1 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:12,960 Good morning. We are in Genesis 32 and 33 this 2 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:14,680 morning. If you don't have a Bible, there 3 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,680 is one under the seat in front of you. 4 00:00:22,170 --> 00:00:24,770 We're going to start in chapter 32. 5 00:00:28,730 --> 00:00:32,890 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him, and when 6 00:00:32,890 --> 00:00:35,490 Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's camp. 7 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,200 So he called the name of that place Manayam. 8 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,520 And Jacob sent messages before him to Esau his brother in the 9 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:49,240 land of Seer, the country of Edom, instructing them thus. 10 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:51,680 Thus you shall say to my Lord Esau. 11 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:57,360 Thus says your servant Jacob, I have so sojourned with Laban and 12 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,880 stayed until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, 13 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,120 male servants, and female servants I have sent to tell my 14 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,200 Lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight. 15 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:13,720 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to your 16 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:18,160 brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are 400 17 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,200 men with him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid. 18 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,080 In distress he divided the people who were with him and the 19 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:29,280 flocks and herds and camels into two camps, thinking if Esau 20 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,480 comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that 21 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:37,120 is left will escape. And Jacob said, O God of my 22 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,720 father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said 23 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,600 to me, return to your country and to your kindred, that I may 24 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,640 do you good. I am not worthy of the least of 25 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,960 all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that 26 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,960 you have shown to your servant. For with only my staff I cross 27 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,080 this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 28 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,200 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of 29 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:09,880 Esau, for I fear him that he may come and attack me, the mothers 30 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,120 with the children. But you said, I will surely do 31 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,680 you good and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which 32 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:18,720 cannot be numbered for multitude. 33 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,520 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he 34 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,920 took a present for his brother Esau. 200 female goats and 200 35 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:35,840 male goats, 200 youths and 20 Rams, 30 milking camels and 36 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:41,000 their calves, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 37 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,800 male donkeys. These he handed over to his 38 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,120 servants. Every, every drove by itself and 39 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,920 said to his servants, Pass one ahead of me, and put a space 40 00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:54,360 between drove and drove. He instructed the first, When 41 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,440 Esau, my brother meets you and ask you, to whom do you belong? 42 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,400 Where are you going, and whose and whose are these ahead of 43 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,400 you? Then you shall say they belong 44 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,520 to your servant Jacob, and they are present sent to my Lord 45 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,440 Esau, and moreover he is behind us. 46 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:17,440 He likewise instructed the second and the third, and all 47 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,520 who followed the droves. You shall say the same thing to 48 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:25,160 Esau when you find him, And you shall say, moreover, your 49 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,080 servant Jacob is behind us. For he thought I may appease him 50 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,440 with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see 51 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,120 his face. Perhaps he will accept me. 52 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,680 So the President passed on ahead of him, and he himself saved 53 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:47,560 that night in the camp. The same night he arose and took 54 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:51,320 his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven 55 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,920 children, and crossed the Ford of J Book. 56 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,680 He took them and sent them across the stream and everything 57 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:02,520 else that he had, And Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled 58 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,120 with him until the breaking of day. 59 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,800 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he 60 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,960 touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint 61 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,640 as he wrestled with him. Then he said, Let me go, for the 62 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,880 day has broken. But Jacob said, I will not let 63 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,000 you go unless you bless me. And he said to him, What is your 64 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:24,720 name? And he said, Jacob. 65 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,040 Then he said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but 66 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,200 Israel, for you have shriven with God and with men, and have 67 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,440 prevailed. Then Jacob asked him, Please 68 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,880 tell me your name. But he said, Why is it that you 69 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,960 asked my name? And there he blessed him. 70 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:46,200 So Jacob called the name for the place, Pineal, saying, For I 71 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:51,360 have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered. 72 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:56,760 The sun rose upon him as he passed Pineal limping because of 73 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,480 his hip. We're going to go to chapter 33, 74 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:06,040 verses one through 4. And Jacob lifted up his eyes and 75 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:10,120 looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and 400 men with him. 76 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,080 So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel, and the two 77 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,680 female servants, and he put the servants with their children in 78 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:19,960 front. Then Leah with her children, and 79 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:24,320 Rachel, and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, 80 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,600 bowing himself to the ground seven times until he came near 81 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,840 to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and 82 00:05:30,840 --> 00:05:33,720 embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and they 83 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,360 wept. This is the word of the Lord. 84 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:45,440 What's going on? Port City family and friends, 85 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,600 how are we doing? Good, good, good. 86 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,920 Well, my name is Ron and I am one of the pastors here. 87 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:53,840 And summer is officially among us. 88 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:55,800 All right? So that means the kids are home. 89 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,800 That means trips, travels, all the things. 