Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10124 - God’s Overruling Power In Our Lives - Genesis 17

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#10124 - God’s Overruling Power In Our Lives - Genesis 17 · 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 two places.
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Would you? We're going to start in Romans
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chapter 8, and we're going to end up Landing in Genesis 17,
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Romans chapter 8, and Genesis chapter 17.
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And I've entitled, our Bible study God's overruling power in
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our lives. God's overruling power in our
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lives, after such a big mistake. What did Abram?
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Need how about asking the question this way?
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After such a big mistake that we have made, perhaps a big sin or
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a long season of rebellion or a stumble in purposely sending
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along the way, what do we need, and I believe the answer to.
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That is a fresh revelation of God afresh, revelation of God,
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in his Holiness, in his glory. And in his grace, God is ready
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to stir up Faith even after a huge mistake, and I just see
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that we tend to give up on people long before God ever
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will. And when I say that, I want you
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to include yourself because I just sense that we give up on
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ourselves long before God ever does, which brings us to this
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encouraging passage in Romans chapter 8, in verse 31, Romans
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8:31. Paul is writing to the church
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and he says, What then shall we say to these things if God is
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for us? Who can be against us?
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He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us
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all. How shall he not with him also
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freely? Give us all things, and it's
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encouraging. What can we say to the Glorious
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truths of God? If God is for us, then who can
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be against us? Well, let me just say that the
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statement doesn't mean that because God has for us you're
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not going to have any adversaries or any difficulties
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or Any tribulations knots. Not the question that Paul is
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asking here. It's not the point.
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He's making the point that he's making is that, if God is for
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you, who can really be victoriously against you, who
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can get the victory, not even yourself.
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And then in verse 32, he gives us the proof.
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To those of you that have failed, he's given you the prove
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to those that have wandered away.
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He's giving the very place of God's love the The proof of
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God's love and care for us. And the argument goes this way
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since God gave his son for us. How will he not?
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Give us all things. God has provided a way for your
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sins to be forgiven. It was sacrificial on his part,
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anything else is less than that. And certainly if he's giving you
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his best, he'll continue to guide you and love you and even
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protect you in his grace and his mercy.
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And this is the ultimate evidence.
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He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us
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all. How shall he not with him also
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freely? Give us all things.
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I mean, this is a foundational truth.
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In your relationship with Jesus. This is how it all started that
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even while you were you and I were dead in our trespasses and
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sins, God gave his best, gave his best for you, and me to walk
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into relationship. And so it brings us to a couple
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of foundational. Choose of you're taking notes,
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just kind of, thinking of studying the life of Abram.
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Maybe Abraham's life becomes a mirror of your own, but from
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these two verses, we learn a couple things.
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Number one, God will not withhold.
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Anything that's good from us. God will not withhold anything
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that's good from us that for us. That's what he says.
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How will you can also give us freely?
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Give us all things because of the testimony of giving Jesus a
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again in Psalm 84 verse 11. It says for the Lord God is a
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sun and a shield. The Lord will give Grace and
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glory and listen. No good thing.
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Will he withhold from those who walk uprightly?
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So, since God has for us, how can he be against us?
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I know that many people they get themselves into trouble, they
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get themselves into a difficult spot.
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And then what happens they start to blame God, they blame God.
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It's all his fault. Look what he's doing to me.
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Look what he's saying. Look, what's happening to me
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when all the while God has been very gracious and very loving
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and very caring. He's been very merciful, and if
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you will return to him, you'll begin to see his Mercy right
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away. You'll begin to experience his
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grace and his love in a real way because he's given us his own
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precious son. Again, the argument goes, how is
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he going to withhold any good thing from you?
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He's not for those who walk uprightly.
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Now, of course, this isn't a blanket of selfish ambition for
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us, but the desires of our heart or to have what God wants.
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Not only that number 2 were reminded that God is strong and
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steady and reliable. In the small and the large stuff
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in our lives. How do we see this?
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Well, God has taken care of our biggest problem sin.
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He is dead. He has done away with the pain
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and the penalty of sin by faith in Jesus Christ.
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This is the most incredible obstacle that you and I would
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ever face that we could ever have in our lives and yet,
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Jesus, Came and paid the price for us.
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And then, thirdly, I see God is ready to help you if you call
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upon him, God is ready to help you.
