Two Kinds of People
Genesis 21: 8 – 21.
I. Introduction.
For some reason, most of us feel a need to place people into categories. An example of this is the common expression, “There are two kinds of people in the world…” Here are some examples I found this past week:
· Those who work, and those who take the credit…
· Those who love and build, and those who hate and destroy…
· Those who suck the life out of every day, and those who allow every day to suck the life out of them…
· Those who want the world for themselves, and those who want the world for everyone…
· Those who are willing to work, and those who are willing to let them…
· Those who love to talk, and those who hate to listen…
· Whosoever will, and whosever won’t…
· Happy, and unhappy—both have no reason to be that way…
· Those who finish what they start, and so on and so on…
· (My Favorite) There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who think there are two kinds of people in the world, and those who know better…[1]
When I was a child, I remember hearing someone say “there are two kinds of people in the world…” It bothered me, because I never thought it could be that simple. Other than saying God has created us male and female, I have never found a fool proof way to divide the world into two groups.
However, one of the basic tenets of our Christian faith is that one day we will all face God’s judgment. And, on that day of judgment, God will divide all of humanity into two groups of people. Some will spend eternity with God in Heaven. Others will spend eternity separated from God in Hell.
So, there really are two kinds of people in the world. We might consider these two categories as the people who have accepted God’s offer of salvation and those who have refused God’s offer. We might also call these two groups of people the insiders and the outsiders…The story of Abraham’s two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, is a story of insiders and outsiders.
Read Genesis 21: 8 – 21.
There is no good reason for this story to appear in the Bible. It is a shameful end to a shameful story. It should not have happened. But, once Abraham and Sarah felt the need to take matters into their own hands, there was no turning back.
God made a promise to Abraham to make him the father of a great nation. This seemed like an impossible promise to Abraham. God told him this when Abraham was 75 years old and when it appeared that Abraham would never have any children of his own. But, God always keeps his promises.
Abraham and Sarah developed a contingency plan, just in case God was not able to keep his promise. Abraham took a second wife—Sarah’s slave girl, Hagar. Abraham and Hagar had a son they named Ishmael. Abraham presented Ishmael to God and said, “You were right, God. I did have a son.” God responded to Abraham, “This is not the son I promised you.” Abraham had to wait on God to give him the promised son. But, God always keeps his promises.
God does not always do what we expect him to do. God does not always do what we want him to do. But, God always keeps his promises.
When Abraham’s son, Ishmael, was about 15 years old, Abraham and Sarah had a son. When Abraham and Sarah discovered that God could be trusted to keep his promises, they responded with obedience. They named their son Isaac, just as God had commanded them.
The name, Isaac, is significant in the story. On one hand, it demonstrates Abraham and Sarah’s obedience to do what God commanded. On the other hand, it is a reminder of the way both Abraham and Sarah laughed at God’s promises to them. The name Isaac is a form of the Hebrew word for “laughter.”
When God kept his promise to Abraham and Sarah, God turned their laughter of disbelief into laughter of joy.
We get a brief look at Abraham and Sarah’s joy in Genesis 21: 8. Abraham held a great feast as a way to celebrate the birth of his promised son. This celebration quickly turned into a conflict when Sarah noticed Abraham’s other son at the party.
The New International version tells us in verse 9 that Sarah saw Ishmael “mocking” her son Isaac. “Mocking” is one of several ways we could translate what Sarah witnessed. It could also be translated as “playing.” But, the literal word is the word “laughing.” Ishmael was either “laughing with” Isaac, or he was “laughing at” Isaac. The translators used the word “mocking” to translate “laughing at.”
But, I don’t think we have to accuse Ishmael of anything other than simply “laughing.” The name Isaac is derived from the Hebrew word for “laughter.” Therefore, when Sarah saw Ishmael “laughing” she saw him trying to act like Isaac. He was trying to out-Isaac Isaac.
This is what enraged Sarah. Hagar’s son was acting like her son. She was not angry about how the teenager was treating her toddler. She was angry about what might happen in the future. If Ishmael could bring joy and laughter to Abraham and his family, then there was a danger in Ishmael receiving a portion of the inheritance that ought to belong to Isaac alone.
And, Ishmael did have a legitimate claim to Abraham’s wealth. Ishmael was a legitimate son of Abraham. He was not adopted from another family. And to make matters worse, Ishmael was the firstborn son. Later Mosaic Law determined that the firstborn son would receive a double portion of the father’s estate when the father died.
This is a story about conflict and competition. It is a competition between Abraham’s two wives. It is a competition between Abraham’s two sons. It is a conflict between insiders and outsiders.
Sarah took drastic measures to protect her son’s inheritance. She demanded that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away. It’s obvious that Abraham did not want to do this. On one hand, he hesitated. On the other hand, he went to God in prayer about his situation. In this prayer, God offered Abraham two things. He gave him comfort and instructions.
God offered comfort to Abraham in two ways. First, he calmed him down with reassuring words. Second, God promised to take care of Ishmael. This was not something Abraham could control. But, it was well within God’s control.
God’s instructions to Abraham were very closely related to God’s comfort. Since there was nothing Abraham could do to control the situation, God instructed Abraham to do as Sarah had insisted. Send Ishmael and Hagar away…But trust God to take care of them.
Sending a woman and a teenage boy into the desert was nothing short of a death sentence. They would not live very long in the hard environs of the desert. They needed food and water for the short term. They needed the safety and security of a community for the long term. Abraham could only help them with their short term needs. He provided them with food and water for their journey.
Hagar was realistic about her situation. She knew they would not last much longer than their provisions. So, when the food and water were gone, she sent Ishmael away from her. I think Hagar sent Ishmael away, because she could not bear to watch her own son die. She sent him away so she could be both blind and deaf to his sufferings.
Hagar might have been blind and deaf to suffering, but God was not. God heard Ishmael’s cries for help. God took notice of their desperate situation. And, God intervened.
God’s intervention is significant for a couple of reasons. First, the name, Ishmael, comes from the Hebrew phrase, “God hears.” Second, God heard the cries and saw the pain of those who were not a part of God’s covenant community.
II. Insiders and Outsiders.
If there really are two kinds of people in the world—those who are inside God’s covenant community, and those who are outside God’s covenant community—then this is significant! God does not only hear the cries of insiders. God hears the cries of BOTH insiders and outsiders.
God’s words to Abraham in Genesis 21: 12 make it certain that Isaac is the insider in the story, “But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Isaac is not Abraham’s only son. However, Isaac is the only son who will carry on Abraham’s name. Isaac is the only son who will fulfill God’s promise that all nations will be blessed through Abraham.
Ishmael’s actions at the end of the story prove to us that he is the outsider in the story. Genesis 21: 20 – 21, “God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.”
Ishmael lived in the desert, outside of the social norms and never assimilated into God’s covenant community. Ishmael became a skilled archer, a necessary skill for one who lived outside the covenant community to hunt for his own food and live in hostility with all other people. Ishmael married an Egyptian woman, completing his rebellion against God’s covenant by marrying another outsider.
Ishmael chose his mother’s heritage over his father’s future!
We can explain the differences between Isaac and Ishmael by comparing their births.
Ishmael was born as a result of careful planning and skillful determination. Ishmael’s birth was natural, human, acceptable in the eyes of the world, and without consulting God’s will.
Isaac’s birth, on the other hand, was the miraculous result of God’s outrageous promise.
Can you see a difference between the two?
Ishmael represents the very best human effort has to offer.
Isaac represents the miracle of Grace!
We can make a similar comparison to men and women in our world and culture today. Some people live their lives according to the very best of human effort—planning, determination, natural course of events, work, work, work… Other people live according to God’s promises. God’s promises do not depend on our ability to plan and work things out. God’s promises are a gift of Grace. You don’t deserve it. You can never earn it. All you can do is receive God’s promises and Grace.
III. Two Kinds of Responses.
Isaac and Ishmael represent two kinds of people—insiders and outsiders. But they also represent two kinds of responses to God’s Grace.
It’s interesting to me that Jesus told a similar story in Luke 15. We typically refer to Jesus’ story as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. I think it is better to think of it as the Parable of the Two Sons.
In the parable there is a father with two sons. The father did not love one son more than the other son. He loved them equally.
We normally focus on the son who ran away from home. He cashed in his inheritance early and squandered it in a foreign land. When he was finally out of money and living among the pigs, this son came to his senses and went home to his father.
His father welcomed the son home with open arms and celebrated with the biggest party their little town had ever seen. The runaway son did not deserve to be welcomed home by his father. The runaway son did not deserve a party and a feast. It was a gift of Grace from his father who loved him.