90 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,520 And when you know one of the things for the Port City family, 91 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,480 you might recognize that there are a lot of young faces that 92 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:09,760 you don't recognize. That is because you know, with 93 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:14,720 summer being among us, shout out to Mercy Hill church and city 94 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:17,040 project. There's a some summer it's a 95 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,520 summer intensive program that a bunch of students that are here 96 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,280 with us this morning. I got an opportunity to spend 97 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:27,120 some time with them yesterday and we were looking at kind of 98 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:30,720 work and the city. And so if you don't recognize 99 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:31,760 this is for the port city family. 100 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,000 If you don't recognize a young person, say what's up to them, 101 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:37,400 ask them what they've learned and then ask them what you can, 102 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:39,360 how you can be praying for them this summer. 103 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,080 I'm sure that they will appreciate that. 104 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,480 We are also excited because we are going to be beginning our 105 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,640 first city project. I'm sorry, not city project, 106 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,200 city life, similar to city project, but a little different. 107 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,760 So we got a couple students this summer that's going to be going 108 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:57,600 through that. So church, I tell you that just 109 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:01,520 to be praying for them. We we love college students and 110 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:06,400 being in Norfolk, there are many universities and sort of and you 111 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,960 know earshot of of us and so we certainly want more college 112 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,000 students here. We love them. 113 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,640 It's certainly in a very pivotal time in their lives forgot to 114 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:19,120 get a hold of them and to really change the trajectory of their 115 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,280 entire lives and and kind of send them out. 116 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,040 And so do we praying for them? Do we praying for us? 117 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:29,680 We, we long to, to see this be our gathering every single week, 118 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,240 not just because we have some guests, but we want, you know, 119 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:36,320 students from all of of the new neighboring campuses to, to call 120 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:40,520 Port City home. So pray with me toward that end. 121 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,240 All right now. So because again, a lot of 122 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:47,160 people are new, we are finishing a series that we've been walking 123 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,200 through for the last couple weeks called Saints and 124 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,400 Scoundrels. And we've been looking 125 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:54,960 specifically at the life of Jacob. 126 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,920 And So what we're going to see is that Jacob is he's chosen by 127 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:04,520 God, he's loved by God, he is blessed by God, but he also is a 128 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:06,680 schemer. He's a manipulator. 129 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,760 He he runs, he tries to control situations and outcomes all the 130 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:13,800 time. He is both a St. and a 131 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,520 scoundrel. And like many texts today, we're 132 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,160 going to see both of those at play. 133 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,800 And if we're honest, that is the reality for us in the Christian 134 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,080 life. Sometimes I oftentimes our lives 135 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:32,559 are characterized by moments of great piety where we are devoted 136 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:34,679 to God. We are saying, Lord, I love you, 137 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:36,799 I trust you. And then in the very next 138 00:08:36,799 --> 00:08:40,720 moment, we are sending an e-mail out of fear to our boss in order 139 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,240 to try to make sure that they didn't misunderstand our motive 140 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:46,600 or or that they didn't think something that was wrong. 141 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,240 So we say we trust, but yet sometimes our actions don't 142 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:54,000 align with that we are can find ourselves being both St. and 143 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,120 scoundrel. Well, today if, if you know, if 144 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:02,400 we have learned that like God loves Jacob, he's called him, 145 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:06,280 he's he's promised to bless him, why does he let Jacob wrestle 146 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,560 all night? Why does you know he allow him 147 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:12,520 to walk away limping? If God is going to bring him 148 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:16,720 home and bless him as he said, Why does the why is the road 149 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,360 filled with fear and weakness and confrontation and pain? 150 00:09:20,680 --> 00:09:24,920 In other words, which is the title of today's sermon, Why 151 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:29,160 does God let me struggle? That is the question that we are 152 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:34,040 aiming to answer this morning. And if I could just give you the 153 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,640 answer and then I'll try to unpack it for you. 154 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:41,440 The answer is this. God often uses struggle to bring 155 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:46,800 us to the end of ourselves so that we can discover that he is 156 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,920 the true blessing that we are seeking. 157 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:56,080 And so again, before God changes Jacob's situation, he changes 158 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,320 Jacob and that's what we're going to see before he changes 159 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:03,840 the circumstances regarding his brother, he changes Jacob and we 160 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:05,960 see that in the name change. And we're going to, we're going 161 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:07,920 to get to all of that in just a moment. 162 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:11,440 So can we pray really quickly and then we'll we'll dive into 163 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,600 the text. Father, we love you, God, we 164 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:15,880 thank you so much for the summer. 165 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,120 And God, it's an opportunity for rest and for margin. 166 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,440 Lord, help us to not waste our summer. 167 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:26,040 Lord, I pray that you would allow this to be a time where we 168 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:30,280 reconnect with maybe friends or family members in ways that 169 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,720 maybe just the normal year doesn't allow. 170 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:35,400 And so, Father, we pray that you'd bless it. 171 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,160 Father, some of us have come into this room this morning 172 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,920 still trying to control the outcomes in our lives. 