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Now, if you will choose to call upon his name, that's really
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what Romans 8 is saying to us. If you call upon the name of the
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Lord, he will hear you. He cares for you, and I think
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that this, in light of failure, Come With Me Now to Genesis and
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chapter 17, in light of the failure of Abram, you know, this
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new testament. Booth is seen in this Old
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Testament story. After great failure in Genesis
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16 a significant low place in the life of Abram in the life of
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Abram and Sarai. I mean this mistake and I know
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we're using the word mistake but we can also say this sinful
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mistake took Abram out of fellowship with God for 13
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years, It's not until 13 years later.
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Now in chapter 17, it says when Abram was 99 years old that the
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Lord appeared to him. Why?
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Because that's what he needed. He needed a fresh appearance of
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God afresh revelation of God. Now, the Bible doesn't say
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anything about what happened in these 13 years, it's just
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silent. It just goes from the end of
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chapter 16 and just to remind me of the math, I have a little
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note here that there's a gap of time between these two verses
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through 16 verse, you know, sixth 16:16 where it says Abrams
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86 and then chapter 17. It opens up when he's 99, so
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there's nothing happening that's notable of God.
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In the life of Abram, this man of faith for 13 years until he
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gets this fresh revelation. We don't find Abram hearing from
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God. We don't find Abram speaking
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with God. But God isn't done with Abram in
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the silence or in the separation.
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And let me tell you, And God's not done with you either.
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He's not done with you in any way whatsoever.
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No matter the decisions you make, no matter the failures
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that Mark, your life, God is ready to give you a fresh
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Revelation, maybe even right now, God will come to you, as he
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does with Abram. And he says, look notice what he
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says in verse 1. I am almighty God, and you guys
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familiar with the Hebrew, this is El Shaddai, I am the almighty
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God walk before me and be blameless 13.
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Years later, I am almighty God Abram.
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And this is what's required of you.
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Come back to me. Come back to me with a blameless
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life. I know in our English language,
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blameless sounds perfect, but really it's a life of Integrity.
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It's a word that speaks of integrity and character come
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back to me and let me form your character.
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Take on my identity, I am almighty God.
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Now, I want you to notice the different names for God here, in
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verse one, the first one. As Abram was 99, it says, you'll
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notice the word Lord is in capital letters.
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We've learned already. But by way of review that
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whenever you see in the new King James, the word Lord, in all
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those caps capital L and then lowercase caps that is in
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reference to the name of god Jehovah, this name is often used
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in the Old Testament, Moses comes.
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And God does identifies himself as the I am.
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This is the Covenant name of God.
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In the Hebrew, it's only four consonants, yhw H and some of
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filled that, in, with Yahweh, Jehovah, but it speaks of a
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personal relationship with God, intimate and close.
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I am the Lord, not only that he describes himself as in the
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second thing, is almighty God or El Shaddai.
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It literally means god comes to Abraham, says I'm the mighty one
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and I think that's a great understanding of who God is in
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the midst of failure. Because your failure isn't fatal
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as you repent and turn to the Lord.
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Although a man falls seven times he will rise again and I mean
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that is the testimony of Abram success and failure success and
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failure this great man of faith. And so the next word he hears
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that's recorded for us. After 13 years, is I am almighty
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God, El Shaddai, 48 times. It's used in the Old Testament
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and the stress upon this identity.
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Unification of God is both the power and sufficiency of God.
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Why is that important after failure?
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Because, you know, sometimes you get to the place where you think
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there's no recovery from this. There's no coming back from
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this. I'm, I don't even know how to
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come back. I don't even know how to undo
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the previous years. I don't even know how to handle
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this situation and all the damage that I've done here and
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all the people I've heard there and all that, I don't even know
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what to do, and God comes to you and says, I am sufficient if
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God. Before us, who can be against
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us? That is the word of God.
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And so here, Abrams being reminded of the power of God to
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meet the needs of his people, no matter how great the needs might
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be. And the almighty God is
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sufficient. Not only available in powerful
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but sufficient, he has enough, sufficiency and enough power and
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enough blessings to take care of his people, especially to a man
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who is greatly failed. And you know if you study the
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scriptures El Shaddai is used most often in the Book of Job.
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Over and over again. Joe was reminded of the power
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and sufficiency of God in the midst of his heartache.
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So, here after 13 years Abram and God are talking again, it's
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such a great moment. Abram has spent the last 13
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years, reaping, what he has sown.
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And I'm sure if we had an opportunity to talk to Abram and
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just asked him a simple question, was it worth it?
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He would say not at all, in any way.
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Let me share my testimony. Let me tell the people how much
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it wasn't worth it and you can ask anyone.
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We don't need Abram. We won't meet Abram until
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eternity. Anyway, but you can ask many,
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many people that are even Among Us that have Wasted Years.
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By rebelling against God Wasted Years by sinful mistakes,
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reaping the consequences, you can ask them if it was worth it,
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those that have left and haven't returned and those that have
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left and have returned to the Lord and they'll tell you the
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same thing, it wasn't worth it. It wasn't in any way and even
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exchange and truly what we learn in that. 13-year Gap is there's
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nothing worse than being out of step.
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And out of fellowship with God, it's such a difficult place to
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be notice what he says. In verse 2.
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God is speaking. He says, I will make my Covenant
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between me and you and will multiply you exceedingly.
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Then Abram fell on his face and God talked with him saying, ask
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for me. Behold my Covenant is with you
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and you shall be a father of many nations.
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No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name
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Shall be Called Abraham for. I have made you a father of many
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nations so God speaks to him in the midst of his restoration.
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He says I'm making a covenant with you.
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The followers of Christ. The Covenant is already
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available to you. You were living in the New
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Covenant. It's all God was to come and
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speak to you today. He would say to you that my new
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covenant still exist in your life, it is the finished work of
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Christ. My relationship with you is not
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measured by your failures, not measured by your difficult, not
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measured by your wandering, but for Abram, he needed to hear
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this. And if you count up, I counted
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up. You make have a come to a
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different number. But I counted up at least 13
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times how God says, I will in this chapter and I'm not into
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all the significant little details in this, but it is
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significant to me that there seems to be.
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And I will for every wasted year in the texture isn't God, just
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so precise. I'm going to do this on your
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behalf a broom. I'm going to take even your
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failures and turn them around for good.
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God lays out the plan in the pattern for Abram to experience
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the blessings of God and he reminds us today that there's
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really not much for us to do. There's nothing for us to do
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really to experience the grace of God.
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It's already been done for us. Truly we come to God, open, and
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humble, and repentant, and immediately receive the benefits
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and the blessings of relationship.
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And all Abram could do in verse 3 is this fall on his face.
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And I'm certain those of you that have walked with Jesus long
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enough. I've had this experience where
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you're just overwhelmed by the goodness of God Eater, just
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speechless You just fall on your face.
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That's really what he literally fell on his face face.
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It's a place of humility and Brokenness but also in a very
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practical way a very spiritual way I should say.
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That you find yourself humbled under the goodness of God.
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Because I mean, as we were praying today thinking about
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sharing your testimony, for some of you, that's a difficult place
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to go to go back to your testimony, to go back to where
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you came from, to have to recall what God, the pit that you were
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in. When God rescued you and yet at
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the same time, when you think about it and you get over
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perhaps some of the difficulty, or how the enemy wants to sow
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seeds of regret into your heart or, or any of those things, then
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you put your So then respond just like, no, no no God is so
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good. He delivered me.
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I am I mean what what response can I give to him but to fall my
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face. And in that place of humility
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notice. It says.
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In verse 3, says he fell on his face and God kept speaking.
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And when I invite as I often do, and for some of you who may be
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brand new, but I want to continue to invite you and
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disciple, you and help you understand that the place of
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before the altar here. Before the stage here is to be
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used any time during our worship service, anytime were singing
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anytime we're in a position of prayer that you can use this, it
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probably wouldn't be really comfortable if you did it right
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now because it would be very distracting what the holy
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spirit's doing speaking and teaching the word of God.
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During times of worship, there are different postures that you
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can take with your body that can speak of what's happening in
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your heart. You can lift up your hands as
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pasterino often ask us and you know lifting up your hands is
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kind of a place of surrender and it's difficult for some of these
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kind of embarrassing to some of you.
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I was just with a family with Murray at the hospital this
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afternoon and very difficult situation and very Very
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difficult in the ICU. And I was speaking to his son
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who I'm known this family for many years since we moved here,
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and he shared with me and remember Murray that he had of
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his dad who happens to be in the hospital right now in the
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hospital bed of the time we went to Israel and it was just a
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special moment in the upper room that we were having that back
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then. Back then, I think it was 2008.
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They allowed you to sing in the upper room.
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They don't allow you anymore, and it was just a special time.
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Pastor Ian came in, and he started.
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A song and we began to sing and then everybody in the room began
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to join us in song when all these different languages, it
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was just unbelievable. We try to duplicate it.
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The next year is just not, you can it was from the Lord, it was
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from the Lord but the testimony that was shared with me was the
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moment of his dad watching his dad for the very first time.
