Grit: A Man with Grit

Introduction:  In 1969 John Wayne starred in a movie entitled:  True Grit…there was a remake in 2010…the 2010 movie was nominated for 41 different awards…in the original movie John Wayne took home his first and only Oscar for the role he played in True Grit…

The Movie is around the character of Rooster Cogburn…but each character represented GRIT…especially Mattie the 14-year-old girl looking for her father’s killer.  

Transition:  The Movie opens up with this scripture:

Prov 28:1

28 The wicked flee when no one pursues,

but the righteous are bold as a lion.

ESV

In the background, the Hymn:  Leaning on the Everlasting Arms is Playing…to set up the Movie…

John Wayne Quotes:  

“Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid”

“I’ve seen better fights that this at a Prayer Meeting”

“Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway”

  1. Grit Defined
    1. Grit is a passion for long-term goals, coupled with the Powerful motivation to achieve objectives.  It’s perseverance that overcomes obstacles that lie in an individual’s path.
    2. Grit has been seen as a Virtue since Aristotle the great philosopher.  
    3. Gritty people have the drive to keep going regardless of what they see… they know like Joseph, if the vision hasn’t come to pass, it’s not over…Gritty people also know what it’s about…
      1. It’s not about your history…it’s about your destiny.  
    4. Grit is doing what you don’t want to do, so you can be what you want to be….
    5. 5 Characteristics of Grit
      1. Courage
      2. Conscientiousness
      3. Perseverance
      4. Resilience
      5. Passion
  2. Get Gritty
    1. Many start this walk of faith…but they don’t have the Grit to finish…
    2. They need a Tenacity on the inside to stay with a thing…
    3. 1 Cor 9:24-27

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

ESV

    1. GRIT helps you run the race and helps us overcome our Deficiencies
      1. We can’t always be the best
      2. The smartest person in the room
      3. The Most talented
    2. But we can have GRIT
      1. Grit helps us get to where we need to go even when we’re not the best!
    3. Too often people live off their talent and gifts but don’t go as far as they could because they lack GRIT…
    4. GRIT is perseverance…a tenacity…that says…I’m not going to quit. 

Transition:  If I am honest with myself and others…GRIT is the separator in my own life…there are so many people more talented and gifted than I am…I’m just relentless:

  • Relentless in personal growth
  • Relentless in the study of scripture
  • Relentless in life
  • I’ve never been the smartest…but I am just determined to outwork anyone else…
  • That’s why I work an average of 75 hours a week…I’ve got to be GRITTY!
  1. A Man With Grit
    1. Jacob’s Story
      1. Jacob steals the birthright, flees to Uncle Laban’s
      2. Works for Laban for 7 years for Rachel.
      3. Laban slips in Leah
      4. After 20 years of working for his uncle/father-in-law, Jacob loads up his family and herds and leaves at night.
      5. Laban pursues Jacob/they have a showdown
      6. Jacob faces the fact he must face Esau
      7. vii. Jacob’s plan
  • Divide the herds
  • Send a messenger to Esau
    • Esau’s coming with 400 of his men
      1. viii. Jacob scheme’s
  • Gen. 32:9-12 – Jacob prays a manipulative prayer of faithlessness!! (offers God his staff)
  • Jacob sends gifts
    • 9 times he sends animals
  • Esau realizes he isn’t coming tonight!

Transition:  This leads us to Genesis 32

    1. Gen 32:22-31

22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 

      1. Jabbok
        1. Meaning to “be poured Out” 
        2. Jacob’s life was “poured out” at Jabbok
        3. In the chapter before this Jacob is pouring out his possessions in an attempt to please Esau, his brother. 
        4. His strength is poured out as he wrestles with God
        5. His nature and identity are being poured out when the Angel is asking him questions about his name…
      2. For God to Move Fully in our lives…we have an appointment with a Jabbok
        1. We pour out our failures
        2. Our motives
        3. Our successes
        4. Bitterness
        5. Resentments
        6. Habits
        7. Future plans
        8. All we have…for all He is!

Transition:  We have to be poured out, so we can be poured into…

23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; 

      1. Jacob was left alone…
      2. Sometimes it is when you are alone, you are then able to hear from God…
      3. It’s in the alone time Grit begins to grow…

and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 

      1. Until the Breaking…have you ever been in that place where something has to give
      2. vii. Jacob is an interesting case study…he’s not a fighter, a wrestler…but here he decides to wrestle…
      3. viii. And he wrestled till the BREAKING
      4. People of Grit – wrestle till the breaking…
      5. What needs to be broken off your life…are you willing to wrestle?  

25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip, and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” 

  1. Come on if this isn’t getting Gritty with God…I don’t know what is…
  2. His hip is out of joint…but still wrestling for your blessing
  3. Have you ever been out of Joint and out of sorts…but you still came to wrestle with God…
  4. God my blessing means more to me than my comfort…
  5. I may walk with a Limp…but my Limp will be a sign to everyone that the Lord has blessed my life…

27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”

  1. The Angel knew his name…because his name told us about his character and his nature….

He said, “Jacob.” 

  1. vii. Jacob means trickster, deceiver, manipulator
  2. viii. Jacob had lived his whole life with this stigma…but because he had some Grit…and wouldn’t let the Angel Go…his whole future is about to be changed.  

Transition:  Watch this verse…because when God blesses you…it is always what we need the greatest and most…but we usually don’t recognize it.  

28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” 

  • Jacob thought he needed favor with his brother Esau.  
  • But what he need was a brand new identity…a new name…
  • Israel – meaning one who prevails with God…now that is Grit, my friend…
  • But what began as a man’s name became a Nation that came out of that man…

29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”

And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. 

30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 

NKJV

  1. Do You Have Grit
    1. Sometimes, Life is Gonna Take More That What Ya Got”
    2. If you are going to an overcoming in this world…you better get some Grit
    3. My question are you willing to be Poured Out…
      1. Are you willing to visit your own Jabbok
    4. Can you Wrestle…
      1. I mean wrestle in prayer
      2. Wrestle in worship
      3. Wrestle your own emotions when you want to quit…
      4. Wrestle with the parts of the Word of God you don’t like…
    5. If you can be poured out and if you are willing to wrestle…God Will Bless You Like He Did Jacob…

But It Will Take Grit

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