Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Abraham’s Blunder - 6/3/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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Abraham’s Blunder - 6/3/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

0:02
Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
0:10
today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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sure to subscribe, follow, and share
0:15
with your friends. Now, let's join
0:17
Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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God.
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>> Genesis chapter number 12. I want to
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begin reading in verse number nine.
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And we'll look through the end of the
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chapter. Was going to break this up. Uh
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but I just feel led to go ahead and get
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through with this chapter tonight
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concerning the life of Abraham.
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And uh following our series tonight, if
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you're titling the message, we're going
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to title this not a graceful title, but
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it's true nonetheless. We're going to
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title it Abraham's blunder. And you'll
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see that in the text tonight. Abraham
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makes a grave mistake in this text,
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right?
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>> And uh we're going to deal with that
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subject uh this evening. And uh you know
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what? I'm thankful uh we was I was
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talking with a dear sister out there in
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the forer there just a little while ago
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and I said, you know, every man that God
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used to do something great was seemingly
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full of failures. You know what that
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does? That encourages me
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>> because you know what? I'm full of
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failures. Right.
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>> And uh if you think that your past is
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the only failures you'll have, you're
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very wrong. You're right.
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>> And you've got failures yet ahead of
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you. And you say, "Preacher, how do you
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know that? I might not make it another
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day." Well, you understand we fail him
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every day.
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>> Amen.
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>> Amen. And uh we ought to do our best
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best we can not to, but you know we do.
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Amen. And uh I want to look at this text
1:45
tonight. Verse number nine. The Bible
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says, "And Abram journeyed going on
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still toward the south, and there was a
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famine in the land. And Abram went down
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into Egypt to sojourn there, for the
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famine was grievious in the land. And it
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came to pass when he was come near to
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enter into Egypt, that he said unto
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Sarai his wife, Behold, now I know that
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thou art a fair woman to look upon.
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Therefore, it shall come to pass when
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the Egyptians shall see thee, that they
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shall say, This is his wife, and they
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will kill me, but they will save thee
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alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my
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sister, that it might be well with me
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for thy sake. My soul shall live because
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of thee. And it came to pass that when
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Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians
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beheld the woman, she was very fair. The
2:32
princes also of Pharaoh
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saw her and commended her before
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Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into
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Pharaoh's house. And he had treated
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Abram well for her sake. And he had
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sheep and oxen and he assasses and men
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servants and made servants and she
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assasses and camels. And the Lord
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plagued Pharaoh in his house with great
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plagues because of Sarah is Abram<unk>s
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wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said,
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"What is this that thou hast done unto
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me? Why dst thou not tell me that she
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was thy wife? Why setst thou she is my
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sister? So I might have taken her to me
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to wife. Now therefore behold thy wife.
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Take her and go thy way. And Pharaoh
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commanded his men concerning him. And
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they sent him away and his wife and all
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that he had. Now Father, I ask you once
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more tonight that you would help us.
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God, we we know we can do not do this
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without you. And so Lord, I pray God
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that you would give us strength, give us
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wisdom tonight and hide the ignorance of
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our youth, Lord. And and God, I pray
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you'd give us uh the tongue of the learn
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tonight that we might be able to speak
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with boldness and clarity the word of
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God. I pray, God, that you would help
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every hearer tonight, wherever they may
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be. Lord, if they're in this building or
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by way of the internet, I pray, Father,
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Lord, that they would be touched and
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challenged by the message and more than
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anything that you would get glory uh
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from now on from this message. We love
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you. Thank you for loving us. We ask it
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in Jesus name. Amen. This text tonight
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deals with the subject of Abram
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journeying out of the land of Canaan.
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And this may not interest you tonight,
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but it's interesting to me that Abram
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here in this text when he enters Canaan,
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it's not but literally just four or five
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verses and he is exiting Canaan. And I
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think that that's a good reminder for
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all of us tonight because that picture
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of victorious living and Canaan, you
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know what? That can be exited just as
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fast as we enter into it. You can spend
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a very short time in victory and you'll
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find yourself back again in a place of
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despondency if you're not careful. Abram
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does not take very long. And he finds
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himself journeying outside the land of
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Canaan. And I notice in verse 9, the
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Bible says that Abram journeyed going on
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still toward the south. And Matthew
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Henry made a good point about this text.
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It is interesting to me that, you know,
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Abram didn't turn around and go back.
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And we could say that to his credit. He
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didn't try to go back to Haran. He
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didn't try to go back to the Caldes. But
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he he's journeying as if he's not really
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satisfied with where he is at. And I
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want to say this. I was talking to a
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brother uh this week, one of the dear
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brethren here in the church and we was
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talking about contentment and what that
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really means. You know, contentment,
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Bible says godliness with contentment is
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great gain. And Paul said this, he said,
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"Having therefore food and raignment,
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therewith let us be content." And uh
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when I think about contentment in your
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life and mine, what I find is is that
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very few of us are dwelling in a state
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of contentment. Because contentment does
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not have to do so much with possessions
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or pleasures, but it has to do with the
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position of your mind.
