Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10122 - God is Our Shield and Great Reward - Genesis 15

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#10122 - God is Our Shield and Great Reward - Genesis 15 · 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, Genesis chapter 15. If you have your Bibles open
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there with me. Genesis 15, the title of our
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Bible study is our God is our shield and great reward.
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It's one of those encouraging passages there as God comes to
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Abraham and tells him. Don't be afraid in verse 1.
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He says, after these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram
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in a vision saying, do not be afraid Abram.
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I am your Shield. Your exceedingly, great reward.
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Abram was spoken to back in Genesis 12, where you want to go
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there with me in Genesis 12 a lot has happened.
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Since this call comes to this Pagan man, in verse 1, it says
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now, the Lord had said to Abram, get out of your country and from
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your Kindred from your father's house to a land that I will show
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you. I will make you a great nation.
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I'll bless you and I'll make your name great and you shall be
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a blessing. I will bless those who bless
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Bless you. I will curse him who curses you
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and in you all the families of the Earth shall be blessed.
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This is known as the abrahamic, Covenant and a lot has happened
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just since this introduction of God to Abram.
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Remember Abram obeys? And he leaves and after he
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leaves a famine hits, and he takes a detour to Egypt where he
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tells his wife to lie. And yet God puts fear and
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pharaoh, and rescues Abram. Then they go out and he has an
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issue with lot in the Servants of law.
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But Abraham's doesn't want to have an issue with this family.
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So he gives lot the opportunity and yields to him lot chooses,
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the area of Sodom, and Gomorrah gets himself in trouble, a war
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breaks out. And now Abram becomes a man of
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war, literally he had over 300 people that he armed and he went
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to rescue lat. Yes now to get Involved in Lots
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problems and lot becomes a big problem for Abram.
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I'm sure Abram was emotionally and physically exhausted.
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By the time we come to chapter 15, he didn't anticipate.
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I believe, the real Warfare, that awaited him on this journey
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of faith. And again, let's be clear here.
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The Warfare for Abram was real hand-to-hand combat and I don't
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think he anticipated it, we don't often associate great.
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Steps of Faith with big steps of warfare and for It wouldn't be
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hand-to-hand as much as it would be spiritual.
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There is a spiritual battle with every step of faith and living
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in the will of God does not come without a fight.
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As it's been said, Earth is a Battleground and not a
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playground. And I'm sure that you've heard
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this said and maybe even enjoyed it that God loves you and has a
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wonderful plan for your life. It's such a pillow to lay your
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head on but his real is that truth is The devil hates you and
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has a horrible plan for your life.
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He wants to distract you and disrupt you and ultimately
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destroy you. He wants you as a follower of
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Christ as weak as feeble and is ineffective as he can get you.
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I mean, whether it's completely torn out, or if you give him
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five percent, you give them 10%. He wants to take you out.
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He doesn't want you relying upon the Lord, he doesn't want you
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fellowshipping with Believers, he doesn't want you reading your
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Bible daily and praying. He doesn't want you loving one
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another and reaching out with the gospel.
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He wants. Your marriage is ruined.
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He wants your kids shattered and he'll take you as miserable and
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as depressed as he can get anything and everything.
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But growing strongly spiritually.
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And it's a reminder today, as we jump into chapter 15 as Abram,
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just finishes Warfare, Won't be his last and it won't be the
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last of associating, the faithfulness of God's people
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with Warfare. I mean the whole book of Joshua
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in taking the land is one of warfare and battles.
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And we're engaged in spiritual warfare.
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Would you hold your place here and turn over to Ephesians
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chapter 6. I want to read it to you from
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the New Living Translation. You can read it to you from
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your, you can read it from your version, but I want to read it
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from a different perspective. A fission is chapter six, jotted
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down in verse 10, I'm reading from the New Living Translation
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here. It says, a final word be strong
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in the Lord and in his mighty power, On all of God's armor so
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that you will be able to stand firm against all the strategies
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of the devil. For we are not fighting against
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flesh and blood enemies. But against evil rulers and
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authorities of the Unseen World against Mighty powers in this
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dark world and against evil spirits.
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In the Heavenly places verse 13. Therefore, put on every piece of
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God's armor, so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time
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of evil. Then after the battle, you will
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still be standing firm by the way.
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After the battle here, Abram and chapter 15 is standing firm.
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He's probably a little weak need as you and I are often but he
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standing firm and that's the word that Paul gives to the
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Ephesian Believers. Notice verse, 14, stand your
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ground. Putting on the belt of Truth in
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the body armor of God's righteousness for shoes.
