Mountain Life Church

Life PackIsaac & Israel series

August 28, 2011

Wrestling with God

Wrestling  with  GodSermon  NotesAugust  28,  2011

Genesis  32I. Going  Home

A. Jacob  sends  out  scouts  to  find  Esau• The  scouts  find  Esau  coming  with  400  men

B. Jacob  prays  and  strategizes• Jacob  reminds  God  of  His  promises• The  gift  for  Esau• Dividing  the  camp

II. Wrestling  With  GodA. Jacob  wrestles  with  an  angel  all  night

• A  picture  of  salvation  and  transformation• A  marked  man  from  that  day  forward• A  name  change  to  show  the  transformation

B. We  must  all  wrestle  with  God• Pushing  into  God  

until  He  blesses  us• Refusing  to  let  go  -­‐‑  

we  are  usually  too  passive!

• There  is  REST  in  “wRESTle”

• They  will  know  I’ve  wrestled  with  Him  because  I  will  be  marked  (It  will  be  obvious)!

• We  all  need  a  Peniel  (A  place  where  we  see  the  face  of  God).

Write any notes from the week here

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Table Talk

TeensMeal  One:  As  a  family  read  Genesis  31-­‐‑32,  then  ask  these  questions

In  Genesis  32:1-­‐‑2,  Jacob  was  on  his  way  to  meet  Esau.    “The  angels  of  God”  represent  a  magnificent  display  of  God’s  care  for  Jacob.    God  allowed  Jacob  to  see  that  he  was  not  traveling  alone.• Describe  the  difference  between  being  lonely  and  

being  alone.• Describe  a  time  when  you  felt  lonely.• When  you  are  alone,  who  do  you  turn  to?

Meal  Two:In  Genesis  32:9-­‐‑12,  Jacob  prayed  for  God  to  deliver  him.    He  did  not  pray  in  generalities,  instead  he  named  his  specific  concern.• Based  on  God’s  proven  character  and  His  promises  in  

the  Bible,  do  you  trust  God  with  your  prayers?• Share  a  specific  example.

Meal  Three:In  Genesis  32:24-­‐‑32,  Jacob  wrestled  with  God.    Jacob’s  experience  with  God  physically  changed  him  –  he  limped.    The  experience  also  had  a  spiritual  impact  on  his  life.• How  has  your  relationship  with  God  changed  and  

impacted  your  life?

III.Steps  to  Wrestling  with  God  (Dan  Schaeffer)A. Get  Desperate

• When  tempted  to  disengage  and  push  God  away,  it’s  a  time  to  grab  hold  of  God  and  not  let  go

• Hold  on...  to  experience  God’s  favor  and  transformation

B. Get  Brutally  Honest• Can  I  trust  Him  with  the  truth?• Why  do  I  try  to  tell  God  what  I  think  He  wants  to  hear?• Am  I  trying  to  manipulate  Him?

C. Give  up  Control• Am  I  trying  to  control  the  outcome  of  my  life?• Will  I  allow  God  to  transform  me  so  I  can  walk  God’s  

path?

D. Live  by  Faith• I  experience  and  know  that  God  is  good  and  I  can  trust  

Him• The  purpose  of  my  life  is  all  about  reflecting  His  glory

The  depth  of  any  relationship  will  be  determined  by  the  level  of  conflict  we’re  willing  to  journey  through.

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Life  Group  Questions  for  August  28,  2011“Isaac  &  Israel”  Series

Message  =  Wrestling  With  GodIce  Breaker:    Tell  about  one  of  the  greatest  challenges  you  ever  endured.

Read  Genesis  32:  24-­‐‑32

1.  What  observations  do  you  see  about  this  passage?

2.  If  the  angel  could  simply  touch  Jacob’s  thigh  and  cause  him  to  limp,  do  you  think  the  angel  was  holding  back  when  he  wrestled  Jacob?

3. In  the  Jewish  mind,  the  servant  was  a  direct  emissary  of  his  master.    The  way  you  treat  the  servant  is  the  way  you  would  treat  his  master.    Therefore,  the  angel  in  the  Hebrew  mind  IS  God  (even  though  he  is  a  messenger).    What  do  you  think  is  going  on  in  Jacob’s  heart  if  he  is  wrestling  with  God?

4.  Have  you  ever  wrestled  with  God,  pushing  hard  into  Him,    expecting  not  to  release  Him  until  He  blessed  you?    Tell  about  it.

5.  What  pictures  come  to  your  mind  when  you  think  of  wrestling  with  God  today?

6.  What  part  does  honest  conversation  play  in  your  daily  prayer  time?    Are  you  comfortable  being  brutally  honest  with  God?    If  not,  what  holds  you  back?

