WEBVTT 00:00:00.420 --> 00:00:04.540 If you have a Bible this morning, we'll invite you to turn to Genesis chapter 16 and 17. 00:00:04.720 --> 00:00:05.800 we're going to start in 16. 00:00:05.900 --> 00:00:06.220 So there you go. 00:00:06.340 --> 00:00:08.020 So you can't turn it two chapters at once, right? 00:00:08.020 --> 00:00:08.870 Unless you're on the same page. 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:13.350 So start in 16 and we're in a series together called blessed. 00:00:14.500 --> 00:00:18.790 And the reason that we are blessed, all of us this morning could say we are blessed. 00:00:19.040 --> 00:00:20.740 And that's simply because of the grace of God. 00:00:20.740 --> 00:00:23.390 Let me give you a reason why, if you're looking for one. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:26.860 God does not owe us today. 00:00:27.980 --> 00:00:28.920 He doesn't know us tomorrow. 00:00:30.360 --> 00:00:31.370 He doesn't know us his life. 00:00:32.460 --> 00:00:32.780 He doesn't. 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:33.400 He doesn't know us. 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:34.220 Anything there is. 00:00:34.660 --> 00:00:36.120 We are under no obligation to him. 00:00:36.120 --> 00:00:37.450 He is both judge and jury. 00:00:37.820 --> 00:00:41.500 And the Bible tells us that all of us are born in sin. 00:00:41.620 --> 00:00:47.220 And so we are completely at God's mercy in his justice to bring that at any moment. 00:00:47.340 --> 00:00:48.700 God doesn't offer us his grace. 00:00:48.800 --> 00:00:51.010 But here's the good news is he gives it to us. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:01:00.000 He gives us opportunity to know him, to draw near to him, to experience life with him and eternity with him in joy as we walk 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:00.660 with him. 00:01:00.700 --> 00:01:06.010 And so because of that, because you're here, we know that we're blessed. 00:01:07.880 --> 00:01:10.780 In Genesis chapter 16 and 17. 00:01:11.780 --> 00:01:19.400 It compares for us the struggle of one walking in the flesh versus walking with the Lord. 00:01:20.420 --> 00:01:24.020 It's a text of Scripture, of a, of a, of an individual living his life. 00:01:24.260 --> 00:01:28.460 Abraham who lives a life that's blessed by God's grace. 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:35.680 And he can continue to walk with God's grace, but he struggles with his old nature or his nature in the flesh as he desires to walk with 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:40.510 God, he's struggling between his will and God's will. 00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:43.980 Whether it's my will or I will. 00:01:46.320 --> 00:01:53.460 And so chapter 16 is juxtaposed perfectly against chapter 17, understanding what life looks like when we walk according to 00:01:53.460 --> 00:01:57.920 our will and what life is like when we walk according to God's will. 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:01.860 And we're going to see is 16 has is covered with brokenness. 00:02:02.620 --> 00:02:05.660 And chapter 17 is filled with joy and laughter. 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:08.820 And so this morning, this is how it's going to go. 00:02:08.860 --> 00:02:09.889 We're going to talk about sin. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:13.440 And that's not always fun. 00:02:13.700 --> 00:02:14.800 Actually, I don't know when it is fun. 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:21.430 But then we're going to talk about how we discover joy in our relationship with God despite sin. 00:02:23.100 --> 00:02:25.430 And life for us as people is tempting. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:30.640 And life can tempt us to compromise in God's will. 00:02:32.020 --> 00:02:39.380 In fact, the story of Genesis chapter 16 starts right after a beautiful passage in chapter 00:02:39.380 --> 00:02:46.640 Excuse Me 15, where Abraham shares a story about his connection to God, his walk with 00:02:46.640 --> 00:02:47.260 God. 00:02:47.260 --> 00:02:52.780 And so in chapter 15, Abraham has a personal conversation interaction with the Lord. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:59.240 And so we've seen in Genesis 12, when Abraham's journey begins, he goes through a lot of life experience in just two chapters. 00:02:59.480 --> 00:03:01.100 Chapter 15, it takes a break. 00:03:01.320 --> 00:03:01.760 It stops. 00:03:01.940 --> 00:03:07.280 God intervenes in his life, establishes a covenant with Abraham based on what he has done. 00:03:07.600 --> 00:03:10.080 Nothing to do with what Abraham has done. 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.200 And Abraham communes with God. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:15.900 Just like Abraham. 00:03:17.580 --> 00:03:19.820 Even though we may give our lives to Jesus. 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:23.780 Doesn't mean our lives will go perfect. 00:03:26.760 --> 00:03:30.480 Truth is in our lives, even though we may know the Spirit of God. 00:03:30.540 --> 00:03:37.800 The Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter one and verse 14, when you trust in Jesus that the Spirit of God seals you and you are 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:39.420 the temple of God. 00:03:39.500 --> 00:03:46.040 No longer do you have to go to a location to worship him, but you can worship him wherever you are because His Spirit indwells you. 00:03:46.040 --> 00:03:48.280 And even though His Spirit indwells us. 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:50.940 We still war with our flesh. 00:03:52.500 --> 00:03:59.680 Romans chapter seven says, and according to the life of Paul, he says, oh, wretched man that I am, who will save me from this body of sin 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:00.400 and death? 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:04.440 There is a struggle we face in Genesis 16. 00:04:04.440 --> 00:04:05.960 Abraham faces that struggle. 00:04:05.960 --> 00:04:06.960 And Ephesians five. 00:04:06.980 --> 00:04:08.660 The Bible says this to us in verse 15. 00:04:08.980 --> 00:04:16.060 Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the 00:04:16.060 --> 00:04:16.980 days are evil. 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:21.600 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:25.240 Be careful. 00:04:26.660 --> 00:04:28.860 And the war between your flesh and the spirit. 00:04:30.660 --> 00:04:35.110 In verse 17, Paul's acknowledging something for the life of the believers. 00:04:35.280 --> 00:04:38.760 He's saying, God has a will for your life. 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:41.760 Because we don't always live it, right. 00:04:43.220 --> 00:04:49.310 And just because you know Jesus or claimed to know Jesus doesn't mean you walk with Jesus. 00:04:50.040 --> 00:04:57.180 But just because you became a Christian, if it were easy then and you could live out God's desire in your life, Paul would have never said 00:04:57.180 --> 00:05:00.080 in verse 17, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:05.280 But the reason he presents this statement in verse 17 is because it is a challenge for us to live it out in our lives. 