Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord,

who forgives all your iniquity, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion,

compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass.

He flourishes like a flower of the field. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, O you who his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying to the voice of his word.

Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers who do his will. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Can we take just like 30 seconds, wherever you are, to just thank the Lord for his love?

That he showers on us, that he lavishes on us when we don't deserve it.

Bless you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you. Bless you, Lord.

Father, we thank you that you rained down your love on us.

Bless you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you that you provide. Thank you that you heal us.

You heal our hearts. You heal our minds.

Bless you, Lord.

Bless you, Jesus.

Love from the ashes, your love has brought us, out of the darkness, and into the light.

Living our sorrows, bearing our burdens, and healing our hearts.

Sing that again.

To our God, we lift up one voice.

To our God, we lift up one voice.

To our God, we lift up one voice.

In unity we sing.

To our God, we lift up one voice.

To our God, we lift up one song.

To our God, we lift up one voice.

Singing hallelujah

Praise God

Dimes have been opened,

An army of trials Just need together

столe合 is defeated and we are victora.

Oh, we are alive.

Singing hallelujah, hallelujah.

Singing hallelujah, hallelujah.

Give him a hand, sing hallelujah.

Hallelujah, singing hallelujah, hallelujah.

Make his praise, glorious, glorious, glorious, glorious.

Second praise, glorious, glorious, glorious, glorious.

Singing hallelujah, hallelujah.

Singing hallelujah, hallelujah.

Singing hallelujah, hallelujah.

Singing hallelujah, hallelujah.

Hallelujah, make His praise, glorious, glorious, glorious, for His name, glorious, glorious, glorious,

make His praise, glorious, glorious, glorious, glorious, glorious, glorious,

Glorious, glorious, glorious

To our God we lift up one voice

To our God we lift up one song

To our God we lift up one voice

Singing hallelujah

To our God we lift up one voice

To our God we lift up one voice

Singing hallelujah

Hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Singing hallelujah

Thank you.

Glorious, glorious, glorious, glorious

Your love of a righteous grace

Gloria

Jesus

Your name is Jesus

Yahweh

Elohim of Elohim

Your love of glory

Your healing

Protected

Provided

Glory to the Lord

Jesus

Jesus

Jesus

Jesus

Come on, just take this moment to shout to the Lord

Who has the Lord been to you in this season?

Has he been your healer?

Has he been your protector?

Has he been your provider?

Has he been your God?

Has he been your God?

Has he been your God?

There is none like you, there is none beside you

None come before you, Father

We lift you high above all

Your name high above other names, Father Jesus

With your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with your grace with

Holy Spirit, follow this place, not this room.

Jesus, move in your people today, move in your people today.

Do what you want to, do what you want to, fill the soul with your glory, God.

Overflow, right now, we won't overflow, we won't overflow, Jesus, Jesus, who will stay.

To you say, to God, we need your Spirit to move us, Lord, to change us, Lord, to grow us, Lord.

So we cry out to you, calling your name, just your name.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Bye.

Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Yes. He is worthy to be praised. He is so amazing and awesome.

And we just give his name glory and honor and praise on this morning. Welcome. Welcome, everyone to Rhema Community Church. We love God here and we praise him here. We thank God for every one of you for you coming to fellowship with us on this morning. And I said every Sunday and I said again, you could have been anywhere on this morning, but you decided to be in the house of God. You decided to fellowship with us with us. And for that, we are

so grateful. Let's give God some glory together. Praise God. Praise God. Hallelujah. And then we want to take a special moment to thank our visitors and acknowledge our visitors right now for coming to fellowship with us. We say it all the time. When you come here to Rhema Community Church, you are family. So welcome to the family. We just are grateful that you decided to come fellowship with us and we thank God for you. We have cards on the back of the

chairs. If you want to fill that chairs. If you want to fill that out and so we can get some information about you and your family and we can connect with you. Answer any questions you may have about the ministry and just make sure your experience is a very welcome one. We also want to encourage you Rhema family to connect with us on social media. We are on Facebook. We are on Instagram. We are on Twitter. So it's a great way to stay connected. Also group me. You can contact the church office for group me. It's a great way to stay connected.

And just to continue that bond we have as a family. We need each other. Right? Right. Praise God. And we want to also continue in our worship of giving. Giving is a way of worshiping our God. And we have churches on the left and right of me in the back where you can do your giving. We also can give through PayPal. PayPal at Rhema Community Church. I actually give through PayPal. I don't bring cash with me.

So I love that I can just go ahead and shoot God his first before I start spending money at Old Navy. Right? Right. So make sure you give through the churches here or use PayPal as a way to give. We love you and we honor God for you on today. Let's continue with this worship experience.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I've been broken to love.

You take my failure, you take my weakness, you set your treasure in jars of me, so take my heart, Lord.

Oh, I once was lost. And now I've found the light. But now I see. Oh, I can see it now. I can see, the love is going right. I'll be it, you know the light. As broken the window CDs, for — the heat, you felt it, you know the light. I'll be it. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And if you share something else you can accept.

Raising up the broken to life

The broken to life

Thank you.

Thank you.

I can see it now, I can see the love in your eyes, laying yourself down.

I can see it now.

I can see it now, I can see it now.

Sing amazing grace with me.

I can see it now, I can see it now.

I can see it now, I can see it now.

I can see it now, I can see it now.

You are the peacemaker, God.

You are the restorer of ourselves.

You are the healer.

You are the healer.

You are the healer.

I can see it now, I can see it now.

Thank you.

stand alone. You are here. You are speaking. You are ministering. You are pursuing. You are loving. You are kind. You are good.

Savior, you are in your spirit, Lord, you are my. Oh, you have own constrains, thank you.

