Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10136 - Generational Curses Don’t Exist - Genesis 26

Transcript

#10136 - Generational Curses Don’t Exist - Genesis 26 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

0:04
Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
0:08
Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
0:11
Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
0:14
through abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream
0:17
Services. Visit us online at Calvary, Co
0:21
dot church or download our free Calvary Church app.
0:25
Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
0:31
Amen. Open your Bibles Genesis chapter
0:33
26. As we start a new chapter,
0:37
Genesis chapter 26, I entitled our Bible study today
0:44
generational. Curses don't exist.
0:48
Really important that. You understand that because we
0:51
learned last time that phrase, the Apple doesn't fall far from
0:55
the tree and we learned that that's describing.
1:00
Ation. You know the habits being passed
1:02
on to Generations, may be comparing a son to a dad or a
1:06
daughter to a mom. And on the one hand,
1:09
unfortunately we tend to pick up negative traits from our
1:12
parents. And from the homes that we grew
1:14
up in that, we learn from our parents, whether we like it or
1:17
not. But on the other hand, we pick
1:19
up great characteristics to and there is truth to the fact that
1:24
the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
1:27
Before we even jump into the text.
1:29
And we see some of the mistakes that Isaac makes like his dad
1:33
made, almost exactly very similar.
1:36
Sinful decisions he made, I want to touch on this topic about the
1:42
false teaching of generational curses.
1:45
There is no such thing as a generational curse for the
1:51
believer. No Such Thing even though it is
1:54
a popular phrase today, there is no such thing.
1:59
I'm imploring you not to believe this modern man made teaching.
2:05
Now God, does warn us about the Ripple effects of sin that your
2:10
sin will affect others? It will specifically affect
2:14
those that are closest to you. The Bible couldn't be clearer.
2:18
Sinful habits and consequences can, and often are passed down
2:24
through generations. Yes, even 50 years.
2:28
After someone's death, you can see things that were passed
2:31
down. Generationally through families,
2:34
but let me repeat it clearly. There is no such Biblical
2:37
teaching of generational curses for those.
2:41
That are born again. In Christ, they don't exist.
2:44
It's a false teaching. Let me show you hold your place
2:48
here. Turn over to the right to Exodus
2:51
chapter 20. So you can see a couple of the
2:54
popular verses that are used. To affirm this thought of
2:58
generational curses for Christians.
3:02
Now I have to say that there is a pattern of generational curses
3:08
from God as you'll see here among those that rebel against
3:12
him. Those that continue to live in
3:14
sin. If even you hearing my voice
3:17
today hearing about the good news that God.
3:20
So loved you that he sent his only begotten son, Jesus to die
3:24
on your behalf and it's through. His shed blood that your sins
3:28
can be forgiven. Now, how you choose to respond
3:31
to that will give you the direction of your life.
3:33
If you choose to reject the invitation of God, to come to
3:36
him and turn away from your sins and enter into a relationship
3:39
with him, then you're going to face the consequences of that
3:42
because you've chosen a position.
3:44
It's not just been given to you but you've chosen a position to
3:49
come against Jesus and you may not even think of it that way.
3:51
But Jesus would say and I paraphrase that if you're not
3:55
for me you're against Me, and I don't know if you've ever
3:57
considered that, you could take a position against God, through
4:01
your lifestyle, and through your choices and thus, you will face
4:06
the curse your under a curse. The Bible couldn't be clear on
4:09
that, but as a born-again Believer, your curse has been
4:13
broken. Jesus Christ.
4:15
Broke the curse and generational change started with you.
4:20
When you were born again, you can't change the past as much as
4:24
we would want to. But we can go forward
4:27
differently. We don't have to repeat the sins
4:30
of our fathers or grandfather's our great-grandfather's new
4:34
fresh changes can start with us. Often.
4:36
Someone will take you to Genesis chapter 22.
4:41
This passage where in Genesis 20, you have this insight.
4:49
Of the Ten Commandments and the the word that God gives that you
4:56
want to be careful of. So let me find it with me, I got
4:59
there with you and I just don't see it.
5:05
Tell me where it is. Exodus 20 verse 7, verse 8, So,
5:17
you're just going to have to bear with me.
5:21
Verse 5. Let's start with verse 4 in
5:24
this. Just read it at the best thing
5:25
to do when you can't find your place just read the Bible.
5:29
Exodus 20 verse 4, I see it now. Thank you guys.
5:32
You shall not make for yourself and he carved image or any
5:35
likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that's on the
5:38
earth beneath or that is in the water, under the Earth.
5:41
You shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I, the Lord
5:43
your God, am a jealous God. Visiting the iniquities of the
5:47
father's on the children to the third, and the fourth
5:51
Generations, which Beware people stopped but I want you to notice
5:55
at the end of verse 5, there is a category of those who hate me.
6:01
The perpetuation of sin through generations will receive the
6:06
consequences of sin that God is the author that the promise of
6:11
God is that if you continue to live in Rebellion toward him,
6:15
then you will experience the consequences.
6:17
However, he shows Mercy to thousands verse 6.