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We were kind of talking about his past and how he didn't come
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to really a strong faith later in life.
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And one of the testimonies that brought tears Ears to his eyes
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and his wife standing. There was when he was with his
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dad and he watched his dad, lift his hands and praise.
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He had never seen that before in his dad and I wonder in your own
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testimony. That maybe you're holding back
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from God and even as every time Ian asks, you to lift your
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hands, you won't do it. The Lord's just say no go ahead
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and surrender. It may even be a testimony to
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someone that's been watching you their whole lives and you just
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have surrender. That's a great posture.
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Another great posture is to get down on your knees in a time of
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humility and you're just down on your knees in whatever.
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You know, you come in a suit and a tie you come in shorts or you
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have to arrange your dress or your skirt in such a way where
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you just like no I just feel like sometimes will even sing
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the song and you know, in the one of the Christmas song Fall
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on Your Knees. Well, that's an instruction.
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You may feel burdened to do it and you should you can do it in
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the seat there, you can come up to the stage.
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Some sometimes there's that posture like Abram here of just
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laying face down and I'll tell you one of the hesitancies that
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is among most of us is that you just think it's going to be
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embarrassing. You talk yourself out of
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obedience and if you talk yourself out of obedience and
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things that are, Small that are easy.
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Nobody is going to walk up to you and go.
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You know what you were? Just that was embarrassing, man.
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Are you laying down on your face?
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I mean, if anyone ever does is like, bro, what's your problem
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man? Let me pray for you and me, lay
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hands on you in a very prayerful way, but nobody's going to do
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that. I mean, of all the years we've
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been nobody, nobody, I've never heard that testimony, and if
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they do, maybe the Lord is just connecting you to explain to
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them. What the Lord was doing in your
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heart. You demonstrate it, but you're
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not even doing it for other people.
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You're doing it because God is ministering to you.
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Abraham's just fell on his face this grown man 99 years old. 99
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years old and God is speaking to him, and he falls on his face
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and listen, in our time of gathering like this, God is
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speaking to you, we pray, like Jesus said that, we might have
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ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the church.
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And I will continue week. After week and month after month
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and year after years, the Lord would allow me to encourage you
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to express yourself. Maybe you grew up in a
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traditional Church tradition where it wasn't encouraged to
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express. Yourself.
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But God worship of God and Medicine, it is an emotional
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experience at times. It is something you can feel not
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every time especially if you're more emotional, and you know
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what, we would ask. And we would just ask you to
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consider is, don't draw attention to yourself like don't
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come up and go, hey, everybody. I'm gonna get on my little face
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right now or, you know, start running laps in the sanctuary or
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some weird thing. Don't bring your flags or your
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tambourine. He's and and like, look at what
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I'm doing though. No, we will we will ask you to
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stop it. This isn't about you.
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It's about God, ministering to you.
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And so it's not to come up to the front of the stage and go.
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Look at me. Everybody watch me if that's
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your motive. Then you are not hearing from
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the Lord. God will never say hey I want
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you to get all the attention. He will never say that to you
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ever in a million years. He will never say.
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I just think the Lord's call me to go up and do jumping jacks in
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the front of the stage. All for the Lord, he will never
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tell you that. I'm not saying you won't hear
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it, but that's just voices in your head.
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Alright, psych, God will never tell you to do that, but would
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he say you don't want? You know, when pastor says I you
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should just come up and lay Face Down and Worship me, and I will
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speak to you. Yeah, I think I could hear from
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the way Abrams just overwhelmed. It's not even an instruction
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from God. He's just humbling himself.
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I mean, I think in a practical way to like, you know, in his
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heart, I think, if you haven't heard from the Lord in 13 years
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and you hear from him, it's going to Humble you.
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And how much humility do we need?
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As much as we can take? As much as we can experience,
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none of us are as humble as we need to be.
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And God is going to do a no humility of just expressing our
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self and hearing from the Lord. I think this is a place of
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Abraham's, great dependence upon God and he tells him in verse
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for my promise still stands. I'm making a covenant.
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It is still stands. What we did with those animals
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years ago. It still stands.
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It still stands. You're going to be a father of
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many nations and it says, in verse 5, He changed his name.
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This was a new experience for Abram and he changed his name
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because he wants to walk. He wants Abram to walk in a new
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identity. It's just like the New Covenant.
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It's just like the work of Jesus in your life.
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You are a new creation in Christ.
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Old things have passed away. Behold.
