This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Principle verses Preference", 1/1/2012

PRINPICLE VERSES PREFERENCE

GENESIS 29:7-21

WRONG FOCUS: PREFERENCE
V.39:7. "And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon
Joseph; and she said, Lie with me."
A. Temptation is all around us. It comes from unexpected sources.
1. When temptation surfaces, you have a choice.
a. You can choose Principle; the Word of God.
b. Or, you can choose Preference; the way of the world.
B. Joseph's master's wife had lust in her eyes for him.
1. She desired a sexual relationship with Joseph.
2. She yielded to her lust to commit adultery.
3. She chose Preference over Principle.
C. Preference will always lead you to the wrong decision
1. Preference disregards moral values.
2. We must be careful what we watch, and keep our focus on the Lord.

RIGHT FOCUS: PRINCIPLE
V.39:8. "But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not
what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand."
A. Joseph presented with an immoral temptation, chose Principle over Preference.
1. Principle enforces uncompromising trust.
2. Principle enforces personal responsibility.
3. Principle enforces performance of duty.
B. Joseph had a duty to protect his master's property.
1. His master's property included his master's wife.
2. Joseph said no and closed the door on temptation.

V.39:9. "There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing
from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness,
and sin against God?"
A. Joseph recognized his blessed state.
1. Joseph explained his position to his master's wife.
a. The request of his master's wife was wrong.
b. The request of his master's wife was a sin against God.
2. Joseph chose Principle and rejected his master's wife request.
B. We have a duty to God to follow his commands.
1. It is God's commands that will steer us away from sinful behavior.

PASSION DRIVEN BY LUST
V. 39:10. "And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not
unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her."
A. Satan is persistent and will not quit.
1. Just because you stand on God's Word does not stop the temptation of Satan.
2. You have to resolve to do right.
3. You have to resolve to resist the temptation to do wrong.
4. We have to choose each day to follow God.
5. Each day can bring new temptations.
B. Lust of the flesh destroys relationships.
1. Lust of the flesh destroys marriages.
2. Lust of the flesh destroys reputations
3. Lust of the flesh destroys lives.


V.39:11. "And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his
business; and there was none of the men of the house there within."
A. Satan constantly seeks an opportunity to steal, kill and destroy.
1. Even when your mind is set on right, Satan is more set on destroying you.
2. We must realize that what is done in the dark will come to light.
3. The prime opportunity to do wrong is when no one is looking.
B. In the line of your business you are vulnerable to attack.
1. There will always be someone, who will want to distract you from you job.
2. There will always be someone, who will try to direct you in the world's way .
C. In order to fight the temptations of the world, you have to put on the full armor of
Christ. Eph 6:12
1. Temptation comes in our daily walk.
2. We must stand on God's Word.
3. We must admit no thought of a surrender.

V.39:12. "And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his
garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out."
A. Don't let Satan catch you in his trap.
1. Satan is persistent and creative in his approach to get you in his trap.
2. When you recognize Satan; flee.
B. No matter where you go, there is evidence that you have been there,
1. Always make sure your behavior is godly.
2. If your behavior is godly, the only way someone can say something negative is to
lie.
3. If you are obedient to God, the truth will eventually be made known.
C. Joseph refused to get involved in his master's wife evil scheme and fled the scene.
1. Joseph chose Principle over Preference.
2. Not to harm his master's wife when she grabbed his coat, he left without it.
3. It is better to lose some stuff, than to lose your life.
4. To get away from Satan, you might have to leave some stuff behind.

HUMAN PRIDE SHATTERED BY REJECTION
V.39:13. " And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand,
and was fled forth."
A. You must be careful what you leave behind.
1. The enemy will use anything he can against you.
2. Some will use your principles against you.
3. Desperate people will do desperate things.


LIES DRIVEN BY ANGER
V. 39:14 "That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See,
he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me,
and I cried with a loud voice"
A. Impurity and falsehood are tied together.
1. The root of the wife's problem was her uncontrolled lust.
2. Her lust magnified her sinful attitude.
3. Because of her sinful attitude, her behavior was sinful.
4. She became possessive then desperate.
a. She set herself up to be rejected.
B. Being rejected, her pride was shattered.
1. She became angry.
2. She became vindictive.
a. Her desire was to destroy the object of her lust.
3. To be vindictive, you need an audience.
a. She called the men of the house;
i . To tell her story
ii. To propagate her lie
iii. To make herself credible
iv. To discredit the object of her lust.
C. To discredit Joseph:
1. First, she questioned her husbands decision to put Joseph in charge.
2. Second, she put down Joseph by calling him a Hebrew.
a. She consider her Egyptian heritage better than a Hebrew servant.
b. Her suggestion was that Hebrews had no moral values.
3. Third, she suggested that Joseph intended to rape her.
4. Fourth, she claimed that her loud crying stopped Joseph from raping her.

