Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #10129 - God is Faithful and Utterly Reliable - Genesis 21

Transcript

#10129 - God is Faithful and Utterly Reliable - Genesis 21 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

0:04
Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
0:07
Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
0:11
Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
0:14
through abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream
0:17
Services. Visit us online at Calvary, Co
0:21
dot church or download our free Calvary Church app.
0:25
Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
0:30
Amen. Open your Bibles to Genesis
0:32
chapter 21, would you? This is chapter 21, you want to
0:38
get ahead. Go to Galatians, chapter 5 as
0:41
well, paper bibles are available in the middle section there.
0:44
Of course you can download the Bible on your phone or your app,
0:47
but listen, let this service and the next year, be the year, you
0:51
learn to take notes either. You're right in your Bible or
0:54
you write on the app you're using.
0:56
Or you, you actually have a paper Journal where you're just
0:59
writing down what the Lord speaking to you, a verse a
1:03
reference of thought that you can pray about, but Be even you
1:07
guys listening on the radio right now.
1:09
Whatever state you're in, let it be a year where you're receiving
1:12
and because when you hear something, you remember it.
1:15
When you hear it and write it, you remember, it longer when you
1:18
hear it, right? It and pray over it, you're just
1:20
allowing the Holy Spirit to bring those truths to your heart
1:25
and use them. And so here we are in Genesis
1:27
21. It's another highlight chapter
1:30
in the book of Genesis. And last time we were together,
1:33
we were reminded of a great contrast between two men.
1:36
Lat and Abraham one walks by faith.
1:40
But the other walks by sight or we learn, he walks in the flush.
1:45
One loses everything because of his desire for Sodom his life
1:53
and Sodom and then his longing for Sodom when he is delivered.
1:57
But the other Abraham, he gains everything by losing it, by
2:04
faith. He gains everything by I need to
2:07
God in faith with his life. We know that Abraham lived in a
2:12
deep fellowship. With God, he's known as the
2:14
friend of God. We also know Abraham wasn't a
2:18
perfect man and many times were reading about men and women in
2:21
the Bible and then we kind of measure our lives and we hear
2:23
well, look, look at Abraham compared to lat.
2:26
He was such a man of faith and look how God blessed him, but
2:29
you Bible students know that there's no one that's perfect.
2:32
So he would then live a perfect life.
2:35
As a matter of fact, not only did he not live?
2:36
A perfect life, he made some significantly serious, sinful
2:42
mistakes. That God was very gracious with
2:45
him. And one of the difficulties that
2:48
lot lived with is his flush, but one of the great difficulties
2:52
that Abraham lived with was his flesh.
2:57
And by way of reminder today, one of the great difficulties
2:59
that you and I live with is our flesh.
3:03
Now if you weren't with us last time, I gave an explanation.
3:06
In biblically of what flush means.
3:08
So pull the study and put these two together.
3:11
But for now, go over to Galatians, chapter 5, and let's
3:14
look at a new testament perspective of this battle
3:18
between the spirit that regenerated life of the spirit
3:22
of God living in you and the flush.
3:24
So, go to Galatians chapter 5. And when you get there, pick up
3:27
with me in verse 16, the Bible says as many as walk according
3:33
or excuse me, I'm in the wrong chapter verse 5:16.
3:36
I say, then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the
3:42
lust of the flesh for the flesh. Lusts against the spirit, and
3:46
the spirit against the Flesh. And these are contrary to one
3:50
another and notice there's the answer to some of your question.
3:53
You've been wandering, man? Why am I struggling so much?
3:55
Why am I doing things? I don't want to do well.
3:58
The Bible says because of this, you don't do the things that you
4:03
wish instead you indulge Your flesh and remember, just by way
4:08
of A Brief Review, we Define the flesh.
4:11
Not as the skin on your bones and muscles but rather
4:14
spiritually the fresh refers to your old sinful habit patterns,
4:20
what you revert to naturally, not supernaturally the way that
4:25
you just quickly respond to control or to withdraw, or to
4:31
get even. I mean the works of the flesh.
4:33
It even says here are evident as we'll see in a moment.
4:36
Aunt, but he says, in verse 18, if your led by the spirit you
4:40
are not under the law. So the works of the flesh are
4:42
evident which are adultery fornication, uncleanness
4:47
licentiousness idolatry, sorcery hatred, contentions jealousies
4:54
outbursts of Wrath selfish, Ambitions, dissensions heresies,
4:59
envyings murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like of which
5:04
I tell you beforehand, just as I also told Told you in time past,
5:08
that those who practice, such things will not inherit the
5:12
kingdom of God. But verse 22, the fruit of the
5:14
spirit is love, joy, peace. Patience or long-suffering,
5:20
kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness self-control and
5:26
against such, there is no law and those who are Christ's have
5:29
crucified, the flesh with its passions and desires if we live
5:34
in the spirit. Let us also Walk in the spirit.