We often forget about the son who stayed home. He didn’t run away. He didn’t ask for his inheritance early. He didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, we can probably say that this son did everything right. He demonstrates the very best of human nature. He was loyal, dedicated and hard working. The problem was the way he thought his loyalty, dedication and hard work earned him the right to have his own party. He thought he deserved the love of his father.
The Grace of God is not something you can work for until you are eventually good enough to deserve it. God offers his Grace to everyone. Some people accept God’s Grace for what it is—a free gift, which no one can earn. Some people just prefer to do the very best they can without accepting God’s gift.
IV. Conclusion.
There are two kinds of people in the world: Insiders and Outsiders. The insiders accept God’s offer of Grace. The outsiders try to work hard, hoping to one day be good enough.
C. S. Lewis captures this in his book The Screwtape Letters.
“There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way” C. S. Lewis
Will you receive God’s gift of Grace and say, “Thy will be done?” Or will you continue to insist on doing things your way?
[1] http://www.legendinc.com/Pages/ArchivesCentral/QuoteArchives/TwoKindsOfPeople.html
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010: Whom Do You Trust?
Whom Do You Trust?
Genesis 21: 1 – 7
I. Introduction.
Trust is a scarce commodity in today’s world. We have a hard time trusting other people. And, often, we understand when other people don’t trust us.
Take for example some of the biggest issues facing our nation today…
I don’t want to encourage a political debate…But there are many voices today insisting there is a health care crisis in the United States. Ultimately the health care crisis comes down to the question: Can we trust the health insurance companies to do the right thing? This year, our church has to pay 36% more for health insurance than we did last year. I don’t think we can trust the health insurance companies. But, can we trust the government to fix it?
Or think about the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the lessons the oil spill teaches us is that we cannot trust giant corporations to oversee the safety of their employees. 11 men died when the Deepwater Horizon collapsed. And we cannot trust corporations to take expensive precautions to protect the environment.
We witnessed the same thing when Toyota finally recalled millions of cars as a result of an acceleration problem. Low production costs are more important than expensive safety precautions.
But, can we trust the government to regulate the oil industry or the automobile industry?
What about the stock market? Can we trust the stock market? I can remember several families in our church in Mississippi who trusted the stock market so much that they were able to retire before they reached 65. Then, in 2001, the stock market dropped after the terrorist attacks. Some of these people had to go back to work.
What about other people? Can we trust the people who live in our community? I can’t speak for you, but I always lock the doors of my house and my truck. I’m glad we have law enforcement in Lufkin and Angelina County. Because, when we live around people we do not trust, it is necessary to have someone to enforce the rules. When we live with people we trust, enforcing rules is not as important. Relationship is more important than rules for the people we trust the most.
There are two sides to trust. On one hand, we must offer trust to other people in our lives. On the other hand, those people must prove themselves trustworthy…worthy of our trust. The only way to prove yourself trustworthy is to tell the truth and make good on all your promises.
There is only one person who has proven himself worthy of our trust. God is worthy of our trust. I remember a sign on a tire store in Tupelo, Mississippi that reads, “In God we trust…All others must pay cash.”
Read Genesis 21: 1 – 7.
This is the story we have been waiting for over the past ten weeks. Ten weeks ago, we read the first Abraham story in Genesis 12. In these ten weeks, we have followed 25 years of Abraham’s life.
In Genesis 12, Abraham was 75 years old. In Genesis 21, Abraham is 100 years old. I have to be careful with my words at this point, because I don’t want to give you the impression that 75 is old. 75 is not old…But, 75 is just a little bit older than we think of when we think of a man receiving a promise that God will make him a father in the next 25 years.
These 25 years were filled with ups and downs for Abraham. On one hand, Abraham is our example. He is the model for what it means to live a life faithful to God. On the other hand, Abraham doesn’t fare well in his first 25 years in the Promised Land.
God made a promise to Abraham that he would have a son, and that one day Abraham’s descendents would be so numerous that they could not be counted. But, Abraham did not always trust in God’s promise. On at least two occasions, Abraham took matters into his own hands. He lied to Pharaoh in Egypt and Abimelech in Gerar by telling them Sarah was his sister, not his wife. He did this because he trusted more in his own ability to protect his life than in God’s ability to fulfill his promise.
On two other occasions, Abraham made contingency plans. He wanted to have a backup plan just in case God couldn’t keep his promise. Just in case God could not give Abraham an heir, Abraham planned to adopt his slave Eliezer to become his son. Just in case God could not allow Sarah to conceive a son, Abraham broke his marriage vows and took Hagar as a second wife. Abraham and Hagar had a son named Ishmael. But God rejected both of Abraham’s back up plans.
There were even two occasions when Abraham and Sarah laughed in God’s face. Abraham laughed at God in Genesis 17. Sarah laughed at God in Genesis 18.
These 25 years were filled with doubt, disbelief, sin and laughing at God’s promises. Abraham and Sarah did NOT deserve to have this child. This child is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. This child is not the result of Abraham’s exemplary life.
Perhaps that is why Genesis 21: 1 begins with the phrase, “Now the LORD was gracious…” This is what Grace really is. Grace is a gift from God, which no one deserves. I have heard this all my life, so I assume you have heard it as well. Mercy is when we do not receive what we deserve. But, Grace is when we receive something we do not deserve.
Therefore, Abraham is our example of faith…Not so much for what he does… But Abraham is our example in the way God dealt with him. God made a promise to Abraham. Abraham lived a life of doubt, disbelief, sin and laughing at God. Abraham did nothing to deserve God’s promises. But, that did not stop God from showing his Grace to Abraham.
The same thing is true for you. God sent his Son Jesus to fulfill the entire Law of the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled the Law for us, because we could not fulfill it on our own. Then, Jesus demonstrated God’s love for us by becoming the final sacrifice for our sins. We don’t deserve this love. In fact, it’s just the opposite. We are sinners. Perhaps we can even say we are just like Abraham, living in doubt, disbelief, sin and laughing at God’s promises.
However, notice what Abraham did when God fulfilled his promise. Abraham demonstrated his obedience by doing exactly what God had commanded him to do.
II. Abraham’s Obedience.
Abraham demonstrated obedience in two ways. He gave his child the name Isaac, and he circumcised Isaac on the eighth day.
The name Isaac is important to the story in at least two ways. First, the Hebrew name Isaac (literally, Yitzhak) is a form of the Hebrew word “laughter.” It is a reminder that both Abraham and Sarah laughed when God told them they would have a child in their old age. Second, God told Abraham in Genesis 17 to name his son Isaac. He wasn’t to name him Abraham, Junior or anything else. And, Abraham obeyed God.
Circumcision is also important in the Abraham story. There was nothing magical or mysterious about circumcision. It was simply a sign. It was the sign that Abraham had entered into a covenant relationship with God. Now, it is a sign that Abraham would rear his son, Isaac, in the same covenant relationship.
Again, Abraham serves as an example for us. Salvation is a Grace gift from God. God offers it to us. We receive this gift through faith. However, that is not the end. Once we receive God’s gift, God wants to change our lives.
Faith is not the sum total of the Christian life. Faith is simply the beginning. At the moment of faith, God begins a work in us to change our lives. God’s desire for your life is that you and I would live differently from the rest of the world. God’s standards were later codified for us in the Ten Commandments. These commandments are God’s expectations for us. God has high expectations for you and me.
Sin might be the norm for the rest of the world. But, God gives us his Holy Spirit to strengthen us in order to resist sin and temptation.
Lying might be a way of life for the rest of the world. But, God calls Christians to live by a standard that is higher than the standards of the world.
Stealing might be overlooked by the world. But, God expects us to live differently…Even when everyone would understand…
Sexual immorality might be acceptable for non-Christians. But, that is not the way God wants us to live.
Men and women who live in a covenant relationship with God are supposed to be different. Non-Christians do not live by God’s standards. And Christians are not supposed to live like non-Christians. We live in obedience to the one we trust.
III. God Can Be Trusted.
The story in Genesis 21 is an important story. We know it is important, because we have been waiting for this moment for 25 years. Well, Abraham has been waiting for 25 years; you and I have been waiting for ten weeks. Everything in Abraham’s story has been leading up to this moment in time.
However, there is something almost anticlimactic about this story. God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 12. Then, the book of Genesis gives us an incredibly detailed account of all the good and the bad leading up to the fulfillment of the promise. The buildup lasts from Genesis 12 – Genesis 20 (215 verses of Scripture). Then, the fulfillment happens in just seven verses…Seven verses.
