Jacob renamed

We have to persevere through painful and difficult times, be present and actively wrestle with God instead of just tapping out and giving up. Are we going to cling to God and push through and ask the tough questions we have about our faith, or do we quit and give up? Will we have the courage to stay in the fight?

God's not here to polish our name, He's here to give us a new name. He's not here to fix our identity, but to give us new identity. It's not about us focusing on our life, but about forgetting our life. We need to be consumed by God.

God asked Jacob's name, not because he doesn't know. He wants Jacob to face who he is, to expose who he is. I am Jacob, who cheated his own brother, unworthy, etc... We have to come to God full-on, straight, completely open and honest.

God renames Jacob Israel. It means he fought with God, almost lost, but prevailed through grace.

So much of our fight is us trying to preserve our Jacob... when God wants us to surrender and accept His grace and become Israel.

That limp means you stand differently, not falsely confident in yourself and your strengths, but leaning on Christ and his love and confidence and grace.

The American philosophy is to make Jacob bigger and better. Instead, it's about tearing our old selves down and becoming limping children of God who longs for heaven, celebrating in God and consumed in seeing the face of Jesus. The victory has already been won by Christ.

(from Rick Mckinley's sermon, Imago Dei Community 11/13/11)

Created 7 months ago