Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10134 - The Lord Led Me - Genesis 24:27-67
Transcript
- 0:04Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
- 0:08Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
- 0:11Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
- 0:14through abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream
- 0:17Services. Visit us online at Calvary, Co
- 0:21dot church or download our free Calvary Church app.
- 0:25Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
- 0:31Amen. Amen, take your Bibles and open
- 0:33them to Genesis chapter. 24, we'll pick up where we left off
- 0:37last time, finishing the chapter and I've entitled our Bible
- 0:41study the Lord, led me and this chapter happens to be one of my
- 0:46most favorite in the Bible. This phrase that's being used by
- 0:51the servant of Abraham. And as we're studying through
- 0:54the Book of Genesis, the book of Beginnings, chapter 24.
- 0:58You remember as a big change It's a turning point.
- 1:02It's a brave big break in the second division of Genesis.
- 1:06We divided Genesis remember into two parts, chapters 1, through
- 1:1011 cover for great events, it covers creation and then the
- 1:16fall, then the flood and then the Tower of Babel, while the
- 1:21second part chapters 20 through 50, cover for people, for events
- 1:27for people in the second half covers Abraham.
- 1:31Isaac. Jacob and Joseph Abraham's
- 1:35fading off the scene. We're turning our attention to
- 1:38Isaac. We learned last time that Isaac
- 1:41is about 40 years of age. Here in chapter 24, it's time
- 1:46for him to be married, Abraham calls us servant, sends him
- 1:50back, home to find a wife or a son, which was a seemingly
- 1:54impossible. Task, we learned that in our
- 1:56study Eleazar is his name. He heads out to the city of
- 2:00nature. Four stops at a well, lays this
- 2:04request before the Lord. In verse 15, it says, and it
- 2:09happened before he had finished speaking.
- 2:13That behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethel son of milcah,
- 2:17the wife of nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her
- 2:21picture on her shoulder before he's even done praying.
- 2:26God answers, his prayer of Rekha arrives Waters is camels and we
- 2:31don't want to forget the typology.
- 2:34We examine this in-depth last time.
- 2:36I'm we don't want to forget it today.
- 2:38The typology here in a broader sense, Abraham is a type of God,
- 2:42the father in this true story Isaac represents Jesus.
- 2:47The sun, there is a new person, the unnamed servant, which we
- 2:51believe is eliazar, representing a type of the picture of the
- 2:54Holy Spirit. The servant as type of the Holy
- 2:58Spirit, gave a bride, these valuable gifts, valuable and
- 3:02precious, we saw the gifts of the holy spirit.
- 3:05First Corinthians And God is taking what's being said and
- 3:09being presented and through it pointing us to Jesus revealing
- 3:14more of his character. Let's pick up.
- 3:15Now in verse 27, of chapter 24 says in the end, he said blessed
- 3:21be the Lord. God of my master Abraham who has
- 3:24not forsaken his mercy and his truth toward my master and this
- 3:28is one of those verses I have highlighted in green.
- 3:30It's one of those. Go Ministry verses verse that
- 3:34reminds me, it's fundamental. No foundational for serving
- 3:38Jesus. I haven't had lighted.
- 3:40Green asked for me being on the way.
- 3:44The Lord led me to the house of my Master's Brethren.
- 3:48So the young woman ran and told of the told those of her
- 3:52mother's house, these things, this phrase, this phrase ask for
- 3:59me being on the way. The Lord led me is I believe one
- 4:03of the most important keys and determining the will of God for
- 4:07your life. So many today wonder and strive,
- 4:12I would think that some even listening to me right now are
- 4:16desperately worried that you have missed the will of God.
- 4:20It gets so spiritualized that you come to the place where
- 4:25you're thinking a lot, I've just missed it.
- 4:27I made a left turn when I should have made a right turn or I'm
- 4:30not sure how God wants to lead me and guide me.
- 4:34It's a key. You know we want to No, the will
- 4:36of God, but sometimes we make it so much more than it really is
- 4:42so much harder than the Simplicity of abiding in Christ
- 4:47and following his lead being on the way.
- 4:50Many Believers, you know, they'll sit back and do nothing
- 4:54and they'll think I know how the God I know how God.
- 4:56Oh, leave me. I'll just sit back and I'll wait
- 4:59for something to happen. Yeah, it's silly.
- 5:02You know, you might be unemployed right now and there
- 5:04you are. I know, I know what I'll do.
- 5:06I'll just sit here and I'll pray for a job, and you never put any
- 5:10applications. You never make any phone calls.
- 5:12You never knock on any doors. You never take the job that's
- 5:15before you because you're always waiting for something else and
- 5:18you sit there wondering I don't think I'm in the will of God,
- 5:21step out and don't just sit around waiting for something to
- 5:24happen and that's the key being on the way.
- 5:30Get up and start moving. We have these pictures and these
- 5:34thoughts of how God really speaks to his people, but more
- 5:38often than not, God will lead and speak to his people.
- 5:42While they're in the process of living their life living life.
- 5:49We want that burning bush, but how many times in the Bible did
- 5:52that happen wants to one person? It doesn't happen again.
- 5:57We want to be walking along and The donkey talk to us.
- 6:01But how many times did that happen?
- 6:02Once to one guy? And by the way it happened to a
- 6:06rebellious man at that we want these Supernatural like
- 6:12unmistakable fleeces that we lay out.
- 6:18But really God uses us being on the way in everyday life.
- 6:22In everyday situations we have this perfect illustration of
- 6:26this. Very fact turn with me to Acts
- 6:28chapter 8. We studied this not too long ago
- 6:31and over in Acts chapter 8 and 12 remind you of it.
- 6:34I want you to see it because I have in my Bible marked the
- 6:38verbs and I want you to mark them.
