This Week's Sunday School Lesson, Finding Yourself In The Lord", 10/27/2013

FINDING YOURSELF IN THE LORD

 

Genesis 28:10-22

 

LEAVING HOME, A FRESH START

V:10. " Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran."

 A. There is a time for a man to leave the home of his mother and father.

     1. It is a good thing to seek the wisdom of our parents before we leave.

     2. Parents have traveled the road that is in front of us.

         a. They know from experience what to look for in life.

         b. It is good for a son or daughter to experience the pit falls and the joys of being

 

             on  their own.

     3. Jacob took the advice of his mother and his father.

        a. He followed the wisdom of his mother and his father before traveling to the

 

            place of his new start.

 B.  It is not good for grown siblings to live with their parents.

      1. Sibling rivals can develop and parents may show favoritism.

      2. Esau was favored by his father (Isaac) because he was the oldest son.

      3. Jacob was favored by his mother ( Rebekah) because he was the obedient son.

      4. When Isaac was near death, he wanted to bless Esau to carry on the family

 

           name.

          a. Esau had married outside of the Jewish family and brought displeasure to

              Isaac and Rebekah.

     5. At his mother's advice, Jacob tricked his blind father into believing he was Esau.

         a. Isaac gave the blessing that was Esau's birth right to Jacob.

         b. Jacob's deception produced hostility with his brother.

         c. For this reason, Jacob was sent away to find a Jewish wife.

 

 V:11. " He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place."

 A. The journey to independence has stages.

      1. There is the stage of breaking away from the family structure.

         a. This is the stage of learning to live without the protective arm of a mother and

             father.

         b. This is the stage of learning to feel comfortable with yourself.

         c. This is the stage of learning to do for yourself.

         d. This the stage of spending sometime with yourself in the day and in the night.

  B. There is a time to find a place for yourself.

       1. This is the time to make a bed to lay your head.

       2. This is the time to learn to make do with what you got.

           a. Jacob had no bed.

           b. Jacob made the ground his bed and rocks his pillow to rest his head.

           c. Jacob made the stars in the sky the roof over him.

           d. Jacob made the atmosphere around him the walls of his room.  

 

JACOB'S DREAM

V:12. " He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching

 

   to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it."

 A. When you find peace with yourself, God can begin to give you the vision of

 

      Himself.

     1. Peaceful rest in the Lord sometimes gives way to the dreams of the Lord.

     2. Once Jacob fell asleep, he had a dream which gave him a vision of the Lord.

 B. Jacob had a vision of the Lord at the top of a ladder that extended into heaven.

    1. Jacob saw the Lord high and himself low.

    2. God sits high and looks low.

       a. God is higher than the heavens and we are lower than dirt.

       b. Seeing the Lord high and lifted up keeps us humble in His presence.

 C. God opens the door of communication with us.

     1. He can use his angels to give us a message.

         a. The word "angel" in this text is a translation from a the Hebrew word  malak

             which means messenger or ambassador.

      2. God can and does use His pastors, ministers and teachers to give us a word.

      3. God uses his printed Word to give us a message from Him.

 D. The doors of communication to God in heaven are always open to us.

     1. The prayers of man go up to God in heaven and His blessings flow down to us.

     2. Jesus our Lord and Savior is the stairway to heaven for us.

 V:13. " And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants."

 A. This time of breaking away from our mother and father is the time to find the Lord

      for ourselves.

     1. We have to learn to seek the Lord.

     2. We have to learn to hear the Lord.

     3. We have to learn to trust the Lord.

 B. The time of breaking away from our parents is the time to make the God of our

      parents, the God we trust.

     1. We have to make the Lord our God.

     2. We have to search the Word and to find God's promises for ourselves.

 C. God had a word for our parents and He has a word just for us.

     1. God has been God all the time. He is the "I Am God".

     2. There is no time when He was not the God of our fore parents.

     3. The same promises that God made to our parents are the promises He makes to

 

          us.

 D. God has a plan for our lives and we must seek His will to discover His plan for us. 

    1. The promise land was given to Jacob and his descendants.

        a. God confirmed the promise He made to Abraham and his descendants.

        b. God's promise to Abraham is an everlasting promise of blessings to all

 

            generation.

        c. We receive the blessings of this promise through our Lord and Savior Jesus

 

            Christ.

