Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10123 - It’s Best to Patiently Wait For God - Genesis 16

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#10123 - It’s Best to Patiently Wait For God - Genesis 16 · 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 take your Bibles open them to Genesis chapter. 16 Genesis
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chapter 16 in a Bible study that I've entitled it's best to
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patiently. Wait for God, let that sink in
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the best choice is to patiently. Wait for God, if there's one
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lesson you're going to learn in this chapter is God does not
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need your help to fulfill his promises.
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It's best to wait on him for the perfect timing of his perfect
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promise. And as we jump into a new
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chapter following the life of Abram, we know that he is known
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as the father of Faith. He's the one that God says, I
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want you to look to him as a model.
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I want you to see what faith looks like in a human being but
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he's not a perfect example. And I think that bothers people
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then when you're reading through the scriptures, you see time and
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time again, God using imperfect people, people that have failed
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greatly and that bothers people, especially with our Western
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mind, especially with our, the western church.
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And, and even our culture today, there's not the church at large,
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really, not a Theology of failure.
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There's really not a real understanding of failure.
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Starting with our own sin, right?
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We've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
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But also just our day by day failures, A lot of times you
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even write yourself off because of your own failures or you'll
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write someone else off because of their struggles and their
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failures. But God uses failure, he's able
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to redeem and restore. He's able to take the repentant,
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he's able to take even the worst days of your life and make them
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the best turning points of your life.
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If you look to him now, it's going to be hard for God to use
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you and your failure if you run away from him.
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But as we find Abram, his faith always brought him back to God.
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I know sometimes there's not a strong Theology of failure,
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because if you talk about failure all the time, there are
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those pastors or preachers or teachers that the think, well,
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if I talk about failures all the time, then maybe it'll just give
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the church permission to sin, you know, if it's okay to fail,
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then I guess I can just go ahead and do know know that you
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completely misunderstand the wages of sin, the wages of sin
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is always death. So God, revealing the humanity
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of men and women in the scriptures as not his permission
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to sin, it's a warning. It's a warning to go to be
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careful because God is going to accomplish his will, but he's
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going to do it in such a way where whether you fail and pay a
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high price for that, God is still going to accomplish his
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will or if you look to him. God is going to use you but we
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all fail all the time. Mostly small sometimes really
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big and it stinks every time I hate sending I hate the
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consequences of sin in my life not just the people I see in my
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office or talk to on the radio or people I interact with in our
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church family, I hate the consequences of sin in your life
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too, but I hate it in my life. It could even lead me to regret
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and condemnation and it's just like man, I wish I knew why
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didn't I, why did I do it that way?
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Why didn't I go this way? But I'm grateful and Paul writes
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in Romans chapter 6 and verse 1, what shall we say then?
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Shall we continue in sin that Grace May abound?
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And what does he say in the new King?
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James? Certainly not.
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We don't want to go the way of sin, want to repent.
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He says, how shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
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So as You Follow the life of Abram, we need to acknowledge
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that. This man of faith is great.
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Not of faith is failed, but don't focus on his failures.
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Look to how he recovered and how he turned back to the Lord and
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God blessed him. Now, chapter 16 is a sad chapter
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in many many ways. Abram makes a big mistake.
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He has a serious case of bad judgment, not only that but he
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decides that he doesn't want to leave his home, spiritually,
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which leads Sarai to take up the slot.
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And yet, I think it's a part of the development of every
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believer, the ups and downs of our relationship with God.
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What we're learning how it is to relate to God.
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I want you to think of that phrase, how to relate to God,
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because we often refer to that as our relationship with God.
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But another angle of that is, how do you relate to a God, who
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loves you? How do you relate to a God who
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loves you so much, that he sacrifices on your behalf?
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How do you relate to a God, who gives his best for you?
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How do you relate to God? How do you develop in your
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relationship with God? How do you grow?
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How do you grow? How you respond to failures very
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important. But notice in verse 1, Now Sarai
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Abrams wife, had borne him, no children and she had an Egyptian
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maidservant whose name was Hagar.
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Let's pause there for a second. Abraham's about 86 years old
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here in 10 years has passed since he received the promise of
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God. The promise of a child has not
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yet come to pass and both Abram and Sarai.
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See this and live with it daily and it's hard.
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Now of the many definitions of the name.
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Sarai one of them is Princess but another one of them is the
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head or contentious and here in this story between Sarah and
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Abram we we see sir I taking a leadership in the home.
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Let's go back to Genesis chapter 3 in verse 16 for a moment.
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And let's remind ourselves of part of the curse and Genesis
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chapter 3 and verse 16, Part of the curse is described here.
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In verse 16, it says to the woman, he said, I will greatly
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multiply your sorrow and your conception in pain, you shall
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bring forth children and notice your desire shall be for your
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husband and he shall rule over you.
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Now, when we were studying that passage, we learned that the
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phraseology of the Hebrew language, they're really speaks
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of that desire, being a desire to rule over.
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That there will be tension and contention in the marriage and
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in the home between men and women in that relationship and
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Sarai her nature is to rule over and to take things into her own
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hands. And we don't know exactly why
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Abram didn't do anything. She's lapsing, faith will look
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at a few options in our study. But notice in verse 2, Sarah had
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said to Abram. See now the Lord has restrained
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me from bearing children. So go into my maid.