- 6:39If you haven't already Acts chapter 8, we have a beautiful
- 6:43illustration of this here. In the early church, Philip is
- 6:46ministering. A very Dynamic time.
- 6:49In Samaria, is a wonderful move of the spirit.
- 6:53Many are committing their lives to Jesus out of the blue, and
- 6:57Angel comes and tells him to head, to the desert, leave this
- 7:01revival and go towards the devs that go on the road toward Gaza.
- 7:06Now, put yourself in his sandals.
- 7:08For a second, he's in the midst of something.
- 7:10Super exciting, very dynamic. It would lead to.
- 7:15I think if I was in his shoes I would question God a little bit.
- 7:17I mean I hope I do obey. I don't know that.
- 7:20I'd be so quick to obey him like are you sure?
- 7:22You sure you got the right Ed. There's a lot of heads around
- 7:24here. There's are you sure you got the
- 7:26right one? Because I think God is using me
- 7:27right here. I think that this is where I
- 7:30should be. Look at the fruit.
- 7:31We can think of all of the phrases and the cliches, we
- 7:34might even come up with to question the leading of God.
- 7:38God did lead him notice in chapter In chapter 8 and verse
- 7:4226. Here's how the Bible describes.
- 7:45An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, Mark these words
- 7:48arise and go. When does Phillip receive these
- 7:52words while he's ministering while he serving, he's living
- 7:55life, he was doing what God had called him to do, and while he
- 7:59was doing what God called him to do, God spoke to him, get up and
- 8:02go. And he gives the direction
- 8:04toward the South along the road, which goes down to Gaza.
- 8:07This is Desert, it doesn't really give him anything else
- 8:10verse 20, Evan Mark, these words so he arose and went, he's on
- 8:15the Move, On The Move, On The Move then as he arose.
- 8:18And went this man of Ethiopia, caught his eye and then he the
- 8:21spirit of the Lord said in verse 29, go near Andover, take the
- 8:25Chariot. And then, Mark these words, In
- 8:28verse 30, so Philip ran to him and heard him reading the
- 8:32prophet Isaiah and how does this end?
- 8:35But the man getting saved and taking the gospel back home and
- 8:39it was while Philip was doing what God had called him to do
- 8:42while he was on the way. I think perhaps the only thing
- 8:45holding some of you back today from a dynamic Ministry in
- 8:49serving. God is just going for it.
- 8:52Taking the first step. I wonder who's listening to me
- 8:55right now is just waiting for it.
- 8:56All to be explained to you. If you just get all the steps,
- 9:00he take this one and then I'll lead to this one and I'll lead
- 9:02to this one. And this is exactly what the
- 9:04next five years of your life will look like.
- 9:06So you're waiting for that. Fullness of it of something to
- 9:10be explained to you, when God is just saying, just be on the way.
- 9:14Like with the servant here Abraham said, go and he went,
- 9:18there was some hesitation, I think God makes room for
- 9:20hesitation. What if she doesn't want to
- 9:23come? Was one of the questions.
- 9:24He had a valid question, and the answer was simple.
- 9:27She doesn't want to come. She doesn't have to come leave
- 9:29her. She doesn't have to come and we
- 9:32learned that became a type in a picture of the ministry of the
- 9:35Holy Spirit. Remember the ministry of the
- 9:37holy spirit's not going to force you, going to make you against
- 9:41your will. If you don't want to come don't
- 9:43come. If you don't want to follow the
- 9:45lord. Don't follow the law.
- 9:46You don't want to repent of your sins.
- 9:47Don't repent of your sins. Just understand that that
- 9:50decision comes with a consequence and more.
- 9:53So if we could take that illustration and expand it just
- 9:56a minute a little bit more by application, if If you're
- 10:01listening to me right now in the study of God's word and you
- 10:03don't want to step out, don't step out.
- 10:06But there's a consequence that comes forth that if you don't
- 10:09want to be on the way because it's scary or you don't want to
- 10:13be on the way because it's impossible or you don't want to
- 10:16be on the way because you don't like it or you don't think
- 10:19that's what God has for you. Or you, you don't want to be on
- 10:21the way, then don't go on the way.
- 10:24But also don't expect. Don't expect God to say, oh,
- 10:28that's okay. You will set that aside.
- 10:30I have something else for you. Many times.
- 10:33You might want to jot this down many times.
- 10:36One of the easiest steps. You know, knowing what the will
- 10:40of God is for your life is to go back to the thing.
- 10:44The last thing that God told you and Obey it, Just go back to the
- 10:50last thing. Got it told you and Obey it.
- 10:53It may be a repetition of where you are right now, but it's also
- 10:57an affirmation and reaffirmation of the will of God for your
- 11:00life. I'll give an example.
- 11:02You're in college right now. You don't want to be in college.
- 11:06You just think I need to get out in the big bad world and go get
- 11:10a job, but I got told me to go to college.
- 11:13I don't know what the will of God.
- 11:15I don't like cause I don't know what the will of God, is one way
- 11:18to discern. The will of God is go back to
- 11:19when the Lord said go to college and Obey that in that moment we
- 11:24covet that doesn't tell me much. No actually does tell you a lot
- 11:28stay in college while you're discontented stay where God has
- 11:33you while because you're on the way there and that
- 11:36discontentment and the doubts and the concerns are confusing.
- 11:40You but confusion is not from the Lord.
- 11:44I would say that to his, I have the privilege of serving
- 11:46pastors. I've served wonderful pastors
- 11:48here on our team as we colabor together.
- 11:50I get to serve pastors around the city around the country,
- 11:53even around the world. And I'll tell you more often
- 11:56than not, one of the Ministries that God would have me as a
- 11:59messenger of of him is to reduce a you look, I know things are
- 12:02hard right now, but you need to go back to when God called you
- 12:07and remember the calling of God, it will get you through this.
