The Search for One, True Love

Greeting cemeteries all of our campuses across the trying of your Bibles this week and I love you to take them out and open them to Genesis 29 Genesis 29 is your opening there. Let me say a quick word to all of you the men about our men's conference that is coming up this coming weekend this Friday night I meant literally every single day of our concept of what a man is is assaulted by the media by politics, especially now. Right now the politics and by social media and pop culture in the whole bit. What the Bible teaches about manhood is often caricatured and decide things that are put in its place are every bit just as confused. So this coming Friday night.

I'm going to do my best to debunk some of our cultures lies about manhood and unpack for us how the gospel really reshapes our vision of what it means to be a man, I hope that you will plan to be here.

You do need to sign up. And so, let me emphasize to you that if you have not done that you should do that today. We just have a few spots remaining were only doing it here at the Berkeley campus and so the limited number spots in most of them already gone. If you are a dad you have sons I would deftly encourage you to bring your sons here for this middle school met you up and everything you can sign up at seminar. Do you.com and you should do that today.

Bad news for you guys in the 10 o'clock service at other campuses is other men of her this the last three services and so I don't know the sold out yet, but I'm saying act on it pretty quickly okay right there. I said that as you are opening to Genesis 29. We are working away to the entire Bible in the course of the year and as for doing that. I'm trying to focus on those sections of Scripture that will give you a sense of the whole story. So we come now to a story that is as profound as it is odd. I first learned the story when I was a kid in Sunday school on final graph. Of course it is a classic because it is so unusual. But to be honest I never really understood the significance of the story until I heard a teacher named Tim Keller explained Tim Keller's interpretation is reflected in the Jesus storybook Bible which many of you are reading along with us as we go through and if you're not encourage you to jump in and do that, I think the story would make a fabulous on Netflix or HBO drama. It has literally everything in it. There is betrayal there is sex there is scandal. There are things that just look insane in many ways it feels like a modern story because it shows you the crazy things that will do for love. Have you ever known somebody that just did something that you thought was absolutely insane in the name of love like move across country with no commitment from the other person at all night people to do that.

Maybe one of you is here right now and that's on that same thought to work out. I'm just saying it looks like it's crazy people to quit their job. People who alienated their friends and their family and people get a tattoo at the wrong time. I knew I knew somebody who switch their major in college to a field they didn't like, just so they could be close to a girl on six years later they told me there in a job that they hate and the girl is no longer around anymore. She got married to somebody else heard of one poor guy who fell so in love with this girl that shortly after they started dating her brother or who he thought was her brother went into the hospital and needed a kidney transplant. So to impress her. He donated his kidney only for it to come out after the operation was over that this guy was actually not her brother but her ex-boyfriend that she was still in love with. Shortly after the operation she broke up with the generous kidney donor so that she could marry her fake brother. This insane the things I write my favorite of the soul list. There's a little little new movie called city of Angels, starring Nicolas Cage in which Nicolas Cage plays an angel who falls in love with an earth girl, Meg Ryan, and here he is supposed be watching over her.

But he falls in love with hers are rather than continue on as an angel with all the glories of heaven he chooses to be human so that he can be with the girl that he loves his old movie about a way that Nick Cage becomes a human girl he loves, dies angel now stuck his human role.

The end credits. Basically all things up really sophisticated movie on taste in order to appreciate Alan, well believe it or not, all those things would be small potatoes compared to what happens in the story in Genesis 29 when explained to you that in a much deeper sense the story shows us, regardless of what romantic situation you reenter what you want for the future, or even what stage of life you're in. This story shows us the search that each of us is on in life.

These was on Genesis 29 of your there yet as your assuming you there by now. But if you're still looking for you to contact Abraham is the guy who was the patriarch of the entire Jewish nation.

Abraham is the God who promises a given. And so the book of Genesis, follows his family Abraham nonmember sterile and for eligible Manny is a miracle baby named Isaac. Isaac is and have two sons one is named Jacob and the others can be named Esau on this is kind of the family tree that brings you into Genesis 29 now Jacob and Esau were twins, but they could not have been more different.

Esau was what many people would call a man's man. He ate lots of red meat you like to hunt. We assume that he really likes sports. He probably drove in F2 50.

