Abram Warrior & Victor

We just were talking about because it's the powerful name of Jesus. No, I no equal. No rival that will answer the prayer for the thing that you had today. He is that great God that will bring about that great healing that only can do this Holy Name. Let's have a seat.

So I'm If you ever been surprised by someone because you find out something about them and you never usually thought of him that way, you know, there's just this reality she always kind of phylum a certain way and you had the certain picture of them and then all of a sudden you have this experience where you find out something about them. Did you just never really knew before? There's a dynamic to who they are as a person there's experiences that they have is people that all of a sudden when you hear about these experience. You just kind of surprised you're like What did you that way and I never thought of you that way and I'd like to think that today as we study Genesis 14 that we're going to have that same experience with Abraham, you know for many people their introduction to Abraham started like this Father Abraham had many sons. Father Abraham. So are you so let's just praise the Lord.

But we have these pictures of Father Abraham. And so we always been kind of think I'm like Santa Claus, right? You know, he's Father Abraham and he has kids late in life and he gets he's incredible promises from God and he makes mistakes like each one of us do as he's trying to figure out the promises and we have these different pictures of them, but it's a Santa Claus picture, I think. And then we read Genesis 14 and in Genesis 14, we get a very different picture of Abraham.

He's not just a shepherd with a lot of sheep is not a rich guy in the Santa Claus beard sitting in this tent we get this very different picture of him. So in the beginning of Genesis 40 and all of a sudden we find out. There's a political issue going on in the world as known in from the biblical perspective. And here's the deal. We call World War World War II. The us, but this really is World War 1 k. There is this group of leaders from the East were not exactly sure where the East is but they're from the East so that would have been beyond the Jordan Valley beyond that area. There's a group of Four Kings and one of them is like who is kind of the leader of these Kings and they kind of go through kind of like Alexander the Great Day in other great kind of world rulers came in and they're picking putting all different kinds of people in subjection to themselves. So that's this picture that we have and then one of the groups of people that they put in subjection to themselves were the people that were in the Jordan Valley we talked about that last week. The Jordan Valley would be kind of like Lake Champlain and in the middle of it is Hidden Lake Champlain, it would be the Dead Sea and this is the area that well not live there. She lived in this area amongst these Kings of what would be the Jordanian area. Okay, that's where he lived in this Valley. And they were subjected to this group from the East as well. But then after 12 years they go we don't want to do this anymore. And they rebelled against it and they decide to no longer be subjected to those people. They basically say we're done. We're done. We don't want to be subjected anymore. So then the Thirteenth Year comes and that's what they decide in the Thirteenth Year and then at the 14th year the girls of Kings from the East decide. Yes, you are going to be subjected to us and you watch them kind of come through and they kind of mowed all of these nations. And then they come down into the Jordan Valley and they make war with the people that are in that Jordan Valley. Okay. Can interesting first major battle in this area is in the valley around the Dead Sea and guess where the last battle is going to be kind of fascinating. But anyway, so they're there and so they basically so we find out that there's there's this war in the valley and that's in verses 8 and 9. I'm not reading all of this partially because it's just too painful to try to pronounce all those names.

And these kids including the king of Sodom and Gomorrah and probably the northern area of Egypt and these different places they make war with these Kings.

