Steven Furtick - Starving Sons (01/29/2026)
Pastor Steven preaches from Genesis 25:24-34 on Esau trading his birthright for stew, using it to warn against impulsivity and selfishness in the "Death to Selfie" series. He cautions against mistaking external growth for maturity, letting hunger exaggerate emotions leading to bad trades, and sacrificing long-term blessings for short-term fixes—but points to Jesus, the perfect firstborn Son, who restores our lost inheritance through His sacrifice and grace.
Setting the Stage: The Series and This Week's Focus
Genesis chapter 25, verse 24 through 34. We're studying the life of Jacob, and we're also looking at some other characters that were a part of his life in this five-week series called Death to Selfie. Learning how to let go of who we think we're supposed to be so we can become who we already were all along. And this week, we're looking at a particular aspect of selfishness called impulsivity that keeps us from really taking hold of all of that for which Christ has taken hold of us.
But this story I'm going to read you on the surface seems a little silly, and I used to have a hard time taking it seriously. Because what happens in the story seems so ridiculous, I kind of wondered who would really do that. But then I discovered that we do it all the time, and I want to show you how we do today. And I think this will be very instructive for you. So let's read this story together about Jacob and his brother Esau.
The Birth of the Twins and Their Early Lives
Back up a little bit to verse 24. It says, When the time came for her, that's Rebekah, their mother, to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. And the first to come out was red. His whole body was like a hairy garment. Wouldn't that freak you out? Not like he was hairy when he got a little older. He was hairy when he came out. You freaking give birth to a Chewbacca baby. Wouldn't that freak you out? Don't look at me like that's normal. So they named him Esau.
After this, his brother came out with his hand grasping Esau's heel. Because we learned last week how Jacob means heel grabber. So his name was Jacob. They named him Jacob. It also means supplanter or deceiver. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. He was content. Let's try and stuff.
Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
The Fateful Trade: Esau's Impulsive Decision
Once, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, Quick, let me have some of that red stew. I'm famished. Hook a brother up. That's why he's also called Edom. Jacob replied, First, sell me your birthright. Look, I'm about to die, Esau said. What good is the birthright to me? But Jacob said, Swear to me first. So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
And then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. And he ate and drank and got up and left. And so Esau despised his birthright. I think that's a really sad verse. So Esau despised his birthright.
I want to preach to you for the remainder of our time here today on the subject, Starving Sons. Starving Sons. And after you've written down that title, because I know you're all planning on taking notes so that you can go back over this and get it really deep in your heart and not just hear it and then walk away from it where it won't do you any good, but you really want to digest it so it can nourish you and strengthen you.
But after you write down the title so you can do that later, turn to the person next to you and tell him, I think I hear your stomach growling. Would you do that? Starving Sons. I think I hear your stomach growling. You sound kind of hungry. Starving Sons.
Why This Trade Was So Terrible
This has to be the worst negotiation in the history of humanity. Esau's birthright meant that he would get double the inheritance whenever Isaac passed away. Isaac was loaded. Some of you are thinking, well, that wouldn't really be a big deal with my parents. My parents are leaving me with bills. But Isaac was loaded. And so to get double the inheritance from Isaac was a big deal. But Esau made a really bad trade. Double the inheritance of your rich father for a bowl of stew.
I almost titled this message, Come On, Man. Come on, man. Like, this is so stupid. Like, give me your elevation pin. Okay. Who in here... This isn't a trick question. I'm not going to make fun of you or anything. Who in here has a really nice car? Is there anybody in here, the Blakeney location, that has a really nice car? Come on. We're not going to make fun of you. We don't believe that people with nice cars go to hell in this church. We just believe you get to heaven faster. Amen. Amen.