We also know that he was really hairy. We know that because his name literally means things Esau means red in the hearing. Interesting note to me is that they gave him this name at birth, which I dislike that's unusual for a baby be like naming your baby fuzzy evidently came out of the womb looking like a Chia pet. Here is the mental image that I have whenever I think of Esau. This guy right here like NASCAR. He's got a number three save the mayor and his back. He was also the firstborn, the firstborn, which meant that he got all the blessing out real quick biblical theology lesson.

Let me explain the blessing to you and every family in the ancient world. One of the kids almost always the oldest got the family inheritance which mean that they got the majority of the property and the assets they got the right to the family name. They got to be the patriarch of future generations. For the descendents of Abraham.

There was this added element of inheriting the promise to bring forth the Messiah that had been promised Abraham so they would be one sign in every family that carried the messianic see well that is assumed to be Esau because he is the firstborn now. Jacob, his twin brother was the opposite of Esau and just about every way. Jacob was more shall we say genteel. He was really in the fashion he used aloof and a lot of special shampoos.

He probably ate tofu ice cream. He knew not to wear white after Labor Day.

He probably drove a Miata or a Mini Cooper that kind of guy. Okay what Isaac prefers Esau over Jacob and he makes it pretty clear in this of course is really hurtful to Jacob. So Jacob schemes a way to steal the blessing of the firstborn from his brother Esau, I don't have time to go deep into the details of this majestic ruse. But here's the basic gist of it, Isaac is really old and he thinks he's going to die. So he says I got a conferred the blessing officially on my one of my sons and he's going to do.

Esau so he tells Esau to go out into the field and hunt them up some beer and prepare it as a stew in the mill when he gets back delete it and he'll confirm the covenant blessing onto him and then Isaac assumes that he'll die so Esau leaves early in the morning, go out and hunt down the deer and I Jacob seizes opportunity to see Isaac was really really old at this point and he couldn't really see well at all and he couldn't hardly hear and so Jacob takes a goat makes us too many dresses up in Esau's clothes and even takes the skin of the goat and attaches it to the back of his arms in his neck so he feels like he saw which I don't know what that says about Esau when somebody wants to impersonate you and they wrap themselves in a dead goat so that they feel and smell like you, but that's a bit disgusting. The man's man thing is one thing that's taking it too far, so Jacob walks in with you. Esau's close in the stew and he's got the goat hair and the smell all over me walks and he says hi dad, it's Esau it's Esau but Isaac is so old and he can see so poorly, here's a poorly falls for it and he confers the blessing on the Jacob thinking that Jacob is Esau. What Esau overturns and comes in with his students, his dad inherent in Isaac realizes what happened. Any cyst on its too late now all seem to me at this point what Isaac would just know we realize the mistake would've been like oh well, I think back to knowing and but evidently the blessing the covenant was irrevocable when it had been given there was a new takeback clause that they threw in their Jacob has deceived his dad and betrayed his brother and stolen this blessing. Jacob's name literally means deceiver, which I also thought was an odd name to give a baby liar. You may want your kids fuzzy and the other one wire hugs like they could've done better than that, but it's a play on words in Hebrew. You see, when Jacob and Esau were born, Esau was born first as I mentioned, and I guess you know Rebecca's womb was like at this hairy thing out here so I'm he came out first and as he was coming out of the birth canal. It says that the little hand comes out after Esau and grabbed a hold of Esau's heel like you there in a fight and he wants to get out. First, we must avoid back in so they making the first one you know, Harry, and then in the second kid they named him he'll grab him in in Hebrew heel grabber is the article knuckle but it has a double meaning as another meaning in Hebrew, and that double meaning.

This is a trickster or struggle or so reasoning heel grabber at birth but the name fits also is a description of Jacob's character as he gets older on as a deceiver.

Well of course he saw Spike Madden so he vows to kill Jacob to Jacob Hopson's Miata and he zooms off to someone else's mom tells me got some relatives in a far-off place called Ron so Jacob heads there. Eventually he arrived at the house of an uncle named Laban which brings us to the main part of this story for today. Laban has two daughters, one of the daughters is named Rachel and she is described for us in Genesis 2917 here. Rachel was beautiful and face and figure, which is a Hebrew way of saying that she was super hot, literally beautiful face each had acute face you're mean, she had a very attractive body.

So that's Rachel.