- 12:11You can say by definitively. God has Where You Are by his
- 12:14will and go back to the calling, go back to the verse that he
- 12:18gave. You go back to the confirmation.
- 12:20He gave you and say, Lord I'm going to meet you back here in
- 12:23this place of peace. And I'm going to meet you back
- 12:26here in this place of safety. And I'm going to meet you back
- 12:28here in this place of calling and Confirmation.
- 12:33Because I know that all the confusion in the doubting is not
- 12:36helping me serve you. Well some of the things that are
- 12:42holding you back is just stepping out into the unknown.
- 12:46Doing even the most simplest things, spiritually.
- 12:50We're not getting into the list. I have prepared for you today
- 12:53yet, I will, I have a list of things that you can jot down
- 12:56that will help you, but give me it.
- 12:57Let me give you another one on the pre list.
- 13:00One of the ways that you can that will help you discern.
- 13:02The will of God is to be faithful where you are.
- 13:06Be faithful that may include you.
- 13:09Stop murmuring and complaining or stop worrying or fretting,
- 13:12but be faithful. And even the most simplest of
- 13:14things be faithful where you are.
- 13:18It's so important knowing the will of God doesn't always
- 13:23include some huge, big scary step into the unknown.
- 13:28Most of the time it is the next step of simple.
- 13:32Regular ordinary life. I think I taught a Bible study
- 13:36many years ago in Samuel about the God of the mundane.
- 13:40Just the normal everyday life. You just do what's in front of
- 13:43you. Just do what you're asked.
- 13:45I think of the school Ministry that we have brand new class,
- 13:48this is every week, just do what your ass just do, what your eyes
- 13:50trust us and do what you're asked.
- 13:52The Lord will take care of the rest.
- 13:54If you don't do what you're asked and there's friction and
- 13:56conflict and of course your Not Discerning with the will of God
- 13:59is for you. It's not always some huge big
- 14:02scary step. It might be a small scary step.
- 14:06It might be a small step you don't like, it could be just
- 14:10answer the phone, stop, sending it to voicemail answer the
- 14:14phone, that's no to anyone in particular, but maybe it is read
- 14:18the connect email that we sent to you in the life of your
- 14:21church and pray over it. So a lot of ministry
- 14:24application, how about this you want to know the will of God for
- 14:26your life. Read your Bible everyday, open
- 14:30yourself up to the Lord in the morning or in the afternoon or
- 14:33the evening. You want to know the will of God
- 14:34pray every day. You want to know the will of God
- 14:38for your life. Take a prayer walk.
- 14:40Reach out to someone text them, pray for them, be faithful in
- 14:43the little things. Do what you can do and don't
- 14:47always look. Don't always put yourself in a
- 14:49place where I'm not in the will of God, even if you're in a very
- 14:53difficult place right now, even if the difficult place that
- 14:57you're in right now, is because of your own sin, or your own
- 15:00consequences, even if you're in a place, you don't want to be
- 15:03in. Even if you can fill in the
- 15:05blanks, I I can say with definitive with no, hesitation
- 15:10you are where you are In This Moment by the will of God.
- 15:16God has you where he has you and so Embrace him by faith.
- 15:20Not saying that's where he wants to keep you.
- 15:22I'm not saying that you couldn't be in a better place or we could
- 15:25have made decisions, but we're not going to live our life.
- 15:29Just always looking in the rearview mirror regretting, all
- 15:33the mistakes that we made. We're going to repent from them.
- 15:35We're going to lay them before the Lord.
- 15:36We're going to cast our cares for him, and we're going to
- 15:38embrace the moment. Some people live their whole
- 15:42life, wanting to know what's the will of God for my life and they
- 15:46live in the in the clouds and their feet are never on the
- 15:49ground. The will of God is just like
- 15:52what Joshua said. I love it.
- 15:53God gave this to me early on when I moved here to Colorado
- 15:57and he's used it in so many different ways, and I didn't
- 16:01exactly know why, but he gave me great encouragement when he gave
- 16:05the encouragement to Joshua. He also gave it to me wherever
- 16:08the sole your feet tread. I've given you that means
- 16:12wherever I am, that's where God wants me.
- 16:14And sure my feet can be get myself into trouble and but I
- 16:18think we're learning with Abraham even in his trouble.
- 16:20The Lord was with him and he'll get his feet out of there.
- 16:24Get your feet out of here, man. You don't belong here, Abraham
- 16:27and God would have you even with Abraham.
- 16:29And that King when he sold, when he lied about his wife, God
- 16:32himself rescued Abraham from it. Put a heavy burden upon the king
- 16:37to rescue and why? Because he loves you.
- 16:39Yes, there's consequences. Yes there's difficulties but
- 16:43look be faithful. Be faithful where you are.
- 16:47Be on the way. I believe that God wants us to
- 16:51take steps of faith. I was meditating on this first
- 16:54recently. You can jot it down in Luke
- 16:56chapter 12, and verse 32 says, Jesus said, don't fear Little
- 17:00Flock, it's your father's good. Pleasure to give you the
- 17:04kingdom. Don't fear, God wants to give
- 17:07you his King to he wants you to enjoy the kingdom.
- 17:10He wants you to flourish and Thrive so don't fear get back to
- 17:14that place of abiding. You know, you asked the Lord
- 17:18whatever you want and if it's according to his will, he's
- 17:21going to Grant it to you. And how do you pray according to
- 17:23his will you're abiding in him? And his will is, your will now
- 17:28many years ago and we went verse by verse a Bible study through
- 17:33the book of Romans. And when you get to chapter 12,
- 17:36we paused and I would encourage you, if you want the d pervert
- 17:40Bible studies on this. If you really wrestling with
- 17:43discovering, the will of God. For your life.