    2. We must search the Word for ourselves to discover the promises God has made to

 

        us.

 V:14.  "Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

 A. God's promises to us are not just for us.

    1. God blesses us so we can be the bearers of the good news of His blessings and

        promises to all our families and to those who will be our descendants.

    2. It is God's intent that we spread His Word to the ends of the earth.

        a. We should take God's Word in our hearts and proclaim it where we go.

        b. We should walk by faith leaning on His Word.

 C. We have no idea how many people we will bless by living a life for God.

    1. Our life with God starts with taking the Word of the Lord to heart and applying it

 

        to ourselves.

    2. People around us start getting blessed, when we start living for God.    

 

 V:15.  "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

 A. One of the first truths about God that we must learn is that He is always with us.

    1. Another truth we must learn about God is we can't get out of His sight.

    2. Another truth about God that we must learn is that He will protect and provide for

        us.

    3. God is interested in the specific details of our lives.

 B. God has places that He wants us to go.

    1. He will direct us to places of opportunity to prepare us to inherit His promises.

    2. Jacob was directed through the promised land in preparation for the blessings of

        the promise.

    3. God let Jacob see the blessing before He allowed him to possess it.

    4. God gives us dreams to work toward.   

 C. Whatever promises God made to us, He will keep.

     1. Notice He says, I will not leave you until My promises to you are completed.

     2. This means that God is with us until we die.

  D. God chose us for the work of fulfilling His promises for generations to come.

     1. We are the vessels that God uses to proclaim the hope in Jesus Christ, the

 

          promised seed.

     2. We exist for the purpose of giving God glory.

 

JACOB'S INSPIRATION

 V:16. " Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it."

 A. Another truth we should know about the Lord is where ever we are the Lord Is.

     1. Even when we did not know God, He was our God.

     2. Even when we did not know God, He was working on our behalf.

 B.  It is God that puts us to sleep and it is God that awakens us.

     1. Our sleep time is the time when God refreshes us and renews our hope.

     2. God can give us clear visions of Himself and his plans in our sleep.

     3. It is important to go to bed with the Lord on your mind.

 C. It is important for us to come to the knowledge that every place belongs to the

      Lord.

    1. When we show up with our minds on the Lord, He shows up with us.

    2. There is a time when we must confess that the Lord is our God.

 

V:17. " He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

 A. We need a healthy fear of the Lord.

      1. The Lord is awesome.

      2. Where ever we go, the awesome God we serve is with us.

      3. A healthy fear of the Lord causes us to give Him glory and honor.

      4. A healthy fear of the Lord causes us to be obedient to His Word.

 B. We are God's house.

      1. The body is the temple of the Lord.

      2. No building can hold the Lord.

         a. Every building should be dedicated to the Lord.

         b. We should consider ourselves as being owned by the Lord.

  C. The gate to heaven is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

      1. We should realize that God has put us into one body which is the body of

 

          Christ.  

      2.  We are the temple of the Lord which is an  awesome house for Him.

      2. We should dedicate a place in our home to the Lord.

          a. We should find a place where we go to meet the Lord in prayer.

          b. God must be first in our hearts and our thoughts.

 

JACOB'S DEDICATION

V:18. " So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top"

 A. The process of pouring oil on the stone was Jacob's way of dedicating the place to

 

      the Lord.

    1. We should start our day dedicating ourselves to the Lord.

    2. It should be our aim to start every day with our mind on the Lord and thanking

       

        Him for His goodness.

 B. God is our head and there is nothing more profitable than making Him the Head of

      our life.

    1. God is the head when we go to bed, the head while we sleep, and the head when

       

        we are awake.

    2. A life dedicated to the Lord is a profitable life.

 

V:19. " He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz."

 A. The name "Bethel" means house of God.

     1. Jacob set a stone to mark the place as a place of worship.

     2. Luz is a Hebrew word which means "almond tree" or "growing there".

         a. Luz was set in a barren rocky region.

         b. A clump of almond trees grew in the mist of this region.

         c. Weary travelers could find shade and be nourished by eating the almonds.

         d. This was precious fruit to a hungry traveler.  (Biblical Illustrator)

 B. Jacob renamed the place to remember the day when He came to know God as his

      Lord.

    1. From time to time we should reflect on the time when we made God the Lord of

       our life.

       a. Remembering this as a turning point in our lives keeps us from being puffed up.

       b. We should remember the time when our growth in the Lord began.