5:37
Let us not become conceited, provoking one, another and amine
5:42
one another. So walking in the spirit flows
5:46
naturally from standing in Grace, understanding the grace
5:52
of God, we then walk in the spirit.
5:57
And I want you to notice here, we're not going to develop this
5:59
completely, but I want you to notice in verse 16.
6:03
It's not should not notice. It says, I say then.
6:06
Walk in the spirit and you shall not.
6:08
It's not should not and it's not better not but it's shall not.
6:14
And that's a promise of great importance.
6:16
When you and I walk in the spirit when we're walking step
6:19
by step abiding in Christ, allowing his resources to be
6:24
lived out in our lives, through our surrendered.
6:28
Life, we're walking step by step in the spirit of God.
6:31
We're not going to fulfill The desires of our flesh.
6:36
You won't be a fleshly woman and you won't be a fleshly man.
6:40
There won't be striving to try to please God, or, or all these
6:44
religious rituals will just simply go where the spirit leads
6:48
many of you, whether you realize it or not are among us today
6:51
both in person and also by by, in Distance by technology,
6:56
because you've been LED here by the Holy Spirit.
6:59
It lives out by decisions. You make and desires you have
7:03
But remember when your way when you delight yourself in the
7:06
Lord, he gives you the desires of your heart.
7:08
And I just think there's so many times, we take more credit for
7:12
the work of the Holy Spirit In Our Lives, then we should we
7:15
should take no credit. So any credit that we have well,
7:18
you know, I'm just I'm on this phase where I'm coming back to
7:21
church. Well why?
7:22
Because the spirit of God is working in your life, the spirit
7:25
of God has reached deep down to you.
7:27
He's drawing you to himself. You are back because of your
7:31
surrendered life and God. Seems you, and he's working in
7:35
your life to be just caught up in the things of God, listening
7:40
to him, praying to him, living out, very simple things.
7:44
Reading your Bible, praying everyday, open to the voice of
7:48
God to receive direction from him.
7:52
And Jesus would say in John 15, the abiding life where you just
7:55
stay put in the Lord. I mean, just stay put it.
8:00
The idea of the word abide means to not move and you stay in
8:05
Christ and there's this battle going on that all of us, if we
8:10
had a chance to give testimony, would give testimony to this
8:13
battle, the spirit, and the flesh, the seasons in our lives,
8:17
where we don't do that, which we wish, because we indulge
8:22
ourselves We live for ourselves, we make the struggle worse, and
8:30
we participate in it and we give preference to ourselves.
8:35
We live in compromise and Disobedience and Jesus made it
8:40
clear. Jesus, made it clear that man's
8:45
basic problem is not outside of him, but inside of him, that's
8:51
our problem. It's inside, jot, it down in
8:54
Mark, chapter 7, I'll read it to you in verse 20.
8:56
Jesus said what comes out of a man that defiles a man for from
9:02
within out of the heart of men. Proceed evil thoughts
9:06
adulteries? Fornications murders.
9:09
Thefts covetousness, wickedness. So wickedness, deceit, lewdness
9:14
and evil eye, blasphemy pride and foolishness and foolishness
9:19
all these things come with from within and defile a man.
9:23
And what does Paul told the Galatians?
9:25
These are the works of the flesh.
9:27
The problem of our flesh is inside, it comes from, with
9:32
inside of us, it requires us to surrender to the Lord.
9:36
So that just changing a person's environment changing things
9:40
around them changing out. Our Behavior changing their
9:43
economic situation, as good as those things might be, doesn't
9:47
solve man's basic problem. You can have, you can have all
9:51
the outward things you want, all the money, you want, living the
9:53
best place. You want of the nicest, clothes
9:56
have everything in order and never change internally.
10:00
That's why Jesus says, in John 3:3, then unless a man is born
10:04
again, he'll never see the Kingdom of Heaven, never never
10:08
experienced these things are coming from within That was lots
10:13
problem and he lost, he paid a high price, that's Abraham's
10:18
problem and he to paid a price. And yet chapter 21 is such a
10:23
highlight chapter 21 is such a highlight because you know we're
10:28
beginning our Bible study with a review from last week.
10:30
We're talking about the Flesh and it's such a bummer because
10:33
we all dealt with it. I'm sure some of you are
10:35
thinking men and I was in the flesh today.
10:38
Like I got so mad today, or I was so Covetous there.
10:41
Whatever it was. And just like so bummed out, but
10:43
then there's chapter 21. It's kind of like Romans 7 The
10:47
Struggle and then just the wrestling, the Paul has.
10:50
But then he jumps into chapter 8, there is therefore now, no
10:53
condemnation for those that are in Christ, the Highlight, you go
10:56
from a low light to a highlight. That's what chapter 21 is
11:00
because in light of the battle of the Flesh and so much loss,
11:03
we are reminded today of God's faithfulness and utter
11:08
reliability. To you right now in your life.
11:13
God will remain faithful to you because he loves you.
11:19
And the proof of the love of God is found at the Cross of Christ.
