Pastor Gregory Dickow teaches the life-changing principles of God’s Word.
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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - Wrestling With God | June 14, 2026
- ...
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- Greg laurie: have you been alone with god lately?
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- You know, our phones are buzzing, our messages are
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- Dinging, and our instagram reels are autoplaying, and we wonder
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- Why we never hear from the lord.
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- I would recommend that you get alone with god, without your
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- Electronic devices, with an actual bible.
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- This is called a bible.
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- Look at it.
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- It's not digital.
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- It doesn't beep.
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- It doesn't chirp.
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- It doesn't need to be recharged.
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- But if you read it and believe it, it will recharge you.
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- So take time for the word of god, and turn off all that
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- Noise, and listen.
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- ♪ this is the day, the day when life begins
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- ♪ this is the day, the day when life begins ♪ ♪
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- Greg: so years ago i was visiting
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- A church, and we're in the back room having a little
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- Something to eat, and one of the folks there said, "you know, our
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- Pastor's been going to the gym a lot, and he's in great shape.
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- You guys should arm wrestle."
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- I'm like, "no, i'm okay, i don't really need--" "no, no, arm
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- Wrestle our pastor," they said, "i think he'll beat you."
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- You know, i said, "he probably would."
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- "no, come on, arm wrestle him!"
- 00:01:28.611 --> 00:01:30.046
- And then the pastor says, "come on, arm wrestle me!"
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- "okay."
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- So we lock arms, and you know when you're getting ready to arm
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- Wrestle someone, and you start, and you know you're going
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- To win?
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- I'm sorry, this guy--there wasn't much there.
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- I'm just saying, okay?
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- So we start to go, and i put a little pressure, and the--
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- Oh, man.
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- So i just waited a little and let him get me down a little,
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- Then i beat him.
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- And then they're all mad at me because i beat their pastor
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- Arm wrestling.
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- I said, "it was your idea!"
- 00:01:56.472 --> 00:01:58.241
- And then there was this very petite young lady who said, "i
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- Wanna arm wrestle the pastor!"
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- And i looked at the pastor and said, "don't do it.
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- Don't do it, because you could lose.
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- You never wanna--" guys, never arm wrestle a girl, because if
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- You beat her, you're a bully.
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- Toxic masculinity.
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- But if she beats you, you're a wuss, okay?
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- So this is a lose-lose situation.
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- Don't arm wrestle girls.
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- Well, he arm wrestled her, and you already know what happened.
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- She beat him.
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- And then the pastor said, "well, i was tired from arm
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- Wrestling you."
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- Ah, you just shouldn't have done it.
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- This is a picture of us fighting with god or wrestling with god.
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- You're going to lose.
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- As it has been said, your arms are too short to box with god.
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- But actually that's a good thing, because you don't want to
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- Win in a wrestling match with god.
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- You want to submit to his purpose and his plan for
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- Your life.
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- But we all know what it's like to pray for something and wonder
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- Why the answer has not come.
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- Maybe you've prayed for months, maybe even years for your
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- Unsaved mate to come to christ, or you've prayed for your
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- Prodigal child to return to the lord, or you've prayed for that
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- Healing touch in your life or in the life of someone that
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- You love.
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- Or maybe you're single and you're praying that god would
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- Bring a mate to you.
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- Or maybe--[clears throat]
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- Excuse me--you're praying for a door of opportunity to open for
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- You to serve the lord.
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- Or you're praying that the pastor's sermon will
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- Finally end.
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- I don't know what you're praying for, but it's a good thing
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- To pray.
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- In fact, the bible encourages us to bring our needs and our
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- Requests to god.
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- The bible tells us, don't worry about anything, pray
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- About everything.
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- And then we're told also to pray, and the reason we haven't
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- Received an answer to our prayer could be because we have not
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- Asked the lord.
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- "you have not because you ask not."
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- And jesus says, "ask, and it shall be given; seek, and ye
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- Shall find; knock, and the door will be opened."
- 00:04:09.639 --> 00:04:13.242
- But often we--maybe not often, but sometimes we find ourselves
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- Praying and nothing is happening.
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- God is not budging.
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- What's going on?
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- In effect, you are wrestling with god.
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- Or perhaps god's been leading you to do something, and you
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- Have simply refused.
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- You won't let him have access to a certain area of your life.
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- Or you're unwilling to break up that bad relationship that's
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- Dragging you down spiritually.
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- Or you're not going to give up that vice that is hurting you.
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- Or you're not willing to take that step of faith.
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- But wrestling with god is not necessarily a bad thing, for
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- Before us in scripture is a story of a man who did
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- Just that.
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- His name was jacob.
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- He got into a wrestling match with what he thought was an
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- Angel, and it turned out to be the lord himself, and ultimately
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- He submitted to god's will.
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- And it started with him resisting god, and it ended up
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- With him resting.
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- And he actually said to the lord, "i won't let you go until
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- You bless me."
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- President abraham lincoln, reflecting on the civil war,
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- Once said, and i quote, "my concern is not whether god is on
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- Our side; my greatest concern is to be on god's side, for god is
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- Always right," end quote.
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- See, that's the whole objective of prayer.
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- It's not to get god to do what i want him to do; it's to get me
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- In alignment with his will, because his will is better than
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- My will.
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- Jesus taught us in the lord's prayer to say, "thy kingdom
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- Come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
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- Jesus said, "if you abide in me, and my word abides in you, you
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- Shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you."
