Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10119 - There’s Something About Sarah - Genesis 12:10-20

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#10119 - There’s Something About Sarah - Genesis 12:10-20 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
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Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
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Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
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through abounding Grace, Media, or to tune into our live stream
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Services. Visit us online at Calvary,
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co.'s Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us
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into our study. Amen.
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Amen. Would you take your Bibles and
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open them to two places. Genesis chapter 12, but we're
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going to start in First Corinthians chapter 1, Genesis
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chapter 12 and First Corinthians chapter 1 and I've entitled our
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study today. There's something about Sarah,
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something about Sarah and we're in the middle of this epic
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chapter in the book of Genesis, really one of the most epic
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chapters in all the Bible, the All and the promise from God to
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Abram and we know and if you don't already it's important to
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learn that Abram or Abraham is not a perfect man.
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And we sometimes impose upon the scriptures, something that isn't
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there. And one of those things that we
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impose upon the scriptures is that God only uses good and
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perfect people that never make mistakes, but God shows us right
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in the beginning that Abraham's faith and God wasn't perfect.
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He had his struggles and he stumbles and his failures along
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the way but his love for God. Carried him through.
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And even in our study tonight, you'll see a great error, he
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makes and this, I won't eat with this.
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Won't be the first time. He will do it again or I should
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say it won't be the last time. It is as first time, but it
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won't be the last time. And sometimes we believe that we
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can't be used of God, because all we can see is our failures
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and our difficulties and we're reminded in 1st Corinthians
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chapter 1. Paul's writing to a church, very
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similar to ours and he and the beginning of his letter is
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writing to the people that are receiving in, and look what he
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says in verse 26. For you see your calling
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Brethren, how that not many wise, according to the flesh,
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not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God.
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And Mark these fruit mark this phrase, he's chosen the foolish
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things of the world to shame. The wise and God has chosen the
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weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are
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Mighty and the base things of the world that the things which
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are despised, God has chosen and the things which are not to
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bring nothing to the things that are all that that are verse 29
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that no flesh should glory in his presence but of him verse 30
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you are in Christ. Jesus who became I'm for us
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wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and Redemption.
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This is one of those verses. All you need to do is look
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around the room and see its validity.
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There's not many wise Among Us. There's not many Among Us that
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are Mighty or Noble and it's important that, you know, that
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doesn't say not any there certainly are some but it says
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not many. God draws us out.
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He brings us to a place where he won a bow.
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So that when we're used, people are shocked by it.
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That they are just standing there.
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Like, what is happening? How what, who is this God that
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you serve? Now, I know sometimes, this
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verse is used to make those of you that haven't been blessed in
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this room. Maybe you don't have education,
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or you have a difficult upbringing.
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Some people will come to this and be out, very discouraged by
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it. But don't, I don't believe
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that's God's heart at all for you to be discouraged by your
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station in life, even even more. So, as we were praying today,
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just to be satisfied and content with where God has us.
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It's not you. This isn't a verse to teach us
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some how to beat up ourselves and say all the whoa.
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Me and look what I don't have but rather to be encouraged the
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fact that God would choose such people.
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His us foolish and weak and that's the list.
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God has chosen the foolish to shame the week to shame the
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base, the empty the despise so that he brings to nothing the
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things that are. And this is the plan of God for
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you to embrace who you are in Christ for you.
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Never to forget those of you with a testimony, Never Forget
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Where You Came. Came from.
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Don't dwell too much there, but don't forget where you came
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from. Don't forget the pit that God
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delivered you from. And those of you that may have
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been kept from the pit. We raised in a Godly home and
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you don't have to deal with some kind of testimony that is
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dramatic or than you praise God. And you remember what God kept
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you from? So that he gets all the glory
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and what this section really tells me is that no matter who
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you are. If you are Wise or not wise if
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you are foolish or not foolish, if you are base or not base, if
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you are despised or not. Despise one thing I'm reminded
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is that God will use anyone? Amen.
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God will use anyone so no more excuses.
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No more looking at your own failures and kind of looking at
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the condition of your life today and go well, you know, God can
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Can't use me because I'm not know.
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God can use anyone and he will use anyone that turns to him.
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Jotted down in second, Corinthians, chapter 4, and
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verse 7. Paul writes, again, a letter to
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that church, a little later on. And he says, we have this
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treasure in Earthen vessels that the treasure is not the vessel.
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The treasure is in the vessel. We have the treasure in Earthen
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vessels, so that the Excellence of the power may be of God and
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not of us. We have a commitment here in our
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leadership in our service to you.
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Our desire is to direct you passed us and get you to the
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Lord. That that is where your hope
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lies. It is not in, man.
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It is not in the leadership of the church.
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It's not an elder or a pastor. It's not in a Godly woman or a
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Ministry leader. Your hope is and must be in the
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Lord. It's the Earthen vessel that
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holds the Treasures of God and we see this.
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So clearly you can't look too man.