V.39:15. "And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he
left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out."
A. If you tell one lie, you have to tell another to support the first.
A. Where ever you go, you leave evidence that you have been there.
1. You need to be careful what you leave behind.
2. You need to be careful that the evidence supports godly behavior.
B. The right evidence can be made to look wrong.
1. Joseph left his garment, which supported his being in the right place and on the job.
2. His master's wife used his garment to support her lie.
3. She described her sinful behavior, as if it was the behavior of Joseph.

VENDICTIVE BEHAVIOR DRIVEN BY PRIDE
V.39:16. " And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home."
A. Satan is persistent in his intentions to steal, kill and destroy.
1. Having convinced the workers of her lie, she made plans to convince her husband to
destroy Joseph.
2. She held on to Joseph's garment as evidence to support her lie.
a. The garment supported her claim that Joseph had been near her.
b. The garment did not support the claim of attempted rape.
3. The wife being dear to her husband would be more believable than a servant.
a. Knowing this, the wife played on the husband's emotions to protect her.

V.39:17. " And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew
servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me."
A. The more the wife tells her lie the more comfortable she is in the lie.
1. We must be careful not to lie less we forget that the truth exists.
2. We have to be careful not to lie because we can come to a conclusion that there is
justification for the lie.
B. Notice she does not call Joseph by his name, but a Hebrew.
1. This makes it less personal and more reasonable to continue the lie.
a. She dehumanized Joseph.
b. In her eyes, he is a servant and not worthy of equal rights of the Egyptians.
c. In her eyes, he may be seen as a "thing" and not a man.
2. We need to be careful not to see ourselves as more important than others.
a. We need to be careful not to use derogatory terms when referring to another
human being.
b. We are all equal in God's eyes.

V.39:18. " And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment
with me, and fled out."
A. With her husband she repeats the same details of her lie to deceive him.
1. She lied about lifting up her voice.
2. She lied about crying out.
3. She lied about Joseph leaving his garment, because she pull it off him.
4 .The only truth is that Joseph fled.
B. People will always twist the truth to make themselves creditable.
1. People will twist the truth to discredit others.
2. A dishonest person is full of lies.

V.39:19. " And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she
spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was
kindled."
A. When you are intimate with someone, you know what will upset them.
1. The master's wife knew that her lies would upset him, therefore he was an easy
target to be deceive.
2. The master's wife knew what actions her husband would take, therefore she would
get the revenge that she sought.
B. In all of our relationships, we must be careful what we say, so that others are not
misled.
1. We need to be careful that our conversation encourages others.
2. We need to be careful that our conversation is not hurtful, but uplifting.




HER REVENGE
V. 39:20. "And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the
king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison."
A. What we say about someone can cause another person to do harm to him(her).
1. Joseph was unjustly accused, unjustly judged and denied his freedom.
2. We have the duty to God to be just to others because God has shown us mercy
and forgiven us for our sins.
3. We have a duty to tell the truth, regardless of our personal beliefs.
B. When one side of a story is presented, people don't always seek the other side.
1. Your words have the power to harm another person.
2. Your words have the power to influence others to act.
3. Your words have the power to deceive and mislead others.
3. We must be careful to speak of others with grace, because God holds us
accountable.

JOSEPH'S VENDICATION
V.39:21. " But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour
in the sight of the keeper of the prison."
A. When you serve God, you can expect to be mistreated from time to time.
1. God is always aware of your situation and allows things to happen for His Glory.
B. When you serve God, He will cause others to bless you in adverse situations.
1. No matter what you are going through, God is in control.
2. Trials and tribulation are designed to strengthen our faith and prepare us for greater
service.
3. Therefore, we must praise God in all our circumstances; good or bad.
4. God uses the good and the bad to benefit us.

One final comment:

God loves us so much that He controls every event of our lives to bring about His
perfection in us for His Glory.

Amen.

Rev. M. Mitchell

Lessons are posted on Face Book and my Blog, http://GoodNewsRevMitc.blogspot.com

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "A Song Of Praise", 12/25/2011

Luke 1:46-55

A SONG OF PRAISE


HER PRAISE
V.46. "And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,"
1. Mary's worship of the Lord was from the inside out.
a. She said, "Her Soul" which is from the heart.
b. Worship has to begin from the heart.
c. When you consider what God is doing for you, there ought to be immediate praise
from the heart.
d. Don't wait until tomorrow , praise God "NOW"
2.Mary had reason to be joyful. The Lord Jesus would be born.
a. We ought to be excited about Jesus because He is our salvation.
b. Mary was excited because God was using her as a vessel to bring Jesus to flesh.
c. We ought to be excited to offer ourselves as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.
d. The Lord always rewards our service.

