WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:04.420 I'm going to invite you to Genesis 26 is where we're going to be together today. 00:00:06.840 --> 00:00:13.250 And we're going to be dealing with really, chapter 25 and 26 is a transitional section in the book of Genesis. 00:00:13.780 --> 00:00:21.080 And there's a few of these because Genesis highlights us really main themes or ideas throughout the book, and we've categorically broken them up into three. 00:00:21.160 --> 00:00:22.000 So you're aware. 00:00:22.620 --> 00:00:27.000 Genesis chapter 1 to 11 unfolds the great fall of humanity. 00:00:27.140 --> 00:00:27.620 Really? 00:00:27.620 --> 00:00:33.460 you see, the book of Genesis is written to a group of slaves who have found their worth based on what they do. 00:00:33.540 --> 00:00:35.880 They have been taught their worth is merited. 00:00:35.900 --> 00:00:38.240 To them, their value is only as good as what they can produce. 00:00:39.100 --> 00:00:44.040 And God frees them from Egypt and brings them to the promised land. 00:00:44.040 --> 00:00:45.280 And he has Moses. 00:00:45.580 --> 00:00:47.660 He declares to Moses the truth of who he is. 00:00:47.860 --> 00:00:54.880 And so you discover in the book of Genesis, God unfolds for them the true identity that they have in him, which is not your worth is based on 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:55.600 what you do. 00:00:55.620 --> 00:00:58.600 Your worth is based on who you are being made in the image of God. 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:01.120 Your worth is not merited, it's intrinsic. 00:01:01.120 --> 00:01:02.560 You were created to know God. 00:01:02.580 --> 00:01:09.620 Your purpose in life is discovered not as you look deeper within yourself, but beyond yourself because you didn't make you, but God made you as 00:01:09.620 --> 00:01:10.740 you connect to him. 00:01:10.820 --> 00:01:18.080 But what we discover is even being made in the image of God in all of creation, reflecting his glory, that mankind immediately rejects God. 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:24.160 You see this in the story of Adam and Eve, and God shows up and God could have at that moment judged all of humanity. 00:01:24.160 --> 00:01:25.880 He was completely just to do so. 00:01:26.020 --> 00:01:33.040 But he was gracious, and he offered to us a path of redemption, reconciliation, that we could know him and walk with him because we 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:35.230 sin, were separated from God relationally. 00:01:35.740 --> 00:01:38.260 And you can't do anything to earn God's favor back. 00:01:38.260 --> 00:01:39.810 That's what religion will teach you. 00:01:39.820 --> 00:01:42.160 That's not what Christianity teaches you. 00:01:42.160 --> 00:01:43.340 Christianity teaches you. 00:01:43.340 --> 00:01:45.360 You were made for relationship with God. 00:01:45.360 --> 00:01:46.920 Sin has alienated you. 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:49.020 No matter how hard you may try or work. 00:01:49.020 --> 00:01:50.900 You can't undo the sin that you've done. 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:53.320 You need forgiveness by the grace of God. 00:01:53.420 --> 00:02:00.800 And that's what the Bible communicates, is God's redemption story that rather than give up on us, God pursued us and gave his life for us all 00:02:00.800 --> 00:02:08.000 of Scripture communicates that, but what we find is, just as Adam and Eve sinned against God and rebelled against God, the next generation shows 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:11.660 up and they say to the generation before them, you guys are all wrong. 00:02:11.660 --> 00:02:12.890 We're going to show you how to do it. 00:02:13.180 --> 00:02:15.860 And they continued to rebel and sin against God. 00:02:15.940 --> 00:02:23.140 And it spiraled down and down and down until you get to chapter 12, where God intervenes in the life of one particular family, Abraham 00:02:23.140 --> 00:02:24.380 and Sarah. 00:02:24.540 --> 00:02:31.680 God shows up in the life of a pagan man living in a pagan land with a pagan name dedicated to a pagan god, and by his grace promises 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:38.860 this man, if you follow me by faith, I will take you to a land, and you will produce a seed, and from your seed it will bless all nations 00:02:38.860 --> 00:02:40.050 and all people groups. 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:44.720 And that's the theme of the Bible is you see that fulfilled in Jesus that God has not given up on us. 00:02:44.720 --> 00:02:49.160 He's pursued us with his life, that we can enjoy relationship with him for all of eternity. 00:02:49.600 --> 00:02:53.040 If we would come to Christ, if we would surrender our lives to him. 00:02:53.320 --> 00:02:55.560 And so you read about the book of the story of Abraham. 00:02:55.720 --> 00:03:00.820 That's what we've been looking at together from Genesis chapter 12 all the way to Genesis chapter 25. 00:03:00.880 --> 00:03:03.410 And last week we deal with the death of Abraham. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:10.340 And now we're starting to see in this transitional chapters of 25 and 26, the passing of the torch to the next generation. 00:03:10.920 --> 00:03:14.520 You'll read briefly about the life of Isaac, and then we'll deal with Jacob. 00:03:15.060 --> 00:03:16.180 And then finally, Joseph. 00:03:16.180 --> 00:03:20.870 The last really two big characters of the book of Genesis unfolds the life of Jacob and Joseph. 00:03:21.540 --> 00:03:28.340 But here we find the life of Isaac, the next generation after Abraham in Genesis chapter 26. 00:03:28.600 --> 00:03:35.620 And it's helping us understand or be able to ask the question and maybe answer the question, will Isaac obey the Lord? 00:03:35.620 --> 00:03:39.900 Just like Abraham stepped out by faith from the place he was familiar, to go to this place. 00:03:39.940 --> 00:03:43.330 He didn't even know where he was going, but he trusted that God was going to supply. 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:44.890 And he followed the Lord by faith. 00:03:45.200 --> 00:03:46.360 And now this next generation. 00:03:46.610 --> 00:03:48.160 Isaac, what's he going to do? 00:03:48.160 --> 00:03:49.570 Will he follow after the Lord? 00:03:49.720 --> 00:03:50.960 Will he own his faith? 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:56.390 Will it become his own, or is he simply just going to become claim to be a follower of God because his parents were? 00:03:56.680 --> 00:03:56.860 Yeah. 00:03:56.860 --> 00:04:03.900 Can I tell you this morning, if you claim to be a Christian, the reason you claim to be a Christian should not be because you grew 00:04:03.900 --> 00:04:07.810 up in a Christian church, or your parents were Christian, but rather you come to know Jesus. 00:04:08.180 --> 00:04:11.370 Just because you come to a church doesn't make you a Christian. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:15.860 I hope to God we know that I have failed you as a pastor. 00:04:15.880 --> 00:04:22.580 If that's new, you're not a Christian because you show up to church, you become a Christian because of your relationship in Jesus. 00:04:22.660 --> 00:04:26.700 Have you given your heart to Christ as Christ has given his life for you as you? 00:04:26.700 --> 00:04:28.250 Have you given your life to him? 00:04:28.260 --> 00:04:29.460 Have you owned that faith? 00:04:29.700 --> 00:04:34.820 And we're going to see whether or not Isaac has done that and this story as it begins to unfold. 00:04:35.320 --> 00:04:42.340 And some of you have that same concern for, maybe your children or your grandchildren, have you, as you've followed the 00:04:42.340 --> 00:04:49.400 Lord and walked with him, your hope is that next generation and generations to follow would grab 00:04:49.400 --> 00:04:52.400 a hold of the importance of who Christ is. 00:04:52.420 --> 00:04:59.440 And if you're younger this morning, or new to the Christian faith, maybe grabbing a hold of what it is to follow Jesus and make it your own. 00:05:00.140 --> 00:05:00.640 Isaac. 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:07.720 He's about to fight in this story, some of the same battles his father fought as we saw, Abraham 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:13.460 go through battles with famine and with political leaders and even issues over Wells. 00:05:13.520 --> 00:05:14.780 He had problems with Wells. 00:05:14.860 --> 00:05:18.440 We're going to see within this story, Isaac is walking that same path. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:19.460 He's dealing with famine. 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:21.390 He's dealing with problems with political leaders. 00:05:21.660 --> 00:05:24.400 He's battling over some wells in a desert. 00:05:24.400 --> 00:05:28.080 I mean, that's very valuable for the flourishing of life, to be able to have some water. 00:05:28.660 --> 00:05:30.960 And you see these same things with Isaac. 00:05:31.320 --> 00:05:38.540 And it shouldn't surprise us that Isaac is finding his faith tested in these areas, because Ecclesiastes chapter one 00:05:38.540 --> 00:05:42.260 verse nine tells us there's nothing new under the sun. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:49.840 You might be facing an issue today that has a different kind of facade to it, but it still deals with matters of the heart 00:05:49.840 --> 00:05:52.780 that we've been wrestling with from the beginning of creation. 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:55.080 There's nothing surprising to the Lord. 00:05:55.080 --> 00:05:56.740 There's nothing new under the sun. 00:05:56.860 --> 00:06:01.090 And the way that we wrestle through that is the same way generations have wrestled through the same struggles. 00:06:01.640 --> 00:06:06.700 And so we learn from the model of past generations as we deal with these things. 00:06:06.760 --> 00:06:09.580 But the question is, would Isaac walk by faith? 00:06:11.180 --> 00:06:13.360 Or would Isaac walk away from faith? 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:15.020 Would he run away? 00:06:15.380 --> 00:06:16.440 Would he lie? 00:06:16.440 --> 00:06:18.020 Would he create conflict? 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:25.820 And so as we look at this passage today, we're going to be talking about four steps every generation must take to 00:06:25.820 --> 00:06:28.020 faithfully follow the Lord. 00:06:29.140 --> 00:06:34.540 Four steps if you're going to own your faith, four steps every generation must take to faithfully follow the Lord. 00:06:34.640 --> 00:06:38.640 And point number one in your notes is this be refined in the truth. 00:06:39.940 --> 00:06:41.320 Be refined in the truth. 00:06:41.380 --> 00:06:42.340 And here's why this is important. 00:06:42.400 --> 00:06:47.090 Not that you just know the truth, but that your life continued to be refined in that truth. 00:06:47.440 --> 00:06:49.780 And the reason this is important is because you're going to face temptation. 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:54.580 And it's easy to say you're Christian when life is going easy. 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:59.060 But it's a demonstration of the genuineness of your faith. 00:06:59.340 --> 00:07:06.360 If you still follow the Lord, even in the midst of adversity and the refinement of that truth becomes a 00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:10.950 wonderful opportunity for you to be reminded of what should take precedent. 00:07:11.420 --> 00:07:13.840 No matter the circumstance that you're going through. 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:17.980 It's really giving you a demonstration of where your hope is. 00:07:18.180 --> 00:07:20.030 I mean, all of us are going to face struggles in life. 00:07:20.660 --> 00:07:27.020 Better to struggle with the Lord than without him and be being refined in the truth helps us to do that. 00:07:27.200 --> 00:07:32.460 In Genesis chapter 26, verse one, it says, now there was a famine in the land besides the former famine. 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:33.760 That was in the days of Abraham. 00:07:33.900 --> 00:07:38.180 So he's saying, just like Abraham endured a famine in Genesis chapter 12. 00:07:38.180 --> 00:07:40.400 So Isaac is finding himself in a similar situation. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:43.660 And Isaac went to Gerard to Abimalek, king of the Philistines. 00:07:44.580 --> 00:07:49.790 And the Lord appeared to him and said, do not go down to Egypt, dwell in the land which I shall tell you. 00:07:49.860 --> 00:07:51.400 If you remember the story in Genesis 12. 00:07:51.400 --> 00:07:52.320 That's what Abraham did. 00:07:52.740 --> 00:07:54.580 God said, follow me to this promised land. 00:07:54.580 --> 00:07:56.420 I'll give you a seed that will bless all generations. 00:07:57.100 --> 00:07:57.780 And Abraham did. 00:07:57.780 --> 00:07:59.370 And as soon as he got there was a famine. 00:07:59.780 --> 00:08:04.120 And Abraham, rather than live in that faith of the truth of what God says, he runs to Egypt. 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:07.170 And it led to all sorts of problems for Abraham. 00:08:07.380 --> 00:08:10.450 God had to intervene, rescue Sarah, and bring him back to the promised land. 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:13.750 And now Isaac is facing the same temptation. 00:08:14.320 --> 00:08:19.580 And God says, sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and I will bless you and God. 00:08:19.940 --> 00:08:24.440 God's not saying, look, it's not going to be difficult around you, but rather God's going to safeguard you. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:29.340 Here's how you know you're going to survive, Isaac, because I've promised you that you're going to survive. 00:08:29.900 --> 00:08:37.429 If you're looking at a famine and thinking this could be the end of your life, I've already told you a generation is going to come through you that will bless all people groups. 00:08:37.640 --> 00:08:39.419 So you have to live in order to do that. 00:08:39.460 --> 00:08:41.470 That's why he's saying, let me remind you of the truth. 00:08:42.140 --> 00:08:45.060 Sojourn in this land and I will be with you, and I will bless you. 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:52.560 For to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham, your father. 00:08:52.560 --> 00:08:55.520 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven. 00:08:55.680 --> 00:09:02.100 I will give to your offspring all these lands, and in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. 00:09:02.180 --> 00:09:03.180 Verse five. 00:09:03.180 --> 00:09:10.180 Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws 00:09:10.180 --> 00:09:13.180 every generation. 00:09:14.400 --> 00:09:17.720 We'll face circumstances that will tempt them to walk away from the Lord. 00:09:19.060 --> 00:09:22.400 For Isaac, it was a famine in an agricultural society. 00:09:22.760 --> 00:09:24.840 This is this is significant, right? 00:09:24.880 --> 00:09:26.570 This is dealing with your well-being. 00:09:26.700 --> 00:09:29.300 It makes you concerned for the future and for Isaac. 00:09:29.300 --> 00:09:31.180 Because of the promises of God. 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:37.120 This becomes a temptation not to just for self-preservation, but to flee from what God has said to him. 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:41.280 Because God's promises to Isaac was particular to the land that he found himself. 00:09:42.260 --> 00:09:49.260 And this famine became, became this place of temptation, of demonstrating what he was going to walk in fear or 00:09:49.260 --> 00:09:50.060 faith. 00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:57.540 It would maybe be the equivalent of like today, if we don't necessarily talk about famines today, but let's just pretend like 00:09:57.540 --> 00:10:02.120 everyone got concerned about, a sickness that comes around the world. 00:10:02.140 --> 00:10:09.760 And then that sickness shuts things down and you have transportation issues, and everyone's worried about running out of toilet paper, and all of a sudden inflation's 00:10:09.760 --> 00:10:14.930 going crazy, like, what are you going to trust in those moments you're going to run in fear or are you going to walk by faith. 00:10:15.560 --> 00:10:18.900 That's the kind of a similar tone that you might experience today. 00:10:19.220 --> 00:10:22.100 What what's going to determine how you step, step in this life? 00:10:22.100 --> 00:10:27.300 Are you going to react or are you going to act the way that God has called you to? 00:10:27.580 --> 00:10:35.140 And God gave Isaac these promises to, of trust, to orient and focus Isaac 00:10:35.140 --> 00:10:42.200 on what God has said, the truthfulness of who God is in the midst of the circumstances that 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:42.900 he is facing. 