A FAITHFUL FATHER - GENESIS 25: 7-8

GENESIS 25: 7-8

7 This is the length of Abraham’s life: 175 years. 8 He took his last breath and died at a good old age, old and contented, and he was gathered to his people.

ABRAHAM’S LIFE WAS LONG...

DETAILED...

IMPACTFUL...

WE DISCOVER IN GENESIS 12 THAT ABRAHAM (ABRAM THEN) WILL BE MADE INTO A GREAT NATION - WITH GREAT BLESSINGS - WITH A GREAT NAME!

AND THROUGH HIS JOURNEY OF TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDIES, WE SEE GOD’S HAND WITH HIM, UPON HIM, GUIDING HIM...

TWO KEY THINGS WE CAN SURMISE FROM SCRIPTURE ABOUT ABRAHAM:

1) HE WAS FAVORED BY THE FATHER...

ABRAHAM WALKED IN GRACE...

HIS MISTAKES WERE BLESSED...

AS WE FOLLOW THE NARRATIVE IN GENESIS, AT EVERY JUNCTURE OF HIS LIFE, THE FATHER’S FAVOR RESTED UPON ABRAHAM, GUIDING HIM - PROTECTING HIM - COMMUNING WITH HIM...

NOT ONLY WAS ABRAHAM FAVORED BY THE FATHER, ABRAHAM WAS CHOSEN TO BE THE FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL!

I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A GREAT NATION, I WILL BLESS YOU, I WILL MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT, AND YOU WILL BE A BLESSING.

17:4 - AS FOR ME, HERE IS MY COVENANT WITH YOU: YOU WILL BECOME THE FATHER OF MANY NATIONS. YOUR NAME WILL NO LONGER BE ABRAM; YOUR NAME WILL BE ABRAHAM, FOR I WILL MAKE YOU THE FATHER OF MANY NATIONS.

ABRAHAM WAS FAVORED BY THE FATHER TO BE THE FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL...

THROUGH ABRAHAM, GENERATIONS OF FAITHFUL PEOPLE WOULD COME TO KNOW THE FATHER - WOULD COME TO FOLLOW THE FATHER - WOULD COME TO FAITH!

AND IN SO DOING, ABRAHAM BECAME THE PARADIGM - THE PROTOTYPE OF BIBLICAL FATHERHOOD - BIBLICAL MANHOOD...

AND IN COMES W. B. MOORING, SR.

ONE I CONSIDER TO BE A MODEL AFTER THE LIKES OF ABRAHAM...

CLEARLY FAVORED BY THE FATHER TO BE A FATHER TO THE FAITHFUL...

I HAD NEVER MET A BROTHER - SO COOL - SO POISED - SO LEVEL - SO SOFT-SPOKEN BUT IN NO WAY SOFT, IN ALL OF MY DAYS...

I RECALL APPROACHING THIS CAMPUS OVER TEN YEARS AGO, AND IMMEDIATELY WONDERING, “WHO IS W. B. MOORING, SR.?”

MY ENCOUNTER WITH HIM DIDN’T DISAPPOINT...

THIS MAN, FAVORED BY THE FATHER, USED HIS FAVOR TO DO (IN ESSENCE) THREE MAJOR THINGS:

FIRST: START A FAMILY! JUST LOOK AROUND AT HIS OFFSPRING TODAY…SEE THE GENERATIONS OF FAMILIAL BLESSINGS THAT HE AND HIS BRIDE BEGAN DECADES AGO...

IN STARTING HIS FAMILY, IN ABRAHAMIC FASHION, HE ENSURED HIS LEGACY WOULD LINGER WELL BEYOND HIS LIFE-SPAN.

SECOND: SUPPORT A CHURCH! GREATER BETHLEHEM HAS BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE HIM AS DEACON AND LEADER! AS MENTOR AND SAGE! AS FATHER AND FRIEND!

HAVING MET HIM IN THE OVER-TIME OF HIS LIFE, I DIDN’T HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING HIM DURING HIS LEADERSHIP TENURE…BUT I’VE HEARD THE STORIES!!!

HOW HE LED WITH GRACE AND TRUTH.

HOW HE SUPPORTED PASTORS, CHALLENGING WHEN NECESSARY, AND ALWAYS WITH DIGNITY, KEEPING THE CHURCH’S WELL-BEING PREEMINENT!

I’VE HEARD HOW HE IMPARTED WISDOM WITH A MINIMUM OF WORDS AND A MAXIMUM OF PRESENCE AND PATIENCE!

THIRD: STAY THE COURSE! PAUL TEACHES US THE NECESSITY OF FINISHING WELL: I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH...

ELDER MOORING STAYED THE COURSE! HE FOUGHT GOOD FIGHTS, AND HE FINISHED WITH HIS FAITH IN TACT!

SO, LIKE ABRAHAM, IT CAN BE SAID OF ELDER W. B. MOORING, SR. - (GENESIS 25:8) HE TOOK HIS LAST BREATH AND DIED AT A GOOD OLD AGE, OLD AND CONTENTED, AND HE WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE...

WE’RE HERE TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF A FAITHFUL FATHER...

AND AS WE LAY OUR MOTTO TEXT (GENESIS 25:8) OVER THE LIFE OF ELDER MOORING, WE’RE ABLE TO FULLY CELEBRATE HIM DURING THIS SEASON OF TRANSITION. ELDER MOORING, LIKE ABRAHAM:

LIVED LIFE TO THE FULLEST - GOOD OLD AGE, SAYS THE TEXT...

YOU KNOW YOU’VE LIVED LIFE TO THE FULLEST, WHEN YOU’VE LEFT IT ALL ON THE FIELD!