HER GRADITUDE
V.47. "And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."
A. They that worship the Lord, must worship in spirit and truth.
1. When you reflect on the goodness of the Lord, there ought to be joy in your
heart.
2. Jesus should always be our joy.
a. The Lord promises us great things and the Lord delivers on His promises.
b. The Lord makes promises for now and He makes promises for our salvation.
3. With her praise, Mary expressed confidence in the Lord.
a. Effective praise requires confidence in the Lord.
b. Effective praise requires an intimacy with Lord.
B. Mary was on fire for the Lord. First she magnified the Lord, then she rejoiced in the
Lord.
1. We ought be on fire for the Lord.
a. The evidence of our fire ought to show up in our joyful praise.
b. The evidence of our fire ought to show up in joyful service.

HER HUMBLENESS
V:48. "For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."
A. Mary realized that she was not worthy of God's blessing.
1. We ought to know that we have done nothing to deserve God's Grace.
a. Grace is a free gift from God.
b. That fact alone is reason to shout.
2. What man puts down, God lifts up.
a. Mary's family was poor.
b. Mary was the least in her family.
c. But God lifted her up above all other women.
d. God hates the proud, but He lifts up the humble.
B. God comes down to be with us.
a. Jesus is called Emanuel; God is with us.
C. Mary had great incite.
a. Mary understood that by allowing herself to be used by God, others would be
blessed.
b. Our lives are not all about us. What we do for God, helps other to grow in the Lord.

HER GRATEFULNESS
V.49. "For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name."
A. Mary gave God the credit.
1. It is our duty to give God the credit. We can do nothing without God.
2. Mary recognizes that the works of God are mighty.
a. All you got to do is look around you to see the mighty works of God.
b. The sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains and all God's creation.
3. Mary realizes that all that God did, He did it for Her.
a. All that God created, benefits us all.
B. The Lord is holy
1. Holy=hagios= blameless, pure, sacred.
2. When we think of the Lord, we should consider His name as a name above
all other names. Phil 2:10
3. The Lord is abundantly good.
4. The Lord is exceedingly kind.
5. He is always right. He can never be wrong.
6. He can think no evil but good for all.
C. The mission of Jesus was to put away sin and establish the righteousness of God in
in His chosen.
1. The message of Jesus was purity and separation from sin.

GOD'S ACTS OF MERCY
V:50. "And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation."
A. Mercy= eleos= divine compassion
1. Generation= genea=age, period, time, nation
2. Fear= to be in awe, exceedingly reverent
B. God is so compassionate that He sent His only Son to be the atonement of
sin for all generations.
1. In fact, Jesus became sin so the world could be reconciled to Himself.
C. This verse indicates that God has different levels of compassion.
1. There is His general compassion for his creation.
2. But there is His special compassion for those who are in awe of Him.
a. There are some things that God does for those who reverence Him, that He does
not do for the world.
3. Even in the Body of Christ, I believe that there are different levels of His
compassion.
a. There are those who seek Him and there are those who "diligently" seek Him.
i. Hebrews 11:6, states, " He is a rewarder for those who diligently seek Him."
ii. Many come to Christ, yet do not diligently seek Him.
D. This verse indicates that His compassion is unending.
1. His compassion is from generation to generation.
a. From everlasting to everlasting
2.This verse indicates that the object of His compassion is His people and they are
unnumbered.

HIS POWER AND AUTHORITY
V.1:51 . "He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts."
A. Shewed=poieo=to make, abide
1. Strength= kratos= great vigor, power
2. Imagination= dianoia=deep thought, by its exercise
3. Scattered= diaskorpiza= dissipate, separate
4. Proud= huperephanos= appearing above others
B. Great vigor, great power abides in the Lord
1. Its with his arm. Power is an extension of God. Great vigor proceeds from Him,
C. The Lord separates the proud from Himself.
1. They see themselves above every body else.
2. It is the deep thought, the imagination, the exercise of thoughts of the proud that
separates them from God.
D. We have to be careful what we think about.
1. We have to direct our attention to the Lord less we stray.
2. We have a choice in what we think about.
a. We can choose God or we can choose the world.
E. We have a choice in attitude.
1. We can choose to be proud.
2. We can choose to be humble.
3. We can choose to be with God.
4. We can choose to separate ourselves from God.

V. 1:52. "He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree."
A. The Lord had put down princes and kings from their seats of pomp and power.
1. Through out the history of Israel, nations raised up against them but the Lord
rescued them.
a. The Lord will fight the battle of those who fear Him.
b. There is no one to big for God to bring down.
B. Jesus was born into a humble environment.
a. Mary was from a poor family in a poor tribe.
b. To Mary was born Jesus, who was exalted to king of kings.
C. God uses believers from all walks of life regardless of their back ground.
a. God is no respecter of person.
b. If we humble ourselves before the Lord, He will lift us up.


