Wednesday Night Recap
Step by Step Through 2 Corinthians Part IX
2 Corinthians 4:13-15
Finish this sentence:
I Believe...
You can finish it with anything you want...here are a few from Wednesday night:
Courtney: I believe that chocolate milk is gross.
Christie: I believe that David Crowder and Derek Webb are the greatest songwriters ever.
Brian D.: I believe that Courtney is wrong.
Evan: I believe that UVA is the greatest sports team ever (or something like that)
When you believe something, are you going to stay quiet about it? Of course not! If someone tried to give Courtney chocolate milk, you know she is going to say something about it being nasty!
The question is...Why do/should we speak about the extraordinary presence of Christ in our clay pot lives?
Why? We Speak Because We Believe
What do you and your friends spend most of your time talking about? You can map it out on a pie chart if you want to so you can get a visual image of how much time you spend talking about tv shows, movies, bands, celebrities, clothes, school, work, family, friends, gossip, church, sports, etc.
Why do we talk about these things? They are important to us! They are what we believe in!
Read 2 Corinthians 4:13
What is the natural outflow of belief? Words and actions
We have the same "spirit" or "vital principles" of faith that have been passed down for generations.
Truth 1: The Vital Princiles of faith do not change. (v13)
"We believe, consequently, we speak"
Truth 2: Storng belief leads to regular speech. (v13)
Why?? We Speak Because we Have Hope
There are so many activist groups in our world that are spending their time talking about things that have absolutely NO eternal significance. Here are a few examples:
*The Global Pastry Uprising (Pie-throwing activism)
*Austin Adopt-a-Minefield Campaign
*The GeekCorps
*Americans United for Separation
*National Association for Socially Responsible Organizations
*The Beard Liberation Front
Yet, here we are holding the key to eternal hope, peace, and life and are keeping it very quiet. It's not that we never say anything, it's that we don't say it very much.
What hope do we have? Read Psalm 116:5-9 and 2 Corinthians 4:14
Jesus substantiantes our claim for eternity. He is going to stand with the believers as proof that we are to spend eternity in the presense of God.
Truth 3: Being presented with Jesus substantiates our claim to eternity. (v14)
Who will be standing there with me, with you?
Why??? We speak becuase we are jealous for God's praise.
This doesn't mean that we want to steal God's praise away from him, but that we know there is a lot of praise that is misdirected, not going to God, who deserves all of it. First we must look at our lives and make sure that we are praising him in all things, not stealing any of that praise, and then we speak of the hope that we have, the grace that has been shown to us, so that more and more people will give thanks, to the glory of God.
Read verse 15.
Truth 4: As grace spreads, thanksgiving grows. (v15)
Truth 5: As thanksgiving grows, God is glorified more and more. (v15)
So, Why are you speaking...or better yet, why aren't you speaking?
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Dispelling the Myth
Sunday Night Recap
The O.T. Part XVI
Genesis 37-45
Have you ever heard that:
*The nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie" is a coded reference to the black plague?
*Rat urine is toxic to humans?
*Penguins fall over on their backs trying to see airplanes flying overhead?
*Mr. Ed was a horse?
*Bubble Yum chewing gum contains spider eggs?
*Eating trukey makes people especially sleepy?
*Your stomach will explode if you mix pop-rocks & soda?
*Gum takes 7 years to pass through your digestive system?
*Toilets flush clockwise in the northern hemisphere & counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere?
These are all common myths or urban legends (and there are a ton more...you can check them out at www.snopes.com)
And no matter how strongly you may believe they are true, they are actually all false!
There is also one myth that is associated with Chrsitianity that needs to be dispelled. Have you ever heard someone say, "just accept Christ and all your troubles will go away. Your life will be perfect." Is that true or false? How do you know its false? If you are a believer in Christ, you know that you still have bad days and suffer through tough situations. Our lives aren't perfect. People still die around us, people still hate us for who we are and what we stand for, we still get sick, we still get bad grades sometimes, we still lose basketball games, so life is not perfect.