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Put on the peace that comes from the good news so that you'll be
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fully prepared. In addition, all of these, hold
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up the shield of Faith to stop the fiery, arrows of the devil,
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It on salvation as your helmet and take the sword of the spirit
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which is the word of God. Pray in the spirit at all times
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and on every occasion, stay alert and be persistent in your
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prayers for all. Believers everywhere Church
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you're involved and engaged in a real spiritual war.
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A very serious battle. And I want you to think back,
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just for a moment to before you were born.
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Again, if you have that testimony, there was a lot of
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resistance in a lot of battle going after you, when you
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weren't saved because you are cooperating, with the Devil.
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He's not going to fight himself. You were living for this world
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living in this world, cooperating, with the evil of
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this world, just fully engaged in it.
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You are no threat and no danger to his plans.
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But when you were born again, you chose sides for Abram.
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The call and chapter 12 was his choice of sides.
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No longer living in idolatry and paganism, no, longer living in
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the life that he had apart. From God, he rose to the
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occasion. And he chose sides and by
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choosing sides both Abram and you and me declared war.
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You could say very real at you in a very real way.
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You can say I declare war in the spiritual realm as I stand fast
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as a soldier of Jesus Christ, brought it down in 1st, Timothy
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Chapter 6 and verse 12. It says, again in the New Living
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Translation, fight the good fight for the true faith and
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hold tightly to eternal life, which God has called you, which
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you have declared. So well before many witnesses.
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Paul, when he writes to Timothy, he says, I want you to fight the
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good fight of faith. It is a good fight.
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Just remember Church to fight the right enemy.
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We have a real bona fide enemy and it's not other believers and
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many times. It's not who you think at all,
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we don't wrestle against flesh and blood.
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We wrestle in the spiritual realm.
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Now, verse 1 of chapter 15 with that in mind, fresh off.
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A real war. Verse 1 after these things.
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What things everything we just shared rescuing lat, bringing
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them back safely. At this moment, the word of the
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Lord came to Abram in a vision saying, do not be afraid Abram.
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I am your Shield, your exceedingly, great reward.
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And I would say this is a great follow-up to any episode of
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spiritual warfare, Don't Be Afraid Abram do.
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Be afraid the comforting promise of god.
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Notice what he says. He says, number one.
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I am your Shield which speaks of protection or as we learning
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Ephesians protecting us from the fiery darts or the arrows of the
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enemy Abram, I'm going to protect you and I think that God
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speaking Abram here you know he didn't say good job with war.
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I'm glad you got a lot back. You're such a great man of faith
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and a great man of integrity and uses no Abram.
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I want you to know I'm your protector, even the victory you
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just enjoyed was because of my protection in your life.
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I'm your protector I'm your Shield Abram you can trust me
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you can trust me don't lean on anyone or anything but me on
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this journey of Faith again jot it down and Isaiah 41:10.
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This is repeated over and over again.
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The Bible says fear, not for I am with you and be not Dismayed
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for I am. Your God.
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I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you and I will
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uphold You by my righteous right hand.
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I think God would be saying that too many of you today.
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I am your shield and secondly, he says, I'm here exceedingly,
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great reward. Remember Abram just came back
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with all The Spoils of War and what did he do?
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He didn't keep them all. He participated in the tithe, he
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gave a tied to Melchizedek before the law is Everest.
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Bush Abram did not keep all of the spoils and it's interesting
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to me that God would come to him and say, you know, not only am I
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going to protect you Abram on this journey of Faith but I'm
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also going to provide for you. It's the same promises that we
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have in Christ. God is our protection and he's
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also our provision. God himself will be Abraham's
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reward. Even as he himself will be your
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reward. All of your needs are and will
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be met. According to his your riches in
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Christ Jesus, God has promised to provide all of your needs.
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That's an important truth to hold on to as we continue to go
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forward, in our journey, in our journey of faith in a very
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unsettled world that we're in right now, very unsettled
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globally. Economically, it seems like
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every area of life that we have dependent upon for stability and
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safety and encouragement has been taken away from us or will
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be taken away from us. And then we're, And in their
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weak-kneed and you can almost hear God, say don't be afraid
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church. I am your shield and your
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exceedingly great reward because God owns it all and he'll
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provide all that you need. Now this is the first time you
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Bible students that the in the Bible that the word of the Lord
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notice in verse 1, the word of the Lord, the word of Yahweh or
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Jehovah is mentioned. And it's also the first time the
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word vision is mentioned, the word Shield, as mentioned, and
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the word reward. Are used the first time that the
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scripture uses the great. I am statement as well.