00:05:07.940 --> 00:05:12.050 I want to be careful in the way that we present this morning, though, according to living out God's will. 00:05:13.780 --> 00:05:18.220 And Abraham is going to share about his failures in verse 16 and chapter 16 and his struggles. 00:05:19.840 --> 00:05:21.220 And then we're going to talk about walking with God. 00:05:21.260 --> 00:05:22.740 But here's what I don't want our ears to hear. 00:05:22.920 --> 00:05:24.580 I'll tell you what I want our ears to hear in a minute. 00:05:24.700 --> 00:05:27.520 But let me tell you what I don't want to hear is to hear. 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:32.000 I don't want us to hear I'm bad, and so I need to do good. 00:05:32.540 --> 00:05:34.060 Okay? 00:05:34.200 --> 00:05:40.200 The answer to living in the Or living out the flesh and defeating the flesh isn't about that's bad. 00:05:40.260 --> 00:05:41.010 And so I need good. 00:05:41.220 --> 00:05:45.300 I don't think the primary thing that God is after here this morning is I'm bad. 00:05:45.320 --> 00:05:46.550 And so I need to be good. 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:51.420 In fact, if you view your walk with God that way, it's going to rob you a lot of joy. 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:52.830 And I'll explain all that in just a minute. 00:05:52.840 --> 00:05:57.050 Well, let me just say, now that I've said that I'm not telling you to go be bad. 00:05:58.870 --> 00:06:05.660 A matter of fact, there are ways that God has called us and created us in his image to glorify him in this world. 00:06:06.580 --> 00:06:09.540 And sometimes we may clarify that or call that being good. 00:06:09.740 --> 00:06:15.480 But I want to be very careful in the way that we define good this morning, because it has a lot to do with God's will in our lives. 00:06:17.320 --> 00:06:17.840 Got that. 00:06:17.840 --> 00:06:19.180 Lock it away in your head for just a minute. 00:06:20.860 --> 00:06:21.380 If I'm bad. 00:06:21.620 --> 00:06:22.900 It's not about being good. 00:06:22.900 --> 00:06:23.120 Okay. 00:06:23.160 --> 00:06:23.380 Hold it. 00:06:23.540 --> 00:06:24.070 We'll get the solution. 00:06:25.900 --> 00:06:29.540 But life can tempt us to compromise in God's will. 00:06:30.340 --> 00:06:35.420 And if I ask that in the question, I would say, how well do you do when following God's will? 00:06:35.640 --> 00:06:37.360 Are you a person of compromise? 00:06:37.440 --> 00:06:37.980 And Abraham? 00:06:38.080 --> 00:06:40.690 Chapter Genesis, chapter 15 the Life of Abraham. 00:06:40.780 --> 00:06:47.820 We see this beautiful story where Abraham interacts with God and it's just one chapter later, we just turn the page, read the next verse, and he's 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:48.360 fallen again. 00:06:50.200 --> 00:06:56.030 And it says in verse one, now Sarah, Abraham's wife, had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 00:06:56.520 --> 00:06:59.520 So she said to Abraham, the Lord has kept me from having children. 00:06:59.940 --> 00:07:00.960 Go sleep with my slave. 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:02.810 Perhaps I can build a family through her. 00:07:03.620 --> 00:07:05.540 And Abraham agreed to what Sarah said. 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:08.380 So after Abraham's nuts. 00:07:08.940 --> 00:07:16.080 So after Abraham had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarah, his wife, took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to 00:07:16.140 --> 00:07:16.620 be his wife. 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:19.180 And he slept with Hagar and she conceived. 00:07:20.340 --> 00:07:21.310 guys, let me just say this real quick. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:22.070 Don't do that. 00:07:22.470 --> 00:07:24.140 Don't do that, all right? 00:07:24.140 --> 00:07:28.340 Just because it's a narrative story in the Bible doesn't mean God wants you to do everything that's recorded in the Bible. 00:07:28.340 --> 00:07:29.860 A narrative story is just a narrative story. 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:31.160 It's not a theological belief. 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:32.540 Don't do this, okay? 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:37.260 But Abraham like us. 00:07:38.880 --> 00:07:39.220 Faces. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:40.980 Temptation. 00:07:41.700 --> 00:07:42.480 He faces compromise. 00:07:44.820 --> 00:07:48.110 We read a story like this and we can be quick to judge Abraham. 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:55.280 And the decision that he made a little more cultural understanding helps us to see that he he's living out a cultural 00:07:55.280 --> 00:07:56.840 influence in his life. 00:07:58.660 --> 00:08:05.800 But I don't want to be quick to judge Abraham because the Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 16 and verse 15 and 16, so Hagar bore Abraham 00:08:05.900 --> 00:08:09.900 a son, and Abraham gave the name Ishmael to the son. 00:08:09.940 --> 00:08:10.820 And she had borne. 00:08:10.820 --> 00:08:12.200 Now it's wrong what Abraham did. 00:08:12.220 --> 00:08:13.680 But look at verse 16. 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.820 Abraham was 86 years old when Hagar bore him. 00:08:17.180 --> 00:08:17.340 Ishmael. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:21.180 In Genesis 12. 00:08:21.460 --> 00:08:28.280 The Bible tells us that when Abraham left from the land of ur to the land of Canaan on this journey, God gave him a promise. 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:32.900 The promise said, this I will give you the land of Canaan, and I will. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:38.559 I will bring you a child, and through you all nations, all people will be blessed. 00:08:38.640 --> 00:08:45.020 And he told him that his, from his family or from his child, that they'll have children as numerous as the stars in the sky. 00:08:46.940 --> 00:08:49.740 And so, at 75 years old, Abraham listens to God. 00:08:49.880 --> 00:08:57.220 He leaves from the beautiful land of ur, where the cradle of civilization is found, and he goes into the land of Canaan to live among nomads 00:08:57.220 --> 00:08:57.880 in tents. 00:09:00.380 --> 00:09:01.340 And for ten years. 00:09:03.020 --> 00:09:05.870 He waits for God to fulfill his promise. 00:09:07.900 --> 00:09:12.020 What about you? 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:15.650 And maybe this isn't your temptation. 00:09:18.180 --> 00:09:18.860 But how long do you wait? 00:09:21.640 --> 00:09:21.900 You know. 00:09:21.960 --> 00:09:23.550 I know how it works with in our lives. 00:09:23.900 --> 00:09:24.020 We. 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:32.500 Maybe see someone beside us who has all these amazing toys and possessions and your whole life, you're just coveting that 00:09:32.680 --> 00:09:38.700 better car or that ATV or that camper or whatever that you see them having for years. 