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Perhaps, I shall obtain children by her and Abram heated the
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voice of Sarai and then Sarah Abraham's wife, took Hagar and
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made the Egyptian and gave her to her husband Abram, to be his
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wife and a perm after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of
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Canaan. So he went into Hagar and she
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conceived. And when she saw that, she had
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conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.
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Now, Hagar is with Abram and Sarah, Hi.
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And we just have to ask a question real quick.
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Where did she come from? This Egyptian maidservant.
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Well, you know, where she came from.
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She came through the time of Abraham's disobedience.
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When the famine hit and he ran to Egypt for cover and had his
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mistakes there, he leaves Egypt with Hagar.
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And during that time of Disobedience.
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Now, as a result of that, sinful decision, I want you to notice.
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Another sinful decision is born, Would they have ever been able
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to think, and think ahead, would they even ever been able to tell
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that the decision to go to Egypt that act of compromise running
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memory? Egypt becomes a type of the
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world, you running to the world for help running to the world
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for Comfort running to the world for sustenance.
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Whatever it may be. Instead of turning to God, could
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you have ever thought, could you have ever planned that, that
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would have led to all the stuff that happened there.
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The Look up Pharaoh. They would then leave with Hagar
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and then Hagar would be a part of a nother future.
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Send 10 years later. The reason I draw that out is we
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don't know what they were thinking.
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We weren't in their minds but it's important for you to
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realize that compromise today will cost you later.
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You can't be messing around with sin.
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We can't be messing around with sin thinking that the wages of
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sin is not death, thinking that if we sow to the flesh, will
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reap corruption. I don't know how future sinful
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decisions. Today will affect you But they
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will. Compromise.
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Always begets more compromise, sin, always begets, more sin.
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And here we are because of the first sin, Ten Years Later, here
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comes another. Now with Sarah here.
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This is a familiar place where Bible teachers and pastors will
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make a convenient joke here and say what do you think in
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Abraham, why you saying yes and Sarah, what do you thinking?
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And of course, why wouldn't like, it becomes a place where
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jokes are made and, you know, you're looking at it and go, I
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would never do that, but I want to stop back.
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I don't want to make any jokes on this today, but rather I want
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you to consider a different angle with Sarah.
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That maybe you never considered that, we just read over it.
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Very quickly. It says, in verse 1, the very
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first sentence now, Sarah, Abraham's wife had borne him, no
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children. If you'd like to write in your
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Bibles, you can right next to that she was barren.
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She was barren. Maybe in an emotional state.
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Sarah is blaming herself for not being able to conceive now.
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Just paint the picture for a second.
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This Grand glorious promise of God to Abram.
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God has spoken to Abram not Sarah.
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He's called Abram out, and Sarah comes with him.
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And so it's a speaking to to Abram, but it's a family call,
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it is a call of God upon the family upon Abram and Sarai and
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all that followed. It is a call of God to both of
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them as a married couple. And the promise was that, he's
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going to be a father of many nations.
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But as years, have passed, now she's barren.
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Maybe she's considering the weight of barrenness.
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And the condemnation of not being able to conceive, maybe
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she's blaming herself for the promises of God, not being
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fulfilled. Like it's all her fault that if
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she would just get along with the program or if something it's
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all her fault. And it's not her fault.
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Maybe she has the weight of blame and guilt for not being
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able to fulfill the promise of God.
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On top of that, she lived in a society looked down on women who
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were unable to conceive. And in my pastoral Ministry over
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the years, I've learned how difficult it is for a woman to
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be in the place of not being able to conceive, but wanting to
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there's a lot of emotion going on.
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Yours is not just the simple head of the whole seller.
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I taking the head. Although it may be Jumping in
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when Abram said let's wait. And she don't know.
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Let's not wait, maybe I mean there's a lot of maybes in here.
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We're not given the full story but when were reading the Bible
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reading the Bible about human beings, these aren't robots
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here, perfect men and women that just know exactly what to do,
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how to do it. They're living lives.
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Just like you are in the moment dealing with things, they're
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wondering, maybe it's my fault. Maybe we can help God out.
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I know we're going to learn today with God, doesn't need our
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help. But I know we feel like that
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sometimes I don't want to wait anymore.
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Waiting doesn't seem like it's doing anything.
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The bible promises those who wait on the, Lord, will show
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renew their strength. But in my waiting it seems like
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I get weaker and weaker. And it's in times of impatience.
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That we can jump in and try to help God out.
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But maybe there is that sense of guilt and condemnation, but the
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Bible is clear, let's not from the Lord.
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If the enemy of our souls can get us overcome by our emotions.
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Then we will make mistakes on many different levels in our
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lives. So Sarah comes up with this
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idea. and she sees this in verse 2, She says the Lord has
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restrained me from bearing children, so go into my maid.
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This is a veiled statement. Of exactly what we find in the
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garden. After the fall of blaming God.
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I'm Barren. But it's God.
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That's done it. So because God's restrained us
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and he's all we're going to take care of it ourselves.
