Facing Old Foes

Communion to the radio mission church.

Our focus is making Christ is providing worship come check us out at 3485 Oxford Rd. or visit us online. I believe UBC.org join us for this week's message by Pastor Albert on shop today our message is titled facing old full throughout history of those rivalries that have become famous.

In fact, in ancient times there was even the cities like city of Athens versus the city of Sparta they hated each other the road against each other. They would make fun of each other in sports. There are plenty of rivalries on it were to be begin Alabama versus Auburn Michigan versus Ohio State. I'm in the list is endless for the worse kind of rivalries or flows is when it's your own flesh and blood. Sometimes our own families. Someone in that family can become that fold that person that we despise this morning's message will help us learn how to face old photos. If you have your Bibles.

You can turn their Genesis chapter 32 and the messengers returned to Jacob saying we came to our brother or your brother, Esau, and he also is coming to meet you and 400 men are with him, so Jacob was greatly afraid and distress than Jacob prayed, listen to what he said. He said, O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac the Lord who said to me return to your country and to your family and I will deal well with you. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which you have shown your servant. Deliver me, deliver me are praying from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau. For I fear lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children.

As I begin this message and when I ask you a series of questions, getting your mind ready to hear the message this morning. The question is this.

Who are you afraid to face.

It may not necessarily be physical fear that they may hurt you physically, but as an emotional and mental anguish. You don't want to be around them. And here's a question I ask every week. Are you saved. You see, fear is not from God is from the enemy. So if you are living in fear.

You are living under the influence of the enemy in this morning. The question is are you full of the Holy Spirit you said if I'm saved. I should know. If you're not full of the Holy Spirit you allow fear to come into your heart. As we walked to this message. Examine your hearts so let's begin. If you remember from last time Jacob has had enough of uncle father-in-law Laban and he is headed back to his parents home with his wives and his children but coming home was complicated using he didn't exactly leave on good terms. In fact his last exit from home was more of an escape.

Is it was an escape from his brother Esau 20 years had passed, but is also Esau and what he said to him, those words were still ringing in his ears remember what Esau said the day my dad dies you're going to die, and Jacob remembered those words that going home was not as simple as all I'm home.

There was someone waiting to kill him. And unfortunately, his mother Rebecca had died.

Rebecca was the one who always protected Jacob healed she always stood between Esau and Jacob and now she is gone and he has to face this brother whom he offended 20 years ago not to give your statement here. I hope whatever reason you came.

I hope the statement will stay in your heart is found in Proverbs chapter 18 in verse 19, listen to what he says. A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, you can offend your friend, and a week later a month later.

Your letter you can get along you can offend your neighbor you can offend your coworker. But when it comes to your own flesh and blood.

It is very, very, very hard to bring them back to agreement that very hard to win back family. Once you have learned that bridge don't do it. So what happens here this begin in Genesis chapter 32. Jacob is headed back home and the angels of God met him when he first left home, the angels of God also met him and the way he saw them in a vision was as a ladder, a ladder set on the earth with the top into the heavens and the angels of God were ascending and descending on this latter, and Jacob woke up the next morning and he called the name of that place Bethel Wynnewood Bethel means the house of God, the house of God and why did he do that he did. For this reason, you see, Jacob was struggling probably with homesickness. Jacob was running away from home and God was reminding Jacob that even though he was far away from his earthly home. He was always near to his heavenly home. In other words, when Jacob was away from Hunt's home God was saying, here's the key to my home you can come anytime. So when he was leaving home.

He had this vision of the house of God, the angels, as a house of God, but this time listen to what he calls it he says in verse two. This is God's camp and he called the name of that place my name my name means to camps. What is God telling Jacob this time. This is not a camp in the woods like but you guys are having a camping.

This is the base camp of the angelic army of God but God is telling Jacob as this. As you move your camp towards home.

I'm gonna move with you my protecting angels are with you every day every step of the way and Jacob says this is the camp of God, but even after the vision. Jacob is still afraid he is still afraid of facing brother Esau.

So he begins to do several things to appease him and what it means to appease to calm him down. I'm sure you heard some messages and Jacob should not have done that. Jacob had no need to worry about his brother, God gave him a vision of his guarding.