Come on. Really nice car. Really? It's nice? It's nice? I'm not just talking about nice to you. I'm saying, like, we would all think it was nice. This ain't the time to raise your hand about your Taurus. We're thankful for your Taurus. But we're talking about, like, something that other people lust after. I had a Taurus, but I'm saying, a really nice car. What's your car? What's your car? A Benz. That's great. That's really great. How about an elevation pin for your Benz? That's how silly this story has always sounded to me. It's like, hey, I got that. I like that. A pin for a Benz. Maybe I should call the sermon, a pin for a Benz. You'd be like, no way. I steal the pins every week anyway. I don't need you to give it to me. Everybody say, bad trade. Really, really bad trade.
First Caution: Don't Mistake Growth for Maturity
And yet, the more I studied the story this week, I saw some things in it that were very convicting to me. So I want to do two parts of this message. Both of them will be relatively quick. But the first part, I want to take this story and use it as a cautionary tale, because I believe in this story is something that God wants to say that will keep somebody from a decision that you're about to make that could really set back the rest of your life.
And so today, I want to give you a word from God. I'm just a mailman. So when I start speaking at a minute, and it feels like I know you, it's because God wants to get something to you through me. And so that's the first part. But then at the end, I'll show you a little connection that I think will be very meaningful to you as we talk about starving sons.
So please write down the first of these three points. They're all in the story. I'll show them to you. But I want to give you three cautions today. And the first one is this. Beware of mistaking growth for maturity. Beware of mistaking growth for maturity.
Now, I'm lifting this from verse 27, where the Bible says the boys grew up. They grew up. And I understand that the Bible means that they matured in age and they matured in stature. But what follows is us watching these two boys fight like five-year-olds. They'll give you a bowl for your birthright. No, man, give me the bowl first, then I'll give you the birthright. No, man, you're going to make up my bed for a week. I'm going to tell mom. Like, I always read the story because it's so ridiculous how they're acting. And I assume that the boys were teenagers. I found out this week studying about the Scripture. They were in their 60s when this went down. But yet the Bible says they grew up. But did they really?
You know, there are some people that I meet and they're grown up. But are they really? I have this thing I always say when I get offended. And Holly makes fun of me when I say it. When somebody disrespects me, I'll say, I'm a grown man. It's my way of saying, like, they shouldn't treat me that way. I'm a grown man. And there are other versions of that that people say with more adjectives. But what I tend to say is, I'm a grown man. Did you see the way she was talking to me? I'm a grown man.
And it's funny that I'm using the phrase, I'm a grown man, to display a childish behavior which is taking offense. It's kind of ironic, you know, because there's a way in which you can grow up but not really develop within. We can call it arrested development. We can call it whatever we want. But there is definitely a lot of it going on in the story.
Where it says, Esau grew up… And I don't have long to spend on this point, because the thing at the end is what you're really going to love. Because this part is kind of convicting. Because there are some of you here who are like Esau, where he grew up and became a skillful hunter. So he got really good at what he did, but he didn't grow in who he was. So he ended up forfeiting everything that he had, because while he grew in his skill, he never grew in his character.
And this can happen to you if you're gifted in an area. It says, look at it again, verse 27, He became a skillful hunter. So he got really good at killing his dinner, but he never got good at controlling his appetite. And so don't mistake growth for maturity. Don't always mistake age for wisdom.
There are some ways in which my kids are teaching me, because just because you grow externally… There are some of you here who are really good at making money. You have a skill to hunt, but you've never learned how to manage it, because you grew up in a gift with a gift, but you never grew the infrastructure to manage the gift. Some of you are really good at making friends, but you can't keep a friend. Why? Because you can grow out, but you can't grow up. You know how to hunt them and bag them and bring them home, but you don't know how to return your phone calls and be faithful in a relationship.
So this is just a preliminary point. Don't mistake growth, external growth or success, for inward maturity. Everybody say amen. Nudge the person next to you and say, did you really grow up? Did you really grow up? Are you really growing up? Are you really growing up?
Second Caution: Unsatisfied Appetites Lead to Exaggerated Emotions
Well, let's move down a little bit. Just going back through the story now, let's take it a little slower. It says that Jacob stayed at home among the tents, and Isaac, who had a taste for wild game. Verse 28, he loved Esau. He loved Esau because Esau could kill wild game and bring it to him. So he's a picture of a selfish father who loves the son more, who can bring home trophies and bring home accomplishments. And so maybe Isaac here is representing that kind of driven parent that loves their kid more for what they do than who they are.
