Jacob: Significance Through Power

Jacob was the grandson of Abraham and the father of Joseph. His story gives us a powerful look at deep identity transformation. the kind God wants to bring into each of our lives. From his upbringing, his sojourning, to his homecoming, Meet a man who had to come to the end of himself to find the significance he sought. Stay with us.

From Chicago, this is The Moody Church Hour, a weekly broadcast of worship and teaching with Pastor Philip Miller. Today, the third in a series of messages about identity traps. Our Bible character to learn from will be Jacob, who sought significance through power. Here now is Pastor Philip, along with worship leader Tim Stafford and Executive Pastor Bill Burchie.

Well, hey everybody and welcome to The Moody Church. We're so glad you're joining us today, whether you're right here in the room or joining us online or by radio. We're so grateful that we get to worship the Lord our God together as a family. Today we're going to be looking at the story of Jacob from the Old Testament and how he fell into the trap of trying to find the significance his soul needed through power. And we're going to discover the ultimate freedom that Jesus can provide as we find our identity as children.

of the living God. Would you bow your heads and pray with me as we begin? Let's pray. Father, we thank you. that you are the one who tells us who we really are.

You are the one who gives us a sense of freedom. and power. As beloved children of God, help us to rest in that deeper identity today as we rediscover the gospel. from the Old Testament. We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen. Aren't you grateful for the goodness of God? Do you have a testimony? Say, this is where I was, but this is what God did in my life. Let's think about that.

I was a wretch, I remember. Who's my word? Yeah. I was loved. Stay was blind.

I was running. Out of time. Sin separated. The breach was far too wide. But from the far side Of the chasm you had me in your sight.

So you made a way across the great divide. Left behind heaven's throne to build it here inside. There at the cross, we paid the debt I owed. Broke my chain to breed my soul for the birds are my hand owed you, Jesus, the world of life. Thank you, Jesus, it has what you wise.

Thank you, Jesus, you have saved my life. You brought me from the darkness into glorious life. You took my face, laid aside my tumblers. You were buried for three days, but then you walked right out again. And the earth has no seem, and I pass away.

For I have made transform by the blood of the Lamb. Thank you, Jesus, for the love of mine. Thank you, Jesus, as God shall. Thank you, Jesus. You have saved life from the darkness into glorious skies.

There is nothing stronger than the wonderworking power of love because the Son's and God's fight with Father who live. There is nothing stronger than the wonderworking power of love. All the sons of God be your messenger by the night through Jesus, name you, Jesus, for the Lord of mine, Jesus has watched Jesus, you have saved my life and this into glorious life. Amen. Amen.

Let's pray. Our Father, indeed, by the blood of your Son Jesus. We have been washed clean of all of our sin, past, present, and since. Present and future, brought from darkness into light. We thank you and we praise you that you reached down and you saved us completely undeserved.

But as an expression of your great love, we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Please be seated. This is my desire to honor you Lord, with all my heart I worship you all I have with thee I give you praise all that I Lord is in you Lord, I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I live for you alone.

Every breath that I take, every moment I'm away. Look at your way in me. Lord, I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I live for you alone. Every breath that I take, every moment I'll wait. Look at your way in me.

Lord, I give you my heart, I give you my soul, I live for you. Every breath that I take, every moment I'm away, have your way. I give you my heart, I give you my soul and live for you alone. Every breath that I take, every moment I'm away, have your way well. Welcome back to Identity Traps.

We're looking at nine ways we lose ourselves in the one way that Jesus makes us whole. Mm-hmm. We're talking about identity, and it turns out that at the root of identity are three deep needs. We all need a sense of self that gives us significance. We need to know that we matter.

Security, we need to know that we're safe. And satisfaction. We need to know. that were fulfilled. And God made us, we're learning in this series, to find those deep identity needs met in.

Him. But instead, we look to everything else other than God. We look to people. We look for their approval, their acceptance, to try to find our significant security and satisfaction. We look to power, status, control to try to feed those needs.

We look to possessions. Look at all the stuff I've got. to try to Shore up ourselves. Instead of looking to our Father and Creator, To know who we are as children of God, we look to ourselves and to the creation and find ourselves living as orphans in the universe. Fending for ourselves.

And at first that orphan-hearted life is something we can't avoid. We have to do it. Because our sin has separated us from God, and we are estranged from Him as our Father. But then Jesus came, the good news of the gospel. Jesus came to rescue us.