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And it is a motivation for them. Maybe they can help God out.
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Maybe God has forgotten about us.
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I look back into my life in patients and just my
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personality. How God has made me?
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How often I've tried to help God out.
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I could write a book. I think of how many times I've
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jumped in impatient trying to help God out.
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How often we've come to a place where impatience is overtaking
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us and we want to, you know, I know the situation the way it is
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and I mean one particular situation, I won't share the
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details with you. Maybe you have your own
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particular situation but had I gone through with what was on my
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mind, had I gone through of what I desired, it would have been
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disastrous. It would have been absolutely
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disastrous. And if it hadn't been for a
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gathering, we had on a Sunday night at one of our after glows,
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in the Holy Spirit, speaking through that moment they have I
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very well would have jumped in. I very will vary.
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I think in the condition that I was in and the emotions that
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were overtaking me, I think I would have carried through and
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it wouldn't have been pretty. And I mean, that's from a guy
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that's done. I dedicated my life to serving
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God. I mean, I've given everything I
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have to the Lord but through a series of events and a long time
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of waiting. And, and just one day, just like
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a nun. No more.
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I had even just finished teaching the Bible that weekend
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and I was so quickly in the flesh, within just a couple
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seconds after saying, amen. I mean the holy spirit said, hey
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I'm going to use you to teach and then and then just like,
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man, I'm right back in the flesh.
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Just like War, but, you know, he's so gracious.
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He doesn't want you to go that way.
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He doesn't want you to fulfill some fleshly plan that you have
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in place. Some something where you're
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going to take things into your own hands.
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You know, I think this is why don't you?
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And it's not from the Lord, he's not leading of the Lord. you
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know, they they asked a group of Born Again, Christians, a few
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years ago about their viewpoints on the Bible and over 25%.
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Of those that said they were born again.
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Believe that the phrase, God helps those who help themselves
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was in the Bible. Maybe you believe that I'm going
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to correct it for you right now. Ben Franklin said that.
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Not God, the truth is that God, he helps the helpless That God
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he helps the weak and the needy our response is to trust and
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Obey for there is no other way. You walk in the wisdom of God.
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Jesus taught at this way in Matthew 9 13.
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He said, but go and learn what this means.
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I desire mercy and not sacrifice for.
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I did not come to call the righteous, but Sinners to
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repentance God is attracted to weakness.
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He's attracted to Brokenness. There's a Bible word.
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He's attracted to Kant rightness to humility.
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It's a failure. Sarai solution and suggestion
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was not wise, but again, perhaps there's a lot of emotion
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involved here. It could very well be that she's
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thinking that she's letting Abraham down.
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That she's letting her family down her tribe down.
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That she's letting her culture down, even letting God down.
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And I think it's important that we empathize with her.
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So she comes up out of this grief and pain and says you
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know, Abraham Abram. I know honey I know what we need
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to do. There is a cultural norm that we
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can use to help God out. It was not unusual for
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culturally for a wife, to give her handmaid, to her husband,
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and even allow him to have another wife.
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It was what we would say today, you know, if the way of the
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world, you know, the world has a way of doing things.
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And so Christians have a good way of, just, just putting
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Spirit, sprinkling spiritual language over, very sinful
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things in the world and saying, oh, of course, it's from, it's
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okay. I made a way and reasoning and
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excuses and and justifications. And, and they're all in this,
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because they're in the moment and it's really, it's really
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deceptive. Because I think that their
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motive is not just Got out. But their motive is to see God's
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will completed. They want to be a part of the
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promise. They wanted to see it happened.
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I don't think the motives are all that bad, but, you know, you
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can have very good motives and make very bad decisions if you
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are not led by the Lord, You can have very good motives but make
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very bad decisions if you're not led by the Lord.
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In Abraham's decision was equally unwise.
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This was his time. This was his moment, don't blame
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sir. I God is established Abram is
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the head of the home. and he, this was his moment, this was
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his moment, he could have even been a moment of redemption of
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the failure he had in telling her to lie to pharaoh, And all
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of the failures as a husband before God had set, the
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situation is set up even though it was culturally acceptable.
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Even though we might have the right motives to fulfill God's
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plan. This was this was his time to
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minister to his wife to encourage her.
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So it's okay, honey. We're going to get through this
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together. God's promises standstill.
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We don't need to do anything. Let's pray.
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Let's seek the Lord let's continue to wait.
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If we made it ten years we can make it another 10 years.
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That's not what he does. And not only that, but notice is
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you read through the text, he knows what it's like to go back
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to Bethel. He knows what it's like to build
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an altar unto the Lord. Abram knows what it's like to
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call upon the name of the Lord. But he doesn't do it here.
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Not together. And not individually. you know,
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I think of so many of the marriage issues that are among
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us even right now, if you guys would just stop arguing and
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start praying together, the Holy Spirit would act very quickly
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Just set aside all your arguments set aside all your
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disagreements and just make a commitment to pray together.
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And I already hear the answers already.
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I've already heard them. Yeah.
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But she won't. Okay.
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Then you pray but he won't. Okay, you pray.
