Going Forward

Genesis 32:22-31

Today, I want to talk to you about Jacob. Jacob was a man who always seemed to land on his feet. It didn't really matter what the circumstances were, he was always going forward. He didn't always get there by the best way though. I am sure that you remember that Jacob had a twin brother named Esau. In the old testament times, a name meant something. It described your character, it defined who you were. Esau meant "hair" because he was so hairy when he was born. He became a manly man--a hunter.

Now the name Jacob means "deceiver or one who grabs at your heel." I think that this name perfectly fits who Jacob was. He was one not to be left behind, one who was always grabbing at the heel of another, trying to trip them up to get ahead of them. Always trying to deceive someone to get ahead.

Jacob deceived his brother out of his birthright. He got his brother to trade his birthright for some food when he was hungry. He deceived his father, Isaac by putting goat hair on his arms and neck so that his blind father would think he was Esau.

Jacob--always trying to get ahead--always going forward. After this, he decided that he should get out of town, so he went to see his Uncle Laban. Jacob & Laban were cut from the same cloth. Both were deceptive. Here, he worked for Laban for 14 years and married two of his daughters. Jacob decided after Joseph was born that it was time to go back home. But he was afraid that Laban wouldn't let him leave. There were rumors flying around that Jacob was robbing Laban, so he packed up everything and began to head home.

Sometimes, before you can go forward, you need to go back home. Sometimes you have to go and make things right before you can go forward. God had a plan for Jacob's life. Jacob was tired of running, tired of being away. He wanted more for his family. But, in order to go home, in order to begin again, Jacob had to face his fears. He had to face his troubles, he had to face everything that he had run away from in the beginning. There is a great quote from the movie, ‘The Lion King.’ Timon says, "you go to put your behind in the past." That's what running away is. Putting your behind in the past. But, in order to move forward, you really have to put your past behind you.

Jacob had two main things to deal with--Laban and Esau. Esau he had tricked and Laban was as cunning and deceitful as Jacob was. He had already tricked Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. He just didn't know how Laban would act would. What if he would not let his daughters go with him. But even though he runs away from Laban, Laban catches him and when Laban can find no fault with Jacob, they make a covenant--Mizpah--not to harm one another. Then Laban blesses them and Jacob and family can go on the way.

Then Jacob must face Esau. This is a greater challenge. He robbed Esau--he stole his birthright. Esau had made a vow to kill Jacob. This is what made him flee. But God didn’t dessert Jacob. As he was making his way back home, God sent angels to meet him. When we decide that we want to move forward, when we decide that we will face our fears, God is there with us. He doesn’t leave us to ourselves, he helps us every step of the way.

Jacob decided to begin to warm up to Esau by sending him gifts. Finally, he sent everyone else across the river, and wrestled with God. It is not easy to face your fears. You can do everything in your own power to overcome them, but in the end, you must deal with God.

Jacob had to get alone with God. He had to wrestle with God about it. He could have just given up his fears, he could have just trusted in the promises that God had for him, but he didn't. He was bound by his fears. He could not act and he could not trust. When we are bound by our fears, we cannot get lose on our own. We need help and we need something bigger than our fears, someone stronger than the hold our fears have on use.

Now the question in most people's minds is why wrestle? We not only cannot give up our fear, we would rather stay where we are than risk the unknown. What would our life be like if we weren't controlled by our fear? We even fear the unknown. Fear and trust cannot exist in one person. Fear is the absence of trust. We do not trust that God really is in control. We do not trust that he knows better and that he is big enough to handle everything.

Jacob wrestled with God all night long. When morning comes, Jacob has not won the battle. Then God tells Jacob to let him go. Now that seems like an interesting question, after all he is God and he can do anything. God can do anything, but there is one thing that he will not do--he will not force us to do anything that we do not want to do. He will not make us give up our fear. He wants us to be free, but he will not do it unless we ask. Jacob must ask for what he wants and he wants a blessing. He wants to be different.

Because of this, Jacob's name is changed to Israel. A name change means a life style change. It means that your character changes because your name reflects your character. Jacob faced his fears--he struggled with Laban and with God and he won. He won because he changed, because he was free to move forward. He was free to become who God intended for him to be.

Our fears keeps us in bondage. They keep us from going forward to become who God created us to be. This morning I want you to ask yourself--what are the fears that keep me in bondage? Are you ready to go forward? Are you ready to face them? What is it that keeps you from becoming all that God has created you to be?

This church is positioned to go forward. We are about to have a new Sr. Pastor who has vision and leadership to help us become who were created to be. But, we cannot go forward until each of us makes a decision to let God free us from our fears. John 8:36 "If the son sets you free, you are free indeed."

Fear and trust cannot exist in the same heart. Perfect love casts out fear and God's love for us through Christ is perfect--complete. He is more than enough for us. We must be free to trust him.

Once we make that choice, God will be there just as he was for Jacob. He will not let us do this alone. He will do the work. Philippians 1:6 says, "he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." He will do it, but he will not do it in this lifetime unless you let him. He has promised us abundant life, but if we are not free, if we are bound by our fears, then we cannot experience it.

The time is now for going forward. The time is now for wrestling with God and letting him have all the things that keep us from being free. We have been stuck here long enough. The time is now. The place is here. Let's begin going forward.