Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Jacob Wrestling With God - 1/14/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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Jacob Wrestling With God - 1/14/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
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  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  Genesis chapter 32
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  and uh
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  my my Bible reading plan that I have uh
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  for this year's kindly been leading me
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  through these chapters and uh just what
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  I've been familiar with and don't always
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  do that. Most time I'm sort of separate
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  uh from my Bible reading uh to what I
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  preach. But I just felt impressed to
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  deal with this text tonight. Genesis 32.
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  I want to read uh verse number verse
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  number 24 down through the end of the
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  chapter of Genesis 32.
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  And uh
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  give you a little thought here tonight.
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  I don't know if it'll be any more than
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  that, but I'll just try to mind the Lord
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  as he gives us liberty. Genesis 32: 24,
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  the Bible says, "And Jacob was left
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  alone, and there wrestled a man with him
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  until the breaking of the day. And when
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  he saw that he prevailed not against
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  him, he touched the hollow of his
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  thigh." And the hollow of Jacob's thigh
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  was out of joint as he wrestled with
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  him. And he said, "Let me go, for the
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  day breakth." And he said, "I will not
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  let thee go except thou bless me." And
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  he said unto him, "What is thy name?"
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  And he said, "Jacob." And he said, "Thy
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  name shall be called no more Jacob, but
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  Israel. For as a prince hast thou power
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  with God and with men, and hast
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  prevailed." And Jacob asked him, and
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  said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name.
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  And he said, Wherefore is it that thou
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  dost ask after my name? And he blessed
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  him there. And Jacob called the name of
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  the place Pineel, for I have seen God
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  face to face, and my life is preserved.
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  And he passed over Pine, the son. And as
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  he passed over Pine, the sun rose upon
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  him, and he halted upon his thigh.
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  Therefore, the children of Israel, eat
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  not of the senue, which shrank, which is
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  upon the hollow of the thigh unto this
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  day, because he touched the hollow of
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  Jacob's thigh in the senue that shrank.
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  Father, I ask you for just a moment a
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  time that you would help me tonight as
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  we look at these verses. God, I realize
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  how inadequate and unable I am to do
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  what you've called me to do tonight
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  without the power of the spirit of God.
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  And God, I pray that you would give me
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  liberty and uncction tonight. Clothe me
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  in my calling and anoint me with the
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  spirit of God fresh and a new rid me of
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  the flesh and all sin. Help us to
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  receive with meekness the engrafted word
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  tonight. And Lord, I pray you'd open our
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  eyes we might behold wondrous things in
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  thy love. You said thou would keep him
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  in perfect peace. He whose mind is
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  stayed on thee. Lord, I ask that you
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  keep our minds and hearts focused
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  tonight on your word and on you. God, I
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  pray you remove every hindrance, Lord,
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  anything, God, that might stand in the
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  way. and God that we may know you as a
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  result of this service more than we did
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  when we came. I pray you leave help us
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  to leave challenged and changed tonight
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  by the word of God. We'll thank you for
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  what you do because we ask it in Jesus
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  name. Amen. Genesis 32.
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  This chapter marks the change in the
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  life of the patriarch Jacob. And uh when
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  we come to this portion of scripture to
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  get us up to speed on where we're at in
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  the book of Genesis, we know the story
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  tonight of Jacob. Jacob, his name means
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  suppler planter. And that is exactly
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  what Jacob has done literally from the
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  time of his conception. You think about
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  Jacob. The Bible says that when Isaac uh
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  and Rebecca, Rebecca conceived and there
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  were two sons in her womb, the Bible
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  says, and it says that they struggled
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  within them. And so leaving before
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  birth, Jacob and Esau were struggling in
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  the womb of Rebecca. And after birth,
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  the Bible talks about that Esau came out
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  first. And as Jacob came out afterwards,
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  he took hold on the leg of Esau. And
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  that's why Rebecca named him Jacob. He
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  was a suppler. And and uh Jacob's life
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  is is marked by this li by this um
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  mentality. He is he is strategizing.
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  He's always scheming. And isn't it
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  interesting that he's always successful?
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  Everything Jacob does works out for him.
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  And I'll say this tonight. Just because
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  what you do works out for you doesn't
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  mean it's right. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Jacob gets by with a lot of things. But
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  where we've come to in this text,
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  Jacob's life is finally caught up with
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  him. And you notice here in this
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  chapter, the Lord has been with Jacob.
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  And I'm like most writers, I believe
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  that Jacob at some point in his life
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  before this had obviously um repented
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  and trusted in the Lord and he was
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  living a life of faith. He obviously uh
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  honored God more than Esau did because
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  Esau was rejected. Amen. And so he did
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  not he was not allowed the covenant. But
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  I I'm reminded in this chapter just to
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  give you a few things about where we are
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  tonight. Of course, Abraham begget Isaac
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  and Isaac begat Jacob. And Jacob would
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  be the one here in this very chapter of
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  whom the seed of Israel would be
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  birthed. He the 12 tribes 10 of his own
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  sons and then two sons of Joseph would
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  be the 12 tribes of Israel. And so in
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  this text to give you a few things by
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  way of introduction tonight. Some things
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  that stand out in this chapter. I would
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  say the position of Jacob stands out in
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  this chapter. He is journeying here. He
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  has left Laban's house in chapter number
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  31. And Laban has tried to come after
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  him. God has delivered him from Laban.
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  In chapter 32, he finds out that Esau is
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  coming on him as well. And God has
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  delivered him from Laban. And now he is
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  going to face Esau. And what's
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  interesting about this tonight is the
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  problem with Laban is the same problem
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  that he has with Esau. He did Laban
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  wrong. And so now he's dealing with the
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  problem on the other hand. I'll say this
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  tonight, your your pro your mistakes,
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  your your failures will catch up with
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  you in this life. Amen. And Jacob here
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  in this text, it's been some 20 years
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  since Esau, he has even laid eyes on
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  Esau. They've not seen each other in
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  many, many years. And so, no doubt
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  there's probably children uh here that's
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  present that weren't present when Esau
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  and Jacob departed from one another, if
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  not the whole family. I can't verify uh
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  all of that. But I will say this
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  tonight, Jacob's in dire straits. And
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  the Bible says in chapter 32 and verse
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  number six, he sent messengers out. and
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  the messengers come back. In verse
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  number six, they come unto him. Verse
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  number six, saying, we have we came to
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  thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to
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  meet thee, and 400 men with him. And the
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  Bible says in verse 7, then Jacob was
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  greatly afraid and distressed. And the
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  Bible says he divided the people that
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  was with him and the flocks and the
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  herds and the camels into two bands.
