When We Just Can't Wait!

When We Just Can’t Wait! Genesis 16 June 16, 2019 The Big Idea: When Sarai and Abram grew weary of waiting for God’s promise, they took control and devised a plan that led to sinful behavior and family chaos. Our God is sovereign over even our rebellion man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.” So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.” 14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. 13 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. 15 and with mercy and grace. He continued to guide them toward His purposes. A primary mark of faith is the willingness to wait on God. Genesis 16 (ESV) 16 HOW THE TROUBLE STARTED • Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. 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. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. 4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. 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. The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.” 9 The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.” 11 And the angel of the LORD said to her, 7 “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a • • • • • Their problem started with their difficulty in waiting for God. o Faith is often told by God to “Wait.” o Sarai & Abram are growing older, sadder, & more impatient They stop living in faith and look at their current circumstances. Looked to cultural norms for solutions to your problems. Decided to help God out. Looked for shortcuts. Started using people for their own purposes, instead of loving them. Abram passively avoided spiritual leadership by saying (v. 6), “Do to her as you please.” ABRAM’S 3 MISTAKES • • • He listened to the voice of someone who was not walking in faith. He rationalized his sin because it aligned with what God promised. He was willing to pursue the will of God without waiting on the way of God. REAL FAITH LEARNS TO WAIT ON THE LORD Isaiah 40:31 Proverbs 20:22 I Peter 5:10 Lamentations 3:21, 25-26 Galatians 6:9 Titus 2:13