Now the other was sister was named Leah and well she was not hot. The narrator indicates that ties into not-so-subtle ways. First, resident versus 2917 says Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was beautiful in her face and figure. Now were not exactly sure scholars.

Not sure what weak eyes means, but what we know. It doesn't mean is that she just couldn't see very well because notice it's put in the contrast Rachel's beauty if it is simply meant that she was nearsighted. It would've said Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel could see really really really really far, that would be the contrast the fact that it's in contrast to Rachel's beauty means that her eyes somehow messed up how she looked.

Maybe they protruded really badly from her face and until a mess of the look of her face are most probably meant that I will say this when she was facing east one of her eyes was checking on things up north and the other one was monitoring activity down the South. That's probably what it means the other way that we, the narrator lets us know that Leah was not very attractive is that Leah's name in Hebrew literally means towels you say well maybe maybe that had a different implication in Hebrew note calling somebody a towel is an insult in any culture about universal and if your name happens to be Leah this morning, but is not my fault. Okay, I know it means something different in English, but in the original Hebrew.

That's what it meant. Okay so when Jacob first gets the areas of course, met with Rachel and I know you're thinking what a sexist pig.

He only evaluates women by their face and their body.

The Bible is so back yeah I am so glad that we are not part of the society that any longer. Does that word guys don't evaluate girls first by how they look and what their bodies like we are so far advanced as that so whatever right so today the story of how Jacob and Rachel meet because it really have any bearing on the points I want to make today but it's a super awesome and you can't skip it. Genesis 29 one to get a bottle of Mayor Jacob finally is going to Ron where his uncle Laban lives. He literally has nothing. He's an outcast from his family.

He is friendless he is penniless in the envision him as a guy with nothing but a guitar strap was back in a $300 pair of us got a jeans around his waist enough product Italian loafers on his feet metal he's got his Miata so he comes up to the village where his extended family lives in a he slumps down on this big old rock covering well there. Now here's the description of the rock verse two the stone in the Wells novels really large is huge when all the flocks were gathered there. The shepherds would together plural. The shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well well it's verse two and three, verse six, you know, there she comes walking up correct the most beautiful girl you ever see, and so can speak well of this person.

Also, Jacob's alright so you roll the stone from the Wells mouth himself little gentle Jacob. There is something about a good looking girl that gives this guy the ability to perform super human feats of strength.

Okay, so they meet negative talking and it turns out that not only is Rachel really pretty but their related as I mention her dad. Laban is Jacob's uncle, which makes them that's right first cousins. You would think that that would've quelled any romantic interest right there, but all know this is the Old Testament baby and in the Old Testament being cousins with somebody was actually a turn on. That is also still true in places like Valdosta, Georgia, where Hank Murphy is run. So now you know. So Jacob says to Laban, I want to marry my first cousin Rachel, Laban says well you know I mean were related everything Thursday still got a patient on a broad price so Jacob volunteers I'll work for seven years together.

Verse 18. Now that is an exorbitant price to put that in perspective, the going rate for dowries in those days would've been between 30 and 40 shekels. The average monthly wage was about 1 1/2 shekel, so offering 130 shekels meant to Jacob was offering more than four times the usual amount that you paid in order to Mayor somebody right now you may think that's really sweet, but what you're supposed to get the image of year is here is a guy who would set is obsessed. He is willing to do anything to get this girl. Laban there's a sucker when he sees one. So he agrees and Jacob works for seven years right now. Again, there's a verse that you want to read is really sweet but has a different implication in the narrative verse 27 years seem like just a day because of his love for her now again at sweet right what it means is that every day he got up thinking about Rachel and went to bed thinking about Rachel is not doing for anything except seven years is been obsessed with Rachel, the seven years are verse 21 to Jacob comes to Laban and says I have fulfill my contract not to be my wife so we can be Mary. Now that she's not a very good translation in English and Hebrew what it literally says is I fulfill my contract give me my wife so we can have sex and use it with some kind of crude yet Robert Alter the Jewish commentator on Genesis says it is uncharacteristically crass and crude, that ancient narrators never put that kind of stuff in a narrative to the fact that he puts it in there means that he's trying to show some of the vulgarity of what's going on in Jacob's mind. He is obsessed with Rachel, just different to me and think about this for seven years so that we can have sex for seven years he's been thinking about one thing you see Jacob does well a lot of people who deal would be disappointed in life. Do they search for their answer, their life's problems in finding that one true romantic love someone they think will fulfill them.