Angels didn't have to appease Esau they could just go on in there, and God would guide him and protect him. That's not true. Folks did you know that never in the Bible does God said that what Jacob did to appease Esau was wrong. God never called it sin you know why God left this entire episode in his word to teachers how to reconcile with the brother he let this entire saw God to teach us how to reconcile with an old photo. Jacob didn't do anything wrong.

In fact, he is giving us a model on how to reconcile when you have offended someone deeply. So how does he do it. Listen to verse three, then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of senior the country of Edom, and he commanded them, saying speed does to my what's the word there Lord Esau.

The word Lord here does not mean God what it means.

This master Jacob is telling a servant is when you approach my brother you know he doesn't like me and you know we been fighting for years, but you better respect him he better address him as master any better, let him know that I am the one who is saying those words. I am the one who is calling my brother master and I am his servant. There's a lesson there for us when it comes to reconciling with an old foe. It matters how you address them on the work he reconcile if you keep cutting each other down.

Jacob tells a servant you address my brother. I know he hates me and we don't get along, but you call him Master and let him know I am the one who is saying those words. He's showing respect to his brother listen to what it says in Proverbs 15 is soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise use this knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools horse forth foolishness people in the West don't know how to get along folks we like to say what comes to our mind. Please don't do that. Don't say well that's what I was thinking we keep it to yourself. The amount of fools horse forth foolishness.

What else do Jacob do listen to verse five he says I have auxin I have donkey as I have flocks in male and female servants, and I have sent to tell my Lord that I may find favor in your side. You know what Jacob is doing here. He is giving gifts to his brother. I'm not giving up nothing by his taken years of my live has caused call me names he's burned everything that I have these is destroyed not given them nothing to listen to what is says in Proverbs 12 verse 14 a gift in secret pacifiers, anger, both how can you hate somebody who says hey listen I got this gift for you still hate you the got issues. Just leave him alone, that there beyond repair. But typically when you come to someone and says hey this is a gift to you. I just bought this. I was out of town and I found this but you will like it.

9/10 times, the person who might hate your guts will say probably should. I think I can step away from the Scripture for just a moment in this world of texting and Facebook messaging and I'm not against Facebook run Facebook live right now and in the world of texting and facebooking and social media and all that stuff people do not know how to reconcile.

You don't say sorry through a text message for goodness sakes, please stop doing that. I'm sorry sorry for what was sorry for whatever made you mad but you don't understand the meaning of sorry well you know what why did I even try.

I mean, this is going on. How in the world you have expect, reconcile, or even picking up the phone and calling and say they are jointly I'm sorry all right there's a world of difference when you get in your car unless it is unsafe to do that go to that person's home knock on the door and say listen, I'm here. Whatever happened between us.

I don't want to continue in my life, 10 out of 10 times. It has worked towards what Jacob is doing here is setting the model for us and how to reconcile how to win back an old foe. First is how he addresses him. Then he offers gifts to him.

But Jacob keeps his afraid and any keep sending gifts, but Esau keeps coming with 400 men. What does he do next. He prays listen to his prayer. He says deliver me operate from the hand of my brother from the hand of Esau. For I fear him, lest he come and attack me read this passage but listen to this part and the mother with the children what Jacob is saying here is this God. I know he's going to kill me and that's understandable but I don't want him to kill the mother with the children. What in the world is he talking about. You see, Jacob is trying to protect the promise of God, God gave a promise to Abraham he said through you all the families of the earth shall be blessed Abraham and Sarah try to protect the promised later. Isaac and Rebekah tried to protect the promise.

Now Jacob is saying God if you don't protect me. He is not going to kill me. Which is fine but he's gonna kill the mother and the children how in the world will our family be a blessing to the nations.

How will they win the world if he kills the children listen to what it says here for you.

Said he is reminding God. I will surely treat you well and make your descendents as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered for multitude. You see, Jacob is reminding God. God please help me. I cannot fight this man.

He's going to kill me, but he's also going to kill your promise to my grandfather to my father and to me, give your principal very quickly.

But don't let the brevity take away the gravity of that statement and the statement is this prayer is indispensable when it comes to reconciling either you can stay up all night tossing and turning out. Tomorrow is a family reunion. I just want to go. I hope I get sick Lago something either you can do that all night or you can pray and say God I was committed. This person into your hand.

