Abraham's Test Gen 22

Sermon Nuggets Mon July 23  -Abraham's Test

                                                                               

Gen 22: 1-2 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

² Then God said, “Take your son , your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you. ”

Abraham's Test

                You’ve hear the story of a hen and a pig walking around in the farm yard when they saw a hungry little boy. The hen turns to the pig and says, “Let’s offer him breakfast of bacon and eggs. “ The pig looked at the hen and said, “Wait a minute..for you that is an offering. For me it is a sacrifice.”

                Certainly there can be no better understanding of the two options. For we are often called upon to make offerings, but  are we ever called upon to make a total sacrifice? We are going to speak on Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac this morning.

                Our culture does not take very well to infanticide  and rightly so, unless of course it is an abortion then it is perfectly accepted. A child can be throw into the garbage bag soon after this birth and murder is charged. The mother is sent to prison. That same child 5 minutes earlier however can have his head crushed while in the womb of the mother, even if other parts of the body have left the uterus in the birth process and he is killed and then thrown in to the garbage. That is a legal partial abortion, challenged even recently by the courts and declared to be a mother’s choice. You figure out if that makes sense? I cannot.

                Charges of neglect and abuse of parent to child abound in every country becaue society ways we need to take care of children to provide them food, clothing, safety and shelter.

                That is why this story is repulsive when a father is asked to take his son and sacrifice him on an altar. This promised child, Isaac took Abraham 100 years in the making and many decades in the promise and afterwards  God ask him to kill his child. A parent would rather sacrifice himself or herself than see a child go through pain, sickness, or death. God is asking for the ultimate sacrifice.

                But this story is really not about sacrifice;  It’s about love, not only between a father and son, but more importantly- God and mankind.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues July 24 The Love Test

Verses: Gen 22: 1 After all this, God tested Abraham. God said, "Abraham!" "Yes?" answered Abraham. "I'm listening." 2 He said, "Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll point out to you." 3Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him.

A test of His Love

                The sacrifice of Isaac was a test of Abraham’s Love- the KVJ translates this as tempt, but the in the New Testament James tells us plainly God does not tempt anyone but He does test us. So the newer translations are clearer in using the word test.

                Who does Abraham love most, God or Isaac? That is what is tested. Most would probably fail the test. The things of this earth draw an attraction to people more than God does. There are a multitude of things that churches are trying to do to keep people coming, which borders on consumerism, not love for God. I hope I am not being misunderstood, for indeed there is a place for that and for creative outreach to invite people to hear the good news. But when materialism is the main attraction people are attracted to a materialistic gospel. Jesus fed the 5,000 and healed those who were sick. He did preach good news to the poor and people came from far and wide. Peoples earthly needs were met before they were able to hear about their eternal needs by faith in Jesus.

                   The old time gospel meeting did have entertainment as a means to gather people to hear the truth. When we were planning our meetings in India Bryan was asked to bring his trombone. In many of the villages children haven’t even seen a TV before much less a trombone. Our host Indian couple were excited about the possibility of gathering children by listening to a trombone, then giving them Bible stories. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

                What attracts people to the churches and what keeps them? There are churches that have clinic and blood pressure checks and churches that have ice cream parlors and bowling alleys and comfortable seating, sound and lights. Given the choice of going to a church with air condition or not I would pick the first.

                It is fair to ask, Where is the line that we draw our love for God in the requests that He asks of us? For most the ultimate test is your family. Abraham longed for this promised child and waited so long. Why would God ask to put him on the altar for sacrifice?

                Now there are other matters I don’t have time to go into about the background of this culture of the Canaanites and Chaldeans that did offer human sacrifices. They lived all around Abraham, but that was not the Lord God Jehovah. Up until this time believers in God just practiced animal sacrifice where they were killed and burned on the altar, just as they were from Abel’s day. Blood from the animal was shed for forgiveness of sin as our substitute.

                I am so glad our love isn’t tested today to that extreme, but there are times when people are asked to follow Christ even if it means being separated from their family. There are times when love is tested when thing of this world and our activities are re-evaluated in terms of our commitment.

                Do we really love God first in our attachments to money, to activities and to families? Many times a person overseas is disowned if they embrace Jesus Christ as their savior. For some it is a death sentence even carried out by a Muslim father or a daughter turned into authorities by a Muslim mother.

                The question for us  all is- do we love God more than anything else in this world. What would cause us to give up that love?

 Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds July 25 Obedience

Verses- Gen 22:6-11 ⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, ⁷ Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

⁹ When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

The test of Obedience

             Part of this drama was a test, not only of Love for God, but also Obedience to God. How far are we ready to go for obedience?

                One novel I enjoyed reading was “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London.

                Buck, the hero, is a dog. The story is written from a  dog’s point of view. It is an action story of what it is like being a team dog pulling sleds in Alaska and Canadian Yukon in the early century. The book describes how Buck misused and abused and almost killed when Jack Thornton saved him from death. In time this man and dog developed a love relationship. No one could ever harm Thornton as long as Buck was around. He would do whatever his master asked him out of love.

 There was a test given to Buck. Dog and men sat at the edge of the cliff. Buck was tied up on a leash and Thornton told Buck to jump over the cliff. Three men had to hand on to the dog as he started to jump in obedience to his masters command. He kept trying until Thornton told Buck to stop. They were amazed that a dog would be willing to give his life out of blind devotion to his master, who loved him and also didn’t want him to die either but there was the test. He would do anything for his master.

                Blind obedience is not something valued in our society. It’s called stupidity. I have seen many cult leaders rise up and demand blind obedience. If anyone, especially pastors, asks for obedience  and loyalty no matter what- don’t give it. Jim Jones, David Korish, Sung Moon, even Jimmy Bakker are examples. No one is to be followed except Jesus Christ and Him alone.

                But why should Jesus be followed? If belief in Christ is a religion then that is an appropriate question; but if Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, is in personal relationship with you, learn all He says and does is true. There is a record called the Bible that proves it.

                Now I know there are bizarre teachings that need to be challenged  because of atrocities done in the name of obedience and taking Bible verses out of context or incomplete teachings on a doctrine or truth. We’ve seen people handle poisonous snakes in services in the South because the Bible said it would not harm you, but fail look at the context like Paul who was bitten carrying out his ministry, not as a show of his faith. That is tempting the Lord.

                 I see this with faith healers making promises that bring big crowds, (and money) but ignore other passages that talk about caring for the sick and learning through our weaknesses and this outward body is wasting away to achieve for us glory. 

                What does it mean to be in God’s will?  Obedience is putting God and His word first in your life as you read and study and are led by the Holy Spirit regardless of you understand it or not. Miracles do occur, but it has to do with His unmerited grace. We follow and watch Him work His will at His time. 