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  Jacob has been blessed. He has brought
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  in much uh crops. He's brought or much
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  cattle. um his family is broad. He's got
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  many children. And so God has blessed
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  him greatly. And his position here is
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  that he has all of this blessing. And
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  now he's afraid that Esau is going to
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  come and take it from him. Now, if you
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  were in Jacob's shoes tonight and you're
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  told by your servants that 400 men are
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  coming with him, you think that they
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  don't have good intent in mind when
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  they're going to see Jacob. When there's
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  400 men that's coming, obviously they've
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  got ulterior motives of what they're
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  going to do when they see Jacob. And so
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  his position is one of dire straits. But
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  I note not only the position in this
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  chapter, but I note the prayer. And this
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  is one of the highlights prayers of
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  Jacob's life. You think about Bethl. You
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  think about this point in his life. And
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  he prays a beautiful prayer. I'll say
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  more about that in a minute. But notice
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  what the Bible says in verse number nine
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  of chapter 32. And Jacob said, "Oh God
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  of my father Abraham, and God of my
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  father Isaac, the Lord which set unto
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  me, return unto thy country and to thy
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  kindred, and I will deal well with thee.
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  I'm not worthy of the least of the
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  mercies, and of all the truth which thou
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  showed un thy servant. For with my staff
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  I passed over this Jordan, and now I am
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  become two bands. Deliver me, I pray
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  thee, from the hand of my brother, from
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  the hand of Esau, for I fear him, lest
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  he will come and smite me and the mother
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  with the children, and thou sayest, thy
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  will surely do thee good, and make thy
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  seed as the sand of the sea, which
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  cannot be numbered for multitude. In
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  verse 13 says, he lodged there that same
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  night. So, he has come over here uh to
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  the fort jab in the text, we know
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  according to later on, he's in Penule.
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  And here in this text, his prayer, he
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  makes an earnest prayer. I'll say this,
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  if you just read that prayer for what it
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  is, it sounds pretty humble, doesn't it?
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  What he's saying, it sounds like he's
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  he's really desiring God to help him.
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  And you know what? He's going to have to
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  have some help.
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  >> Amen. He's going to have to have some
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  help from Esau. He's going to have to
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  have some deliverance. And so, what's
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  interesting about that prayer is the
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  exact moment that he finishes his
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  prayer, he begins start he he is already
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  starting out to make his plan. Notice
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  verse 13. And he lodged there that same
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  night and took of that which came to his
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  hand. Notice this, a present for Esau
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  his brother. Verse 14 and 15 lists the
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  animals. 200 she goats, 20 hegoats, 200
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  use, 20 rams, 30 milks camels with their
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  colts, 40 cine, 10 bulls, 20 shees, and
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  10 foes. He has took a half of his
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  inheritance here. He's took a half of
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  all that he has been blessed with to
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  make this present. Now, this present
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  sticks out for this reason because it
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  shows that there wasn't much faith in
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  his prayer.
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  >> He's decided, "All right, if if God
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  ain't going to deliver me, I'm going to
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  do something that's going to help out."
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  >> You're right.
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  >> How many times we do that?
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  >> We say, "Lord, you going to have to help
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  us. We just don't know how we going to
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  get out of this." And then, right moment
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  it comes off our lips, we've already got
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  something else. Well, if that don't work
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  out, we got a we got a backup plan,
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  >> right?
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  >> This is the way Jacob has lived his
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  life. He's decided. He's everywhere he's
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  been. And I said it before, I'll say it
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  again. He is strategizing and he is
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  scheming everywhere he goes. And he
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  always comes out successful. But I'll
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  tell you this, this time it's not going
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  to happen that way. He's got his present
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  together. He's got a gift to pacify the
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  wrath of his brother, Esau. And tonight,
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  of course, we know that he's bitter.
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  Esau is bitter at him because of
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  stealing his birthright, stealing the
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  blessing from Isaac his father. And
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  Jacob is concerned that his life is in
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  danger. And so he makes this present. He
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  decides his plan. Verse number 17 down
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  through verse number 22. He's getting
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  his plan together. He's going to send
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  out one group with this present to go
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  out and meet Esau. And Esau's going to
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  see this. And the servants are going to
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  present the present there unto Esau. And
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  Jacob, he's sending them out as a
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  martyr. You can read that in the text.
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  Jacob says, "All right, if they go and
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  die, at least I'll still have every at
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  least I'll still have half."
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  >> Right?
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  >> He's he's got this plan in his mind.
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  I'll tell you this tonight. When it
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  comes to dealing with the world, and
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  that's what Esau's a type of. He's a
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  type of the world. Amen. The rejectant
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  ones, you your plans don't work with
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  them.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> Amen. Let me just tell you your ideas
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  and your thoughts about this life.
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  You're not going to be able to deal with
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  the world because the world's got the
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  deck of cards. You understand that? You
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  going to have to deal with the Lord on
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  these things. I think we make the
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  mistake too often times of trying to
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  take matters into our own hands.
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  >> Well, I prayed about it. Well, look the
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  way you're living after it.
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  >> That's what he did.
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  >> He prayed about it, too, didn't he?
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  Amen. Made a long pretty swelling
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  prayer. Oh, God. God of my father
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  Abraham and God my father Isaac, we'll
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  cry out. Amen. But we decide, we done
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  decided before we even stopped praying
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  what we're going to do. Amen.
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  >> Right?
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  >> Notice not only the plan in our text,
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  but notice the privacy here. You see in
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  our text, the Bible says in verse 22
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  that Jacob rises up that night. He's
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  sending the present over over the over
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  the ford there, Jabbok, unto Esau to
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  meet them. and he lodges with his wives
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  uh in the company that's left. Verse 22,
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  he rose up that night, took his two
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  wives and his two women servants and his
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  11 sons and passed over the four jab. So
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  they passed over. Verse 23, he took them
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  and sent them over the brook and sent
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  over that he had. Jacob has put it all
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  on the other side. And notice verse 24.
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  And Jacob was left alone.
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  Jacob was left alone. And what you going
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  to find here in this text, this right
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  here, that little moment in verse number
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  24 is what begins the life change of
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  this man Jacob. This is where he turns
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  around. One writer said it this way at
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  Bethl when Jacob met with the Lord, he
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  became he was he was saved. But here in
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  this text, when Jacob met with the Lord,
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  he became a saint.
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  When Jacob met with the Lord at Bethl,
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  God saved him. But in this text, God
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  sanctifies him.
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  >> Amen. And I'll say this, there's going
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  to have to be a point in our life. All
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  right? Some people it happens for them
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  at the moment of salvation. I've heard
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  it heard stories tell about men of God
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  down through the ages. God saved them.
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  And at the very same moment, he saved
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  them. He called to preach called them to
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  preach and they live the rest of their
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  life in service to God. You don't hear
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  much of that anymore.
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  >> But I tell you what we see a whole lot
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  of is people that get saved. And it
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  takes them a long time before they ever
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  truly get set apart for God. It ain't
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  supposed to be that way. Let me just put
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  that out there. Amen. But I'll tell you
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  this, God's plans are not our plans.
