Introduction

Welcome, dear friends! It's wonderful to see each of you here, gathered in fellowship, ready to open your hearts to the Word of God. It is a privilege to share this time with you, a moment we set aside to seek the wisdom of our Creator, to bask in His love, and to learn from His teachings.

Today, we turn our attention to the book of Genesis, specifically Genesis 32:28. It reads: "Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.'" A powerful verse, isn't it? It speaks of struggle, transformation, and triumph. It tells us of a man, Jacob, who wrestled with God and emerged from the struggle with a new identity, a new name - Israel.

This verse, this story, is not just about Jacob. It's about each of us. It's about our struggles, our encounters with God, and how these experiences can change us, shape us, and give us a new identity. It's about the power of an encounter with God, the significance of a heavenly name change, and the challenge of handling this new identity in our daily lives.

Marcus Terentius Varro, an ancient Roman scholar once said, "A good character when established is not easily overthrown." This quote resonates deeply with our topic today. Jacob's encounter with God didn't just change his name, it changed his character. It established him as a man of faith, a man who has wrestled with God and emerged victorious. And this character, once established, was not easily overthrown. It became his identity.

As we immerse ourselves in this message today, let us open our hearts and minds to what God wants to say to us. Let's pray. Gracious Father, we come before you today with open hearts, ready to receive your Word. We thank you for the privilege of gathering in your name, for the opportunity to learn from your teachings. As we study the story of Jacob, help us to understand its relevance to our lives. Teach us about the power of an encounter with you, the significance of a name change, and the challenge of living out our new identity. May your Spirit guide us, your wisdom enlighten us, and your love fill us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Let's begin, dear friends, with the first point - Harnessing the Power of an Encounter.

Harnessing the Power of an Encounter

When we think about the story of Jacob, we can't help but be struck by the power of his encounter with God. It was a turning point in his life, a moment that marked a profound transformation. It wasn't a casual meeting or a fleeting interaction. It was a deep, intense, life-changing experience.

Jacob wrestled with God. He grappled with Him, physically and spiritually. He didn't let go until he received a blessing. This wasn't a passive encounter. It was active, dynamic, and filled with struggle. It was a fight, a battle, a contest of wills. What does this tell us about our own encounters with God? It tells us that they can be powerful, transformative experiences. They can change us. They can give us a new identity, a new purpose, a new direction in life.

Firstly, wrestling with God requires effort. We ought to be active, not passive, in our relationship with God. It’s in prayer that we grab hold of our God and experience the wrestling of two wills. But our will must always be in submission to the will of the Triune God.

The second aspect of harnessing the power of an encounter with God is about transformation. Jacob didn't leave his encounter with God the same way he entered it. He was truly given a new identity. He was no longer Jacob, but Israel. It was a change that affected every aspect of Jacob's life, from his relationships with others to his relationship with God.

This tells us that our encounters with God can be transformative. But, this transformation isn't automatic. It requires us to be open, receptive, and willing to change. It requires us to let go of our old selves and embrace our new selves.

Next, encountering God is about triumph. Jacob didn't just wrestle with God. He overcame. He emerged victorious from his struggle. He received a blessing from God, a sign of his triumph. Our struggles can lead to victory, success, and achievement. They can give us a sense of accomplishment, a sense of fulfillment, a sense of satisfaction. But this triumph isn't guaranteed. It requires us to persevere, persist, and keep going even when the going gets tough.

The fourth aspect of harnessing the power of an encounter with God is about identity. But what do we mean when we talk about identity? Well, an identity is a way that you see and value yourself. If your identity is being a successful businessman, and then you lose your job or business and are no longer successful, that’s when we see men doing sad, terrible things. They don’t know how to be happy if their identity is taken away. You see this sometimes in athletes as well after retirement.

Identities define who we are, how we see ourselves, and how others see us. They can give us a new name, a new title, a new role. Any other identity other than being “In Christ” is an identity doomed to fail. Only this transcendent truth is able to sustain one throughout this lifetime, no matter what comes their way.

Recap/Transition. Harnessing the power of an encounter with God is about struggle, transformation, triumph, and identity. It's about wrestling with God, changing through our interactions with Him, overcoming challenges, and embracing a new identity. It's about being active in our relationship with God. It's about being open, receptive, willing to change. It's about persevering, persisting, fighting, struggling, overcoming. It's about redefining who we are, how we see ourselves, how others see us. It's about embracing a new identity, a new role, a new relationship with God.

Heavenly Name Change

The heavenly name change that Jacob experienced is a significant part of his story ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO