Learning to Lean | Part 2

As you need me and Roger said God never uses anything or anybody until their first broken Jacob is crippled buddy might be a crown deed is broken, that he might be a blast. So now he goes from a name of Shane to the Hall of Fame. The rest of his life has to walk with the staff. Learning to lean, learning to trust in Jesus welcome to love worth finding featuring the dynamic messages and insightful lesson pastor, teacher and author Adrian Rogers know many of us in today's culture. Think self-sufficiency is a virtue when you look at it truthfully, it's a vice one that God will work out of us until we learn to depend on him. Jacob story in Genesis 32 shows that God loves us too much to leave us self-sufficient in part one of today's message we began studying three principles.

Jacob experienced when he learned to lean on God.

If you have your Bible turn now to Hebrews chapter 11 verse 21 is Adrian Rogers shares part two of learning to lean look at our Scripture here. Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 21 by faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning upon the tall of his staff. Now Jacob had deceived his father and gotten the birthright that God already wanted to give him but he couldn't trust God for what God had promised, and he had tricked his brother Esau into giving him the birthright when it was already Jacob said he didn't need to tricky Saul, but he got Esau betrayed what Esau thought was the birthright for a bowl of pottage, sewer, chili it whatever you want to call it but now Jacob has had to flee because Esau has blood in his Esau and Jacob's twin brother was actually born first wants to kill Jacob and Jacob. He is running he is fleeing from his brother, Esau, and now he's got to get right with Esau because he cannot really be right with God until he right with Esau, and furthermore he hears that Esau is coming to meet him and so that's the situation that we have it right now and God is going to use all of the situation because Jacob to grow and to cease to depend upon himself. They say pass the ones that have to do with me. Brandon has so much new with you.

It is incredible. So I beg you not to tune me out. I want you to listen as to how you can learn to cease from your self-sufficiency and depend upon God for the three things that happened to Jacob so long ago. I don't have the correspondence in your life today and in my life. Principle number one is this God will protect you but he will not pamper you. Now, Genesis 32 beginning in verse one and Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met in and when Jacob saw them, he said this is God's hose that is God's army and he called the name of that place may handmade him which means to host to host Jacob is fleeing and suddenly you see some angels.

He realizes that for these 20 years out there in the wilderness and various places. He has had an angel escort the angels of God had been in camping round about him to protect him and so here's a man really out of fellowship with God. And yet God is protecting him and God is guarding him and finally, God lets them see these ancient system look at why there to host Meadows the people are with me and then there's the heavenly host and camping all about me. We all have angels watching over us. But yeah, even though God was protecting him. God did not pamper him. God let him go through great need and want and difficulty now Jacob is learning that Esau is coming Esau's coming with 400 armed men, and Jacob was left here in the wilderness and Allison Jacob's mind begins to work Jacob against the plan. He begins to skiing. You can see his self-sufficiency. Now in Genesis chapter 32. Beginning verse three and Jacob sent messengers before him. He saw his brother into the land of seer become verbatim and he commanded them, saying the shell you speak onto my Lord Esau. Can you imagine him calling Esau his Lord, my Lord Esau thy servant Jacob saved us. I have sojourned with Laban and it stayed there until now and I have oxen and asses and flocks and menservants and women service and I have sent to tell my that I may find grace in my site. Can you hear his flattering tongue. Can you imagine him calling this brother that he had scorned and cheated and cannot dance my Lord, would you please show me some breaks. No wonder says that is coming with 400 armed men. Sam and I want you knows what else he does watch his mind as he begins to work what you self-sufficiency. He begins to flatter Esau. Secondly, he begins to divide his flocks and herds and its people now wanted us shorthanded, take 580 valuable animals and he divides them up into lots of five and he says now watch this go out there and when Esau comes with these 100 men. Now remember, he's got some over here. He's got some over here. He's been using flattery's been saying my Lord Esau show me grace that it and now you start sending these gifts. I mean small, he knows how to rig things he knows how to make things happen. What he is trying to do now is to appease his brother because he is in hot water. Now what he is saying is this, Lord, I trust you, but never done what I trust you, Lord.

