Northland Church

Welcome to Northland!
Northland Church exists to glorify God as we participate in His mission of redeeming a people from all peoples by engaging neighbors and nations to be fully alive in King Jesus through the power of the Spirit.

NorthlandChurch.net

MAIN POINT:

The way God’s Love works is you DON’T FALL in LOVE — you FAITH in LOVE.

Marriage isn’t about completing ME but finding a MATE to do MISSION with.

#1: LOVING GOD IS ABOUT MOVING FORWARD NOT GOING BACKWARDS

Don’t go backwards to find a mate; if they aren’t willing to go forward in faith leave them be!

DON’T get a wife for my son from the Canaanites but from my relatives. But make sure you DO NOT take my son back with you—you go and bring her back. The Lord, the God of heaven has promised me to give this land to my offspring. (summary of Genesis 24:1–8)

God’s People Don’t Go Backwards — They Go Forwards!

#2: YOUR PRAYERS SHOULD ALIGN WITH GOD'S LOYAL-COVENANTAL LOVE FOR YOU

Pray for a COVENANTAL MATE who will join you on God’s COVENANTAL MISSION

“The Lord, the God of heaven...who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. . . . Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness (hesed) to my master Abraham." (Genesis 24:7,12)

PRAYER IS NOT:

- Asking God to give you what you want
- Asking God to bless your plans
- Asking God to make your dreams come true

PRAYER IS:

- Asking God to give you what you need
- Asking God to love you the way He promised
- Asking God to use you to advance His mission

#3: YOUR FLEECE PRAYERS NEED TO REQUEST GOD'S GLORY (CHARACTER) — NOT YOUR GREED

CHARACTER is the GREATEST magnet and movement in the covenant of marriage and God’s mission

Then he prayed—standing by a spring—“May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” (Genesis 24:13–14)

Watering 10 Thirsty Camels

...can drink 20–30 gallons
10 x 20 =200 gallons
jar would hold 2–3 gallons
200 gallons2.5 = 80 trips to well
Takes her 3–5 minutes per trip
80 trips x 3 min= 4hrs

Fleece Prayers are NOT asking God to prove Himself but asking God to glorify Himself.

Fleece Prayers are NOT hail Mary's hoping that God will do what you ask but are specific requests that you believe will advance God’s mission.

#4: YOUR TESTIMONY IS TESTIFYING TO GOD'S LOYAL COVENANTAL LOVE TOWARDS YOU

If they don’t have a testimony to tell, you don’t have a ring to give them.

Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord, saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.” . . . . So the man went to the house.... Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.” (Genesis 24:26–27; 32–33)

So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’ Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’ He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.’ . . .

“When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’ and if she says to me, ‘Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,’ let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’ Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’

So I drank, and she watered the camels also. I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’ Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”

#5: FAITH IS THE FOUNDATION OF LOYAL COVENANTAL LOVE — YOU FAITH INTO LOVE

Marriage should be FOUNDED on FAITH so you will FALL deeper in LOVE.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.” But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go. ”But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.” Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.” So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she said.

Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. . . .Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. Then the servant told Isaac all he had done.Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. (Genesis 24:54–57;61–67)

FAITH > COVENANT > LOVE

You can FALL out of LOVE just as quickly as you FELL into LOVE.

But... If you FAITH into LOVE, you’ll FALL deeper in LOVE.