11:24
His sacrifice on your behalf in whatever condition you are.
11:28
And you, you might be just utterly fleshly, you know?
11:32
Christians, you would understand that.
11:33
And, you know, it, you would say I'm not asking for you to raise
11:36
your hand, but you know who you are.
11:38
And that's how you are today. Just such a wreck because you
11:41
indulge the flesh today or you could say today was one of the
11:44
highest highlights of your spiritual life and it was just
11:47
like everything was in line. It was such a sweet wonderful
11:51
time. Either way.
11:55
God is faithful and utterly reliable.
11:58
He will keep his promises in your life as he does to Abraham
12:02
your notice in verse 1. It says and the Lord visited
12:05
Sara as he had said, Mark those words he said he'd visit Sarah
12:14
and the Lord did for Sarah as he had spoken for Sarah conceived
12:21
and bore Abraham, a son in his old age. at the set time which
12:27
God had spoken to him, And Abraham called the name of his
12:31
son who was born to him, whom Sarah bort bort to him.
12:35
Isaac, if you like to ride in your Bibles, jot next, to Isaac
12:38
means laughter and Abraham verse for circumcised.
12:42
His son. Isaac?
12:43
When he was eight days old, as God had commanded him, and
12:47
Abraham was 100 years old, when his son Isaac was born to him
12:52
and Sarah said, God has made me laugh.
12:55
So that all who hear will laugh with me.
12:58
And she also said who, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah
13:02
would nurse children for. I have borne him a son in his
13:06
old age. Isaac has arrived, the child of
13:11
Promise. God did what he said he would do
13:15
waiting all of these years. God proved himself.
13:19
Faithful to his promise and he arrived notice just on time.
13:23
And so, I noticed this as he had said, verse 1 as he had spoken
13:27
verse 1 at the set time. Name that God had spoken verse
13:31
to listen. Some of you you need to cling to
13:34
the promises of God while you're waiting.
13:38
And that's why many times even as stepping out in faith, we
13:40
were talking about missions today.
13:42
And what would I say to the person that's ready to step out?
13:45
But wavering in their faith, hold fast to the promise of God,
13:50
hold fast to the scripture. He's given you to the vision.
13:54
He gave you to the dream, he gave you hold fast to the
13:57
promise of God. It's His word that's reliable.
14:02
And then the response of course, in God's faithfulness and utter
14:05
reliability is what our obedience and that's what
14:08
Abraham does. In verse 4.
14:09
He circumcised little Isaac, just as God commanded him.
14:15
You cling to the promises, God shows himself.
14:17
Faithful you respond in obedience and that's the cycle.
14:21
That's the cycle of walking in the spirit you want to develop
14:23
and your life. It's so much more beneficial
14:27
than the cycle of the flesh. And indulging, the flesh.
14:32
And here's a 90 year old woman conceiving, and bearing a child.
14:35
And she's like, overwhelmed. It's like, who would have said
14:39
and who would have thought, one commentator, put it this way.
14:42
And I quote, the Hebrew word visited in verse, 1 is a common
14:45
metaphor that describes God's intervention in nature and human
14:50
Affairs. It's a word that's used when God
14:53
intervened to save the Israelites, from Egyptian
14:55
bondage Genesis chapter 50. It's a word that when he ended
15:00
up to use when he ended Did a famine Ruth chapter 1.
15:04
It's also a word that's used when he caused Hannah to
15:07
conceive for Samuel chapter two and when he brought the Jewish
15:11
Exiles home from Babylonian captivity in Jeremiah 29:10, and
15:18
I think that it's good for you to ask the Lord, to visit you on
15:22
his promises. You just ask God, visit me I am
15:27
waiting upon you Faithfully, reliably, I want to experience
15:31
your faithfulness and I love this.
15:33
The Lord visited Sara, just like he said, what did they name him?
15:38
The name them, Isaac laughter, and what a joy.
15:42
This kiddo must have brought in their lives, all of their
15:45
doubts, all their disappointments of the past were
15:48
wiped away with the joy and the laughter of the Lord.
15:51
He just like, look what God has done.
15:53
I can't believe it honey. God has kept his Is word.
15:57
Now, this laughter from Sarah's different from the previous
16:00
laughter. You remember from The Promise?
16:02
This laughter is not a laughter of unbelief, but a laughter of
16:06
relief. And rest.
16:09
In the Lord notice verse 8 now, So the child grew and was weaned
16:15
and Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was
16:18
weaned and Sarah saw. The son of Hagar the Egyptian
16:22
whom he had born to Abraham's scoffing and remember his name.
16:26
What was his name? Who was the son of Hagar?
16:31
Ishmael and therefore, she said to Abraham cast out this
16:34
bondwoman and her son for the son of the bondwoman, shall not
16:38
be Heir with my son namely, Isaac.
16:41
And this is an illustration that Paul will use later in Galatians
16:44
to talk about the battle between the law and grace and the matter
16:48
was very displeasing to Abraham and Abraham site because of his
16:53
son, Abraham loved Isaac. But he also loved Ishmael, It's
16:58
such a great fleshly mistake was made but he loved him verse 12.