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Man is not your hope. The choice to abide in him as a
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great, a place of great string so that he might get the glory.
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Which brings us with that in mind.
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That's the New Testament. Principle that's built upon
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every single person that God's used in all ages.
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It doesn't matter. Every single person that God has
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used is of the same category, Earthen vessels, and we come
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back to an Earthen vessel that we were introduced to last time
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Abram. And forgive me if I use Abraham
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and Abraham, Sarah, and Sarah interchangeably.
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Because we most notably know them as a Hammond, Sarah, and we
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were introduced to the Abram last week in that gloor last
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time in that glorious call and how he responded to it.
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The great man of Faith. But this great man of faith is
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also a great man of failure. A great man of failure, and we
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see already in the same chapter of the call and response, we see
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already a great lapse of Faith. So I draw your attention there
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in chapter 12 of Genesis pick up with me.
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In verse 8, verse 8 will overlap in our study previously says he
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moved from there to the mountains, east of Bethel?
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And he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west.
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A, i on the East and there he built an altar to the Lord and
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called on the name of the Lord and so Abram.
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Journeyed going on, still toward the South.
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Now there was a famine in the land and Abram went down to
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Egypt to sojourn there for the Ammon was severe in the land.
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And it came to pass when he was close to entering Egypt that he
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said to Sarai his wife. Indeed, I know that you are a
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woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore, it will happen.
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When the Egyptian see you, they will say, this is his wife and
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they will kill me and they will let you live.
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So, please say that you're my sister, that it may be well with
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me for your sake and that I may live because of you.
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So, in the midst of taking a step of Faith, understand this
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principle, you ready principle number one.
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Steps of Faith are always met with crisis of Faith.
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There will be Attack upon your step of Faith directly.
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And we see that with Abram with this famine, it causes a great
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lapse of Faith. A great crisis of faith.
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I mean, he stepped out, strong for Faith and immediately he's
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met with resistance. A real famine, it is a real
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crisis, it is a real difficulty. It is a real challenge, it's not
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perceived, it's not made of. It is a real, it's a famine in
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the land that moves Abraham's actions.
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Any time of ISIS come. It's going to move you to
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action. I was reminded recently, as I
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was teaching another churches of that scripture and I taught the
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same studies here, but it was just been fresh as I taught it a
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few times. In one week where the Bible
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says, I think it's in Proverbs 18 that the name of the Lord is
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a strong tower and the righteous run to it and are safe and built
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upon that that scripture was used to build a bond and they
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him chapter 1 that Then, that God is known as a stronghold in
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the day of trouble. And I was reminded that days of
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trouble cause us to run. We're going to run Even the
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world, you know, how the world will develop something?
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Science will discover something and then they'll claim like,
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they invented it. But in reality, the revealing,
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the principles of God, they didn't invent it.
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And in our lives, there is that thing that they call the fight
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or flight response, that it will bring up a response.
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A crisis will come, and you will your responsibly fight or
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flight. Well, I suggest to you
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biblically. That the response to crisis is
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always flight. You're going to run.
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And you're going to run somewhere, you may run away, you
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may run to the left, you may know him to the right, you may
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run to the bottle, you may run to some place of comfort, some
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coping mechanism. But the Bible declares that the
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safest place for you to run is to the Lord.
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He's a place of safety for you. He is a stronghold for you.
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He is your protector, your Defender Abram is met with a
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famine. In a very real way he runs and
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just noted, it'll be a principle throughout the scriptures.
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He runs to Egypt. God did not call him to go to
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Egypt. God did not direct him to go to
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Egypt, but the famine. Moved him moved him.
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And it's another truth that I like to share than in times of
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trouble. And in times of great
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difficulty. Don't make big decisions.
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Wait it out, wait upon the Lord or another way of putting that.
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Don't make big decisions on bad days.
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Wait on the Lord that God might renew your strength.
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And here we are. Abram making a big bad decision
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because of a rare. Very real crisis.
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Egypt was known at the time as the breadbasket of the region.
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So in a very logical way, it makes sense that he would go to
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Egypt, because the word would be that there's plenty of food
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there during times of famine. And at this point in Abrams
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life, he's not mature enough that he can simply choose to
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trust in the Lord. It's a test of his maturity.
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So he jumps very quickly to figure things out, deal with
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them. While all the while God allowed
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this famine to affect Abrams so that he might learn how to trust
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to turn to him and trust him in the crisis?
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But he's just not there yet, whose God is bringing him on a
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path of maturity. He's not that fully developed
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man of Faith. He's in the early stages of his
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faith being developed as many of us, go from Faith to Faith.
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Remember there's still room to grow there.
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Maybe even in the crisis in your life that you're mature.
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Your faith is not mature yet to the place where you immediately
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turn to the Lord. Some of you, you still, after
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many years, you're still turning to something first and go all
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men, I already know I shouldn't do this, but you still in there
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because God is continuing to mature us.