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- So if i get into an alignment with god's will and pray
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- Accordingly, i will see my prayers answered in
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- The affirmative.
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- Offering a little commentary on jacob's wrestling match with the
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- Lord, hosea 12 says, "before jacob was born, he struggled
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- With his brother.
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- Then he became a man, and he even fought with god, and he
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- Wrestled with the angel and won.
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- He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him, and there at
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- Bethel he met god face to face, where god spoke to him."
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- So we're in this series that we're calling "jesus and you."
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- We've done the new testament edition; now we're looking at
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- The old testament, where jesus appears many times and what we
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- Call christophanies.
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- Now some people would say, "well, jesus isn't in the
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- Old testament."
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- Well, of course he is.
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- He's in the old testament concealed; he's in the new
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- Testament revealed.
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- And there are so many types and pictures that point to christ,
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- We looked at one last time with abraham taking his son isaac and
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- Offering him, and a last minute reprieve was given, but it was a
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- Picture of what happened at the cross, when god the father and
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- God the son, in perfect cooperation with the holy
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- Spirit, went through with it, but no last minute reprieve
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- Was given.
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- And the judgment of god came upon his own son who died in our
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- Place, but it was pointing to christ.
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- But it was the lord himself, i believe, that stepped in and
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- Told abraham to not take the life of his son.
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- A christophany.
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- And we're going to look at another christophany as well.
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- Why do i believe this is a christophany where jacob was not
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- Actually wrestling with an angel, but with the
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- Lord himself?
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- Because he says that he saw god, or met god face to face, and he
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- Actually called the name of the place peniel, which means "the
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- Face of god."
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- So isaac was spared, so isaac married rebekah, and they had
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- Two sons, jacob and esau.
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- They were twins.
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- They were wombmates.
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- And there's an interesting passage about them in genesis
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- 25:23 that shows that god had a plan for both of them before
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- They were born.
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- David spoke of this in psalm 139, he says, "you knit me
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- Together in my mother's womb, and all the days ordained for me
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- Were written in your book before one came to be."
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- Jeremiah said, "before i was formed in the womb, you knew me
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- And you set me apart."
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- But even before they were born, you can already see the nature
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- Of these two boys.
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- They could not have been more different.
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- So they named them according to what happened at birth.
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- So the firstborn was esau, which means "hairy," h-a-i-r-y.
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- Why did they name him that?
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- Because he was hairy.
- 00:09:07.103 --> 00:09:08.671
- Apparently this kid was covered in hair, head to toe, and they
- 00:09:08.671 --> 00:09:13.776
- Went, "whoa, look at that dude!
- 00:09:13.776 --> 00:09:15.111
- Let's call him 'hairy.'"
- 00:09:15.111 --> 00:09:16.679
- Out comes his brother jacob hanging on to hairy's heel.
- 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:21.250
- "oh, let's call this one 'heel catcher,'" which can also be
- 00:09:21.250 --> 00:09:24.887
- Translated "supplanter," "deceiver."
- 00:09:24.887 --> 00:09:27.823
- But pretty much they lived up to their names.
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- Jacob was always manipulating and scheming and striving to
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- Get ahead.
- 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:37.733
- Now under normal circumstances, the firstborn would become the
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- Heir of the blessing of the father, which means that when
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- The father passed, he would give the blessing to the firstborn,
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- They would be the patriarch of the family, they would receive
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- The inheritance by the spiritual leader of the tribe, and
- 00:09:52.682 --> 00:09:56.385
- So forth.
- 00:09:56.385 --> 00:09:57.753
- But in this instance, god clearly said that the secondborn
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- Was going to be the one who received the blessing.
- 00:10:01.891 --> 00:10:05.327
- So god reversed the order, he said it ahead of time, which
- 00:10:05.327 --> 00:10:08.731
- Means god said, "this is going to happen."
- 00:10:08.731 --> 00:10:10.700
- But old jacob, he couldn't leave it in the hands of god and trust
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- Him to bring it about, so he thought he would help god out a
- 00:10:14.603 --> 00:10:18.474
- Little bit.
- 00:10:18.474 --> 00:10:20.710
- But god had plans for jacob, and one of those plans was to change
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- His name from jacob to israel.
- 00:10:25.181 --> 00:10:28.617
- "israel," which means "a prince with god" or "one who rules
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- With god."
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- That happened after his little wrestling match with the lord
- 00:10:33.789 --> 00:10:35.458
- That we'll read about in a few moments, which reminds us that
- 00:10:35.458 --> 00:10:38.294
- God doesn't just see you for what you are; he sees you for
- 00:10:38.294 --> 00:10:42.298
- What you can become.
- 00:10:42.298 --> 00:10:44.533
- See, we see ourselves for what we are.
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- You look in the mirror, "eh."
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- You look in a magnifying mirror, "ehh!"
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- Right?
- 00:10:51.040 --> 00:10:52.374
- But god sees potential.
- 00:10:52.374 --> 00:10:54.376
- You know, you look at yourself and you see the past, but god
- 00:10:54.376 --> 00:10:57.413
- Sees the future.
- 00:10:57.413 --> 00:10:58.781
- You see sin, god sees restoration.
- 00:10:58.781 --> 00:11:02.184
- You see a blank canvas, god sees the finished painting.
- 00:11:02.184 --> 00:11:06.021
- You see an end.
- 00:11:06.021 --> 00:11:07.423
- God sees a new beginning.
- 00:11:07.423 --> 00:11:09.058
- You see a mess, god sees a message.