00:09:38.700 --> 00:09:39.700 You just think about it. 00:09:39.820 --> 00:09:46.640 But, based on your income, it's not it's not for you in the cards, but you just got to have it right. 00:09:47.280 --> 00:09:54.340 Or we can do that in careers and achieving careers or possessions or money or promotions at work. 00:09:54.340 --> 00:09:59.000 You know, if I just did this, even though it may be compromising, I can get to where I want to be. 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:02.400 And so the end for me justifies the means. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:05.320 Maybe it's in relationships or lust. 00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:08.430 You think about your relationship and you say, my wife's not giving me what I deserve. 00:10:08.560 --> 00:10:10.470 Like in the case of Abraham, he wanted a child. 00:10:11.280 --> 00:10:15.860 And so he goes somewhere else outside of what God's plan was. 00:10:18.020 --> 00:10:21.100 Abraham had reasons for doing what he was doing. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:27.020 He gave in into this temptation of pressure on him through the promise of God. 00:10:27.040 --> 00:10:34.620 It started off as a godly thing that God God told Abraham, and Abraham takes the beautiful promise of God and he compromises 00:10:34.620 --> 00:10:35.570 it. 00:10:35.940 --> 00:10:37.230 As if God needed his help. 00:10:38.840 --> 00:10:39.610 We talk about. 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:42.440 Temptations and trials. 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:47.080 I know we've mentioned this recently in The Life of Abraham, but a trial for us works like this. 00:10:47.240 --> 00:10:51.490 A trial is when we're going through a difficult time for God's glory. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:53.550 And a temptation. 00:10:55.140 --> 00:10:55.850 As when we're fighting. 00:10:55.900 --> 00:10:57.040 It's something for our own glory. 00:10:58.920 --> 00:11:00.440 The temptations about pleasing self. 00:11:02.330 --> 00:11:04.910 Trials tend to be more about pleasing the Lord. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:09.520 And Abraham in these moments of temptation. 00:11:11.420 --> 00:11:18.520 There's no only thinking about God's promises, but perhaps he's thinking about his own needs in life or what he clarifies as a need apart from the 00:11:18.520 --> 00:11:19.070 Lord. 00:11:20.500 --> 00:11:22.320 And it may be in these moments Abraham is embarrassed. 00:11:24.280 --> 00:11:31.300 You think this guy just left this nice place and earth to live in tents and Conan, and he moves into these people groups, and he 00:11:31.300 --> 00:11:33.900 explains to him the reason this foreigners living in their land. 00:11:34.420 --> 00:11:42.220 And ten years go by and they're looking at this guy, 75 years old, saying he's going to have a kid, and now he's 85 years old, and every time he goes there, just pointless saying, this 00:11:42.220 --> 00:11:42.560 guy. 00:11:42.860 --> 00:11:43.900 He's out of his mind. 00:11:46.820 --> 00:11:47.780 Maybe he just wanted to fit in. 00:11:50.740 --> 00:11:53.180 Everyone in this culture is having kids, right? 00:11:54.800 --> 00:12:01.550 And during the life of Abraham, kids are viewed much more of a blessing than we view them in our own culture today to our fault. 00:12:01.700 --> 00:12:05.640 But, people wanted to have children, families wanted to have children. 00:12:05.680 --> 00:12:10.780 They thought about generations through that and passing off their inheritance and the blessing of family. 00:12:11.140 --> 00:12:17.940 And everything was family based and Abraham, Abraham wanted to have a kid and he just he just wanted to fit in. 00:12:17.940 --> 00:12:23.320 And on top of that, what Abraham did with Hagar was completely culturally okay. 00:12:27.160 --> 00:12:34.160 In Abraham's culture, if your wife was barren, it was justifiable for the husband to find someone who 00:12:34.160 --> 00:12:37.200 could help him have future generations. 00:12:37.300 --> 00:12:44.340 So that way you'll see, as Abraham's been concerned, in Genesis 16 and 15 he mentioned this, that he was concerned that when he 00:12:44.340 --> 00:12:48.160 passed away that one of the servants in his household would inherit. 00:12:49.740 --> 00:12:50.980 The things that God had given him. 00:12:53.140 --> 00:12:54.380 And so it was culturally okay. 00:12:56.600 --> 00:12:59.840 The practice what Abraham wanted to do. 00:13:01.780 --> 00:13:05.280 Abraham had his excuses. 00:13:06.820 --> 00:13:08.940 The same works for us in our temptations. 00:13:11.540 --> 00:13:13.780 No, I'm not getting what I want out of this. 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:22.560 And so rather than pursue or continue to follow after the Lord, I just want to give in to this area because I have I 00:13:22.560 --> 00:13:22.820 have needs. 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:33.660 And we make a temptation about a must, rather than simply following after the Lord and the results of 00:13:33.680 --> 00:13:35.360 what Abraham experiences here. 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:42.900 It tells us in Genesis 16 and verse five and six, even though even though everyone in the family, even the servant, agrees 00:13:42.900 --> 00:13:44.920 to this is the result of what happens. 00:13:45.460 --> 00:13:49.860 And Sarah said to Abram, May the wrong done me be upon you. 00:13:49.860 --> 00:13:51.520 I gave my mate into your arms. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:55.790 But when she saw that she was conceived, I was despised in her sight. 00:13:55.880 --> 00:13:57.640 May the Lord judge between you and me. 00:13:58.120 --> 00:14:04.360 But Abram said to Sarah, behold, your maid is in your power due to her what is good in your sight. 00:14:04.500 --> 00:14:11.660 So Sarah treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence, even though 00:14:11.660 --> 00:14:14.620 they're agreeing to this as a good thing outside of God's will. 00:14:14.620 --> 00:14:18.200 What they discover is that walking with God was the best place to be. 00:14:20.420 --> 00:14:21.120 It tells us. 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:22.720 Even though Sarah agreed to it. 00:14:22.780 --> 00:14:24.740 Sarah gets mad at Abraham. 00:14:24.920 --> 00:14:27.920 And now that Sarah is mad at Abraham, Abraham feels bad for Sarah. 00:14:27.920 --> 00:14:31.320 And so Abraham says, okay, honey, you want to be mean to people because I upset you? 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:31.620 Go ahead. 00:14:31.900 --> 00:14:33.300 Go ahead and be mean to people. 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:37.120 And Hagar looks at the moment and she realizes having children is an honorable thing, society. 00:14:37.140 --> 00:14:38.800 So she looks down on Sarah. 00:14:38.820 --> 00:14:45.880 And I don't know what happens between these ladies, but whatever it is, it's so severe that Hagar would rather risk going into the desert and dying than 00:14:45.880 --> 00:14:46.740 staying near Sarah. 