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Not only that but it stirs up a concern about his wife as you
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see. Now Abram is not only facing the
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crisis of famine but he's worried about the beauty of his
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wife. The beauty of his wife is
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greatly concerning to him. So he starts to scheme and this
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manipulative Spirit, you know, has been seen in his lineage and
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now we have the first recorded lie in the father of faith.
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And he's worried that she would attract too much attention and
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that as that attraction would come the, the leaders, or even
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feral himself would want her. And in order to get her, would
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take him out. And then, as fear, grows a life
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of its own overwhelming as Faith.
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Now, let me just say here, this concern with his wife's beauty
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is not without Merit, it's not without Merit.
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History tells us that Egyptian men were very On of Semitic
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women and they would find a woman they liked and with the
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authority, the absolute Authority.
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That was given to them. They would kill their husband so
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it's not like he's making it up. There is a real concern here.
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However, even with a real concern, that's no excuse to
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respond with faithlessness, you know, how we can come up with
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good reasons, but they actually just become bad excuses for our
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behavior and not taking full responsibility.
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Or we have good reasons. Yeah, but it's not reason just a
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sorry, excuse for your lack of obedience.
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And I have noticed this in my life.
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Many times. I sure you have in yours.
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Fear, will take you places that you never thought you'd go.
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And that's where Abram is here. He's going to make a very bad
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decision based on this fear rooted in based in truth.
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But it hasn't happened yet. He's made a decision on the
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hypothetical And again, you don't want to make decisions
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based on non realities. You want to deal with what's in
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front of you, notice in verse 13.
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He tells her. His precious wife.
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Please say that you're my sister.
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If you like to write in your Bibles in verse 13, just say he
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asked her to lie, Now asking those that are close to you, to
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sin is never going to lead to anything good.
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You can just Mark that down record, it jot it down in your
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notes, write it in the margin of your Bible, for whatever reason,
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whatever it is, you're asking someone you love asking your
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spouse to lie, asking your kids, to lie, asking your friends to
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lie, it will never lead anywhere.
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It will never lead anywhere, good.
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It will never produce the righteousness of God.
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It will never help the situation, tell you, tell them
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you're my sister. And then he gives his reasoning
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so it'll be well for me and that I may live.
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It's going to change our relationship, you know it's
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going to they're going to take you away from me, but at least
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we'll both still be alive. Now, there is even some
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semblance of Truth here in this statement where you're always
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looking for the limit. And I just think this is a
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worthwhile or don't have my notes, but I just this word that
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comes to mind right now as I'm teaching is technicalities, if
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you're the kind of person that likes to live in the
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technicalities of life, you just need to repent says, would you
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please would you just please tell me your sister because you
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know, technically as you work through all of our ancestry and
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you check the app and you see where we fit somewhere in the
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Three. Technically you have some kind
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of sister relation with me. So technically I'm not really a
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No-No, just be honest. I'm asking you to be a liar and
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deceive so that maybe I'll live our know what's going to happen
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to you. But hopefully, I will live and
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it's a great crisis and external crisis created an internal
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crisis, created a marital crisis, created a husband that
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would then demean his wife to use her manipulative man.
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Repeatedly, even if he has some sort of good motive, which we
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don't quite know. And so, no, this no matter how
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strong you are. No matter hard to what place of
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strength, you grow, no matter how spiritual you become, no
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matter how much Faith, you muster up.
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You and I are still prone in a moment's notice.
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To fall into the flesh. And we must take the flesh,
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seriously. I'm certain today.
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Those Among Us those of you guys Connected To Us by technology,
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I'm certain that if I would ask for some sort of response about
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how many of you takes in absolute sense.
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Seriously. Well, yeah, I do too.
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I take sense, so seriously. And for that, I commend you, as
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you and I should, we should take known sin very seriously.
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But let me ask you this. Do you also take your flesh
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equally seriously? Do you take your flesh that
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another way of thinking about your flesh is not so much our
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physical. It's not the Bible doesn't use a
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spiritual, the spiritual definition of Flesh when it's
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used in the Bible is not our skin and bones.
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It speaks of our old sinful habits, or the old life or
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another way of thinking it is that what the world calls coping
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mechanisms trying to get through things, trying to assuage the
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pain. Just trying to numb the numb,
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the difficulty. And Just make it through by some
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non you know some simple way the Bible calls flush.
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When you and I are to run to the Lord and trust him with member
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the enemy, he just knows the absolute place of Peace for you
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is the absolute place of faith for you.
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When you come to a confidence and Faith, you also have the
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benefit of that, which is peace. You have the peace of God, that
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is given to us by the grace of God.
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But if you fall into the flush, You called or the flesh.
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You go back to compromise. You will stumble.
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And yeah, it's true though. A man falls seven times.
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He will rise again. But what that Bible doesn't say
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is how long you stay down. What the Bible doesn't say, is
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all the consequences that come from that headlong.
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Well, you know. God will forgive me.
