Heavenly Visitors Genesis 18

Sermon Nuggets Mon June 25                                         

Verses: Gen 18: 1-15

Heavenly Visitors

            I know full well that church is a place of quietness, respect, soberness and seriousness when we talk of eternal matters and the word of God. However, I also am aware that God loves humor, just look at some of the people around you he made.

            I have pastor friends who say that you should never be funny in a pulpit. We are not here to entertain. We are taking attention of the most Holy of Gods before whom we need to fall on our faces in repentance and awe and wonder. So I too believe when we have a meeting with God it is a sense of fearfulness.

            Now, I also know there are times when you know something is serious, but something strikes you funny. You can’t hardly stop laughing in church. The fact that you are trying not to laugh makes it all the more funny. You know that if you look at someone who knows what is going on you will lose it.

            Now how bad it is when a preacher finds something funny and can’t keep from laughing in church? That happened to me last summer when I was at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism. I had been sitting for days in these seminars. I was tired. There was one more speaker before lunch. I was ready for a break. But they decided to use this time to introduce the afternoon seminar leaders. This was serious matter folks on saving souls. Being it was closer to the lunch break I should add I was interested in visiting the facility at dismissal.

            Then they introduced a lady who was leading one of the seminars. Her name was Nita Outhouse. I laughed and no one else did. They didn’t see the humor in it. So I looked to see if the name was right. All these preachers were all sitting there sober taking notes, desirous of advancing the Kingdom of God and I’ll admit I need a outhouse, or something like it. Which made it all the more funny and nobody was laughing but me. 

            The more I thought about her name the funnier it was. I tried to stifle my laugh, pretend I was coughing, and keep my composure. All I could think of was Nita outhouse. I tried biting my cheeks, ever done that? I was thinking to myself, “why did she marry a man with that name. It surely was love. Why didn’t she at least use her full name instead of a nick name.” When I looked at her first full name. It wasn’t any better. Anita Oouthouse. And I needed a outhouse to be sure. I lost it. I had to excuse myself and leave the auditorium. I went to the necessary room and burst out laughing. Now there were others in the room as well. I didn’t know them. It was too late. I laughed out. I turned to one of the gentlemen and told him what I was laughing at. He smiled awkwardly and took his notebook and walked out. Now maybe that was inappropriate laughter. 

            I think I could relate to Sarai in this story. It is funny, but it is also serious. It is a mixture of divine and human, of ordinary and miraculous, of weariness and exuberance all at the same time. But is also has implications.

When I preached this sermon in 2000 it was in preparation for a Communion Service. Even though it is a daily devotional you might want to think about communion this week as well.  

The communion with the Lord reminds us of important Implications

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues June 26 

Verses Gen  3:18:1-8 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

3 He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”

7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

God Initiates  Fellowship

            This story begins with a meeting with God. It says in verse 1 the Lord appeared to Abraham. It is interesting that the Lord came in three persons. Vs. 2. Now you might think it was the Father Son and Holy Spirit, but when you read later in chp 18:v 33 and 19:1 you see something very unusual. When the Lord had finished speaking he left, then it say the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. And uses vs. 1 small case “my lords” in the plural form. 

            Throughout this story we are looking at today and the next story which we will look at later the phrase keeps popping up, The Lord said, the Lord said, the Lord said even those there were the men sitting there. The Lord was in the midst of the two and three of them, but when we read on we see there were at least two angels.

            I think the three most common answers are these. First the Lord was with the men as they speak the men are messengers of God which is a literal translation of angels, but you have the problem of one disappearing or leaving from the time they leave Abraham and go to visit Lot.

 Secondly you have the interpretation that they were all angels, spiritual beings and the Lord was speaking through them, as might be translated when the Lord talked to Zachariah in the temple before John the Baptist was born, to Mary by the form of Gabriel and Joseph in a dream when they knew it was the Lord’s talking through the angelic beings.

Or the third interpretation that there were two angels and the third being was actually a revelation of the pre incarnate Christ. Jesus was coming to in a human form in the Old Testament before he came in the form of a baby in the New Testament. There are other indications of Jesus pre-incarnate appearances like in the fire with Shaddrach Meshach and Obendego.

            But God in his special and unique relationship with Abraham and his wife has communion with them. God is the one who initiates fellowship. He does that in many ways. He did that sending Christ to earth to save us and have fellowship with the Father. He calls us to intimacy and even in celebrating communion there is the desire for fellowship with Him first, and one another secondly.

            In the Bible days  fellowship and togetherness was symbolically portrayed though meal times. To have a meal with the people was more than having a guest over. It was protection and camaraderie. That is why the Pharisee got upset when Mary Magdalene showed up uninvited at his party. He did not want that implication that he was in fellowship with a woman of evil reputation. That is why Jesus was criticized when he went to eat with the publicans and sinners. That implied fellowship and agreement with them. They were to disassociate themselves from each other. They didn’t want eating times to be the times of fellowship and sharing. 

           

But the design of fellowship in the church is that people of all backgrounds and differences have one thing in common. We have fellowship with God through the works of Christ and our faith in Him. We are forgiven of our past and have promise for the future.

            Today are you out of fellowship with the Lord? He comes to you and to me to offer a seat in his Kingdom, or come back if we have strayed away from his fellowship.

            Abraham saw these visitors and hurried to bow down to the ground recognizing their specialness. He said, “Let me wash your feel and provide rest and offer you something eat and drink.” And they took bread and baked it and the choice of the calf and killed it and curds and milk for drink and they fellowshipped in supper and communion which is more than eating and drinking.

           

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds June 22 

 

Gen 18:9-10  “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.

“There, in the tent, ” he said.

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

God Initiates Promises

            The next thing we look at is the promise. They were hoping and anticipating the birth of their son for decades now but nothing was happening. They had given up on the idea. Faith is a tough thing when you hope and wait and wait and nothing happens.

            The promise is more than wish fulfillment in the life of Abraham. It is confidence in a promise that is specifically given by the Lord Himself. There is something different when there is a direct revelation from God in the Old Testament and direct promises of God in the New Testament and in the Bible for God keeps his word. That is something the Bible confirms - He keeps his word, but not always on our time table.

             

            But there are things I firmly believe because they are in the Bible.  However there have been desires and dreams I believed strongly that they were of God that have not come about. There have been people who have come to me “in the name of the Lord” telling me a prophecy that has not come about. Some of those things had a time element to them, just like Abraham’s promise. It would be within a year when they would be parents. They had 12 months preparation time, not 9 months.

            When desires, prayers and dreams do not come about some conclude there must not be a God, or he doesn’t love me, or he doesn’t keep his promises. Are those the only alternative?. Or could there be other options like maybe I don’t understand promises, or revelation, or reading of the Scriptures properly, or I haven’t waited long enough, or not mature in my faith walk to understand what greater lessons God has for me?

            There are some things I have learned about the nature of God during the years since my salvation. Most commonly I have interpreted the promises I like and want them to be for me. The ones I don’t like I ignore. Most commonly I look at the Bible and read it from an ego centric viewpoint as if the whole Bible were written for me and my situation.

            The problem with many Christians is they are still on the throne with Jesus in their lives. They think everything God does is for our blessing and happiness and must take awhile to realize our blessing and happiness comes when Jesus is on the throne and we serve Him, not the other way around. We want to ask what has God done for me lately and not ask what have we done for God.

           

Salvation does not come by anything we have done, but only what God done for us. But discipleship is the walk of faith that turns over the control and authority to Him. Let it be, Lord, according to your will.