Usually, we like to celebrate when something good happens. Like when our team wins the big game. We were living in Waco when the Baylor women’s basketball team won the NCAA national championship. The town went nuts. There were celebrations in the Ferrell Center, and there was a parade. The team was invited to the White House to meet with the president of the United States. It was a big deal. And a lot of people made a big deal out of it. (But, I don’t remember any riots in the streets of Waco or people setting cars on fire like they do in other cities.)
The birth of Isaac is a bigger deal than a college basketball team winning the national championship. Think about it. This is a miraculous birth—a baby was born to a 100 year old father and a 90 year old mother. This birth marks the beginning of Abraham’s people—Isaac was the heir of all of Abraham’s wealth, AND he was the heir through which God would bless all peoples of the earth. This birth is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham—a promise that was 25 years in the making.
So, where is the parade? Did Abraham and Sarah get invited to the White House? Did people celebrate in the streets and burn their cars?
There was no parade and no hoopla when Isaac was born, because this is different. When God keeps his word, it’s not that big of a deal. When God fulfills his promises, it’s not unusual. That’s the way God is. He makes promises and keeps his promises. It’s not like when a human being keeps his word. Now, that is something to celebrate and march in a parade. But, not when God keeps his word…Because God can be trusted.
When God makes a promise, he fulfills it. It might take 25 years of waiting. It might take an entire lifetime of waiting. But God always keeps his word. And we should never be surprised when God does what he told us he would do.
Genesis 21: 2, “Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.”
This verse tells us a three important things about God’s promises.
First, “Sarah became pregnant and bore a son” indicates that God often works through the natural order. Isaac did not appear as a full grown man. Sarah conceived and went through nine months of pregnancy, labor and delivery.
Second, “bore a son to Abraham in his old age” tells us this was no ordinary conception and pregnancy. God did the miraculous by accomplishing what no one thought was possible. Nothing is impossible for God. Nothing can stand in the way of God’s promises. God can and will overcome all obstacles to keep his word to you.
Third, “at the very time God had promised him” reminds us that God told Abraham in Genesis 18 that Isaac would be born one year later. This is probably not the time Abraham and Sarah would have chosen for God to fulfill his promise. They probably would have preferred that Isaac be born 75 years ago! God works on his own time…But God is always on time.
IV. Conclusion: God’s Promises.
What promises has God made to you?
The Scriptures tell us that Jesus died on the cross to offer us forgiveness for our sins. God sent his Holy Spirit to be present with all who believe. God promises to begin the work of sanctification in your life to make your character more and more like the character of Jesus. God promised to give you the strength to resist temptation and a “way out” when temptation becomes more than you can handle. God promised to give you an abundant life—a life of joy and excitement even in the face of evil and suffering. God promised to give you eternal life in his presence in Heaven.
These are BIG promises. But, they are not too BIG for God to fulfill. It may not happen when we want it to happen…But, we should not be surprised when God keeps his word.
Genesis 21: 1 – 7
I. Introduction.
Trust is a scarce commodity in today’s world. We have a hard time trusting other people. And, often, we understand when other people don’t trust us.
Take for example some of the biggest issues facing our nation today…
I don’t want to encourage a political debate…But there are many voices today insisting there is a health care crisis in the United States. Ultimately the health care crisis comes down to the question: Can we trust the health insurance companies to do the right thing? This year, our church has to pay 36% more for health insurance than we did last year. I don’t think we can trust the health insurance companies. But, can we trust the government to fix it?
Or think about the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the lessons the oil spill teaches us is that we cannot trust giant corporations to oversee the safety of their employees. 11 men died when the Deepwater Horizon collapsed. And we cannot trust corporations to take expensive precautions to protect the environment.
We witnessed the same thing when Toyota finally recalled millions of cars as a result of an acceleration problem. Low production costs are more important than expensive safety precautions.
But, can we trust the government to regulate the oil industry or the automobile industry?
What about the stock market? Can we trust the stock market? I can remember several families in our church in Mississippi who trusted the stock market so much that they were able to retire before they reached 65. Then, in 2001, the stock market dropped after the terrorist attacks. Some of these people had to go back to work.
What about other people? Can we trust the people who live in our community? I can’t speak for you, but I always lock the doors of my house and my truck. I’m glad we have law enforcement in Lufkin and Angelina County. Because, when we live around people we do not trust, it is necessary to have someone to enforce the rules. When we live with people we trust, enforcing rules is not as important. Relationship is more important than rules for the people we trust the most.
There are two sides to trust. On one hand, we must offer trust to other people in our lives. On the other hand, those people must prove themselves trustworthy…worthy of our trust. The only way to prove yourself trustworthy is to tell the truth and make good on all your promises.
There is only one person who has proven himself worthy of our trust. God is worthy of our trust. I remember a sign on a tire store in Tupelo, Mississippi that reads, “In God we trust…All others must pay cash.”
Read Genesis 21: 1 – 7.
This is the story we have been waiting for over the past ten weeks. Ten weeks ago, we read the first Abraham story in Genesis 12. In these ten weeks, we have followed 25 years of Abraham’s life.
In Genesis 12, Abraham was 75 years old. In Genesis 21, Abraham is 100 years old. I have to be careful with my words at this point, because I don’t want to give you the impression that 75 is old. 75 is not old…But, 75 is just a little bit older than we think of when we think of a man receiving a promise that God will make him a father in the next 25 years.
These 25 years were filled with ups and downs for Abraham. On one hand, Abraham is our example. He is the model for what it means to live a life faithful to God. On the other hand, Abraham doesn’t fare well in his first 25 years in the Promised Land.
God made a promise to Abraham that he would have a son, and that one day Abraham’s descendents would be so numerous that they could not be counted. But, Abraham did not always trust in God’s promise. On at least two occasions, Abraham took matters into his own hands. He lied to Pharaoh in Egypt and Abimelech in Gerar by telling them Sarah was his sister, not his wife. He did this because he trusted more in his own ability to protect his life than in God’s ability to fulfill his promise.
On two other occasions, Abraham made contingency plans. He wanted to have a backup plan just in case God couldn’t keep his promise. Just in case God could not give Abraham an heir, Abraham planned to adopt his slave Eliezer to become his son. Just in case God could not allow Sarah to conceive a son, Abraham broke his marriage vows and took Hagar as a second wife. Abraham and Hagar had a son named Ishmael. But God rejected both of Abraham’s back up plans.
There were even two occasions when Abraham and Sarah laughed in God’s face. Abraham laughed at God in Genesis 17. Sarah laughed at God in Genesis 18.
These 25 years were filled with doubt, disbelief, sin and laughing at God’s promises. Abraham and Sarah did NOT deserve to have this child. This child is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. This child is not the result of Abraham’s exemplary life.
Perhaps that is why Genesis 21: 1 begins with the phrase, “Now the LORD was gracious…” This is what Grace really is. Grace is a gift from God, which no one deserves. I have heard this all my life, so I assume you have heard it as well. Mercy is when we do not receive what we deserve. But, Grace is when we receive something we do not deserve.
Therefore, Abraham is our example of faith…Not so much for what he does… But Abraham is our example in the way God dealt with him. God made a promise to Abraham. Abraham lived a life of doubt, disbelief, sin and laughing at God. Abraham did nothing to deserve God’s promises. But, that did not stop God from showing his Grace to Abraham.
The same thing is true for you. God sent his Son Jesus to fulfill the entire Law of the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled the Law for us, because we could not fulfill it on our own. Then, Jesus demonstrated God’s love for us by becoming the final sacrifice for our sins. We don’t deserve this love. In fact, it’s just the opposite. We are sinners. Perhaps we can even say we are just like Abraham, living in doubt, disbelief, sin and laughing at God’s promises.
However, notice what Abraham did when God fulfilled his promise. Abraham demonstrated his obedience by doing exactly what God had commanded him to do.
II. Abraham’s Obedience.
Abraham demonstrated obedience in two ways. He gave his child the name Isaac, and he circumcised Isaac on the eighth day.
The name Isaac is important to the story in at least two ways. First, the Hebrew name Isaac (literally, Yitzhak) is a form of the Hebrew word “laughter.” It is a reminder that both Abraham and Sarah laughed when God told them they would have a child in their old age. Second, God told Abraham in Genesis 17 to name his son Isaac. He wasn’t to name him Abraham, Junior or anything else. And, Abraham obeyed God.
Circumcision is also important in the Abraham story. There was nothing magical or mysterious about circumcision. It was simply a sign. It was the sign that Abraham had entered into a covenant relationship with God. Now, it is a sign that Abraham would rear his son, Isaac, in the same covenant relationship.