6:20
To those who love me and keep my Commandments turn over to Exodus
6:24
now 34, Exodus 34. in Exodus 34, when you get there in verse 6
6:32
you'll notice Something very similar is said here, the Lord
6:36
passed before him and proclaim the Lord, the Lord God, merciful
6:41
and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in goodness and Truth.
6:45
Keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and
6:48
transgression and sin. By no means clearing the guilty
6:54
visiting the iniquity of the father's upon the children and
6:57
the children's children to the third and the fourth generation.
7:03
Listen carefully. This is it's it is not true to
7:06
say that there are generational curses and you are bound by the
7:10
sins of your father, mother, grandmother or grandfather, the
7:14
Bible clearly teaches. I know it's repetitious, but I
7:18
want to make sure you get this because the way it's used today
7:24
in the modern Church, many places is that as a Believer,
7:28
you're stuck, And there's no way to get out if you and the
7:32
thought is this, if I can convince you, not me personally
7:35
but if someone can convince you that you're under a generational
7:38
curse, then you need somebody to break it and if they can
7:42
convince you you need somebody to break it.
7:45
Then guess who's the one that's going to break it for a price.
7:48
The person that sold you the false teaching.
7:51
They are leading you into a place of manipulation and guilt
7:55
because you have to look at it from this perspective.
7:57
Exactly. What curse did Jesus not Break
8:00
in your life. What place is the blood of
8:03
Christ not sufficient to free you from every sin and every
8:08
habit, and every difficulty and every hardship and even the
8:13
patterns that you may see generationally in your family by
8:18
faith in Christ things change with you, And your kids and your
8:22
grandkids and in some cases you get to go backwards and minister
8:25
to your parents and your grandparents, the truth of
8:29
Freedom that's found in Jesus Christ.
8:32
Notice verse now, go back to Exodus 32 for context.
8:36
You're writing all these scriptures down because you want
8:38
context. He's very clear that he's
8:41
visiting on iniquity, he's visiting upon those that hate
8:45
him. Those the continuance in notice
8:47
in verse chapter 32, pick up in verse 33 now, He gives personal
8:55
responsibility and again, generational curses today have a
8:59
way of erasing personal responsibility.
9:04
You may hear someone in perhaps this has been language in your
9:06
own mouth. Say something like I'm doing
9:09
this because I'm under a generational curse instead of
9:13
saying I'm doing this because I chose to do it and I take
9:17
personal responsibility for my own choices.
9:19
It's not my dad's fault, it's not.
9:21
My grant is as hard as it may have been.
9:23
And to grow up in that difficult home, or to pick up on some of
9:27
those habits or to see patterns in your family that are
9:31
unfortunate. I mean, ultimately, if we use
9:33
this to the nth degree, we got to go back to Adam and Eve and
9:37
they're believing the LIE. Are you still now Bound by your
9:41
great great? Great.
9:41
Great. Great grandparents, are you
9:44
still Bound by them? Believing a lie.
9:45
Now you just have to believe every lie because Jesus didn't
9:48
break the curse. It's super important you grasp
9:51
this even and now I'm dealing it with With it before we even get
9:54
into the text, because Isaac repeats, the same sin as his dad
9:58
does very similar. And what do you mean easy to be
10:02
easy to say? Well yeah, you learn it from his
10:03
dad and he's just bound to do it.
10:05
You're not bound to repeat the sins of your parents here that
10:09
and at the same time you are personally responsible for your
10:12
own decisions here in verse 33 of chapter 32, the Lord said to
10:16
Moses, Whoever has sinned against me.
10:19
I will blot him out of my book. It's interesting because that's
10:24
a passage of scripture that troubles people about blotting
10:27
out in the book of life. And that's certainly, there's
10:29
some trucks, but it's also much clearer than that, that God hold
10:34
you personally responsible for your choices even back in the
10:37
old Covenant. How much more in the New
10:39
Covenant? Let me give you another one.
10:40
You can just jot it down, Ezekiel chapter, 18, and verse
10:43
20. The Bible says the soul who
10:46
sends shall die and this is very important, this could be words
10:51
of freedom for someone This could be totally words of
10:54
Freedom. When you hear this, the Bible
10:57
says the soul who sins shall shall die.
11:00
It's kind of a scary thing, but it's true.
11:02
The wages of sin is death and New Testament.
11:04
But listen, the sun, this is Ezekiel 18:20.
11:08
Maybe some of you need to remember eyes this.
11:10
The son shall not bear. The guilt of the father.
11:16
Could it be any more clear Church?
11:18
The son shall not bear. The guilt of the father, nor the
11:23
father bear, the guilt of the Sun, the righteousness of the
11:27
righteous, shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked
11:30
shall be upon himself. It's true for daughters to four
11:33
sons and moms and dads. Let me give you another one
11:36
Deuteronomy 24:16. Fathers shall not be put to
11:42
death for their children, nor shall children, be put to death
11:46
for their fathers. A person shall be put to death
11:50
for his own sin. Be careful Church, be careful
11:55
that in a weak moment in Abba setting sin or a place where the
12:03
sin has a foothold in your life or you're under the weight of
12:06
addiction. I mean, you hear a Bible study
12:09
you'll hear about Study about being sober, and you're like,
12:12
yes, God. That's what I want from my life,
12:14
I want to be sober, you go home, and you throw out all your
12:17
drugs, and all your alcohol. And for that night, you feel
12:21
great strength. But then you wake up the next
12:23
morning and you go right back to it.