00:14:50.880 --> 00:14:54.330 Sin harms us. 00:14:54.770 --> 00:14:55.440 Even if we. 00:14:56.570 --> 00:14:57.370 Agree to do it. 00:14:59.190 --> 00:15:04.210 We give in to personal temptation for gratification rather than standing with the Lord. 00:15:04.210 --> 00:15:10.190 In Genesis 1612 says this Ishmael then will be a donkey of a wild man. 00:15:10.190 --> 00:15:12.480 His hand will be against every man. 00:15:13.410 --> 00:15:15.110 Now here's a little secret about me. 00:15:16.010 --> 00:15:17.890 I don't like riding on animals. 00:15:18.310 --> 00:15:21.990 If they're big and they're big enough to hold me, then they scare me. 00:15:22.410 --> 00:15:29.060 And I look at this as Isaac or as Ishmael when he's born in Genesis chapter 12, and he's like a wild man of a donkey. 00:15:29.210 --> 00:15:31.290 And I'm thinking, well, how crazy is this guy? 00:15:34.250 --> 00:15:35.450 In the midst of. 00:15:37.450 --> 00:15:38.430 Situation of compromise. 00:15:40.510 --> 00:15:41.890 Craziness is born. 00:15:44.990 --> 00:15:48.780 How do we determine when to wait on God and when to move? 00:15:51.070 --> 00:15:57.390 Now, Abraham looked at this moment and thought, God gave this promise and I'm glad he gave me this promise. 00:15:57.450 --> 00:16:01.010 But what he really needs now is he needs me to save the day, right? 00:16:02.290 --> 00:16:09.370 So since it's been ten years and God, I'm guessing he should have fulfilled that by now, I'm going to go ahead and step in, and I'm going to give God what he thinks he what he knows 00:16:09.370 --> 00:16:14.070 he needs to give me, but apparently is not capable of giving it to me himself, even though he promised this. 00:16:17.750 --> 00:16:21.990 How do you determine when to wait on God and when to move? 00:16:23.990 --> 00:16:25.690 Maybe for an answer based on the life of Abraham. 00:16:25.870 --> 00:16:31.850 In these moments, we'd say this God does not want you to compromise your faith to accomplish his will. 00:16:33.350 --> 00:16:34.070 God, I felt really country. 00:16:34.390 --> 00:16:34.730 Did I say that? 00:16:34.810 --> 00:16:35.290 Real country. 00:16:35.290 --> 00:16:36.210 His wheel. 00:16:36.410 --> 00:16:36.810 God. 00:16:36.890 --> 00:16:41.970 God doesn't want you to compromise your faith to accomplish his will. 00:16:42.950 --> 00:16:46.990 And in fact, God doesn't even need you to accomplish his will. 00:16:47.130 --> 00:16:49.510 The end doesn't justify the means. 00:16:51.070 --> 00:16:52.530 Well, God is really interested in. 00:16:53.450 --> 00:16:54.740 As yet, God will produce results. 00:16:56.350 --> 00:16:57.490 What God's interested in. 00:16:57.490 --> 00:16:58.530 Is your heart on the journey? 00:17:01.730 --> 00:17:02.730 What I mean is this. 00:17:02.890 --> 00:17:02.990 God. 00:17:03.490 --> 00:17:04.810 God doesn't need you. 00:17:06.050 --> 00:17:08.010 But he enjoys the pleasure of using you. 00:17:10.089 --> 00:17:10.849 Because in that. 00:17:11.930 --> 00:17:14.200 It's what he uses you to draw you to him. 00:17:16.470 --> 00:17:21.579 God is completely, completely capable of doing everything he wants to do without you ever lifting a finger. 00:17:23.770 --> 00:17:28.030 there's nothing that you do that impresses God that he couldn't just do for himself. 00:17:30.850 --> 00:17:31.830 As a church family. 00:17:31.830 --> 00:17:35.850 This is this is important for us to think about when we put in the bulletin, join a team. 00:17:36.070 --> 00:17:39.550 And so we as religiously thinking people. 00:17:39.550 --> 00:17:43.090 Sometimes this is the way that we approach ministry and serving God. 00:17:43.210 --> 00:17:44.870 God needs me to accomplish a task. 00:17:44.990 --> 00:17:45.810 That's what we'll think about. 00:17:46.170 --> 00:17:47.590 God needs me to do this. 00:17:47.630 --> 00:17:51.750 And so we go to the church building on Sunday where we will call church. 00:17:52.070 --> 00:17:55.060 We'll go to church on Sunday and we'll be involved in a ministry. 00:17:55.090 --> 00:17:55.960 We might sign up for a ministry. 00:17:56.150 --> 00:17:58.210 And we look at it, it's all about accomplishing a task. 00:17:58.530 --> 00:18:00.870 This is this is my job and I've got to complete it. 00:18:01.010 --> 00:18:02.850 But do you know the real thing that God is interested? 00:18:03.250 --> 00:18:07.250 And the reason we do ministry on church on Sunday is not to accomplish tasks? 00:18:07.970 --> 00:18:09.190 That sounds crazy, doesn't it? 00:18:09.290 --> 00:18:10.770 It's not about accomplishing task. 00:18:10.850 --> 00:18:11.550 Here's what it's about. 00:18:12.390 --> 00:18:13.010 It's about reaching hearts. 00:18:15.630 --> 00:18:17.770 We have the ministries that we have on Sunday morning. 00:18:19.130 --> 00:18:23.890 Not because we feel obligated to have to accomplish some tasks like God needs us to do that. 00:18:25.610 --> 00:18:30.390 We have ministry on Sunday morning because we know that what God desires is to reach hearts. 00:18:30.570 --> 00:18:31.270 It's about the journey. 00:18:33.770 --> 00:18:38.770 And so whatever we do here on Sunday morning, the ultimate goal isn't to accomplish the task. 00:18:38.770 --> 00:18:40.410 The ultimate goal is to reach hearts. 00:18:40.510 --> 00:18:43.050 But the reason we do a task is to reach hearts. 00:18:43.090 --> 00:18:45.990 And in the end, as you reach hearts, a task is accomplished. 00:18:45.990 --> 00:18:47.590 But the primary point. 00:18:48.810 --> 00:18:50.710 It's about what God wants to do in us and through us. 00:18:53.510 --> 00:19:00.930 The end doesn't justify the means, because God is the God of the means just as much as he is a God of 00:19:00.930 --> 00:19:01.680 results. 00:19:01.850 --> 00:19:08.950 And so God wants to work in us and through us to impact hearts and touch our lives. 00:19:08.970 --> 00:19:15.290 And so it's not about accomplishing the task, but it's about all of us together, encouraging one another to seek the Lord. 00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:19.890 I think theology is important. 00:19:21.030 --> 00:19:22.350 Matter of fact, it's how we know God. 00:19:24.170 --> 00:19:27.450 But if we're not careful, we can even treat theology that way. 00:19:28.930 --> 00:19:32.270 Or we go to study about God and we make it an academic exercise. 00:19:32.630 --> 00:19:38.850 And so we know everything we think we might want to know about God, but we really don't know God. 00:19:39.950 --> 00:19:41.650 Now I say that with a with a concern. 00:19:41.730 --> 00:19:42.390 Let me just say this. 00:19:42.470 --> 00:19:46.250 I'm not telling you all know, be worried that you've studied so much about God and you don't even know him. 00:19:46.330 --> 00:19:47.100 So now you're going to stop studying. 00:19:47.390 --> 00:19:54.550 What I'm saying is keep keep learning about the Lord and his truth, but realize that the purpose of all of that is to connect you in relationship to 00:19:54.550 --> 00:19:54.830 him. 00:19:54.870 --> 00:20:02.090 And so if you're just simply coming to theology or you're just simply serving to accomplish a task and you've missed the entire 00:20:02.090 --> 00:20:04.850 point of the journey, which is to connect to him. 00:20:07.740 --> 00:20:09.430 How do we know? 00:20:10.350 --> 00:20:12.600 How do we determine when to wait on God and when to move? 00:20:13.050 --> 00:20:16.870 God doesn't want you to compromise your faith to accomplish his will. 00:20:16.910 --> 00:20:23.440 But I would say this is what God wants you to walk in the spirit to accomplish his will. 00:20:24.750 --> 00:20:27.030 God want you to walk in the spirit to accomplish his will. 00:20:27.070 --> 00:20:33.450 In Genesis chapter 17, right after right after Abraham, and falls and compromises in his faith, it says this. 00:20:33.950 --> 00:20:36.890 The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am God Almighty. 