- 00:11:09.058 --> 00:11:12.895
- Now, jacob and esau couldn't have been more different.
- 00:11:12.895 --> 00:11:15.731
- At first glance, esau almost looks like the more impressive
- 00:11:15.731 --> 00:11:18.934
- Of the two.
- 00:11:18.934 --> 00:11:20.269
- He's an outdoorsy kind of a guy.
- 00:11:20.269 --> 00:11:22.505
- We would call him a man's man, hunting wild game, preparing
- 00:11:22.505 --> 00:11:27.777
- Meals out of it that his father really favored, where jacob, he
- 00:11:27.777 --> 00:11:31.647
- Kind of liked to stay home with mom and help in the kitchen.
- 00:11:31.647 --> 00:11:35.518
- You know, if they subscribed to magazines, esau would subscribe
- 00:11:35.518 --> 00:11:39.755
- To "field and stream," and "outdoor life," and
- 00:11:39.755 --> 00:11:44.160
- "sports illustrated."
- 00:11:44.160 --> 00:11:45.661
- Jacob would subscribe to "good housekeeping," and "martha
- 00:11:45.661 --> 00:11:50.299
- Stewart living," and maybe "bon appétit," right?
- 00:11:50.299 --> 00:11:55.104
- You know, so jacob--or, esau would be out in the field
- 00:11:55.104 --> 00:11:57.773
- Hunting, and jacob would be making avocado toast and
- 00:11:57.773 --> 00:12:01.777
- Charcuterie with mom, you know?
- 00:12:01.777 --> 00:12:04.814
- So he just--he liked to hang out at the house, that's all
- 00:12:04.814 --> 00:12:07.249
- There was to it.
- 00:12:07.249 --> 00:12:08.651
- And clearly isaac favored esau, and rebekah, his wife,
- 00:12:08.651 --> 00:12:15.324
- Favored jacob.
- 00:12:15.324 --> 00:12:16.659
- And by the way, it's never good to favor one child over another
- 00:12:16.659 --> 00:12:21.130
- Child, because they will know.
- 00:12:21.130 --> 00:12:23.899
- They'll know who mom's favorite is or who dad's favorite is.
- 00:12:23.899 --> 00:12:27.570
- But actually, the bible gives us a profound insight into esau.
- 00:12:27.570 --> 00:12:31.140
- It says that esau was a profane man.
- 00:12:31.140 --> 00:12:35.377
- The word "profane" means "without god."
- 00:12:35.377 --> 00:12:38.647
- It doesn't mean overtly wicked, it just means he was godless, he
- 00:12:38.647 --> 00:12:44.553
- Was common, he was worldly.
- 00:12:44.553 --> 00:12:46.989
- The bible calls it a "natural man."
- 00:12:46.989 --> 00:12:49.892
- 1 corinthians 2, "the natural man doesn't understand the
- 00:12:49.892 --> 00:12:55.264
- Things of god."
- 00:12:55.264 --> 00:12:57.266
- And there are people like this, they just don't get it.
- 00:12:57.266 --> 00:12:59.501
- "it's like, why go to church?
- 00:12:59.501 --> 00:13:00.836
- I could stay home and sleep in and watch the game."
- 00:13:00.836 --> 00:13:04.406
- You know, "why read the bible?
- 00:13:04.406 --> 00:13:05.774
- I'd rather scroll tiktok."
- 00:13:05.774 --> 00:13:07.476
- "why pray?
- 00:13:07.476 --> 00:13:08.811
- Why not just go and get it done, you know?"
- 00:13:08.811 --> 00:13:10.145
- I mean, they just don't understand spiritual things, and
- 00:13:10.145 --> 00:13:12.882
- There's nothing you can do to make a natural man believe
- 00:13:12.882 --> 00:13:16.819
- Except pray that god would prepare their heart.
- 00:13:16.819 --> 00:13:19.521
- And i say "natural man," i mean "natural woman" as well, just, a
- 00:13:19.521 --> 00:13:22.791
- Person without god.
- 00:13:22.791 --> 00:13:24.126
- That was esau: a natural man, a godless man.
- 00:13:24.126 --> 00:13:28.964
- So one day, he's out in the field, didn't catch anything
- 00:13:28.964 --> 00:13:32.668
- That day, he was really hungry.
- 00:13:32.668 --> 00:13:34.336
- He comes in, and there's brother jacob whipping up a nice little
- 00:13:34.336 --> 00:13:37.506
- Feast, and he smells it and says, "hey bro, can i have some
- 00:13:37.506 --> 00:13:40.142
- Of that stew?"
- 00:13:40.142 --> 00:13:41.744
- And jacob says, "oh, you're hungry, are you?"
- 00:13:41.744 --> 00:13:43.846
- "oh man, i'm starving to death."
- 00:13:43.846 --> 00:13:45.281
- "oh really?
- 00:13:45.281 --> 00:13:46.615
- How much would you be willing to pay me for this stew?"
- 00:13:46.615 --> 00:13:48.651
- "i don't know.
- 00:13:48.651 --> 00:13:49.985
- What do you want?"
- 00:13:49.985 --> 00:13:51.353
- "how about your birthright?"
- 00:13:51.353 --> 00:13:52.688
- He didn't need to ask him for the birthright.
- 00:13:52.688 --> 00:13:54.056
- God was going to give it to him.
- 00:13:54.056 --> 00:13:55.391
- "how about your birthright," says jacob.