But then Jacob had a special relationship with his mom. And so Mama Bird is like, oh, Jacob, don't worry about dad. He's a buffoon. Anyway, he and Esau are hairy. And so you and I will stay together. And so Jacob developed skills that were more indoor skills. And so they both have their skills, and they're both growing up.
But Esau went out one day, and he did what he did, what he always did. And it says once, verse 29, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country famished. It's really important because to understand why Esau did what he did, you've got to understand the state that he was in. And it says he came in from the open country famished. So he went out to do what he did, but it didn't fulfill him.
So I don't know. It says he was a good hunter, but apparently he didn't kill anything this day because he came home empty-handed, and he's hungry. And so he has a conversation with Jacob in the state. He said to Jacob, verse 30, he said to Jacob, can I just throw in there, be careful who you talk to when you're in a susceptible state. Be careful.
He said to Jacob, he's in trouble already, because remember, Jacob is the one who was grabbing at your heel when you were born. Jacob doesn't necessarily have your best interest at heart, but he said to Jacob, and you've got to be very careful who you speak to in susceptible times. When you're vulnerable, when you're weak, you've got to be very careful about who you reach out to, because if you talk to the wrong person and hear the wrong voice, you'll make the wrong choice every time.
Jacob, my brother. He said to Jacob, he's like, quick, and you can hear the impulsiveness in Esau's voice. Quick! He's a man who knows how to get what he wants and wants what he's got and takes what he wants. He takes right now and I take what I want. Quick! Let me have some of that red stew. I'm famished.
And so, he's met with an offer. Okay, first tell me your birthright. What? Okay, I'm thinking here. I'm thinking right here. I'm thinking Esau. You're a hunter. You're hairy. Jacob is a cook. Beat him up and take the stew. You don't have to sell him anything. Break his nose. Little mama's boy. Throw him across the kitchen. Take all the stew. But see, he's weak and he's hungry and he doesn't even remember his own strength.
And so, verse 32, verse 32, he says, and I want you to notice here how Esau turns from this big hairy man to a little drama queen. He goes, Look! I'm about to die! Come on, Esau. I'm about to die! This is a picture. Let me give you point number two. Point number two is this. Beware of unsatisfied appetites that become exaggerated emotions.
I'll give you a minute to think about that and how that applies to you. Is it all right if I teach a little bit? I don't always have to be. Beware in your life and in your soul and in your emotional self. that you don't get too hungry. like Esau did. He was in trouble because he was hungry. He was weak because he was hungry. He compromised because he came home hungry.
My dad was a barber and outside of his little barbershop there was a snack machine and I remember he used to let me have some change to go to the snack machine sometimes at the Berkeley Motel and Restaurant Berkeley Barbershop and I could go to the snack machine. And I remember what the snack machine said And I would have to sweep up hair, a certain amount of hair, I would have to fill the trash can with hair. And then I could go to the snack machine. That was our system. And I remember what the snack machine said. It was just a little boy. It had a motto on it. It said, don't go round hungry.
And I remember always being so perturbed that it didn't have an A on it. It just said, don't go round hungry. And I remember thinking that was just such poor grammar. I've always been a critic. And so I remember that. Don't go round... You know, that's a good word for a believer, too, though, is don't go round hungry.
I found it kind of ironic that it's a snack machine. It doesn't exactly sell celery sticks and carrots and things that are good for you. I found it kind of ironic that the slogan of the snack machine, which you're already only using because you got hungry and forgot to eat… That's the only reason you would use the snack machine, but they're telling you, you know, don't go round hungry, because if you do, then you're going to have to buy crap out of this machine. That we're about to sell you. It's like right there in the thing is like the caution. It's like, if you go around hungry, you will eat a honey bun.
