Join us as Kent dives into the story of Jacob’s wrestling match with God. Ever felt like life was spiraling out of control? You’re not alone. Tune in and ask yourself: How do we find blessing in the midst of our struggles? EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give). Get the fill-in-the-blank bulletins my.harmonychurch.cc/bulletins.

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OPENING ILLUSTRATION:

A few weeks ago at our worship night the team started singing the song Oceans.  As I stood there worshiping and singing that song I was taken back to a moment in New York City.  Jenni and I had been gifted the chance to to go to this conference in NYC @ the New York City Music Hall.  Shortly before we went to that we had stepped away from our church plant that we had started.  We were not doing real good emotionally and the leadership we were working with, instead of trying to figure out how to help us, they had told us to step down from the ministry if we wanted the church to continue to get support.  So, we walked away from it.  It was heart wrenching.  While we were at this conference the band introduced this new song “Oceans…”  As I sat there with the lights off, my heart went back to that moment standing in the balcony beside my wife.  We were at a conference that should have been pumping us up but I knew we had two weeks of pay when we got back and then nothing and honestly I was freaking out.  

I can remember singing those lyrics and trying to will myself to believe it…:

You call me out upon the waters, The great unknown where feet may fail, And there I find You in the mystery, In oceans deep my faith will stand, And I will call upon Your Name, And keep my eyes above the waves, When oceans rise My soul will rest in Your embrace, For I am Yours and You are mine

This was not the first time or the last time I’ve been in that dark night of the soul…

There is a place where everything feels out of control and like you are losing more than you are gaining.

My guess is more of you in this room than we would like to think are in that place.  

But I can promise you this

If you’re not there now, you will be at some point.

WE:

We all know what it’s like to have your life start to spiral out of control

-Projects piling up left and right and you feeling out of control

-To have a spouse come up and tell you “I just don’t love you any more” and your are spiraling

-To find out your child has a health diagnosis that has no real fix…

Every one of us has a story that is written with the ebb and flow of pain and joy, fear and faith.

BIBLE:

Today, I want to take you into a story of wrestling to give you some encouragement when your life feels like it’s at risk…

In the story of God we are going to jump into the life of Jacob – Isaacs son, Abrahams grandson.

This would be one of those stories you will want to go read.  It’s full of deception, has a really nice and weird love story in it, and it has redemption.

If I was going to define Jacob by one trait, it was would be deceiver.  Jacob is a twin, his older brother Esau comes out of the womb first, but Jacob is holding onto his heel as he comes out.  As they grow up, Jacob will be a mama’s boy who stays home among the tents and Esau will be their dad’s favorite – he’s a hunter, out in the field finding game – a mans man.  There are several stories from their life that tell you about them.  One of them Esau comes in from a long hunt, famished and ends up selling the position as the oldest son to Jacob for a bowl of soup.  Eventually as their father was aging Isaac wants to bless Esau – he sends him out to hunt and to prepare a meal.  Rebeka – the boys mom, will help Jacob fool Isaac who’s eyes are failing him that Jacob is Esau and he will steal his blessing.  

Esau is enraged and wants to kill Jacob – so Jacob escapes and goes to the house of his uncle Laban where he will fall in love with his cousin Rachel – I know…  She is beautiful and in a smooth move, Jacob will choose to work for 7 years to buy her hand in marriage.  But again, the deception goes deep in this family.  The night of their marriage, Jacob goes into the tent where he will “consummate” the marriage with Rachel, but in the dark – pre-electricity days of life – Laban sends in his other daughter – Leah.  Jacob sleeps with her and in the morning realizes he’s been duped – much like how he duped his own father when stealing Esau’s blessing, now Leah has stolen Rachel’s husband.  Jacob will make a deal to work for 7 more years to gain Rachels hand and they are married as well.  He will have 11 boys between these two women and their maidservants – it’s a whole thing with these ladies – full of jealousy and pain.

Finally Jacob decides to leave Laban’s household when the heat is getting too hot…

Can you feel it?  

Jacob’s life starts to get out of control and he runs…

Every time, he reaps what he’s sown and he bolts – first with Esau, now with Laban.

Anyone feeling this?

Jacob is now on his way back to his homeland.  He realizes he’s going to have to face Esau, his brother. 

Jacob sends ahead some of his party to test the water with Esau and they come back and tell him Esau is on his way with 400 fighting men…

b

And Jacob is terrified.

Jacob will separate his household into two different parties, he will send ahead of him groups of people with gifts for Esau.

He starts to bed down and then decides to send his wives and kids across the river to the other side ahead of him.  

Finally, Jacob has put everything and everyone between him and his brother.  

b

He has schemed with every last little bit he has how he can get out of this…

Listen, isn’t this exactly what we all do?

We scheme and plan, we try to control and manipulate – whatever the situation is…

This is where Jacob is.  He’s alone…

I want to read you one of the strangest verses in the bible to me…

Genesis 32:24

24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 

That little comma right there says so much to me…

“Jacob was left alone”

“and a man wrestled with him till daybreak”

What happened in the space of that comma?  Was Jacob laying down to sleep and awoken by a noise?  Does he roll over with someone putting their hand on his mouth?  Are fists being thrown?  I have so many questions…

Jacob wrestles the man – fighting for his life.  

b

Jacob thought he was safe behind his scheme, but there was one he forgot who can get behind any barrier.

We will find the one he is wrestling with is God – I believe it to be Jesus…

Jacob will wrestle and he will fight until finally the man tweaks Jacobs hip.  Jacob won’t let go till he get’s a blessing…

-I think he is saying, “I’ll let you go, but I need to know you won’t come after me anymore…”

This is what he is told…

Genesis 32:28

28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

Jacobs name is changed…

can I get a little devotional with you?

It seems it’s in the wrestling not the resting that leads to the blessing

I know some of you are going through some serious tests right now, some serious challenges.  Don’t give up, don’t stop wrestling.  You’re greatest blessing may be on the other side of what you’re battling.  You may walk with a limp afterwards, but you’ll also walk with God.  Jacob walked with a limp that would forever remind him of this moment, and to this day the people who came from his line still bear the his name – Israel, the ones who wrestled with God and man and overcame. 

I want to do something a little different today.  If you are in a wrestling match with God.  I want to invite you today to come forward for prayer.  For us to pray over you during this next song.

I know for us what I didn’t know back in that moment in NYC was that God Himself was watching over us and as we wrestled with Him trying to control the outcome he was working a better income into our souls that would change us and eventually lead us here.  Keep wrestling.  Keep wrestling.  Keep wrestling!

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