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
Sunday, July 11, 2010
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?
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010: God's Scorecard
God’s Scorecard
Genesis 18: 16 – 33.
I. Introduction.
Do you have an image of what God is like? There’s a cute story about a little boy in Sunday School. He was intently drawing a picture. His teacher asked him, “What are you drawing?” He answered, “I am drawing a picture of God.” The teacher said, “But no one knows what God looks like.” Undaunted, the little boy replied, “Well, they are about to find out.”
The Sunday School teacher was right. No one really knows what God looks like. However, that has never stopped us from trying to capture God in images. A popular image for many of us is God as a grandfather figure. He looks old and wise, with long white hair and a long white beard.
Visual images are not the only ways we try to capture God. Some people have an idea that God is like a cosmic watch maker. God made everything in heaven and on earth. He put all the individual pieces together, wound things up, greased the intricate gear works, and set things in motion. God never has to intervene in his creation, because it was made perfectly. All God has to do as the cosmic watch maker is to sit back and enjoy his creation.
Other people imagine God as the grandfather in the sky. And just like our earthly grandfathers, he doesn’t have any real authority. He comes into and out of our lives frequently. He never disciplines us. But God as our grandfather in the sky is the perfect person to ask when we want a special gift or blessing that no one else wants to give us.
On the completely opposite extreme is the view of God as a cosmic cop—a police officer in the sky. God walks a beat, and everywhere he looks he sees criminals. Nothing escapes the gaze of God the cosmic cop. He knows everything you have ever done wrong. And, God the cosmic cop has no greater joy than to catch you in your crimes and to punish you in public and humiliating ways.
Another view of God, similar to the cosmic cop, is to think of God as a heavenly scorekeeper. God has a scorecard for every person who has ever lived. The scorecard has your name at the top of the page, and below your name are two columns. On the left hand side of the scorecard is a place for God to record everything you have ever done right—all the good and righteous and religious and pleasing things you have ever done. On the right hand side of the scorecard is a place for God to record all the bad things you have done—all the evil and sinful and hurtful and disappointing things you have ever done.
None of these images really fit the image of God we encounter in the Bible. The Bible teaches us that God is highly involved in his creation. He is not like a detached watch maker, who has set things in motion. God is not a weak grandfather, whose only purpose is to give gifts to his grandchildren. God is not a police officer, who takes delight in catching you and punishing you. God is not even a scorekeeper. Even if God did keep score of all your good and bad deeds…And even if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds…You still cannot earn your way to forgiveness of sin, relationship with God and eternal life.
God knew you could not earn your salvation, so God intervened. He sent his only Son to live, to die and to rise again. Placing your faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. Salvation is a free gift from a God who loves you and provided a way for you to be saved.
We see an example of this in the story of Abraham in Genesis 18…
Read Genesis 18: 16 – 33.
Three men came to visit Abraham. The author of Genesis tells us earlier in chapter 18 that one of these three men is the LORD himself. The other two men are more than likely angels.
The reason I think these three visitors are the LORD and two angels is because of what happens in our story today and the story which follows in Genesis 19. The LORD stayed with Abraham. The other two men traveled to Sodom and Gomorrah. When these two men arrived in Sodom and Gomorrah, they discovered a wicked city. Genesis 19 chronicles the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah and the results of that wickedness. The men rescued Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family from the wicked city. Then they brought complete destruction…Judgment for sin.
On one hand, these two chapters of Genesis demonstrate for us the consequences of sin. The sin of Sodom is described in several places throughout the rest of the Bible.
Ezekiel 16: 49 – 50, "'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”
Jude 7, “In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.”
Most of us associate the sin of homosexuality with Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude tells us that is true. But, Ezekiel tells us there were other sins as well…arrogance, overfed, lack of concern for the poor. In both cases, I think we can draw a close parallel between twenty-first century American culture and the culture of Sodom and Gomorrah.
We live in a culture that is engaged in the same kinds of arrogance, over-indulgence, lack of concern and sexual immorality. Sodom and Gomorrah faced the judgment of God for their sins. Perhaps we should be concerned about facing a similar judgment.
On the other hand, Genesis 18 shows us another side of God’s character. Abraham and God had a long conversation about the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was a prayer. But it reads like a negotiation.
Abraham begs God not to destroy the entire city if there are 50 righteous people living there. God agrees. Abraham asks about 45 righteous people. God agrees. Abraham continues negotiating…50, 45, 40, 30, 20 and 10. Remarkably, God agrees to save Sodom and Gomorrah if only 10 righteous people can be found.
Of course, when the angels visit Sodom and Gomorrah, they cannot find 10 righteous people. They can only find four—and one of those four, Lot’s wife, is questionable. So, God did the next best thing. Since he could not find 10 righteous people to save the city, God saved the four he could find.
Abraham’s prayer and God’s actions show us that God is more interested in saving people than he is in bringing judgment.
God is not a cosmic cop. God is not a heavenly scorekeeper. God honestly and earnestly wants to save people. That is why God was willing to save the entire city of Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of 10 righteous people. That is why God rescued Lot and his family. That is why God sent his Son Jesus. God doesn’t want to catch you in sin and punish you for your sins. God wants to provide a way for you to be saved.
We need more people in our churches and community who reflect this character of God. We have too many judgmental Christians, who are searching for sins in other people. We have too many Christian cops, who are determined to catch others in their faults and to punish them in the most public and humiliating ways.
Abraham is an example of how God wants us to live…
II. Righteousness.
Genesis 18: 19, “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
God did not tell Abraham he could live any way he wanted to live. There are expectations for God’s children.
Eventually, the Bible tells us that God gave his people the Law. The Law made ethical and religious demands on God’s people. The purpose for this Law was never that people could earn God’s favor or salvation by living a certain lifestyle. The purpose of the Law was to define God’s people by their ethical behavior.
This is what it means to be righteous. Christians are not perfect people. We are sinners like everyone else. But, we live a life that is different from the rest of the world. We live differently, because God has saved us and changed us. God doesn’t save us because we are different from the world.
III. Justice.
God demands both righteousness and justice from his people. There is a fine line between righteousness and justice…But, there is a line…There is a difference.
The best way I know to describe this difference is to say righteousness describes the way we live before God, while justice describes the way we live before other people.
The Old Testament is filled with commands for God’s people to take care of the poor. Sometimes it simply tells us to take care of the poor. In other places, it defines clearly who the poor are. God commanded Israel to take care of widows, orphans and foreigners living in their country.
Widows are women without anyone to provide for their needs. Orphans are children without a father to take care of them. Foreigners are the outsiders, who were often overlooked and forgotten by society in the Ancient Near Eastern World.
God’s people are to live righteously before God and show care and concern for the outsiders…Those who are forgotten by others.
IV. Compassion.
Abraham’s dialog with God demonstrates that Abraham did not think only of himself. He was concerned for other people…Specifically, Abraham had compassion for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
It would have been easy and even acceptable for Abraham to think only of himself. After all, God had chosen Abraham to be in an exclusive relationship with God as his Father. Abraham had a covenant with God. Abraham was a saved person. Yet, Abraham cared about the wicked people, who lived outside of God’s covenant promises.
This was God’s intention when he originally called Abraham. Remember God’s call to Abraham in Genesis 12: 1 – 3, “The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
Abraham is now putting God’s call into practice. He is allowing God to use him to be a blessing to Lot and all the people who live in the wicked city of Sodom and Gomorrah.
V. Conclusion: Intercession.
Abraham demonstrated his righteousness, justice and compassion by praying for the wicked people who lived outside of the covenant with God.
I remember hearing Paul Powell say that most of us spend our prayer time “keeping sick saints out of heaven instead of keeping lost souls out of hell.”
When was the last time you prayed for the wicked?
When was the last time you gossiped about the sins of other Christians?
Which of these better describes what God did with Sodom and Gomorrah?
Which of these better reflects the righteousness, justice and compassion God desires for his people?
God is more interested in saving people than destroying sinners. Abraham set an example for us to reflect God’s character.
Genesis 18: 16 – 33.
I. Introduction.
Do you have an image of what God is like? There’s a cute story about a little boy in Sunday School. He was intently drawing a picture. His teacher asked him, “What are you drawing?” He answered, “I am drawing a picture of God.” The teacher said, “But no one knows what God looks like.” Undaunted, the little boy replied, “Well, they are about to find out.”
The Sunday School teacher was right. No one really knows what God looks like. However, that has never stopped us from trying to capture God in images. A popular image for many of us is God as a grandfather figure. He looks old and wise, with long white hair and a long white beard.
Visual images are not the only ways we try to capture God. Some people have an idea that God is like a cosmic watch maker. God made everything in heaven and on earth. He put all the individual pieces together, wound things up, greased the intricate gear works, and set things in motion. God never has to intervene in his creation, because it was made perfectly. All God has to do as the cosmic watch maker is to sit back and enjoy his creation.
Other people imagine God as the grandfather in the sky. And just like our earthly grandfathers, he doesn’t have any real authority. He comes into and out of our lives frequently. He never disciplines us. But God as our grandfather in the sky is the perfect person to ask when we want a special gift or blessing that no one else wants to give us.
On the completely opposite extreme is the view of God as a cosmic cop—a police officer in the sky. God walks a beat, and everywhere he looks he sees criminals. Nothing escapes the gaze of God the cosmic cop. He knows everything you have ever done wrong. And, God the cosmic cop has no greater joy than to catch you in your crimes and to punish you in public and humiliating ways.
Another view of God, similar to the cosmic cop, is to think of God as a heavenly scorekeeper. God has a scorecard for every person who has ever lived. The scorecard has your name at the top of the page, and below your name are two columns. On the left hand side of the scorecard is a place for God to record everything you have ever done right—all the good and righteous and religious and pleasing things you have ever done. On the right hand side of the scorecard is a place for God to record all the bad things you have done—all the evil and sinful and hurtful and disappointing things you have ever done.
None of these images really fit the image of God we encounter in the Bible. The Bible teaches us that God is highly involved in his creation. He is not like a detached watch maker, who has set things in motion. God is not a weak grandfather, whose only purpose is to give gifts to his grandchildren. God is not a police officer, who takes delight in catching you and punishing you. God is not even a scorekeeper. Even if God did keep score of all your good and bad deeds…And even if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds…You still cannot earn your way to forgiveness of sin, relationship with God and eternal life.
God knew you could not earn your salvation, so God intervened. He sent his only Son to live, to die and to rise again. Placing your faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved. Salvation is a free gift from a God who loves you and provided a way for you to be saved.
We see an example of this in the story of Abraham in Genesis 18…
Read Genesis 18: 16 – 33.
Three men came to visit Abraham. The author of Genesis tells us earlier in chapter 18 that one of these three men is the LORD himself. The other two men are more than likely angels.
The reason I think these three visitors are the LORD and two angels is because of what happens in our story today and the story which follows in Genesis 19. The LORD stayed with Abraham. The other two men traveled to Sodom and Gomorrah. When these two men arrived in Sodom and Gomorrah, they discovered a wicked city. Genesis 19 chronicles the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah and the results of that wickedness. The men rescued Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family from the wicked city. Then they brought complete destruction…Judgment for sin.
On one hand, these two chapters of Genesis demonstrate for us the consequences of sin. The sin of Sodom is described in several places throughout the rest of the Bible.
Ezekiel 16: 49 – 50, "'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”
Jude 7, “In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.”
Most of us associate the sin of homosexuality with Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude tells us that is true. But, Ezekiel tells us there were other sins as well…arrogance, overfed, lack of concern for the poor. In both cases, I think we can draw a close parallel between twenty-first century American culture and the culture of Sodom and Gomorrah.
We live in a culture that is engaged in the same kinds of arrogance, over-indulgence, lack of concern and sexual immorality. Sodom and Gomorrah faced the judgment of God for their sins. Perhaps we should be concerned about facing a similar judgment.
On the other hand, Genesis 18 shows us another side of God’s character. Abraham and God had a long conversation about the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was a prayer. But it reads like a negotiation.
Abraham begs God not to destroy the entire city if there are 50 righteous people living there. God agrees. Abraham asks about 45 righteous people. God agrees. Abraham continues negotiating…50, 45, 40, 30, 20 and 10. Remarkably, God agrees to save Sodom and Gomorrah if only 10 righteous people can be found.
Of course, when the angels visit Sodom and Gomorrah, they cannot find 10 righteous people. They can only find four—and one of those four, Lot’s wife, is questionable. So, God did the next best thing. Since he could not find 10 righteous people to save the city, God saved the four he could find.
Abraham’s prayer and God’s actions show us that God is more interested in saving people than he is in bringing judgment.
God is not a cosmic cop. God is not a heavenly scorekeeper. God honestly and earnestly wants to save people. That is why God was willing to save the entire city of Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of 10 righteous people. That is why God rescued Lot and his family. That is why God sent his Son Jesus. God doesn’t want to catch you in sin and punish you for your sins. God wants to provide a way for you to be saved.
We need more people in our churches and community who reflect this character of God. We have too many judgmental Christians, who are searching for sins in other people. We have too many Christian cops, who are determined to catch others in their faults and to punish them in the most public and humiliating ways.
Abraham is an example of how God wants us to live…
II. Righteousness.
Genesis 18: 19, “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
God did not tell Abraham he could live any way he wanted to live. There are expectations for God’s children.
Eventually, the Bible tells us that God gave his people the Law. The Law made ethical and religious demands on God’s people. The purpose for this Law was never that people could earn God’s favor or salvation by living a certain lifestyle. The purpose of the Law was to define God’s people by their ethical behavior.
This is what it means to be righteous. Christians are not perfect people. We are sinners like everyone else. But, we live a life that is different from the rest of the world. We live differently, because God has saved us and changed us. God doesn’t save us because we are different from the world.
III. Justice.
God demands both righteousness and justice from his people. There is a fine line between righteousness and justice…But, there is a line…There is a difference.
The best way I know to describe this difference is to say righteousness describes the way we live before God, while justice describes the way we live before other people.
The Old Testament is filled with commands for God’s people to take care of the poor. Sometimes it simply tells us to take care of the poor. In other places, it defines clearly who the poor are. God commanded Israel to take care of widows, orphans and foreigners living in their country.
Widows are women without anyone to provide for their needs. Orphans are children without a father to take care of them. Foreigners are the outsiders, who were often overlooked and forgotten by society in the Ancient Near Eastern World.
