Next.
Excellent.
Okay.
That would be great.
Thank you, Johnny.
So, I'm Johnny, and this is John.
I met John almost 23, 24 years ago, Kirstie and I, just as we'd finished Bible college,
went to serve and work with the church in Dublin.
John was the pastor there, Grosvenor Road Baptist Church.
I served under him.
He was a mentor and a trainer.
So, all that I know, John has taught me most of what I know.
So, very thankful and grateful for that.
John now serves in London.
He preaches and teaches and pastors in Richmond, in London, Duke Street Baptist Church.
And he's been here this weekend teaching at Munster Bible College.
He does have a great love for the church here in Ireland and for the believers and loves
to serve the church.
So, we're just delighted that you are here today.
So, thanks for coming, John.
Thank you so much.
Johnny.
It's a joy to be with you and particularly to see Johnny and Kirstie flourishing.
And I'm sure you're grateful for them and are looking after them well.
So, let me encourage you to continue to do that.
And let's turn to God's Word together to Genesis 32.
Please.
It's Genesis chapter 32.
It's the book of origins.
Genesis means, as I'm sure you know, origins or beginning.
And it's the beginning of God's dealings with his world.
And in particular, with Abraham and Abraham's family, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
And we've reached the point in the story, excuse me, where Jacob has, having cheated his brother,
20 years later, is on his way back home.
And in chapter 32, we read, Jacob also went on his way.
He's been chased by his father-in-law, but finally made the break.
And the angels of God met him.
When Jacob saw them, he said, this is the camp of God, or two camps.
So he named that place Two Camps, Mahanaim.
Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
He instructed them, this is what you are to say to my master Esau.
Your servant Jacob says, I've been staying with Laban and have remained there till now.
I've cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants.
Now I'm sending this message to my Lord that I may find favor in your eyes.
Remember, this is the brother he cheated at the inheritance 20 years ago.
When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, we went to your brother Esau and now he's coming to meet you.
And 400 men are with him.
In great fear and distress, Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,
and the flocks and herds and camels as well.
He thought if Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.
Then Jacob prayed, O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me,
go back to your country and your relatives and I'll make you prosper.
I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant.
I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups.
Jacob said, save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he'll come and attack me,
and also the mothers with their children.
But you have said, I will surely make you prosper,
and will make your descendants like the sands of the sea, which cannot be counted.
Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had with him,
he selected a gift for his brother Esau.
In fact, a whole bunch of gifts that he sends on ahead to try and win his brother's favor.
Verse 21 we'll jump to.
So Jacob's gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.
That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants,
and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
After he'd sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.
So Jacob was left alone,
and the man wrestled with him till daybreak.
When the man saw that he couldn't overpower him,
he touched the socket of Jacob's hip,
so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.
Then the man said,
Let me go, for it is daybreak.
But Jacob replied,
I will not let you go, unless you bless me.
The man asked him,
What is your name?
Jacob, he answered.
Then the man said to him,
Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel.
Because you have, which means God struggles or struggles with God.
Because you have struggled with God,
and with men,
and have overcome.
Jacob said,
Please tell me your name.
But he replied,
Why do you ask my name?
Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place,
Face of God,
Peniel,
saying,
It is because I saw God face to face,
and yet my life was spared.
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,
and he was limping
because of his hip.
Therefore, to this day,
the Israelites do not eat the tendon
attached to the socket of the hip,
because the socket of Jacob's hip
was touched near the tendon.
Well, let's pray and ask God's help.
Father, please,
in whatever state of mind
or emotion we are in right now,
please would you open
our eyes and our hearts
to see wonderful things in your word.
We ask for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Well, if God is for us,
who can be against us?
I expect you know that expression from,
sorry, from Romans 8.
But what do you do
when it feels that God is against you?
Maybe you've been given
very difficult parents
or relations.
Maybe you've lost your job
despite acting with integrity,
and you wonder, in fact,
it's because you acted with integrity
that you lost it.
Maybe you just struggle
economically.
You try to be careful with money,
but you never seem to get a job
that does more than enable you
just to bump along
the economic bottom.