                Jesus plainly asked his disciples “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and not do the things I tell you.” When it comes to saying I want to accept Jesus as savior, many say yes; but are you willing to follow Him as Lord? That means obedience. That means Christ like living. That means we are His.

                Abraham had direct conversations with God as prophet, before the Scriptures were written. Moses hadn’t put them down in writing yet since this was before his time. God had spoken directly to Abraham before so there was no confusion regarding who said what to whom. Abraham’s obeyed even though he did not understand.

                What is your test of obedience this week?

               

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thurs July 26 Faith

Verses Heb 11: ¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” ¹⁹ Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

The test of Faith

                Taking Isaac to the altar was a test of Faith.  For Abraham,  if God promised one thing and demanded something else, God was still trustworthy.  He was still eager to do what God wanted him to do.  Instead of putting it off as long as possible he got up early that next morning to set  out. We get an insight into what he was thinking from Hebrews. He believed God, who could do anything, would raise Isaac from the dead. That’s why he could tell his servants he would be back after worshipping. That’s why he could tell Isaac, “God will provide.”

 He had faith in two things: God keeps His word and His word said Isaac would be the means of his descendants. Secondly, he believed if God is the God who could bring life out of his dead body (by having a son being 100 years old) God could bring life again after his son was dead. Faith was believing  God would raise him from the dead. He could do the impossible. He didn’t think of the fact there would be a substitute offering in the bushes. He didn’t think God would stop him from the sacrifice of his son. He acted on faith doing what he instructed.

                Testing does not come to us when things are going smoothly but rather when things are causing us to doubt the Word of God. Faith is trusting in the truth of God regardless of the outward circumstance or inward feelings.

                 It doesn’t mean that we can’t be all torn up inside. An angel told Mary and then later Joseph not to fear. In other words they were feeling fear. But they also rested in the fact that God has things under control. That is faith. One of our missionaries said, “I know I can get into the country of Sudan, but I do not have knowledge if I can get out.  I will go in and leave the rest to God.” She rested in faith that God would provide for her even though she did not know how that would happen.

                Perhaps parents need to take a faith step to sacrifice your sons and daughters on a altar before God symbolically when leaving them in His  hands. Would you allow them to go into missions, full time Christian work, leave the country, live by faith? Can you say as part of your worship, “Lord here they are for they are yours, not mine?” Many a parent will love to see their children close to home and going to their church, but fight God if He calls them overseas or to work in hard or dangerous situations. Faith is believing God enough to give them up.

                God says to Abraham “Now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.” He past the faith test and has been used as an example for the Kingdom since.

                Could God say that of you and me? What tests are before you to evaluate if you love God with all your heart, your soul, your strength, your might? What does God do to test your obedience to Him? How about your faith zone? Do you really believe God? As you read the account you find God had Abraham all prepared for another sacrifice. This was all part of His plan to provide picture of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who took our place to die for our sins.

 Pastor Dale

Sermon Nugget Fri July 27 Completed

Verses Gen 22: 22-19  ¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. ”

¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place TheLord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. ”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,¹⁸ and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

¹⁹ Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

The test Completed

                Now the test of love, faith and sacrifice was completed. Abraham passed. But he did not have to go through the literal sacrifice of his son. A ram was graciously provided.

 There was a picture God was painting to show a story not only about Abraham but about God himself. What this revealed was the extent of the Love of God toward you and me. God did what He asked of Abraham. He loved his Son. But to demonstrate the extent of His love He took his one and only Son and offered him up as a blood offering on the altar called the cross. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin, but only a perfect offering could be acceptable. One without sin took the place of sinners. This mystery wasn’t revealed until after the resurrection of Jesus and showed the amazing love story that let Jesus met the entire legal requirement for our eternal salvation and promise of life forever with God.

                 There is one thing I still do not get.  It is the why question? I do not understand why God would love us to the point of dying for us. But He did, so communion is a reminder of that love so awesome and wonderful.

                The cross is also a test of obedience. Abraham was obedient. Isaac was the obedient son. And we see Jesus was desirous to do the will of the Father. He was willing to carry out the plan just as his father told him to do. It says in Philippians he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on a cross.

                Abraham led Isaac to a special place called Mt. Moriah. According to Dr. M.R. DeHaan that was the  same Mountain which is Mount Calvary where 1000 of years later Jesus as sacrificed.

]              Isaac was taken from his beast of burden just like Christ rode on a donkey coming into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Jesus  carried the wood for his sacrifice going with his father. He was bound and tied just like Jesus was later as a lamb before his shears was silent.

                Isaac could have overpowered a 100 years old man and outran him; Jesus could have called 10,000 angels and done away with all his onlookers in a single flash.

At the right time the angel of the Lord stopped the hand of Abraham. There was a ram in the ticket which served the substitute sacrifice on that mountain .When God provided a substitute on the Mt. Calvary He did so in Jesus. “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”

                But with Jesus there was no ram in the thicket. He was that ram. There was no divine intervention, but what God did not require of Abraham, he required of Himself. The pain and the anguish that Abraham must have felt was felt by the creator of the world when Jesus was crucified and he died alone for you and me.

                “Father, Father, why have you forsaken me?”  That was not the cry of Abraham before the lifeless son on the altar because he never went that far. It was the cry of a son who moments later was died and his body was placed into a real grave for burial.

                When the test was completed Abraham and Isaac returned home. When the test for Jesus was completed he said, “It is finished” He returned home to heaven. When our tests of this life is completed we too will go to a home provided for us by our Father.

Abraham called the place ‘Jehovah Jireh’, the Lord will provide. This is the picture of the story of Abraham and Isaac; God provided the ram as a substitute just as God provided on Mount Calvary. He is our savior, and because of his love, obedience, and sacrifice we can worship an almighty God.

Pastor Dale

The Promised Son- Genesis 21

Sermon Nuggets Mon July 16  The Promised Son                                        

Verses- Gen 21

Life has it’s ups and downs. In everyone’s life there is good news and bad news. I am reminded of the surgeon who after his patient awoke from the operation told him he had good news and bad news. Which would he want to hear first?

“The bad news.”

“ Well we made a mistake. We were supposed to cut off your left leg and instead we cut off your right leg.”

“What is the good news?”

  We investigated the left leg and realized it didn’t need to be cut off after all.”

We have many choices along the way that can make life smoother or more difficult, but there are many circumstances that are beyond our choices that we have to deal with in courage or defeat. How is life treating you today? There is no question that I am thoroughly convinced that the best life lived is lived with faith in God. The rewarding  road is the road of  obedience. But when I say rewarding I am looking at the long picture, not the short one. It is not easy to work hard, but it usually pays off with greater rewards down the line. It is not immediately rewarding to go through the hassles of advanced education, but if that is Gods’ will for you, there is greater freedom and more opportunity later. It is not easy to resist opposition by kids or employers or family members when you take stands because of your faith that are unpopular. It is hard to be rejected, or as we have been reminded lately to even be persecuted.