     2. When we are anchored in the Lord, our spiritual growth will continue.

 C. Jacob set the stone and renamed the place as a memorial to the day when God gave

      him favor.

     1. It is only by God's favor that we come to know Him.

     2. God elected us to the body of Christ then called us out of the world for a life with

         Him.

 

CONFESSION OF FAITH

 V:20.  "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear."

 A. Jacob began his journey of faith in the Lord with a vow expressing his gratefulness

      for God's divine favor.

    1. It appears that Jacob was making a deal with the Lord for His divine favor.

    2. He starts his vow off with "If".

        a. There is no "if" in God's promise of blessings.

        b. What God promised, He will do.

    3. We should make vows to the Lord to express our devotion and gratitude for His

        goodness.

        a. When we make a vow to the Lord, we should be prepared to keep it at all cost.

        b. God's promises to us are not conditional on our goodness.

 B. We should know that when God selected us to be blessed, He had a plan to prepare

      us for the blessing.

   1. God's plan includes our protection and provisions.

   2. God has determined the time when we will receive the blessings He planned for

       us.

 

 V:21. " And I return to my father's house in safety, then the Lord will be my God."

   A. Notice Jacob says "If God does this..., then God will be my God".

      1. Jacob was already blessed by the Lord.

      2. Jacob's blessing was not contingent upon his performance.

   B. God is our God whether we recognize it or not.

      1. The evidence that God is our God is the fact that He made Himself known to us.

      2. The evidence that God is our God is our present existence.

 

   C. Jacob was already under the protection of the Lord.

      1. He traveled from his fathers home to a desolate place without incident.

      2. Since we have lived for many days, we have had many days of God's protection.

   D. God shows Himself to be our God by His constant grace and mercy that flows to

        us.   

      1. We should wait to obtain what we want to make God our God.

      2. We should make God our God before we think about what we want.   

      3. We should make sure that what we want is to give God the Glory.     

 

 V:22.  "This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."

  A. Our gratitude to the Lord should be expressed in words and  giving back to the

       Lord.

     1. We should make a vow to the Lord to return to Him a generous portion of what

         He has blessed us with.

     2. Jacob gave us a model of giving; one tenth of our earnings.

  B. The Body of Christ is always expanding.

     1. The Church should be supported by our giving.

     2. A neglect of giving is an indication of our ungratefulness.

     3. A neglect of giving is an indication of our lack of trust in the Lord.

  C. God is generous to us, therefore we should have no problem being generous to

       Him.

     1. All the blessings we have, come from the Lord.

     2. We should continue to bless the hand that blesses us. 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "A Promise of Two Nation; Jews And Gentiles", 10/20/13

A PROMISE OF TWO NATIONS, JEWS AND GENTILES

 

Genesis 21:12-14, 17-21, 26:2-5, 12,13

 

ABRAHAM'S PROBLEM

V:12. " But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named."

 A. A healthy marriage does not need outside distractions.

     1. Abraham and Sarah brought this distraction into their marriage when they failed

         to be patient with God's plan for a son.

     2. God promised a son to Abraham and Sarah.

        a. Perhaps at God's delay, they chose Hagar as a substitute for Sarah's barrenness.

    3. Communication in the marriage is important.

       a. The husband and the wife should discuss issues before making decisions.

       b. The couple should consider each others thoughts.

       c. Decisions should be made for what is best for the marriage.

 B. Children will be children.

     1. When  Ishmael was at the age of 16 or 17, Sarah became irritated because

          he was mocking something.

        a. God does not tell us what the issue was.

        b. After Isaac was born, perhaps Sarah realized her own foolishness in not trusting

            God's Word that she and Abraham would have a child together.

      2. It was the custom that at the death of the father, the inheritance would go to the

            first born son. 

      3. The first born son of Abraham was Ishmael born to him by Hagar.

         a. It would be normal for Sarah to put some distance between Isaac and  Ishmael.

         b. Moving Ishmael out of the way would eliminate the problem she caused.

 C. Sometimes God has to step in to help us come to the right decision.

    1. Certainly Abraham did not want to send his son away whom he loved.

    2. God agreed with Sarah's decision because the promised son was Isaac.

 

ISHMAEL'S BLESSING

V:13. "And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant."