He dies in our place for our sake, bearing all of our sin and shame, our broken identities upon himself, and rises again to offer us. A new identity in Him, His own righteous identity, pleasing before the Father, so that by grace through faith in Christ, we have a new identity as children of God. We are restored, don't you see, to our created identity. We are children of God. And this identity that is now ours in Christ as children of God is our past, present, and future reality if we believe in Jesus Christ.

We are children of God already. That is our standing in Christ. We are justified in Him. It is our growing reality day by day as we walk by the Spirit. It is our sanctified reality.

And it will one day be fully ours in glory when we see Jesus face to face. When we see him as he is, we will know ourselves for who we truly are. That will be our glorification. 1 John 3, verses 2 to 3 says it beautifully. Beloved, we are God's children now.

That's our present reality. And what we will be has not yet appeared.

So we're waiting for the fullness. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and everyone who thus hopes in him. Purifies, present tense, purifies himself as he is. Pure. That's Process right here, right now, of purification, sanctification, growing in Christ-likeness happens increasingly as we remember who our Father is, so that we remember who we in fact are, so that we can learn to act like ourselves.

So in this series, we are looking at nine different Bible characters who each fall into one of these nine permutations of orphan-hearted identity traps. And then each of these characters will discover the grace of God and learn to live in their true identity as His beloved children. And we're praying that as we look at these lives, we will resonate with one or two of these, and then in seeing their own transformation, we will realize what our own transformation might look like.

So today we're going to look at Jacob's identity trap, Jacob's identity trap, which is seeking significance through power. Seeking significance through power. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham. And the father of Joseph that we looked at last time.

So you have Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and then Joseph. We're going back to Jacob today, a little rewind. And Jacob's story is a powerful look at the deep identity transformation that God wants to do in each and every one of our lives. And so it's really important for us to lean in this morning. We're going to be looking at Genesis 25 to Genesis 32.

And to sort our thoughts out, we're going to look at Jacob's upbringing. Jacob's sojourning. and Jacob's homecoming. Jacob's upbringing, sojourning, and homecoming. That's our plan for this morning.

Would you bow your heads? Let's pray together as we turn to God's holy word. Father, we gather this morning in great need. in great weakness. helplessness.

Asking that you can do, will do. What only you can do. that you would change us by the power of your Holy Spirit. Would you do a deep work in our life, in our soul, in our identities? this morning.

We pray this. In the matchless name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. So, first of all, Jacob's upbringing, his upbringing.

Jacob's story actually begins even before he was born. Isaac and Rebekah were married and they conceived twins. And their names were Jacob and anybody know the other one? Esau, Jacob and Esau. And in the womb, Rebekah felt some.

Something weird. She felt them wrestling and struggling with one another in the womb, didn't know what was going on. Maybe she thought she was having a miscarriage or something. She prays to God and asks Him, what on earth is happening? And this is what He said: Genesis 25, 23.

Two nations are in your womb. and two peoples within you shall be divided. The one shall be stronger than the other. The older shall serve the younger.

So, sure enough, when Rebecca, her time to give birth comes, the first Child comes out strong and hairy and red, red-headed. And she calls him Esau, which means red. And the second one comes out clinging to Esau's heel. with his hand. like trying to like get back in here, I'm coming out first, okay?

And so she names him Jacob, which means heel-grabber. Schemer, conniver, like he'll do anything to get ahead in life.

So these are the brothers. And as they grow up, there's lots of sibling rivalry. Esau becomes his father's favorite. Isaac, the dad, loves wild game. And so Esau becomes this skilled hunter.

He's an outdoorsman. He's a man's man. He's brawny and he has chest hair and shops at Cabela's, you know, that sort of thing. And Jacob Uh is a mama's boy.

Okay, stays at home, keeps his hands clean, he enjoys culinary arts. And he's thoughtful and sensitive.

So you get the picture here, okay? And Jacob grows up with this prophecy hanging over his head. One of the boys will be stronger than the other. Which one is that? Esau.

Esau is the strong one. And the older will serve the younger. Esau's the older one. Esau, the strong one, will in fact serve Jacob. The younger one.

So this prophecy is hanging over Jacob and Esau's life. It's a recipe for disaster.

Now, years go by, and one day Esau comes in from a long day of working in the fields. He's exhausted, he's starving, and Jacob has a stew on. And Esau smells it. And he wanted it so bad. Stomach rumbling.

Genesis 25:31 to 33. Jacob said, Sell me your birthright now. Esau said, I'm about to die. Of what use is my birthright to me? Jacob said, Swear it to me now.

So he swore to him and sold his birthright to the king. to Jacob.