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And notice how Abram responds in verse 2.
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But Abram said, Lord God, what will you give me seeing?
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I go childless and the air of my house as Eliezer of Damascus.
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That's an interesting response to God, who says, I'm going to
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provide, I'm going to protect you and provide everything you
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need and then Abraham goes well, what are you going to give for
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me? I'm the last Action.
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Well, what do you what is your provision?
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For me? That's an interesting response,
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but I love his honesty. I love his childlike Faith as a
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grown successful, man. So what are you going to give
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me? He's getting older.
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And how, will the promise be fulfilled?
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He received the promise from God, but then, as he's assessing
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it all he's like, how's it going to be fulfilled?
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I just can't see looking at my body looking at my life, looking
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at what you give, I just don't see how you could possibly do
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this. God verse.
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Three Abram said look you've given me no Offspring.
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Indeed one born in my house is my air and behold the word of
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the Lord came to him saying. This one shall not be your Heir,
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but one who will come from your own body shall be your Heir.
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So God is promising him. A son in his old age.
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Now, the custom of the day dictated that the servant of the
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house would get the estate. It was no male Heir and Abram.
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No doubt is thinking hey, my name is exalted father but I
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have no child, no son. Where's my protection?
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Where's my provision? And I think those questions are
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familiar in our own walk of Faith.
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Where's my protection? God, when we're in a vulnerable
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place. Where's my provision?
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God, when we are in a vulnerable Financial place or maybe a
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promise of wasn't given and hasn't been fulfilled and we're
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in a place of Waiting. And to me, it's encouraging that
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God listened and received Abrams concerns.
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He wasn't an Angry Dad saying, just take my promise and deal
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with it but he's dialoguing. Remember prayer is a two-way
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street with God, it's both listening and talking talking
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and listening and one way to facilitate that is to pray
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through the scriptures. Have a Bible open praying
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through the scriptures talking listening and God gives a I'm a
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direct and comforting, answer, and verse 5, he brings them
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outside. So he takes them outside of his
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tent, brings him outside and said look now toward heaven and
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count the Stars. If you are able to number them.
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Now, just pause there for a second.
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Little bit of sense of humor with God, I think it's go ahead
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and look up and just start. I don't know if you've ever
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tried to start counting to the stars, but you lose count
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somewhere along the way. It's like 1 2 3 4 20, Oh, I'm
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which one of my own again. And he like if you could
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possibly count the stars and he's bringing Abram to a place
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where he in a very easy, simple way saying this Abram, I'm God
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and you are not. Remember the great difficulty
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that job went through, job went through significant loss,
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significant grief, he wasn't encouraged by his friends.
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Things were even more difficult when his friends come by, he's
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battling in the Physical Realm with all the He's facing all
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that he's going through, his wife has been taken out.
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She to his grieving, not a great encouragement to him.
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She's not even a great encouragement to herself and the
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whole book of Job is walking through the argumentations and
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the wrestling's. I mean it can be a very
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discouraging book, but it can also be a very affirming book as
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any of you that have gone through great difficulties can
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relate to many of the episodes in the life of job.
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Now, I want you to turn over to Joe with me toward the end.
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I'm going to find it. With find it with you.
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As we come to the end of The Saga with job and it ends with
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job talking to God, very similar here with Abram and God.
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And when you get to Joe, go to chapter 40 40.
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And let's just face it. When we are ministering to
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people most likely we're going to be in the realm especially
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those that are grieving and hurting and just going through
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stuff, we're going to be in the realm of comforting them.
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We're going to be in the realm. I mean if we have job story and
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job was here today most of you you would seek them out, give
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them a big hug, take him out for a cup of coffee and say job.
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It's going to be okay bro, I'm here with you.
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I'm going to pray with you. I'll be your prayer partner will
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get through this together. I'm sorry, your friends were so
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discouraging to you. I'm sorry for your grief.
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Lost. I mean, we're just going to step
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in I think with empathy with sympathy with care and concern
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and that would be a perfectly good response and please church
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be more empathetic. Be more sympathetic walk
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alongside people carry and lift up one another's burdens.
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Yes, yes, yes. But you know, that's not what
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God did with job. But here's here's God's response
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and 40:1 moreover. The Lord answered job.
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Instead, it's going to be okay job.
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Things are going to be just fine.
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Now, that's not what the Bible says, you know, do you have your
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Bibles open there? What does he say?
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Xiao, the one who contends with the almighty?
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Correct him. A paraphrase.
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Joe, do you really think, you know better than me?