  A. God's plan for us will not be changed by our foolishness or the foolishness of our

       parents.

     1. Ishmael was not the promised son, but he would be blessed by God.

     2. God had a plan for Ishmael.

        a. He would be blessed with children whose descendants would form nations.

        b. Ishmael and His family would be prosperous.

 B. Because God is Father, He knows the right decisions we should make.

  

V:14. " So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba."

 A.  I am sure it was a difficult decision for Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away.

     1. Being obedient to God, he gave them provisions for a short period of time.

     2. Abraham had to trust God to take care of them.

 B. God did not tell Hagar or Ishmael His plan for them.

     1. They wandered in the desert until their provisions ran out.

     2. Life is a wilderness for us, but with God as our guide we can get through it.  

 

V:17. " God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is."

 A. God is aware of our situation and our location.

     1. We can never get out of His sight.

     2. God hears our cry.

 B. It is in the wilderness when we can hear the Lord's voice clearly.

    1. Our distress is an opportune time for God to get our attention.

 C. Notice God heard Ishmael's cry, but He sent an angel to talk to Hagar.

    1. God knows who is listening and who will respond to His voice.

    2. Ishmael was crying, but He may not have responded to the voice of the Lord.

    3. Hagar responded because she needed help for her child.

 D. God's call to us from heaven can be heard without the use of any electronic devices.

    1. Because God is with us, we have no need to fear.

    2. God has angels that He can send to rescue us from any situation.

 

V:18.  "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand, for I will make a great nation of him."

 A.  God gives us comfort in our time of trouble.

    1. Hagar had been pushed out of her home with no where to go and no support.

    2. God stepped in with His plan of redemption and His purpose for Ishmael's

        life.

    3. When all seems lost, God is not lost.

    4. Sometimes a bad situation is the door to the blessings of our life.

    5.  Hagar and Ishmael was in the middle of nowhere, but God gave them a view of

         his plan for them.

 B. Hagar and Ishmael had been cast out as being in the way, but God had a way to a

      great nation awaiting them.

    1. Ishmael would become one of the fathers of the Arab nation.

    2. Ishmael would become a great father in the Gentile world.

 C. Notice the Lord used three verbs in this verse; arise, lift up  and hold.

    1. If you want to help someone in need you have to "arise"

        a. You have to make a move toward that person.

        b. You have to move out of your comfort zone to do something different.

    2. The characteristic of a good Christian is the desire to lift up another person to a

         higher level.

       a. This could be a good word from the Lord.

       b. This could be a word of encouragement.

       c. This could be good advice and directions.

    3. Some times you need to give someone something to hold on to.

       a. You can become that leaning post for a person in need.

       b. Sometimes a listening  ear is all they need.

       c. Sometimes it is financial help that they need.

 

V:19. " Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink."

 A. When they were just out of provisions, God stepped in with new provisions. 

     1. We should not worry about what we can't see, but trust the Lord to see what

         we need.

     2. We do not have eyes to see all the blessings God has for us.

 B. God will reveal what we need to know when it's time for us to know.

     1. We should always look to God for out help.

     2. God can see what we can't see.

 

V:20. " God was with the lad, and he grew; and he lived in the wilderness and became an archer."

 A. Hagar and Ishmael was pushed out of their home with Abraham into their new

      home in the wilderness.

  1. God had a new occupation for Ishmael to support himself and His mother.

      a. He became an archer.

      b. He was skilled at using the bow and arrow to track down and kill animals for

          food.

      c. He was skilled at using the bow and arrow for protection.

  2. Sometimes God has to kick us out of one place to put us in position

      to start something new.

B. God is always with us in this journey.

   1. God protects and provides for us as we grow into new areas.

 

V:21. " He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt."

 A. God was with Ishmael in the wilderness.

     1. He was away from his father, but with God the eternal Father.

     2. Friends and family may forsake us but God is always with us.

 B. Friends and family may kick us to the curve.

     1. The God we serve will never leave us or forsake us.

 C. We should thank God for parents who stand by us.

     1. Abraham put his son out, but his mother never left his side.

     2. Ishmael's mother was doing what the father failed to do.

         a. Abraham found a wife for Isaac. Ishmael's mother found a wife for

            him.

   D. Let this be a lesson to our daughters.

       1. If you are not first with the man you pick as your husband, your children want

           be first either.

