Faithful Integrity

Intro

Genesis 12:10–20 ESV

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

Here is the issue

Abram had an Integrity problem.

How did we go from Abram being called and chosen as the Father of a Nation Under God to someone who has lied to hide from the Egyptians?

Abram’s Integrity problem started as a Faith Problem.

- Abram would have had to be struggling with his Faith!

Genesis 12:2–3 ESV

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. 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.”

How can he have these things if he is dead or killed off before his time?

He CANT

He had the promise of:

Blessing - The Contagious kind.

Massive legacy

Protection

With all of that, he should have been walking into Egypt yelling “Look at Sarai, come and take her! I DARE YIOU>

Because of Abram’s wavering faith, he rejected his identity as Father of a Nation, Husband, Follower of the Almighty God and took on a lesser status as brother of Sarai the Beautiful…

When we loose focus on God’s Promises our integrity suffers.

This is a real battleground for some of us.

We lie to protect

Insert the Hebrew and the Greek Here, in order

When we compromise our integrity or we lower our standard, it might help for a little while but…

Our lack of Integrity has an affect on others.

Not only does our lack of integrity affect others, it also hurts our relationships with them. .

Our lack of Integrity affects our standing with others.

Genesis 12:20 ESV

And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

Starbucks Macciatto vs a REAL Macciatto

With this illustration in mind…

Are you approaching your calling with Integrity?

Completeness, wholeness, not compromising.

It’s not rocket science! Man, Woman, Husband, Wife, Mum, Dad.

Does your walk have integrity or white lies?

God is still Faithful