HIS MERCY
V.1:53. "He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty
away."
A. God has compassion on the poor and supplies their needs.
1. Those who seek the Lord come because of their needs.
2. Those who come to the Lord must come as little children.
a. They must come with a humble heart,
b. They must come by faith, trusting in His Holy Way.
3. The Father gives good things to His children.
a. The Father knows what we need before we ask .
b. We must come expecting good things from the Father.
i. Eternal life
ii. Forgiveness
iii. Peace
iv. Joy
v . Physical needs.
B. The rich come out of their wants not their needs.
1. The rich are selfish in their wants.
b. The rich have already been bless and therefore ought to be on the giving end.
c. The rich are expected to show compassion on the needy.
d. The rich should lend themselves as vessels to serve the Lord.
2. The rich are sented a away empty handed.
a. Their hands are empty because their needs are not genuine.
b. It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

V. 1:54. "He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy."
A. Holpen= antilambanou= to take turn, lay hold of
1. God has laid hold of Israel, lifted them up out of their sorrows and placed them on
the solid ground of Grace.
2. When Adam disobeyed God, sin was imputed on all generations.
a. Israel now, through Mary receives the promised Seed according to the grace of
God.
b. God remembers Israel with the birth of His Son, according to His great mercy.
B. With the birth of Jesus the age of Grace began.
1. It is by Grace through Faith in Jesus that we now receive eternal life.
2. Through Adam's sin the whole world was condemned.
3. Through Jesus death the whole world was made savable and able to receive
eternal life.

V.1:55. "As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever."
A Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise that God made to Abraham. Gen 12:3, 13:16
17:15
1. God keeps His promises.
a. The promise to Abraham of a seed to bless all the nations of the earth was given
2000 years earlier.
2. If God promised it, take hold of it and be prepared to receive His blessings.

God Allows Trials To Develop Our Faith

GOD ALLOWS TRIALS TO DEVELOP OUR FAITH

Gen 22:1-2, 6-14

V.1. “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto

him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.”

1. Through out our lives, God allows trials and tribulations.
1. They are designed to grow our faith.
2. They are there to draw us closer to the Father.
3. They are designed to be our testimony.
4. Tempt= nicah= to test, to prove,
5. God= elohiym= the triune God, the great judge, the mighty
2. In order to hear a Word from God, we must meditate on His Word day and night.
1. When God calls He expects a response.
2. To respond, we must make ourselves available.
3. To respond, we must be committed to the will of the Father.

V.2. “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get

thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the

mountains which I will tell thee of.”

A. God’s commands are not our options.

1. As believers we have a duty and an obligation to follow the commands of God.

2. If you love the Lord, you will keep His commands.

B. This command from God represents the 4^th crises God introduced in the life of

Abraham.

1. The first was the command to leave his people and his country.

2. The second was to rescue Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah before

God destroyed these cities.

3. The third was his failed plan of Ishmael being his promised son.

4. The forth was God’s command to sacrifice Isaac .

5. Each test was unique and designed to draw Abraham into complete

submission to the Father.

C. This was a test to see if Abraham loved God more than he loved his son.

1. We have to be careful not to put anything or anyone before God.

2. When God is not first in our lives, Satan has a field party with our

emotions and any decision we make.

D. True love requires a sacrifice.

1. One thing we can be sure of; Jesus loves us.

2. What a friend we have in Jesus. While we were yet sinners, Christ died

for us.

V.6. “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son;

and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.”

1. Abraham took his marching orders from the Lord.
2. There are times when God will ask us to do something that is “way” out of our

comfort zone.

1. The only way we can go forward is to say: “Not my will, BUT thine be done”.
2. Sometimes God will ask us to do some things that are beyond our physical and emotional strength. The only way to move forward is to say

“Not my will, BUT thine be done”.

C. The only way I can see Abraham letting his love, and his treasure go is to say:

“LORD NOT MY WILL, “BUT” THINE BE DONE”.

D. The only way I can see Abraham choosing the Lord’s command over the love

Of his son is for him to say: “Lord I TRUST that you know what you are asking

me to do”.

V. 22:7. “And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said,

Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb

for a burnt offering?”

A. What a question? “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

1. Can you imagine Abraham’s prayer as he made the LONG walk from his

tent to the mountain? Lord give me the courage and the strength to carry out

your command.

2. Isaac knew something was missing. Abraham couldn’t tell Isaac that he was the

missing sacrifice to God.

a. If we are going to move spiritually, we have to tell ourselves that we are

God’s sacrifice.

b. Jesus said it himself. “ For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and

whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” Mat 16:25

c. Paul said “ present your bodies as a living sacrifice” Rom 12:1

d. In order to be for Christ, you have to give up you.

V.8 “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:

so they went both of them together.”

A. God= Elohiym,

Will Provide =yir’eh

1. Abraham is sure of what God will do based on his history of God keeping His

Word.

2. We can be sure that we are here because God has provided.

3.We ought to be sure that going forward, God will provide, based on our

history with God.

B. Abraham is sure that his son is the sacrifice, but he does not reveal it to his son.

1. Everybody doesn’t need to know your business.

2. Some things ought to be held to the heart, between you and God.

3. Not everybody will understand your mission for God.

a. If they knew, some would try to deter you from your mission for God.