17:03
But God said, Abraham do not let it be displeasing in your sight
17:07
because of the lad or because of your Bond woman.
17:09
Whatever. Sarah said to you, listen to her
17:11
voice for in Isaac, your seed shall be called yet.
17:15
I also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman because he is
17:18
your seed. So Abraham Rose early in the
17:20
morning took bread and a skin of water and putting it on her
17:24
shoulder. He gave it in the boy to Hagar
17:27
and sinner. Away and she departed and
17:30
wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
17:34
So after he was weaned, Dad throws a big party and there's a
17:39
big lesson in this for me for us at the party.
17:43
Because it's interesting Isaac was breastfed until he was about
17:46
three years of age, which was the typical custom.
17:50
But now is time to grow up and move on and be weaned, no more
17:55
milk for Isaac. It's time to bite into You some
17:58
solid food. And so even early on in the life
18:01
of Isaac were reminded as Believers, that there is an
18:05
admonition in an instruction for us to grow up in the Lord, that
18:11
is God's desire for you. We may even use the word mature.
18:15
God's desire is for you to mature and grow up in your
18:20
relationship with him to be weaned, from simpler things and
18:25
to grow up in him, let me show you.
18:27
We Looked at this not too long ago in Hebrews, would you turn
18:29
over to Hebrews chapter 5 with me all the way back toward the
18:33
end of the New Testament. In Hebrews chapter 5 and this
18:37
isn't a special exhortation to those that are struggling those
18:41
that are wrestling with their faith.
18:43
You know? There's a whole new generation
18:45
that is deconstructing. What they were taught the way,
18:50
they were raised and even deconstructing their faith.
18:53
And unfortunately, the pathway of deconstruction almost in
18:57
almost all Always ends in disaster because it's just an
19:00
examination of all the failures of humans.
19:03
You can't distinct construct Jesus.
19:06
Even though if you start to deconstruct, you know, the home
19:08
you grew up in the church who grew up in the doctrine you
19:11
might have been taught. You're like yeah there's going
19:13
to be mistakes all along the way because God uses imperfect
19:17
vessels, but you will never be able to be successful and
19:21
deconstructing. The faithfulness of God, you
19:24
will never find a time when he was unfaithful to you, you'll
19:27
never top. Find a time when he lied to you
19:29
or said something incorrect to you like instead of that pathway
19:33
and maybe this was just a word from the Lord.
19:35
Maybe you didn't know there's a phrase deconstructing but that's
19:38
just where you are right now. You're like in this pathway of
19:41
self-examination you maybe come to it from a place of pain you
19:45
may come to it from a place of compromise.
19:48
You might come to it because people are in your life that are
19:50
causing you to doubt or or you're waiting you know, and you
19:54
kind of think man in the waiting God is Not faithful because he
19:57
hasn't done. As and you always have to add
19:58
the word yet we do mean God hasn't done this.
20:02
No God hasn't done this yet. He will always keep his word and
20:07
so it could be a word to someone that's in that phase of
20:09
deconstructing. Look, it is not God's will for
20:12
you to deconstruct everything. It is God's will for you to
20:15
surrender and mature, and if you draw near to him, the Bible
20:20
says, He will draw near to you and he will establish you and
20:24
establish you in the faith. And yeah, you may find a few
20:27
Mistakes, you may find, you know, you're deconstruct even
20:30
the time that you spend in this church, and you're a here with
20:32
under-eye teaching or listening on the radio or whatever and
20:34
you're like, well you did this, you did this, you're right, but
20:38
Jesus is faithful. Jesus is faithful.
20:42
And yeah, you're right. I may have made a innocent
20:44
mistake. I may have made a mistake that
20:47
was not so innocent, but you have to allow the Holy Spirit,
20:50
say, forgive the forgiveness is the way the pathway of
20:54
faithfulness and just begin to extend forgiveness to those that
20:58
have hurt. You extending forgiveness, to
21:00
those that have come against you.
21:02
Maybe you consider the minis or whatever it might be, it is
21:05
God's will. Like he says to the Hebrews that
21:08
they're kind of in the first century.
21:10
Deconstructing their desire to follow Jesus because it was so
21:13
painful for them, they lost everything.
21:17
It was already a hard existence for the lent for them to live
21:20
under Roman rule. But when they fulfill, when they
21:23
followed Jesus Christ as Messiah, they lost everything
21:27
else. Their family, their resources,
21:29
their career, they lost everything.
21:31
And so, what is the holy spirit? Say to them?
21:33
And Hebrews, chapter 5 in verse 12.
21:36
He says for though, by this time, you ought to be teachers
21:40
Hours. You need someone to teach you
21:42
again. The first principles of the
21:44
Oracles of God and you have come to need milk and not solid food
21:50
for everyone who partakes of only of milk is unskilled.
21:56
In the word of righteousness for he is a babe, but notice, and
22:01
this is the key. This is the answer.