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>> There's people that have a lot of poss
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possessions in this life, but they're
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content. God has blessed them with
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riches. And then there's people who have
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nothing and they're not content because
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they're always trying to gain something
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else. And so contentment is the state of
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the mind. And it appears in this text is
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maybe that Abram's not content with
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where he's at in the text or maybe he's
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just trying to move on. But I I want you
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to notice something here. Something I
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really feel like the Lord pointed out to
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me by way of introduction. Then we'll
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give you three points and be done. The
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Bible tells us as he's going on in verse
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number nine, verse number 10, there is a
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famine that arises. Now the famine, you
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know, of course that is a illustration
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here. There's a lot of first in this
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text. This famine really appears the
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first time here in the text that word is
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used and has to do with the darth that
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was in the land of Canaan. And uh you
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know mainly probably dealing with uh the
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oppression of the Canaanite people and
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the testing of Abram's faith to remain
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in this land. And the Bible says that
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Abram went down into Egypt to sojger
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there. So Abram didn't go to Egypt to
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stay there but he went there just to
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sojger. That word sojourerm simply means
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just to pass through for a time. And the
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Bible says that the famine was grievous
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in the land. Now, this is what I wanted
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to get to right here for by way of
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introduction, then we'll give you the
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points and be done. The Bible says in
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verse 11, and it came to pass when he
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was, notice that phrase, come near to
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enter into Egypt. Now that come near
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there, it almost imp uh I guess it
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implicates the thought that Abram was in
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sight distance of Egypt. He was looking
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down through there in his journey out of
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the land of Canaan and to come near he
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is getting in the vicinity where he can
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begin to see the landscape. And the
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Bible says when he was come near to
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Egypt that he said unto Sarah his wife.
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So something Abram sees in this text
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because let me ask you this. Had Abram
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ever been to Egypt?
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Not that we know of, not from what
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scripture tells us. And so, what is it
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that in this text caught Abram's
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attention? Well, I think when he saw the
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landscape, I think he saw much people.
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Egypt is defined by a great population
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all throughout scripture. And so, when I
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look at that in this text, the Bible
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says when he was come near into Egypt,
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something prompted Abraham to do what he
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did in this text. And I want you to
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notice first of all, and I'll elaborate
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more on that in just a minute. I want
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you to notice first of all in the
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message tonight, number one, the lie of
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Abraham or if you're keeping with
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alliteration, it'll be the lie of the
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patriarch. Tonight, notice what the
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Bible says in verse number 11. He when
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he came near to enter into Egypt that he
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said unto Sarah's wife, "Behold, now I
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know that thou art a fair woman to look
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upon. Therefore, it shall come to pass
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when the Egyptians shall see thee, that
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they shall say, this is his wife, and
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they will kill me, but they will save
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thee alive. Verse 13, he gives her the
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instruction. He says, "Say, I pray thee,
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thou art my sister, that it may be well
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with me for thy sake. My soul shall live
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because of thee." All right. So, the
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first thing I want to put to rest
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tonight is in the moral physical realm,
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would we say in our flesh that Abram's
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lying? Not really. Here's why. Because
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what do we know about Sarah? Sarah was
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his sister. It's what the Bible tells
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us. She was his halfsister. All right?
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And so, is there technically a lie in
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this text? No. But here's the lie in the
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text. He's withholding the truth. You're
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>> right.
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>> Do you know what? You know what's just
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as bad as lying?
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>> Withholding truth.
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>> You're right.
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>> Amen. The Bible says to him that knoweth
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to do good and doeth it not, what does
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it say? human sin. And so what Abram
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does here in this text is he's going to
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withhold the truth. And so basically
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what this turns out to be is what it
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turns out to be a lie, doesn't it?
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Because to keep up this story, he has to
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lie. And that's what he does continually
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in this text. And so I want you to
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notice some things about this lie. What
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causes him to do this? Well, I would say
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number one, this lie is presumptuous by
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Abram in the text. Look what he says in
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verse 11. Behold now I know that thou
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art a fair woman to look upon. Therefore
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it shall come to pass when the Egyptians
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shall see thee, that they shall say,
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this is his wife, and they will kill me,
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but they will save thee alive. Now, this
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is where Abraham begins to go off the
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rails. He's planning out in his mind
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what's going to happen when they ain't
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nothing happened yet.
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>> You're right.
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>> All right. And you know what? That's the
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worst thing we can do.
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>> You're right.
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>> Amen. The worst thing you can do as a
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child of God or as a person in general
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is decide the outcome without ever
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seeing the outcome. You do not you
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cannot predict what's going to happen in
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the next event. That's why Solomon said
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in Proverbs 27 and verse one, he said,
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"Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou
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knowest not what a day may bring forth."
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And so he's presumptuous in the fact
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that he says, "All right, you're you're
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beautiful, Sarah." And so when we go
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into this land, they're going to look at
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you. They're automatically going to know
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that you're my wife. And because of
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that, they're going to kill me so that
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they can have you. Now remember, what
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did we say already? Has a Abram ever
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been to Egypt?
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What is it about Egypt that Abram saw?
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You see, why would Abram, let me ask
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this question, and I encourage you, put
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this in your margin. Why would we go to
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a place knowing danger awaits us there
11:27
in so much that it would require
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perversion
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for us to obtain provision?
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>> Right?
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>> Did you think about what Abram's doing
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in this text? Basically, he's selling
11:38
out his wife. He's saying, "All right,
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we're going to go into this city." And
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he knows the dangers on the rise. How
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does he know that? Well, you know what
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Egypt looked like? It looked like where
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he was raised at.
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It looked like earth the cowes. And when
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Abram got within sight distance, you
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know what he saw? I believe he saw the
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smoke rising up. Now, you know, we we
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could talk about a lot of things
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tonight, but when we when we studied
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earth, the cowes, we learned about the
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tower of babel. What did we discover?
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They were building that tower. They were
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making pavement. They were burning fires
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and making brick and all. It was a town
12:14
of industry. And when Abram saw this
12:16
city, something in his mind clicked. And
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he makes this statement in this text.
