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Challenge God to Wrestle PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

Scripture

Genesis 28:10-22
Jacob left Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; 14 and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you." 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it." 17 And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." 18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee."

 

Genesis 32:24-32
And Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 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. 26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." 27 And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 28 Then he said, "Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." 29 Then Jacob asked him, "Tell me, I pray, your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his thigh. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of the thigh, because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh on the sinew of the hip.

  Core Idea, Challenge & Summary

Core Idea: Don’t bargain with God, just surrender to His love and Lordship  

Challenge: To challenge Christians to surrender all they are and all they have to God.  

Summary: When Jacob had his first major encounter with God, he attempted to strike a bargain with God (Genesis 28:10-22). He said that if God did certain things for him, then he would worship God as Lord. Jacob was not yet converted. Conversion entails surrender, not pea bargaining. Later on, during his second encounter with God, Jacob does surrender to God (Genesis 32:22-32). 

As Christians, we need to fully surrender to God’s love and Lordship. To even attempt to plea bargain should seem absurd to us. We can’t possibly give back to God what He has already given to us. God has given us life. Then, when we sinned and destroyed the life He gave us, He sent His Son to atone for our sins. There’s nothing we can do to pay God back. Surrender is the only option.

This surrender, however, is in our best interest. God loves us and wants what’s best for us. When we surrender ourselves to Him, He’ll clean us up and make us into the people He created us to be. Our lives will have purpose. The more we surrender to God, the more joy, peace, and love we will experience.

 The Sermon

I. Introduction: M.A.S.H. episode with Father Francis Mulcahy

     A. Father Mulcahy was speaking with a wounded soldier 
  • The wounded soldier described his experience in combat.
  • He stated that he prayed to God and told God that if he gets out of this conflict alive, he’d become a priest.
  • The soldier then stated he didn’t want to become a priest. He wanted out of the deal he made with God.
  • Father Mulcahy said he didn’t have to become a priest.

     B. This M.A.S.H. scene illustrates some important truths.

  • If you bargain with God, you should be prepared to honor your end of the bargain. Let your yes be yes and no be no.
  • There is, however, no need for anyone to bargain with God.
  • Instead of bargaining with God, we should surrender to God and trust God with our lives
  • Instead of bargaining with God, the soldier needed to surrender to God and trust God with his life. That's what Father Mulcahy should have told the soldier.

II. Why we should surrender to God and not bargain with Him

     A. Any deal we make with God is binding, just like any deal we make with another
          person is binding. Our yes needs to be yes and our no needs to be no.

     B. There is no way we can make an equitable deal with God

  • There’s nothing we could ever give back to God that comes even close to what God has already given us.
  • God gave us life and then became human to pay the penalty for our sins. What do we have that equals that

     C. The only thing we can offer is total surrender to the love and Lordship of Jesus

  • We must surrender all that we are: Our minds, emotions, thoughts, bodies, soul, personalities, skills, and intellect…all that we are
  • We must surrender all that we have: Our possessions, relationships, money, wealth, prestige, reputation….everything we have
  • Surrender is really the only thing we have to offer God

     D. Jacob had to learn this (Genesis 25-35).

III. Jacob and his plea bargain with God

     A. Jacob made a mess of his life 
  • Deceived his brother to manipulate him into giving away his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34).
  • Deceived his father to steal the blessing meant for his brother (Genesis 27:1-46)
  • Jacob forced to flee to his uncle’s house to find a wife. He’s fleeing because his brother wants to kill him (Genesis 28:1-5)

     B. Are you like Jacob? Have you made a mess of your life? We all have in some way.

  • Have you destroyed relationships with family and friends?
  • Have you ever fled from your family and friends because of the harm you’ve done?
  • Many people are in this situation. Many homeless people can’t turn to their families because they burned the bridges to their families.
     C. While fleeing to his uncle’s family, Jacob stopped for the night and God visited
          him in a vision (Genesis 28:10-22). 
  • A ladder came down from heaven and angels climbed up and down on the ladder. Heaven and earth touched.
  • God spoke and gave the same promise of blessing that He gave to Isaac and Abraham.
  • Jacob responded by making a plea bargain with God

     D. Jacob’s plea bargain

  • Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee." (Genesis 28:20-22)
  • At first, this sounds good, but think about what Jacob is saying to God. He’s saying, “God, I will follow you only if you do what I want you to do.”
  • Does this sound like the proper response to the creator of the universes?
  • Jacob was partly converted.

IV. Partial conversion is not the answer for the messes we make in our lives

     A. As a partially converted follower of God, Jacob continued to make a mess of
         things (Genesis 29-32:21)
  • Jacob arrived at his uncle’s house only to be deceived by his uncle. Jacob then deceives his uncle.
  • Jacob finds himself fleeing from his uncle’s family because he now fears his uncle and cousins.
  • So, Jacob is fleeing from a family he fears back to a family with a brother who wants to kill him.  Bargaining with God was not the answer.

     B. Jacob finally surrenders to God (Genesis 22:22-32) 

  • While fleeing back to his father’s family, Jacob stops for the night and God visits him.
  • God wrestles Jacob all night.
  • Jacob tells God his name. Jacob admits to being a scoundrel by telling his name.
  • God quickly wins the wrestling match and gives Jacob a new name, Israel. The new name denotes a change in character. When you surrender to God, your character changes. You begin to become the person God created you to be.
     C. Now that Jacob surrendered to God, he’s able to have reconciliation with his
          brother and father (Genesis 33-36)

     D. Do you need to wrestle with God?

  • Do you have any hurt, bitterness, anger, resentment or any sinful attitude that you need to get rid of but can’t bring yourself to throw it away?
  • If so, challenge God to a wrestling match.
  • At the end of the wrestling match, God will take the sinful junk away from you. You will also find yourself surrendered to God.
  • Like Jacob, you’ll find that surrendering to God is the only solution to the messes we make in life.
V. Surrendering to God’s love and Lordship is the only solution to the mess we
     make of our lives
     A. Plea bargaining doesn’t work – It may get us out of specific troubles but it doesn’t
          address the root of our problems
     B. God loves us and wants what’s best for us – The more we surrender the more
          we’ll experience joy, peace, and love.

VI. Conclusion 

     A. If you have not already made a decision to surrender to God, do so right now.
          Repent and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior
     B. If you are already a Christian, remember that this surrender involves all that we
          are and everything we have. What do you need to work on surrendering?  
 
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