Genesis 28: 11 -19 Genesis 32: 24 -30
28:11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
28:13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;—
28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
28:15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
28:16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
28:17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. Jacob had a spectacular night and now arises early in the morning and builds an altar.
28:19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
Genesis 32: 24 -30
And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28And 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.
29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Topic --(A Bethel and Peniel Experience)
My brothers and sisters
In the texts that is before us
We have 2 spiritual encounters of Jacob's life.
The 1st encounter was at a place called Bethel.
In Genesis chapter 28, Jacob met God at Bethel.
It was At Bethel,
Jacob saw a ladder.
But at Peniel he saw the Lord.
At Bethel, Jacob became a believer.
But at Peniel, Jacob was broken.
At Bethel, Jacob became a son.
But at Peniel, he became a saint.
At Bethel, Jacob died to his sins.
But at Peniel, he died to himself.
At Bethel, Jacob left with a spring in his step.
But at Peniel he left with a lasting limp.
And if the truth be told
Everyone in this church this morning/evening needs a Bethel experience.
Bethel is where Jacob saw a ladder with angels ascending, descending , bringing down messages from God and taking up messages to God.
And every believer ought to have a Bethel experience.
Bethel is where you know that you met the Lord.
Because it was at Bethel that Jacob said, surely the Lord is in this place.
You ought to know that you've met the Lord.
You ought to have a Bethel experience.
You ought to know the hour,
You ought to know the day.
You ought to know the experience when you met the living God.
You need a Bethel
Because Bethel will get you to heaven.
But likewise, every believer here needs a Peniel experience
Because Peniel will keep you spiritually fit while you`re here on earth.
We all need to go to heaven,
Thank God for heaven
But God needs to use us while we're here on earth.
And God can't use us until he breaks us.
That`s why Some folk can't shout and give God glory because they haven't been broken yet.
Your still full of yourselves.
Still full of pride.
Still got good health,
Still got enough money,
Still got enough friends.
still stay in a good house.
still got a nice job.
But God hasn't broken you yet.
And that's why you can't shout with enthusiasm.
But just like you need a Bethel, you need a Peniel experience
Because we all must come to a place in our lives where God empties us from us
Notice –Notice---Notice
In Verse 24 of the text
. Jacob was very alone.
He was facing a serious time of testing.
He brought his wives,
He brought his sons,
But he left them and everything he had on the other side of the brook
Because he was about to face his brother that he had tricked and misused twenty years ago.
And unless God got him alone,
God couldn't break him.
(And that’s a word for somebody
Because If we are going to be strong Christians, we've got to find some alone time with God.
You do know
We are living in a day and time where people can't stand being alone.
We just have to be connected.
Living like we're in a reality show.
Always looking around to see who's looking and watching us.
We can’t even enjoy a meal unless we're connected.
We’re Facebooking, Instagramming,
Everything has to be at our fingertips.
Earplugs in our ear.
Listening to music,
Television has got to be on,
Constantly on the phone.
constantly texting,
constantly gossiping,
Because we are scared of the noise of silence.
(I wish I had my preach White crowd here).
Because when you're alone, you gotta face you,
You gotta deal with you.
You gotta look at yourself in the mirror.
And that's why people are always on their phones, texting,
Because they can't stand not to be connected.
And all I’m trying to tell you is
Get off of Facebook and put your face in the Good book.
In other words
Get disconnected from people who means you no good
And connect with Jesus Christ.
Stop all the noise and let God speak to you.
Because we will never be all the Christian God wants us to be until we spend time alone with God.
Turn off the television.
Turn off your cell phone.
Some of y’all know what I’m talking about
Because , the first thing some folks do in the morning is check there Facebook page.
Or Check their email account.
When they ought to be checking in with Heaven
And seeing what God wants you to do?
In other words
We ought to be asking God, what is your agenda for me today?
Because God knows the plans that He has for you.
Plans to prosper you, to give you a future and hope.
But You will never know what his plans are until you spend time alone with him.
Jacob was there alone
And when God got him alone.
He had to come face to face not just with God, but with Jacob.
And I need to pause and ask you
When was the last time you told yourself the truth?
I'm a crook,
I'm a sinner,
I'm a supplanter,
a deceiver.
(Turn and tell your neighbor )----
That's the Jacob in me.
And we have to deal with the Jacob in us
Because the Jacob in us makes us a crook,
Makes us low down,
Makes us want to undermine folks
Make us smile in people faces and talk behind there back
Makes us gossip,
Makes us lie,
(Turn and tell your neighbor )
Don't, get mad with me.----- It's just the Jacob in me.
The text says
Jacob was there alone,
I. Well not only Was Jacob Alone
II. V. But the text reveals that
In his alone time with God JACOB became VERY MUCH ALIVE
Notice ---Notice----Notice
It was in his alone time with God,
He became very alive.
Because it's not until you get along with God that you can become alive.
It's right here in the text.
