1 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:12,000 If you have your Bible going to make your way to Genesis chapter 2 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:17,480 24, we are at the conclusion of five months of walking through 3 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:22,200 12 of the chapters of this first book of the Bible as we have 4 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:27,080 sought to see what it has to say about answering God's call on 5 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,320 our lives. And each one of us, every single 6 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:34,880 one of us has a call from God on our lives. 7 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:38,720 This chapter of the Bible has a special place in my heart 8 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,600 because as a junior high and high school student, I would go 9 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,360 on a mission trip with my student group, youth group every 10 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:48,080 summer. We called it our mission tour. 11 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:53,480 We had two giant charter buses and we'd load up and go to 12 00:00:53,480 --> 00:00:56,120 somewhere in the country. And the plan was we'd always be 13 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,480 prepared for this, but we would break up and do backyard Bible 14 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,560 clubs, basically vacation Bible school for a couple 3 hours a 15 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,200 day in various parts of the city or a community. 16 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,320 Then we'd be inviting people back for revival services at a 17 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:11,920 local church. We'd be partnered with and we as 18 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,240 a youth had practiced in youth choir and we'd be the ones 19 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:15,800 leading the singing and the worship. 20 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,360 And then we'd have a usually a pastor, a preacher that would 21 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,520 travel with us and he'd preach the revival services. 22 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,560 And I'll never forget the most famous message that one of those 23 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,520 preachers had was out of Genesis 24. 24 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,680 The camels are coming. I have no idea what the sermon 25 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,560 said, but I just remember the title. 26 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,120 All right, so my hope and prayers, you remember more than 27 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,360 just the title, but that's where it comes from. 28 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,320 And that man is a faithful preacher and pastor to this day. 29 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,680 We've been watching Abraham as a living example of what it means 30 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:49,240 to say yes to God's call on his life over and over again. 31 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,200 Case in point. And this text of Genesis 24 is 32 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:58,120 another specific example of why it is so vitally important for 33 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:03,320 you and for me to say yes to God's call on our lives. 34 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:05,160 In fact, here's what we're going to learn today. 35 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:06,640 I'm just going to tell it to you up front. 36 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:08,360 I hope to say it over and over again. 37 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:10,320 If somebody asks you, hey, what's your pastor preach about? 38 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:11,800 This is what I want you to say. Are you ready? 39 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:13,360 It's going to take a few times for you to get it. 40 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:15,440 It's longer than I want it to be, but here it is. 41 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,560 You ready? When you say yes to God's call, 42 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,920 you get God's plan, and God works powerfully for those who 43 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:28,000 want His plan. When you say yes to God's call, 44 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:33,320 you're going to get God's plan, and God works powerfully for 45 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:39,640 those who want his plan. Listen to chapter 24, beginning 46 00:02:39,640 --> 00:02:45,240 in verse one through verse 9. Now Abraham was old, well 47 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,920 advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all 48 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:52,640 things. And Abraham said to his servant, 49 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:56,440 the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had. 50 00:02:56,960 --> 00:03:02,080 Put your hand under my thigh, that I may make you swear by the 51 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,920 Lord the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not 52 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:10,360 take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites 53 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:15,760 among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, 54 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:20,280 and take a wife for my son. Isaac, the servant said to him, 55 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,160 Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this 56 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,840 land. Must I then take your son back 57 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:31,960 to the land from which you came? Abraham said to him, See to it 58 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,800 that you do not take my son back there. 59 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,640 The Lord the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house 60 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,080 and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to 61 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,640 me, to your offspring I will give this land. 62 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,640 He will send his Angel before you, and you shall take a wife 63 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,560 from my son for my son from there. 64 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:58,400 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be 65 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:03,120 free from this oath of mine. Only you must not take my son 66 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,880 back there. So the servant put his hand 67 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,760 under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and swore to him 68 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:14,600 concerning this matter. Abraham is old, about 140 years 69 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,279 old, and he's also a widower. And after losing his wife, 70 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:23,440 Sarah, Abraham has continued to stay the course of following 71 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:28,840 God's call on his life. One day it's as if Abraham wakes 72 00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:33,680 up and realizes that life is really no longer about him. 73 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:40,440 He's not long for this world. His race is soon to be run. 74 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,840 You could say he's about to be before long with his Savior 75 00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:47,000 Jesus. And it's as if he it's as if he 76 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,320 