I don't trust you completely and Lord you help me out but father you know I've got to rig this thing so Genesis 32 verse 20 and he say moreover behold I servant Jacob is behind us, for he saith, I will appease him with the present the growth before me and afterward I will see his face peradventure he will accept me a piece strategy flattering things. His mind is working now.

God lets him stew in his own shoes being angels of their did you get the first point God wants you to grow God was to deliver you from self-sufficiency. So here it is, God will protect you but he will not pamper you. He will not by God. Let you too much to let you go but he will not pamper you and I here's the second thing you want to learn if you cling to learn to lean on the Lord God will you, but he will not harm is a God will hurt me, you better believe you will you, but he will not harm now in this passage of Scripture is done all this stuff.

Everybody's here and there and finally, O Jake is alone now, when he's alone. He has a confrontation with God himself. Look again in verse 24, and Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day he's done all this figuring mayonnaise by himself.

He's alone in the dark and someone else is somebody Johnsonian you find yourself in a wrestling match a man out there. Johnson was this it was the pre-incarnate Christ. Jesus Christ came to wrestle with Jacob. This was before Jesus was born of a virgin, what we call a theophany I pre-incarnate appearance of our Lord God wants to deliver Jacob from his self-sufficiency and so the Lord getting in a wrestling match. Russell all night long. He's wrestling. And finally, it's as if the Lord says I hate to do this to you Jake but he reaches on the lapel of his five and struggles it up. Jacob can wrestling more. What's restless. Know what muscle is most important to wrestling his thighs's legs. That's where strength is if you take away his leg.

He can began to wrestle and so the angel of the Lord, which is not here and cripples it now has to go to wrestle an angel says let me go. Jacobs is on the menu not you pass me let you go back. This was the Lord wanted the Lord say let me go, because the Lord did warning let go say that it makes sense.

So yes it does you study the Bible and you find out that many times God will act as if he wants to get away from us when he wants us to pursue him will all of our heart.

Remember, on the road to Emmaus when two disciples were going there after the resurrection, and Jesus appeared in his resurrection body needs walking with them and their hearts are burning within them and that the Bible says that the Jesus made as if he would go further and I settled all spend time with us here and he did remember the sorrow Phoenician woman demon possessed daughter Casey came to Jesus and she said Jesus if you can do something to you.

My daughter Jesus said to this Gentiles sorrow Phoenician Michael take the children's bread and give it to dogs. Can you imagine Jesus saying something like that.

She said Lord dogs get the crumbs of pole from under the table Inc. is your fate. Exactly what she asked him to do, but he acted like he wanted to get away from her that he's not going to do this thing for her. If you read in the Bible you find out that all to the Bible. God sometimes act like he wants you to let them alone, but he wants you to pursue him with all of your heart and so the angel says let me go the days breaking Jacob says malice and bouquets come to the end of himself.

I mean he's even lost his secret weapon for this is secret weapon well if if my flattery doesn't help bowl on Esau I divided my people up and he kills all my people only the side and I'm sitting these gifts and they'll soften them up and it finally comes release tying run. I can pick him up and put them that I can even run hi Bill except you and I will not lead you go God has brought this man to the place where he realizes that his only hope is gone. Not a scheming is surrendering not his bargaining but his baking God hurt him, but God didn't harm you like that I dimly don't like that idea that I got a God hurting me. God loves you too much to leave you self-sufficient. God will ProTect you but he will not pamper you.

God, but it will not harm you. My dad hurt me today never hurt you. My dad knew how to apply the Board of Education of the seed of knowledge but in harmony. I had a doctor one time that man took a knife and cut me. Can you imagine, I mean he sliced me he hurt me. But in harmony help me because I had a recollection that Nicole Gholston what I'm trying to say says that God will protect you. He never takes his eye off of you. But he will not pamper you. He's not going to call you and God will hurt you, whom the Lord loves he chastens, but God will not harm you. You can trust them friend no chastening for the present same to be joyous, but grievous. But afterward, a year with the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them. That exercise thereby, and I here's the third and final thing I want you to see God will break you what he desires to bless you. What was this wrestling match all about will look now in verse 27 and he said unto him that is, the angel says to Jacob, what is thy name. Eddie said Jacob.

Now the word Jacob itself means Sir planter connive. The very name means in modern English, artist.