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All things have become new, you and I need to learn how to walk
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in our new identity in Christ. Fulfilling the new Destiny Upon
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Our Lives. It's a destiny, not a failure,
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but of success in The Lord of humility and Brokenness.
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Of obedience Independence that he defines who we are and Abram.
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His name Abram, the named Abram means, exalted, father, but the
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name Abraham means father of a multitude.
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So he's going to carry the name of the promise, just like you
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do. Just like you and I do in
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Christ, we carry the name, Christian christ-like.
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We carry the name of Jesus upon ourselves, it's not just some
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religious name that we have because we go to church.
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It is the very reminder of the identity that you and I have in
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Jesus every time you use it every time, you remind yourself
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and notice in verse 6, he says I will make you exceedingly.
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Fruitful. I will make nations of you and
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Kings shall come from you, and I will establish my Covenant.
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In verse 7 between me and you and your descendants after you
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and their generations, for an Everlasting Covenant, to be God
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to you and your descendants after you.
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And I will also give to you and your descendants after you the
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land in which you were stranger all the land of Canaan as an
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everlasting possession. And I will be their God.
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So this is the lineage of Messiah through Abraham and also
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speaking of the land the promised land given to the
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lineage of Abraham and these These are the ingredients verse
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7. I will stop wish my Covenant
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between you and me and your descendants for an Everlasting
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Covenant to be God for you and your descendants.
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After you out of you, Abraham will come Nations and Kings out
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of you, Abraham will be a land for you to dwell.
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An Everlasting Covenant. Now, this is important in verse
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7. This Everlasting Covenant,
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because you'll hear many. In the church today, say that
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the church has replaced Israel in the eyes of God.
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It is a Doctrine known as replacement theology.
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I think is foreign to the Scriptures.
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It comes to us from Roman Catholicism and then through
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protestantism, you know when Martin Luther stood up for
25:58
reform within the Roman Catholic church and he was expelled, he
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took a lot of Roman Catholicism and Doctrine with him into And
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this was one of them. This replacement theology is now
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all of a sudden, God has done with Israel that he's given up
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on Israel and now all the promises to Israel.
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Been transferred to the church. Now, we don't have time to get
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into that but I already have in-depth taught on these topics
26:25
and these studies are available on our app or online Calvary.
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Co dot Church through Romans chapters 9 10 and 11.
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So if this interests you I went into depth in our study in
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Romans chapters 9, 10 and 11, because the word Everlasting is
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an important one, to Abraham Everlasting speaks of an eternal
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Covenant. It's the same word used to
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describe everlasting life, and if the promise to Abraham and
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thus, Israel was not Everlasting and this is just simple logic.
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Not even a Biblical theology that I go into in Romans chapter
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8, 9, 10 and 11, but just simple logic.
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And it goes like this, if the promise to Abraham and thus
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Israel is not Everlasting. Then we're in big trouble
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because then we don't know what promises God keeps vegan just
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change all along then. We don't know what promises, but
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it's both to Israel. It the Bible says, in John 10
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verse 28, Jesus said, I give them eternal life.
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And you can Bank your life on the finished work of Jesus
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Christ. Just like Israel can Bank their
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life on the Eternal Promises of God.
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It's good to know that our failures will not thwart, the
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will of God because this room is filled with failure.
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Can I get an amen on? That?
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Just agree with it. Just agree with it.
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If you don't agree with it, that's another failure right
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there. We all have sinned and fallen
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short of the glory of God. We all have struggles and
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wrestling's and even failures today, perhaps, and yet the
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grace of God is greater and To Us by faith, God gives eternal
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life again, that's something you want to study Romans 9, 10 and
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11 pick up in verse nine now. God said to Abraham.
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As for you, you shall keep my Covenant you and your
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descendants after you throughout their Generations.
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This is my Covenant which you shall keep between me and you
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and your descendants after you every male child among, you
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shall be circumcised ouch. But that's going to be the sign
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you shall be circumcised In the Flesh of your foreskins and I
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shall be a sign of the Covenant between me and you he who is
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eight days old among you shall be Come sized every male child
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in your Generations. He who is born in your house or
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bought with money from any stranger, who is not your
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descendant. He was born in your house and he
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was bought with your money. Must be circumcised.
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And my Covenant shall be in your flesh for an Everlasting,
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Covenant, and the circumcised. And the uncircumcised male
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child, who is not circumcised In the Flesh of his foreskin.
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That person shall be cut off from his people.