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And just seek the Lord press in. I mean, do you really think all
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the arguing is going to get you where you want to be?
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But when you broke, when you're broke in before the Lord and
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you're desperate for his presence Abram could have been
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in a strong place here in this moment, but he doesn't seek
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God's counsel. And you know, Abram knew what it
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was like to hear from God. And he knew it was like to speak
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with God. He know, it was like to lay it
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all on the line for God. He spoke with all we just
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learned about in our last study just how he received the
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Covenant. And then was put to sleep to be
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taken care of, and God is going to fulfill his word.
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But how quickly that Fades into the background?
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We have to seek God's counsel today Church.
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You want to know why? Because on Godly counsel can
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come from so many different sources even from those that are
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close to you. And you just taking in, you're
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taking in, you're taking in your taking in before you know it the
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world is convinced you that what the world believes is better
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than what? God teaches.
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And you exchange the truth, for a lie.
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And the deception for believers, is you call the LIE?
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The truth. And then you fight for the lie
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and it's disastrous. It's just absolutely disastrous.
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Let me show you. When a turnover to Deuteronomy
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chapter 13, Deuteronomy chapter 13.
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You got to hear from the Lord Church.
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You have a scripture to base your decision on that.
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You can hold onto like, God leads you, you're going to get a
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lot of advice. Everybody has an opinion for
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your life. Have you noticed that?
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And you might even want everyone's opinion.
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But you got to hear from the Lord.
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You've got to get down in the word and in prayer and don't
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make a decision until you hear from God.
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Because even those that are very close to, you can give you bad
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advice, Deuteronomy 13 Verse 6. If your brother, the son of your
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mother or your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom
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or your friend, who is as your own soul secretly entices, you
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mark those three words how in the world would you know?
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I mean he's going to give an example right now, but there are
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other ways of your parents. Your brother, your best friends,
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secretly, enticing. You you got to hear from the
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Lord. If I said that enough, Say with
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me, I have to hear from the Lord say, right now.
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I Okay, from your own lips. Because there are those that
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would like to secretly entice, you especially when you're in a
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vulnerable state. Now of course in this one
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they're going to this one. You got to look out for let's go
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serve other gods which we have not known either you or your
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father's. Okay.
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Okay. If you ask me to go seek other
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gods, you are in secretly. Enticing me.
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Okay, I don't but there are other ways to be secretly
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enticed evil company, survival says don't be deceived.
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Evil company corrupts good habits.
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You need to hear from the Lord, we have counsel and wisdom of
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God today, it's found in his word.
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And how often we make mistakes before because we fail to seek
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God in his word. Listen, Psalm 119 verse 24.
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Your testimonies are also my delight and my counselors do,
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you know there's only one counselor, not your pastor, not
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your friend, not your mom, not your dad, not the person that's
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discipling. You the Lee spirit is your
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counselor. Through the word of God and you
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will know when you have Good Counsel when it lines up with
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the word of God. And you know, when you have bad
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Council, when somebody's just spouting all their opinions and
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their preferences and and saying it's the word of God, let them
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let your life, be built upon the word, Psalm 119 verse 10 for
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through your precepts. I get understanding.
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Therefore I hate every false way so the word of God is a used by
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God to counsel you and to give you and me understanding verse 5
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back in Genesis now verse 5 then sir I said, hey From my wrong be
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upon you. I gave my maid into your Embrace
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and she saw that she had conceived and I became despised
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In Her Eyes. The lord judge between you and
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me. Can you just pause for a second?
25:58
I want you to understand. Just how painful this must have
26:03
been for Sarah. Not only in the mistake of the
26:08
council, not only in the mistake of this advice, that's bad
26:13
enough. But I'm sure it was extremely
26:19
painful for her after waiting all those years to conceive.
26:25
That Hagar got pregnant immediately.
26:29
And it's a knife to the heart on top of the distance they already
26:33
have in their marriage and all the things that are going on in
26:36
their life and she's upset. She's mad and so she reverts to
26:43
a very familiar tool that we use.
26:46
And that's blaming that blame is the natural result of our fallen
26:50
nature. It is something we all have to
26:53
one degree or another and already weakened his home.
26:56
Notice what Abrams says in verse 6.
26:58
So again another opportunity Another opportunity wasted.
27:03
So Abram said to Sarah indeed. Your mate is in your hand due to
27:08
her as you please and when debtor I dealt harshly with her.
27:13
She fled from her presence and Sarah is upset with Hagar and
27:20
kicks her out. Now maybe Abrams dealing with
27:22
something himself, maybe Abrams dealing with With Shane.
27:29
Maybe he's ashamed from his sinful mistakes and his
27:32
relationship. A Shame by not being the leader
27:35
in his home, and shame is a heavy burden to carry, but
27:38
listen, all your guilt and shame has been covered by the blood of
27:42
Jesus Christ Church. You can run to the Lord and
27:45
under the shadow of the Cross and the power of the blood of
27:48
Christ, he can remove the guilt and shame from your life and
27:51
from your mind because in a very real way, there's nothing we can
27:55
do to change the past, but in the moment we can change today.