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Let me ask you something. Why would you
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as a child of God go to a place
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willfully knowing that danger awaits you
12:28
there?
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>> Yeah. Amen.
12:30
>> Furthermore, let me ask you this. Why
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would you allow your children
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>> to be a part of something that you know
12:37
if just if everything don't just happen
12:39
just perfectly right, they're not going
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to make it through it?
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>> You see, this is the way we've operated.
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We've decided, all right, we're going to
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go here and we're going to take this
12:49
step, that step, and that step to try to
12:52
prevent disaster when if we'd have just
12:54
stayed where we're supposed to be.
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>> You're right.
12:56
>> Amen.
12:57
>> Danger would have not been impending on
13:00
us.
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You say, "How does how do you know that
13:04
Abram is presump?" Well, he reveals it
13:06
in the text. He says, "I they're they're
13:08
going to kill me because you're
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beautiful." And I thought about this.
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You know what? This lie of Abram is not
13:13
only presumptuous but really it's
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prideful.
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You think about what is he counting
13:19
upon? He is counting upon number one the
13:21
beauty of Sarah his wife. Let me say
13:24
this. Proverbs 31 says favor is
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deceitful and beauty is vain.
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>> You're right.
13:28
>> Beauty is not all there is to life.
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>> My wife's a beautiful lady. But I'll
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tell you this. Just cuz you tell me
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she's not beautiful, that ain't going to
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change my mind about it.
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>> You're right.
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>> Because it's not objective to me.
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>> You know what Abram's problem was? his
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wife was an object instead of his
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spouse.
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>> You're right. Come on. Amen.
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>> And how do you say, "Preacher, how do
13:47
you know that?" Well, his pride is seen.
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Notice what else is said in the verse.
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Verse 13. Say, "I pray thee, thou art my
13:54
sister, that it may be well with me."
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Notice that. What is the central point
13:59
of pride? It's self, fainting. Look what
14:02
he says. That it may be well with me for
14:04
thy sake, and my soul shall live because
14:07
of thee. So, not only is his lie
14:10
presumptuous and his lie prideful, but
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his lie is for his own protection.
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>> You're right.
14:16
>> John Phillips said this or John Butler
14:18
said this. This was his three-point
14:20
outline on this text. I thought it was
14:21
so good. I wasn't going to use it and
14:23
make it my own, but I want to give you
14:24
this. All right. He says in the text
14:26
that Abram, number one, he begins with
14:29
deceit. He says in verse 13, he says,
14:31
"All right, Sarah, you need to say, say,
14:34
I pray thee, thou art my sister." All
14:36
right. What that is is not telling a
14:38
lie, but it's not telling the whole
14:40
truth. All right? She was his sister.
14:43
But you know what? One writer said this.
14:45
He said, "Just because he was she was uh
14:47
she was his half sister didn't mean that
14:49
she was his half wife." Amen.
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>> She was his whole wife. Amen. There's a
14:53
lot we could say about that, but let's
14:54
just move on. All right? And I just got
14:56
some crazy looks on that. But anyway,
14:59
she was his wife. Okay? And so her
15:02
deceit deceit begins with what she said.
15:05
But then there's not only deceit, but
15:07
there is disloyalty. Look what the Bible
15:09
says. Say, I pray pray pray thee, thou
15:11
art, my sister, that it may be well with
15:13
me.
15:15
Abram's not concerned about Sarah.
15:17
You're
15:17
>> right.
15:17
>> Not once in this text has it entered his
15:20
mind that his wife could possibly be in
15:22
danger. You're
15:23
>> right.
15:23
>> That she could possibly be in danger of
15:26
being defiled.
15:29
Notice this. Not only he said deceit,
15:31
then disloyalty, but then there's
15:32
disinterest as well. Notice the last
15:34
part. And my soul shall live because of
15:37
thee. So he's not loyal to his marriage,
15:40
but he's also not even showing an
15:42
interest in what's going on with her.
15:44
You're
15:45
>> right.
15:45
>> And Sarah, as the submissive wife in the
15:47
text, she goes on and does what he says.
15:51
Let me say this. You know, I some
15:54
writers said, "Well, why did Sarah not
15:55
speak up?" Well, we're reminded in this
15:57
text that Abram has stepped out
16:00
following God on his own. Abram has
16:03
nothing to go off of other than what God
16:05
told him when he was in Haran and then
16:06
what God told him again when he was in
16:09
Canaan land. You know what he's doing
16:10
now? He's operating outside the voice of
16:12
God.
16:13
>> You're right.
16:13
>> And so as far as Sarah knows, this is
16:16
why your responsibility is important,
16:18
men.
16:18
>> As far as Sarah knows, Abram is still
16:21
following what God said.
16:22
>> You're right.
16:25
>> Because Abram spoke to God himself.
16:29
I know that's not a popular item. You
16:31
say, "Preacher, well, I have the Holy
16:32
Spirit, too." And you do. That's a
16:34
different day. Okay? You got to
16:35
understand the difference. You you you
16:37
get what I'm saying tonight. But he
16:39
points out this disinterest. Now, I want
16:42
to remind you this. Obviously, there was
16:43
a a past warning or a past witness of a
16:47
of a place like Egypt. For Abram,
16:50
evidently, it reminded him of the cowies
16:53
or of Haran. He saw something and it
16:55
made him decide in his mind what they
16:58
were going into. And so instead of
17:00
turning around and going back, he
17:02
decides to lie. You know what? I'm
17:03
seeing that a lot.
17:04
>> You're right.
17:05
>> We are more desirous to do damage
17:08
control with a lie
17:11
than we are to tell the truth. You're
17:13
>> right.