And it doesn't go well. So we'll pick up the story where doesn't go well in the valley of siddim, which would be the value of the Jordan. Okay that that valid around the Dead Sea. Was full of bitumen pits and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled some of them fell into them and the rest fled Into the Hill Country know it's interesting that a bitumen pint is kind of like a tar pit. I guess what usually that signifies there's oil there. Let's think about this through okay in the Middle East. Where is there a lot of oil in this area? It was already there. in the time of Abram so they fled so they are defeated and here's the reality of what happens because they're defeated. We read on and verses 11 and 12. So the enemy took all the possession of Sodom and Gomorrah all of their provisions and went their way so they basically Looted the whole area and took all the Well from that area now. This is interesting cuz inverse 12 it tells us they also took a lot of son of Abraham's brother who is dwelling inside and his possessions and went on their way. So all of a sudden this war is personal. Okay. It's not about something that's happening to other people all of a sudden. It's something that's happening. To the story of the Bible. It's just like for some of you I know that the Gulf War didn't feel like personal until my cousin died in it. My cousin Lance gave his life in the Gulf Wars and so all of a sudden when I think about them their personal. Because they're tied to someone that I really knew that I kind of hung out with as a kid. And so this war is also a personal to the story. In fact, we find inverse 13 then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew who was living by The Oaks at memory of mammary the Amorite brother of escarole and Anna these were the allies of April now, this is interesting because this is a first-time Abrams ever been called the head of a clan. He is a head of a clan of the people called the Hebrews, okay? He has a relationship with the amorites that are in his area and they have an alliance together. So Abraham hears about the news that lot has been taken as The Spoils of War and that he is being taken. So this is what it says in verse 14. When Abram heard this that his Kingsman had been capped been taken captive. He led forth his trained men born in his house 318 of them and when does pursued as far as Dan now? This is an interesting picture because I think that we miss a part. What is sapir? I think you should underline these words in your Bible. If you have it in front of you because here in verse 14 and verse 15. It says this be led forth. His and underline is his trained men. And I'm the sky interesting. Because it's not like they just got out the rakes and the sickles and the spare knives and whatever they had. It says that Abram had 318 man in his house and he had trained them. for this moment I have a lot of different pictures that I think of when I think of April but I don't think of Abram as George Washington the general of a small army or a militia. I don't think of him that way. Do you know I still have the safety Clause head of a Nation living in a tent taking care of his camels kind of picture, but it tells me something about Abram that's really interesting here. Abraham was a very proactive man in a part of the proactive nature of him was that he had trained the men of his household? To be a militia. interesting picture all of sudden got blows our mind and gives us picture of Abraham that he is a warrior and I only that it says he led them forth born in his household 318 them and they pursued as far as Dan then we're living in Hebron at the time and they are traveling 140 miles to ban. And they did not have SUVs.

They did not have armored tanks. They have no home bees. They're Humvee with a camel, okay? It's okay. We see the keep this thing that they did was not a small task and it doesn't stay here that he took part of the armony left in there as a contingent just in case something went wrong. We see that Abram as a Warrior when it came to taking care of the captives in his family was all in. You took all of his resources although Sevilla trained. And he pursued them to Dan is weary tan inverse 15 inches and he divided his forces among them by night he and his servants and they defeated them and pursued them to have us, north of Damascus, which is another hundred miles.

And we see that he's not doing this formal form of doing something. This is guerrilla warfare. And Sookie is strategically. Taking the resources that he has. All in traveling great distances, you know that the average person can travel about 12 to 14 miles a day. I know this because in Chicago there is a road called Half Day Road and Half Day Road is about 14 miles from the center of Chicago. And the reason it's called Half Day Road is why? That's about how far person could go in a half a day.

See he was all in and he went about this great task as a Warrior against the armies of what was at the time Alexander the Great which is kind of crazy 318 against who knows how many whole nations of people the process of mowing over every nation in the area at that time as a coalition. Wow.

416 then he brought back all the positions and also brought back is Kingsman lot with his possessions and the women and the people. So not only is he a great warrior? I don't ever think of Abram this way to you. I don't think of him as a Victor. I don't think I'm PMS Patton ever. I never thought of Abram as being patent. I just not ever had he's not KublaCon to me. He isn't this great warrior king Arnold Schwarzkopf. He isn't these people he's the Sandy Claws leader of a new group of people that lives in the 10 and has camels. Here's wealthy. He's kind of laid back. And that isn't all the picture of who he really is. God didn't call Santa Claus to be the leader of his people.

The beginning of a great nation God called a Victorious Warrior and that's who the leader of his nation was an interesting picture. But she was all in to take care of his family that was held captive. And if you look at this, you can say look at two sides that you can say either Abrams crazy and he has just about destroyed the promise right? I will make you a great people and a great nation. I will bless you and I will protect you or you can see that he's gay. Oh God, you promised he seems for me and because of these promises that you giving me. I can be a great warrior.

In fact, when you listen to the nation of Israel from this point forward, they will always come back to this Victory and say God will always give us victory over those who try to hold our people captive.

If you take a look at the history of the beginning of his real the seven-day war in the different things that they went through. Once again, it was 318 against the world and who always one.

Israel

God has called us to be Overcomers. God has promised us a victory. God's promises that we are more than conquerors why through his son Jesus Christ?

