – favored by his

fatherb) Jacob was a homebody – close to his

motherc) Conflict began in the womb and deepened

when Jacob tempts Esau out of his birth right

III. Receiving God’s blessing requires good decisions2. Birth rights

Q. What are birthrights?

A. From a carnal stand point it is an inheritance, but from a spiritual stand point they are those things we are meant to be in God and everything we are entitled to as a child of God.

III. Receiving God’s blessing requires good decisions3. Philippians 3:15-164. As Christians the birthrights we are

entitled to are:a) Forgivenessb) Freedomc) Fellowshipd) Protectione) Provision

III. Receiving God’s blessing requires good decisions

Q. What caused Esau to willingly give up his valuable birth rights as the first born son for the sake of a simple meal?

R. Something we all suffer from – impulsivenessEsau gave little thought to the long range effects of the decision he made

III. Receiving God’s blessing requires good decisions

Q. Our lust of the flesh often seems to take precedent over our common sense or faith, what steps can we take to maintain spiritual rather than carnal?

R. As a Christian we should pray and study the world daily. God give us the word to teach us how to let his spirit be the driving force in all our actions. Prov. 3:5

When we exercise these 2 spiritual options we are strengthened by God’s direction.

III. Receiving God’s blessing requires good decisions

B. The trap- the pressure of the moment distorted his perspective and made his decision seem urgent.

Impulsiveness is the result of a distorted perspective.

1. We are tempted on every hand and as that builds situations seam more urgent & we lose perspective.

2. If we can learn to get through the brief moment of relentless pressure we can overcome our impulsive nature.

III. Receiving God’s blessing requires good decisions3. Impulsiveness can also spring from self-

centeredness.

Q. Can you think of some examples of how we cheat God out of our gifts and talents?

III. Receiving God’s blessing requires good decisions

C. On the plus side1. It can be an expression of faith

a) To maintain our faith in difficult situations we should.

1) Keep our eyes on Jesus’ power2) Avoid reacting impulsively3) Weigh the situation carefully4) Know that the Lord can and will deliver you out of

it all

Homework For next week’s discussion Assignment 3: Think Tank

(Lesson 3)  Scripture References: Genesis 32:24-28  Read and Research the above scriptures for understanding

then answer the following questions. Be prepared to discuss your answers during next week’s lesson.

 Discussion Question 1: What is grace? And how does it affect us?

Questions, Answers, Comments