            The promise to Abe and Sarah was unique because Isaac was part of a major plan of God. Isaac was a miracle child unlike any other child in the Bible. Elizabeth and Zarachah gave birth to a miracle child in their childlessness in old age, but he too held unique and special function in God’s greater plan for the redemption of the world. Isaac became an example of the Messiah who was to come as the child of the promise, unlike Ishmael the child of the flesh. He held an important part in God’s object lessons to the nations of the world and to us today.

            When Jesus says he will come into our lives, to all who repent of their sins and come to him by faith, we have fellowship. To all who have fellowship and are saved there are promises that Satan cannot take away from us. God holds us in His hand. We have the confidence of heaven, of living forever, of being freed from the power of Satan and sin, of resurrection, of seeing Jesus, of never fearing hell, of living forever in the presence of the Lord.

Those are promise we can count on, Praise the Lord,

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thurs June 28

Verses Gen 18:12 Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

God Initiates the Impossible

            Sarah as listening to this promise of a son and knew that she as 90 Abraham was to be 100 and they were long past baby bearing age. When Sarah heard the message now at 90 years of age she knew it was impossible. She responded in laughter. Not so much the humor of the situation but the idea  of how ridiculous it was from a human perspective. She laughed. The idea of having a baby I am sure brought a mixture of emotions. Laughter over the fact that we heard that over and over again and here it comes again. I can cry or I can laugh about it. Laughter in the disappointment over the years as a scoffing of the words that can easily imply disbelieve and mockery over the statement.

            When Jesus was crucified and standing before the people they laughed. Not because it was funny, but out of unbelief, ridicule and mockery.

            When Judi and I were not able to get pregnant and getting older many people reminded us of the story of Abraham and Sarai in whom God brought about the promise in their old age. I did what Sarai did. I laughed. I laughed not so much out of the humor, but out of mixed emotions. I thought of the well meaning people and how kind they were trying to be, but missing the whole point that it was false hope and I laughed sort of out of ridicule over their insensitivity to the personal and unspoken hurts of infertility. There was a knowing glance with others who were unable to have children that made is one with them. Women who cannot have children know the longing of wanting to give birth but unable, and know that others don’t understand that empty yearning.

            They have had many blessings and so do we. One can find meaning and purpose without husbands, without wives, without family. Especially in the fellowship of Christian family there can be a unity and fulfillment. We were blessed later and know the joy, but also faith is to know the disappointment of others who are not able to have children come into their home.

            Sarah perhaps tried to stifle her laughter when it wasn’t impropriate. It was the snicker to herself. It says that. She wasn’t heard but the thought was clear. The Lord knew that Sarah is not laughing because she is delighted, but is laughing because she believed it was impossible. And God's response to Sarah is this: "Sarah, your God is too small." He asks her a rhetorical question: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" The expected answer is "No". The God who created the universe with a word is not limited by the world He created. What seemed impossible to Sarah was not impossible to God at all.

            But then comes the question we should all think about. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” You have placed the wrong person on the throne Sarai. I want to show what I can do and I have decided to use you to demonstration for all eternity this special ability of mine. Nothing is impossible for God:. Virgin Birth like Jesus. Opening a closed womb like with Hannah, Taking a prostitute like Rahab and given her status, taking a sinner like Saul and bringing into his life the greatest of missionaries. Of taking you and me and at his will and at his power bringing about whatever he wants. Whatever he wants, whatever he wants. That is the picture God wants us to get. He is able to meet your needs. The problem may seem beyond you but friend, do you think it is too hard for the Lord?

When you are tempted to despair, repeat those words. When you feel like you can't handle life anymore . . . repeat those words. When you face an impossible situation, remember the truth of those words. The next time you feel like laughing at God's promise . . . remember who it is who is making the promise. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

Abraham and Sarah were reminded that the God who spoke to them is the Omnipotent God. He is the one who is all-powerful. He takes those who are dead and makes them live. He takes the sick and heals them. He takes broken relationships and lives and puts them back together. Whatever circumstance you face remember it is not too hard for the Lord.

           

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Fri June 29 

Verses: Gen 18:16- 30 ¹⁶ When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. ¹⁷ Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? ¹⁸ Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 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.”

²⁰ Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous²¹ that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

²² The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.²³ Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? ²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing —to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

God Initiates Intercession

Before the heavenly visitors left the Lord told Abraham the angels were leaving to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah due to their unusual and blatant sin. There is an interesting response by Abraham. He prays or intercedes for people of the cities. We know that he has relatives and friends there. Lot, his nephew, and Lot’s family and his servants and material goods are there. Perhaps Abraham might have a special compassion for the cities since he saved many of the people from bondage when they were captured if you remember by the kings of the North some years before. ‘

But Abraham spent time with the Lord pleading for safety for these cities. But the Lord lays out the charge against Sodom. Was it the armies of Heaven calling for God to execute justice against such vile people? Was it those who had been victimized by the barbarity of the people? Perhaps it was those who had been raped, abused killed as a result of the self indulgent lifestyle of these citizen. We just don’t know. What we do know is that God was listening.

Abraham wanted good to prevail. Abraham perhaps knew that Sodom and Gomorrah deserved the judgment they were about to receive. But at the same time Abraham knew those towns were filled with real people. Abraham felt that horror of what was going to happen. In order to be intercessors we must see people lost in need of salvation. Our hearts must be burdened for people, Like Abrahams. We must see that every lost person faces hell. We must remember that every sinner is in the same state we were in before we knew grace. We just see that every hurting person is somebody’s family member, somebody’s friend. We must see beyond ourselves.

Abraham asks an honest question. “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spar the place for the sake of fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing to kill the righteous with the wicked treating the righteous and wicked alike. Far be it from you? Will not the judge of all earth do right? (22-25)

Before finishing the question Abraham answers it. He know that God will do what is right. However, I appreciate the honesty of the question If we are not honest in our praying. Our prayers are superficial and meaningless. If we don’t ask our honest question we will never grow in our faith. ‘

If you don’t understand why certain events occur, tell Him. If you feel something is out of control, say so. If you think something is happening that seems unfair, ask “why me?”. Be honest.

But i the questions be ready to listen for an answer. Repeat the promises of Scripture to yourself. Stand on His word we don’t’ ask out of arrogance, we ask out of honesty. At times we don’t understand why thing happen the way they do. We can be honest about our attitude.

There are times I have to honestly say, “Lord, I don’t know how to pray.” Other times I will confess. “Lord it is hard for me to see beyond the seemingly injustice of this situation. Help me.” God welcomes our honesty.

But not only do we see an intercessor burdened and honest, his prayers are specific. Abraham does not speak in generalities. He wants to know “If there are 50 people..will you spare the city? God tells He will. But Abraham does not stop there. He continues to push the issue. Mabye even 45? 40? 30? 20? 10? Each time God says if there are that may righteous people the city will be spared. Abraham is not asking arrogantly (demanding God do things ) but he is asking specifically. There is a difference. It has always bothered me to make demands of the Lord. I trust his wisdom over my shortsightedness. I trust his love over my feelings. But I also am grateful I can have a prayer time that is real, open, honest.

If you are asking for physical healing, say so. If you want someone to be brought to faith, make your specific request by name. If you need a certain amount of money, name it. We will not see dramatic answers to prayer unless we can recognize the answers when they come.

Sure God can say no. Certainly there will be times when God will answer differently than we anticipate; but many times God will answer our request as we have prayed. But we will never see this until we are specific.

But also notice God would spare the city if there were 10 people who were righteous. I wonder why God has put up with America? I think it is because of the believers in the land. As long as the faithful remain faithful to Christ, I believe we are providing a measure of protection for our land. But if Christians begin losing their righteousness our land is in trouble.