00:10:44.980 --> 00:10:46.290 That's the same thing is true for us. 00:10:47.420 --> 00:10:51.800 Just as Isaac is facing this temptation and the truthfulness of God's Word helps align his heart. 00:10:52.280 --> 00:10:59.440 Same thing is true with you if I use an example in Scripture, Matthew chapter four, if you remember the story of the temptation 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:06.560 of Jesus and the wilderness tells us he goes in the wilderness for 40 days, and there he meets Satan and Satan 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:07.520 tempts him. 00:11:07.520 --> 00:11:09.060 Satan even quotes from God's Word. 00:11:09.140 --> 00:11:13.970 He perverts the quotes of God's Word, but he even quotes from God's Word in order to tempt Jesus. 00:11:14.380 --> 00:11:18.960 But do you know the way that Jesus combats the temptation over and over? 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:26.100 Jesus says, thus it is written, thus it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but 00:11:26.100 --> 00:11:28.320 by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. 00:11:28.880 --> 00:11:32.920 And the question you got to answer for your for your own life is, who am I going to listen to? 00:11:33.820 --> 00:11:37.280 What word is going to speak into my heart to determine my steps? 00:11:38.300 --> 00:11:43.890 Is it the truthfulness of what God says, or is it what other people tell you? 00:11:44.340 --> 00:11:50.860 It becomes important for every generation to refine, to find themselves refined in the truth. 00:11:50.860 --> 00:11:58.300 For from Abraham to Isaac, Isaac had to not just live on what his dad said, but own it, because 00:11:58.300 --> 00:12:01.880 now it belongs to him, and whether or not he's going to live it out. 00:12:02.860 --> 00:12:04.220 And the same is true for us. 00:12:04.260 --> 00:12:11.550 But I would say for us, we're in a much more privileged position today when it comes to understand the beauty of God's Word, that you have the whole picture. 00:12:12.260 --> 00:12:19.100 For Isaac, it was a statement of saying, one day I will bring about a seed and it will bless all nations, all people, groups. 00:12:19.280 --> 00:12:21.550 But today you get to see the fulfillment of that. 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:25.860 How God's grand story has been told as you hold all of Scripture in your hand. 00:12:26.520 --> 00:12:33.540 Now, sometimes I hear people say, if I just lived in the first century when Jesus lived and I saw Jesus do those things, of course I would believe. 00:12:34.140 --> 00:12:35.710 And to that I say, no, you wouldn't. 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:36.830 And here's why. 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:41.180 If you're not going to believe now, you weren't going to believe then because the people during Jesus's day didn't. 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:49.380 But in today, the Scripture says in first Peter, angels long to look into this, that the prophets were declaring 00:12:49.380 --> 00:12:51.230 something that they would never see fulfilled. 00:12:51.400 --> 00:12:58.420 But now you have the opportunity to be able to look back of God's great hand, how he's orchestrated his story of redemption for all of us. 00:12:58.680 --> 00:13:01.140 And if you ask me, what point of time would you like to live? 00:13:01.400 --> 00:13:03.120 I picked today, please give me today. 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:10.820 I will take modern medicine and air conditioning every time and how the story of God unfolds 00:13:10.820 --> 00:13:12.120 in all of it. 00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:15.750 And the Bible says to us in Galatians chapter three verse 16, listen to this. 00:13:16.220 --> 00:13:19.770 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. 00:13:20.260 --> 00:13:27.400 It does not say and to offsprings referring to many, but referring to one, and to your offspring, who is Christ? 00:13:28.160 --> 00:13:30.060 The ultimate picture of what God is saying to Abraham. 00:13:30.160 --> 00:13:32.950 Through you I'll bring a seed that will bless all people groups. 00:13:33.780 --> 00:13:35.970 What he's saying is he's going to bring Jesus. 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:42.610 And now you've seen how that great story from Genesis into the New Testament has unfolded in Christ. 00:13:43.040 --> 00:13:51.020 In fact, Jesus told us over and over, the whole point of Scripture is to point you to the to 00:13:51.140 --> 00:13:51.460 the great hero of the Bible, which is Jesus. 00:13:51.460 --> 00:13:55.900 If you read the Bible and you don't, you fail to see the goodness of who Jesus is and what it is to know him in relationship. 00:13:56.580 --> 00:13:58.220 You fail to see the importance of Scripture. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:01.280 In John chapter five it says this. 00:14:01.280 --> 00:14:06.770 Verse 39, you search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:11.470 And Jesus says it is they that bear witness about me. 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:13.860 Jesus saying the whole. 00:14:14.060 --> 00:14:17.260 Point of the Bible is to focus on him. 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:24.320 So you see the goodness of who he is because God has created you for relationship in him, and God has recreated you at the 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.520 cross for relationship in him. 00:14:27.160 --> 00:14:34.520 And in the Gospel of Luke chapter 24, after Jesus's resurrection tells us, he appears to a couple of people and beginning 00:14:34.520 --> 00:14:41.860 it says in verse 27, and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted them all the scriptures, 00:14:41.940 --> 00:14:49.040 the things concerning himself, I mean showing them from the beginning to the end of the Bible how the whole grand theme 00:14:49.040 --> 00:14:54.080 was about what God was going to do, being refined in the truth. 00:14:54.160 --> 00:14:59.220 Because we will face temptation, but it becomes a place for us to demonstrate. 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:01.300 Will I walk by faith? 00:15:02.300 --> 00:15:07.070 Or will I listen to circumstance and just react, or what other people have to say? 00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:13.270 And when you choose to be refined in the truth and walk in it, the beauty is you get to model for the next generation. 00:15:14.340 --> 00:15:17.120 And this is what this is what Abraham did for Isaac. 00:15:17.420 --> 00:15:19.230 This is now what Isaac gets to do for his children. 00:15:19.700 --> 00:15:23.800 And it's what you get to do today by refining yourself in God's truth. 00:15:23.920 --> 00:15:28.880 It's not just about what you say you believe, but honestly demonstrated in the way that you live. 00:15:30.400 --> 00:15:37.500 Proverbs chapter 22 verse six says, train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it. 00:15:38.160 --> 00:15:43.460 And the encouragement for you thinking about the next generation, young people train them. 00:15:43.580 --> 00:15:45.900 What is saying is not just simply teach them. 00:15:46.160 --> 00:15:47.380 That's the idea of theory. 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:48.520 It's just saying something. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:51.590 But prove that you really believe it by the way that you live your life. 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:53.480 Train them. 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:59.890 Help equip them for the same thing that when it's time to kick them out of the nest, they have the ability to run. 00:16:00.280 --> 00:16:07.280 Just as you're seeing in the life of Isaac being refined in the truth, something every generation must 00:16:07.280 --> 00:16:08.220 take a step in. 00:16:08.920 --> 00:16:14.200 Point number two, do not let fear determine your steps. 00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:17.500 Do not let fear determine your steps. 00:16:18.060 --> 00:16:21.520 I got to say, in the life of Isaac, he didn't do everything perfectly. 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:26.580 And here in this next section of this chapter, you see him responding in fear rather than faith. 00:16:26.580 --> 00:16:33.090 It says so Isaac settled in Garar when the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, she is my sister. 00:16:33.940 --> 00:16:35.660 We've already seen this, right? 