4. It is best, even if we don’t understand, to follow God’s commands.

V.22:9. “And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an

altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the

altar upon the wood.”

A. Before we ever begin a mission for God, we need to build an altar to God in our heart.

1. Prayer is the first order of our mission for God.

2. Before we can worship God, we must prepare a place in our heart for worship.

3. We must be committed to being obedient to God.

4. We must be committed to making a sacrifice for God.

B. Abraham’s resolve to sacrifice his son is a type of the sacrifice God made with his

Son, Jesus Christ for our sins.

1. Notice that there was no fight between Abraham and Isaac regarding his

sacrifice.

2. Isaac like Jesus, willingly allowed himself to be the sacrifice commanded by

God.

3. Like Jesus, we have to sacrifice ourselves to serve God.

a. We have to give up our wants for the wants of God.

b. Our desires ought to eventually become the desires of the Father.

V.22:10. “And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.”

A. The most severe test of Abraham’s faithfulness came with the physical act of taking

The life of his son.

1. Saying you are going to do something and doing it are two different things.

2. We must be true to our word.

3. When we make a promise to God, we must ensure that we keep that promise.

Deu 23:21

4. God never fails to keep the promises He has made to us.

5. God blesses us according to our faithfulness to Him.

V:11. “And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham,

Abraham: and he said, Here am I.”

A. God is always in control of his mission.

1. God provides directions as needed.

2. In our mission to serve God, we must ensure that we are following His

Directions.

a. Therefore, we must be constant in prayer.

b. We must be constant in seeking His divine guidance.

B. When God’s calls, we must be quick to listen.

1. When God calls we must be quick to respond.

C. The actions of Abraham proved the completeness of his faith.

1. There ought to be some evidence in our lives of our complete trust in the Lord.

2. The only way people know you love the Lord is by the sacrifice you are willing to make for the Lord.

3. Abraham waited most of his married life to have a son. The thing that he

Prayed for, the thing that he hoped for, he was now willing to give up

In obedience to the commands of the Lord.

4. True love is expressed in our sacrifices.

5. Love without commitment is not love at all.

V.22:12. “And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto

him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine

only son from me.”

A. When you have a close relationship with the Father, you can easily distinguish between the voice of the Father and the voice of the flesh.

1. God told Abraham to sacrifice his son.

2. An angel showed up and said “don’t lay your hands on your son.”

3. How do you know both messages are from the Lord?

4. Abraham only has a moment to make a decision.

5. Abraham has a history of Angels of the Lord giving him a message.

a. God speaks to us in a way we can understand.

b. God speaks to us in different ways at different times.

B. The design of God’s test was for Abraham to prove for himself his uncompromised

Love for the Lord.

1. The design of the test was to prove to Abraham that he could trust God in all

things.

2. The trials that God placed on Abraham had brought him to complete

submission to the Father.

3. God designs tests for us to bring us to complete reliance on Him.

V.22:13. “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram

caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him

up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”

A. The Lord provided a lamb for the sacrifice as a substitute for Isaac.

1. Jesus offered Himself up as a sacrifice for our sins.

2. God the Father did not withhold His only Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

3. The Love of God for us is proven in His sacrifice for us.

B. All we have to do is lift our eyes to the Lord to see His love for us.

C. God provides what He expects us to sacrifice to Him.

1. Our mistake is to fail to consider that what God provides is to be used for His

Glory.

V.22:14. “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this

day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”

1. Because God has been Good to Us, we ought to have a Testimony before the world

of His Goodness.

2. The testimony ought to be written in our hearts and in our expressions of gratitude.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God Keep's His Promises. You Can Count On It!" 12/11/2011

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES, YOU CAN COUNT ON IT

Gen 15:1-6, 12-18

V:1. "After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying,

Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."

A. The Lord has a special way of communicating with us.

1. He reveals his Word to us in our minds.

2. When the Lord calls us we have nothing to fear.

a. Whatever work the Lord has for us , He will protect us in it.

b. The Lord will shield us from hurt and danger as we labor to do His will

B. There is a reward for those who follow God's commands and do His will.

1. There is a reward on earth

a. There is comfort walking in fellowship with Lord.

b. There is the assurance of God's provision and protection.

c. There is the assurance of God's guidance and direction.

2. There is a reward in heaven

1. The things we do for God stores up treasures in heaven.

2. Our faith in God makes a way for our children.

V:15:2. "And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and

the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?"

A. No matter how much God has done, there is a "want" for more.

1. Abram was a rich man. God had blessed him with a wife, live stock and servants

and everything he needed.

2. Although God had given him a promised of a son, he didn't have a son.

3. Abram had a complaint with the Lord.

4. We need to be careful to be grateful for what we have before we complain for

"more".

B. Abram asked the "age old" question; "God, what's taking you so long to answer my

prayer?"