22:02
Well, how do I mature? And how do I grow?
22:05
And how do I leave milk behind solid food verse 14, belongs to
22:10
those who are of full age. That is those who by reason of
22:13
use, have their senses, exercised to discern both good
22:19
and evil. And really, this is a fancy way
22:23
of saying maturity comes by Wing, the word, not only hearing
22:28
the word by reason of use. Actually using what you've
22:34
learned or in another place. The Bible describes a group of
22:38
people always learning, but never coming to the knowledge of
22:42
the truth. The knowledge of the truth is
22:45
putting the truth into action practically in your lives or is
22:50
James would say. Faith without works is dead,
22:54
you're not saved by Good Works, nothing merits, our Salvation.
22:58
God paid the whole price but we are safe for Good works and
23:04
Jesus will put it this way. He says, you will know of tree
23:07
by its fruit. You don't even need to be an
23:10
expert with understanding trees and plants and all that stuff by
23:14
what the fruit is bearing on the tree.
23:16
You can be sure. That's the kind of tree.
23:17
It was, you know, for sure? And now as Isaac is growing, and
23:25
we needing. I want you to notice another
23:27
spiritual lesson. We see here ishmael's mocking
23:32
Ismail Ishmael is a mocker, he's taunting and he's pouting
23:39
because now he has become a real rival to all the blessings that
23:45
Isaac is going to inherit the child of promise.
23:50
And now there is this sibling Jealousy and covetousness.
23:54
Another example of the Flesh and so Sarah sees it and she's not
23:59
the same woman that doubted God previously.
24:02
And she's been through a lot even with her own husband, since
24:04
then having been sold out in lied, you know, lied to and, and
24:09
given into the Harem to two different leaders.
24:13
She's a different woman, experiencing the promise of God
24:16
for herself and she gives Direction and notice, God
24:20
affirms it. They can't live together and it
24:25
wasn't easy for Abraham. And again, it gives us another
24:29
spiritual lesson. If we were numbering them, this
24:31
would be third. It's not always easy to obey
24:34
God. It's easy for a pastor to stand
24:37
in the pulpit and talk about obedience, but it's not always
24:40
easy to obey God. I think of even recently, in my
24:43
own life battling, all these things in my mind and, and just
24:47
wrestling with all these Aaron thoughts and just just a tax on
24:52
my mind, just like the Bible says, for some of you, you deal
24:54
with the same thing and so, what does the Bible say?
24:57
Take every thought into captivity to The Obedience of
25:01
Christ? And so as a pastor, I can say,
25:03
do that. That's the right answer.
25:04
So the Bible says do Do that but anyone that is over gone down
25:07
that path and applying that passage of scripture knows how
25:11
exhausting it is. And how tiring it is and and how
25:16
hard it can be even as you yield to the spirit because you're
25:20
just taken away from spiritual things and, you know, things
25:25
like worry doubt, they're all very sinful thoughts.
25:28
And then you're like all condemning is like, why do I
25:30
doubt, you'll, or you've been so faithful on and on, and on, and
25:33
on it is tiring. Do I hear an amen?
25:35
Anyone else? It's like Ed, you are really
25:38
messed up. I am but so, are you?
25:42
It's not just me, it's us, we as the language of ministry around
25:46
here. And so in the battle, it can be
25:50
hard to obey. It can be challenging.
25:55
There can be layers of resistance in your flesh.
25:59
And even in your physical body. It's just the onslaught of the
26:04
enemy and this wasn't easy for Abraham.
26:06
He loved both of his children and understand by this time here
26:13
by this time of weaning and every ishmael's a teenager And
26:18
little Isaac's three or four years old and he's picking on
26:21
his little three-year-old brother, but he recognizes that
26:25
his time is up, and with this turmoil, in the home Abraham is
26:30
tested once again. How will he lead his home?
26:35
He's already failed once. With Sarah already.
26:38
Failed twice, with Sarah already failed three times with Sarah.
26:41
Here's another opportunity. God brings them back to a place
26:44
of leading his home and Abraham yields to the direction of the
26:49
Lord. And He submits to his wife Now,
26:54
for some of you who hear that phrase, you say submit to his
26:57
wife, Ed, you don't know the Bible.
27:01
The Bible says wives submit to your husband's.
27:05
What kind of bible, teach all every husband out there is upset
27:08
with me. What kind of bible teach are you
27:12
the one that understands the whole counsel of God?
27:15
and before we ever get to that admonition of wives submitting
27:21
to their husbands, we have to go back a verse and remember that
27:27
the foundation of marriage is a mutual submission unto the Lord.
27:33
and there are those times when wisdom is spoke that must be
27:35
submitted to because marriage is a Cooperative Oneness in Christ
27:42
Last time, this subject came up, Abraham told Sarah to do
27:46
whatever she wanted. And left it up to her but this
27:49
time he listens to the Lord. So even we see an Abraham's life
27:53
maturity and growth. and I want you guys, as we wind down today
28:00
in this final message of our of our midweek, Bible study here
28:03
for this year, I want you guys to focus on your own spiritual
28:07
growth It's easy to look at where you are right now and feel
28:11
like you should be so much farther.