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Yes, he will. With the provision of the blood
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of Jesus Christ, is to forgive us of all sins.
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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
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and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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Yes, yes, yes. But what about the consequences?
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The consequences aren't so quickly erased.
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What about the people you affected?
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I mean, we look at Abram here and we see all he's kind of
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leading and man of Faith. But how did Sir I feel Okay, I
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guess so and we know later on. She also makes some suggestions.
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So in either one of them are perfect.
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I mean, very similar to us. But how disappointing sin is
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have you not found not to be true yet?
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Sin is so disappointing. It does not promise what it does
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not deliver, what it promises And send begins with messing
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around in the flesh, letting our guards down, going into places
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that we never should be. Listen, the challenges we face
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or to be used to grow our faith. They are not tests.
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For us to pass and handling ourselves as much as they are
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situations to remind us of our utter dependence.
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Because, as much as we go from Faith to Faith, you could also
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say we go from trial to trial. Difficulty difficulty as the
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Lord builds, our faith. Would you turn over to Romans
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chapter 5? With me please.
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I want to show you this. Romans chapter 5 is first.
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Just popped into my mind right now.
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I want to share it with you. Romans chapter 5.
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Pick up there in verse one with me on the same exact themes that
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were talking about in the life of Abram therefore having been
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justified by faith. We have peace with God through
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our Lord, Jesus Christ through whom.
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We also have access by faith into this grace in which we
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stand and we rejoice in Hope of the glory of God.
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And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations knowing
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that tribulation produces endurance.
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Or perseverance in some of your translations and character.
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Perseverance, comes character, verse 4 and character.
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Hope and hope does not disappoint, because the love of
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God has been poured out in our hearts.
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By the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
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For when we were still without strength in due time.
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Christ died for the ungodly trials.
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Bring us back to the Cross. Where were reminded of the
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faithfulness of Christ that he died for us?
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Not as righteous men and women but as unrighteous and God
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demonstrates his love to us, God desire, God's desires that we
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learn to trust him in new areas. Not just the familiar areas new
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levels, not just the same level new ways, new degrees such as
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we've Never known before and often the path.
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What pathway he allows that is through circumstances that are
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outside of our control that we might be continually reminded of
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The Sovereign care of our father, even in the pain.
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There's a fullness of maturity that's being worked out in your
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life. Even right now, do the
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circumstances that he's allowed and you can see how we delay and
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how we complicate, and how we make things worse.
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When we manipulate and take things on our own, we start
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moving and working deals and taking care of this.
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And it might give some temporary human piece but it's not the
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will of God never now notice verse 14. so what was when Abram
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came into Egypt that the Egyptians saw the woman that she
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was very beautiful In the princes of pharaoh.
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Also saw her and commended her to pharaoh and the woman was
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taken into Pharaoh's house. Now, some of you guys see at he
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was, right? Well yeah, he was right in his
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observation, in his concern, it's validated here.
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You may even be in a place like that right now or you see
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Pastor. I hear what you're saying and I
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know what you're saying, but I want you to know.
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I was right. Okay.
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And how does that validate the sinful decisions that came from
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you being right? It doesn't and notice it goes,
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goes on. It says in verse 16, he treated
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Abraham well for her sake and he had sheep and oxen male donkeys,
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male, female, servants, female donkeys, and camels.
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And the Lord plagued pharaoh and nuts.
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Like look, here's another one, the Lord plagued pharaoh and his
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house with great plagues because of Sarah, Abraham's wife and
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ferrell called Abram and said, what is this?
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You have done to me. Why didn't you tell me she was
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your wife? Oh, now the truth comes out.
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There is a philosophy of this world that you must deal with
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because we were all raised from it, especially if you're raised
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in the public school system, this is Philosophy, that was put
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it is a way of thinking, of the world.
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And that is the end justifies. The means And I am certain that
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most, if not, all of us, have used that to justify bad
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behavior in our lives. The end justifies, the means
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which meat basically means. You can do whatever you want,
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along the way, as long as it gets the desired result.
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And we measure everything by the desired result or at least the
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perceived desired result instead of the process.
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So that, you know, if you had 10 decisions to make and you made
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eight of them, send, right? And two of them sinfully and it
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ends up the way that you wanted. Well then, hey, look at the end.
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And God says, no, I don't want you to look at the end.
26:17
I want you to live today. I want you to live in the
26:19
moment. I don't want you trying to
26:21
manipulate the end. I want you to make the right
26:24
decision today. Well, what about, I want you to
26:27
make the right decision today, right now, that's the answer,
26:31
the quote, am I supposed to do, and what's going to happen and
26:33
what if, and what about, okay? Here's the answer.
26:35
Make the right decision today With rights before.
26:39
Yeah. But if I do that, then, and if I
26:41
do that, then if I do that then no, no, I won't, I'm not getting
26:44
no, I'm no, I'm not even know. I'm gonna do it this way, this
26:47
way, this way, this way, this way.
