T Genesis 16:1-17:3 Abraham – A ‘do it yourself’ guy - It gets messed up when we do it our way

Jack of all trades - but not very good at anything

I. “Do-it-yourself” guy: Why is it so?

(ESV) Genesis 15 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”

(ESV) Genesis 16 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, …

A. Time involved

1. Walked with God awhile – nothing changed

2. Promises delayed long enough to test faith

B. Tension between action/submission

1. Never passivity – looking to act as required

2. Never push ahead – avoiding getting ahead of God

C. Living with intense anticipation/expectation

1. Drives prayer life – What do I need to do / Supplication for God to act

2. Expectant waiting on God’s direction / required action

3. Expectation of personal involvement

4. Total dependence upon God’s active participation

5. What does it drive us to do?

II. “Do-it-yourself” guy: Sarah models the problem

A. A personally painful condition

(ESV) Genesis 16 1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. …

1. Personal reproach – compounding issue – relieve personal pain

2. Apparent lack of personal blessing

B. A conflicting situation

(ESV) Genesis 16 1 … She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. …

1. Giver of the promise / withholder of the promise

C. Rationalizedaction

(ESV) Genesis 16 2 … Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.”

1. God’s promises inhibited

2. Help God out – never ask Him about it

3. Resort to culturally accepted means

4. Forced resolutions (beware when it feels pressed)

III. “Do-it-yourself” guy: Always negative impacts

A. Disruptedleadership

(ESV) Genesis 16 2 … And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. … 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. …

1. The Lord is removed as leader

2. Abraham – passive in the face of wrong decisions

3. Stopped leading and became a follower

4. Note: he was still responsible - see below

B. Negative impact to a lost world

(ESV) Genesis 16 1 … She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. … 4 … And when she (Hagar) saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.

1. Hagar – the victimized pagan

2. One outside the covenant – lost

3. Became disenchanted rather than being draw to God

C. Personal unfulfillment

(ESV) Genesis 16 5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!”

6 But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her.

1. Unachieved goals

2. Still unfulfilled

3. Marriage a mess

4. Spiraling downward spiritually / behavior

D. Long-term problems

(ESV) Genesis 16 12 He (Ishmael) shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”

1. Arabs of today still oppose their kinsmen

IV. “Do-it-yourself” guy: Surrenderingto trust Him

A. Waiting on the Lord

(ESV) Genesis 17 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram …

1. Late? 86 at birth of Ishmael – 14 years since chaos

2. Unfulfilled promise and desires for those promises for all this time – will you learn to wait?

3. Appears

4. Something important is about to happen

B. Recognizing the Lord’s sufficiency

(ESV) Genesis 17 1 … and said to him, “I am God Almighty; …

1. El - Shaddai – mountain?

2. Power

3. Oversight of a sovereign God

4. Sufficient

5. Associated with God giving and fulfilling promises of blessing to his people

C. Living with expected empowerment

(ESV) Genesis 17 1 … walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.”

1. Walk appropriately before Him

a. Walk before me – walk in full view – life in open display

b. Live as I want you to live

2. Blameless

a. Like a sacrifice that has no blemishes

b. Integrity

c. Describes relationship with God

d. Always faithful to God

3. God empowered “I will …” –

a. not as previous command to multiply

b. Establish a relationship based on covenant

c. Bring blessing to you

D. Personally responding

(ESV) Genesis 17 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.

1. Reverent

2. Submissive

3. Believed