12:26
And it can be very deceiving, say, wait a minute, what I'm
12:28
just bound to this. I know you just made another
12:31
conscious decision to give in to the urges and now you're all
12:35
condemned about it. It's your own personal
12:37
responsibility and God will Empower you to make wise
12:40
choices. Choices you already made it.
12:41
Once you threw it all away. If you keep doing that, it's
12:44
going to be a very expensive. That might be another way.
12:47
You're like, man, I can't do this anymore.
12:48
I've got to Just Surrender myself to the Lord.
12:51
I don't need pornography in my life.
12:53
I don't need marijuana in my life.
12:55
I don't need to be a liar. My whole life.
12:58
I want to make choices as I present myself to the Lord and
13:01
believe that he is Empower me to live today and so immediately.
13:06
But what about next week? I don't know about next week.
13:08
I just know about today. God.
13:10
As power for you today and if God gives you a next week you'll
13:13
have power then to but you don't need power for next week today.
13:17
You just need power today for today.
13:21
Jesus said as much, so don't worry about tomorrow.
13:24
Enough issues going on in your life right now.
13:27
You don't need to be burdened by what could be and what should be
13:32
the Lord intervened in your life and broke the cycle of sin in
13:36
your life. If you are a born again,
13:39
believer you are not Bound by sin.
13:42
Any longer you have been set free where the spirit of the
13:45
Lord is there is Liberty, you have been set free you in.
13:49
Christ are sober, you and Christ are pure.
13:54
You in Christ are strong in your weakness.
13:58
In Christ, his strength is made perfect in Christ, you are sober
14:02
in Christ, you are everything that you desire to be some of
14:08
you just need to measure that Second or minute by minute you
14:13
might be in the our measurement right now.
14:15
But then hours become days. You start measuring and days and
14:20
then days become weeks, you start measuring and weeks and
14:23
weeks become months. And you're like, whoa, we're
14:26
going months now. Yes.
14:27
And then you start counting and months and months, they become
14:31
years before, you know it you're counting years.
14:34
What happened to the hours? Will you learned how to be
14:37
strong in the hour? So God gave you a couple more
14:40
And a couple more and then you learn how to be strong in the
14:42
weeks and you learn how to be strong in the months before.
14:44
You know it you've got your years and you get to the point
14:47
where you look back and go. It's been my whole life in
14:49
Christ. I've experienced the power of
14:52
God and yet, even if you're measuring in years right now,
14:55
you still are experiencing it. One second at a time God's
14:59
faithfulness. In the moment.
15:01
Let me give you another scripture in the New Covenant.
15:03
First Corinthians 6:11. Such were some of you but you
15:08
were washed you Were Sanctified, you were justified in the name
15:13
of the Lord Jesus. And by the spirit of our god,
15:16
this is the same place in the Bible that says, you are a new
15:19
creation in Christ old things have passed away.
15:23
Behold. All things have become new.
15:25
What remains is for you to believe God at his word and
15:29
access all that as your. So please don't let anyone come
15:33
and try to convince you of some generational curse or anything
15:37
like that in Christ, The Curse is broken and over and two, that
15:43
the church says amen. Alright chapter 26.
15:49
There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that
15:53
was in the days of Abraham. So if you like to write in your
15:56
Bibles, you can just write crisis difficulty.
15:59
It's pretty serious one. But it's a crisis.
16:02
A difficulty Genesis 26 verse 1. Isaac went to AB emelec the king
16:07
of the Philistines and guerard And the Lord appeared to him and
16:11
said, don't you go down to Egypt, dwell in the land of
16:14
which I'll tell you sojourn in this land.
16:17
And I'll be with you and bless you for to you and your
16:20
descendants. I give all these lands and I
16:22
will perform the or oath, which I swore to Abraham your father
16:25
and I'll make your descendants multiply as the stars of Heaven.
16:29
I'll give to your descendants all these lands and in your
16:32
seed, all the nations of the Earth shall be blessed.
16:36
Because Abraham obeyed, my voice and kept my charge, my
16:40
Commandments my statutes and my laws.
16:44
So Isaac dwelt in guerard famine hits crisis.
16:50
Moves us, remember that? It may not be a famine in your
16:53
life crisis difficulties challenges.
16:57
They have a way of moving us for Isaac here, he's moving South
17:01
toward Egypt. He wants to provide for his
17:05
family. He had come up, I think with a
17:07
very practical answer, but you can see that God's will was,
17:11
don't go to Egypt. Even if it makes obvious sense,
17:16
that's where the food is Egypt. Known as the breadbasket of the
17:20
area will know, by the end of toward the end of Genesis, how
17:24
Joseph in Egypt is collecting grain for years and years and
17:28
years preparing for the next famine because they were they're
17:31
able to produce it there. But God's will.
17:34
Was for him not to take the Practical route.
17:37
Not to take the pragmatic route. Don't you go down to Egypt?