God does not always answer as we might expect. Abraham expected that the righteous could be saved if the city was saved. God chose instead to remove his nephew from the city. God answered Abraham regarding his immediate family even though it was in an unexpected way. We will talk more about that next week

The prayers are intercessions of burdens, concerns, and specific to God. That is a good example of the communication that God desires and a privilege we have with the creator of the world.

Pastor Dale
 

Birth Announcements Genesis 17

Sermon Nuggets Mon June 18 

Verses- Gen 17

Birth Announcements

Perhaps one of the most positive announcements we have in our bulletins is when we announce the birth of a new baby to one of our members or attenders. People delight in  new life. Babies are a sign of God’s creative genius and usually the joy it brings to the family. People like to see the babies and even ask to hold them.

So much was made about the birth of some babies in the Bible. Most notable Jesus who was virgin born as the promised one came to earth born as a baby. The birth of Ishmael was a delight to Abraham, but not to Sarai. Jealousy, envy, anger, and sin were mixed together as this child represented the works of man seeking to carry out God’s promises. The birth of Isaac was indeed a miracle for this couple was far beyond the age for having children. The announcement wasn’t given to the world of the birth of a child, but reather to the oldest couple to ever have a child. Abraham will be 100 years old. Sarai will be 90 years old.

Even the celebration is a result of God’s covenant, or agreement which we talked about with Abraham last week. His agreement was to bless Abram and develop a nation by giving him the promised son. Indeed when we come to king David we understand this promised one is to rule on the throne for ever. So Jesus comes in completion to the various covenants and promises and prophecies of the Bible.

            Romans 15:8 says, "Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs." Everything promised to Noah, Abraham, Moses and David and their descendants is confirmed and secured by the coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.

As we approach the 17^th Chapter today, remember what has gone one before already. Twenty-four years earlier Abram had left Haran, in obedience to the divine call  Gen 12. After Abram and Lot separated and Abram had defeated the eastern alliance of kings (chapters 13 and 14), God formally made a covenant with Abram, specifying that his heir would come from his own body (15:4), and giving a more exact description of the land that he would possess (15:18-21). In addition, he was told the fate of his offspring for the next several generations (15:12-16).

What we discussed last week happened in Abrams life thirteen years previously. Abram had taken a wrong turn, by following the poor advice of his wife, by taking Sarai’s maid, Hagar, as his wife. This led only to disunity and heartbreak for all involved. So far as we can tell, God has not spoken to Abram since that sin. 

Now thirteen years later after waiting and believing that God changed his mind, he gives them a birth announcement. They will be having a baby. This announcement is like none other. It reminds us of the wondrous works and promises of an almighty God.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues June 19 

Gen 17: 1-3 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. ² Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

     ³ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him

This Announcement recognizes the Planner

            All children are of God. Unlike what some of our legislators and politicians think having a baby is not a private matter between a doctor, a woman, and her family. It is also a spiritual matter involving God.

Psalm 8 reminds us that we are wonderfully and marvelously made.  Jer 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

           

As I have greeting newborns in the hospital with their parents I am reminded that each child is a gift from God. Each body houses a living soul. There is a planner in her life, and a planner in my life, and planner in your life- God.

           

Although you might say every life born is a miracle from God, Abram and Sarah had an amazing surprise ahead because God was going to do something he had never done before. They were to have a child born to them long after they were suppose to have babies. Abram was 99 years old. Sarah was 90, too late to have a baby. 

            But the birth of the child isn’t to be a credit to Abe and Sarah, the best they could do was come up with this adulterous relationship with Hagar to produce a son. But God had a better idea. He announced for Himself a new name, a new understanding for Abram to know God in a deeper way.  There is another name in Hebrew that hasn’t been used before referring to God. The name El Shaddai. It means the Almighty one. They have a new and improved understand of the nature and person of God.

            As you grow in faith and that is what this whole series on Abraham is about. When you grow in faith you grow in understand God better so you learn to trust him more. So much of our difficulties come because we have created God in our image and imagining him doing what we would desire to do and are disappointed or surprised that God has his own ideas which are always better and wiser than ours, though we may not understand it at the time.

            God wants Abram and us to understand him as the one who has all might and  all-sufficiency. If Abram really believed God could do what ever God wanted to do, however God wanted to do it, he wouldn’t have sinned by taking Hagar as his second wife.  If he realized God was all sufficient in himself, and not dependent upon creature strength, he could have waited even longer.

If you believe God is all powerful and all sufficient that does make a difference how you do business. It makes a difference how you look upon your riches. You even can look at your job differently, knowing and believing God is in charge.

To believe that God is all mighty and has no shadow of turning is a step of faith . We believe we are made strong to do what He wants us to do. We don’t put our confidence in the changing economic markets. We look at our lives and say we are not our own for we have been bought with a price and cannot and should not live in ignorance when He gives us his revelation and how we best should live.

Abram had been told that he would become a great nation (12:2); now he is told that in fact he will become the ‘father of a multitude of nations’ (17:4). Beyond this, he will be the father of kings (17:6). El Shaddai promised to be a God to Abram and to his descendants (17:7), among whom we must include Abram’s spiritual seed (cf. Galatians 3:16). The covenant was not only between Abraham and God, but between God and Abraham’s seed, forever.

What was Abram’s response when he sees the Lord? He fell facedown. It was too much for him to think that God would even continue to work with him. It was too much as a sinner to realize the love and grace of Almighty God. Because of who God is and his mercy and love to us, it changes our lives and the way we live. God tells him two things. Walk before me and be blameless. There will be a relationship that is intimate, and one that is holy different than the rest of the world.

AS the sovereign planner of your life how does that make you feel? What in your life is not in the plan of God?

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds June 20 

Verses – Gen 17: 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.

      15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

The Announcement Recognizes the Parents

In all birth announcements you include the parents’ name. In fact if you just got the name of the baby it wouldn’t mean much. What makes the announcement special is to whom the baby belongs. This couple was looking forward to this child for years and years and the longer the wait the greater the joy and blessing. It was a personal joy and personal blessing.

Here is how God chooses to make the announcements. The name Abram meant ‘high father’ or ‘exalted father.’ But now his name was changed to ‘father of a multitude.’ How could Abraham ever live this name down? By the grace of God, he would soon live up to his new name. Here God says to Abraham, "Look, Abram, your old name means 'exalted father.' Your trouble all along has been that you were looking for your own exaltation. This must now be changed. You must lose your desire to exalt yourself; you will stop trying to advance and please yourself. Your name will now be 'the father of a multitude,' for great fruitfulness shall be evident in your life. Because you have now learned that I am El Shaddai, your name can no longer be 'exalted' but it must now be 'fruitful,' for you will be the father of a multitude."

That is the name I want on the birth certificate, and while we are at changing names the other parent will not be Hagar, but rather Sarai and God desires to change her name too. Sarai means "contentious." This speaks volumes of the home life of Abram and Sarai. In Proverbs 21:9 {RSV}, Solomon writes, "It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a contentious woman." Having had a thousand wives, here is a man who knows of what he speaks! Sarai is, therefore, a problem wife.

Yet in the New Testament, Peter says that this woman is a model for all women to follow -- not by her name, Sarai, "contentiousness," but by her new name, Sarah, "Princess." She is never referred to as Sarai in the New Testament. God does not set her up as a pattern for women until she becomes Sarah and loses her contentious spirit. As Sarah she learned to develop "a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious," 1 Pet 3:4.

Sarai was not naturally thus. We saw in the last chapter she was an argumentative woman, a nagging wife. But she, too, had been taught by grace, and through the years she lost the need to defend herself on every occasion and became Sarah, a princess, a queen, an honored woman, having a meek and quiet spirit, very precious in the sight of God.