- 00:13:55.391 --> 00:13:56.759
- "birthright, smirthright," says esau.
- 00:13:56.759 --> 00:13:59.128
- I'm paraphrasing, obviously.
- 00:13:59.128 --> 00:14:01.230
- He's a natural man.
- 00:14:01.230 --> 00:14:02.598
- "i don't care about a birthright.
- 00:14:02.598 --> 00:14:03.966
- What, do you want it? you can have it!"
- 00:14:03.966 --> 00:14:05.301
- "here's your stew, bro." he eats the stew.
- 00:14:05.301 --> 00:14:07.469
- Man, that was a bad mistake, just showing he did not
- 00:14:07.469 --> 00:14:11.273
- Understand how important that birthright actually was.
- 00:14:11.273 --> 00:14:15.911
- And then later, it got even worse.
- 00:14:15.911 --> 00:14:18.747
- Isaac was ready to give the blessing.
- 00:14:18.747 --> 00:14:21.050
- Even though god said it should go to jacob, he was determined
- 00:14:21.050 --> 00:14:24.887
- To give it to esau.
- 00:14:24.887 --> 00:14:26.488
- He said, "boy, go out there and get me my favorite kind
- 00:14:26.488 --> 00:14:29.124
- Of venison.
- 00:14:29.124 --> 00:14:30.492
- You know how to make it, bring it in here, and i'm gonna give
- 00:14:30.492 --> 00:14:33.095
- You the blessing."
- 00:14:33.095 --> 00:14:34.463
- So meanwhile, rebekah, eavesdropping, she goes, "jacob,
- 00:14:34.463 --> 00:14:36.699
- Go cook up something and serve it to your father before your
- 00:14:36.699 --> 00:14:39.735
- Brother gets back, and he'll give you the blessing."
- 00:14:39.735 --> 00:14:42.338
- So jacob does that, and he literally covers himself in
- 00:14:42.338 --> 00:14:45.941
- Animal skins.
- 00:14:45.941 --> 00:14:47.276
- Now isaac was losing his eyesight at this point.
- 00:14:47.276 --> 00:14:50.079
- So he's--[clears throat]
- 00:14:50.079 --> 00:14:51.480
- Excuse me--jacob is covered in animal skins, and he tries to
- 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:55.517
- Imitate the voice of his brother,
- 00:14:55.517 --> 00:14:57.386
- Who i imagine was deeper,
- 00:14:57.386 --> 00:14:58.787
- [in deep voice] "hey dad, how are you doing?"
- 00:14:58.787 --> 00:15:01.056
- [in normal voice] instead of whatever his
- 00:15:01.056 --> 00:15:02.424
- Normal voice was, like,
- 00:15:02.424 --> 00:15:03.792
- [in deep voice] "here, here's the food you asked for."
- 00:15:03.792 --> 00:15:05.728
- [in normal voice] and isaac says,
- 00:15:05.728 --> 00:15:07.062
- "that sounds a lot like jacob, not esau."
- 00:15:07.062 --> 00:15:09.498
- Then he feels his arm, he goes, "oh, you're hairy, like that,
- 00:15:09.498 --> 00:15:13.602
- And let me smell "you."
- 00:15:13.602 --> 00:15:14.937
- Wooh, yeah, you smell like him."
- 00:15:14.937 --> 00:15:16.772
- And he eats the stew, or he eats the meal, and he gives the
- 00:15:16.772 --> 00:15:21.844
- Blessing to jacob that he intended to give to esau.
- 00:15:21.844 --> 00:15:26.582
- And when esau heard about this, he was just absolutely ticked
- 00:15:26.582 --> 00:15:31.186
- Off and said, "i'm going to kill that brother of mine."
- 00:15:31.186 --> 00:15:35.290
- And so mom says, "you better head for the hills.
- 00:15:35.290 --> 00:15:38.660
- Go visit my brother laban."
- 00:15:38.660 --> 00:15:41.797
- See, here's the problem, is jacob wasn't waiting on the lord
- 00:15:41.797 --> 00:15:46.802
- For his timing and his purpose.
- 00:15:46.802 --> 00:15:48.737
- So now he's going off to a far country, leaving his home, and
- 00:15:48.737 --> 00:15:54.643
- While he's on his way, the lord gives him a vision of angels
- 00:15:54.643 --> 00:15:58.714
- Going up and down a ladder.
- 00:15:58.714 --> 00:16:01.316
- God was effectively saying to jacob, "i can accomplish this on
- 00:16:01.316 --> 00:16:05.854
- My own.
- 00:16:05.854 --> 00:16:07.189
- You need to just trust me."
- 00:16:07.189 --> 00:16:09.024
- And it reminds us that we are in a spiritual battle, and angels
- 00:16:09.024 --> 00:16:13.429
- Are actively involved in our life.
- 00:16:13.429 --> 00:16:15.964
- The bible says you don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but
- 00:16:15.964 --> 00:16:19.435
- Against principalities and powers and spiritual might, and
- 00:16:19.435 --> 00:16:23.939
- So we need to put on the armor of god.
- 00:16:23.939 --> 00:16:27.142
- But jacob is trying to do everything in his own way.
- 00:16:27.142 --> 00:16:30.345
- God was saying, "i've got this, i don't need your help."
- 00:16:30.345 --> 00:16:33.949
- But jacob didn't want to wait on god's timing.
- 00:16:33.949 --> 00:16:37.086
- Well, anyway, jacob made it, and he met his uncle laban, and he
- 00:16:37.086 --> 00:16:42.124
- Also met his wife-to-be, the beautiful rachel, who he fell in
- 00:16:42.124 --> 00:16:46.095
- Love with immediately.
- 00:16:46.095 --> 00:16:48.597
- Now, jacob and laban were like two peas in a pod.
- 00:16:48.597 --> 00:16:52.734
- It was like a used car dealer met a telemarketer.
- 00:16:52.734 --> 00:16:56.905
- It was like the trickster met the trickster extraordinaire.
- 00:16:56.905 --> 00:17:00.375
- They kind of deserved each other.
- 00:17:00.375 --> 00:17:02.878
- Some time passed, and it was now time for jacob to return home
- 00:17:02.878 --> 00:17:07.316
- And deal with his brother whom he had betrayed.
- 00:17:07.316 --> 00:17:11.253
- He had to face the consequences of what he had done.
- 00:17:11.253 --> 00:17:14.423
- He had to face his past.
- 00:17:14.423 --> 00:17:16.825
- And you know, it's not easy to reconcile with some people.
- 00:17:16.825 --> 00:17:20.095
- The bible says in proverbs 18:19, "a brother offended is
- 00:17:20.095 --> 00:17:25.134
- Harder to win than a strong city."
- 00:17:25.134 --> 00:17:29.004
- Reminds me of a story of years ago when we were doing a crusade
- 00:17:29.004 --> 00:17:31.673
- In a certain city, and there was one very significant church that
- 00:17:31.673 --> 00:17:35.944
- Was not involved.
- 00:17:35.944 --> 00:17:37.412
- So i had a friend who knew the pastor, i said, "call that
- 00:17:37.412 --> 00:17:39.515
- Pastor and see if i could take him to lunch, my treat."
- 00:17:39.515 --> 00:17:43.385
- So my friend called the pastor, and, "would you go out to lunch
- 00:17:43.385 --> 00:17:45.854
- With greg laurie?"
- 00:17:45.854 --> 00:17:47.222
- The guy said, "no, i don't want to go to lunch with him."
- 00:17:47.222 --> 00:17:48.991
- "oh, wow, really?"
- 00:17:48.991 --> 00:17:50.626
- So i was speaking at an event, and it turns out the pastor was
- 00:17:50.626 --> 00:17:54.196
- Speaking at the same event, and he was signing his book
- 00:17:54.196 --> 00:17:57.466
- Afterwards, so i thought, "i'm gonna get in the line with all
- 00:17:57.466 --> 00:18:01.236
- These other people," and you know how much i like lines, "and
- 00:18:01.236 --> 00:18:04.306
- I'm gonna wait to speak to this pastor."
- 00:18:04.306 --> 00:18:06.241
- So i'm waiting, and i noticed that he saw me, and he was
- 00:18:06.241 --> 00:18:09.678
- Taking his sweet time, i tell you.
- 00:18:09.678 --> 00:18:11.813
- He was chatting up people, he did not want to talk to me.
- 00:18:11.813 --> 00:18:14.783
- I just waited, and waited, and finally i got to the front, and
- 00:18:14.783 --> 00:18:18.053
- I said, "hi, my name is greg laurie."
- 00:18:18.053 --> 00:18:19.888
- He goes, "i know who you are."
- 00:18:19.888 --> 00:18:21.223
- "yeah, hey, pastor, could we talk for a few minutes?"
- 00:18:21.223 --> 00:18:23.559
- "okay, sure, come on, let's go."
- 00:18:23.559 --> 00:18:24.927
- So we go over, we sit down at a table.
- 00:18:24.927 --> 00:18:27.396
- I said, "i was wondering if you would help support our crusade
- 00:18:27.396 --> 00:18:30.365
- In your city."
- 00:18:30.365 --> 00:18:31.700
- "let me tell you what i don't like about evangelistic events,"
- 00:18:31.700 --> 00:18:34.336
- He said.
- 00:18:34.336 --> 00:18:35.671
- And he went over a list of things he disliked, and
- 00:18:35.671 --> 00:18:37.873
- I listened.
- 00:18:37.873 --> 00:18:39.241
- And when he was done, "i said, you know, it's a funny thing, i
- 00:18:39.241 --> 00:18:41.543
- Agree with everything you said.
- 00:18:41.543 --> 00:18:43.045
- I don't like those things either, and we don't do it
- 00:18:43.045 --> 00:18:45.614
- That way.
- 00:18:45.614 --> 00:18:46.982
- The way we do it--" then he interrupts me, and he says, "ah,
- 00:18:46.982 --> 00:18:48.817
- You don't need to talk anymore."
- 00:18:48.817 --> 00:18:50.786
- "okay?"
- 00:18:50.786 --> 00:18:52.154
- "yeah, we're totally in.
- 00:18:52.154 --> 00:18:53.555
- You can count on us.
- 00:18:53.555 --> 00:18:54.923
- We'll be involved in your crusade."
- 00:18:54.923 --> 00:18:56.592
- I said, "well, thank you.
- 00:18:56.592 --> 00:18:58.527
- What brought about the change?"
- 00:18:58.527 --> 00:18:59.861
- He thought--he said, "the fact that you stood in that line and
- 00:18:59.861 --> 00:19:02.998
- Waited for me, and then listened to me go on this rant, makes me
- 00:19:02.998 --> 00:19:06.568
- Wanna help you.
- 00:19:06.568 --> 00:19:07.903
- I think you're okay."
- 00:19:07.903 --> 00:19:09.271
- "okay, that works out."
- 00:19:09.271 --> 00:19:10.606
- So, you know.
- 00:19:10.606 --> 00:19:11.974
- Sometimes you have to do that.
- 00:19:11.974 --> 00:19:15.677
- But some people don't want to be reconciled with.
- 00:19:15.677 --> 00:19:19.715
- The bible says: "as much as it is possible, live at peace with
- 00:19:19.715 --> 00:19:23.952
- All men."
- 00:19:23.952 --> 00:19:25.320
- Aren't you glad the bible says "as much as it's possible?"
- 00:19:25.320 --> 00:19:29.591
- Sometimes it's not possible, but you need to make the effort.
- 00:19:29.591 --> 00:19:33.161
- So here's jacob now headed home.
- 00:19:33.161 --> 00:19:35.731
- He sends his family ahead.
- 00:19:35.731 --> 00:19:37.833
- Ah, he's nervous.
- 00:19:37.833 --> 00:19:39.201
- "what's esau gonna do?
- 00:19:39.201 --> 00:19:40.535
- Is he gonna kill me?"
- 00:19:40.535 --> 00:19:41.903
- And then the lord comes to him.
- 00:19:41.903 --> 00:19:44.473
- The lord engages him.
- 00:19:44.473 --> 00:19:47.109
- And i love how he does it, and it just reminds us that god will
- 00:19:47.109 --> 00:19:52.381
- Come to us in our time of need.
- 00:19:52.381 --> 00:19:55.183
- The bible says he's "a present help in time of trouble."
- 00:19:55.183 --> 00:19:59.688
- He won't give you what you need necessarily ahead of time.
- 00:19:59.688 --> 00:20:03.592
- He'll never give you what you need after you need it.
- 00:20:03.592 --> 00:20:06.828
- But he'll always be there at the right moment.
- 00:20:06.828 --> 00:20:10.632
- And he adapted the way he came to jacob.
- 00:20:10.632 --> 00:20:14.036
- So how did the lord come to him?
- 00:20:14.036 --> 00:20:15.604
- As a fighter.
- 00:20:15.604 --> 00:20:17.372
- Almost like, "hey, you want some of this?
- 00:20:17.372 --> 00:20:19.207
- Let's go, buddy."
- 00:20:19.207 --> 00:20:20.542
- Like new york, [in new york accent]
- 00:20:20.542 --> 00:20:21.910
- "you want summa this? come on!"
- 00:20:21.910 --> 00:20:23.378
- "[in normal accent] you wanna have a little fight?
- 00:20:23.378 --> 00:20:24.746
- Let's go."
- 00:20:24.746 --> 00:20:26.114
- And he comes to him as a wrestler.
- 00:20:26.114 --> 00:20:28.950
- Proverbs 18:26 says, "to the pure you show yourself pure, but
- 00:20:28.950 --> 00:20:33.588
- To the devious you show yourself shrewd.
- 00:20:33.588 --> 00:20:36.758
- You save the humble."
- 00:20:36.758 --> 00:20:38.193
- So he comes to him in a way that jacob can understand, and that
- 00:20:38.193 --> 00:20:42.230
- Brings us to our text, genesis 32.
- 00:20:42.230 --> 00:20:45.200
- Let's read together, verse 24.
- 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:47.969
- "jacob was all alone in the camp, and a man came and
- 00:20:47.969 --> 00:20:51.373
- Wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.
- 00:20:51.373 --> 00:20:54.676
- When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched
- 00:20:54.676 --> 00:20:57.646
- Jacob's hip and wrenched it out of its socket.
- 00:20:57.646 --> 00:21:01.083
- Then the man said, 'let me go, for the dawn is breaking!'
- 00:21:01.083 --> 00:21:04.086
- Jacob said, 'i won't let you go until you bless me.'
- 00:21:04.086 --> 00:21:08.323
- 'what is your name?' the man asked.
- 00:21:08.323 --> 00:21:09.925
- He replied, 'jacob.'
- 00:21:09.925 --> 00:21:11.360
- 'your name will no longer be jacob,' the man told him.
- 00:21:11.360 --> 00:21:13.995
- 'from now on you'll be called israel, because you have fought
- 00:21:13.995 --> 00:21:17.332
- With god and with men and have won.'
- 00:21:17.332 --> 00:21:20.736
- 'please tell me your name,' jacob said.
- 00:21:20.736 --> 00:21:22.704
- 'why do you want to know my name?'
- 00:21:22.704 --> 00:21:24.039
- The man replied.
- 00:21:24.039 --> 00:21:25.407
- Then he blessed jacob there, and jacob named the place peniel
- 00:21:25.407 --> 00:21:29.344
- (which means the face of god), for he said, 'i have seen god
- 00:21:29.344 --> 00:21:33.648
- Face to face, yet my life has been spared.'"
- 00:21:33.648 --> 00:21:38.186
- Why do i believe this is a christophany?
- 00:21:38.186 --> 00:21:41.256
- Because jacob said, "i've seen god face to face."
- 00:21:41.256 --> 00:21:43.992
- I don't think jacob was wrestling with an angel.
- 00:21:43.992 --> 00:21:46.795
- I think he was wrestling with god.
- 00:21:46.795 --> 00:21:50.098
- It's hard to get time away to be with god.
- 00:21:50.098 --> 00:21:54.336
- You know, god can't compete with all of your push notifications.