I'm also going to commit my attitude because this is not the way you want things to be soften my heart soften her heart. Change our minds in God. When we do come together God let there not be bloodshed, let there not be hate that they're not being anger. Let there be reconciliation. Prayer is indispensable to believe that you believe God answers prayers us.

So what happens next. Very interesting.

Listen to verse 24 Genesis 32 then Jacob was left alone after he prayed. Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.

Very strange. He says God would you protect me and the children so that your plan would keep on going in your name I pray. Amen.

Before he even says amen. Some dude out of nowhere jumps on him and start wrestling in the dark. Somebody is trying to pin you to the ground and Jacob wrestles with this man. He's he's trying to fight back and this goes on all night long. If I were Jacob, Alyssa got next time will handle my own problems operating in some guy comes at an overtime wrestled with me on the ground and when the stranger realize that he could win against him. What do you do, he touched the socket of Jacobs Hill and went out a joint. What in the world.

What is God doing. You see, the stranger is none other than the pre-incarnate Christ, you, how do you know that because when Jacob asks him for his name. He said why do you ask my name every time in the Bible being asked the question why do you ask my name is a rhetorical question that was saying you know who I am saying I am God. See, this is Jesus because no one has ever seen God the only begotten son who is made in the image of God he has declared him that this is Jesus who calms down and he begins to wrestle with him. What is it doing two things. Number one he is testing Jacob was he testing them for he's testing to see if Jacob still wants the blessing of God. You know Jacob when he was in his mother's womb. He wrestled with his brother Esau to be the first one and he tried but Esau still came out first and Jacob was hanging onto his Eagle and then he tried to deceive his brother and get the birthright and he got it he sold him.

That's too and he got the birthright later on Jacob with his mother's help – he God the of the blessing as well. Isaac blessed Jacob was a deception, but he got the blessing what's happening here. Jesus is testing him to see if 20 years later, Jacob still wants the blessing and Jacob doesn't give up coming. He hangs on to this being he hangs on and what is he say to him I will not let you go until you you bless me and Jesus even changes his name to Israel. Why because you have prevailed against God. So this was a test.

This wrestling match was a test for something else is happening, which is this Jesus was wrestling with him to break him now. God knew this, but if Jacob were to go out there all big and bad called strong and powerful Esau would just kill him unless Lisa was waiting for Jacob went out there swinging his sword is I would've said many times they win and articulate what God did was he broke him. He healed not only wrestled with him, but he broke him down by touching the socket of his him.

Why, you see, instead of making him strong. God wanted him to be weak. Is it God's way is always the way of weakness. Listen to what Paul says in second Corinthians 12. In verse seven. Listen to this verse is very powerful he says. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations it porn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me buffet means to put me down.

Paul was getting so many revelations, God had to break him down, so also Jacob who had so much blessing. He had so many livestock God had to break him down.

He was so powerful he was so successful. God had to break him down.

Why lest I be exalted above measure concerning this thing. Paul says I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me, music, Epson, God, would you take the Stornoway I can imagine that night, Jacobson God, would you put my hip back in place because I got face my brother I know he's gonna fight me I know is gonna come to kill me to be ready have to be strong faith same with my best. God's is normal to break. Listen to what Paul says again and he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly, Paul says I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in my infirmities, in reproaches and needs, and persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am we then I am strong.

Jacob was saying God, would you help me fight my brother, God says just the opposite. I'm going to break you. I am going to incapacitate you, artisan the picture with me. The morning breaks and Jacob is all alone. Now he has to cross this Ford this Brooke and face. His biggest for the man who said I will kill you if you ever come back. He's been up all night. He is tired folks when you have a big day.

We want to do you want to sleep right I want have a good night sleep. I want to go to bed early. Please don't disturb me I will in the room to be as dark as possible. I want to drink coffee on wandering anything that will keep me awake. I want to be just left alone so I can sleep so I can get up early in the morning get my cup of coffee. I'm ready to face the day. Just the opposite. Jacob is dead tired me all night long. He is stressed out because on the other side. His brother is coming with 400 men, which is a sign of battle.