00:20:38.050 --> 00:20:41.300 Walk before me and be blameless. 00:20:43.250 --> 00:20:46.570 This idea of walk symbolizes a duration of a journey. 00:20:46.630 --> 00:20:51.090 In this text, God could have used any any sort of word to illustrate our relationship to him. 00:20:51.170 --> 00:20:51.870 He could have said crawl. 00:20:52.150 --> 00:20:52.590 He could have said. 00:20:52.930 --> 00:20:53.480 He could have said. 00:20:53.670 --> 00:20:54.870 He could have said sprint. 00:20:54.910 --> 00:20:55.460 He could have said run. 00:20:55.870 --> 00:20:56.930 But he says walk. 00:20:57.630 --> 00:21:02.710 In this passage, which symbolizes for us a duration of journey. 00:21:02.730 --> 00:21:09.990 And so he says, when we walk, do this before him, which means in regards to him, conscious of his presence in 00:21:09.990 --> 00:21:12.790 your life, walk in step with him. 00:21:12.810 --> 00:21:17.250 This passage gives us the idea of in cadence with God step. 00:21:17.250 --> 00:21:20.530 Learn the rhythm of the way God moves and move with God. 00:21:20.830 --> 00:21:27.680 Waltz with him if he wants to dance, but just but just walk with him, step for step. 00:21:28.370 --> 00:21:29.330 And he says the result. 00:21:30.330 --> 00:21:31.110 Is that we are blameless. 00:21:33.110 --> 00:21:34.210 And this doesn't mean perfect. 00:21:36.050 --> 00:21:38.900 What the Hebrew text in this passage literally means is complete. 00:21:41.250 --> 00:21:48.410 Saying to both you and me this morning, the reason that God created you isn't for the goal of accomplishing a 00:21:48.410 --> 00:21:48.870 task. 00:21:48.910 --> 00:21:50.250 And get this, it's not. 00:21:50.550 --> 00:21:52.930 It's not to primarily be good, though. 00:21:52.930 --> 00:21:54.470 Good will have a place here in just a moment. 00:21:56.090 --> 00:21:59.090 God has created you to walk with him. 00:22:00.490 --> 00:22:04.070 And the rhythm of his grace that you find yourself complete. 00:22:05.050 --> 00:22:06.700 And the Lord who has created you for his purpose. 00:22:09.930 --> 00:22:10.850 Walking with God. 00:22:12.670 --> 00:22:14.250 Is not about avoiding sin. 00:22:16.530 --> 00:22:18.450 Walking with God, rather is about staying with God. 00:22:21.550 --> 00:22:23.570 Let me give you the big difference in this. 00:22:23.710 --> 00:22:28.090 This is the difference between approaching God religiously and approaching God relationally. 00:22:30.570 --> 00:22:30.830 It is possible. 00:22:33.510 --> 00:22:33.950 To live good. 00:22:36.750 --> 00:22:39.790 And never be close to God. 00:22:40.410 --> 00:22:42.220 And God doesn't call us to be good. 00:22:43.510 --> 00:22:44.750 God calls us to be godly. 00:22:46.790 --> 00:22:50.690 And what I mean is, you can be good and never be close to God. 00:22:50.710 --> 00:22:55.190 But if you are with God, you will live blameless or complete. 00:22:57.790 --> 00:23:04.790 As a matter of fact, when Paul wrote in Galatians chapter five and verse 16, he's talking about believers now indwelt 00:23:04.790 --> 00:23:07.210 by the Spirit of God, who put their faith in what Christ has done. 00:23:07.530 --> 00:23:09.690 The Bible promises that the spirit indwells you. 00:23:09.730 --> 00:23:16.770 And so he says this in Galatians 516, but I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh, but the fruit 00:23:16.810 --> 00:23:20.570 of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 00:23:21.230 --> 00:23:22.810 Against such things there is no law. 00:23:24.750 --> 00:23:26.890 And this is how we approach it from a religious standpoint. 00:23:28.650 --> 00:23:30.570 We'll say to ourselves, God wants me to be good. 00:23:32.370 --> 00:23:35.920 And so I look at this list and I realize I am not joyful. 00:23:36.390 --> 00:23:37.270 There is no peace. 00:23:37.270 --> 00:23:38.650 I certainly don't have patience. 00:23:38.710 --> 00:23:39.410 I'm okay. 00:23:39.410 --> 00:23:39.950 Unkindness. 00:23:39.990 --> 00:23:43.330 And I guess on goodness but faithfulness, gentleness, I'm just filling in these. 00:23:43.330 --> 00:23:46.290 So I'm going, I'm going to try harder to do this. 00:23:48.510 --> 00:23:53.150 But if that becomes your goal, you miss the entire point of this passage. 00:23:54.610 --> 00:23:59.650 Because what Paul is saying here is not that this there is bad and your job is to do good. 00:23:59.710 --> 00:24:04.530 What Paul is saying here is there is a spirit, and he empowers you to do what God calls you to do in this world. 00:24:06.490 --> 00:24:07.210 Walk in. 00:24:07.210 --> 00:24:10.270 This passage in the Greek text literally means surrender to the spirit. 00:24:10.350 --> 00:24:13.970 I say walk in the spirit or surrender the spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. 00:24:14.050 --> 00:24:14.850 And look at this. 00:24:15.210 --> 00:24:21.410 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness. 00:24:22.310 --> 00:24:23.770 Doesn't say the fruit of you. 00:24:25.250 --> 00:24:26.340 It doesn't say the fruit of me. 00:24:28.310 --> 00:24:29.280 If you want to produce the fruit. 00:24:30.730 --> 00:24:31.910 You got to connect to the root. 00:24:33.250 --> 00:24:34.050 And that's not you. 00:24:36.010 --> 00:24:36.440 It's a spirit. 00:24:39.370 --> 00:24:41.170 God calls you to surrender to his life. 00:24:42.190 --> 00:24:43.450 Are your life to his life. 00:24:45.210 --> 00:24:46.870 God wants your heart with him. 00:24:48.570 --> 00:24:52.410 Because it's his spirit that empowers you to do what he's called you in this world. 00:24:55.390 --> 00:24:57.130 And you're completely capable of just. 00:24:58.230 --> 00:25:00.590 Doing good according to the world standards. 00:25:02.730 --> 00:25:04.670 But not doing godly according to God's standards. 00:25:06.770 --> 00:25:09.350 Because that's by the power of his spirit. 00:25:11.430 --> 00:25:12.750 God is about the journey. 00:25:12.750 --> 00:25:14.740 He's not just in the results. 00:25:17.490 --> 00:25:21.070 Truth is, in the life of Abraham, he could have made a kid any way that he wanted to. 00:25:22.950 --> 00:25:27.250 He didn't need Abraham's gift of having kids. 00:25:29.570 --> 00:25:30.890 All he wanted was Abraham's heart. 00:25:33.650 --> 00:25:35.810 And surrendering to him. 00:25:36.150 --> 00:25:36.510 In the New Testament. 00:25:37.210 --> 00:25:41.090 The fruit of the spirit works out what God desires in your life. 00:25:41.270 --> 00:25:44.910 It's not according to your flesh, but according to his spirit. 00:25:47.550 --> 00:25:54.850 You know, we just recently had a youth retreat, and, I love I love 00:25:54.970 --> 00:25:55.210 youth retreats. 00:25:55.570 --> 00:25:56.480 I love getting together with our kids. 00:25:56.750 --> 00:26:00.400 And I think we had some we have some great leaders that really help out with our youth ministry. 