27:59
In the moment right now and I believe Abram was ashamed
28:02
because sin will do that to you. It will make you cower in shame,
28:08
and then shame will make you do all kinds of bad things.
28:12
He was ashamed of his decision, decided to retreat from his role
28:16
as in the home as the spiritual leader and Men, our homes need
28:22
spiritual leaders. God has ordained you in the
28:25
home. Men to be the spiritual leader.
28:28
He has provided that roll through the role of the husband
28:31
and the dad. You are the primary leader of
28:35
your home? Listen, I know that this Bible
28:38
study goes out in many different ways and there are many
28:40
different homes. There are single moms here and
28:43
you are fulfilling the role of the spiritual leader that God
28:46
never really intended for you to fulfill.
28:49
Some of you are married in your home and your husband refuses to
28:53
step up and obey, God and submit himself to him.
28:56
He's kind of afraid that will, maybe you'll be wrong or maybe
28:59
his personality is timid or something along those lines.
29:02
And he just refuses to obey And so you've got to take up the
29:05
mantle, but I'm telling you, no matter what your personality is,
29:08
no matter what your background is, no matter what you need to
29:12
learn, God will enable you men to be the loving, caring,
29:16
strong, spiritual leaders that he intended you to be.
29:19
You got to step up and cooperate with God, your kids man, their
29:24
kids, your we minister to your kids here.
29:28
We minister to your kids and they need you.
29:32
So much going on in the world. God has given you the wisdom and
29:36
the strength. I know how intimidating is.
29:39
I'm a husband and a dad and I know when I was born again, I
29:44
didn't know how to be a man. I mean, think it's just so
29:46
shameful to think about it. Now, as I think back, I don't
29:49
know how to be a man. I didn't know how to be a son.
29:52
I didn't know how to be a husband, a dad that you named
29:54
every single role in life and I did it wrong.
29:58
Every single one of them. And yet through the wisdom and
30:02
the strength and the presence of God, he is teaching me
30:05
continually how to be a better in every single rule and I'm
30:10
still growing, still wanting to grow in my relationship with the
30:13
Lord, still wanting to learn and I have learned the value of
30:18
spiritual leadership in the home.
30:20
Do you know, I can't stand before you with any kind of
30:23
credibility or even with any approval of God.
30:27
If my home is not an order, not perfect.
30:30
I don't have a perfect home, But I do have a home that loves God.
30:36
And I do have a home where we truly want to do, what's right?
30:40
And if you just bring that to the Lord today he will honor
30:42
that even you young men that are single.
30:45
Now is the time to step up and Lead.
30:47
You Know You bu are the spiritual head of your home and
30:50
you're like, well, wait a minute, I live in someone else's
30:52
home. No, you're the spiritual.
30:53
The way you practice to be the spiritual head of your future
30:56
home is to be the spiritual head of your own life.
31:03
Rule your own soul. Well, make the right decisions.
31:08
Husband's you are told in First Peter chapter 3 to dwell, with
31:12
your wives with understanding and give honor to your wife,
31:16
understand that they are the weaker vessel that God has made
31:20
you to lead them and to love them that your heirs together of
31:24
the grace of life. So your prayers may not be
31:26
hindered and I found over the years that wives don't want a
31:29
dictator. So I'm not and I was going.
31:32
Okay. I will do exactly what you said
31:34
and go home and I am the leader. And if you have to declare,
31:39
you're the leader. You ain't leading at all.
31:42
He doesn't go. I just don't want a dictator,
31:44
they don't want a tyrant. They want a man that loves God.
31:51
And loves them. And God will lead you to help
31:55
you recover from even your past mistakes.
31:58
He'll make you a new man. And Abram was see that in
32:02
Abraham's life. But he sees his wife subset sees
32:07
that she's very angry knows that she's given back Council.
32:11
And what does he do? Go ahead, do whatever you want.
32:15
And she deals harshly with Hagar and this is Abraham's.
32:20
Son, this is now, she's pregnant with Abraham's son.
32:25
And this is what they thought would fulfill the promise of
32:29
God. How quickly things change when
32:30
you're in the flesh? When you find Allah, I wasn't
32:34
God after all notice with me in verse 7.
32:37
Now the angel of the Lord, you notice in your new King James,
32:40
the angel is capitalized. This pre appearance,
32:45
preincarnate appearance of Christ.
32:47
Found her found who Hagar so you might want to make sure you
32:52
understand hers Hagar she flees from their presence and then the
32:57
Lord went after her, And she found her by the spring of
33:00
water, in the wilderness by a spring, on the way to assure.
33:03
And he said, Hagar Sarah's made, where have you come from and
33:07
where you going? And she said, I'm fleeing from
33:09
the presence of my mistress Sarai.
33:11
So the angel of the Lord said to her return to your mistress, and
33:14
submit yourself under her hand, in the angel, lord said to her,
33:17
I will multiply your descendants exceedingly so that they shall
33:21
not be counted or for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said
33:24
to her behold, you are with child.
33:26
You shall bear a son and you should call him.
33:29
Name Ishmael, you know what Ishmael means.
33:32
God hears Ishmael becomes the father of the Arab race.
33:39
Because the Lord has heard your affliction.