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  Amen. Notice in this privacy here in
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  verse 24. Remember I told you, Jacob's
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  schemes and his strategies always made
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  him successful. Always made him
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  superior. But you see, Jacob for one
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  time in his life, he's left alone. Don't
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  you think about this? Jacob was never
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  alone
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  because of his flocks, his fields, and
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  his family and his servants. He was
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  never alone. You think about it. He's
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  got 12 children and a daughter. He's got
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  wives. He's got four wives. Two wives
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  and their their handmaidaidens that are
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  with him at all times. Jacob is he never
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  spends a moment alone in his life. He's
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  busy. And I'll say this, it it
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  illustrates our life pretty well for us.
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  Amen. Most of us are never alone at all.
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  >> But I'll tell you this, Jacob gets in
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  this place where he's alone. You say,
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  "Preacher, why did he end up alone?"
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  Well, I'll say he the loneliness finally
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  reached Jacob because his failures
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  caught up with him.
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  >> Amen. His failures caught up with him.
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  And because his failures have caught up
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  with him, his fears are overtaking him.
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  And you know what happens out of that?
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  Instead of operating in faith, he's
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  operating out of fear. And so his faith
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  is overruled. This is what'll happen to
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  every one of us. You're
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  >> right. When your failures finally do
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  catch up with you when sin when it comes
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  to pay, when your failures finally reach
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  you, you got one of two options. You
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  going to have to deal with it in faith
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  or you going to have to let fear
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  overtake you. And what happens? Jacob is
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  left alone here because he's
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  strategizing. But remember, it is his
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  scheme that's got him to this place of
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  aloneeness. He didn't choose this
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  willingly.
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  He did this because in this text, he was
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  afraid he was going to die.
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  Amen. He wouldn't have been alone,
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  >> right?
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  >> You see, when we we live our lives so
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  busily, and I don't I don't want to miss
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  this point. I want to emphasize this
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  well, okay? We live our lives so busily
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  that we never have time to be alone and
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  to think,
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  >> right?
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  >> If you never stop long enough to
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  meditate, I I'm guilt just as guilty as
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  anybody in here. If you never stop long
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  enough to think about something, we have
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  no break. The reason why people were
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  quicker to repent 50, 60, 70 years ago
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  is because they didn't have so much
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  occupying their mind.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> They wasn't so busy.
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  >> Even Jacob, I dare say, he probably
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  wasn't as busy as some of us are here
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  tonight,
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  but he was left alone. I'll say this,
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  this privacy was not a good thing. It
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  was not a good thing in Jacob's eyes,
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  but it was a good thing for Jacob.
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  >> Right?
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  Sometimes you just need to get away by
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  yourself. And I notice in this text, you
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  see this loneliness has reached Jacob.
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  He was left alone. I want to say this.
• 17:00
  I'm thankful that God doesn't let us
• 17:01
  alone when we're left alone.
• 17:03
  >> Yes.
• 17:04
  >> Amen. He didn't see. See where Jacob has
• 17:07
  has pushed everybody else out. This is
• 17:09
  what happens when your failures catch up
• 17:11
  with you and because of that fear
• 17:13
  overtakes you. You It's the natural
• 17:14
  response. It's fight or flight. And
• 17:16
  that's what Jacob is doing. He's fly.
• 17:18
  He's getting away from everything
• 17:21
  because he don't want to be reminded of
• 17:22
  his troubles. And so what you're going
• 17:25
  to do is when you get to that place,
• 17:26
  you're naturally going to separate
• 17:28
  yourself from everything and everybody.
• 17:32
  But I'm thankful God doesn't let us
• 17:33
  alone.
• 17:34
  >> Amen.
• 17:35
  >> When we're left alone, notice here in
• 17:37
  this this privacy, the Bible says that
• 17:40
  Jacob was left alone and they wrestled a
• 17:42
  man with him until the breaking of day.
• 17:45
  So according to this text, many people
• 17:47
  have said, you know, that Jacob wrestled
• 17:49
  all night long. I don't know that it was
• 17:51
  all night long, but I do know that it
• 17:53
  was a long period of time. According to
• 17:55
  the text, it does say in this text that
• 17:59
  he that same night there, verse 22, he
• 18:01
  rose up that night, took his two wives
• 18:03
  and his two women servants. And so if
• 18:06
  they're like the average woman, Amen,
• 18:07
  y'all don't get mad at me, but it took
• 18:08
  them a while to get over the four. Amen.
• 18:12
  That was supposed to be more funny than
• 18:13
  it was. Amen.
• 18:15
  And so I don't know how long it took,
• 18:16
  but I do know this that Jacob, the Bible
• 18:19
  says that they wrestled until the
• 18:20
  breaking of day. Now this man in this
• 18:23
  text, the reason the Bible leaves this
• 18:25
  discreet here is because this is a
• 18:27
  theophony. This is a pre-incarnate
• 18:30
  appearing of Christ. Now I made the
• 18:31
  statement a few weeks ago talking about
• 18:33
  I don't know of any other men that saw
• 18:35
  Christ pre-incarnate other mo other than
• 18:37
  Moses, Abraham, and Joshua. But right
• 18:39
  here's you another one. Amen. Jacob met
• 18:41
  with the Lord Jesus Christ in verse 24.
• 18:44
  It is the man that wrestled with him
• 18:47
  until the breaking of the day. And I'll
• 18:49
  say more about that in a minute. But I
• 18:51
  notice in this wrestling that that word
• 18:53
  wrestle there in your Bible, it means to
• 18:55
  grapple. It means they're literally
• 18:57
  armlocked.
• 18:58
  And what is it? What is what are they
• 19:00
  wrestling for? Well, this is what I find
• 19:02
  interesting. In the privacy here,
• 19:04
  there's a conflict.
• 19:06
  And you know what you're going to meet
• 19:08
  up with in your life when you get in a
• 19:09
  private place, there's a conflict,
• 19:11
  >> right?
• 19:12
  >> Amen. Cuz what happens is is if your
• 19:14
  flesh leads you to that private place.
• 19:16
  All right. What you're going to have to
• 19:18
  do is is the flesh is going to fight
• 19:20
  with God.
• 19:20
  >> That's right.
• 19:21
  >> Amen.
• 19:22
  >> That's what happens. And so there's
• 19:24
  going to be a conflict there. And what
• 19:26
  is happening here is Jacob has finally
• 19:29
  met his match.
• 19:31
  >> Amen. You know what? I said it and I'll
• 19:33
  say it again. Everywhere else Jacob has
• 19:36
  ever been, he's come out on top. You're
• 19:38
  >> right.
• 19:38
  >> Amen. He's like he's, you know, he's the
• 19:41
  Muhammad Ali of the Bible. Amen. He's
• 19:43
  come out on top every time.
• 19:45
  >> Right.
• 19:46
  >> But now Jacob's finally met up with
• 19:48
  somebody that's not going to back down.
• 19:50
  >> Amen.
• 19:51
  >> What's interesting about this fight is
• 19:53
  as this describes that one word in verse
• 19:55
  24 describes Jacob's life that he
• 19:58
  wrestled.
• 20:00
  He was constantly in in a battle with
• 20:04
  somebody or something. I'll say this
• 20:06
  tonight. It's not good to be
• 20:07
  contentious.
• 20:09
  >> Right?