Now, any good nutritionist can tell you that if you need to lose weight or get in shape, the worst thing you can do is starve yourself all day. Okay, I'm going to skip breakfast. I'm going to skip lunch. Well, what's going to happen at 930 P.M. when from within the refrigerator there is a calling, there is a voice, not from the broccoli, but from the briars? See, because when you go around hungry, Esau, when you go around hungry, you'll reach for the first thing that you think will give you a hit.
Beware of the quick fix that is available in your times of hunger. Now, I hope you don't think I'm talking about physical food right now, because I'm using the food as an analogy to talk about your heart, to talk about your spiritual condition, to talk about your soul, and a lot of times the reason that we make bad deals with life and bad deals with people and bad compromises with our integrity is not because we were bad people, but because we just got too hungry. We didn't pack a snack.
There ain't no excuse for you to be hungry in this church. There ain't no excuse for it. Every podcast that any preacher ever preached in this church can be in your pocket, so you can always have a snack in your back pocket. Every worship... You don't have to go around starving. Maybe if Esau would have thought ahead, he wouldn't have been in this predicament.
Spiritual Hunger and Its Consequences
What happened to Esau, it happens to us. You get too hungry, and you get out there, and you're not filled with the Word, and you're not filled with worship, and you didn't spend any time with God Monday through Wednesday, so by the time Thursday comes, you're falling apart, and then you feel like you're about to die. And we can laugh at Esau, but we can also all relate how your emotions get exaggerated when you get too hungry and too empty.
And you start looking at people who love you and taking offense about what they didn't give you because you're so hungry that you need people to be something to you that only God can be. And so you get too lonely, and when you get too lonely, you want love so badly, and you're not getting it from the right place, the primary source, the only true source of love. And so since you're not getting your love from God and God's people, you'll go to the club and get something that looks like love, and you'll settle for sex. But what you were hungry for was love, and you didn't get love from the right streams, so now you're drinking from a polluted pond because you went around hungry.
And when you get too hungry, you start talking yourself into forfeiting your faith. You know, I'm about to die. What good is my birthright? And I feel for Esau because I know how he felt. It's like sometimes it's really hard to honor God, who I can't see. Give me my bowl, Buck. I just want my bowl. So when there's this bowl in my face, and Esau walks in and he smells something and smells good when you're hungry, and almost anything smells good when you're hungry, if you get hungry enough, you'll start craving stuff you would never even look at. I'll kill somebody for a Brussels sprout when I get hungry enough.
Y'all, I went on a 40-day fast one time when we started the church. I would dream about rice cakes. I would have fantasies about rice cakes because rice cakes smell real good when you're hungry enough. Unsatisfied appetites, exaggerated emotions, and you start feeling like, well, maybe I'm never going to get married. Maybe nobody's ever going to love me like that. So since I can't get real love, I'll settle for a temporary fix. So I just let a guy...
A Message to Young Women: Walk Away from the Bowl
Now, I want to say something to my young sisters up in here. Because there's a boy that's putting his hands all up in places that he shouldn't even be thinking about, letting alone touching. And I wanted to say to my young sisters today, as a big brother in Christ, walk away from the bowl. You're not a dog. You don't have to eat out of a bowl. You don't need some stew to fill you up.
In fact, I want to teach you a lot. For every young sister that wants to be pure and know who you are in Christ and keep yourself together and respect yourself, the next time he puts his hands on your body, look at him and say, Boy, you ain't nothing but a bowl. And I don't eat out of bowls. I'm a daughter of the king. And I'm waiting on some fine China and some white linen tablecloth. No, but a bowl.
Beware of the bowl, because the bowl looks better in the store than when you take it home. In the bowl. What a horrible, horrible trade. Jacob, I'll give you my inheritance for one bowl of bean stew. I couldn't understand if it was extra chunky, but it's bean stew, y'all. A bowl of beans. Beans for your birthright. And we do it every day. Every day, you know. That smells good. And so the immediate need starts to feel so urgent. That we think we're not going to make it if we can't have this now.
