Abram and Abimelech

God has put a mantel on us. He has made us promises and asked us to trust Him. Our faith is in our feet. Do we follow Him? Does your life look different than those around you?

He called Abraham to go to the land He would show him and he would become a father of many nations.

He called us to make disciples.

Genesis 20:1-18

From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

This is a lot like Sodom. Only this time it was Abraham who wasn’t trusting God. The people far from God are almost ruined by a follower who doesn’t actually trust God and obey.

God

Lessons God is laying down

God doesn't disqualify you because of your habitual sin.

for every habitual sin, God is a habitual healer.

for every habitual lie, god is a habitual forgiver.

1. God uses Abraham in the midst of habitual sin.

EXP.

God keeps giving Abraham space. Every time he tries to screw it up, God gives him more space.

a. Abraham had a pattern of sin- habitual. God doesn’t disqualify him, even though he is still sinning and doubting.

b. God called Abraham to go to a place he told him. He was venturing out again. Vs. 11 shows us he intentionally went to a place where there was no fear of God.

c. Abraham is not qualified for this, he is screwing it up. God protects this promise at all costs. He even is protecting it against Abraham. He wants to do something like redeem the world, and He has to make sure his vehicle for this, Abraham, doesn’t mess it up; Abraham is actively bent on screwing it up.

ILL . Gara-we train ourselves in church to cover and hide sin. We disqualify others instead of redeeming them. God gave me grace hut i have trouble giving it to others. I jumped off my house with an umbrella to fly. I jumped from a second story building on to a trampoline and almost missed. My stupidity should have killed me a hundred times and i forget all about the bullets i dodged or the grace of God but i look at you and remember it forever.

APP.

We are going to make mistakes. We are going to fall into habitual sins. We know you screw up. From where we are to where God wants us to be. God meets us where we are but expects us to move. God knows Abraham is going to screw up. He knows you will, but you have got to keep this in mind- I am growing. I am pursuing God. I am following Jesus. We don’t get to just pray a prayer and not change anything. We follow Jesus. This means when we stop following, we stopped.

We haver a calling - to make disciples of all nations.

My concern is some of us are not following anymore at all.

Some of us think we should be following faster- the longer you follow faithfully, the further you’ll go.

2. God uses Abraham in the midst of habitual bad decisions.

vs. 10. Abimelech asks, What did you see? The truth is he got what he expected. He didn’t expect God to show up and he almost missed it. He has seen God protect him from 4 nations and heard God promise him a long life with kids, yet he isnt thinking about that when he CHOOSES to wander into a godless place? He so stupid, right? But you choose to wander to godless places all the time. God used Abraham in spite of Abraham and he will do the same for you.

vs. 13. Abraham was called to wander SO THAT he could trust God when he was in danger.

ILL.

Following someone. If I stop walking, I’m no longer following. I can follow slow or fast, but I can’t stop.

EXP.

Abraham took God for granted. Wandering is just what he did now. It wasn’t a spiritual exercise. He could do it without God. My guess is that there are new believers and sinners who have barely called on the name of Jesus that are closer to him than some of us in this room going through the motions. Some of us in this church do not fear the Lord and we certainly don’t look for him everyday.

3. God uses Abraham in the midst ! God makes Abraham a healer!

a. People don’t see themselves as potential change agents. We think we have ruined it. How does Abraham know that God has forgiven him? He prays and God uses him in a powerful way to heal Abimelech and his family.

If you have been a “Christian “ for more than a year, and are still struggling with the same sins to the same degree, you need know that God can still use you, but you have to keep coming back to him. Let him change your heart.

Abraham deserves nothing but gets riches and the honor of changing the lives of his entire family.

b. Abraham is the way for Abimelech to get healed, even though he is the cause. God has chosen to use Abraham.

ill. People who think, if I come in there, it’ll fall. I got to get my life right first. Or if you really knew me, you wouldn’t let me in. We absolutely would, but it might get uncomfortable if you decide to follow Jesus and don’t start walking after him.

You

If God did it then He can do it now.

where do you need confession?

Where do you need healing?

where do you need forgiveness?

God isnt through with you in the midst of it. He is still gonna use you as long as you keep following him.