Life of Abraham 9

praise God for seeing a new Month!

Praise and Pray Fellowship Time

something good/bad

breakout rooms

Poll Questions

Poll question - - - (reveal it to online people first) . . . What was the name of Abraham’s baby momma?

The Story of Abraham starts in Genesis chapter . . .

Chapter 12-18:15 Review

Abraham has had quite a journey

left his home

lied to King of Egypt but escaped and was still blessed

taken the high-road with relatives acting up

fought a war against 4 kings

had baby momma drama

circumcision, another act of faith - Jewish people still do it today, others (health)

beginning year 25 of waiting for promised son

Chapter 18:15 - 19 Review

God had decided to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, problem is that Abraham’s nephew lives there

So wicked that the men would try to rape any men who were visiting

Because of Abraham, God helped his nephew escape

Lot escaped but his family in disarray: wife dead, daughters tricked him into sleeping with them

talk about a moment of selfishness that turned out bad!

Chapter 20 Review

Abraham travels to a land that is dangerous enough that he feels that he must lie and say Sarah is his sister instead of his wife

The king of that land, Abimelech takes and marries Sarah, but doesn’t get a chance to sleep with her

God did something to stop it, and apparently they were married for a quite a bit of time (weeks/months)

very important that we know that Abraham “is the father” when Isaac will be born

God warms Abimelech in a dream to give Sarah back

calls Abraham a prophet

note: a prophet who has failings, just like the rest of us

note: leave God’s people alone

king asked Abraham, why did you lie and get me in trouble?

Abraham said because you all are evil (there is no fear of God in this place)

besides she really is my sister (step sister)

and we lie like this every where we go

then Abimelech

gives Abraham his wife back

gifts of flocks to Abraham

access to their land

1000 pieces of silver

then Abraham prayed and God healed Abimelech and his household of being barren

that’s why we surmise that they had been married for months

God probably caused barrenness as further proof that Abraham was the father of Isaac

today’s lesson is about:

Still making it, in spite of yourself!

a lesson to show you why God has been keeping you . . . in spite of your many failings, imperfections, weaknesses, you name it

keep - protects, helps, preserves, watches, has your back

doesn’t mean nothing bad happens to you, or no consequences

but you survive, when you should have been done, down and out

go forward when it looked like you deserved to go backward

This is important, because some people are making it, surviving trial after trial and think, surviving bad mistakes. . . and they think that

lucky

they’re such a special person . . . nothing can keep me down, bounce back kid

they have figured life out (I am smarter than everyone else)

even worse, they think their mistakes and failings are not mistakes and failings

when the truth is, they are wrong but have been shown mercy

but the part of Abraham’s story that I just reviewed, gives us three of the reasons, why we are still making it, in spite of ourselves, the first . . .

The Righteous have influence with God!

One reason we are still making it, or will make it, in spite of ourselves . . . is that the righteous have influence with God.

note: When you believe God, it is credited as righteousness . . . not talking about super human, perfect people, just regular folks who believe, trust, and love God

you have some righteous family, friends, church members, acquaintances who have directly interceded on your behalf. Or God has mercy on you because of your association with a righteous person. Or you have association with a righteous person who has passed away

Lot, Abraham’s nephew, is our primary example

Though Lot made a selfish decision and picked the best land when they separated, even though most of what he had was probably due to Abraham’s favor rubbing off on him (influence of the righteous)

God had mercy on him for his uncle, Abraham’s sake

kidnapped . . . saved by God giving Abraham the victory (even the fact that Abraham found out about it)

city destroyed . . . saved by God sending angels because Abraham intervened

Lot made it, in spite of himself

this is not saying that you can act up with no consequences

Lot had to endure that kidnapping, had to live among those evil folks for many years, wife died, broken family (grandchildren are your children)

but if it wasn’t for Abraham he should have been enslaved and never heard from again at best, or killed at worst

But God had mercy on him because he was Abraham’s nephew . . . the influence of the righteous

We see this principle of the influence of the righteous, when Abraham is “bargaining” with God, God was willing to save a whole city just for 10 righteous people

Genesis 18:32 (NASB95)

32 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.”