173 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,200 Would you meet us today in this text? 174 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,560 Would you show us Christ? Would you help us to trust you? 175 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,600 God, we thank you so much for your word that it speak to us. 176 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:53,200 And so father, what we know not would you teach us, Father, what 177 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,800 we have not would you give us and what we what we are not, 178 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,600 would you make us. And father, may the words of my 179 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,960 mouth and the meditations of my heart please be acceptable and 180 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,080 pleasing in your sight. And everybody who agreed with 181 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,280 that said Amen. All right. 182 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:14,120 So a couple weeks ago we were having a kickball tournament. 183 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,680 So we're still still talking about the kickball tournament. 184 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,240 And in a kickball tournament, you don't expect to dislocate 185 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:24,120 your shoulder. But of course, I did that, 186 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,000 right? It's like, Ron, you're kicking 187 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:26,560 the ball. How? 188 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,240 Listen, I I managed to dislocate my shoulder and I remember now 189 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:35,080 I've dislocated my shoulder 40 times between the two of them. 190 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:36,200 OK? So it's not a big deal. 191 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,800 Matter of fact, everybody was coming over and Tanner was like, 192 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:40,120 chill. Like, he's good. 193 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:41,720 He's done this all the time. Don't worry. 194 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:43,640 Don't call nobody. He's fine. 195 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,280 Relax. I remember the first time I got 196 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:48,840 dislocated at my shoulder. I go to this urgent care and 197 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:52,520 there is a practitioner there and like the the person is like 198 00:11:52,520 --> 00:11:55,280 trying to wedge my arm and like, you know, move it. 199 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,040 And in that moment, I'm like, this is extremely painful. 200 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:03,280 Get away from me. It hurts and I'm like, you know, 201 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,160 eventually I allow them, they reset my arm and we're good and 202 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:09,440 all the pain kind of subsides, right? 203 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:11,760 I, I tell you that story many times. 204 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,680 I, I bet if we can, if we stop, stop for a moment, we can think 205 00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:17,840 of times where there was something that we were going 206 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,360 through that was really, really painful in the moment, but later 207 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,600 on it was for our good, right. And so that, you know, 208 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,960 practitioner trying to reset my arm, really painful, but moments 209 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:33,240 later produced a lot of joy and a lot of, you know, comfort for 210 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,840 me. And so again, you know, but but 211 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:39,360 nobody likes to be in those moments, if we're honest, right? 212 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,520 Nobody wants to be alone. Nobody wants the struggle. 213 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:44,880 Nobody wants the, the, the, the limping. 214 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:49,160 You know, we want the answer, we want the deliverance. 215 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:52,920 We want sort of things to be sort of taken away from us. 216 00:12:53,880 --> 00:13:00,760 But often times, sometimes God's grace to us is to allow us to, 217 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:05,960 to struggle so that we can kind of get to the end of ourselves. 218 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:08,360 You know, sometimes, you know, we may not have chosen to 219 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:12,640 struggle, you know, but God is doing something in the struggle. 220 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:14,440 And that's exactly where Jacob is. 221 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:18,560 Jacob, he has left Laban. He's going back home. 222 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:23,840 And there's one problem, Esau and Esau is his brother, whom he 223 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:26,840 stole the blessing from. And so he is very fearful. 224 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:30,440 He had to leave in order to, you know, save his life in order 225 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:32,200 from his brother, not to to kill him. 226 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:34,880 And so that's why Jacob, he runs in the first place. 227 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:39,080 And so 20 years later, you know, Jacob is headed home and home 228 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,840 sounds good, right? Until you remembered Esau. 229 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,320 All right. And so again, some of us, we 230 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,280 know what that's like if we are honest, right? 231 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:52,160 We want healing, but healing comes through facing something 232 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:55,800 that might be difficult. We want reconciliation, but that 233 00:13:55,960 --> 00:14:01,280 requires we say sorry, or maybe it requires us having a hard 234 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:05,400 conversation. We want there to be peace in our 235 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:08,640 relationships with our coworkers, but it it requires 236 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:12,160 some humility. You want freedom, but it means 237 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:16,200 telling the truth. And So what we're going to see 238 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,360 through the the life of Jacob and, and through sort of as we 239 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:24,400 land the plane on this series, we're going to take this text in 240 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,040 three movements. We, we're going to see that God 241 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:29,960 is going to bring Jacob to the end of control. 242 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:34,560 We're going to see Jacob. God meets Jacob in the middle of 243 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,480 his struggle. And then we're going to see God 244 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:41,600 send Jacob forward with a blessing and a limp. 245 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,640 All right, so point number one is God brings Jacob to the end 246 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,640 of control. Look back with me at Genesis 32, 247 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,800 verse one and two. Jacob went on his way and the 248 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:57,280 angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said 249 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,680 this is God's camp. So he named that place Mahenim. 250 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,400 OK, so I want to pause really quickly. 251 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:07,640 All right, So again, this is amazing because he's going back. 252 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,640 And what before he faces Esau, what do we find? 253 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,560 We find that God lets Jacob see that he is not alone. 254 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:20,080 He allows Jacob to see that he is, that he has his angels with 255 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,280 him. And so, you know, when Jacob is 256 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:27,000 facing one of his greatest fears, God shows him that he is 257 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,960 not alone. That is can be quite comforting 258 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:33,400 for some of us. Then he sends Jacob sends 259 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,760 messengers to Esau and they come back with terrifying news. 260 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,040 That terrifying news in verse 6 it says we came to your brother. 