17:13
>> And have to go back from where we came.
17:17
Somebody put it this way. I think he
17:19
said it like this. Said a half a half a
17:21
pound of cure is simply worth a half an
17:24
ounce of pure prevention. You ever heard
17:26
that statement before? That's the way a
17:28
lot of people operate. They'd rather
17:30
take a long road around to try to get
17:34
somewhere. Amen. Instead of just going
17:36
the way they were supposed to go,
17:39
>> right?
17:42
It's quiet tonight.
17:46
>> Notice this verse 14. And it came to
17:49
pass that when Abram was coming to
17:51
Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman
17:53
that she was very fair. Notice verse 15.
17:58
The princes also of Pharaoh saw her and
18:00
commended her before Pharaoh. And the
18:01
woman was taken into Pharaoh's house and
18:03
he entreated Abram well for her sake. So
18:06
we've seen first of all the lie of the
18:07
patriarch. And and I believe in this
18:09
text Abram stays unscathed. Now we could
18:12
make the argument based on verse 16 that
18:15
Abram has got a got his own agenda in
18:17
his mind. I don't believe that. You can
18:19
make that argument. You know you could
18:21
say that maybe Abram's desirous to get
18:23
gain. He went to Egypt. He got all that
18:26
substance in Haran that is mentioned in
18:28
verse number five. They got their
18:29
substance and their servants. And so
18:31
when he comes to Egypt, we're going to
18:33
learn in just a minute that he gets more
18:35
substance and more servants. And in
18:36
chapter 13 says that he was very rich in
18:38
gold and silver and and cattle. And so
18:42
Abram obviously is increasing in this
18:44
text. But I believe Abram's sin stopped
18:46
with a lie. I think that he thought,
18:48
well, we'll just get through here and
18:50
we'll go on to live another day. But you
18:52
understand that your sin will often
18:53
create sin in lives of others that is
18:55
much worse than your sin.
18:57
>> You're right.
18:58
>> Did you hear what I said?
18:59
>> Notice the text. We see not only the lie
19:02
of the patriarch, but notice the lust of
19:04
Pharaoh. Bible says in verse 14 that
19:07
when it came to pass when Abram was
19:09
coming to Egypt, the Egyptians beheld
19:11
the woman that she was very fair. So now
19:13
what you see is a a series of events. So
19:16
there's the people that see Sarah here
19:19
in the text. They see she's beautiful.
19:21
And then it goes from the people in
19:22
verse 14 to the princes in verse 15. The
19:25
princes also of Pharaoh saw her and
19:28
commended her before Pharaoh and the
19:30
woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
19:32
So, so the PR it went from the people of
19:34
the city to the princes of the land. And
19:37
then the princes went and corresponded
19:39
with Pharaoh. And in the matter of
19:41
probably just a few days, Sarah ends up
19:43
in the king's house,
19:44
>> right,
19:45
>> in Egypt.
19:46
>> You know what? Sin escalates quickly.
19:51
You'll make you you you'll take two,
19:52
three steps. You know what you're going
19:53
to find yourself? You're going to go
19:55
right from the bottom straight to the
19:56
top.
19:56
>> You're right.
19:58
>> And you know what? I would rather I
20:00
would rather be at the bottom of God's
20:01
ladder than at the top of the world's
20:03
ladder any day.
20:04
>> You're right.
20:04
>> You say, "Preacher, that sounds bad."
20:06
Well, David said, "I'd rather be a
20:07
doorkeeper."
20:09
>> Amen. That's what he said. He said, "I'd
20:10
rather be a doorkeeper in the house of
20:12
my God than to dwell in the tents of
20:14
wickedness." So, there's your scripture
20:16
for that. Notice this. There's the
20:18
people. There's the princes. Notice the
20:20
perversion. The woman was taken where?
20:23
Into Pharaoh's house.
20:26
You say, "Preacher, what does that
20:28
mean?" Well, if nothing else, they are
20:31
looking at Sarah. I I'm not implying
20:34
anything, but I'm telling you this. They
20:36
are beholding her. And what has got her
20:39
to this place? It It might be her
20:41
natural beauty, but I'll tell you this.
20:43
The reason she's there is because
20:45
they're lusting over her.
20:46
>> You're right.
20:47
She may never have undressed herself
20:50
before them, but you know what? Men
20:52
don't ha they don't have to. It don't
20:54
don't have to happen.
20:56
>> That's right.
20:57
>> All right. There's perverts all over
21:00
this world today. If you send your
21:02
daughters out in this world, not dressed
21:04
like they ought to be, and even if they
21:05
are dressed like they ought to be, you
21:07
still got to protect them.
21:08
>> You're right.
21:10
>> Amen.
21:12
>> And so here in the text, we see their
21:14
the perversion. And you say, "How does
21:16
it how do you see that?" Well, notice
21:17
verse 16. And he entreated Abram well
21:20
for her sake. It's almost like a
21:23
business transaction,
21:25
>> right?
21:25
>> You remember that word I used a little
21:26
little while ago that Sarah become an
21:29
object to him instead of his spouse.
21:32
>> Sir, if your wife is nothing more than
21:34
an object to you, you know what she'll
21:35
be to everybody else? An object.
21:38
>> You're right.
21:39
>> Same way goes for you, wife.
21:40
>> You're right.
21:42
Because Abram objectified her, Pharaoh
21:45
and all the men of Egypt have
21:47
objectified her. And out of that
21:49
perversion, they have made a business
21:51
transaction. Look what the Bible says.