Pray  for  each  other

Table Talk

ElementaryGenesis  32

Day  1  –  Read  Genesis  32  :  1-­‐‑21  together  as  a  family.  Divide  this  amongst  the  readers  in  the  group  (don’t  forget  to  count  this  reading  toward  any  school  reading  logs!).  Discuss  how  Jacob  is  feeling  about  meeting  with  his  brother  Esau.  What  does  it  mean  to  “pacify”  someone?  

Day  2  –    Read  Genesis  32  :  22-­‐‑32  together  as  a  family.  What  do  you  think  it  would  be  like  to  wrestle  with  God  himself?  Talk  about  the  symbolism  of  this  wrestling  match.  Day  3  –  Stage  a  wrestling  match!  Treat  this  as  a  time  to  bond  with  your  child(ren).  As  you  wrestle  (be  sure  to  follow  Mom’s  rules),  discuss  with  your  children  what  it  might  have  felt  like  to  be  Jacob.  If  you  wrestle  for  15  minutes,  point  out  that  Jacob  wrestled  the  entire  night!  If  you  have  a  personal  experience  of  wrestling  with  God  over  something  in  your  life,  share  that  with  your  child.

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Personal Devotion PagesThe following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom.

LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God.

BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol:

INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol:

ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him.

These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don’t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming.

Enjoy!

Table TalkPreschool & Nursery:

Genesis 32-33 covers several different topics

for children. You might want to tell or read to your child

small sections at a time and talk with them about the

meaning. For example traveling, separating the sheep and

goats, gifts for Esau and wrestling with God.

• Where was Jacob going?

• Why was Jacob afraid of his brother Esau?

• Why did Jacob send a gift to Esau?

• What did Jacob do after he divided the animals into

groups?

• Who wrestled with Jacob?

• What was Jacob's new name?

Bible Verse: Then the man said, “Your name will no

longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled

with God and with men and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:28

Prayer: Help me to remember

that all good things come from you,

And help me always to be thankful.

Help me to be a blessing today.

Use me to bring happiness to those you love.

Activity: Encourage your child to make a decision that

might be difficult for them yet simple. For example do

they want vanilla or chocolate ice cream or do they want

to read a book about cars or birds. Use their “wrestling”

with choices to illustrate Jacob wrestling with God.

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Day One1.  Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is,  and  enjoy  thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.    

2.  Read  Genesis  32  slowly  and  think  about  what  you  have  just  read.

3.  Each  of  Jacob’s  wives  thought  God  was  more  on  her  side  than  on  the  other  wives’  side.    Have  you  ever  thought  God  was  more  for  you  than  someone  else?    What  do  you  think  the  truth  of  scripture  is  regarding  this?

4.  Pray  for  God  to  show  you  what  needs  He  would  like  to  provide  for  you  this  week.

Take  5  minutes  and  pray  for  your  family  for  whatever  comes  to  your  mind.  Memorize  MaXhew  7:  7

Take  10  minutes  to  pray  for  your  family,  and  10  minutes  to  pray  for  people  in  your  life  who  need  the  Lord.  Memorize  MaXhew  7:  7-­‐‑8,  11

Take  10  minutes  to  pray  for  your  family,  and  10  minutes  to  pray  for  people  in  your  life  who  need  the  Lord.    Take  whatever  time  you  have  left  to  pray  for  your  church  leadership.    Memorize  MaXhew  7:  7-­‐‑11

So,  was  a  limp  the  only  blessing  God  gave  Isaac  after  wrestling  all  night?    Wrestle  with  God  so  you  can  get  a  limp  and  a  new  name,  and  that’s  it?  

The  answer  comes  in  this  statement,  “Your  name  shall  no  longer  be  Jacob,  but  Israel;  for  you  have  striven  with  God  and  with  men  and  have  prevailed.”    (Genesis  32:28)  I  believe  this  statement  shows  us  that  when  Jacob  sees  his  brother,  Esau,  there  will  be  reconciliation.    It  doesn’t  say  it  in  black  and  white,  but  God  blesses  Israel  with  1.)a  changed  character,  and    2.)  a  reconciled  relationship  with  Esau.

Notice  how  Israel’s  character  changes!    Israel  will  forever  be  a  changed  man  after  this  wrangle  with  the  angel.    God  will  forge  in  him  a  faith  and  integrity  that  will  change  him  forever.    

Read  on  a  liele  bit  and  see  how  God  has  gone  before  Israel  and  already  changed  Esau’s  heart!    When  the  two  of  them  meet,  Israel  is  in  defensive  mode,  but  Esau  bear  hugs  him  and  weeps.    God  has  already  brought  about  forgiveness  in  Esau’s  heart!

Is  your  heart  heavy  with  difficult  relationships?    Push  into  God  and  don’t  let  go  until  He  blesses  you!    He  invites  you  to  do  it!