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Now doesn't sound super comforting, doesn't it?
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And they just goes chapter after chapter.
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He says, hey look job says, I'm vile.
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How can I answer verse 4? I lay my hand over my mouth
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verse 6 and then the Lord answered job out of the
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Whirlwind. So there's all kinds of dramatic
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effect there from God. He's okay, Joe.
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Prepare yourself like a man. Stand up, I'll question you and
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you're going to answer me. And verse after verse after
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verse after verse is God saying in a very paraphrased way job.
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If he forgotten that I am God and you are not And that's what
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God's doing with Abram here. And you can expect God to do
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that with you as well. He is the God of All Comfort,
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who comforts Us in all our tribulation.
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He is the god, who cares and loves.
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I mean, God has demonstrated his love toward us.
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Then yet, when we were still sinners Christ died for the
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ungodly, I mean, he has made it evident and clear of his great
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love for us. But there are those times.
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And they're probably far more than we recognize or God has the
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authority and knows what's best for us.
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And he comes to us and says, have you forgotten that I'm God?
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And can't you just say yes? Lord, I have forgotten.
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Yes. It was a lapse of my the emotion
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got got me and I forgot the pain.
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Got me and I forgot the hurt got me and I forgot the anger got
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me, and I forgot all the different voices of bad Council
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got to me and I forgot there's a thousand different ways that we
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forget but God might be inviting you out of the tent and I think
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the tent here represents a place of comfort and protection a
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place where as Abram is living life in his life of Faith, he
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had covering over him a covering where he would rest at night
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where he would live his life, the regular everyday life that
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you and I have got says, I want you to step out of your everyday
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life and I want you to look up and if you can go ahead and
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Number the Stars, count them all And yet, God knows you're not
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going to be able to do that. And what does he say?
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If you're able to number them? He says at the end of verse 5.
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So shall your descendants be He says, I'm not just giving you a
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son. But you have descendants
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connected to you, more than you can number.
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Don't forget that. I am God.
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He says, now in verse 6, one of the most epic verses in all the
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Bible, I want you to Market Circle it.
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Highlight it. It says any believed in the Lord
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and He accounted to him for righteousness.
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This is the route in the scriptures of a doctrine that we
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know as justification by faith justification by faith.
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If that is a Doctrine, you want to study more on.
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I have Bible studies through when we went through the book of
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Romans that you can spend more time on looking at
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justification. Laura fication, sanctification.
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We looked at these doctrines and depth one at a time.
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It's mentioned again in the New Covenant in Romans chapter 4.
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Galatians chapter 3 and James chapter 2.
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This is one of the most important verses in all the
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Bible, the very essence of your relationship with God.
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There is a promise, so huge and a situation.
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So desperate and Abram. His response was not to try to
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count all of the stars. There's some of you that would
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be your response, okay? God.
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I will start counting and I will get back to you.
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When I am satisfactory counted, every single star that I can
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find. It isn't do that his response to
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the promise of God, to calling out of his tent out of the
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regularity of his life, out of the comfort and ease out into
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the wide open expanse. His response was belief.
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And it was at that moment where the connection between God and
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Abram, really was solidified because at this moment, it was
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accounted to him. For righteousness.
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This is the first time, the word believe is used in the
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scriptures. The Hebrew word actually means
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all men or it shall be. So to believe, means to rest
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upon to lean upon, to be sure of to have complete and full
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confidence in. And when God spoke to say that
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Abraham's seed would number, as the stars of the sky, Abraham's
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heart swelled with praise and thanksgiving to God as one
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commentator puts it, his Said Amen, Let It Be So and Abram
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rested upon and lean upon God's promises.
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He was sure of God's promise. He exercised, the complete and
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full confidence in God's promise.
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Now, understand when were using these words, it doesn't mean
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perfect. It means as much as he possibly
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could in the moment because we know he's going to go up and
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down in his faith. So, when you hear this, and go
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okay, rested, lean full, confident, complete.
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Understand as it applied, in your life.
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It's for the moment. It's what you have in the moment
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and, you know, as well as I do, I can breathe in.
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Eight and breathe out doubt in the moment.
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And God builds upon that confidence that you respond to.
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Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Even now in this moment, if you believe in the promise of God,
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the finished work of Jesus Christ to forgive you of your
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sins. I mean, in order to believe that
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you have to acknowledge that you have sent I don't understand why
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it becomes such an offensive thing for you to recognize the
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failures of your life. It is offensive.