26:48
No, it's simple. You don't need to be confused
26:51
about it. You don't need to be concerned
26:52
about it. Make the right decision today.
26:55
If you need to confess something, confess it today.
26:59
You need to make restitution make restitution today.
27:02
You have something to Hidden that needs to be Revealed review
27:05
it today. You need to extend forgiveness
27:08
today, forgive today. You need to confess your
27:12
bitterness, confess your bitterness today.
27:13
You your faithless today. Then trust God in your
27:16
faithlessness and turn to him today, the end does not justify.
27:20
The means god, prescribes the means and he controls the end.
27:26
God, prescribes the means he gives us the pathways of Life.
27:31
He's given to us his word. He has shown us the way of life.
27:36
He prescribes the means and he controls the end.
27:41
You can trust him with your life.
27:44
You can choose to take things into your own hands.
27:46
Will see this again in Abrams life, he does the same sin.
27:49
Again, his wife manipulates, when they're given a promise,
27:52
that they dealing with this issue in their home, for a long
27:55
time, but the end does not justify.
27:58
The means and Abram was, right. They were impressed with her
28:02
beauty. With her beauty.
28:05
They exactly, as he thought he knew there was something special
28:09
about Sarah. And indeed, there was I wanted
28:13
to draw your attention here. This is amazing.
28:15
I've been reading Bible for 30 plus years and just yesterday, I
28:19
saw this unbelievable. It's an unbelievable Revelation.
28:23
I want to show you in verse 14, when he came in the Egyptian saw
28:28
the woman, they saw that. She was beautiful and the
28:33
princes of feral also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh,
28:39
there was something special Out her countenance about her
28:46
presence. It was actually drawing and
28:50
powerful, and outwardly, and obviously attractive.
28:56
And apparently, the word gets out very fast about her.
29:00
I mean, consider, this, these are two strangers coming in,
29:03
with a small, little family coming into Egypt and word
29:06
spread fast. Something unusual about Sarah
29:09
not merely though, I believe Leave her outward attraction and
29:13
Beauty. There was something radiating
29:16
from her. The hand of God is upon her
29:18
life. She is living in the favor of
29:21
God. She is no ordinary woman.
29:24
She is married to the great man of Faith which also makes her a
29:29
great woman of faith. A significant part of the true
29:34
story of Abram and there is radiating faith and trust in
29:38
this family's life, the princes and the leaders wanted her but
29:42
they knew a pharaoh saw her, then he would take her from
29:45
them. And there might be consequences
29:47
for them. And so, think about just think
29:50
about this is a country. This is if you you just think
29:55
through, you know, entering in that you think of the United
29:58
States of America and a couple enters in, I don't know.
30:02
Enters in through Texas, they just come into the country
30:07
through Texas and before, you know it, the president of the
30:10
United States knows about them and knows about how pretty that
30:14
his wife is. I mean, this is, this is
30:16
Supernatural, there is a natural part of this but there's also a
30:20
Supernatural part of this. And the princes and the
30:23
ambassador's in the ruling governors of the nation of
30:25
Egypt. All begin to talk about this
30:27
couple. And they just become a
30:30
conversation piece. There's a Pretty Woman, Pretty
30:33
Woman, Pretty Woman. How old man?
30:34
You know what Pharaoh needs to know about this?
30:37
I mean it's more than her outward Beauty.
30:39
I know that that is the emphasis here and I do believe she was a
30:43
beautiful woman being, even it being older, but it is more than
30:46
that. And here this couple comes in
30:50
and it gets right to pharaoh and it says, and this is the key in
30:55
verse 15, they commended her, they commended her, if you have
31:01
the NIV, it might say they praised her before Pharaoh.
31:08
Now, Mark that word commended or praised and write the Hebrew
31:12
word next to it h, eh l a l Halal.
31:20
You are familiar with that Hebrew word because it sounds a
31:24
lot like Halle lujah. The word means to shine.
31:33
And when you say hallelujah, you are then praising shining the
31:37
light on Yahweh, your God, when you are declaring.
31:43
Hallelujah, you are shining the light on your God and this is
31:49
the first mention. Again, in Genesis, we have a lot
31:52
of first mentions. This is the first mention of
31:54
this Hebrew word. And the first mention of this
31:57
Hebrew word Halal which is the root of, Hallelujah is connected
32:02
to Abram and Sarai connected to Faith.
32:06
It's also connected to her beauty and even though this word
32:11
most often is used to praise and worship God in.
32:15
Here, it is a Hebrew word that's used to reference a Godly woman.
32:21
It's a pretty serious word. Most often in the scriptures,
32:24
it's a word directed toward God. But in this case, in the early
32:27
stages of Abraham's Faith, it's used toward and directed
32:31
directly toward from these, Pagan men to their Pagan leader.
32:38
Appraised toward this godly woman of Faith, which leads me
32:42
to believe that those in Egypt saw something more than her
32:46
physical Beauty. It was more than just an, I'm
32:49
sure there were other pretty woman women in Egypt, and I'm
32:53
There are other pretty symmetric women in Egypt.