With us

Our deliverer

You are Savior

In your presence

We bind our strength

Over everything

Our redemption

With us

You are

With us

Yes, you've come

To be part

To this world

For your honor and name

And you've come

To take sin

To bear shame

And to conquer

The grave of Emmanuel

And you've come

To be part

I deliverer

You are Savior

In your presence

We bind our strength

Over everything

We bind our redemption

With us

You are

With us

We're here

We're here

We're here

We're here

You're here

In your heart

We're standing

In your glory

You're here

And you are holy

And we are standing

In your glory

You are here

You are holy

We are standing

We are standing

In your glory

You're here

You are holy

And we are standing

In your glory

Lord

And I deliverer

Your Savior

And in your presence

We bind your strength

Over everything

Our redemption

Thank you God

Amen

Thank you God

Thank you God

Thank you God

You know before Cherie sings a song

Cedric I'm going to ask you if you lead us in a prayer in a moment

Just be sensitive to the fact that our children are still in here as well too

We need to lift up our nation

All that's going on in our nation right now

There's just a lot of wickedness, a lot of violence

A lot of just really hurtful things that are happening

There's a lot of things happening here in our own community as well too

Some that you might be aware of and some that you may not be aware of

We need the Lord Jesus to intervene in hearts

We need the Lord God Almighty to step in

And do what He can do in the heart of a man or a woman

I don't need to stand up here and give you a

Three point message as to why this is just devastating

And why this is just so hurtful

But as a people

As angels said today

As family

We need to be crying out for many, many families

Who have been touched and devastated by

The acts of the last 24, 48 hours as well too

And so

Cedar, would you lead us in this?

Dear God

Dear God

We come before you

Broken people

Made whole in your love

Made whole by your grace and your mercy

Made whole by the cross

But Father, we know that there are people

Who don't know that

Who are still broken

Father, we know that you

Are the only person that can make us whole again

You are the only person

That can fix this world

So Father, we ask that you

Would just shower your love

Out on this world

That you would soften the hearts

That you would bring them to repentance

That they

Would know your name

Father, we ask

For comfort and peace

For the broken hearted

Father, would you wrap them in your arms

And know that you are still God

And you are still good

Father, for us

Here that know your name

That know who you are

That know your power

Would you fill us up

And would you send us out

Into this world

Father, who are we to stay still

When there are so many people

That don't know who you are

Fill us up and send us out

Would you allow us to overflow

Overflow

Father, not to make our names great

Not to make the name of Raymond great

Not to make the name of Cedric great

But to make great

The name of Jesus

The only man with the power

To break chains and strongholds

God, you are so mighty

God, you are so mighty

You are so mighty

You are so mighty

You are so mighty

You are so mighty

You are so mighty

You are so mighty

Amen Father Jesus, amen Lord Jesus in the Rightoudly SBS, amen Lord Jesus who knows What we Uhhame

To the mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty Name of Jesus, theBLE, Lord Jesus that we pray these things Like you, Lord Jesus, amen Lord Jesus because we Jong up to honor her love

Thank you.

Before I spoke a word, you were singing over me.

You have been so, so good to me.

Before I took a breath, you breathed your life in me.

You have been so, so kind to me.

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.

Oh, it chases me, fights till I please the night and night.

And I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it.

Still you give yourself away.

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.

Oh, when I was your foe, still your love fought for me.

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.

Because you have been so, so good to me.

Amen.

When I felt no worth, you gave it all to me.

You have been so, so kind to me.

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.

Oh, it chases me.

Oh, it chases me down, fights till I please the night and night.

And I couldn't earn it.

I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it.

Still you give yourself away.

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.

Don't you give yourself a pasch?

There's no wall you won't kick down, die, you won't tear down, coming after me.

There's no shadow you won't light up, mountain you won't climb up, coming after me.

There's no wall you won't kick down, die, you won't tear down, coming after me.

There's no shadow, you won't light up

Mountain, you won't climb up

Coming up to me

There's no wall, you won't kick down

No wall, you won't tear down

Coming up to me

There's no shadow, you won't light up

Mountain, you won't climb up

Coming up to me

No wall, you won't kick down

Mountain, you won't tear down

Coming up to me

There's no shadow, you won't light up

Mountain, you won't climb up

Mountain, you won't climb up

No wall, you won't kick down

Mountain, you won't tear down

Coming up to me

Oh, the overwhelming, ever-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, the chastest we've done

Fights to life

Mountain leaves the night

That's when you're earning

I don't deserve it

Will you give yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, ever-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, the overwhelming, ever-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, the overwhelming, ever-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, the overwhelming, ever-ending, reckless love of God

When you're hurting, if I don't deserve it

Will you.

Give yourself away

Your love runs over and over

Your love goes deeper and deeper

Your love runs over and over

Your love goes deeper and deeper

Your love runs over and over

Your love runs deeper and deeper

Your love runs over and over

Your love runs deeper and deeper

Your love runs over and over

Your love goes deeper and deeper

Your love runs over and over

Your love goes deeper and deeper

Nothing can separate us

Nothing can snatch me from your

Nothing can take me from you

Nothing can separate us

Nothing can undermine your plan

Nothing can take me from you

Nothing can separate us

Nothing can snatch me from your

Nothing can take me from you

Nothing can separate us

Nothing can undermine your plan

Nothing can take me from you

Nothing can separate us

Nothing can snatch me from your

Nothing can take me from you

Nothing can separate us

Nothing can take me from you

Nothing can take me from you

Nothing can take me from you

Nothing can take me from you

Nothing can take me from you

I'll let nothing separate me from the love of God

Nothing can take me from you

I'll let nothing separate me from the love of God

Nothing can take me from you

Amen

Church, let's do this this morning

We were going to celebrate communion at the end of the service today

But the Holy Spirit has other plans

So take a seat for one second if you will

Keep playing

Keep playing

Keep playing

This morning we want to invite you

Spend a few minutes right now where you are maybe

And ready your hearts to receive communion this morning

If you are visiting with us here at Rhema Community Church

All we say is to come to the table of the Lord this morning

You simply need to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ

You don't have to be a member of our church

You just have to be in the body of Christ

Those of you who maybe have children here

And we haven't dismissed our kids yet

Maybe they haven't made a profession of faith

This is a great opportunity for you

To be able to have that conversation with your children

As to what this really means

And why we take communion

Why we celebrate communion

And so in just a minute

I am going to have the elders come up this morning

We are going to help serve you communion

We are going to ask you to come down the middle aisles

We are going to ask you to come to a station on each side

And then funnel your way either to the altar and pray

And pray back where you are

And make your way back

But we serve communion by what is called intinction

And so you will simply come to the first elder

And you will hold out your hands

And a piece of bread will be broken off

This is the body of Christ which is broken for you

And then the second station will have a cup

Representing the blood of Jesus Christ

And it will be signified that this is the blood of Jesus

Which is shed for you

And you will simply dip the bread in the cup

And you will partake

If you wish to break your own piece of bread off

Then simply hold your hand like this

And the elder will hold up the elements

For you to break the bread off as well

But I just want us to spend a moment or two

In just preparation

The psalmist is very clear

You know who may ascend the hill of the Lord

But those with clean hands and pure hearts

And so spend some time today

In just reflection of your heart and your life

And this is where repentance comes in

Where God just really speaks to us

And the Holy Spirit brings about a resolve in us

That there's some things going on in our lives

That we need to repent of and repent from

And just to be able to come to the Lord's table

Maybe there's something unconfessed in your life

Maybe there's something that you need to continue to deal with

Maybe this morning you simply just need to stay in your seat

And just continue to just be with the Lord

That's between you and the Lord

Coach, would you open up our door?