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I understand that. But everyone that's sitting in
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this room has to come to terms with the failures of your life,
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the failures of my life. The mistakes that I've made the
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mistakes that I make. And while were quick to admit
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that we have failed and we've made mistakes, it's not a very
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far leap friend to go from mistake to sin.
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It's a very short Bridge. The two words are very similar
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sin has a greater weight to it, because sin is not defined by
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someone standard of, right and wrong sin is defined by God.
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He is our righteousness. He is our creator.
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He is who were accountable to. So that when we mention some
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everyday mistake, when it is measured by God, it's not some
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everyday mistake. You could Define it.
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As I have failed a most holy and righteous God.
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Now I know, you know, there's all kinds of discussions and and
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Twitter feeds and things that psycho you define, God, and he's
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mythology, and you'd like that. That's all just smoke and
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mirrors. Just step away from the reality
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that when you put your head on the pillow at night, you know?
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You maybe have pushed it away, you may have covered it, you may
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even be under the influence of alcohol, drugs right now, trying
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to run away from the reality of your sin.
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But you don't need some Pastor to convince you.
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God has already shown you. And now the question remains
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what will you do? It's almost like even tonight
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God is saying step outside of your tent, maybe you have a 10th
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of May Be the tenth of your life, is what the culture says,
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whatever's popular in the culture.
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That's the tenth you live in. God says, I want you to step
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outside of the 10 of your culture.
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Maybe it's an identity that you've developed over the years,
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maybe you've taken on an identity, maybe you like to
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identify with a particular group of people and that's the tenth
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that you're in and God is inviting you to come outside.
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Out of your 10, I want you to look up for a moment and just
26:33
count the Stars. Count my handiwork.
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I want you to consider how vast I am in your life.
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You've limited me by the tent that you live in.
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You've limited me by the ways you're choosing to deal with the
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imperfections of your life and the difficulties in your life.
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You're trying to hide them. You're trying to bury them.
26:53
You're trying to ignore them adopting new identities to run
26:56
from them. And God says, no I want you to
26:58
come out of the tent and I want you to look up and I want you to
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know, I have promised you But if you believe in me, I'll counter
27:05
to you for righteousness. I mean, it wasn't too many years
27:09
ago that I was in the tent. The my tent had many names
27:14
partying drunkenness stupidity drugs, checking out and life
27:23
selfishness. I mean, you, you wonder what the
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sign? Your guy said you were messed
27:27
up. I'm even worse than you realize.
27:31
How bad the sign over my 10. I needed a neon sign like one
27:35
like billboard of just where I lived my life to run away from
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God. And you could have come to me,
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dozens of Times and say stop running from God.
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And I would say, I don't want anything to do with your God.
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I'm happy in my tent. And yet internally, if you
27:51
caught me on a bad day, I would say I'm not so happy.
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This isn't really working out the way I thought it would.
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It's really not giving me the satisfaction in the Fulfillment.
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That was promised in that tent and it was an invitation to come
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out like Abraham gets here and it's like God just says, come
28:12
out. Come out.
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Look up and believe. If you believe me, I'll count it
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to you for righteousness. I will forgive you of your sins.
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It you will be a changed person. It will be according to my word
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in your life. So notice in verse 7.
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He says, he says, I am the Lord who brought you out of earlier,
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of the Chaldeans to give you this land to inherit it and
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Abram responds. Lord, God, how shall I know that
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I inherited? And so he said to him, bring me
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a three year old heifer, and a three-year-old female goat and a
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three-year-old Ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon.
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Then he brought all these to hem and cut them into down the
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middle and place the East each piece opposite, the other.
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And he did not cut the birds into and when the vultures came
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down on the carcasses Abram, drove them away.
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Now, that's an interesting response, bring me the animals
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and sacrifice them. To me, God declares that he's
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the one that brought him out of Iraq Aldi's.
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If you look from Abraham's Abraham's life, he left the tent
29:26
of his family and he went, and he moved now.
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In the tenth of his house and God's bringing him from 10 to
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10. And another way of looking at
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the on your life is God is bringing you from glory to glory
29:36
and strength to string that you're on a journey of spiritual
29:39
growth growing in him. And Abram ask this interesting
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question just looking. I want you to notice again in
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verse 8 I don't want you to judge a berm here.
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It's like what is your problem Abram?
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Like don't you know how the story ends he doesn't not yet.
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He doesn't know how the story. And so his question and verse
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date. How shall I know?
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How shall I know he's wanting more Assurance from God?
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And you know there are people around us, they just need more
30:07
Assurance. You would think by now they'd
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cross the threshold where you have full Assurance but they
30:12
don't yet and it's really important that you learn to walk
30:16
in the spirit with those around you that you don't look down too
30:20
much on people that need more Assurance.