1. Man's reasoning may not discover God's plan or God's timing.

2. You told me awhile back that I was going to have a child. It has not happen.

a. There is a time span between Gen 12, when promise was first given and Gen 15.

3. Maybe you meant that somebody in my household would have a child for me.

4. Or maybe you meant that I would claim one of my stewards as my child.

5. Lord, I am trying to understand the meaning of your Word.

a. How does your Word apply to my particular situation?

C. It is ok to go to God in prayer seeking an understanding of His Word.

1. There are times when you want understand what God is doing in your life.

2. There are times when you will have to accept what He is doing as part of

His Divine will.

3. There are times when you will have to accept what is and pray for patience to

understand in time.

D. We know God can make a way.

1. The question is, can we accept His way?

2. The question is, can we commit ourselves to trust His way?

V.5:3. "And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my

house is mine heir."

A. Abram was trying to determine how God was going to fulfill His promise.

1. Abram was sure of the promise of God.

2. He was confused on the way God would fulfill the promise.

a. Abram suggests that according to the law, if he didn't have a son , the offspring

of his steward would be his heir.

b. We must remember, that our thoughts are not God's thoughts, Isa 55:10

3. We must be careful not to limit God's blessings to our way of thinking.

V.15:4. "And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be

thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir."

A. From time to time God reassures us that His promises are true.

1. God corrects Abrams misguided thoughts with simple language regarding the birth

of his promise child.

2. We must keep our focus on the promises of God.

a. We can easily get side tracked when we use our reasoning to determine God's

plan.

B. Because there is no evidence to you, that God is working, don't mean that He not

working.

1. God's plan is not on our schedule.

a. We fit into God's plan. God does not fit into our plan.

2. God times the fulfillment of His promises so that He gets full glory.

V. 15:5. "And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell

the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be."

A. God can do exceeding abundantly more than we can ask or conceive.

1. Abram was worried about one son, but God showed him a nation of sons.

2. If we rely on God, He will blessed us and our descendants.

3. What we do for God affect others long after we are gone.

B. Abram blesses us twice; spiritually and naturally. Naturally he is the seed of the

nation of Israel. Spiritually He is the seed of the church.

1. He was born in the flesh as we all are

2. From the seed of Abram was born Jesus Christ.

V.15:6 "And he believed in the LORD; He counted it to him for righteousness."

A. Believed =aman=build upon, support, nurse, to render firm, to rest one's faith upon

1. He believed in the promises of God.

a. Abram believed that he would have a seed.

b. Abram believed that his seed would have many descendants.

c. Abram believed a Messiah would spring from his seed.(all the nations of the

earth would be blessed).

B. Righteousness= tsedaqah=justice, morally, right

1. Notice, being counted righteousness does not include;

a. Works

b. Merit on the part of the receiver.

2. Being counted righteous is;

a. An act of God's divine will

b. An act of God's love

c. The grace of God.

3. The only requirement to be counted righteous by the Lord is belief in God's Word.

a. Being counted righteous meant Abram was accepted by God and forgiven.

b. What we should desire is an active righteousness of complete conformity to the

Divine Will (Pulpit Comm).

V.15:7. "And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the

Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it."

A. As long as we live the blessing of the Lord continue to flow.

1. Abram had a complaint, but God had a blessing.

2. Abram was sure of God promise, but he was confused by the "How" and the

"When".

3. No matter what our situation is, It is best to be patience and wait on the Lord.

B. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of what God has already done.

1. God brought us out of the world and placed us in the body of Christ.

2. The grace of God covered us in our sin.

3. The love of God gave us a measure of faith to know Him.

C. When we consider what God has done it ought to give us assurance in the

fulfillment of His promises.

1. Even if God does not answer our prayers the way we want, we must know that

He is able.

2. God's answer is the best answer weather we understand it or not.

3. God's way is the best way weather we agree with it or not.

V.15:8. "And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?"

A. How do we know what we think we heard from God is from God?

1. When we are seeking God for an answer, the flesh in us can make suggestions

that are agreeable.

2. We have to be careful that we are not hearing only what we want to hear.

B. Asking God to confirm His promise to us in a way we can receive is wise.

1. Satan can use this as an opportunity to deceive or cast doubt on the Word of

God.

2. The time between the asking and the answering of a prayer is the time for

faith building.

C. God can confirm His Word by His Word.

1. God can use others to confirm His Word.

2. God can confirm His Word in a dream.

3. God can confirm His Word by what He continues to do.

4. God can confirm His Word by doors that He opens for you.

5. God can confirm His Word by doors He closes.

V.15:12."And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an

horror of great darkness fell upon him."

A. God reveals His message to us from time to time in dreams and visions.

1. We sleep most often at night, therefore we dream at night.

2. Dreams are often related to that which we are concerns about.

B. It is the Lord that is the cause of our rest at night.

1. When we are at peace with the Lord we can sleep peacefully.

2. When we are at peace with the Lord, He can reveal His message to us.

V.15:13. "And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a

land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred

years."