But do you know what is perfect? God! Despite what we go through, we can have the confidence that God is still in control, even in the tough times. But what is our responsibility in those tough times?
OUR RESPONSE!
How do you respond during the tough situations of life? Do you respond with trust and confidence that God knows what he's doing? Do you respond with joy, peace, and hope or anxiety, worry, and despair?
As you read Genesis 37-45 you will see the story of a man named Joseph who faced hatred by his brothers, enslavement, false imprisonment, being forgotten about and the threat of famine. But, how did he respond? Through all of this, he still realized that God was with him, and at the end of it all, his words were these:
"And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; FOR GOD sent me bofere you to preserve life...AND GOD sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance." Genesis 45:5, 7
What is your attitude, your response in the wake of the struggles that come into everybody's lives? Are you responding with trust that God isn't surprised by what's going on and that He still has everything under control?
Think about this: What if Joseph's response had been different?
The O.T. Part XVI
Genesis 37-45
Have you ever heard that:
*The nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie" is a coded reference to the black plague?
*Rat urine is toxic to humans?
*Penguins fall over on their backs trying to see airplanes flying overhead?
*Mr. Ed was a horse?
*Bubble Yum chewing gum contains spider eggs?
*Eating trukey makes people especially sleepy?
*Your stomach will explode if you mix pop-rocks & soda?
*Gum takes 7 years to pass through your digestive system?
*Toilets flush clockwise in the northern hemisphere & counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere?
These are all common myths or urban legends (and there are a ton more...you can check them out at www.snopes.com)
And no matter how strongly you may believe they are true, they are actually all false!
There is also one myth that is associated with Chrsitianity that needs to be dispelled. Have you ever heard someone say, "just accept Christ and all your troubles will go away. Your life will be perfect." Is that true or false? How do you know its false? If you are a believer in Christ, you know that you still have bad days and suffer through tough situations. Our lives aren't perfect. People still die around us, people still hate us for who we are and what we stand for, we still get sick, we still get bad grades sometimes, we still lose basketball games, so life is not perfect.
But do you know what is perfect? God! Despite what we go through, we can have the confidence that God is still in control, even in the tough times. But what is our responsibility in those tough times?
OUR RESPONSE!
How do you respond during the tough situations of life? Do you respond with trust and confidence that God knows what he's doing? Do you respond with joy, peace, and hope or anxiety, worry, and despair?
As you read Genesis 37-45 you will see the story of a man named Joseph who faced hatred by his brothers, enslavement, false imprisonment, being forgotten about and the threat of famine. But, how did he respond? Through all of this, he still realized that God was with him, and at the end of it all, his words were these:
"And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; FOR GOD sent me bofere you to preserve life...AND GOD sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance." Genesis 45:5, 7
What is your attitude, your response in the wake of the struggles that come into everybody's lives? Are you responding with trust that God isn't surprised by what's going on and that He still has everything under control?
Think about this: What if Joseph's response had been different?
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
E4 is Here!!!
Essential Element: Emphasising Evangelism
E4 is here, and I hope you are excited. I know I am EXTREMELY excited about what God is going to do through your guys this year.
Do you realize that when Christie and I first moved here H2O had students from one school, and one school only (BHS) and now, 5 1/2 years later, God has expanded the influence of H2O Student Ministries to at least 8 schools!!! (Bluestone High & Middle, Park View High & Middle, Randolph Henry, Crossroads Christian, Centerville Christian, and Halifax Christian)
Do you know what that means??? That means that the reach of H2O to share the gospel goes clear across Mecklenburg County and even into three neighboring counties. YOU can have an incredible influence this year and start a revival in this area, your Jerusalem & Judea, for Christ!
E4 will provide opportunities for you to bring friends to a place where they can see Christians having a good time and where they can hear the TRUTH about Jesus. I know there are a lot of events planned, and I know that you can't go to all of them, but commit now to being a part of AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE over the next four months, praying EVERYDAY that God will use E4 to start a revival among the students of Virginia.
