July 21, 2024 - Genesis 21:1-7

Thank you, Bonnie. And thank you Ethan Allen in John two for your wonderful music helps and did a great job Indeed. Well, it is my pleasure to introduce to you somebody who's some of us in that some of us happen. And that's okay David Duran is a dear brother who is is going to be planting a church Lord willing soon and and he's going to share a little bit more. He's here by himself this morning without his wife and four children, but he's traveling light as they say this morning, but I would like to introduce to deliver a message this morning, David Duran.

I need to write this up as a is it catching if I'm at this level is this work? Alright, excellent. Well, good morning. It is such a joy for me to be with you all this morning. It's Brian mentioned. My name is David Duran and I'm a church planter with Sim Boston and harbor Network planting a church here in the Plymouth area, I had the privilege of meeting some of you a two years ago at a members meeting right back here and I it's just it's really exciting for me to be back with you beautiful building worshiping the Lord together about a year ago my wife and I and our four children. We made the move from Myrtle Beach South Carolina to begin the work of planting King's Cross Church here in the Plymouth area and people always ask me the typically the first comment after that as well. We're going to be and the answer to that question is we don't know yet. The Lord knows the answer to that instead right now. We're focusing on I'm meeting the people and raising the people up who will be part of the church and in the Lord's timing we trust that he's going to give us a place. To worship but I like to tell people we are new to the area but this is not a new place for us on my wife grew up just down the road in Duxbury and we spent quite a lot of time in this area over the last 15 years tons of friends and tons of family all along the South Shore and yes, it's a blessing to be back here and we've actually been living in Milton for the past year and that's been a really great place for us to be but we're really excited that starting next month. We're actually going to be your neighbors and when I say neighbors, I mean quite literally right next door to our family is moving in on to the parsonage and we're just really thrilled to be there really is a long side Mayflower and other churches in the area that are doing such good work for the kingdom of God.

I'll be there we would just be honored if you would pick one of those up before you leave maybe stick it on your fridge. You can see my wife and my kids got a nice picture of us and just be reminded to to pray for us because we know that nothing significant for the kingdom of God is going to happen apart from prayer. We're working very hard to the plant this church. But ultimately, it's God that he's the one that does it and so I would be honored if you all would partner with us in prayer. Am I know he's on vacation today? But can I just say publicly before you all how much I love your pastor? He's amazing. Isn't he he really has he's been unbelievably kind to me and along with the other Elders have supported what we're doing with King's Cross Church from the very beginning. I just feel so blessed to know him and John and I were part of this this Raider family and we are right where we're brothers and sisters in the Lord and it's it's it's an honor, but your pastor won't tell you something. You already know. He really loves you. He really loves his community and he loves the gospel and I just feel so fortunate that he has trusted me to be here with you all this morning as we look at God's word before. We open our past. I know we've been praying a lot already, but I just want to take a moment and pray again that the Lord would bless our time. Would y'all pray with me?

Father we need you this morning. We need you to renew us. We need you to strengthen us and to encourage us what we need you to bring it to bring conviction in certain areas of Our Lives. Apart from you we truly can do nothing. We dodged that too often. We rely on our own strength. We rely on our own wisdom on our own experience aboard it's it's you that we need more than anything else. We need you. It's it's not by might it's not by power. By your spirit Lord that great things are accomplished in your name. And together as people who love you we humbly say.

