Chapel Worship Guide 10.2.2011

Service Order, October 2, 2011

Welcome and Prayer

Worship led by Kate Haslar and Michael Webb on guitar:
Come Thou Fount
Blessed Be Your Name

Reading of the Text: Gen 32:9-30 (ESV)

Sermon by Matthew Haslar: Jacob’s Deliverer

A Hymn of Response:
Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

Benediction by Matthew Haslar

Sermon Outline/Guide:

Jacob’s Deliverer: Genesis 32:9-30

This story teaches us that we need to surrender to God, for he alone can deliver us.

I.  Jacob’s Prayer (32:9-12)
A.  To understand this text we need to know what has happened before:
1.  Before Jacob was even born he is promised by God to inherit a great blessing
2.  But from Jacob’s his birth he was known as deceiver and trickster
3.  Jacob deceives his family to try to gain God’s blessing for himself, but has to flee
4.  Under Laban, Jacob meets his own match in deception, but battles back
5.  Now his ways of trying to earn God’s blessings have backfired and he is trapped

B.  A closer look at Jacob’s prayer (mix of good and bad)
1.  Doesn’t address God as “my God” for he hasn’t fully surrendered himself
2.  But acknowledges God as the provider for his ancestors and good on his word as he appeals to God’s promise.
3.  Very real and honest as all good prayers are.

II.  Jacob’s Plan of Action (32:13-21)
A.  This plan shows a mixture of faith, fear and doubt
1.  Never inherently bad to plan and there is good stewardship in this
2. Jacob is giving back “the blessing” he stole from Esau
B.  Jacob is doing what he can, but this shows the gravity of the situation.
1.  God has Jacob exactly where he wants him- desperate.  Sometimes this is exactly what we need too.  God will do what it takes to get us to depend on him, but it is never too late to do so.

III.  Jacob’s Encounter With God (32:22-30)
A.  The wrestling match (22-26)
1.  The man is totally mysterious, the story doesn’t tell us too much to keep us in suspense.  What is happening?  Who is this?  You can’t escape a wrestling match; Jacob has to fight.
2.  The man has supernatural strength (v. 25) and wounds him–that means the fight should be over in a wrestling match.  But Jacob clings to his opponent, refusing to quit
B.  The new name and new blessing (27-30)
1.  So Jacob receives his blessing and his new name.  Names are clues to people’s characters in the Bible.  Jacob was a deceiver, but now his name is Israel which means “Strives with God” or “God strives (for)”
2.  Calls the place “Peniel” the face of God.  Normally seeing God’s face means death but God has delivered him anyway and Jacob knows surely then God will save him from this situation as well
C.  If we look forward
1.  God makes good on his promise; it’s a true miracle
2.  Jacob is forever changed.  Lives his life as Israel, says God is his God, and gives birth to a nation.

What does this mean for us?
Remember that God gave Jacob a promise, but has also given us a promise of his own: that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved!  Like Jacob, many of us go through life trying to earn this promise of our own accord.  Sometimes it looks like we are succeeding; most times it is obvious we are not.  We cannot deliver ourselves, but must learn to trust in God.  Christ died for our sins and now we can turn to him for salvation!  The deliverer of Jacob who is always fulfills his promises is our deliverer too!