Meeting the Real God
Location: College Church of the Nazarene
Pastor: Dr. David Busic
Genesis 32: 22-32 NIV
"I repent with no one else to blame. Put selfishness behind me. I repent, Making no excuses. I bow down on my knees. I return to fall in love with Jesus."
Repentance is more than feeling sorry for what I have done. With Gods help we will turn in the other direction and follow God in absolute commitment.
Penal: I have come face to face with the real living God and have lived to tell about it.
Jacob's penial moment. Abraham had Isaac. Isaac had essau and Jacob.
Essau was red and hairy. Loved by his father.
Jacob was smooth and fair skinned. Loved by his mother.
In desperation Jacob tricked his father into blessing him instead of his his brother. Due to this Jacob flees and works for his uncle Laben for 20 years.
Up until now, Jacob knows a lot about God but does not know God. How can you tell that your have had a life changing in counter with the real God?
1) it has to be personal. their family has faith but it is not accept wholeheartedly.
2) It is real when you realize that Jesus is affecting your private and personal life.
3) religion by itself is social and cultural. When Jesus gets involved it moves from religion to personal choices are governed by God. Our faith stays in your head instead of working in your heart.
Do you hunger for Gods word?
4) There has to be a sense of desperation. Jacob is looking for fulfillment in his wife, family, possessions.
Jacob is literally wrestling for his life. Jacobs hip was wrenched by a "touch"! Instantly Jacobs leg is in pain. Jacob relives that this man is holding back.
Stopping the fight at day break was for Jacobs sake, not the mystery man. Jacob would have died if he had seen Gods face.
Jacob hangs on and will not let God go until he is blessed by God. Jacob has found the true blessing.... God. Just to know and serve God is the blessing.
5) We have to meet God in our weakness. Our greatest weakness. God is the enemy of our old self. Loose your life to God, you truly win.
Why did God do this? God knows that there is no other way to get to God and our salvation with out struggle, discontentment, Strain. This is the human condition.
You can't learn this any other way. Your wrestling has resulted in bitterness and discontentment. In losing, you can win as God changes your identity.
Created over 1 year ago
