The Main Story
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Intro
Intro
We can get lost in small stories and miss the big story
when the Dallas Cowboys won superbowls in 93, 94, and 96, I didn’t enjoy it as much because I was lost in the small stories.
others saw the Cowboys as: they’re good, they’re tough, they’re talented, they’re 13-3 . . . they see the main story
But fans of a particular team usually focus on the small stories
this player is hurting
this player is not as good anymore
he caught two touchdowns but he dropped two passes
so and so is in trouble with the law
we’re 13-3, but we could easily be 10 - 6 cause a lot of close calls went our way
and I did the same when the Cowboys used to win, I enjoyed the championships, but did not realize how great they were until years later when I stepped back and looked at the main story
13-3 SB
12-4 SB
12-4 game before the Superbowl
12-4 SB
we were dominating, but I didn’t enjoy it as much because I was focused on the small stories
and small stories are important, but they are not the main/big story!
My duty this morning is to remind us to focus on the main stories over the small stories.
Story of Genesis, chapter 20
Story of Genesis, chapter 20
Abraham travels to Gerar
Abraham’s wife Sarah is beautiful and Abraham is afraid that someone will kill him in order to get to her . . . So he gets Sarah to lie to and say she is his sister
Abimelech, the king of Gerar sees Sarah, believes the lie, and decided to taker her into his harem of wives.
Then God came to Abimelech in a dream and said you are a dead man because you have taken Abraham’s wife
Abimelech says I didn’t know, they both lied to me, and God says that’s why I came to you before you consummated the marriage. Now give that man his wife back and ask him to pray for you, and you will live
Abimelech gives Sarah back along with livestock, servants and a thousand pieces of silver. Abraham prayed for Abimelech and everything was all good.
natural reaction the story is . . .
Abraham lied and he should not have
that Abraham got away with one, got off easy
poor Abimelech, Abraham did him wrong
doesn’t seem that God was fair
but that’s what happens when you focus on the small story over the Big/Main story.
What’s the main story?
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Abraham, you go to a land that I will show you, go in faith
I make a great nation out of you (You and Sarah)
bless you and make your name great
you shall be a blessing
bless those who bless you, curse those how curse you
all families of the earth will be blessed through you
And this is the story of Genesis, ch. 20! . . . yet we see, oooooh Abraham, lied God that doesn’t seem fair
even Bible Experts, (subheadings)
NLT - Abraham deceives Abimelech
Amplified - Abrahams deception
NASB says Abraham’s Treachery
I could not find one that said anything nice about this chapter, the best I could find simply said, “Abraham and Abimelech”
Abraham did lie, but they have forgotten, like we often forget, the main story
Abraham, you go to a land I will show you. go in faith
I make a great nation out of you (You and Sarah)
bless you and make your name great
you shall be a blessing
bless those who bless you, curse those how curse you
all families of the earth will be blessed through you
let me show you the main story in Genesis chapter 20
1 Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar.
this is 25 years later after Genesis 12, Abraham and Sarah do not even have a child, but yet they are still going to wherever God tells them to go
that’s from the main story . . . 25 years of going
25 years of faithfulness, trusting, waiting patiently from Abraham
6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
God told Abimelech, I am aware that you didn’t know that they were married, and that’s why I kept you from consummating the marriage
Understand that God had told Abraham and Sarah recently that within a year, they would have a child.
If Abimelech had slept with her, there would be doubt about the paternity
but God did something to keep Abimelech from consummating the marriage before it was too late.
that’s from the main story . . . a great nation is supposed to come out of Abraham and Sarah, not “I don’t know who the dad is and Sarah”
the main story is that. God makes up for Abrahams mess up
God wouldn’t let Abraham mess it up
God is at work bringing his will to pass
8 So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened.
Abimelech and his men are GREATLY frightened, terrified
What did God promise Abraham?
bless people who bless you
be good to those who are good to you
and also. . .
curse those who curse you
in other words. be against those who are against you
bring trouble to those who bring trouble to you
in other words, I will be on your side
now look at Abraham’s response to Abimelech when he asked him, why did he lie
11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.
Abraham lied because he was scared . . . these people are lawless, violent, no morals . . . Abraham was greatly afraid
I’m sensing main story!
can’t you hear God’s words? . . . I will curse those who curse you
and in this situation, I will make those greatly afraid, who make you greatly afraid
that is from the main story . . . God is on Abraham’s side!
instead of “Abraham lied”, we first should be saying, “Look at God, if God is for you, who can be against youl!
notice that Abimelech didn’t deny Abraham’s accusations.
we should have been dismayed at the nerve of Abimelech to ask Abraham about lying when Abimelech would have killed him if given the chance
16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared.”
in verse 14 he had already given sheep, oxen, and servants to Abraham
and now 1000 pieces of silver . . . what a blessing!
that’s from the main story, God told abraham in chapter 12, “I will bless thee”
God is keeps his promises!
God is doing exactly what he said he would do
and those are the most remarkable blessings, the blessings you don’t deserve
17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Abraham prays, Abimelech and his family are healed
I hearing echoes from Genesis chapter 12 . . . you will be a blessing
that’s the main story stuff . . . Abraham you are going to bless people
despite my weaknesses, I can still be a blessing
things could have been different
things could have been different
Abraham should had enough faith to say, “she is my wife” and trust God to protect them
and I bet Abraham suffered mentally and emotionally when Sarah was taken away
how long? long enough for the people to know that no children were being conceived.
But this is real life, Abraham was never perfect, he fell short
but God made up the difference . . . that’s the main story
Don’t forget the Main story in your life!
Don’t forget the Main story in your life!
there’s probably so many small stories that you are not proud of
or you were not at your best
I should have done better
I could have done better
I should have done it this way
I could have done it that way
I should have had more faith, patience, determination
but God sent me by to say that some of the things you are fretting over are small stories
if you just look over your life you will see that you’re like Abraham
and your main story is . . .
I haven’t been perfect, but after all this time, I’m still going, holding on, trusting, waiting, hoping
the main story is that God has made up for my mess ups
the main story is God is still on my side
the main story is that God is watching over his promises in my life
the main story is that God is blessing me with stuff I don’t deserve
despite my weaknesses, God still uses me and I’ve still been blessed to be a blessing
my faults are a story, but he looked beyond my faults, bigger story
my sins are a story, but grace and mercy, bigger story
my past is a story, but the best is yet to come, bigger story
thes test I am going through is a story, but my testimony will be a bigger story
don’t be thrown off by the small stories the devil tries to throw at you
your main story is that God is still using you, blessing you, keeping you, and making the difference for you
because my story is based on THE story
jesus came - that’s the good story
jesus lived - that’s the good story
jesus died - that’s a better story
jesus rose again - that’s the biggest story
jesus is coming back - that’s the complete story
jesus is co