       2. If a man is married, don't think you can take the place of his wife.

       3. Before you have a relationship with a man, seek the Lord's guidance first.

 

ISAAC'S BLESSING

Genesis 26:2-5

V:2. " The Lord appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you."

 A. There are some places that God does not want us to go.

      1. There are times when it is best to stay put until we get a word from the Lord.

      2. There are many avenues we can travel and some are not good for us.

      3. There are many places we can go, but some are not good for us.

 B. We should seek God's advice before we make plans.

      1.There is a time to move and there is a time to stay where you are.

      2. When God open doors, the path to success is already set.

 C. If you seek God in prayer, He will tell you when to go and where to go.

     1. If you seek God, He will prepare you and equip you to go where He has planned.

 D. Notice, for Isaac to hear the Lord, he had to be listening for the Lord voice.

     1. For Isaac to be in the frame of mind to seek the Lord, he had to be trained to fear

         the Lord.

        a. Parents must train up their children to know the Lord.

        b. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.  

  

V:3.  "Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham."

 A. It is the job of the parents to teach their children the promises that God has made to

      them.

     1. In Abraham's time, the Bible was not in print. The Word of the Lord had to be

         passed on from one generation to the next generation.

     2. When a child knows the Lord, he will learn to seek His voice.

     3. When a child knows the Lord, he will be obedient to His commands.

 B. God confirms His Word to His people from generation to generation.

 

V:4. "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed."

 A. God confirmed the covenant He made with Abraham to Isaac.

    1. Isaac was the beginning of Abraham's descendants under the covenant.

    2. When we summit ourselves to God's guidance, He will in time reveal His

        will for our lives.

    3. The best thing we can do for our children is to train them to be obedient.

        a. Obedience to their parents is the key to learning obedience to God.

        b. Parents must first be obedient to God before they can teach obedience

            to their children.

        c. You cannot wait until a child is grown to teach them obedience.

 B. The sooner a child learns obedience, the quicker his life will be on the right track.

     1. If we don't teach our children to listen to God, they will listen to the world.

 C. Notice the blessing of the Lord exceeds our thoughts and conceptions.

    1. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others.

    2. It is not all about us, it is all about the will of the Lord.

  3. God not only promised that Isaac life would be a success, but his children's lives

      would be a success.

      a. Our lives affect the lives of others.

      b. We are role models to those around us.

 

V:5." Because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws."

 A. Notice it was Abraham's obedience that caused his sons to be blessed.

     1. If we want a successful life for our children, we start with our own obedience

         to the Lord.  

 B. Abraham practiced complete obedience to the Lord.

     1. He did all that God commanded Him to do.

     2. Abraham's life was a life of obedience.

 C. Notice the complete dedication of Abraham's Life to the Lord.

    1. He obeyed the voice of the Lord.

        a. Whatever God told him to do, he did it without question.

        b. Abraham was in tuned with the Lord.

   2. He kept the Lord's charge.

      a. His charge was father, head of the household.

      b. Abraham was the husband and father.

      c. He exercised his position according to the will of the Father.

  3. He keep God's commands.

     a. Abraham was careful to kept and observe God's commands, laws and statues.

     b. Abraham did not follow his own mind, but practice following the will of God.

 

Genesis 26:12-14

V:12. " Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him."

 A. Success in life comes through obedience to God's commands.

     1. God can bless the work of your hands and multiply what you do many fold.

     2. Where God places you can be your place of success.

     3. God is the reason for our success.

 B. All blessing flow from the Lord.

 

V:13 ."And the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy."

 A. A life of obedience is a life of wealth.

     1. We have a wealth of joy.

     2. We have a wealth of peace.

     3. We have a wealth of wisdom.

     4. We  have a wealth of fellowship with the Lord.

     5. We have a wealth of friendship.

     6. We have wealth of health.

     7. We have a wealth strength.

     8. We have a wealth of protection.

     9. We have a wealth of provisions.

 

  

 

NASU

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God Keeps Promises In His Time", 10/13/2013

GOD KEEPS  PROMISES IN HIS TIME

Genesis 17:15-18, 18:9-15, 21:1-7

 

V:15 "Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name."