Maybe you're struggling
to find a marriage partner,
or you find one
but can't have children,
or you get given children
and one of them,
or more than one,
proves to be an absolute nightmare.
Maybe serious illness
strikes out of the blue,
or a life-changing injury.
Or you lose a loved one,
as they say,
before their time.
Or war breaks out.
We're spared that at the moment,
but imagine
what it's like to be
a Christian in Ukraine.
Maybe it sometimes feels
that not only are specific people
against you,
but God himself
is against you.
Well, if that's how you feel
or ever feel,
then Jacob knew
just what that felt like.
First it was Esau,
then it was God.
And yet there had been
such clear guidance.
If you look back
to chapter 31,
verse 3,
Jacob up north
with his father-in-law,
his family,
hears this word
from the Lord,
verse 3 of chapter 31.
Then the Lord said to Jacob,
Go back to the land
of your fathers
and to your relatives,
and I will be with you.
Chapter 32,
verse 1,
we read,
Jacob went on his way,
and the angels of God
met him.
That's a very strange expression,
isn't it?
The only other time
this occurs
is in his dream
back in chapter 28
when Jacob saw
that famous stairway to heaven
with the angels,
the messengers of God,
going up and down,
up and down.
Well, he calls it
in chapter 32,
verse 2,
the camp of God,
or two camps.
And it must surely
have been an encouragement
to sense that God's army
is camped beside you,
right?
Or is it?
It's God's army,
not his.
But anyway,
Jacob,
we read from
verse 3,
sends messengers,
or it's the same word
actually as angels,
to Esau
with the most
ingratiating message,
say to my lord Esau.
Do you see that?
Say to my lord Esau.
Sorry,
my master,
it's translated,
isn't it,
in the NIV.
Say to my master Esau,
your servant,
Jacob,
says.
Now,
it's as if Jacob
is trying to reverse
the effects
of his earlier theft
of the inheritance
from his brother.
But the intelligence report
that he gets back
is terrifying.
The messages
return,
verse 6,
to Jacob,
and they said,
we went to your brother Esau,
and now he's coming
to meet you.
And by the way,
he's not alone.
He's got 400 men
with him.
You and whose army?
Well,
there are two
sections of what
we're going to be
looking at this morning.
The first is the fear of man,
verses 6 to 21 here
in chapter 32.
The fear of man.
Because we see
in verse 7
that it's in great
fear and distress
that Jacob is left
when he hears this news.
Because he's surely
going to be attacked
and destroyed
by the brother
who for 20 years
has been waiting
to take vengeance
on his kid brother
who cheated him
out of the inheritance.
And what does Jacob do?
Well,
he does two things here.
First,
he schemes
verses 7 and 8,
and we see that
played out
in verses 13 to 20.
He divides his entourage
into two camps
and divides his
five-stage present
to try and appease
his brother
by serial generosity.
His brother's coming
down the road
with these 400 men
and he meets
this herd of animals.
And who are you
and whose are these?
Oh,
this is a gift
from your brother Jacob.
And then the next lot.
And five times
he encounters
these generous flocks
given to him.
It's a clever plan.
And yet,
there's a certain
ambiguity about it.
We're not sure,
is this wisdom from God
or is this human desperation?
And then the second way
that,
or the second thing
that Jacob does
in verses 9 to 12
is he prays.
Then,
Jacob prayed,
verse 9.
Oh,
God of my father,
Abraham.
Now,
it wasn't his first action.
The first thing he did
was the scheme.
But it was his best action.
And he appeals
to God's proven character.
You are,
verse 9,
the God of my father,
Abraham,
the God of my father,
Isaac.
He appeals
to the clear
verbal revelation
he has had from God.
Oh,
Lord,
who said to me,
go back to your country
and your relatives
and I'll make you prosper.
He's convinced
that God means
to do him good,
not harm.
And he twice
quotes God,
back to God.
In verse 9,
we just saw it,
and then verse 12.
But you have said,
Lord,
I will surely
make you prosper.
Lord,
that's what you said
to me.