God’s people are to live righteously before God and show care and concern for the outsiders…Those who are forgotten by others.
IV. Compassion.
Abraham’s dialog with God demonstrates that Abraham did not think only of himself. He was concerned for other people…Specifically, Abraham had compassion for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
It would have been easy and even acceptable for Abraham to think only of himself. After all, God had chosen Abraham to be in an exclusive relationship with God as his Father. Abraham had a covenant with God. Abraham was a saved person. Yet, Abraham cared about the wicked people, who lived outside of God’s covenant promises.
This was God’s intention when he originally called Abraham. Remember God’s call to Abraham in Genesis 12: 1 – 3, “The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
Abraham is now putting God’s call into practice. He is allowing God to use him to be a blessing to Lot and all the people who live in the wicked city of Sodom and Gomorrah.
V. Conclusion: Intercession.
Abraham demonstrated his righteousness, justice and compassion by praying for the wicked people who lived outside of the covenant with God.
I remember hearing Paul Powell say that most of us spend our prayer time “keeping sick saints out of heaven instead of keeping lost souls out of hell.”
When was the last time you prayed for the wicked?
When was the last time you gossiped about the sins of other Christians?
Which of these better describes what God did with Sodom and Gomorrah?
Which of these better reflects the righteousness, justice and compassion God desires for his people?
God is more interested in saving people than destroying sinners. Abraham set an example for us to reflect God’s character.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010: Father Abraham
Father Abraham
Genesis 18: 1 – 15.
I. Introduction.
Today is Fathers’ Day. The day we set aside to thank God for our fathers. I have to admit, I like having a day for fathers. After all, I am a father…And I like the idea that my three children will be required to acknowledge me at least one day a year for the rest of their lives.
Of course we all know that Mothers’ Day is a bigger deal than Fathers’ Day. It can be unsettling for us fathers to feel that Mothers’ Day has pushed our special day to the side. But, don’t worry fathers. I am here to help.
Mothers get one very special day every year. Fathers get one kind of special day every year.
But did you know that February 14 – 20 of this year was National Pancake Week? It is observed every year to coincide with Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday (http://www.answers.com/topic/national-pancake-week)...
The first week of August is recognized as National Clown Week (www.nationalclownweek.org)...
May 21 – 31 of this year was International Pickle Week…Pickles must be very important since International Pickle Week lasts a full ten days (www.pickleweek.com)...
However, pickles are not as important as peanuts. The entire month of March is National Peanut Month (www.peanutbutterlovers.com)...
Now don’t you feel better? Mothers may outrank fathers, but even mothers are outranked by peanuts, pancakes, pickles and clowns…
Just a few weeks ago, I stood up to preach a Mothers’ Day sermon and apologized to you. I am not a mother, so I don’t think I am the right person to preach a Mothers’ Day sermon. Today is Fathers’ Day, so you would think I have a lot to say. Again, I am a father. I have three children—a five year old, a twelve year old and an almost fifteen year old. Surely I am the right person to preach a Fathers’ Day sermon.
Not so fast, my friend…If there is anything I have learned about being a father it is this: the older my children get, the less I know about being a father. I am not going to hold myself up as an example. I prefer to find an example from the Bible.
There is one man in the Bible we naturally associate with being a father. It is Abraham, whose name actually means “father of nations.”
An amazing fact about Father Abraham is the way his life really wasn’t a good example of a perfect father. Abraham doubted God and devised a contingency plan to name his slave Eliezer as his heir. Abraham doubted God and laughed when God told him he would have a son in his old age. Abraham doubted God and went along with his wife’s contingency plan to have a child with Sarah’s maid.
I find this amazing for two reasons. First, if the Bible had told us only one story from Abraham’s life we would not hold up Abraham as our hero. His life was filled with bad choices and laughing in the face of God’s promises. Second, the entire Abraham story is a story about faithfulness. The individual stories about Abraham are stories of faithlessness. But the entire story of Abraham is a story of faithfulness.
There is only one thing that can change our faithlessness into faithfulness. It is the grace of God. Abraham’s story is more about God and his grace than it is about Abraham and his faithfulness.
Perhaps we all need to hear that message today. But, I think it is especially appropriate for the fathers in our church. You might not feel like the perfect father, the perfect mother or even the perfect Christian. But, if you are a Christian, then God is at work in your life. God, in his grace, is using your imperfections to write a story that is bigger than you are. It is God’s own story…The story of God’s grace. You may feel more like a sinner than a saint. You may think you are faithless instead of faithful. But the entire story demonstrates how God worked in your life and used you. We just cannot see it right now…Because the story of God’s grace has not ended.
Read Genesis 18: 1 – 15.
The story begins by sharing some inside information with the readers. The first words of verse one are the words “The LORD appeared to Abraham.” You and I know a secret that Abraham does not know. We know this is an encounter with the LORD himself. Abraham thinks it is an encounter with three strangers.
However, this secret does not prevent Abraham from doing the right thing. Ancient Near Eastern culture placed a high priority on hospitality to strangers. Treating strangers with respect was simply the right thing to do. So, Abraham did three things for his guests. He brought them water to drink. He brought them water to wash their feet. He prepared a feast fit for a king. He did all of this before he ever knew this was an encounter with God.
It is interesting to me to notice where this encounter took place. Verse one tells us, “The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre.” If you go back through the story of Abraham, you will see that Mamre was an important place. This was the place where Abraham worshipped the LORD.
Most of us would love to have an encounter with God like this. In Abraham’s encounter with God, God reiterated his promises. God gave Abraham a timeline. God even guaranteed his own power and ability to bring about his promises to Abraham. Would you like to receive the same kind of guidance from God? Would you like to have God’s assurance for your faith?
Perhaps there is a lesson for us about the place where we worship the Lord. Abraham encountered God and received assurance of faith in the place where he worshipped God. He wasn’t out fishing on the lake. He wasn’t playing golf on a Sunday. He wasn’t at a softball tournament. Abraham was in a place of worship when God appeared to him.
II. Why Did Sarah Laugh?
I think Abraham’s first clue that he was talking to God came in verse 9. One of the three strangers asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?” This is very subtle, but it is important. How did the stranger know the name of Abraham’s wife? Not only did he know her name, but he knew her new name. In Genesis 17, God changed her name from Sarai to Sarah. The stranger is obviously God, because he knew her new name.
The next verse is not so subtle. The stranger actually tells Abraham that he is God with the words, “I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Only God has the power to grant a child. Only God has the ability to look into the future and predict when Abraham and Sarah will have that child.
Sarah overheard this prediction and did the reasonable thing. She laughed. But, I want you to notice how Sarah laughed. Verse 12 tells us that she did not laugh out loud. She laughed to herself. Abraham did not hear her laugh. But God heard her laugh. God knows what goes on in the privacy of our hearts. Nothing escapes God’s attention.
There are several reasons why people laugh. The most common is the discovery of something unexpected. This is what makes a joke funny. We laugh when the end of the story is not what we expected it to be. We also laugh when other people’s misfortune makes us feel superior. It’s a way we express, “Wow. I’m glad that didn’t happen to me.” We even laugh to express our overwhelming sense of joy or happiness in the moment. But there is also the laughter of disbelief. We laugh when someone tells us something so absurd that we know it is impossible.
This is why Sarah laughed about having a baby. This was not the laughter of joy or of anticipating an unexpected ending. Sarah laughed because this was absurd. There was no human way for her to have a baby. It was impossible, and she knew it.
Verse 11 tells us that Sarah had three strikes against her. She was old. She was well advanced in years. She was past the age of childbearing. Sarah had every right to laugh at this prediction, because it was impossible.
Faith is believing God can do the impossible. Think about the birth of Jesus and why we celebrate Christmas. A young, unmarried virgin named Mary was visited by an angel. The angel told Mary she was pregnant with the Son of God. This is not possible. It is impossible…But it was God’s plan.
Or consider the first twelve men Jesus called to be his disciples. They were uneducated fishermen and unscrupulous tax collectors. Yet, Jesus pulled these twelve men to the side and taught them about the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees and the Jewish religious leaders could not believe Jesus would choose such uneducated and non-religious men. Again, in their minds it was impossible…But this was God’s plan.
Or think about the crucifixion of Jesus. When the Jews listened to Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom of God, it sounded like Jesus was making claims to be equal to God. Of course, that is exactly what Jesus claimed to be. He was the virgin-born Son of God. So, the Jews handed Jesus over to the Romans to be crucified by professional executioners. The men who crucified Jesus were experts. This was their job. There was no one in the world better at guaranteeing the death of a prisoner. Jesus died on the cross NOT to make resurrection possible. Jesus died so that resurrection would be impossible…Because this was God’s plan.
After the resurrection of Jesus, the same group of uneducated and non-religious men began preaching the Gospel to all nations. Then, the impossible happened. Men, women, slaves, free, Jews and Gentiles trusted in Jesus as Lord. The church was born and exploded in growth. A multi-racial, intergenerational movement began. God once again did the impossible by tearing down the walls that divide humans from one another.
Of course, this is not the end of the story. Jesus—the virgin-born Son of God, who died and rose again—promised that he will come back to take us to be with him in heaven. Jesus makes the same promise to you today that he made to his original twelve disciples. If you will just receive God’s free gift of salvation, you can be forgiven of your sins, reunited with God, live an abundant life on earth, find meaningful relationships with other people in a multi-racial, intergenerational church, and have eternal life in heaven. Nothing we believe as Christians is possible. Everything we believe as Christians is impossible.
Christian faith goes against everything that is reasonable and acceptable. Faith is the opposite of common sense and worldly values. Faith is not normal. It is believing that God powerful and able to do the impossible.
III. Is Anything too Hard for the LORD?
Notice God’s question to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18: 14, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”
This is not a rhetorical question. This is a question that demands an answer. Abraham and Sarah must answer this question. … But…They do not answer. The question is left hanging.
There are several places in the Bible where we find unanswered questions. And in every unanswered question, I think the question is left unanswered so we can supply the answer. How will you answer the question?
If you say “Yes. There are things that are too hard for God.” Then, your god is not the God of the Bible. Perhaps your god is your family: your husband, your wife, your parents, your children. And, yes there are some things in life that are too hard for your family to accomplish. Perhaps your god is your money, or at least your ability to make money. And, yes there are many things in life that are too hard and money cannot buy. Perhaps your god is your self. If you don’t know this already, there are many things you cannot do for yourself.
Another way to think of this is to use the phrase “practical atheist.” Many Christians are practical atheists. You profess that you believe in God…You profess that Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again…You profess that Jesus is the Lord of your life…But you live as if there are some things God cannot do. There are habits God cannot break. There are temptations God cannot overcome. There is pain God cannot heal. There are relationships God cannot reconcile. There are troubles from which God cannot deliver.
That is not my God. That is not the God who created the universe. That is not the God who gave a son to 100 year old Abraham and 90 year old Sarah. That is not the God who raised Jesus from the dead and is coming back to take all believers to heaven.
The right answer is “No. There nothing too hard for God.” My God is the God who does the impossible.
IV. Conclusion.
What are you withholding from God? Is there something in your life that seems impossible?
This is what the Gospel is all about. God can do in your life and in your family what you cannot do for yourself.
Genesis 18: 1 – 15.
I. Introduction.
Today is Fathers’ Day. The day we set aside to thank God for our fathers. I have to admit, I like having a day for fathers. After all, I am a father…And I like the idea that my three children will be required to acknowledge me at least one day a year for the rest of their lives.
Of course we all know that Mothers’ Day is a bigger deal than Fathers’ Day. It can be unsettling for us fathers to feel that Mothers’ Day has pushed our special day to the side. But, don’t worry fathers. I am here to help.
Mothers get one very special day every year. Fathers get one kind of special day every year.
But did you know that February 14 – 20 of this year was National Pancake Week? It is observed every year to coincide with Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday (http://www.answers.com/topic/national-pancake-week)...
The first week of August is recognized as National Clown Week (www.nationalclownweek.org)...
May 21 – 31 of this year was International Pickle Week…Pickles must be very important since International Pickle Week lasts a full ten days (www.pickleweek.com)...
However, pickles are not as important as peanuts. The entire month of March is National Peanut Month (www.peanutbutterlovers.com)...
Now don’t you feel better? Mothers may outrank fathers, but even mothers are outranked by peanuts, pancakes, pickles and clowns…
Just a few weeks ago, I stood up to preach a Mothers’ Day sermon and apologized to you. I am not a mother, so I don’t think I am the right person to preach a Mothers’ Day sermon. Today is Fathers’ Day, so you would think I have a lot to say. Again, I am a father. I have three children—a five year old, a twelve year old and an almost fifteen year old. Surely I am the right person to preach a Fathers’ Day sermon.
Not so fast, my friend…If there is anything I have learned about being a father it is this: the older my children get, the less I know about being a father. I am not going to hold myself up as an example. I prefer to find an example from the Bible.
There is one man in the Bible we naturally associate with being a father. It is Abraham, whose name actually means “father of nations.”
An amazing fact about Father Abraham is the way his life really wasn’t a good example of a perfect father. Abraham doubted God and devised a contingency plan to name his slave Eliezer as his heir. Abraham doubted God and laughed when God told him he would have a son in his old age. Abraham doubted God and went along with his wife’s contingency plan to have a child with Sarah’s maid.
I find this amazing for two reasons. First, if the Bible had told us only one story from Abraham’s life we would not hold up Abraham as our hero. His life was filled with bad choices and laughing in the face of God’s promises. Second, the entire Abraham story is a story about faithfulness. The individual stories about Abraham are stories of faithlessness. But the entire story of Abraham is a story of faithfulness.
There is only one thing that can change our faithlessness into faithfulness. It is the grace of God. Abraham’s story is more about God and his grace than it is about Abraham and his faithfulness.
Perhaps we all need to hear that message today. But, I think it is especially appropriate for the fathers in our church. You might not feel like the perfect father, the perfect mother or even the perfect Christian. But, if you are a Christian, then God is at work in your life. God, in his grace, is using your imperfections to write a story that is bigger than you are. It is God’s own story…The story of God’s grace. You may feel more like a sinner than a saint. You may think you are faithless instead of faithful. But the entire story demonstrates how God worked in your life and used you. We just cannot see it right now…Because the story of God’s grace has not ended.