17:42
It was his first response, his natural response, but God
17:46
stopped him. I don't want to develop it here,
17:49
but I just want you to take in mind right now, aren't you?
17:52
Glad for the times that God stopped you, you may not have
17:56
been happy in the moment, stopped.
17:58
You, you know, a lot of times it Christian language, we might use
18:01
the phrase that time that God close the door.
18:04
You were so desperate for a job. So desperate for a job and then
18:07
you write to the last right to the last interview and then
18:10
boom. Close the door.
18:12
Now you weren't happy then and I understand it was a very
18:16
challenging difficult thing. But now that you look back, you
18:20
can say, oh now I see what God was doing.
18:24
I couldn't see it then I didn't even want to see it then.
18:27
I was so angry and frustrated that particular illustration.
18:31
I didn't plan on using it, but it always reminds me of the A
18:34
big closed or that I had early on, in my career, when I was
18:38
moving on, I wanted to work for the fire department.
18:41
I tested number one, on the list.
18:43
I was given all the interviews. I made it to the Chiefs
18:46
interview in the chief's office and basically when he heard
18:51
about my past he said, oh we don't hire people like you and
18:54
the door slammed on me and I was so discouraging, so upset.
18:59
And I'm like how am I going to provide for my family?
19:01
I can't believe it. I've ruined my life because I
19:03
myself. Then for past I was a Believer
19:05
by then just so overwhelmed. But I'm telling you right now I
19:09
look back. If I would have taken that job
19:12
with the fire department, know what God would have done.
19:14
But I do know this. It made me stay in the company
19:16
that I was in and just go right back to work.
19:19
Working overtime, barely making ends meet go right back to work.
19:23
Learning everything that I learned there, which is a whole
19:26
different session to sit down there and learn all the things
19:28
God was teaching me in a job. I didn't like working with
19:32
people, I didn't like going through things.
19:34
I didn't like anybody have a job like that.
19:36
No hands. No Hands, no hands.
19:38
But I had a lot to learn very much and just going through it
19:42
day by day. Being faithful, learning
19:44
faithfulness, learning faithfulness, not knowing what
19:46
God wanted to do and then boom. This company comes out of the
19:50
blue and buys that little company and that started a whole
19:54
different trajectory of my life and all sorts of wonderful
19:56
things. That ended, you know, where that
19:58
ended, you know where my job ended, you know, where it took
20:01
me Aurora Colorado? Now time I moved here with that
20:05
job that if I would have gone off which was very good, it
20:08
would have been very excellent. A great job to have, could have
20:11
retired from it. It would have been amazing but
20:15
it wasn't, the will of God. Well, that's where Isaac is,
20:18
that's where some of you are. So mad at the closed doors.
20:22
Give it some time. God knows what he's doing with
20:25
your life. He knows exactly what he's doing
20:28
with your life and even if you mixed into the mixed into the
20:33
package, you know the situation. Your own sinful decisions, your
20:38
own mistakes. We're reminded, are we not?
20:42
God is working all things together.
20:43
He is able to work all things together for the good, for those
20:47
who love him, those who are called according to his purpose,
20:51
nothing's Wasted by God, the answer for Isaac is don't then
20:55
my will for your life is don't go down there.
20:58
Why Egypt represents in the Bible, the world The system of
21:02
the world and God is basically telling Isaac.
21:05
Don't you go to the world for help when you're in trouble?
21:10
This is a time to trust me. I've been faithful to your
21:14
father. I'm going to be faithful to you.
21:16
I made promises to your father. I'm going to be faithful and
21:19
keep my promises to you. Don't you do?
21:23
Don't you repeat the sins of your father?
21:25
Don't you go down to Egypt and this needs to be said out loud
21:31
because I'm finding more and more Christians aren't believing
21:34
this. I want to say it out loud.
21:36
I guess 20 years ago, we could just kind of assumed that maybe
21:39
the church may be many Believers are more literate.
21:43
This area and maybe you are. But for the sake of it going on
21:45
on the radio and people listening for the very first
21:47
time, listen to me, listen the world and it's system is against
21:52
you. Not your friend, the world.
21:58
And what I mean by the world is that which represents everything
22:02
outside of Christianity. The world in this system works
22:06
against you, the Bible actually uses very strong words to
22:11
describe this John. Does that disciple of love?
22:14
You can jot it down in. First John 2:18, he's warning
22:18
the first century of the world system, the world system,
22:22
sometimes you might like, wonder, what are you talking
22:24
about? Out culture, I'm talking about
22:26
culture, I'm talking about the way the world teaches, the way,
22:31
the wisdom and understanding of the world, aren't we learning
22:35
that in our servants class? The world says, it's this way,
22:38
but Jesus says, it's this way. You want, you want to be great
22:42
in the world, you climb the corporate ladder and just
22:44
destroy people on the way and the winner is at the top.
22:47
Well, that's the way the world might teach and that's why they
22:50
might Force you in control, you and push us and move us.
22:54
But the way The Christ, the way of Jesus is not up, but what
22:59
down you want to be great and God's kingdom?
23:01
What does Jesus say? Be the servant of all the way up
23:06
is down and listen to the strong language that John uses here.