I don't know why that door gets closed on Sunday mornings

We always keep our prayer room open

If you've never been to our prayer room

The walls are filled in there with prayers of the saints

In there

So just know that if you want to spend some time in the prayer room

Prior to or after to

That's welcomed as well too

And so I'm going to ask the elders that come out this morning

I think we're one short this morning

Because

And we're going to have the time of quick prayer for this as well too

This morning

Foster, one of our elders

His mother is in Kentucky

And she has just been accepted into hospice

And it doesn't look like she is going to make it much longer

And so

We're just praying for the Lord's mercy in this situation

She just turned

I think within the last

through that as well too and I'm going to pray for that in just a moment and Taylor I'm going to ask if you just come up as well too and help the way I can help distribute some things as well too but spend a few moments in just reflection before we call you up to celebrate communion this morning and the worship team will lead us through some of these courses as well too as we go and Father we just come before you today we thank you

first of all for the gift of Jesus Christ where it's in his name that we gather and it's his name that we pray and we ask you right now just as family is meeting today that fostering his family would feel the strength and the comfort of the Holy Spirit right now as they are dealing with the loss or not the loss but the inevitable what seems like inevitable loss of his mom God I just pray you bring comfort to a son

bring comfort to family members who are there's a sister that's there as well that is struggling dealing with this loss as well too and I know that Jamie is here today realizing that her grandmother is gravely ill I pray for her and as Woody comforts her as well too

please Jesus be merciful

we're grateful for the 90 years that you have allowed Foster's mom to be on this earth and we thank you Lord that she has a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus

and we're thankful that what time seems to do to our bodies it's not the end the end result

for waiting for us is a new body to be with the Lord Jesus

and we trust in the promise that to be absent from here Lord and the view of our loved ones here is to be present with the Lord and we just bless the name for that promise

we thank you Lord Jesus for the sacrifice that you made upon the cross

and we thank you Lord Jesus as we celebrate that when the Lord Jesus came for the last supper he took the bread

poignant time of the meal and he took it and he broke it and he said this

is my body broken for each and every one of you take

and eat

and likewise

at the time of the meal was the cup of redemption

and Jesus stands up and he says I have a new covenant

a new covenant I have for you

this is my blood which is shed for you

for the forgiveness of your sins

drink

each of you

and do this in remembrance of me

and this is what we do today

we do this in remembrance of Jesus Christ

the bread doesn't magically become his body

the juice doesn't magically become his blood

but it's in remembrance of the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus made on our behalf

yet while we were still sinners

he died for each and every one of us

each and every one of us

and so therefore

we celebrate that today

and we give thanks and praise

you

so

you

know

Thank you.

Thank you.

I ask you to please come down the aisles in the center. Make your way in here. When you're ready.

Lesson in the space.

You love runs all the time.

Your love runs all the time.

You love runs all the time.

Your love goes deeper and deeper.

Your love runs over and over.

Your love goes deeper and deeper.

Your love runs over and over.

Your love goes deeper and deeper.

Your love runs over and over, your love goes deeper and deeper, your love runs over and over, your love goes deeper and deeper, your love runs over and over.

Your love goes deeper and deeper.

Your love runs over and over.

Your love goes deeper and deeper.

Your love goes deeper and deeper.

Your love goes deeper and deeper.

Your love goes deeper and deeper.

No powers, no things present, no things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created

they shall be able to separate us from your love.

Be able to separate us from your love.

Be able to separate us from your love.

Be able to separate us from your love.

Be able to separate us from your love.

Be able to separate us from your love.

Be able to separate us from your love.

Be able to separate us from your love.

you. Nothing can take me from you. Nothing can take me from you. But your love, your love, your love.

Nothing can take me away from your love, your love.

Nothing can take me away from your love.

At this time we want to dismiss our children, pre-K through fifth grade.

If you guys would follow Mr. David out the back door right there.

Amen.

Amen. Good morning, church.

Ask Curtis and Jill if we can come up and just share a little bit.

Strategy always affects you when it's closer to home.

And Dayton's my hometown, our hometown.

As a matter of fact, that mass shooting took place right across the street where Tammy and I met 30 years ago.

So we've been anxiously checking family, friends.

I taught high school there for 15 years and coached.

So we've got a lot of ex-classmates, ex-students that we were checking on.

And so as usual, it leads me to get to the Word of God.

But I want to let Tammy's got something to share first and then I'll finish up.

You know, this is out of my comfort zone, but God tells you to get up here and say something.

27 years ago, actually 28 years ago, we didn't know what was going on in our lives after we got married.

And we came to St. Simon's for our honeymoon and we decided we wanted to move here.

We didn't understand why we were coming here.

And so we took the faith and we moved here and we had our children and God has helped us along.

But then after last night and this morning we woke up and I was sitting in that chair and God said,

you've got to tell someone in the congregation I'm working in their lives and they don't understand why.

But you need to tell your story.

We didn't know why God took us from there.

Because the path that Kevin and I were going on when we met, I was working at a bar, at two different bars there, and that's how I met him.

And if God would have left us there, that could have been us.

That could have been our children.

So whatever God is doing in your life right now and you don't understand it, it's okay.

Okay, just follow him because we didn't know back then what was going on and why he brought us here.

And so that was my message.

And God always sends me when I'm into praise and worship to the word.

And in Psalm 42 it says, I am deeply depressed though I remember you.

And then he says, the Lord will send his faithful love by day.

Psalm 43 says, rescue me from deceitful and unjust man.

And then verse 3 says, send your light, your truth to lead me.

Then I will come to the altar of God, like right here.

My greatest joy.

So Lord, among sadness, heartbreak, hurt, disappointment,

you are still our greatest joy.

And I just claim that today.

And he will always carry us through.

Thank you.

Amen.

Amen.

I, uh, debate.

