E - Sermon

November 2013

WHEN GOD WRESTLES YOU! Pastor Tony Sands

I have always wondered about the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel (I believe was God). Everything in the Bible is significant and can speak into our current situations, and this story is no different. As I again read about this awesome event, the following thoughts came to me and I hope it ministers to you. (read Genesis 25) Allow me to give some backdrop to this event. Jacob as we know was a deceiver. He literally held on to his twin brother during birth. He stole his brothers (Esau) birthright. He deceived his loving father to get the blessing meant for Esau. He departs from the family home in fear, and travels to Laban his uncle. While there he negotiates a deal with Laban to marry Rachel, only to found that Laban deceived him by giving him Leah. After the allotted time of working for the marriage of Rachael, we read how Jacob has this constant battle with people. He feels that everything in life has to be fought for. Perhaps you might feel this way too. You try too hard to impress people, always ducking and diving to get what you want. In everything you do, you have an angle. The end is always about what you want or where you want to be. However, along the way you have made some enemies, or you alienated yourself from people. Life for Jacob was pretty hard. You get the sense that all he wanted was for him to blessed, and did not have the time to consider others.

We are a lot like that, sometimes without realizing it. Our focus is so much on our wants and needs, that we are never aware of the needs of others. Pastors struggle with relationships with other leaders, because then it doesnt become about them, but rather what we do corporately as a Church. Every person that joins the Church, you have an

unspoken expectation that they will fulfill your vision/plans, and just maybe, through their support you will become well known. You struggle with those who challenge you and never prepared to be wrong because you are Gods anointed and who dares to touch Gods anointed ones anyway? After all, you deserve everything! Some pastors only connect with those who can upgrade their ministry. They can name drop as easily as they prepare their watered down sermons. Yet you know that this kind of attitude is what drives people away and always puts you in a position to fight for what you want or defend what you are doing. The Bible clearly says that the angel came down to Jacob to wrestle with him! (Genesis 32:24) I have thought long and hard about this. Jacob wasnt looking for a fight. The fight came looking for him! He had sent his family ahead to meet his brother Esau. There was a fear inside of him, not sure how Esau would retaliate for the wrong he has done. Do you sometimes feel like God is holding back on you? That perhaps the answer needs to be fought for through prayer and fasting? Now I believe in doing what we must to declare and to decree His

word, but sometimes we act against God like we treat people connected to us. I believe that God had to get Jacob into a position of submission. He didnt even recognize who it was he was wrestling until the early hours of the following morning. Jacob was so used to fighting for what he wants that he failed to recognize that God Himself had just turned up. The limp that resulted with him wrestling God, was so that in the future he would not have the physical ability to fight the people God gives him. Sometimes God wants to speak and work through us, but all we do is question, argue, debate, or come up with our own interpretation, as long as we get what we want. God has to get your attention and bring you into submission, leave you with a limp so that you can give up on fighting. Start trusting and stop always doing things with an ulterior motive. To Jacobs surprise, his brother Esau had no intention of fighting him. You will be amazed at what God can do when you stop fighting or doing things with your end in mind. Submit to the Lord totally so that when you leave His presence you do not have the energy to fight but to wait and see what God will do. I would rather walk with a limp than to boast in my natural abilities to get things done. My trust in God must far outweigh my persuasive ways. Let it be more of Him and less of you! - YOURS FOR HIS KINGDOM