realizes one day, and he looks down in his hand and it's as if 77 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,000 he realizes God has put a baton in my hand. 78 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:59,360 It's no longer about me, but this baton from God is the 79 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:06,480 responsibility to pass to the next generation, the call to be 80 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:12,120 faithful to God's will and God's promises in their lives, the 81 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,400 responsibility to pass on the call of God to the next 82 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,560 generation. In this particular situation, if 83 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,960 the baton is going to be successfully passed, then 84 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,280 Abraham is going to have to have a wife. 85 00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:29,320 In other words, remember all the promises that God has given to 86 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:34,680 Abraham of land, name, nation, offspring, blessing to them, and 87 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,560 then through them to all the nations of the earth that that's 88 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,760 going to happen. Then Isaac is going to have to 89 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,520 have a wife and listen to this parents. 90 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:47,680 At this point in time, in these days, that responsibility was 91 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,400 not Isaac's, that was Abraham's. Wouldn't that be nice if we just 92 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,720 had the responsibility to pick out for our children the right 93 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:56,160 one to marry? Things might go a little 94 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,440 smoother, I'm not sure, but there you go. 95 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,720 This is Abraham's role now that Sarah is gone, and therefore 96 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:07,720 Abraham gives his oldest and most trusted servant very 97 00:06:07,840 --> 00:06:14,600 specific instructions. Do not take a wife for my son 98 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,280 from the locals. Why? 99 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,120 Well, just a little blast from the past. 100 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:21,760 Do you remember how that worked out For a lot? 101 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:25,880 Not so. Well, why not? 102 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:30,240 Why not from the locals? Because they aren't passing down 103 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:34,360 the same baton that Abraham has been charged to pass down. 104 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,640 They don't worship the same God. They've not responded to the 105 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:39,720 same call. They're not living for the same 106 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,680 reasons that Abraham is living for. 107 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:45,240 So don't take a wife from the locals. 108 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,360 Then he says, return to my home country. 109 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:52,200 That's like 520 miles to the north, about a 21 day trip. 110 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:57,080 He says, find a wife for my son Isaac from my kindred from my 111 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,000 hometown. The servant realizes he's been 112 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,240 given a tall task. I want you to just how tall this 113 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:05,720 task was. Listen closely. 114 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:08,280 Take a trip, two months round trip. 115 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:14,240 Show up unannounced. Find a suitable woman from one 116 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,920 family. Propose on behalf of Isaac, a 117 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,920 man this woman will have never met. 118 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,640 Get her to agree to move immediately to a faraway 119 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,800 country. This man's been asked to scout, 120 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,400 date, talk with the father, propose, and return with the 121 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:37,040 woman all in one trip. He asked the question you would 122 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:38,680 have asked had you been in his shoes. 123 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:43,040 What if she says no? What if she says no? 124 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,480 What if she won't go? What if she won't come with me? 125 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,360 Should I then take Isaac back there and then? 126 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:50,360 What does Abraham say? Swiftly and quickly? 127 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:55,880 Absolutely not. That would drop the baton. 128 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:59,920 Do not take my son back there. Whatever you do, notice what 129 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:03,600 Abraham says and notice the confidence with which Abraham 130 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:05,360 says it. Verse 7 The Lord, the God of 131 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,880 heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land 132 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,520 of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, to your 133 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:17,360 offspring I will give this land. He will send his Angel before 134 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:21,680 you, and you shall. Who shall take a wife for my son 135 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:23,800 Isaac. From there he's saying, God, 136 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,080 who's been faithful to me is going to be faithful to you, and 137 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,040 it's going to be faithful to my son. 138 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,280 You see, when you say yes to God's call, you get God's plan 139 00:08:33,039 --> 00:08:37,280 and God powerfully works for those who want his plan. 140 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,640 Verse 8, Abraham says, hey, just in case to ease your mind. 141 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:44,080 If not, if she says no, you'll be free from this oath. 142 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,320 Praise God. They make the oath there, and 143 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:48,680 they do it in a strange sort of way. 144 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:50,440 Praise God. We just shake hands or sign the 145 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:52,720 dotted line today. That's all I'm saying about 146 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:53,240 that. All right. 147 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:58,040 The deal here, though, is the intentional responsibility that 148 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:02,040 Abraham is taking to prepare the next generation to be in a 149 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:07,560 position to say yes to God's call on their life, specifically 150 00:09:07,560 --> 00:09:11,640 his son Isaac. You see, the call of God always 151 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:16,000 comes with the baton. That is a responsibility to 152 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:19,520 ensure the next generation receives from you, receives from 153 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:24,160 us, what they need to be in position to say yes to the call 154 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:28,120 of God on their lives. One of the temptations though 155 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:33,000 that we face as we get older, I think is to sometimes get more 156 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,440 internally focused than externally focused. 