This chapter speaks of the final arrival of the promised child. But is also speaks of the reality of the world in which we live. The problems, personalities, and the provisions come with changes. God often brings tribulation into the life of a faithful Christian in order to bring about growth and maturity. So also, God brings blessing into the life of the Christian in spite of what he has done more than because of anything good he has done. Sometimes we do not see the hand of God until we look back over our lives. So as we face our days we do so with a commitment to faith and obedience. When things don’t go the way to think it should, we trust God. When we witness the blessings we celebrate and thank Him. But if the path is not clear we keep doing what we know God would have us do in our everyday life with prayer and commitment to Him.  I think Genesis 21 illustrates of this kind of rocky road pointing to the consequences and blessing in life.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues July 17- The Promise

Gen 21:1-5 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. ² Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. ³ Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. ⁴ When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. ⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

The Promise- Isaac

Genesis 21 opens with the fulfillment of a promise - Isaac is born. It is God’s blessing according to the promise. Now the Lord was gracious, as He had said and Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. At the time he said he would do it. All they hoped and prayed and waited for finally arrived. That even makes the joy greater. When you have been through trials and hard times you experience all the more the excitement of the provision of God.

The hard part is waiting. God’s timing is not man’s timing. Abraham and Sarah sinned when they tried to do hurry up God’s promise. Yet Isaac  was the result of divine intervention in the lives of Abraham and Sarah, both of whom were too old to bear children. It was the fulfillment of a promise made long before the birth of the child and promised at least four times earlier in this book. It was God who promised the child; it was God who accomplished His word. And this was done right on schedule. God’s purposes are never delayed, nor are they ever defeated by man’s sin. God’s purposes are certain. What God has promised, He will accomplish. It made no difference to God that Abraham was now 100 years old, or Sarah 90. There are no obstacles with God.

           

Immediately the sign of God's covenant was put upon Isaac - his flesh was cut as a sign that he was a special child, heir to the privileges of God's grace. This was the sign of circumcision.

The name Isaac meant “laughter.” You remember when Abraham and Sarah were told of the son who was to be born to them in their old age they laughed over the absurdity of the thought. But now the name Isaac meaning laughter took on a new significance, for he was a delight to his mother, who experienced the joyful pleasures of motherhood. Was it worth the wait?

I had a friend in my church in Detroit. She was in her 40s while I was a teen. She hired me for my first job working in an office. I was a janitor. In time I assisted her in the office. She often shared her sadness of never marrying, but believed that the right man would be a Christian man who respected her and was godly.

The dean of the Detroit Bible College, Howard Shoof, lost his wife to cancer. In his loneliness the Lord put Betty on his mind and he asked her for a date. The families were excited that here was a godly man, spiritual leader, and one who showed loved and tenderness to a woman who vowed, “I will obey and if God does not bring me a husband, then it is not meant to be.” Waiting is hard, but Betty told me time and time again, Dale, it’s worth the wait.

There is a promise that sometimes we do not see, but must trust because it’s of God. Count on the promises of God. They don’t come according to our time table, but they come. They are our hope. God is an awesome God and has lessons for us during these waiting times that we don’t learn any other way. Trust in His promises. Trust Him.

            Perhaps you are going through a waiting period in your life. You know God is at work but waiting and abiding is so hard. It is easy to question God and want to do what you cannot do. In our instant expectations of our society it is easy to think God works too slowly. But according to His plan and power He is never ahead of Himself; He is never behind. Trust His promises.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds July 18 Problems

Gen 21:8-13 ⁸ The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. ⁹ But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, ¹⁰ and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

¹¹ The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. ¹² But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.¹³ I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”

The Problem - Ishmael. 

Many times our joy of seeing God work is met with problems. In this case the problem is jealousy. The child of the promise and the child of man’s works become a picture of the conflict through the ages. Hagar and Ishmael are still in the house. Ishmael is 14 years old. Hagar is the slave and with the coming of Isaac now breeds greater jealousy and tension among the women. It is at the time of a party for little Isaac, perhaps about 2 or 3 when he is weaned from Sarah and here Ishmael is full of jealousy and mocks the baby. In the past it was Hagar who was mocking Sarah for not having a child. Both boys are sons of Abraham. But only one is the son of the promise. Sarah wished to throw Hagar out. This is not her finest hour. She confronts Abraham on this. She is the wife, Hagar is the slave.

Now that is pretty hard for Abraham to take. He loved Ishmael as much as he loved Isaac. He was grieved to do this. I know this type of grief as I have seen it in mixed marriages. I have seen this type of grief when a new wife says to her husband divorced from his first wife that she doesn’t want his children around the house anymore, there are too many problems. I have seen the pain on mothers who children by another marriage become a major factor in her relationship with a new spouse. In Abraham’s day he had both families under one roof and now we have them one at a time. God reassured Abraham that as painful and unpleasant as the situation might be, putting Ishmael away was the right thing to do. In this instance he should listen to his wife.

Now like is the case in many of the Old Testament stories there is a lesson that has more significant meaning. The story of Isaac and Ishmael can be looked upon as a parable of salvation. This is recorded for us in the New Testament book of Galatians.

Paul makes an allegory of this in Galatians 3, taking Ishmael as an illustration of a works based, legalistic religion, and Isaac as an illustration of God's religion by grace alone. Paul argues that we must throw out a salvation based on our deeds and our works, just like Abraham has to put away Hagar and Ishmael and then lean on the freedom that God has provided in Christ. There was a promise of God and man tried to get that promise his own way instead of God’s way. The result was disastrous. That is the case with salvation. We cannot be saved by doing things man’s way. We cannot do it by our good works, or our imaginations, or our abilities. Salvation from God is a gift that is purchased and completed by Jesus Christ, Gods son. It is offered freely that we can take not pride in our accomplishments, but only His.

We also understand another bigger picture with the analogy of Paul. Romans tells us that after the nation had rejected Christ, blindness came upon a part of Israel which would last until all the Gentiles who would believe had come. Like Ishmael, the nation of Israel has wandered in the wilderness of the world with the rejection of Jesus as the true Messiah. Shortly afterwards the city of Jerusalem was destroyed, and the temple ransacked and demolished, and Israel was driven out into the nations. They wandered like Ishmael in the desert for centuries, without any central place of gathering, without any of the real worship of God they once knew back in the Old Testament days.

The allegorical use of this passage in the New Testament, however, ought not to detract from the human element of the story. It just doesn’t seem fair to the young teenage boy and the slave woman who didn’t have any say in the plan to begin with. God speaks to him, promising that great things will happen in and through Ishmael also.