- 17:45We went Many many weeks through Romans chapter 12 right there in
- 17:49the first few verses many weeks on how to discover the will of
- 17:53God. So I went back to the notes
- 17:55there and I noticed a couple of relevant things that I can share
- 17:58with you today that will help you on a practical way, discover
- 18:02the will of God for your life. You can ask some key questions
- 18:04before the Lord and He the way he answers them will lead you in
- 18:10making decisions. And by the way, we have a goal
- 18:13of studying 40 verses in our study.
- 18:16Today. And we are on verse 2. so, want
- 18:21to give you a heads up, So here's some things you can go
- 18:25back to the on the app or on the web in the Book of Romans
- 18:28chapter 12, all those chapters are before you even get into the
- 18:31spiritual gifts, you talk about presenting yourself to the Lord.
- 18:34We went through it in depth but let me give you a few things.
- 18:36Number one, you're looking to discern.
- 18:38The will practical steps, discovering the will of God.
- 18:40Number one, God will speak to you.
- 18:42Through his word makes sense. He will speak to you through his
- 18:45word. In Psalm 119 in verse 10 for
- 18:49says through your precepts I get understanding.
- 18:52Through your precepts, I get understanding.
- 18:56I just want you to consider for a moment, how often you lean on
- 18:59people's opinions to discover God's will.
- 19:01Before you ever get to the word, go to the word first.
- 19:05Let it saturate your life. So the seeds of the word of God.
- 19:08That's where you going to get understanding.
- 19:10God will never lead you contrary to his written word.
- 19:14This is the Bedrock and the absolute clear and complete
- 19:18revelation of God, that we measure all other so-called Old
- 19:22Revelations. There is no new revelation, the
- 19:27New Revelations you and I experience our Revelations of
- 19:30intimacy with the Father. The word of God is the
- 19:32established Standard Bible would describe it as the word, the
- 19:37faith, once, and for all delivered once and for all
- 19:40delivered. So, I always want to make sure
- 19:44that this is what the Bible teaches.
- 19:46I want to be in the Bible. I want it to change me.
- 19:49I don't want to change what the Bible says.
- 19:51Obviously now None of us do. But you think when you get into
- 19:54emotion, when you're fearful, when you don't know what the
- 19:56will of God is, you can very easily twist the word to your
- 20:00own harm. You've got to let it change you,
- 20:02you got to be conformed into the image of Christ.
- 20:04You need to be changed, you don't want to change what the
- 20:07Bible says. The Bible is Crystal Clear.
- 20:09Like, for example again, another silly illustration, is it okay
- 20:13to sleep with my girlfriend? Yes or no.
- 20:15Know why the Bible says? So fornication is a sin, it is
- 20:20never okay, ever, never. Ever never ever.
- 20:25Never. Why not?
- 20:27Because I said so the Bible says it.
- 20:31It's never. But what about?
- 20:32No, it's not. What about, what about?
- 20:34What the Bible says, it's subtle that first.
- 20:36Well, the Bible says, I can't sleep with my boyfriend.
- 20:39I can't have sexual relations outside of marriage.
- 20:41That's what the Bible says. But what about?
- 20:43No, there's no, what about this were?
- 20:46The Bible says you don't need to go any farther.
- 20:47This is the will of God for your life.
- 20:49Your sexual morality you that there is is not for you, you
- 20:55will of God for your life. The Bible says, clearly is for
- 20:57you to flee, sexual immorality. Run away from it, it's very
- 21:01easy. The Bible is the foundation.
- 21:04Number two, you want to discover the will of God, God will speak
- 21:07to you through your circumstances.
- 21:09You want to pay attention to circumstances.
- 21:13We have to be careful here. Circumstances are not the only
- 21:16way that God will speak but he will use them.
- 21:19This is not the only way to discern whether God is leading
- 21:21us or not, it's not isolated, it's not primary but God does
- 21:27use it. This is the phrase.
- 21:28We usually use. To describe circumstances you
- 21:31ready. So you can put it all in the
- 21:32context. Specially those of you that are
- 21:34new, Believers newer, Believers, you can understand some
- 21:37Christian phrases at what we mean, many times will describe
- 21:40circumstances as open doors, and close the doors.
- 21:45Why? Because it makes total sense and
- 21:48open door says, come on in and a closed-door, says, you can't.
- 21:56An Open Door, is yes, a closed. Door is no.
- 22:02And God will use the yeses and NOS of circumstances.
- 22:05Not isolated and not primary, but we also don't want to ignore
- 22:10them. We don't want to ignore them.
- 22:12God uses both yes. And no in our lives.
- 22:17Thirdly, God will use for us. Peace.
- 22:23A peace in our hearts. Again, this is not isolated.
- 22:29So let me just say, God will never give you a piece to do
- 22:32something sinful, so please don't comment.
- 22:35Well, you know, God has just given me a piece.
- 22:37Well, like a piece for what you what you're about to do, is so
- 22:41wrong. Well, God's given me a piece.
- 22:44Now, I can tell you right now that is not a piece from God.
- 22:47That is your own sinful fleshly selfishness.
- 22:51You've just chosen to do your own thing.
- 22:53NG to do it your own way and blame God for it and you will
- 22:57pay a price for that. However, God does promise in
- 23:01Philippians. He promises Us in chapter 3, be
- 23:04anxious for nothing but in all things by prayer and
- 23:06supplication with Thanksgiving, make your requests be made known
- 23:10to God. And what does he say?
- 23:12The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will
- 23:16guard your hearts, which is your emotions, which really confuses
- 23:20us and your minds were our spiritual warfare.
