07 - God’s Faithfulness Despite Relapse - Message
2024 14 - Oct 02-Nov 20 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 48:40
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S-1> TEXT: Genesis 20:1-18 KEY VERSE: Genesis 20:6
TEXT: Genesis 20:1-18
1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.
KEY VERSE: Genesis 20:6
S-2-KV> Genesis 20:6
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
INTRODUCTION:
S-3> God reveals Himself to everyone.
God’s word goes forth and it does not return void.
S-4> Isaiah 55:11
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God’s Faithfulness Despite Relapse
Abraham: Following God’s Promise
(# 7)
S-5> This is the seventh in the series, “Abraham: Following God’s Promise, by Michael Grigoni.”
S-5> This message is entitled, “God’s Faithfulness Despite Relapse.”
Play the video: Lesson 7 –
God’s Faithfulness Despite Relapse (01:18).
S-6> In this life we may have struggles, but God is faithful and His Word is true.
The more we trust in God and depend upon His Word, we will find God to be ever faithful.
S-7-CF> We see God’s faithfulness better when we trust in His Word.
S-8> 1) God Protects The Covenant.
S-9-KV> Genesis 20:6
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
S-10> Genesis 12:2
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
S-11> Abraham Faulters.
S-12> Genesis 20:1–2
1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
S-13> In Genesis chapter 20, Abraham again asks Sarah to say that she is his sister.
S-14> Slide – Abraham’s U-Turn
S-15> It is easy to wonder why Abraham repeats the sin of his past, but we must remember that fear causes us to walk away from the faith.
S-16> Isaiah 41:10
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
S-17> Sarah Kept Pure.
S-18> Genesis 20:3–7
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
S-19> Abraham is a well-known man in the land, he is wealthy, and he has a small army.
It would have been advantageous for Abimelech to marry someone from Abraham’s household, making them family.
S-20> Slide – Abimelech’s Appeal
When God appeared to Abimelech and indicted him, the king responded by appealing to God’s justice: Since he had not yet consummated the marriage, he considered himself innocent.
S-8> 1) God Protects The Covenant.
S-21> 2) God Protects The Blessing.
S-22> Genesis 20:14
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
S-23> Genesis 12:3
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
S-24> Q1) Do you recall a time in your life when God’s faithfulness contrasted your faithlessness. What did your experience of God’s continued faithfulness teach you about His character? How did it inspire you to be more confident in your faith?
S-25> Abimelech Obeys God And Is Spared.
S-26> Genesis 20:8–9
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
S-27> Genesis 20:14-16
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
S-28> Slide – God’s Intervention
S-29> Abimelech admitted his actions but appealed to God’s righteousness and his own integrity to beg for God’s mercy: “Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?”
God acknowledged Abimelech’s integrity but still gave him a choice. Since he was now aware of the grievance, he needed to make it right; failure to do so would result in his death.
S-30> The next morning Abimelech took immediate action to correct the situation.
S-31> Abraham Prays For Abimelech.
S-32> Genesis 20:17–18
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.
Abimelech still needed Abraham to pray for him. And he restored Sarah to Abraham, publicly exonerated her, gave them both lavish gifts, and invited them to continue sojourning wherever they pleased in Gerar.
S-33> Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and God healed the king and his household and the nation.
S-34> It is because of God Word that he intervenes in our lives and bestows grace upon us. What a blessing of the Covenant.
S-8> 1) God Protects The Covenant.
S-21> 2) God Protects The Blessing.
S-35> 3) God Protects The Inheritance.
S-36> Genesis 21:30–34
30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.
S-37> Genesis 12:7
7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.
S-38> The Covenant Of Peace.
S-39> Genesis 21:31–32
31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them.
32 Thus they made a covenant at Beer-sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
Abraham’s encounters with Abimelech do not end at the palace. The two meet again when there is a dispute over a well that Abraham’s servant have dug.
S-40> Abimelech is careful how he interacts with Abraham, asking him to deal justly with him, his son, and his grandchildren.
S-41> Abraham Sojourns In The Promised Land.
S-42> Genesis 21:33–34
33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.
34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days.
S-43> Slide – Sojourns In Palestine
God told Abraham that this was his land, and Abraham lives in it like an owner of the land.
S-44> Abraham is taking God at His Word.
S-45> Q2) How does Abraham’s sojourning serve as a means of understanding your own walk of faith?
CONCLUSION:
S-46> Q3) How do you think God views your failures? How does the death and resurrection of Christ affect God’s view of us?
S-47> Q4) If a chapter in the Psalms were written about God’s providential care and protection in your life, what kinds of things would it include? How would you worship God differently because of them?
S-48> Q5) How do you find solutions when you run across difficult passages in the Bible? How might an understanding of culture and context help to inform your decisions about such passages?
S-49> Q6) Can you think of an alliance you’ve made that didn’t turn out as you had hoped? Can you see evidence of God’s grace in that situation? In what ways has God protected you from poor decision-making?
APPLICATION:
S-50> God’s Perfect Timing.
In times of difficulty or uncertainty, it’s easy to relapse into familiar habits.
S-51> We must be careful not to fall into sin.
S-52> 1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
S-53> God delivered Abraham, because of His covenant.
S-54> It would have been better for Abraham not to travel the road of fear and doubt and sin.
S-55> Q7) In what ways is the realization of God’s control over your life a comfort to you? How does this help you to trust Him more fully?
S-56> Q8) In light of the story of Abraham and Abimelech, what steps can you take in your life to keep from repeating old sins?
S-8> 1) God Protects The Covenant.
S-21> 2) God Protects The Blessing.
S-35> 3) God Protects The Inheritance.
S-7-CF> We see God’s faithfulness better when we trust in His Word.
S-57> 1) God Protects The Covenant.
2) God Protects The Blessing.
3) God Protects The Inheritance.
Concluding Song: Ch 000 - “ .”