Sermon Tone Analysis

Other Possible Titles: Third Time's a Charm / Three Strikes & You're Out

Introduction

Gen. 20:

Get Attention:

"We make our friends and our enemies,” wrote G.K. Chesterton, “but God appoints our next-door neighbor.”

Someone has defined a neighbor as “a person who can get into your house in a minute, but it takes two hours to get him out.”

Neighbors can be a great source of blessing and even grow closer to us than some of our relatives.

“Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off,” counseled Solomon ().

However, neighbors can be a problem at times, whether believers or unbelievers.

In fact, we can be a problem to our neighbors!

[Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Obedient, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1991), 84.]

Raise Need:

We need to learn from Abraham here in his moment of weakness, and let his example motivate us afresh and anew to "lay aside...the sin that doth so easily beset us" so that we can run our Christian race unencumbered, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Orient Theme:

One is often struck with the amazing difference between what God’s people in Christ are in His view and what they are in the world’s view.

God sees His own through Christ, although in themselves, they are often feeble and inconsistent.

[Summarized Bible]

State Purpose:

My purpose is to get you to examine your own testimony before those with whom you sojourn in the world.

Main Thought:

Sin has many tools but a lie is a handle that fits them all.

If the truth is stretched, expect it eventually to fly back and sting you.

[Summarized Bible]

Sub-Introduction:

After his victory over the kings, Abraham journeyed south, and took up his abode in Gerar.

This was the centre of a race of men who in all probability had driven out the original possessors of the land, were becoming more and more warlike, and were afterwards to become known as the Philistines.

As Abraham approached, an old fear recurred, and he practised again that dishonesty with regard to Sarah, which had brought him into trouble in Egypt.

Through the medium of a dream, God warned Abimelech of his peril; and in his plea of integrity and innocency addressed to One Whom he recognized as the supreme Lord, there is an evident revelation of the influence produced by the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

This is clearly manifest in the form of his question “Lord, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation?”

The answer of God recognized the integrity of the man’s heart, and affirmed His care for him, warning him as to what his course of action ought to be.

Again we have the picture of the pagan king, that is, a king outside the covenant of promise and revelation, rebuking this man of faith.

The nobility of Abraham is manifest in his open confession of what he had done.

The account of the incident closes with the gifts of Abimelech presented to Abraham, and the prayer of Abraham offered for Abimelech.

These deflections from the pathway of a simple and obedient faith in the life of Abraham did not occur in the greater things of his life, but rather in the application of the principle of faith to the smaller details thereof.

This was the second time that Abraham attempted in his own wisdom, to steer clear of a danger which he feared; and on each occasion he ran upon the very rocks he dreaded.

The results were that the man who stood as a witness for Jehovah, was driven to the practice of deceit, failed in the testimony he ought to have borne, and consequently suffered the degradation of being censured by these men.

Our deflections from faith occur most often through our failure to allow God to undertake in the small matters of life.

Some business worry, or home difficulty, or personal danger, drives us to acts that dishonour the Master.

That is the man of supreme faith who waits for God in the commonplaces, as well as in the crises.

[G.

Campbell Morgan, The Analyzed Bible: The Book of Genesis, vol. 9 (New York; Chicago; Toronto; London; Edinburgh: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1911), 131–132.]

I. Abraham's Third Misstep (Gen.

20:1-7)

A. The Deception (Gen.

20:1-2)

1. Gerar - the Place (v. 1)

2. The Habit of Sin (v. 2)

B. The Dream ()

1. God Informs the Sinner (Gen.

20:3-6)

a. Providential Intervention (v. 3)

Demonstrates the equity of God's justice when contrasted to the wickedness of Sodom & Gomorrah, as the whole judgment of God hinges on the condition and motive of the human heart regarding morality.

b.

Pleading Ignorance (vv.

4-5)

c.

Getting to First Base - Significant Firsts

Integrity (vv.

5-6) - innocence, simplicity, uprightness

Prophet (v.

7) - here in the sense of how Balak would have thought of Balaam (magician?)

Sin (v. 6)

The basic meaning of this verb is illustrated in : There were 700 left-handed Benjamite soldiers who “could sling stones at a hair breadth, and not miss.”

The meaning is extended in : “He who makes haste with his feet misses the way” (rsv, niv, kjv nasb, “sinneth”).

The intensive form is used in : “That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it.…”

From this basic meaning comes the word’s chief usage to indicate moral failure toward both God and men, and certain results of such wrongs.

The first occurrence of the verb is in , God’s word to Abimelech after he had taken Sarah: “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and also I have kept you from sinning against Me” (nasb; cf. ).

Sin against God is defined in : “Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them.…”

Also note : “And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty.”

The verb may also refer to the result of wrongdoing, as in : “… Then let me bear the blame for ever.”

, after forbidding adulterous marriage practices, concludes: “… For that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin …” (kjv); the rsv renders this passage: “You shall not bring guilt upon the land.”

Similarly, those who pervert justice are described as “those who by a word make a man out to be guilty” (, niv).

This leads to the meaning in : “And he … took the goat … and slew it, and offered it for sin.…”

The effect of the offerings for sin is described in : “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean …” (cf.

).

Another effect is seen in the word of the prophet to evil Babylon: “You have forfeited your life” ( rsv, niv; kjv, nasb, “sinned against”).

The word is used concerning acts committed against men, as in : “Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child …?” and : “Do not let the king sin against his servant David, since he has not sinned against you …” (nasb; niv, “wrong, wronged”).

The Septuagint translates the group of words with the verb hamartano and derived nouns 540 times.

They occur 265 times in the New Testament.

The fact that all “have sinned” continues to be emphasized in the New Testament (, ; cf. ; ; ).

The New Testament development is that Christ, “having made one sacrifice for sins for all time sat down at the right hand of God.…

For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (–, nasb).

[W.

E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 233–234.]

Kindness/Mercy [2nd time - (first was Lot, )] (v.

13)

Cause to Wander - never used positively, but stumbling, to err, etc. (v.

13)

d.

Lead us not into temptation...deliver us from evil (v. 6)

2. God Instructs the Sinner (Gen.

20:7)

a.

The wages of sin is death (v.

7)

Herein is the first time in the Bible where the word “prophet” appears.

Now, if there was ever a time God wouldn’t want to introduce Abraham as a prophet, I would think it would be right here.

I would think God would be embarrassed by, upset with, and ashamed of Abraham.

But such is not the case, for God says to Abimelech, “That man who told a lie, who misled you, who jeopardized his wife and your nation—he’s My man; he’s My spokesman; he’s My prophet.”

tells us that “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

This means when God gives a spiritual gift, a calling, a ministry to a man, woman, or church, He doesn’t change His mind.

He doesn’t take it back.

If God has given you a gift, be it ministry, music, prophecy, teaching, or evangelism—if He’s given you a skill, be it carpentry, mechanic ability, athletic ability, it’s yours to keep.

Perhaps you’ve seen people stumble, fall, drop the ball, and you wonder how God could still use him, her, or them.

The answer is that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Sin will always bring about its own sadness, depression, defeat, and despair, for the way of the transgressor is hard ().

The fact remains, however, that because the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, God will still use sinners.

I say this because I have found that the thing which hobbles so many people in their service for the Lord is thinking, “God can’t use me.

God wouldn’t use me.