- 00:21:54.336 --> 00:21:59.341
- It's hard.
- 00:21:59.341 --> 00:22:00.709
- If you wanna hear from him, maybe you need to silence them.
- 00:22:00.709 --> 00:22:03.545
- Have you been alone with god lately?
- 00:22:03.545 --> 00:22:07.149
- You know, our phones are buzzing, our messages are
- 00:22:07.149 --> 00:22:10.018
- Dinging, and our instagram reels are autoplaying, and we wonder
- 00:22:10.018 --> 00:22:14.790
- Why we never hear from the lord.
- 00:22:14.790 --> 00:22:16.458
- I would recommend that you get alone with god, without your
- 00:22:16.458 --> 00:22:19.094
- Electronic devices, with an actual bible.
- 00:22:19.094 --> 00:22:21.997
- This is called a bible.
- 00:22:21.997 --> 00:22:23.398
- Look at it.
- 00:22:23.398 --> 00:22:24.733
- It's not digital.
- 00:22:24.733 --> 00:22:26.101
- It doesn't beep.
- 00:22:26.101 --> 00:22:27.436
- It doesn't chirp.
- 00:22:27.436 --> 00:22:28.804
- It doesn't need to be recharged.
- 00:22:28.804 --> 00:22:30.272
- But if you read it and believe it, it will recharge you.
- 00:22:30.272 --> 00:22:34.309
- So take time for the word of god, and turn off all that
- 00:22:34.309 --> 00:22:38.013
- Noise, and listen.
- 00:22:38.013 --> 00:22:40.315
- You know, elijah went to a cave.
- 00:22:40.315 --> 00:22:43.985
- And the bible says there was a big fire, but the lord was not
- 00:22:43.985 --> 00:22:47.556
- In the fire.
- 00:22:47.556 --> 00:22:48.890
- Then there was lightning striking, but the lord was not
- 00:22:48.890 --> 00:22:50.492
- In the lightning.
- 00:22:50.492 --> 00:22:52.761
- And then there was an earthquake, but the lord was not
- 00:22:52.761 --> 00:22:54.930
- In the earthquake.
- 00:22:54.930 --> 00:22:56.264
- And then it says, "and after that there was a still small
- 00:22:56.264 --> 00:22:59.568
- Voice, which was the voice of god."
- 00:22:59.568 --> 00:23:01.937
- And the lord said, "what are you doing here?"
- 00:23:01.937 --> 00:23:05.006
- So god does want to speak to us, but we need to listen.
- 00:23:05.006 --> 00:23:08.610
- So here is now the scheming, conniving, plotting jacob alone
- 00:23:08.610 --> 00:23:14.516
- With god, and the wrestling match continued on till the
- 00:23:14.516 --> 00:23:19.654
- Break of day.
- 00:23:19.654 --> 00:23:21.022
- He was one stubborn guy, wasn't he?
- 00:23:21.022 --> 00:23:23.325
- Lifeguards know a little bit about this.
- 00:23:23.325 --> 00:23:25.694
- At lifeguard training, they're taught that a drowning person in
- 00:23:25.694 --> 00:23:29.564
- Panic is dangerous, and more than one lifeguard has been
- 00:23:29.564 --> 00:23:33.468
- Drowned by the person they were trying to save.
- 00:23:33.468 --> 00:23:36.872
- Many lifeguards understand they have to wait until the person
- 00:23:36.872 --> 00:23:40.775
- They're rescuing needs to reach exhaustion so they can take them
- 00:23:40.775 --> 00:23:44.846
- To safety.
- 00:23:44.846 --> 00:23:46.515
- Sometimes the lord allows the same with us.
- 00:23:46.515 --> 00:23:49.017
- When we just are done, we're done fighting, we're done
- 00:23:49.017 --> 00:23:52.420
- Resisting, and we just say, "god, if you don't come through
- 00:23:52.420 --> 00:23:55.724
- For me, i'm dead in the water," the lord says, "that sounds good
- 00:23:55.724 --> 00:23:58.293
- To me."
- 00:23:58.293 --> 00:23:59.661
- Because when you get to the end of yourself, you get to the
- 00:23:59.661 --> 00:24:02.831
- Beginning of god.
- 00:24:02.831 --> 00:24:05.233
- So as they're wrestling together, the lord takes jacob's
- 00:24:05.233 --> 00:24:09.237
- Hip and pulls it out, out of the socket.
- 00:24:09.237 --> 00:24:12.641
- By the way, i know a good hip doctor.
- 00:24:12.641 --> 00:24:15.911
- They didn't have titanium hips back in those days, but i have
- 00:24:15.911 --> 00:24:18.747
- One now.
- 00:24:18.747 --> 00:24:20.115
- So, so now he has a limp for the rest of his life, but he's
- 00:24:20.115 --> 00:24:24.152
- Hanging on.
- 00:24:24.152 --> 00:24:25.520
- And now finally he goes from resisting to resting.
- 00:24:25.520 --> 00:24:28.990
- I love this.
- 00:24:28.990 --> 00:24:30.358
- He says, "i won't let you go until you bless me."
- 00:24:30.358 --> 00:24:34.596
- So finally he's surrendering.
- 00:24:34.596 --> 00:24:36.364
- Let me come back to a verse i quoted already, hosea commenting
- 00:24:36.364 --> 00:24:40.268
- On this event, it says, "before he was born, he struggled with
- 00:24:40.268 --> 00:24:43.672
- His brother, and then he wrestled with the angel and won.