• 20:09
  >> If you are if if problems follow you
• 20:12
  everywhere you go, Amen. chances are,
• 20:14
  Amen, you're probably the problem. Amen.
• 20:18
  >> I had somebody tell me a while back
• 20:20
  said, "I've had five people say the same
• 20:22
  thing about me, and I just don't know
• 20:23
  why they keep saying that."
• 20:26
  I'm like, "Well, you might ought to take
• 20:29
  a look in the mirror." Amen. Somebody
• 20:31
  say amen right there.
• 20:32
  >> But it's the truth. If if everywhere you
• 20:36
  go and every person you come in contact
• 20:38
  with, they seem to find or they seem to
• 20:41
  have a problem with you, chances are,
• 20:42
  Amen. It might be on your end and not
• 20:45
  theirs. Amen. Cuz not everybody's
• 20:47
  naturally contentious,
• 20:48
  >> right?
• 20:49
  >> But Jacob is. It's why he was named this
• 20:52
  way. He was the suppler. And in this
• 20:55
  privacy here, there's a conflict. But
• 20:57
  I'll say his conflict was with Christ.
• 21:01
  And in the lone times of life when God
• 21:03
  gets you separated, when God gets you
• 21:05
  alone by yourself, finally, and I'm
• 21:07
  thankful sometimes God uses the
• 21:10
  circumstances that we bring upon
• 21:12
  ourselves and he uses them to bring
• 21:14
  fellowship into our lives. See, if Jacob
• 21:16
  hadn't got to this place, he would have
• 21:18
  never come to a meeting with God.
• 21:21
  But God brings him close in this
• 21:23
  chapter. And in this, you see the
• 21:26
  persistence here in verse 24. They
• 21:28
  wrestled until the breaking of the day.
• 21:30
  So there's several hours that that
• 21:32
  Christ here and Jacob are are wrestling,
• 21:35
  grappling here in this text. And you
• 21:38
  notice not only the persistence, but you
• 21:40
  notice the power in verse 25. Notice
• 21:43
  what the Bible says. And when he saw,
• 21:44
  that's Christ, that he prevailed not
• 21:46
  against him, he touched the hollow of
• 21:49
  his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's
• 21:50
  thigh was out of joint as he wrestled
• 21:52
  with him. And so as they're wrestling
• 21:54
  and and and God here in this text is not
• 21:57
  prevailing against Jacob. Isn't that
• 21:59
  interesting?
• 22:02
  You know, this just goes to show, all
• 22:05
  right, what do we know about God?
• 22:07
  He's all powerful, isn't he?
• 22:09
  >> He's not omnipotent. We believe that
• 22:11
  about God.
• 22:13
  >> Do you really think that God was having
• 22:15
  a having a problem?
• 22:19
  It does not have to do with the witness
• 22:21
  of his power. It has to do with his
• 22:24
  will.
• 22:26
  The Bible says he saw that he prevailed
• 22:28
  not against him. It's because he didn't
• 22:30
  want to. You say, "Why is that?" Well,
• 22:33
  every moment that Jacob was there
• 22:35
  wrestling, that was a moment they were
• 22:37
  close together.
• 22:38
  >> Right?
• 22:38
  >> I'll say this. God's never going to
• 22:40
  override you. That's what this is. God
• 22:43
  was not overriding Jacob. He was just
• 22:45
  getting Jacob to a point where he's
• 22:47
  going to have to realize something's
• 22:48
  going to have to be different.
• 22:49
  >> Right?
• 22:49
  >> God's not ever going to override you.
• 22:51
  But I'll tell you this, he will take you
• 22:53
  to a place where you're going to have to
• 22:54
  submit.
• 22:55
  >> Amen.
• 22:56
  >> Amen. He's not going to force you to do
• 22:58
  anything. God could have wiped Jacob out
• 23:00
  right here. We know that. Okay? We're
• 23:02
  very well aware of that. But God in this
• 23:05
  text, it says he saw that he prevailed
• 23:07
  not against him. It wasn't because he
• 23:09
  was lacking physical ability, but it was
• 23:12
  because Jacob was unwilling to let go
• 23:15
  and give up his will. You see, as long
• 23:17
  as Jacob was fighting, what was he
• 23:19
  doing? He was operating in the flesh,
• 23:21
  >> right?
• 23:22
  >> I'm telling you, the imagery of this,
• 23:24
  the illustration of this is beautiful to
• 23:26
  our Christian life. When he saw that he
• 23:28
  prevailed not against him, let me say
• 23:30
  this. God cannot prevail over your flesh
• 23:32
  and your life.
• 23:35
  You're
• 23:35
  >> right.
• 23:35
  >> Listen to what I said very carefully.
• 23:38
  God is not. Let me let me rephrase this
• 23:40
  way. God will not prevail over your
• 23:42
  flesh in your life until you choose to
• 23:44
  die. You're
• 23:45
  >> right.
• 23:46
  >> Amen. He's not going to go beyond that.
• 23:49
  And so in this text, the Bible says when
• 23:51
  he saw that he prevailed not against
• 23:53
  them, he touched the hollow of his
• 23:54
  thigh. Now, this is what's interesting
• 23:56
  to me. Jacob, you know, he probably at
• 23:59
  this point doesn't know who he's
• 24:00
  wrestling with. But the very moment that
• 24:02
  God takes his finger and just
• 24:06
  see the battle changed then,
• 24:08
  >> right?
• 24:09
  >> He realized this is something more than
• 24:11
  just the man.
• 24:12
  >> Let me let me throw this out there to
• 24:14
  you. Think about this. Christ the
• 24:16
  creator,
• 24:18
  he's the one that made us. He's the one
• 24:20
  that made Jacob. He's the one that made
• 24:23
  the body. The body made in the image of
• 24:26
  God. And so, who better to know where to
• 24:28
  touch?
• 24:30
  >> Think about that for just a minute. Let
• 24:32
  me tell you, God knows where to touch in
• 24:33
  your life.
• 24:34
  >> You're right.
• 24:35
  >> He knows what he what to put his finger
• 24:37
  on in your life to get your attention.
• 24:39
  You're
• 24:39
  >> right.
• 24:39
  >> He knows what's in your life to to to
• 24:42
  take you out. Hey, Job said it this way.
• 24:43
  He said, though he slay me, he said,
• 24:45
  "I'll trust him." Because the fact is in
• 24:47
  this life, I'd rather God hinder me.
• 24:50
  >> Listen what I'm saying. I'd rather God
• 24:52
  hinder me by disabling me than the devil
• 24:55
  harm me.
• 24:56
  >> That's good.
• 24:57
  >> Amen.
• 24:58
  >> God allowed the devil to go a long ways
• 25:01
  with Job. But I'll tell you what, though
• 25:03
  he harmed him physically, he never
• 25:05
  harmed him spiritually. Right?