33:42
He shall be a wild man. His hand shall be against every
33:46
man and every man's hand against him and he shall dwell in the
33:50
presence of all his Brethren. So I want you to notice this
33:55
Sarah ideals harshly but God deal Softly.
34:02
Sarah. I dealers harshly but God deals
34:04
softly solder out. She was hurt.
34:09
Just entered into a Wilderness time.
34:13
Could very well died in the wilderness, the conditions
34:16
there, and she comes and says, why are you running?
34:20
And remember God is asking these questions not for knowledge but
34:25
to draw out from Sarah. So sometimes just saying things
34:28
out loud from your own mouth, gives you the reality of what
34:32
you're really thinking what you really doing.
34:36
Just being able to repeat it, let somebody else repeat it to
34:38
you. Hearing it.
34:41
And when Hagar is running away, I understand why she ran away.
34:46
But let me ask you a question. Have you noticed how easy it is
34:51
for you to run away? The truth is, you aren't able to
34:57
outrun your problems. There is though a lot of running
35:02
away from problems today. A lot of people deal with
35:06
problems or are common to us all difficulties trials. and I'll
35:13
tell you, man, there's a lot of running away when difficulties
35:16
come You know, people, you know, I hate my church.
35:21
I'm going to go to another church, and now you're going to
35:23
mess that one up, too. I hate this state.
35:26
I'm going to go to another state whoo-hoo.
35:28
So another States going to solve all your problems You know, I
35:32
hate this marriage thing going to run to another marriage.
35:34
You really think that's going to solve your problems.
35:39
I don't I hate this person. I'm going to run and get new
35:41
friends. You really think you're going to
35:43
the kind of that kind of attitude that you're the type of
35:46
friend people really need that. You ditch people in difficult
35:50
times. I was sharing with someone
35:53
recently actually at refreshed and one of the opportunities I
35:56
had to talk with someone. They were sharing with me of a
35:58
difficult time in their life and they were lamenting.
36:03
They were lamenting over the revelation of this difficult
36:05
time. And one of the revelations
36:08
they've learned. If how many people bailed on
36:10
them and abandoned them in this time of difficulty, it's a very,
36:15
very serious time of difficulty and the people that they thought
36:19
would help them. The people that they've done
36:21
life, With for many many years, not just let them down but
36:25
abandoned them. And I said I affirm to them that
36:29
that is one of the things that you learn during deep crisis you
36:32
learn a couple of things just in the relation to other people.
36:36
Number one in times of deep crisis, you learn Who Your
36:39
Friends Are. Who your real friends are not
36:42
your acquaintances, not your Facebook friends, you know not
36:46
people that follow you on your real friends.
36:49
There it really is revealed during times of Crisis and and
36:54
you also learn who your friends are not.
36:57
Which is very painful. I mean you're already hurting
37:00
and then on top of that you find people are bailing on you people
37:03
you thought would help you people that were with you in the
37:06
good times, but now aren't with you in the bad times people that
37:09
coveted, yeah, thick and thin rich or poor and they just bail
37:12
on you. And I shared them with
37:16
something. I shared them, I shared with
37:18
them something that God has shared with me, it's easy to
37:22
give. It's hard to live and I shared
37:26
this phrase us. I don't want you to remember
37:27
this phrase. Every time someone you thought
37:30
was your friend leaves. You bails on, you turns her back
37:35
on you because of this crisis doesn't help.
37:37
Yes I want you to remember this phrase, whenever it happens, I
37:41
want you to pray through this and here's the phrase and I
37:43
quote God is telling you that these people are not good for
37:47
you in quote. These people are not good for
37:52
you, in quote. For the pathway, you're on in
37:58
the journey, this pain is brought you on.
38:01
These are not people that will help you on the journey.
38:05
I know you thought they would help you and I know you may have
38:08
gone through things before, but this difficulty has revealed to
38:12
you, something you didn't know before.
38:17
These people are not good for you.
38:19
And perhaps the holy spirit will just release you right now.
38:23
Those of you that this is very relatable to will just release
38:27
you from thinking, it's your fault.
38:31
Thinking that it's all your fault.
38:34
No, these people are not good for you.
38:36
Just let him go, let the Lord, do what he's going to do, and
38:39
you just stay on the path of restoration reconciliation.
38:43
Repentance pressing into the Lord.
38:46
I know it's not fun being alone and I know it's not fun having
38:50
to deal with lost friendships. I get it.
38:52
But no need to chase after them. These people are not good.
38:56
God is saying to you. These people are not good for
38:57
you, and I'm not saying they may never come back.
38:59
I'm not saying, I don't know what the Wants to do, but I'm
39:02
telling you right now, when you find out who your friends are
39:05
not, no need to get bitter about it, no needed to be unforgiving
39:09
about it. No need to try to any kind of
39:11
Revenge. Just remember this.
39:15
These people are not good for you.
39:17
And press into the war. Running away in difficult.
39:24
Times is common In Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 10.
39:32
It says, the name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous
39:39
Run to it and are safe. So running is a natural
39:44
response. The real issue is.
39:47
Where are you running? Are you running away?