261 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:45,800 He's coming to meet you. But he has 400 men with him. 400 262 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,280 men does not sound like a welcoming committee. 263 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,600 Doesn't sound like they are there to so glad you're back. 264 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,120 It sounds like an army is coming right. 265 00:15:56,120 --> 00:16:00,200 And how does Jacob respond? He is filled with great fear and 266 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,880 distress. Now let's watch what Jacob does 267 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,680 verse 7. He divided the people who were 268 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,000 with him, the flocks and the herds and the camels into two 269 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,920 camps, thinking if Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, 270 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,040 then the camp that is left will escape. 271 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,400 This is classic Jacob right here. 272 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,840 He's always calculated, always managing, scheming, always 273 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:23,880 trying to find an angle. Right. 274 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,680 And again, before we are quick to judge Jacob, how many of us 275 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:32,240 are that way? How many of us pray? 276 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:37,320 And then we panic plan, right? We, we, we say, Lord, I trust 277 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:40,880 you, you are sovereign. But then the next moment we are 278 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,920 up to 2:00 AM kind of thinking through all of the worst case 279 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,560 scenarios, trying to, you know, prevent them from happening. 280 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,120 And that's that's where we are. So Jacob is scared. 281 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:55,400 And when Jacob gets scared, he tries to control what is it for 282 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,800 you? I know what it is for me when I 283 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:03,880 am afraid or if, if things, if I'm ruffled, I try to I, I begin 284 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,560 to get harsh. I begin to get more controlling. 285 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:12,280 I begin to get more demanding and critical In those moments 286 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:15,440 where I am starting to be in a stressful situation. 287 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,440 What is it for you? Are you more cynical? 288 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:21,520 Are you more numb? Are you kind of despondent? 289 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,720 I'm just not even going to. I'm going to ignore. 290 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:29,080 Let's be clear. Listen, God, he is not reacting 291 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,560 to Jacob's mess. I need us to understand this. 292 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:35,240 God is redeeming through it, right? 293 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:39,760 And so God uses Jacob's schemes. He doesn't endorse them. 294 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:42,040 He doesn't say, hey, you should try to do this. 295 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:46,000 But despite what he does, God still uses him. 296 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:49,720 And God, you know, God's grace is so much bigger than Jacob's 297 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:53,080 mess and so much bigger than our mess as well, right? 298 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,920 Even our best attempts to get it right, to obey God and to honor, 299 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,640 we're going to miss it. We're going to maybe, you know, 300 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,640 think we were on it. And but God's grace is committed 301 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:07,840 to us as it is, as he is committed to Jacob. 302 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:11,720 And then something beautiful happens in the chat text. 303 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,560 Jacob prays. And this is one of the most 304 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:20,280 honest, beautiful prayers in all the Genesis chapter 32, verse 9, 305 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:24,160 Here's what Jacob says. He says, O God of my father 306 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:29,320 Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, 307 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:32,760 return to your country and to your Kendrick, that I may do you 308 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,640 good. I am not worthy of the least of 309 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,800 all the deeds and the of your steadfast love and all the 310 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:40,840 faithfulness that you have shown to your servant. 311 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,880 And then he says, verse 11, Please deliver me from the hand 312 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,400 of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him. 313 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,800 Friends, this, this is prayer. You know, prayer is is not 314 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:56,360 pretending that you are calm in sort of the moment of struggle. 315 00:18:56,480 --> 00:19:00,000 It's just it's being honest. It is not cleaning up your 316 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:01,840 emotions, but it's being honest with them. 317 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:05,200 It's saying, God, I need you, Lord, I I am afraid. 318 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,920 Will you do this? I cannot without you. 319 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,840 Like you made this promise you love me. 320 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,760 I'm not guys. This is growth for Jacob. 321 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:19,360 For Jacob, this is not the the young heel grabbing, 322 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:23,760 manipulating, lying to to get things that he wanted. 323 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:27,040 This is somebody who is crying out to God. 324 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:30,080 This is the first time where he is using God's name, Yahweh, the 325 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:33,840 covenant name of God in a personal, intimate way. 326 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,520 And so it's kind of like Jacob is finally beginning to see God 327 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,400 for who he really is. And what does he do? 328 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:45,360 He say I'm not worthy. His immediate response is not 329 00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:50,600 pride, but it's humility. The closer Jacob gets to God, 330 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:55,600 the more aware he becomes of God's faithfulness to him and 331 00:19:55,600 --> 00:20:00,040 his unworthiness of it. And Jacob? 332 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:02,560 Begins to pray this promise back. 333 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:06,720 I love this he says in verse 12 he says, but you said guys, 334 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,640 that's the some of the best prayers that we can pray is 335 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:13,400 where we give God's words back to him when we're when we're 336 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,800 praying Scripture when we're praying his promises. 337 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:20,640 He said, Lord, you said I will surely do you good and make your 338 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:24,120 offspring as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered for 339 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:29,240 multitude. Again, there is a Lord I I need 340 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,000 you. This is what you said he has 341 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:35,600 sort of come to the end of himself and for us again, this 342 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,200 is what it is for us. We must see ourselves in light 343 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:42,200 of who God is. And then our response is to say, 344 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,160 God, we need you to do this, whatever it is. 345 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:49,280 When you think of your current struggle, again, I need if you 346 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:53,360 don't intervene, if you don't, if you don't move, God, I can't. 347 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:56,560 Like I need you. But here's the reality. 