Stairway To Heaven – Genesis 28:10-22
I met a fan dancer
Down in Southside Birmingham
She was running from a fat man
Selling salvation in his handNow he’s trying to save me
When I’m doing all right
The best that I can
Just another fallen angel
Trying to get through the nightStep by step, one by one
Higher and higher
Step by step, rung by rung
Climbing Jacob’s ladder(Huey Lewis)
1. God’s grace shows up in…
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)
“And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.” (Judges 13:1-3)
2. God’s grace really is…
“He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him.” (Genesis 18:2)
“Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.” (Genesis 24:13)
“Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)
“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit! Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:45-51)
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people” (Titus 2:11)
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
“Even though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4)
3. An encounter with God’s grace produces a…
“The fundamental problem in the evangelical church today is not in adequate technique, insufficient organization, or antiquated music…The fundamental problem in the evangelical church is that God rests too inconsequentially upon the church. His truth is too distant. His grace too ordinary. His judgment too benign. His Gospel too easy, and His Christ too common.” (David Wells)
“And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:8-9)
