Gtcotr/ss053010
Much of life is a talent contest and what we do with what we have determines what more we get.
And, if we do nothing more than what we are doing, we will get nothing more than what we’ve got.
Uncertainties are a part of life and most decisions require some level of acceptable risk.
This morning, God willing, I hope to help us discover how we can take advantage of the opportunities God is sending our way.
I’ve condensed the heart of this morning’s message into three key elements of truth. Allow me to make these personal to you.
1. God has a plan for your life.
2. He has equipped you to win your current contest.
a. It is imperative you pay attention since your next victory is predicated on what you gain from your current experience
b. Without regard as to whether you win or lose.
c. Your next test is already on its way.
3. Your success will demand your willingness to take some acceptable risks.
a. It may take time.
b. It will require you to trust God.
c. And most likely it will involve work.
Before we proceed, I need to define ‘acceptable risks’. An acceptable risk is one which is in agreement with God: His nature, His name, and His Word.
Colossians 3:17 Whatsoever you do in word or deed, do it all in the Name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
If you are offered victory at the risk of violating God’s name, nature or Word - that is an ‘unacceptable risk’.
Matthew 4
8 The devil took Jesus up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to Jesus, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
Jesus faced just such a temptation when presented the opportunity to become ruler of the world by a fairly easy and immediate route. The risks seemed small and the potential rewards great. However, it was an unacceptable risk.
The victory Jesus gained in that moment was not over the kingdoms of this world, but rather over temptation and over Himself.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
The story I have chosen to help us better understand these key elements of truth comes from the book of Genesis, chapter 30. While you turn there, allow me to catch us up on what’s happening.
Jacob was living in Syria with his mother’s older brother, Laban. He had first arrived at his uncle Laban’s house 14 years earlier and had worked all those years for no pay, except for the privilege of marrying Laban’s two daughters, Leah and Rachael.
When we pick up the story, Jacob is 90 years old with eleven sons and one daughter but as yet owns nothing. He is completely at the mercy of his father-in-law. However, remember the three key elements of truth for this morning …
1. God had a plan for every life.
2. We are all equipped to win our current contest.
3. Our success will demand we be willing to take some acceptable risks.
An acceptable risk is an adventure in which there are no guarantees, there’s only hope and trust in God. It may not work out on paper but you think it will work anyway – you pretty much know what you are doing, but there are some risks.
In our story today, God offers Jacob an opportunity but Jacob will have to be willing to take some risks. Let’s pick up on our story in verse 25:
Genesis 30
25 Soon after Rachael had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country.
26 Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”
27 “Please stay with me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for I have seen how the LORD has blessed me because of you.
28 Tell me how much I shall give you. Whatever it is, I will give it.”
31 … “You shall not give me anything. But, if you will do this one thing, I will continue to feed and take care of your flocks.”
This is what Jacob proposed:
Jacob and his sons would go throughout all Laban’s flock and separate the pure white sheep from all the sheep that had any non white or mixed colored wool. They would then move all of the sheep with colored wool three days distance and keep the two groups completely separate. Jacob would tend to the sheep with pure white wool himself.
It was agreed that any spotted or colored sheep which were born from within the group of those pure white-wool sheep would become the property of Jacob, thus allowing him to begin building his own flock.
Of course this was more than satisfactory to Laban who was well acquainted with the odds of two white wool sheep possessing and passing on a dominant color gene. (The old timers of a more recent history considered colored sheep, specifically black sheep, to be a marker. Instead of counting their whole flock they would only count the black sheep as one of a hundred. If they counted 10 black sheep, they numbered their flock at 1000. It was said that when you had your markers counted, you had numbered your flock.)
So, this was more than acceptable to Laban. But what made Jacob take this risk? Well, Jacob knew that:
1. God had a plan for his life
2. He was well equipped for this adventure. (You see, God will most likely bless you in the area which he has equipped you)
3. He was willing to take some acceptable risk. (He may not have known all the details, and it certainly did not work out on paper, but he had received inspiration from God in the form of a dream)
You have heard it said that success is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. This was so in the case of God prospering Jacob. It took Jacob six years of hard work, following the dream God gave him, to finally build the wealth God wanted him to have.
What actually happened? Well, it’s an amazing story, and since I love to tell the stories of the Bible, let me fill you in on this one. This story has so many life applications.
In the dream Jacob saw that all the rams which were fathering offspring were speckled, spotted, and multicolored. Well, Jacob had seen this but none of the sheep or goats had seen it. Jacob believed it but he had to find a way to get the sheep and goats to believe it. Jacob saw the rams as multicolored but he needed the rams to see themselves as multicolored. Jacob needed to get them to see themselves differently.
How could he accomplish this? You can read it in full for yourself and discover so many more life applications, but for the sake of this morning’s message, allow me to tell you what Jacob did.
Now remember, Jacob was tending the pure white colored sheep and goats.
So, Jacob took branches from several different trees, green poplar, almond, and chestnut, and he peeled white strips in them to expose the white beneath the bark. These partially peeled places began to turn differing colors of brown. From these branches Jacob made a fence, much like you imagine a bamboo curtain turned sideways. When strung together these branches looked like a multicolored blanket.
Jacob then placed this fence in the breeding pen right in the line of sight for the sheep and goats when they came to drink from the watering troughs for this is where they mated.
Genesis 30:39 So when they conceived before the branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted.
I know, it was a risk, but it was a risk worth taking.
Genesis 30:43 Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
What you see makes a difference. When Jacob saw what God saw, it was then Jacob’s part to get others to see it. What did Jacob see?
1. He saw that God had a plan for his life.
2. He saw that he was already well equipped for this adventure.
3. He saw this as an acceptable risk worth his investment.
a. It did not violate God’s Name.
b. It did not violate God’s Nature.
c. It did not violate God’s Word.
All it cost Jacob was his time and energy to follow the dream God placed in his heart. What are you doing with the time and energy God has given you?
Remember: Much of life is a talent contest and what we do with what we have determines what more we get. And, if we do nothing more than what we are doing, we will get nothing more than what we’ve got.
Ask God what His plan is for your life and start making a difference today.