00:16:35.660 --> 00:16:37.640 This is what Abraham did twice. 00:16:37.740 --> 00:16:40.040 He did this in Genesis chapter 12. 00:16:40.040 --> 00:16:42.480 He did this again in Genesis chapter 21. 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:44.480 And now we're seeing Isaac do this. 00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:51.580 One of the I guess if we look for the if you're the glass half full kind of person, the good news is Abraham 00:16:51.580 --> 00:16:52.620 did it twice. 00:16:52.760 --> 00:16:53.730 Isaac only did it once. 00:16:53.900 --> 00:16:54.950 So we're learning, I guess. 00:16:55.260 --> 00:16:57.570 I don't know, but he says, say you're my sister. 00:16:57.680 --> 00:16:57.920 And look. 00:16:58.040 --> 00:16:58.640 Why? 00:16:58.640 --> 00:17:05.720 For he feared to say my wife, thinking, lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebecca, 00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:09.750 because she was attractive in appearance when he had been there a long time. 00:17:09.900 --> 00:17:15.700 Abimalek, king of the Philistines, looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebecca, his wife. 00:17:15.760 --> 00:17:18.890 So Abimalek called Isaac and said, behold, she is your wife. 00:17:19.280 --> 00:17:21.170 How then could you say she is my sister? 00:17:21.500 --> 00:17:25.079 Isaac said to him, because I thought, lest I die because of her. 00:17:25.220 --> 00:17:28.440 And Abimelech said, what is this you have done to us? 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:33.920 One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you have brought guilt upon us. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:39.840 So Abimalek warned all the people, saying, whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. 00:17:39.840 --> 00:17:41.450 He's apparently part of the mafia. 00:17:41.700 --> 00:17:46.040 But you see, at least Isaac in the story, he's walking. 00:17:46.420 --> 00:17:49.040 He's walking in fear rather than faith. 00:17:49.820 --> 00:17:57.400 Now, I think it's important to know when we determine to be refined in the truth, we're not going to be perfect, but 00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:00.790 to not let fear dictate how we continue to live. 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:05.740 You know, when you choose to walk in fear, there's a few unfortunate things that happen. 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:06.850 There are many unfortunate things. 00:18:07.040 --> 00:18:12.790 But let me just talk about some primary things, like when you choose rather than walk in fear rather than faith. 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.010 That's not biblical. 00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:14.750 It's not good. 00:18:15.540 --> 00:18:24.080 Bible tells you in First Timothy, God doesn't give you a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind that 00:18:24.080 --> 00:18:29.510 God calls you to so much more than to worry about what other people say or think or do. 00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:35.650 can I tell you, when I was a young person, I was a very timid person. 00:18:36.580 --> 00:18:40.040 I still am not one that I don't care much for the spotlight. 00:18:40.220 --> 00:18:47.260 And I know for some of you I've shared this before, but when I came to know the Lord before I knew the Lord if I was in school, teacher gave a book report 00:18:47.260 --> 00:18:49.140 and said, read this book and you're going to give an oral report. 00:18:49.780 --> 00:18:52.040 I would read the book, but I would take the knife. 00:18:52.040 --> 00:18:55.140 I'm like, no way are you ever getting me in front of someone to say something like that. 00:18:55.560 --> 00:18:56.160 I will be in the back. 00:18:56.760 --> 00:18:58.880 You know, I can whisper it to you kindly to myself. 00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:03.140 You know, between me and you, I'm not saying this in front of everybody like, I don't, I don't. 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:03.960 I didn't want that. 00:19:04.540 --> 00:19:07.640 But then something incredible happened to me when I came to know the Lord. 00:19:08.080 --> 00:19:09.580 And it wasn't anything to do with me. 00:19:09.580 --> 00:19:10.980 It was because of who the Lord is. 00:19:10.980 --> 00:19:13.660 When I first came to know the Lord, I decided I was going to read the. 00:19:13.780 --> 00:19:15.270 Bible from beginning to end. 00:19:15.780 --> 00:19:17.780 And I remember when I got to the book of Joshua. 00:19:19.060 --> 00:19:22.420 I remember as I was reading this chapter thinking, man, I don't want to be the guy. 00:19:22.420 --> 00:19:23.220 That follows Moses. 00:19:23.220 --> 00:19:24.100 Could you imagine that? 00:19:24.220 --> 00:19:27.500 Like, that's like the guy that plays for the Bulls and follows Michael Jordan? 00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:28.420 Who wants that? 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:29.720 Can anyone remember even who that is? 00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:31.020 No, because you don't care, right? 00:19:31.020 --> 00:19:33.230 Like, I don't want to be the guy that follows Moses. 00:19:33.420 --> 00:19:34.830 But that's what Joshua had to do. 00:19:35.280 --> 00:19:38.120 And maybe, maybe there's like one Bulls fan that knows who that is. 00:19:38.120 --> 00:19:38.880 But keep it to yourself. 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:39.760 No. 00:19:39.860 --> 00:19:43.040 But anyway, so Joshua steps in. 00:19:43.040 --> 00:19:44.400 But here's what's interesting. 00:19:44.440 --> 00:19:50.640 When you read Joshua chapter one, you know the first thing God tells Joshua to do, verse eight is know the Word of God. 00:19:51.740 --> 00:19:53.580 He commands him to know the Word of God. 00:19:53.700 --> 00:19:56.530 And then in verse nine he gives him the promise don't be afraid. 00:19:57.020 --> 00:20:00.010 Don't be discouraged because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 00:20:01.600 --> 00:20:04.700 The presence of God will sustain you where God has called you. 00:20:05.320 --> 00:20:10.780 So stop looking at your problems and look at the greatness of who God is when it talks about be courageous. 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:12.790 What it really means is take a risk. 00:20:13.500 --> 00:20:13.720 Man. 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:14.200 Don't. 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:16.560 Don't cower Isaac over your wife. 00:20:16.560 --> 00:20:18.540 Be a man and do what God's called you to do. 00:20:18.860 --> 00:20:25.920 Don't pander to your I never mind I but act courageously, and it has nothing to do with who you are but the greatness of who 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:26.750 your God is. 00:20:27.500 --> 00:20:29.190 That God has called you into something more. 00:20:29.260 --> 00:20:32.580 I mean, could you imagine this morning when I read that it was so profound for me? 00:20:32.600 --> 00:20:33.740 God knows where I am. 00:20:33.740 --> 00:20:38.980 God knows exactly what I need, and God's going to be there, and I'm either going to trust that or I'm not. 00:20:39.820 --> 00:20:45.700 And if I believe what God says, then I need to walk in the truthfulness of His Word rather than live in fear. 00:20:45.820 --> 00:20:48.080 I don't want to get back at the end of my life and have all these regrets. 00:20:48.760 --> 00:20:53.960 I want to understand who God is and experience that as I walk with him, I don't, I don't. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:56.000 I want to swing for the fences in my life. 00:20:56.440 --> 00:20:57.340 And so this is what this is. 00:20:57.340 --> 00:21:00.930 Where it came for me is like, I realize I'm either going to embrace God's truth or I'm not. 00:21:01.860 --> 00:21:09.020 You know, I came to this place where I said to myself, I could be really concerned with what people think about me, or I could be more concerned with 00:21:09.020 --> 00:21:10.340 what God wants to do in them. 00:21:11.020 --> 00:21:17.120 And the truthfulness of what God wants to do in transforming them is far more important than what you think about me, right? 00:21:17.120 --> 00:21:20.020 And when I came to that realization, I thought, man, who cares? 00:21:20.020 --> 00:21:23.440 Then I'm just going to start telling people about Jesus like what God wants. 