If you're a Christian,
you'll probably know
that wonderful verse
in Romans 8,
verse 28,
that we know
that God works
all things
for the
good
of those
who love him
and are called
according to his purpose.
not for the
bad
or the harm,
but for their good.
Jacob here,
back in
32.10,
is learning
a certain humility.
There is a new
Jacob here
on display.
Do you see that
in verse 10?
I am
unworthy
of all
the kindness
and faithfulness
you have shown
your servant.
And you know,
that is a necessary
milestone
to reach
in every
spiritual journey
with God.
To realise
that you are
unworthy
of the least
of all
his love
and faithfulness.
Do you remember
the story
Jesus told
of the two
men who went
up to the temple
to pray?
the strictly
religious one
who said,
looking around
at others,
I thank you
Lord that I am
not as bad
as others.
And then
in the corner
by himself,
the reject
in society
who said,
Lord have
mercy on me
the sinner.
It's actually
the sinner.
None of the
English translations
as far as I
can work out
have the courage
to actually
translate it
as the sinner.
They always say
a sinner.
But it says
very clearly
in what Jesus
says,
I am the
sinner.
It's as if
all he could
do is look
to God.
He's not
looking at
other people.
He's just
looking at
God,
as it were,
and looking
at himself
and saying,
when I look
at God
and then I
look at
myself,
what do I
see?
I see
the sinner.
There's no
one else
here.
It's just
God and
me.
And there's
a sense in
which that is
such an
important step
to take,
such an
important position
to get to
in a spiritual
journey,
if we're going
to come to
know God
and his
blessing,
is to
realize that
I am the
sinner.
Do you
remember how
Jesus at the
end of the
story is,
he tells the
story and
then says,
which of
these two
do you
think went
home in
right
relationship
with God?
Was it
the one
who looked
around and
said,
thank you,
I'm not
like others.
There are
some people
so bad,
you know.
Or is it
the one who
just looked
at God
and said,
I am the
sinner,
have mercy
on me,
Lord.
Well,
Jesus said,
it's the
second one
who went
home,
right with
God,
because everyone
who exalts
themselves will
be humbled,
but the one
who humbles
themselves will
be exalted.
While Jacob
is finally
humbling himself,
it seems,
I am unworthy,
verse 10,
of all the
kindness and
faithfulness you
have shown your
servant.
And he pleads
for deliverance,
verse 11,
save me,
I pray,
for I am
afraid.
He admits
his fear.
And if
you're a
believer
today,
then
verse 10
is where
we need
to stay
conscious
of our
unworthiness,
of all the
kindness and
faithfulness we've
been shown by
God.
And if you're
not yet a
believer,
it's a place
you need to
arrive and
get to,
realizing that
you're not
worthy.
of God's
kindness and
faithfulness.
But Jacob
is this
swirling mixture
of faith
and fear,
just like us.
And we
sometimes know
we try to
scheme our
way out of
a sticky
situation rather
than pray our
way out.
So the fear
of man.
Secondly,
the struggle
with God.
we learn in
the first
point that we
need to
forget the
fear of
man and
find fear
of God.
Here it
comes in
this struggle
in verses
22 to
32.
Now this
is surely
one of the
strangest
episodes in
the Bible,
isn't it?
God's
love.
Now, I
don't think
this is
about prevailing
prayer, as
some people
try to
understand it.
Jacob did
not decide to
assault the
ramparts of
heaven to
squeeze a
blessing out
of God.
That's not
how it's
recorded.
it.
No, it's
about friendly
fire.
When the
God we
thought was
with us
seems to
be against
us.
It's God
who takes
the initiative.
Do you
see that?
Jacob is
just alone,
verse 24.
And suddenly,
out of the
blue, without
any warning,
a man, who,
well, a
man, wrestled
with him.
Didn't just
come up and
shake his
hand or give
him a fist
pump.
He attacked
him.
Aggressively,
it seems,
physically, in
the dark.
And Jacob
discovers through
this that it's
actually not his
brother or even
himself that he's
been struggling
with all his
life.
It is God.
It is God who
attacks him.
And this is no
dream.
Jacob is left
with a permanent
limp, we read
at the end of
the story.