00:26:01.370 --> 00:26:02.720 And they had a wonderful time together. 00:26:02.890 --> 00:26:09.950 And one of the things they did on the last night that they were at this retreat is they gave the kids opportunity to ask any question they wanted to, and 00:26:09.950 --> 00:26:11.830 they're going to give answers to the questions the kids have. 00:26:12.790 --> 00:26:18.350 And they asked pretty typical questions for teenagers that they're facing in that time period of their lives. 00:26:18.350 --> 00:26:18.450 Right? 00:26:19.390 --> 00:26:26.390 sex, drugs, rock and roll, tattoos, smoking, I don't know, on and on it went walk with God how to handle certain emotions in 00:26:26.390 --> 00:26:26.750 life. 00:26:27.410 --> 00:26:29.490 And a lot of that is it's good. 00:26:29.490 --> 00:26:36.610 It's really good to ask those questions because as people, what we want to learn is we want to learn how the mind of the Lord is and to line ourselves 00:26:36.610 --> 00:26:39.520 up with God, God's mind, and how he honor that. 00:26:39.530 --> 00:26:45.550 And there's a good part in asking those questions, and I'm glad when people ask those questions for those reasons. 00:26:47.170 --> 00:26:47.760 We're going to tell you. 00:26:49.730 --> 00:26:54.760 Sometimes there's a danger in the motivation behind why we ask those questions. 00:26:56.530 --> 00:27:00.530 Sometimes we ask questions about drugs, sex, rock and roll, whatever. 00:27:01.690 --> 00:27:06.250 just because we want to know where the boundary is in our walk with God. 00:27:06.430 --> 00:27:11.630 And so our thought is this how close to the edge can I get without taking God off? 00:27:11.630 --> 00:27:12.950 Right? 00:27:12.990 --> 00:27:20.790 I mean, where is that boundary line to where I can go so that when I, when I make this decision, God's not going to be mad at me, but I, I get to live 00:27:20.790 --> 00:27:21.450 the way that I want. 00:27:21.590 --> 00:27:24.780 So show me, show me where that line is. 00:27:24.810 --> 00:27:26.000 And I want to live that life. 00:27:26.210 --> 00:27:33.250 And our picture of God becomes like this when we when we begin to think that way, our picture of God is, okay, there's this guy who's made a bunch of 00:27:33.250 --> 00:27:38.030 rules and it's to rob me of joy, and I just want to live my life not making him mad. 00:27:38.090 --> 00:27:41.590 And so I'll come to church on Sunday because I feel obligated to do that. 00:27:41.870 --> 00:27:43.290 And that God should be happy with that. 00:27:43.310 --> 00:27:44.070 And I hope he's not mad. 00:27:44.230 --> 00:27:46.190 So I can get money to myself and walk on the boundary. 00:27:47.370 --> 00:27:49.170 Right? 00:27:49.910 --> 00:27:53.470 I just want to say if that if that is your picture of God. 00:27:53.490 --> 00:27:57.510 It is so far and messed up from what God wants in your life. 00:28:00.370 --> 00:28:07.130 So the point of what Galatians is saying within our lives, when the Spirit of God is controlling our lives, we don't even care where the boundaries are. 00:28:07.370 --> 00:28:14.390 The pursuit of our heart is to connect with the one who brings us love and joy and peace and patience, and we may learn about those boundaries as it relates 00:28:14.390 --> 00:28:15.210 to the will of God. 00:28:15.450 --> 00:28:22.150 But in my heart of hearts, the sole desire of my life is to connect me to him for which I was created to do. 00:28:25.830 --> 00:28:29.400 And so to walk in this world, even asking those questions, God, where's the boundary? 00:28:29.610 --> 00:28:36.530 So I can get close to the line, is to live a life void of the joy that God desires for you. 00:28:39.030 --> 00:28:41.090 The point isn't about good. 00:28:43.470 --> 00:28:44.730 The point is about God. 00:28:47.350 --> 00:28:51.710 You can live a good life and never be connected to God, but you can connect to God and be blameless. 00:28:55.210 --> 00:28:55.910 To be complete. 00:28:57.970 --> 00:29:01.410 To know the reason that he has created you. 00:29:02.950 --> 00:29:10.370 If we could go back for a moment in Abraham's life when he makes this decision right before he makes this decision, I mean, what 00:29:10.370 --> 00:29:11.670 is it we could say to him? 00:29:11.690 --> 00:29:17.430 And what could we what could we say to ourselves when we're subjecting ourselves to falling short from what God has called us to in this world? 00:29:20.010 --> 00:29:20.790 Maybe we should say Abraham. 00:29:25.110 --> 00:29:26.170 Just be patient. 00:29:26.170 --> 00:29:28.210 And God is working out his will in you as you walk with him. 00:29:30.330 --> 00:29:31.270 Or how about this, Abraham? 00:29:31.870 --> 00:29:32.610 Be bold. 00:29:33.670 --> 00:29:34.830 Be bold in your faith. 00:29:36.610 --> 00:29:44.050 Yeah, I know in your society you've got this social pressure of what is pulling you against the norm of what God's called you to because of the cultural 00:29:44.050 --> 00:29:44.550 standing. 00:29:44.910 --> 00:29:46.110 But just be bold. 00:29:47.990 --> 00:29:55.270 I mean, if you think in our history today, just people that have impacted the world around us, it was 00:29:55.270 --> 00:29:59.710 individuals that stood against the grain, that stood bold in their faith, that stood for truth and love. 00:30:01.990 --> 00:30:09.090 You think Martin Luther, who led the Reformation, Martin Luther King Jr, who led the civil rights movement or 00:30:09.090 --> 00:30:16.290 Abraham Lincoln, who set the slaves free, completely justifiable in those moments to sit and say, I stand for I stand 00:30:16.290 --> 00:30:16.750 for the Lord. 00:30:16.750 --> 00:30:17.870 I'm just comfortable where I'm at. 00:30:17.950 --> 00:30:18.700 Let's just stay right here. 00:30:22.740 --> 00:30:24.730 But to be bold. 00:30:25.870 --> 00:30:26.370 And the spirit. 00:30:28.830 --> 00:30:30.030 And the truth is this, people. 00:30:32.310 --> 00:30:34.450 We're blessed as we walk in God's will. 00:30:37.110 --> 00:30:38.250 Genesis 17. 00:30:39.690 --> 00:30:41.030 Abraham discovers. 00:30:42.690 --> 00:30:44.550 The blessings of just walking with God. 00:30:44.550 --> 00:30:48.850 It says in verse one, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am God Almighty. 00:30:49.210 --> 00:30:50.330 Walk before me and be blameless. 00:30:51.310 --> 00:30:55.930 I will establish my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly. 00:30:56.070 --> 00:31:02.070 Abraham fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, no longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham. 00:31:02.290 --> 00:31:05.650 For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 00:31:09.490 --> 00:31:10.430 Genesis 16. 00:31:12.010 --> 00:31:13.010 Abraham's in sin. 00:31:15.050 --> 00:31:16.270 Genesis 17. 00:31:17.490 --> 00:31:19.030 Abraham is on his knees before the Lord. 00:31:21.410 --> 00:31:23.470 You stop and think about the beauty of that for just a minute. 00:31:25.970 --> 00:31:29.910 Because when we read a passage about being bad or sinful. 00:31:31.530 --> 00:31:38.430 And God calling us to be godly, even after saying that this could be the tendency in our lives thinking, man, I've just been striving to be good. 00:31:38.430 --> 00:31:39.870 Not not really next to God. 00:31:39.870 --> 00:31:40.450 What am I doing? 