Help us to taste and see that you are good Lord that you are the only one who can satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. It's You Lord that brings peace to the anxious and troubled heart without you lord we are without hope father we thank you for the gift that issue word or die Echo the prayer that was already pray that you would block out distractions that you would open our hearts and our minds to receive what's here or give us an ability to intently focused on you Lord, and I we are trusting And the promise of Isaiah 55, but your word does not return void. We trusted that'll be the case today, but help me to say things that are true and honoring to you. May you increase and may I shrink to the background she just now in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Will no one likes being on the end of a broken promise. Doesn't matter if it's your child that promises that they're going to take the trash out and then doesn't do it or your boss promising you a raise at the end of the next quarter and then it doesn't happen. It's painful to have someone tell you. I promise I'm going to do this and then they break their promise. But unfortunately promises are broken the time many of us. We've been on the wrong end of a broken promise many of us also have been the ones who have failed to keep our promises. I don't think I need to remind anyone in here that we are in an election year tis the season for making all kinds of promises. I can assure you that we'll be promises made and many of them will not be capped it often times people make promises that they really they don't have the power to keep. I'm going to speak for myself here. But I imagine that many of us are in the same place that when someone makes a promise to me no matter who it is and no matter what the promise might be. I'm a little skeptical. A little bit skeptical right? I think people make promises in the moment because maybe they want the other person to feel good or they want to appear like they're in control of something but so often the phrase, I promise it's just words. It really doesn't mean anything. Even people with the best intentions they break their promises. The truth is there is only one in Tootsie. One God that has the total power to fulfill. Am a promise that when he makes a promise in our past is just morning. We're going to see the Fulfillment of a promise that was made years before and in the Fulfillment of this seemingly impossible promise. We're going to see God's glory and his power on full display if you have your Bible with you this morning, I invite you to turn with me to Genesis chapter 21. Genesis chapter 21 first book in the Bible there

and we are going to look at the first seven versus together Genesis chapter 21 verses 1 through 7 Pastor Anton. He mentioned this in his sermon last week, but I really feel fortunate In this passage that he gave me such a such a beautiful and wonderful passage. I would have been Overjoyed to preach from any passage from Genesis and be here with you all but the fact that he gave me this wonderful passage. I'm just I'm very thankful will let me go ahead and read this for us. This is 21 verses 12.

the Lord visited Sarah as she said and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised and Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God has spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him whom Sarah bore him Isaac and Abraham Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old as God had commanded Abraham was 100 years old. When his son Isaac was born dead. And Sarah said God has made laughter for me everyone who hears will laugh over me and she said who would have said to Abraham and Sarah. Give me and she said who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children yet. I have borne him a son in his old age.

I have three main things that I want to point out to you from this passage today. I'm going to point them these things out for you now and then we're going to spend the rest of our time sort of working through these ideas. But here's what I want you to see first. God makes promises second. God is in no hurry. And third God keeps his promises. Let's work through these first God makes promises. The language is very interesting here in verse 1. Let me just read that for you again. See if you can that's where the emphasis is being placed here says the Lord visited Sarah as he had said and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised right here in first seven. We see the culmination of a promise that God made to Abraham and Sarah and really the suspense and This Promise being fulfilled. It's been building all the way since Genesis 12. I know it's been a few months since you guys looked at this passage. I think it was probably in April or so, but do you remember what happened back in Genesis chapter 12? What happened? This is when God called Abraham and Abram meaning Call to father. God later changed his name to Abraham and that's what I'm going to call him here. If that's okay with everyone. Later changes name to Abraham the father of a multitude released calling that God gave to Abraham. God made a promise to him made a promise to Abraham. It's it's crucial for us to see the backstory to understand. What's happening here in chapter 21. Let me just read Genesis 12 verses 1 to 2 for you. So you got you got exactly what kind of happening. Starting first one here. Another lord said to Abram go from your country and your Kindred and your father's house. To the land that I will show you 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. Imagine that you are Abraham receiving this message from God. God promised Abraham that he will make him into a great nation. And in that promise it implies that Abraham and his wife will have children.