Are your ready? E4 Needs YOU and your beautiful feet!
Romans 10:13-15
For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things."
E4 is here, and I hope you are excited. I know I am EXTREMELY excited about what God is going to do through your guys this year.
Do you realize that when Christie and I first moved here H2O had students from one school, and one school only (BHS) and now, 5 1/2 years later, God has expanded the influence of H2O Student Ministries to at least 8 schools!!! (Bluestone High & Middle, Park View High & Middle, Randolph Henry, Crossroads Christian, Centerville Christian, and Halifax Christian)
Do you know what that means??? That means that the reach of H2O to share the gospel goes clear across Mecklenburg County and even into three neighboring counties. YOU can have an incredible influence this year and start a revival in this area, your Jerusalem & Judea, for Christ!
E4 will provide opportunities for you to bring friends to a place where they can see Christians having a good time and where they can hear the TRUTH about Jesus. I know there are a lot of events planned, and I know that you can't go to all of them, but commit now to being a part of AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE over the next four months, praying EVERYDAY that God will use E4 to start a revival among the students of Virginia.
Are your ready? E4 Needs YOU and your beautiful feet!
Romans 10:13-15
For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things."
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Pimp My Glory
Wednesday Night Bible Study Recap
August 16, 2006
2 Corinthians 3:6-18
A New Law by Derek Webb
Remember the song we were talking about during our Old Covenant/New Covenant discussion of 2 Corinthians 3 last week? Here it is!
Remember the veil that the law puts over people's eyes to miss the point of freedom in the spirit...here's a great song and video to depict that.
Many of us have traded the blindfold of sin for the blindfold of living in the obsolete glory of the Law. We have missed the whole joy of salvation: living in and trusting the Spirit to guide us into truth and righteousness through life.
Many Christians still live under the Law because it's "easier". Notice all the "don't teach me..." lines (about moderation and liberty, about politics, about freedom, about truth and beauty...etc.) See, when we live in the freedom of the spirit, there is more studying to do to see what it truly means to be like Christ. That's part of the idea behind sanctification and becoming more like Christ! If it were just about living up to a list, then we may have the wrong idea that we can take our salvation into our own hands!
Is living in the Spirit easy? In a sense, no, because it takes diligent study, the use of our intellect, humility and repentance. All of this goes agianst our tendency toward apathy and our follow the crowd, make it easy for me, instant gratification mindset.
Here's a recap of the Truths we learned from 2 Corinthians 3:6-18:
Truth 1: God wants us to know that we're sinful. (v6)
The job of the Law is to show us our utter inability to follow it. This shows us that salvation has to come from oursdie of ourselves. God wants us to know that we are sinful so that we will seek him out.
Truth 2: The Ministry of the Letter leaves us borken and hopeless because it's glory fades. (v6-7)
Because the Law shows us our sinfulness, it leaves us broken and hopeless becuase we know we could never fulfill the law perfectly. Thankfully, God has provided a way for redemption, first through the sacrifice of animals, and finall through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. Through him, and only through him, we then find hope in the Spirit.
Truth 3: The Ministry of the Spirit gives us hope and peace because it's glory abounds. (v8-9)
Why does the Ministry of the Spirit abound? Because it's saving power does not depend on us AT ALL! It's all God's work in us. The law depends on our actions. It kills because we break it. The Spirit saves because God works through it.
Truth 4: Whatever glory the Letter did have is now gone. (v10-11)
When Jesus came he fulfilled the law. Is the law still importan? Sure, because it still reveals our sinfulness and shows us the sorts of actions that please God. However, the heart of worship behind our actions is more important. Daily worshiping in Spirit and Truth, seeking to follow Jesus, pleases God in a way that simply following the Law never can. Jesus fulfilled the Law. He made it complete. He is perfect, so we can trust Him for salvation.
Truth 5: The hope of the Spirit makes our speech bold. (v12-13)
The hope of the Spirit is something worth talking about...because it actually involves HOPE! That is why we should be bold in speaking it...it's worth being bold about!