28:14
Perhaps it's true said man, I've been walking with the Lord by x
28:18
amount of years and I'm still dealing with this and I feel
28:20
like a new believer and I feel like a baby and reboot.
28:24
Hebrews 5, that's me. I need to be weaned and and it
28:27
just have that tendency to beat yourself up because you think
28:30
you should be farther. But in those times, it's
28:34
important that you factor in that that may be true and you
28:37
need to deal with that with the Lord and He will be faithful to
28:39
you but not in a self-condemning way.
28:41
But just in an honest way before him, but also at the same time I
28:45
want you to remember and never forget this, just how far you've
28:49
come I mean, yeah, you could be farther.
28:53
Yeah, there should be some spiritual growth.
28:55
I think it's true for all of us, but look how far you've come
28:59
look at how God has been abundantly faithful in your
29:01
life, how he's utterly, reliable and sure there's much more
29:06
growth for us in the future, but look where you are.
29:09
Look what God has done. Give God the glory for the great
29:13
things he has done in your life. Don't just be stuck with such a
29:19
difficulty in the bad. And all the things that you beat
29:22
yourself up when then you just kind of get cropped up in Pride
29:25
and self-centeredness and then you go back farther.
29:28
But look, what God has done. Look how her some of you are
29:30
still walking with the Lord. And if we just knew the things
29:33
you have gone through and endured to be where you are,
29:37
today, we would be inspired by your life.
29:40
Not discouraging. I can't believe.
29:42
Why didn't you go farther than that with your problem?
29:44
You face, 27 things this year and that held you back, you know
29:47
what, he would say that to you and if they did beat him up now,
29:51
That don't belong but, you know, just like God look what God has
29:54
done in your life. Know that God is growing you in
29:58
ways. Some may yet be unknown.
30:02
You may be the next man that steps out in the mission field.
30:05
Literally around the world, you don't even know it yet.
30:08
You may be the next woman. Your family may have a new
30:11
calling in your life. You don't know yet.
30:13
Some of the things that God has in store for you.
30:17
So often we dwell on and live in our past failures when God is
30:20
really doing great things, among us great things, And in this as
30:27
we come back to the text Abraham obeyed again because obedience
30:31
begets obedience just like compromise and baguettes
30:34
compromised. So he's just on this.
30:37
God, met Abraham, obeyed. God, met Abraham, obeyed.
30:39
Notice what he does? He rises early in the morning
30:42
took bread and he sent him off. Exactly.
30:46
As God would have them verse 15. Now notice and the water in the
30:51
skin was used up and she placed a boy under a tree.
30:55
One of the shrubs, she went out and sat down across from him at
30:59
a distance of about a bow shot for.
31:01
She said to herself, let me not see the death of the boy.
31:05
So she sat opposite him and lifted her voice and wept.
31:08
And God heard the voice of the lad and the angel of God Called
31:12
to Hagar out of heaven and said to her, what a You Hagar fear,
31:16
not for God, has heard the voice of the lad where he is arise and
31:21
lift up the lad and hold him with your hand.
31:25
For I will make him a great nation and God opened her eyes
31:29
and she saw a well of water and then she went and filled the
31:33
skin with water and gave the lad a drink.
31:35
So God was with the lad and he grew and dwelt.
31:37
In the wilderness became an Archer.
31:40
He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran and the his mother took a
31:44
wife for Him and a from the land of Egypt.
31:49
So the Wilderness was tough. They're running out of supplies,
31:53
she's out of loss, and the Lord meets her.
31:57
And reminds her of the promise Ishmael does become the father
32:00
of twelve Sons just as Jacob also did from Ishmael Sons, we
32:05
know come the Arab Nations that have ever since been a chief
32:09
antagonist against the Israelites.
32:13
The turn Arab someone from Arabia came into use from the
32:17
first time later on in the 9th century and even as Hagar chose
32:22
a wife for her son, from her Homeland Egypt.
32:27
So God is working even in this failure.
32:29
But it will Ishmael will cause even as it is to this day, great
32:33
pain, Because Ishmael was remember as we studied earlier a
32:39
compromising decision, in a home with weaken the leadership, and
32:44
it will plague the nation of Israel even to this day.
32:47
And yet God loves Hagar. God loves Ishmael even in Their
32:56
condition as well. Notice in verse 22.
32:59
Now, it came to pass at the time when abimelech and fight cold
33:03
commander of his army, spoke to Abraham saying, God is with you
33:06
and all that you do now, therefore, swear to me by God,
33:09
that you will not deal falsely with me with my Offspring or
33:12
with my posterity and that, according to the kindness that
33:15
I've done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you
33:19
have sojourned. And Abraham said, I'll swear and
33:22
Abraham, reproved abimelech, because of a well of water which
33:25
abimelek sir. Vince, had seized.