21:53
And he entreated Abram well for his
21:54
sake. And he had sheep and oxen and he
21:56
assasses and men service and maid
21:58
service and she assasses and camels. You
22:01
say, "Preacher, why do you title this
22:03
message the blunder of Abraham?" Do you
22:06
realize that every sin of Abram
22:08
throughout the rest of his life is
22:09
traced back to this event?
22:12
You say, "How is that?" Well, Lot
22:15
sinned,
22:16
>> pitching his tent toward Sodom. You know
22:19
why? Why he did that? Because it looked
22:21
like Egypt. And so Lot ended up s in
22:24
Sodom because Abram took Lot into Egypt.
22:28
>> Furthermore, you say, "Preacher, what
22:30
about what about his servant Hagar?" We
22:33
don't know this for a fact, but the
22:34
Bible says in verse 16, he had sheep,
22:37
oxen, he asked as Ben servants, and
22:39
what? made servants
22:42
and she assasses and camels. So it's
22:45
very likely that Hagar the Egyptian
22:50
came from this event.
22:53
Every mistake that Abram dealt with,
22:58
came from this blunder.
23:00
And you know what it came from? It came
23:02
from a moment when he allowed himself,
23:06
maybe in fear, maybe in pride,
23:09
to turn his wife over to the Egyptians.
23:13
You say, "Preacher, what does that look
23:14
like?" Well, I don't want you to fall
23:16
out with me right here, okay? Because
23:17
it's it's not popular in this day and
23:19
time. But in the influencer world we
23:22
live in, there is men, particularly my
23:25
generation, that are making hundreds of
23:27
thousands, if not millions of dollars on
23:29
the internet off of their wives being
23:31
influencers.
23:32
>> You're right.
23:35
>> And it ain't because women are looking
23:37
at them either.
23:38
>> You're right.
23:39
>> Right.
23:40
>> It's because men, old all the way to
23:43
young, some man's got his wife up on
23:46
there and he's too sorry to go work a
23:48
job.
23:49
So they're making they're making their
23:51
living and they're living big.
23:52
>> Amen.
23:53
>> Off what they're getting off the
23:54
internet. You say, "Preacher, I don't
23:56
believe that." You just go look her up,
23:57
friend. There's people making all kinds
24:00
of money off of that. Men sitting at
24:02
home doing nothing. You say, "Preacher,
24:05
what do you mean?" Abram in this text is
24:07
is benefiting off of selling his wife
24:10
out.
24:11
>> You're right.
24:14
>> Himself.
24:16
I I knew it wasn't going to be a shout,
24:17
but I'm I'm trying to get you get you to
24:20
see this is where we're living at.
24:22
>> You're right. Right.
24:24
>> And and and and young men and and even
24:27
some older men with their their wives,
24:29
they're they're all over the internet
24:31
and and and and the men don't really
24:33
care about it because they're like,
24:34
"Well, it it pays the bills."
24:37
And you say, "Preacher, but even the
24:39
ones that are undressing themselves, no,
24:41
it's they're making themselves an
24:42
object."
24:43
>> You're right. I'm talking about
24:46
Christian women that have set out to be
24:48
influencers. They've made themselves an
24:50
object to this world. Do you realize
24:53
your first responsibility as a wife is
24:55
to your husband?
24:56
>> You're right.
24:58
>> You're objectifying yourself to the
25:00
world.
25:04
Notice this. We see the perversion. We
25:06
see the possessions in verse number 16.
25:09
And the lust of Pharaoh, see, it wasn't
25:11
just limited to him. You say, "Preacher,
25:13
how do you know it was lust?" Well,
25:14
notice the Lord's plague in verse 17. If
25:18
it was just an innocent
25:20
acknowledgment of her beauty, would God
25:23
have plagued them?
25:27
>> God's never unjust.
25:28
>> You're right.
25:29
>> All right. Notice what the Bible said in
25:31
verse 17. And the Lord plagued Pharaoh
25:33
and his house with great plagues because
25:35
of Sarah, Abram's wife. Now, now, don't
25:38
miss this. All right. This is what
25:39
really links it all together. There's a
25:41
statement in verse number 17 that points
25:44
out to us the reason that this is lust.
25:47
The Bible says the Lord plagued Pharaoh
25:50
and his house.
25:54
You see, Pharaoh had had brought Sarah
25:58
unto him himself in the text. We know
26:00
the Bible says it was because of her
26:01
beauty. That's by inspiration of what
26:03
the scripture itself says. But Pharaoh
26:06
wasn't the only one beholding her. You
26:08
say, "Preacher, how how how do you know
26:10
that principle carries?" Well, I can
26:12
take you to the book of Esther.
26:15
We can see it pretty much through the
26:16
entirety of that. You understand why
26:19
that king Howus put away Vashi. In the
26:22
book of Esther, he put her away because
26:25
she wouldn't stand and unclo herself
26:28
before all those wicked, vile men. And
26:30
because she had some moral decency to
26:32
her, a house put her away.
26:34
>> You're right.
26:35
>> And so, you know what they were doing?
26:36
They were trying to find him another
26:38
queen. And then Esther gets put into
26:41
that. Of all the women that were brought
26:43
into there, we could talk about it in
26:45
the godly sector of the think about
26:46
Solomon. He had 700 wives and 300
26:49
concubines and yet still was not
26:51
satisfied.
26:52
>> You're right.
26:53
>> You say, "Preacher, well that's Old
26:55
Testament." Well, you remember in the
26:56
New Testament,
26:58
the Bible tells us about many different
27:00
women in the New Testament. You remember
27:02
them Pharisees? They brought that woman
27:04
to Jesus who had been taken in adultery.