23:12
First, John 2:18, little children, it is the last hour,
23:16
and as you have heard, the Antichrist is coming.
23:20
Even now many antichrists have come by, which we know that it's
23:25
the last our mini Antichrist. There is a capital, A Antichrist
23:30
prophetically coming. Yes, there's already, many
23:33
antichrists in the world. This is the first century.
23:36
It's not even the end of the first century John's writing
23:38
this. He says it again in 222 who is a
23:41
liar but he He who denies. Jesus is the Christ.
23:44
He is Antichrist. The world is filled with those
23:49
who deny Jesus as the Christ, which puts them in the category
23:52
of antichrist. Anti the prefix anti, if you
23:57
haven't already, draw this in your Bible or in your notes, has
24:00
two definitions and they both apply one definition of you're
24:03
probably, most familiar with is anti is against.
24:08
So when you hear the word Antichrist, it would be
24:11
representative of against Jesus. And the way of the world is
24:16
certainly more Jesus than it ever has been at least in our
24:19
generation. But also anti can also mean in
24:23
place of you can think of this that the system this world
24:29
system in culture, like the way of the culture has everything to
24:35
replace to put thoughts and saviors, and doctrines, and
24:40
teachings and way of life in place of Christ, which is why
24:45
they ridicule and mock you and make fun of you, make you feel
24:48
bad to put you in a weakened position.
24:50
So that you might take the bait of what they're replacing Christ
24:54
with Back in the day when I was a new believer in the early 90s,
24:58
they had all these fancy Christian t-shirts, that were
25:01
pretty popular and one of them was a picture of water with
25:07
fish, you know, with fish going One Direction and then that
25:10
Christian fish, going against the direction of the, I forget
25:14
the scripture that was on it but I can see it in my mind where
25:17
the Christian fence had to go against the flow and I'm sure
25:21
you feel that all the time until you don't and so you decide on
25:24
want to go against the flow. Go anymore.
25:27
It's too much. It's too tiring.
25:28
I'm just going to go with the vibe.
25:30
What's a little compromise here? What's a little thing about me?
25:34
You don't have to take it so strong.
25:36
You don't have to take such a strong stand.
25:38
Well why don't you just give a little and and and you know,
25:41
there is by the way good compromise.
25:44
There is good compromise when you meet somebody in the middle
25:47
when you give a little but there's never a good compromise
25:50
with truth. With truth.
25:53
You don't mess around with truth, you don't compromise the
25:57
truth, but you learn how to meet somebody where they're at so
26:01
that you can deliver the truth. You learn how to earn trust
26:05
through love and care. So you can deliver the truth but
26:08
you never compromise truth. Here we are in life of Isaac.
26:14
You know crisis moves him and he makes a decision almost.
26:17
He almost gives you almost does exactly what his dad did.
26:20
He almost went to the world for help.
26:21
The world's not going to help you.
26:24
You can ask and we won't again raise any handsome but he we
26:26
could ask how many of you have gone to the world for help.
26:29
How'd it work out for you? Well, we're back.
26:32
Yeah, you are back. Not to church but to the Lord
26:38
The reason why you're in church is because you're coming back to
26:40
the lord, it's not the other way around.
26:42
I mean, you can come to church on your way back to the Lord,
26:45
but why make? Such a long route?
26:46
Just come back to him now and then get back in Fellowship.
26:50
Like tonight, today's the day you listen to me right now, come
26:53
back to the Lord. He invites, you back, the
26:55
Prodigal, Son, The Prodigal daughter.
26:57
You just like, okay, I've been in the world.
26:58
I went back to the world. It didn't work for me and
27:01
repent. And just like the prodigal son,
27:04
that Jesus taught about that'll run out and give you a big hug
27:07
and throw a party for you and welcome you back.
27:11
Mase be some things you have to deal with some consequences but
27:14
even so it's better to be with the Lord in your consequences
27:17
than in the world in compromise every day of the week verse 7.
27:24
Good that he's doesn't go to Egypt, but verse 7 and the men
27:27
of the place asked him about his wife.
27:29
Okay, Isaac. Here's you chance, buddy.
27:32
You can fix everything of what your dad did and he said, she is
27:35
my sister. No, I'm sure he knew the story.
27:41
Because why he was, what does your Bible say?
27:45
Say it out loud. He was afraid.
27:48
The fear of man will bring a snare.
27:52
He was afraid to say she's my wife, because he thought less
27:55
the men of the place. Should kill me for Rebecca
27:59
because she's beautiful to behold.
28:01
Now, it came to pass when he had been there a long time that have
28:04
been elected, King of the Philistines, looked through a
28:06
window and saw in there was Isaac showing endearment to
28:09
Rebecca, his wife and abimelech. Called Isaac and said, quite
28:12
obviously, it's like quite obviously she is your wife.
28:17
So how would you say she's my sister?
28:19
And Isaac said, because I said lest I die on account of her and
28:22
abimelech, this unbelieving, King this, this man that is not
28:27
in relationship with God says, what is this I've done to you or
28:31
you've done to us. One of the people might have
28:33
soon laid with your wife and you would have brought guilt on us.