Genesis makes plain that Abraham did not father a multitude of nations in a physical or political sense. Therefore the meaning of God's promise was probably that a multitude of nations would somehow enjoy the blessings of sonship even though physically unrelated to Abraham. That's no doubt what God meant in Gen. 12:3 when he said to Abraham, "By you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

From the very beginning God had in view that Jesus Christ would be the descendant of Abraham and that everyone who trusts in Christ would become an heir of Abraham's promise. So it says in Gal. 3:29, "If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." Or as Romans 4:16-17 says, "The promise is according to grace in order to be guaranteed to all Abraham's descendants, not only to [the Jews] but also to [Gentiles] who share the faith of Abraham, who is father of us all, as it is written, 'I have made you the father of many nations."'

So when God announced the parents 4,000 years ago, he opened the way for anyone of us, no matter what nation we belong to, to become a child of Abraham and an heir of God's promises. All we have to do is share the faith of Abraham. We don't become heirs of Abraham's promises by working for God but by being confident that God works for us. "Abraham grew strong in his faith, giving glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised" (Rom. 4:20). That's why Abraham could obey God even when obedience looked like a dead-end street. He trusted God to do the impossible. He was to put his faith in God's promises. That is how it is today. In a spiritual way we are sons of Abraham by faith shown in our obedience to God’s word.  Jesus says in John 8:39, "If you were Abraham's children you would do what Abraham did." Children of Abraham are people of all nations who put their hope in God’s promise, specifically now revealed in Christ.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thur June 21

Verses- Gen 17:19-22

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

The Announcement Recognizes the Promise.

            Now in all the baby announcements we have received they have all told us the date of birth and the Babies name. This is something God does as well, only he tells him that it will be a year from now, and he even announces his name. It shall be Isaac.

            This is the first baby announcement that actually happened a year before the baby was born. Some might know a month or so if they are going to have a C-section and the obstetrician takes the baby through surgical means. Sometimes people might know almost 9 months ahead when conception occurs, but at that stage even pregnancy tests are not very accurate, but here there is an accurate pregnancy test that takes place one year before the birth. It is the promise of the baby son to Abraham and Sarah together.

            He even names the child. Isaac meals laughter. It is as if you call your child giggles or smiley. In this chapter the name of the baby yet to come was to be Isaac. His name has meaning as it true of most Hebrew Names. His name is laughter because the parents laughed with joy at the birth later, as well as laughed with the idea they would be the parents in their old age.

            I remember when God called me to preach. It is a laughing matter. I realized when I was young I was quite shy. Quite often when the pastors role is unknown and  I am with strangers, it is typical that I do not say anything unless my role requires it. There are invisible students whom the teacher seldom knows is there, because they are quiet and do their job, neither being outstanding or a trouble maker. My teachers reported, “It is easy to forget he is in the room.” And that was fine with me, so wouldn’t it be laughable to think that God would pick someone like me to be a preacher?

            The prophecy or promise is that Isaac will be the patriarch through whom God will birth a nation. He is the one by whom the promised one Jesus Christ will come. He is the special child chosen by God to symbolize the promise.

Note how this covenant of the promise is all of God. Abraham and Sarah are just the tools. Look at the “I”s. "I will make my covenant between me and thee." "I will make thee fruitful." "I will establish my covenant." "I will give unto thee." "I will be thy God," and so on.

Note not only who does it, but the promise in the future is also confirmed 5 ways.  I will make you very fruitful. I Will make nations of you, I will establish my covenant. I will give you the land as an everlasting possession, and I will be your God. The promise is sure because God is able and carries out his promises.

What does that imply for you and me? If my salvation rests upon this poor, puny person upon my desires, upon my faithfulness, then I am in trouble, because I am so weak and fail. But if my eternal salvation rests upon the great strength of God and his promises, then I need to remind myself he is the one who holds the universe, He is the one sustains the power. He is the one who gives the promises to Abraham and then to me. And through Jesus his Son, then blessed be his name, my salvation is safe and well; and now out of love He calls us to serve him with all our hearts. That is His promise

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Fri June 22

Verses Gen 17: 9-14, 23-27

9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. ”

    

23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household , including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

The Announcement Recognizes the Particulars

            Oh there are some things in a baby announcement that include the particulars. There is usually how much the baby weighed at birth and how long it is. I am not sure why except we can tell how healthy, big the child is. Certainly it is important to the medical staff that judges health by such statistics. We are aware of those who are premature, who at unbelievable weights sometimes even a little more than a pound lives. Or those unbelievable babies that are huge.

There was another particular that was given to Abraham.  In the Jewish culture that day of celebration and party is the day when the baby is circumcised. Isaac will be the first baby circumcised. It began as part of the covenant sign of the Israelites with God.  The cutting of the fore flesh of the male had physical benefits for hygiene, but it had other meaning that was symbolic and spiritual.  Symbolically, the flesh is put away.

Children that were begotten were to be brought up according to God’s Word. As that young child grew up, his circumcision was a sign to him that he was different from other boys—he belonged to God. It was not the circumcision that saved the boy, but the sign which would forever remind him of what God required to enjoy the benefits of His covenant.

I was surprised in reading the commentaries how often writers will relate this to infant baptism in the New Testament, which is never taught or practiced. I missed it entirely, but think it needs a comment. I think they are referring to Col 2“And you have been given fullness in Christ who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the pore of God who raised him from the dead.” 

It is clear the two rites symbolize different things. The Old Testament symbol of the covenant is putting off the flesh- just like God rejected the son of the flesh or man’s way of doing things, like having the son Ishmael, son of a slave be the promised one. This was a reminder to Abraham and all the Israelites God puts away the flesh.

This is the meaning of heart circumcision. Abraham walked with me and walk blameless. Don’t do things your way. Circumcision was not all that Abraham was required to do—rather, it was the symbol of his relationship to God and signified what his moral conduct should be. Circumcision, for Abraham, meant that he had bound himself to God in this covenant. He looked forward to its blessings, and he also submitted to its stipulations. It was a sign that we as a people will be obedient to the Lord. The spiritual circumcision is to do away with the flesh (or sin) and go with God.

It means to keep his commands, to obey his voice, to serve him to desire his ways above your own. It means to walk around in the love, characters, and attitude of Christ.

Now all of us need to live a life dedicated and devoted to God in both the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. In the New Testament, therefore, we no longer read of circumcision of the flesh but of the heart. The heart is the symbol of the soul -- the mind, emotions, and will, the whole personality. Every believer in Christ is to bear on his heart the sign of Christ's Lordship. The total personality is to be at his disposal. That is the Christian's circumcised life.

But baptism symbolizes something different. Its emphasis is on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ; It symbolizes we have died to old self and been born anew. If you compare the two symbols, circumcision was performed on infants eight days old while Baptism in the New Testament is for believers. One is a private sign the other a public declaration. One is for males only the other for all believers, male and female. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant with Abraham; but the sign of the covenant with believers is the Lord’s supper in the blood of Jesus, not baptism.

But we can take this lesson. Abraham by faith did what God told him to do. How much more should we who are followers of Jesus do what He tells us to do and follow through on the outward public sign of Baptism. I think all believers in Christ should be baptized. If you haven’t, We’d be happy to show you what Gods’ word says, and have a Baptismal service declaring your faith in obedience to Jesus

           

Abraham thought Ishmael could fulfill the promise, but that was not Gods’ plan. God had purposed to give Abraham and Sarah a child of the promise. Neither is there any other means of salvation regardless of how good the person is, that receiving by faith, God’s gift to us, His only son Jesus Christ.

