The God of all Grace

Introduction:

Amen, Praise the Lord.

Turn in your Bible with me to Genesis 20.

As we go through Genesis, it’s not only wonderful to study God’s word, but also to see how even the book of Genesis applies to us.

From Adam to Noah to Abraham, we see how the Bible is relevant to each of our lives today.

But as we always do, let’s pray and ask the Lord’s blessings.

Prayer: Father: we love you and praise. Thank you for your presence in this place. For you are not a God who is far off and distant, but you are here walking with us daily in our lives. And now, we ask you will bless your word. Teach us now as only you can. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts willing to receive. If there is one here who does not have a personal relationship with you, I pray today they will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Introduction: During the first part of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, construction fell behind because there were no safety devices used, and 23 men fell to their deaths. It was suggested that a large net be hung under the bridge to catch anyone who fell, which costs $100,000. After the net was installed, at least 10 men fell into it and were saved. But an interesting side note is the fact that 25 percent more work was accomplished when the men were assured of their safety! So Ultimately, all the time lost to fear was regained by replacing fear with faith in the net.

In our text this morning, we will see a moment in Abraham’s life when he was led by fear and not by faith.

When instead of trusting in God, he commits sin. And this sin is one that he we have seen him commit before.

But once again God, blesses Abraham in spite of his sin.

And what we will see in this outline is God working in our lives to make us holy.

transgression, correction, confession, restoration.

When we sin, (and we do) God corrects us (and convicts us of our sin), we should then confess our sin, and God then restores us and forgives us.

that’s how great our God is. What sin abounds, grace abounds much more.

Well, let’s look at Genesis 20: verse 1. And begin to see Abraham’s transgression.

Transgression

Genesis 20:1 “From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.”

So we have Abraham leaving the promised land and going to Gerar. Gerar was a philistine city on the border of Eygpt.

We don’t know why he left. Maybe he left because of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Maybe he left for commerce reasons with markets and trading his livestock. Maybe Abraham had another reason he left. We aren’t told why. But we are told he did.

And it is true often in the Christian life, God tells us to do something or to go somewhere. And after a while, we decide to go somewhere else.

After a while, we get ansy or we feel we start to think. And often think in terms of God’s will. Maybe God’s done with me here. I just don’t feel God moving in my life. Maybe God can use me somewhere else.

Where all along, God has us right where he sent us, right where he wants us.

And maybe that’s true for all of us here this morning. Can you agree that this place and this moment in our lives, we are exactly where God wants us to be? And if we are where God wants us, there is no better place to be.

So Abraham sins because he leaves where God sent him.

He sins because he gets out of the will of God.

And notice whwat he does.

Genesis 20:2 “And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.”

We’ve seen this before right? Genesis 12. Abraham does the same thing in Egypt where he tells Pharoah the same thing. Sarah is his sister.

It is there too that God interevenes.

but apparently Abraham struggles with this sin. It is a habitual sin.

Now, this is some 25 years later.

25 years of faithfulness to God, and he still struggles with this sin.

Can we all agree? young or old? A christian for one year or 50 years, we still struggle with sins.

And often, if we are honest, it is the same sins over and over.

I mean Abraham is a man of faith. The father of the faith. When we see his name in the Bible, it’s almost synoymous with faith.

Even the strongest believers are not perfect.

But I’m so glad that God doesn’t just leave me in my sins, or leave me when I sin.

God doesn’t give up on his children. And he doesn’t give up on Abraham.

Notice the correction (or we can all it intercession)

Correction

Genesis 20:3 “But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.””

so here God interevens and in doing so he is protecting Abraham and Sarah.

And in doing so he is keeping his covenant with Abraham and Sarah.

And this is in a dream. Abraham and Sarah didn’t even know.

It’s amazing to think that God protects us and helps us and many times we don’t even know.

What a testament to keep faith in God? For when he is for us, who can be against us.

Genesis 20:4 “Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people?”

Genesis 20:5 “Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.””

Now, Abimelech’s like, God i’m innocent. I’ve done nothing wrong. It was Abraham who said it was his sister.

SIDENOTE - HOW OLD IS SARAH HERE? ABOUT 90 YEARS OLD.

At 90, the king is going to take her, that either says alot about her looks or it says alot about the king.

nonetheless he says he’s innocent.

Question: if you do something and you don’t know it’s a sin, is that a sin?

You see Scripture speaks of involuntary sins in Leviticus 5:17. It describes unintentional sin as "doing any of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it."

It may have been catergorically distinct as this sin, but sacrifice must still be made, because it is sin.

Now, notice God’s response to Abimilech.

Genesis 20:6 “Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.”

Genesis 20:7 “Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.””

Isn’t this amazing? God sees Abimilech’s heart and is gracious to him. Just as he is gracious to Abraham.

And what kept Abimelech from sinning here? GOD DID.

I love this verse in Hosea - Hosea 2:6 “Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths.”

Just a verse of how God is protecting us, and having a hedge around us, even when we sin.

Genesis 20:8 “So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid.”

Genesis 20:9 “Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.””

Genesis 20:10 “And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?””

So here the king goes to Abraham, early in the morning. And he confronts Abraham’s sin.

This is difficult right. We don’t like to be told we are wrong or that we messed up.

Many people will simply leave when you tell them that they are doing something wrong.

Not Abraham.

But there’s two thoughts to keep in mind.

1. God takes adultery seriously.

We know he takes homosexuality seriously. An abomination. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for such sins.

But here God interevenes concerning Adultery.

This is no lesser sin. As if that were such a thing. This adultery if it were to happen would have cost Abimelech his life.

So God takes adutlery seriously.

2. Abraham’s sin was not only lying but potentially sexual sin.

We recall what Lot was willing to do with his daughters. To give them over to a homosexual mob to do with as they please.

Here Abraham was willing to give his wife over to the king.

Why because he was led by fear and not faith.

He was was more afraid of the world than God.

But notice Abraham’s confession, if you can call it a confession.

Confession

Genesis 20:11 “Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’”

Genesis 20:12 “Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.”

Genesis 20:13 “And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ””

It sounds like a bunch of excuses. right?

The people don’t fear God, so they’ll kill me.

Well, she is my sister.

God cause me to wander form my father’s house.

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

Abraham, confesses, and he might be genuine here, but I’m not sure.

He has a struggle with this specific sin.

He did it once, and maybe he thought SECOND TIMES A CHARM.

Some people might think this is not a big deal, that dection is okay as long as you don’t lie.

This is to not speak when we should. To not tell the truth and remain silent can be deceiving.

But the right response to sin if confession.

Not excuses.

Not blaming others, or even blaming the devil.

WE may pretend we did nothing wrong or plead ignorance like Abimelech.

There are many ways we can respond to sin, but the right response is confession and repentance.

sin needs to be confessed.

Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

Oh, and keep in mind, a prophet of God is corrected by a worldly king.

That’s not a good look for the Christian.

We need to be salt and light.

We need be different.

When we come in contact with the world, we should - If for no other reason, we represent God.

And our witness is marred and damaged when we sin.

And Abrhaham’s sin not only effected himself.

It effected Sarah and Abimilech.

But it would be later on in Genesis 26, his son isaac will do the same thing.

He learned this sin from his father.

Restoration

Genesis 20:14 “Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him.”

Genesis 20:15 “And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.””

So Abraham deceives Abimilech and almost has him killed. But abraham is still bless here.

Genesis 20:16 “To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.””

Genesis 20:17 “Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children.”

Genesis 20:18 “For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.”

So God restores Abimilech, and his household.

God restores Abraham and Sarah.

So in the end, this story is about the great grace of our God.

Even in all of Abe’s mistakes, God stays with him and helps him.

Even when Abe has this ongoing sin, God was there to see him through.

Maybe there is an ongoing sin in your life.

We all battle sin. some more than others, but it is a struggle.

Do not be discouraged. God will help you through it.

We as we are coming out of revival meetings.

I can’t say I’m revived. Time will tell how our churches are impacted.

But I can say I’ve been refreshed.

What do we do after revival?

Don’t go back. Don’t go back to the way things were.

Move forward and continue to see God work.

A final thought>

- Abraham sins, right before God blesses him.

- It’s the next verses where his long awaited son is born.

But isn’t that how it happens.

When God is about to bless us, something happens, we sin or satan attacks us.

Robert Smith says, WHEN GOD IS A BLESSING, SATAN IS A MESSING.

That’s true in life of the church.

When we are thriving/growing or about to grow, that’s when satan works the hardest.

But I know when we are led by faith and not by fear, God will see us through.

For god has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Our great God of grace.

He’s so gracious to us.

As the hymn goes.

1 Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary's mount out-poured– There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Refrain: Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God's grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin!

In closing: If you are not a child of God, when the music begins, I want to encourage you to come forward. Today, get right with the Lord.

Or maybe your a Christian here and your struggling with sin, come to these altars. Fall down before the Lord and he will forgive you.