27:07
>> Right?
27:07
>> And more than likely, according to the
27:09
text, the woman taken in adultery was
27:11
probably in the act with one of the men
27:13
that were present there.
27:14
>> You're right.
27:16
>> I'm saying the the reason this happens
27:19
is because women are objectified. And
27:21
this is what I I I'm not for of the
27:24
feminist movement of this country
27:26
because they're promoting women being
27:27
objectified.
27:28
>> You're right.
27:28
>> But here's what I am for. I am for women
27:32
embracing their femininity.
27:34
>> You're right.
27:35
>> You are a woman and God made you to be
27:39
and you love that.
27:40
>> You're right.
27:42
>> I wish I could shout to every young girl
27:45
in this world that she does not have to
27:47
have the likes. She does not have to
27:48
have the loves, the favorites, the
27:50
follows of this world TO BE DEEMED
27:52
VALUABLE IN THE EYES OF AN ALMIGHTY GOD.
27:56
IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT ANYBODY, A MAN,
27:58
WOMAN, BOY OR GIRL SAYS ABOUT YOU. YOU
28:01
ARE LOVED IN THE EYES OF GOD. AND DO NOT
28:03
DO NOT LET THIS WORLD OBJECTIFY YOUR
28:06
LIFE.
28:07
>> YES, SIR.
28:10
>> Abram was a man of God and trying to
28:12
protect himself. HE ALLOWED HIMSELF TO
28:14
OBJECTIFY HER.
28:16
>> You're right.
28:17
>> You say, "Preacher, how will I know
28:19
that?" When it comes to that point,
28:20
you'll know.
28:21
>> Amen. Say, "Preacher, how how do I know
28:24
when you are being sold out cheaply?"
28:29
Young ladies are doing it all over this
28:31
country every day. And young, not just
28:33
young, but all ladies,
28:34
>> you're right.
28:35
>> Selling themselves out cheaply
28:39
for things like this. You say,
28:42
"Preacher,
28:44
those feminist movements, they're
28:45
started for what you're talking about."
28:47
Do you realize at the background of all
28:49
of those movements,
28:51
>> there's a man that's cashing in?
28:54
>> You're right.
28:56
>> Oh, man. I could I could preach on this,
28:58
man. I'm telling you.
29:03
>> I'm telling you, you're duped. If you
29:04
think if you think that that's the
29:06
that's that's what's going to get you
29:07
liberation.
29:08
>> Go ahead.
29:09
>> That's what's going to get you bondage.
29:11
>> You're right.
29:12
>> Them women that'll talk to them
29:13
seminars. I don't know why I'm on this,
29:15
but I'm just going to hammer it while
29:16
I'm here. them women that'll talk to you
29:17
in them seminars and tell you you need
29:19
to go get a job cuz you can do anything
29:20
a man can do. They're stupid.
29:22
>> You're right.
29:23
>> You know the reason why they're up there
29:24
talking is because they can't hold down
29:26
a job somewhere.
29:28
>> You're right.
29:28
>> And they've just got enough people duped
29:30
that'll listen to them.
29:31
>> Amen.
29:35
>> Is anybody in the building?
29:39
And they'll take you away. You say,
29:41
"Preacher, what about the young men?"
29:43
And it's it's true for them in this day
29:45
and time. I'm thankful in Stokes County
29:47
it ain't so much of a problem. Amen.
29:48
Somebody say amen right there.
29:51
>> You raised around here, you going to
29:52
have to learn how to hunt or fish
29:53
something.
29:54
>> Amen.
29:56
>> Let me let me say this to you though.
29:58
Social media's made this a lot more
30:00
mainstream. The reason why it all be
30:01
preached more is because it's a lot more
30:03
mainstream than it used to be. Right. We
30:05
used to be the only influence just like
30:07
you had like this that you had was on a
30:09
TV
30:10
>> or before that in a magazine but now
30:13
it's all of us.
30:17
It's there now. Now the plague back to
30:20
that. All right. What does the plague
30:23
emphasize? Well, it emphasizes the men.
30:25
Verse verse number 17. The Lord plagued
30:28
Pharaoh. Not just Pharaoh but his house.
30:31
That's his his his king. That's that's
30:34
his kingdom. You know, I thought about
30:36
this. This is something else interesting
30:37
to me about this text. The Lord plagued
30:40
Pharaoh and his house with great plagues
30:42
because of Sarah Abram's wife. Now,
30:44
plagues can be a lot of different
30:46
things. It can be a disease. It can be a
30:47
mark. You know, the plagues in Pharaoh's
30:50
day some years down the road when Moses
30:52
would lead God's children out and there
30:54
would be those 10 plagues, there was a
30:55
lot of different things. But these
30:56
plagues were physical plagues. These are
30:59
personal plagues. These are plagues that
31:01
were on the body.
31:03
>> Amen.
31:04
>> Notice the text.
31:06
They plagued Pharaoh's Pharaoh and his
31:08
house with great plagues because of
31:10
Sarah Abram's wife. You say, "Preacher,
31:12
what what what are you trying to
31:14
emphasize?" Well, notice verse 18. And
31:15
Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is
31:17
this that thou has done unto me? Why
31:19
does not thou not why does thou not tell
31:22
me that she was thy wife?" So, there's
31:23
the men that are representing this
31:25
plague. It's his house. But then there's
31:26
the message of this plague. You know
31:29
what this plague told them? That Sarah
31:32
belonged to somebody.
31:33
>> You're right.
31:35
>> How did they find that out?