28:38
So Obama charged. All his people saying he who
28:40
touches this man, His wife shall surely be put to death.
28:44
Where did he learn this from his good old dad, they got carried
28:48
away, carried down. And he felt threatened.
28:51
He merely chose a course that fit his own thinking.
28:54
He acted upon his fear of, man, this is the again you were
28:58
talking about culture. Culture has taught us that if
29:02
you were raised in the public school system, like I was, and
29:05
the law says it's Angeles Unified School, District.
29:08
They taught us this. Even when I was in elementary
29:10
school they taught you. This they may not have used
29:12
these words but they taught you. This the end justifies the means
29:20
And she said, I'm never heard that phrase.
29:22
Well, you may have heard it this way situational ethics that
29:26
truth changes based on the situation.
29:31
It's just been banded down to his handed, down to his handed
29:33
down to his. So that often when you are
29:36
confronted even today, when you are confronted, with an obvious
29:40
sin in your way of explaining, you find good reasons, why you
29:45
did it. And that is exactly what we
29:50
bought. We what we were taught in this
29:52
world. The end justifies the means you
29:55
got to think of the end always. And the means they both must
30:00
honor God. The enemies just after us the
30:03
Relentless pursuit of the enemy. That's why we put the helmet of
30:06
salvation on. We have our mind sober.
30:09
We as much as we think we can't handle the onslaught of the
30:13
enemy. We have to be in Christ if you
30:15
want to be used Mighty of the Lord.
30:17
He's going to come after you. You go ahead.
30:20
Well, that's good news. It is good news to know ahead of
30:22
time, like my pastor taught us to be forewarned is to be
30:26
forearmed. So just know that the devil is a
30:30
thief and he hasn't come. Jesus said in John, 10 except to
30:33
kill steal, and destroy, and he is an adversary and enemy.
30:39
He's in the Bible says, in First Peter 5:8, be vigilant be sober.
30:44
There's us, you guys want to study the Bible.
30:47
You just look how many times so bright.
30:49
City is matched with strength and progress, the sober ones,
30:55
make very quick progress. Those that choose not to be
30:59
sober, tend to be stunted in their spiritual growth.
31:04
It's just the way it is. And he's the enemy.
31:07
So wow. How's the respond?
31:09
You can study it online. First, Peter 5.
31:12
But here's the answer. He's like a lion seeking whom he
31:16
may devour resist him steadfast in the faith.
31:20
It's important to note that Isaac didn't have to do this.
31:23
He might have learned it from his dad, but he didn't have to
31:25
do it. It's important to note that he
31:28
didn't have to lie. He didn't have to dishonor his
31:31
wife. He didn't have to put her in a,
31:33
in a very vulnerable place. Neither did.
31:35
He have to put the Philistines in a awkward position and he's
31:41
rebuked. It says, here by abimelech.
31:44
Have you ever been rebuked by an unbeliever?
31:48
It's pretty humbling. If you haven't, that's good.
31:54
But most of us have And again, being rebuked by unbelievers,
32:00
Christians can be so haughty and prideful that.
32:02
You don't accept it for what it is.
32:03
God, has sent you a gracious messenger.
32:07
To reveal to you. How someone sees your life
32:09
outside of the church, right? Like an unbeliever is pretty
32:12
heavy. And it may come out like well I
32:15
didn't know Christian said things like that.
32:19
And you're like, I didn't know either, but I was just so mad or
32:21
whatever, you know, it's like God or I didn't know, are you
32:24
cat you gave your word to a neighbor and you didn't keep
32:27
your word and they come up and go.
32:29
I didn't know I don't know. Christians don't keep their
32:32
words and then they might, you know, again might be haughty and
32:35
but but if it's true for you that, what's, what's your
32:39
response? Just humble yourself and ask for
32:40
forgiveness. I mean, ultimately you don't
32:44
want to live that way. Ultimately, you don't want to be
32:46
rebuked by an unbeliever and it's always a sad day when a
32:51
Christian won't hear the, the be sensitive to the.
32:53
Holy Spirit won't receive the directional.
32:55
Holy Spirit. Won't respond to the n-word work
32:58
that God has to send someone believer and even worse.
33:02
An unbeliever to rebuke you. And the number one, It seems I
33:07
didn't do a survey anything but it seems the number one thing we
33:10
as Christians, our review for is our hypocrisy.
33:14
And once again, we have all these ways to get around it.
33:18
And I don't mean, I don't mean hypocrisy just in all the
33:21
Twitter rants that Christians are doing, or all the memes that
33:24
don't honor God that get posted. Or but I'm talking about real
33:28
bona, fide hypocrisy that most likely happened if you just
33:32
take, if you just drop this into your heart, it may give you a
33:34
softness for someone accuses you being a kid or is upset with the
33:37
church, just drop this into your heart for a moment.
33:41
Most likely They feel that way because they met a person who
33:46
said, they represent a Christ face-to-face eye-to-eye and got
33:50
burned by them. Most likely.
33:54
Like they had a real experience or somebody burned them, maybe
33:56
it wasn't you, but you're the closest one.
33:58
Now they're going to take it out on you but it wasn't you or
34:00
maybe you burn someone and you're now they're taking it,
34:02
like it's true. And the best thing to do is just
34:05
be honest, how do you deal with hypocrisy?
