Avoiding The Esau Spirit

PURSUING THE GLORY
#4 – AVOIDING THE ESAU SPIRIT

This morning, we are CONTINUING our sermon series entitled PURSUING HIS GLORY

And when it comes to THAT GLORY, we’ve been learning several lessons…
--HEAVEN is guaranteed, GLORY is not
--God’s greater manifested glory is not a “done deal”
--it has to be pursued, it has to be CHASED
--the meaning of the word “Pursue”

And, so far, we’ve talked about…
--1. Pursuing His Glory Through Worship
--2. Going Beyond the Veil
--3. Going A Little Father

Next Sunday – in the final message in this short series, I want to talk to you about 5 Ways To Attract God’s Glory

But this morning, we’re going to be looking at AVOIDING THE ESAU SPIRIT

And you’ll understand what I mean when we read our text this morning…

Genesis 33:9 (KJV) "And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself."

INTRODUCTION

Let me give you the background of our text this morning

Jacob and Esau were twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca

Esau was the oldest, and was set on tap to inherit the spiritual and physical inheritance through his BIRTHRIGHT

But (and I don’t have time to go into it), Esau came in from hunting and he asked Jacob for something to eat and Jacob said I won’t feed you unless you give me your birthright

And Esau took him up on the offer – and what a horrific, tragic mistake that was

He gave up SO MUCH for SO LITTLE

Esau, literally for a “quick fix” sold his whole family and destiny out from the plan and purposes of God

And so, as you can imagine, Esau gets pretty mad at Jacob, and so Jacob flees for almost 20 years

Time has passed and now Jacob has to return home – and he really doesn’t know how Esau is going to take him

He was so afraid – and to make a long story short, Jacob finally meets Esau and they hug and embrace and everything seems fine

And Jacob tries to give Esau a gift – and here’s what I want to hone in on this morning

Esau said – I HAVE ENOUGH

And I want you to know that this Esau spirit has killed…
--many a revival
--many a service
--many a church
--many potential moves of God

Because so many are like Esau when they say I HAVE ENOUGH

WE’VE BEEN LEARNING over the last few weeks that God’s glory doesn’t just come automatically

We must…
--search for it
--long for it
--ask for it
--seek for it
--knock for it

It takes BELIEVING for it

John 11:40 ( KJV ) 40Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

It takes being willing to move out of our comfort zone

When the CLOUD MOVES we have to pack up and move

We’ve been learning what A.W. Tozer told us…

We taste Thee, O Thou Living Bread, And long to feast upon Thee still: We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead, And thirst our souls from Thee to fill. Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking.

We’ve been learning about…
--John Wesley’s 21 daily questions
--Jonathon Edward’s 70 life-long resolutions

We’ve been learning what Paul was talking about when he says…

Philippians 3:14 ( KJV ) 14I press toward the mark for