 A. When God calls us to service, we have a name change.

      1. There is a change in devotion and purpose.

      2. Abram's name was changed to Abraham.

          a. The name Abram means high father.

          b. The name Abraham means father of multitude.

          c. God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham that he would be the father

              of  many nations.

      3. The Hebrew name Sarai means princess or woman of nobility.

          a. Her original name; Sarai was also compared to an Arabic word

              which meant barren mountain.

          b. Before God's divine intervention, Sarah was unable to conceive and have a

              child.

          c. God changed her name to Sarah which means princess of multitude.

          d. Because of the covenant God made with Abraham, Sarah became the princess

              of many nations.

  B. The life of Sarah and Abraham took on a new divine purpose.

      1. They became the parents of the nation of Israel and many other nations.

      2. Through Abraham and Sarah came the genealogy of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

      2. Only a life with God has a divine purpose.

      3. A successful life with God requires obedience to his Word.

 

V:16. "I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."

 A. To those who are obedient and faithful, God gives the desires of their

      heart.

    1. Abraham and Sarah were well past the child bearing age.

    2. God had blessed them with every thing they needed but a child.

    3. Their life long desire would have been to have a male child.

    4. It would be a son that would extend the family name.

 B. God had promised Abram at the age of 75 that He would be the father of many

      nations.

  C Why did God wait 25 years to fulfill His promise?

      1. When God selects us for a position we are not always ready to assume the

          position.

      2. God has to mold and reshape us to be what He wants.

      3. Abraham had some kinfolk problem.

          a. He brought Lot his nephew out of Ur with him.

          b. Lot had no part in the promise.

      4. Abram had a what I can see problem.

          a. Since Sarah was barren; He and Sarah thought the promised child would 

              have to come by other means; through Hagar, Sarah maid.

       5. He had a patience problem; a need to help God keep His promise of a son.

          b. God had to bring him to the point of absolute faith.   Gen 15:6

             

 C. God promised Abram that all the nations of the earth would be blessed by him.

     1. God does not need our help to keep His promises.

     2. God does not work on our time schedule.

     3. God is unlimited in His ability to accomplish His will.

     4. We may not live long enough to see the fulfillment of God's promises.

         a. Abraham did not live long enough to see the fulfillment of God's promise.

             but he believed it to be true.

         b. God's promise to us affects our children.

 

V:17. " Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"

 A. Don't limit the blessings of God by what you can see.

     1. God is not limited by time, place or circumstance.

     2. What Abraham failed to consider is that God made man from the dust of the

 

        earth.

     3. If God made man from nothing, surely He can regenerate that which He made.

     4. All the organs of the body are under God's control.

 B. The Lord appeared to Abraham again and reconfirmed His promise that he

      and Sarah would have a child.

    1. Abraham was stuck on what he knew about child bearing.

        a. He laughed at God's promise.

        b. The word laugh is a translation from the Hebrew "tsachag" which means  

            merriment, scorn or make sport of.

        c. God's promise didn't seem possible to Abraham.

    2. God is not limited by history or physical circumstances.

        a. You can be sure that God can accomplish what He promises.

 

Genesis 18:9-15

V:9. " Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "There, in the tent."

 A. God appeared to Abraham in the form of three men. Gen 18:2

      1. No man has seen God at any time.

      2. God shows up in our lives all the time.

      3. God may use the voice of others to deliver a message to us.

      4. Be careful how you entertain strangers. They may be angels of the Lord.

 B. We have to learn to discern the voice of God when we hear it.

     1. We have to be ready to respond to the voice of God when He speaks.

     2. We must take comfort that the word of God is for our good.  

 

V:10. " He said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him."

 A. It takes faith to believe the Word of God.

     1. When it is an issue concerning the family, God speaks to the man and His wife.

     2. There are times when God gives us a specific time when He will fulfill a

         promise.

     3. God knows the doubts that are in our hearts, so He comforts us with a reassuring

         Word.

 B. Both Sarah and Abraham were participants in God's plan for the nations of the

      earth,  so He spoke to both of them at the same time.

 

V:11. " Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing."

 A. The glory of God is shown through impossible situations.

     1. What is impossible for man is possible for God.

     2. God leaves no doubt in your mind when He does the impossible.

 B. With age, the body functions declines. But the God we serve can restore functions

      in the body to working conditions.

 

V:12. " Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

 A. From time to time, God has to deal with our unbelief.

     1. When we have tried to accomplish something and prayed about it and found no

          success, we tend to give up on the dream.