Someone who will give been meaning someone who will make their life worth living. I described before, let you Jacob.

Most guys, like near the floating there drowning in a sea of loneliness and despair and low self-esteem and along by floats a 5 foot two blonde headed like reserve what is a drowning man do when he sees a life preserver. He reaches out any claims to it and he clings to her for dear life and he suffocates the life out of her because he's looking for something in her. She was never designed to give to him. That's what Jacob is doing with Rachel it comes time for the ceremony and comes Laban with Jake Bryden. He's worked for. For now, seven years she's wearing.

Of course the traditional veil which covers all in the face with a whole it they go to the ceremony and Jacob is so happy that he really pounds down the booze of the reception and after the party.

He takes his veiled wife back to his tent in the dark. Of course, and they spend their first night together for the first time in his life.

Jacob feels like something has gone right verse 25 and Jacob awoke the next morning, and bold.

It was Leah behold indeed it was Leah something you have some bad honeymoon stories, I have a couple of bad honeymoon stories I've told you I think some of them I have one where my wife and I went snorkeling on our honeymoon. And you know I was in the water first and I see your jump in and you ship is red bathing suit she bought for our honeymoon and so we were married for three days so I swim up to underwater and all secretive and master to corner current unit is like a mansion. Only thing was lifeless as leader that she's kicked in and thrashed in yellow and I'm thinking this is hilarious after like 20 seconds I'll pop up out of the water.

It's not her is not her and it's just a girl saying why wrong wife. I look up at the boat and there is my wife and this girl's husband, looking in the water like what's going on so I put my head under water and swam his flight from the amount half of what you verse. I thought my wife like an hour later and it is so talk about it and of course we kept running into the same couple at every restaurant that we ate that we like they are again so I have a bad honeymoon story, but there ain't nothing that ever happened to any of you like this you roll over in the morning after your honeymoon as a way you're not your hot sister and that has happened to you you Nikki for sorting the prayer. Second of all, you probably need professional counseling was a much or we can give you Jacob goes back. Of course he's furious and he says to Laban, what's the deal. Laban says whole it's just not the custom in our country to marry off the younger before the older I've always wondered what Jacob didn't say back. Well, that would've been a great point to make seven years ago no custom gives Laban the right to commit fraud, but Laban never Jacob never even insisted Laban on the contract. Jacob is not so much as offer a single word of argument why not, why not because I think when he says to Laban, why have you deceived me.

I think he realizes that it's the exact same phrase that Isaac had said to him, if I get the exact same way it's written in Hebrew and when Laban says to him it's our custom dawn of the first Ward Jacob remembers how he had stolen the right of the firstborn from his older brother just like Isaac had reached out in the dark, thinking it was Esau and Jacob deceived him, so Jacob has now reached out in the dark for Rachel and Laban has deceived him.

The deceiver has been deceived yet. You see it now. Jacob felt the dagger of his conscience go right into his soul. In fact, in verse 25 of chapter 9. Jacob literally says the Laban Laban you got cold me you Jacob me Jacob is brought face-to-face with who he is, he so obsessed with Rachel, however, but not even this can determine, so get Laban to agree that if a work for another seven years.

Then he'll get Rachel as his wife to graciously Laban gives Rachel to him right away.

Instead of making him wait for seven years like he gets Rachel on credit got Leah through the layaway program but Rachel.

He gets immediately on credit on so the space of one week.

He's gotten two sisters as wives who one is extremely jealous of the other one. What kind of house do you think that yielded four Jacob what you think about this though, how bad must this have been for poor Leah I'm she's a person right in all her life. She's grown up in the shadow of her stunning sister.

The only way her deadbeat dad to get her married office to get some got Crompton swap around the dark yet all of her life. She's dreamed about being a wife and a mother and now she is dad and so she really wants to please Jacob, and she wants to make an happy but now he's married to Rachel who he is. Love for the last seven years, a bit obsessed with her and so she's gotta watch every day as he delights in the girl that she's always been negatively compared to them, been jealous up and just ignored her. Poor Leah, which is why verse 31. The narrative switches are verse 31, but because Leah was on love the Lord let her have a child.

While Rachel was childless.