348 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:01,120 If we don't see God, if we don't see our need, we won't pray. 349 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:05,240 So we can say that we are believing God, but are we 350 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,520 praying? Because if we're not praying, 351 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,760 then likely we are potentially trusting on other things, other 352 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:16,080 means, right? Jacob's schemes in this case. 353 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:20,120 So what does Jacob do right after this heartfelt prayer, 354 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,960 right after this declaration? God, I need you to do it. 355 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,440 What is he What does he do verse 13 So he stayed there that night 356 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:33,320 and from what he had with him, he took a present for his 357 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:37,040 brothers. Kenny read all the he said, 358 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,920 listen, I know you can do it. I know you promise, but I'm 359 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:43,560 going to send these goats just in case. 360 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,800 Listen, we see classic sainthood and scoundrelhood all at the 361 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:52,760 same time, right? Just a moment. 362 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,920 I mean verse later. Lord, I trust you, but let me, 363 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:57,080 let me scheme. Let me. 364 00:21:57,120 --> 00:21:59,920 And again, guys, if we're honest, that's what we do. 365 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:04,080 We say, Lord, I trust you with my kids, but let me micromanage 366 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:09,240 everything that they do, right? Lord, I, Lord, I trust you with 367 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,440 this relationship, but let me make sure, let me manipulate 368 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:13,720 some things. Let me make sure they don't 369 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,200 forget about me or make sure that they see me and recognize 370 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:20,800 what I'm doing here. Lord, listen. 371 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:25,280 So Jacob, I, I appreciate the amens and because I, I know 372 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:29,120 that's what I do. So, so, yeah, I mean that that's 373 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:32,480 been, that's where Jacob is. So Jacob, he's not fully free 374 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,800 and Amen. I'm not either, but there's, 375 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:39,480 there's good news coming, right? He is still trying to manage 376 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:41,640 outcomes. He's still still trying to 377 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:46,240 secure the blessing by strategy. He's still trying to make sure 378 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:48,960 that tomorrow works out so that when he shows his brother shows 379 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:51,160 up, then kill him. Like he's still trying to like 380 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,520 Lord, you said, but I let me make sure, right? 381 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:58,680 And friends, this is exactly where God meets him. 382 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,440 So point #2 is God meets Jacob in the middle of his struggle. 383 00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:09,760 Verse 24 And Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with 384 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:11,440 him until the breaking of the day. 385 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,280 And when the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he 386 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:19,560 touched his hip socket and Jacob's hip was put out of joint 387 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,240 as he wrestled with him. I've dislocated my shoulder. 388 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,080 Dislocating the hip sounds really painful. 389 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,320 Holy moly, guys, this, this passage is wild. 390 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,920 Jacob, he's alone, he's in the dark. 391 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:36,160 He's afraid. His brother's coming. 392 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,800 His family, he's he sent them ahead. 393 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,600 They've already crossed. His possessions are have gone. 394 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:51,200 He's has nothing left to manage. And God shows up as a wrestler, 395 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:56,560 not as a motivational speaker, not as a life coach, not as a 396 00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:00,000 comforter, a wrestler. Why? 397 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,440 Well, why does God show up this way? 398 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:07,280 I, I think is I, I say Jacob's been wrestling his whole life. 399 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:10,720 Jacob, he wrestled Esau in the womb. 400 00:24:11,120 --> 00:24:14,040 He wrestled for hit the birthright. 401 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,640 He wrestled for the blessing. He wrestled with Laban. 402 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,680 He wrestled for the wise, for the flocks. 403 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:23,960 He he's been wrestling his whole life has been 1 long struggle 404 00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:28,480 trying to secure what he wanted. Now God says Jacob, the real 405 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:32,120 wrestling is, has been with me, has always been with me. 406 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:37,560 And we, we usually think that our struggle is with the people, 407 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:41,920 with the circumstances, with the boss, with the parents, with the 408 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,840 spouse, with the enemies, with the past. 409 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:49,880 All of those struggles are real. Not trying to put those down, 410 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:55,040 but underneath all of them is this deep, the deepest struggle 411 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:59,480 which is with God. Can we trust God at his word? 412 00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:03,840 Can we, will He bless me? Is He enough? 413 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:08,560 Can I surrender control and these things work out for my 414 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,200 good? Can I stop trying to secure my 415 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,520 own identity? Can I stop trying to seize 416 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,520 things and just receive it? Is God really good? 417 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:22,320 Does He really love me? That is often times at the heart 418 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:26,080 of all of the other things that we struggle with. 419 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:30,440 It really is just the smoke to the fire which is this struggle. 420 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,800 And Jacob wrestles all night. The man touches Jacob's hip 421 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,600 socket and is immediately out of joint one touch. 422 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:44,120 Now let's be clear, God is not struggling to win with Jacob 423 00:25:44,120 --> 00:25:46,240 here. Like he'd never lack the power, 424 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:48,080 right? We see it if he he touched them 425 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,560 and the man's hip fell out of place, right? 426 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:53,760 So listen, he is restraining himself. 