06 - Bargaining With God - Message
2024 14 - Oct 02-Nov 20 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 53:15
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· 18 viewsAbraham: Following God's Promise
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S-1> TEXT: Genesis 18:16-33 KEY VERSE: Genesis 18:33
TEXT: Genesis 18:16-33
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
KEY VERSE: Genesis 18:33
S-2-KV> Genesis 18:33
33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
INTRODUCTION:
S-3> What does prayer look like in your life?
How do you spend time with God in prayer?
S-4> God desires to fellowship with His people in prayer.
Bargaining With God
Abraham: Following God’s Promise
(# 6)
S-5> This is the sixth in the series, “Abraham: Following God’s Promise, by Michael Grigoni.”
S-5> This message is entitled, “Bargaining With God.”
Play the video: Lesson 6 – Bargaining (01:26).
S-6> Sometimes we have questions about what God is doing It is .O.K. to have questions. It is even O.K. to ask God your questions.
It is not O.K. to argue with God about what, why, or how He is doing what He is going to do.
S-7-CF> When we pray to God, we must also listen to and obey God.
S-8> 1) Called To Righteousness.
S-9> Genesis 18:17–19
17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
S-10> The Reason for the Call.
S-11> Slide – Reason For God’s Call
As we saw last week, God is repeating His promise to Abraham with a couple of additions.
S-12> First, God mentions that He chose Abraham.
S-13> Second, God also includes a reason for His choosing of Abraham. He chose Abraham because God knew that Abraham would instruct his family and descendants to do justice and judgement.
S-14> Q1) God chose Abraham “to do justice and judgment” and to teach his descendants to keep the way of God. In what ways does your life reflect these aspects of God’s character? How can you better demonstrate God’s righteousness to others?
S-15> Understanding the Call.
S-16> Proverbs 28:5
5 Evil men understand not judgment: But they that seek the Lord understand all things.
S-17> Abraham was beginning to understand and would later understand the call of God upon his life.
S-8> 1) Called To Righteousness.
S-18> 2) Seeking Justice.
S-19> Genesis 18:23–25
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
S-20> Genesis 18:32–33
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
S-21> God’s Plan and Abraham’s Concern.
S-22> Slide – Sodom and Gomorrah
S-23> When Abraham realized what God was going to do to Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin, Abraham started asking God questions.
S-24> Abraham’s Concern: God’s Righteousness.
S-25> Slide – The Negotiation
S-26> Abraham’s first question to God was, “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?”
S-27> Abraham is concerned about God’s reputation and character.
S-28> Q2) Think of tragedies or injustices you have seen or experienced. Did they cause you to doubt the justice of God? Have you ever experienced a situation, like Abraham, where you questioned God? What have these experiences taught you about His nature?
S-29> God’s Plan: Justice and Mercy.
Abraham began his negotiations by asking God to spare the city if there were fifty righteous people in it.
After God agreed to this request, Abraham started to bargain for lower numbers.
S-30> Genesis 19:24–25
24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
S-31> God in His mercy spared Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his family.
S-8> 1) Called To Righteousness.
S-18> 2) Seeking Justice.
S-32> 3) Talking to God.
S-33> Job 7:20–21
20 I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, So that I am a burden to myself?
21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, And take away mine iniquity? For now shall I sleep in the dust; And thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.
S-34> Job 10:2–3
2 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
3 Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, That thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
S-35> Psalm 7:3–5
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this; If there be iniquity in my hands;
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (Yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, And lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
S-36> Psalm 7:8–11
8 The Lord shall judge the people: Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, And according to mine integrity that is in me.
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
10 My defence is of God, Which saveth the upright in heart.
11 God judgeth the righteous, And God is angry with the wicked every day.
S-37> Q3) What can we learn from the way Abraham and Job questioned God? How does their understanding of God’s righteousness and justice affect how they view punishment and suffering? What can we learn from God’s response to Job chapters 38-41?
S-38> Q4) In Psalm 7 and 17, the psalmist asks God to judge him and vindicate him. Have you ever felt like you needed to be vindicated? How did you express yourself to God?
S-39> Asking God Questions.
Abraham was not the only person that questioned God directly regarding matters of righteousness and justice. Job addressed God.
S-40> Job asserted his own innocence.
S-41> Job 6:10
10 Then should I yet have comfort; Yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; For I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
S-42> Job 9:15
15 Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, But I would make supplication to my judge.
S-43> Job 9:20–21
20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: If I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.
21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.
S-44> Job also wanted to know why God was allowing this to happen to him.
S-45> Job 13:22–23
22 Then call thou, and I will answer: Or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.
S-46> Appealing to God’s Character.
S-47> Slide – Abraham’s Appeal
S-48> When Abraham negotiated with God, he did not do so based on what he could bring. Instead, Abraham negotiated based on who God is.
Abraham appealed to aspects of God’s character: His justice and righteousness. By doing so, Abraham showed that he understood what is important to God.
Moses, and Daniel did this when they interceded for the children of Israel, when they had sinned.
S-49> Appealing to God Humbly.
Even while Abraham was negotiating God, Abraham did so with respect and humility, recognizing his position before God.
S-50> Genesis 18:27
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
S-51> Genesis 18:30
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
S-52> Genesis 18:32
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
S-53> Q5) Have you ever questioned God’s actions? Have you ever appealed to His justice at times you saw injustice all around you? How does Abraham’s plea help you see and understand God’s sovereignty more clearly?
CONCLUSION:
S-54> Q6) Do you feel the freedom to question God in challenging times? Does the Bible allow for this? What passages might speak against such action? How can you appropriately give voice to your sense of perceived injustice, particularly during challenging times?
S-55> Q7) How can a fuller understanding of the character of God enhance your prayer life? Does thinking about who God is change the way you pray? In what ways?
S-56> Q8) Do you know anyone—in your church or in your family—who demonstrates these facets of God’s character? Have you ever known them to question God? What could you learn from their experience?
APPLICATION:
S-57> Seeking What Is Important to God.
In his negotiations with God, Abraham showed that he understood what is important to God.
S-58> When we approach God, we should do so with a focus on His characteristics.
S-59> When we pray, remember, God is not afraid of our questions; He wants to talk with us and hear our struggles.
We can tell God exactly what we are going through and trust that He understands our concerns and weaknesses.
S-60> God may not respond in the way we expect or want Him to, and we will not always understand how His mercy and grace is working to faithfully complete His work in our lives.
S-61> However, we can be confident that the Judge of all the earth will do right.
S-62> 1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
S-63> Philippians 1:6
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
S-8> 1) Called To Righteousness.
S-18> 2) Seeking Justice.
S-32> 3) Talking to God.
S-7-CF> When we pray to God, we must also listen to and obey God.
S-64> 1) Called To Righteousness.
2) Seeking Justice.
3) Talking to God.
Concluding Song: Ch 000 - “ .”