Leah became pregnant, had a son she named him Ruben which in Hebrew means see a son for she said, the Lord has seen his notice my misery and now my husband will love me. You see, here's Leah. Emily is thinking Jacob doesn't love me. I'm not very pretty but you know what Rachel can have kids and I can so I know that when I have a son. I know that when I have a son, then that'll make a lovable and then Jacob will love me so she has a son. She says see a son, don't you love me now you think it works well in the very next verse, verse 33.

She she became pregnant again and had another son she named this when Simeon which in Hebrew sounds like the word heard for. She said the Lord has heard that I was on love and has given me another son to the one Sunday Jacob lover note because she still on love in this verse right as you think of the first son didn't work but now the second son and were not a heard my misery and got answered my prayer by giving me a son that'll make Jacob love me you think it worked the second time. I will keep reading verse 34 and's again she became pregnant, not a son she named this when Levi which is the Hebrew word for attached because she said surely now my husband will feel attached to me health affection to me since I have given and now three signs. Now I know I know you and work on wanted to, but I don't freeze son may not know at this third son. I know I'm to be lovable and I know that now. He'll love me she was going on, just like Jacob. That's what the stories are back to back. Just like Jacob. She is dealing with her disappointment in life by reaching out for that one true love.

Also Jacob looked forward in human romance and sex. She looks for in being a cherished wife and a mother so she has a son, and she thinks now I'll be visible now.

I'll be heard now will be attached to me, but each time it leads are empty when we deal with disappointment and why we almost always respond the same way right what invited, not romance. So I maybe the next romance that's what I'll do it. That'll make my life complete. Not in this job open until I get another job, then my career will feel complete and then I'll be out is not in the city.

This, it is not big enough. But if I move to a bigger city would have better nightlife at that point my life will take off and I'll be happy if not in this economic bracket is not the son. I knew if I just get 10,000 more a year just get 100,000 more my 401(k) at that point and I'll be fulfilled at that point in my career and I'll be happy just like Leah. We keep having sons and thinking that one more son is going to solve the problem. Another relationship, another attempt another job but it always ends up the same and then in verse 35 we get the gospel is the best portal for 35 once again she became pregnant yet another son she named this when Judah which means literally praise to God for she said, now I will praise the Lord and she stopped trying to have children gospel will see Jesus in my place and there's a secret I'm against right. Couple things in Genesis. There's two ways so I got one wave come from Hebrew Elohim and it just means God the creator.

The other way whenever in your English Bible whenever it's Elohim is a Geo data tell it's written in English Bible whenever it's the other name which is Yahweh or Jehovah. It's good to be written LORD and Yahweh or Jehovah was the name that was given to God is his covenant name.

It was the God of the promise that gave himself to Abraham and set always be with you and always bless you all give you salvation and I'll go with you everywhere and I'll take care of you and always be your God. And that's the covenant name and it only is for people who have entered into that covenant to the fact that she says. Praise be to God means that I am now finding my joy. I'm finding my joy in God's covenant with me and not in my ability to have sons.

That's the name that Leah uses and what it means is praise to the God because of the covenant he's made with me. In other words, Leah stopped trying to earn the love of Jacob having sons and receive the love of God that was given to her as a gift and that became the source of her joy and the source of her praise in life. Here's what's more, Judah is going to grow up to be the ancestor of a very important great great great great great great grandchild. Jesus is going to be referred to as the lion of the tribe of Judah. This would be the sign, through whom Jesus Christ himself would come.

In other words, listen to this. Her lineage became beautiful, not because she had some physical beauty to pass on to them, but because God gave her beauty as a gift and giving Jesus the right in the middle of this painful ugly on love life. Leah learns the gospel, she gets a long time before Jacob the famous patriarch is going to get it to discover the gospel for several more years. Several more chapters. She gets it first, and she probably gets it better than anybody in the book of Genesis is gotten up to this point because she embodies the whole message of the Bible and I would say it's fourfold things you can learn from Leo's experience with the gospel.

Your number one number one in all of our searching we are searching for Jesus and all our searching.

