The God Who Sees

Introduction

I want to ask you a question.

Is God good?

Yes! If God is good, then why do you live in doubt…why do you live in fear?

Has God given you responsibility in your life?

Yes! So then why do you live in apathy?

Are you greater than God, or are you more important than anybody else?

No! So then, why do you live with pride in your life?

We may not think it, but God Sees all of these things in our hearts, and when we fail because of them, he doesn’t just leave us hopeless.

Theme: God Sees our Failure and He shows us the path to victory. He is the God Who Sees

Explain the story and then read Genesis 16:13-16

I. He Sees our Failures

A. Failure Comes from Doubt

When we fail to trust God, we fail.

What are the ways that we begin to fall into doubt and fear?

Note: In Genesis 15, Abraham fails exactly the way that Sarai is going to fail in Genesis 16. But I want you to notice that they both arrive at failure in two different ways. I believe they both arrived at doubt from two different directions because Abraham was a man and Sarah was a woman, but none the less, they both arrived at doubt.

1. How Men Typically Fall into Doubt

Genesis 15:2 “But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”

Abraham saw the problem, and then he began to feel the weight of the problem, and then he began to doubt God. God simply comes to him and says, “Abraham, don’t be afraid. I am your shield, you don’t have to doubt me.”

When you men begin to see problems, then you begin to feel the weight of those problems. And you start to doubt God that He can fix them, and when fear, doubt, and worry sets in, even the strongest man will be crippled.

2. How Women Typically Fall into Doubt

Genesis 16:1 “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar.”

Where Abraham began to see the problem first, Sarah began to feel the problem first. And when the feeling of hopelessness set in, then she saw see a solution, and runs full speed in the wrong direction.

I want you to note something about this text. This text is a direct parallel to the fall in Genesis 3. The same way that sin took Eve in Genesis 3 is the same way that sin is taking over in the life of Sarah.

Everyday, Adam saw that tree of the knowledge of good and evil there in the garden. It was his job to manage it, so, doubtless he was taking account of it everyday.

When did Eve fail? Eve failed when satan convinced her to have feelings of doubt towards God and His word.

Genesis 3:1 NKJV

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

First, she began to feel.

Genesis 3:6 NKJV

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Then, she began to see.

3. How Sarah Convinced Abraham

Genesis 16:1–2 “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.”

Sarah tells Abraham to see the problem. And when Abraham began to see, he began to feel, and then he agreed to go along with this plan of Sarah’s!

B. Failure Comes from Apathy

God had already told Abraham what the plan was and what the boundaries were, much like He told Adam.

Both of them came to a place of apathy in their lives where they negated the God-given role assigned to them. Adam was supposed to be tending the garden and taking account of the trees therein, and Abraham was supposed to be relying on God as his shield. Both men failed to perform their function, both men heeded their wives, both men failed miserably.

Are you trying to say that women are incapable of making wise decisions? Not at all!

What I am saying is that we fail when we abandon the order that God has set in motion when He created the world.

God has designed the man to be the provider, the protector, and the leader. And God has designed the woman to be the one who enhances all of those things by being the nurturing care-giver God has designed her to be.

In our society, we have become apathetic towards our God-given roles. Our men are getting softer and are becoming emotionally weak, and our women are getting more aggressive and are becoming emotionally hardened, and it is going against everything that God has designed.

1. Apathy from the Man Causes Imbalance

The things that God have given us are not bad things. The fact that men lead with their sight and follow with their feelings is a good thing. The fact that women lead with feelings and then see the need after is a good thing. That’s how God designed us.

A man ought to see the roof starting to leak and say, “I need to fix that, how can I get it done?” A woman ought to feel her baby’s feelings and nurture that baby until that baby is feeling better.

Imbalance happens when either sight dictates everything or feelings dictate everything. Instead, God perfectly designed men and women to be in harmony with one another so that neither side wins out.

Now, in a marriage, the problems you have usually boil down to communication don’t they? The husband takes action and says things without considering his wife’s feelings or the outcome, and the woman does what she feels is right without considering the possible consequences or her husbands leadership. When you have a family like that, what you have is a dysfunctional family just like we have here in Genesis 16.

2. Apathy’s Eventual Blow-Up

Genesis 16:5–6 “Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.” So Abram said to Sarai, “Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.” And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence.”

It all comes to a head here. Sarah feels slighted, even though it was her plan, Abraham just wants the consequences to go away, so he just says, “Whatever.” In both cases, we have tremendous failure.

Sarah, being dictated by her feelings, changes her decisions based on how the situation is making her feel. Abraham, dictated by apathy, makes his decision based on temporary relief.

But now what is Abraham facing?

Because of his apathy and his failure to lead, he’s had an affair. He’s lost a son. And now he and his wife are at odds, and he just wants her leave him alone. God never designed our lives to be that way.

3. How to Deal With Apathy

The way that this could have been solved is the same way that you ought to solve your problems. By considering the role that God has established.

If Abraham would have said, “Sarah, tell me how you’re feeling.” Sarah would have said, “Abraham, are you sure God is going to pull us through? I have felt so bad about myself that I cannot have children.” Abraham could have said, “I felt that way too, but God reassured me that He was going to make good on his promises.”

What did Abraham do in that perfect world I just described?

Instead of commanding, he listened. Instead of appeasing, he led. Instead of doubting, he pointed her back to God’s word.

C. Failure Comes from Pride

Genesis 16:4 “So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.”

II. He Shows us Victory

God Sees all of our failures, and He sees our heart’s deficiencies, and when we blow things up, He shows us the path to victory.

A. Victory Comes Through Brokenness

Genesis 16:7–8 “Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.”

B. Victory Comes Through His Word

Three times, the Bible tells us that the “Lord said to her.”

John 17:17 NKJV

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Psalm 119:107 NKJV

Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.

C. Victory Comes Through Surrender

Genesis 16:9 “The Angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.”

Conclusion