427 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:58,560 He he is not God was was really stooping to to wrestle with 428 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,480 Jacob, right? God could have ended him in any 429 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,360 moment. So why did God let it go all 430 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:08,360 night? Well, the point was not for God 431 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:13,720 to see how strong Jacob was. The point was for Jacob to find 432 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:19,480 out how weak he was so that he would cling, that he would cling 433 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,920 in in to God instead of his own strength. 434 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,640 And friends, listen, that's, that's, that's grace. 435 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:33,960 Painful, but that's grace God. Sometimes God loves us enough to 436 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:40,520 let us struggle, loves us long enough so we can get to the end 437 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:44,240 of ourselves and stop pretending that we're strong. 438 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:50,680 God sometimes wounds us in order to teach us that he alone is the 439 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:55,120 blessing, not the thing or the person or the promotion or the 440 00:26:55,440 --> 00:27:00,360 circumstantial change. And that's hard if we're honest. 441 00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:04,360 We don't like the struggle. We don't like the the infliction 442 00:27:04,360 --> 00:27:08,320 of of pain. Jacob spent his whole life 443 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,480 trying to seize a blessing through strategy, through 444 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:15,320 manipulation. But blessing was never something 445 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:19,240 that he could grab. It was something that he had to 446 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:21,440 receive. And that night what Jacob really 447 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,880 needed was not protection from Esau, but it was God himself. 448 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:29,240 And that is what he got. That's what's offered to us, a 449 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:32,640 deeper knowledge of the one who is the blessing that we are 450 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:36,280 really seeking. Let's continue on in verse 26. 451 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:39,120 Then he said in the midst of his wrestling matches. 452 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:43,120 Then he said, let me go for the for the day has broken. 453 00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:46,160 But God said, I'm sorry. But Jacob said, I will not let 454 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:50,200 you go unless you bless me. And he said to him, what is your 455 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:51,720 name? And he said, Jacob. 456 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,600 Then he said, your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel. 457 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:58,600 For you have striven with God and with man and have prevailed. 458 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,320 Then Jacob asked him, please tell me your name. 459 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,440 But he said, why is that? Why do you ask my name? 460 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,040 And then he blessed them. And then to end at the end of 461 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,520 verse 30, he says, For I have seen God face to face, yet my 462 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:14,240 life has been delivered. Jacob says, I'm not going to let 463 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:19,040 you go God until you bless me. Like bold for Jacob to say, 464 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,720 right? Is that OK for us to say God 465 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:26,520 like I'm not, I'm not leaving. I'm not until you bless me 466 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,520 'cause I, I think here that that is a good prayer. 467 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,880 I don't think it's entitlement. I think it is shows desperation. 468 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:38,440 It shows dependence. It says, God, if if I, if you 469 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:44,880 don't bless me, I have nothing. And I think if our prayers, life 470 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:48,840 closets were marked in that way, I think that honors God. 471 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:53,400 I think that is a demonstration, a mark of true faith, faith that 472 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:58,800 clings, faith that truth that refuses to run from God and 473 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:01,880 scheming into other things and sources. 474 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,600 And then I love this interaction, right? 475 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,680 I love this interaction. And then the man asks, what is 476 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:12,000 your name? You know, the last time Jacob 477 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,400 was asked his name, he didn't say Jacob. 478 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,160 He said his name was Esau. He lied. 479 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:22,440 And his whole life was kind of marked by that lie. 480 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:27,160 And in this, listen, this is great, in this moment, him 481 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:31,320 saying his name is Jacob. He's confessing who he is. 482 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:34,760 I'm a schemer. I'm a manipulator. 483 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,760 I am the deceiver. I'm the one who's been who's 484 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,280 been grabbing, striving. That's my name, that's who I am. 485 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,200 That's there's there's a confession there. 486 00:29:44,880 --> 00:29:47,040 And friends, this is the good news. 487 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:52,080 Listen, Grace enters in when pretending ends like when we are 488 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,800 honest, when we confess, I am a Sinner. 489 00:29:55,560 --> 00:30:01,000 We can receive a new identity as Jacob is going to, but we we can 490 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,880 come to the end. We don't have to sort of act 491 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:07,560 like or, you know, try to run away. 492 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,520 This is where he, he, he brings him to the end where he is 493 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:16,520 saying, this is who I am. And God gives him a new identity 494 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,120 because Jacob finally, he comes empty handed. 495 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,560 He, he's no longer trying to grab, he's no longer trying to 496 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:24,960 earn. He's no longer trying to get it 497 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:29,160 on his own. He receives it and listen. 498 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,600 And that's how we receive a new name in Christ. 499 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:34,920 It is not by trying to hide our past. 500 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,880 It is not trying to, you know, act like we got it together. 501 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,760 It's not trying to act like we are are are good enough. 502 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:47,440 It is by acknowledging how we show up, admitting our name, 503 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:51,840 admitting our sin, admitting our brokenness before God, not 504 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:55,680 performing, not trying to prove ourselves, but bringing the real 505 00:30:56,040 --> 00:31:00,080 us before God in confession and repentance. 506 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:06,800 And Jacob prayed for deliverance from Esau and God answered, but 507 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:13,800 first again, God changed the man who prayed again, I just want to 508 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:17,200 remind us God's greatest work. It's not always just around us 509 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,320 in the circumstances. It's often in US and and he did 510 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:24,360 it in Jacob and and as we will see right, He sends them 511 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,440 forward. This is .3 sends them forward 512 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:32,880 with a limp and a blessing. Genesis 3231 is where I'm at. 513 00:31:33,120 --> 00:31:38,760 It says the sun rose upon him as he passed Pineal limping past. 514 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:40,320 I'm sorry, limping because of his hip. 515 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:45,360 Guys, don't let's not miss that. So the sun rises again. 516 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:50,160 God just blessed Jacob. Jacob has a new name, Israel, 517 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,840 new identity. He's seen God face to face and 518 00:31:53,840 --> 00:32:02,040 he has survived, right? But he's limping, friends, this 519 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:06,840 is Christianity, blessed and limping, stumbling forward, as 520 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:12,160 we like to say here, changed but weak, loved but still dependent, 521 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:17,520 given a new name but still needy, still carrying reminders 522 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,160 of our grace. And so if you are not in the 523 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:23,680 faith or if you are hanging around, please don't think that 524 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,200 I'm saying you come to God and all your problems change. 525 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:30,080 That is not what I'm saying. There is a limp, there is 526 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:33,800 evidence, but the but I love the beauty, the the limp isn't. 527 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:36,120 It's the evidence of God's grace in his life. 528 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:37,360 I'll, I'll get to that in a minute. 529 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:41,200 But I do want to talk about this, this reconciliation that 530 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:46,960 happens between Esau and Jacob. We didn't read the rest of 33, 531 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:52,560 but Jacob walks into chapter 33 limping and the matters within 532 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:56,400 Esau are still coming. God didn't remove the fact that 533 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,200 he still has to see his brother whom he lied to, who he thinks 534 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:03,080 wants to kill him, right? But he sends Jacob back into 535 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:06,520 that same situation, right? So he didn't just, you know, 536 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:08,400 remove him. And again, I think that's good 537 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,200 for us. Some of us want to just the the 538 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,360 the situation to be removed, to be done with, to not have to 539 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,080 face it. While God is determined to 540 00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:21,800 transform us in the midst of that, as he transformed Jacob 541 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:25,240 and then sent him back into this encounter with his brother. 542 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:29,920 And so in verse 1 of chapter 33, this is the encounter with 543 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:33,360 Jacob, I'm sorry, with Esau. And Jacob lifted up his eyes and 544 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:37,120 looked, and behold, Esau was coming and 400 men with them, 545 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:40,040 and divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two 546 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,520 female servants. And he put the servants with 547 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:45,400 their children in front, and then Leah and the children in in 548 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:48,240 the back. He himself went on before them, 549 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:51,600 bowing to the ground seven times until his brother came near. 550 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:53,040 And what happens? Verse 4? 551 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,480 Esau ran to him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and 552 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,440 kissed them, and they wept. And so Jacob was expecting 553 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:01,120 death. He received and embraced. 554 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:06,080 He he said to Esau, he even said that Esau, to see your face is 555 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,239 like seeing the face of God. You accepted me. 556 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:10,719 Why? Why would he say that? 557 00:34:11,639 --> 00:34:14,719 Because Jacob had just seen the face of God and lived. 558 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:19,120 Now he sees the face of his brother, whom he had wronged and 559 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:23,320 lives. And so God's grace with Jacob 560 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:28,600 becomes the pattern for Jacob's reconciliation with his brother. 561 00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:32,000 And so the reconciliation, it happens, right? 562 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:35,520 They're reunited. But Genesis 33 again, if we 563 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,960 finish reading it, doesn't pretend that everything is OK 564 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,440 like it's not. And they live happily ever 565 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:42,960 after. There's no more strife, there's 566 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,760 no more tension. That's not what happens, right? 567 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,400 Jacob is still cautious around his brother. 568 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,760 The relationship is not instantly perfect. 569 00:34:52,760 --> 00:34:56,960 And there there's wisdom here. Reconciliation doesn't mean like 570 00:34:56,960 --> 00:34:59,080 forgiveness doesn't mean you necessarily forget. 571 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:04,400 Forgiveness doesn't always erase all of the consequences, right? 572 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,240 Walking with God doesn't mean everything works out. 573 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:10,800 But but guys, Jacob is different. 574 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,680 God did change him, but yet there is still a limb. 575 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:18,760 There is still some some, some residue of the strife and 576 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,320 attention that they've had in their relationship. 577 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:23,840 And this is true for the Christian life. 578 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:26,280 God's people often walk with a limp. 579 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:31,240 The limp is not proof that God abandoned Jacob, but rather it 580 00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:34,920 is proof that God met Jacob in the struggle. 581 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:41,320 And I, I wonder how many of us that are believers, if we 582 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:45,680 reflect, many of us probably wouldn't have chose the season, 583 00:35:46,240 --> 00:35:52,360 the grief, the the diagnosis, the waiting, the weakness that 584 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:56,680 we had to endure. But God met us there and God 585 00:35:56,680 --> 00:35:59,760 changed us there. And although we still walk with 586 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:03,520 a limp, I know him in a way that I did not know him before. 587 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:11,080 I was a couple weeks ago, I had a a member of Port City who is 588 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,520 in this room and they don't know I'm telling this story, but it's 589 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:15,880 OK. They wounded me with their 590 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:19,840 words. They warned me about something 591 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:23,240 that I was doing that had a potential pitfall and and 592 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:27,320 downside. And in the moment I was like 593 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:29,120 being questioned and I didn't like it. 594 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:33,520 But the Lord used what they said to and I reflected on it and 595 00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:37,240 they were 100% right. And it produced a lot of fruit 596 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:41,160 in my life since that conversation. 597 00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:46,080 The womb wasn't didn't feel good, but it made me better and 598 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:51,800 that I am grateful for. And so as we kind of work toward 599 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:57,320 a close, how does Jesus, how does the gospel unlock this 600 00:36:57,320 --> 00:37:01,440 passage for us? Well, friends, Jacob wrestled 601 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:05,600 with God and he walked away alive, like wounded, but alive 602 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:07,640 that again, that shouldn't have happened. 