She shows us searching for Jesus. We talk about this some last week but every person is on a search and whether they know it or not, searching for Jesus but Jacob and Lee are on a search. Jacob thinks his answers and riches and sex and he'll do whatever to get on whatever to get and he'll fight for riches. He will alienate his family and destroy those relationships to get love romantic love. He'll pay whatever price Leah thinks that her answer is found in being a mom and a wife. One commentator said that Jacob is a liberal who think sex will fulfill him. Leah is a conservative who thinks family fulfill her both met with liberal and conservative. In the story end up empty. Because both are trying to fill a void in their hearts they went on idle or a substitute. God is the idols are anything but you substitute in your heart for the place of God have explained before that one of the words for worship in Hebrew is the word abode and composed literally means weight so you worship something when you give it an extraordinary amount of weight in your heart when there's something in your life that you feel like has so much weight that you couldn't be happy without it. At that point you begun to worship it right. That's why we say the idols are not usually bad things idols are usually good things are good things like marriage and sex and friendship and family and and then success. Even their good things that you given the weight of God things which then turning the bad things idols are good things that you make in the God things that turning the bad things to the question that it ought to make you ask about yourself is what in your life do you feel like you can't live without.

What is that one essential thing that you need for happiness.

What have you been almost obsessed with obtaining in your life are you Jacob thinking it's going to be found in riches are in romantic love or are you Leah thinking it is found in family stability. Maybe if the respect of your friends maybe is the praise of people. Maybe it's career stature. Maybe it's money well of Old Testament scholar Derek Kidner summarizes the story, the words ball it was Leah are the very embodiment of all of man's disappointment with life in this moment with Leah is a snapshot of the disillusionment man has experience from the garden of Eden onward all the blessings of the world. In other words turn out to be Leah's. No matter what you think is Rachel in the morning when you finally wake up it's going to be Leah.

Every time you get into a new relationship every time you start a new job or new marriage, you have another kid.

You think this is that this will finally make my life complete. This is Rachel, you have what I call the Jerry Maguire moment. This will complete me.

You complete me. I can assure you she looks like a Rachel now but in the morning when you see her in the full light of day it's going to be Leah last week I told you that when that happens you can do wonderful things when you experience the inevitable disappointment of a broken tower or the devil disappointment from an idol. You do wonderful things you number these four things you blame the idle try to replace it with a new version of that idle was not a relationship with a new relationship, Kelly Clarkson, the original American Idol suited to their after she made a big she got into this romantic relationship knowing part of her start and that of course that was all part last the average Hollywood relationship built six minutes and got on her next album that came out she has a song about that destroy relationship and the lyrical song says, I fell so hard because of you I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty because he I would expect that her third album would've been about a whole new focus in life, which is about the next guy might sometimes people will will switch idols like categories of items, so a great illustration of this recently by Taylor Swift Taylor Swift has a song that came out of the other 2015 got out of the woods.

Both song is about a relationship that goes on the rocks well in the music video like I was using the music video. No questions please.

The music of the music video just ends in these words are on the screen as the music kinda fades away.

She lost him, but she found herself, and somehow that was everything, as in this relationship turned out to be Leah, but in knowing myself for the real joy is that's were real fulfillment is I got news for Taylor Swift. I found myself, and it's not that pretty. I turned out to be Leah because the one who is disappointed me most in my life is me. One was broken more promises to JD Greer than any other person in the world is JD Greer in the morning to turn out to be Leah to tell if it was like he's Leah but I'm Rachel and I might note earlier to all idols disappoint all idols disappoint because you made for God.

So I tell you the argument searching for in romance are his arms. The security you're looking for a job or in money that security is found in his promise. The fulfillment that you're searching for in all your pursuit is found in the glory of his presence.

St. Augustine set our hearts will always be restless until we find a rest and you blame the idle you blame the talking to yourself wasn't only to fix myself but I never worked when the world become a Senate and try to medicate through alcohol or through the shopping or sex or pornography or whatever you can realize the fourth option is that you were created for another world to what the story shows you is that Jesus was the true bridegroom that Leah was seeking. He was the one who did the Leah the unconditional love that she always craved for love that went beyond physical attraction hello that was not conditioned on anything.

A love that was deep in fulfilling Jesus is the bridegroom that you are seeking. Also, lonely, insecure, boasting single people become lonely, insecure, low esteem married people because problems like loneliness and insecurity and low self-esteem aren't cured by another human being there cured by the love of Jesus Christ of the spirit of God is easier created you subtly as life shows us is it wrong to search all of us.

