Sermon Tone Analysis

The Struggle Your Facing is a Test

IS THERE ANYONE HERE THIS MORNING THAT ENJOYED TAKING TESTS OR EXAMS DURING YOUR SCHOOL YEARS?

TEST TAKING IS SOMETHING THAT MOST IF NOT ALL STUDENTS HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME TIME DURING PRIMARY EDUCATION.

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THE PROCESS OF TEST TAKING USUALLY INVOLVES THE TEACHER TEACHING YOU A FUNDAMENTAL OR KNOWLEGDE THAT SHE OR HE WANTS YOU TO LEARN….AND AFTER YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT….THE TEACHER WOULD LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A TEST THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO TAKE….AND USUALLY IT WAS ON THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT…..

NO MATTER HOW MUCH I PREPARED FOR A TEST, I WAS ALWAYS SOMEWHAT NERVOUS BEFORE TESTING TIME.

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I REMEMBER TAKING SPELLING TESTS ON FRIDAYS IN GRADE SCHOOL AND HOW I WOULD STUDY FOR THEM.

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I REMEMBER HOW MY PARENTS WOULD GIVE ME A PRE-TEST ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL BEFORE THE ACTUAL TEST.

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MOST OF US, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE TAKEN MANY TESTS IN SCHOOL, HAD TO TAKE TEST BECAUSE WE WERE REQUIRED TO….

NOT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO OR ENJOYED THE EXPERIENCE.

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OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY (AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE ONLY HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA) HAVE TO TAKE WHAT’S CALLED AN EOG….OR END OF GRADE TEST …WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO MEASURE STUDENT PERFORMANCE ON THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF WHAT THEY LEARNED IN THAT SCHOOL YEAR……AND IF THEY DO NOT PASS, THEY MAY NOT BE PROMOTED TO THE NEXT GRADE… I CAN IMAGINE THE NERVOUSNESS THAT MANY OF THEM FACE.

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IN OUR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL MANY OF US HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME ANXIETY OR NERVOUSNESS….

PREPARING TO TAKE THE SAT OR ACT SO THAT WE COULD GET INTO COLLEGE.

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MANY COLLEGES NOW UNDERSTAND THAT TEST RESULTS ARE NOT ALWAYS A SOLID INDICATOR AS TO HOW WELL THE STUDENT WILL MAKE THE ACADEMIC TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE.

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SOME OF US MAY OF TAKEN COURSES IN COLLEGE WHERE FINAL YOUR GRADE WAS ONLY BASED ON THE TEST YOU TOOK AND NOT ANY ASSIGNMENTS YOU TURNED IN.

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THESE ARE EDUCATIONAL TEST THAT WE FACE IN LIFE THAT WE CAN SOMEWHAT PREPARE FOR.

BUT THEN THERE ARE TEST IN LIFE THAT WE EXPERIENCE THAT CAN CATCH US OFF GUARD OR WE CAN’T PREPARE FOR

….BUT THE GOOD NEWS MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, NO MATTER WHAT TEST YOU GO THROUGH….NO MATTER THE STRUGGLE…THE LORD IS FULLY AWARE OF IT AND IT DIDN’T CATCH HIM OFF GUARD.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE IS NO TEST THAT YOU FACE THAT WASN’T ALLOWED BY GOD…FOR MY BIBLE READERS THAT KNOW THE STRUGGLES THAT JOB WENT THROUGH.

THERE WAS NOT ONE TEST THAT JOB WENT THROUGH THAT GOD DIDN’T ALREADY KNOW ABOUT.

OUR PASSAGE THIS MORNING BEGINS WITH VERY INTERESTING WORDS: “AFTER THESE THINGS GOD TESTED ABRAHAM.”

I BELIEVE THE TEXT IS REFERENCING ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED TO ABRAHAM UP UNTIL THIS POINT IN HIS LIFE.

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AND SO THAT WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC…..LET ME BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE ABRAHAM’S STORY.

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GOD INSTRUCTS ABRAHAM TO LEAVE ALL THAT HE KNEW AND ALL THAT WAS COMFORTABLE WITH AND RELOCATE TO A FOREIGN LAND.

WE FIND THIS ACCOUNT IN

GENESIS 12

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AT THE TIME ABRAHAM IS 75 YEARS OLD.

IT SEEMS A LITTLE LATE IN LIFE TO MAKE A FAMILY MOVE AND RELOCATION.