• 25:06
  >> He just hindered him. You see what Jesus
• 25:09
  did in this text as the creator, he knew
• 25:12
  how the body works, he knew the place
• 25:13
  that was weakness. And that that hollow
• 25:15
  of his thigh, that's the hip joint. And
• 25:17
  what he simply did is really dislocate
• 25:20
  his hip. That's that's the best of what
• 25:21
  I've studied. He dislocated his hip. And
• 25:24
  so, you know what? He t he's he's off
• 25:26
  balance. He has no stability.
• 25:29
  He takes him out. His balance is gone.
• 25:32
  What's What's left for him to do? To
• 25:34
  fall. He's going to fall. You think
• 25:36
  about this. The power as creator, but
• 25:39
  the power as conqueror. You see, Jesus
• 25:41
  touched the right place. I'll say this.
• 25:43
  It wasn't like some Bruce Lee thing
• 25:45
  where he chopped him on the hip or
• 25:47
  something like that. I'm saying God
• 25:48
  touched it,
• 25:49
  >> right?
• 25:51
  >> And it just come out.
• 25:53
  >> You see, he went beyond that physical
• 25:55
  power to a a spiritual a godly power.
• 25:59
  >> Something beyond. It wasn't something
• 26:01
  that was just, you know, super physical
• 26:03
  expression. That's not what it was. It
• 26:05
  was God's power touching the place that
• 26:08
  was going to disable him.
• 26:12
  >> He conquered Jacob. In that moment,
• 26:14
  Jacob was subdued.
• 26:17
  Here's what happens. All right.
• 26:20
  God in our life, we'll get to a point
• 26:21
  we're wrestling. We're wrestling with
• 26:24
  God. God touches that place. You know
• 26:26
  what we do? All that's all that's left
• 26:29
  for us to do is either fall on him or
• 26:32
  fall away from him.
• 26:33
  >> You're right.
• 26:35
  >> Because you're disabled.
• 26:37
  >> Jacob at this point, he has conquered.
• 26:39
  His creator has conquered him and his
• 26:42
  condition is sealed. Jacob went the rest
• 26:45
  of his life with this this in his life.
• 26:47
  He he walked with a limp for the
• 26:49
  entirety of his stay on this earth
• 26:51
  because of this event. The Bible says
• 26:54
  that he touched the hollow of his thigh
• 26:56
  and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out
• 26:58
  of join. That's literally that socket
• 26:59
  joint. The Bible says as he wrestled
• 27:01
  with him. And so his condition is now
• 27:04
  he's disabled.
• 27:06
  I'll tell you this, God's going to have
• 27:08
  to he might have to disable some things
• 27:10
  in your life to get your attention.
• 27:11
  You're
• 27:12
  >> right. And it may not be you.
• 27:14
  >> You're right.
• 27:16
  >> It may be a family member.
• 27:18
  >> I'm not talking about physically. I'm
• 27:19
  saying it can be anything.
• 27:22
  >> Notice this verse number 26. Notice that
• 27:25
  first phrase. And he said what? Let me
• 27:30
  go.
• 27:31
  Jacob obviously, you know, because he's
• 27:33
  disabled, what does he do? He falls onto
• 27:35
  him. You know what? Because he falls
• 27:38
  onto him, he can't fight anymore. So,
• 27:41
  you know what he does?
• 27:44
  He just grabs and holds on tight. Why is
• 27:47
  that? Because he can't fight anymore.
• 27:50
  You know, it'll be a good day in your
• 27:51
  life when God disables you and you can't
• 27:53
  fight anymore. That's
• 27:54
  >> right.
• 27:54
  >> And the only thing left for you to do is
• 27:56
  reach on to him
• 27:57
  >> and just hold on.
• 27:59
  >> Amen.
• 28:00
  >> I tell you what, every one of us will be
• 28:02
  at that place in our life at some point
• 28:04
  or another.
• 28:04
  >> You're right.
• 28:05
  >> Because God, he he don't he don't mess
• 28:07
  around. You see, I understand in our
• 28:09
  lives, many people will live a long time
• 28:12
  before God gets their attention. But
• 28:14
  I'll say this, it's not God's will for
• 28:15
  people to wander forever.
• 28:17
  >> You're right.
• 28:18
  >> It's not. I'll say this tonight. The
• 28:20
  quicker we realize, Amen. What does the
• 28:23
  Bible say? New Testament tells us if we
• 28:25
  judge ourselves, we'd be judged of no
• 28:26
  man.
• 28:27
  >> Amen.
• 28:29
  >> If Jacob would have just humbly
• 28:31
  submitted this man was here, you think
• 28:33
  about this. There didn't have to be a
• 28:34
  fight. There could have been fellowship,
• 28:36
  >> right? But what's he doing? He's
• 28:38
  fighting with God. And because he he's a
• 28:42
  failure. Now, you see, JACOB HAS ALWAYS
• 28:44
  COME OUT ON TOP.
• 28:46
  HE'S ALWAYS BEEN SUCCESSFUL. HE'S ALWAYS
• 28:48
  BEEN SUPERIOR WITH EVERY man that he's
• 28:51
  come up against. He beat Laban. He beat
• 28:53
  Esau. He fooled his daddy. Everybody
• 28:56
  he's come across, he's been successful
• 28:58
  and superior over them. But I'll tell
• 29:00
  you what, he met up with Jesus and he
• 29:02
  found out he wasn't superior anymore.
• 29:06
  >> You know what? he's left to do. He's
• 29:07
  just left to fall.
• 29:09
  >> To fall onto his mercy. And he said,
• 29:12
  "Let me go. Let me go." Why? For the day
• 29:15
  breakth. You see, the time is coming.
• 29:18
  Daylight is showing up here. And and we
• 29:20
  know that Jesus is not to be revealed to
• 29:23
  any man at this point in time. And we'll
• 29:25
  I'll say more about that in just a
• 29:26
  minute. But you see, the power is seen
• 29:28
  as conditioned. He is he is disabled.
• 29:32
  But you see, not only the power, but
• 29:34
  notice the prayer. I want to get to this
• 29:36
  point tonight.
• 29:38
  Verse number 26. Listen to what Jacob
• 29:40
  says. And he said, 'I will not let thee
• 29:43
  go except thou bless me.
• 29:47
  Now, what's significant about that
• 29:48
  prayer? That prayer is 11 words. I will
• 29:52
  not let thee go except thou bless me.
• 29:55
  You don't see anything in that prayer
• 29:57
  that's special, do you?
• 30:00
  What has he just prayed in the verses
• 30:02
  before?
• 30:04
  Verse number nine. Oh God of my father
• 30:07
  Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the
• 30:10
  Lord which sets unto me, return unto thy
• 30:12
  country and to thy kindred and I'll deal
• 30:14
  well with thee. ALL THESE GREAT SWELLING
• 30:16
  WORDS THAT HE PRAYS. What happens out of
• 30:19
  that? He walks out of it. He's still
• 30:21
  afraid. He's still operating outside of
• 30:23
  faith. He's still got his ulterior plan.
• 30:26
  He's got it all figured out even after
• 30:28
  that prayer. You know what was different
• 30:29
  about this prayer is who was present.