31:38
I'd say the plague probably had
31:39
something to do with it. Maybe where it
31:42
was, what it was. You say, "Preacher,
31:45
that's gruesome." No, I'm being real
31:46
with you.
31:47
>> You're right.
31:48
>> God attention.
31:50
>> Yeah.
31:50
>> And you know what? He didn't even have
31:51
to say a word.
31:52
>> You're right.
31:54
the epidemic of STDs in this country.
31:59
>> Yep.
32:02
>> If that don't wake you up, I don't know
32:04
what will.
32:04
>> You're right.
32:06
>> I'm not saying that's what is in this
32:07
text, but I'm saying it's a God-scent
32:09
plague because of their lust.
32:11
>> You're right.
32:12
>> And when they got this plague, they knew
32:14
automatically. They traced it back to
32:16
the time. They traced it back to the
32:18
period. Evidently, it started when Sarah
32:20
showed up.
32:21
>> You're right.
32:23
Notice this. Not only the men, the
32:27
message of this plague, but notice the
32:28
miracle out of this plague. Verse number
32:30
19. Why sets thou, she is my sister, so
32:33
I might have taken her to me to wife.
32:35
Now therefore, behold, thy wife, take
32:37
her and go thy way. And Pharaoh
32:39
commanded the men concerning him, and
32:41
they sent him away and his wife and all
32:42
that he had. Now, the miracle in this
32:44
text is this, that Abram made it out
32:46
here alive.
32:47
>> You're right.
32:47
>> You know what should have happened? He
32:49
should have killed both of them.
32:50
>> You're right. should have killed Sarah
32:52
and Abram both because you know what he
32:54
did? He brought a curse on. But aren't
32:56
you thankful God was watching over him.
32:58
>> Amen.
32:59
>> And God when he brought that plague
33:01
instead of turning it to pride, he
33:02
brought it to humility and they said,
33:04
"Y'all get out of here." You're
33:06
>> right.
33:06
>> Amen. Let me say this. God will protect
33:09
you. Ladies, listen to me. The Lord will
33:13
protect you.
33:15
You don't have to hear that from me.
33:16
This little woman up here's told you
33:18
that. Your mamas have told you that
33:23
over and over again. God will protect
33:25
you. And let me say this.
33:29
This text reveals to us that when it
33:31
requires perversion to obtain provision,
33:35
you are not in the will of God.
33:36
>> You're right.
33:39
>> When Abram
33:40
got out of God's will, he had to sell
33:43
out something in his family so he could
33:46
eat.
33:47
>> You're right. And so I ask you again,
33:49
why? Why wouldn't it be better to just
33:52
stay and trust
33:55
than it would be to walk out and have to
33:57
lie and have to cheat? You say,
34:00
"Preacher, but Abram didn't lust." And
34:02
and and you know, if you say that he
34:04
did, I'm not going to argue with you
34:05
because he did get all kinds of things
34:07
in this text out of this transaction.
34:10
But I'll say this, regardless of the
34:12
fact Abram's sin was not as bad as
34:15
Pharaoh's and his house was. But who was
34:17
that sin committed against?
34:19
>> Right?
34:19
>> It's committed against his wife.
34:22
And so when you fail to lead, Daddy,
34:24
listen to me. When you fail to lead,
34:27
your daughter, your wife is going to
34:30
reap the consequences of it. You're
34:31
>> right.
34:33
When you fail to step up and take the
34:35
position that God has called you to
34:37
take. When you fail to be obedient to
34:39
what God has told you to do, you may
34:42
suffer some. Abram really didn't suffer
34:44
any in this text other than Sarai just
34:46
being gone from his presence for a few
34:47
days.
34:48
>> You're right.
34:49
>> But you know who suffered? Sarah lost
34:52
her dignity.
34:53
>> You're right.
34:53
>> You said, "Preacher, well, the Bible
34:55
doesn't say she unclothed herself." You
34:57
understand? It don't matter. It does not
34:59
matter if you stand if somebody is
35:01
lusting over you.
35:03
You can you could be in a trash bag, not
35:07
even visible, and if they're looking at
35:09
you, that is the most nasty,
35:12
icky, disgusting, defiling feeling there
35:15
is. You're
35:16
>> right.
35:19
>> And you don't need to be in the presence
35:21
of those kind of people,
35:22
>> right?
35:24
>> You know who's going to control that?
35:26
Daddy.
35:27
>> Amen.
35:28
>> You know who's going to make the
35:30
decision on that? Daddy is. You say,
35:32
"Preacher, what if dad's not in the
35:34
picture?" Well, that means mom has to.
35:36
You're
35:36
>> right.
35:37
>> And let me say this, Sarah probably
35:39
Sarah, this mistake was made because she
35:42
was following her husband. And I'll say
35:43
this, Sarah probably would have stayed
35:45
in Canaan if Abram wouldn't been in the
35:46
picture. But let's also remember this.
35:48
Sarah would have never made it to
35:49
Canaan.
35:50
>> You're right.
35:50
>> Had Abram not been in the picture.
35:55
>> So take it for what it's worth tonight.
35:57
Here's the here's the emphasis I want
35:58
you to get. All right. Every mistake
36:00
that appears in Abram's life is because
36:03
of this one single event. Every trial
36:07
that he goes through, every issue aside
36:10
uh the only thing that he went through
36:13
out of this that was by the will of God
36:15
was when he had to take Isaac his son up
36:17
on Mount Mariah and offer him. And that
36:19
was by God's will. But everything else
36:21
that Abram went through, what he went
36:23
through with with Ishmael, what he went
36:26
through with Hagar, what he went through
36:28
with with Lot in this text and Lot's
36:30
children came out of this event,
36:33
>> right?