Again, Abraham serves as an example for us. Salvation is a Grace gift from God. God offers it to us. We receive this gift through faith. However, that is not the end. Once we receive God’s gift, God wants to change our lives.
Faith is not the sum total of the Christian life. Faith is simply the beginning. At the moment of faith, God begins a work in us to change our lives. God’s desire for your life is that you and I would live differently from the rest of the world. God’s standards were later codified for us in the Ten Commandments. These commandments are God’s expectations for us. God has high expectations for you and me.
Sin might be the norm for the rest of the world. But, God gives us his Holy Spirit to strengthen us in order to resist sin and temptation.
Lying might be a way of life for the rest of the world. But, God calls Christians to live by a standard that is higher than the standards of the world.
Stealing might be overlooked by the world. But, God expects us to live differently…Even when everyone would understand…
Sexual immorality might be acceptable for non-Christians. But, that is not the way God wants us to live.
Men and women who live in a covenant relationship with God are supposed to be different. Non-Christians do not live by God’s standards. And Christians are not supposed to live like non-Christians. We live in obedience to the one we trust.
III. God Can Be Trusted.
The story in Genesis 21 is an important story. We know it is important, because we have been waiting for this moment for 25 years. Well, Abraham has been waiting for 25 years; you and I have been waiting for ten weeks. Everything in Abraham’s story has been leading up to this moment in time.
However, there is something almost anticlimactic about this story. God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 12. Then, the book of Genesis gives us an incredibly detailed account of all the good and the bad leading up to the fulfillment of the promise. The buildup lasts from Genesis 12 – Genesis 20 (215 verses of Scripture). Then, the fulfillment happens in just seven verses…Seven verses.
Usually, we like to celebrate when something good happens. Like when our team wins the big game. We were living in Waco when the Baylor women’s basketball team won the NCAA national championship. The town went nuts. There were celebrations in the Ferrell Center, and there was a parade. The team was invited to the White House to meet with the president of the United States. It was a big deal. And a lot of people made a big deal out of it. (But, I don’t remember any riots in the streets of Waco or people setting cars on fire like they do in other cities.)
The birth of Isaac is a bigger deal than a college basketball team winning the national championship. Think about it. This is a miraculous birth—a baby was born to a 100 year old father and a 90 year old mother. This birth marks the beginning of Abraham’s people—Isaac was the heir of all of Abraham’s wealth, AND he was the heir through which God would bless all peoples of the earth. This birth is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham—a promise that was 25 years in the making.
So, where is the parade? Did Abraham and Sarah get invited to the White House? Did people celebrate in the streets and burn their cars?
There was no parade and no hoopla when Isaac was born, because this is different. When God keeps his word, it’s not that big of a deal. When God fulfills his promises, it’s not unusual. That’s the way God is. He makes promises and keeps his promises. It’s not like when a human being keeps his word. Now, that is something to celebrate and march in a parade. But, not when God keeps his word…Because God can be trusted.
When God makes a promise, he fulfills it. It might take 25 years of waiting. It might take an entire lifetime of waiting. But God always keeps his word. And we should never be surprised when God does what he told us he would do.
Genesis 21: 2, “Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.”
This verse tells us a three important things about God’s promises.
First, “Sarah became pregnant and bore a son” indicates that God often works through the natural order. Isaac did not appear as a full grown man. Sarah conceived and went through nine months of pregnancy, labor and delivery.
Second, “bore a son to Abraham in his old age” tells us this was no ordinary conception and pregnancy. God did the miraculous by accomplishing what no one thought was possible. Nothing is impossible for God. Nothing can stand in the way of God’s promises. God can and will overcome all obstacles to keep his word to you.
Third, “at the very time God had promised him” reminds us that God told Abraham in Genesis 18 that Isaac would be born one year later. This is probably not the time Abraham and Sarah would have chosen for God to fulfill his promise. They probably would have preferred that Isaac be born 75 years ago! God works on his own time…But God is always on time.
IV. Conclusion: God’s Promises.
What promises has God made to you?
The Scriptures tell us that Jesus died on the cross to offer us forgiveness for our sins. God sent his Holy Spirit to be present with all who believe. God promises to begin the work of sanctification in your life to make your character more and more like the character of Jesus. God promised to give you the strength to resist temptation and a “way out” when temptation becomes more than you can handle. God promised to give you an abundant life—a life of joy and excitement even in the face of evil and suffering. God promised to give you eternal life in his presence in Heaven.
These are BIG promises. But, they are not too BIG for God to fulfill. It may not happen when we want it to happen…But, we should not be surprised when God keeps his word.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010: Here We Go Again
Here We Go Again
Genesis 20: 1 – 18.
I. Introduction.
Breaking News…LeBron James has decided not to play basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers next year. Instead, he wants to play for the Miami Heat, where he thinks he has a better chance to win a championship and ultimately to be happy.
Did you follow the story of LeBron James last week? I’m ashamed to say that I did. I didn’t spend the week glued to the TV or the Internet, but I didn’t have to. Every time I watched Sports Center, the local news, or looked at sports sites on the Internet there were updates. It was really silly.
I’m also ashamed to admit that I watched the first 30 minutes of LeBron’s TV special on ESPN Thursday night. I just knew he was going to stay in Cleveland. In fact, in my opinion, staying in Cleveland was the right thing to do. Moving to Miami was heartbreaking for the city of Cleveland and the thousands of fans who have cheered for LeBron James.
But, I understand why he made his decision. He wanted to be happy. And personal happiness is the single most important factor in the decisions we make as Americans. We tell ourselves that we deserve to be happy. Life is too short to be anything other than happy. We teach our children to strive for happiness above anything else in life.
Don’t misunderstand me…I like to be happy. I want other people to be happy. I want LeBron James to be happy. But, I don’t think we should ever place our personal happiness above the people who love us the most. Other people must come before personal happiness.[1]
This is the same mistake Abraham made in Genesis 20. Abraham made a series of self-serving decisions that caused harm to other people. Abraham told a lie and used his wife, Sarah, as a tool to protect his personal happiness. As a result, Abraham was happy and safe. But, everyone else was placed in harm’s way: Sarah, Abimelech, the nation of Gerar, and even his promised son, Isaac.
Read Genesis 20: 1 – 18.
The first thing we notice about this story is the way it reminds of Genesis 12: 10 – 20. In Genesis 12, Abraham and Sarah fled from the land of Canaan because of a famine. They went to the land of Egypt to find food. While they were in Egypt, Abraham told Sarah to tell everyone they were brother and sister. This was because Sarah was a beautiful woman, and Abraham was afraid Pharaoh would kill him and take Sarah to be one of his wives.
Some people believe this is simply the same story told about two different kings. But, I believe we can find evidence within Genesis 20 to prove this happened more than once. For example, Genesis 20: 13 says, “And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." '"
Perhaps the ancient world had a problem with “wife-stealing” and Abraham had good reason to be afraid for his life. Perhaps Sarah was an exceptionally beautiful woman that kings would want to take her from her husband. Perhaps Abraham was just paranoid and didn’t trust that God would really keep his promise to make Abraham into a great nation. Whatever the case may be, we cannot find an acceptable reason for Abraham’s actions. He lied about Sarah and used her as a tool to protect himself from his fear of death.
Interestingly, the Bible makes no explicit moral judgment on Abraham’s lies. The Bible neither condones nor condemns Abraham. It simply tells us a story about the way Abraham handled his fears. However, both stories tell us that God intervened. God did not allow Abraham to get away with his lies. God sent plagues on Pharaoh to stop him from taking Sarah as his wife. God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and prevented the king from touching Sarah in inappropriate ways.
God intervened in Abraham’s life. God protected Sarah from committing adultery with Abimelech. God rescued Sarah from her abductors. God protected Abraham’s future son, Isaac. God kept his promise to Abraham and did everything to keep Abraham from thwarting God’s plans.
Ultimately, this is a story about sin. While I believe that all humans are sinners, I can find two people in this story who committed sins: Abraham and Abimelech. Abraham represents God’s chosen people—the people in a covenant relationship with God. Abimelech represents the rest of the world—the people who live outside of a covenant relationship with God. Therefore, this story tells us how God views sin in two groups of people…The sins of God’s chosen people…The sins of those outside of God’s covenant promises.
II. Sin Leads to Death.
Notice in verse 3 how God views sin. Genesis 20:3, “But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman."