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He has broken my Covenant. So here It is the
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responsibility. The sign, not the work to earn
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the Covenant, the Covenant has already been made Covenant
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again. Just by way of review, we've
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learned this in previous studies but it can means agreement or
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contract. The contract, the agreement, I'm
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making with you, Abraham, the sign of it to enjoy his
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circumcision for the mail. I want you to understand you
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Bible students that this outward sign of God's permanent
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agreement for Abraham came after his faith.
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I want you to see that in the, in the timeline of our study, we
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already have learned that Abraham believed God and it was
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accounted to him for righteousness.
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Now God says, this is the sign of this Faith Covenant, that my
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people believe in me. This is the sign.
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This will be the reminder to them circumcision.
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Now, the act of circumcision was indeed a sign of a relationship
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with God. It was a sign, but not the
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source, The Source was Faith. So, if anyone asks you, how were
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people saved in the Old Testament, the answer is not as
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complicated as it sounds. A person who was saved in the
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Old Testament, the same way, they are saved in the New
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Testament. A minute by faith.
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The faith was in Messiah to come for the old Covenant.
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And the New Covenant faith is in the Messiah Who Came live died
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and rose again. So there wasn't two sets of
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criteria for people following God, there were different
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covenants but the criteria remain the same.
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It was faith, not of Works, lest any man should boast.
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And so the world divided into circumcised and uncircumcised,
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the world was divided to those apart of the Covenant, those
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that were not Part of the Covenant.
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How would we describe that today?
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The world is divided into two categories, believer and
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unbeliever. It's always been that way.
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Now, circumcision, the physical, cutting away, the flesh.
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The private parts of an eight-year-old boy is very much
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like water baptism for the church.
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Water. Baptism for the church is an
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outward. Sign of an inward work.
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It does not, it is a sign and not a source of Salvation, it is
31:50
not biblical. Again coming to us through Roman
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Catholicism into protestantism and it's still with us many
31:59
today. It is not biblical in any way
32:02
whatsoever for churches to tell you that you must be water
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baptized to be saved. That water baptism according to
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the Bible is for believers, not babies.
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Believers, not babies because if water baptism was necessary,
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then that would mean your salvation is based upon your
32:24
work of baptism and we already know in the Bible again this is
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another if you look up on the website water baptism, I teach
32:32
this on that topic. It is a work of righteousness
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water. Baptism a work of righteousness,
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save people, get water. Baptized not unsaved people.
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If an unsaved person comes into the Waters of the Roar,
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Reservoir or up in one of the tubs that we have here and on
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Believer gets in and they don't repent of their sins and don't
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confess Jesus as their lord. They only thing that's happening
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is they're getting wet. Water, doesn't save.
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Anyone only the blood of Jesus Christ circumcision.
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Doesn't save anyone in the old Covenant either.
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It is the sign of a relationship, not the source,
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it's not the source of relationship.
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And even today the Protestant many in the Protestant Church of
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Taken water baptism and said That it is the circumcision of
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the church and that's why babies get baptized.
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Look, I know it's been probably pressed into you and your
33:25
upbringing Preston to you from your family you got to get your
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kids water. Baptized you got to get your
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babies water. Baptized but God's word says
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that your kids are to be raised in the training and the
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admonition of the Lord. And when they confess Jesus as
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their savior, then they get water.
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Baptized that's what the Bible teaches.
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And there's no false sense of, there's no need for the false
33:49
sense of security. God loves your kids, he shows
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Grace to your children, and you have the privilege of raising
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them in the ways of the Lord, and that becomes a faith step
33:59
for you. And your kids, doesn't it?
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So you're not leaning on a work. So you feel comfortable about
34:04
your kids, you're leaning upon the Lord as your praying for
34:07
them, reading to them, teaching them an example to them.
34:11
So that when they're at that place, they can believe on the
34:13
Lord. Jesus Christ.
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For this every time I have a little baby Baby dedication.
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I'm always praying when they get to the age when they can receive
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you Lord let it be so that they might believe in you and live
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for you all the days of their life.
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It's Abram here is this is the old Covenant circumcision and I
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also believe that there's the physical part of circumcision.
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But there's also the circumcision of the heart
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because as we were studying in acts as Stephen is talking to
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The Ridges religious rulers, what does he tell them?
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He knows that they're physically circumcised because they're
34:45
still following the old Covenant, these men, these
34:48
religious leaders. So what does he say?
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He calls them uncircumcised and it would be very easy for them
34:54
to be upset. No, I can prove to you that I'm
34:56
physically circumcised. No, he doesn't say it that way.