And yet there is
this strange
ambiguity.
verse 25.
When the man
saw that he
couldn't overpower
him, apparently
the attacker
cannot prevail
against Jacob
yet, when he
saw that he
couldn't overpower
him, he just
touched the
socket of his
hip so that
his hip was
wrenched as he
wrestled with the
man.
And this
out pops the
head of the
femur from the
hip socket.
Jacob, it
seems, is
crippled for
life after
just a touch.
Presumably in
agony when it
happened, at
least.
And strangely, the
attacker does not
wish to be seen.
So, verse 26, the
man said, let me go,
it's daybreak.
But Jacob replied, I'll
not let you go unless
you bless me.
The man asked him,
what is your name?
Jacob, he answered.
Now, getting him to
say his name is not
just an admission of
his identity, it's
like a confession of
guilt.
Remember what his
name means, why his
name was given.
His name means the
heel grabber,
literally.
Or understood by
most as the
grasping cheat.
Who are you?
I am the
grasping cheat.
Ah, nice to
meet you.
And in a
dramatic turning
point, Jacob's
name is changed
from the
cheater of
man to
the
struggler with
God.
The
struggle, which
God surprisingly
says in verse 28,
Jacob has won.
Your name will no
longer be
grasping cheat,
cheater of
people.
But
Israel,
struggler with
God.
Why?
Because you have
struggled with God
and with men and
have overcome.
I'll grant you the
victory.
But it's almost like
if you
challenge a
small child to
an arm
wrestle.
Do you want
to do an
arm wrestle?
And their
little hand can
hardly get
halfway up your
arm.
So you lower
your hand down.
Okay, go.
You beat me.
Really?
Interesting.
And yet,
Jacob is the
one who begs
for the
blessing.
Verse 26,
I will not let
you go unless
you bless me.
And we know
that it's always
the greater
who blesses
the lesser.
So Jacob,
by asking for
the blessing,
is admitting
that he's up
against one who
is greater than
him.
And one of the
other ambiguities,
interestingly,
is that the word
Israel could be
translated
God strives,
God struggles.
It's almost as if,
yes,
Jacob is
struggling,
but God is
also struggling
with Jacob.
He's a hard
to handle man.
Well,
what is clear
is that
the man is
not going to
tell Jacob
his name.
No.
And yet,
Jacob realises
by verse 30
that it was
because I saw
God
face to face
that I'm
calling this
face of God
and yet
my life
was spared.
He realises
he's been
fighting God
and he limps
away from the
encounter,
realising two
things.
Number one,
his life has
been spared
by one who
could have
destroyed him.
Verse 30,
I saw God
face to face
yet my life
was spared.
And the other
thing he realises
is he's not
only been spared,
he's been
blessed
despite
his weakness.
And although
as we read
on,
Jacob persists
in trying
to return
the blessing
he stole
from his
brother Esau,
that seems
to be what
is going
on here.
When he
finally meets
him,
he recognises
this double
favour,
not just
that he's
found favour
in Esau's
eyes,
verse 10
of chapter
33,
no please,
if I've
found favour
in your
eyes,
accept this
gift from
me.
For to see
your face
is like
seeing the
face of
God,
face of
God,
now that
you have
received me
favourably.
These 400
men put
their weapons
down it
seems and
don't attack.
And then
he prays,
verse 11,
please accept
the present
that was
brought to
you,
for God
has been
gracious to
me,
and I
have all
I need.
Favour
with Esau,
favour
with God.
Now
favour,
reconciliation,
with enemies,
if you've
ever been
in a
family
breakdown
situation
where
relationships
have
utterly
broken
down,
it's
wonderful
when there's
reconciliation,
it doesn't
always happen,
but when it
does,
it's
wonderful.
And it
may be
part of
God's
blessing
for us
if that's
what we're
struggling
with.
But it's
not favour
with man
that ultimately
matters,
it's favour
with God,
to know
God's
gracious
dealings
with us,
that is
the ultimate
blessing.
but
it may
mean
times
when God
seems to
be against
us.