This is a consistent theme throughout the entire Bible. This is what God warned Adam and Eve about in the Garden of Eden. If they ate of the forbidden fruit, they would surely die. This is what the Apostle Paul says in the New Testament when he says, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6: 23).”
All humans have a problem with sin. The Bible describes for us what God expects from us…The way God’s people are supposed to live. In very general terms, we are supposed to live with God as our king—the one who rules our lives and determines the course of our lives. However, that is often not the way we live. Instead, we want to be the king of our own lives. So, we remove God from the throne of our lives and live by our own standards—often placing personal happiness above God’s will.
In more specific terms, sin is anything we do that is contrary to God’s commandments. For example, in Genesis 20, Abraham’s sin was lying about his relationship with Sarah. Abimelech committed two sins. First, he kidnapped Sarah and (we presume) placed her in his royal harem. Second, his intention was to commit adultery with her.
Perhaps you have never committed one of Abimelech’s sins. You have never kidnapped another person. You have never committed adultery. But, what about Abraham’s sin? Have you ever lied? (If you tell me you have never lied, I might just tell you that you are lying right now.)
From a human point of view, there are different degrees of sin. Typically, we judge these sins on the number of people they will affect. Adultery, kidnapping and murder affect more people than other sins.
However, from God’s point of view all sin is equal. All sin separates us from God. All sin leads down a road to death.
III. God Can Prevent Us from Sinning.
Notice how God intervened in Abraham and Sarah’s life. God spoke directly to Abimelech in a dream and told him…Genesis 20:6, “Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.”
Abraham sinned by lying about his relationship with Sarah. Abimelech sinned by abducting Sarah. Abimelech’s intention was to commit adultery with Sarah, but God stepped in. We don’t know how God did this. All we know is that God prevented Abimelech from going through with his plans.
This is not the only place in the Bible where we read about God’s intervention. There is the famous story of Joseph when he was approached by Potiphar’s wife. He refused her advances numerous times. When she would not take no for an answer, Joseph stripped out of his overcoat and ran away in his shirt sleeves.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul tells us, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10: 13).”
Sin and temptation are very real. Christians will always struggle with both sin and temptation. However, there is a big difference between sin and temptation. There is always a way out of temptation. God always provides us with a way out.
First, God will give you the strength to resist temptation. Second, when the temptation is more than you can handle, God will give you an opportunity to run away.
The problem with this arrangement is the fact that we don’t want to listen to God. We don’t really want to hand over the controls of our lives to God. We don’t listen to His Holy Spirit and the strength he gives us to resist. And, we don’t look for opportunities to run away from temptation.
The best way to resist temptation is to listen when God tells you to avoid certain situations. If you have a problem with lust or the temptation to commit sexual sins, do not expose yourself to that kind of temptation—avoid websites that tempt you, don’t go to places where you will find temptation, and never allow yourself to be alone with a person of the opposite sex.. Teens, don’t go to parties where alcohol will be present. God is speaking to us to give us strength in the face of temptation.
IV. Confession Is the Answer to Sin.
There is a difference between sin and temptation. It is not a sin to be tempted. It is a sin to act on the temptation. Temptation is the way Satan pulls us away from God and tells us that we can be happier if God is not in control. Temptation is a fact of life for all humans. As long as we are alive, we will face temptation. We don’t have to act out our temptations. But, the sad fact remains…We will sin. Even Christians continue to struggle with sin.
The New Testament teaches us about the remedy for sin. Ultimately, our remedy for sin is the cross. Jesus died on the cross as our final sacrifice…to take away the penalty of sin…to save us from death and hell.
So, what should we do when we sin? 1 John 1: 9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Do you know what confession is? It is an admission of guilt. Look at the different ways Abraham and Abimelech dealt with their sins in Genesis 20.
Genesis 20: 11 – 13, “Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.' Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." '"
Abraham never admitted his sin. He made excuses for his behavior! An excuse is not the same thing as a confession.
Has anyone ever “apologized” to you like this? “I’m sorry that you were offended by what I said / did.” That is not an apology. That is an excuse. That is blaming the victim and claiming that you did nothing wrong. (I have recently asked my children to stop using the phrase “I’m Sorry.” I would rather they say, “I was wrong.”)
Abraham gave two excuses: I was afraid; She really is my half sister. But, he never said “I’m wrong.” This is a typical human response to sin. We rationalize and do everything in our power to prove our actions were justified. Abraham rationalized by claiming he told a half-truth. He manipulated the facts to serve his own fears. Half-truth may be good enough to fool other people. But, God has a higher standard of truth. God is not fooled.
Abimelech offered a confession. Genesis 20: 14 – 16, “Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, "My land is before you; live wherever you like." To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated."
His actions show that he knew he was wrong and that he took responsibility for his sins. God appeared to Abimelech in a dream and told him he was a dead man. Abimelech confessed his sins, because he was afraid of God. Abraham did not confess his sins, because he was not afraid of God. At least, Abraham feared other things more than he feared God.
What do you fear more than God? Do you fear what other people might do to you? Your life is your god. Do you fear what other people might think of you? Your reputation is your god. Do you fear losing your job or your ability to provide for your family? Your money is your god.
[1] http://blog.beliefnet.com/bibleandculture/2010/07/king-james-puts-his-head-in-a-miami-vice.html
Genesis 20: 1 – 18.
I. Introduction.
Breaking News…LeBron James has decided not to play basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers next year. Instead, he wants to play for the Miami Heat, where he thinks he has a better chance to win a championship and ultimately to be happy.
Did you follow the story of LeBron James last week? I’m ashamed to say that I did. I didn’t spend the week glued to the TV or the Internet, but I didn’t have to. Every time I watched Sports Center, the local news, or looked at sports sites on the Internet there were updates. It was really silly.
I’m also ashamed to admit that I watched the first 30 minutes of LeBron’s TV special on ESPN Thursday night. I just knew he was going to stay in Cleveland. In fact, in my opinion, staying in Cleveland was the right thing to do. Moving to Miami was heartbreaking for the city of Cleveland and the thousands of fans who have cheered for LeBron James.
But, I understand why he made his decision. He wanted to be happy. And personal happiness is the single most important factor in the decisions we make as Americans. We tell ourselves that we deserve to be happy. Life is too short to be anything other than happy. We teach our children to strive for happiness above anything else in life.
Don’t misunderstand me…I like to be happy. I want other people to be happy. I want LeBron James to be happy. But, I don’t think we should ever place our personal happiness above the people who love us the most. Other people must come before personal happiness.[1]
This is the same mistake Abraham made in Genesis 20. Abraham made a series of self-serving decisions that caused harm to other people. Abraham told a lie and used his wife, Sarah, as a tool to protect his personal happiness. As a result, Abraham was happy and safe. But, everyone else was placed in harm’s way: Sarah, Abimelech, the nation of Gerar, and even his promised son, Isaac.
Read Genesis 20: 1 – 18.
The first thing we notice about this story is the way it reminds of Genesis 12: 10 – 20. In Genesis 12, Abraham and Sarah fled from the land of Canaan because of a famine. They went to the land of Egypt to find food. While they were in Egypt, Abraham told Sarah to tell everyone they were brother and sister. This was because Sarah was a beautiful woman, and Abraham was afraid Pharaoh would kill him and take Sarah to be one of his wives.
Some people believe this is simply the same story told about two different kings. But, I believe we can find evidence within Genesis 20 to prove this happened more than once. For example, Genesis 20: 13 says, “And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." '"
Perhaps the ancient world had a problem with “wife-stealing” and Abraham had good reason to be afraid for his life. Perhaps Sarah was an exceptionally beautiful woman that kings would want to take her from her husband. Perhaps Abraham was just paranoid and didn’t trust that God would really keep his promise to make Abraham into a great nation. Whatever the case may be, we cannot find an acceptable reason for Abraham’s actions. He lied about Sarah and used her as a tool to protect himself from his fear of death.
Interestingly, the Bible makes no explicit moral judgment on Abraham’s lies. The Bible neither condones nor condemns Abraham. It simply tells us a story about the way Abraham handled his fears. However, both stories tell us that God intervened. God did not allow Abraham to get away with his lies. God sent plagues on Pharaoh to stop him from taking Sarah as his wife. God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and prevented the king from touching Sarah in inappropriate ways.
God intervened in Abraham’s life. God protected Sarah from committing adultery with Abimelech. God rescued Sarah from her abductors. God protected Abraham’s future son, Isaac. God kept his promise to Abraham and did everything to keep Abraham from thwarting God’s plans.