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Even the Bible, even John when he's writing in first, John the
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letter of First John. He says one of the reasons he
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wrote it is so that you might know.
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Do that, you know, you were saved for Assurance.
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And so even Abraham the father of Faith needed more assurance.
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And and there are those times in your life and mine many times
30:44
personally where I want and I desperately need my faith,
30:48
strengthened in the Lord, I need I've been walking with the Lord
30:52
for 31 plus years and still. There are seasons where I need
30:57
the assurance that comes by faith.
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I think of the Apostles, would you turn over to Luke chapter
31:04
17. These are men that are living
31:08
with Messiah. They can touch him and hug him
31:12
that he's, Jesus is teaching them with them, eating with them
31:17
hanging out with them and notice.
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In verse 1. It says it is impossible that no
31:28
offenses should come. This is Luke 17 verse 1.
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Luke 17. It's impossible that no
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offenses, should come but woe to him through whom they do come.
31:37
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his
31:40
neck and he were thrown into the sea than that.
31:43
He should offend one of these little ones, take heed to
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yourselves. If your brother sins against you
31:48
rebuke him, if he repents forgive him, and if he sends
31:52
against you, Seven times in a day and seven times in a day
31:56
returns to you saying I Repent, you shall forgive him.
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Now again as Bible teachers that we are were often talk about the
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math here and all the things that relates.
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But I want you to know how the disciples heard this, they
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didn't reduce it to a math equation, they didn't reduce it
32:13
to getting out a calculator, they heard the teachings of
32:17
Jesus here and this was their response in verse 5, the Apostle
32:21
said to the Lord We increase our faith.
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Can you imagine walking along with the teachings of Jesus?
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And there are times when he gives you an instruction and
32:35
you're only responses, I need more faith for this.
32:40
Increase our faith. And Jesus, then gave an
32:43
instructional. It's not about how much Faith
32:45
you have. You have, if you have a just a
32:49
little bit of Faith, you can move mountains.
32:51
It's about your proximity to me. And Abram, he just wants
32:55
Assurance. God wants to give you a surance
32:58
tonight. He wants to encourage you guys
33:00
listening on the radio or watching online.
33:03
You're not a substandard Christian, wanting more
33:06
Assurance. You want more Assurance, ask God
33:09
and he will give you more Assurance.
33:11
You want your faith established ask God and he will establish
33:15
your faith. Do you want strength for the
33:17
moment? God will respond to you.
33:19
I am your Shield. I am your great reward.
33:25
Well, he's also given this instruction that there's
33:30
something practical to take place Abram was familiar with
33:34
the ingredients of ancient contracts.
33:37
In the, it was the presence of blood that would get the verbal
33:41
terms of the agreement and both parties would have agreed to the
33:44
terms. Notice in verse 12, when the sun
33:46
was going down, a deep sleep, fell upon Abram and behold a
33:51
horror and great Darkness fell upon him.
33:53
And he said, Abraham know, certainly that your descendants
33:56
will be strangers in a land that is not theirs and will serve
34:00
them, and they will flick them 400 years that's prophetic of
34:05
Israel's time for 400. It's kind of a round number 430
34:08
years in Egypt. Prophetic word from God.
34:11
It's Not Unusual for God to predict trouble up ahead.
34:15
I mean, that's one of the ways that God throughout the Old
34:17
Testament would send prophets warning of impending judgment
34:20
and calling to repentance. And I also think as I was,
34:23
Looking ahead in our Bible, studies through the book of
34:26
Acts. Looking ahead to chapter 9, God,
34:29
even warned Saul of Tarsus when he was born again of the many
34:33
things that he would suffer for his name sake.
34:37
And even on his way to Jerusalem later, on in his ministry, he
34:40
would warn Paul. You're going to die in
34:42
Jerusalem. It's not going to be easy for
34:44
you there. And Paul said, hey, I'm going
34:46
God, both wants me in Jerusalem and wants me to suffer for his
34:50
name sake. So here He's prophetic in verse
34:54
14, the nation whom they serve, I'll judge.
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Again if you like to write in your Bibles to start it down, he
35:00
speaking of Egypt here and they shall come out with great
35:03
possessions. Now as for you you shall go to
35:06
your father's in peace and you shall be buried at a good old
35:10
age, but in the fourth generation, they will return
35:13
here for the iniquity of the amorites is not yet complete.
35:18
So a deep sleep comes upon Abram here.