A. God knows the end from the beginning.

1. Life is full of good news and bad news.

2. God is in control of all life's activities.

B. God uses the good and the bad to bless His people. Both are part of His divine plan.

1. The good news is the seed of Abram.

2. The bad news is 400 years of slavery.

3. The good news is the great nation promised by God from the seed of Abram.

C. You must ask the question; why would God plan 400 years of slavery for His People?

1. At this time the nation only exist in the mind of God.

2. The people have not been born, yet God knows their misery beforehand.

3. God knows from the beginning all the activities of our lives.

4. It is the good and the bad experiences that prepare us to serve God.

V.15:14. "And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall

they come out with great substance."

A. God used Egypt to grow Israel into a nation in slavery.

1. God punished Egypt for the slavery of Israel.

2. God allows bad for the benefit of His people.

3. God holds us accountable for the evil we do.

B. Not only does God allow Israel to grow into a nation in one place, but He equips

them with resources to survive.

1. Throughout our life time, God provides and equips us with what we need to serve

Him.

V.15:15. "And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old

age."

A. In God's divine plan for the ages is our birth and our death.

1. Neither is our birth or death a surprise to God.

2. God knows the length of our life.

3. God knows the time and the place of our death.

B. God knows what our condition will be at the time of our death.

1. Abram would die in his old age in peace.

2. God is intimate with us to know every detail of our life from birth to death.

V.15:16. "But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the

Amorites is not yet full."

A. In God's plan for the ages is all the people and circumstances of our lives.

1. Israel would spend 400 years in captivity.

2. When they were delivered from captivity, the Amorites inhabited the promise land.

3. The Amorites were evil hearted people and were punished by God.

4. God knows what we are going to face before we face it.

B. Since only God knows the plan of our lives, it would be wise to trust Him completely.

1. It is to our benefit to seek God for guidance and direction.

V.15:17. "And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a

smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces."

A. God prepared the conditions for a sacrifice to ratify a covenant with Abram.

1. The smoking furnace may represent the severe trials Israel faced as a nation.

a. The burning lamp may represent their many joyful deliverances.

b. The lamp also represents God as their guiding light.

2. Passing through the pieces was the confirming of the covenant God made.

3. The pieces were consumed completely testifying that sacrifice was acceptable to

God.

4. This indicates two concepts.

a. God's covenants with man are made by sacrifice. Christ is the great sacrifice.

b. God's acceptance of our spiritual sacrifices is a token of good, and earnest favors

in the future.

' 5. The covenant is unconditional because God ratified the covenant with Himself.

Abram is sleep during this activities.

V.15:18. "In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy

seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river

Euphrates".

A. The covenant with Abram includes the promise land which is permanently given

to Israel.

B. God set's the boundary of promise land.

1. This land was given to Israel as a token of His love for his people who had not yet

been born.

2. What God has for you is yours.

a. God prepares blessing for us before we are born.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Grace Of God Is Displayed In His Promises", 12/4/2011

FAITH, THE WAY TO MOVE ON IN THE LORD

THE GRACE OF GOD IS DISPLAYED IN HIS PROMISE

GEN 12:1-9

V:1. "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy

kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee."

A. The Father has a call on our lives. Romans 1:6, 8:28-30

1. This is the second call to Abram. The first is recorded in Acts 7:2-4.(Adam Clark)

a. God prepares us to accept His call and to follow His will.

b. In order to hear the call of the Lord, you have seek His will.

c. This second call would indicate that Abram had a close relationship with the

Lord.

2. Abram was commanded by the Lord to leave his country and family.

a. Lord= Yahweh= the God of Israel, self existing one.

b. To follow God we to have leave our past for a future with God.

B. God has a new place for the called out. 1 Peter 2:9

1. Abram was going to a new land.

a. Any man in Christ is a new creation.

b. Positionally we are in the heavens with Christ. John 17:24

2 We leave behind our old life for a new life with Christ.

THE PROMISE

V:2."And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name

great; and thou shalt be a blessing."

A. Our Father has a plan for our lives.

1. Greatness is found only in the Lord.

2. If we are obedient to God's Word, He will be cause of any greatness in us.

a. Service is the way to greatness. Matt. 23:11

b. Greatness is found only in a humble spirit. Matt. 18:4

B. God blesses us to be a blessing to others.

1. If we follow the commands of God we will be a blessing to others.

C. The start of a new nation begins with the faith of one person. Heb. 11:8-10

1. Abram would become the Father of the Nation of Israel.

a. Abram had no children at this time.

b. It would be 24 years before he and Sarah would have a child.

2. God knows the end from the beginning.

a. Israel grew up as a nation during a 430 period in Egypt (mostly in slavery).

Gen 15:13, Ex 12:40

b. God keeps His promises according to His will.