Read Genesis 18: 1 – 15.
The story begins by sharing some inside information with the readers. The first words of verse one are the words “The LORD appeared to Abraham.” You and I know a secret that Abraham does not know. We know this is an encounter with the LORD himself. Abraham thinks it is an encounter with three strangers.
However, this secret does not prevent Abraham from doing the right thing. Ancient Near Eastern culture placed a high priority on hospitality to strangers. Treating strangers with respect was simply the right thing to do. So, Abraham did three things for his guests. He brought them water to drink. He brought them water to wash their feet. He prepared a feast fit for a king. He did all of this before he ever knew this was an encounter with God.
It is interesting to me to notice where this encounter took place. Verse one tells us, “The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre.” If you go back through the story of Abraham, you will see that Mamre was an important place. This was the place where Abraham worshipped the LORD.
Most of us would love to have an encounter with God like this. In Abraham’s encounter with God, God reiterated his promises. God gave Abraham a timeline. God even guaranteed his own power and ability to bring about his promises to Abraham. Would you like to receive the same kind of guidance from God? Would you like to have God’s assurance for your faith?
Perhaps there is a lesson for us about the place where we worship the Lord. Abraham encountered God and received assurance of faith in the place where he worshipped God. He wasn’t out fishing on the lake. He wasn’t playing golf on a Sunday. He wasn’t at a softball tournament. Abraham was in a place of worship when God appeared to him.
II. Why Did Sarah Laugh?
I think Abraham’s first clue that he was talking to God came in verse 9. One of the three strangers asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?” This is very subtle, but it is important. How did the stranger know the name of Abraham’s wife? Not only did he know her name, but he knew her new name. In Genesis 17, God changed her name from Sarai to Sarah. The stranger is obviously God, because he knew her new name.
The next verse is not so subtle. The stranger actually tells Abraham that he is God with the words, “I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Only God has the power to grant a child. Only God has the ability to look into the future and predict when Abraham and Sarah will have that child.
Sarah overheard this prediction and did the reasonable thing. She laughed. But, I want you to notice how Sarah laughed. Verse 12 tells us that she did not laugh out loud. She laughed to herself. Abraham did not hear her laugh. But God heard her laugh. God knows what goes on in the privacy of our hearts. Nothing escapes God’s attention.
There are several reasons why people laugh. The most common is the discovery of something unexpected. This is what makes a joke funny. We laugh when the end of the story is not what we expected it to be. We also laugh when other people’s misfortune makes us feel superior. It’s a way we express, “Wow. I’m glad that didn’t happen to me.” We even laugh to express our overwhelming sense of joy or happiness in the moment. But there is also the laughter of disbelief. We laugh when someone tells us something so absurd that we know it is impossible.
This is why Sarah laughed about having a baby. This was not the laughter of joy or of anticipating an unexpected ending. Sarah laughed because this was absurd. There was no human way for her to have a baby. It was impossible, and she knew it.
Verse 11 tells us that Sarah had three strikes against her. She was old. She was well advanced in years. She was past the age of childbearing. Sarah had every right to laugh at this prediction, because it was impossible.
Faith is believing God can do the impossible. Think about the birth of Jesus and why we celebrate Christmas. A young, unmarried virgin named Mary was visited by an angel. The angel told Mary she was pregnant with the Son of God. This is not possible. It is impossible…But it was God’s plan.
Or consider the first twelve men Jesus called to be his disciples. They were uneducated fishermen and unscrupulous tax collectors. Yet, Jesus pulled these twelve men to the side and taught them about the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees and the Jewish religious leaders could not believe Jesus would choose such uneducated and non-religious men. Again, in their minds it was impossible…But this was God’s plan.
Or think about the crucifixion of Jesus. When the Jews listened to Jesus’ teachings about the Kingdom of God, it sounded like Jesus was making claims to be equal to God. Of course, that is exactly what Jesus claimed to be. He was the virgin-born Son of God. So, the Jews handed Jesus over to the Romans to be crucified by professional executioners. The men who crucified Jesus were experts. This was their job. There was no one in the world better at guaranteeing the death of a prisoner. Jesus died on the cross NOT to make resurrection possible. Jesus died so that resurrection would be impossible…Because this was God’s plan.
After the resurrection of Jesus, the same group of uneducated and non-religious men began preaching the Gospel to all nations. Then, the impossible happened. Men, women, slaves, free, Jews and Gentiles trusted in Jesus as Lord. The church was born and exploded in growth. A multi-racial, intergenerational movement began. God once again did the impossible by tearing down the walls that divide humans from one another.
Of course, this is not the end of the story. Jesus—the virgin-born Son of God, who died and rose again—promised that he will come back to take us to be with him in heaven. Jesus makes the same promise to you today that he made to his original twelve disciples. If you will just receive God’s free gift of salvation, you can be forgiven of your sins, reunited with God, live an abundant life on earth, find meaningful relationships with other people in a multi-racial, intergenerational church, and have eternal life in heaven. Nothing we believe as Christians is possible. Everything we believe as Christians is impossible.
Christian faith goes against everything that is reasonable and acceptable. Faith is the opposite of common sense and worldly values. Faith is not normal. It is believing that God powerful and able to do the impossible.
III. Is Anything too Hard for the LORD?
Notice God’s question to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18: 14, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”
This is not a rhetorical question. This is a question that demands an answer. Abraham and Sarah must answer this question. … But…They do not answer. The question is left hanging.
There are several places in the Bible where we find unanswered questions. And in every unanswered question, I think the question is left unanswered so we can supply the answer. How will you answer the question?
If you say “Yes. There are things that are too hard for God.” Then, your god is not the God of the Bible. Perhaps your god is your family: your husband, your wife, your parents, your children. And, yes there are some things in life that are too hard for your family to accomplish. Perhaps your god is your money, or at least your ability to make money. And, yes there are many things in life that are too hard and money cannot buy. Perhaps your god is your self. If you don’t know this already, there are many things you cannot do for yourself.
Another way to think of this is to use the phrase “practical atheist.” Many Christians are practical atheists. You profess that you believe in God…You profess that Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again…You profess that Jesus is the Lord of your life…But you live as if there are some things God cannot do. There are habits God cannot break. There are temptations God cannot overcome. There is pain God cannot heal. There are relationships God cannot reconcile. There are troubles from which God cannot deliver.
That is not my God. That is not the God who created the universe. That is not the God who gave a son to 100 year old Abraham and 90 year old Sarah. That is not the God who raised Jesus from the dead and is coming back to take all believers to heaven.
The right answer is “No. There nothing too hard for God.” My God is the God who does the impossible.
IV. Conclusion.
What are you withholding from God? Is there something in your life that seems impossible?
This is what the Gospel is all about. God can do in your life and in your family what you cannot do for yourself.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010: Life Changing - Life Giving
Life Changing / Life Giving
Genesis 17: 1 – 22.
I. Introduction.
The U.S. Social Security Administration keeps records of the most popular baby names each year. That makes sense to me, because they ought to know how many people are applying for Social Security Numbers, and they ought to know the names of those new babies.
In May, the Social Security Administration announced the top 1,000 names for the year 2009. The number one name for boys in 2009 was Jacob. The number one name for girls was Isabella.[1] (The SSA.gov website can be searched by states as well. In 2009, the most popular name for girls in Texas was Isabella. The most popular name for boys was Jose. Jose has been the most popular name for boys in Texas since 1996!)[2]
There are several things about this that are interesting to me. First, the top ten baby names in 2009 are completely different from the top ten names of 50 years ago. In 1960, the most popular names were David and Mary. In 2009, David and Mary were not even in the top ten. Second, I find it interesting that Jacob and Isabella are two of the three main characters in the Twilight book series. Interesting… (By the way, Edward is number 137 on the SSA list of popular names.)
According to a CNN.com news article, parents are trying to give their children unique names today in hopes that their children will stand out from the crowd. Parents are hoping to develop individuality by selecting new and different names. We can see this by comparing the number of girls named Mary in 1960 and the number of girls named Isabella in 2009. Even though Isabella was the most popular name in 2009, there were twice as many girls named Mary in 1960.[3]
So, what do you think? Do you think naming a child is the key to developing individuality?
I suppose there are two views on this. We will call the first view the “Juliet view.” Do you remember Juliet’s famous words from Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet?” She said, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet…” Juliet wishes her Romeo had been born to another family, because his name was her enemy. Oh if he just had a different name, they could be together. His name was the problem, and his name had nothing to do with his character. A rose by any other name would still be a sweet-smelling flower.
On the other hand, we have the biblical view of names. In the Bible, a person’s name was an important part of who they are. A person’s name reveals their character and their destiny. This is the reason why we have several biblical examples of characters who underwent a name change. When God changed their character, God changed their name. When God changed their destiny, God changed their name.
In Genesis 17, we read the story of Abram and Sarai on the day God changed their character, changed their destiny and changed their names…
Read Genesis 17: 1 – 22.
This is the second time God has made a covenant with Abraham. The first was the strange story of Genesis 15. In that story, God promised to be Abram’s “shield” and “great reward.” He promised that Abram would have a son from his own body to serve as his future security and his everlasting heir. God instructed Abram to select five animals and cut them into halves. Abram arranged the halves and stayed awake all night to keep the birds from carrying off the dead carcasses. At dawn, a smoking firepot—symbolizing the presence of God himself—walked in between the animal halves.
More than likely this is an ancient practice of making a covenant between two parties. The person who walks in between the animal halves is making a statement, “If I do not keep my promise to you, then you can treat me like these animals.” Or, “If I do not keep my promise to you, may God do to me what you did to these animals.”
The covenant in Genesis 17 is different. It seems more straightforward. There are no visions, and it lacks symbolism. God speaks, and Abraham listens. God gives Abraham instructions, Abraham obeys God. In fact, Genesis 15 is all about God and his responsibility to keep his promises. Genesis 17 introduces the idea that Abraham and his descendants must practice circumcision as a sign that they are God’s covenant people.
There are so many differences between Genesis 15 and Genesis 17, that some people are tempted to interpret this as a second covenant. Some people think God made a covenant with Abram in Genesis 15 and then replaced that covenant with a new covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17.
I see it differently. I see this as an example of the way God reveals himself to us. God knew how much Abraham could handle. God knew how difficult it would have been for Abraham to understand everything about faith when he first called Abraham in Genesis 12. Therefore, each time God spoke to Abraham, Abraham understood more and more of God and God’s will.
I take this as a sign that God wants us to grow in our faith. God loves you just the way you are. But God loves you too much to leave you the way you are. God will change you…Just like God changed Abraham.
II. Changed Character.
We know that God changed Abraham, because God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. This is not the only time this happened in the Bible. We encounter stories about name changes in both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.
Later in the book of Genesis, we meet one of Abraham’s grandsons named Jacob. The name Jacob literally means “one who grasps at the heel.” Figuratively it means, “the one who trips” or “the deceiver.” And Jacob lived up to his name. He was the second of twins and was born holding onto the heel of his brother Esau. He later deceived his brother and stole both his birthright and his father’s blessing. Eventually, Jacob had an encounter with God in which he stayed up all night long wrestling with God. At the end of the night, God changed his name to Israel, “one who wrestles with God.”
In the New Testament, Jesus had a disciple named Simon. It is possible this name is derived from the Hebrew name Shimon, which means “listen” or “hear.” But, I prefer to think of this as a Greek name. In Greek, the name Simon means “flat nose.” I think that is an appropriate name for Simon. Either he was born with a flat nose, or he ran his mouth so much that someone gave him a flat nose. However, the Gospel of Matthew tells us that Simon made his profession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. When Simon acknowledged who Jesus is, Jesus changed his name to Peter, which means “the rock.” And Jesus said, “On this rock, I will build my church.”
Also in the New Testament, we read about a Pharisee named Saul. In the Old Testament, the name Saul is associated with the first King of Israel. Saul was the king the people asked for, and that is what Saul means—“asked for.” In the New Testament, Saul was the number one persecutor of Christians…Until he finally met Jesus. When Saul met Jesus, Saul’s life was changed. Jesus gave him the name Paul. On one hand, Paul could simply be the Greek form of the Hebrew name Saul. And that would make a lot of sense, because Paul’s ministry became the work of evangelism and church planting among the Greek people. On the other hand, Paul could be a shortened form of the Latin name Paulus, which means “little one.” Saul thought he was important before he met Jesus. But when Jesus changed his life, he knew he was the “least of God’s people.”
In Genesis 17, we read about how God changed BOTH Abram and Sarai’s names. Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Abraham means “father of nations.” Sarah means “princess.” Both Abraham and Sarah became the ancestors of the greatest kings of God’s people: King Saul, King David, King Solomon, and eventually, King Jesus. When God changed their status, God also changed their names. Abraham and Sarah were no longer the childless couple in their sunset years. Now, they will be the father and mother of God’s people.
Notice how this change of character came about. It begins in verse one when God reveals HIS NAME to Abraham. Keep in mind that the biblical understanding of name is that a person’s name is that person’s character. God reveals his character as El Shaddai, God Almighty.
Ancient people thought that humans could not know the names of the gods. They thought the only way to know the name of a god was to trick the god into revealing it to them. That is not the way Abraham’s God is. God tells us who he is. God reveals himself to us. God WANTS us to know him. This is why God sent his Son, Jesus to live a human life. God has shown us who he is. God is almighty, and God loves us so much that he has provided a way for us to know him and to be one of his children.
The story of Abraham shows us that we will never know who we are until we first know who God is. And, once we know who God is…God changes our character.
III. Changed Actions.
We need to be very careful here, because faith is not the same thing as understanding. Yes, God has revealed himself to us perfectly through the life, death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus. Yes, it is possible to know God and to understand that he loves us and provides the only way for us to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. But, faith is not something that takes place in the mind.
Biblical faith might begin in the mind, but it is always expressed through our actions. Belief in God is proven by the things we do.
This is why God makes demands of Abraham. In Genesis 12, God called Abraham to be in relationship with himself. God would be his God, and Abraham would be God’s man. But, Abraham had to demonstrate his faith by beginning a 400 mile journey to a new land. In Genesis 17, God changed Abraham life and made him the father of many nations. But, Abraham had to demonstrate his new life by adopting the practice of circumcision.
