I began this on Monday with hopes to finish it yesterday, but alas, "stuff happens". The theme of this teaching is that "Faith is the assurance of things 'hoped' for, the evidence of it is not seen". No one more epitomized this than Abraham, who left his country and family to go to the place of God's promise. When he got there, he found a constant need for adjustments - that's the nature of our own faith. We have to learn to adjust to the changing circumstances and at the same time learn to be true to God by faith.
While we do that we live in the "hope of God's goodness to us"...that is the Faith we're trying to learn how to walk in...
Here's part 2 of this teaching:
While we do that we live in the "hope of God's goodness to us"...that is the Faith we're trying to learn how to walk in...
Here's part 2 of this teaching:
Faith Means – Our Hope Doesn’t Presume, It
Waits For God
The story of Abram and Sarah
takes a DETOUR in their Faith Journey.
Genesis 16:1-4
1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar;
2 so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.
4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived…
1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar;
2 so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.
4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived…
Ten Years has passed…think
about it.
Where were you 10 years
ago? How old were you? Your Kids?
Think about all that has transpired.
Ten Years before Abram had “believed” the
LORD when he said, “I will give
you descendants and nation will come from them.” God had declared his faith as righteousness...all is well and headed in the right direction as Abraham and Sarah wait for God.
BUT, now 10 years later, there’s nothing. And Abram and Sarah take a detour
in their Faith Journey. How should we describe this
scene? IT’S THE DETERIORATION OF
FAITH because of the loss of the hope of fulfillment.
·
Abram and Sarah WAIT
for those 10 years (he’s 85 years old now)... THEN, Abram and
Sarah SCHEME…they come up with the plan to have Abram conceive a child
through their maid servant, Hagar.
Why? They have lost hope in God’s promise. When nothing is changed, they come to believe
that God has forgotten what he said, and it’s up to them to figure it out. Sarah is the one who initiates
this…but Abraham consents.
In Sarah’s case, she blames
God, and she’s angry with him, so her scheme is meant to say I’ll do this on my
own…I don’t need you.
·
The third result
– FIGHTING - Genesis 16:4-5
4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.
5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”
4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.
5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”
Sound familiar? This is your fault, no this is your fault…
and on and on it goes. Hagar
is caught in the anger intersection of Sarah and Abram's lack of trust in waiting for God… Genesis
16:6
6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your
servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly
with her, and she fled from her.
NOW, what happens next involves
God’s intervention…Hagar is wandering in the desert, abandoned as a pregnant woman who is kicked out the family. But God knows she's not the problem:
Genesis 16:7, 11
7 The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur…
11 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael…
7 The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur…
11 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael…
Ishmael means “God hears” because God knew
Hagar was not the problem. The angel tells her to return to Sarai and submit to her, and she does. The narrative moves on quickly to nine months later.
Genesis 16:15-16
15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
There are times when we as people who think we trust God, will come to a conclusion that God is not coming through, so we need to take upon ourselves to
do what we think we need, or should do to make it happen, and the fruit of that isn’t the fulfilling Hope we need. What happens when we don’t trust in God’s promise and take it upon ourselves is birth a new problem instead of solving an old one...
These are our ISHMAEL’s…
Ishmael’s are the
detours…those times when we have setbacks and failures because of the flesh. We wait, get frustrated waiting, scheme, and do our own thing...sometimes even asking God to bless our own work.
What we often experience is
fighting, anger, frustration. It is our own fault, not God's.
Notice, God didn’t blame, but he didn’t bless either – Hebrews 11:6 speaks of God rewarding those who seek him. GOD’s REWARD…IS IN TRUST, WAITING, HOPEFUL
ANTICIPATION IN GOD’S GOODNESS, PRAYER.
Detours in our faith journey happen. The key behind any detour is
to get back on the right route as soon as you can. And that is crucial.
Someone rightly said: “The Faith-filled Hope of Life in Christ is
a series of New Beginnings”.
Faith Means – God is Faithful
Genesis 17:1
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
Abraham is now 99…25 years has
passed since God first spoke to him; and 12 years has passed since Hagar had
Ishmael. You notice God did not come to Abram and say, "OK, you're now old enough to show you I can do this, so let's get started..." No, he declares his Name, and he declares Abram's need. "Walk with me"...the journey of faith in our lives is an active walking with God. "Be Blameless"...God is not scolding, or finger pointing, he's reminding Abram that he never forgot what he was going to do.
The promise is re-stated.
Genesis 17:3-8
3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,
4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,
4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
Later in the narrative...Genesis 17:15-19
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.
16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”
19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.
It's obvious Abraham is still struggling to understand God's plan. I didn't put the narrative in that occurs in between this and what later it comes to pass:
Genesis 21:1-3
1 The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.
2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.
3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.
1 The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.
2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.
3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac.