• 30:32
  >> Right. You're right. You know, I'm
• 30:34
  convinced of our prayers don't amount to
• 30:37
  anything in this life because he's not
• 30:40
  present.
• 30:43
  >> Notice it again, verse 26. And he said,
• 30:46
  "Let me go." That's him speaking. That's
• 30:48
  the word for the day breakth. And he
• 30:51
  said, "I will not let thee go except
• 30:53
  thou bless me." This prayer was short,
• 30:56
  but it was spiritual,
• 30:58
  >> right?
• 30:59
  >> What was he hanging on to? He's hanging
• 31:00
  on to the word.
• 31:03
  You know what you'll have to hang on to
• 31:04
  and you get disabled?
• 31:07
  >> You're right.
• 31:10
  >> You got nowhere else to go.
• 31:12
  >> Amen.
• 31:12
  >> You know why that night that God
• 31:14
  wrestled with Jacob? I've heard people
• 31:15
  say this. Well, Jacob was wrestling with
• 31:17
  God, and I agree with that. Okay, I do.
• 31:19
  But I'll tell you this, God in this text
• 31:22
  was having to get Jacob's attention. And
• 31:24
  the only way that he could get Jacob's
• 31:25
  attention is if he did it this way.
• 31:27
  Notice verse 24 again. And Jacob was
• 31:30
  left alone. And Jacob wrestled with God
• 31:33
  until the break of the day. Is that what
• 31:35
  it says? What does it say? And there
• 31:38
  wrestled a man with him.
• 31:42
  You see, the pro the the the the
• 31:45
  beginning of it, the the the start of it
• 31:47
  is on God's part. God's wrestling with
• 31:49
  him. Why? BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY
• 31:51
  THING. God could do everything else, but
• 31:53
  it was going to take this right here.
• 31:55
  What Jacob was best at,
• 31:59
  fighting and winning. good
• 32:02
  >> being successful.
• 32:04
  >> God had to go to that very thing and
• 32:05
  say, "Jacob, I know this is what you
• 32:07
  trust in more than anything else." He
• 32:10
  was witty. He I can get out of anything.
• 32:13
  Couldn't get out of this one, though.
• 32:16
  >> His prayer was short. His prayer was
• 32:18
  spiritual. But I'll say this, just like
• 32:20
  always, his prayer was successful.
• 32:23
  Look what it says. Verse number, he
• 32:25
  said, "I will not let thee go except
• 32:27
  thou bless me." Of course, we know that
• 32:28
  he's still hanging on. They're having a
• 32:31
  conversation. He said unto him, "What is
• 32:33
  thy name?" Now, isn't that interesting?
• 32:37
  He poses the question. What's the
• 32:39
  question? He said, "What's your name?"
• 32:40
  Well, what was his name? Jacob. What it
• 32:43
  mean? Suppler. You know what Christ was
• 32:46
  doing? That word was pointing out
• 32:47
  saying, "You remember you know who you
• 32:49
  are, don't you? See, Jacob, I put you in
• 32:52
  your place. I've revealed you what you
• 32:55
  are. Tell me your name again. Jacob.
• 32:59
  You know what he was doing? He was
• 33:01
  admitting
• 33:02
  >> his fault.
• 33:03
  >> You're right.
• 33:03
  >> You know what you're going to have to do
• 33:05
  when you fall on the word and he's
• 33:07
  talking to you? He's going to make you
• 33:09
  admit who you are.
• 33:10
  >> You're right.
• 33:11
  >> Amen. You see, Abraham, when his name
• 33:13
  got changed, his name went from Abram to
• 33:15
  Abraham, never more to be remembered
• 33:18
  as Abram. But you see, Jacob's name's
• 33:21
  different because Jacob was always
• 33:24
  remembered as Jacob and Israel all
• 33:26
  throughout the word of God. You know
• 33:27
  what that represents? that represents
• 33:29
  your life and mine when we get saved.
• 33:32
  The flesh is not eradicated.
• 33:34
  Jacob represents that fleshly nature.
• 33:37
  But Israel represents that godly
• 33:40
  >> spiritual nature. Notice this in the
• 33:42
  text. Not only the prayer, but the
• 33:44
  product out of this. He asked him his
• 33:46
  name. What is thy name? He said, Jacob.
• 33:48
  He's recognizing who he is. He's
• 33:50
  helpless. I'll tell you this. We going
• 33:52
  to have to get to that place in the
• 33:53
  church in America where we realize that
• 33:57
  all our programs and all our plans and
• 34:00
  all our promotions. Amen. I'm I'm so
• 34:02
  sick of promotional ads on Facebook. I
• 34:04
  can't even I can't even think straight.
• 34:05
  I have to turn it off because I get so
• 34:07
  tired of it. Promoting this preacher's
• 34:09
  ministry and such and such ministries
• 34:11
  and their their conference of this. I
• 34:13
  mean, it's just like endless all the
• 34:15
  time. And I'm for announcing things and
• 34:18
  promoting things, but it's become it's
• 34:20
  become so carnal,
• 34:22
  >> right?
• 34:23
  >> It's what can we do to draw more people?
• 34:26
  It's it's it's so carnalized. And see,
• 34:29
  in this text, Jacob here, he was at wits
• 34:32
  end. That's where the church going to
• 34:33
  have to get in this d time. We going to
• 34:35
  have to get to the complete end of all
• 34:37
  of our means and all of our methods
• 34:39
  until we can finally realize that if
• 34:41
  we'll just go back,
• 34:42
  >> Yes.
• 34:43
  >> Amen. to where it started at and start
• 34:46
  over again and quit trying to fight.
• 34:48
  Amen. And just surrender. Amen. Fall on
• 34:50
  his mercy.
• 34:52
  My soap box a little bit. Notice the
• 34:54
  product here in the text. Verse 28. And
• 34:57
  he said, "Thy name shall be called no
• 34:58
  more Jacob, but Israel." What's
• 35:02
  interesting about that? You say,
• 35:03
  "Preacher, you said that he was still
• 35:04
  called Jacob." And he was, but it was by
• 35:06
  his family. When God seed him, what?
• 35:10
  God called him Israel. That's
• 35:12
  >> right. Boy, aren't you thankful when God
• 35:14
  sees us, he don't see the the lost.
• 35:17
  You're
• 35:17
  >> right.
• 35:19
  >> God's eyes saved, sealed. Amen.
• 35:22
  >> Sent apart. The flesh is done to God. He
• 35:24
  doesn't see that anymore. The blood
• 35:26
  covers that.
• 35:27
  >> Amen.
• 35:28
  >> And in this text, he says, "Thy name
• 35:30
  shall be called no more Jacob, but
• 35:32
  Israel. For as a prince hast thou power
• 35:34
  with God and with men." And notice this.
• 35:36
  "And hast what?" Prevailed.
• 35:41
  Now, I thought Jacob lost.
• 35:44
  He did. You say, "Preacher, what how why
• 35:47
  does it say that he prevailed
• 35:50
  was just like it always is in
• 35:51
  scripture?"