According to the Code of Hammurabi, which was practiced at that time the children of slaves who were not made heirs must be set free as compensation for this. Since Hagar and Ishmael would not receive Abraham’s inheritance, then they must be set free from slavery. That is what Abraham did.

Life is sometimes hard. Life is often accompanied with painful situations, strained relationships and difficult choices. Sometimes the difficulty is a consequence of our own behavior. Having a son by Hagar was originally Sarah's idea remember! This was a situation of her own making. Abraham and Hagar became willing participants in this attempt to "help God" fulfill His promise. It was a sinful thing to do and now they are facing the consequences.

We know that Hagar did not help things. From the moment she knew she was pregnant we read that she "despised" Sarah. She took every opportunity to rub Sarah's nose in the fact that she had given Abraham what Sarah could not. So, there is a sense in which Hagar is reaping what she sowed too.

We are confronted here with the painful truth that there are consequences to our sin. We know that Abraham's household faced turmoil from the very moment Hagar became pregnant. I suspect problems began from the very first night Abraham stayed in Hagar's tent. Sin brings consequences.

I believe God had forgiven Abraham. He had even promised to bless Ishmael when Sarah wanted them to leave once before. But, the negative consequences remain. This is a fact that we have to face. When we sin and confess that sin, we are forgiven, but some consequences of those choices often carry on.

The person who engages in illicit sex may face consequences of disease, pregnancy, a broken relationship or the guilt of having given away something precious. The person who lies has to try to rebuild the trust that was destroyed. The one, who habitually abuses alcohol, gambling, drugs, has to face the consequences of the effect that substance has on their bodies and their relationships. The person who has (or had) abusive patterns with their family will find it difficult to establish any kind of relationship with those they have abused. The person who constantly feeds their mind with pornography will have a difficult time getting away from those images as they seek to live a life of purity. The person who has been ensnared in the insatiable desire for material things may have enormous debt to pay off.  Sin has consequences.

But sometimes difficult times are not a result of our own actions. Hagar originally was only being an obedient servant. She was told to try to have a child with Abraham and she did what she was told. And what about Ishmael? He certainly didn't ask to be born into this situation. Was it his fault that he was born? Sure he was mocking Isaac, but isn't that normal to some degree. Sometimes we are innocent players in a tough circumstance.

Consider some examples of those who are in situations they had little if anything to do with, children of divorce or children raised in homes where there is substance abuse Those who are in physically abusive situations; Those are raised in economic hardship; Those who suffer from a devastating illness or injury that they had nothing to do with Those who have genetic disorders. There are a host of things that happen in life that we have not asked for or deserved. Sometimes the difficulties of life come upon us and we don't know why. Difficult times happen.

What does one do? Hagar did the only thing she could. She cried. And God heard her cry. Life was terrible, there was little hope, but don’t forget the promise of God. He heard and allowed her to see something that was there all along. There was a well of refreshment and provision for her need.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thurs  July 19 Provisions

Verses Gen 21:14-21 ¹⁴ Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.

¹⁵ When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. ¹⁶ Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob.

¹⁷ God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸ Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation. ”

¹⁹ Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

²⁰ God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. ²¹ While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

The Provisions- by God

Abraham gave her meager physical provisions. God gave longer lasting provision. He was there for some immediate need, but also we notice the promise given about him before. Hagar’s child will also be a great nation. God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the desert and became an archer. The desert was the place of his strength and his training to be what God wanted him to be.

Though Isaac was the son of the promise, it is still true that God had a plan and made provisions for Ishmael. He saw to it that Hagar had what she needed to exist. He saw to it that he started his family. He was not the son of inheritance, but still loved by Abraham and by God.

Once again, what seemed like a simple story turns into a picture as the New Testament tells us. Just like Hagar whose eyes were opened to God, so the Gentiles had their eyes opened to the grace of God. We were not the elect people. We learn from the Old Testament that the Jews were. We were not the race of the promise, yet God gave to us the message of redemption. There is no place for anti-Semitism. For none of us were included as  part of the promise. We were not part of the original blessed people. It is only because of the grace of God that the message was given to the gentiles. We are part of the grace provision.

 Not all Jews refuse to believe, but many of them, even with the testimony of their own Scriptures, do not believe Jesus is the Messiah. But God says that a day will come at last when their eyes will be opened and they will see in the word the very one they had once rejected and Israel will turn to the Lord. They will be refreshed with blessing and they will inhabit the earth; God will be with them, and, like Ishmael here, he will make them a great nation again. That is all portrayed in this little scene here.

Now God heard the sobs of Hagar. She was the rejected divorcee, the woman who was raped without recourse. She was the rejected one. What word is there for folks like her? It certainly doesn’t help to gripe about Abraham any more than it helps for the divorced or rejected person to gripe about their ex. She cried out and God heard her again.

Perhaps you were born out of wedlock, or are products of a broken home. Perhaps you have been helpless players in a bad situation. The message here is simple but important God sees you and cares about you. God is the only answer. His presence is our greatest hope, and his word our comfort. If we give God to our children, and give our children to God, then we will secure for them the greatest blessing they will ever know.

But God "opened her eyes and she saw a well of water." God did not make a well appear. He took the blindness from Hagar. Apparently the well had been there all along. Hagar in her distraught state didn't see it! God watched over even this one who had been born contrary to God's will. And we read that God continued to be with the boy.

This text shows there is hope for all of you who have a scarred past. You may sympathize with Hagar more than you sympathize with Sarah. You may feel more like Ishmael than you do Isaac in terms of your situation. But God has not forgotten you. You may need to make a clean break with your past and it will be hard. But you won't be alone. Turn to Him. He has resources to help you. He will see you through.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Fri July 20 The Pact

Verses Gen 21:22-31 ²² At that time Abimelech went with Phicol, the commander of his army, and said to Abraham,
         God is with you in everything you do.²³ So make a vow here in the presence of God that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so promise that you will also be loyal to me and to this country in which you are living.

    ²⁴ Abraham said, “ I promise.”

 ²⁵ Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well which the servants of Abimelech had seized.²⁶Abimelech said,
         I don't know who did this. You didn't tell me about it, and this is the first I have heard of it.²⁷Then Abraham gave some sheep and cattle to Abimelech, and the two of them made an agreement.²⁸Abraham separated seven lambs from his flock,²⁹ and Abimelech asked him, “Why did you do that?”

 ³⁰ Abraham answered,  “Accept these seven lambs. By doing this, you admit that I am the one who dug this well”.³¹ And so the place was called Beersheba, because it was there that the two of them made a vow.

           ³² After they had made this agreement at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol went back to Philistia.³³Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and worshiped the Lord, the Everlasting God.³⁴Abraham lived in Philistia for a long time.