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It's interesting that God is paralyzing Abram in the setting
35:25
of terms for this contract, or this Covenant.
35:28
Normally it was necessary for both parties to walk through and
35:32
repeat the terms together through these animals.
35:36
But here God is making a deal with Abram and Abram has nothing
35:41
to do with it. It is a covenant that is
35:44
dependent upon God. And God Alone.
35:47
We call that an unconditional Covenant.
35:51
God is making a promise that he will fulfill God will follow
35:56
through with his terms with no conditions.
35:58
No, strings attached. Then he says, in verse 16 in the
36:04
fourth generation, they wrote shall return there for the
36:07
iniquity of the amorites is not yet complete.
36:10
The amorites lived in Canaan and they were exceedingly, Wicked
36:14
people. They had been there for 400
36:17
years and yet God says the children of Israel would return
36:21
because the iniquity was not yet full.
36:24
Now this is another proof of God's patience with man because
36:27
he gives chance after chance, after chance, and one of the
36:30
difficulties men and women have with the Bible is the utter
36:33
Judgment of God, especially upon those that were in Canaan, the
36:37
amorites being one of them, there's always the focus on the
36:40
Judgment of God, the Judgment of God, how can God bring such
36:44
judgment. But the real question needs to
36:46
be how gracious is God to wait for a hundred years and for
36:52
Generations, waiting for repentance.
36:55
We look at the requirements of God.
36:58
How can God, how can a God of Justice and fairness, require me
37:02
to surrender and sacrifice my life in order to follow him?
37:06
Why would he be so strict? Why would he require so much?
37:10
But the question is, asking the wrong way, the question isn't,
37:14
why would God have these requirements upon you?
37:17
The question is, why won't he judge you right now?
37:20
Why is God being so gracious with you.
37:22
Why is he being so patient with you?
37:25
Why is he waiting? Oh for you, perhaps not for
37:29
Generations but maybe you're the fourth generation in your family
37:33
that God is waited upon waited upon waited upon for someone in
37:37
your family to repent. The amorites had 400 years to
37:43
change in turn before Joshua would return and lead the people
37:47
into the promised land. They chose death and not life.
37:51
And today, if you reject, Jesus Christ, you choose death.
37:56
You choose Rebellion. And God will hold you to your
38:00
choices. He will give you what you
38:03
choose. He will not force you to follow
38:05
him. He will not force you to bend
38:08
the knee. He will not force you.
38:12
He gives you the freedom in every sense of that word, to
38:16
choose this day, whom you will follow.
38:19
Well in verse 17. Now it came to pass when the sun
38:23
went down and it was dark. That behold there was a smoking
38:26
oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces on
38:30
the same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying to
38:32
your descendants. I have given this land from the
38:35
river of Egypt to the Great River of the you river
38:38
Euphrates. The key nights, the Kina.
38:40
Cites the Cadman, i'ts the Hittites, perizzites the ref, am
38:45
the amorites, the Canaanites, the girgashites, and the
38:48
jebusites. You know, folks that like to do
38:51
this, they did all the measurements here is about
38:52
300,000 square miles of land. That's being promise to Abram
39:00
and his descendants. And even at their Peak, the
39:03
nation of Israel only occupied about 30,000, only 10% of all
39:08
that God has promised them. And I wonder at times how much
39:12
we've really walked into the promises of God in our own
39:15
lives? Are we only 10%?
39:17
Is that where we're at right now?
39:18
There's no D % more awaiting you to walk in by faith.
39:23
There's 90% to step into and say I've got this for you son.
39:28
I've got this for you daughter. The girgashites, the amorites,
39:34
you know, they don't exist today.
39:36
You won't find anyone say hey, where are you from on?
39:38
You know, ancestry.com, I've got 100% girgashite, you're not
39:42
going to find that or on 30% amorites, why?
39:46
Because God keeps his word. The promise was not to them,
39:51
they rebelled against God and thus disappeared, but Abram a
39:55
Hebrew believed God and be as known for all of eternity and
40:00
the heritage of the Hebrews lives on.
40:03
Maybe reminded me in our own lives that we have one life to
40:05
live and what will we do with it?
40:08
Don't settle at the 10% level or the 5% level you know one of the
40:12
encouraging testimonies that I get back from time to time here
40:16
in the fellowship is when somebody comes and they've been
40:20
here for you know, six months or a year and they will describe
40:23
their spiritual growth as something like, you know, Pastor
40:26
I've learned more in the last 6 months or 1 year than I did here
40:30
than I did in 30 years. Previous church and that comes
40:34
in a lot of different ways. And and what they're describing
40:37
is the value of how fast really God wants to mature you.