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What does he say? You are uncircumcised in your
35:03
heart and your ears. Your heart is far from God and
35:09
you won't even listen to God, it's not been set aside, you
35:13
have no marks of real relationship with God.
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And that was a rebuke to them and they understand it very
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well, you know why, we know, they understand what he said
35:24
very well, they killed him for it.
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They stoned him for it, come back to the Texas.
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We wind down verse 15. Then God said to Abraham, as for
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Sarai, your wife, you shall not call her name.
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Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
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Now, there are a couple of names that a couple of definitions for
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Sarai one. We've already learned.
35:44
It could mean contentious, another definition, it could
35:48
mean princess, but here, her name is changed.
35:54
Two. Where did I leave off?
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No hear her name. Sarah is means princess.
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So let me come back. Sarai is often referred to as
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contentious now. Her name is changed to princess.
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And as a princess of god, notice verse 16.
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I will bless her and I also will give you a son by her.
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So mark that phrase I will give you a son a son by her.
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I will bless her. She shall be a mother of
36:29
Nations. Kings of people shall be from
36:32
her and now Abram falls on his face and laughs.
36:37
So different falling on his face this time and he said in his
36:41
heart. So a child be born to a man
36:44
who's a hundred years old and shall Sarah.
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Who's 90 years old bear? A child and Abraham said to God,
36:52
oh, that Ishmael might live before you.
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Abraham laughs isn't this so much like us.
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It's so much like me in many ways.
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I wish I was much greater man of great faith and I am I've grown
37:08
over it in the years but I'm not I'm not a I know many other
37:12
people that are just great men and women of faith.
37:15
I never have been I get bogged down with logic and reason and
37:20
rationalizing. Am I the only one in the room
37:22
that deals with that anyone else?
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Okay don't make me feel so alone.
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I mean, I have faith, I love God, but I want, I know that if
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God to say, Hey, you know, and you're 100 years old and you're
37:35
90 year, old wife's going to have a kid.
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Ha, ha ha. Okay, God sure.
37:40
And well, that's never happened to me.
37:41
I've certainly have, I certainly have chuckled at some of the
37:46
promises of God, but that's our human nature.
37:49
Our human nature is not to believe God because we lean on
37:52
our own understanding We explain away the promises of God and
37:58
maybe you think I don't lean on my own understanding.
38:00
Will let me redefine it for you. We lean on our own
38:03
understanding. Our own education, our own
38:06
experience, our own memories, our own ability to explain
38:12
things. Our own logic, our own
38:14
reasoning, our own training, Neighbor and says, instead it
38:20
what is Abraham? Say this could never happen.
38:23
I want you to take my Ishmael Just take ish mom, 100 years
38:27
old. We've already done it for you
38:30
God. I mean, failure, 13 years of
38:33
silence and then what? Here, take our failure.
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Now again, he's not speaking of Ishmael being the failure, not
38:41
the child. And I wonder if he's even
38:44
processing, we don't we don't really know that.
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God has said your son is going to come from your wife.
38:49
That's the lineage of Messiah and he goes, no, we've already
38:53
done it. We've already done it.
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Take Ishmael take what I did. And Ishmael was a product of
39:00
Abraham's Abraham will really Abram and Sarah rise strength
39:04
and schemes and trying to figure it out, trying to make it
39:08
happen. And how easy it is for us to
39:11
tell God to use what we've already done.
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And what we've created, our prayers are a lot like that.
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Our prayers are more directive toward God than dependent toward
39:21
God. God I know this is what I mean
39:24
this how we're going to do. So just bless the way.
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We figured it out. And it's easier.
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It's easier to walk in the flesh sometimes than it is in the
39:34
spirit. And so the answer from God in
39:38
verse 19. You want one to notice this, any
39:41
time you offer Ishmael to God, your own efforts your own
39:45
energies. Here's the answer from God.
39:47
You ready verse 19? God said, say it out loud
39:49
church? No.
39:53
I don't that's not the promise. This isn't your gig Abraham.
39:59
Father of many nations. No, Sarah.
40:03
Your wife just in case you think it was any other Sarah, Sarah.
40:08
Your wife shall bear. You a son and you shall call his
40:12
name, Isaac, or laughter. You want to laugh at me?
40:16
I'm going to give you a little laughter, the rest of your life
40:20
and I will establish my Covenant with him and lasting Covenant
40:24
and his descendants after him and asked for Ishmael, I've
40:26
heard you as I, you know, I think that when you think of
40:29
Ishmael to Abram had a fatherly love toward Ishmael, it was his
40:32
son And he had a fatherly love, so I don't know that we can
40:37
ascribe always that this was these were ill motives except
40:41
that God made a promise to Abraham.