39:51
Are you running to? Running is not necessarily a
39:55
senate gets you know they even say in the Physical Realm.
39:58
If you get some exercise, when you're stressed out or depress a
40:01
little bit of sweat, a little bit of exercise is good for you.
40:05
So you know if you're going to run get on a treadmill and then
40:07
you'll never go anywhere, you get all the energy and never
40:10
making, but in the spiritual realm, you're going to run.
40:15
And the righteous run to the name of the Lord.
40:19
And they're safe there. And there are times of running
40:23
for all of us, pain, problems, fear anxiety, anger,
40:27
frustrations. But the key is to run to the
40:30
Lord. The key is to run to fellowship
40:32
with other believers. The key is to run to prayer, run
40:36
to the word, run to church, run to the lord, it's safe there.
40:41
Amen. The name of the Lord is a strong
40:45
tower. Here's another one.
40:46
Psalm 119 in verse 32, I will run in the course of your
40:52
Commandments for you. Shall enlarge my heart.
40:56
I love that. So he's given instruction.
40:59
The angel tells Hagar go back and submit not Scott answer.
41:04
Go back and deal with it. A lot of people run away from
41:09
their churches and stuff and they run here and if we hear
41:12
about that and there's any unresolved stuff, we take go
41:14
back and deal with that is, if you don't get it resolved,
41:18
you're going to bring all kinds of trouble here.
41:19
I'm not saying the Lord's not calling you here, but I am
41:21
saying this or is not calling you here with all that baggage.
41:27
Deal with it. So we chose Hagar and into a
41:31
very dangerous scary thing, go back to Sarah and submit
41:35
yourself. Well, she just kicked me out.
41:39
But God's here, telling trust me.
41:42
I hear you. I hear your Affliction, it says,
41:48
In Psalm 4 verse 1, it says hear me.
41:49
When I call God of my righteousness, you have relieved
41:53
me in my distress, have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
42:01
Talks about Ishmael being a strong man.
42:04
A strong will kid a wild, man. And then verse 13 notice.
42:09
Hey Garth says she called on the name of the Lord who spoke to
42:13
her and said that he is Elroy. You are the God who sees for she
42:22
said I hear I've also seen him who sees me therefore the well
42:26
is called bear La Hoy. La hi Roy.
42:29
Observe it between Kadesh and bed and Hagar bear Abraham, a
42:33
son and Abraham named his son whom Hagar bore Ishmael Abram
42:37
was eighty-six years. Old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to
42:41
Abram. This is indeed a low point for
42:44
Abram church. This mistake, this one mistake
42:48
would take Abram out of Fellowship for 13 years, We
42:54
don't find Abraham's speaking with God in our study here for
42:56
another 13 years and sin has just never worth the temporary
43:00
pleasure ever. It's a huge simple mistake, no
43:04
matter how it happened, the birth of Ishmael something, the
43:07
Middle East and we deal with still to this very moment, the
43:13
consequences of the sin is affecting us, the tension
43:16
between the Arabs and Israelis continues today.
43:19
The tension between the Arab Nations and the world continues
43:23
to this Day. This episode from Abraham's
43:27
life. but, One final thing. No matter what God's plan will
43:34
be fulfilled. His will still going to be done.
43:39
It's strange. But his hand can't be forced,
43:42
but his will cannot be thwarted. It's almost like Abram and Sarah
43:46
are trying to force. God's hand here.
43:47
God's hand will not be forced, but also his will will not be
43:51
thwarted when you lose control and you're overwhelmed come into
43:57
the hands of the Lord run to him.
44:01
It back to church. I wonder how many people are
44:03
listening to me that have not been in Fellowship for weeks and
44:07
months and even years. You need to come back to
44:11
fellowship. You need to run back to the
44:14
Lord. Choose the right wig.
44:19
Because you can go farther and do more for the kingdom of God,
44:23
through obedience than you could ever do in Disobedience.
44:27
And we'll read the rest of Abraham's life and are in study
44:29
next time. Father, we pray for patience.
44:32
A fruit of your spirit is patience long-suffering and we
44:36
pray for that in our lives tonight.
44:38
I pray for those that are unable to conceive tonight.
44:43
I know some very personally, I pray you would encourage them.
44:47
He would remove any kind of guilt or shame, any kind of
44:52
condemnation. I pray God that you would open
44:57
the womb. I think of Hannah and Her
45:01
desperation, I think of Sarah II in her own form of desperation.
45:08
I pray for their husbands. Such a heavy burden right now,
45:14
the Lord. I pray God for those that are on
45:17
the other end of mistakes and sin and failure dealing with the
45:21
consequences that they would not lose heart.
45:24
That not All Is Lost. God is not done dealing with
45:27
Abram. Even if there are 13 years of
45:30
Silence, he's not done his your God, your will will not be
45:33
thwarted. I pray God that your will would
45:38
be fulfilled in our lives and we would walk.
45:42
In the simplicity. Trusting you.
45:47
In all our pain. In all our grief and all our
45:51
sorrow and all of our broken bodies and broken brains and
45:57
broken bones. So much is broken God.