I want to go ahead and say, I, I apologize that, uh, we had half of our throw, actually three quarters of our worship team on vacation this week. And so they made me play music. So I'm sorry you had to endure me playing music. So it's a little too much of me up front. So I, I don't like that, but, uh, praise the Lord. We get through it, right? And so now you get to listen to me ramble. And so I'm going to be as concise as I, as I possibly can today. We're going to see how that, how that goes today. But, um, but, uh, so you have to be here next week to see if there's an announcement. So how, how, how about that? Uh, but today,

we got chapter 32 in our expository study, verse by verse of the book of Genesis, uh, chapter 32 is a new name, a new name. Uh, Jacob gets a new name, gets a new name. How many, how many of you would ever like to change your name? Anybody ever thought about changing their name? What's wrong with your name, Bryce? You don't like it. Okay. Well, you know, you can go to the courthouse and for a few bucks, Bryce, you can make that happen. There you go. But it's, there's a difference between going to the courthouse and changing your name. And when God changes your name,

Amen. Yeah. And I just want to say, cause I was going to do a community at the end of this, but that's the beautiful thing about where we're going to end today. As God gives Jacob a new name, his new name is Israel. And guess what? As we come to the Lord's table, we celebrate the fact that God has given us a new name. If we are in Christ Jesus, you are not a better Kevin, a better Cedric, a better, you are a new creation, new creation.

And day by day by day, as we are being sanctified and we go through the sanctification process, we look hopefully more and more like Christ, like Christ. And that's not part of the message. You get that for nothing. So anyway, we get into, uh, we get into chapter 32 and I'm, I'm probably going to skip a lot of the intro stuff that we're, we get to, but as we look at chapter 32, um, it reminds me, there are a lot of people who profess themselves as Christians.

And they, I believe that they are born again and they are saved and they have a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, but they are still being mastered by their own flesh.

They still have a hard time with just, uh, you know, they're existing and, and, but they were resisting God's will.

They're living for themselves, living for themselves.

And so instead of existing to, to, to, to please God, we try to, they exist to please themselves and they kind of just throw God in on the side.

That kind of thing. And that's kind of what, where we find Jacob today. Jacob professes that he has that profession.

He's heard from the Lord. He's all these things, but Jacob still struggles with the flesh.

He still struggles with this. And this is a turning point for Jacob, the con man. Okay. Um, he had a turning point 20 years ago at Bethel.

Remember he has this dream. He's like, I, God's here and I didn't know it.

These, he had this dream of this ladder. The angels are ascending and descending and all this stuff has taken place.

But now he's coming back and he's going to have a second, uh, second, uh, turning point.

And it's not Bethel. It's Peniel. The place is Peniel.

And this is, he gives it the name Peniel, which means the face of God.

And this is, this is an incident that we're going to read about here where God gets a hold of Jacob.

He wrestles with Jacob. In fact, he cripples Jacob. Okay.

And we're going to see how, uh, why all this happens. And because of this incident, Jacob is going to walk with a limp for the rest of his life.

You know, the, the reality is though, did you know that the scriptures tell us that, uh, to whom the Lord loves, he scourges, he chastises.

God spanks his kids. That's the reality, you know, and I have to just say, looking back at my life, I thank my loving, wonderful, holy, precious father for every single spiritual spanking that I've gotten in my life.

I've deserved every one of them. And plus he's so wonderful and gracious. He hasn't given me many that I did deserve.

I don't know, man, we should have a revival breakout on that statement right there. Right? Yeah.

But you know, here's Jacob. He's been 20 years, 20 years outside of the promised land, the land that, that God said he's going to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to all the progeny, the tribe, all this stuff.

He's been outside of the, outside of the land, but he has not been outside of the hand of promise.

God has been with him every step of the way. Okay. And so right now he's between, he's just left uncle Laban. Okay.

Who's been.

Esau. Why? Because last time he saw Esau, Esau said, when I am finished grieving my dad, I'm

going to kill my brother. So the old, the old, uh, verbiage, he's between a rock and a hard place

here, isn't he? And that's really not a great, two difficult places. He's just left one. He's

going to another. He's frightened like a little kid, but you know, mark this though, God has

allowed him to be between these two difficult places because God is going to deal with him on

some things. Some of us need to take that to heart in our lives. You know, there are people,

people, um, some people, you know, learn easily. Some people don't. Some people need to go through

the, to go through God's classroom several times to learn certain things. But trust me, God has a

classroom for each and every one of us. And he will take you through that classroom, special classroom.

It's almost like God saying, you thought Paddan Aram was tough. Wait till you get up here. You

know, you thought that was tough. He's going, he's going to discover that this is even harder,

but he's also going to discover God goes before him. God goes before him. All right, let's, let's

get into this chapter because I really want to kind of breeze through the first part. I really want

to concentrate on the last section, which is an area of scripture that is misinterpreted a lot of

times and taken, taken and preached out of context. Chapter 32, verse one, Jacob went on his way

and the angels of God met him. I just like how it just says that as a matter of fact,

when's the last time you guys went on your way and the angels met, met with you? Hey,

what's going on, Dale? How you doing? Not much angels. You guys having a good day? Yeah, pretty good.

Pretty good. The angels of God met him and Jacob saw them and said, this is God's camp. So he gave the,

gave the camp, the name Mahaniam, meaning double camp. We're not the only ones here. That's what he's

saying. We, we thought we were the only ones here. We are not the only ones here. And so he meets

these angels and we discovered back in chapter 28 that Jacob ran into angels on his way out of the

land. Now he's coming back into the land and they show up again. Well, why? Well, we don't exactly

know why. It doesn't really tell us exactly why. It could be that they're, that, that God's showing

them that this is a special place and the angels of the Lord are guarding the border. I mean,

Deuteronomy says that God says, my eyes are on this land. My eyes are on this land, the

land of Cain and the land of Israel from the beginning of the year to the end of it. So

it could be, it could be that, or it could be simply that God's saying, you know what?

I've been watching over you and I've been directing you and I've been guiding you this whole time.

You're going out and you're coming in. We don't know exactly. I mean, Psalm 34 says that

the angel, the, uh, the angel of the Lord in camps, I love that in camps, those who fear

him and delivers him. And so, um, but we know that the angels that are there. Verse three

and Jacob sent messages, messengers before him to Esau, his brother in the land of Seir

into the country of Edom, instructing them. Thus, you shall say to my Lord Esau, thus says

your servant, Jacob, I have soldier with Laban and stayed until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks,

male servants, female servants. I have sent to tell my Lord in order that I might find

favor in your sight. So Jacob's the one that initiates the con the contact, isn't he? With

Esau. Why is that? Okay. Um, well, you remember the, they, when they had the falling out, it's

that Jacob that stole the blessing and Jacob, Jacob, he knows that there's no peace between

these guys unless this is resolved. And so this whole issue has been left unresolved

for 20 years. And before he goes back to see his brother, he feels like he needs to make

it right. I think it's interesting. I find it interesting how he calls his brother Esau,

my Lord. He says, my Lord Esau. That's not what he thought about him 20 years ago, is it?