157 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:41,280 One of the temptations we face is to get more self preservation 158 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:44,280 focused than baton passing focus. 159 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,800 We tend to seek more comfort and less sacrifice. 160 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,680 Let me just ask you a question. What are you doing as we speak 161 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:55,840 to pass the baton to the people in your life that you know are 162 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:59,160 going to be in position that they need to be ready to say yes 163 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:01,040 to God's call on their lives when it comes? 164 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:06,360 I saw a little post on the Internet made by a pastor that 165 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,480 I'm aware of. That's just kind of a, it's 166 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:12,760 somewhat of a silly, but not really, but it's just a tiny, 167 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:16,200 itsy bitsy way that this could come to fruition in our lives. 168 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,800 Just a practical little random may seem random, but I thought, 169 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,040 man, this is great. This is baton passing right 170 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:23,480 here. And all he, all he said was 171 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,000 this. Hey dads, how many of you would 172 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,480 take up the challenge with me for one month, read a proverb a 173 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,800 day with your son and then do 50 push ups every day. 174 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:36,520 A proverb for a day and 50 push ups. 175 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:42,640 How many are you are in? That's just a simple way to pass 176 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:47,640 the baton to ensure that your son hears the word of God, 177 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:49,520 learns how to read it for himself. 178 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,160 Write just simple things that we can do. 179 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:55,800 What are you doing to pass the baton to the next generation? 180 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:00,640 Let's pick up in verse 10 of chapter 24. 181 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:05,960 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, 182 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,000 taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master. 183 00:11:10,680 --> 00:11:13,840 And he arose and he went to Mesopotamia, to the city of 184 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,560 Nahor. And he made the camels kneel 185 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:19,880 down outside the city by the well of water at the time of 186 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,040 evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 187 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:28,600 And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, please grant me 188 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,880 success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 189 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,200 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the 190 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,040 daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 191 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,440 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, Please let down your 192 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:48,360 jar, that I may drink, and who shall say, drink, and I will 193 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:52,400 water your camels. Let her be the one whom you have 194 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:54,480 appointed for your servant, Isaac. 195 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:59,040 By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my 196 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,600 master. Before he had finished speaking, 197 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:08,440 behold, Rebecca, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milka, the 198 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:12,080 wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water 199 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,400 jar on her shoulder. The young woman was very 200 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,120 attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. 201 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,520 She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 202 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:25,040 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, Please give me a 203 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:26,840 little water to drink from your jar. 204 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,680 She said, drink, my Lord, and she quickly let down her jar 205 00:12:30,680 --> 00:12:33,520 upon her hand and gave him a drink. 206 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,720 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, I will 207 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:42,880 draw water for your camels also until they have finished 208 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:45,720 drinking. So she quickly emptied her jar 209 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,840 into the through and ran again to to the well to draw water and 210 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:52,760 she drew for all his camels. The man gazed at her in silence 211 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,720 to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not. 212 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:59,880 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold 213 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:03,560 ring weighing 1/2 a shekel, 2 bracelets for her arms weighing 214 00:13:03,560 --> 00:13:07,200 10 gold shekels and said, Please tell me whose daughter you are? 215 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,720 Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night? 216 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,720 She said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of 217 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,240 Milka, who she bore to Nahor. She added, we have plenty of 218 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,120 straw, both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night. 219 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,120 The man bowed his head and worship the Lord, and said, 220 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,000 Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not 221 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,600 forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my 222 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:31,960 master. And As for me, the Lord has led 223 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:35,000 me in this way to the House of my master's kinsmen. 