     2. It is obvious that Abraham and Sarah had tried to have a child during the

         normal child bearing years, but were not successful.

     3. Because Abraham was a man who listen to God, he probably had expressed his

         desire for a son to God. But He got no answer that agreed with his thinking.

     4. Abraham and Sarah had given up hope for a child.

     5. The thought of having a child at their age was humorous.

 B. God keeps promises, but in His time and according to His will.

 

V:13. " And the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?'

 A. To grow our faith, God tests our faith.

     1. Doubts and fears originate in the heart.

     2. Sarah laughed to herself.

     3. God searches the heart and knows all our doubts and fears.

 B.  Sarah like Abraham laughed at the thought of having a baby in their old age.

     1. With His questions, God causes us to examine our faith.

     2. We can have what we believe, if we can imagine in faith.

     3. Our faith pleases God, and causes Him to act in our favor.

 

V:14.  "Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

 A. There is no problem that God can't handle.

     1 We have to ask, is our faith bigger than our problem?

     2. There is a season for everything that God has promised us.

     3. Sometimes God waits until our time frame has expired before He acts so that

         we will know it was Him and Him alone that blessed us.

 

15 Sarah denied it however, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh."

 A. We ought to fear the Lord when we have trouble believing His Word.

     1. The Word of the Lord never fails.

     2. We have the testimony of theWord to the truth of Word of God.

        a. Scripture interprets and confirms other scriptures.

     3. History confirms the fulfillment of the promises of the Lord.

 

Genesis 21:1-7

V:21:7.  " And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken."

 A. God keeps His promises.

     1. God loves family.

     2. When God is the author of your plans, you are assured of success.

     3. God put men and women together to populate the earth.

 B. It is because of God love of families that babies are born.

     1. Every family is important to God.

 

V:2, " For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him."

 A. The promised son of Abraham and Sarah was the start of the descendants of the

      blessed nations promised to Abraham.

    1. What forms in the body of a woman when a man and a woman come together is a

         product controlled by God.

    2. The process of conception is a miracle designed by God to produce another

        human  being.

       a. God takes something produced in a man then put it with something

           produced in a woman to form another living being.

       b. Only God can produce and sustain life.

 B. God determines when life begins and continues the product of life to form nations.

     1. Jesus the creator of all things brought Himself low to be born in

         a line of descendants of Abraham and Sarah.   

V:3. " And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac."

 A. The name Isaac is from the Hebrew word  "Yitschaq" which means laughter.

     1. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed when God told them they would have a child

         in their old age.

     2. You never get to old for God to bless you with the desires of your heart.

     3. You never get to old for God to use you.

     4. You never get to old to be a blessing to another generation.

 B. The faithful man and woman of God will be a blessing to others.

     1. Like Sarah and Abraham, we should always find joy in life.

V:4, " And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him."

 A. The circumcision was a token of the covenant God made with Abraham that

      he and his wife would be Mother and Father of many descendants.

    1. We should begin the lives of our children in obedience to God.

    2. We should train up our children to honor the Father with their lives.

 B. God is the reason we have what we have.

    1. A life that begins and continues in obedience to God's commands will be

       successful.

 

V:5  " And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him."

  A. Abraham lived a blessed life throughout his old age.

     1. As long as we have breath, we are blessed.

     2. We owe praise and honor to God everyday of our lives.

     3. We never know at what age God will perform a special miracle in our lives.

 B. Some of God's blessing come at unexpected times.

    1. We should live our lives in continued adoration of the Father because His mercy

         endures forever.

    2. We were called out of the world of darkness into the marvelous light to be blessed

        by God.

  

V:6. " And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me."

 A. Because God has given us joy, we should be the source of joy to others.

     1. Joy is contagious.

     2. The praise of God is contagious,

 B. We should live our lives as a light to the joy of the Lord.

     1. We should be the source of encouragement to others.

 

V:7. " And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age."

 A. We should recognize that God is the source of our blessings and give Him thanks.

     1. Out of our mouths should flow praise and honor so all those around us will know

         our gratefulness to God our Father,

     2. We must be careful to give God the credit for our joy.

 B. What the world can't conceive, God can make happen.

     1. God is able to bless us with more than we can think or imagine.

     2. God may not come when we want Him, but He is always on time.