And so he's, oh, my Lord, you know, so where did, where did Jacob get this buttering up

approach? It's flattery. I think he learned it from 20 years of uncle Laban. Okay. Cause

Laban, when Laban first come, he comes on the scene. Laban says, oh, it's, it's bone. It's

my bone and flesh. It's Jacob whom I love. And so he, he's buttering Jacob up, trying to

can I figure out how he's going to use Jacob and get Jacob to work for him. Then when he

sees that Jacob is blessing him, everything that Jacob touches, turns God's blessing that

Jacob wants to leave. Laban says, no.

And the messengers returned to Jacob saying, We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you. And there are 400 men with him. Stink! That's not good. 400 men. He's probably thinking, I'm toast. This is not good. Verse 7.

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided his people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds of camels into two camps, thinking if Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left,

will escape. And so now watch how Jacob operates. He's going to divide up into two camps, but he's going to go even deeper than that. He's going to end up going into four camps.

He's anticipating that his brother's going to attack, and he's going to kill the first camp. Guess which camp he's in, personally. Not the first. Not the second or third or fourth. He's in the back.

He's a coward. Jacob is a coward. He sends everybody out there buffeting this whole thing, anticipating. He's got this whole thing figured out.

Now we get in verses 9 through 12. I want to take this one section, because this is the first recorded or written prayer of Jacob.

I'm not saying this is the first time he's ever prayed, but it's the first time that we get to read through and see what his prayer, what sounds like.

And then I want to make a few comments on it.

Again, I'll try to move quickly through this, because I want to get to the end.

And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, O God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, return to your country and to your kindred that I may do you good.

But I am not worthy of the least of all these deeds of steadfast love and of faithfulness that you have shown to your servant.

For with only my staff I have crossed the Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

Please deliver me from the hand of my brother and from the hand of Esau.

For I fear him, that he may come and attack me and the mothers of the children.

But you said, I will surely do good and make your offspring as the sand of the shore, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

So Jacob is a lot like the rest of us, if we're going to be honest with it.

He's really like a lot of the rest of us.

You know what?

We're okay until our back is against the wall and we're in a pinch and adversity happens.

And when adversity happens, guess what we do?

Oh God!

Oh God!

We begin to cry out to the Lord.

So he prays.

And I'm not mocking him.

I'm glad that he does pray, okay?

But, you know, a lot of us, we go merrily on our way.

I've got this under control.

I'm smart.

I've got this thing figured out.

You know, until all of our options are taken off the table.

And then when our options are taken off the table, we get to the end of our rope.

We're between that rock and a hard place.

Then we start praying and we realize that there is one greater that we need to be depending on.

Oh, what peace we often forfeit.

Oh, what needless pain we bear.

All because we do not carry what?

Everything to God in prayer.

Everything.

We don't do it.

We don't do it.

God is our emergency hatch.

That's how we approach it a lot of times.

But he's afraid.

He's in fear and he's distressed.

He begins to pray to the Lord.

Now, could it be, just possibly, could it be that one of the reasons why God allows and sometimes prescribes adversity in our lives

is so that we will learn and understand to depend on him?

I think there's a possibility of that.

God allows and prescribes some of these things so we learn to depend on him.

This was a very effective prayer and I want you to notice a few things about it.

In verse 9, the first thing that he does is he recounts his past.

He recounts his past.

I'm just going to give you a few elements of this, okay?

Notice he calls God by his covenant name.

God of my father Abraham.

God of my father Isaac.

He's putting God in proper context.

Who he has been historically.

I think that's a very healthy thing to do.

In Acts chapter 4, when the church is being pursued and they're being attacked by the leaders in Jerusalem.

Remember how they prayed?

The parade went something like this.

Oh Lord God, you made the heavens and the earth, creator of all things, okay?

And from the mouth of David, you said, and they begin to quote Psalm chapter 2.

They put God in his proper place.

I think that's very healthy for us when we go to the Lord.

God is not your homeboy.

God is not your homeboy.

does is he recalls the promise he looks in there he says he says as if he's saying lord look look

i'm here in this land because you called me here we're coming up against all this adversity but

you told me to come that i was going to come here i needed to come here you were going to bless me

so here i am and so i'm i'm hearing all this mess because you told me he's it's like he's reminding

god okay you don't need to remind god but really he's reminding himself in prayer about the lord's

purpose is for him i think that's healthy for us as well too you'll read the psalms david does that

over and over you know lord you said but from my enemies get me but you said you said there's that

honesty in that but the third element is he he also realizes his own unworthiness in verse 10

jacob's changing a lot look at him he says i am not worthy he says of the least of all the deeds of

steadfast love and of all the faithfulness you have shown your servant i'm not worthy

absolutely not worthy and so in other words he's acknowledging that he is a i'm a sinner

i'm a sinner i continue to fall short proverbs 28 says that he who covers his sin will not prosper

but whoever confesses and forsakes his sin that's repentance not just confessing but

forsake it you leaving you're turning you forsake your sin that god will bless that person and they

will find mercy that's huge they will find mercy

the third next thing that he does finally he requests deliverance look at verse 11 again i think

that's where where we need to go here please deliver me from the hand of my brother from the

hand of uh from the hand of esau for i fear him that he may come and attack me the mother the mothers

with the children so really now look at that he's he is declaring something negative in his prayer

his negative okay i say that because i want you to notice that because there are a lot of folks today

that that will say they make a big deal out of you know no no you need to have positive confession

brother don't say anything negative yeah it's all it needs to be positive confession if you're sick

don't say you're sick no it needs to be a positive confession brother don't don't say those things you

know you you don't need to make a negative uh confession no listen be honest if you're sick i'm sick

lord i need you i need you to heal me you know do you think god can't handle that the fact that

you're actually saying i'm afraid god i'm hurting god i'm mad god i'm i'm feeling withdrawn

my god god god i i'm i'm so stinking mad at my spouse

you think the first time he's ever heard that

you know the lord the bible says the lord knows our frame and remembers that we are but dust right

you think god sits up there and say i'm so disappointed in my dust today

that's the sorriest dust i've ever come across well he might say that you know i remember years ago we