But we are acting. Like Santa Claus is sitting around in our tents taking care of her camels. Instead of seeing ourselves as the victors that we're supposed to be we metal around in our sin and we muddle around in our lives and we don't take the promises of God the way we should when Abrams and take the promises. Well, he almost messed the whole thing out. By taking his wife and allowing her to be with another man because he was afraid to call him her his wife, but now all the sudden he's being transformed by the promise and I hope that you one of us is being transformed by the promised so that we can be the victors that God has called us to be. That the things that we sing aren't just cute little songs that have the ability sing nice little harmonies in and they make us feel good. Like they're little Christian jingles. Instead of them being the battle hymns of the Republic. for a Victorious People

Why would God give us armor if he didn't expect us to be Warriors?

Why would she not give us weapons if he didn't expect us to be able to fight because they were fighting gorilla Warfare. This was hand-to-hand combat. They weren't sending drones in. Okay, they didn't have guided missiles. They were trained in hand-to-hand combat. And we as God's people to be the Warriors that God called us to be we need allowed ourselves to be trained. In righteousness and to live out the promises that he calls us to live. So Abraham is now the Victor and peace headed home.

And he doesn't just have 318 people anymore. He has all the spoils and people's. Of a battling with him. Can you imagine this ragtag group that is going and as he's traveling back and he's now in Canaan and we believe that he's probably somewhere near what is now Jerusalem. He meets up. with two kings We're 17 after he had returned from the defeated from the defeat of Chad laramore that guy and the Kings who are with him the king of Sodom and went out to meet him in the valley of Shiva. That is the King's Valley which they believe might be actually a part of modern-day Jerusalem.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out Bread and Wine. He was a priest. of the post

So there are these two guys that show up. One of them is a defeated King. The other one is a king. and a priest of the most high God The reason they probably Melchizedek showed up is because this is near where he lives. In this place called Salem. Is there a modern place near close to that name? Jerusalem

and now we're going to watch his interaction with a defeated King.

And a king who is also a high priest of God.

Here's what happens next. This is Melchizedek. Melchisedec blessed him and said Blessed Be Abraham by God most high possessor of Heaven and Earth. And so the first thing that milk is addictive is He blesses him. And blessed be the god most high who had delivered your enemies into your hand in the second thing that he does is He blesses God because who does Salem is king of Salem this milk. Is it at understand is the real Victor in this goddess? He understood that was going on here. It wasn't just simply that Abrams great. You're the you're the you're the Victor. He's realizing that the reason that this Victory existed. Let's be honest isn't because you're a great leader, but that you are in the hands of the greatest leader. So let's just stop for a second here because this milk isn't that guy is an interesting guy. He's only mentioned three places in Scripture.

if you read on he's mentioned in Psalm 110 verse 4 And it's in the middle of an a Messianic prophecy about who Jesus will be in part of this song talks about him being a king after the line of David, but then it also says that you will be a priest according to the line of Melchizedek. Now, this is interesting because if you read in Israel's history and it is reelz law that was a rule that said Kings can't be priests. There was a separation between church and state that artificially exist in the United States, but realistically existed there. Fact you'll find stories about Kings who tried to be priests and got themselves in a lot of trouble and sometimes were just plain dead. If you read the story of Israel. But that is a mention of that and then if you read Hebrews chapter 5 through 7, and I know one of the classes try to drag themselves through the book of Hebrews and they learned some things but it talked about how Jesus was a part of a better priesthood cuz he wasn't a priest in the line of errand but he was a priest in the line of milk his attack.

Some people believe that this milk is a dick was a Old Testament appearance. Oh Jesus Christ something called a theophany. I don't think so.