When you become a Christian, you did so by recognizing the right of Jesus Christ to be Lord in your life. You did not, of course, understand what that would involve, but you saw, in one way or another, that his willingness to save you involved his right to control you. Holy Spirit begins to speak to you about personal matters of desiring to please God. Verses 22-27 stress the important role of obedience in our Christian lives. It is precious to God. Because of this, He recorded the circumcision of Abraham, Ishmael, and all of Abraham’s household. The response of faith to divine commands is always obedience.

The more I study the life of Abraham, the more I see that his was a relationship of growth. He came to learn more and more about the God Who called him. He came to a deeper and deeper understanding of the meaning of God’s Word. As he did so, he invariably drew nearer and nearer to God. There was not only a growth in Abraham’s knowledge, but in his intimacy. At first, God only spoke to Abraham (12:1). Twenty-four years later He revealed Himself to Abraham and spoke with him. Abraham, for the first time, communed with God and interacted with Him. Later, he would be called the friend of God.

You and I cannot have a static relationship with God. Not if we are truly born again. God will not allow this to happen. He may allow us to fail such as Abraham often did. He may leave us to ourselves for a time, as Abram found God silent for 13 years. But sooner or later God will break into our lethargic lives and draw us closer to Himself. That is what the Christian life is all about.

Pastor Dale

Single Parent Genesis 16

Sermon Nuggets Mon. June 11  Single Parent

Verses Gen 16:1,2  Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

Problems of Insecurity

            As King Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” I believe as we have been looking at Genesis this chapter introduces us to the first time of a single mother. Her name is Hagar. Now she was probably not the first, but the first mentioned.  She was an Egyptian servant of Abram. She was probably a young woman 10 years ago when Abram and Sarai went to Egypt and returned with some of the kings riches. She must have hit is off with Sarai, to became her maidservant.

            Being a single parent is one of the hardest tasks there is. Some are single parents by death or divorce, others by pregnancy out of wedlock. Some have a husband but due to work or travel are never around and thereby live as a single parent. But Hagars situation was difficult in that it was more like a rape. She was a servant who had little voice in becoming the concubine of her master Abram.

            Many slaves had children by their masters for whom it may or may not have been consensual. This is the circumstance behind Hagar’s having a child and this story goes on to talk about problems with faith.       

           We see first the problem of Insecurity. It seems unusual to me but the problem doesn’t really begin with Abram being unfaithful to his wife as it begins with what I would call insecurity on the part of the wife because of her standing in the community and her self esteem as a woman.

            Today there are many options open to a woman that allows for accomplishments and feelings of self satisfactions. Some find self worth in jobs, or in voluntary services if they have the means to do so. So many of are great voluntary charities have been headed up and operated and maintained by women. So many goods and services come from the sacrifices of selfless ladies who are to be honored for their hours of labor and love.

But in the day of Sarai there was one thing that made women feel complete and that was having a baby and preferably a baby boy. The more children a woman had the higher her status among other women. That was her goal in life.  Women who were infertile were ridiculed, excluded from conversations and socialization. Women would gather by the watering hole or other places with other wives and the topics of conversation would be their husbands, children and grandchildren.

Sarai understood that Abram was promised to have many children. In the last chapter God and Abram had this conversation at least a second time. I am sure that if the problem was not Abram she began to doubt if she was the problem. Perhaps the prophecy is true, but she would not be the mother, Abram would be the father. So in order to accomplish her role and taking cues from the pagan society around them Sarai came up with a plan, to have her servant service as a wife in her place so any child would be as if it were her own.

 Abram's mistake was an act of silence. He went along with it when he should have encouraged them both to trust God's promises. Instead, we have another example of His inability to trust God. You just don't ask other women to marry and have relations with your husband because you just can't wait for children. Infertility is painful!

Unless you are unable to have children, you don’t quite understand the mixed emotions of celebrating the news of other couples who are going to have a child, but the pain of asking why not you? When someone is pregnant out of wedlock infertile couples ask, “why them and not us?” The worse feelings are when someone has abused or neglected their child and emotional cry is “it isn’t fair God.” Why don’t you give children to those who are able and want to love a child rather than to people who don’t want children and will neglect or abuse them?” 

The inability to bear children is painful in any society but especially during Sarai's time when a women's value and significance came through child bearing. It was incredibly devastating. Sarai's difficulty was simply that all of her actions grew out of a basic thought which, put very simply, says: "God has told me what he wants, now the rest of it depends on me. God has shown me what the goal is, and it is up to me to figure out how to reach it. I know what he wants, and I can count on him for help, but the rest is up to me."

This thinking led to all the folly and heartache and sorrow that Abram and Sarai experienced running centuries since then. We continually think and act this way in the church today. We say the reason God's work is not going forward as it should is that we are not trying hard enough. The barrenness in our experience is due to the fact we have not really put ourselves into this. Let us hold some more committee meetings and get going. It all depends on us.

We read "the Great Commission, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation."  And I am tempted to think the rest is up to us. I am thinking this week how can we do evangelism more effectively? How can we carry out God's will? Is that of faith or of man? I can see who insecurity and feeling uneasy with no fruit or no results leads one to act in the flesh instead of in faith. It does so with Sarai and with us.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues June 12 Impatience

Verse Gen 16: ³ So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.⁴ He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

The problem of  Impatience

The point of being there for 10 years means that they figured they waited long enough. Every month I am sure Sarai wondered if she was going to have her normal period or perhaps this was the month she would confirm she was with child. But every month Sarai would weep knowing once again no baby was on the way. This is when faith gets challenged. If she was impatient after 10 years think about us after 10 months.

            Impatience is one of the biggest hindrances to faith I can think of. We want something right now and not want to wait on Gods’ time table. His time is always right, but often long that we might rest and take it easy.

God promised to give them this land where that had spent the last ten years. They didn't even have a mortgage payment. He also promised to bless them with a child and yet something went wrong. Impatience made Sarai come up with another plan. Sarai allowed the pain of impatience to overpower the promise of God.

A lesson is faith is this: “Trust Gods timing because He has a purpose of every delay.” Sarah and Abraham interpreted God's delay as their inability. But God delays for many different reasons. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, "there is a time for everything." And "he makes everything beautiful in it's time."

Rev Bruce Goettsche says, “Sometimes God delays to make us holy Sometimes He delays to prepare us for a task. Sometimes He delays to deal with some weakness. Sometimes He delays to strengthen our faith. Sometimes He delays for the benefit of those who are watching. Sometimes He delays so He might give us the best and not just something adequate. Sometimes He delays for reasons only He knows”

God’s delays are not from inability but from wisdom. That is where faith comes in. We trust his greater plan even though we do not understand it. When God is silent don’t panic but keep trusting. He has promised to finish the work that he has begun in you.

            Abram and Sarai did not have all the all the information. They didn’t plan that a God could give them a baby beyond child rearing years, but he can. They didn’t plan a supernatural birth whereby only God gets the glory, they thought he was going to act in a natural way. We like to give God help in doing his work. we "help God" to find us a mate And it is impatience that lead many to marry someone who is not a Christian or committed to Godly things, and there are consequences. We get impatient and want to help God by using worldly tactics to grow a church because others grow it by tested and proved ways instead of acting by faith in God. We think we can help in other people’s sanctification by coming up with man made rules of what makes a good and growing Christian and judge them by outside legalism. We hurry God up by making purchases we cannot afford, buying houses that are not by faith, and going to colleges because of convenience not prayer.

            One of the problems with faith is impatience.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds June 13 

Verse Gen 16: ⁴ He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

The problem of  Influence 

Verse 4 is a sad verse. I am thinking of the lessons of chapter 15 when Abram meets with the Lord after the promise again of children, He believes God. The Lord counts Abram righteous for his faith, and boom the next thing we read is that he commits sin with Hagar and demonstrates a lack of obedience, a lack of faith in the work of God and is influenced by the protests of his wife.