had this church service and this guy came down to the front and he was on crutches and he had one

of those massive casts on his whole stinking leg i mean he was and he was coming down for for prayer

and i was like brother man i'm so sorry i said uh obviously you've broken your leg and no my leg's

not broken i'm claiming it's healed i said i hear you but you're on crutches and you've got a huge

cast on your leg right no i don't want any that negative confession brother no i'm claiming that

i'm healed i'm like i hear you but do me a favor don't tell other believers that god has healed you

because when they see you with this massive crutch and these big old casts on your leg they're gonna

think that's a sorry god to heal you that way it's just crazy to think this whole thing on negative

confession anybody with me on this thing you know come on all right let's uh let's move on verse 12

is that where we left off

but you said i should surely do good and make your offspring in the sand of the sea which cannot be

numbered by the multitude okay i love this you know god did tell him this and he's thinking he's

thinking out loud he's processing look if you're going to multiply my if you're going to multiply all

of my descendants and you're going to make him

you

a present for his brother Esau 200 female goats 20 male goats 200 uh ewes 20 rams 30 milking camels and their cows 40 40 cows 10 bulls 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys and a partridge in a pear tree then he handed them over to the servants it doesn't say that I'm kidding every uh every drove by itself and he said to his servants pass on ahead of me and put space between drove and drove he instructed the first

when my brother Esau when my brother Esau meets you and asks to whom do you belong where are you going and whose are these then you shall say they belong to your servant Jacob they are present to send uh sent to my lord Esau and moreover he is behind us I bet he is he likewise instructed the second and the third all who followed the droves you say the same thing to Esau when he um when you find him and you shall say moreover your servant Jacob is behind us

for he thought I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me and afterward I shall see his face perhaps you will accept me so it uh so the present passed on ahead of him and he himself stayed in the camp that night 580 get uh animals that's quite a gift that's a big old gift that's a that's a that's a lot that just shows you how wealthy Jacob had become as well too he gives them a whole herd as as a gift and so what's he trying to do here he's trying to soften the blow

trying to trying to soften the blow a little bit you know there's these successive ways of gift after gifts and this guy so that Esau will think man this guy's so nice how can I hate him look how nice he is you ever have people like that they're just you even mad at him but you're like I can't be mad you're just so nice you know there's some people that are just so nice and they're genuine where if you like ran over their dog they're like it's okay the vet bills were killing me you know

don't don't worry we'll find another dog you know there's some people that are just so nice like that it's crazy so he has this plan this is not a bad plan that that that that Jacob comes up with and it's quite an extensive uh plan okay it's a complicated plan the gift is significant it proves his wealth absolutely but the fact that he needs a plan a or a plan b to begin with in the context of this

is the fact that he's simply not trusting God at all to bless him to take care of him I got to make a plan a and I got to make a plan b how many of you can relate to that

the Lord's saying trust you okay but but God's giving me wisdom I need to make plans

yeah write them in pencil

write them in pencil

God has has authorization to edit all of those things okay

But it shows that he's not trusting.

But now we get to a section of scripture that I really wanted to tackle here this morning.

It's why I didn't want to just avoid this or not have it this week.

But it's one of the most famous passages in Genesis.

And we dare not take it lightly, yet it's one that we dare not read into.

As many want to do, this narrative is to be taken as God's word given to us in narrative form.

And so we're told that all this takes place at the same night.

Jacob is staying back.

He sent forth animals, drove by drove by drove.

And he didn't go with the servants.

He didn't go with the gifts.

He didn't go with all.

He's hanging back.

He's hanging back.

He's holding back.

And he goes to sleep.

He goes to sleep.

So let's see what happens.

And let's kind of tackle this a little bit.

The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his 11 children

and crossed the ford of the Jebuk, what they call a river, we would probably call a creek

in our days, okay?

He took them and sent them across a stream and everything else that he had.

And Jacob was left alone.

And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.

This is odd.

You know?

This is very odd.

God just shows up.

He's alone, but he's not alone.

And out of nowhere, this man appears and he wrestles with him.

A couple of interesting things here about the context here, all right?

First of all, this wrestling is not a sport, all right?

This wasn't just something that they did.

Oh, how you doing?

Bobby, let's wrestle.

You know, that kind of thing.

They didn't.

That was not a sport back then, what's taking place.

Bible stories in this here, and generally, when people think of Genesis is that, that what Jacob, what Jacob feared might happen with, from Esau, is now what happens when he tries to come up with a plot to avoid that, rather than simply trusting God. Simply trusting him. He gets the very physical attack that he feared, okay? But it's not a physical attack intended to kill him, all right? Let's, let's read this, and then we'll come back and kind of digest this a little bit.

When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip's socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, let me go, for the day is broken. But Jacob said, I will not let you go unless you bless me. And he said to him, what is your name? He said, Jacob. Then he said, your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel. You have striven with God and with men and have prevailed. Then Jacob asked him, please tell me your name. And he said, why is it that you ask my name?

And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, for I have seen the face of God, yet my life has been delivered.

The sun arose upon him as he passed Peniel, limping because of his hip. Therefore, to this day, the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket,

because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew, sinew of the thigh. Okay, the language here is spare, but every word takes on great importance here.

And you'll notice that we're told that Jacob wrestled until the break of day against the man. Okay, it says the man. He did not prevail.

The man did not prevail against Jacob. And when when Jacob did not relent. Okay, and that's the important thing here is. Okay, it's not that this man could not overpower Jacob.

That's that's not what it's going to. It's the fact that Jacob would not give up. Okay, that's the context here.

And so, well, the one with whom Jacob is wrestling simply touches his hip socket, his hip socket. That's supernatural. That's supernatural. Okay.

And his hip socket is put out of joint as he wrestles. So the one that he's wrestling with, Jacob says, let me. He says to Jacob, let me go for the day is broken.

But Jacob says, I will not let you go unless you bless me. This is generally where the interpretations of Genesis 32 go off rail. All right.

Because there are those who will say and they will spiritualize the text here. And they will say that all of in all of our struggles at some point, all of us are going to wrestle with God.

And when we wrestle with God, what we need to do is simply hold on to him and say, I will not let you go until you give me a blessing.

All right. And so there are those who will come up with these formulas of prayer.

And this is one of those texts that is much loved and much abused by those who teach a prosperity theology, suggesting that this is the way that God operates with his people, that you simply just don't let go of him.