33:26
And abimelech said, I do not know who's done this thing.
33:29
You didn't tell me. I haven't heard of it until
33:31
today. So, Abraham took sheep, and oxen
33:33
gave them to AB emelec and the two of them, made a covenant and
33:38
Abraham set. Seven.
33:39
Ewe, lambs of the flock by themselves and abimelech, asked
33:43
Abraham, what is the meaning of these seven ewe Lambs, which you
33:46
set by themselves? And he said, you will take these
33:49
seven ewe, Lambs from my hand. That they may be my witness that
33:53
I have dug this. Well, therefore he called the
33:56
Place Beersheba because of the, two of them swore an oath there
34:00
and thus they made a covenant at Bear Sheba.
34:02
So abimelek, rose with FICO the commander of his army, they
34:05
returned to the land of the Philistines and Abraham Planet.
34:09
A tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and they're called on the name
34:12
of the Lord, the Everlasting God, and Abraham sojourned in
34:16
the, land of the Philistines for many days.
34:20
So, abimelech, he has some time to think about what the prophet
34:23
that lied to him and determined that he was from God.
34:26
And saw the faithfulness of God even in the failure of Abraham.
34:30
So Abraham makes a promise to him not to deal falsely and they
34:32
work out a conflict over one of the wells and I just want you to
34:35
notice here again. The position that obedience
34:39
placed Abraham in in the previous encounter with
34:43
abimelech, he's kicked out. He's given all kinds of a get
34:46
out. We don't want anything to do
34:47
with you. You almost ruined us.
34:49
You put us at odds with your God and even abimelek stood there,
34:53
like all righteous. We have no don't dealings were
34:55
we? We don't hit your God and look
34:57
what you've done to us. But through a series of
35:00
obedience steps, Abraham's in a place in a position of strength
35:05
and you may not feel like it right now.
35:08
The circumstances, may not even confirm this statement, but I'm
35:12
telling you in the spirit, it is 100% true.
35:15
Obedience puts you in a position of strength, not weakness.
35:22
Obedience put you in a position of strength, strength to battle,
35:26
the flesh, string to obey, again, strength, to step out in
35:31
faith, strength to speak the truth, in love string to abide
35:36
in Christ, string to to share the gospel.
35:40
I mean, every spiritual blessing, that's yours by faith.
35:45
You're in a stronger place, in a place of obedience, then you are
35:48
uncompromising disobedience. Especially the Disobedience that
35:53
goes unconfessed. And unrepented from because what
36:00
that does is it builds up walls of pride and arrogance and
36:03
hard-heartedness and you just get farther and farther and
36:07
farther away as you try to justify your own behavior before
36:12
God and before others. You know how many times has God
36:15
sent someone into your life to tell you the truth in your heart
36:18
heart? Just immediately dismiss them
36:20
but God sent them into your life when you're in a position of
36:23
Abiding and obedience you're just so smooth stronger.
36:27
Even if you feel like you're weaker and how many times has
36:30
God brought you into a situation at work, that if you're
36:33
obedient, you'll probably lose your job.
36:34
So you're afraid to be obedient and instead you compromise and
36:38
then you lose your job anyway. Because they found out you
36:41
weren't truthful and you weren't honest.
36:44
And you wavered instead of just standing for was truth because
36:46
you chose to disobey rather than obedience and of course,
36:50
obedience can lead to all kinds of consequences as well.
36:54
But I've learned this in my life and I'm learning it more and
36:56
more I would rather have the consequences of obeying God.
37:03
Then the consequences of disobeying God any day of the
37:07
week. I mean we kind of think well if
37:10
I obey God, it's not going to be a big deal.
37:12
Know, it might be a real big deal.
37:14
God might bring you to a place where you know, lose everything.
37:18
In a rescue. I think of lot.
37:19
What was lot thinking. I don't want to leave.
37:21
I'm going to leave. I love these people.
37:23
I mean, he was so messed up. It's even hard to think what was
37:26
in that brother's mind? But as he Longley looks back on
37:31
Sodom. Remember God's going to take him
37:35
out of Sodom? But Sodom was very much in him.
37:38
He was in a place of great weakness, lost his wife and
37:41
daughters, and his credibility, and his honesty, and his
37:44
children that were wiped out in Sodom.
37:47
But Abraham little by little responding by faith.
37:51
We find him come back to a place of strength.
37:54
A place where you can stand strong by faith to the very man
37:58
that he had to stand before previously in a place of
38:01
weakness because of Disobedience.
38:04
And I love this in verse 33 says, Abraham planted a tree
38:09
which is a, which is a kind of a type or a sign of permanence
38:15
Like this worm at, this is where I belong.