Why is that? Abram is a man of faith, but sin comes when you listen to others who influence you. We see that in the garden of paradise, we see that in Proverbs when a young man walking with God is enticed by a woman looking for an affair. We see that at the gates of Pilate when people are influence to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus. We see that with mob control when people giving thought to actions are moved by the influences of others in areas that they know are wrong. We see that when the populace declares for us what is politically correct and we change the views to match others.

It is hard for young people when friends influence friends to habits they know comprise their Christian standards and commitments. It is hard for business men who are influenced by the pressure to make the sale or make a profit to be tempted to dishonest practices. Influences of others smack us in defeat.

Who you pick as friends, who you pick at mates, who you pick as business partners will influence your decisions. Sarai’s persistent taunting and desires for a baby and child, her insecurities and low self esteem moved her to influence her husband to have a baby by her servant Hagar.

            Abram was not only influenced by his wife, but they both were influenced by the society and culture in which they lived.

E.A. Speiser in his work on Genesis wrote "Using a concubine was a method of providing an heir in the case of a childless marriage apart from adoption." (p. 130)

Former Bethel prof John Sailhamer wrote in his commentary, "The people in Abram's culture regarded a concubine as a secondary wife - with some, but not all, of the rights and privileges of the primary wife."

In some cultures at that time the husbands would require it if the wife could not bear children. Although it was allowed and acceptable to the culture of that day it was never God's desire for Abram and Sarai. I understand in progressive revelation. There are some things made more clear in the Bible as time went on but from the beginning people knew God’s plan. In Genesis 2:24 it is written, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Abram had only one wife, and he was quite content with that arrangement. Many of the Canaanite leaders would have had more than one wife and neither Abram nor Sarai would be less highly regarded because of this act. No one would laugh at her, nor point the finger of scorn. It was a perfectly proper and seemly act in the eyes of the community.

            But it was the influence of the people and loved ones that motivated them to act instead of faith.

            What influences your decisions? How much do you friends, and others people cause you to act not in faith, but in the flesh? What decisions do you think you must make on your own because others are pressuring you into it? Dear people get back to the book and take your direction from God’s way regardless if you are the only one doing it. Act by faith and not influence.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thurs June 14 

Gen 16:  ⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

⁶ “Your slave is in your hands, ” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

Acting Irresponsibly

Sarai who influenced Abraham to take her servant now blames her husband when Hagar conceives. Often when things trouble us we find someone else to blame. Sarah blames Hagar and Abraham; Abraham blames Sarah, Hagar blames Sarah and Abraham . . . and they probably all blame God! Few people take responsibility for their choices now. We blame our parents, we blame our genetic makeup (translated, we blame God), we blame a teacher, a spouse, a person who was driving too fast. It doesn't matter who it is . . . just so it isn't us!!!

            Abram did not act responsibly as a husband. Every time Abram was "with" Hagar it wounded Sarah. It may have been her idea but the thought of her husband being in the arms of another woman wounded her. Nor did Abram act responsibly to Hagar. Although he had a legal right to do what he did with his servant girl, he had no moral right. I think there are many times in our decisions we ask ourselves is it legal, rather than, is it right.

Sarah did not act responsibly to either her husband or her servant. Now she resents Abram for listening to her. She is hurt that he would find favor in another woman.

When Hagar became pregnant, Sarah felt she was overshadowed. I'm sure things were very tense around the home of Abraham and Sarah. To ease the tension, Abraham abandons his responsibility and says, "Hey, do whatever you want. If you want to get rid of her . . . fine."

            Now it seems that Hagar is also not acting responsibly once she realizes she is pregnant with her master’s child. Perhaps she thinks her position changes and begins to act contemptuously against Sarah who is already hurt. He shows an attitude of spite.

            Sarah further acts irresponsibly when she mistreats Hagar and Hagar feels she needs to leave. She can no longer stand the abuse that Sarah is heaping on her. Like most of us when we aren't in a good mood we take it out on others. Sarah was jealous and resentful towards Hagar and was making her life miserable. The child they thought they had wanted was now heading to the wilderness.

Can you imagine the turmoil Abraham was going through? Like it or not the child Hagar carried was his. There are worldwide consequences. Every day you and I hear and read about consequences that resulted ultimately from this decision to "help God". Ishmael, the child born to Hagar and Abraham became the father of the Arab peoples. The conflict which has existed between the Arabs and the Jews is a direct result of this foolish choice.

Why do you think we are seeing rampant immorality, escalating violence, increasing materialism and a disintegration of society? I think it is because we have disregarded the Lord. We have acted irresponsibly instead of by faith, as a nation and in our families, in our educational systems and in our government. We live in a world that seeks to make God irrelevant.

How foolish we are. We cannot continue to ignore God and still expect to receive His blessing. We cannot disregard His commands and think that we will not be led astray. We cannot refuse to accept responsibility and expect to move forward. The best way to handle foolish choices is to admit them and learn from them.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Fri June 15           

Gen 16: 7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

11 The angel of the Lord also said to her:

“You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son.

You shall name him Ishmael,  for the Lord has heard of your misery.

12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;  his hand will be against everyone

    and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility  toward all his brothers. ”

The Problem with Injustice

What do you do when you are a servant and imposed upon immorally by your master? Hagar I believe suffered two major injustices by submitting to sexual relationships to Abram and being taken as his wife, and then again once she was pregnant to be mistreated by Sarai at the permission of Abram. She was dispensable. She was a tool to accomplish their fleshly desires. She was placed into the role of a single parent because later you will see she is banished from the presence of Sarai and Abram after the true son of the promise is born.

            Life is not fair. Don’t ever believe anyone who tells you differently. Some people have it good. Others have it bad. Some people regardless how they live seem to have many breaks and others regardless of how hard they try have tragedy and difficulty face them beyond their control.

            Most people will like to put themselves into the last category because we love to dwell on the problems and compare ourselves only with those who have it better. You are in the top 15% of the blessing of the world’s resources, freedoms and opportunities of the world and listen to ourselves complain about the price of gas. In Russia only 5 % have the resources to own a car. We complain about the cost of medical treatments. In certain sections of Africa you have one Doctor to over 10,000 people and millions of people cannot get a common aspirin. Drugs are scarce or non existent. We complain about our homework while many in India are illiterate. We complain about inconviences around our house, without much thought of the people who have no homes, no food, or in slavery, ignorance and most importantly, blindness to the Gospel. When you are in a country where only 5% are Christians and it is illegal to preach the gospel what is the likelihood of you being saved? No very good. Why would God so bless us and allow us the privilege of salvation when most of the world is going to Hell. It is true life is not fair and dear people we are in the slim minority of the most blessed and richest of the world and if it were fair so much of what we possess must be taken away.

            While Hagar is running away in the desert to go back to Egypt God meets with her by the means of an Angel of the Lord. He gives Hagar simple counsel: Return and Submit!

Jim Boice writes, “When we have run away from something, we never want to go back to it. But if you have made a wrong turn in the direction of your life, as we often do, the only thing to do is return to the point where you went wrong and start over. Anything else only takes you farther and farther away. In the same way, if we have rebelled against one proper authority, our problem is never solved by continuing in that rebellion or even seeking out another authority. [Genesis p. 572]

When God finds us wandering, this is always what he says, "Return and submit!" "Submit to the circumstances you dislike, and I will work it out. To do anything else is folly." So Hagar returns. With the command to return comes the promise of blessing. Blessing always follows obedience. God tells Hagar to face the difficult situation and to trust Him. I don't want you to think that things were great when Hagar returned to Abraham and Sarah. They weren't. The consequences of their foolish choice continued to haunt. But now they were walking with God again. And God is able to help us live even with the consequences of our foolish pasts.