Genesis 17: 11 tells us that circumcision is simply the sign of what God already done in Abraham’s life. Circumcision was not the covenant itself. It is the SIGN of the covenant. Compare this to what we read in Genesis 15: 6, “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
Circumcision was not what made Abraham righteous. God made Abraham righteous. Righteousness was a gift from God to Abraham. It was not the result of anything Abraham had done.
The same thing is true for you and me. Righteousness—or salvation—is a gift from God to anyone who will receive it. We cannot earn God’s forgiveness. We cannot earn a right relationship with God. We simply receive it.
However, once we receive God’s gift of salvation, God changes the way we live our lives.
God expects from us the same he expects from Abraham. No, I do not mean circumcision…Genesis 17: 1 says, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.”
God wants us to live with him and to live a “blameless” life. This is what it means to grow as a Christian. Everyone who believes is “credited as righteous.” Then, God begins to work in our lives, convicting us of sin and convincing us of the kind of life we ought to live. It doesn’t happen overnight. And, no one will ever become completely “blameless” until the day we are reunited with God in heaven. But, every Christian goes through a process of growing and becoming more like God.
IV. Changed Community.
Notice that God’s promises were not just for Abraham. God promised to change Abraham’s character and to change Abraham’s actions. Then, God promised to form a community of changed people—Abraham’s descendants.
In several places God used both the singular and plural when addressing Abraham. Genesis 17: 9 says, “Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you (singular) and your descendants (plural) after you for the generations to come.”
The Christian life involves BOTH an individual side and a corporate side. God has not called us to be rugged individuals. God has called us to be changed individuals, living out our faith in a changed community. This is the church. This has been God’s plan from the very beginning.
God did not call Abraham to be a lone herdsman, wandering around the foreign land of Canaan. God called Abraham to be the first individual in a community of changed men and women. Men and women who have been changed by God, and as a result change the world.
V. Conclusion.
God changed my life when I was nine years old. I was in Vacation Bible School at West Jackson Street Baptist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi. That is when I received God’s gift of salvation. But that was not the end of my spiritual life.
No, I did not stop growing physically when I was nine years old. I did not stop growing mentally and emotionally when I was nine years old. And, I did not stop growing spiritually when I was nine years old.
Imagine what the world would look like if everyone stopped growing physically, mentally and emotionally at nine years old. Now, imagine what the church would look like if all Christians stopped growing spiritually at nine years old.
That is not God’s plan. God’s plan is to change the world with individuals who are growing spiritually to become “blameless” and more like Jesus. God’s plan is to change the world with a church that is becoming “blameless” and more like Jesus.
[1] http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
[2] http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/namesbystate.cgi
[3] http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/05/26/naming.names.importance/index.html?hpt=C2
Genesis 17: 1 – 22.
I. Introduction.
The U.S. Social Security Administration keeps records of the most popular baby names each year. That makes sense to me, because they ought to know how many people are applying for Social Security Numbers, and they ought to know the names of those new babies.
In May, the Social Security Administration announced the top 1,000 names for the year 2009. The number one name for boys in 2009 was Jacob. The number one name for girls was Isabella.[1] (The SSA.gov website can be searched by states as well. In 2009, the most popular name for girls in Texas was Isabella. The most popular name for boys was Jose. Jose has been the most popular name for boys in Texas since 1996!)[2]
There are several things about this that are interesting to me. First, the top ten baby names in 2009 are completely different from the top ten names of 50 years ago. In 1960, the most popular names were David and Mary. In 2009, David and Mary were not even in the top ten. Second, I find it interesting that Jacob and Isabella are two of the three main characters in the Twilight book series. Interesting… (By the way, Edward is number 137 on the SSA list of popular names.)
According to a CNN.com news article, parents are trying to give their children unique names today in hopes that their children will stand out from the crowd. Parents are hoping to develop individuality by selecting new and different names. We can see this by comparing the number of girls named Mary in 1960 and the number of girls named Isabella in 2009. Even though Isabella was the most popular name in 2009, there were twice as many girls named Mary in 1960.[3]
So, what do you think? Do you think naming a child is the key to developing individuality?
I suppose there are two views on this. We will call the first view the “Juliet view.” Do you remember Juliet’s famous words from Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet?” She said, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet…” Juliet wishes her Romeo had been born to another family, because his name was her enemy. Oh if he just had a different name, they could be together. His name was the problem, and his name had nothing to do with his character. A rose by any other name would still be a sweet-smelling flower.
On the other hand, we have the biblical view of names. In the Bible, a person’s name was an important part of who they are. A person’s name reveals their character and their destiny. This is the reason why we have several biblical examples of characters who underwent a name change. When God changed their character, God changed their name. When God changed their destiny, God changed their name.
In Genesis 17, we read the story of Abram and Sarai on the day God changed their character, changed their destiny and changed their names…
Read Genesis 17: 1 – 22.
This is the second time God has made a covenant with Abraham. The first was the strange story of Genesis 15. In that story, God promised to be Abram’s “shield” and “great reward.” He promised that Abram would have a son from his own body to serve as his future security and his everlasting heir. God instructed Abram to select five animals and cut them into halves. Abram arranged the halves and stayed awake all night to keep the birds from carrying off the dead carcasses. At dawn, a smoking firepot—symbolizing the presence of God himself—walked in between the animal halves.
More than likely this is an ancient practice of making a covenant between two parties. The person who walks in between the animal halves is making a statement, “If I do not keep my promise to you, then you can treat me like these animals.” Or, “If I do not keep my promise to you, may God do to me what you did to these animals.”
The covenant in Genesis 17 is different. It seems more straightforward. There are no visions, and it lacks symbolism. God speaks, and Abraham listens. God gives Abraham instructions, Abraham obeys God. In fact, Genesis 15 is all about God and his responsibility to keep his promises. Genesis 17 introduces the idea that Abraham and his descendants must practice circumcision as a sign that they are God’s covenant people.
There are so many differences between Genesis 15 and Genesis 17, that some people are tempted to interpret this as a second covenant. Some people think God made a covenant with Abram in Genesis 15 and then replaced that covenant with a new covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17.
I see it differently. I see this as an example of the way God reveals himself to us. God knew how much Abraham could handle. God knew how difficult it would have been for Abraham to understand everything about faith when he first called Abraham in Genesis 12. Therefore, each time God spoke to Abraham, Abraham understood more and more of God and God’s will.
I take this as a sign that God wants us to grow in our faith. God loves you just the way you are. But God loves you too much to leave you the way you are. God will change you…Just like God changed Abraham.
II. Changed Character.
We know that God changed Abraham, because God changed his name from Abram to Abraham. This is not the only time this happened in the Bible. We encounter stories about name changes in both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.
Later in the book of Genesis, we meet one of Abraham’s grandsons named Jacob. The name Jacob literally means “one who grasps at the heel.” Figuratively it means, “the one who trips” or “the deceiver.” And Jacob lived up to his name. He was the second of twins and was born holding onto the heel of his brother Esau. He later deceived his brother and stole both his birthright and his father’s blessing. Eventually, Jacob had an encounter with God in which he stayed up all night long wrestling with God. At the end of the night, God changed his name to Israel, “one who wrestles with God.”
In the New Testament, Jesus had a disciple named Simon. It is possible this name is derived from the Hebrew name Shimon, which means “listen” or “hear.” But, I prefer to think of this as a Greek name. In Greek, the name Simon means “flat nose.” I think that is an appropriate name for Simon. Either he was born with a flat nose, or he ran his mouth so much that someone gave him a flat nose. However, the Gospel of Matthew tells us that Simon made his profession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. When Simon acknowledged who Jesus is, Jesus changed his name to Peter, which means “the rock.” And Jesus said, “On this rock, I will build my church.”
Also in the New Testament, we read about a Pharisee named Saul. In the Old Testament, the name Saul is associated with the first King of Israel. Saul was the king the people asked for, and that is what Saul means—“asked for.” In the New Testament, Saul was the number one persecutor of Christians…Until he finally met Jesus. When Saul met Jesus, Saul’s life was changed. Jesus gave him the name Paul. On one hand, Paul could simply be the Greek form of the Hebrew name Saul. And that would make a lot of sense, because Paul’s ministry became the work of evangelism and church planting among the Greek people. On the other hand, Paul could be a shortened form of the Latin name Paulus, which means “little one.” Saul thought he was important before he met Jesus. But when Jesus changed his life, he knew he was the “least of God’s people.”
In Genesis 17, we read about how God changed BOTH Abram and Sarai’s names. Abram became Abraham. Sarai became Sarah. Abraham means “father of nations.” Sarah means “princess.” Both Abraham and Sarah became the ancestors of the greatest kings of God’s people: King Saul, King David, King Solomon, and eventually, King Jesus. When God changed their status, God also changed their names. Abraham and Sarah were no longer the childless couple in their sunset years. Now, they will be the father and mother of God’s people.
Notice how this change of character came about. It begins in verse one when God reveals HIS NAME to Abraham. Keep in mind that the biblical understanding of name is that a person’s name is that person’s character. God reveals his character as El Shaddai, God Almighty.
Ancient people thought that humans could not know the names of the gods. They thought the only way to know the name of a god was to trick the god into revealing it to them. That is not the way Abraham’s God is. God tells us who he is. God reveals himself to us. God WANTS us to know him. This is why God sent his Son, Jesus to live a human life. God has shown us who he is. God is almighty, and God loves us so much that he has provided a way for us to know him and to be one of his children.
The story of Abraham shows us that we will never know who we are until we first know who God is. And, once we know who God is…God changes our character.
III. Changed Actions.
We need to be very careful here, because faith is not the same thing as understanding. Yes, God has revealed himself to us perfectly through the life, death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus. Yes, it is possible to know God and to understand that he loves us and provides the only way for us to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation. But, faith is not something that takes place in the mind.
Biblical faith might begin in the mind, but it is always expressed through our actions. Belief in God is proven by the things we do.
This is why God makes demands of Abraham. In Genesis 12, God called Abraham to be in relationship with himself. God would be his God, and Abraham would be God’s man. But, Abraham had to demonstrate his faith by beginning a 400 mile journey to a new land. In Genesis 17, God changed Abraham life and made him the father of many nations. But, Abraham had to demonstrate his new life by adopting the practice of circumcision.
Genesis 17: 11 tells us that circumcision is simply the sign of what God already done in Abraham’s life. Circumcision was not the covenant itself. It is the SIGN of the covenant. Compare this to what we read in Genesis 15: 6, “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
Circumcision was not what made Abraham righteous. God made Abraham righteous. Righteousness was a gift from God to Abraham. It was not the result of anything Abraham had done.
The same thing is true for you and me. Righteousness—or salvation—is a gift from God to anyone who will receive it. We cannot earn God’s forgiveness. We cannot earn a right relationship with God. We simply receive it.
However, once we receive God’s gift of salvation, God changes the way we live our lives.
God expects from us the same he expects from Abraham. No, I do not mean circumcision…Genesis 17: 1 says, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.”
God wants us to live with him and to live a “blameless” life. This is what it means to grow as a Christian. Everyone who believes is “credited as righteous.” Then, God begins to work in our lives, convicting us of sin and convincing us of the kind of life we ought to live. It doesn’t happen overnight. And, no one will ever become completely “blameless” until the day we are reunited with God in heaven. But, every Christian goes through a process of growing and becoming more like God.
IV. Changed Community.
Notice that God’s promises were not just for Abraham. God promised to change Abraham’s character and to change Abraham’s actions. Then, God promised to form a community of changed people—Abraham’s descendants.
In several places God used both the singular and plural when addressing Abraham. Genesis 17: 9 says, “Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you (singular) and your descendants (plural) after you for the generations to come.”
The Christian life involves BOTH an individual side and a corporate side. God has not called us to be rugged individuals. God has called us to be changed individuals, living out our faith in a changed community. This is the church. This has been God’s plan from the very beginning.
God did not call Abraham to be a lone herdsman, wandering around the foreign land of Canaan. God called Abraham to be the first individual in a community of changed men and women. Men and women who have been changed by God, and as a result change the world.
V. Conclusion.
God changed my life when I was nine years old. I was in Vacation Bible School at West Jackson Street Baptist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi. That is when I received God’s gift of salvation. But that was not the end of my spiritual life.
No, I did not stop growing physically when I was nine years old. I did not stop growing mentally and emotionally when I was nine years old. And, I did not stop growing spiritually when I was nine years old.
Imagine what the world would look like if everyone stopped growing physically, mentally and emotionally at nine years old. Now, imagine what the church would look like if all Christians stopped growing spiritually at nine years old.
That is not God’s plan. God’s plan is to change the world with individuals who are growing spiritually to become “blameless” and more like Jesus. God’s plan is to change the world with a church that is becoming “blameless” and more like Jesus.
[1] http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
[2] http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/namesbystate.cgi
[3] http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/05/26/naming.names.importance/index.html?hpt=C2
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010: Giving God a Hand
Giving God a Hand
Genesis 16: 1 – 16.
I. Introduction.
In 1995, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania man named McArthur Wheeler was arrested for bank robbery. He walked into two banks in broad daylight and robbed them at gunpoint. He thought he got away with the cash, but he was arrested later in the same day. The police sat him down and showed him the surveillance tapes. It was clearly his face on the tapes.
Wheeler couldn’t believe they had his face on tape. He was wearing a disguise. The problem was that his disguise didn’t work. He didn’t wear a traditional ski mask or a mask of a dead president or even heavy makeup. Instead, Wheeler had covered his entire face with lemon juice. He thought that lemon juice would make him invisible to the security cameras.
I think McArthur Wheeler’s story could fall into at least two categories. He might be an example of a “dumb criminal.” Or, he could be an example of a person who had an idea that seemed like a good idea…But it didn’t turn out so well.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” is not a good excuse. But it does explain a lot of the things we do.
A woman in my first church told me that he son once asked her to make him a sandwich. She asked him what kind of sandwich. He answered, “Ham and mustard with peanut butter and jelly.” She asked him why. He said, “My two favorite sandwiches are ham and mustard and peanut butter and jelly. I want to put my two favorite sandwiches together.” (I don’t remember the rest of the story, but it was probably one of those “it seemed like a good idea at the time.”)
Do all of your good ideas work out exactly as you thought they would? Probably not. Most of the pain and disappointment in our lives can be traced back to ideas that seemed like good ideas at the time.
In my personal experience, this is usually the difference between doing things God’s way versus doing things my way. Or, allowing God to work in my life versus trying to give God a helping hand.