00:21:23.560 --> 00:21:28.900 Could you imagine on a Sunday morning, like, we come from all different walks of life and people come through our doors. 00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:35.960 You know, sometimes you come to church because you're just in a place of desperation and you want to know that you matter to the Lord and you look, you're willing to give up on 00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:38.260 other things to finally give your heart to God. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:42.400 And could you imagine if my thought was, oh, I wonder what they think about me like I wouldn't. 00:21:42.440 --> 00:21:45.340 You can't you can't serve two masters either. 00:21:45.340 --> 00:21:49.680 I'm going to be concerned for what God wants to do in you, or I'm going to be concerned about what you think about me. 00:21:49.840 --> 00:21:51.270 But I can't do both of those things. 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:59.360 And the only way to walk in that is to be refined in the truthfulness of God and say, look, fear is not going to determine who I 00:21:59.360 --> 00:22:01.500 am, but faith and walk in that. 00:22:01.520 --> 00:22:05.220 But if I step in faith, here's what happens I disobey God. 00:22:06.440 --> 00:22:09.000 I negatively impact the relationships around me. 00:22:09.500 --> 00:22:12.140 And I never lived the calling God has put on me. 00:22:14.020 --> 00:22:16.660 I'll never fulfill the purpose which God has created me. 00:22:17.720 --> 00:22:24.980 I won't experience my relationship with him, and the people around me won't experience the blessing of what it is to walk with someone who 00:22:24.980 --> 00:22:25.950 walks with Jesus. 00:22:27.220 --> 00:22:28.220 So all of you have the. 00:22:28.420 --> 00:22:31.400 The question to answer this morning is what's going to dictate your life? 00:22:31.540 --> 00:22:34.400 Don't let fear determine your steps. 00:22:34.560 --> 00:22:35.710 And why do we act in fear? 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:37.820 I've already said it. 00:22:38.580 --> 00:22:41.100 It's because we're often more concerned with what people think about us. 00:22:42.360 --> 00:22:43.960 Rather than what the Lord thinks of us. 00:22:45.100 --> 00:22:46.940 And so we step into that. 00:22:47.060 --> 00:22:49.180 And what does the Bible teach us about fear? 00:22:50.360 --> 00:22:55.580 The fear of man will never lead you to the will of God. 00:22:57.960 --> 00:23:05.140 The Bible knows you struggle with fear, and that's why the most repeated command in all of the Bible is fear not, 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:06.260 I am with you. 00:23:07.180 --> 00:23:14.240 And the giants that we would consider in Scripture of the faith are people that struggled in fear, because we always come to these places when we're in, when these new 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:18.590 experiences of life, these new temptations, these new challenges of how am I going to respond? 00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:25.230 And it's the refinement of the truth in our hearts that remind us to keep continuing to take these steps of faith. 00:23:26.140 --> 00:23:32.060 When you struggle with fear, what's important is to focus the greatness of who God is. 00:23:32.740 --> 00:23:37.840 We tend to struggle with fear because we're looking in ourselves and not who he is. 00:23:37.860 --> 00:23:43.820 And first John chapter four verse 18 says his perfect love casts out fear. 00:23:44.220 --> 00:23:46.540 And what it's saying is he knows where you are. 00:23:46.660 --> 00:23:48.010 He knows what you need. 00:23:48.520 --> 00:23:51.020 And don't be afraid to follow him because he can he can provide. 00:23:52.820 --> 00:23:58.220 And so the encouragement is to stand for truth and in standing for truth contained to be kind. 00:23:58.860 --> 00:24:05.880 Sometimes when I say stand for truth, I get afraid of what that might mean for some people, because I feel like some people hear it and be like, yeah, I've been 00:24:05.880 --> 00:24:10.760 sitting on this for years, and you get so riled up that all of a sudden we've awakened the greatest jerk to ever exist, right? 00:24:10.800 --> 00:24:13.140 Like it's like you're just so emotionally charged. 00:24:13.140 --> 00:24:16.840 You just destroy people rather than rather than bless or serve them with truth. 00:24:16.980 --> 00:24:23.360 So when you come to know the truth, what it means is you don't need other people to affirm you because you're confident in who you are in the Lord. 00:24:23.780 --> 00:24:27.370 You don't have to beat other people up in order to make yourself feel better. 00:24:27.540 --> 00:24:34.460 You completely know who you are because you've been refining the truth of God's Word, and so therefore, you can step with his confidence that serves other people because you don't need their affirmation. 00:24:34.740 --> 00:24:37.560 You've got the greatest affirmation that you can have in Christ. 00:24:38.560 --> 00:24:43.530 And so you stand for the truth in this kindness to the way that you serve people in this world. 00:24:44.020 --> 00:24:44.600 Point number three. 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:50.920 Live a life God desires to bless. 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:55.280 Live a life God desires to bless. 00:24:55.280 --> 00:24:56.940 Now one of the beautiful things about the Lord. 00:24:58.560 --> 00:25:00.900 He reigns on the just and the unjust. 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:06.280 I mean, no matter if you know Jesus or not, the only reason you're here today is because the grace of God lets you breathe. 00:25:07.300 --> 00:25:08.580 So God's grace is good. 00:25:10.600 --> 00:25:13.800 but you also want to continue to experience the Lord. 00:25:13.940 --> 00:25:19.380 And the way that you experience him is you live the kind of life that the Lord desires to bless. 00:25:20.120 --> 00:25:21.100 And you see this with Isaac. 00:25:21.200 --> 00:25:22.380 He continues to step by faith. 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:28.740 And Isaac sowed it says in verse 12, he sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. 00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:35.100 The Lord blessed him, and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy. 00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:40.080 He had possessions of flocks and herds, and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. 00:25:40.760 --> 00:25:43.500 Now let me say, when I tell you to live the kind of life God can bless. 00:25:43.700 --> 00:25:46.460 I'm not saying, if you do this, you will be rich. 00:25:46.680 --> 00:25:49.030 Invite me to your mansion and take me around in your Lamborghini. 00:25:49.220 --> 00:25:49.560 That's. 00:25:49.660 --> 00:25:50.580 That is not what we're. 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:51.490 It's not what I'm saying. 00:25:51.640 --> 00:25:52.420 Okay. 00:25:53.500 --> 00:25:54.260 God may have that in you. 00:25:54.280 --> 00:25:54.980 In the cards for you. 00:25:54.980 --> 00:25:55.520 He may not. 00:25:56.520 --> 00:25:56.740 Certainly. 00:25:56.740 --> 00:25:59.320 If you live a life of integrity, you're willing to work hard. 00:26:00.560 --> 00:26:00.980 people. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:05.200 People tend to honor people like that and give them position and favor. 00:26:05.800 --> 00:26:10.140 So it's important as a Christian to live that kind of life in general, regardless if you get monetary gain or not. 00:26:10.540 --> 00:26:11.580 Sometimes that can happen. 00:26:11.620 --> 00:26:15.470 But I think it's I think it's important to remember as a Christian, you follow Jesus. 00:26:15.480 --> 00:26:16.740 Jesus walked in poverty. 00:26:16.760 --> 00:26:19.640 If Jesus walked in poverty, you can be a Christian and walk in poverty too. 00:26:20.060 --> 00:26:24.480 We're not talking about we're not talking about monetary gain necessarily, though. 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:29.210 This is the way that Isaac happened to discover God's hand of blessing. 00:26:29.660 --> 00:26:36.680 What we're saying is, regardless of what we have in this world or not, we when we walk in Jesus, 00:26:36.760 --> 00:26:40.430 we're experiencing his blessing every day because we're connected to him relationally. 00:26:41.660 --> 00:26:42.630 God meets us there. 00:26:42.760 --> 00:26:45.740 The Bible promises God will sustain us whatever we go through. 