World Religions Week 5

Where Christianity, Islam, and Judaism Collide.

Songs:

Into Marvelous Light

Come Satisfy

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Are you satisfied in Christ tonight?

We are going to take a semi-break from our world-view study tonight to instead have a discussion on Abram.

The reason is because for Jews, Muslim’s, and Christian’s alike, Abram’s life and legacy play a significant role.

Before we dive too deep into that though, I want us to first take 5-10 minutes and split into groups of 4-5.

In your groups, come up with a list of 5-10 promises from God to specific people or groups of people in Scripture.

List the promise WITH scripture, so even if you know a promise off the top of your head, be sure you have the scripture to go along with it.

Any questions?

Ok go!

*Share some of the promises with one another.*

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1. Noah to Abram.

You can read about Adam descendants leading to Noah in Genesis 5, but for the sake of time and sanity I will spare us from that tonight.

However, after Noah and the flood, it is interesting how soon Abram comes along.

Here are the descendants of Noah leading to Abram and Isaac.

Noah

Shem

Peleg

Terah

Abram

Isaac

God’s Covenant with Noah:

Genesis 9:1 “1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”

This echoes God’s call to Adam and Eve in

Genesis 1:28 “28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.”

From the beginning, God has called human’s to make babies and enjoy the earth He has given us.

Make babies and spread out!

God says that To Adam and Eve, Noah in 9:1 and again to Noah in 9:7

That is a key command in the beginning because this makes Genesis 11 so bad.

The Tower of Babel was being built from motivations that were against God.

Genesis 11:4 “4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.””

Genesis 11:4 is in direct opposition to God

1. “Let us build ourselves...”

Selfish motivations

2. “Lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

And so because of that, God confuses languages.

Man can’t communicate with one another.

And God literally scatters man.

I take Genesis 11:8 literally. “8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.”

Short Rabbit Trail:

I have an awesome story about this, that I can share afterwards with you, but when I went to Wyumi with New Tribes missions last year, This verse blew my mind in conjunction with a story I heard.

This is not a hill to die on, but it is fascinating, to consider.

It makes sense how we ended up with humans on the North American continent, Africa, Australia before modern technology.

God put man there.

Fascinating.

End Rabbit Trail

Then we get to Abram.

Noah, Shem, Peleg, Terah, Abram, Isaac.

God comes to Abram in Genesis 12:1-4 “1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”

Four Promises to Abram:

I will make you a Great Nation (12:2 )

I will make your name great (12:2)

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse. (12:3)

All the peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (12:3)

This last one especially I believe is a promise foreshadowing the coming of Jesus!

At this time, vs. 4 says that Abram is 75. He’s old, yet God promises to make him into a great nation!

Fast forward to Genesis 15:2 “2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?””

Genesis 15:5-6 “5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

Abram is burdened for children, yet he doesn’t have any.

God again here solidifies His promise to Abram.

“I will give you and Sarah children.”

SO Abram trusts…

Until Genesis 16 where things begin to fall apart.

Genesis 16:1-2 “1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.”

The key here is that last part of vs. 2

Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

What happened to the voice of God?

Why didn’t Abram remember God’s promises?

One reason is because it had been 10-11 years.

Genesis 16:16 “16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.”

11 years after God made the promise, Abram had a son through Sarah’s servant.

How did we get there?

Abram forgot the promise of GOd…

Isaiah 28:16 “Whoever believes will not be in haste.’”

Abram and Sarai rushed the promise of God.

They took control rather than wait on God’s timing.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

“True faith is based on the word of God and not on the wisdom of man.”

“God’s delays are not God’s denials.”

SO now we have 4 different people in a mess.

This is what happens when Man follows his own ways rather than God’s ways.

Like the Tower of Babel, now there is much confusion, heartache, and pain.

To Recap:

When Man takes control…

When we think we are wise.

Sarah’s solution: blame her husband and mistreat her servant.

Abram’s solution: give in to his wife (her word > God’s word) and surrender his responsibilities.

He should have had pity for the pregnant servant, instead he allowed Sarah to mistreat her.

He should have brought everyone back to God’s word, but he failed to do so.

Hagar’s solution: Run away from the problem.

As a result, there was no peace for Romans 15:13 “13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

4. Ishmael:

His blessing is for great numbers. Genesis 16:10 “10 The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.””

This does not emulate the same promise given to Abram in Genesis 12:1-4

Genesis 16:12 “12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.””

Ishmael is the result of man’s wisdom and impatience.

The father of Arab nation.

We should not apply 16:12 to all Ishmael decedents, but broadly, who is at war with one another in the middle east and has been for decades? Arabs and Jews!

It all comes back to this!

Because of Abram’s and Sarai’s one bad decision to take control, there has literally been thousands of years of wars between Arab’s and Jews.

Ishmael is the father of the Arab Nation

Abram is the father of the Jews.

Abram and Sarai didn’t break any civil laws at that time, it was legal for Abram to take Hagar as his wife. It was legal for him to have children with her. It made logical sense.

But it wasn’t of God…

God had made it clear that it would be through Sarai and Abram.

1 corinthians 10:23 “23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.”

Because of their mistake they forgot the peace of GOd.

Romans 15:13 “13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

4 truths we can learn today and 3 takeaways for Jews, Muslim’s and Christians.

Evidence of True Biblical Faith:

You are willing to wait

You are concerned only for the glory of God

You are obeying God’s word

You have God’s joy and peace within.

The 3 Key differences Between Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

Jews follow wisdom of man.

Muslim’s trust the words of a false god.

Christian’s submit to the words of Jesus and believe His word’s are Old and New Testament.

DO we know what we believe?

DO we know what others believe?

Do we know what other people believe about what we believe?

Are we trusting Christ every day to fulfill his promises through our lives?

Be willing to wait on Christ.

Be satisfied in the joy and peace that only comes from following Him.

Genesis 16:8 “8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.””

Not referred to as Abram’s wife.

Clear message she is not part of Abram’s promise.