Truth 6: If we focus on the Law we miss the real glory. (v14-16)
This is like someone being amazed by the light of the moon, never having seen the true source of the light, the sun! How amazed would he be to see the glory of the sun that outshines the "glory" of the moon by millions! Focus on the source of the light, not just the reflection.
Truth 7: The Spirit molds us into the image of the glory of Christ. (v17-18)
Where the Law only convicts, in the case of sin, the Spirit not only convicts but teaches and molds us into the image of Christ. Live in the Spirit and when you feel conviction, humbly repent and make the life changes that He is urging you to make. This is the essence of sanctification, becoming more like Christ.
Do not be afraid.
To take a step of faith unlike anyone in your family (or maybe even church) has ever taken.
Do not be afraid.
To use your God-given intellect to study His word and learn straight from the source what it means to have the mind of Christ.
Do not be afraid.
To trust the Spirit to save you, not your obedience to a set of rules (of which you could NEVER live up to anyway!)
Do not be afraid.
To have your long-held beliefs challenged or confirmed by the Word of God.
Do not be afraid.
To look into the true light and glory instead of still focusing on just the fading reflection.
Do not be afraid.
To trust the Spirit to give you the courage and words to share the freedom and hope of Christ to a world dying while trying to follow the Law.
Do not be afraid.
To trade in the comfort of familiarity in following "rules" for the freedom and peace that life in the Spirit affords.
Remember, it takes diligent study, the use of our intellect, humility and repentance to live in the Spirit. Get in the word, get around other believers that are living in the Spirit, and get in a church that is teaching freedom in Christ.
Enjoy the video...look for more soon!
August 16, 2006
2 Corinthians 3:6-18
A New Law by Derek Webb
Remember the song we were talking about during our Old Covenant/New Covenant discussion of 2 Corinthians 3 last week? Here it is!
Remember the veil that the law puts over people's eyes to miss the point of freedom in the spirit...here's a great song and video to depict that.
Many of us have traded the blindfold of sin for the blindfold of living in the obsolete glory of the Law. We have missed the whole joy of salvation: living in and trusting the Spirit to guide us into truth and righteousness through life.
Many Christians still live under the Law because it's "easier". Notice all the "don't teach me..." lines (about moderation and liberty, about politics, about freedom, about truth and beauty...etc.) See, when we live in the freedom of the spirit, there is more studying to do to see what it truly means to be like Christ. That's part of the idea behind sanctification and becoming more like Christ! If it were just about living up to a list, then we may have the wrong idea that we can take our salvation into our own hands!
Is living in the Spirit easy? In a sense, no, because it takes diligent study, the use of our intellect, humility and repentance. All of this goes agianst our tendency toward apathy and our follow the crowd, make it easy for me, instant gratification mindset.
Here's a recap of the Truths we learned from 2 Corinthians 3:6-18:
Truth 1: God wants us to know that we're sinful. (v6)
The job of the Law is to show us our utter inability to follow it. This shows us that salvation has to come from oursdie of ourselves. God wants us to know that we are sinful so that we will seek him out.
Truth 2: The Ministry of the Letter leaves us borken and hopeless because it's glory fades. (v6-7)
Because the Law shows us our sinfulness, it leaves us broken and hopeless becuase we know we could never fulfill the law perfectly. Thankfully, God has provided a way for redemption, first through the sacrifice of animals, and finall through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. Through him, and only through him, we then find hope in the Spirit.
Truth 3: The Ministry of the Spirit gives us hope and peace because it's glory abounds. (v8-9)
Why does the Ministry of the Spirit abound? Because it's saving power does not depend on us AT ALL! It's all God's work in us. The law depends on our actions. It kills because we break it. The Spirit saves because God works through it.
Truth 4: Whatever glory the Letter did have is now gone. (v10-11)
When Jesus came he fulfilled the law. Is the law still importan? Sure, because it still reveals our sinfulness and shows us the sorts of actions that please God. However, the heart of worship behind our actions is more important. Daily worshiping in Spirit and Truth, seeking to follow Jesus, pleases God in a way that simply following the Law never can. Jesus fulfilled the Law. He made it complete. He is perfect, so we can trust Him for salvation.
Truth 5: The hope of the Spirit makes our speech bold. (v12-13)
The hope of the Spirit is something worth talking about...because it actually involves HOPE! That is why we should be bold in speaking it...it's worth being bold about!
Truth 6: If we focus on the Law we miss the real glory. (v14-16)
This is like someone being amazed by the light of the moon, never having seen the true source of the light, the sun! How amazed would he be to see the glory of the sun that outshines the "glory" of the moon by millions! Focus on the source of the light, not just the reflection.
Truth 7: The Spirit molds us into the image of the glory of Christ. (v17-18)
Where the Law only convicts, in the case of sin, the Spirit not only convicts but teaches and molds us into the image of Christ. Live in the Spirit and when you feel conviction, humbly repent and make the life changes that He is urging you to make. This is the essence of sanctification, becoming more like Christ.
Do not be afraid.
To take a step of faith unlike anyone in your family (or maybe even church) has ever taken.
Do not be afraid.
To use your God-given intellect to study His word and learn straight from the source what it means to have the mind of Christ.
Do not be afraid.
To trust the Spirit to save you, not your obedience to a set of rules (of which you could NEVER live up to anyway!)
Do not be afraid.
To have your long-held beliefs challenged or confirmed by the Word of God.
Do not be afraid.
To look into the true light and glory instead of still focusing on just the fading reflection.
Do not be afraid.
To trust the Spirit to give you the courage and words to share the freedom and hope of Christ to a world dying while trying to follow the Law.
Do not be afraid.
To trade in the comfort of familiarity in following "rules" for the freedom and peace that life in the Spirit affords.
Remember, it takes diligent study, the use of our intellect, humility and repentance to live in the Spirit. Get in the word, get around other believers that are living in the Spirit, and get in a church that is teaching freedom in Christ.
Enjoy the video...look for more soon!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
The O.T. Part XII-Wrestling with a Name Change
Sunday Night Bible Study Recap
August 13, 2006
Genesis 32:22-32
A chain of interlocked fingers. Thumbs strethced high waiting for the familiar words:
"One, two, three, four, I declare thumb war."
(If your curious about the rules and other methods of massive multiplayer thumb wrestling, check this out: http://www.monochrom.at/daumen/netzwerk-eng.htm)
A roar goes up from the crowd as Heather Barden and Tyler Smart wrestle with all they have for the H2O 2006 Thumb Wrestling Championship.
"One, Two, Three!" And the winner is...Heather!
Why thumb wrestling? Well, because doing things WWE style would have been too dangerous and would have given the guys an unfair advantage.
Even after just a few minutes of thumb wrestling, most students were a little weary in the wrist and fingers. Imagine wrestling, full-body, olympic greco-roman, little brother getting pounced by big brother, leggo by eggo style all night long!
Oh yeah...and you'd be wrestling with God.
As we looked at the story of Jacob's wrestling match, let's remember a little about where Jacob is in his life right now:
He's just left his father in law with the threat of "if you come back this way, be ready for a fight".
He's just learned that his brother (from whom he took the birthright and blessing 20 years before) is coming to meet him with 400 men.
He's just sent pretty much everything he has to his brother as a present to try to appease him (even though he knows that God is with him and has protected him in the past-Jacob trusts his treasure more than he trusts God-see previous post)
And now he sends his wife and kids across the river and is left alone.
And WHAM! He get's jumped!
Now, Jacob isn't one to back away from a fight, so he starts wrestling with this man who has just jumped him. He wrestles with him until daybreak. He's fighting for his life here.
We know from hearing this story before that Jacob isn't wrestling with just any man here. He's, in fact, wrestling with God. (Scholars would call this the pre-incarnate person of Jesus or a Christophony...that just means it's God in the flesh before he was born in a manger in Bethlehem. There are quite a few times when God shows up like this in the O.T.-to Abraham, to Joshua, and others).