But I do think that he explained this unique thing that are Jesus Christ would be Jesus Christ is not only the leader. But he is the one that's the go-between the high priest between us and God. See that's where some people places is getting it wrong is a believe that you need other things to be high priests. You need another mediator you need another thing. Okay, first you go through this thing and well in this situation you use this thing and in this situation use this person this dead person and it did this other situation use this dead person ultrasound your house. You need to take this dead person wearing them upside down behind the solve this craziness when we only have one mediator Of a better priesthood than even the aaronic priesthood cuz even in Scripture it says that that would go away and it did when Jesus Christ died on the cross Jewish religion as it existed that time was done was obsolete. Remember the curtain was torn from top to bottom. We never no longer had to go through that original ritual anymore. We could go straight to the high priest instead of the that there wasn't the rigmarole anymore the crotch changed everything. So what's take a little look here? Here's something interesting malkizid s means in Hebrew. king of righteousness and Salem means peace who is the king of righteousness and the king of peace?

melchisedec last Abram

God glory for the victory. and this is how

Abraham responded even gave him a tenth of everything that's interesting. in the story of Abraham, this is the only person that Abram ever allowed himself to be subjected to he'll only ever allowed himself to be subjected to a priest of the most high God who is a king of righteousness and of peace and the Abraham responded was to give him a tenth of everything that we got to Camp here for a second because one of the things that's buzzing around about giving even today is well. Those are just those were just taxes for the nation of Israel. That's where that idea is. You can get whatever you want. It doesn't matter because those were just taxes for this but this is really interesting because see the nation of Israel does not exist right now. This is pre-law. This is pre Nation. And the the example that's given. is that Abraham tithed everything not to the priest but to the god that the priests represented. We'll come back to that in a little bit because there's a meeting with another came I defeated came. Are the king of Sodom and said Abram give me the person's meeting. Give me my citizens back. But you can take all the stuff.

UC the defeated King is trying to negotiate with Victor. Okay. And when he's trying to negotiate with the Victor, he's he's trying to say Let's Make a Deal here. Does this sound familiar at all?

When Jesus Christ was in the wilderness Satan came and tempted him with three things. He was negotiating with him prank. Because Satan the moment Jesus was born was what? a defeated King

And there is the sense that all of the time that Satan was what's trying to do in each one of our Lives. He's trying to negotiate with us. God says this is my standard. This is how you should live. This is how you should trust me. This is a way that you should look at and we keep on going well is is there some way to negotiate this something.

Let's Make a Deal

I know that this is what God does this sound like the Temptation the garden doll? What did God really say let's negotiate that one thing that you have to do to trust God, but maybe you can negotiate on that. And so that the king of Sodom and we know what Sodom stands for we don't even know what is a name or means originally that the scriptures actually says this in my researches that we don't know what the meaning originally was, but we know what it means now. We'll get a little more into that in a couple weeks.

But there is a sense of the defeated King is always trying to go she ate.

This is what Abram. The Victor says in response and said to the king of Sodom. I have lifted my hand to the Lord. God most high possessor of Heaven and Earth. All of a sudden he's like, I'm in a position of worship. And this is what happened when I was in there that I will not take a thread or a Sandal strap of anything. That is yours. Lets you say I have made Abraham rich.

He goes on to say this in first 24 I will take nothing. But what the young man have eaten and otherwise, I might I'm not going to take anything the guys working with me. They were hungry. They had a meal. Take that back gets eaten.

And the share of the man who went with me, which is these people that he had an alliance the amorites.

Because this was the reality. Is that he realized? That this negotiation would compromise the glory. That was God's. this is hey, you know, I want the wealth in all of the promises of God to be fulfilled by God, and I'm not going to take This and handle it in a different way so that in anyway, you can steal from God's glory. By saying that you're part of my well. I want to be in a position is unique apron was saying as of Victory saying I want to be in a position where the only place that Glory can be given is to God Alone. I don't want anything to mess with that. I don't want it to be God and the king of Sodom. I don't want it to be God and this Our God and that and I think that there are those times and you're going to watch Abraham is he struggle sometimes because he sometimes feels like he has to help god with the promise. So he's adding an end to what he's saying God and this thing and God and that thing it's an incredible strike. Have you ever thought about a warrior? Have you ever thought about a permissive Victor? Have you ever thought of yourself as a warrior and have you thought that way have you realized the guy has made you a warrior had you realize that that God has made you a warrior that you're not a spectator. Picture of participant I do realize it everyday we're fighting a spiritual battle. And that's what why in scripture in Ephesians. It says that we're supposed to put on the whole armor. Why because Warriors Did you know that the type of armor we where is a Roman style of armor and the Romans were so confident in their battle that they only had Armament on the front of their bodies because they truly believed. But no one could defeat them.