• 35:53
  When a man loses,
• 35:56
  >> what Jesus say, "He that shall save his
• 35:59
  life shall lose."
• 36:01
  >> Right?
• 36:08
  >> What does it say? God resisteth the
• 36:10
  proud, giveth grace to the humble. I got
• 36:13
  about 50 things going through my mind.
• 36:15
  Just give me a minute here. You see, in
• 36:18
  this text, he says, "Thy name shall be
• 36:20
  called Israel." See, he wrought victory
• 36:22
  not when he won the fight.
• 36:25
  But he wrought he he got victory. He
• 36:27
  prevailed with God when he fought when
• 36:30
  he fell at his feet.
• 36:31
  >> Right.
• 36:32
  >> When he fell on him.
• 36:33
  >> You're right.
• 36:34
  >> And just wrapped his arms around him.
• 36:38
  You see, it wasn't that Jacob prevailed.
• 36:41
  He He Jacob did not prevail in the
• 36:43
  conflict. Jacob prevailed not over God,
• 36:46
  but he prevailed with God when all he
• 36:48
  could do is cling.
• 36:49
  >> Right. Right.
• 36:50
  >> When Jacob all he could do is cling to
• 36:52
  God, that is when he prevailed. He says,
• 36:54
  "For as a prince hast thou power with
• 36:56
  God and with men." You know what he
• 36:59
  recognized? He recognized Jacob's
• 37:01
  ability.
• 37:02
  >> Jacob was was blessed by God. But the
• 37:06
  truth is in this text, he didn't have
• 37:07
  the real blessing. You know, we we we'd
• 37:10
  say people, and I, you know, we're all
• 37:12
  guilty of this, but you know, we we have
• 37:14
  possessions and things of that nature,
• 37:15
  and we call that blessing. We know that
• 37:17
  was what it was in this day and time.
• 37:19
  But you see, Jacob was missing out on
• 37:20
  the real blessing,
• 37:21
  >> right?
• 37:22
  >> Communion, fellowship with God. That's
• 37:25
  true blessing. And in this text, he was
• 37:27
  blessed by God in ability. But I'll say
• 37:29
  this, he was blessed by God what he was
• 37:31
  able to apprehend. You see, it took
• 37:33
  Jacob not being able to fight to really
• 37:36
  for God to give him what he wanted. God
• 37:38
  might have to disable you before you can
• 37:40
  before God can give you what he wants
• 37:42
  you to have.
• 37:43
  >> That's right.
• 37:45
  >> The product his his he his blessing was
• 37:48
  supplied. Notice that in verse 29. And
• 37:50
  Jacob asked him and said, "Tell me, I
• 37:52
  pray thee thy name." And he said,
• 37:53
  "Wherefore is it that thou asked after
• 37:55
  my name?" And he blessed him there. The
• 37:58
  blessing supplied. What was his prayer
• 38:00
  was answered. what he really needed.
• 38:04
  Jacob was wanting deliverance. He was
• 38:06
  wanting deliverance from his burden. But
• 38:09
  I'll tell you this, what he got was a
• 38:10
  divine brokenness.
• 38:14
  >> You see, you see, he was afraid of Esau.
• 38:18
  He was afraid of being broken physically
• 38:21
  before Esau and losing his life. But I
• 38:23
  tell you, it was a good day in his life
• 38:24
  when God broke him physically.
• 38:25
  >> Amen.
• 38:26
  >> Amen. Because he walked away from that.
• 38:29
  Here's the difference. Amen. God might
• 38:30
  break us up physically, but we'll get up
• 38:32
  and go on another mile for his glory.
• 38:34
  Amen. That's exactly right tonight. But
• 38:37
  the truth is, when the devil breaks you,
• 38:41
  >> you're done.
• 38:43
  >> You've heard it said this way. It takes
• 38:44
  a takes a lifetime to build a testimony
• 38:46
  and a second to destroy it. That's the
• 38:48
  truth tonight.
• 38:49
  >> Jacob here was broken by God. His
• 38:52
  blessing was supplied. But I'll say
• 38:53
  this, he got to see the Lord. Notice
• 38:55
  that in verse 30. And Jacob called the
• 38:58
  name of the place Pineel, for I have
• 39:00
  seen God face to face. What did he
• 39:03
  recognize? Well, when God touched him,
• 39:05
  he became more than a man.
• 39:06
  >> Right?
• 39:07
  >> When God laid his hand on, I'll say
• 39:09
  this. When God lays his hand on you,
• 39:11
  you'll realize salvation is more than a
• 39:13
  one-time event. Salvation is saved and
• 39:16
  living FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE FOR
• 39:18
  JESUS. IT'S BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH UNTO
• 39:21
  SALVATION AND THEN SANCTIFICATION
• 39:24
  THROUGH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. IT'S NOT
• 39:26
  SAVED AND THEN FINISHED.
• 39:28
  >> You're right.
• 39:28
  >> Amen.
• 39:30
  >> Walking in the flesh. You see, it was
• 39:32
  this place where Jacob saw God face to
• 39:35
  face.
• 39:37
  The place where God touched him. The
• 39:39
  place where God disabled him. It's then
• 39:41
  that he got to see God. His His blessing
• 39:44
  was supplied. He was seen that God saw
• 39:47
  he saw God in verse 30. But he was also
• 39:49
  spared. Notice that in verse 30, for I
• 39:51
  have seen God face to face. And notice
• 39:53
  this last phrase. and my life is
• 39:56
  preserved.
• 39:58
  Now, there's there's two ways you can
• 40:00
  take that, okay? I'm going to tell you
• 40:02
  which one I think. I'm not real sure.
• 40:04
  Number one, I would say the Bible says
• 40:06
  no man can look upon God and live. Amen.
• 40:09
  >> And so, Jacob saw him face to face and
• 40:11
  he says, "My life is preserved." Well,
• 40:13
  think of the blessing of that.
• 40:15
  >> He's looked on him, looked on Jesus in
• 40:17
  this text. And we know that that this is
• 40:19
  not God the Father physically, but we
• 40:21
  know what Jacob says he saw. And that's
• 40:23
  inspired, ain't it? Amen.
• 40:24
  >> He has seen God face to face. And what
• 40:27
  is Jesus? He's the express image
• 40:29
  >> of the invisible God. Amen. And so he
• 40:32
  says, "My life is preserved."
• 40:35
  But I'll say this, I think it could go
• 40:37
  even further than that to saying here in
• 40:39
  Jacob's life, this is what preserved
• 40:42
  him.
• 40:43
  Because if he had walked away from this
• 40:45
  and not had the blessing, it's very
• 40:48
  probable that he could have died
• 40:49
  >> right
• 40:50
  >> at the hands of Esau.
• 40:53
  Let me say this and I'll be done
• 40:54
  tonight. If we do not have the blessing
• 40:57
  of God in our life, the world will take
• 40:58
  us out.
• 40:59
  >> Amen.
• 41:01
  >> It will.
• 41:02
  >> It'll take you out. This world doesn't
• 41:05
  play nice.
• 41:07
  But God's already working on Esau
• 41:10
  time. He's working on Jacob here in this
• 41:12
  text. And I'll give you this and I'm
• 41:13
  done. You see the product, his blessing
• 41:16
  was supplied. He got to see the Lord.
• 41:18
  His life was spared. But then you notice
• 41:20
  his posture.
• 41:22
  talking about his his limp. Notice that
• 41:24
  in verse 31. And as he passed over
• 41:27
  panel, the sun rose upon him. Isn't that
• 41:30
  interesting?
• 41:32
  He's fought with the Lord all night
• 41:34
  long. God's touched him. And as he's
• 41:36
  passing over, leaving his meeting with
• 41:38
  God. What is it? The son's coming up.
• 41:40
  Notice what's said in the text. The sun
• 41:42
  rose upon him. You see, Jacob left with
• 41:46
  an image that day that he didn't have
• 41:47
  before.
• 41:48
  >> Amen.
• 41:50
  He left with an image of God on his
• 41:51
  life.
• 41:52
  >> He had a new name.
• 41:55
  >> Amen.
• 41:57
  >> He had a new necessity.
• 42:00
  >> He walked with a cane.
• 42:02
  Notice that in the text, he halted upon
• 42:05
  his thigh. The imagery literally is that
• 42:07
  he had to have an aid to hold him up.
• 42:09
  Not a person, but a a cane.
• 42:13
  His posture changed. Man, there's so
• 42:15
  much I could say about that. You know
• 42:16
  what? He couldn't go as fast as he used
• 42:17
  to could,
• 42:18
  >> right?
• 42:19
  >> Couldn't run away anymore.
• 42:22
  >> Couldn't fight the way he used to fight.
• 42:25
  Notice the text. Verse 31. And he halted
• 42:28
  upon his thigh. You see his posture
• 42:30
  number one, it was permanent.
• 42:32
  Jacob lived the rest of his life this
• 42:34
  way. But I'll say this, his posture
• 42:37
  created a pattern. Verse 32. Therefore
• 42:40
  the children of Israel eat not of the
• 42:42
  sine which shrank which is upon the
• 42:44
  hollow of the thigh unto this day
• 42:46
  because he touched the hollow of Jacob's
• 42:48
  thigh and the sine that shrank. So that
• 42:50
  part of an animal that they would kill,
• 42:52
  they wouldn't eat eat any of that
• 42:54
  because of the Jacob's meeting with God.
• 42:57
  You say, what is the emphasis of that?
• 42:59
  Well, what Jacob his experience with God
• 43:01
  left a mark not only on him but on
• 43:03
  everybody that followed him.
• 43:04
  >> Right.
• 43:05
  >> Amen. Wonder how your experience with
• 43:08
  God leave a mark on those that come
• 43:10
  behind you. The the the the illustration
• 43:13
  we use so much. Everybody mentions Fanny
• 43:15
  Crosby. You know the story. She was she
• 43:18
  she was born and because of mistake of a
• 43:21
  doctor, she was blinded, lived the rest
• 43:23
  of her life blind. You know the story.
• 43:25
  She says, you know, I thank him. I'm you
• 43:27
  know people asked her, you know, would
• 43:29
  you be angry? What could you say? What
• 43:30
  would you say to that doctor? She said,
• 43:32
  "I'd thank him for it." Cuz the first
• 43:34
  face that I look upon be the face of my
• 43:36
  Lord.
• 43:37
  >> Amen.
• 43:37
  >> But you think about the impact that her
• 43:40
  blindness had
• 43:42
  >> on generations to follow her
• 43:45
  because of what she did after that God
• 43:47
  disabled her. I'll say this tonight. We
• 43:50
  ought never, ever,
• 43:54
  ever be ashamed of the things that God
• 43:57
  disables us in.
• 43:58
  >> Amen.
• 44:00
  We look handicapped to the world, but
• 44:03
  I'll tell you this to God, we look holy.
• 44:05
  >> Amen.
• 44:10
  >> The world thinks we're foolish, man.
• 44:16
  >> They think, man, why you want to why you
• 44:18
  want to bind yourself down with that
• 44:20
  religion?
• 44:23
  >> I wouldn't bind myself down with
• 44:24
  religion.
• 44:26
  >> Amen.
• 44:27
  >> But Christianity set me free. Amen.
• 44:31
  >> And I want my life, the disablements
• 44:34
  that I have. It may and there, you know,
• 44:36
  there may come a day when something
• 44:38
  comes along and
• 44:41
  I God deals with me in that way. I don't
• 44:43
  know what the future holds. I'll tell
• 44:45
  you this, if he has to use it to get my
• 44:47
  attention, I want to be willing.
• 44:49
  >> Amen.
• 44:50
  >> I don't want to wrestle with God. Amen.
• 44:53
  But I know if I do, he'll deal with me.
• 44:55
  Amen. What does it Paul say? If you be
• 44:57
  without chastisement or of all our
• 44:59
  partakers, then are you bastards and not
• 45:01
  sons? Like I said, I'd rather him hinder
• 45:04
  me. Amen. And just hurt me for a little
• 45:07
  while than the devil take me out.
• 45:08
  >> Amen.
• 45:09
  >> Amen. I appreciate the Lord. Amen. I
• 45:12
  tell you what, there's so much we can
• 45:13
  learn in that, ain't there?
• 45:16
  >> So much. And never gets old, man. I'm
• 45:18
  telling you, every time you open it up,
• 45:20
  it's just fresh and brand new. and the
• 45:23
  oven of heavens rolling fresh bread out
• 45:26
  >> every time. Amen.
• 45:27
  >> Bless the Lord. Father, thank you for
• 45:29
  this good day. Thank you for your truth.
• 45:32
  And God, help us. Lord, I know that many
• 45:35
  of us, God, if not all of us tonight,
• 45:37
  are broken. Lord, I'm thankful, Father,
• 45:40
  that we can be blessed in spite of our
• 45:43
  brokenness. And God, it may be that
• 45:45
  brokenness that leads us to that
• 45:46
  blessing. And so, God, I pray you'd help
• 45:48
  us to embrace that. Lord, I thank you
• 45:50
  for loving us. I thank you God for
• 45:53
  blessing us, giving us this good church.
• 45:55
  I thank you for these people. I pray you
• 45:57
  bless them. Let them have a good rest of
• 45:58
  their week. Watch over us all. Protect
• 46:01
  us as we go forth and help us take this
• 46:03
  truth, apply it to our lives. We love
• 46:05
  you. Thank you for loving us. We ask it
• 46:07
  in Jesus name. Amen. Good night. God
• 46:10
  bless you, church.
• 46:11
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 46:13
  We'd love it if you'd join us in person
• 46:15
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 46:17
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 46:20
  2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 46:24
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 46:27
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 46:29
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 46:32
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 46:34
  evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. For
• 46:37
  more information, visit us at
• 46:39
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 46:41
  Thanks again for tuning in.