And you require of God to give you a blessing. And somehow now God's obligated to give you that blessing because you've said these things.

What's missing from that is the most important thing in this text. And that is the covenantal context, the covenantal context.

This is a promise that has already been given to Jacob. Jacob doesn't need any additional promise.

He has everything. He has already been identified as the one through whom the covenant will be fulfilled.

Are you with me so far? He's been given that. OK, already.

And and and through him, there will be descendants more numerable than the grains of the sand and seashore.

This is not Jacob's election. OK, that is already taken place.

That took place in the womb. OK, when Jacob was striving with Esau, when they were in their mother, Rebecca's womb.

All right. This is not some great turning point in Jacob's life, whereas he was a man without a promise.

But now after he comes out of this thing, now all of a sudden he's a man who has a promise.

This is not where he emerges, where he was a man who did not have prosperity.

But now on the other side of this, he now has pride. He was he was prospered before this. Right.

He was a very prosperous man. The scripture is very clear.

This is not the blessing that he's looking for.

This is a situation of desperation.

This is Jacob trying to come up with a way to it's not Jacob trying to come.

This man wrestles with Jacob and this wrestling happens. No, this is after Jacob out of fear of Esau. You with me? Out of fear of Esau has tried to avoid confrontation by coming up with his own artificial synthetic, although somewhat pretty ingenious plan to placate his brother Esau. He thinks he's going to avoid conflict and he thinks he's doing this to avoid conflict.

Avoid the threat of his life. Avoid the threat of his life. But it ends up that very night. He feels a threat on his life. But it's the one who has made the promise to him. So who is the one that he's wrestling with? Who's the one in this story that he's wrestling with? In the passage, we're simply told he's the man. Right? He's the man. You're the man. You're the man. He's the man that he's wrestling with. But we know it's not just any man for a couple of reasons.

And the text shows us this. First of all, he touches Jacob's hip and his hip goes out of socket. That's a supernatural act. No ordinary man can do that. It completely disables Jacob as far as his lower body goes, as far as the wrestling goes.

So as Jacob does not relent, understand he is just holding on with his hands, bare life. You ever been in those scraps where you just, you're in somebody, I'm not, I've got you in this headlock and it ain't coming loose.

That's what he is not going to relent. The other thing, by the end of this passage, the text tells us that Jacob understands who he's been wrestling with.

I have seen God face to face and my life has been delivered. Jacob, and so, and so Jacob asked for this man's name, right? And he doesn't give him his name. He gives him a blessing. He gives him a blessing.

But Jacob says, I've seen God face to face. Listen, there's a very important commentary on this chapter.

And if you'll turn with me real quickly to the first of the, of the minor prophets in the book of Hosea chapter 12, and we'll read this really quickly.

But what's going on here in Hosea 12, as we, as we kind of unfold this right here, is that is Israel, the nation is named by the patriarchs.

All right. In this, in this section right here, the people of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob and of Ephraim. Also there's name, name by that.

And so they're being condemned for their hard heartedness and their sinfulness.

And Hosea chapter 12, beginning in verse one, it says, Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind all day long.

They multiply falsehood and violence. They make a covenant with Assyria and oil is carried to Egypt.

So it's talking about the sins from, from Ephraim standpoint. Again, the patriarch.

Verse two, the Lord has indict, has, has an indictment against Judah and will punish Jacob according to his ways.

He will repay him according to his deeds in the womb.

He took his brother by the heel and in his manhood, he strove with God.

He strove with God. And so who was it that Jacob wrestled with? None other than God.

He wrestled with God. And Jacob knows it by the end of the passage in Genesis chapter 32.

And it's confirmed by the prophet Hosea. Let's continue to read Hosea verse four.

He strove with, we'll come back to this, the angel and prevailed.

He wept and sought his favor. He met God at Bethel and there God spoke to us.

The Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord is his memorial name.

So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice and wait continually for your God.

So here, the people of Israel being referred to as if they are Jacob, they're getting there.

He's referring to them by his name. And we're being told that he wrestled with God.

And there's something else interesting here.

You see in Hosea 12, four, it were told that Jacob strove with the angel and prevailed.

And the actual construction there is not an angel, but the angel strove with the angel.

In the Old Testament, the angel who appears is the, as the angel of the Lord.

And the construction is very similar to other passages that points to a theophany, okay, or a Christophany.

And that's in the Christian.

read about in Abraham in the Oaks of Mamre, he was visited by the angel of the Lord, a pre-incarnation of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. And that's why, so it's not just an angel, it's the angel that Jacob's wrestling with. And that's why he can say, I saw God face to face. And it's an amazing passage. But this is why Jacob wrestles and his hip is placed at a socket and he won't, he won't let him go. He's not, he's not

wrestling as if he's trying to gain some sort of prosperity. This is desperation. It's desperation. He is wrestling. He will not let go because he's afraid he's going to be killed. The blessing, first of all, would be that you would let me live. That'd be a blessing, right? Please let me live. That's a blessing. That'd be the first blessing. But there are some also that you let me survive. There's some interesting parallels in this as well, too, that come to us in the scripture. And this is one you'll find. Jacob says, he calls out,

to the man and says, tell me your name. Please tell me your name. In the wilderness, when Moses comes to the bush, the bush is burning, it's not being consumed. And the Lord calls him. He says, I want you to go to Pharaoh and I want you to, I want you to tell him to let my people go. Hey, Moses says, whom shall I say has sent me? What is your name? Okay. And so to Moses, he gives him his name. To Jacob, he does not. But he gives him a blessing.

So Jacob, verse 30, called the name, the place Peniel, for he said, I've seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered. I've seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered. That's very similar to Deuteronomy chapter 4 in these passages, when later on, when they're reminded that, Israel's reminded that they are the covenant people.

And Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 4 reminds the children of Israel that they got to hear the voice of God speak from the fire, and yet they lived. Yet they lived.

Okay. There are going to be others who have a contest with God, and they will not live to tell through it.

There are going to be others who will hear the voice of God, but will not be able to survive and talk about it.

Okay. In this context. Okay. And so this, this is Israel's election.

This is Israel's election. This is Jacob's assigned purpose. He is safe in the sovereign purposes of God, even through his scheming, even in spite of his scheming.

And this is one of those passages that we dare not underread, okay, and we don't underread it by seeing it as something less than it is.

This is a fight. Jacob understands that he's in a fight for his life, and it feels like life and death are at stake.

But we also need to be careful not to overread it, as some do in this passage, that it tells us that this is some sort of the normative for the Christian life.