34:07
You just live an honest sincere life.
34:11
Really. Yeah man.
34:11
I should have kept my word. What's wrong with me?
34:13
How can I make it up to you? You know, restitution does a
34:15
lot. It's like, oh, I'm so sorry but
34:18
too bad. I hope you got and hope you
34:19
moved. I was watching the game, you
34:21
know. I hope you got able to move but
34:24
instead to really take the position of humility into, how
34:27
can I serve you? How can I make it up to you?
34:29
How can I how restitution is a concept that God gave?
34:34
And it really speaks to True Brokenness and humility.
34:38
And so, here he is, he's being rebuked.
34:40
Notice come back to me, come back with me and verse 12.
34:43
Now, then Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same
34:47
year, a hundredfold and the Lord blessed him.
34:50
Why did the Lord bless him? We learn this with Abraham.
34:53
Why did he bless him? Because God is gracious.
34:56
Definitely not because he deserved it.
34:59
He didn't deserve it and he prospered verse 13 continued,
35:03
prospering until he became very prosperous.
35:06
He had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds in a great
35:09
number of servants. So the Philistines envied him,
35:12
the Philistines, it stopped up all the wells which is father's
35:15
servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father and they had
35:18
filled them with Earth and abimelech said, Isaac go away
35:21
from us. You're much mightier than us
35:24
again the enemies just constantly going after filling
35:28
up the wells was One commentator said this and I quote to stop up
35:32
the wells was the most pernicious and destructive
35:36
species of Vengeance. The surest way to convert a
35:39
flourishing country into a frightful Wilderness is very
35:43
damaging the source of water which is the source of life.
35:48
And the enemy is always trying to damn that up in your life and
35:51
fill those water representing the word of God.
35:53
He's always trying to keep you away from God's word.
35:56
The enemy is and the water representing the spirit of God.
35:59
Always the enemy, always wanting to confuse you and keep you in a
36:02
level where you're not just abiding in Christ, receiving the
36:05
power of the Holy Spirit. Just like these guys here in a
36:08
very practical way. Notice Isaac departed, verse 17
36:13
from their pitched, his tent in the valley of guerard and dwelt
36:16
there. And Isaac, Doug, again, the
36:17
wells of water, which they had dug in the days of Abraham, his
36:20
father, and the Philistines had stopped them up.
36:22
After the death of Abraham, he called them by the names, which
36:26
his father had called them. Can I just say if you've had,
36:29
like, a lie, Lives. You've had somebody just tried
36:31
to destroy you or you've had someone fill up your wells in a
36:35
spiritual way. You've been away and it just
36:38
seems lifeless. The answer is Digger Wells
36:41
again. Dig your wells again.
36:44
You remember a few months ago, in our New Year's messages.
36:48
I taught the message been very powerful.
36:50
I'm traveling with it. Now, when I'm teaching it at
36:52
other churches about digging ditches, you just get back to
36:57
get back and just dig the wells again.
36:58
The water still there, just go get it.
37:01
God, does his part you do your part and just come back and get
37:04
back at it? And let the Lord use you, that's
37:06
what he does. Go right back out.
37:07
It Isaac. So it says in verse 19.
37:12
I'm so Isaac servants dug in the valley and found a well running
37:15
water there, in the herdsmen of guerard quarrel with Isaac's
37:18
heard men saying, the water is ours.
37:20
So, he called the name of the, well, he sick, because they
37:23
quarreled with him, and they dug another well, and they call it
37:26
over that 12, so he called, its name, sit NE and he moved from
37:30
there and dug another well, but they didn't quarrel over that
37:32
one. Alright, so he called his name
37:35
rub off because he said for now, the Lord has made room for us.
37:38
We shall be fruitful in the land, and he went up there from
37:41
to Bathsheba and the Lord appeared to him the same night
37:44
and said, I am the Lord. Now, pause here up to this
37:48
point. There's a lot of time that's
37:49
passed. We read it in a few minutes, but
37:51
a lot of time has passed a lot of work.
37:54
A lot of quarreling, a lot of battles.
37:56
But something, you know, your walk with the Lord is worth the
38:00
fight and worth the energy and worth what it takes to pour your
38:06
life into making sure the pathways of God's word and his
38:10
Spirit are open in your life. It's not going to come without a
38:12
fight, but finally, you get some peace.
38:16
Finally. It's only temporary but enjoy
38:19
while you have it, you have peace.
38:21
So God, what does he do? He appears to him.
38:24
I'm the god of your father's 24. Don't fear?
38:27
Well, isn't that a great word because what happened previously
38:30
when he got one is with the Philistines.
38:32
He has a problem with fear. So now what does God tell him
38:36
later? Don't fear.
38:37
You can trust me. After all this quarreling all
38:42
this battling, all this traveling don't fear.
38:45
I love that I'm with you. I'll bless you.
38:47
Multiply your descendants. My servant Abraham seat.
38:51
Why do we study the Bible week after week every Service?
38:54
First by verse week? After week after week?
38:56
Why often do we hear the same things?
38:58
Different time, different text but same things.