The Emptiness After the Quick Fix
I got this bowl from Genghis Grill. One of my favorite eating establishments. I love that Mongolian house of glory. And I fill my bowl when I go, because you fill your bowl, and then you give it to the cook. And I fill my bowl. But I know the game that they're trying to run. They want me to fill the bowl with starches. Because the starches are cheaper. But I didn't come for the starches. I came for the beef. I came for the crab meat. I came for a little bit of chicken. But really what I want is crab. Because that's the most expensive stuff you got out here. And that's what I want.
In my bowl, I feel the spirit of Perry Noble coming on me, preaching about food like this. But I found out that when your life is empty, you'll let people just fill your bowl with anything. It's like an empty bowl. It's like, hey. And see, it doesn't have to be that way.
I was thinking how all Esau really needed in this story, all he really needed, and the whole story could have been different, was just one friend. Just if he would have had one person there with him, the whole story could have been different. Like just one friend to say, hey, Esau, this is ridiculous. And I know you're hungry right now. Let's go find your mom. I know she doesn't like you that much, but she certainly won't deny you a meal. Come on, bro. You don't have to do this. It's not like this. Walk away from the bowl.
Let me be that friend to you today, okay? There's somebody here, and you're about to trade your birthright for a bowl. You've been trading your birthright for a bowl. And God brought you to church today. I know that he did, so that his spirit could say to you, walk away from the bowl. Walk away from the bowl. The bowl isn't worth it. I know you're being tempted to compromise, but your integrity is worth more than the bowl. Walk away from the bowl.
The Sad Aftermath of the Trade
It says that in verse 33, it says that after Jacob got him to swear to him an oath, selling his birthright to Jacob, listen to how sad this sounds, okay? Listen to the end of when you take the bowl and when you make the decision based on your internal appetite rather than on the principles and the promises of God. It says that Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and then he got up and left. That's it. It doesn't even say he enjoyed it. It doesn't even say he enjoyed it. No candlelight. He ate. No silverware. Ate. Drank. And got up and left. And he despised his birthright.
That's so sad to me. Ate. Man, I didn't feel like I thought it would feel. Let me ask you a question. Let me ask you a question. Just go here with me. This might be a little inappropriate, but I'm not going to answer the question. I'm just going to ask it. After Esau ate the beans, where did they end up? It's just a question. It's just stuff I think about during the week while you're doing a real job. Where did the... Ate. You see how quick he got up? He was in a hurry. That's why he got up. I'm just saying, like, where is this going to end up?
Third Caution: Don't Trade What You Want Most for What You Want Now
My third warning to you is the most powerful of all. Beware of the temptation to give up what you want most for what you want now. That's what happened to Esau. That's what happens to us. We give up what we want most for what we want now. Oh, I really do want to stay around and raise my kids, but right now she looks real good. But be very careful. You don't give up what you want most for what you want most for what you want now, a bowl of beans, birthrights for bowls, birthrights for bowls.
I'm seeing Christians everywhere, not just in our church, in all churches. I'm seeing us sell out our birthright for a bowl. I'm seeing us give up our legacy and our impact and our power and our purity for bowls of beans, bowls of beans for birthrights. It's a bad deal, y'all. It's a bad deal. That bowl isn't going to satisfy you. That bowl isn't going to fulfill you. Don't do it. Oh, do it.
I know somebody's thinking, like, well, this is interesting and all, but I don't really have a birthright. All right, so your sermon, while relatively entertaining, is not entirely applicable under my circumstances. I know you're thinking it. But I want to let you know, I don't know if any preachers ever told you this, but you do have a birthright. Yes, every believer has a birthright. A birthright.
Scripture says that we have an inheritance that is kept for us that will never perish, spoil, or fade. It is reserved for us, and it is shielded by faith. You have an inheritance, a spiritual inheritance. Every spiritual blessing in Christ, you have an inheritance. You have an inheritance. Would you notify somebody, like you're an attorney, and tell them you have an inheritance? Just let them know, because they might not have ever heard this before. You have a birthright. You have an inheritance.