Day Five

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Day Five1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  from  your  heart.    Enjoy  Him  thoroughly  before  moving  into  a  time  of  thanks.    Thank  God  for  all  the  good  things  He’s  done  for  you  lately.

2. Meditate  slowly  on  Philippians  4:  4-­‐‑13  today.    Ask  God  to  help  you  to  seek  Him  with  all  your  heart.

3. Ask  God  to  teach  you  about  submission  today.    Is  there  an  authority  (boss,  teacher,  parent,  etc)  in  your  life  who  is  difficult  to  respect?    Tell  God  that  you  will  choose  to  respect  that  person,  even  though  they  are  not  very  respectable  in  your  eyes.    Write  their  names  here.

4.  Finish  your  Bible  memorization  today.

Day One“This  left  Jacob  all  alone  in  the  camp,  and  a  man  came  and  wrestled  with  him  until  dawn.”  

~Genesis  32:24,  NLT.

Conflict  has  become  a  regular  part  of  Jacob’s  life  by  now.    He  left  Canaan  because  he  ripped  off  his  brother  and  had  to  run  away  before  Esau  could  kill  him.

He  has  spent  twenty  some  years  working  for  a  crooked,  deceptive  uncle  who  makes  Jacob’s  deceptions  look  like  child’s  play.    After  leaving  the  uncle,  Laban  has  pursued  him  with  the  motive  to  do  him  serious  bodily  harm,  but  after  a  brief  confrontation,  the  two  depart  from  one  another  with  a  treaty.    

Jacob  was  married  to  four  wives,  and  the  text  shows  us  the  continual  competition  and  squabbling  between  them...  Everywhere  in  his  life,  Jacob  deals  with  complicated  relationships.

A  couple  decades  before  this,  God  revealed  himself  to  Jacob  in  a  dream.    Since  that  time,  God  has  shown  Jacob  that  He  is  a  life  giving,  loving  God  who  propels  Jacob  forward,  not  chaining  him  down.

Yet  the  rest  of  Jacob’s  relationships  have  caused  him  considerable  angst.    This  angst  reveals  itself  when  he  wrestles  with  the  angel  with  a  relentless  persistence.    It’s  as  if  he’s  crying  out,  “God,  life  is  so  complicated!    YOU’VE  GOTTA  DO  SOMETHING!”

What  stands  out  about  Jacob  is  that  he  is  willing  to  wrestle  with  God.  For  many  of  us,  we  throw  our  hands  in  the  air  and  declare  religious  theologies  about  God’s  sovereignty,  and  give  up.    But  we  miss  out  on  the  blessing!    

Push  into  God  today,  and  don’t  give  up  until  He  blesses  you!

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Day Two1.  Take  some  time  to  quiet  yourself  before  God  and  thank  Him  for  all  He’s  done  in  your  life  lately.    Then  praise  Him  for  who  He  is.

2.  Read  I  Timothy  6:  6-­‐‑19.    

3.  After  reading  the  above  passage  in  I  Timothy,  do  you  think  you  are  genuinely  “content?”        

4. Take  time  to  pray  for  friends,  loved-­‐‑ones,  and  co-­‐‑workers  who  don’t  know  the  Lord.    Ask  Him  to  bring  people  into  their  lives  who  will  boldly  live  and  speak  the  grace  and  truth  of  God  into  their  lives.    Ask  God  if  you  are  one  of  those  people  who  should  be  investing  into  their  lives

5. Continue  memorizing  and  meditating  on  the  scriptures  for  this  week.

Day Four“Therefore  humble  yourselves  under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  that  He  may  exalt  you  at  the  proper  time,  casting  all  your  anxiety  on  Him,  because  He  cares  for  you.”

~1  Peter  5:6,  7

Peter  commands  us  to  humble  ourselves  before  God.    Yet,  how  do  you  truly  define  “humility?”    Peter  goes  on  to  give  us  at  least  one  definition  of  the  word.    Did  you  notice  the  comma  after  the  command  to    humble  yourselves?    It  then  says,  “...casting  all  your  anxiety  on  Him,  because  He  cares  for  You.”  

One  way  to  see  humility  is  casting  our  worries  on  Him.    As  a  fisherman,  I  know  that  a  cast  is  always  about  geeing  the  line  away  from  me,  and  into  the  water.    Casting  my  worries  on  God  is  all  about  throwing  them  away  from  me  and  into  His  lap.    

As  Jacob  wrestled  with  the  angel  in  Genesis  32,  he  was  actively  casting  his  worries  on  God.    His  actions  shouted,  “I  will  not  let  go  of  you  until  you  bless  me!”    The  angel,  whom  I  believe  was  holding  back,  then  touched  Jacob  on  the  hip  and  blessed  him.    