The Pact. -Abimelech

The King of Philistia, Abimelech, respected Abraham’s God, but he was not so sure about Abraham’s credibility. By putting Abraham on oath Abimelech sought to remedy the problem of deception. Once before he had nearly lost his life because of Abraham’s deception he did not ever want that to happen again. Once the treaty was made, Abraham brought up a specific grievance. He complained to Abimelech about a well that his servants had dug, only to have it confiscated by Abimelech’s servants. Abimelech once again claimed ignorance, didn’t know anything about it, and wondered why Abraham didn’t say anything before to him. 

            There is a contrast of how Abimilek handled his situations. We saw that in the last chapter when he ignorantly took Sarah from Abraham, thinking she was his sister.  He was faced with warning from God he could lose his life. She was married. He would fear the God of Abraham for sinning against him by committing adultery.

            This period was before the law of Moses. Who said it was wrong to commit adultery? Who said that fornication having sex outside of marriage was wrong? Who said that stealing wasn’t right? There is a sense of right and wrong that is put into our hearts from above. Our consciences might be manipulated as children over customs and traditions, but there is among all cultures morality on murder, and marriage, and stealing and lying, and justice.

            God’s laws, are not God’s law just because they are written on a sheet of paper.

If someone doesn’t have a God awareness sin doesn’t seem to be a problem. According to Romans 1 people are without excuse for in our consciences there is an awareness of sin and of God.  

          Abimelech when he was made aware of his situation and pending judgment with God, feared God and wanted to do something about it. Rightly so, he admits that He didn’t know. By taking Abraham’s wife to be his own was out of ignorance. Now there once again is a certain ethic that the king followed. It was okay to take women to be his instead of monogamy, but it wasn’t okay to take someone else’s wife. We will see that a lot in the Old Testament. But when  he was found to be before God he wants to face his part straight on. What I am about to do is acceptable in our society, but not acceptable to God. When he realize that he offends God and with sin comes consequences, he repents of his actions.

            He also justifies himself rightly so of ignorance and says two things. 1) I haven’t sinned yet, and 2) It was not my intention to do so, I was lied to.  God justifies him knowing all things. Now what Abimelech does is proof of the pudding. When the spirit convicts you of sin or temptation what do you do?

            He confesses, desires to do right and fears God more than fears man. Obedience is the key. Desires to do right is most important. Changing your path is what is needed.

Abimelech, unlike Abraham, was guiltless in this matter. His actions were based upon purity of motive and upon the untrue statements of Abraham and Sarah. God acknowledged the innocence of the king but made it clear that apart from divine intervention he would have committed a grave offense. The way Abimelech handled this matter now would determine his destiny. To delay or disobey meant certain death.

     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. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die."

The passage today shows another encounter between Abraham and Abimelech. His servants took the well that Abraham used. Now we have a matter of pure miscommunication. Check things out folks. Abraham made false assumptions. Maybe the person you think offended you didn’t have the clue what was going on. Check it out and work out the problems in a fair and responsible manner.

Then to make matters better Abraham gives more than what is needed to make things right and to make a point. Sometimes as Christians we need to do that too. Not to be taken advantage of, but he gave a gift to show an honest and humbled heart.

Remember Abimelech had given Abraham a gift when he was going to take Sarah has his wife, Now Abraham gives 7 sheep and cattle and a treaty was met. And also 7 ewe lambs. This is my well, my place of refreshment, my meeting place with God.

The agreement was met and a tree was planted, and there he called upon the name of the Lord the Eternal God and stayed there a long time. 

Pastor Dale

Backsliding - Genesis 20

Sermon Nuggets Mon July 9 Backsliding                                                    

Verses: Gen 20:1-18

Backsliding

Now I really don’t keep up with Oprah Winfrey eating habits, but more than once while I am at the grocery store I keep seeing these tabloid papers with photos of her thin then heavy then skinny again with a new diet, then overweight, realizing she struggles like most of us with backsliding when it comes to the temptation of food.

Now backsliding might be going backward with personal goals, or it can be the same with sin. We seem to be conquering some old habit only to find us slip back into the same old patterns again that seem to have some grip on us. For some it is the temptation of money, or sex, or power, or lying, or stealing, or gossip, or pornography, or drugs or alcohol, or temper, or compromising principles.

Sin is a reality of the world in which we live, but so are the consequences of that sin. What we sow we shall also reap. We spoke about the destruction of the Sodom and Gomorrah and the sins of Lot and his daughters, but now we see what happened to our most righteous of men who found favor in God’s eyes-Abraham. Let the record show that we have an example of one who you’d think would have learned his lesson 24 years ago but falls into temptation once again and backslides in his faith.

And I would look to look at some of the contrasts of dealing with temptations as illustrated in this passage. 20:1,2  Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, ² and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister. ” Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. 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.”

As we read the story it seems as if we are reading the 12^th Chapter all over again. Abraham travels to a foreign land and instead of telling people that Sarah is his wife, he says she is his sister. There is the pagan custom that the king or ruler can take any woman into his harem as a wife or concubine and so he takes Sarah.

Comparing the two stories, in 12^th chapter they are in Egypt with the Pharoah as king, now they are in Negev with King Abimelek  In the earlier account Abraham is still somewhat new in his faith walk, where as now he has been in relationship with God for 24 more years. Another apparent difference is that God inflected serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Sarah and that is how Pharaoh realized he was lied to by Abraham. Abimeleck became aware of Sarah being married by God speaking to him in a dream. His household apparently couldn’t have children. Surprisingly, in both situations Abraham makes out pretty well. He leaves with a good deal of gifts. What caused him to back slide again to the former ways?

We will address some of those tomorrow.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues July 10 Fear

Verses Gen 20: ⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done. ” ¹⁰ And Abimelech asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”

¹¹ 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.’¹² Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. ¹³ 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.”’”

Fear

What leads us to backslide?

This story is of Abraham’s backsliding.

What caused him to lie and allow the king to take her away from him? It began with the fear - In both incidents in Chapter 12 when he was in Egypt and here Negev. Abraham was a foreigner in a foreign land. It is easy to want to be like the others, and not stand out. It is easy to adapt to customs of a foreign land if you are going to live there for awhile.

We talked about that digression in Lot and the influence the evil society had on him in Sodom. Now, however, we see Abraham was afraid of his life and his property that he would be killed and his things taken away if they knew that Sarah was his wife. In killing Abraham then others would be free to take his wife and without legal sons, perhaps his property.

            Abraham is influenced by the fear of man over the fear of God. From the beginning he is conscious of the realization he is an outsider and people do not deal kindly with people of other races.  Abraham's motive is his, and perhaps also Sarah's protection. Despite being a man of faith, he went to such lengths in order to protect himself. He was not acting in faith, but in the flesh.