Sometimes I preach this knob heard people say opacity ought not to say that our son's name is Jacob. We have a lot of implicit historic whose name is Jake the name Jacob has been transformed. If your name is Jacob. Now it's an honorable name because we go to see what God has done and he said, and then what is thy name. He said Jacob and he said, thy name shall be called, no more Jacob but this trial for as a prince that has power with God and with men, and hast prevailed the word Israel means prints and choices used to be named, artist, but now your name is, perhaps because the power with God and with men because you prevailed, and Jacob. Ask him tell me I pray the thy name and he said wherefore is it that God is asked after my name, and he blessed in there. That is, you will know who I am and he blessed them there, and Jacob called the name of the place per mile for I have seen God face to face.

Now you know who it was that was wrestling with Jacob pricing God face-to-face in my life is preserved and as he passed over the renewal, the sun rose upon him, and he halted up on this line that he's had this encounter with God as the sunrise, but now he still has this limp. He's halting upon his thigh.

What is God has broken because he wants to blessed now no longer is he Jacob. Now he is Israel. Now he is apprentice not ask him what is your name be think I did know what his name was known. God wanted him to admit it.

What is your name, artist connive or schemer well Jacob, I'm glad to hear you admit Bill doesn't ask you the same thing today God is going to save you. What is your name you have to say my name is lazy hi my name is lustful, my name is doubter are my name is liar all my name is selfishness. What ever it is missing. Get the whole point. Now here's the point.

Jacob is crippled that he might be crown. He is broken, that he might be a blast. And so now he goes from a name of Shane to the Hall of Fame. The rest of his life he has to walk with the staff. The rest of his life.

He is leaning upon a staff, and when it comes to die. Go back to our Scripture now over there in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 21 and he will worship leaning upon the stay learning to lean, learning to lean, learning to trust in Jesus missing. He was broken that it might be blessed. God desires to break to that it might bless you. Did you know that God likes broken things men throw broken things away, but God never really ever uses anything to the first brakes. Now you say pastor Rogers. I don't want to be broken well is a sense in which you don't have to be if you break yourself.

The Bible says if we would judge ourselves, we would not be attached. That is, if we will come to our Lord in absolute humility and brokenness and seesaw self-sufficiency seats are conniving in our planning and stop trying and start trusting and stand on the word of God being God can move in and God can use us in a way that it never could before I go back to our text Hebrews 11 in verse 24 now see if it doesn't make a lot more sense to you by faith Jacob, when he was a dying blast. Both the sons of Joseph and worship, leaning upon his staff. Now Jacob was 147 years old when he died. He was weak and he was wearing, but he spent his last moments worshiping the Lord waterway to go dormant wanting to get right with God. Thought maybe he could get right with God if he would be a hermit golf and live in a cave so somebody came to see the old hermit and said to him, are you still wrestling with the devil. They said not in the longer they said now I'm wrestling with God lamented you are you hope the window you he said no.

I hope to lose hope. That's what I hope Roland's that we will bow before him and say I will not let you unless you bless me, listen me for some of you I've been preaching long enough to know this.

This message went right past you have no interest, none whatsoever because you been taught all life to be sufficient self-sufficient. God loves you too much to let you stay that way maybe really know God. And if you don't know God. This will apply to you, but Jacob love God and he had to be delivered from the self-sufficiency learning to lean, learning to lean learning to lean on Jesus. No Jacob died, leaning upon the staff leaning on the wall print if you're not absolutely certain that your saved. Let's get it settled me tell you that your center by birth, by nature, by choice.

Your sin deserves judgment and will receive judgment and eternal hell. If you do not get say is only one way to be saved and that is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ paid your send it with his blood on the cross, shed his blood as an atonement for your sin that does not become real to you until you repent of sin and turn to him by faith and you can do that right now and I want to guide you in this prayer, would you pray this prayer dear God, right this moment I open my heart I receive you as my Lord and Savior save me, Lord Jesus, I don't ask for feeling. I don't look for son. I stand on your work. I trust you to save me. And Lord Jesus, I will glorify you by making it public. I will not be ashamed of you give me the strength to make it public in your name I pray, amen and amen and if you pray just now and you're ready to fully follow Jesus with your life.

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