- 23:23Takes place of what we will believe through Christ Jesus and
- 23:28it is possible to have a settled peace to go forward so that you
- 23:33can come back and go. While I was on the way the Lord
- 23:35led me and he gives a piece a lot of wrestling happens with
- 23:39this sense of peace. There's sometimes a lack of
- 23:44peace. Probably more often than not, a
- 23:46lack of peace means wait. Pause this, wait on the Lord
- 23:52till he uses both his open doors and close doors.
- 23:55It's not against the word of God and there's a sense where yeah I
- 23:59think we just do this. Let's go forward.
- 24:01Let's take the next step. I'm amazed at how often
- 24:05Believers fight God when he says no.
- 24:10And you got to consider that in your own life.
- 24:12Our hearts are sad. And our minds are made up.
- 24:15And then when God denies us, we get so mad at him.
- 24:18Like, as if only the yeses are from God and the nose can't be
- 24:23from God. But he uses both Hebrew uses the
- 24:27yeses and the nose of life to discern.
- 24:30Our will one brother said I think was Pastor skip.
- 24:34Heitzig said that thus the Bible says the steps of the Lord are
- 24:38ordered from the Lord. That's so I think Home 37.
- 24:42The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and then he
- 24:45added to that. But so are the stops.
- 24:48The stops are also ordered by the Lord.
- 24:51God's knows are just as important as God's goes.
- 24:56As you're walking with the Lord abiding in Christ to give you a
- 25:00piece or he'll stop you with spiritual hesitations, the idea
- 25:04of Peace ruling in your heart, the word speaks of an Umpire
- 25:08like a referee that's going to be be able to tell you.
- 25:12This is the right way or this is the wrong way.
- 25:15And the number four in During the will of God is God will
- 25:19bring in about and his timing. He makes all things beautiful in
- 25:22his time. It's his timing that's
- 25:25important. Here's another way to think
- 25:27about it. You know, takers.
- 25:28There's another way to think about it as you're praying and
- 25:31seeking the Lord trying to discover his will wanting to
- 25:33discover his will. If, as you're praying and
- 25:36seeking the Lord, if the request is wrong, God will say no if the
- 25:42timing is wrong, God will say slow.
- 25:45If you are wrong. God will say Grow.
- 25:49But if the request is right, and the timing is right and you are
- 25:53right, you know what God says go.
- 25:57I thought that was great. I don't know where I pick that
- 25:59up, but somebody smart said that the request is wrong.
- 26:03Know the timing is wrong slow. If you're wrong you need to grow
- 26:08but if everything lines up it's time to go.
- 26:11That's where that's where the servant is.
- 26:13It was an impossibility. Even as he laid a fleece before
- 26:17the Lord, he later request. Just even that request was
- 26:20impossible and yet, God lined it all up and Rebecca showed up at
- 26:24just the right time God does want all of this is to say
- 26:27because even the explanation can feel a little complicated.
- 26:31He's like, man that's a lot to remember.
- 26:32Okay, let's just make it very simple.
- 26:35This is simplify the whole thing.
- 26:36God wants to lead, you follow him.
- 26:40And then acknowledge that your lead your following, his lead
- 26:43think about today, you're here right now, listen to this Bible
- 26:47study, in this room on the podcast by the will of God.
- 26:50You are here because God LED you here, give him the credit.
- 26:54Oh no. And I changed on my count.
- 26:56I put a little reminder and like ya got put all that in your
- 26:59heart. You're here by the will of God.
- 27:04You're here, wherever you are wherever the soul of the of your
- 27:06feet touch. God has given you.
- 27:09So take advantage of it and use it.
- 27:13Well, we learn about the family of Rebecca now and 24:29.
- 27:18Rebecca had a brother whose name was Laban and Laban ran out to
- 27:23meet the man by the well, we're going to learn that relay baton
- 27:26is a greedy, shrewd man. And so it came to pass when he
- 27:32saw his, the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister's wrist.
- 27:36When he heard the words of his sister, Rebecca saying, thus,
- 27:39the man spoke to me that he went to the man and there he stood by
- 27:43the camels at the well. And he said, come in no blessed
- 27:47of the Lord. Why do you stand outside for?
- 27:50I prepared the house and a place for the camels.
- 27:53Laban is a conniver and a trickster and he hears the story
- 27:57thinks he might be, she might be taken away.
- 28:00Way, he wants the gifts, he wants the treasures, he tells
- 28:04the sermon to come into the house.
- 28:05He's prepared it again. If you want to follow the
- 28:08picture here, that typology for a moment Laban, sees the gifts
- 28:12and he desires them and he wants them.
- 28:14That's exactly one of the key reasons why God has given gifts
- 28:19to the church. So that it might provoke
- 28:22jealousy in a watching world. That the world might see in the
- 28:28church among Believers, what they can find nowhere else.
- 28:35They can't find. They don't experience.
- 28:37What's Experience among Believers is not experienced in
- 28:39this world and here Laban Seas. This man that comes with gifts
- 28:47and he wants them. As we exercise the gifts, it's
- 28:52too not so much to stun, everybody and show off, and draw
- 28:56attention to ourselves. But rather in our worship of
- 28:59God, he uses that worshipful heart through the exercise of
- 29:03our gifts so that it might bring him glory and attention.
- 29:08I think of how many of you are encouragers and as your God,
- 29:13uses your encouragement in the world.
- 29:16It stuns people around. They may never tell you this,
- 29:19but you can be assured your stunning.
- 29:22Two people in your encouragement, why?
- 29:25Because Jesus Christ in, you is stunning, You just get to be a
- 29:31part of it, but the encouragement of of the Lord is
- 29:34so beautiful to us. It's so wonderful that he has a
- 29:38word in due season. It's so wonderful that he would
- 29:41bring through the Holy Spirit to remembrance all the things that
- 29:44we've been taught. It's so wonderful that he would
- 29:46take a book and, and, and give it to us as a living breathing,
- 29:51the Bible is alive and powerful, and it's speaking to us.
