What Is Your Name? Series

IT’S LIKE … when a lifeguard tries to save a drowning man. If he tries to grab him, the drowning victim will pull the lifeguard under … try to climb on top of him … both will drown. The lifeguard waits until he’s tired out … about to go under. THEN, he grabs him when his strength is all gone.

Isn’t the wrestling of Jacob with God like our own. We are all wrestling with God over some things we’ve done in the past.........some decisions made ! We are all wrestling with God over some choices that we need to make this morning.........we are all fighting with God over the matter of control !

Jacob responded "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me."

"I really need this I will not give up this time."

"Ive ran from my problems time and time again, I will not give up this time."

He said.

Now do you think that the Angel really needed to wait for Jacob to let go of him to leave? NO!!!!

He was making Jacob understand the value of Persistence.

Be persistent when you are praying for that Loved one.

Be persistent when you are praying for that New Job.

Be persistent when it seems everything is failing and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Be persistent with your prayers, your praise, your sacrifice.

Be persistent with God.

Cause he is persistent with us.

He would not let him go so the Angel hit him on his thigh and knocked it out of Joint.

Maybe there is something we are going through and we want to hear from God, we want to follow God’s will and we want to understand God’s will.

God, we cry with a loud voice, I need something from you. I need to know what this is about. Am I on the right road? Did I hear from you? Did I truly hear from you?

If we will listen to God and I mean really listen to God, then we will truly hear what God is saying to us.

We must let God with all of his wisdom give us the answer in the way that He deems necessary.

Sometimes that answer is not the one that we feel is the best but if it came from God then you can bank on it. But it may be that we have to change our name.

II. Changing names

27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said Jacob.

28 And he said Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed

Jacob gets a new NAME.

Jacob’s name meant “trickster.” It would be like naming your child “Cheater.”

ISRAEL means POWER WITH GOD

The change in name indicates a change in character.

Jacob was forced to look into his character when God asked his name.

It’s not like God didn’t know Jacob’s name. God wanted him to take a long hard look at who he was. An encounter with God will force us to take a long hard look at who we are.

If a name could describe your life up to this point what would it be? Cheater? Liar?

The truth is until we encounter God and his grace and mercy it is “Sinner”? We have all sinned. We need a new name, that of Christ.

o Jacob gets a new WALK.

31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh

Jacob’s walk changed both physically and spiritually.