We choose different things were searching for Jesus which leads us to number two God gives his blessing God gives his blessing others to strive to those who receive it in faith. It's only when you stop trying.

Leah tells you to stop trying to earn God's and other people's love that you can be free to see the gospel flips everything that we believe about love on its head. Jacob chose Rachel because she was naturally appealing, but God chose Leah to bear the Messiah. Isaac chose Esau because he saw fit his definition of what he wanted his son to be the God chose Jacob to be the one through whom the ultimate man would one day come, God's blessing does not come to those who earn it. But to those who receive it by faith, which is why the apostle Paul would summarize Jacob's life this way. This ballroom is not walking specifically about Jacob. You see, it depends on human will not unknot on exertion. None of the people who can play the best tricks not of those you can have the most signs it depends on God, who shows mercy. That's why Paul rephrased an tightest revival, works of righteousness. We have done is according to God's mercy. They say that it's a gift that he gives us is by grace we have been saved through faith and not even that from ourselves that the gift of God is not of works, if not of our ability to have signs or be beautiful or extort our family or ruin our relationship. It's on God gives it as a gift so that when it happens, we will not boastfully overwhelm with grace most when the rest of our lives. Responding to the grace of God that set you free to them tell you some of you only talk, especially here the ladies for a moment since this is specifically about Leah all your life you been captive to the late Benjamin Jacobs in your life voices that you depended on to tell you that you are pretty enough. We were skinny enough that you had value that you had word that you were going up. You got a heavenly father who set his love on you just because you're his daughter is love is honoring his love is the love that you yearn for.

I try to teach us. My daughters when they were young before that you had little ritual when I'm talking in to say good night and I walked to the door and turn around. L3 said in the same room and I'd say that he love you girls.

Because you're pretty now been over this thing with answer maybe like no in a little to say, but we are pretty and I would say yes you are. I told him say that I'm sitting on today. Love you because you're smart no, but we are smart like five or six different characteristics and that they wanted. I love you more than would say because were your daughters because were your daughters and that means that if their beauty ever ceases to be there or if they turn out that to be smart or that means if there something about them that becomes disappointing my love for them does not change because it's not those things I condition my love my love is given to them as a gift that is irrevocable and they will always be precious.

I will always cherish them is not a conditional love. It's an unconditional love because that's the kind of love that heavenly father gives to us. Which leads me to number three, number three, God love us because were beautiful, beautiful, because he loves us right. Leah Lee is really good and u is beautiful. Her lineage became beautiful because God set his love on her hello how Sally Lloyd Jones and the Jesus tour.

The Bible summarizes the story God that need us to be beautiful so we can love us with all of his heart.

We become beautiful because he loves us even love us because were valuable. We are valuable because he loves us even love us because were pure's love purifies us love us because were strong, we find strength to his unconditional, irrevocable love for us given to us in the cross of Jesus Christ.

Martin Luther had a wonderful way of saying that you put your thinking cap on it. It's awesome.

The love of God does not find it creates that which is pleasing to it gotten look on the other say all he's got great talent he's got good potential all her she's got a good heart. She's been misunderstood, but I think a lot about her oldest person every year they got real talent. That's why I'm going to love God doesn't look at us up on anything that is lovely in and of itself. God's love create that which is lovely is love makes the unlovely lovable. So when you feel like a Leah. What that means is that you gotta reflect you got embraced two things one that got a set his love on you unconditionally condition on how you perform or anything about you, but condition on the fact that he is made to his daughter or son in Jesus Christ. Purchaser you thought this week about when my oldest daughter was learning to walk is a typical you know most parents of this experience were you she's run the house and she pulled up on everything in the Jeep, plopped down and then screwed cirrhotic. I do what really think about it, cruel.

You know she gets up there one day and we cannot move like 5 feet away and I think we hear something I like the 20 you and she's like you.

She's looking at it and sees you scared and if so, might want to Twinkie and she. She leaned her head toward the Twinkie and then gravity takes over right and I'm telling it right and had like three steps and she fell down, but she walked she walked to my me back in those days we have cameras on our phones, how backwards is that how Wittig get the little video camera and so you would send these little things to stick it two or three steps and she's falling back. I get the greatest thing that's ever happened some I… I love it right. I've never noted that he was like two steps.

