Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's Ladder - What Is Worship?

1. God has Plans (not emergencies).

God has a global crunch time built in to our world. Everyone of us is continually being tested by God's tough love. But this is a blessing as it works itself out.

a) God loved us before there was a Creation (Eph. 1:3-6). And God's Plan was to send the Eternal Word into our world in flesh & blood to be our Savior/Liberator.

"God is not impressed with what other people think of us, or even with our own opinion of ourselves. He sees what we really are, and He knows our motives as well as our deeds.... Christian worship, with familiar psalms, hymns, prayers and readings from the Scriptures, brings God the praise 'in spirit and in truth' which He seeks (John 4:23)." Wallerstedt


2. Jacob's vision of a ladder reaching up to heaven.

"Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants." Gen 28:12-13

God speaks from the top of the ladder.
"I'm your God, your father's God, your grandfather's God!
Know what I'm doing right now?
I'm drawing a thick red line around this land.
I'm scribbling in 'Jacob and family' right across it.
You'll spread out - there'll be some of your family
at every point on the compass everywhere.
And they'll do people good - Salvation is from the Jews."
Jacob said this is no other than the House of God.
And this is the Gate of Heaven.
Jacob changed the name of the place to Bethel (God's place).


3. The Son of Man - Jesus.

"And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." John 1:51

a) Jesus - the Son of Man - is 'Jacob's Ladder.

"Jesus - the Son of Man - is 'Jacob's Ladder,' man's access to God, the final and the fullest revelation of God. In His incarnation (taking of flesh & blood), God and man are united. In the teachings and miracles of His public ministry, the Kingdom of God on earth is inaugurated. His Cross, set up on earth like Jacob's ladder, reaches into heaven. Through His Resurrection, Ascension, and Exaltation to the right hand of God, human nature is raised into heaven. And through His Second Coming, all things will be reconciled to God. In Christ, heaven and earth are joined." Wallerstedt

"I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed." Dan 7:13-14

b) Faith in Christ always succeeds.

"But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' " (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, " 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:6-9; Deuteronomy 30:11-14

Faith does not doubt even though we are sinful.

Faith is not distant, but near to us.

Faith transforms the whole person.

Faith is available to everyone equally.

c) The mouth confesses the Lord Jesus - that the Savior (Jesus) is God (Lord).

d) The heart believes that the Father raised the Son from the dead. That is to say: the heart believes in the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), the Resurrection as fact, and in the works of the Son.

We trust God and take Him at His word. We put our faith into action by obeying Him. By believing in His Name we take part in His incomparable righteousness.