32:55
I'm sure that Pharaoh's harem was filled with pretty woman
32:58
pretty women. I don't think it's merely merely
33:03
outward beauty that such a word would be used in the scriptures
33:08
to describe her. They what they were seeing was
33:10
something intangible. What they were experiencing was
33:13
something deeper than just looks and appearance has just made up
33:18
hair and makeup and jewelry, which is what the world.
33:23
Use today, not only does that world.
33:25
Not only do we live in a world system that values, the outward
33:28
Beauty, but they'll even take a picture and filter it and take a
33:33
picture and manipulate it. Photoshop filters to take away.
33:39
So that, no, no. It's even more than that, but
33:41
it's all unreal, it's fake. It's nothing to be captivated
33:44
with. It's repetitive this not what
33:48
Sarai she's not, she's not putting her pictures through
33:51
Photoshop for this. She's not presenting herself
33:54
with some filter that takes it takes away the lines or the age
33:59
and her, that's not it. There's something deeper in her
34:01
and at the same time she still has a not outward attractiveness
34:05
to her. To me, it just blows my mind.
34:09
They're seeing something in word in her, that is shining hour.
34:16
Even as this word is used to describe the shining of
34:22
attention toward God. It's also used here women and
34:29
men. It's used here to describe a
34:32
shining. In this Godly woman's life.
34:38
There's something going on inside of her, that's bringing
34:41
out an outward burning of Glory in the blessing of God, it's
34:46
noticeable, it's palpable. And this could be a little
34:51
insight. This could be a little insight
34:54
of what Jesus taught us. And one of the best ways to
34:58
follow Jesus, when you reading the scriptures, is just to take
35:01
his words at the most simple definition.
35:05
Just let him say, Let Jesus say what he says.
35:09
And Obey that and you remember what he says, I want you to
35:12
consider the what's going on in Abraham and Sarah's life and
35:15
there's some attraction there, something deep here, so much.
35:19
So that those leaders went, and, and now as its described as
35:22
this, she is halal. You got to see this, they
35:25
praised her to him, not just say, hey, there's some pretty
35:29
woman that came in. There's, there's a praising a
35:31
commending going on and listen to what Jesus says me.
35:34
Read it to you and Matthew 5:16. Let your light.
35:40
So shine before men, that they may see your good works and
35:44
glorify your father in Heaven. Hear the words being used of
35:52
something much deeper than just outward Beauty and it reminded
35:59
me of a passage in the New Testament.
36:01
It might have reminded you of that A2 is your like when you
36:04
going to get their head when you going to get their head, when
36:05
you going to get there right now turn over to 1st Peter.
36:09
Chapter 3, this may lead to what the Holy Spirit inspired our
36:17
brother Peter to write when he looks back.
36:20
On the example of Sarah. Turn with me First Peter chapter
36:27
3 and then pick up there as he's giving us instruction.
36:33
And he speaking to the wives here, pick up in verse 1.
36:37
And again, as I share with you so many times, please listen,
36:40
again, maybe this is the first time you're hearing it.
36:42
But whenever there's a Passages of scripture that surround great
36:46
controversy, here's what I want you to do.
36:50
Don't get involved in the controversy first.
36:54
Look for something close to the controversy that super simple to
36:58
understand and receive it. Because this is a controversial
37:03
passage even as I read it. It's going to what I can't
37:06
believe this. What cars are you stuck in the
37:08
14th century or whatever? But that's what he says.
37:11
He says, likewise you wives be submissive to your own
37:15
husband's. I'm not going to be submissive
37:17
anyone. And there's a big argument and
37:19
I've already taught on that. So you can listen to the studies
37:22
on the beauty of In marriage, the beauty of submission and
37:25
Society don't get caught up in the controversy because he says,
37:30
even if some don't obey the word that they, without a word, may
37:33
be won by the conduct of their wives.
37:35
And then notice when they up, what does your Bible say?
37:39
What does your Bible say? It out loud?
37:41
Observe, is that what your Bible says?
37:43
That's what mine says when they observe, what are they going to
37:46
observe your outward Beauty? The making up of your body, your
37:50
makeup. Your no knows what they're going
37:52
to serve. They're going to observe your
37:54
Chase conduct. They're going to observe your
37:57
behavior. They're going to observe the
38:00
Life of Christ. Inside of you.
38:07
Radiating out of you in a very difficult marriage.
38:12
He says verse 3. Don't let your beauty be that
38:19
outward. Adorning of the arranging of
38:22
hair wearing gold, putting on fine apparel, but let it be,
38:27
which is a forceful command statement in the Greek, Let It
38:31
Be The Hidden person of the heart.
38:35
The Incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet Spirit, which
38:40
is very precious in the sight of God.