That's it. My kids and it cannot you it's not me it's you I will just finally throw each kid you're celebrating the end what happens in parenting is that love that affirmation ends up becoming the strength which gives them the ability to growing things like walk later you got a heavenly father. That's not saying we see how well you wanted determines whether not I love you. You got a heavenly father whose unconditional love becomes a strength through which you can walk beautifully in any situation in your life to the first thing I reflect on is a God loves me unconditionally.

It's given to me as a gift in Christ's second, reflecting the fact that one day he shall make my outside committee outside match the beauty of the crises put on my inside and that's not just like poetic language. First John 31 says, beloved, we are God's children and what we will be exactly has not yet appeared to us. The one thing we do know is that when he appears will be like him.

Then we'll see him as he is. What that means is that one day God can take all the ugliness from this life, maybe it's physical ugliness maybe is moral ugliness, not temper my pride, my jealousy God to take all that one day he should take this crises put on the inside and he's going to make the beauty of my outside match what he's put on the inside and I can't wait. I can't wait because he is not done with me, and it is not yet appear what I will be that I know he's making me beautiful when you really grasp these true to let him sleep in your soul. I'm telling you free.

Finally free of the addiction of the approval that you addiction to the approval of others, you live with newly released from captivity that you feel toward your spouse, depending on them for affirmation. You can finally let go of damage or lifesaver. Jesus will be here lifesaver. You will need them to feel like your love will make them feel like you have worth because you'll have that in Jesus and then for the first time in your life you will be free to actually love them instead of using which leads me to number four, the final one, you know, you learn the gospel when you stop striving to find love what you know you learn the gospel when you stop striving to find love and you rejoice in the love that you have learned to love it, can't be taken away when likelihood your praise and your joy is no longer based on how many sons you have, whether Jacob loves you how smart you are. How pretty you are or how much money you have your praise is based entirely on the covenant relationship that God has given to you, and it's the covenant God gave you that is the source of your joy. The source of your brakes. Initial question, what is it take what is it take to use the words of Pastor Chuck what it take for you to get your praise on what makes you come in here for what makes you rejoice is that he had a great week magical awesome that you're pregnant you unit managing inherit a lot of money. What what is it that would make you just rejoice is and how many sons you have visit of these things are is that I may not have anything that might be for you and I have sons I might feel ugly. I might not have found the Jacob to love me.

I might not have this thing that I've always wanted for my dad and my parents do not have.

I got you I got you I got your unconditional love and your better than fathers in your better than sons and you better than riches and you better than a husband because all my life thing I was searching for some search for you. My soul has rest in my life can be a Judah which means the praise goes to God for his covenant and not a Ruben and is not a simian and is not a Levite is dependent on how many sons I have prosperity to God is given me in my life.

Don't think God for the beautiful story of ugly Leah because he that shows me that he loves ugly sinners like me. It shows me is by grace that I've been saved through faith that one because of JD Greer one for me one because Aaliyah was by grace he gave it as a gift what my works so that I'm not in a post or am I going to despair. I'm to do with Lee at the start praise God for the grace and the gift that he gave me, saying with Leah probably did use these words but saying the essence of the song we love the church amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved an ugly wretch like me for the rest of my life I'll be responding to that grace saying thank you and I want to love like you have like you because of what you've given to me now save John Newton who wrote amazing Grace. I know one day when I been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, no less days to sing God's right there when I first began this lifetime is not to be enough time to say thank you God for the grace it again. That paycheck is not to be enough. I'm in need 10,000 light times 10 billion light times just to respond to the grace of God gave to those who are unlovable and unlovely and God said, I'll make you lovable and I'll make you worthy because I'll get Jesus to purchase your soul and I'll bring Jesus Christ. Thank God for the beautiful story of ugly Leah wanted to bow your heads all over campus receive God's amazing grace never seemed it's a gift Jesus Christ as your husband who offers himself to you if you will simply in faith say to him I do.

I receive you, I surrender to you is Lord I receive you as my Savior. If you never done that you can say to them right now in your heart you know that you have trusted Christ as your Savior, maybe at this moment you could just begin to rejoice in God. I don't need sons not only riches I have Jesus talking praise for the rest of my life because of him just rejoice and let it make you beautiful letter make strong let it purify you. God's love and finding creates that which is pleasing to let his love and power in your heart, your heads bowed in our worship teams all over campus