I wonder are you running from something today? Have you made a foolish choice and now feel that God has deserted you? Do you feel like an outcast? Are you suffering from the sinful choices others have made? If you are I cannot offer you a magic formula that will make everything go away. What I CAN do is tell you that any mistake you have made can be forgiven. Any crisis you face can be survived with God's strength. Any difficulty can be used by God to make you stronger and to make your witness more effective. But in order for these things to be true, you have to stop running away and turn and return to the Lord. You must stop fighting Him and start trusting Him. In running away she is met by an angel who intercedes on God’s behalf and lets her know that God sees her and knows her heart. She will have a son and his name shall be Ishmael "The God Who Sees" for she says, "Have I even here seen him who sees me?" This is the circumstance which gripped her. "Here is a God who sees me and knows me just as I am, and all that concerns me." So she named the well, "The well of One who lives and sees."

Single parenting is hard. But so is being without children. So is being married. So is living your faith in a hostile world. The answers are the same. Walk by faith in God.     

Faith is the opposite of Insecurity- knowing who we are in Christ; Trusting God’s timing offsets impatience; Obedience instead of irresponsibility; Knowing and studying the truth instead of the influence of others; and righteousness over injustice. Faith rules.

Pastor Dale

God's Agreement Genesis 15

Sermon Nuggets Mon June 4b -God's Agreement

Verses Gen 15


God's Agreement

Alsie, and husband, Brian Iay were told of her infertility. She feared God was punishing her for the abortion she had when she was younger before she was married. Now to her dismay she was not able to keep the pregnancies. The doctor explained to them after years of trying to have a baby the child she was carrying was hydrocephalic, the condition in which an abnormal amount of fluid collects on the brain and causes mental retardation.

In rage Alsie screamed “How could you do this to me God?” When the baby was born she had less that 10% of her brain. Disillusionment and pain turned into anger at God.
There was nothing more that she wanted than a healthy baby. When she finally was able to conceive her hopes were raised and her feelings of praise and thanksgiving were strong. But knowing what happened to her made her hopes dash to the depths and instead of praise to God there arose bitter resentment.

Such disillusionment is not uncommon among Christians. There are many who face cancer, financial bankruptcy, job loss, church fights, divorce and other disappointments. We might be the victims of injustice or even various types of abuses by people in the church. There are times in the circumstances of life when our faith is challenged and we doubt God.
Waiting is hard. We delight when after much prayer or through many medical procedures someone finds healing.  We are grateful. But it is so hard to keep the faith when it seems God’s blessings and promises are hidden from us.  It is hard to wait for the blessings promised when you don’t see them come. But do you realize that doubts sometimes come when all is going well?

Abram’s encounter with God allows us to learn more about faith.  When we focus on God and his power and truth, our doubts and fears change to faith and courage.
God established an covenant with Abram. It is an agreement that seemed  never to have been fulfilled. It is hard to be patient when life’s circumstances just do not seem to be resulting in what we expect.

Where might you be doubting God today? What lessons are learned during the period of waiting?

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues June 5

Verse- Gen 15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield,  your very great reward."

 Foundations of Faith

God promises to be Abram’s  shield and defender. Abram had taken on and defeated at least four nations from Mesopotamia. What if Kedorlaomer returned with reinforcements? Abram risked everything to deliver his nephew Lot, only to watch Lot return to Sodom. Had he made a mistake? Would the kings retaliate?

God is saying "Do not be afraid, Abram." You don't have to worry about Kedorlaomer, for I am your protector.” The safest place to be is in the will of God, for He gives us His spiritual protection from the evil one. Faith is recognizing that God gave Abram some promises and those haven’t been fulfilled yet, so he is not done with him yet. Nothing will happen to him.

We sometimes forget but as Christians we enter into battle. This battle is against our enemy the devil. We need to remember that Satan's strategy is to deceive. He wants to attack the church and the believers. He wants us to live defeated. But remember that our enemy the devil is a defeated enemy. He likes to put on a good show, but with God as our shield, we have won the victory. The result of faith is courage. He says we can have that courage as a foundation of our faith when we realize who it is who is in control. The sovereignty of God who loves his children and promises us that the evil one will not overcome us gives us confidence.

God not only promises to be our shield but also our reward. He gives us both protection and provision. Abram just said in chapter 14 that he would receive nothing from the king of Sodom.  It would be to God’s glory that God gives him what he needs and any riches he gets is from above. God would be his reward. That is an important foundation of faith. We can have abiding peace in life only when the focus is away from ourselves and is on God.

 When beggars came to Peter and John they were right to say to him. “Silver and Gold have we none”. But now came the reward- “In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk.” And he went walking and leaping and praising God. He is the rewarder of our salvation. He is the pearl of great price. He is the one who prepares for us a place in heaven of which no one can take from us. That is the foundation of our faith.

What does God need to do to get our attention? Sometimes it is precisely those moments when everything is going our way. Sometimes it is quite the opposite and we are brought to our knees in total dependence on God. With God at the center of everything we simply trust, not necessarily understanding everything. One day when we get to heaven we will see the whole panorama and understand God's perfect plan. But for now think of these truths. God is your shield and reward!

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds June 6 –

Verses: Gen 15: 2 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?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."
8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"


Disclosure of Doubts v. 2,3,8

After we are met with truth, life causes us to doubt our faith. Has that ever happened to you? That happened to Abram even after experiencing a great victory over the military powers of the North. He asked the Lord two questions…what can you give me since I remain childless? Secondly, he asked, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” (that is, the land of promise.)

These are two questions that plague us as well. "What can you do for me God?" And
"How can I know?" Even though he had heard through the covenant in chapter 12 that he would be a father of a great nation and that he would be given the land of Canaan, chapter 15 leads Abraham back to doubting what God has already promised him. He looks more like a doubting Thomas rather than a father of a great nation

God had promised Abraham heirs but nothing was happening. And it began to look more and more as if nothing would happen. Abraham is really saying is something like this:
Look, Lord, the only possible heir I see in this house is my servant Eliezer. You haven't given me any children. Sarah and I aren't getting any younger, and it's not working out the way I thought it would. Is there some kind of spiritual answer to this that I just don't see?

Under the code of Hammurabi if Abram had remained childless all that he could have passed by his will and decree to a servant whom he had appointed his heir. Abram was trying to figure out a way for God to keep his promise and save face. Have you ever tried to do that?

It is easy as parents to doubt the Lord. It is easy as teens to doubt the Lord because you want answers right now. It is easy as new Christians to experience the closeness and power of God but then something happens that you don’t expect and you undergo a period of testing. He is having inner struggles which now he is expressing because frankly he doesn’t see anything happening in this baby business and he and Sarah aren’t getting any younger.

Abraham in other words could be honest with God. He knew that he could tell God the way he really felt as he communed with him. Faith is not having doubts, but expressing them to God and facing them honestly. Unless we ask some of the hard questions seldom we grow. It is in this questioning but still trusting that strengthens faith.

This is a scary reality isn't it? It's not easy to be honest with God. When we are honest with God we are not doing wrong. When we malign the name of God we are doing wrong. But there should be nothing wrong in going to God and casting our honest cares, questions, and doubts upon God.

Sometimes our doubts require us to get into the Word and change our thinking. I remember an older man who was an outspoken Christian. There was a friend of his who was dying of cancer. His friend was in his 40s but this older Christian not only prayed for healing, believing it would happen but claimed the promise that our lives as believers should be as the psalmist said, “Three scores years and 10 and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years…

When his friend died, this man’s struggled with deep doubts about the promises of God. He believed he would be healed and he believed the man was promised threescore years 60-70.