May we be warned. We too may be more worried about our situation and circumstances, concerned about the possibilities of an uncertain future. God invites us at times such as these to cast all our care upon him. Why? Because he cares for you.

            Now as a parenthesis Sarah must be some woman. Who at the age of 90 years is so attractive that the king desired her and wanted to include her as part of his wives or concubines. I don’t know what she was using, oil of Olay or some skin conditioner, but if they discover that formula, ladies, buy it.

Why did Abraham fear man instead of God? I wonder if it is the old understanding that certain gods ruled over certain peoples. The gods of different nations prevailed in certain areas was the common thought. Maybe Abraham had the false understand that His God was also geographical. If he left the area to another area, then another god of those people prevailed? I don’t know. One thing is sure he wasn’t looking at God’s wisdom and word, but his own ideas which got him and gets us into trouble.

One more observation must be made concerning Abraham’s fears for his own safety. His conduct differs little from that of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, by inviting the two strangers under his roof, assured them of protection. Rather than break this commitment, he was willing to sacrifice the purity of his two virgin daughters and give them over to the men outside his door. Abraham, fearing for his own safety, was willing to give over his wife to the king to protect himself from harm.

God had clearly revealed to Abraham and Sarah that together they will bear a son through whom the covenant promises will be realized. More than this, the conception of the child must be near at hand, for he was said to have been born within the space of a year. as Abraham’s faith at a low ebb? It must be so.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds July 11 Compromise

Verses Gen 20: ¹¹ 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.’¹² Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. ¹³ 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.”’”

Compromise

Another area of temptation that leads us to backsliding is compromising  morals, ethics and values. Too often we think just a little bit won’t hurt until we are caught into the web of consequences.

We see how compromising with addictions soon draw people back.  For one who stopped smoking, just one cigarette won’t hurt.”  Some think “To take just a little bit of alcohol” soon slips back into old pattern. “I’ll just take a quick peek at this website.” Soon finds one look isn’t enough. And the slippery slope like a shoot cause one to fall back again.

            For Abraham it was the half truth, not really a lie. We will see that later, but we find that indeed Sarah and Abraham did have the same father, but different mothers, so he could say, “See I wasn’t really lying I told the truth.” He was compromising truth. 

Compromise is moving the borders of truth. There are many people who have no problem with lying straight out. There are some people who you can never believe because lying is such a part of their character. Facts can be and often are used in such a way as to convey falsehood. Wasn’t that the words that President Clinton used when he talked about sex? It was a half truth in a deceiving manner. When asked point blank he make the statement in a most self righteous way. “I am not having relations with that woman” making the present tense of the verb makes all the difference.

As the political campaigns heat up more of lies and half truths to deceive compromise occurs. Who do we trust?

Now I am tempted at more times than I care to admit, to say truthful words in a deceiving way, so one can look at the words and say I am not lying, but conveying something very different. That is compromise.

            I found it interesting on one of the morning news stations of the report that some teachers were lying and cheating to keep their jobs by giving students the answers on standardized tests. One defended his action by saying, “It’s okay if you don’t get caught.” Is that what God thinks? 

            Dr Pat raised and interesting dilemma. What do the Christian Sudanese widows do when they have no food to feed their children? Should they compromise their faith in order to live? Will they be willing to have their loved ones killed or suffer for the sake of honor or conviction, or instead convert to Islam by marrying a Moslem in order to have life and protection?

Is that question different really from what is facing Abraham in his mind? It might be safer to not tell the truth, so we won’t be harmed. 

At what point is backsliding really a lack of faith and trust in God working things out if we are faithful? Hard questions which too often become man’s ways of rationalizations.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thurs July 12 Excuses

Gen 20: ¹ 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.’¹² Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. ¹³ 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.”

 Excuses

As we are looking at some of the reasons for Abraham’s backsliding he answered Abimelech. “What was your reason for doing this?” What was going through your brain? You sinned against me. You sinned against my kingdom. God nearly killed me. Why?

            Abraham gives three reasons for his deceptive behavior. First, Your people don’t fear God. V 11. The truth was that Abraham was the one who didn’t fear God enough. When he looked around he was more afraid of Abimelech and his kingdom than he was of God. If he had truly feared the Lord, he would have obeyed and trusted God. It seemed as if Abimelech had a greater fear of the Lord when the Lord revealed to him the true situation..

            Secondly, Abraham said,  “I didn’t really lie.” V. 12. He claims that he did not totally lie since he told a half truth. So he excuses his deception looking at the letter of the law, not the spirit.

            Lastly, his excuse is that it’s really Gods’ fault. V. 13. God had me wander. The implication is that if God had not told him to leave his fathers house, he would not have ended up in Abimelech’s kingdom. Then he would not have had to lie. Therefore its not really may fault, it’s really Gods fault for bringing me into your kingdom to begin with.”

When someone makes excuses instead of facing up to their faults they are not taking any responsibility. Still Abraham no indication of acceptance of responsibility for sin, nor of sorrow or repentance. While his arguments fail to satisfy us, as they did not impress Abimelech, they did seem to satisfy Abraham.

I heard an interesting excuse for sin on a TV interview. One of the commentators was interviewing a young man who was pirating music and movies off the internet for free that was copyrighted material. The young man did not think he was cheating because they charge too much for CDs anyway. That is an interesting excuse. “Not my fault it’s their fault I’m stealing their material. If they didn’t charge so much then I probably wouldn’t do it. “

People have a hard time facing up to wrong and sin and come up with lame excuses. One person wrote on their accident report that a telephone pole hit them. Here are other excuses turned into the insurance companies: The telephone pole was approaching fast. I was attempting to swerve out of its path when it struck my front end. A pedestrian hit me and went under my car. The guy was all over the place. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him. I was driving my car out of the driveway in the usual manner, when it was struck by the other car in the same place it had been struck several times before. An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my vehicle and vanished.

It is interesting when kids are caught with a lie how many excuses they can come up with. People will continually lie to cover up another lie.

           

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Fri July 13 Presumptions

Gen 20: 11 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.’

 Presumptions.

When it comes to backsliding, or yielding to sin as a person of faith, we can be influenced by our prejudices and presumptions. Abraham presumed he was dwelling around evil people and coming to those conclusions felt endangered and therefore reacted in ways there are not in keeping with his faith. He felt it wise because of his prejudices to lie. We created false ideas of how things might turn out so we justify our behavior. If we presume we will get a ticket when speeding some will justify a lie as to the reasons for making excuses. If we presume we will keep more of our money we might lie when filling out tax reports. Even if we keep more of our money we presume that is more justifiable because we presume it will bring us happiness. 