- 29:56How is it? Living and breathing but by is
- 29:58illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Spirit.
- 30:01And as you live out in your giftings of encouragement or
- 30:04helps or Mercy. I think of how many of you are.
- 30:07So merciful in a world that lacks Mercy, just doggy-dog
- 30:14world. And it creates a thirst even as
- 30:20God would tell us, that God is turning his attention to the
- 30:23Gentiles to provoke jealousy, among the Jews.
- 30:27It's like, what do you think we're the, we're God's chosen
- 30:30people. And why, what's happening here,
- 30:33God is using the church and the grace poured out in us.
- 30:37Well, verse 32, the man came to the house.
- 30:39He unloaded the camels provided straw and feed for the camels
- 30:42and watered to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were
- 30:45with him, and the food was set before him to eat, but he said,
- 30:48I won't eat, until I've told you about my errand, he said speak
- 30:51on, on Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed.
- 30:55My master greatly has become great.
- 30:56Has given him flocks and herds, silver, and gold male, and
- 30:59female servants camels and donkeys.
- 31:01And Sarah Mass. My Master's wife bore, a son to
- 31:07my master when she was old and to him, he's given all that he
- 31:09has now. My master has made me swear
- 31:12saying, you should not take a wife for my son from the
- 31:15daughters of the Canaanites and whose land.
- 31:16I do, all verse 38 we should go to my father's house to my
- 31:19Kendra. Take a wife for my son and I
- 31:22said to my master The woman went off follow me but he said to me
- 31:26the Lord before whom I walk was sent an angel with you prosper.
- 31:29Your way should take a wife for my son, from my Kindred and from
- 31:33thy father's house. You will be clear from this oath
- 31:36when you arrived among my Kindred for, if they will not
- 31:39give her to you, then you'll be released from my own this day
- 31:43came to the well and it said O Lord, God of my master Abraham
- 31:48if you will now Prosper, the way in which I will go Behold, I'll
- 31:52stand by the wall of water, shall come to pass in the Virgin
- 31:55comes out to draw water. I say to her, please give me a
- 31:58little water for your picture to drink, and she says to me verse
- 32:0144, drink and I'll draw for your camels.
- 32:03Also, let her be the woman, whom the Lord is appointed for my
- 32:06master's son. But before I had finished
- 32:08speaking, all that was in my heart.
- 32:11There was a Rebecca coming out with her picture on her shoulder
- 32:14and she went down to the well and Drew water.
- 32:15And I said to her, please let me drink and she made haste and let
- 32:19her picture down from her shoulder and said drink and I'll
- 32:21Your camels are drink. Also and I drank and she gave
- 32:25the camels. A drink also then I asked her
- 32:27and said whose daughter are you? And she said the daughter of
- 32:30bethuel met her son, who milk aboard to him.
- 32:33So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her
- 32:36wrists. And I bowed my head and Worship
- 32:38the Lord, and bless the Lord, God of my master Abraham who had
- 32:42led me in the way of Truth. To take the daughter of my
- 32:47Master's brother for his son. Now if you will deal kindly and
- 32:51truly with my master, tell me. And if not tell me that I may
- 32:54turn to the right hand or to the left.
- 32:59And then Laban in Bethel answered and said this thing
- 33:02comes from the Lord, we cannot speak to you, either good or
- 33:05bad. Here's Rebecca.
- 33:06Before you take her and go and let her be your master son's
- 33:09wife as the Lord has spoken and it came to pass when Abraham's
- 33:13servant heard the words that he worshipped the Lord bowing
- 33:16himself to the ground. Then the servant brought out
- 33:18jewelry of silver gold, jewelry of gold and clothing, gave them
- 33:22to Rebecca. He also gave precious things to
- 33:24her brother and to her mother. We call this in our modern day
- 33:31language sharing your testimony. That's what he does.
- 33:35He says, do I have a story for you.
- 33:38You need to know what God has just done and I want to tell you
- 33:41all about it. I want to tell you about where I
- 33:43came from. I want to tell you what God is
- 33:45doing, and I want to tell you what, the future looks like.
- 33:48That's the that's your testimony.
- 33:50Where did you come from? Some of us.
- 33:53When we are testimony, we came from a very difficult place.
- 33:56And then what did God do to say to?
- 33:58Now, what, Is God doing? And where is he?
- 34:00Taking us. That's your testimony and as you
- 34:03share your testimony, it's a very powerful thing.
- 34:06It's exciting to share with the law.
- 34:08God is doing in your life. It's exciting to share what God
- 34:10has done in your life and it's exciting to anticipate that God
- 34:14is not done with you yet. Listen.
- 34:17How do you know how can I say definitively now as your friend
- 34:21as your brother as your pastor? How can I say definitively that
- 34:25God is not done with you yet very easy?
- 34:28Or alive. God is not done with you yet.
- 34:33You are alive and because of the life that God has given you, it
- 34:38belongs to him and you are Duty bound to surrender your life and
- 34:43serve the Lord, all the days you have left.
- 34:46You have no choice. Now, by saying that, of course
- 34:50you do have a choice, but again, you can have benefits of choices
- 34:55or Consequences of choices. That's your choice.
- 34:58And I'm learning, I want benefits.
- 35:01I've learned over the years to use this language.
- 35:03When it comes to benefits and consequences, I've learned to
- 35:08say and live in my life, I would much rather have the
- 35:11consequences of obedience than the consequences of Disobedience
- 35:15because I've experienced both. And I much rather enjoy the
- 35:20consequences of obedience, which often we say are the benefits of
- 35:23obedience. But by way of illustration,
- 35:27consequences of obedience are far better sometimes, obedience
- 35:30will be painful. I was just texting a friend of
- 35:34mine today about situation that's going on and as I was
- 35:37texting him. I said, yeah, I made the
- 35:38decision and I knew there would be a cost and I made it
- 35:42nonetheless. I know it's from the Lord
- 35:44because I made a decision and I knew it would cost me.
- 35:49I know it's from the war and Jesus would teach us the same
- 35:53thing. He said, you know, you need to
- 35:54learn to count the cost. The count, the cost of obedience
- 36:00count the cost of Disobedience. I just encouraging I can't help
- 36:04but think that if we were putting this to film or we and
- 36:07put some music behind it that the music would build and build
- 36:10and you won't believe this and then you won't believe this.
- 36:12And here we are. And here, the Lord of my God.
- 36:15Verse 48, who led me in the way of Truth.
- 36:20He was given the direction and he was following what he felt
- 36:25was the word from Abraham. Like that was the word from his
- 36:28master. NE.
- 36:31But now we can look back and go. I know the Lord.
- 36:32Led me. Here it is.
- 36:33Right here. I'm here.
- 36:34I'm here. Let me think about how did I get
- 36:36here? Who are you?
- 36:37Where did you come from? Like, I'm here because God led
- 36:39me here, and the testimony of Laban, even if he was conniving,
- 36:43even if he just wants more stuff, God used that.
- 36:48To bring Rebecca home to Isaac. His learn to allow the Lord to
- 36:53do what he wants to do and trust him verse 54.
- 36:55Now come back He and the men who were with them ate and drank and
- 36:59stayed all night and they Rose in the morning and he said, send
- 37:03me away to my master and you can see things change over night,
- 37:06right? But her brother and her mother
- 37:08said, let the young woman stay with us.
- 37:10A few days at least 10. After that, she may go.
- 37:16And he said to them, don't hinder me since the Lord has
- 37:18prospered my way. Send me away so that I may go to
- 37:22my master earlier, they said they could go, she could go
- 37:25right away now, They're hesitant that stay about 10 days, some
- 37:30versions say, 10 months that it's significant here and his
- 37:35answer is, don't hinder me. I buy.
- 37:38I am confident. This is from the Lord.
- 37:41Do not hinder me. You in this coming year.
- 37:47I'm I'm confident of this. So many of you in this coming
- 37:51year are going to be used in ways.
- 37:53You've never been used before. God is going to be taking you in
- 37:57places, you never gone before giving you confirmation and
- 38:01Direction and and words from his scripture, he's going to he's
- 38:04going to be doing things in your life, calling you to lead,
- 38:07delivering you breaking shackles and bondages.
- 38:10Like God has great things. It is his pleasure and his Good
- 38:14Will to give you the kingdom. It's there you're going.
- 38:17Experience it. And then you're going to hear
- 38:19from family and friends in this world system.
- 38:21No, no. Not so much.
- 38:25Just 10 more days. Just 10 more days, you can.
- 38:31It's almost like the The Whisper Of The Devil just 10 more days.
- 38:35I'll give it to you. You can but 10 more days, 10
- 38:38more weeks, 10 more months. Go take care of this.
- 38:41Make sure you go and take care of the land.
- 38:43You bought that you never saw or make sure you go check the
- 38:46cattle that you bought that. You didn't inspect like there's
- 38:49always a convenient reason not to go forward with the will of
- 38:54God. This is set aside the idea I
- 38:57don't know what the will of God is.
- 38:58Well you do know what the will of God is now.
- 39:00Do it. Okay, I'm ready.
- 39:02As let's do it. I'm going to do.
- 39:03I'm going to be faithful. I'm gonna.
- 39:04Okay. And then then immediately where
- 39:06it's your flesh. The world or the Devil Himself.
- 39:09Just 10. More days.
- 39:10You can wait 10 days. Just give it some time to think
- 39:14this through, or you may have a friend, there.
- 39:17Are you sure? Give it some time.
- 39:21Again, you also going to have to discern where there's a need for
- 39:24praying and seeking the Lord and being wise.
- 39:28I really don't have the answer for all of that for you use.
- 39:32Well, if I should pray, wait on the Lord.
- 39:34How long I have no idea. Should I pray on weight of the
- 39:38Lord? I don't know.
- 39:40Like I'm not I don't know. Lord is working with you
- 39:43differently in these working with me.
- 39:45I know principles but I really don't know.
- 39:47I'm going to pray for you. So maybe he'll show you or him
- 39:50show me, but I do know this The Cry Of The World cry.
- 39:55Your flesh cry. The devil is you don't have to
- 40:00be so radical. Are you don't have to be so
- 40:03dedicated. Are you have to be so faithful?
- 40:08You don't have to be so crazy. Don't be so crazy.
- 40:12That was no problem with you owning a Bible.
- 40:14If you never read it, you can have 10 Bibles.
- 40:16You can build a house of Bibles that doesn't threaten the, the
- 40:20devil, you know. What threatens the Devil is a
- 40:24Believer with one paragraph that she reads and believes it that
- 40:28threatens the kingdom of darkness.
- 40:33Vide. The devil is not entirely
- 40:36concerned that you're in fellowship tonight if your body
- 40:40is here, but your heart's not here.
- 40:43That's doesn't, that's not threatening.
- 40:46You probably have a little bit more threat to him because
- 40:49you're closer to the things of God, your movement for not.
- 40:51But if your heart's not in your in compromise right now, or
- 40:55you're one foot in the world, one foot in the church and
- 40:58you're still wanting to play games, that's not a big threat
- 41:01to the kingdom of darkness. No, the threat is I'm all-in.
- 41:07I've been what? I've been away.
- 41:08I've been Wayward. I've been a prodigal.
- 41:10I've been in sin. I've been half-hearted.