As a child of God, there are things that God has set aside for you and purposed for you and intended for you and designed for you that have your name on it. Come on, you have an inheritance. You have a birthright. See, the devil can't take away your birthright. He has to get you to give it up. He can't take it. It's not in his power.
We know about birthrights during this time. There are three things that can happen with a birthright. It can be doubled. That's pretty cool. It can be given away, or it can be transferred. Now, in this passage, we see Esau giving away his birthright, and we're all going, come on, man. Don't do it. It's a bowl of beans for a birthright. This is a bad decision, but see, we do it all the time.
Examples of Trading Our Birthright Today
Just a few examples. I'll get out of your way in a minute. Just a few examples. We trade our birthright for bowls all the time. For instance, God has given us peace. He's given us peace. When you pray to ask God for peace, he's saying, I already put it in you. Here's how I know it. In John 14, Jesus said, Peace I leave with you. See, it's an inheritance. He left, and he said, I'm leaving something for you and with you and in you. Peace I give to you. Do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.
So, God has given you a birthright called peace, and you're supposed to be at peace even in the midst of the storm. Peace even in the midst of problems. Peace even in the midst of raging seas. Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace. But the devil has a bowl of worry, and he wants you to wake up in the morning and eat those beans. Beans for breakfast. Some of y'all are eating beans for breakfast, and you're sick to your stomach all day long, and you get up and you leave.
Oh, God has given you joy. Joy. He's given you joy. Like, it's in you. It's in you. Peter calls it, this is the King James old-fashioned way. He said, Joy unspeakable and full of glory in the Holy Ghost. In the Holy Ghost. That's the King James, in the Holy Ghost. But you know, in order to get you to give up your joy, because the devil can't take your joy. Don't ever say again when the devil's just trying to take my joy. He can't take your joy. God gave it to you. He doesn't give us a world ghost. You got joy.
But if he can get you to eat a big bowl of grumbling, grumpy soup, sulky soup. You give up your joy. Now, how about this one? God has given you a testimony. Jesus said it this way in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. He said, Don't put it under a bowl. Instead, put it on a stand. Let it shine and give light to everybody in the house.
He's given us a testimony. But you know what often fights against my testimony? This is a personal confessional. My temper often fights against my testimony. This may not be anything you relate to, but you can substitute in your own temptation. But for me, it's my temper, and it's been that way all my life, and I can go off in a minute. If the wrong thing happens, preaching to you, I can go home today, and after inviting people to receive the love of Christ, I could get road rage.
Personal Story: Trading a Testimony for a Temper Tantrum
And I'll show you one example of this. And I have gotten better, and God is working on me. But he's still working on me. And so the other day, I went to go get Abby from my mom's house. And when I was stopped at a red light—remember, I'm stopped at a red light. When you hear what happens in this story, remember, I'm stopped at a red light. It's not turning red. It wasn't red, and now it's green, and I'm texting. I'm stopped at a red light.
This punk—and I'm calling him a punk—because that's the nicest word I can think of to use right now. There are other ones. That's the one I'm choosing. And this punk kid in his daddy's car—how do you know it was his daddy's car? Because I'm supplying all the details of this scenario based on how I want the scenario to be as I tell the story to you. And so this punk in his daddy's car, and he's got this girl that he's trying to impress, and both of them look pretty young. And he swerves around me at the red light. He's in such a hurry—such a hurry to go play Candy Crush with his girlfriend.
And he swerves—this is my story—and so he swerves around me, almost like the front of our car, and something went off in me. And it was a Monday, so I'm sure I was tired from preaching, too. But he swerves around me. And so, you know, the Bible talks about praying for people, but it also talks about laying hands on people. And both of those are biblical. They're both in there. So I was thinking about the second one, which is in the Bible.