So, let me ask you this question: Have any of you ever wrestled with God over something? Jacob is definitely in a physical brawl with God right here. We may have never been in a fist fight with God, but most, if not all of us, have wrestled with God's spirit over a decision, a lifestyle, a thought, a challenging life direction, or a specific sin that keeps creeping up.
The purpose of the wrestling match is the same: God's spirit is wrestling with our desires for the purpose of heart and life change. When we are not at rest in God, becuase of sin, we will wrestle with God.
Verse 25 makes it obvious that, in this case, Jacob is in a physical brawl with God. God touches Jacob's hip and dislocates it! He just touched it! He could have taken Jacob's life at any moment, but he didn't, he just crippled him.
Jacob had wrestled with God for so long, his will was so set against the heart and life change that God wanted to make in him, that it cost him his ability to walk without a limp.
So what are you saying Ryan? Are you saying that our resistance of God's spirit could bring pysical consequences in my life? ABSOLUTELY! God wants us to wrestle with the sin that's in our lives, but he also wants us to put aside that sin and follow after Him. When we are unwilling to put aside that sin and follow his Spirit, we will face consequences with the hope that those consquences will produce the same reaction that Jacob had.
Jacob finally recognized who he was wrestling with. He wasn't wrestling with someone who wanted to take his life. He was wrestling with someone who wanted to give him abundant life!
Why do we so often wrestle with God over the changes that he wants to make in our lives? Is it because we like our life and think that God can't do any better? Is it selfishness? Is it pride? God doesn't want to take your life, he wants to give you a better life. He wants us to be obedient so that we can experience every blessing that he has made ready for us to receive. Jacob finally recognizes this, and asks for that blessing.
V27-28 tell us that Jacob had prevailed. Does this mean that he defeated God? NO! It means that he had defeated himself for the sake of following God. We only win when we put aside our selfish desires and cry "uncle" to the will of God. When our spirit gives in to God's Spirit, only then have we prevailed.
V30 gives us a warning. Jacob recognized that he had wrestled with God, and even though he was now limping, his life has been preserved. But what about next time? What if he gets into another wrestling match with God and does not want to give in? Will God preserve his life again?
What about you? What are you wrestling with God over? How long have you been wrestling? How much longer will you wrestle and risk facing the consequences that our sin brings on our lives? How much longer will God be patient with you and your sin before he takes your hip...or your life?
Here are some God Themes from this passage:
v24-Perseverance/Persistence
v25-Power/Permisiveness (not in a negative sense)-His love is not forced
v29-Ledership.Sovereignty/Knowledge/Uniqueness
V31-32-Mercy
Here are some Practical Applications to our Everyday Life:
1. It is important to get alone to spend time with God.
2. Look for and get rid of things in your life that distract you from the voice of God.
3. Learn from others.
4. If you continue to wrestle and give in to your desires, at some point it will result in consequences, and it may cost you your life!
August 13, 2006
Genesis 32:22-32
A chain of interlocked fingers. Thumbs strethced high waiting for the familiar words:
"One, two, three, four, I declare thumb war."
(If your curious about the rules and other methods of massive multiplayer thumb wrestling, check this out: http://www.monochrom.at/daumen/netzwerk-eng.htm)
A roar goes up from the crowd as Heather Barden and Tyler Smart wrestle with all they have for the H2O 2006 Thumb Wrestling Championship.
"One, Two, Three!" And the winner is...Heather!
Why thumb wrestling? Well, because doing things WWE style would have been too dangerous and would have given the guys an unfair advantage.
Even after just a few minutes of thumb wrestling, most students were a little weary in the wrist and fingers. Imagine wrestling, full-body, olympic greco-roman, little brother getting pounced by big brother, leggo by eggo style all night long!
Oh yeah...and you'd be wrestling with God.
As we looked at the story of Jacob's wrestling match, let's remember a little about where Jacob is in his life right now:
He's just left his father in law with the threat of "if you come back this way, be ready for a fight".