- 00:24:43.672 --> 00:24:46.808
- He wept and pleaded for a blessing, and there at bethel,
- 00:24:46.808 --> 00:24:50.078
- He met face to face with god."
- 00:24:50.078 --> 00:24:53.081
- Wait, he wrestled with the angel and won?
- 00:24:53.081 --> 00:24:56.318
- I thought he lost.
- 00:24:56.318 --> 00:24:57.852
- Oh, he did, but he won by losing.
- 00:24:57.852 --> 00:25:02.123
- See, that's how it is when we wrestle with god.
- 00:25:02.123 --> 00:25:03.959
- You win by losing.
- 00:25:03.959 --> 00:25:05.393
- You win by submitting.
- 00:25:05.393 --> 00:25:07.162
- Jesus said, "if you want to save your life, lose your life."
- 00:25:07.162 --> 00:25:11.399
- "well, that makes no sense to me."
- 00:25:11.399 --> 00:25:12.734
- It means you take your life.
- 00:25:12.734 --> 00:25:14.603
- You say, "here's what i want.
- 00:25:14.603 --> 00:25:17.038
- Here are my plans.
- 00:25:17.038 --> 00:25:18.573
- Here are my hopes.
- 00:25:18.573 --> 00:25:19.941
- Here are my aspirations.
- 00:25:19.941 --> 00:25:21.276
- But i place these in your hands.
- 00:25:21.276 --> 00:25:23.945
- I place my unknown future in the hands of a known god, and i've
- 00:25:23.945 --> 00:25:29.918
- Learned, lord, to realize that your will is better than
- 00:25:29.918 --> 00:25:34.222
- My will."
- 00:25:34.222 --> 00:25:35.590
- So as jesus said in the garden of gethsemane, "nevertheless,
- 00:25:35.590 --> 00:25:39.427
- Not my will, but yours be done."
- 00:25:39.427 --> 00:25:42.998
- So he's hanging on for dear life.
- 00:25:42.998 --> 00:25:44.666
- "you gotta bless me."
- 00:25:44.666 --> 00:25:46.001
- "okay.
- 00:25:46.001 --> 00:25:47.335
- Let me ask you, what's your name?"
- 00:25:47.335 --> 00:25:48.870
- Why did the lord ask him that?
- 00:25:48.870 --> 00:25:50.205
- Didn't the lord know his name?
- 00:25:50.205 --> 00:25:51.573
- Of course he did.
- 00:25:51.573 --> 00:25:52.907
- "what's your name?"
- 00:25:52.907 --> 00:25:54.275
- "jacob, heel catcher, conniver, schemer."
- 00:25:54.275 --> 00:25:57.612
- "hmm.
- 00:25:57.612 --> 00:25:58.947
- I'm gonna give you a name."
- 00:25:58.947 --> 00:26:00.915
- "what is it?"
- 00:26:00.915 --> 00:26:02.250
- "israel, which means 'a prince with god,' 'one who rules
- 00:26:02.250 --> 00:26:06.454
- With god.'"
- 00:26:06.454 --> 00:26:07.822
- Coming back to my earlier point: god just doesn't see you for
- 00:26:07.822 --> 00:26:10.258
- What you are; he sees you for what you can become.
- 00:26:10.258 --> 00:26:13.895
- God might ask you what your name is.
- 00:26:13.895 --> 00:26:16.064
- "failure. i've come short."
- 00:26:16.064 --> 00:26:19.834
- God says, "well, i have a different plan for you.
- 00:26:19.834 --> 00:26:21.770
- I can make you into a new person."
- 00:26:21.770 --> 00:26:26.274
- Greg: hi, i'm greg laurie. i've got some good news for you.
- 00:26:30.412 --> 00:26:33.181
- God loves you, and god has a plan for your life.
- 00:26:33.181 --> 00:26:37.018
- Here's the problem: we're separated from god by our sin
- 00:26:37.018 --> 00:26:40.655
- Because we've all broken his commandments.
- 00:26:40.655 --> 00:26:43.458
- But the good news is, is 2,000 years ago, god sent his son,
- 00:26:43.458 --> 00:26:47.962
- Jesus christ, to die on the cross for your sin, and then to
- 00:26:47.962 --> 00:26:51.566
- Rise again from the dead.
- 00:26:51.566 --> 00:26:53.601
- The same jesus who died and rose is alive and ready to come into
- 00:26:53.601 --> 00:26:57.739
- Your life right now.
- 00:26:57.739 --> 00:26:59.474
- Would you like your sin forgiven?
- 00:26:59.474 --> 00:27:01.543
- Would you like to know that when you die you will go to heaven?
- 00:27:01.543 --> 00:27:04.512
- If so, pray this simple prayer with me right now.
- 00:27:04.512 --> 00:27:07.816
- Just say, "lord jesus, i know i'm a sinner, but i believe
- 00:27:07.816 --> 00:27:11.419
- You're the savior who died on the cross for my sin.
- 00:27:11.419 --> 00:27:14.823
- I turn from my sin now, and i choose to follow you from this
- 00:27:14.823 --> 00:27:19.160
- Moment forward."
- 00:27:19.160 --> 00:27:20.795
- Did you just pray that prayer with me?
- 00:27:20.795 --> 00:27:22.664
- If you did, god in heaven has heard you.
- 00:27:22.664 --> 00:27:26.000
- Congratulations, and welcome to the family of god.
- 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:29.010