Ultimately, this is a story about sin. While I believe that all humans are sinners, I can find two people in this story who committed sins: Abraham and Abimelech. Abraham represents God’s chosen people—the people in a covenant relationship with God. Abimelech represents the rest of the world—the people who live outside of a covenant relationship with God. Therefore, this story tells us how God views sin in two groups of people…The sins of God’s chosen people…The sins of those outside of God’s covenant promises.
II. Sin Leads to Death.
Notice in verse 3 how God views sin. Genesis 20:3, “But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman."
This is a consistent theme throughout the entire Bible. This is what God warned Adam and Eve about in the Garden of Eden. If they ate of the forbidden fruit, they would surely die. This is what the Apostle Paul says in the New Testament when he says, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6: 23).”
All humans have a problem with sin. The Bible describes for us what God expects from us…The way God’s people are supposed to live. In very general terms, we are supposed to live with God as our king—the one who rules our lives and determines the course of our lives. However, that is often not the way we live. Instead, we want to be the king of our own lives. So, we remove God from the throne of our lives and live by our own standards—often placing personal happiness above God’s will.
In more specific terms, sin is anything we do that is contrary to God’s commandments. For example, in Genesis 20, Abraham’s sin was lying about his relationship with Sarah. Abimelech committed two sins. First, he kidnapped Sarah and (we presume) placed her in his royal harem. Second, his intention was to commit adultery with her.
Perhaps you have never committed one of Abimelech’s sins. You have never kidnapped another person. You have never committed adultery. But, what about Abraham’s sin? Have you ever lied? (If you tell me you have never lied, I might just tell you that you are lying right now.)
From a human point of view, there are different degrees of sin. Typically, we judge these sins on the number of people they will affect. Adultery, kidnapping and murder affect more people than other sins.
However, from God’s point of view all sin is equal. All sin separates us from God. All sin leads down a road to death.
III. God Can Prevent Us from Sinning.
Notice how God intervened in Abraham and Sarah’s life. God spoke directly to Abimelech in a dream and told him…Genesis 20:6, “Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.”
Abraham sinned by lying about his relationship with Sarah. Abimelech sinned by abducting Sarah. Abimelech’s intention was to commit adultery with Sarah, but God stepped in. We don’t know how God did this. All we know is that God prevented Abimelech from going through with his plans.
This is not the only place in the Bible where we read about God’s intervention. There is the famous story of Joseph when he was approached by Potiphar’s wife. He refused her advances numerous times. When she would not take no for an answer, Joseph stripped out of his overcoat and ran away in his shirt sleeves.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul tells us, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10: 13).”
Sin and temptation are very real. Christians will always struggle with both sin and temptation. However, there is a big difference between sin and temptation. There is always a way out of temptation. God always provides us with a way out.
First, God will give you the strength to resist temptation. Second, when the temptation is more than you can handle, God will give you an opportunity to run away.
The problem with this arrangement is the fact that we don’t want to listen to God. We don’t really want to hand over the controls of our lives to God. We don’t listen to His Holy Spirit and the strength he gives us to resist. And, we don’t look for opportunities to run away from temptation.
The best way to resist temptation is to listen when God tells you to avoid certain situations. If you have a problem with lust or the temptation to commit sexual sins, do not expose yourself to that kind of temptation—avoid websites that tempt you, don’t go to places where you will find temptation, and never allow yourself to be alone with a person of the opposite sex.. Teens, don’t go to parties where alcohol will be present. God is speaking to us to give us strength in the face of temptation.
IV. Confession Is the Answer to Sin.
There is a difference between sin and temptation. It is not a sin to be tempted. It is a sin to act on the temptation. Temptation is the way Satan pulls us away from God and tells us that we can be happier if God is not in control. Temptation is a fact of life for all humans. As long as we are alive, we will face temptation. We don’t have to act out our temptations. But, the sad fact remains…We will sin. Even Christians continue to struggle with sin.
The New Testament teaches us about the remedy for sin. Ultimately, our remedy for sin is the cross. Jesus died on the cross as our final sacrifice…to take away the penalty of sin…to save us from death and hell.
So, what should we do when we sin? 1 John 1: 9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Do you know what confession is? It is an admission of guilt. Look at the different ways Abraham and Abimelech dealt with their sins in Genesis 20.
Genesis 20: 11 – 13, “Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.' Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." '"
Abraham never admitted his sin. He made excuses for his behavior! An excuse is not the same thing as a confession.
Has anyone ever “apologized” to you like this? “I’m sorry that you were offended by what I said / did.” That is not an apology. That is an excuse. That is blaming the victim and claiming that you did nothing wrong. (I have recently asked my children to stop using the phrase “I’m Sorry.” I would rather they say, “I was wrong.”)
Abraham gave two excuses: I was afraid; She really is my half sister. But, he never said “I’m wrong.” This is a typical human response to sin. We rationalize and do everything in our power to prove our actions were justified. Abraham rationalized by claiming he told a half-truth. He manipulated the facts to serve his own fears. Half-truth may be good enough to fool other people. But, God has a higher standard of truth. God is not fooled.
Abimelech offered a confession. Genesis 20: 14 – 16, “Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, "My land is before you; live wherever you like." To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated."
His actions show that he knew he was wrong and that he took responsibility for his sins. God appeared to Abimelech in a dream and told him he was a dead man. Abimelech confessed his sins, because he was afraid of God. Abraham did not confess his sins, because he was not afraid of God. At least, Abraham feared other things more than he feared God.
What do you fear more than God? Do you fear what other people might do to you? Your life is your god. Do you fear what other people might think of you? Your reputation is your god. Do you fear losing your job or your ability to provide for your family? Your money is your god.
[1] http://blog.beliefnet.com/bibleandculture/2010/07/king-james-puts-his-head-in-a-miami-vice.html
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010: Freedom, Not Independence
Freedom, Not Independence
Galatians 5: 1, 13 – 18.
Introduction.
Today is Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July. This is the official day Americans have set aside to celebrate our Independence from England. The first Americans did not live in an Independent country. They lived in colonies of the British Empire. The first Americans were subjects to the British Monarchy until they declared themselves Independent on July 4, 1776.
The reason we celebrate on July 4 every year is because July 4, 1776 is written across the top of the Declaration of Independence. This was a document which was originally written by Thomas Jefferson and submitted to congress. The congressmen debated and revised Jefferson’s document and eventually signed it as a statement to the British Empire that the thirteen colonies would no longer submit to British rule. Some of the congressmen might have signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, but the final signatures did not come until August 2, 1776.
What’s interesting to me is how the signing of the Declaration of Independence was neither the beginning nor the end of the American Revolution. The Revolution had begun at least six years before the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. At least that is what all my history teachers told me, when they said that Crispus Attucks was the first person killed in the American Revolution when he was killed on March 5, 1770 in the Boston Massacre.
In the years following the Boston Massacre, the American Colonists revolted against the British Parliament and seized control of the way each colony was governed. Then, they organized their own representative congress in 1775. In my opinion, July 4, 1776 became the famous date, because it takes at least a year and a half for anything to get accomplished in congress!
While the fledgling American congress was working on the Declaration of Independence, there was a war raging around them. The British Empire brought the most powerful military on earth to American soil in 1775 to try to disband the American congress and force the colonies into submission. Eventually, this American Revolution became a full-fledged world war. The war did not end until 1783. The war began over a year before the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. The war ended seven years AFTER the Declaration of Independence was signed.
I do not intend to minimize the significance of the Declaration of Independence. It is the foundational document of our country. However, our Independence was not granted simply because it was declared. American Independence did not become a reality until the war ended. Independence was “purchased” by the blood and deaths of those men like Crispus Attucks, who died for their dream of an Independent country.
Independence is a great word to describe the United States of America. We choose our own representative government. We chart our own course as a nation. We alone are responsible for the decisions we make as a nation.
However, Independence is NOT a good word to describe people. The Declaration of Independence does not declare each individual man and woman as Independent. Rather, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights claim that individual men and women are FREE. There is a difference between Freedom and Independence.
Independent may be a good word to describe our nation, but it does not describe individual American citizens…AND, it definitely does not describe individual Christians. Christian men and women should not think of ourselves as independent of other people. We need each other. And, we need to learn how to get along with each other and how to work together to accomplish God’s will in our world.
As Americans we enjoy Freedom from Tyranny (or Authoritarian Rule)… Freedom to Vote and select our own leaders…Freedom of Speech…and let’s not forget why we are here this morning…Freedom of Religion—the freedom to worship and serve our Creator God in the ways we deem most appropriate.
Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for as we reflect on our Freedom as American citizens.
