Clean On The Outside, Dirty On The Inside

Tonight's Scripture Reading: Genesis 35:1-5

What was God telling Jacob? To build an alter, Honor Him. What did Jacob tell his family? Get rid of the foreign god’s, purify yourselves, change your cloth’s. God is with us always. Did Jacob want to take his family on his journey of faith? Let’s look into the journey and what happened on the journey?

The Foreign God’s:

Vs. 2 “So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.”

Jacob realized how much God had done for him. He wanted everyone to share his experience. How much they “needed” God, only God.

Foreign gods: Many people back then had “household idols” that they depended on, as well as God. They didn’t trust God alone. Get rid of them. What are your “idols”? Have you gotten rid of them?

Purify Yourselves, Change Your Cloth‘s:

What was Jacob telling them to do? To purify and change their hearts, not the physical clothing, the heart. Stop Sinning, get rid of the idols, stop sinning and come to God. Change your heart. I told a story about a friend who had a dream. In his dream God told him he was clean on the outside but dirty on the inside. He wanted to know what that meant to me. Here is what was reviled to me.

God was telling him to change his heart and focus on Him. Stop living in the world, claiming to be a Christian. Wearing a cross, going to church, going through the actions without changing his heart. “Clean on the outside, Dirty on the inside”. Would you drink from a shiny, polished cup that was moldy inside? His outer appearance said Christian but his heart said sin.

The Journey:

We need to Change, we need to have Faith in God. A Changed heart, no idols, just God. Jacob listened to God and did what God asked of Him. Faithfully.

Vs. 5 “Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.” …

God offered complete protection, a safe journey, then Blessings.

Obeying:

Vs. 7 There he built an alter, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there That God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.”

Jacob had cleaned his heart and obeyed God’s commands,what happened next?

Vs. 10-13 “God said to him, Your name is Jacob , but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel. So He named him Israel. And God said to him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your decedents after you. Then God went up from him at the place were he had talked with him.”

The Kingdom

Are you Clean on the outside but dirty on the inside? … Do you look like a Christian or do you Act like a Christian? …
The promise of God is, eternal life with Him. All He asks us for, is our heart God looks at our heart not the exterior.
If you see someone wearing a cross it doesn’t mean that they have Christ in their hearts. Ask them, don’t turn down the chance to minister God’s word. Remember, A Shiny outside doesn’t mean a Clean inside.