It's not. This is a very important event in the life of the patriarch of Israel, and he's experiencing this on behalf of the nation, on behalf of the nation.

And that's why later on, Hosea, in Hosea, the nation will be called by his name.

So he's representing the entire nation, even as he strives with God in this.

And we're going to see other books and other chapters and other generations talk about how the people of God continue to strive and wrestle with God.

And the sun arose upon him as he passed Peniel, limping because of his hip.

Therefore, to this day, the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh, which is on the hip socket.

Might even make good barbecue. I don't know.

And then he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew because he touched the socket of the hip on the sinew of the thigh.

But notice the modesty right there.

The modesty there in that verse, and you'll find it throughout the Old Testament.

It says, because he touched the socket.

He touched. There's not a name right there.

We don't yet have I am that I am.

It just simply says, and he, and it's sufficient.

He.

And so, and so he changes his name to Israel.

And there's a lot of debate by theologians as to what Israel means.

And so.

And so.

into somebody who fights victoriously with God. No longer against God. Not even for God. Not even for God. But with God. Israel. Israel. And Jacob, because of this, you know, he comes to the end of himself and he realizes the secret to real strength. And, you know, what's the secret of Christian strength? Admitting your weakness.

Admitting the secret to great spiritual strength is to admit that I am weak. I mean, Paul figures this out in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. He says, I've been given a thorn, you know, in my side. You know, a messenger of Satan to buffet me. And three times I've asked God to remove it from me. But all God says is my grace is sufficient. My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect when you are weak.

And then Paul continues on and says, Most gladly then I will boast in my weakness and my infirmity. I will take pleasure in my weakness and in my infirmity. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

How is it that we're strong when we're weak? Because we get to the end of ourselves and we realize that

that our strength comes beyond ourselves.

And that's where it lies and that's the secret.

I'm calling you Israel, one who fights victoriously with God.

Not someone who trips his brother up.

Not someone who grabs the heel of another.

Not someone who's a con artist.

Not someone who's a conniver any longer.

But someone who fights with God.

Not for God.

There's a difference.

Fights with God.

You know, the last thing too is I find interesting as we close this up.

And Jill, would you do me a favor and see if Hannah Kate could come out here, please?

Maybe you could take her place real quickly.

Never mind, Angela's got it.

Thank you, Angela.

There's something else in here I find interesting.

As Jacob is having this conversation with the angel, the angel asks him, he says, I will

not let you go unless you bless me.

And he said to him, what is your name?

The last time Jacob got asked that question, you remember when that was?

When dad said, what's your name?

I'm Esau.

I'm Esau.

That's the last time somebody asked him his name on that.

But now before God gives him a new name, he's going to remind him of his ways.

And you remember the last time you were with dad.

God, now what's your name again?

I can't almost, can't you hear it?

When you have your kids and your kids are caught?

It's Jacob.

Yeah.

Well, guess what?

No longer will your name be Jacob.

Your name will be Israel.

No longer, no longer do we have, no longer do we have today to continue to live in our past

mistakes, our past sins, our past choices.

Now that doesn't give us a grace card to do whatever the heck we want and live the way

we want to live and all that good stuff.

But what it does is it gives us freedom in the fact that we know that we have a holy and

righteous God that is, stands, stands there moment by moment, ready to forgive, ready to

wash us clean, ready to embrace us.

I just want to encourage you with that today.

I know we cover a lot of, a lot of stuff really quickly.

And we've gone really long, but I don't, don't want to end this morning.

Hannah Kate, Kim, you want to come on up?

If you'll come up.

Hannah Kate, this is her last Sunday with us and she is going away to college, to Piedmont

College.

Yeah.

And I want to have a time of prayer over Hannah Kate because Hannah Kate has been the most,

I think, faithful volunteer we have had in the nursery for the last six years on a rotation.

Amen to that.

Yeah.

And if you're serving in the nursery and I didn't say you were the most faithful, please don't

take your name off the list.

I didn't mean that.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

for that. And especially my little girl as well too. And just not even back there, but coming to our house and just, um, treating her as if she was your own as well too. And you're a blessing. And I just want to have, um, I'm going to have some of our leadership come up, uh, this morning and worship team. Come on up. I'm so sorry. I was just going to close out in prayer, but yeah, I got a song for us. That's right. Um, as the worship team closes us out with a song this morning, if some of our, our leadership would come up and, uh, those of you who are close to Hannah Kay,

if you'd like to come and just lay hands on her and pray. Um, we're just so very grateful and thankful for just the way that she has served, not Rhema Community Church, but serve the Lord and just her faithfulness in that. And so, um, amen. The invitation is to come.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

And support. Speak what is true. Here is my life, Lord. Here is my life, Lord. Here is my life,

Be quiet as you.

Be quiet as you.

Be quiet as you.

Be quiet as you.

You are great.

You're all I have.

You're everything.

So here's my heart, Lord.

Here's my heart, Lord.

Here's my heart, Lord.

Speak what is true.

Here's my life, Lord.

Here's my life, Lord.

Here's my life, Lord.

Speak what is true.

Speak what is true.

Speak what is true.

Dear God, thank you for all that you've done in this place this morning.

Thank you for the opportunity to worship you freely.

Thank you for moving in this place and speaking to our hearts.

Father, we ask that as we leave this place, your presence goes with us.

We ask for traveling mercies for wherever we go.

Traveling mercies for Hannah Kate and her family as they go.

Up to Piedmont, keep them safe.

Would you guide her steps as she's there?

And help your light that is in her to shine bright for all to see.

Father, we love you and we thank you in Jesus' name.

,

.

.

.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I, I don't want to leave a legacy.

I don't care if they remember me.

Only Jesus.

And I, I've only got one life to live.

I'll let every second point to hell.

Only Jesus.

All the kingdoms built, all the trophies won will crumble into dust when it's said and done.

Cause all that really matters.

Did I leave the truth to the ones I love?

Was my life the proof that there is only one whose name will last forever?

And I, I don't want to leave a legacy.

I don't care if they remember me.

Only Jesus.

Only Jesus.

And I, I've only got one life to live.

I'll let every second point to hell.

Only Jesus.

Jesus is the only name.

Jesus is the only name

Jesus is the only name to remember

Jesus is the only name

Jesus is the only name

Jesus is the only name to remember

And I, I don't want to leave the legacy

I don't care if they remember me

Only Jesus

And I, I don't want to leave the legacy