Reconciliation - Part 3
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Reconciliation - Part 3
24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.
pray
Confession of Faith
Confession of Faith
I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name
I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name
Introduction:
last week - i asked these questions
Where is your heart! Is it bitter?
Is your heart angry?
Is your heart afraid?
If that is you - it’s time to reconcile!
You may have been offended or you may be the offender!
It’s time to go to God and seek guidance, direction and wisdom!
23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you,
24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.
16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.
17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
It’s time for peace in our lives
Today , many of us find ourselves Wrestling With God!
After Jacob had sent the last of his belongings along with his wives, his children he was left alone
24 This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.
The name Jacob means - the one who follows on another’s heel
The name Jacob means supplanter - Which means someone who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another
He name means deceiver
Jacob was a con artist, a liar and a manipulator!
Jacob’s life was full of never ending struggles!
Even though God had mad a promise to Jacob - that through him would come a great nation Jacob was still a man full of fears and anxieties!
here is an example
from Marshall Cohen at CNN Jan 2022
Trump allies tried to supplant president Joe Biden’s authentic electors with fake Republic republican electors in seven key states who could have theoretically thrown the entire election to trump
Another example:
Mike Snider, USA Today Nov, 2021
The Nintendo switch is poised to soon supplant the Nintendo Wii as the video game makers all time best selling console
So Jacob had been living up to his name, but God was still with him!
At this point Jacob had sent away all his possessions and now he was alone!
So what you have done to others or has been done to you is in the past!
Your blessing is in the future
But you personal Esau - Your personal struggle is right now
22 But during the night he got up and wakened his two wives and his two concubines and eleven sons, and sent them across the Jordan River at the Jabbok ford with all his possessions, then returned again to the camp and was there alone; and a Man wrestled with him until dawn.
25 And when the Man saw that he couldn’t win the match, he struck Jacob’s hip and knocked it out of joint at the socket.
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.
Now I want you to get this! In this passage of scripture and in Jacob’s story we see ourselves!
We see the fear,
We see the struggles
We see the darkness,
We see the loneliness,
We see the vulnerabilities,
We see the empty feelings of powerlessness
We see the exhaustion
We see the relentless pain
We see the discouragement
We see the depression
Side note - walking this walk of faith is not always glamour, and spiritual success
it’s not always a celebration of power, or strength, or confidence, or prestige
Sometimes it is a measure of fear,
a measure of doubt
a measure of failure
a measure of weakness
So we need God!
This is why we bring God’s Word to your World! Because your world is real!
There is joy and there is pain
Your world there are High Highs and Low low’s
2 Corinthians 7:5 (NLT)
5 ... We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.
But there is always a Word from God for Your World, Your situation or your circumstance
25 And when [the Man] saw that He did not prevail against [Jacob], He touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob’s thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with Him.
God I won’t let you go until you bless me!
I don’t have anything else God so i must hang on to you - Bless Me
I have given away or lost all my wordly possession - all I have is you - Bless Me
God you know what I have done and you know what has been done to me - I won’t let go until you bless me!
God My World is full of chaos and problems and bitterness, jealousy, hate and anger - but I won’t let go until you bless me!
God sometimes - I can’t hear from you - but I won’t let go until 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.”
Jacob prayed and prayed until he prevailed!
Jacob struggled in prayer
Jacob cried in prayer
Jacob agonized in prayer
Jacob he would die if God did not help him
Jacob refused to quit praying until God helped him
Jacob refused to leave God’s presence until God blessed him
Jacob refused to let go until God met his need
This shows us the kind of prayer we need to prevail
This is the kind of praying that stirs God to answer and meet our needs
Prevailing Prayer!
The lesson is learn to pray and pray until God answers and meets our need!
In our Worlds
problem after problem - crisis after crisis - things that are beyond our understanding, our comprehension
things like death of a loved one
accidents
diseases
suffering
financial problems!
When the problems occur - we go into prevailing prayer!
This will require getting by yourself with God!
We need to Hold to His Hand - God’ unchanging Hand
Trust in him who will not leave you
Whatever years may bring
When my earthly friends forsake me
More closely to him I cling
This is for your world
Pray - go into prevailing prayer mode
35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.
Pour your soul out to God - share your fears with God - share your distress with God
God is right there with you!
4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us—
Now you must get this
Jacobs struggle with God could only be a result of one thing
18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
If we keep holding on to sin - God can’t meet our needs
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.”
The blessing is we are not what we use to be! God has changed us!
God has changed our nature
We are now new men and women in Jesus Christ
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
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.
I want more of you God!
Now I want you to reveal yourself to me like never before
I want you to show me who I am
21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
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.
Jacob received two blessings
A sunrise
A crippling
God will always leave his touch on our lives in someway shape, form or fashion!
That becomes your testimony!
17 pray without ceasing,
We all need a Peniel in our lives
We all need a place where we can meet God face to face
We all need to desperately seek the face of God when in need
29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Next Week - The Encounter
God Bless you and God keep you is my prayer!
