When Transformation Hurts

Genesis 32:22-33

It is a privilege and an honor to come here tonight to bring the word of the Lord to you. For those of you who do not know me. I am the lead Pastor of Amazing Church Florida and I am Pastor Alfert’s brother in law. Tonight He has asked me to preach on transformation. My prayer for you tonight is as that the word of God will change you tonight. Challenges you and cause you to go deeper. The title of today message is When Transformation hurts.

Please open your bible to Genesis 32:22-33. Please stand as we read the Holy Word.

22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”

And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ge 32:22–32.

In order for you to appreciate this story you need to know some thing about Jacob. you see this man was not necessary a good man. He was a deceiver.. You see when Jacob was born he was born as twin. He was given a remarkable promise. He was given the promise that he would rule over his brother. This promise is remarkable because he was the second born. Only the first born ruled the family. So in some supernatural way God would cause Jacob to lead his family.

But when Jacob was born he did something that spoke of his character and true nature.

Lets read in Genesis 25:21-26 “Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.” So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.”

Jacob when he is born he grabbed the heel of his older brother Esau. That how he got his name. His name means heel grabber or one who trips up. But later on in his life takes on a different meaning. It also meant deceiver .

So you have Jacob given this supernatural promise to be have the rights of the first born to lead the family. Then you have Esau who has the right of the first born by being born first.

But what you don’t understand about Jacob is that he is battling a generational curse. You see Abraham though a righteous man chose to lied to protect himself.

Genesis 20:12-13

12 But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982),

Let me give you the contact of this verse. Abraham’s wife was beautiful and this king saw her and took her from Abraham because she told the King she was Abrahams sister not his wife. God almost killed this king and his entire nation for this. The king was upset about the fact that Abraham lied to him. He gave Abraham back his wife.

So Abraham has son named Issac who did the same thing to the same exact king and lied about his wife being his sister and not his wife.

Genesis 26:6-10

6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”

Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ”

10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ge 26:6–10.

Now mind you Jacob was born already when Issac was born but I want you see the pattern in this family. The lie to get out of jam. Though Issac was a righteous man he used deception to get out of trouble.

The sin of the Father is often multiplied in the children. Abraham lies King Abiemelch about his Sarah being his wife. Issac lies to King Abimelech about Rachel being his wife.

Jacob then commits a greater sin. He pretends to be his brother Esau and lies to his Father so he can steal his brother’s birthright. The bible says the sins of the Father is passed down to the children to the third and forth generation.

All because you come from a family of lies does not mean you have to be lier. But what is does mean is s that you a predepsoed to that sin. It may be easier for you to lie then for other people.

When Jacob lied to his father. He no longer was just heal grabber but a deceiver. He operated under the curse of deception.

Jacob life takes a drastic turn from this point on. The family is devastated. Jacob brother vows to kill him. Jacob has to run for his life. He ends up running to his uncle Laban us who is also liar. He lives for years deceiving and being deceived. He falls in love with his uncles younger daughter and wants to marry her. he works seven long years to earn her hand in marriage. When it was time for him to make love to his wife on the wedding night. Leban trick him and give him Leah his older daughter. The bible says she was not good looking she was ugly. Leban deceived him to get him to work for him for seven more years for his younger daughter Rachel.

Leban tried to use and abuse Jacob for all he was worth. In order for Jacob to have some wealth. He would made a deal with Leban that he would manage his flocks and water animal that came out of the womb that was spotted would be his and and the solid color animals will be Laban’s. But Jacob deceived Laban when the stronger animals will mate he would put a colored branch in the water so the strong animals would come out spotted and he bread the strong animals for himself and gave Leban the weak animals.

Jacob whole life was deceiving others and being deceived. He lived in a constant lie. The lying spirit had be upon his life sins birth. How can this curse be broken. How can he be set free.

Genesis 32:22-38

22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”

And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ge 32:22–32.

Notice what happened in this passage there was Man who wrestle with Jacob all night. This what is called a Theophany. It when Jesus appears in the Old Testimony. As the Angel of the Lord. Notice that the Angel wrestled with Jacob. He picked a fight with him. Then Angel attacked Jacob. He wrestled with Jacob. This was picture of Jacobs entire life. This wrestling with God. You see Jacob got the promise that he would be the head of the family. What does he do with a great promise. He tries to full fill God plan by lying to his father. Jacob was chosen by God but tried to full fill God plan his own way.

He is blessed anointed and liar. The Angel picks fight with Jacob. He wrestles with Jacob all night. When the Angel saw that he could not win against Jacob. He touches his side and dislocates his hip.

God will let you fight him. The sad thing is that we thing we can win against Him until He has to hurt us. Until He has to break us.

Jacob release He is not fighting an ordinary man. After Jacob hip is dislocated. Jacob tell the Angel I will not let you go until you bless me. Jacobs deepest cry of in his heart was not to be a lair and a deceiver anymore. He was tiered of being the same person. This cry for a blessing was desperate man cry for a change of heart and character.

The Angel did something that was very important. He asked Jacob for his name. When Jacob said my name was Jacob it was not Jacob just saying his name. It was Jacob confessing his nature. He was telling the Lord. I am a deceiver. That what his name meant. He was admitting that he was lair . A dishonest man.

There is no deliverance without confession. When Jacob admitted he was, who he had been. It was then God said you are already for name change. Your are are ready for new nature. You ready to be a made brand new. Then the Angel said you are no longer Jacob but Israel. Israel means God fight. God It had a two fold meaning. God fought with Jacob why because God was trying to rescue Jacob from himself. The seconding meaning is that God fight for Isreal. Sometimes God got to fight against you in order to fight for you. Did you catch that revelation?

What is God fighting against you in your life. What God trying to get you to admit. What is God trying to get you to come to terms with. You will not get your breakthrough. You will not get your transformation until your able to be honest with yourself and God. Jacob was transformed to Israel when we was able to admit who he was. The God changed Him to be who God called him to be.