Humble Godliness

Big Idea

Tension: What does Abram do when he has the chance to seize power, wealth, and authority in the land?

Resolution: He chooses to cling to godliness rather than the comforts offered by sin.

Exegetical Idea: When Abram has the chance to seize significance he chooses godliness over the comforts of sin.

Theological Idea: When tempted with significance, those who are in Christ like Christ choose godliness over the allure of sin.

Homiletical Idea: Humble godliness is better than the allure of sin.

Outline

Introduction: The nations rage is a general truism.

Exposition: The rebellion against Kedarlaomer

Elam (Persia), Shinar (Babylon), Goiim (Hittites), Ellasar (Assyrians/Kurds). Historical background - interestingly enough, after the lifetime of Abram, two things happened which seem to follow this pattern. First, the countries that we see here historically went into a tailspin right around this time, perhaps because of the devastatino that the armies wrecked. Second, shortly after hte lifetime of Abram, Elam collapsed. It does not say that in this story, but it makes sense in light of htis story.

Uprising of the Western realms against Elamite rule

12 years of subservience

They set out to crush the rebellion along the “King’s Highway”

The Kings of the Dead Sea rebelled against Sodom and Gomorrah

Inciting Incident: This matters because they took Lot along with them (12). Remember Lot? The guy who abandoned Abram to live in the cities of Sodom. What will Abram do about his nephew?

Rising Action:

Abram’s allies (13)

The size of Abram’s house is emphasized (14)

He divided his forces by night (15)

He brought back his nephew Lot (16)

Meeting Melchizedek

Melchizedek was Abram’s usual priest

Priest King of Salem, which is approximately where the city Jerusalem is.

King of righteousness and peace. That is he “gives” righteousness and peace

He made atonement

He brought a sacrificial meal

He blessed him/preached to him. “God has blessed you, so bless him.”

It is implied, Abram believes in all of these things and receives them by faith

Then Abram gives a tithe

All of this is to give precedent to the form of Israelite religion which the Israelites would accept.

Meeting the King of Sodom

The King’s Offer:

Take the possessions, but give me the souls

Offering to covenant with Abram

What is being offered here is the leadership of all the cities of the Valley.

Abram says “my trust is in the Lord alone”

I won’t share any of your goods

Why? Gen 13:13: “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD”

Abram did not want to make a covenant, or to yoke himself to, someone who would force him to compromise his godliness. He would not take success if it meant being mixed with the godless. (2 Corinthians 2:14-16a): Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God

What do we make of this?

Abram had the chance to have all the worldly success in the world.

Abram chose faithfulness to God. He chose listening to a sermon, eating the Lord’s Supper, receiving the sacrifice and the blessing of God. It was humble and Godly.

Abram rejected all the wealth, and lust, and power of the world if it meant yoking himself with the ungodly. Christians, sin is not tempting because it is not fun. Rather, Satan and sin tempts us by telling us, “everyone is doing it,” “you will be so much happier,” “how can something that looks pleasurable be bad”, “why cabn’t you be happy” but behind that door which is gilded with gold and crusted with rubies and laced with silver lies a dragon. Proverbs 14:12

Big Idea: Abram chose humble godliness over the allure of worldliness.

English Standard Version Chapter 16

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27

Of course, Abram was not perfect in that choice. In fact, we know that he was chastened into that position. But we have a savior who stared down temptation. (Matt 4:1-11):

Application: Choose humble godliness over the allure of worldliness.

Against the Legalist: This is humble because it requires grace. It is humble because it knows it needs forgiveness. It is humble because it knows that it needs God’s Word preached to it every single week.

Our Church - We need to realize that success and growth as a church does us absolutely no good if it means abandoning the gospel. The only way we can be the church that God wants us to be is if we commit ourselves regularly repetitively, religiously to the means of God’s grace.

Christianity is first and foremost about what God has done for you and not what you do for God. (Philippians 3:8-9): “ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”

Against the Tax collectro:

Our Church - This also means that we need to be vigilant to hold one another accountable, to be willing to confront sin

Godliness is better than worldly gain

Conclusion: