Your Faithfulness Could Affect Generations of People--Part 2
Your Faithfulness Could Affect Generations of People • Sermon • Submitted
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INTRODUCTION:
1. Our faithfulness or lack there of does not merely affect us.
A. As Christians our actions set a precedent.
1. In law a court decision can affect many more for years to come.
2. As parents our decisions set a precedent to our children.
A. Often our children use our decisions to approve their own.
1. God warned the children of the ten spies, who spied out the land of Canaan and said they would not be able to take the land, not to follow in their footsteps.
17 Nevertheless My eye spared them from destruction. I did not make an end of them in the wilderness. 18 “But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; 20 hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’
2. Even though, God warned them they still followed in their parents footsteps.
21 “Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness. 22 Nevertheless I withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.
3. As Christians our actions set a precedent to the world.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
2. Today, we are going to look at how a sin of the parent can follow the children for generations.
18 ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’
BODY:
1. Abraham and Sarah
A. Twice the Scriptures record that Abraham lied.
1. Abram tell Sarai to lie to the Egyptians.
10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.” 14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house.
2. Abraham instructed Sarah to lie to Abimelech king of Gerar.
1 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
A. These two instances happened before Isaac was born but the sin of lying would be prevalent in the lives of Abraham’s lineage.
B. Sarah showed partiality to Isaac.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.”
1. Even though Sarah was the one who convinced Abraham to go to Hagar.
2. This sin would also plague Isaac.
2. Isaac and Rebekah.
A. Isaac showed partiality to Esau and Rebekah showed partiality to Jacob.
28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
1. This would lead to Rebekah convincing Jacob to lie to his Father, Isaac.
5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game and to bring it. 6 So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7 ‘Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you. 9 Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death.”
3. Jacob showed favoritism to Joseph.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors.
A. This caused his brothers to hate him.
4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
1. Originally this hatred would cause Joseph’s brothers to desire to kill him.
18 Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”
2. They would eventually sale Joseph into slavery.
27 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened.
3. They would then lie to their father, Jacob.
31 So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood. 32 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?” 33 And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
CONCLUSION:
1. Sin is very dangerous and does not just affect you but all that are around you.
A. Before you decide to sin think of all the lives that could be affected because of your sin.
B. Your faithfulness could affect generations of people.