GOOD OLD AGE SUGGESTS THAT IN THE END, THERE WAS PEACE - JOY - READINESS...

AWWW BELOVED, MAY WE LEARN TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST, UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS TYPE OF LIVING BEGINS WITH AND ENDS WITH GOD!

SUBMITTING OURSELVES TO HIS WILL AT ALL TIMES AND FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF BRINGING GOD GLORY... YES, FOR HIS GLORY!

YOU SEE BELOVED, OUR LIVES CAN NEVER BE GOOD WITHOUT GOD!

I DON’T CARE HOW MUCH WE ACCUMULATE OR HOW BIG WE GET IN OUR OWN MINDS...

THERE IS NO LIVING OUTSIDE OF GOD’S WILL!

ELDER MOORING, LIKE ABRAHAM - LEARNED THE LESSON OF CONTENTMENT - OLD AND CONTENTED...

PAUL SUGGESTS THAT CONTENTMENT (BEING SATISFIED) IS TO BE LEARNED. CONTENTMENT IS TO BE PURSUED. AND ONCE ACQUIRED, LIFE TAKES ON A DEEPER MEANING....

ELDER MOORING LEARNED THE LESSON OF CONTENTMENT...

MEN, LIKE ELDER MOORING, TEACH US THAT AGING DOES NOT EQUATE TO MATURING.

IT IS WHEN WE LEARN TO BE CONTENT IN ALL SITUATIONS, THAT WE’RE ABLE TO GROW INTO THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT THE FATHER HAS CREATED, SAVED AND CALLED US TO BE...

Philip Parham tells the story of a rich industrialist who was disturbed to find a fisherman sitting lazily beside his boat. "Why aren't you out there fishing?" he asked.

"Because I've caught enough fish for today," said the fisherman.

"Why don't you catch more fish than you need?' the rich man asked.

"What would I do with them?"

"You could earn more money," came the impatient reply, "and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make more money. Soon you'd have a fleet of boats and be rich like me."

The fisherman asked, "Then what would I do?"

"You could sit down and enjoy life," said the industrialist.

"What do you think I'm doing now?" the fisherman replied as he looked placidly out to sea.

BELOVED, STRIVE TO BE OLD AND CONTENTED!!! APPRECIATING WHAT YOU HAVE, WHILE STRIVING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS...

Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Abraham’s death and Isaac’s blessing 25:7–11)

“It is one thing to live a long life. It is another thing to live a long life that is also a happy life. This obituary notice about Abraham draws attention to the fact that Abraham died not only at an elderly age but in a frame of mind filled with inner shalom and satisfaction. That is the thrust of the phrase full of days or ‘contented.’

ELDER MOORING (LIKE ABRAHAM):

LIVED LIFE TO THE FULLEST.

LEARNED THE LESSON OF CONTENTMENT.

FINALLY, HE

LEFT TO BE WITH HIS LORD AND HIS LOVES! - AND HE WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE...

OF COURSE, ABRAHAM WAS BURIED WITH SARAH…

AND THIS PHRASE “GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE” SUGGESTS SOME SORT OF AFTERLIFE GATHERING IN SHEOL…WITH ANCESTORS...

I CAN’T SPEAK TO THAT, gBUT I HAVE HEARD THIS: THE WAY TO THE FATHER

14:1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going.”

ELDER MOORING LEFT TO BE WITH HIS LORD, AND WITH THOSE WHO HAVE PLACED THEIR FAITH IN CHRIST ALONE!!!

AND IN JUST A LITTLE WHILE WE WILL PLACE THESE REMAINS IN THE GROUND, TO AWAIT THE SECOND COMING OF OUR SAVIOR AND LORD - JESUS CHRIST!!!

SO MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY WILL BE A PART OF THAT REUNION WHEN JESUS DESCENDS FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT - WHEN THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST.....AND THOSE WHO ARE STILL ALIVE, WHO ARE LEFT, WILL BE CAUGHT UP!!!

BUT I’M HERE TO CHALLENGE, EVEN EXHORT YOU - IF YOU’VE YET TO PLACE YOUR TRUST IN HIM - ASKING HIM TO FORGIVE AND TO LEAD YOU - YOU’RE RISKING THESE DAYS...

ELDER MOORING WANTS YOU TO LEAVE WELL, LIKE HE LEFT WELL...

PREPARED FOR WHAT WAS NEXT...

EMBRACING THE FULLNESS OF WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT HE CAME TO DO...

NOT ALLOWING THE WORLD TO EXCHANGE TRUTHS FOR LIES...

WALKING AND WAITING ON OUR SOON COMING KING...

BELIEVING THAT HE STEPPED THROUGH 42 GENERATIONS...

BORN OF A VIRGIN...

HIDDEN DOWN IN EGYPT...

BAPTIZED IN THE JORDAN...

HEALER AND TRUTH TELLER...

MESSIAH AND SAVIOR...

HAIL HOSANNA ON MONDAY...

CRUCIFIED ON FRIDAY...

AND HE DIED....

DIDN’T HE DIE...

HE DIED UNTIL THE WORLD KNEW ...

HE DIED UNTIL THE EARTH KNEW...

PLACED IN A BORROWED TOMB...

AND HE STAYED THERE...

ALL NIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT...

PREACHED A SERMON IN HELL...

THEN ON THE THIRD DAY...

HE GOT UP...

WITH ALL POWER...

POWER TO SAVE...

POWER TO REDEEM...

POWER TO DELIVER...

DO YOU KNOW HIM?

HAVE YOU TRIED?

AIN’T HE WORTHY?

IF YOU BELIEVE, SAY YEAH… YEAH… YEAH!!!