Now, the birthright is a little opaque to us. These were the days of primogenitor, where the oldest child was given a double inheritance. From the father as by rights of birth. And so Esau here concedes. His double inheritance when his father dies.

for a bowl of stew. You go, wait a minute, what is going on? You see, Jacob's been waiting for this moment. He knows Esau. He knows he's grumpy and impulsive when he's angry.

And when he comes back from the fields, he'll do almost anything to grab a meal. And Jacob exploits his brother cheats him out of his inheritance. This is pretty bad, right? But it's nothing to what Jacob did later. Isaac, the father, as he ages, his eyes didn't work so well.

And one day he calls Esau in and says, I want you to go hunting and bring back some of my favorite game. I want you to prepare it the way I love it. Because today I'm going to give you the blessing as my firstborn son. I'm going to give you the blessing of the firstborn. You say, what is the blessing of the firstborn?

Well, It was a unique blessing that was given to the oldest child to assume the role of patriarch within the family.

So this means it is a blessing that confers leadership upon Esau's life over his entire family, including his brothers and sisters, which would include Jacob.

So off into the woods, Esau heads out to get this meal. Rebecca, mom, overhears the plan and schemes with Jacob, her favorite. They decide to cook a meal and put Put Esau's clothing on Jacob so he's got his musk. You know? Rebekah puts goat hair on Jacob's arms, hands, and neck.

So that he'll feel like Esau. Have you ever felt goat hair? It's nasty. It is wiry and coarse and prickly.

So, Esa is one hairy dude. It's like a human Brillo pad, okay?

So now Jacob sneaks in with this food and this adornment now to fool Isaac. Genesis 27, verses 18 down to 27.

So he went into his father and said, My father. And he said, Here I am. Who are you, my son? Jacob said to his father, I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me.

Now sit up and eat my game, that your soul may bless me. But Isaac said to his son, How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son? He answered, Because the Lord your God granted me success. Oh, he stopped. This is interesting.

Then Isaac said to Jacob, Please come near me that I might feel you, my son, and know whether you are really my son, Esau, or not.

So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he did not recognize him. because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau's hands, so he blessed him. and said, are you really my son Esau? And he answered, I am.

Then he said, Bring it near to me that I may eat some of my son's game and bless you.

So he brought it to him and he ate and brought him wine and he drank. And his father Isaac said to him, Come near me and kiss me, my son.

So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments. and blessed him.

So Jacob, not Esau, receives the blessing of the firstborn.

Now How old, just for a moment, how old do you think Jacob is when he pulls this stunt? If you had to guess, how old do you think he is? Just shout out a number. How old? Forty Thirty Fifteen, eighteen.

He's 76 years old. 76 years old. This is messed up.

Okay. Super messed up. Esau is furious. Jacob cheated him out of his inheritance.

Now he's cheated him out of his blessing. And in Genesis 27, 41, this is what we read.

Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said to himself, the days of mourning for my father are approaching, and then I will kill Jacob. My brother. Jacob.

So Jacob flees from home, fearing for his life. And he goes the only place he can think, he goes to stay with his crazy uncle Laban. But on the way, Jacob will encounter God in a dream. God appeared in a dream and renewed with him the covenant that he had made with his grandfather Abraham, with his father Isaac. He now makes the covenant with Jacob.

And when Jacob awakes, he calls the place Bethel, the house of God. And he sets up a stone to mark the spot. And then Jacob says this, very interesting, Genesis 28 verses 20 to 22. Then Jacob made a vow. Same.

If God will be with me. and keep me in this way that I go. and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace. Then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house.

And of all that you give me, I will give a full tenth to you.

Now this is unbelievable, isn't it? Do you see what he's doing? He's bargaining with God. He's bargaining if you're with me If you keep me as I go, if you give me bread and clothing, if you bring me back home in peace, then I'll tell you what, you can be my God. This place can be your house and I'll give you 10% of my stuff.

Who says that? This is so audacious. Jacob's like, look, just because you're the God of Abraham and the God of my father Isaac doesn't mean I'm going to take you as my God. You're going to have to prove yourself. Tell you what, God, I'll give you an audition.

Let's see how you do.

Now At this point, we have enough to gain a sense. of Jacob's identity trap. Jacob wants significance, doesn't he? He wants significance. He wants to be recognized as the leader of his family.

He wants to be successful and prosperous. He wants the favor and blessing of God on his life. He wants to be at the top. And how will he go about getting this significance? What's his chosen strategy?