39:01
Well, it's like God's repeating the promises to him.
39:03
It's been a, you've had a long season here.
39:05
I just want to remind you. I'm going to bless you.
39:08
Yeah. But I've already heard that
39:09
know, there are times when you need to RIT.
39:11
It's been a long year along three years, a long life, and
39:17
the Lord comes to you and goes, no, I'm with you don't fear, I'm
39:19
going to bless you. I'm going to take care of you.
39:23
And so, what does he do? In verse 25, he builds an altar
39:25
there any time you see an altar, that needs a place of worship.
39:29
This is going to be memorable for him.
39:31
He called on the name of the Lord verse 25.
39:33
He pitched his tent there and they're Isaac servants.
39:37
Dug a well, and abimelech came to him from guerard with a who
39:41
speaketh, one of his friends and fight call the commander of his
39:43
army and Isaac said, why do you come to me since you hate me and
39:47
have sent me away? But they said, we've certainly
39:49
seen that the Lord is with you. Oh no.
39:51
Things have changed. He went from lying about his
39:54
wife, but now he sees the Lord is with you.
39:56
God can the people around, you can see the change to.
40:00
They may not tell you, but they can see it.
40:04
And he says, Let there not be a note between us between you and
40:07
us. Make a covenant with you that
40:08
you will do us. No harm since we not touched
40:11
you. And since we've done nothing to
40:12
you, but good. And since you away in peace, you
40:15
are now the Blessed of the Lord. So he made them a feast and ate
40:18
and drank. They arose early in the morning,
40:20
verse 31, swore an oath with one another.
40:23
Isaac, sent them away. They departed from him in.
40:25
Peace, it came to pass the same day that Isaac servants came and
40:30
told him about the, well, which they had dug.
40:32
He said, we have I found water, they called it Sheba.
40:36
Therefore, the name of the city is Be'er Sheva to this day and
40:40
then we go on to Esau. He's 40 years old.
40:42
He took wise of Judith, daughter of bury the hittite base.
40:45
Samantha daughter of Elon the hittite.
40:48
They were a grief to the mind of Isaac and Rebekah.
40:53
On the very night, Isaac arrives, God Appears to him,
40:57
calming his fears, reminding him of the promises he given
41:00
previously Isaac Builds, an altar starts to worship settles
41:05
down, that's what pitch his tent means.
41:07
He's starting to settle down. God promises to bless Isaac, for
41:11
the sake of my servant Abraham, because he's goes our Eternal
41:14
promises. And this is just where you want
41:16
to be, you want to be in a place of Peace, trusting in the Lord
41:21
worshipping him those around. And you are blessed by your
41:24
obedience and just by way of contrast will get to it next
41:27
time maybe to some degree. But you don't want to be like,
41:31
Esau, Marrying. The unbelievers.
41:34
Esau had no interest in the special calling upon his family.
41:38
No desire whatsoever. But instead to his sought to
41:41
establish himself, as a great man by marrying these Canaanite
41:45
women, these women were probably the daughters of Canaanite Lords
41:51
and leaders members of the hittite tribe that already lived
41:54
in Canaan, rather rather than the children of Israel.
42:00
Those that would come through Abraham and Isaac and later
42:03
through, Jacob, and Israel, Esau's a man of the flesh.
42:07
The Bible says that the flesh can never please.
42:11
God, don't forget that father. I thank you for the section in
42:14
your word today. The flesh can never please you
42:17
even as a side comment here at the end.
42:19
God. It's so true. and, This
42:24
generational thing in our lives. We we want to have Victory and
42:29
so I pray that men and women listening to me right now would
42:32
receive the victory. I even sense.
42:35
There's some wrestling with that truth because generational
42:38
curses has become a very comfortable thing to hide behind
42:42
instead of taking personal responsibility, repenting of sin
42:46
and forsaking it. And walking in the newness of
42:49
life as the new creation, we are in Christ trusting in the blood
42:54
that has been shed to Break Every curse. to take down break
42:59
every chain, and to erase every Every Aaron thought we have that
43:08
would undermine our faith. And I thank you.
43:11
God is a testimony Among Us is that there has been generational
43:15
change in our families and not only do we get to pass it down
43:18
to our kids and our grandchildren.
43:21
But we also get to go backwards to our moms and dads or maybe
43:25
you know our step moms and dads or you know people that are
43:29
still surrounding that generation above us that we
43:33
would have the privilege of serving them and loving them as
43:36
my brother prayed. Tonight, planting seeds,
43:39
watering seeds of the Gospel, trusting you to give the
43:44
increase. So bless her.
43:45
Bless our night tonight. Let us leave stronger and more
43:48
encouraged in you in Jesus name. Amen.
43:51
Amen. Amen, let we pray that you've
43:54
been encouraged by this Bible. Study delivered live from the
43:56
sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
43:59
Call us at 877, 30 Grace. That's eight 77304, 2:53 to
44:08
listen to this message in its entirety or to join us for our
44:11
live stream Services. Visit us online at Calvary,
44:15
co.'s Church or download our free
44:18
Calvary Church app. Be blessed as you were.
44:21
Worship Jesus this week. Worship Jesus this week.