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• BUT GOD, OF COURSE, DOESN’T JUST TELL HIM TO PACK UP AND GO FOR NO REASON

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• THE LORD HAS A PLAN AND A PROMISE FOR ABRAHAM

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• HE PROMISES ABRAHAM OFFSPRING AND HE PLANS TO MAKE ABRAHAM A GREAT NATION

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• ONE THAT WILL BE A BLESSING TO ALL OTHER NATIONS

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GENESIS 11: 30

RECORDS SARAH, HIS WIFE, IS BARREN; BOTH SHE AND ABRAHAM ARE WELL ADVANCED IN YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD CHILDREN AND IT IS HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO HAVE CHILDREN DURING THIS SEASON IN THEIR LIVES

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• THE LORD PROMISES THAT A GREAT NATION WILL COME FROM ABRAHAM.

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• WE KNOW THAT THIS NATION THAT WILL BE BIRTHED ….

WILL BE THE NATION OF ISRAEL - THE PEOPLE -- THE CHOSEN – THE ELECT OF GOD.

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IF WE FAST FORWARD A BIT…AND VISIT GENESIS 17

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SOME YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE LORD CALLED ABRAHAM AND MADE HIM THIS PROMISE.

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IN FACT 24 YEARS HAVE PASSED.

ABRAHAM IS NOW 99 YEARS OLD.

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MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS……CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING TO WAIT THAT LONG FOR SOMEONE TO FULFILL THEIR PROMISE MADE TO YOU?

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WOULD YOU WAIT THAT LONG OR WOULD YOU TEND TO THINK, I HAVE WAITED LONG ENOUGH - I GUESS THEY MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN?

IF I CAN BE REAL WITH YOU FBC…..

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IN OUR INSTANT HAVE IT RIGHT NOW CULTURE - I CAN’T IMAGINE ANYONE HAVING PATIENCE ENOUGH TO WAIT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THIS LONG.

IS THAT RIGHT?

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• WE DON’T LIKE WAITING IN TRAFFIC

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• WE DON’T LIKE WAITING IN LINE

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• WE DON’T LIKE WAITING ON HOLD

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• WE DON’T LIKE WAITING FOR THE WATER TO BOIL

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• WE DON’T LIKE WAITING IN THE DOCTOR’S OFFICE

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• WE DON’T LIKE WAITING TOO LONG FOR OUR FOOD AT THE RESTAURANT

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• WE DON’T LIKE WAITING FOR THAT RIDE TO PICK US UP

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• WE JUST DON’T LIKE WAITING….DOES ANYONE RELATE TO THAT THIS MORNING?

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WE SEE THAT ABRAHAM AND SARAH WERE JUST LIKE US.

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ABRAHAM AND SARAH TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO FULFILL GOD’S PROMISE.

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SARAH GIVES ABRAHAM HAGAR……HER MAID SERVANT – AND THROUGH HER….. THEY HAVE ISHMAEL, HIS FIRST-BORN SON.

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BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THIS…..IS THAT…..ISHMAEL IS NOT THE PROMISE THAT GOD HAD FOR ABRAHAM AND SARAH.

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ISHMAEL IS THE RESULT OF NOT TRUSTING THAT GOD WILL FULFILL HIS PROMISES.

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I BELIEVE THIS IS A SELF INFLICTED STRUGGLE….. THIS IS A STRUGGLE THAT THEY BROUGHT ON THEMSELVES

…..IT WAS A STRUGGLE BE CAUSE WE SEE THAT SOON AFTER HAGAR CONCEIVED …….

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SARAH’S IDEA…..SHE STARTED TO GIVE HAGAR THE SIDE EYE….

AND AS SOME OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE SAY TODAY……HAGAR WAS ABOUT TO GET THE SMOKE FROM SARAH…….

SARAH WANTED ABRAHAM TO DEAL WITH HAGAR ……AND HE WOULD EVENTUALLY PUT HER OUT THE HOUSE….BECAUSE OF SARAH’S JEALOUSY

IF I CAN BE REAL WITH YOU THIS MORNING…..

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• WE HAVE ISHMAEL’S IN OUR LIVES WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH – BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT WAIT

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• WE HAVE ISHMAEL’S IN OUR LIVES THAT CAUSE US FRUSTRATION – BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MOVE IN OUR TIME.

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• WE HAVE ISHMAEL’S IN OUR LIVES THAT CAUSE US A WHOLE LOT OF STRESS – BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT WAIT ON GOD

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• WE HAVE ISHMAEL’S IN OUR LIVES THAT CAUSE US MANY RESTLESS AND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS – BECAUSE WE TOOK MATTERS INTO OUR OWN HANDS INSTEAD OF WAITING ON GOD…

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DO I HAVE SOMEONE THIS MORNING… THE STRUGGLE YOUR FACING IS A TEST

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IN THIS SAME CHAPTER THE LORD RENEWS HIS PROMISE OF CHILDREN TO ABRAHAM, AND, MORE SPECIFICALLY, TELLS ABRAHAM THAT HE WILL HAVE A SON AND HE IS TO NAME HIM ISAAC.

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BUT ABRAHAM STILL DOESN’T BELIEVE.

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HE LAUGHS IN DISBELIEF, FOR HE IS NEARLY 100 YEARS OLD AND SARAH IS 90.

HOW COULD THEY POSSIBLY HAVE CHILDREN NOW?

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ABRAHAM THEN BEGS THE LORD TO BLESS ISHMAEL AND ASKS THE LORD TO MAKE HIM THE CHILD OF THE PROMISE.

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THE LORD AGREES TO BLESS ISHMAEL, BUT TELLS ABRAHAM THAT HE WILL ESTABLISH HIS COVENANT WITH ISAAC.

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ISHMAEL MAY RECEIVE A BLESSING, BUT ISAAC WILL BE THE CHILD OF THE PROMISE.

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AND IF WE FAST FORWARD….JUST A LITTLE MORE…….WE SEE THE JOY ARRIVES IN GENESIS 21

WHEN THE CHILD OF PROMISE IS BORN.

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SARAH GIVES BIRTH TO ISAAC.

SHE SAYS IN GENESIS 21:6 “GOD HAS BROUGHT LAUGHTER FOR ME; EVERYONE WHO HEARS WILL LAUGH WITH ME.”

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THE PROMISE THE LORD MADE TO ABRAHAM IS FULFILLED.

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AND THE PROMISE IS FULFILLED IN THE FACE OF IMPOSSIBLE ODDS.

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A BARREN WIFE.

AN AGED MAN.

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AFTER YEARS OF ENDLESS WAITING.

THE PLAN HAS COME TO PASS AS THEY SAY.

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GOD WILL MAKE ABRAHAM’S NAME GREAT AND THROUGH THIS JOYFUL, PROMISED OFFSPRING, THROUGH THIS SON, ISAAC, A GREAT NATION WILL COME, ONE THAT WILL BLESS THE WHOLE EARTH.

THE STRUGGLE YOUR FACING IS A TEST…….

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WOULD YOU AGREE WITH ME THAT A TEST IS USED TO PROVE SOMETHING

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A DRIVER’S LICENSE TEST PROVES YOUR ABILITY TO SAFELY OPERATE A VEHICLE

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HISTORY TESTS IN SCHOOL PROVE OR DISPROVE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY

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A SCREEN TEST PROVES YOUR ABILITY TO ACT

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AN EYE TEST PROVES OR DISPROVES THAT YOU NEED TO WEAR GLASSES.

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EVERY TEST IS MEANT TO PROVE SOMETHING

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WHAT IS THIS TEST OF ABRAHAM MEANT TO PROVE?

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HIS TEST WAS MEANT TO PROVE THAT HE TRUSTS GOD IN EVERY SITUATION….EVERY TIME….NO MATTER HOW IT MAY LOOK….. AND THAT HE IS COMMITTED TO GOD ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS.

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GOD DECIDES TO TEST ABRAHAM’S FAITH, AND HOW DOES HE TEST ABRAHAM?

THE LORD CALLS ABRAHAM TO OFFER HIS SON – THIS SON OF PROMISE – ISAAC, AS A BURNT OFFERING.

AND I BELIEVE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS….THAT WHAT EVER STRUGGLE YOU ARE FACED WITH IS A TEST…AND NO MATTER HOW IT LOOKS…..YOU MUST TRUST IN GOD TO GET YOU THROUGH……

JESUS NEVER SAID THAT WE WILL NOT GO THROUGH TROUBLES AND HARDSHIPS……BECAUSE HE WENT THROUGH TROUBLES……