Power. Power. He's scheming. He's conniving, he's controlling, he's manipulating. Is a me.

Jacob's identity is built around gaining significance. Through power. Jacob is going to grab significance by the throat and make sure he gets it no matter what. He's not going to leave it up to chance, and he's not going to leave it up to God either. Jacob is going to power his way.

to the significance he thinks he deserves. That's Jacob's upbringing, okay? his upbringing.

Now, let's look at his sojourning, his sojourning. Having enraged Esau, Jacob now flees to go live with Uncle Laban, who decides he'll give him a job. And it turns out that Laban is just as conniving and crafty and scheming and manipulative as Jacob is. Look at this. Genesis 29.

I'm going to look at a variety of verses here. Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my kinsmen, Should you therefore serve me for nothing? I'm going to pay you. Tell me, what should your wages be?

Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah. And the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were weak. but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.

Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, I will serve you seven years. for your youngest daughter Rachel. Laban said, It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man.

So stay with me. Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him as but a few days because of the love he had for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, that I may go into her, for my time is completed.

So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. And in the morning, behold, it was Leah. And Jacob said to Laban, What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve you for Rachel?

Why then have you deceived me? Laban said, It is not so done in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, the honeymoon, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years. Jacob did so and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

And so Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. and served Laban for another seven years.

Now, Obviously, very, very messed up. Yes?

Okay, so many levels have messed up here.

Okay, it's a polygamous society. This is obviously really goofy. But do you see the ironic, tragic twist? to all of this. Think about it.

When was the last time we saw someone deceived in a tent? In the dark, Where one of the parties had weak eyes, and where there was a false identity switch. When was the last time we saw that? Don't The last time Jacob was the deceiver. This time he's deceived.

Don't you see Jacob's getting a taste of his own medicine The schemer has been scammed. And notice the sting of Laban's words. It is not so done in our country to give the younger before the firstborn. Oh. In our country, the younger doesn't usurp the firstborn.

There's no mistaking his words, is it? Do you see the ironic comeuppance that's happening here? Jacob finds himself now insignificant and powerless in the face of Laban's manipulation and scheming. Jacob finds himself insignificant, powerless, in the face of Laban's. Manipulation and scheming.

Do you see this? His strategy for identity is unraveling. He's been thwarted and frustrated. He's been beaten at his very own game. Building a life of significance through power only works until someone more powerful comes along.

And Jacob has finally met his match. In Laban. Do you see that?

Now, Jacob and Laban are going to go several more rounds with one another, trying to scheme and connive and best one another, and Jacob always seems to come out on top. He grows wealthier and wealthier at Laban's expense, and after 20 years, he's worn out his welcome. Tensions are running high. And so God appears to him and tells him to go back to the land of his fathers. We've seen his upbringing, his sojourning, and now let's look at Jacob's homecoming, his homecoming.

Genesis 31 verse 3. Then the Lord said to Jacob Return to the land of your fathers. and to your kindred. And I will be with you.

So now, at the age of ninety-seven years of age, Jacob returns to Canaan. To the land of promise, the land of the covenant. Notice its capital L-O-R-D. This is the covenant keeping God who is inviting them back into the covenant land of promise. But Jacob remembers why he left.

He remembers the fury in Esau's eyes. It's been 21 years. The question is, how strong a grudge has Esau been holding?

So Jacob, as he approaches the land, sends messengers ahead of him, some of his servants, to alert Esau to his presence, that he's coming back, and to gauge Esau's reaction. And so the report comes back and they say, Esau is coming to meet you. And there's 400 men with him. Yeah. Jacob blows a gasket.

That's in the Hebrew here. He blows a gasket. Because this is a small army. And Jacob realizes he's in deep trouble. And watch this in desperation.

Jacob cries out to God for help for the first time in his 97-year-old life. Genesis 32. Verses 9 to 12. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, And 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. I am not worthy of all the least of the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown your servant.

For with only my staff I crossed this Jordan river, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him. that he may come and attack me. the mothers and the children. But you said, I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

You know, they say there are no atheists in the foxhole, right? And Jacob all of a sudden gets really religious. He's in trouble and he cries out to God. Notice that he cries out to the God of his father Abraham and the God of his father Isaac, but he does not yet claim God for himself. Very important.

And yet his tone is different. from Bethel. Instead of demanding that God prove himself, He says, I'm not worthy. Of the least of the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness you've shown. To your Servant.

And he begs, please, please deliver me. from Esau, for I fear him. Do you see something is happening to Jacob. He's afraid. He's scared.