So I followed him. And don't ask me how fast I had to go to follow him, but I followed him, and I caught him. And when I caught up with him, I followed him real good, and I had to follow him a little ways, but I followed him. And when I pulled up beside him because he was going to turn, I rolled down my window, and I shouted at Abby in the back, saying, Hey! Don't be such a... And then when I said what I said next, it wasn't exactly a cuss word. Now it depends on what part of the country you're from, if you would consider this a bad word or not a bad word. I won't say the word again here, but what I said, he goes, Chill out, bro! And I said, No, bro! You need to chill out! Driving all crazy! He said, No! You need to chill out! You got an elevation sticker on your car! And I'm thinking, Boy, you don't even know. I designed the elevation sticker. And I drove off. I drove off. I did drive off. But I felt sick the rest of the day. A testimony for a temper tantrum. An elevation pin for a Benz. What kind of trade is that?
And all day, every day, there's bowls in our faces being led by our senses rather than our spirit. And we give up what we want most for what we want now.
Esau's Story in the New Testament and the Hope of Redemption
So severe was it in Esau's case, because some of you are listening to this sermon thinking, You're being a little hard on him. He just made a bad decision. But let me show you what the writer of Hebrews said in the New Testament about Esau. So Hebrews 11 is like, it's called the Hall of Faith. And they list all these great people and all the great things they did for God. But then Hebrews 12 does something pretty shocking.
It says, verse 15, See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. I will point out here that while Jacob got the birthright in this story, he did plant a seed. Because every time... You can look at Esau and think how stupid he was. But Jacob was a loser, too. See, the nation of Edom that would eventually come from Esau would be one of the greatest antagonists of the nation of Israel. for their entire existence as a nation throughout Scripture. It was a bitter root.
So we've got Jacob who lost out. We've got Esau who lost out. But watch what the writer says. Listen to this. He shouts out Esau as an example of what it means to live a godless life. Listen to this. He says, See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Next verse. See that no one is sexually immoral or is godless, like Esau. Like he's writing, and he's like, See to it that no one is godless. Who's an example of godless? I know Esau. Wow. How would you like to be remembered like that?
You know, last week we learned he's the god of Abraham, the god of Isaac, remember, and the god of Jacob. Has it ever occurred to you that since Esau was the firstborn son with the birthright, it was supposed to go like this? The god of Abraham, the god of Isaac, and the god of Esau. But Esau chose the bowl over the birthright. Are you kidding me? What could have been? What should have been? What would have been? But now instead of being the god of Esau, Esau is called godless.
Who for a single meal, it was just one meal, you know, for a single moment, sold his inheritance, right, says the oldest son. And verse 17. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Five years ago, if I preached this message, I would stop it right here, and I would say, you know, walk away from the bowl, and that would be the end of my message. But I was studying this week about starving sons, Jacob, who was hungry for a blessing, Esau, who was hungry for beans. I thought about two other sons that are really famous in Scripture. And God took my mind to this parable that's in Luke's Gospel. One of the most famous stories ever told.
The Prodigal Son: A Contrast to Esau
that a certain man had two sons, and one of them, the younger one, said to his father, Father, Father, give me my share of the inheritance. And he didn't want to wait for his father to die to take the inheritance. He wanted it now. Now. So he got what he wanted, and he set out to a far place, and he spent all of his money, and he ate bowls of beans, exotic beans, all the beans you can eat. But one day the beans ran out, because they always do.
And it's interesting, because it says that when he finally hit rock bottom, it says that he came to himself. That's what this series is about, you know? Coming to yourself, because you'll never come to God until you come to yourself. And so he came to himself, and he said to himself, How many of my father's servants are starving, are well fed, and here I am, starving to death? It's like he had this wake-up call. He's like, Wait a minute. My father feeds his servants, his gardeners, and his housekeepers. He feeds their eating better off of the scraps than I am out here as a son.
And so he makes a plan. He comes to himself. He says, I'm going to go home to my father. I'll go home to my father, and I'll tell him I'm sorry, and I'll give him a speech. And maybe if my speech is good enough, he'll let me back in. But he was met with mercy at the road, because they say God will meet you halfway. That's not really true. He'll come running to you and carry you where you couldn't go. You can't meet him halfway. What do you think this is? You're starving.