What's worse, so we all have wrestled. He's been wrestling all night is not like he just was going sleep five minutes of wrestling is tiresome folks out of your wrestled somebody has five minutes of intense wrestling and you need a nap.

This guy has been wrestling all night long. I know what his ears look like, but you can just picture that some yard and get it that's okay. You must not have wrestled 10 he hears he is exhausted. What's worse is his hip is out of joint ever thrown you back off as I feel you want to get up you want to walk you want to do anything is one live there and just as don't even touch me.

His hip is out of joint.

What happens next.

I want you to hear this, verse 31, just as he crossed over annual the sun rose on him like a Hollywood moment. Jacob is coming in at just as the sun rises behind him. The sunrays are coming through his arms and robe and everything you can see the silhouette of this man coming and he looks like he is in pain.

I can picture Esau standing there with his man and go you look like my brother all right. Don't trust him on what he is up to his use is like all hunchback and all that but he's got something under that robot know he does not know him.

I've known him all my life and he keeps walking to words his brother. He crosses over before them.

Verse three. Chapter 33 and he does something really odd.

He bowed himself to the ground and the ever thrown it back off. Imagine throwing your hip off here and you trying out is is he goes all the down and now you gotta get back up was there to help him. He is doing this whole thing by himself and Esau's like readying his sword is like to know what is up to, but boys you will be ready to strike at any moment because that he's got some soldiers on the other side is out of the waste on the pool when he does this, not just once, he goes a few yards and he bows again again picture this whole debacle going on and he comes up again and he goes again and bows and Lana difficulty he gets back. And by the fourth or fifth time I can imagine Esau looking at this thing going on.

He is in pain was wrong with him but I don't know why he keeps bowing to me by the six time Jacob is not very far from Esau and he can probably see the tears coming down his face, not just tears of pain, but is also tears of seeing his brother and Esau can see him at that distance and he is in a lot of pain and expect to see him like this. Esau had come for a fight. 400 man today is a day on the pay him back for what he did to me and I want to get my birthright back because I can fight, kill all the children. The blessing now is up to me by the seven time Jacob is in front of him and he goes down and he bows and all that pain he gets back up, listen to Esau's reaction. He ran he ran to meet him and embraced him, fell on his neck and kissed him, and they see somewhere in that bowing and watching his brother in intense pain. All that anger and the hate he had to words. Jacob was gone and compassion took over God's ways are not our ways are the is an amazing how God works. He broke Jacob down to a point where his brother Esau who could have killed them at any moment says man can hate him he is my brother and he ran over there hugged him and embraced him and wept and was the result. Jacob said hey listen I sent you all the gifts Esau says I don't want you gives me. I'm so glad to see is a no, I insist.

Please take my gifts Esau takes them and then Esau offers to go with Jacob into the promise that is. Let's go together on protection.

Jacob said no, no, thank you. I go do this on my own.

Is it all right brother I tell you what your independent but let me leave a contingent of my soldiers with you because you going to get attacked. Jacob says no thank you I got a walk this path alone.

You know what Jacob did what he did because he knew this must've today. The reconciled tomorrow they would be fighting again. He said oh no, thank you brother thank you for showing me favor. Thank you for being who you are for running to me embracing me, but God has called me to a different life or keep following God. But there's a lesson there for us. It's all right to reconcile, but don't move in the next day okay to give you a few suggestions. In closing, when it comes to dealing with an old photo trust God's presence. God is with you. God is an abandoned you sound terrified to go that I'm terrified to face this person you don't have the need to be terrified, God's angelic Army is with you number to show humility. Be humble, be broken. Number three offer gifts is biblical when you offer kindness to someone when you do something for nothing to someone who has offended you or you are offended by them is the start of reconciliation. Number four.

Pray it changes things. Number five.

Be willing to be broken. You know we were enemies of God. Did God break us. Who did he break he broke Jesus Christ that's always God's way.

He will break you. He will humble you and he will bring compassion in the heart of your enemy number six reconciled, but don't compromise what God has called get along with people, but she following Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for joining us today will have those old foes in our lives. We have to remember we want God to work in a situation gotta be willing to make us weak so that he can begin to resolve that conflict. For more information visit us online@clearviewvc.org for this week's sermon notes Jacob pastors has brought an avalanche on.com