46:01
That healing and restoration only comes from you. and I
46:05
wonder tonight if you're one of the broken, If you are one of
46:11
the broken, I want you to stand up and come up to the stage
46:13
here. I want to pray for you as a
46:14
group. I want you to be able to stand
46:17
here and see you. So you know you're not alone.
46:20
And if you're one of the broken, I don't even have to describe
46:23
your situation doesn't matter. You just want prayer and you
46:26
want to stand in a place where, you know, you're not alone, just
46:29
come on up and stand right in here.
46:31
And we'll make a little group right here.
46:33
Men and women, boys and girls, and just kind of look and yours
46:38
broken, and you're hurt. And you're beaten up, come on
46:41
up. And let's create a little group
46:42
here and just common. Let the spirit of God minister
46:45
to you. The pastures are going to come
46:47
up from behind and pray for you. Just come just A step of Faith,
46:52
let it be a an opportunity, just common acknowledge the hurt, and
46:56
the pain, the sorrow, and the sadness, the Deep anger and
47:03
frustrations. There's so broken and just
47:07
acknowledge to God, that he's the repairer of the breach.
47:10
He's the one that heals. He is the one that strengthens
47:14
you guys downstairs. If you want to come up, well,
47:16
come on up, you guys that are listening on the radio.
47:20
I No, you can't be here but we know you're there.
47:23
I'm going to pray for you by distance.
47:25
We know you're there. Just keep coming.
47:28
You know, I know it's like it's kind of embarrassing but you
47:31
know an embarrassment is going to keep you away from the Lord.
47:34
Don't worry about what people think.
47:35
We all love you. Don't worry about us.
47:37
We love you. We care for you.
47:39
We want to see you healed and restored.
47:42
We don't judge you. We don't look down upon you.
47:45
You are greatly loved by God. Come on in.
47:47
Let's make a come on in. Come on over here.
47:50
And then Enrique environment to get behind you.
47:52
Pastor Avon come on up Kurt you can pray.
47:56
Anyone else I don't want you missed.
47:59
And and the reason I mean I could have had you standing your
48:01
seat and that's fine, but I really felt like you needed a
48:04
stance. You know you're not alone like
48:06
something tangible like like they alter that Abram built in
48:10
Bethel was tangible. So maybe tonight.
48:13
You just got to something that's physical.
48:15
You can feel people standing next to you and it's not me, but
48:19
all the Brokenness we're all broken, but this is a special
48:23
season of Brokenness coming up, Randy.
48:25
Come on in guys. Anyone else before I pray.
48:29
Just come on, just take care of business.
48:32
Humble yourself before, before the mighty hand of God and he
48:35
will lift you up. And this is no show.
48:38
This is no. You know manipulations, just the
48:40
spirit. Got ministering to you.
48:42
Maybe you'd like Abram. You just got this big failure.
48:44
This chased you for 23 years, all right?
48:48
The lord loves you cares for you guys coming from upstairs.
48:51
Come on up. We'll wait for you.
48:59
Yes, there's an outpouring of God right now.
49:02
He loves you guys. And I'm just going to stand
49:06
back. So I'm not the focus here.
49:09
I'm going to pray for you on my knees because I want to humble
49:11
myself before God. Lord, I just pray right now by
49:16
the authority and the power and the blood of Jesus Christ upon
49:19
the broken. And the hurting.
49:24
Those carrying the weight of guilt and shame, fearful and
49:28
anxious. Dealing with the consequences of
49:32
life and the pain of losing friends and infertility and
49:37
custody battles and having a face, the judge I pray for that
49:42
brother that went to jail for 45 days.
49:44
He was just here on Sunday, but now he's in jail.
49:48
I pray for him. I pray for the mentally broken
49:52
and the mentally ill. Those that are down and out to
49:56
their last dollar. Those that might be homeless, I
50:00
pray, God that you would pray. I ask for your healing of the
50:04
broken marriages for men that want to stand up, but just
50:08
haven't been able to or have been fearful.
50:12
I pray for wives that feel so alone and isolated husband's as
50:16
well. I pray for the singles, the
50:18
think that you forgotten them and there's never going to be a
50:20
spouse for them. I pray for all the drugs that
50:24
are in the homes, all the alcohol.
50:28
I I pray God for a release and a Breaking of the shackles and the
50:32
chains that have been holding my brothers and sisters in bondage
50:37
shorebreak bondages tonight bring healing and freedom
50:42
increased faith, God that we might trust you with our lives
50:46
and let everyone here to know and be have it be declared over
50:51
them that the Banner Over Me Is Love.
50:56
And that their love might be felled of God today.
50:59
Your love would be felt Bless them.
51:02
Lord for their act of contrition, and humility and
51:06
even some feeling embarrassed Lord, let them just take that
51:09
feeling away. Nothing to be embarrassed about
51:11
about being human following you with our lives.
51:15
And we pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
51:20
Amen. Bless you guys.
51:23
We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible.
51:25
Study delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
51:29
prayer. Call us at 877, 30 Grace.
51:33
That's eight 77304, 2:53 to listen to this message in its
51:40
entirety or to join us for our live stream Services.
51:43
Visit us online at Calvary Co dot church or download our Free
51:49
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