If you realize that that's the kind of armor that you have and it's Satan can ever sneak up on you that there's no such thing as a surprise attack that Satan will always be in front of you. That there is the reality that your armor was created by a God that allows you always to see the battle.

There is not the sense that the battle is on the sides of us. The battle is always in front of us. And the armor that is created for us says that that we see that so in light of the scripture and the fact that we are supposed to be like ever Abram and we can learn lessons from him. I have a couple questions.

First of all, we like Abrams should have the role of warrior. We got to see ourselves as that the word of God causes that we are in a spiritual battle and we're in a spiritual battle against the defeated leader.

Sometimes I think the way we talk about Satan we give him a lot more power than he has we are fighting against a defeated leader. Now that this might be a new battle for us, but God has never entered into a scrimmage where you can say.

This is how we defeat them this time. We have got to be serious with that. And we like Abrams should be trained for battle. We should be equipped for battle. If you're feeling ill equipped. It's because you're not trained for battle, the most important thing that we need to do is be trained and righteousness. We need to be able to think biblically the only way that you're going to be able to think biblically is if you know what the Bible says. I love the illustration. I did bring my tape measure in here, but I think the more we read God's word the mightier the sword is

and the longer the sword is and since the enemy is always there. I want a really long sword. How about you? So that the Army can fight, you know, I want a little bit more than butter knife. But I think it's some of us by the way, we're approaching the training in righteousness in the training in the understand God's word and the understanding of it the weapon. We wonder why Satan gets so close to us as well because you're fighting with a butter knife.

Where were the little jack knife in the dick Euless?

Warriors and we need to be trained in this and I need to help you in the strain. This is the thing that God has called the church to do. We are supposed to help train each other. You need to be honest with me and say hey Pastor, I think we need training in this area. This isn't just in the skills. A guerrilla warfare. This is an all of the things that it takes to be the soldier of character that God wants you to be.

But more than that. Are we willing to be all into bring back the cactus? Are we? Are we willing to be all in because there was a world out there that is completely captivated by Satan and his powers that are Christians that you know that are completely captivated by Satan and his powers absolutely neutralized and are running around and they forgot to put on there, right?

Are we willing to have the attitude of going all-in?

There was no negotiation in the scripture. They were trained in battle and they went into battle. You know. You probably heard this somewhere before it's biblical a strong defense is the best offense.

We should be Warriors. like Abram with a heart for God's people those saved in those unsafe. Go all in.

for the sake of the Gospel

so is Victor's cuz I've already said that you're Victor's right? We are more than conquerors. We must recognize the difference between the Kings one king. And one voice and one leader is going to point you to the cross and to the Savior and the other is going to give you this ability to feel like you can negotiate with God. He didn't really mean that he didn't really say that we live in a world that's doing that over and over again. How can people stand in front of us and say oh for over 2000 years? This is what God's word says but we have studied and we're smarter we're renegotiating and we think it says this now instead. Is that not happening around us? But see we need to able to discern the voices. I don't think sign of the king of Sodom in came in. Wearing you know the stuff that still is covered with the oil from the pits. I think when he went to meet with him he put on his good dudes and he thought about what he was going to saying and he said tried to say this persuasive as he could and and and make it sound as rational as possible.

The word of God says that Satan is like what a roaring lion roaming to and fro. Did you know that a lion? Can paralyze its prey with its Roar and then it just walks up to him and bites?

I think there are times. Did Satan gets a hold of our fears and anxieties and that and he Roars at us?

And we are paralyzed. And then he just walks up and takes a bite on us. We need to recognize.

As Victors like Abraham, we should give God at least a tithe of everything. We got to be all in. We got to be incredibly generous with God. I have had this discussion with people people will argue with me all the time. And you say well what what are we supposed to give to God and I said why I think it's high this where you start.

Is it what what do you mean? Isn't that like the standard and no, I think you start there. I didn't start by saying. Okay, Nancy we get married how little can I do for you? And it be okay with you?

I married Nancy because I was in love with her and I've spent my life trying to figure out how to give her a little bit more.

If that's what you do. I started with a little bit of me. And everyday I try to give her a little bit more of me. When I first met Jesus, I didn't know all I was supposed to give him so I give him a little bit of me.

when I realize what he's done for me and what he gave me and you I'm trying to be more generous with him everyday.

You're negotiating with God you're listening to the wrong leader.

