Holding On — not to “do” this better

The Grapple of Grace: Holding On in Times of Desperation

Summary: This theme focuses on the spiritual tenacity and commitment required in our relationship with God, emphasizing that we often seek to hold onto Him during our struggles, and similarly, He holds on to us.

Application: This sermon can encourage Christians in their personal faith journeys to persist in prayer and reliance on God, even when faced with doubts or overwhelming circumstances. It can inspire listeners to see the importance of their persistence in seeking God’s presence and guidance.

Teaching: The key teaching here is that our relationship with God is a dynamic interplay of seeking and being sought. Just as Jacob wrestled with God and declared he would not let go until blessed, we are reminded that God desires to bless us and that our persistence in faith draws us closer to Him.

How this passage could point to Christ: Throughout the Scriptures, Christ is depicted as the one who holds onto us, even when we feel we are letting go. In His struggles, He embodies the ultimate act of seeking, offering grace and blessing to those who earnestly strive for Him.

Big Idea: When we hold onto God in faith, we discover not only His steadfastness but also our own capacity for perseverance, mirroring the relentless love Christ shows us.

Recommended Study: As you prepare for this sermon, consider exploring Jacob’s narrative in Genesis 32:22-32 using your Logos library, paying special attention to the Hebrew wording and its implications. Look into commentaries that discuss the themes of wrestling and persistence, as well as any cultural background that may illuminate the significance of Jacob’s struggle. Also, consider studying the concept of divine blessing and its relation to human perseverance in prayer.

1. Facing Fear Alone

Genesis 32:22-24

You could explore Jacob's overwhelming desperation as he prepares to face his estranged brother, Esau. In this context of fear and solitude, he encounters a divine being. Highlight how solitude often leads us to confront our deepest fears and requires us to rely wholly on God. This passage sets the stage for understanding that in moments of isolation, we are often most ready to engage in spiritual wrestling. Emphasize the importance of seeking God earnestly when our strength feels depleted, just as Christ, in His own wrestling in Gethsemane, sought the Father's will.

2. Wrestling for Blessing

Genesis 32:25-26

Perhaps examine Jacob's physical and spiritual struggle as he refuses to release his heavenly opponent without a blessing. This tenacious hold symbolizes our call to persevere in faith and prayer, even when circumstances challenge us.

Reinforce the lesson that God's greater blessings often require us to engage in spiritual perseverance.

Perseverance: The Pathway to Greater Blessings

Summary: This theme emphasizes the crucial role of spiritual perseverance in receiving the greater blessings God has in store for His people, calling us to persist through trials and challenges.

Application: This sermon can help Christians understand that enduring difficult times is often a precursor to experiencing God's greater blessings. It encourages the audience to remain steadfast in their faith, drawing strength from the Lord as they navigate life's challenges.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that while the journey of faith may be laden with obstacles, it is through perseverance that believers can unlock deeper dimensions of God's grace and blessings in their lives.

How this passage could point to Christ: Throughout the Bible, we see Christ exemplifying ultimate perseverance, especially in His trials leading to the cross. His endurance purchased for us the greatest blessings of salvation and hope, thus motivating us to follow His example.

Big Idea: Spiritual perseverance is the key to unlocking God's greater blessings in our lives, as we learn to trust and endure through our circumstances.

Recommended Study: Consider exploring theological works on perseverance and suffering, particularly looking at Hebrews 12:1-2 and James 1:2-4, which discuss running the race with endurance and finding joy in trials. Using Logos to dive into commentaries can also illuminate how figures like Job and Paul illustrate this theme across Scripture.

1. Perseverance Produces Maturity

James 1:2-3

You could emphasize how trials are opportunities for growth and maturity in faith. Perhaps believers can find encouragement in knowing that perseverance develops a deeper, more resilient faith that prepares them for greater blessings. Draw on the example of Christ, who endured suffering with joy for the sake of what lay ahead.

2. Run With Endurance

Hebrews 12:1-2

Consider focusing on the call to run the race of faith with endurance, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus as our ultimate example. Perhaps highlight how Christ's determination on the cross is our encouragement to persevere. Encouraging believers to lay aside burdens can open the way to experiencing God’s promises more fully.

3. Character Through Challenges

Romans 5:3-5

Maybe explore how suffering leads to perseverance, character, and hope. You could show how this process is part of accessing greater blessings through the Holy Spirit. Discuss how Christ’s perseverance brought about the outpouring of God’s love, which strengthens us to face our struggles with hope.

Just as Christ held fast to His mission despite suffering, believers are called to hold onto God in expectation of His promised blessings.

—— Holding On: Expecting God’s Faithfulness

Big Idea: Believers are called to actively hold onto God, living in expectation of His faithful promises and transformative work in their lives.

1. Faith: Assurance of Hope

Hebrews 11:1-3

You could start by exploring the essence of faith as an assurance of things hoped for and a conviction of unseen realities. This concept forms the foundational basis for believers as they expect God's faithfulness. Encourage listeners to perceive faith as the confident holding onto the promises of God, illustrating with examples of how past figures in Scripture lived in expectation. This sets the tone for understanding faith as an active and anticipatory state, urging them to lean into God’s word and promise.

Hebrews 11:1–3 (ESV)

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

2. Following: Obedience in Uncertainty

Hebrews 11:8-12

Perhaps reflect on Abraham’s journey as an example of obedient faith in action. Although Abraham didn’t know his final destination, he expected God to fulfill His promises. Encourage your audience to practice this kind of obedience, holding onto God’s guidance even when the path isn’t clear. Highlight how Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness, inviting listeners to trust in God’s faithfulness through Jesus, who guides our steps.

Hebrews 11:8–12 (ESV)

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

3. Future: Hope Beyond Sight

Hebrews 11:13-16

Early believers lived by faith without seeing the fulfillment of God’s promises in their lifetime. Their ability to view life through the lens of God's promises empowers us today to do the same. We’re not to feel encouraged by receiving a promise. We are to be encouraged in expectation of promises fulfilled.

This creates a longing for the heavenly Kingdom where promises are ultimate and eternal. Encourage your congregation to adopt a perspective of hope that transcends current circumstances, grounded in Christ’s promise of eternal life and restoration.

Hebrews 11:13–16 (ESV)

13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. ——

3. Transformation Through Trials

Genesis 32:27-29

Maybe delve into the transformative aspect of Jacob's encounter, where his name is changed to Israel. This signifies a new identity born from struggle and divine approval. Encourage your audience to see their trials as opportunities for transformation. As Christ transformed lives through His ministry, God uses our struggles to redefine us. This renaming is a powerful reminder that God's grace shapes our individual journeys as we persist in faith.

4. Revelation in Resilience

Genesis 32:30-32

Perhaps focus on the aftermath of the encounter, where Jacob acknowledges the place as Peniel—"face of God." This moment of clarity and newfound identity comes through his transformation. Suggest that meeting God in our struggles brings fresh revelations about who He is and who we are in His sight. Highlight how, like Christ revealed God’s face to humanity, our personal encounters with Him reveal His intimate presence and purpose in our lives.