The Legacy

*for the sake of my prep time and to also allow more time during preaching for the flow of the Holy Spirit, I will be preparing my sermon in an outline format as opposed to a manuscript as I have done in weeks past.

Introduction

As some of you know, I have some wrestling fans in my family. Yes, I mean the “fun” stuff with crazy characters and dramatics.

We watch this type of wrestling because often times it is a good guy verses a bad guy.

Their is often a story behind the match or a reason they are fighting each other that pulls you in to picking a side.

There is a rush of excitement when the good ones wins. There is something about feeling victorious when good wins over evil.

Sometimes, however, the good one doesn’t win. You may feel sad or mad, but there is always a rematch.

Sometimes, life can feel like a wrestling match.

We battle illnesses, conflicts, disagreements, sometimes even ourselves.

Sometimes, in these wrestling matches we are not always the good guy.

Sometimes, our struggles is what makes us stronger and the win that much more sweeter.

Sometimes, both sides of the wrestling match are good or both can be bad. What do we do in that situation?

Text and Context: Pray and Read Genesis 32:22-32

Genesis 32:22–32 NRSV

The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip socket, because he struck Jacob on the hip socket at the thigh muscle.

Jacob is the grandson of Father Abraham, the one God first made the covenant of his people being God’s people.

Issac had two sons. Esau was the first born, then Jacob.

However, Esau wasn’t very smart and Jacob was very cunning. Jacob stole the birthright from Esau.

After time away from home, Jacob was going to face his brother.

Note how Jacob hid behind his family, his workers, and even the farm animals ahead of the match between him and his brother Esau.

Jacob was scared of what his brother would do to him after such betrayal.

However, the match was coming to him when he was all alone.