However, there is an even greater freedom, an even more important reason for us to reflect and give thanks this week. There is only one true Freedom in life. It is the Freedom that comes as a result of a life lived in the Lordship of Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God.
When we speak of our Freedom as American citizens, we often appeal to the documents that founded our great nation: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Did you know there is a document to which we can appeal in order to speak of Christian Freedom? In general terms, I am referring to the Bible. In more specific terms, I am referring to the New Testament book of Galatians.
Paul talks about Freedom more in the book of Galatians than he does anywhere else in the entire New Testament. Freedom was important to Paul in this book because he was writing in response to a controversy over the Jewish Law. Paul had witnessed in the province of Galatia and established a church with the new converts. But later, false teachers began to creep into the new church and teach a false gospel. They taught that a person must do two things to be saved—Believe in Jesus as Lord…AND…Keep all of the Jewish Law…
Read Galatians 5: 1, 13 – 18.
As I read Paul’s words, I automatically interpret them as a free American Christian. I think of the Civil Liberties that all American citizens enjoy, and I think of the Freedom that all Christians have through faith in Jesus…Free from the Law.
But how did Paul’s original audience interpret these words? How did the men and women of Galatia interpret this reference to Freedom?
The Greek word we usually translate as “freedom” was a strange word in the ancient world. It was typically used within the context of slavery. Slavery was an accepted part of Paul’s society. The man or woman who experienced Freedom was the one who lived life at his or her own will. They were not subject to anyone. They made their own decisions. They were not held in bondage to anyone else.
We might call such an understanding of Freedom as a “Social Understanding.” But Paul was not referring to “Social Freedom” here. Paul was introducing the concept of “Religious Freedom” or better, “Christian Freedom.”
This leads me to believe that Paul’s understanding of Christian Freedom is derived from the Social understanding. In other words, the Christian who is free is like the man or woman who has been freed from their previous state of slavery…We were at one time slaves to sin, but through faith in Christ, the sinful human nature has no hold on us…There was a time when we were held captive by the Law, but faith in Christ has broken us free…There are others who are slaves to human death, but through faith in Christ, death has no hold on us.
Since our Freedom as Christians can come ONLY from Christ, it is important for us to define our Christian Freedom by looking at the Freedom demonstrated in the earthly life of Jesus.
We can see this best in the Gospel of John…John gives us some insight into the life of Jesus that Matthew, Mark and Luke just do not show us. In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus went about his Father’s business teaching, preaching and healing until the authorities finally catch up to him and crucify him. In John, Jesus was more in control of what he did and what others did to him.
For example, one of John’s recurring themes was that of “Time.” At several points in John’s Gospel, Jesus did not allow the Pharisees and Jewish leaders to capture him because it was not yet “His Time.” In other words, Jesus was free and in control. He was free to teach…Free to preach…Free to heal…And free to give himself over to be crucified. Jesus used his Freedom to accomplish God’s ultimate purpose—he died on the cross and rose again in order that we might believe and be saved.
In fact, John tells us about Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem. More and more people began to inquire about this great teacher and miracle worker. The people crowded around Jesus in hopes of hearing what he had to say and perhaps becoming one of his disciples or followers. When the Pharisees found out about this, they started plotting against Jesus and devising a way they could capture and kill this troublemaker. That is when Jesus finally looked at his disciples and said, “Now my time has come.”
With those words, Jesus entered into a private room with his twelve disciples to share his last supper with them in observance of the Jewish Passover. When the time came for the meal, all thirteen men were tired, worn out and filthy from the dust and dirt of the roads. This is when Jesus surprised everyone…
Jesus stopped each disciple and began to do something that no one would have guessed in a million years. Jesus washed their feet! This was the work of a slave, not the work of the Only Begotten Son of God.
Jesus had the freedom to do anything he could have desired that night. Yet he chose to make himself lower than all others and serve their most basic human need.
This story from the life of Jesus provides us with a PERFECT example of what Paul is teaching us in Galatians 5: 13. All Christians are Free just as Jesus was Free. Therefore, we should use our Christian Freedom the way Jesus did…By serving others.
Freedom Is Not License.
When Paul said, “Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature,” he was instructing us that Freedom is not License. To be free does not mean that we have a license to do or say or act any way we want.
The NIV translates “sinful nature” what other versions translate as “the flesh.” If you read the rest of the context, you will see that Paul is describing the Christian life as a choice between a life in “the flesh” and a life in “the Spirit.” This does not mean that each of us has an internal duel between human flesh and human spirit going on in our lives. Rather, Paul is telling us that we have the freedom to choose to please “the flesh”—which is our sinful human nature—or we can please “the Spirit”—which is the Spirit of God who is present in our lives once we accept Jesus Christ as Lord.
In other words, when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord you received a new kind of Freedom that was not available to you before. Now, you are Free to choose between God’s will for your life and your own will for your life.
The best way I know to say this is to say that True Freedom is the Freedom to choose God’s will over my own sinful human will. True Freedom is not the Freedom to gratify the sinful desires of my heart.
Let me illustrate what I mean…What if I lived any way I wanted to live and said whatever I wanted say and acted any way I wanted to act? Is that Freedom? Of course not! When we continue to live in sin, we are actually living in bondage. We are in bondage to sin—or as Paul says, we are in bondage to our fleshly sinful nature. And living as slaves to sin, we are not free to choose Christ or to live according to the Spirit’s leading.
Freedom is never license, because license is always bondage or slavery to sin. And as long as you are a slave, you cannot be free.
Freedom Brings Responsibility.
In Paul’s understanding of True Freedom, the believer has a choice…Will you choose to follow the desires of the fleshly sinful human nature? Or will you choose to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit?
Either choice you make brings with it eternal consequences. In other words, you are Free to choose, but you are Responsible for the choice you make.
If you choose to use you Freedom to gratify the fleshly sinful human nature, then there are consequences…
God always honors human Freedom to choose. God NEVER forces anyone to do something against his or her wishes. No one has ever been dragged into heaven against their will. God ALWAYS gives us a choice. But God also holds us responsible for the choices we make.
If you choose to use your Freedom to follow sinful human desires, you will exclude yourself from the Kingdom of God.
Freedom Has a Purpose.
Most of the time, when we think about Freedom, we think about personal, individual Freedom. However, it is important for us to remember that there is very little about the Christian life that is intended to be personal and individual.
Beginning with Abraham, we can see that God has called us to a personal and individual covenant relationship with God. But that covenant was not intended for us to be saved and do nothing. No, this was the biggest mistake Israel ever made. They misinterpreted God’s covenant love for them as giving them an exclusive relationship with God that no one else had. God intended that relationship to be a witness, a shining example for the entire world to see so that they too might be in covenant relationship with God. And Paul tells us the same thing…
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather (use your freedom) to serve one another in love.
Conclusion: Freedom Is Service.
This is the way Freedom was demonstrated for us in the life of Jesus…Jesus used his Freedom to die on the Cross for all our sins. And Jesus used his Freedom to serve the physical needs of others around him. He calls us to follow his example.
If you follow Jesus as his disciple, then you are Free…How will you use your Freedom? Will you serve your own sinful desires? Will you follow the example of Christ and serve the needs of others around you?
Galatians 5: 1, 13 – 18.
Introduction.
Today is Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July. This is the official day Americans have set aside to celebrate our Independence from England. The first Americans did not live in an Independent country. They lived in colonies of the British Empire. The first Americans were subjects to the British Monarchy until they declared themselves Independent on July 4, 1776.
The reason we celebrate on July 4 every year is because July 4, 1776 is written across the top of the Declaration of Independence. This was a document which was originally written by Thomas Jefferson and submitted to congress. The congressmen debated and revised Jefferson’s document and eventually signed it as a statement to the British Empire that the thirteen colonies would no longer submit to British rule. Some of the congressmen might have signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, but the final signatures did not come until August 2, 1776.
What’s interesting to me is how the signing of the Declaration of Independence was neither the beginning nor the end of the American Revolution. The Revolution had begun at least six years before the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. At least that is what all my history teachers told me, when they said that Crispus Attucks was the first person killed in the American Revolution when he was killed on March 5, 1770 in the Boston Massacre.
In the years following the Boston Massacre, the American Colonists revolted against the British Parliament and seized control of the way each colony was governed. Then, they organized their own representative congress in 1775. In my opinion, July 4, 1776 became the famous date, because it takes at least a year and a half for anything to get accomplished in congress!
While the fledgling American congress was working on the Declaration of Independence, there was a war raging around them. The British Empire brought the most powerful military on earth to American soil in 1775 to try to disband the American congress and force the colonies into submission. Eventually, this American Revolution became a full-fledged world war. The war did not end until 1783. The war began over a year before the Declaration of Independence was written and signed. The war ended seven years AFTER the Declaration of Independence was signed.