40:43
It is not. I do believe it's a commitment
40:46
that we have to God's word, because that's faith comes by
40:48
hearing, hearing by the word of God.
40:50
It's not because I'm some great teacher, you know, it's the gift
40:54
of Pastor teacher that comes through me or anyone else that
40:57
stands in the Pulpit. What that testimony is
40:59
reflecting. Is that God really want you To
41:02
grow, he is for your spiritual growth.
41:06
He wants you to go to from 10% to 20% to 30%.
41:10
He doesn't want you. And again maybe you're listening
41:12
on from afar right now and you're spinning your wheels and
41:15
some church. That doesn't teach the Bible
41:17
that isn't into your spiritual growth and you're just throwing
41:19
your life away. Even though you're in church,
41:22
maybe you're in a fellowship where you're very religious and
41:25
you go through the motions and it's, that's it, you're just a
41:27
very religious person. That's all you do.
41:29
That's how you define yourself. But God, he has So much more for
41:34
you if you'll just step in by faith so much more.
41:39
Will you invest your life or will you waste your life?
41:43
That's the question that is before us in this chapter, God
41:47
comes to you. And says, I am your protection,
41:51
your Shield. I am your provision, your great
41:55
reward. And the question remains now,
41:57
what will you do? Under the protection and with
42:01
the provision of God, he doesn't say he's going to give you
42:05
something. He says, I'm going to give you
42:09
myself. I'm your protection.
42:13
And what would Jesus say later in John, 15 abide in me and I
42:18
will abide in you, your exceedingly great reward.
42:23
Is God himself. It's not as stuff.
42:28
It's not his words, it's not his Bible, it's not your church
42:33
family, or your pastor, your leaders, your exceedingly.
42:36
Great reward is God himself, don't settle for anything.
42:41
Less walk in the fullness of the promises of God, step outside of
42:47
your tent, and look up your Redemption, draws near, amen.
42:54
So good father, thank you for the Winder today of even just
42:58
knowing, there's a lot of difficulty and pain and shame,
43:02
and guilt, and fear and anxiety Among Us, and it's so
43:07
counterintuitive. That your answer to us would be
43:11
I'm giving you myself. Have you forgotten that I am God
43:18
and how can we not say yes. Lord.
43:21
Increase our faith. And tonight I invite you
43:27
wherever you might be to receive the Lord Jesus Christ.
43:31
To turn away from your sinful past, listen to what the Bible
43:34
says. The Bible says that if you
43:38
confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus.
43:40
And you believe in your heart, that God raised him from the
43:42
dead, you will be saved. And I want to invite you to
43:46
participate to step into the story of God for Your Life, by
43:51
confessing your sin before God to God right now.
43:54
So, if you're here today in Europe, you know, in this room
43:57
right here and you'd say Ed, that's what I want.
43:59
I want to follow God, starting tonight.
44:01
Would you just stand to your feet?
44:02
I want to pray with you and want to help you respond to that
44:06
desire. That decision again, you might
44:09
be downstairs or online or on the radio wherever you might be,
44:14
if I don't see you with my own eyes, God sees you, God bless
44:18
you guys. Who else would say that's me
44:22
today in this moment. The work of God upon your heart.
44:28
Can you say that God is your reward and your shield?
44:32
And if not, who is your protection?
44:35
And who is your provision? Where do you look to you?
44:40
Step outside of your tent? Where are you?
44:42
Exactly. Bless you in the back.
44:46
I mean who's going to take care of you?
44:50
God has promised to be your provision.
44:54
Pray with me, would you? And when I lead you in a prayer
44:57
where you could talk directly to God and Obey, this verse you
45:00
could say this God, I admit that I've sinned against you and I
45:05
ask you to forgive me. Of all of my sin.
45:11
I believe you sent Jesus Christ. To live for me.
45:17
To die for me. And I believe Jesus rose again
45:22
from the dead. To save my soul.
45:27
And I turn away from my sinful past.
45:31
And dedicate my life. To following you today.
45:37
And I pray that to you God in the authority of Jesus name.
45:42
Amen. We pray that you've been
45:44
encouraged by this Bible. Study delivered live from the
45:47
sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
45:50
Call us at 877, 30 Grace. That's eight 77304, 2:53 to
45:59
listen to this message in its entirety or to join us for our
46:02
live stream Services. Visit us online at Calvary Co
46:07
dot church or download our free Calvary Church app.
46:10
Be blessed as you were. Worship Jesus this week.