36:34
>> And it's still
36:37
they're still fighting.
36:39
Ishmael's children and and Isaac or
36:44
Isaac's children are still fighting.
36:46
>> You're right. Right. You don't know the
36:49
effects.
36:51
You don't know how far the effects of
36:52
your sin will go.
36:53
>> You're right.
36:55
>> And it may just be a lie. Let me say
36:57
this. Don't lie.
37:01
>> Say, "Preacher, I'm trying to protect
37:02
somebody." Well, Abram thought he was.
37:05
>> Come on.
37:07
>> You cannot afford to lie
37:10
in this day and time.
37:12
>> You're right.
37:13
>> You say, "Preacher, what are you talking
37:14
about?" I'm saying, friend, a lie in
37:16
this day and time, a lie before the days
37:19
of technology would travel around the
37:21
world before the truth gets its boots
37:23
on.
37:23
>> You're right.
37:24
>> But in this day and time,
37:27
>> a lie is light speed,
37:30
>> right?
37:31
>> Do you realize before we get out of
37:33
these doors tonight, if a lie is told,
37:34
it can go over 500 people in 30 seconds?
37:38
>> Oh,
37:38
>> by just a series of phone calls.
37:42
And here's what I'm telling you. All
37:43
right. When it comes to the truth, it's
37:46
got a higher price now than it's ever
37:47
had.
37:48
>> You're right.
37:49
>> Tell the truth. Be honest with people.
37:52
>> Let me say this, Dad. Watch your family.
37:55
I I think feel like I've told every man
37:57
of the church that this this summer.
37:59
I've preached messages about sins of
38:03
summertime, things of that nature here
38:04
at the church before. But I feel like I
38:06
told every man, if I haven't told you
38:08
specifically, I'm telling you right now,
38:09
when you go on vacation this summer,
38:11
watch your wife and your children.
38:13
You're right.
38:15
>> I'm not telling you that because they
38:17
might do something. I'm just saying the
38:18
devil might.
38:19
>> You're right.
38:20
>> Right.
38:22
>> And I'm serious as I can be about that.
38:26
Keep your eyes open.
38:27
>> Amen.
38:28
>> Mama, keep your eyes open, too.
38:30
>> Amen.
38:34
I don't like preaching like this, but if
38:37
we're going to have services like we had
38:38
Sunday, and we've had real regular here
38:41
of late. Can I get a witness? They've
38:43
been regular.
38:44
>> Don't you thank God for that?
38:46
>> Amen.
38:47
>> I wouldn't trade nothing for it. It's
38:48
this kind of stuff that keeps that
38:50
around.
38:51
>> You're right.
38:52
>> If we'll stay right, God will bless.
38:55
>> Amen.
38:56
>> We're all about quality, not quantity.
38:59
>> Amen. I'm not going to reach out to this
39:03
world and just say kumbaya with them so
39:06
we can have this place full. If God
39:08
wants it full, he can fill it up.
39:10
>> Amen.
39:11
>> Amen. And I'm going to trust him to do
39:13
so. We're going to do everything we can
39:14
to do that. But I'm I would rather keep
39:16
the presence of God.
39:18
>> And uh I love you. I do. It's just a
39:22
burden on my heart these days,
39:23
especially social media the way it is.
39:26
And uh it's so mainstream now. It's just
39:29
I think I seen a thing the other day. It
39:31
said the average the average American
39:33
teenager spends five to eight hours on
39:36
social media a day.
39:40
And you think that's not influencing
39:42
them.
39:44
We get what? Three hours a week to
39:47
preach to them.
39:49
Five to eight hours a day.
39:52
Young people, keep your mind straight.
39:55
>> Amen.
39:55
>> Love the Lord.
39:57
>> Amen. Stay pure. Don't let any boy or
40:00
any girl take from you.
40:01
>> Amen.
40:02
>> What God has given you.
40:04
>> Go ahead.
40:05
>> I promise you when you get to that
40:08
marriage altar, more importantly, when
40:10
you get to heaven.
40:12
>> Amen.
40:12
>> Right.
40:13
>> You'll be glad you did.
40:14
>> You're right.
40:15
>> Amen.
40:16
>> Father, thank you for this time. Thank
40:18
you for the truth of your word. And
40:20
Lord, I thank you, God, tonight that I
40:23
know without a shadow of a doubt this is
40:25
where we're at in our society. in this
40:27
day and time. God, would you help us or
40:30
would you help us to be obedient to you?
40:34
Would you help us to do what you've
40:36
called us to do? Forgive us of our
40:38
failures and shortcomings.
40:40
And uh Lord, because I do believe,
40:43
Father, that we don't need just a cure,
40:46
Lord, we need to get to the root. We
40:49
need to get rid of of not just the
40:52
fruit, but God, we got to get down where
40:53
it really the rubber meets the road. in
40:56
these days. Help us to stay close to
40:58
you, close to each other, and uh to be
41:01
right, stay right, stay close to you.
41:04
Lord, we love you. Thank you for loving
41:05
us in Jesus name. Amen.
41:08
>> Thank you for joining our service today.
41:10
We'd love it if you'd join us in person
41:12
the next time you are able at Meadows
41:14
Baptist Church. Our physical address is
41:17
2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
41:21
Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
41:24
school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
41:27
worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
41:29
worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
41:31
evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
41:35
information, visit us at
41:36
meadowsbaptisturch.com.
41:39
Thanks again for tuning in.