Is the problem? Abraham and Sarah have not been able to conceive the entire time that they've been together. And now Abraham is 75 years old and Sarah is 65 years old, but really the problem is more than just their age. It's at they've been infertile the entire time together. The problem isn't just that. They're very much older than typical childbearing age or that they've been infertile that their problem as you see as you go through these chapters, and I know you all have been doing that. The problem is if they they ultimately fail to believe that God can keep his promises and fail to believe that God can try to take things into their own hands. Remember this in Genesis chapter 16, Tara gets her servant Hagar to Abraham thinking that she could have children through her sir. And then later in Genesis 18 the Lord appears to Sarah and Abraham and he says I will surely return to you about this time next year and Sarah your wife will have a son in Genesis 18, but do you remember what Sarah does when she hears that promise from the Lord? She laughs. She laughs she thinks it's impossible for God to fulfill the promise that he's made to her. Information on perspective her response is actually pretty understandable. By this time it's been 24 years since God called Abraham and told him that he would make him into a great nation. And as the years have gone on Sarah in the faith of Abraham wondering is God ever going to fulfill the promise that he's made to us. Prince I think Pretty likely pretty likely that many of us have found ourselves in the same place. Same place, right?

We've wondered maybe out loud or maybe just within our own hearts. Does God really keep his promises? Does God really keep his promises we've read Hebrews 13:5 quoting what God Said to Joshua to the Israelites where God says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Maybe we'd even memorized. But there's plenty of times that we felt abandoned. There's plenty of times where we felt alone and wonder God. Do you keep your promises? What about when Jesus says in Matthew 11 verses 28 to 30. He says come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy.

Maybe you thought to yourself. Maybe you're thinking this right now. Jesus your your yoke does it feel light? Your burden doesn't feel easy. In fact this Christian Life. It actually feels difficult.

I think so many times we fall into the same trap that Abraham and Sarah fell into and that is we look at our circumstances and not at the promise. We think about all the difficulties were facing in our family or at work and we think that God has forgotten

But Isaiah 49:16 and 17 and says can a woman forget her nursing child that she should not should she should have no compassion on the Summer sun of her womb even these may forget I will not forget behold. I have engraved you on the palms of God's promise to his people. He will not forget. Maybe we think about this the nagging sin that clings so closely to us and that we continue to struggle with and we think and God is not going to forgive me this time. I can't I can't take this struggle to him again. He's I'm sure he's he's sick of me. He doesn't want to hear from me. You had enough of me. The 1st John 1:9 says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Friends God has made many promises many promises and is his far too many promises for us to go through this morning scripture. And God's promises throughout history are the foundation for our relationship with him. Can't focus on the circumstance. Focus on the promise don't look at the obstacle. Look at the promise. Don't look at yourself. Instead set your Gaze on the Promises of God. He will do what he has said and the Lord will do as he has promised. I think our problem many times is that X I would even dare to say most of the time our problem is that things don't happen exactly how and exactly when we expect. And that brings me to the second thing. I'd like you to see that is because God is in no hurry. God is in no hurry. This are conceived and bore Abraham a son and his old age at the time of which God has spoken to him Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him. Sarah bore him Isaac and Abraham to circumcise to son Isaac when he was eight days old Abraham was 100 years old.

Been twenty-five years since God made the promise to Abraham. 25 years of waiting twenty-five years of praying wondering are you going to do what you said you would do? Is he God often? He makes us wait to see his promises. He makes us wait and it isn't it isn't because he's mean it isn't because he's cruel and isn't because he wants to see us squirm as we're waiting. So he makes us wait because he loves us. He wants to matura. Our faith is tested in and when our faith is tested it has an opportunity to grow. In the waiting in the testing in what feels like uncertainty God invites us to trust him to trust us to find our peace in him. Notice to house. Waiting to bless Abraham and Sarah waiting these twenty-five years giving them a child. It really highlights. The glory of the miracle here doesn't it for him is 100 years old? Sarah is 90 years old. It would have been pretty amazing. If you would have immediately bless them at 75 and and 65 but 90 and 100 that's even more on. And then doing that God receives even more flooring and even more praise. It might seem like God is simply slow to act at times. I don't know what you're you're going through or what you're you're waiting for right now as you trust and promises that God has made in Scripture. It seems like God is slow to act at times but it might be just proposes to you. It might be that he's waiting to add. And in doing that he's going to act in a way that will cause him to receive even more glory and it will cost you to be filled with an even greater Heart of Worship and thankfulness for what God has done. I've been reading through this book. I just started last week. It's called the patient ferment of the early Church in the subtitle is the improbable rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire. I'm about halfway done with this book, but the thesis of the book is really that the early church grew and took off more than anything else because of their patients. You are very very they trusted that God would do as he said and they ain't that cost him a sort of just walk in this humble confidence that they have in that they had in their gone and that that patient demeanor that the early Christians had dedicated Focus. It was strangely attractive to the watching world around them. Was attractive telling patiently and humbly followed and serve God and in the span of a couple hundred years Christianity went from just a couple of hundred people to being the official religion of the Roman Empire. Why do I bring that up with the reason is I think many times in the Christian Life. We are so focused on speed or so focused on efficiency, and we can't get out of our own way. So focus on how quickly can this next thing happen, how efficient can I be in doing this? I'm not saying that efficiency is wrong.

To be reminded God is not in a hurry. He's not in a rush. He takes his time. He works things out perfectly in his timing for his glory. God's promises and his plans. They will be fulfilled his promises will come to pass. Hope he's not dependent on us to make things happen. And when when you recognize that when you can really start to get that and believe that just removes a great deal of pressure that I think we often feel God doesn't need you and he doesn't need me. Praise God for that right? I love how aw pink describe this. He says nothing is contingent on the creature. I just love that. Nothing is contingent on the creature that is not dependent on us, but he invites Us in and plans. He's not in a hurry. He'll do what he said he will do. And that brings us to the last thing I just want to point out for you here and that is God keeps his promises. God keeps his promises. I know for many of you maybe even most of you that is not a radical appoint for me to make that's not a new idea that God keeps his promises, savagely true at our passage today. Did and she said he did as he promised. He provided a son for Abraham and Abram not being Isaac and in doing this he's he's beginning to fulfill the promise that he made and that is to make Abraham as he promised. But if we zoom out a little bit from this passage here, I think that we see God fulfilling promises is one of the major themes of the entire Bible. It's not just the theme in our story here. It's the theme of the entire Bible God makes promises and God keeps early in the Book of Genesis after Adam and Eve sin in the Garden of Eden. They they believe the lie of Satan and they eat from the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil number that night. They disobey the one provision that God gave them and after they did this God makes a promise. Genesis 3 15 got stalking to the serpent here. But God says I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your Offspring and her Offspring you shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. And from that moment forward God has been orchestrating and progressing history to that promise being fulfilled way back in Genesis chapter 3, the very beginning of the book God is promising. Someone will come to crush the head of and he will be bruised. He will also be picked. Like I said, Jesus had pretty miraculous circumstances surrounding his birth. He wasn't his mother wasn't infertile like Sarah. No even more astounding Jesus was born to Mary who is a virgin. Throughout the Old Testament. It's pretty cool how this works throughout the Old Testament. God has been preparing his people to believe in the Divine incarnation of Jesus. Think about this for me. Think about this for a moment with me hear multiple stories in the Old Testament of women conceiving and having children when they're not supposed to Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah when she was 90 years old. We've got that right. Rachel gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin after she had been beer. Samson's mother gave birth to him after she was unable to conceive remember Hannah she prayed and begged God for a child and then she gave birth to Samuel. Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist in the scripture say she was Barren and advanced in years. Do you see what God has been doing throughout history? He's demonstrated over and over that he can do the miraculous and he's been preparing his people for the most important Miracle yet the birth of the savior of the world Jesus Christ. Remember how long the people have waited for the birth of the Messiah? They've experienced slavery in Egypt. They fought numerous battles is they go to take the promised land. They've suffered under the leadership of evil and wicked Kings, they'd come to Exile they return back. It's still God has he's not yet fulfilled one. He promised way back in Genesis 3 15, but the promise it's still got a mind to see people of this promised throughout the the story of the Old Testament in Jeremiah 31 33 and 34. God says I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people and no longer shall Each one teach his neighbor and eats his brother sang know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest declares the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin. No,