38:44
It may not be valued and precious in the sight of your
38:46
husband right now. But remember the end doesn't
38:52
justify the means god. Dick States, the means, how will
38:54
you reach a difficult husband will?
38:56
How will you reach by way of extension by application?
39:00
How will you reach a difficult wife or difficult?
39:03
Like it's not the outward, primarily it's the inward life.
39:09
That's what scene. And he describes it.
39:12
He says, well you want an example would look in Matt and
39:15
former times the holy women who trust in God.
39:17
Adorn themselves, submissive to their own husband, even as Sara
39:21
obeyed, Abraham calling him Lord.
39:23
Whose daughters you are. If you do good and are not
39:26
afraid with any Terror, what a great faith, Sarai has here to
39:32
obey her husband, I mean, she could have said I'm not Tony,
39:36
buddy. I'm your sister.
39:38
But she submitted to it. Very challenging.
39:43
And it was that inward beauty of eight that of Sarah, that was
39:46
noticed even by unbelievers. Even by those she was beautiful
39:53
but it was deeper. As a Godly woman, she was the
39:58
whole package. She was inwardly more valuable
40:04
to the Lord and to her husband. Then just outward Beauty and
40:09
it's this is not This is these words among us, should not be
40:15
shocking, but this is not our culture.
40:19
This is a very countercultural message, cultivate the inward
40:23
person. Cultivate who you are in Christ.
40:28
Be the type of woman and by application the type of man that
40:32
inwardly cares more about the inward than you do the outward.
40:38
And what we see, I think coming back to chapter 12.
40:41
Now, what we see is, one of the benefits of that.
40:45
Is that You're beautiful outward and inward.
40:51
It's not about the outward looks.
40:56
It's about who you are in word and that makes you beautiful
40:59
period. And that's where she is here.
41:04
And just thinking man the same word that is used to praise.
41:07
God is praising the presence of God upon Sarah's life.
41:13
It's amazing. And Abram was blessed because of
41:16
her treated. Well, not because of his lie but
41:21
because of the grace of God, And his care and concern for the
41:25
plan of bringing Messiah. However the truth comes out the,
41:30
you know, this by now, right Church, the truth will always
41:32
come out. It will never be hidden forever.
41:36
If not come out in this life, it will be revealed at the great
41:39
white, Throne judgment or at the bema seat Judgment of Christ
41:43
where our lives are examined as Believers.
41:45
A truth will come out. And justice will prevail.
41:49
And so the Lord plagued Pharaoh, it says in verse 17 because of
41:54
Sarai And Pharaoh called Abram and said and and somehow we're
41:59
not told exactly how but whether it's him making the right
42:02
conclusion or some Supernatural Revelation Farrell goes.
42:05
This is your fault. I'm plagued because of you so
42:10
that tells me it was more than just a transaction to bring me a
42:13
wife, there was some kind of something going on there, where
42:16
Abram continue to play along with it, more horses, more
42:19
donkeys, and exchange from a live, here you go.
42:22
And we're both alive and we're eating during famine, but
42:26
outside the will of God. And you know, you're only going
42:30
to be outside, the will of God for so long before the Lord
42:32
stops it. And that's what happens here.
42:36
And I don't, please don't miss this.
42:39
Abram is rebuked by an unbeliever.
42:44
You ever been a rebuke by an unbeliever?
42:46
That is one of the most humbling things and it's not just well,
42:49
you know, I thought Christians weren't better than that.
42:51
I mean, when you are truly caught in sin and an unbeliever
42:55
catches you on it before anyone else, not just all, you know,
43:00
Believers are hypocrites, not that many.
43:02
This is, this is your faulty room.
43:04
You are living a lie. That's what he says, basically
43:08
says, hey. Why didn't you tell me she was
43:11
your wife? Now.
43:15
I'm sure fellow Pharaoh is taking many people's wives, so
43:18
don't let him take the moral High Road here.
43:21
God, is this using pharaoh to bust his boy?
43:26
That's what he's doing here. Why'd you say she's my sister
43:28
verse 19? I might have taken her as my
43:32
wife. Now therefore here's your wife,
43:37
take her and go your way. And Pharaoh commanded, his men
43:41
concerning him, and they sent him away and his wife and all
43:45
that he had. Couple lessons here before we
43:48
leave number one. When we sin, we affect others.
43:53
And Sarah. I paid a high price for the sin
43:55
of her husband. She participated in it reminds
43:59
us of ananias and Sapphira the little bit where they conspired
44:02
together cooperated together. But her husband led men, you're
44:05
the leader of your home, you're the leader of your marriage,
44:08
you're the leader of your kids. So could lead wisely take your
44:12
family to the Lord. Lead them in the ways of God.
44:17
Because Abraham wavered, he put both his wife in the king of
44:20
Egypt in grave Danger. And if a Temptation has, you
44:24
know, a place where you're debating whether to send or not.