We do deal with the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life as James tells us when we face temptations. There are fears, and excuses, and our minds can also presume things from an earthly point of view that we see as consequences which either we are attracted to or from. A person my make presumptions about something he wants an steals it. Or he might presume something will give him great pleasure even though he knows it is wrong. He might act out of the fear of being fired, or hired and do things that are not in keeping with Christian, or godly conduct. Our presumptions can take the place of prayers.

Next week we will look at the rest of the chapter from the eyes of King Abimelech who had been wronged by Abraham. Because Abraham presumed he was an evil and wicked king who did not fear the Lord he acted in ways that put his family in more danger. But God knew how to deal with the problem. Instead of Abraham being a blessing to the other nations, in this incident he was a curse.

His ways were influenced by his prejudices. We carry lots of prejudices around without not always knowing it. Our presumptions can influence behavior when we distrust. It can keep us from the truth if we are filled with pride compared to those around us. Some justify their behaviors when they thing the people around them are inferior. Prejudices result from presumptions.

A Chinese proverb, “Lose an ax and suspect the neighbor”, tells about this attitude. A man who lost his ax suspected his neighbor’s son of stealing it. To him, as he observed the boy, the way the lad walked, the expression of his face, the manner of his speech- in fact everything about his appearance and behavior betrayed that he had stolen the ax.

Not long afterwards the man found his axe while digging in his cellar. When he saw his neighbor’s son again, nothing about the boy’s behavior nor appearance seemed to suggest that he had stolen the ax

 Abraham was God’s elect, God’s chosen, but he still floundered and failed. Abraham was God’s prophet, but that did not make him more pious than others. Abraham prospered both in Egypt and in Gerar, but it was not because he attained a higher level of spirituality. The most dangerous doctrine for the Christian is that which suggests that Christians can be above temptation and failure in their Christian lives, even after years of service or in a privileged position.

Beware, Christian of backsliding when you think you are spiritual, lest you fall. When you think you are better than others like Abraham did. Beware when you fear men and not God, or compromise your values or morals in little ways, or make excuses.

Pastor Dale

Gomorrah, The conclusion Gen 19

Monday July 2  Gomorrah. The Conclusion  

Verses Gen 19

Last week God through His angels warned Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. You might remember we talked about the importance of Intercessory prayer, as illustrated by Abraham when he heard about the pending destruction.  He had a concern for the people, and especially his family.

 He persisted in prayer, leaving his honest questions and requests in God’s hands who knows far more than he does. But in his prayers Abraham was also an example to us in his specific requests. We left with the thought that we don’t really know exactly how God answers our prayers of intercession. Sometimes in ways that we don’t recognize right away; Sometimes in ways different but better than we anticipated; Sometimes he answers them we just don’t know it. Others times, they are not answered and we must say humbly, “God’s ways are higher than our ways and we walk by faith not by sight. Someday we will understand.”

            Now briefly this week I want to center our thoughts on the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah and learn about judgement and what it is that keeps righteous people a witness until the end.  Sodom and Gomorrah were sister cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul. If there is a bomb that falls on one, it falls on the other. Gomorrah, the lesser known of the two is judged equally. No one is more at fault than the other. 

            There was warning back in the Old Testament days are there are warnings repeated today. Living in judgment is the result of ignoring those warnings. At Christ’s return it will be too late to do anything about it. Don’t be lulled into spiritual apathy. Do you have the assurance of salvation? If God’s judgment falls this week are you prepared to go to heaven. If you are not sure contact me.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Tues July 3 Uninhibited Pleasures

Verses Gen 19:1-11

The Lessons of Uninhibited Pleasures

The divine messengers arrived in the city and meet Lot. They were perfectly willing to stay in the city square overnight, which was a common practice in that day. Lot insisted they must stay with him, like Abraham showing hospitality to strangers. It was also likely that Lot knew of the danger and what would happen to them if they stayed in the city square. No one in the right mind would think of sleeping in Central Park in New York or in Loren Park in Minneapolis.

But what happened next turns our stomachs. Lot and his guests have dinner and then "all the men of the city from every part" came to Lot's home. This was not some gang of degenerate men. This was the general make-up of the entire community. These men wanted to engage in homosexual acts with these men. They wanted to rape them!

This one incident is enough. This was all the angels needed to convince them that the charges were true and Sodom was deserving of destruction. Things were so bad that the only way to bring healing was to remove these towns.

Rampant homosexuality was just one of the evidences of the perverse nature of the society. There were other charges, as you might read in EZEK 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.

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah lived their lives on the basis of their impulses, selfish lusts,  unconcerned about each others, pornographic lusts. Later Isaiah uses Sodom as an example of lack of shame in their willful sin.  There was an example of a society that not only sinned, but promoted it, and flaunted it and took pride in it. Sound familiar? There was no fear of God.

And in our society we have become anaesthetized against the very sins for which Sodom was destroyed. We laugh at things that used to make us blush. Instead of extolling the virtue of God's marriage ethic in the Bible, we now view that as only one option - and not necessarily the best option. Quick divorce, life partnerships, homosexuality - all of these are paraded as being natural and desirable. Yet they are condemned by God. Their appearance on our streets and on our televisions is symptomatic of the power and grip of sin that abounds in human life still.

How often do we build prisons to protect our society and rightly so? They are crowded and overflowing. But when you take some individuals away you find a dozen more taking their places.

            What do you do when the whole society is run amuck with uninhibited pleasures and evils? To try to do so is like stamping out a gasoline fire. The more you stamp, the more it spreads.

            Unrestrained pleasures escalate to a point when evil is called good. Take heed lest your lusts become your master.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Weds July 4- Unexplained Persecution

Verses – Gen 19:9-12

The Lessons of Unexplained Persecution  

Today is the Birthday of our Nation. We not only recognize the freedoms we have but the hardships our forefathers went through to see their offspring enjoys the benefits of their sacrifices. So far God has preserved our society. Live in righteousness even in a time when unrighteousness seems to rule.

What happens when Lot wants to protect the innocent, and the godly? He is threatened with persecution. He is threatened with violence. He is rejected by the very people he wants to help Lot is standing for right and justice as far as the protection of the visitors are concerned and says no I will not allow this sin to occur.

People do not like to have authority of God or God’s ways in their lives. Who are you to judge us? We will treat you worse than them. And they were responding in mob violence against someone bringing a different message than they want hear.

Each week we can read about Christians in other lands who are suffering and beaten and even put on fire for their faith. The last 3 Sundays were there reports on Yahoo News of churches that have been bombed or burdened with fatalities in Nigeria, Kenya, and Sudan. The Middle East has seen an uprising in terrorists who bomb churches and persecute believers.

When Lot conveyed the message of the angels to his family, urging them to escape God's wrath, many thought he must be joking'! Here he was with the most important and most urgent message of all, yet all they could was laugh. The moment we treat God’s message lightly, and reject the truth of the grace of God, one is brought under condemnation. God gave the people a change to hear and see a witness. He gave to them truth and even loved ones pleaded with some to be saved from the coming destruction, but the response was hardened hearts mockery and rejection.