the amazing birth of Isaac to Abraham and to Sarah in the Fulfillment of God's promise in that he that I will make that happen. Made that happen the Fulfillment of that promise. It's just a foretaste. It's a foretaste of God's promise to deliver a king. Born Otto woman who was born to a virgin town called Nazareth truly God and truly man. This is Jesus live the life that we could never live fuel Bay the law of God perfectly. He never sent you never broke a single come in a criminal's death on the cross and in doing so he took the place. He took the punishment that you and I deserve because we are the ones who have demonstrated by what we said and by the way that we've live that God.

I don't need you. I'm okay all by myself. It's we that deserve. But Jesus Took the punishment that you and I deserve and when we return from our sin and Trust in the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, we receive forgiveness. We receive the promise that God has made and we enter into a very real and vibrant relationship with It's only through Jesus that this is possible. This is the good news of the Gospel. This is the good news that we gather around and sing about the Jesus, Jesus saves. Because of our sin were far worse off than we could ever imagine. But in and through Christ or four more love than we ever dared to dream. Jesus is the Fulfillment of all the promises of God 2nd Corinthians, 1:20 All rights for all the promises of God find their yes in him. That is in Jesus. In the story of the birth of Isaac. Sarah says the Ender laughter for me everyone who hears will laugh over me and Genesis 18 that laugh of Sarah. It's one of cynicism. It's a laugh of unbelief. She doesn't think that God can do what he said. He will do here in our passage in Genesis 21. It's a laughter of worship. Enjoy. She's praising God in her laughter. And maybe when you hear the truth of the Gospel the truth that God has come to redeem us and to make us New Creations and the truth that Jesus he really does. Love you and he wants you to find rest for your souls. Maybe when you hear that. There's a bit of a laugh of cynicism. A bit of a laugh of unbelief like that that can't really be true. That's pie-in-the-sky kind of thinking. That's what what people believe to make them feel better. Maybe that's you. I don't know. If that's where you are, I want to invite you to consider that maybe the claims of the Bible are true. Maybe the story of Jesus is true. Maybe the fact that God keeps his promises. Maybe that is true. This is just too serious not for us to think about there is way too much on the line that is Promised eternal life for those who trust in Jesus and he's promised Eternal Destruction for those who reject him. Examine the scriptures and come face-to-face with Jesus and see if your laughter of cynicism doesn't turn to a laughter of worship in the laughter of joy. God has made promises and God will keep all of them. He never has and he never will break a promise. Nothing is contingent on the creature. And although we want him to work fast we do and we pray that he'll work fast. We're trying to plan a church next spring and summer. We've been working on for a long time. But we're praying that the Lord will work fast in that you're praying that the Lord will bring people to Faith and through all the churches here. We want him to work faster than that. And I think that's that's a right a man desire to have want it now. That's right. But that's not in a hurry and we can trust him and that he will accomplish his purposes in his timing. Our job is to be patient in the waiting. work hard for the kingdom of God and his character all in this morning with a verse that I think it describes what we saw on the birth of Isaac this morning want to leave you with this. It's from numbers 2319. God is not a man that he should lie. Or son of man that he should change his mind. Has she said and will he not do it? Or has he spoken? And will he not?

Father we thank you that you are a God who keeps their promises? Father we thank you that we can trust you in the waiting. We can trust that you will do as you said you will do. I'm bored. Just came to me now, but we're waiting for you to return. That's a promise that you've made she will come back for us that she will make all things, right. Would help us to be patient as we wait for that. When things appear out of control and crazy in our world remind us of the promise that you will make all things new that you will right all wrongs that have been done. And that we will dwell with you forever and ever keep that promise at the Forefront of our minds. He was a Schnauzer. We continue to worship and praise you. masses in Christ name amen