00:26:46.800 --> 00:26:52.240 And so it's important that we be faithful to the Lord no matter the circumstance that we're in. 00:26:52.560 --> 00:26:59.560 So it's not about fixating on rich or poor, as we see Isaac with wealth here, but focusing on being who God calls you to 00:26:59.560 --> 00:27:02.380 be no matter what you have or don't have. 00:27:03.320 --> 00:27:06.880 And sometimes you'll meet people that will say this in life, or I'll meet people. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:13.500 They'll say, one day when I get X or I accomplish X, then I'll start doing what God wants me to do. 00:27:13.640 --> 00:27:20.680 And can I tell you if that's you, if you're waiting to get to a certain point before you give God your life or you do things for the Lord, can I just tell you the result or 00:27:20.680 --> 00:27:21.900 what you will do when you get there? 00:27:22.540 --> 00:27:23.440 You won't serve the Lord. 00:27:24.940 --> 00:27:28.640 You have to be faithful today in order to be faithful with many. 00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:31.530 And it's not about when I get that. 00:27:31.600 --> 00:27:32.800 Then finally I get godly. 00:27:32.820 --> 00:27:36.480 You know, one day when I win the lottery, then I'll finally give to the Lord, right? 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:39.960 Like one day when this happens, then I'll finally dedicate my life to the Lord. 00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:40.480 No you won't. 00:27:41.420 --> 00:27:43.070 You do it now or you won't do it at all. 00:27:43.820 --> 00:27:50.120 Just because you have more, doesn't all of a sudden mean this light switch will come on and all of a sudden, now you're the most godly, generous person on the planet. 00:27:50.180 --> 00:27:57.260 In fact, what's likely to happen is that when you get more, you just become responsible for more and you become this greater 00:27:57.260 --> 00:27:59.370 wrecking ball of problems in life. 00:27:59.620 --> 00:28:04.210 That's why it's so important when you think about young people to start training them what it means to follow the Lord. 00:28:04.420 --> 00:28:08.810 Because when they get older, their decisions have greater consequence and it can be far more destructive. 00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:13.700 And so if you follow the Lord in little, then you'll follow the Lord in lot. 00:28:14.140 --> 00:28:16.930 If you don't follow the Lord in the little, you won't follow the Lord in lot. 00:28:17.100 --> 00:28:17.580 I mean, get this. 00:28:17.800 --> 00:28:19.700 I know sometimes rich people get a bad rap. 00:28:19.720 --> 00:28:20.690 They're like, oh, they're greedy, right? 00:28:20.900 --> 00:28:23.470 Rich people can be generous and get this. 00:28:23.720 --> 00:28:25.360 Poor people can be greedy. 00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:32.580 It's just if you're poor, you can mask it because people don't necessarily see you giving a lot because you don't have a lot to give, but you can still be poor and greedy. 00:28:33.220 --> 00:28:35.990 What matters is what's resting in the heart. 00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:42.920 That's why the Bible says in Luke chapter 16 verse ten, one who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much. 00:28:43.100 --> 00:28:46.500 One who is dishonest in very little is also dishonest in much. 00:28:46.840 --> 00:28:50.620 Just because you have more won't all of a sudden mean now you'll serve God. 00:28:52.080 --> 00:28:54.520 It's not about the size of the gift. 00:28:56.100 --> 00:28:58.320 What God's interested in is the heart of the giver. 00:28:59.300 --> 00:29:00.020 And I'm going to talk about that. 00:29:00.080 --> 00:29:01.950 I'm not talking about money specifically. 00:29:02.280 --> 00:29:04.140 I'm talking about every aspect of your life. 00:29:05.580 --> 00:29:08.220 Is it surrendered to the Lord or not? 00:29:09.460 --> 00:29:11.270 Live the kind of life that God can bless. 00:29:11.300 --> 00:29:14.940 And as Isaac does this, he discovers not everyone is for him. 00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:22.980 It says in verse 15, Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells that his father's servants that dug in the 00:29:22.980 --> 00:29:24.480 days of Abraham his father. 00:29:24.800 --> 00:29:28.870 And Abimelech said to Isaac, go away from us, for you are much mightier than we. 00:29:29.340 --> 00:29:33.800 So Isaac departed from there, and encamped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there. 00:29:33.800 --> 00:29:37.710 And Isaac dug a well, and the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Abraham his father. 00:29:37.900 --> 00:29:43.840 And when the Philistines had stopped after the death of Abraham, he gave them the names that his father had given them. 00:29:44.300 --> 00:29:51.320 But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a well of spring water, the herdsman's of Garaatie quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen, 00:29:51.420 --> 00:29:52.690 saying, the water is ours. 00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:56.440 So he called the name of the well S-ic because they contend with him. 00:29:56.600 --> 00:29:59.870 Then they dug another well and they quarreled over that also. 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:01.410 So they called it Sitna. 00:30:02.500 --> 00:30:03.830 And so here's what Isaac's discovering. 00:30:04.280 --> 00:30:07.890 He's really discovering government overreach is what he's discovering. 00:30:08.260 --> 00:30:10.220 And so he continues to move on and on. 00:30:10.220 --> 00:30:14.260 And maybe you found yourself in Utah because you had to leave where you were. 00:30:14.300 --> 00:30:16.580 He's, he's moving on. 00:30:16.620 --> 00:30:23.960 He's digging these wells and he's discovering conflict and he's discovering, not everyone is 00:30:23.960 --> 00:30:27.050 in favor of him, even as he's walking with the Lord. 00:30:27.320 --> 00:30:29.240 And not everyone is in favor of him. 00:30:29.260 --> 00:30:33.310 And can I tell you, there's a lot of things in life you can't control. 00:30:35.800 --> 00:30:40.580 But the one thing you can control is how you choose to respond. 00:30:42.580 --> 00:30:49.140 And what we see with Isaac is a step of godliness, right. 00:30:49.300 --> 00:30:50.700 They bring the conflict to him. 00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:57.800 But Isaac responds in a godly way or responding in hate, anger, revenge will never work out 00:30:57.800 --> 00:30:58.400 God's will. 00:30:59.400 --> 00:31:02.740 The calling of a Christian is not to be mean. 00:31:03.220 --> 00:31:04.640 It's not to throw mud. 00:31:04.680 --> 00:31:06.810 In fact, in first Peter chapter three it says this. 00:31:07.500 --> 00:31:12.540 It is better to suffer for doing good if that is God's will, than for doing evil. 00:31:13.740 --> 00:31:15.260 You're going to face adversity in life. 00:31:16.540 --> 00:31:20.100 It's better to do it with God than fighting against him. 00:31:21.340 --> 00:31:23.820 And Isaac continues to model this. 00:31:23.840 --> 00:31:26.400 He doesn't throw gas on the fire, right? 00:31:26.460 --> 00:31:28.560 He stands for what's right. 00:31:29.160 --> 00:31:30.840 And he's also kind in the process. 00:31:32.450 --> 00:31:39.680 one of the things I've seen in life that I try to encourage Christians in when you go through adversity, even myself, and sometimes when 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:41.400 people do things, they malign you. 00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:43.230 They're upset at you, they want to attack you. 00:31:43.580 --> 00:31:45.640 Everything within you wants to react to that. 00:31:45.820 --> 00:31:48.420 Either defend yourself or attack back. 00:31:48.420 --> 00:31:49.880 Become aggressive. 00:31:49.900 --> 00:31:56.660 But can I tell you one of the most beautiful things I think Christians can do is one. 00:31:56.660 --> 00:32:03.760 You continue to move forward with godly character, and you allow the Lord to use time on your side. 00:32:04.760 --> 00:32:09.330 What I mean is, you can't change the heart of another person, especially when they're in that kind of a bad attitude. 00:32:10.020 --> 00:32:10.180 Right? 00:32:10.180 --> 00:32:15.370 But you continue to be who God has called you to be, and you leave the possibilities of what God can do. 00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:16.500 open. 00:32:16.500 --> 00:32:18.940 Leave those doors open of reconciliation, what God can do. 00:32:19.120 --> 00:32:20.540 I have seen God do incredible things. 