2. Your life under the direction of God will affect the lives of many.

a. At this very moment, you really don't know how many lives you are affecting.

b. It is by faith that we move according to the commands of God.

HIS PROVISIONS

Verse 3. "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in

thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

A. God uses others to bless His people.

B. God protects those He call.

C. In the seed of Abram was the blessings for the whole world.

1. Through Abram we have the Bible, our Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. The families of the earth is blessed with knowledge and the means of salvation.

HIS OBEDIENCE

V:4. "So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him:

and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran."

A. Abram was in the Ur of the Chaldes when God called the first time. He moved to

Haran (Adam Clark).

1. Abram was a man of faith. He believed God. James 2:23

2. Abram was obedient to the Father. He moved when God said "move".

B. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

1. It pleased God to make Abram the father of the Nation of Israel.

2. We know God was pleased, because all the nation of the earth is blessed through

him.

C. It ought to be every believers desire to please God.

1. When God is pleased, you can't imagine what He will do for you.

2. When God is pleased, you can't imagine what He will do through you.

3. When God is pleased, you can't imagine how others will be blessed because of

your obedience and commitment.

D. God's call keeps us on the move.

1. When we get to comfortable, it means we are not seeking the higher call of the

Father.

a. We have already arrived, we have done enough.

2. The work of the Lord is never done.

a. There is always more to do.

E. Age is not a factor when it comes to serving God.

1. You are never to young and you are never to old to serve God

2. Abram was 75 which was young compared to his father who died at 225 years of

age.

3. God call us when we ready to be a blessing to others.

V:5. "And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance

that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth

to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came."

A. When God calls, He requires a complete move.

1. Abram took his wife and all his stuff and move out of town.

2. You can't serve God when you are holding on to the past.

3. God wants full custody, not week end visits.

B. You got to leave some stuff behind to follow God.

1. Abram only took his wife and his nephew with him.

a. He left some other relatives behind.

b. Not everybody in the family will follow God.

2. If you won't praise Him; I can't let you hinder me.

3. If you want follow God, then Good Bye. I am on my way to the kingdom.

C. God has a particular place where He wants us to serve.

1. Abram was directed into the land of Canaan.

a. This would be the physical place of God's temple

b. At some time in the future, the whole world would center it's attention on this

land.

c. This would be the place where our Savior Jesus Christ would be born and preach

the Gospel.

d. This would be the place where Israel would be gathered as a Nation.

e. This would be the place where salvation would be made available to the whole

world.

f. This would be the place of the second coming of Jesus to receive His Church to

himself.

D. God has a place for us to serve.

1. We need to find that place and get busy.

V:6. "And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of

Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land."

A. To get you prepared to serve, God may put you through a series of trials.

1. Abram on his way to Canaan pass through two lands.

2. What we go through in life prepares and equips us to serve God.

3. Trials and tribulations are faith building exercises.

4. Each experience strengthens and builds us up for future events that God only

knows.

HIS WORSHIP

V:7. "And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land:

and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him."

A. God made a new covenant with Abram .

1. The covenant includes the promises of :

a. A Seed, an offspring.

b. A Nation

c. A Land

d. A Blessing of all the nations of the earth

2. This covenant was unconditional

a. It was made by the grace of God.

b. It had nothing to do with any worth in Abram.

c. It was made because of God's love for His people.

d. It was made because of God's need to save mankind.

2. The blessing of the Lord is not all about you.

a. God blesses us with a greater purpose in mind.

b. We never know what the final outcome of our service will be.

3. We are the recipients of somebody else's service.

B. When God blesses us, we ought to make a special effort to show our gratefulness.

1. Abram built an altar to the Lord.

2. Blessing God ought to more than just lip service.

3. There ought to some physical evidence that we are thankful.

C. Abram built an altar to God and He showed up.

1. You can be sure if you do something special for God, He will show up in your life.

V:8. "And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his

tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto

the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD."

A. Where ever we travel we ought to make it our business to set up a special place to

worship the Lord.

1. Only the Lord can provide divine protection.

2. There is no protection in the house where there is no worship.

B. At the altar Abram called on the Lord.

1. It not enough to set up an altar.

a. We must humble ourselves before the altar and seek His presence.

b. We must give Him glory and honor for our existence.

2. Setting up the altar was an open profession of Abram faith

a. It was an act of devotion to the Lord.

b. It was an act of worship.

C. When we diligently seek the Lord, He will in time reveal His purpose for us.

1. The Lord Jesus was revealed to Abram. John 8:56

2. Abram came to know the promise seed.

3. It should be our desire to know Jesus.

4. We ought to be in constant communication with the Lord.

V:9. "And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south."

A. Our journey with the Lord never ends while we live on this earth.

1. The Lord continues to take us to higher heights in the spirit.

2. We should never stop growing in the Lord.

B. Whatever God give us should be considered carefully to know it fully.

1. Abram walked the land to see his blessing.

2, We must walk with God to see His blessing.