How  is  forever  causing  someone  to  limp  a  blessing?    

Great  question.    It  was  a  lifelong  reminder  to  Jacob  that  he  was  no  longer  Jacob,  the  deceiver.    No.    He  was  now  Israel,  “God  strives.”    

The  angel  says  it  like  this,  “Your  name  shall  no  longer  be  Jacob,  but  Israel;  for  you  have  striven  with  God  and  with  men  and  have  prevailed”  (Genesis  32:28,  emphasis  mine).

Once  you  have  truly  given  your  cares  to  God,  you  will  be  a  marked  person.    Everyone  will  be  able  to  see  it!

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Day TwoGod wants to turn your test into a testimony, and your mess into a message

~Rick Warren

Jacob has returned from the land of Laban as a wealthy man (he spent 20 some years working for his uncle, Laban), but worn down from years of squabbling and competition between his wives , and continual aggression from his deceitful uncle.  His heart yearns for peace, but a possibly insurmountable obstacle stands between him and peace.

He deceived his brother many years ago and ran away before Esau could kill him.  Revenge waits for Jacob to return.  They say "revenge is a dish best served cold."  Esau's bitterness has had many years to fester in the fridge of isolation.  

We must not overlook Jacob's faith at this point.  God has commanded him to return to the land of Canaan, the land God gave to his grandfather.  On one hand, it must have felt like a relief to leave Labanville, but returning home meant facing his brother. Jacob was willing to obey God even if it meant he would possibly be murdered by his brother. 

The pressure cooker of difficult relationships pushed Jacob into desperation with God.  I can't help but think that God used all the difficult relationships to funnel Jacob into confronting God, which brought about character change.

Confronting difficult relationships is a Biblical thing; in fact, Jesus practiced it and commanded it! For so many of us, we would rather run away like Jacob ran from Esau. At some point, we must return and face our Esau’s.

Take time to face your bitterness and difficult relationships. Allow the Lord to bring peace where there has been pain.

Day Four1. Take  time  to  praise  God  for  who  He  is  and  then  thank  Him  with  a  grateful  heart  for  all  He  has  done  for  you  lately.    

2. Meditate  again  on  I  Timothy  6:  6-­‐‑19.    Based  on  this  passage,  what  constitutes  “needs”  in  Paul’s  mind?    

3. Ask  God  to  speak  to  you  today,  in  a  simple  or  maybe  even  a  profound  way.    Give  Him  permission  to  say  whatever  He  wishes  to  say  to  You.

4. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  scripture  for  this  week.

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Day ThreeWhen you take an in depth survey of the scripture, there are many instances of people encountering angels. In almost every instance, people have one response: they get real scared! That’s why the common first words out of the angel’s mouth is, “Fear not!”

Then there’s the story of Jacob on the banks of the Jabbock River. The self avowed “Mama’s Boy” doesn’t get down on the ground in humble awe. No, he goes after the angel with a Half Nelson (that’s a wrestling move for all you non-wrestling types)! Jacob has so much built up angst that he wrestles with the angel for the entire night. Dawn is approaching when the angel finally says, “why don’t we quit this.”

First, let’s look at the significance of the setting for this wrestling match. It occurred while Jacob was alone on the banks of the Jabbock. Jabbock is an ancient word that means, “poured out.” Jacob was pouring out all his angst against God. Though his struggles have been with people, Jacob can’t help but feel some frustration with God.

He needs God to do something! He has become rich in this world’s goods, but in the midst of it, he is not nearly satisfied or content. His relationships on every side have become difficult and complex, and his inner frustration is expressed toward God.

Does this sound familiar? We dig ourselves into a lot of holes and can’t understand how God lets us do it. Somehow, our frustrations with others get us crosswise with God! We really don’t want God to control our lives, except when things go south. Then we expect Him to do something to make people around us behave.

Meanwhile, He is busy being faithful, kind, and trustworthy.

The truth is, we all need the Jabbock. We need times of pouring out our hearts before God.

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

~Psalms 62:8

Day Three1. Take  some  time  to  praise  God  for  who  He  is,  and  then  thank  Him  for  what  He’s  done  for  you  lately.

2. Take  just  a  few  minutes  to  ask  God  to  remind  you  of  any  true  need  you’ve  ever  had  that  God  did  NOT  meet  for  you.    If  there  is  one,  ask  Him  to  give  you  His  wisdom  as  to  why  He  did  not  give  you  what  you  needed.

3. God  delights  in  giving  us  what  we  need.    Write  down  in  this  space  your  genuine  needs,  and  believe  God  for  them.    

4. Ask  God  to  show  you  someone  to  show  kindness  to  as  you  go  through  the  day.

5. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  verses  for  this  week.    

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