If a person sees a house on fire, turns in the alarm and does everything he can to rescue the occupants, he is a hero. But when a Christian warns the alarm about people going to Hell and wants to rescue the people he is ridiculed, rejected. In some countries jailed, have their businesses burned and run out of town as seen in Pakistan.

What keeps us from telling our neighbors and friends? Is it the fear of not being liked, misunderstood, claimed to be narrow minded or judgmental. When all the while what constrains people to face persecution, unexplained is the love of Jesus Christ and the passion not to see people experience the wrath of God but find forgiveness and salvation from the judgment that is coming. 

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets Thurs July 5 Inevitable Punishment

Verses Gen 19:15-29

The Lessons of Inevitable Punishment

After the bombs were dropped on Japan people all over the world were stunned. 

They couldn’t image such total destruction. The God bombing of Sodom and Gomorrah was talked about thousands of years later because destruction was go quick, complete and in a since could have been avoided if people would have listened.

            There are three warnings we leave with. One is the constant vigilance we need to take when our society is influencing us all around with popular values instead of Godly truth. One man was going around warning people of sin and was confronted, “Why do you keep screaming and preaching like that when no one listens to you?” It is so I will be prevented from them changing me.”

            If nothing else keep God’s truths in front of you. Continue to read your Bible. Continue to stand for things you know are right and against things you know are wrong. Even in a pluralistic society that rejects many things Christians believe, if for on other reason than you will prevent society from changing you into it’s mold.

It is interesting that this chapter presents Lot as a respected resident of Sodom. Previously, we had seen him pitch his tent toward the place; now he is in it, as a citizen of this evil and wicked locality. The pull of Sodom was clearly too much for Lot. We must be careful that we pitch our tent in the right direction, with our backs, and not our faces, towards sin.

What bothers me wasn’t so much the intercession of Abraham as one who loved God and was concerned righteous, but the implication that Lot was righteous. Was he the one Abraham thought of? Indeed he was righteous enough to protect them men from homosexual rape, but how then do you explain the fact that he was willing to sacrifice his virgin daughters to the immorality and disdain of the society. They were also engaged to be married. What type of character does that say about Lot? Or what does that say when this is the most righteous you can find in the city? How could he even suggest such a thing as this? I read of a man last week in another city of America arrested because he needed drug money and offered his two year old daughter to men for sex. What do you do with such people?

As the society becomes more perverse even the righteous lower their standards. Human sinfulness by definition infects and rots the fabric of the whole community.

When the fire and brimstone came burning down upon the city, his wife turns back to either mourn for the city, or seek possessions she left behind.

Vs 27-29 is a testimony to those who intercede. Because of Abrahams witness and prayer some were saved. Because of the church willing to give and pray some are saved. Because some are undergoing persecution for a time, some are saved for eternity. We have an important part yet to play in world wide witness and encouragement of our persecuted brothers and sisters in areas that is very hostile to Jesus in different ways. 

How many will be left behind when Jesus returns? How many keep looking to the attractions of this world and not ahead to the righteousness of Christ? Revelation speaks of a greater destruction. It speaks of a needed zeal.

Pastor Dale

Sermon Nuggets July 6 Inventive Impurity

Gen 19:30-38

The Lessons of Inventive Impurity

Life changes after there is destruction. Many will sober up and commitment to righteousness. Many, like foxhole conversions, will make promises but quickly break them. God was gracious in saving this family, but it wasn’t long Lot became drunk with wine and his daughter contrived among themselves to have an incestuous relationship with him. So how would you answer Abrahams question to God. How many righteous people the angels find in the city? Was there one?.

Chuck Colson reported that colleges across the country are starting courses in so-called "porn studies". Classes on pornography are offered at NYU, Northwestern, Colombia and several other schools. They watch pornography day after day. Porn stars are popular lecturers on college campuses. Extra marital and premarital sex is glorified on afternoon soap operas and prime time television, Focus on the Family reports that during this week that there is tremendous pressure to get the Dr. Laura show off the air because she has the audacity of saying Homosexual relationship are wrong. Sponsors are dropping their endorsements. Lobbyists work to get special protection for those who engage in perversion while punishing those who have a Bible in school.

The Bible warns us often. Do  not be deceived. God is not mocked what you reap you shall sow. Although it is a very unpopular theme in our society, the Bible speaks clearly about punishment and judgement and the destruction of the whole world.

Jesus used the story of the destruction of Sodom to give warning of judgement. In Luke 17 he talks about the importance of being prepared for His second coming. God judged Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness. God tolerated it no longer. There is a limit to his patience and his longsuffering. Thus far, but no further.

It is that concern that keeps the church seeking to persuade it’s neighbors and country men that salvation is found in no other name that Jesus Christ. Just like in the Old Testament they needed to repent of sin and turn to trust God’s salvation so that is the message today. Anyone who has not accepted Jesus is great eternal danger and that the task of bringing the gospel to them is of the utmost importance. Be like Abraham-pray.

These angels arrived on one day and before the next day had fully begun the town was destroyed. One moment a new day was beginning as normal, the next day life was destroyed. One minute men were getting ready for work, women were getting laundry ready, people were enjoying their breakfast. The next minute the town had been destroyed beyond recognition. That is how it will be when Jesus comes. We do not know when God will say "Enough" but when He does, time will have run out.

            Why then was not Lot and his daughters destroyed along with the whole town, was it matters of degrees? Or was it the grace of God in doing what God said needed to be done to be saved. He told them to leave and do not turn back?

            What does he say to you and me. The same: repent of our sin and do not turn back. And believe by faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans says that "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." But God provided an escape - To stay in Sodom was to be judged and lost. But there was an 'out', an exit, a possibility of escape. So it is with the Gospel. To remain as we are is to be under the condemnation and power of sin. But Jesus says 'I am the door'. There is a way of escape, to something safe, to something better.

The New Testament tells us that indeed destruction and judgement is coming. We will not escape except in the plan of God. For there is none that is righteous, All have turned our own way. In fact if we realize that Sodom was a warning to Korazin and Bethsaida how much more is it a warning today? They did not have The Word of God. We have a record of the miracles of Jesus and the teachings of Jesus as well as all the teaching of the disciples. They didn’t have the witness of the Death and Resurrection of Christ. Now He has proved He is God’s son by His resurrection. They did not have the witness of the Holy Spirit. They did not have the witness of the church in this centuries, nor Christian resources, or schools, or text books or worship service, or TV and radio stations. If Korazin and Bethsaida were to be judged more strictly because of their unbelief what about us?

Pastor Dale