He's In it. crisis and he's starting to sound almost Humble. Is it me? And yet the schemer in Jacob is still alive.

So he decides he's going to send a series of gifts to Esau, herds of animals, wave after wave in sequence. He does this to butter up Esau, maybe he'll treat him better, but also to encumber Esau. He's got all these animals to take care of. That's a big chore. It's going to slow Esau up and it's going to prevent a sneak attack.

You can't sneak up when you've got a whole herd of cattle with you. You can't sneak up on anybody. And this way, if there is a fight, Jacob's going to be more nimble.

So you see, Jacob's still working the angles here. He's still trying to manipulate the outcomes. He's still trying to use power to get ahead in life. But all that's about to change. Genesis 32 Verses 22 to 24.

The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabok. He took them and sent them across the stream and everything else that he had. And Jacob was left alone. and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.

So Jacob makes this strategic crossing of the stream to put the water course between himself and Esau. He sends his family first and he'll join them shortly. And here he is all alone. He's stressed, he's worried. He's done everything he can to kind of weasel his way out of this mess.

But deep down, he knows it's not enough. He's outmatched. He's outnumbered. He's out of options. And then, bam!

out of nowhere. He's ambushed in the night. This wrestling match ensues, and this 97-year-old man is now wrestling with everything he's got. And they wrestle these two all night, not because Jacob's so strong, he's 97 years old. but because God is wearing him down.

to the very end of his strength. Friends, God is wrestling Jacob to the end of Himself. But Jacob is self-reliant to the core. He doesn't back down. You hit him, he hits back harder.

He doesn't get mad, he gets even. Jacob is a tough old bird. and he won't admit defeat. Genesis 32, 25. And when the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint.

as he wrestled with him. Jacob won't give in. And so finally God flexes his strength and with a simple touch wrenches his hip right out of socket. And friends, God wounds Jacob's body. to mend his soul.

God wounds Jacob's body. To mm mend his soul. God wrenches his hip. to bring Jacob to the very end of himself. to bring him to a place of weakness.

and brokenness. And Powerlessness. And as Jacob lays there, defeated, wounded, helpless. powerless Can't wrestle anymore. He still won't let go.

He won't let go of the God-man. Genesis 32, 22. 26 to 28. Then he said, Let me go. for the day has broken.

But Jacob said, I will not let you go. unless you bless me. And he said to him, What's your name? And he said, Jacob, Then he said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob. But Israel.

For you have striven with God and with men. and have prevailed.

So Jacob knows he's been bested here. And he knows this is some sort of supernatural being because his hip was wrenched out with just a touch. But even in defeat, Jacob is still working the angles. Do you see this? He's still trying to stay on top.

He's trying to stay in control. I won't let you leave unless you bless me. And friends, Jacob wants God's blessings on his own terms, you see. But God will not be manipulated. God will not be manipulated.

That's why God changes his name. Naming is the right of superiors. Parents name their kids. Kids name their stuffed animals, right? God changes Jacob's name.

And friends, Jacob submits to the name changed. This is huge. He finally submits. He finally yields. God says, your name shall no longer be called Jacob, heel grabber, cheater.

That's not your identity anymore. Your new name will be Israel. For you have striven with God and with men, and you have prevailed. Israel means God's driver. God Striver, what a great name is that.

God Striver. And there's ambiguity in the name itself in the Hebrew. It's unclear in the name who the subject is and who the object is.

So the question is: Is it Jacob who strives with God? Because that's certainly been his past. He's been striving and wrestling and grasping. Or is it God who strives for Jacob? Is it God who strives for Jacob?

Which is what Jacob desperately needs if he's going to have any future. any life. He needs God as his defender, his protector. His power. See, in the name of Israel is an invitation.

Will Jacob keep striving with God? Grasping for power. Or will he finally surrender? Trusting God to strive powerfully on his behalf. That's the question.

Genesis thirty-two, twenty-nine. Then Jacob asked him, please. Tell me your name. But he said, why is it that you ask my name? And there he blessed him.

Jacob's not quite ready. The heel grabber makes one final attempt to balance the scales. He asks for his victor's name, presumably so he could change his name. You changed my name, now I'm going to change your name, God. But God won't play his game.

He skirts the question, asking why. And then friends, God blesses Jacob. helpless broken Weak. Powerless Jacob. is finally blessed by God.

Genesis 30 to 32.

So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel. saying, For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered. The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, 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 of the thigh. Jacob calls this place Peniel, the face of God.