That's called us to be all in. What is he saying these words? He says You must be willing to take up your cross daily and deny yourself and follow him. And yet some of us are gone. Okay Garden.

What's the minimum I can do and you'll be okay with me? right God is calling us to be all in. But more than that.

God is calling us to guard. anything The distracts from the cream plate glory and worship of him.

There was a man in my church when I was in, Indiana.

I'm looking for we're going to go see you in a couple weeks and I'm looking forward to seeing Bob and Bob Bob was just a prophet of God and Bob would say hard things to me in one of the things that he did say to me occasionally is Jim that was really good today. And I say thank you. You said I don't know if there was enough of Jesus in it. But it was really good. What Bob was saying was? You're trying to take a little bit of the glory yourself.

Abram realize that he wanted his life to be one that was completely surprised because God did amazing things and subscribe receive Glory. Are you negotiating with God to be on the playbill? No, Jesus Christ can be bigger than me, but I still want be on the playbill.

Are you letting people negotiate and say well I want to be on the playbill to know cuz I really helped you that one time. So can I have just at least a little bit of credit?

We have to be willing to say to God Alone be the glory and that's something you have to grow in. You don't get there right away and you're going to probably need some Bob Suman love, you know. Bob Shores is a long way. That's a no. I think there was a little bit too much of you and that was good, but it was you're getting in the way of God.

So we can sing about the glory of God alone and such a cool song.

It emulates what's going on in our heart and our lives.

So, where are you at today?

Are you a warrior?

Pick up the armor.

re-enter the battle

How are you doing is a Victor. Are you generous with your lord? Are you working hard to make sure he gets credit and let's so counter-intuitive to this world isn't it today or we're all trying to build a resume in this world today to make herself look better in to do better than God saying. Oh wait you must decrease so I can increase like what would that means? You only only going to be one? Bullet point in my life and that is God is good.

Is that enough? I hope so.

God is called as a group of people to be his Warriors trained for battle.

All In God is called us to realize that we're already Victor's.

So we need to sing the song Glory. Let's pray together.

God first of all, I pray for the people that deny there's even a battle. The deny that there's need for a savior. The deny the fact that they need a priest and King in their lives.

God I pray that today they would be willing to admit their sinfulness and their need for a savior. The day would be willing to bow at the cross. And let the king of kings and Lord of lords say their heart. and rescue them from the Captivity they live in God I rebuke whatever battles that they're fighting or little things that they're saying. They're keeping them from that reality today. And I pray that today would be the day of their salvation. I pray that today they would buy before you pray a simple prayer and ask you to be their savior. forgive their sin and take residence in their life as it is now your temple.

And for the rest of us God I pray that you would call us back into the battle. And I pray that you would help us see even though it's hard to imagine that we are over the victors. And that we would figure out how to give you glory by the generosity and worship that comes from our lives. God do it only you can do in each one of us. I pray this is your name. amen I'm going to ask you to stand around the outside of the of the sanctuary and I want us to pray one last time together as a people.

You see we could buy into the LIE today that we're just a little church. Okay, we're not even 318 God needs 318th when we get to 318, then we can go fight the battle. That would be a lie. Wouldn't it? Cuz God has called us to be Warriors. And he's called us to be Victor's. So, how are we going to train one another so we can fight this battle not alone. But together is God's people. Okay? And how are you going to see that we already are enough now, we're not enough because there's so many captives out there, right? And we want them brought into the body of Christ. There are people that you imagine right now. They could Bud into the two hands. You're holding together right say, excuse me, but I'd like to but in here they are those Miracles Sons and Daughters employees. All these different kinds of people. But today I want to see you to see that we are enough. One of my favorite songs is the youth pastor said this I am a wounded soldier but I will not leave the fight because a great physician is healing me. So I'm standing in the battle in the armor of his mind because his mighty power is real in me. I am loved I am accepted by the savior of my soul. I am loved I am accepted. And my wounds will be made whole. We are all on the Frontline together people. God is called none of us to work in support or work in the records department. We Are Soldiers together. Let's put on our armor. What's actors Warriors and remember where Victor's because we are gods and together. You are his army.

So we're back to the front lines together. God bless you as you fight the battles all in for the captives of your life. We love you. And we stand in the battle with you. Have a great day.

You tell Tom hi for me.