We're going
to finish
by going
to 2
Corinthians
chapter 12
because this
experience
of feeling
that God
is against
us is
something that
the Apostle
Paul speaks
very eloquently
of and
experienced
in his own
life.
2
Corinthians
chapter 12
verse 7
having just
described some
extraordinary
experiences he
had,
he'd had,
he says in
verse 7
to keep me
from becoming
conceited
because of
these surpassingly
great revelations.
There was given
to me a thorn
in my flesh.
We don't know
what it was,
it seems to be
something physical.
A messenger
of Satan
to torment
me.
Three times
I pleaded
with the Lord
to take it
away from me
but the Lord
said to me
my grace
is sufficient
for you
for my power
is made
perfect
in weakness.
Therefore
says Paul
I will boast
all the more
gladly about
my weaknesses
so that
Christ's power
may rest
on me.
That is why
for Christ's
sake
I delight
in weaknesses
in insults
in hardships
in persecutions
in difficulties.
Why?
That's very perverse
Paul
isn't it?
No
because
when I am
weak
then I am
strong.
Do you see
how he describes
this thorn in the
flesh
in verse
7?
It's a
messenger
of Satan.
Satan
means adversary.
This is the one
who's against us
against all
God's people
and yet
this is clearly
something Paul
sees as permitted
by God.
He asks God
to remove it.
Three times
verse 8
I pleaded
with the Lord
to take it
away from me.
Well why do you
plead with the Lord?
Well because
he's the one
who allowed it.
Why?
To keep
Paul humble.
Verse 7
to keep me
from becoming
conceited.
But Paul
surely if God
really loved you
he wouldn't have
allowed this thorn
in the flesh
would he?
He's not for you
he's against you.
Well our adversary
is also the
father of lies.
One of his lies
is that when bad
things happen to
Christians
it's because God
is against them
and that's not
true.
And yet
when Paul
petitions God
and pleads
with him
to take it
away
three times
he says
verse 8
I pleaded
with the Lord
what did the
Lord say
each time
and never
it seems
changed his
mind on this
no
Paul
no
but Lord
what is going
on here?
Why
are you saying
no to me?
Well here's
why Paul
verse 9
the Lord said
to me
my grace
is sufficient
for you
for my
power
is made
perfect
in your
weakness
no Paul
you're going
to have to
live with
the thorn
in your
flesh
you're going
to have
to walk
with a
limp
for the
rest
of your
days
and if
we're still
struggling
with this
idea
that
the
power
can
come
through
weakness
think of
the Lord
Jesus
on the
cross
my God
why have
you
forsaken
me?
Surely
in
the cross
of Christ
the crucifixion
of our
Lord
Jesus
nothing
is a
more powerful
picture of
weakness
and yet
as we
sang earlier
this is the
power of the
cross
this is the
power to
save us
but it's
the power
of weakness
this is the
logic of
God
the power
to save
the world
is in the
weakness
of the
cross
and we need
to remember
that when
God seems
against us
that this
is how
God works
to bring
strength
and power
spiritual
strength
spiritual
power
into our
lives
and that
is how
we can
say with
Paul
verse 10
that for
Christ's
sake
I
delight
in
weaknesses
in
insults
in
hardships
in
persecutions
in
difficulties
for
when I
am weak
then I
am
strong
we may
struggle
with the
fear of
man
but the
real
struggle
we have
is with
God
the
God
who may
break
us
but only
to bless
us
the
God
who may
seem
against
us
but only
to show
us that
when we
are weak
then
we are
strong
let's
pray
our
father we
thank you
for our
lord Jesus
Christ
above all
thank you
that in the
weakness of the
cross which
you willingly
went to
your power
was seen
supremely to
save us
from sin
and death
and judgment
how we
praise you
for that
powerful
though
counterintuitive
logic
but father we
pray that you
would help us
in our own
lives
as we
struggle
with so
many things
and so
many people
but also
with you
when you
seem to turn
your face
against us
lord help us
to remember
that you
are always
for us
wanting to
show that
in our
weakness
your power
your strength
is made
complete
help us
to trust
you
through the
hard times
for Jesus
sake
amen
aby
with you