Reconciliation - Part 4

Genesis 32:24 NKJV

24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.

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

Introduction:

Last Week we left off with Jacob wrestling with a man until the break of day!

And the bible tells us about Jacob prevailing in his wrestling with the man!

This means Jacob would not let go until the man blessed him!

Genesis 32:24–27 NKJV

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.”

Here is the reality! We are helpless and powerless in this life without God!

The other reality is this - in your world you may have operated

• as an independent and self-sufficient individual

• self-confident person

• capable of handling matters yourself

• you relied on your resources

• you moved as a self-motivated individual

• some would say you are very responsible

That was Jacob! - Jacob wrestled with the man - because he had not let go of his self! The sin in Jacob’s life was that he refused to let go

He refused to become totally dependent on God for his deliverance and strength In Life

That speaks to many of us - we refuse to let go of our independence

self-confidence

responsibilities

self-motivation

and depend on God!

So we wrestle with God!

In your world we plow our way through life and yes God will bless us with success and wealth!

But we treat God as an addition to our lives, as something we tack on to other things

We only need God when emergencies arise

We only need God when things get out of control

Jacob had never learned that life was dependent on God alone and there is no success, no strength, and no deliverance apart from God!

We need the strength of God daily, the strength and deliverance from God that will carry you and me daily , even into the promise land of heaven and into the very presence of God!

We must learn to trust God Day By Day - step by step!

So when we wrestle with God - he will teach us the lesson

He taught Jacob this lesson - you are helpless and powerless without Him!

So he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it!

God does not pretend and play games with us! When God gives you a task - just like he gave Jacob a task - that was so important that it required Jacob to walk with God day by day and not just when a crises occurs!

See God has touched many of us - to let us know that we are to walk closely with him day by day!

Some of us have been touched in a way that will always remind us of this reality, - this truth...

See God gave Jacob a disability - so that Jacob would never just rely on himself alone anymore!

Think about this-have you ever been in a situation or crises where no one - no group of people could help

your spouse couldn’t

momma -couldn’t

daddy couldn’t

Brothers couldn’t

Sister couldn’t

Best Friend couldn’t

pastor couldn’t

deacons’ couldn’t

motherboard couldn’t

drugs couldn’t

alcohol couldn’t

relationship couldn’t

not even your family or your closest friends could help

That’s what a real crisis is for us!

I believe God has structured this world - this universe so that his children would always know that we need him no matter what the situation!

In this mist of your storm - It will be Jesus walking on the water to rescue you

In The midst of your hurricane - it will be Jesus that speaks to the raging winds and says peace be still

In your darkest hours it will be Jesus whose hand you can hold as you walk through the valley of the shadows of death

2 Chronicles 20:12 (The Message)

12 We don’t know what to do; we’re looking to you.”

Pauls says in

Romans 7:18 AMP

18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.]

In crisis or times of trouble remember

Psalm 29:11 NKJV

11 The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.

So Jacob realized that he couldn’t let go of the man he was wrestling with!

I know - in order for me to get out of my self and my wants and my opinions - I need more Jesus!!

I need God to manifest himself in my life - like never before!

So now Jacob had a testimony - he had spent time with God - wrestling with God - he had seen the face of God and wanted more of God and he had been renamed by God and touched by God in a way that changed his life forever!

He had met God at a place that he called Peniel!

A Place where he saw God’s face

A place where he met God, wrestled with God and God wrestled with him in prayer!

A Place where he opened his heart and all his flaws to God and realized he needed God - that he was powerless with out God!

He realized it was God that would get him through this crises with himself and his brother

The psalmist reminds us in the 105th psalm

Psalm 105:4 NCV

4 Depend on the Lord and his strength; always go to him for help.

God - I have some issues, I have some problems, I don’t understand, go to the Lord

Luke tells us in

Luke 11:10 NKJV

10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

To you - yes you - the one who has been wrestling with God!

Fighting with God, because you need answers...

Fighting with God because you’re angry

Fighting with God- because you have been wronged

Fighting with God because of your guilt

Fighting with God because you can’t be and do what you want to be and do

God has ordained your life! He has a purpose for you! Seek him with all your heart - Seek him with all your might

Seek him -submitting to his will

Your blessing is waiting for you

The answers are waiting for you

The love is waiting for you

The peace is waiting for you

Reconciliation is waiting for you

But just like Jacob - God will require you to change

Jacob had to become a new man and change his behaviors

God had to change Jacob’s name

Ephesians 4:22–24 NCV

22 You were taught to leave your old self—to stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self becomes worse, because people are fooled by the evil things they want to do. 23 But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, 24 to become a new person. That new person is made to be like God—made to be truly good and holy.

The Encounter

Genesis 33:1–4 NLT

1 Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. 2 He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. 4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

No matter who it is, God is concerned over the rift and division between us and that person.

God wants peace and reconciliation between us; therefore, God will lead and help us just as He did with Jacob.

Jacob walked out ahead of his family to meet his brother in a spirit of humility: showing respect and courtesy

He was a changed man

He walked toward Esau, stopping seven different times to bow. Bowing seven times was an act of respect shown to kings in that day.

He was bowing to a king

Remember, Esau was the ruler of Edom.

Jacob was not cowering before his brother; he was showing the proper respect and courtesy, the very respect and courtesy God would expect any of us to show to an offended party.

What now next happened was astonishing, nothing short of a miracle.

Esau ran to meet Jacob and kissed him, and they both broke into tears, weeping, unable to say a word.

What had happened? What had changed Esau’s heart?

I do not know; Scripture does not say. Obviously God had worked in Esau’s heart as well as Jacob’s.

No matter what had happened, the change had taken place, and here were the two brothers in each other’s arms, full of affection for each other.

They were reconciled and weeping so joyfully they could not even speak to one another. The day of reconciliation had gloriously come.

Jacob was welcomed back to the promised land.

Proverbs 16:19 NLT

19 Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.

Proverbs 29:23 NKJV

23 A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

One of the great joys of making peace and being reconciled is that of sharing together.

If the separation has lasted for a long period of time, there is, of course, much to share.

But whether for a long time or a short time, the joy of sharing together after being reconciled is one of the great experiences of life.

And the two reconciled parties should share together, for sharing together helps rebuild the relationship.

Believers should, always testify to God’s care and blessings since the separation.

Isaiah 63:7 NKJV

7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.

One of the strongest proofs of reconciliation is the offer to help those with whom we have just made peace.

Once we have been reconciled, we should always be ready to help.

Once reconciled …

• husband and wife should be offering to help one another

• parent and child should be offering to help one another

• workers and employers should be offering to help one another

• teacher and pupil should be offering to help one another

• fellow workers, friends, neighbors, and relatives should be offering to help one another

Church members should be offering to help each other

Matthew 20:28 NKJV

28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Reconcile and move into your blessings

God Bless You and God Keep You is MY prayer!!1