ISAAC = LAUGHTER. BECAUSE EVERYTIME THEY LOOKED AT HIM GOD
REMINDED THEM OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT GOD WAS GOING TO DO.
NOW, CAN WE UNDERSTAND WHY
FAITH AS HOPE IN GOD’S PROMISES TO US, HIS GOODNESS ANTICIPATED, IS SO
ESSENTIAL?
FAITH – HOPE IN GOD’S PROMISE
COMES TO PASS… IS ESSENTIAL, BECAUSE IT REMINDS US THAT GOD IS MORE THAN ABLE TO DO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT ANYONE OF US CAN IMAGINE.
Romans 4:16-17
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,
17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
FAITH FILLED HOPE IS GOD
CALLING INTO EXISTENCE THAT WHICH DOESN’T EXIST.
THINK ABOUT THAT…
GOD’S DESIRE WAS THAT ABRAHAM WOULD BECOME
WHAT GOD HAD SAID HE WAS TO BE.
GOD’S DESIRE IS THAT YOU AND I WOULD BECOME
WHAT HE SAID. SAY THAT OVER AGAIN TO YOURSELF...MAYBE SEVERAL TIMES.
YOUR HOPE IS THE BASIS FOR
YOUR LEGACY. WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR
LEGACY TO BE?
I PRAY FOR A FAMILY OF
1000’S… WE STARTED WITH FOUR CHILDREN THAT WE WANTED TO KNOW GOD. ONE OF THE FOUR ISN’T MARRIED YET, BUT WE HAVE 8 GRANDCHILDREN, AND IF THOSE 8 GET MARRIED AND HAVE
4 KIDS ALSO, WE’D HAVE 32 GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN…AND I HAVE A DREAM OF THOSE 32
BECOMING 100’S AND THEN GENERATIONS LATER, 1000’S…ALL BIRTHED INTO CHRIST’S
KINGDOM. IT’S HOPE BASED ON FAITH…THAT
GOD CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.
I HAVE HOPE IN NEW LIFE FELLOWSHIP THAT I HOLD IN MY PRAYERS, AND I HAVE HOPE IN TERMS OF LIFE THAT IS YET TO BE LIVED.
IN MANY WAYS WE CAN ALL CARRY
AROUND IN OUR HEARTS, MIND, AND EVEN IN OUR PRAYERS, THINGS THAT WE HOPE FOR. ASK GOD TO BREATH LIFE ON THEM…
EVERYONE IN CHRIST, IS HERE ON EARTH FOR MORE THAN
A RELIGIOUS THING…TO SIMPLY DO CHURCH…WE’RE HERE FOR A LEGACY OF HOPE. BECAUSE
GOD HAS PLANS FOR YOU AND FOR ME…THAT GO WAY BEYOND US.
HE HAS PLANS FOR THIS AREA AND
HIS KINGDOM THAT GO WAY BEYOND THIS AREA.
GOD HAS PLANS THAT INVOLVE YOU IN FAMILY, RELATIONSHIPS, IN VOCATIONS,
AND ATHLETICS, AND FINANCES...EVERYTHING.
Luke 17:5-6
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
MUSTARD SEEDS….THEY ARE TINY NOTHINGS…TINY SEEDS, AND FROM THEM COME HUGE TREES.
THIS KIND OF FAITH I'M TALKING ABOUT IS NOT ABOUT DOING
SOMETHING…IT’S ABOUT PLANTING SOMETHING WITHIN.
WE’RE ALL CALLED TO ABRAHAM’S
FAITH THAT IS ROOTED IN HOPE AND WE WAIT, WATCH WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO, OBEY, AND
FOLLOW GOD’S LEADING…
BE FAITHFUL WHERE YOU’RE AT… PRAY, HOPE.
THERE ARE NO INSIGNIFICANT PEOPLE IN CHRIST…ONLY PEOPLE WHO GOD HAS A DESIRE TO SEE LIFE AND FRUIT.
I SAID TO YOU LAST WEEK THAT WE
SHOULDN’T “SETTLE” FOR GOOD ENOUGH. GOD
IS THE GOD OF ABUNDANCE, NEVER LACKING. WHEN
JESUS TOOK THE LOAVES AND FISH THEY WERE FEW AND AT THE END THEIR WERE 12
BASKETS LEFTOVER.
OUR FAITH FILLED HOPE ISN’T
BASED ON “NOT ENOUGH”…THEY ARE BASED ON GOD, WHO IS MORE THAN ABLE TO DO
WHAT HE PROMISED.
I WANT TO SPEAK HOPE FILLED
FAITH INTO YOU… INTO YOUR MARRIAGE, AND YOUR HOME, YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, YOUR
FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDSHIPS, AND COLLEAGUES, AND TEAM, AND JOBS, AND
NEIGHBORHOODS…
SO THAT WE CAN SEE THAT GOD
HAS US EXACTLY WHERE HIS DESIRE FOR US CAN BE FULFILLED!
PEACE
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