00:32:20.780 --> 00:32:27.820 Not not maybe in a month or two, but in two, three, ten years, even a Christian just maintain who God 00:32:27.820 --> 00:32:29.590 has called them to be walking with integrity. 00:32:29.940 --> 00:32:33.760 And the Lord has used time to orchestrate things in an incredible way. 00:32:34.680 --> 00:32:39.140 Just be who God has called you to be and the Lord will work it out. 00:32:39.760 --> 00:32:41.700 And Isaac teaches this by continuing to move on. 00:32:41.700 --> 00:32:42.720 He continues to dig Wells. 00:32:42.760 --> 00:32:46.520 He's looking for a place to flourish in the Lord. 00:32:47.340 --> 00:32:49.650 And maybe some of you, we need a place of peace. 00:32:49.660 --> 00:32:50.580 We need a place of opportunity. 00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:51.930 We need to see where God's hand is moving. 00:32:52.620 --> 00:32:53.540 In order to do that. 00:32:53.580 --> 00:32:56.280 We go out in this world and we sort of dig wells of opportunity. 00:32:56.460 --> 00:33:00.320 We find out, well that, well, those people, they weren't really interested at this time. 00:33:00.320 --> 00:33:01.120 So I've got to move on. 00:33:01.280 --> 00:33:05.380 I can come back here one day, but it's just no for now and move on and dig another. 00:33:05.380 --> 00:33:06.500 Well, and that's okay. 00:33:06.980 --> 00:33:07.930 And this is what Isaac is doing. 00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:09.640 He's looking for a place to flourish in the Lord. 00:33:09.640 --> 00:33:13.180 A place where he can see God's hand continuing to move. 00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:15.120 And so he moves on and he digs another. 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:16.200 Well, he's not throwing mud. 00:33:16.220 --> 00:33:17.870 He's not acting in revenge. 00:33:17.880 --> 00:33:19.760 He's just looking for that place to dig a well. 00:33:19.760 --> 00:33:21.120 So point number four, then, is this. 00:33:23.620 --> 00:33:25.140 Keep taking steps of faith. 00:33:27.080 --> 00:33:28.280 Keep taking steps of faith. 00:33:28.280 --> 00:33:32.120 And what I mean by that is this don't live on what you did yesterday. 00:33:33.800 --> 00:33:39.140 God wants to continue to do something new in you today, and God wants to continue to do something through your life today. 00:33:39.780 --> 00:33:46.920 If you've done wonderful things for the Lord, I'm thankful you've done wonderful things for the Lord, and God wants to continue to do things through your 00:33:46.920 --> 00:33:47.470 life. 00:33:49.040 --> 00:33:55.580 maybe by way of Isaac and Abraham will say to Isaac or to younger people, you can't live on the faith of your parents, right? 00:33:55.580 --> 00:34:00.060 God wants to do something new in your life, in your generation, for you to grab a hold of that. 00:34:00.100 --> 00:34:02.140 So keep keep taking steps of faith. 00:34:02.200 --> 00:34:03.940 And you see this through through Isaac. 00:34:03.960 --> 00:34:08.420 It says in verse 22, and he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. 00:34:08.460 --> 00:34:15.460 So he called its name Rehoboth, Rehoboth, saying, for now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be 00:34:15.460 --> 00:34:16.639 fruitful in the land. 00:34:17.020 --> 00:34:17.679 Verse 23. 00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:18.770 From there he went up to Beersheba. 00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:23.719 And the Lord appeared to him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham your father. 00:34:23.719 --> 00:34:29.320 Fear not, for I am with you, and I will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake. 00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:34.639 So he builds an altar there, and he called upon the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there. 00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:41.719 And there Isaac's servants dug a well, it goes on and it talks about again, verse 26 to 00:34:41.719 --> 00:34:46.600 29, the political leader and the military leader showing up to Isaac, which is not the welcoming committee. 00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:46.980 Right. 00:34:46.980 --> 00:34:52.460 If the if the big boss man and his thug shows up, that's not like we're so glad you're here. 00:34:52.460 --> 00:34:52.949 Kind of a conversation. 00:34:54.040 --> 00:34:57.720 But in verse 30, Isaac invites them over and seeks peace with them. 00:34:57.720 --> 00:35:00.390 It says so he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 00:35:00.460 --> 00:35:00.810 In the morning. 00:35:00.940 --> 00:35:06.240 They rose early and exchanged oaths, and Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. 00:35:06.760 --> 00:35:13.360 That same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well that they had dug, and he said to him, we have found water. 00:35:13.400 --> 00:35:14.340 And he called it Sheba. 00:35:14.720 --> 00:35:16.760 Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba. 00:35:16.920 --> 00:35:19.110 To this day I don't want you to miss this. 00:35:19.880 --> 00:35:20.400 This is incredible. 00:35:21.980 --> 00:35:27.540 Isaac goes around digging wells, and, if you just read that, at first glance, you would just assume, oh, because there's water there. 00:35:28.620 --> 00:35:34.460 But what you actually find is in this story, he dug the well and he trusted that God would supply because God said he would. 00:35:35.260 --> 00:35:39.210 And then after they've dug the well, then the water comes and the people rejoice. 00:35:40.660 --> 00:35:43.480 I think oftentimes this is what it looks like to follow the Lord God. 00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:44.980 We see what your word says. 00:35:46.180 --> 00:35:49.120 I'm going to step out in faith that you're going to do what you say you will. 00:35:50.160 --> 00:35:53.080 And in so doing, you get to experience the goodness of the Lord. 00:35:54.240 --> 00:35:57.600 And this is exactly what happens for Isaac. 00:35:57.960 --> 00:36:02.300 He keeps taking these steps of faith, looking for opportunities for God desires to work. 00:36:03.320 --> 00:36:06.340 And then he sees God's hand and he rejoices. 00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:13.410 Can I just tell you that what you celebrate, you replicate as a family? 00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:20.820 If you see God's good hand in your life, taking time to honor that and reflecting on it even annually, remembering what 00:36:20.820 --> 00:36:27.900 God did for you and your family becomes this beautiful place of continuing to model the good hand of God as 00:36:27.900 --> 00:36:34.680 you take steps of faith that spurs on that next generation to think about how they can see God move in those same, same ways. 00:36:34.780 --> 00:36:40.100 Because as you took steps of faith, so they should expect the same God to meet them as they take steps of faith. 00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:41.500 So. 00:36:41.620 --> 00:36:44.170 So in conclusion, I got one more slide here and we'll close. 00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:51.720 But the promises of chapter, chapter 26, verse 1 to 5, I say become the very foundation. 00:36:51.780 --> 00:36:58.180 The truthfulness of what God says is the very foundation, the pillar of everything else that follows in this passage. 00:36:59.200 --> 00:37:06.420 Through the promise, Isaac demonstrates faith in God beyond the adversity, and in so doing he witnesses the 00:37:06.420 --> 00:37:08.190 faithfulness of the Lord. 00:37:08.960 --> 00:37:16.000 Just because people act poorly doesn't mean you stop following God, but rather you follow the 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:18.320 Lord because he alone is worth it. 00:37:19.400 --> 00:37:20.450 He's worth it. 00:37:20.840 --> 00:37:27.940 And Jesus, I think, really becomes the model for all of us to follow after, what God has 00:37:27.940 --> 00:37:29.680 called us to in the midst of adversity. 00:37:30.420 --> 00:37:35.840 I mean, you think about in Jesus's life, people treated him horribly, but he didn't stop. 00:37:35.900 --> 00:37:36.620 Why? 00:37:37.540 --> 00:37:38.730 Because it was worth it. 00:37:38.860 --> 00:37:44.200 Honoring the father, seeing your life transformed in him to the to Christ. 00:37:44.200 --> 00:37:45.040 That's what mattered. 