Look at verse 24
And there wrestled with a man until the breaking of a day.
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him,
He touched the hollow of his thigh
And the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him.
Which suggests to us
That Jacob experience what's called a theophany
A theophany means he was privileged to be in a place where the Lord just decided to manifest himself in a personal manner.
In other words
God showed up and gave Jacob an answer to his situation himself.
Jacob was alone.
Jacob was alive.
But the text also reveals that
Jacob was altered
Notice how God altered him.
The angel said, let me go.
And That’s God showing up in the flesh.
He shows up in the presence of an angel
And Jacob wrestles with an angel all night long.
Which suggest to us
That when our sins have caught up with us,
We have to wrestle to get back on our feet again.
Notice –Notice - -Notice
It's a twenty year journey from Bethel to Peniel
It's a twenty-year lapse between salvation and usefulness.
In other words,
God has to mature us after he saved us before he can use us.
You see ____________________
Salvation happens in a moment.
But usefulness.
It takes a long time to be a strong, Christian.
Because in that time between salvation and God using us, he has to break us.
But it's not until God breaks us that he can use us.
It's right here in the text.
He says, let me go.
The day is breaking.
Jacob tells the Angel , no,
Not going to let you go until you bless me
And it was not until the Lord asked Jacob to reveal himself that he was able to bless him.
He says, what is your name?
You see ________________________
Your name brings up your history.
Your name brings up your past failures
Your name brings up your background.
He said, my name is Jacob.
And when he said Jacob,
He was force to confess who he was
How he deceived his father,
How he tricked his brother,
And Stole his blessing,
Tricked him out of his birthright,
Schemed against his uncle,
Thought he was marrying Rachel,
But ended up in bed with slue footed Leah.
You see
The trickster,
The supplanter, the one who grips the heel is now face to face with himself.
The text reveal the
Angel asks his name,
And after Jacob gives his name.
The angel says,
You’re no longer Jacob.
That's not your name no more.
Because you're not going to be what you were before.
You are no longer Jacob.
You got a new name.
Your name is now Israel.
A Prince with God and man.
Because you've wrestled with God and prevail.
Well not only was
I. Jacob Alone
II. Not only did Jacob become Alive
III. Not only WAS JACOB ALTERED
But the text also reveals that JACOB was Branded
You see my brothers and sisters
After God has blessed you and broken you,
God brands you.
I wish I had my Preach White crowd to help me close right here.
I said, after God has broken you.
After God has blessed you,
Then God brands you.
Let me say it one more time for emphasis.
After God has broken you,
After God has blessed you,
God brands you
And we have to go back to the book of Exodus to The Law of the Bondslave - Ex. 21:1-6.
To help me testify right here.
You see _______________________
When a person was a slave in Egypt,
They would put a hole in there ear and put a ring in that hole.
And the ring signified that they belonged to somebody as a slave.
And were living in a day and time
Where men are putting earrings in their ear and don't even know what earrings in the ear mean.
But can I borrow a skinny minute and tell you what it mean
It means you.
You belong to somebody.
And that person has branded you,
And has a right to do with you whatever he pleases.
But once the Lord has broken you,
Once the Lord has blessed you,
He has a right to brand you.
Notice ---Notice---Notice
How God branded Jacob.
God touch him in his hip socket
And Jacob limped for the rest of his life.
Now, you may not have a limp this morning/evening,
But if you belong to the Lord,
And the Lord has branded you.
He's given you something that identifies you, that you belong to the Lord.
And no matter where you go, no matter what company you are in,
God has a way of letting everybody know you belongs to the Lord .
And when The Lord Brands you
You just can't sit in your seat.
You don't care who's looking at you.
You don't care what nobody says about you.
Because the Lord has broken you, blessed you and branded you.
And your brand is.
If nobody else wants to praise Him .
Sit there and watch me
Because I`m going to
Bless the Lord at all times.
His praise shall continually be in my mouth
I'm gonna clap my hands.
I`m going to stomp my feet
Because God has broken me.
God has blessed me.
And since he owns me, he has a right to brand me.
Is there anybody here?
Know that God has broken you, blessed you and branded you.
And if you really know
Why don't you tell your neighbor
Neighbor ------ Let me tell you my story.
I was on my way to a devils hell without God on my side
But Jesus Died on a Mountain called Calvary
They place Him in a Borrowed Tomb
OH BUT EARLY SUNDAY MORNING HE GOT UP
WITH ALL POWER IN HIS HANDS
And if you know he got up
Come on,------ (shout Hallelujah.)
If the Lord blessed you this morning.
(Come on, shout praise the Lord.)
If the Lord has brought you from a mighty long way.
Opened doors that were closing your face.
Made your enemies leave you alone.
(You ought to put your sanctified) hands together and give God some (praise)
Have you tried Him?
Do you know Him?
Don't fool me now.
Ain`t he alright
Ain`t he alright
Say yeah ----oh yeah