Job was a man of faith, but when he lost all his riches and lost all his family and lost all his resources and you couldn’t say much for his wife or friends who were attacking him, he had doubts and confessed he just didn’t understand God. That was Abrams experience too.

Pastor Dale


Sermon Nuggets Thurs June 7

Verses Gen 15:4-7 & 13,14  Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir. ” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars —if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”
        13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.

Perspective of the Promises 

Do you remember how God approached Job and changed his whole perspective? It was recognizing and experiencing all the glory and vastness of God that one can hardly comprehend. God points to all his workmanship and asks what man knows about it. Yet Job was reminded again God made it all by his word.

Here is what God does with Abram. “Go outside if you don’t believe I can do something about your offspring and look at the stars in heavens.” God walked Abraham a little way from the tent and from the fire up on a small hill. “Now look! And Abraham looked.”

This was a time in our world when night was truly night. Not a single streetlight, electric bulb, car headlight, or bit of flashing neon could be found on the whole earth. No airplanes or jets or satellites winked across the sky. As Abraham stood there in inky darkness, the starry expanse must have been stunning. Whatever the Lord showed him, it was enough.

Look up and see! In that moment, when Abraham turned his face toward heaven, something happened in his heart. Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness There was an instance when Abraham obeyed, saw through God's eyes and suddenly accepted God's truth with childlike trust. God declared him to be righteous. It is this very verse that is central to the argument of Paul's writings. It paves the way to understanding faith as the sole means for being declared righteous in God's sight. Abraham believed the Lord… and took a giant leap in the will of God. The natural way to understand God’s promises is the way Abraham, as in the words of the song ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus," literally took God at His word (15:6). He believed what God said to be true. In the words of a worn-out, but fitting, phrase: "God said it, I believe it; that settles it."

One writer has said, “The first sound we will hear from every throat when we get to heaven is ‘Ahhh, Now I see it. Now I realize why.’"

The difference between God’s promise and ours is that God has the power, the reason and the determination to do it. Do we trust God in all circumstances? Do we believe that God continues to work even in hopeless circumstances? God's timing is perfect and his will is perfect. He allows the events to unfold at his pace because ultimately he knows what is best for us and for his purpose. Why not look at the circumstances and the fears and the way we are paralyzed through the eyes of God who might be using these situations to get our attention. The important truth is this: In our instant society, when prayers don't get answered within a day, we assume we're undergoing some enormous test of faith. Many of us would profit by going back and helping Noah build the ark for a hundred years. Or waiting with Moses for 40 years in the wilderness, or watching the decades flip by without Sarai getting pregnant. The Lord always gets the job done but not always on our timetable.

Now that is the situation regarding your children, just keep looking at the stars and thinking if I can’t do it or not, and by the way that’s about as many as I plan to have who can call themselves the sons of Abraham, do you want to count them.

Now regarding your questions and doubts about your people inheriting the land look at where I’ve led you so far. Did this just happen? You came from Ur here. (jump to v 13,14. I want to give you a prophecy that is amazing. The promises of God to Abram and his descendants were not without pain and struggle. He makes 7 points of prophecy concerning the offspring of Abram.:
1. You will be strangers in another county. (Egypt).
2. You will be slaves in a country.
3. You will be mistreated 400 years.
4.God will punish Egypt.
5.Israel will be delivered with great possessions.
6.Abram will not live through this period of slavery.
7. In the fourth generation (or after 400 years), Israel will return to the land.

God revealed himself and his promises in these ways. Hindsight is always better than foresight. Look at the history of how God has led you and don’t you think he will continue to do so. He is faithful.

Pastor Dale


Sermon Nuggets Fri June 8

Verses- Gen 15: 9-24

Confidence of the Covenant.

A covenant is an agreement of God. It is usually secured with a sign. It was the Lord who initiates the covenants. He chose Abram.. Now this covenant is referred to in Chapter 12 and 17, as well as other places in the Old Testament.

The strange procedure described is called the cutting of a covenant. It is a legal contract between two parties in which each binds himself to fulfill certain conditions and thereby receives certain advantages. When two people signed a legal document, it was called cutting a covenant or ’cutting a deal’.

There were two kinds of covenants. One was a conditional covenant an agreement with certain conditions. An agreement to sell a car for an agreed upon money would be conditional based on the transfer of money. If someone buys a car with an agreement of getting so much money a month it is conditional as long as the money is paid. Once money is now longer paid the original owner can take back the car.

Then there was an unconditional contract. Whatever each party did or said, the agreement was final and binding. Back then they didn’t use attorneys. They didn’t have notary publics. They brought an animal or several animals and cut them in half. They laid pieces opposite each other in a row. Then the two people stood together, hand in hand and walked down through the middle of the animal pieces. They pledged in the face of death and suffering that they would honor that agreement. This is the procedure explained in this passage.

 God revealed His program for the salvation of men that would culminate in the shedding of blood. The slain, broken animals were a picture of God's own slain, broken Son who would give His life for the salvation of the world. Then the birds of prey came down on the carcasses Abram chased them away. The fact is that whenever we deepen our relationship with God, Satan will attack. Any effort to step into a deeper, more profound aspect of God's working in our lives will bring vultures from the pit who will come to tear, spoil and devour. Satan will sweep down and try to destroy what the Lord is attempting to produce in your life.

When Abram awoke it was dark. But something strange happens. The smoking firepot with blazing torch represents the presence of God. He walked through the pieces alone. He is making an unconditional agreement with Abram. As he watched, two lights began to pass through the pieces of meat as God made a covenant with Abram. This was a one sided covenant in which God swore by Himself that He would give Abram's descendants the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates river.

When the encounter with God was over all that Abram had was his renewed faith. He didn't have a son or a title to the land, but he did have the assurance that God was in charge of the promise. Abram's faith is renewed and the promises are shining brighter than ever. Abram believed God.

Later circumcision was to be the sign of the agreement with the people of God, the Israelites. God wanted His people to love Him to serve Him and to obey Him. He wanted them to do those three things out of respect and honor for Him. Fearing God doesn’t mean being afraid of Him but desiring His company and approval so that we guard what we do. There is an external sign of an inner reality. In a very real sense that is also what baptism is. It is a sign outwardly of an experience inwardly.

When you summarize Abraham's life at the end, he'd had it all. He had everything God promised to him -- including another hundred years of life! At this time he was about seventy-five and thinking, "I'm getting old; I don't have much time left." But he would live to be one hundred seventy-five. He had more life ahead of him than he had behind him. The Lord was going to get it done, and there was plenty of time to see God's promises fulfilled in his life.

God spelled out the wonderful promises for him that far exceeded his questions. The Lord says, Here are the dimensions of the land. And My dear son, it's bigger than you ever thought… and it's for you and your children after you. He didn't know how God was going to deliver in his life-HE SIMPLY BELIEVED HIM.

Now it is 4,000 years later. When the promise was made the land was filled with other tribes and nations. It was not Abrams land yet. Today the Jews continue to exist as a people and they possess the land. Where are all the others? They’ve disappeared. Where at the Jews? All over the world and in the land. Why? Because God keeps his promises. No race has maintained over so long a period so emotional an attachment to a particular corner of the earth’s surface. It is also a curious fact that for more than ¾ of their existence as a race, a majority of Jews have always lived outside the land they call their own.

Who can number them? Galatians tells us we are the sons of Abraham also by faith. We can claim something better than a land between the rivers of Euphrates. We have a promised land that will never end and God will be our light.

Pastor Dale