Top 5: Conversion, 5/15/16

Sermon 5-15-2016- favorites – conversion gen 32:22-31

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Church music – it is well with my soul

Not church music – cool and the gang

²² That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ²³ After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.²⁴ So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” ²⁷ The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered.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.” ²⁹ Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. ³⁰ So Jacob called the place Peniel,^[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” ³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,^[h] and he was limping because of his hip. 

jacob is a bit of a bully

My dad and the Charles atlas boy

You can think you are tough but there is always someone else tougher

What Jacob did wrong

Contending in the womb

At birth………….holding onto the heel

Steals birthright for a bowl of soup [not converted yet]

Deceives his father

          With mothers help

          Essaus clothes, hairy arms  [not converted yet]

Banished so essau wont kill him

On the way to uncle laban’s

Dream of Jacobs ladder-

          Sacred place 28:16-17

          Blessing remembered

Deceived by uncle…… 7yrs leah, 7 yrs rachel

Steals from his uncle- enhances his own flocks [not converted yet]

          Leaves to go back to cannan

Leaves without saying goodbye

          A disrespect to the patriarch

Goes to meet essau…..oh remember him? Now he has 400 men…

Sends flocks as a gift

Sends servants w more flocks

Then another group

Sends the women and children across first

Stays behind by himself

Still not converted [repeat this…………………………….]

Wrestles with the angel – not just 3 rounds [wrestling w scott]

          Conversion is not a friendliness with god

          It is not a “we are pals”

          It is not contained or controlled by the 4 spiritual laws formula

          It is not enough religion to appease my guilt

          Conversion is giving up to your own ways, your own self

          No matter what the outcome, I must have you

Brokenness- broken but persistent, hopeful

Blessed are the poor in spirit

Finally converted-

“The man who caused so much trouble, sorrow, and anguish is now transformed as he commits himself finally to God.”

God is not offended by this……. He will take you anyway that he can get you

Sometimes w have to learn the hard way before the give in to god

Hit rock bottom, find yourself at the end of your rope.

Tried it all and nothing else works.

Maybe that's what truly leads us into a trust relationship with God. 

Important piece of this story - Holds on, wont let go

Sometimes in life you have to grab ahold of god and not let go

Grabbing onto the horns of the altar 1 kings 1:50

Gets a new name from Jacob – supplanter to Israel -  contends with God

Goes to meet essau………. Sends all the groups out.  He goes before Rachel and Joseph

Warmly received and forgiven by his brother

Grace is a beautiful thing

He goes on to live a long and celebrated life………

The 12 tribes are his 12 sons

Looking back at his life, at some point he moved thru the ccraziness and landed in a better place

What is the story of your life?

          Have you had more than one spouse?

          Do you have children that you like better than others?

          Have you deceived your parents?

          Have you cheated your boss

Ever tried to manipulate others?

          Have you gave god lip service?

          Ever questioned the purpose of your life?

There is a gift here in the story of Jacob

God could have remembered him by his failures

          That is what humans do

God only remembers or measures, the better place

God always sees what we can become

Remembered………… Abraham issac and Jacob 30x

And Jacob?

Feeling far from God?

Own what you have done

Ask for forgiveness

Trust in god no matter what

Hang on to him and don’t let go.

Hang on to him and don’t let go.  No matter what.  Ever.