00:31:40.470 --> 00:31:40.730 And you start. 00:31:41.110 --> 00:31:42.190 You start blaming yourself. 00:31:42.210 --> 00:31:43.070 You start feeling bad. 00:31:43.070 --> 00:31:43.350 You start. 00:31:43.590 --> 00:31:45.730 You start just isolating yourself from God. 00:31:45.730 --> 00:31:46.550 I know it happens. 00:31:46.550 --> 00:31:47.410 It happens to all of us. 00:31:47.430 --> 00:31:51.750 When you do something wrong, you just start beating up on yourself, right? 00:31:54.210 --> 00:31:57.290 Like I'm not worthy of God and I don't deserve to be near God. 00:31:57.710 --> 00:31:59.610 And I shouldn't even come before God. 00:31:59.710 --> 00:32:01.010 I can't even think about this. 00:32:01.110 --> 00:32:04.770 That could have been Abraham in Genesis 16 and now Abraham in Genesis 17. 00:32:04.930 --> 00:32:08.350 It tells us he comes before God, and God just embraces him. 00:32:11.830 --> 00:32:14.430 I mean, we of all people should know what we need to do. 00:32:14.430 --> 00:32:16.110 What God called us to is his grace. 00:32:19.670 --> 00:32:23.890 In revelation chapter 12, the Bible tells us that Satan is the accuser of brethren. 00:32:25.090 --> 00:32:32.510 I mean, Satan is the king of taking your past and rubbing it in your face to live in that and to feel that way. 00:32:34.950 --> 00:32:40.610 But Jesus is the King who comes to life, offers his redemption on your behalf. 00:32:40.610 --> 00:32:42.570 He's not focused on your past. 00:32:42.610 --> 00:32:45.430 He's looking to the future that you have in him. 00:32:45.430 --> 00:32:47.130 He doesn't care about where you've been. 00:32:47.170 --> 00:32:48.770 He's looking at where he's called you to. 00:32:50.450 --> 00:32:50.730 In him. 00:32:54.270 --> 00:32:55.230 The truth. 00:32:58.290 --> 00:32:59.150 Ah, the wonder of that. 00:33:01.010 --> 00:33:06.430 So while you yourself could even beat yourself up over the things you've done. 00:33:08.190 --> 00:33:10.250 God places incredible worth on your life. 00:33:12.350 --> 00:33:16.660 Because he's created you in his image and he's died for your sins. 00:33:18.710 --> 00:33:21.770 The King of Kings has given his own life for you. 00:33:23.590 --> 00:33:25.090 We're blessed as we walk with God. 00:33:25.110 --> 00:33:26.430 And this is what Abraham finds in his walk. 00:33:26.970 --> 00:33:30.410 He calls him I am God Almighty, which literally means El Shaddai. 00:33:30.650 --> 00:33:32.210 This is where Amy Grant gets her song. 00:33:32.670 --> 00:33:33.930 Everyone sing it when you go home from church. 00:33:34.410 --> 00:33:37.450 El Shaddai, El Shaddai, if you don't know it, it's okay. 00:33:37.530 --> 00:33:37.830 It's an immigrant song. 00:33:38.530 --> 00:33:39.730 Abraham. 00:33:39.870 --> 00:33:42.930 God almighty, he he's saying, okay, Lord, I've messed up. 00:33:43.210 --> 00:33:45.070 And you are Lord. 00:33:47.310 --> 00:33:49.190 And he goes on and says, I'm going to walk before you. 00:33:49.190 --> 00:33:51.290 I'm going to, I'm going to live my life in light of you. 00:33:51.350 --> 00:33:53.070 And then he bows down before God. 00:33:53.070 --> 00:33:54.630 He says, I'm surrendering in verse three. 00:33:54.670 --> 00:33:57.550 I'm on my face surrendering in worship to you. 00:33:57.610 --> 00:33:58.570 And this is what God does. 00:33:58.930 --> 00:34:03.650 He changes Abraham's identity from Abram to Abraham, which means a father of nations. 00:34:03.770 --> 00:34:10.889 And this is what happens when you come before the Lord in His Spirit for his presence and relationship, which you've been created to do 00:34:10.889 --> 00:34:11.389 in God. 00:34:11.630 --> 00:34:15.670 God transforms your identity in him because he is the one that gives you your worth. 00:34:15.850 --> 00:34:19.230 It's not based on what you've done, it's based on everything that he has done on your behalf. 00:34:20.790 --> 00:34:21.210 And in that. 00:34:22.550 --> 00:34:23.420 You have a hope and a future. 00:34:25.830 --> 00:34:26.409 Abraham. 00:34:30.530 --> 00:34:32.250 Truth is, maybe some of us this morning. 00:34:34.750 --> 00:34:35.340 And the reason? 00:34:37.190 --> 00:34:44.770 That we're just feeling so short and feeling so worthless and feeling like God we're undeserving of the Lord is that we haven't just not 00:34:44.929 --> 00:34:48.110 taken the time to see the identity that God has placed on us. 00:34:51.310 --> 00:34:53.440 It's everything to do with his love over you. 00:34:55.650 --> 00:34:59.950 And that compels our hearts to relationally connect to a God who loves us so much. 00:35:04.210 --> 00:35:04.690 We worship. 00:35:05.310 --> 00:35:07.190 Abraham says this in Genesis 17. 00:35:07.190 --> 00:35:10.410 He goes from I my will, God, to I will. 00:35:11.630 --> 00:35:12.570 Talking about the Lord. 00:35:12.570 --> 00:35:13.230 God says this. 00:35:13.310 --> 00:35:18.430 He says, I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 00:35:18.430 --> 00:35:20.850 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants. 00:35:21.090 --> 00:35:23.320 And after your throne there generations from everlasting. 00:35:24.010 --> 00:35:31.050 I in verse eight will give to you and to your descendants, and after you, the land of your sojourns, all the land of Canaan, from an everlasting possession I 00:35:31.050 --> 00:35:32.150 will be their God. 00:35:32.270 --> 00:35:32.630 God. 00:35:32.810 --> 00:35:36.210 God is saying to Abraham, now that you've learned, trusting in you is not what works. 00:35:36.510 --> 00:35:37.930 Why don't you just let me? 00:35:37.930 --> 00:35:40.690 I will do this from your will to now. 00:35:40.730 --> 00:35:41.490 My will. 00:35:41.870 --> 00:35:42.050 Abraham. 00:35:42.210 --> 00:35:45.190 God allows Abraham to rest in the comfort of him. 00:35:45.290 --> 00:35:46.610 This is what else Abraham gets. 00:35:46.690 --> 00:35:47.750 He gets intimacy with God. 00:35:47.990 --> 00:35:49.290 This is a crazy way to explain it. 00:35:49.370 --> 00:35:50.360 But let me let me read this. 00:35:50.630 --> 00:35:54.030 This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your descendants. 00:35:54.210 --> 00:36:01.310 After that, every male among you shall be circumcised, and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between 00:36:01.390 --> 00:36:02.370 me and you. 00:36:03.490 --> 00:36:06.430 Okay, so in the back of our room we have a surgical center set up. 00:36:06.790 --> 00:36:07.690 For now. 00:36:07.790 --> 00:36:09.010 That's not that's true. 00:36:09.030 --> 00:36:09.530 That's not true. 00:36:09.830 --> 00:36:10.030 Okay? 00:36:10.770 --> 00:36:12.340 We're not we don't get circumcised. 00:36:12.610 --> 00:36:14.490 You don't have to get circumcised because this verse says this. 00:36:14.490 --> 00:36:15.450 We're outside of the law. 00:36:15.690 --> 00:36:21.410 And so what God is saying to Abraham in this passage of Scripture, he's saying, Abraham, this circumcision that I want you to have. 00:36:21.690 --> 00:36:28.830 I want it to work as a physical reminder to you of the intimacy you have with me and the most private, secluded section 00:36:28.830 --> 00:36:31.550 of your life, the most vulnerable place that you have. 00:36:31.650 --> 00:36:37.440 Remembering my covenant, the seed that I'm going to present to you, I want you to know I am Lord of all of it. 00:36:38.650 --> 00:36:42.430 Abraham has intimacy with God. 00:36:42.570 --> 00:36:43.010 Sarah's blessed. 