603 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:13,840 We're talking a guilty, manipulative man grabbing the 604 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:19,200 heel of an holy God, not heel grabbing hold of a holy God, 605 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:20,800 right? He should have been crushed 606 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:22,760 instantly. Should have been. 607 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:29,360 Instead, God restrained. God limited himself to let Jacob 608 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:32,160 wrestle him. He let Jacob hold on. 609 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:39,000 He even let Jacob prevail and God is not, he's not weak here. 610 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:42,800 He's not weak by nature. He became weak by choice. 611 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:47,800 In Genesis 32. He restrained his power so that 612 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:52,840 Jacob could receive the blessing instead of judgment. 613 00:37:53,600 --> 00:37:56,880 Jacob limped away saying, I have seen God face to face, but yet 614 00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:01,040 my life has been spared. Guys, this points to Christ at 615 00:38:01,040 --> 00:38:05,840 the cross. God does not merely appear to be 616 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:09,680 weak, He truly takes on weakness. 617 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:14,280 He becomes flesh, He becomes vulnerable. 618 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:21,320 He lets sinful people seize him, strike him, mock him, crucify 619 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,960 him. And the final judgment that 620 00:38:24,720 --> 00:38:29,800 Jacob deserves, that we deserve it, falls on Jesus himself. 621 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:34,800 Jacob, I'm sorry. Jesus is the true and better 622 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:42,640 Jacob who lays down his life for the schemers, for those grasping 623 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:46,560 for control, for those trying to manipulate. 624 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:49,240 Jacob wrestled with God and was spared. 625 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:54,680 Jesus entered the the judgement of God for sinners and was 626 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:58,440 crushed in our place. Jacob limped away with a 627 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:02,040 blessing. Jesus was broken so that we 628 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:08,600 could receive the blessing. Jacob held on to to God, risking 629 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:10,560 his life to receive the blessing. 630 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:17,240 But Jesus held on at the cost of his life, not because he done 631 00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:20,560 anything wrong, but so that we could secure the blessing. 632 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:26,200 Jesus won by losing. He conquered by being conquered. 633 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:30,320 He defeated sin by laying down his life. 634 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:34,280 And because Jesus was wounded, we are healed, friends. 635 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:40,200 Because Jesus was rejected, we are and can be accepted. 636 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:46,760 And so for the believers in the room, some of us are wrestling 637 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:51,080 with things right now. Maybe it's not a brother. 638 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:55,080 Maybe it's a marriage that feels like it's on the rocks or 639 00:39:55,080 --> 00:40:00,560 fragile. Maybe it is a a diagnosis of a 640 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:04,160 family member. Maybe it is a a child that is 641 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:06,800 not walking in the way that you would want them to. 642 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:12,360 Maybe it's uncertainty about the future and what it holds for 643 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:14,880 you. Maybe it is a conversation that 644 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:21,280 you've avoided for years. Listen, don't mistake the 645 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:25,520 struggle for God's absence. He is there, He's with us, He's 646 00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:28,240 with you. And when we think about what 647 00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:32,200 we've seen today, God brought Jacob to the end of his control. 648 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:35,720 God met him in the middle of his struggle. 649 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:39,520 God sent him forward with a limp and a blessing. 650 00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:45,840 And that's the pattern God dealt before. 651 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:49,520 God dealt with Esau again. He, he dealt with Jacob before 652 00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:53,640 he changed his circumstance. He oftentimes he changes us and 653 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:56,720 so some of us are focused to get, you know, we're ready to 654 00:40:56,720 --> 00:40:59,920 get out of the struggle. We're focused on the season that 655 00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:01,720 is ahead. The struggle. 656 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:06,480 The struggle may be the very place that God is teaching you 657 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:09,960 to trust him. The struggle may be the very 658 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:16,000 place where God is exposing something so that you can learn 659 00:41:16,240 --> 00:41:19,920 to lean on him. The struggle may be the very 660 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:25,360 place where God is teaching you that he himself is the blessing 661 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:31,000 that you have been after the sun rose and he was still limping. 662 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:36,600 Don't don't miss that. Again guys, the limping is not 663 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:41,840 it is not absence. It is evidence, right? 664 00:41:42,960 --> 00:41:47,200 God, you know through this, Jacob teaches us that God's 665 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:50,400 grace often meets us before the circumstances change. 666 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:56,440 And so one of my, my charges to you is that that we would pray 667 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,280 like Jacob. God, I will not let you go 668 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:02,720 unless you bless me. But we'd also pray like Jesus, 669 00:42:03,080 --> 00:42:07,280 not my will, but yours be done. Because the reality is, is 670 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:10,920 though we still have a lint like Christ, he is enough. 671 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:16,040 He is enough for whatever it is that we are facing, not because 672 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:19,880 we know what tomorrow holds, not because the struggle is over, 673 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:24,280 not because the lamp is gone, but because of the God who meets 674 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:28,800 us in the darkness, because of the God who is with us in the 675 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:32,720 midst of the struggle. And listen, if you are an 676 00:42:32,720 --> 00:42:35,280 unbeliever, I said this, I do want to say it again. 677 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:38,160 I want you to hear that this is an invitation. 678 00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:42,280 This is not an invitation to clean yourself up and the the 679 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:44,400 struggle that you have will be no more. 680 00:42:45,240 --> 00:42:49,400 The invitation is to come to Jesus with all of your mess, 681 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:53,200 with who you really are, with your real name, with your real 682 00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:56,480 struggles, with your real sins, your real shortcomings. 683 00:42:56,960 --> 00:43:02,960 Come to the one who you've been avoiding and you've been chasing 684 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:10,560 everything else Come to him. Jesus died and he rose so that 685 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:16,000 we could be given a new name, so that we could not earn a new 686 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:19,720 life by our strength, but receive it by faith. 687 00:43:20,240 --> 00:43:23,640 And so in the midst of our struggle, would we remember that 688 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:30,600 He's there and that He invites us to to experience Him in the 689 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:32,360 midst of our struggle. Let's pray.