IMAGE: IDENTITY TRAPS
Image: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel circa 1659 and 1660 by Rembrandt
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“The Dark Side of Giftedness” by Pastor Philip Miller
Jacob Fears Esau and Jacob Wrestles with God
Genesis 32 ESV and Audio
WELCOME
Sunday, January 22, 2023
SERIES: IDENTITY TRAPS
LIVE MESSAGE: JACOB’S TRAP ~ SIGNIFICANCE
THROUGH POWER
Scripture: Genesis 25–32 ESV
Podcast “Living The Message”
Pastor Philip Miller
Scripture Reading Hebrews 10:11–23 ESV
Hebrews 10 ESV and Audio
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17 then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
The Full Assurance of Faith
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
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“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” 1826 by Reginald Heber
“Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” 1876 by Robert Lowry
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LIVE 11:00 AM EST
Sunday, January 22, 2023
SERIES: IDENTITY TRAPS
LIVE MESSAGE: JACOB’S TRAP ~ SIGNIFICANCE
THROUGH POWER
Scripture: Genesis 25–32 ESV
Podcast “Living The Message”
Pastor Philip Miller
^Videos by Inspirational>1…
MESSAGE: JACOB’S TRAP ~ SIGNIFICANCE
THROUGH POWER
Sunday, January 22, 2023
SERIES: IDENTITY TRAPS
MESSAGE: JACOB’S TRAP ~ SIGNIFICANCE THROUGH
POWER
Scripture: Genesis 25–32 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
Scripture: Genesis 25–32 ESV
Genesis 25-28, 29-32 and Audio
SERMON NOTES
Sunday, January 22, 2023
SERIES: IDENTITY TRAPS
MESSAGE: JACOB’S TRAP ~ SIGNIFICANCE THROUGH
POWER
Scripture: Genesis 25–32 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
In this sermon, we look at Jacob’s identity trap: seeking significance through power. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham, and the father of Joseph. His story gives us a powerful look at the deep identity transformation God wants to bring into each one of our lives.
We’ll look at three parts to Jacob’s story:
Jacob’s Upbringing
1) Jacob’s Upbringing: Jacob’s identity is built around gaining significance through power. He wants to be recognized as the leader of the family, successful and prosperous, favored with the blessing of God. And he pursues this by scheming, controlling, and manipulating others. Jacob grabs significance by the throat and makes sure he gets it, no matter what. He won’t leave it up to chance, and he won’t leave it up to God. He wants to power his way into significance. We see this play out in the story of Esau when Jacobs steals his inheritance and manipulates Isaac into Esau’s birthright.
Jacob’s Sojourning
2) Jacob’s Sojourning: Having enraged Esau, Jacob flees and seeks refuge in the family of Laban. It is in the care of Laban that Jacob gets a taste of his own medicine: the schemer becomes the scammed. Jacob finds himself insignificant and powerless in the face of Laban’s manipulation and scheming. And it is here that his strategy for identity begins to unravel, because building significance through power only works until someone more powerful comes along. After 20 years living with Laban, God calls Jacob back to the land of his fathers.
Jacob’s Homecoming
3) Jacob’s Homecoming: At the age of 97, Jacob heads back to Canaan, where tensions mount again with Esau. And in desperation Jacob cries out to God for help for the first time in his life. A wrestling match ensues between Jacob and God, and they wrestle all night, not because Jacob is strong, but because God is wearing him down. God wrestles Jacob to the end of himself. And God wounds Jacob’s body to mend his soul; God wrenches his hip to bring Jacob to the end of himself, to bring him to a place of weakness, of brokenness, of powerlessness. Then, God give Jacob a new name, Israel, which means “God striver.” The name is an invitation: will Jacob keep striving with God, grasping for power, or will he finally surrender and trust God to strive powerfully on his behalf? Jacob ultimately limps into his transformed identity as he now finds significance in surrendering to God. God comes through for Jacob. God strives for Israel. And the miraculous takes place: Esau welcomes Jacob with open arms.
Takeaway:
The significance our souls desperately need is found in surrendering ourselves to our Father.
Do you realize that in Jesus Christ your Heavenly Father has crowned you with glory and honor; seated you with Christ in the Heavenly places; and adopted you his forever Son or Daughter with an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade?
You don’t have to scheme, or manipulate, or strive, or endeavor, or grasp after these blessings. In fact, if you do so, they will never be yours, for these blessings can only be received as gifts by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
The true significance our souls long for comes not through power, but through frailty; not through control, but through surrender; not through strength, but through weakness.
True significance comes through childlike trust.
IMAGE: NINE BIBLE CHARACTERS
Benediction
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV
2 Corinthians 12 ESV and Audio
Paul’s Visions and His Thorn
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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Living The Message
Episode 50: Open-Handed Living
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Podcast: Living The Message
Pastor Philip and Pastor Eric
Live Podcast Updated Weekly
Are you a control freak, or do you know one? In this episode, we discuss Jacob’s disposition to seeking significance through power. We addressed key questions from the sermon, including:
1) What is Jacob’s identity trap?
2) How do we define power?
3) How does Jacob get out of this trap?
4) Are there other ways we can seek significance through power?
5) Is it OK to make things happen? How do we know if we’re falling into a power identity trap or if we’re just working hard to make a difference?
6) What are some practical ways to move out of the trap?
7) What resources in the gospel can we apply to this identity trap?
Questions about this SERIES: IDENTITY TRAPS ~ SERMON, JACOB’S TRAP ~ SIGNIFICANCE THROUGH POWER ~ Scripture: Genesis 25–32 ESV Submit them to 312-682-1888 or by email to livingthemessage@moodychurch.org. Your submissions will help us shape the conversation for our Live Weekly Podcast, Living the Message.
PASTOR TO PEOPLE
Each year, two important days fall within a week of each other: Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Both are important occasions for us to draw out the implications of the Gospel for the broken world in which we live. After all, a Christian understanding of racial justice and Christian advocacy for the unborn both arise from a common theological root: the imago Dei (the image of God).
The Bible affirms that all human life is sacred because each human being is created in the image of God (imago Dei). We have dignity, worth, and value because God Himself has placed His image upon us all regardless of race, ethnicity, color, sex, age, size, ability, or stage of development. All human life, without exception, from beginning to end, is equally and infinitely valuable as it bears the image of God.
The imago Dei provides a bedrock theological foundation for pursuing real racial reconciliation and true biblical justice. The imago Dei also provides a bedrock theological foundation for protecting the life of the unborn. Both are issues of sanctity, for we are called to honor all human life as sacred. And both are issues of justice, for we are called to speak up for those whose voices aren’t being heard. Christians have long been at the forefront of advocacy for justice and life because of our commitment to the imago Dei. From D. L. Moody’s work with street kids in “Little Hell” to our Hope for Kids partners today, The Moody Church is committed to honoring the image of God in all people.
Because we are loved, more than we know!
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