Read Genesis 16: 1 – 16.
Genesis 16: 1 rewinds the Abram story back to where we were last Sunday. In Genesis 15: 2, Abram complained to God about not having any children and started working on a contingency plan. Abram’s contingency plan was to name his servant Eliezer as his rightful heir. But, this was not God’s plan. God said that Abram would have a son “from his own body” to serve as heir to his estate.
This was a terrible situation for a man in the ancient world. There was no such thing as Social Security or a 401 (k) retirement plan. Children were the only retirement plan available. If Abram had no children, then he had no one to take care of him in his old age, and he was already 86 years old. This situation is even worse when we take into consideration that God promised Abram descendants that would be as numerous as the sands of the earth and stars in the sky.
Ten years. That’s how long it has been since God first made his promise to Abram. That’s also the accepted amount of time for a man to wait on his wife to provide him with children. In fact, it was acceptable grounds for divorce. If a woman could not have children in ten years, the husband was free to divorce her or to take a second wife.
Now, it was Sarai’s turn to complain to God and work on a contingency plan. Sarai’s plan was different from Abram’s. It was different, because it took seriously God’s word that Abram’s heir would be a son from Abram’s own body. It was also different because they acted on Sarai’s plan.
Abram’s wife Sarai had a slave named Hagar. We don’t know much about Hagar, except that she was Sarai’s slave and that she was from Egypt. It is very probable that Hagar was one of the slaves Abram and Sarai had acquired from Pharaoh when they went to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan.
Abram’s sojourn to Egypt was a tragic story about doubting God’s promises. God told Abram that he would bless him with numerous descendants and that God would use Abram’s descendants to serve as a blessing to all the peoples of the earth. God had a plan for Abram and his family. All Abram had to do was trust God and follow God’s plan for his life. But, Abram took matters into his own hands.
When famine struck the land of Canaan, Abram took his wife Sarai to Egypt for safety. Sarai was a beautiful woman, and Abram feared for his own safety. If the Pharaoh wanted to take Sarai as his wife, he would abduct her and kill her husband. But, if Pharaoh thought Abram was Sarai’s brother, then Abram would be richly rewarded as Pharaoh would pay Abram to take Sarai as his wife. So, that is exactly what they did.
The Pharaoh of Egypt paid a large sum to take Sarai as his wife. Genesis 12: 16 tells us that Pharaoh gave Abram “sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants and camels.” More than likely, Hagar was one of those female servants Abram received from Pharaoh. Her presence was a constant reminder of the time Abram and Sarai had doubted God’s promises. And, now she plays a prominent role in another occasion for doubt.
II. Helping God Is a Compromise with the World.
From a purely human standpoint, Sarai’s plan offered an acceptable solution. In the Ancient Near Eastern world, there was a precedent for a man taking a second wife to provide him with an heir. But we need to remember that worldly solutions are not always what God wants for his people.
Notice how Hagar’s status changed twice in Genesis 16: 3 – 6, “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. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me."
"Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.”
In the beginning of verse 3, Sarai was Abram’s WIFE and Hagar was Sarai’s MAIDSERVANT. At the end of verse 3, Hagar was Abram’s WIFE. Her status had changed. She had been elevated from slave to wife. She had been elevated from Sarai’s inferior to become Sarai’s equal. This is what caused the problem with Sarai.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. But, now that Sarai had an equal in the family structure, she also had a rival. So, for the second time, Sarai voiced a complaint. Her first complaint was against God. Her second complaint was against Abram. Sarai never took responsibility for her action. It was her idea—not Abram’s idea—to seek alternative means for having a son.
Abram is not innocent in this scenario. He committed adultery by taking a second wife.
In verse 6, Abram changes Hagar’s status a second time in order to keep the peace in the family. Sarai gave Hagar to Abram to become his WIFE. Abram gave Hagar back to Sarai to become her SERVANT again. It was the right thing to do, but the damage to Abram and Sarai’s relationship was already done.
This is one of several Old Testament examples of men who took a second wife. Sometimes we read biblical stories like this and wonder if taking multiple wives was an acceptable practice in the Old Testament. Well, it wasn’t an acceptable practice. It was acceptable to the world, but it was not acceptable to God.
There are no positive examples in the Bible of a man having more than one wife. Solomon—the son of David and the last king of united Israel—had hundreds of wives. But, these wives led Solomon and the people of Israel into idolatry. Jacob’s father-in-law tricked him into marrying the wrong sister. As a result, Jacob’s life was filled with strife and rivalry among his twelve sons.
Abram and Sarai had received a promise from God. God would give them a son. They would have numerous descendants. They would become a great nation. God would use them to bless “all peoples of the earth.” But, ten years seemed too long to wait. When they tired of waiting, they decided to give God a helping hand.
Again, from a human point of view, Abram and Sarai didn’t do anything wrong. They had a son by a surrogate mother. It was acceptable. It was legal. Everyone understood…Everyone, that is, except God.
Sometimes we make the same mistake. Instead of waiting for God to fulfill his promises to us, we compromise with the world and try to give God a helping hand.
We try to help God find us a husband or wife by compromising God’s standards of sexual purity.
We try to help God get us through school by cheating on tests.
We try to help God bring justice in the world by attacking other people.
We try to help God by becoming judgmental Christians, who insist on pointing out the flaws and mistakes in other people.
We try to help God bless us by gambling, playing the lottery or adopting questionable / illegal business practices.
We try to help God grow the church by compromising the message of the Gospel.
We try to help God grow the church by adopting worldly gimmicks to attract people to the love of God, which needs no gimmick.
We try to help God grow the church by insisting on doing things our way instead of praying for God to bring revival.
Ultimately, Jesus has a word for us in the Model Prayer in Matthew 6: 9 – 10, “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, (let) your Kingdom come, (let) your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
The Kingdom of God and the will of God are two things you and I have no control over. We cannot bring the Kingdom of God to earth, and we cannot manipulate God’s will. All we can do is pray that God will do the work of establishing his Kingdom on earth and that God will accomplish his will on earth. On one hand, that makes us feel very helpless. On the other hand, it should make us feel liberated! God takes full responsibility for bringing about his Kingdom and his will. If God made the promise, only God can fulfill the promise!
III. Helping God Is Like Playing God.
In Genesis 16, Sarai reminds me of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. Remember what Eve did when God confronted her with her sin? God asked, “Why did you eat from the forbidden fruit?” Eve answered, “The serpent tricked me.” God asked Adam, “Why did you eat from the forbidden fruit?” Adam answered, “The woman YOU made for me gave it to me.” They didn’t think it was their fault. At least, they tried to blame it on someone else. Eve blamed the serpent. Adam blamed God.
In verse 2, Sarai introduced the idea of using Hagar to bear a son to Abram. In verse 5, Sarai blamed Abram for the conflict and rivalry.
But there is another parallel in verse 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.”
Sarai did with Hagar the same thing Eve did with the forbidden fruit. First, she TOOK Hagar. Then, she GAVE Hagar to her husband.
Remember Abram is not innocent in this story. He committed adultery and almost split his family. And, I am not in any way trying to say Adam was innocent. Adam knew firsthand that God had forbidden the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He was tempted, but he ate the fruit of his own free will.
More than likely, the author of Genesis wants us to remember the story of Eve in Genesis 3. He doesn’t want us to blame the women more than the men. He wants us to notice how this is exactly like what happened to Adam and Eve. It was a sin!
The serpent’s words to Eve show us what sin really is: “you will be like God.” This is the reason we sin and the result of our sins…We don’t want to be LIKE God… We want to BE God.
Faith is never easy. It wasn’t easy for Eve in the Garden of Eden. It wasn’t easy for Abram and Sarai. And, no one has ever promised it would be easy for you and me. The hardest part of faith is waiting on God.
Faith is believing the unseen promises of God more than the circumstances we can see.
Faith is being persistent when persistence runs counter to our common sense.
Faith is allowing God to work his will and establish his Kingdom when we are tempted to give God a helping hand.
This is the biggest mistake we make as Christians. We tell God what we are planning to do and ask him to bless our plans. “These are my plans, God, please bless them.” “This is my choice, God, please bless it.” It is better to ask God what to do than to tell God what you’re going to do.
IV. Conclusion: Can I Mess Up God’s Plan for My Life?
Abram and Sarai did everything in their power to “mess up” God’s plans for their lives. In just a few weeks, we will learn that Ishmael was not the son God promised them. We will also see that God’s promises are fulfilled and God’s plan for their lives comes to pass. But, in the meantime, we are left to wonder…Can I mess up God’s plan for my life? Is it possible to make a choice that takes me outside of God’s will?
In the story of Abram, Sarai and Hagar, we see God’s plan in jeopardy. The only way God’s plan gets back on track is when God sent an angel to intervene. This is the good news today. Yes, you and I can mess up God’s plan. Yes, we can make choices that take us outside of his will. But, God will never let us go. God continuously intervenes in the circumstances of our lives to save us from our ideas that seemed like good ideas at the time.
Genesis 16: 1 – 16.
I. Introduction.
In 1995, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania man named McArthur Wheeler was arrested for bank robbery. He walked into two banks in broad daylight and robbed them at gunpoint. He thought he got away with the cash, but he was arrested later in the same day. The police sat him down and showed him the surveillance tapes. It was clearly his face on the tapes.
Wheeler couldn’t believe they had his face on tape. He was wearing a disguise. The problem was that his disguise didn’t work. He didn’t wear a traditional ski mask or a mask of a dead president or even heavy makeup. Instead, Wheeler had covered his entire face with lemon juice. He thought that lemon juice would make him invisible to the security cameras.
I think McArthur Wheeler’s story could fall into at least two categories. He might be an example of a “dumb criminal.” Or, he could be an example of a person who had an idea that seemed like a good idea…But it didn’t turn out so well.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” is not a good excuse. But it does explain a lot of the things we do.
A woman in my first church told me that he son once asked her to make him a sandwich. She asked him what kind of sandwich. He answered, “Ham and mustard with peanut butter and jelly.” She asked him why. He said, “My two favorite sandwiches are ham and mustard and peanut butter and jelly. I want to put my two favorite sandwiches together.” (I don’t remember the rest of the story, but it was probably one of those “it seemed like a good idea at the time.”)
Do all of your good ideas work out exactly as you thought they would? Probably not. Most of the pain and disappointment in our lives can be traced back to ideas that seemed like good ideas at the time.
In my personal experience, this is usually the difference between doing things God’s way versus doing things my way. Or, allowing God to work in my life versus trying to give God a helping hand.
Read Genesis 16: 1 – 16.
Genesis 16: 1 rewinds the Abram story back to where we were last Sunday. In Genesis 15: 2, Abram complained to God about not having any children and started working on a contingency plan. Abram’s contingency plan was to name his servant Eliezer as his rightful heir. But, this was not God’s plan. God said that Abram would have a son “from his own body” to serve as heir to his estate.
This was a terrible situation for a man in the ancient world. There was no such thing as Social Security or a 401 (k) retirement plan. Children were the only retirement plan available. If Abram had no children, then he had no one to take care of him in his old age, and he was already 86 years old. This situation is even worse when we take into consideration that God promised Abram descendants that would be as numerous as the sands of the earth and stars in the sky.
Ten years. That’s how long it has been since God first made his promise to Abram. That’s also the accepted amount of time for a man to wait on his wife to provide him with children. In fact, it was acceptable grounds for divorce. If a woman could not have children in ten years, the husband was free to divorce her or to take a second wife.
Now, it was Sarai’s turn to complain to God and work on a contingency plan. Sarai’s plan was different from Abram’s. It was different, because it took seriously God’s word that Abram’s heir would be a son from Abram’s own body. It was also different because they acted on Sarai’s plan.
Abram’s wife Sarai had a slave named Hagar. We don’t know much about Hagar, except that she was Sarai’s slave and that she was from Egypt. It is very probable that Hagar was one of the slaves Abram and Sarai had acquired from Pharaoh when they went to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan.
Abram’s sojourn to Egypt was a tragic story about doubting God’s promises. God told Abram that he would bless him with numerous descendants and that God would use Abram’s descendants to serve as a blessing to all the peoples of the earth. God had a plan for Abram and his family. All Abram had to do was trust God and follow God’s plan for his life. But, Abram took matters into his own hands.
When famine struck the land of Canaan, Abram took his wife Sarai to Egypt for safety. Sarai was a beautiful woman, and Abram feared for his own safety. If the Pharaoh wanted to take Sarai as his wife, he would abduct her and kill her husband. But, if Pharaoh thought Abram was Sarai’s brother, then Abram would be richly rewarded as Pharaoh would pay Abram to take Sarai as his wife. So, that is exactly what they did.
The Pharaoh of Egypt paid a large sum to take Sarai as his wife. Genesis 12: 16 tells us that Pharaoh gave Abram “sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants and camels.” More than likely, Hagar was one of those female servants Abram received from Pharaoh. Her presence was a constant reminder of the time Abram and Sarai had doubted God’s promises. And, now she plays a prominent role in another occasion for doubt.
II. Helping God Is a Compromise with the World.
From a purely human standpoint, Sarai’s plan offered an acceptable solution. In the Ancient Near Eastern world, there was a precedent for a man taking a second wife to provide him with an heir. But we need to remember that worldly solutions are not always what God wants for his people.
Notice how Hagar’s status changed twice in Genesis 16: 3 – 6, “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. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.
When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me."
"Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.”
In the beginning of verse 3, Sarai was Abram’s WIFE and Hagar was Sarai’s MAIDSERVANT. At the end of verse 3, Hagar was Abram’s WIFE. Her status had changed. She had been elevated from slave to wife. She had been elevated from Sarai’s inferior to become Sarai’s equal. This is what caused the problem with Sarai.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. But, now that Sarai had an equal in the family structure, she also had a rival. So, for the second time, Sarai voiced a complaint. Her first complaint was against God. Her second complaint was against Abram. Sarai never took responsibility for her action. It was her idea—not Abram’s idea—to seek alternative means for having a son.
Abram is not innocent in this scenario. He committed adultery by taking a second wife.
In verse 6, Abram changes Hagar’s status a second time in order to keep the peace in the family. Sarai gave Hagar to Abram to become his WIFE. Abram gave Hagar back to Sarai to become her SERVANT again. It was the right thing to do, but the damage to Abram and Sarai’s relationship was already done.
This is one of several Old Testament examples of men who took a second wife. Sometimes we read biblical stories like this and wonder if taking multiple wives was an acceptable practice in the Old Testament. Well, it wasn’t an acceptable practice. It was acceptable to the world, but it was not acceptable to God.
There are no positive examples in the Bible of a man having more than one wife. Solomon—the son of David and the last king of united Israel—had hundreds of wives. But, these wives led Solomon and the people of Israel into idolatry. Jacob’s father-in-law tricked him into marrying the wrong sister. As a result, Jacob’s life was filled with strife and rivalry among his twelve sons.
Abram and Sarai had received a promise from God. God would give them a son. They would have numerous descendants. They would become a great nation. God would use them to bless “all peoples of the earth.” But, ten years seemed too long to wait. When they tired of waiting, they decided to give God a helping hand.
Again, from a human point of view, Abram and Sarai didn’t do anything wrong. They had a son by a surrogate mother. It was acceptable. It was legal. Everyone understood…Everyone, that is, except God.
Sometimes we make the same mistake. Instead of waiting for God to fulfill his promises to us, we compromise with the world and try to give God a helping hand.
We try to help God find us a husband or wife by compromising God’s standards of sexual purity.
We try to help God get us through school by cheating on tests.
We try to help God bring justice in the world by attacking other people.
We try to help God by becoming judgmental Christians, who insist on pointing out the flaws and mistakes in other people.
We try to help God bless us by gambling, playing the lottery or adopting questionable / illegal business practices.
We try to help God grow the church by compromising the message of the Gospel.
We try to help God grow the church by adopting worldly gimmicks to attract people to the love of God, which needs no gimmick.
We try to help God grow the church by insisting on doing things our way instead of praying for God to bring revival.
Ultimately, Jesus has a word for us in the Model Prayer in Matthew 6: 9 – 10, “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, (let) your Kingdom come, (let) your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
The Kingdom of God and the will of God are two things you and I have no control over. We cannot bring the Kingdom of God to earth, and we cannot manipulate God’s will. All we can do is pray that God will do the work of establishing his Kingdom on earth and that God will accomplish his will on earth. On one hand, that makes us feel very helpless. On the other hand, it should make us feel liberated! God takes full responsibility for bringing about his Kingdom and his will. If God made the promise, only God can fulfill the promise!
III. Helping God Is Like Playing God.
In Genesis 16, Sarai reminds me of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. Remember what Eve did when God confronted her with her sin? God asked, “Why did you eat from the forbidden fruit?” Eve answered, “The serpent tricked me.” God asked Adam, “Why did you eat from the forbidden fruit?” Adam answered, “The woman YOU made for me gave it to me.” They didn’t think it was their fault. At least, they tried to blame it on someone else. Eve blamed the serpent. Adam blamed God.
In verse 2, Sarai introduced the idea of using Hagar to bear a son to Abram. In verse 5, Sarai blamed Abram for the conflict and rivalry.
But there is another parallel in verse 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.”
Sarai did with Hagar the same thing Eve did with the forbidden fruit. First, she TOOK Hagar. Then, she GAVE Hagar to her husband.
Remember Abram is not innocent in this story. He committed adultery and almost split his family. And, I am not in any way trying to say Adam was innocent. Adam knew firsthand that God had forbidden the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He was tempted, but he ate the fruit of his own free will.
More than likely, the author of Genesis wants us to remember the story of Eve in Genesis 3. He doesn’t want us to blame the women more than the men. He wants us to notice how this is exactly like what happened to Adam and Eve. It was a sin!
The serpent’s words to Eve show us what sin really is: “you will be like God.” This is the reason we sin and the result of our sins…We don’t want to be LIKE God… We want to BE God.
Faith is never easy. It wasn’t easy for Eve in the Garden of Eden. It wasn’t easy for Abram and Sarai. And, no one has ever promised it would be easy for you and me. The hardest part of faith is waiting on God.
Faith is believing the unseen promises of God more than the circumstances we can see.
Faith is being persistent when persistence runs counter to our common sense.
Faith is allowing God to work his will and establish his Kingdom when we are tempted to give God a helping hand.
This is the biggest mistake we make as Christians. We tell God what we are planning to do and ask him to bless our plans. “These are my plans, God, please bless them.” “This is my choice, God, please bless it.” It is better to ask God what to do than to tell God what you’re going to do.
IV. Conclusion: Can I Mess Up God’s Plan for My Life?
Abram and Sarai did everything in their power to “mess up” God’s plans for their lives. In just a few weeks, we will learn that Ishmael was not the son God promised them. We will also see that God’s promises are fulfilled and God’s plan for their lives comes to pass. But, in the meantime, we are left to wonder…Can I mess up God’s plan for my life? Is it possible to make a choice that takes me outside of God’s will?
In the story of Abram, Sarai and Hagar, we see God’s plan in jeopardy. The only way God’s plan gets back on track is when God sent an angel to intervene. This is the good news today. Yes, you and I can mess up God’s plan. Yes, we can make choices that take us outside of his will. But, God will never let us go. God continuously intervenes in the circumstances of our lives to save us from our ideas that seemed like good ideas at the time.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010: Faith Confirmed
Faith Confirmed
Genesis 15: 1 – 21
I. Introduction.
We participated in the ordinance of baptism this morning. Only one person was baptized, but we all participated. We participated as witnesses, as Tayler gave a public profession of her faith in Jesus. We participated as worshippers, as we saw a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We participated as a church body, by committing ourselves to pray for Tayler as her new faith in Jesus grows. We also participated in the form of reminiscence, because Tayler’s baptism reminds us of the day when we were baptized.
There are some very important things Baptist Christians believe about baptism. First, Baptists believe baptism is reserved for believers only. This is why we do not baptize infants. The New Testament examples of baptism demonstrate adult men and women being baptized after they have professed their faith in Jesus.
Second, Baptists practice baptism by immersion. We do not sprinkle or pour water over a person’s head. We insist on placing the new believer completely under water. The reason we practice baptism by immersion is very closely related to my third point…Baptism is symbolic.
We do not fill our baptistery with “Holy Water.” No. We fill the baptistery with Lufkin water. It is plain. It is ordinary. It contains no power to wash away sins. The water of baptism is symbolic and tells a story. On one hand, it is the story of Jesus. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again from the grave. On the other hand, it tells our story. I was once a dead man—dead in my sins. I had no forgiveness and no hope. But, once I gave my life to Jesus in faith…The old man was dead and buried. Then, I experienced the resurrection of Jesus in my own life. My old self was dead and buried. My new self was raised to a new life…A new life that is made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Can you remember your own baptism this morning? Perhaps you were baptized right here in this church. Some of you were baptized in this church, but it wasn’t in this sanctuary. Some of you may have been baptized in a lake or a creek.
Do you remember the pastor who baptized you? For some of you, I was that pastor. Others were baptized by former pastors from this church or even a pastor in another city or state.
What do you remember about the day after your baptism? Was there a giant rainbow in the sky? Did a golden halo appear above your head, so that everyone you met commented about how “saintly” you look? Or, did you have to struggle with living out your new faith in the real world of sin and temptation?
The reality of baptism is that this is not the end of our faith. This is the beginning. And, as the beginning, baptism is also the beginning of a struggle. There are things that we want to do but know those things are wrong and sinful. There are temptations to live like the rest of the world—or to live like we used to live. And, there is the desire to follow Jesus—to live according to his example and to live a life that is pleasing in God’s eyes.
In some ways, our story today from the life of Abram is a lot like the day after our baptism. Genesis 15 is not the beginning of Abram’s faith—it is close to the beginning, but his faith actually began in Genesis 12. And, even at such an early point in his faith journey, Abram is beginning to question God and to wonder about God’s promises. Abram is beginning to think that God is not going to keep his promise. So, God reminds Abram that an important part of faith is waiting on God’s timing.
Read Genesis 15: 1 – 21.
The end of this story is very strange. God told Abram to select 5 animals and to cut them in halves. We sort of expect God to ask Abram to burn these animals as a sacrifice…But, that is not what happened. Instead, Abram placed the animal halves on the ground and separated the halves so there was space between the halves. Then, Abram stayed awake all night long shooing the scavenging birds away from the dead carcasses.
In the darkest part of the night, Abram had a vision. A smoking pot of fire and a torch appeared and moved in between the animal halves. Since smoke and fire are symbols for God, we believe that Abram’s vision is of God’s coming to earth in order to walk between the animal halves.
Perhaps Abram’s vision is a ceremony to seal a covenant between two parties. There is an allusion to such a ceremony in Jeremiah 34: 18, “(God said) The men who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.”
The person who walks in between the animal halves has committed himself to uphold his covenant promises. If he does not uphold his promise, he will be cut in two just like the animals.
The remarkable thing about Abram’s vision is the fact that God is the one who walked in between the animal halves. On one hand, this is problematic. How can anyone hold God accountable to keep his promises? How can anyone threaten to cut God in two? On the other hand, this is a great relief to Abram. The covenant does not depend on Abram and his faithfulness to God. The covenant promises are God’s promises to bring about. The burden of fulfilling the promises is off Abram’s shoulders. The pressure is off of Abram, and the pressure is on God. God can handle the pressure.
Since this story is not the beginning of Abram’s faith, it is best understood as a confirmation of Abram’s faith. Actually, it is confirmation that the Object of Abram’s faith can and should be trusted. God is faithful to Abram in the present…God will always be faithful to Abram in the future.
II. Remember Your Beginning.
We can find a simple structure in this Scripture. God speaks to Abram. Abram complains to God. God is silent for a moment, so Abram complains a second time. God speaks a second time. Abram complains a third time. Does your prayer life sound like this sometimes?
The words God spoke to Abram in verse one contain two great promises. God promised to be two things in Abram’s life. God would be his shield of protection, and God would be Abram’s great reward. All that worldly wealth would pale in comparison to the great reward God had in mind. Abram would be God’s man. They would have an exclusive relationship in which God would provide for all Abram’s needs and protect him from all evil. God would give him his very presence.
Notice how Abram responds to God’s word… “But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir (Genesis 15: 2 – 3)."
I believe there is a pause in between verses 2 and 3. Abram expected an immediate answer from God and an immediate result to God’s promise. After all, God had promised to give Abram and Sarai a child in their old age. It didn’t happen as quickly as Abram had expected. He wanted an answer. He wanted a child. He wanted God to fulfill God’s own promise sooner rather than later…So, Abram kept talking. He didn’t say anything new. He just repeated himself, as if God had not heard his first complaint.
God’s answer was a reminder of the original promise. Just as Abram didn’t say anything new…God didn’t say anything new. “You will have a heir, a son coming from your own body.”
This should remind us of our own baptism—at least it should remind us of the day when we first became Christians. Do you remember your conversion? Do you remember the day when you first trusted your life into Jesus’ hands? Why did you become a Christian?
For most of us, we placed faith in Jesus, because we realized that we are sinners. We have a sin problem that separates us from God. We have a problem that we cannot solve. Only God can solve our sin problem. God took the initiative. He sent his only Son, Jesus, to live an exemplary life…to die a sacrificial death…and to rise again in victorious resurrection.
We believed in Jesus, because God promised us two things. Forgiveness for our sins. An eternal life that begins here on earth and continues in Heaven after life on earth is complete.
Any time we have complaints with God, he will remind us of the promises he made to us at the beginning of our life of faith. Salvation and life. God never promised to make us wealthy. God never promised to take away all our suffering an pain. God promised that he would forgive us our sins and give us a new life. This new life is empowered by the abiding presence of God. God’s presence will sustain us through whatever pain and struggles we face.
III. Trust God’s Word.
Abram had to learn to trust God’s word over all other circumstances. For example, Abram’s circumstances told him that he was too old to become a father, and Sarai was too old to become a mother. Abram’s circumstances told him that this land was inhabited by the Canaanites, Hittites, Jebusites and a host of other “ites.”
We don’t know what Abram had planned to do about the people living in the land God promised him. But, the Bible does tell us that Abram had already started making contingency plans for an heir. Abram had selected a slave named Eliezer to be his heir apparent. If God never fulfilled his promise, Abram had a plan. Think about how silly that sounds…If God never fulfilled his promise…
Do you have contingency plans? Contingency plans can be a good thing when it comes to business and retirement plans. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Put systems and people in place in your business life. Diversify your retirement portfolio. But, do not make contingency plans in your spiritual life. A spiritual contingency plan is nothing short of a compromise with the world. God does not want you to compromise with the world. God wants you to place all your faith, hope and love in his word and his promises to you.
But the interesting thing is that you have to hear God’s word before you can trust God’s word.
It seems in verse one and following that Abram had an audible conversation with God. Verses 17 and following describe how God spoke to Abram in a vision, or a dream. Perhaps we should wait for either an audible voice or a vision from God…
But we don’t have to wait for an audible voice. God has given us the Bible as his word. When we open the Bible, God speaks to us. When we leave our Bibles closed, God remains silent…
This is one of the reasons why church is important. Every time we gather in this sanctuary, we will read the Bible and hear God speak to us.
This is why it is important for you and your families to be involved in a Sunday School class. Every time we gather in Sunday School, we read the Bible and hear God speak to us.
This is why it is important to read your Bible daily as a part of your spiritual growth. God speaks through his word. Of course, there are times when we read the Bible and we can’t figure out what God is saying. We should not read the Bible like we read any other book—a novel, a biography, a history book… We should read the Bible prayerfully. A very simple way to do this is to read a short passage of Scripture and pray, “God, what are you saying to me through this Scripture?” Then, Sit…Listen…Wait…Be Still and God will show you.
IV. Righteousness Is a Gift from God.
Verse six is perhaps the most important verse from this biblical story: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
I can find two reasons why Abram believed God. First, God reminded Abram of the beginning of his faith. In the beginning, Abram took God at his word. He trusted in the word of God more than the circumstances of his life. Second, God gave Abram a sign—look at the stars in the sky.
This was not a new sign. The stars had always been there. Abram had probably never taken notice of the stars before, but they were always there. The stars didn’t do anything unusual that night. They simply occupied their places in the sky.
This was a sign, because it reminded Abram that God is the creator of everything he can see. God is the creator of things Abram cannot see. God is the creator of things that are too great for Abram to count.
Then, we have a play on words. Abram could not COUNT the stars. But God COUNTED Abram righteous. Abram could not make himself righteous before God. Only God can make a person righteous.
V. Conclusion.
God gave Abram “right standing” before God. It doesn’t mean that Abram was perfect. It doesn’t mean that Abram would never commit sins against God. It means that God changed his status.
If you and I will go back to our original commitment to God, we will discover the same thing. Salvation, Forgiveness of Sins, Eternal Life, the Provision and Protection of God…This is a gift. Trust God’s promises more than your circumstances.
Genesis 15: 1 – 21
I. Introduction.
We participated in the ordinance of baptism this morning. Only one person was baptized, but we all participated. We participated as witnesses, as Tayler gave a public profession of her faith in Jesus. We participated as worshippers, as we saw a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. We participated as a church body, by committing ourselves to pray for Tayler as her new faith in Jesus grows. We also participated in the form of reminiscence, because Tayler’s baptism reminds us of the day when we were baptized.
There are some very important things Baptist Christians believe about baptism. First, Baptists believe baptism is reserved for believers only. This is why we do not baptize infants. The New Testament examples of baptism demonstrate adult men and women being baptized after they have professed their faith in Jesus.
Second, Baptists practice baptism by immersion. We do not sprinkle or pour water over a person’s head. We insist on placing the new believer completely under water. The reason we practice baptism by immersion is very closely related to my third point…Baptism is symbolic.
We do not fill our baptistery with “Holy Water.” No. We fill the baptistery with Lufkin water. It is plain. It is ordinary. It contains no power to wash away sins. The water of baptism is symbolic and tells a story. On one hand, it is the story of Jesus. Jesus died, was buried, and rose again from the grave. On the other hand, it tells our story. I was once a dead man—dead in my sins. I had no forgiveness and no hope. But, once I gave my life to Jesus in faith…The old man was dead and buried. Then, I experienced the resurrection of Jesus in my own life. My old self was dead and buried. My new self was raised to a new life…A new life that is made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Can you remember your own baptism this morning? Perhaps you were baptized right here in this church. Some of you were baptized in this church, but it wasn’t in this sanctuary. Some of you may have been baptized in a lake or a creek.
Do you remember the pastor who baptized you? For some of you, I was that pastor. Others were baptized by former pastors from this church or even a pastor in another city or state.
What do you remember about the day after your baptism? Was there a giant rainbow in the sky? Did a golden halo appear above your head, so that everyone you met commented about how “saintly” you look? Or, did you have to struggle with living out your new faith in the real world of sin and temptation?
The reality of baptism is that this is not the end of our faith. This is the beginning. And, as the beginning, baptism is also the beginning of a struggle. There are things that we want to do but know those things are wrong and sinful. There are temptations to live like the rest of the world—or to live like we used to live. And, there is the desire to follow Jesus—to live according to his example and to live a life that is pleasing in God’s eyes.
In some ways, our story today from the life of Abram is a lot like the day after our baptism. Genesis 15 is not the beginning of Abram’s faith—it is close to the beginning, but his faith actually began in Genesis 12. And, even at such an early point in his faith journey, Abram is beginning to question God and to wonder about God’s promises. Abram is beginning to think that God is not going to keep his promise. So, God reminds Abram that an important part of faith is waiting on God’s timing.
Read Genesis 15: 1 – 21.
The end of this story is very strange. God told Abram to select 5 animals and to cut them in halves. We sort of expect God to ask Abram to burn these animals as a sacrifice…But, that is not what happened. Instead, Abram placed the animal halves on the ground and separated the halves so there was space between the halves. Then, Abram stayed awake all night long shooing the scavenging birds away from the dead carcasses.
In the darkest part of the night, Abram had a vision. A smoking pot of fire and a torch appeared and moved in between the animal halves. Since smoke and fire are symbols for God, we believe that Abram’s vision is of God’s coming to earth in order to walk between the animal halves.
Perhaps Abram’s vision is a ceremony to seal a covenant between two parties. There is an allusion to such a ceremony in Jeremiah 34: 18, “(God said) The men who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.”
The person who walks in between the animal halves has committed himself to uphold his covenant promises. If he does not uphold his promise, he will be cut in two just like the animals.
The remarkable thing about Abram’s vision is the fact that God is the one who walked in between the animal halves. On one hand, this is problematic. How can anyone hold God accountable to keep his promises? How can anyone threaten to cut God in two? On the other hand, this is a great relief to Abram. The covenant does not depend on Abram and his faithfulness to God. The covenant promises are God’s promises to bring about. The burden of fulfilling the promises is off Abram’s shoulders. The pressure is off of Abram, and the pressure is on God. God can handle the pressure.
Since this story is not the beginning of Abram’s faith, it is best understood as a confirmation of Abram’s faith. Actually, it is confirmation that the Object of Abram’s faith can and should be trusted. God is faithful to Abram in the present…God will always be faithful to Abram in the future.
II. Remember Your Beginning.
We can find a simple structure in this Scripture. God speaks to Abram. Abram complains to God. God is silent for a moment, so Abram complains a second time. God speaks a second time. Abram complains a third time. Does your prayer life sound like this sometimes?
The words God spoke to Abram in verse one contain two great promises. God promised to be two things in Abram’s life. God would be his shield of protection, and God would be Abram’s great reward. All that worldly wealth would pale in comparison to the great reward God had in mind. Abram would be God’s man. They would have an exclusive relationship in which God would provide for all Abram’s needs and protect him from all evil. God would give him his very presence.
Notice how Abram responds to God’s word… “But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir (Genesis 15: 2 – 3)."
I believe there is a pause in between verses 2 and 3. Abram expected an immediate answer from God and an immediate result to God’s promise. After all, God had promised to give Abram and Sarai a child in their old age. It didn’t happen as quickly as Abram had expected. He wanted an answer. He wanted a child. He wanted God to fulfill God’s own promise sooner rather than later…So, Abram kept talking. He didn’t say anything new. He just repeated himself, as if God had not heard his first complaint.
God’s answer was a reminder of the original promise. Just as Abram didn’t say anything new…God didn’t say anything new. “You will have a heir, a son coming from your own body.”
This should remind us of our own baptism—at least it should remind us of the day when we first became Christians. Do you remember your conversion? Do you remember the day when you first trusted your life into Jesus’ hands? Why did you become a Christian?
For most of us, we placed faith in Jesus, because we realized that we are sinners. We have a sin problem that separates us from God. We have a problem that we cannot solve. Only God can solve our sin problem. God took the initiative. He sent his only Son, Jesus, to live an exemplary life…to die a sacrificial death…and to rise again in victorious resurrection.
We believed in Jesus, because God promised us two things. Forgiveness for our sins. An eternal life that begins here on earth and continues in Heaven after life on earth is complete.
Any time we have complaints with God, he will remind us of the promises he made to us at the beginning of our life of faith. Salvation and life. God never promised to make us wealthy. God never promised to take away all our suffering an pain. God promised that he would forgive us our sins and give us a new life. This new life is empowered by the abiding presence of God. God’s presence will sustain us through whatever pain and struggles we face.
III. Trust God’s Word.
Abram had to learn to trust God’s word over all other circumstances. For example, Abram’s circumstances told him that he was too old to become a father, and Sarai was too old to become a mother. Abram’s circumstances told him that this land was inhabited by the Canaanites, Hittites, Jebusites and a host of other “ites.”
We don’t know what Abram had planned to do about the people living in the land God promised him. But, the Bible does tell us that Abram had already started making contingency plans for an heir. Abram had selected a slave named Eliezer to be his heir apparent. If God never fulfilled his promise, Abram had a plan. Think about how silly that sounds…If God never fulfilled his promise…
Do you have contingency plans? Contingency plans can be a good thing when it comes to business and retirement plans. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Put systems and people in place in your business life. Diversify your retirement portfolio. But, do not make contingency plans in your spiritual life. A spiritual contingency plan is nothing short of a compromise with the world. God does not want you to compromise with the world. God wants you to place all your faith, hope and love in his word and his promises to you.
But the interesting thing is that you have to hear God’s word before you can trust God’s word.
It seems in verse one and following that Abram had an audible conversation with God. Verses 17 and following describe how God spoke to Abram in a vision, or a dream. Perhaps we should wait for either an audible voice or a vision from God…
But we don’t have to wait for an audible voice. God has given us the Bible as his word. When we open the Bible, God speaks to us. When we leave our Bibles closed, God remains silent…
This is one of the reasons why church is important. Every time we gather in this sanctuary, we will read the Bible and hear God speak to us.
This is why it is important for you and your families to be involved in a Sunday School class. Every time we gather in Sunday School, we read the Bible and hear God speak to us.
This is why it is important to read your Bible daily as a part of your spiritual growth. God speaks through his word. Of course, there are times when we read the Bible and we can’t figure out what God is saying. We should not read the Bible like we read any other book—a novel, a biography, a history book… We should read the Bible prayerfully. A very simple way to do this is to read a short passage of Scripture and pray, “God, what are you saying to me through this Scripture?” Then, Sit…Listen…Wait…Be Still and God will show you.
IV. Righteousness Is a Gift from God.
Verse six is perhaps the most important verse from this biblical story: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
I can find two reasons why Abram believed God. First, God reminded Abram of the beginning of his faith. In the beginning, Abram took God at his word. He trusted in the word of God more than the circumstances of his life. Second, God gave Abram a sign—look at the stars in the sky.
This was not a new sign. The stars had always been there. Abram had probably never taken notice of the stars before, but they were always there. The stars didn’t do anything unusual that night. They simply occupied their places in the sky.
This was a sign, because it reminded Abram that God is the creator of everything he can see. God is the creator of things Abram cannot see. God is the creator of things that are too great for Abram to count.
Then, we have a play on words. Abram could not COUNT the stars. But God COUNTED Abram righteous. Abram could not make himself righteous before God. Only God can make a person righteous.
V. Conclusion.
God gave Abram “right standing” before God. It doesn’t mean that Abram was perfect. It doesn’t mean that Abram would never commit sins against God. It means that God changed his status.
If you and I will go back to our original commitment to God, we will discover the same thing. Salvation, Forgiveness of Sins, Eternal Life, the Provision and Protection of God…This is a gift. Trust God’s promises more than your circumstances.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010: Honor Your King
Honor Your King
Genesis 14: 17 – 24.
I. Introduction.
What is most important in life? On one hand, this is a very philosophical question. It is one of the most talked about, most debated subjects in history. On the other hand, we are in church on a Sunday morning…I am a pastor, standing before a congregation with an open Bible…Perhaps, you will not be surprised by my answer to this question.
However, we can change the question entirely by adding only one word. What is most important in YOUR life? Ahh. This is no longer a philosophical question. This is a practical question…Perhaps even an ethical question.
While I do not want to suggest that truth is relative or that truth can be changed to apply differently to different circumstances, I do believe that we will find many different answers to this question among the different people in this room. What is most important in YOUR life?
A popular way to answer this question is to imagine how you would live your life if you knew you were dying. What if you only had 30 days remaining? 30 days to work…30 days to spend time with your children…30 days to reconcile broken relationships…30 days to serve God and minister to others.
I don’t believe this answers the question. No. Imagining how I would spend my last 30 days of life does not tell me what is most important to me. It tells me what I WISH was most important to me. It is fantasy, not reality.
For some reason, we think we would be different if we had only 30 days left to live. We think imminent death would change our priorities and give us more control over life. This is simply not true. You and I make choices every day that determine how we use both time and money.
Reality is found by looking at our check ledger and our calendar! The most important things in life are the things that take up our time and money. This is the real answer to the question. The ways you spend time every day, and the ways you spend your monthly income are the most important things in your life.
Practically speaking, what is most important in your life? I’m not talking about philosophy or fantasy. I’m talking about reality. Where do you spend your time? How do you spend your money?
Practically speaking, the most important thing in your life is what you worship. Either God is most important in your life, or you are worshipping a false god.
A couple of years ago, I ate lunch with a group of guys from Houston. They were in town to sell something to our church. These guys didn’t like to refer to their work as a business. They said they thought of what they do as a ministry…a way to help churches. As we ate, we talked about God, ministry, evangelism, missions… Then, I asked a question about church. I said, “Where do you go to church in Houston?” He answered, “I don’t go to church anywhere. My daughter plays on a select softball team, and we have games every Sunday.”
I wonder how his check ledger and calendar would answer the question. I suppose it would tell him that softball is the most important thing in his life. Softball is his god. (This is probably not the way he would interpret his time and money. He would probably say that he spends his time and his money on his daughter. But, is that any better? Is it better to say you worship your children?)
In the story of Abram in Genesis, we find an example of faith. Sometimes, Abram looks like a saint. Sometimes, Abram looks like a sinner. But, throughout the story, Abram is a man who demonstrates for us how faith in God ought to be lived out in the real world. It’s not always easy for us to be faithful…But it wasn’t always easy for Abram either.
Read Genesis 14: 17 – 24.
This is an unusual story for a couple of reasons. First, it is difficult to understand. Second, it seems to stand alone in the context of Abram’s story. There is only one thing in this story connecting it with what comes before and after. It helps us to understand what has happened to Abram’s nephew, Lot.
In Genesis 13, Abram and Lot divided up the land. Lot chose to take the well-watered plains and to live in the city of Sodom. Abram left his future in God’s hands. In the end, Abram’s choice was blessed by God, while Lot’s choice fell under God’s judgment. Abram received the fulfillment of all God promised him. Lot separated from Abram and found himself outside of God’s protection.
In Genesis 14: 1 – 16, we read about an international war. The king of Elam demanded tribute taxes from five other nations. These nations paid their taxes faithfully for 12 years. But, in the thirteenth year, they rebelled.
The king of Elam formed a coalition with three other kings and went to war against the rebels. The four kings defeated the five kings and took some of the people as their slaves. Lot and his family were taken as slaves.
When Abram heard that Lot had been captured, he formed his own army of 318 fighting men. He divided his men into two groups and ambushed the army of the four kings at night. Thus, four kings defeated five kings and Abram alone defeated the four kings.
The story shows us that Abram was an effective political leader, who could rally people around his cause. It also shows us that he was an effective military leader, who could outwit his enemies and win a battle that seemed like a “lost cause.” But, the most important thing it shows us is how Abram handled his victory.
II. Two Kings.
Notice that after the battle was won, two kings came to greet Abram. The first king was Bera, the King of Sodom. The second king was Melchizedek, the King of Salem and priest of God Most High.
Abram was now “playing in the big leagues.” He was no longer a simple shepherd, wandering around the country side. Abram is now an international leader, one who is invited to a state dinner with two kings.
Also notice that these two kings want different things from Abram. This is apparent in the first words they speak to Abram. Bera, the King of Sodom, said, “Give me…(Genesis 14: 21).” Melchizedek, the King of Salem, said, “Blessed be Abram… (Genesis 14: 19).” There is a big difference between “Give me” and “Blessed be.”
It should be no surprise that Abram first gave his attention to Melchizedek. Melchizedek came to Abram offering the blessings of God, Most High. The other king came to Abram trying to recover the money and the people stolen in battle.
I believe this is an indication of what was most important to Abram. He was not seeking political fame. He was not interested in holding onto the accumulated wealth. He was most interested in doing what was pleasing to God. God’s blessing was more important than fame or fortune.
Abram’s choice is one that we also face in the twenty-first century. Will we bow down to God or the world? Sometimes the world takes the form of the political state (or even the political party). Most of the time, the world takes the form of worldly wealth. The person who chooses political favor over God’s blessing worships a false god. The person who chooses wealth over God’s blessing also worships a false god. The way we spend our time and money demonstrates which god we worship.
III. The Tithe.
Abram’s choice was to worship God Most High. He did this by instituting the tithe—giving ten percent of his resources to God.
There are several things about Abram’s tithe that are remarkable. First, this was the first recorded tithe in the Bible. None of the biblical characters before Abram gave a tithe. This is something Abram began.
Second, at this point in biblical history, there was no such thing as the Law. The Law was first given to Moses in the form of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, then it was interpreted and added to in the Old Testament books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. In fact, tithing shows up as a part of the Law in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Leviticus 27: 30 says, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” The Law required all of God’s people to give a tithe of their income to God. But, this is not why Abram gave a tithe…Remember, there was no such thing as the Law at this point. In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us in the New Testament book of Galatians that Abram lived 430 years before the Law (Galatians 3: 17).
So, why did Abram give one-tenth of his wealth? It was because of his gratitude. We see this in the blessing from Melchizedek in verses 19 and 20, “and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
We also see Abram’s gratitude in Abram’s words about God. Look at what Abram said when he finally got around to speaking to the king of Sodom, “But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me-- to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share." (Genesis 14: 22 – 24).”
The God Abram worshipped was not a regional God. He was not confined to the land of Canaan. Abram’s God is an international God, who was in control of international affairs. God gave Abram the strength, the wisdom and the ability to defeat the four kings. Therefore, this newfound wealth did not belong to Abram. The wealth belonged to God. Abram was so grateful for what God had done, he first gave a tithe to God before he decided what to do with the loot. (It’s interesting at this point to note that Abram didn’t actually keep any of the loot. He gave the first ten percent to God, then gave the rest of the loot to the king of Sodom. He kept nothing for himself.)
IV. LORD, God Most High, Creator of Heaven and Earth.
In Abram’s speech to the king of Sodom, he picked up on the words Melchizedek used in his blessing. Both Melchizedek and Abram referred to God as the “Creator of heaven and earth.”
It is significant that Abram chose to address God as the Creator. This is more than an affirmation about the origins of the universe. This is the foundation of Abram’s faith and worship.
In terms of Abram’s faith, God is the personal Creator of everything we see. It would be nonsensical for us to talk about the creation without also affirming a personal Creator. Nothing in the universe is self-created. No human being is a “self-made” person. God is our Creator.
In terms of Abram’s worship, God is both the Creator and Sustainer of everything we see. God not only gave us life, God also gave us our livelihood. All financial resources come from God. We would have nothing without God’s provision. Some people trust in the government to provide for their needs. Some people trust in free market enterprise to provide for their needs. God’s people trust in the personal Creator and Sustainer to provide for our needs.
V. Conclusion.
There is a program on the A & E Network called “Hoarders.” Have you ever seen “Hoarders?” (It is one of those shows that just sucks you in after a few minutes.) The show tells the story of people with a compulsive hoarding disorder. They keep everything they have ever owned. They cannot bring themselves to let go of anything. Their houses are filled with things you and I would call “junk.” They can’t even move around in their houses, because of the piles and piles of junk.
These people receive psychological counseling and help from personal organizers to get some control back in their lives.
Apparently, this is a diagnosable condition. So, I don’t want to make fun of people who are struggling with this. Yet, there are many of us who are hoarders in God’s eyes. We accumulate “junk” and organize our lives around things that should not be the most important things in life.
Perhaps we don’t have a psychological disorder…But we do have a theological problem. We hold onto “junk” because we think it is important. We hold onto “junk,” because we think we have earned it through our own abilities.
If someone has a compulsive hoarding disorder, that person needs to get help through psychological counseling. If a person has a theological hoarding disorder, that person needs to develop a faith in God as the Creator and Sustainer.
When God is both your Creator and Sustainer, nothing else can take his place as the most important thing in your life. When God is both Creator and Sustainer, worship becomes the opposite of hoarding…It is letting go of resources which came from God in the first place.
Genesis 14: 17 – 24.
I. Introduction.
What is most important in life? On one hand, this is a very philosophical question. It is one of the most talked about, most debated subjects in history. On the other hand, we are in church on a Sunday morning…I am a pastor, standing before a congregation with an open Bible…Perhaps, you will not be surprised by my answer to this question.
However, we can change the question entirely by adding only one word. What is most important in YOUR life? Ahh. This is no longer a philosophical question. This is a practical question…Perhaps even an ethical question.
While I do not want to suggest that truth is relative or that truth can be changed to apply differently to different circumstances, I do believe that we will find many different answers to this question among the different people in this room. What is most important in YOUR life?
A popular way to answer this question is to imagine how you would live your life if you knew you were dying. What if you only had 30 days remaining? 30 days to work…30 days to spend time with your children…30 days to reconcile broken relationships…30 days to serve God and minister to others.
I don’t believe this answers the question. No. Imagining how I would spend my last 30 days of life does not tell me what is most important to me. It tells me what I WISH was most important to me. It is fantasy, not reality.
For some reason, we think we would be different if we had only 30 days left to live. We think imminent death would change our priorities and give us more control over life. This is simply not true. You and I make choices every day that determine how we use both time and money.
Reality is found by looking at our check ledger and our calendar! The most important things in life are the things that take up our time and money. This is the real answer to the question. The ways you spend time every day, and the ways you spend your monthly income are the most important things in your life.
Practically speaking, what is most important in your life? I’m not talking about philosophy or fantasy. I’m talking about reality. Where do you spend your time? How do you spend your money?
Practically speaking, the most important thing in your life is what you worship. Either God is most important in your life, or you are worshipping a false god.
A couple of years ago, I ate lunch with a group of guys from Houston. They were in town to sell something to our church. These guys didn’t like to refer to their work as a business. They said they thought of what they do as a ministry…a way to help churches. As we ate, we talked about God, ministry, evangelism, missions… Then, I asked a question about church. I said, “Where do you go to church in Houston?” He answered, “I don’t go to church anywhere. My daughter plays on a select softball team, and we have games every Sunday.”
I wonder how his check ledger and calendar would answer the question. I suppose it would tell him that softball is the most important thing in his life. Softball is his god. (This is probably not the way he would interpret his time and money. He would probably say that he spends his time and his money on his daughter. But, is that any better? Is it better to say you worship your children?)
In the story of Abram in Genesis, we find an example of faith. Sometimes, Abram looks like a saint. Sometimes, Abram looks like a sinner. But, throughout the story, Abram is a man who demonstrates for us how faith in God ought to be lived out in the real world. It’s not always easy for us to be faithful…But it wasn’t always easy for Abram either.
Read Genesis 14: 17 – 24.
This is an unusual story for a couple of reasons. First, it is difficult to understand. Second, it seems to stand alone in the context of Abram’s story. There is only one thing in this story connecting it with what comes before and after. It helps us to understand what has happened to Abram’s nephew, Lot.
In Genesis 13, Abram and Lot divided up the land. Lot chose to take the well-watered plains and to live in the city of Sodom. Abram left his future in God’s hands. In the end, Abram’s choice was blessed by God, while Lot’s choice fell under God’s judgment. Abram received the fulfillment of all God promised him. Lot separated from Abram and found himself outside of God’s protection.
In Genesis 14: 1 – 16, we read about an international war. The king of Elam demanded tribute taxes from five other nations. These nations paid their taxes faithfully for 12 years. But, in the thirteenth year, they rebelled.
The king of Elam formed a coalition with three other kings and went to war against the rebels. The four kings defeated the five kings and took some of the people as their slaves. Lot and his family were taken as slaves.
When Abram heard that Lot had been captured, he formed his own army of 318 fighting men. He divided his men into two groups and ambushed the army of the four kings at night. Thus, four kings defeated five kings and Abram alone defeated the four kings.
The story shows us that Abram was an effective political leader, who could rally people around his cause. It also shows us that he was an effective military leader, who could outwit his enemies and win a battle that seemed like a “lost cause.” But, the most important thing it shows us is how Abram handled his victory.
II. Two Kings.
Notice that after the battle was won, two kings came to greet Abram. The first king was Bera, the King of Sodom. The second king was Melchizedek, the King of Salem and priest of God Most High.
Abram was now “playing in the big leagues.” He was no longer a simple shepherd, wandering around the country side. Abram is now an international leader, one who is invited to a state dinner with two kings.
Also notice that these two kings want different things from Abram. This is apparent in the first words they speak to Abram. Bera, the King of Sodom, said, “Give me…(Genesis 14: 21).” Melchizedek, the King of Salem, said, “Blessed be Abram… (Genesis 14: 19).” There is a big difference between “Give me” and “Blessed be.”
It should be no surprise that Abram first gave his attention to Melchizedek. Melchizedek came to Abram offering the blessings of God, Most High. The other king came to Abram trying to recover the money and the people stolen in battle.
I believe this is an indication of what was most important to Abram. He was not seeking political fame. He was not interested in holding onto the accumulated wealth. He was most interested in doing what was pleasing to God. God’s blessing was more important than fame or fortune.
Abram’s choice is one that we also face in the twenty-first century. Will we bow down to God or the world? Sometimes the world takes the form of the political state (or even the political party). Most of the time, the world takes the form of worldly wealth. The person who chooses political favor over God’s blessing worships a false god. The person who chooses wealth over God’s blessing also worships a false god. The way we spend our time and money demonstrates which god we worship.
III. The Tithe.
Abram’s choice was to worship God Most High. He did this by instituting the tithe—giving ten percent of his resources to God.
There are several things about Abram’s tithe that are remarkable. First, this was the first recorded tithe in the Bible. None of the biblical characters before Abram gave a tithe. This is something Abram began.
Second, at this point in biblical history, there was no such thing as the Law. The Law was first given to Moses in the form of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, then it was interpreted and added to in the Old Testament books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. In fact, tithing shows up as a part of the Law in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Leviticus 27: 30 says, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” The Law required all of God’s people to give a tithe of their income to God. But, this is not why Abram gave a tithe…Remember, there was no such thing as the Law at this point. In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us in the New Testament book of Galatians that Abram lived 430 years before the Law (Galatians 3: 17).
So, why did Abram give one-tenth of his wealth? It was because of his gratitude. We see this in the blessing from Melchizedek in verses 19 and 20, “and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
We also see Abram’s gratitude in Abram’s words about God. Look at what Abram said when he finally got around to speaking to the king of Sodom, “But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me-- to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share." (Genesis 14: 22 – 24).”
The God Abram worshipped was not a regional God. He was not confined to the land of Canaan. Abram’s God is an international God, who was in control of international affairs. God gave Abram the strength, the wisdom and the ability to defeat the four kings. Therefore, this newfound wealth did not belong to Abram. The wealth belonged to God. Abram was so grateful for what God had done, he first gave a tithe to God before he decided what to do with the loot. (It’s interesting at this point to note that Abram didn’t actually keep any of the loot. He gave the first ten percent to God, then gave the rest of the loot to the king of Sodom. He kept nothing for himself.)
IV. LORD, God Most High, Creator of Heaven and Earth.
In Abram’s speech to the king of Sodom, he picked up on the words Melchizedek used in his blessing. Both Melchizedek and Abram referred to God as the “Creator of heaven and earth.”
It is significant that Abram chose to address God as the Creator. This is more than an affirmation about the origins of the universe. This is the foundation of Abram’s faith and worship.
In terms of Abram’s faith, God is the personal Creator of everything we see. It would be nonsensical for us to talk about the creation without also affirming a personal Creator. Nothing in the universe is self-created. No human being is a “self-made” person. God is our Creator.
In terms of Abram’s worship, God is both the Creator and Sustainer of everything we see. God not only gave us life, God also gave us our livelihood. All financial resources come from God. We would have nothing without God’s provision. Some people trust in the government to provide for their needs. Some people trust in free market enterprise to provide for their needs. God’s people trust in the personal Creator and Sustainer to provide for our needs.
V. Conclusion.
There is a program on the A & E Network called “Hoarders.” Have you ever seen “Hoarders?” (It is one of those shows that just sucks you in after a few minutes.) The show tells the story of people with a compulsive hoarding disorder. They keep everything they have ever owned. They cannot bring themselves to let go of anything. Their houses are filled with things you and I would call “junk.” They can’t even move around in their houses, because of the piles and piles of junk.
These people receive psychological counseling and help from personal organizers to get some control back in their lives.
Apparently, this is a diagnosable condition. So, I don’t want to make fun of people who are struggling with this. Yet, there are many of us who are hoarders in God’s eyes. We accumulate “junk” and organize our lives around things that should not be the most important things in life.
Perhaps we don’t have a psychological disorder…But we do have a theological problem. We hold onto “junk” because we think it is important. We hold onto “junk,” because we think we have earned it through our own abilities.
If someone has a compulsive hoarding disorder, that person needs to get help through psychological counseling. If a person has a theological hoarding disorder, that person needs to develop a faith in God as the Creator and Sustainer.
When God is both your Creator and Sustainer, nothing else can take his place as the most important thing in your life. When God is both Creator and Sustainer, worship becomes the opposite of hoarding…It is letting go of resources which came from God in the first place.
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