A Broken Hip That Led to a Broken Will

A Broken Hip That Led to a Broken Will

Sunday 7/29/07 a.m.

Text: Genesis 33

How Can My Stubborn Sinful Will be Broken? or

How Do I Know That God Has Gotten My Attention?

A True Meeting With God Leads to A Changed Life, 32:25, 27-31

                   “The Mark of God”

1. A changed name, from “deceiver” to “he who strives with God”
2. Changed “walk” God has now marked Jacob as one of His.
3. Sincere meetings with God always result in us being changed.
4. The injury is a reminder/warning to Jacob that he should not wrestle with God again.

I.       Can only Come When We Quit Fighting With God, Gen.32.

          A.      God has changed me,

          B.      God has marked me,

          C.      God has warned me.

II.      Can Only Come When We Are Willing to Deal With Our Sins, 33:1-3.

          A.      Jacob’s sin of fear, 33:1a. (Fear of the Egyptian rulers)

          B.      Partiality, 33:1b-2. (Partiality towards Joseph)

          C.      Jacob was still trying to please men, 33:3.

                                    (Sent gifts to win the Egyptian rulers favor)

D.       Jacob by the way never fully dealt with these on a regular basis, they all eventually returned to almost totally destroy his family!

III.    Can Only Come When We Have God’s Blessing on Our Lives, 33:4-17.

          5 proofs of God’s blessing on Jacob’s life:

          A.      Forgiveness not bitterness from Esau, 33:4;

          B.      Joy between the former enemies, 33:5;

          C.      Respect from Jacob’s family towards Esau, 33:6-7;

          D.      Able to see God in the situation, 33:10; (face to face -  Peniel)

          E.      Restoration, “come and live in the land of our fathers”, 33:12-17.

                        Came through invitation, not through battle!

IV.    Can Only Come When the Inner Heart Has Surrendered to God, 33:18-20.

            This altar is Jacob’s outward sign of the surrender within his heart.

          A.      Surrender to God is a place of safety and security for the Christian. 33:18

            B.        Surrender demands an altar, a meeting with God, to whom have I surrendered.

            C.       Surrender must be unconditional.

            D.       Surrender demands a declaration/confession of who was the victor, 33:20.

The name of the altar states: Here I declare that God has won the battle against the “one who strives with God”.