There Is More Faith
Message by Pastor Kent Munsey
Hebrews 11:21
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
In Hebrews 11, Paul shares the story of Jacob to illustrate the legacy of faith we have through the Israelites. The Jewish patriarch Jacob, son of Isaac, was a blesser and a worshiper at the end of his life.
1. Be a Blesser.
Jacob did not just bless his sons and grandsons with his words, but with God’s words. When we speak blessing into our lives and the lives of others, we take on the character of God. Our Father in heaven is a blesser. God constantly speaks blessings over us. He affirms us. Because God calls us blessed, we are called and empowered to bless even those who curse us.
Jacob, in his desire for his earthly father’s blessing, missed the supernatural significance of God’s blessing. Jacob learned in time that he did not have to strive because God always intended to bless him, and that God’s blessing is more than enough.
3. Be a Worshipper.
Jacob was worshipping while leaning on his staff. The Israelites would record significant moments of their lives on their staffs. In the early years of life, when our staffs or our stories may be unmarked, faith is important because it points us forward to the things we hope for but have not seen; in the later years, when we have made some marks, faith becomes confidence because of what we have seen God do. Jacob passes on his faith to his grandsons by worshipping at the end of his life, after God had blessed him.
Jacob showed his sons and grandsons who were at the beginning of their lives the significance of having a posture of worship and obedience and that they only need God’s blessing. Let’s be worshippers both in the highs and the lows of life.
Discussion Questions:
As Jacob pursued earthly blessings instead of God’s blessing in the early years of his life, is there something earthly that you are currently working toward? What would happen if you surrendered it to God?
What kind of words do you speak about yourself and others around you? Because God has blessed us, he has empowered us to be blessers. This week, make an effort to speak life and blessing over yourself and those around you.
What kind of season are you currently in? Is it a high season or a low season? How has your season impacted your worship? Make a decision to worship God wholeheartedly, no matter the season you are in.