00:37:46.500 --> 00:37:53.660 and when you think about in the struggles that you face in life, the Bible has this really this counterintuitive way to discuss 00:37:53.660 --> 00:37:54.600 adversity. 00:37:54.620 --> 00:38:01.800 You know, our tendency when we face hard things is to easily try to figure out how to make it, to quickly try to figure out how to make it easy or to run away from it, 00:38:01.800 --> 00:38:04.430 not to be confrontational about it, some, some kind of easier path. 00:38:04.980 --> 00:38:08.810 But the Bible has this counterintuitive way to talk about adversity. 00:38:09.220 --> 00:38:10.610 It doesn't ignore our pain. 00:38:11.580 --> 00:38:13.890 Jesus certainly can relate to our pain. 00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:19.960 And Jesus was betrayed by his own friends, crucified by the religious leaders of his day. 00:38:20.440 --> 00:38:23.960 And Jesus knows what it is to be betrayed and face hardships. 00:38:24.960 --> 00:38:28.180 But when you look at what the Bible says about hardship, it's very interesting. 00:38:28.180 --> 00:38:33.080 And first Peter chapter four verse 12, it says, beloved, do not be surprised at the. 00:38:33.080 --> 00:38:38.420 Fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. 00:38:38.600 --> 00:38:46.020 Now don't be shocked when the world acts like the world as let's say you live in a fallen world, and when the fallen world acts fallen, well, it 00:38:46.020 --> 00:38:46.840 affects you, right? 00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:47.920 So don't be shocked by that. 00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:51.160 But then, what's really counterintuitive and interesting is the very next word. 00:38:51.160 --> 00:38:51.480 Look at this. 00:38:52.500 --> 00:38:54.020 Rejoice, right? 00:38:54.020 --> 00:38:55.020 But rejoice. 00:38:55.040 --> 00:38:55.220 Who? 00:38:55.440 --> 00:38:57.520 Who in the world is like, oh man, bad things. 00:38:57.520 --> 00:38:58.640 Let's have a rejoice party. 00:38:58.900 --> 00:39:02.970 Everyone right like that is not that is not the norm for the way that we respond. 00:39:03.080 --> 00:39:10.580 But it says, but rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 00:39:11.440 --> 00:39:13.360 I mean, this is the steps Isaac took by faith. 00:39:14.060 --> 00:39:17.600 They weren't easy, but he kept taking those steps. 00:39:17.600 --> 00:39:20.500 And adversity becomes this teacher for him. 00:39:20.500 --> 00:39:22.060 It's a teacher for us. 00:39:23.540 --> 00:39:30.580 Adversity becomes this opportunity to truly demonstrate the genuineness of our faith. 00:39:32.600 --> 00:39:36.160 A faith that is not tested cannot be trusted. 00:39:37.820 --> 00:39:44.960 But when you hold to Christ in adversity, it's a demonstration of what matters more to you, where your hope truly 00:39:44.960 --> 00:39:45.510 lies. 00:39:45.980 --> 00:39:50.060 Adversity is the prod God uses to help us look beyond the temporal. 00:39:50.120 --> 00:39:52.480 To realize I wasn't made for this. 00:39:52.840 --> 00:40:00.500 My heart longs for more and we start to seek something greater than ourselves, greater in terms of the scope of eternity and 00:40:00.500 --> 00:40:01.100 suffering. 00:40:01.620 --> 00:40:08.700 If we're honest, we put it into that eternal perspective becomes just a moment in the blip of the existence 00:40:08.700 --> 00:40:10.720 of your soul before the Lord. 00:40:11.620 --> 00:40:12.800 I had my great grandmother. 00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:14.080 She passed away when I was eight years old. 00:40:14.080 --> 00:40:21.160 But I remember as a kid, my mom had a handful of sisters, and sometimes they would come in the home and 00:40:21.160 --> 00:40:25.350 be a little bit worked up and younger in years, still still learning. 00:40:25.900 --> 00:40:31.440 And they would come to her and share with her their struggle, and she would always give the same advice to them over and over. 00:40:31.440 --> 00:40:32.000 It was great. 00:40:32.040 --> 00:40:36.620 She would just say, this too shall pass, this too shall pass. 00:40:37.800 --> 00:40:42.860 But when you think of the season that you're in, sometimes we feel like it is. 00:40:43.200 --> 00:40:43.870 It is eternity. 00:40:44.680 --> 00:40:51.940 But when we take a step back and you truly consider the scope of all of eternity, it's but a blip in the in the radar of what God 00:40:51.940 --> 00:40:53.980 desires to do in your life and through you. 00:40:55.100 --> 00:41:00.360 And the encouragement, I think, is we think about this generationally is it becomes an example to the next generation. 00:41:01.980 --> 00:41:09.980 You know, when you walk faithfully with the Lord and you see God faithful to you, not only do you get the joy of experiencing his good hand in that, but 00:41:09.980 --> 00:41:12.940 you're modeling to the next generation that he continues to be faithful. 00:41:12.960 --> 00:41:20.020 The same God in Genesis is the same God today, and one of my heroes in the in the faith is a man by the name of Charles 00:41:20.020 --> 00:41:20.320 Spurgeon. 00:41:20.660 --> 00:41:21.720 That's him on the screen. 00:41:22.540 --> 00:41:25.060 Charles Spurgeon was very influential man in the 1800s. 00:41:25.060 --> 00:41:30.230 He was considered he was called the Prince of Preachers, and his church was thousands of people. 00:41:30.240 --> 00:41:37.300 In fact, on services on Sunday, that's where the newspaper press would show up, because during this time, this they didn't have 00:41:37.300 --> 00:41:38.600 gatherings this large. 00:41:38.660 --> 00:41:45.700 There was not amplification from microphones to hear someone in a crowd of thousands of people was you had to have a booming voice to do 00:41:45.700 --> 00:41:46.200 that. 00:41:46.500 --> 00:41:49.340 But Charles Spurgeon, thousands would come and listen in the newspapers. 00:41:49.400 --> 00:41:50.960 That's what they would write about on Monday morning. 00:41:51.400 --> 00:41:53.780 It's about whatever he was talking about. 00:41:53.900 --> 00:41:56.760 And sometimes very maligning opinions on him. 00:41:56.940 --> 00:42:03.880 weren't kind to him, but, I, I like for Charles Spurgeon really has nothing to do with the size of the crowd. 00:42:03.940 --> 00:42:07.420 I don't the size of the crowd is not something I'm after in life. 00:42:07.560 --> 00:42:09.210 I just want to see what God wants to do in the hearts of people. 00:42:10.100 --> 00:42:15.260 The thing, the reason I love Charles Spurgeon so much is because the way he demonstrated faithfulness in God in his own battles. 00:42:16.180 --> 00:42:21.520 So one of the things, if you read about Charles Spurgeon, that you discover is that he struggled deeply with depression. 00:42:22.600 --> 00:42:29.780 And in his ministry, not only did the church flourish, but they say something like 70 plus ministries came out of this church through the leadership 00:42:29.780 --> 00:42:30.820 of Charles Spurgeon. 00:42:32.060 --> 00:42:35.170 one of the things he had several reasons that people think that he battled with depression. 00:42:35.340 --> 00:42:40.540 One was early in his ministry as he's preaching to a crowd, someone got up and yelled fire! 00:42:40.540 --> 00:42:40.960 And there wasn't. 00:42:41.000 --> 00:42:43.060 There was no fire, but someone yelled fire! 00:42:43.060 --> 00:42:44.930 And the crowd ran out of the building. 00:42:44.940 --> 00:42:47.020 And there were a handful of people that were trampled to death. 00:42:48.120 --> 00:42:49.620 And they say he never got over it. 00:42:50.960 --> 00:42:52.660 He never got over the loss of that life. 00:42:52.900 --> 00:42:55.420 And he and he battled with depression all of his days. 00:42:56.360 --> 00:42:58.090 But you know what he continued to do in the midst of that battle? 00:42:59.620 --> 00:43:04.680 Step forward in a faithful God and in stepping forward in a faithful God. 00:43:05.320 --> 00:43:08.240 He saw the beautiful blessing of God's hand in his life. 00:43:09.600 --> 00:43:13.400 Can I tell you this morning, Genesis 26, a beautiful story of the life of Isaac. 00:43:14.520 --> 00:43:17.160 But it's the same story God desires to write in your life too. 00:43:18.380 --> 00:43:21.880 The faithfulness of who he is all of your days. 00:43:23.080 --> 00:43:30.500 The way that we do that is to be refined in his truth, to not walk in fear, but live 00:43:30.500 --> 00:43:32.080 a life that God can bless. 00:43:33.100 --> 00:43:40.280 And as we follow that path, we see the goodness of the Lord all of our days to the point that we can model, even in hardship, what it looks like 00:43:40.280 --> 00:43:41.970 to follow him for the next generation.