38:17
He's so during their many days but notice not only did, he
38:20
plant the tree, but he there he called upon the name of the
38:23
Lord. Earlier, he heard the voice of
38:27
the Lord, and now in this new season, with Isaac, even though
38:30
he's going through pain, with the loss of Ishmael here, he
38:33
calls upon the name of the Lord and Abraham today, we remember
38:37
him as the man of faith. Not a perfect man, but a man of
38:42
Faith. So, father, as we find
38:44
ourselves, he's at the end of this chapter, we are grateful
38:47
for the lessons that you have for us.
38:49
Lord, we desire to have a walk. That's pleasing to you.
38:53
Lord a relationship that's important.
38:56
Not only to us but like got that, it would, it would be more
39:01
than just a religious activity. But we would apply in our lives
39:05
to seek first. The kingdom of God, and his
39:07
righteousness, and all these things.
39:11
Will be added unto us and we ask God that you would enable us and
39:17
strengthen us even from the position.
39:19
If there are those listening right now that are in the
39:21
position of lot, God, I prayed deliver them in Jesus name even
39:25
at the great loss deliver them, so that there's not complete
39:29
total ruin. And God if there there's
39:32
listening that are in the place of Abraham up and down up and
39:35
down up and down and they're in a Down Season of the flesh right
39:38
now. God, I also pray for that
39:40
Deliverance to walk in the spirit and not fulfilling the
39:43
lust of the flesh. and so God, we just come to you and humble,
39:48
adoration and worship and maybe we just need to plan a tree and
39:52
call upon the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God, Completely
39:58
faithful and utterly utterly reliable.
40:03
We claim those promises today in Jesus name and everyone says
40:08
amen. Amen, stand together, I want to
40:10
share a scripture with you just came to me while I was praying.
40:14
It was shared with me this week and I want to share it with you
40:17
because I was meditating on it this morning before I came in,
40:20
it's in Luke's gospel, chapter 12, And it's the words of Jesus.
40:28
And he says, in verse 31 of Luke chapter 12, but seek the kingdom
40:37
of God and all these things will be added to you.
40:40
That was the what Luke records of Jesus saying in Matthew 6:33.
40:45
But then this is the verse that was shared.
40:47
So that's the context. He shared this verse with me,
40:49
but I went, I read the whole chapter.
40:52
So I wanted to get the context. And this, what he said, Jesus
40:54
says, do not fear Little Flock for it is your father's, good
40:59
pleasure to give you the kingdom.
41:03
Mmm. And so that's our final word in
41:07
this particular service don't fear.
41:09
Jesus would say to you, it's God's desire to give you his
41:14
kingdom. And all the benefits that come
41:17
with b as being a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, the Eternal
41:22
benefits, but seek first seek Him First, that's what Jesus
41:26
said right before. That seek the kingdom of God,
41:30
these things will be added unto you and don't fear because God's
41:33
desire is to give you these things.
41:36
His desire is to bless you to enjoy fellowship with you to
41:41
deliver you from temptation to strengthen you in your weakness
41:46
to reveal his faithfulness in your unfaithfulness don't fear
41:51
Little Flock for. It's God's father's your
41:54
father's, good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
41:58
And that that be a encouragement to you.
42:00
If you need to, you need prayer today, the pastors would be up
42:03
front here with you. If today, you need to surrender
42:06
your life to Jesus. Then by all means call upon the
42:11
name of the Lord today. Ask God to forgive you of your
42:14
sins. Say, God, I've sinned against
42:17
you and I'm asking you to forgive me.
42:19
I want to follow you all the days of my life.
42:22
I need your help. I want your help and I'm willing
42:27
to turn my life away from my sinful past and to follow you,
42:32
you can communicate anything that's from your heart that
42:34
says, you know what, God, your God and I'm not And I want to
42:39
turn away from my sins, just admit that you sent, that will
42:43
start the whole process just admit take responsibility for
42:48
the condition of your life as it is.
42:49
This day, your responsibility, not everybody's just yours and
42:54
God will meet you right in that place.
42:56
Why? Because he loves you and you'll
42:58
understand It is the Father's desire to give us his flock.
43:04
We're often combined, you know, compared in the Bible to sheep,
43:07
that's what he means by flock, he says, hey, I'm ready to give
43:10
you everything I promised you. She got to be a part of the
43:14
family. That's how it starts and the
43:17
pastor's of a be up here, as well to help you along the way.
43:21
But let me just lead you in a prayer, you can do it with me
43:23
right now. You could repeat after me, you
43:24
could say, God, I admit that I've sinned against you.
43:29
And I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins, I believe you
43:35
sent Jesus to live for me. To die for me.
43:41
And I believe he rose again from the dead to save my soul.
43:49
And I turn my life away from my sinful past and confess them to
43:53
you today. In Jesus name.
43:57
A men, we pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible.
44:02
Study delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
44:05
prayer, call us at 877, 30 Grace.
44:10
That's eight 77304, 2:53 to listen to this message in its
44:16
entirety or to join us for our live stream Services.
44:20
Visit us online at Calvary co.'s Church or download our free
44:25
Calvary Church app. Blessed is you worship Jesus
44:28
this week? Blessed is you worship Jesus
44:28
this week?