I do not intend to minimize the significance of the Declaration of Independence. It is the foundational document of our country. However, our Independence was not granted simply because it was declared. American Independence did not become a reality until the war ended. Independence was “purchased” by the blood and deaths of those men like Crispus Attucks, who died for their dream of an Independent country.
Independence is a great word to describe the United States of America. We choose our own representative government. We chart our own course as a nation. We alone are responsible for the decisions we make as a nation.
However, Independence is NOT a good word to describe people. The Declaration of Independence does not declare each individual man and woman as Independent. Rather, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights claim that individual men and women are FREE. There is a difference between Freedom and Independence.
Independent may be a good word to describe our nation, but it does not describe individual American citizens…AND, it definitely does not describe individual Christians. Christian men and women should not think of ourselves as independent of other people. We need each other. And, we need to learn how to get along with each other and how to work together to accomplish God’s will in our world.
As Americans we enjoy Freedom from Tyranny (or Authoritarian Rule)… Freedom to Vote and select our own leaders…Freedom of Speech…and let’s not forget why we are here this morning…Freedom of Religion—the freedom to worship and serve our Creator God in the ways we deem most appropriate.
Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for as we reflect on our Freedom as American citizens.
However, there is an even greater freedom, an even more important reason for us to reflect and give thanks this week. There is only one true Freedom in life. It is the Freedom that comes as a result of a life lived in the Lordship of Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God.
When we speak of our Freedom as American citizens, we often appeal to the documents that founded our great nation: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Did you know there is a document to which we can appeal in order to speak of Christian Freedom? In general terms, I am referring to the Bible. In more specific terms, I am referring to the New Testament book of Galatians.
Paul talks about Freedom more in the book of Galatians than he does anywhere else in the entire New Testament. Freedom was important to Paul in this book because he was writing in response to a controversy over the Jewish Law. Paul had witnessed in the province of Galatia and established a church with the new converts. But later, false teachers began to creep into the new church and teach a false gospel. They taught that a person must do two things to be saved—Believe in Jesus as Lord…AND…Keep all of the Jewish Law…
Read Galatians 5: 1, 13 – 18.
As I read Paul’s words, I automatically interpret them as a free American Christian. I think of the Civil Liberties that all American citizens enjoy, and I think of the Freedom that all Christians have through faith in Jesus…Free from the Law.
But how did Paul’s original audience interpret these words? How did the men and women of Galatia interpret this reference to Freedom?
The Greek word we usually translate as “freedom” was a strange word in the ancient world. It was typically used within the context of slavery. Slavery was an accepted part of Paul’s society. The man or woman who experienced Freedom was the one who lived life at his or her own will. They were not subject to anyone. They made their own decisions. They were not held in bondage to anyone else.
We might call such an understanding of Freedom as a “Social Understanding.” But Paul was not referring to “Social Freedom” here. Paul was introducing the concept of “Religious Freedom” or better, “Christian Freedom.”
This leads me to believe that Paul’s understanding of Christian Freedom is derived from the Social understanding. In other words, the Christian who is free is like the man or woman who has been freed from their previous state of slavery…We were at one time slaves to sin, but through faith in Christ, the sinful human nature has no hold on us…There was a time when we were held captive by the Law, but faith in Christ has broken us free…There are others who are slaves to human death, but through faith in Christ, death has no hold on us.
Since our Freedom as Christians can come ONLY from Christ, it is important for us to define our Christian Freedom by looking at the Freedom demonstrated in the earthly life of Jesus.
We can see this best in the Gospel of John…John gives us some insight into the life of Jesus that Matthew, Mark and Luke just do not show us. In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus went about his Father’s business teaching, preaching and healing until the authorities finally catch up to him and crucify him. In John, Jesus was more in control of what he did and what others did to him.
For example, one of John’s recurring themes was that of “Time.” At several points in John’s Gospel, Jesus did not allow the Pharisees and Jewish leaders to capture him because it was not yet “His Time.” In other words, Jesus was free and in control. He was free to teach…Free to preach…Free to heal…And free to give himself over to be crucified. Jesus used his Freedom to accomplish God’s ultimate purpose—he died on the cross and rose again in order that we might believe and be saved.
In fact, John tells us about Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem. More and more people began to inquire about this great teacher and miracle worker. The people crowded around Jesus in hopes of hearing what he had to say and perhaps becoming one of his disciples or followers. When the Pharisees found out about this, they started plotting against Jesus and devising a way they could capture and kill this troublemaker. That is when Jesus finally looked at his disciples and said, “Now my time has come.”
With those words, Jesus entered into a private room with his twelve disciples to share his last supper with them in observance of the Jewish Passover. When the time came for the meal, all thirteen men were tired, worn out and filthy from the dust and dirt of the roads. This is when Jesus surprised everyone…
Jesus stopped each disciple and began to do something that no one would have guessed in a million years. Jesus washed their feet! This was the work of a slave, not the work of the Only Begotten Son of God.
Jesus had the freedom to do anything he could have desired that night. Yet he chose to make himself lower than all others and serve their most basic human need.
This story from the life of Jesus provides us with a PERFECT example of what Paul is teaching us in Galatians 5: 13. All Christians are Free just as Jesus was Free. Therefore, we should use our Christian Freedom the way Jesus did…By serving others.
Freedom Is Not License.
When Paul said, “Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature,” he was instructing us that Freedom is not License. To be free does not mean that we have a license to do or say or act any way we want.
The NIV translates “sinful nature” what other versions translate as “the flesh.” If you read the rest of the context, you will see that Paul is describing the Christian life as a choice between a life in “the flesh” and a life in “the Spirit.” This does not mean that each of us has an internal duel between human flesh and human spirit going on in our lives. Rather, Paul is telling us that we have the freedom to choose to please “the flesh”—which is our sinful human nature—or we can please “the Spirit”—which is the Spirit of God who is present in our lives once we accept Jesus Christ as Lord.
In other words, when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord you received a new kind of Freedom that was not available to you before. Now, you are Free to choose between God’s will for your life and your own will for your life.
The best way I know to say this is to say that True Freedom is the Freedom to choose God’s will over my own sinful human will. True Freedom is not the Freedom to gratify the sinful desires of my heart.
Let me illustrate what I mean…What if I lived any way I wanted to live and said whatever I wanted say and acted any way I wanted to act? Is that Freedom? Of course not! When we continue to live in sin, we are actually living in bondage. We are in bondage to sin—or as Paul says, we are in bondage to our fleshly sinful nature. And living as slaves to sin, we are not free to choose Christ or to live according to the Spirit’s leading.
Freedom is never license, because license is always bondage or slavery to sin. And as long as you are a slave, you cannot be free.
Freedom Brings Responsibility.
In Paul’s understanding of True Freedom, the believer has a choice…Will you choose to follow the desires of the fleshly sinful human nature? Or will you choose to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit?
Either choice you make brings with it eternal consequences. In other words, you are Free to choose, but you are Responsible for the choice you make.
If you choose to use you Freedom to gratify the fleshly sinful human nature, then there are consequences…
God always honors human Freedom to choose. God NEVER forces anyone to do something against his or her wishes. No one has ever been dragged into heaven against their will. God ALWAYS gives us a choice. But God also holds us responsible for the choices we make.
If you choose to use your Freedom to follow sinful human desires, you will exclude yourself from the Kingdom of God.
Freedom Has a Purpose.
Most of the time, when we think about Freedom, we think about personal, individual Freedom. However, it is important for us to remember that there is very little about the Christian life that is intended to be personal and individual.
Beginning with Abraham, we can see that God has called us to a personal and individual covenant relationship with God. But that covenant was not intended for us to be saved and do nothing. No, this was the biggest mistake Israel ever made. They misinterpreted God’s covenant love for them as giving them an exclusive relationship with God that no one else had. God intended that relationship to be a witness, a shining example for the entire world to see so that they too might be in covenant relationship with God. And Paul tells us the same thing…
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather (use your freedom) to serve one another in love.
Conclusion: Freedom Is Service.
This is the way Freedom was demonstrated for us in the life of Jesus…Jesus used his Freedom to die on the Cross for all our sins. And Jesus used his Freedom to serve the physical needs of others around him. He calls us to follow his example.
If you follow Jesus as his disciple, then you are Free…How will you use your Freedom? Will you serve your own sinful desires? Will you follow the example of Christ and serve the needs of others around you?
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