00:36:44.910 --> 00:36:46.050 Abraham's family is blessed. 00:36:46.070 --> 00:36:52.890 It says, Then God said to Abraham, as for Sarah, your wife, you shall not call her name Sarah, but Sarah, but Sarah shall be her name. 00:36:53.510 --> 00:36:58.290 Not only does God change Abraham's name and identity, God changes Sarah's name and her identity. 00:36:58.290 --> 00:37:00.570 And the word Sarah literally means princess. 00:37:00.610 --> 00:37:04.510 At 90 years old, God still sees Sarah as a princess. 00:37:06.330 --> 00:37:13.490 Guys, let me just tell you, your walk with Jesus should so encourage your heart and connecting to him that regardless of dumb decisions that Sarah makes 00:37:13.490 --> 00:37:19.310 or regardless of what your wife does, she is still a princess in God's eyes and your princess that he has given to you. 00:37:22.750 --> 00:37:23.550 Last is this. 00:37:25.230 --> 00:37:26.140 God said no. 00:37:27.730 --> 00:37:28.090 Sarah. 00:37:28.090 --> 00:37:29.390 Your wife will bear you a son. 00:37:30.930 --> 00:37:32.160 And you shall call his name Isaac. 00:37:33.670 --> 00:37:38.010 Now I'll establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 00:37:41.350 --> 00:37:44.510 Maybe you think your temptation will make you better off. 00:37:47.330 --> 00:37:49.110 But the truth is, there's no better way. 00:37:51.550 --> 00:37:52.820 And to walk close to Jesus. 00:37:55.090 --> 00:37:55.750 Ishmael. 00:37:56.950 --> 00:37:58.130 Meant wild donkey man. 00:38:00.530 --> 00:38:01.130 He's crazy. 00:38:03.190 --> 00:38:03.750 But Isaac. 00:38:05.390 --> 00:38:06.470 His name means laughter. 00:38:08.570 --> 00:38:11.930 And now coming back to Jesus, coming back to the Lord and walking with him. 00:38:13.170 --> 00:38:13.730 There's joy. 00:38:16.350 --> 00:38:19.290 God brought a home of brokenness back to laughter. 00:38:23.050 --> 00:38:30.050 The story of Ishmael and Isaac isn't to say to us that God only cares about one, but what is rather saying with us is that God brings joy when we walk 00:38:30.050 --> 00:38:30.490 with him. 00:38:33.090 --> 00:38:36.150 I'm thinking about this passage of scripture. 00:38:36.150 --> 00:38:42.780 I was reminded this past week, as I was traveling out of state, I ran into a guy and he gave me $1,000 for our church. 00:38:43.610 --> 00:38:44.140 And then he said. 00:38:44.250 --> 00:38:48.280 He said to me, I want to give you this, and I'm going to tell you why. 00:38:48.950 --> 00:38:52.410 For why I'm giving it to your church, but I want you to do something with it. 00:38:52.470 --> 00:38:55.410 But when I tell you the story, I don't want you to punch me or get mad at me. 00:38:55.510 --> 00:38:57.910 I'm thinking, oh, great, what's going to come out of this mouth? 00:38:58.390 --> 00:39:00.530 So I'm like, okay, I'll put my hands behind my back. 00:39:00.610 --> 00:39:02.310 And you just you just tell me the story, man. 00:39:02.350 --> 00:39:03.670 Why are you why are you giving me $1,000? 00:39:04.270 --> 00:39:06.790 And this guy knew my mom. 00:39:08.250 --> 00:39:11.590 And he shared my life story with my mother. 00:39:13.130 --> 00:39:13.570 He said. 00:39:13.570 --> 00:39:14.270 Like this. 00:39:15.670 --> 00:39:17.150 My mom had me when she was 16. 00:39:19.330 --> 00:39:22.330 My mom was living Genesis 16 at 16. 00:39:24.550 --> 00:39:31.130 We know that the statistics when a young mom has a child, the child can grow up in poverty. 00:39:31.250 --> 00:39:32.810 It's difficult without a dad being around. 00:39:32.810 --> 00:39:39.310 The tendency of just bad things happening in that type of environment increases in the young single mom. 00:39:39.310 --> 00:39:40.950 And it's not to say God's glory can't work out. 00:39:40.950 --> 00:39:42.750 In fact, I'll share how it does in just a moment. 00:39:44.630 --> 00:39:46.930 This guy said your mom had you when she was 16. 00:39:48.890 --> 00:39:53.830 And she could have taken a compromising road and made her future a little easier by getting rid of you as a child. 00:39:57.030 --> 00:39:57.830 In America today. 00:39:57.830 --> 00:39:59.810 We abort 1 million children every year. 00:40:02.130 --> 00:40:03.090 And your mom could have done that. 00:40:05.150 --> 00:40:06.130 But she took the hard road. 00:40:08.190 --> 00:40:15.390 She not only had me, but she went to college and she got a degree and she figured out how to provide for me as a child growing up 00:40:15.530 --> 00:40:16.180 in poverty. 00:40:18.730 --> 00:40:20.710 My mom faced Genesis 16. 00:40:22.370 --> 00:40:26.090 But when she was pregnant with me, she came to Genesis 17. 00:40:28.070 --> 00:40:28.870 And this is what she did. 00:40:30.550 --> 00:40:31.940 She realized her circumstance. 00:40:33.370 --> 00:40:34.710 And as a mark before the Lord. 00:40:36.030 --> 00:40:38.110 She chose to name me Nathaniel. 00:40:40.270 --> 00:40:43.030 My name literally means a gift from God. 00:40:45.210 --> 00:40:46.990 In the midst of hardship. 00:40:48.730 --> 00:40:50.090 She just wanted the Lord close. 00:40:52.730 --> 00:40:56.230 It's not to say anything great about me, because I had nothing to do with naming me. 00:40:58.230 --> 00:41:00.190 But the man who gave me $1,000 said this. 00:41:00.470 --> 00:41:04.930 Your story is gold and you need to go share that with people in similar situations. 00:41:05.010 --> 00:41:06.590 That's what I want your church to do. 00:41:06.630 --> 00:41:08.010 Go figure out how to share that with people. 00:41:09.990 --> 00:41:17.210 And he looked at me and said this because of what your mom did, how many people in your life do you think you're going to impact 00:41:17.410 --> 00:41:19.910 in a positive way because of her choice? 00:41:23.290 --> 00:41:27.590 And that's to say to us this morning, you may be in Genesis 16. 00:41:30.410 --> 00:41:31.310 But when you take a moment. 00:41:32.870 --> 00:41:40.170 To just pause where you are and realize that what God has called you to isn't to zap you on the rear end because you're walking the boundary, or 00:41:40.170 --> 00:41:47.490 he isn't calling you just to stop being bad and start being good, but to connect him, to connect yourself to him, to let you come before 00:41:47.490 --> 00:41:48.670 him in his grace. 00:41:48.750 --> 00:41:54.110 To realize God has given his worth on you by coming and dying for your sin. 00:41:54.170 --> 00:42:00.190 When you surrender your life to that and connect your heart to that, God can transform any of those moments. 00:42:04.190 --> 00:42:06.330 God takes a wild. 00:42:07.450 --> 00:42:08.030 And crazy. 00:42:09.510 --> 00:42:10.930 And the compromising of her culture. 00:42:12.170 --> 00:42:14.020 And it gives us joy and laughter in him. 00:42:14.890 --> 00:42:15.670 Ephesians 515. 00:42:17.230 --> 00:42:18.830 Be very careful in how you live. 00:42:20.190 --> 00:42:26.710 Not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 00:42:26.710 --> 00:42:31.910 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 00:42:32.090 --> 00:42:34.330 This morning he wants your heart.