44:28
Listen, if a Temptation in your life, right now is placed you
44:32
where you are in a place of debating, whether it's Center or
44:34
not, then I want you to think about your influence, I want you
44:39
to think about your family and your friends and your co-workers
44:41
and your neighbors, it's not worth it.
44:45
Well, but at it's not it's just not worth it.
44:48
It will cause great harm. Some seen in some unseen.
44:55
But not only that, you know, poor Pharaoh here, he doesn't
44:59
know what's going on in the spiritual Realm.
45:03
It's hard to say this but you might even say he's kind of an
45:05
innocent player and all this not quite innocent because he's a
45:08
rebellious Pagan, but still nonetheless in Abraham and
45:11
Sarah's life. He doesn't know what's
45:12
happening. He's just dealing with stuff
45:15
right in front of him. And judgment falls upon him, but
45:19
not on a broom on, but God used it on pharaoh.
45:23
For great significance because this is the Covenant results.
45:26
That was promised previously Abram.
45:29
God is keeping his promise to Abram.
45:32
Even throw Abram failed because God is the promise giver and
45:38
also God is the promise keeper, and he's keeping his promise
45:42
here. God says, I'm still going to
45:44
keep my Covenant with you Abram. I'm still going to accomplish my
45:46
will, no matter what your sinful behaviors are the New Testament,
45:50
New Covenant equivalent of that is what the Great.
45:53
Of God, we've already learned about the grace of God, because
45:56
the first mention of the grace of God, was it within a midst of
45:59
a difficult days of Noah? And what does it say about Noah?
46:04
Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord Abram did too.
46:10
So did Isaac. So did Jacob?
46:13
Soda dead. And so, did you?
46:17
That is how God deals with his children.
46:21
I want you to take note of the pattern here because the
46:24
prophetic word of God is filled with patterns repetitive
46:28
patterns, and don't want you to miss this pattern.
46:30
You may have never seen it before, but it's going to repeat
46:33
itself again for the whole nation of Israel.
46:36
The same exact thing. Where Israel left the land of
46:40
promise and were driven down to Egypt because of a famine.
46:46
And in they became enslaved by the Egyptians because of that
46:50
choice, just like Sarah did. And yet God brings judgment upon
46:55
pharaoh. And the next thing, you know,
46:58
the nation leaves Egypt with all their stuff.
47:02
And what happened with Abram? Now becomes a picture in a typo.
47:04
It's going to happen with the nation of Israel.
47:06
Not many years from now. It's a pattern prophetically
47:10
that tells us God's covenant is unconditional.
47:13
It's based on his character his nature.
47:17
The character of his promises are rooted in the grace of God
47:21
and he's going to do it even as we learn from our painful
47:24
mistakes, I like to put it this way.
47:27
You're going to accomplish the will of God in your life and
47:29
you're going to do it. The easy way, are you going to
47:32
do it the hard way? And I think we've all have
47:36
testimonies of both in our lives, don't we?
47:38
But we've taken the easy way and we loved it, but we've also
47:41
taken the hard way and hated it, but at the end, the Lord still
47:45
accomplish this purposes. So I commend you today as your
47:48
pastor and as your friend, go the easy way.
47:51
Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and he will lift you
47:53
up. Respond to him in obedience,
47:56
live a life of Faith Fidelity, integrity truthfulness, and let
48:02
the Lord deal with the outcome. Don't think you control the
48:05
outcome, you don't maybe temporarily you're getting what
48:09
you want but nipping manipulation will never your
48:11
lead you to the will of God. The easy way, it will always
48:17
lead you to the will of God the hard way.
48:21
And so father, thank you for the Revelation in the life of Sarah
48:25
for the prophetic Insight in Abraham's life toward the nation
48:27
of Israel in the future. And God we just come to you
48:31
asking me for you to lead us in the way of everlasting.
48:35
We might grow in your grace. Did not choose the hard way.
48:41
Not choose compromise, not to lean on the arm of the flesh.
48:45
That we would be reminded that the flesh lusts against the
48:47
spirit and the spirit against the Flesh.
48:49
And the two are contrary to one another.
48:51
So that we not don't do the things that we wish.
48:54
We just come to you fresh and clean tonight submitting Our
48:58
Lives to you. And even so Lord for some I pray
49:02
you would get them out of the mess that they've created that
49:06
they might be revealed with all Fidelity and integrity and
49:10
honesty. That the light that what is
49:12
hidden in darkness will come to light.
49:15
And that if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
49:18
have fellowship with one another And the blood of Jesus Christ
49:24
cleanses us from all sin. May we walk in the light tonight
49:28
individually and together, in Jesus name.
49:33
Amen. We pray that you've been
49:35
encouraged by this Bible. Study delivered live from the
49:38
sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
49:40
Call us at 877, 30 Grace. That's eight 77304, 703 to
49:50
listen to this message in its entirety or to join us for our
49:53
lives dream Services. Visit us online at Mauricio.
49:58
Church or download our free Calvary Church app be blessed as
50:02
you worship Jesus this week.