And as the sun rises, Jacob sets out. And he's limping. He's limping. And friends, Jacob's limp. is grace.

Jacob's limp is Grace. Because as Jacob limps his way toward Esau, He can't fight. He can't flee. He can only lymph. Limp and trust.

Limp and truss. Friends, the birthright. The blessings. The future, Jacob's own life, his family, all of it is beyond his control at this moment. He is powerless to do a thing.

Do you see that?

And with every flinching step, Jacob discovers: I am weak. But he is strong. I am inadequate. But he is sufficient. I am powerless, but he is.

is powerful. And friends, Jacob limps into his transformed identity as he now finds significance in surrendering to God. Do you see that?

And God comes through for Jacob. God will strive for Israel. And a miraculous thing happens. Esau welcomes Jacob home with open arms. Because God has gone before.

Jacob.

And from this day on, God is not just the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac, but he is the God of Jacob. The god of Israel. And Jacob learns that he can only inherit the blessings of God, not through power. but through frailty.

Now through control. but through surrender, not through strength. but through weakness, not by striving. But by grace. Jacob discovers the truth of what the Apostle Paul says when he writes, For when I am weak, Then I am strong.

for his power is made perfect. in weakness. See, in this moment, Jacob learns. That instead of living as an orphan, trying to use power to make himself significant in life. There is a significance that can only be received by the grace of God.

The very blessings that Jacob strived so hard to obtain through manipulation, power, and control, God intended to give to him as a gift of grace that would be received in childlike. Faith. And as Jacob's orphan heart is coming to the very end of himself, friends, right here, Israel's childlike trust is coming to life. It took a wrenched hip to align his soul. It took brokenness to make him whole.

It took surrender. to finally have significance. You see that. And friends, the significance our souls desperately need is found. in surrendering ourselves to our Father.

Friends, do you realize that in Jesus Christ, your Heavenly Father, has crowned you with glory and honor? He has seated you with Christ in the heavenly places. He has adopted you as a son and daughter forever. He has given you an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade that's kept in heaven for you. And you don't have to scheme, you don't have to manipulate, you don't have to strive or endeavor or grasp after all these blessings of God.

In fact, if you do, you will never have them. These blessings of God can only be received as gifts of grace, 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 surrender. Not through strength.

But weakness. Not through striving. But by grace. Friends, true significance comes through childlike trust. For his power.

is made perfect. in weakness. And when I am weak, then I am strong.

So if you want an identity that is chock full of significance, Remember this. Jesus loves me. This I know. For the Bible tells me So Little ones. To him.

Belong. They are weak. But he. is strong. Yes.

Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Me? Yes! Jesus loves me.

The Bible tells me so. Let's pray. Father. Teach us to root our souls, our identity. In you.

To remember there's no higher calling. No greater honor. No more substantive significance in our lives. than that which you give us by grace. to call us sons and daughters.

to freely give. This identity that we freely receive. Through the mercy of Jesus. Thank you that Jesus came. to make all of this possible.

We could never be children of God if it weren't for Jesus. and his substitutionary atonement on the cross. But now that you have declared us your children. And we know one day we will be your children in glory. By your Holy Spirit, help us to live as your children right here.

right now. to find the deep significance of our souls. met in the reality of our childlike trust. in who you are, that reminds us who we are.

so we can live like ourselves. Because Jesus loves Us. We are weak. He. is strong.

We pray this in his Matchless name. Amen. Amen. Sing with me. Jesus loves me.

This I know. For the The Bible tells. Love me so. Little ones to him belong They are weak, but he is strong Yes, Jesus loves me Yes, Jesus loves me Yes, Jesus loves me The Bible tells me so Amen. Would you stand as we close today?

Let's surrender our lives to Jesus. On today's Moody Church hour, we heard Pastor Philip Miller with the third message in a series he's calling Identity Traps. We heard about Jacob seeking significance through power.

Next time, we'll hear about Zacchaeus, who sought significance through possessions. Plan to join us. Grace Awakening It's a book by Charles Swindahl about how grace enables us to live a life that is pleasing to God. This book is our gift to you when you give a gift of any amount to support The Moody Church Hour. For full information, call toll-free at 1-800-215-5001.

That's 1-800-215-5001. Online, go to MoodyChurchHour.com. That's MoodyChurchHour.com. or write to us at Moody Church Media, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. Ask about Grace Awakening when you write a call.

Join us next week for another Moody Church Hour with Pastor Philip Miller and the Congregation of Historic Moody Church in Chicago. This broadcast is a ministry of The Moody Church.