He's just learned that his brother (from whom he took the birthright and blessing 20 years before) is coming to meet him with 400 men.
He's just sent pretty much everything he has to his brother as a present to try to appease him (even though he knows that God is with him and has protected him in the past-Jacob trusts his treasure more than he trusts God-see previous post)
And now he sends his wife and kids across the river and is left alone.
And WHAM! He get's jumped!
Now, Jacob isn't one to back away from a fight, so he starts wrestling with this man who has just jumped him. He wrestles with him until daybreak. He's fighting for his life here.
We know from hearing this story before that Jacob isn't wrestling with just any man here. He's, in fact, wrestling with God. (Scholars would call this the pre-incarnate person of Jesus or a Christophony...that just means it's God in the flesh before he was born in a manger in Bethlehem. There are quite a few times when God shows up like this in the O.T.-to Abraham, to Joshua, and others).
So, let me ask you this question: Have any of you ever wrestled with God over something? Jacob is definitely in a physical brawl with God right here. We may have never been in a fist fight with God, but most, if not all of us, have wrestled with God's spirit over a decision, a lifestyle, a thought, a challenging life direction, or a specific sin that keeps creeping up.
The purpose of the wrestling match is the same: God's spirit is wrestling with our desires for the purpose of heart and life change. When we are not at rest in God, becuase of sin, we will wrestle with God.
Verse 25 makes it obvious that, in this case, Jacob is in a physical brawl with God. God touches Jacob's hip and dislocates it! He just touched it! He could have taken Jacob's life at any moment, but he didn't, he just crippled him.
Jacob had wrestled with God for so long, his will was so set against the heart and life change that God wanted to make in him, that it cost him his ability to walk without a limp.
So what are you saying Ryan? Are you saying that our resistance of God's spirit could bring pysical consequences in my life? ABSOLUTELY! God wants us to wrestle with the sin that's in our lives, but he also wants us to put aside that sin and follow after Him. When we are unwilling to put aside that sin and follow his Spirit, we will face consequences with the hope that those consquences will produce the same reaction that Jacob had.
Jacob finally recognized who he was wrestling with. He wasn't wrestling with someone who wanted to take his life. He was wrestling with someone who wanted to give him abundant life!
Why do we so often wrestle with God over the changes that he wants to make in our lives? Is it because we like our life and think that God can't do any better? Is it selfishness? Is it pride? God doesn't want to take your life, he wants to give you a better life. He wants us to be obedient so that we can experience every blessing that he has made ready for us to receive. Jacob finally recognizes this, and asks for that blessing.
V27-28 tell us that Jacob had prevailed. Does this mean that he defeated God? NO! It means that he had defeated himself for the sake of following God. We only win when we put aside our selfish desires and cry "uncle" to the will of God. When our spirit gives in to God's Spirit, only then have we prevailed.
V30 gives us a warning. Jacob recognized that he had wrestled with God, and even though he was now limping, his life has been preserved. But what about next time? What if he gets into another wrestling match with God and does not want to give in? Will God preserve his life again?
What about you? What are you wrestling with God over? How long have you been wrestling? How much longer will you wrestle and risk facing the consequences that our sin brings on our lives? How much longer will God be patient with you and your sin before he takes your hip...or your life?
Here are some God Themes from this passage:
v24-Perseverance/Persistence
v25-Power/Permisiveness (not in a negative sense)-His love is not forced
v29-Ledership.Sovereignty/Knowledge/Uniqueness
V31-32-Mercy
Here are some Practical Applications to our Everyday Life:
1. It is important to get alone to spend time with God.
2. Look for and get rid of things in your life that distract you from the voice of God.
3. Learn from others.
4. If you continue to wrestle and give in to your desires, at some point it will result in consequences, and it may cost you your life!
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- encourages students to daily walk worthy of their transforming call in Christ Jesus through: Regular Bible Study, Deep Fellowship & Accountability, Bold Witnessing, a Lifestyle of Worship, and Challenging Ministry.
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