And the father, he makes a big scene. It's kind of embarrassing for everybody. It's like this awkward PDA where this dignified Jewish father is hugging his son and kissing his son. He's like just all over his son, and he's crying on his son. And his son was crying, and he's crying. Now everybody's crying. They're all crying. And the father says, Hey, I got an idea. My boy is probably pretty hungry. He traveled a long way. So y'all go kill a cow. Go kill Bessie. She's grass-fed. I want my boy to have the best. Come on. What cut do you want? Let's do this right. Somebody start the music. Let's have a party and stuff. My son's back.
Matter of fact, I don't like the way he looks in these clothes. Somebody get him a robe. Would you get him a robe? Somebody get him a ring. It rings the sign of authority. I want to give him his authority back. We got to celebrate and say, I read that this weekend. It bothered me. Because I said, Well, okay, God, there's one son named Esau. And he left home and set out and came back starving, made a bad decision, lost everything and couldn't get it back, even though he cried for it.
And then there's this other son. who set out away from home. He was starving, came back home, and got it all back. What was the difference? I mean, it wasn't like their attitudes were different. The boy didn't come home because he loved his father. He came home because he was hungry. I said, What's the difference? What's the difference? And so, you know what I remembered? I remembered. that there was another firstborn son.
Jesus: The Firstborn Who Restores Our Birthright
Another firstborn son. And so, in Romans 8, 29, it says that those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn, the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And see, what I want you to know today is that Jesus was the firstborn son who didn't take the bowl, who didn't sell his birthright.
See, a birthright can be taken away, but it can also be transferred. And I found out that Jesus, the firstborn of God, the only begotten of the Father, will give you your birthright back if you'll just believe. Just believe. Just believe. He'll give it back. He bought it. He paid for it. He bled for it. He'll give it back. He'll give it back.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank You, Jesus. Just as I am, I call. Hallelujah. Oh, what an amazing love. Thank You, Jesus. Just as I am, I call. Hallelujah. Oh, what an amazing love.
There was another son, another son. And he left his home in heaven. And he went out into the wilderness, starving, fasting 40 days and 40 nights. And he was hungry. And the Bible says that the tempter came to Jesus and he said, if you're really the son of God, turn these stones into bread. But Jesus didn't need to turn the stones into what he already was. He was the bread of life. He was the son of God.
And we all, like Esau, have taken the bowl. We all took the bowl, church. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We're all starving sons and daughters. But Jesus says, now, I'm your big brother. I'm your perfect sacrifice. And if you'll come on home, I want to give you back your birthright.
Invitation and Altar Call
Heads bowed, eyes closed, no one moving. At all of our locations, there are starving sons, starving daughters who need today to be rescued, redeemed, and restored by the grace of God. Heads bowed, eyes closed. If today you recognize, I am that starving son. I am that wanderer. I am that Esau. I've been godless. And today I want the God of mercy, the God of second chances, to come and fill my heart and fill my life.
And I want you to pray this prayer with me. We believe that Jesus Christ, through the power of his name, will see and save every heart that is open to him by faith. And so we're going to pray now together as a church family, out loud, for the benefit of those who are coming to God for the first time or coming back to God, praying together at all of our locations.
Heavenly Father, I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the perfect Son of God, and the Savior of the world. Heavenly Father, I believe that he died to forgive my sin and that he Rose to give me life. I repent of my sin. I trust in you, Jesus, as my Lord and Savior. I call on your name. I will follow you as you live in me all the days of my life.
Head still bowed, eyes still closed. If you just prayed that prayer with me to come to God or come back to God on the count of three, shoot your hand in the air. We want to celebrate your decision and new birth today. One, two, three. Shoot them up high all over this church. Thank you, Jesus. Awesome. Awesome. God bless you. Welcome home. Welcome home. Welcome home. Welcome home. Welcome home, starving sons, famished daughters.
You know, the Bible says, when the son came home, the father threw a party and said, let's celebrate. I think we ought to celebrate a homecoming today in the house of God. Let's lift him up in here. Let's shout his praise.