- 41:12I've been holding back on God. I've been hypocritical.
- 41:16You name it, but no more. Now, that's a threat.
- 41:20And there's always someone saying, just 10 more days.
- 41:23There's not so much, you don't have to be that much.
- 41:28You don't have to go. That far, there's always some
- 41:31little compromise and the spirit of God, the servant representing
- 41:35an A type of the spirit, you know what, the spirit says.
- 41:38Don't You Hinder me? Don't you grieve the Holy
- 41:43Spirit? Don't hinder the work of God in
- 41:46your life. Go for it.
- 41:50Go for it, obey him. And again, this is the will of
- 41:55God. They've already affirmed it.
- 41:59Abraham's servant already knows it.
- 42:00Rebecca already knows it. They've already affirmed it
- 42:04after a nice, you know, some food and some hanging out,
- 42:07change their mind. And then in verse 57.
- 42:13So they said we'll call the young woman and asked her
- 42:15personally and they called Rebecca and said to her, will
- 42:18you go with this man of God? And she said, I will go, I will
- 42:24go Rebecca represents the in typology in this chapter,
- 42:28Rebecca represents the church. So, the response of the
- 42:33church's, I'm going, I want all that.
- 42:36God has for me, take me back to the father, I'm out.
- 42:39I want all that the father has for me and they sent away
- 42:43Rebecca, their sister and her nurse Abraham's servant in his
- 42:46men and they blessed Rebecca said there are sister, may, you
- 42:49become the mother of thousands of ten thousands.
- 42:52May your descendants possess, the gates of those who hate them
- 42:55and Rebecca and her, Maids arose, and wrote on the camels,
- 42:58and followed, the man servant took Rebecca and departed.
- 43:02Now, Isaac came from the way of beer-lahai-roi for, he dwelt in
- 43:08the south, And Isaac went to meditate in the field and in the
- 43:13evening and he lifted his eyes and looked.
- 43:15And there, the camels were coming, Rebecca, lifted her
- 43:19eyes. And when she saw Isaac, she
- 43:20dismounted from her camel, she said to the servant.
- 43:23Who is this man? Walking in the field of meet us
- 43:26servants. That's my master.
- 43:27So, she took a veil and covered herself, and the servant, told
- 43:31Isaac, all these things that he had done and Isaac brought her
- 43:35into the, to his mother, Rebecca Sarah's tent and he took Becca,
- 43:40and she became his wife and he loved her.
- 43:42So, Isaac was comforted after his mother's death, the by
- 43:47bridegroom appears. He's on his way to worship
- 43:50alone. He's out Isaac.
- 43:51We saw this last time, very briefly.
- 43:53But Isaac is that, that brother, that's meditative waiting on the
- 43:58Lord sees it. A distance is excited.
- 44:02He's by the way of bear, the high Roi in that area of the
- 44:06South. This is where Hagar remember
- 44:09came and wept. It's a place where it was named.
- 44:12The one who lives and sees this is where Hagar was reminded that
- 44:17God saw her in her distress. This is where Isaac learns, how
- 44:22God sees him in his singleness. God sees him.
- 44:28God knows. And Isaac was taking time to
- 44:32meditate. And when he lifts up his eyes,
- 44:34he sees the blessing of God coming to him, it's just a
- 44:39beautiful chapter of what God is wanting to accomplish in our
- 44:42lives. Since the timing of the study of
- 44:44Genesis been beautiful. Is it ties together with ax?
- 44:48It's unbelievable. What God has in store for us?
- 44:51It is God's good. Dis listen to the words of
- 44:54Jesus. Where I want to end Luke 12:32,
- 44:57do not fear Little Flock for it, is the Father's.
- 45:00Good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
- 45:05Some of you just need to be asking for what this looks like
- 45:09in your life. What do you have for me?
- 45:10Lord, the king of God always inside.
- 45:13Jesus has given. You are a part of the Kingdom.
- 45:17You are that the kingdom of God lives in you, the rulership of
- 45:22God, the authority of God, the Dominion of God.
- 45:27But now, what is it that he wants to give us?
- 45:30What do you have for me? Lord.
- 45:32What do you want from me? And I want to walk in your ways
- 45:37and father, I pray that we would walk in your ways and we would
- 45:40trust you with our lives. Even as we were praying a few
- 45:45for Ukraine. Lord, we know in our own heart
- 45:49of hearts, as hard as it is that you brought Pastor Byron and
- 45:54Emily back because of a closed door.
- 45:57And it was painful we're looking at scattering and we're looking
- 46:01at closed doors and we see the fruit of them but we forget the
- 46:05process so hard sometimes and painful and hurting as we are
- 46:11praying tonight God you hear our prayers for those that have loss
- 46:14of lives. and loss of homes, but what struck me was that loss of
- 46:20peace and Safety and Security The name of the Lord is a strong
- 46:25tower and the righteous run to it and are safe. so father we
- 46:31want to walk in your will, we want to be led, we want to live
- 46:35out that green highlighted verse while I was on the way, the Lord
- 46:43led me, Stir up your church. God, put us on the way.
- 46:49You might reveal to us, great and wonderful things in Jesus
- 46:53name. Amen, we pray that you've been
- 46:57encouraged by this Bible. Study delivered live from the
- 47:00sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
- 47:02Call us at 877, 30 Grace. That's eight 77304, 703 to
- 47:12listen to this message in its entirety or to join us for or
- 47:15our lives dream Services. Visit us online at Calvary.
- 47:18Co dot church or download our free Calvary Church app be
- 47:23blessed as you worship Jesus this week. or our lives dream
- 47:16Services. Visit us online at Calvary.
- 47:18Co dot church or download our free Calvary Church app be
- 47:23blessed as you worship Jesus this week.