40:43
And he said, I don't want your promise.
40:44
I already here, take just take Ishmael.
40:46
This is impossible. We figured it out.
40:49
Just take Ishmael. And God says, no, this is how
40:52
it's going to happen, but for Ishmael I've heard you, he says,
40:55
verse 20 and I blessed him and will make him fruitful And I'm
41:00
multiplying exceedingly and he shall be get twelve princes and
41:03
I'll make him a great nation. But notice what he wasn't
41:06
promised and this is an answer biblically.
41:08
Very simple answer. Notice, what wasn't promised to
41:11
Ishmael. Did you notice what what wasn't
41:13
promised to Ishmael it was promised to Abraham the land.
41:18
And that's a big problem today in the Middle East and Israel.
41:22
That is a huge problem because you have descendants of Abraham
41:26
fighting over the land promised to Abraham through Isaac.
41:33
True Messiah. My Covenant verse 21.
41:36
I will establish with Isaac whom Sarah shall bear to you at this
41:39
time next year and he finished talking with him and God went up
41:44
from Abraham. So Abraham took Ishmael his son
41:46
and all who were born in his house and all who were bought
41:49
with his money every male among the men of Abraham's house and
41:52
circumcised the Flesh of their foreskin is that very same day
41:56
just as God had said to him Abraham was 99 years old when he
42:00
certain when he was circumcised In the Flesh of his foreskin and
42:03
Ishmael his son was 13. Years old when he was
42:06
circumcised In the Flesh of his foreskin.
42:08
The very same day, Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael
42:13
and all the men of his house born in the house or bought with
42:16
money from a stranger, we're circumsized with him.
42:20
Immediate obedience Abraham's learning his lesson when he
42:23
hears the word, no, he responds immediate obedience.
42:27
And now this year, one year later there will be a gift of
42:31
God named Isaac, bring laughter, and the God will.
42:35
Fulfill his promise and Abraham circumcised has everyone that
42:39
needs to be. I think it was a very painful
42:41
day for all of the men in his home.
42:45
But I'm convinced that even as God is preparing you that he's
42:49
looking for obedience. From you immediate obedience, I
42:53
believe he has a Ministry for you.
42:55
He has a word for you. Every time you open the Bible
42:58
and he time you turn to prayer. God has wants to speak to you.
43:01
He wants to encourage you. He wants the voices of this
43:04
world to be. The out by the truth of his word
43:07
and through as you turn to him, he wants to raise you up.
43:10
He wants to prepare you. He wants you to use you greatly
43:13
and listen church. He wants you to look beyond your
43:16
own failures. So that you might rise above by
43:21
his grace, he wants you to look beyond your own and abilities.
43:25
Even in a real way like this, you know, 100 years old, this is
43:28
impossible, this doesn't happen. God Says, with men.
43:34
It's impossible, but With God, all things are possible.
43:39
If God be for us, who can be against us?
43:44
Even in our imperfections that will man falls seven times.
43:48
He will rise again and that's the testimony of Abraham.
43:52
In this chapter father, we do receive your overruling power in
43:57
our lives, even when we make bad decisions, even when we respond
44:01
to you faithless Lee, your word says, in the New Covenant that,
44:06
even if we are faithless, you remain faithful.
44:09
You will not deny yourself. You will keep your promises.
44:13
Think of the scripture that says, there isn't a word that
44:16
you have promised that hasn't come to pass you, keep your
44:20
promises, you are the promise giver and you are lone are the
44:26
perfect promise keeper. And I pray God as we come to you
44:30
with our failures and our weaknesses that were not beset
44:33
by guilt and shame and regret. I know some Among Us they're
44:38
just so overwhelmed because some of the things in their life that
44:41
are on even under their control. Things that are being done to
44:45
them. And it's not even under the
44:47
control in there. What did I do?
44:49
And how could I? And just Lord release them and
44:51
free them that they might walk in Victory and receive the
44:55
promises that very day. Let today be that very day of
45:01
obedience, no matter how painful it might be that you might be
45:06
glorified in our lives tonight. Lord in Jesus name and the
45:10
church says, amen. And amen.
45:12
Let's we pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible study.
45:16
Live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer, call
45:20
us at 877, 30 Grace. That's eight 77304, 2:53 to
45:28
listen to this message in its entirety or to join us for our
45:32
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45:35
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45:38
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