God is consistent in this, we see the same thing with descendants of David

1 Kings 15:3–4 NASB95

3 He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David. 4 But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem;

some of your relatives would be dead or worse off, if it wasn’t for you

some of US would be worse off, if it wasn’t for that ancestor, relative, friend, neighbor

God poured out a blessing on them, and it has spilled onto you

some of our blessings are because of someone else’s faithfulness . . .

how should we respond?

be thankful, don’t take your blessings for granted, or think it’s all because you serve God

our lives could be much worse, but for the influence of the righteous

be that righteous person for the sake of your loved ones, neighborhood, church, group, organization, city, country (if my people which are called by my name . . .)

other reasons we still make it, in spite of ourselves . . . can be seen in the story of Genesis 20, about Abraham’s time in Gerar

Same Song, Second Verse (Egypt) - Abraham lies and says Sarah is not his wife, but his sister (we learn this is a regular scheme they use) . . . his lie is found out, but in the end, he is rewarded with flocks and 1000 pieces of silver.

that is the very definition of still making it, in spite of yourself

because not only did Abraham lie, but Abraham knew that Sarah was supposed to get pregnant with his baby real soon, and they are risking 25 years of waiting and trusting in God, and almost about to throw the whole promised son blessing away

Sarah would not be there for Abraham to sleep with

if the king had slept with her, and then Abraham got her back, Abraham would have doubted, and people would have doubted the baby’s identity

or could have pushed blessing back as we wait for the timeline to indicate to everyone that Sarah is about to have Abraham’s child

First, understand that the Bible does not ignore lying, it’s in a lot of other places, but this is not the goal of this narrative . . . so don’t think that the Bible is teaching you to scheme and deceive

Better question is not “How come the Bible doesn’t address lying in this story?”, but What DOES Chapter 20 teach?

We should note, who WAS punished . . . once again, the leader of an evil place . . . violent, unjust enough for Abraham to fear for his life

shows that God is looking out for the underdog . . . God is aware of oppressive systems, and will judge them

And it teaches us another reason why we make it in spite of ourselves

God is faithful to his promises

that’s why we are still making it, in spite of ourselves

God promised to bless Abraham

God promised to be for those who were for Abraham, and be against those who were against Abraham

The man that caused Abraham to fear, is the one who ends up in fear in this story

God is keeping his Word to Abraham. . . that’s the story line, that’s the lesson

It maybe possible that Abram had faith that nothing would happen to Sarah, because of God’s promise

some of us are not only surviving off of the influence of the righteous, but because God is just so faithful

so he supplies your needs . . . in spite of your foolishness . . . because he promised

he never leaves you . . . . in spite of your weakness . . . because he promised

he makes it work together for your good . . . in spite of your bad decisions, vanity . . . because he promised

you keep bouncing back because God is faithful

praise god that he keeps his promises

the other reason we are still making it, in spite of?

let’s go back to Genesis 12 and look at the last part of verse 3

Genesis 12:3 NASB95

3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

God has a plan that won’t be stopped

especially won’t be stopped by you and me!

God will save you, to save the plan! . . . help you, to save the plan (rescue, aid, deliver)

for his plan’s sake . . . a plan that will bless other people . . . .God helps you make it, in spite of yourself

Abraham and Sarah had to make it . . . so we would get to

Isaac, Jacob, 12 Tribes, Moses, King David . . . prophets . . . Jesus! . . . your salvation

there’s no way that God would allow the king of Gerar to stop you from being saved

that should inspire a lot of faith and confidence in our prayers

God I messed up, but I also know that You have a plan to bless others through me . . . So I am still willing to be used. Help me make it for your plan’s sake

David could not be killed by Goliath, because he had to become king, write great Psalms, continue to set up the ancestry of Jesus

in the New Testament, Mary and Joseph were saved from Herod because the baby Jesus had to be saved.

Jesus himself was rescued from mobs because it wasn’t his time

You are alive because God has a plan, and you are a part of that plan!

Summary: God will help you make it, in spite of yourself because

influence of the righteous

God keeps his promises

God has a plan that will be fulfilled, and you are part of that plan, you are here for a purpose

you have made it because there is a purpose for you

song - I’m alive!

Mentor Moment

don’t have mentor moment because I have a lot of announcements

Announcements

This Sunday is Communion

Remind.com

Read the messages

I am the only one doing remind, so be patient (driving, meetings, not seeing, forgetting)

140 Character limit

October, 40th anniversary

Special presentation each Sunday

1st Sunday – 40th Picture day, Mother Alston installed

2nd Sunday – Youth Day/T-shirt day

t-shirt sizes to 1st Lady Sherry Caver

3rd Sunday – Old School Service Day (songs, dress)

Clothes: dress up

Men – 3 piece suit Ladies - Children – dress up

4th Sunday – Men’s Day

Men’s Praise Team

5th Saturday, October 30 - Carnival

5th Sunday – Women’s Day

Women’s Praise Team

Continued prayers for members needing healing, people in Hurricane devastated areas