224 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,160 And then the young woman ran and told her mother's household 225 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:45,080 about these things. The trip of 10 camels was quite 226 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,920 an entourage. During this day and time, camels 227 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,760 domesticated camels in their use was only a symbol and only 228 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:56,560 something in the possession of the wealthy and the socially 229 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,360 prominent. The equivalent of an entourage 230 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:02,360 of 10 camels would be if you were to travel today somewhere 231 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:07,320 on I-75 and be forced to pull over because an entourage of 10 232 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,840 Black SU VS fronted and reared with flash flashing lights 233 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:15,720 taking up all four lanes forced all other traffic to the side. 234 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,640 That's the kind of impression this entourage would have made. 235 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,480 Abraham is after trying to make a good first impression for his 236 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:28,560 son Isaac upon their arrival. The 10 camels need refueling. 237 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,560 They're thirsty, right? So they need water. 238 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,680 The servant knows the women are going to come to the well during 239 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:36,280 the evening, during the cool of the day, to refill their water 240 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,480 jars and make the trip back home. 241 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:43,600 And this is the perfect place to scout and to refuel. 242 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,560 And it's there that the servant praised this prayer. 243 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:50,760 Did you notice it? He basically says, God, you've 244 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:54,680 been faithful to my servant Abraham, to my master Abraham. 245 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:58,040 Rather, I'm asking you today to give me success. 246 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,520 God, would you show steadfast love? 247 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:02,880 I know that's who you are. I know that's what you do God, 248 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,800 I'm seeking you for success and then God hears the plan. 249 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:08,760 Let this let this work. God, I'm putting a plan forward. 250 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,560 I'm going to ask a woman for a drink and God, if she's the one, 251 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,960 let her also not just give me a drink, but let her water offer 252 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,960 to water the camels as well. You know, what the servant is 253 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:22,680 doing here is exemplary in that this guy is going about his 254 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:28,400 call, his assignment, by seeking the success that only the Lord 255 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:32,000 can give. What he understands is, is that 256 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,720 God already has a wife picked out for Isaac. 257 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,960 He's not gone on this trip to be the one to do the finding. 258 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,760 God's already done the finding. He's going to go do the 259 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:44,200 discovering. Do you follow me? 260 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:47,960 And this is a perfect example of the difference between the way 261 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,680 most people do life. You see, the way most people do 262 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:55,040 life is that they're really out there trying to get it done on 263 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,160 their own, in their own effort, in their own intelligence and 264 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,600 their own hard work, by the sweat of their brow or their 265 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,320 bootstraps. They're just trying to get a 266 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,120 break, to get a little luck, to do their best, hoping things 267 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:06,880 work out, to try to on their own, make a plan and hopefully 268 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:11,640 things will come together. And yet that's not the way God 269 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:16,200 calls Christians to live. God caused Christians to wake up 270 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:17,840 every day. And it's not about what we can 271 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:19,080 do. It's not about what we have. 272 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:20,520 It's not about our gifts and abilities. 273 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,040 God's given us all those things. And those are wonderful things. 274 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:25,480 But for the Christian, it's everyday about daily 275 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,920 surrendering one's life and living and everything you got to 276 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:32,320 Jesus and say, Jesus, I know you have a plan for today. 277 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:34,800 God, I know you have a purpose for me today. 278 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:40,080 God, I know you already have planned in advance the places 279 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,200 you want me to live, the places you want me to go, the schools 280 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,560 you want me to attend, the person you want me to marry, the 281 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,160 house you want us to buy, the job you want me to take. 282 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,640 God, you've got the things in advance plan for me. 283 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,200 You have a call for my life and God, today I'm not. 284 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:55,080 After they're trying to put it all together myself. 285 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,240 I figure it all out myself. God, I'm asking you for success 286 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,960 in your plan. God, show me the way. 287 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:03,880 I belong to you. I want to live your plan. 288 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,680 You see, when we say yes to God's plan, yes to God's call, 289 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:11,400 we get what we get, God's plan, and then God works powerfully 290 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,359 for those who want His plan. This is what's unfolding here 291 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,920 before our eyes. You see, based on who He knows 292 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,800 God is, based on the fact he knows God has a plan, He's 293 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,440 asking God for success, and he's asking God to confirm with a 294 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,320 sign of success. And what I love here is the 295 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:37,000 conditions of the plan seem to indicate the kind of woman that 296 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:40,080 he would be seeking and that he would know God would have 297 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,200 selected for Isaac. Now, let me be specific. 298 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,600 Are you ready #1? He says, Lord, I'm looking for a 299 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,640 woman who's kind and gracious enough to grant my request for a 300 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,120 drink of water. Let's put it like this. 301 00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:54,640 He's looking for a woman who's kind. 302 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,840 Let me just give you hint, hint to young people in the room. 303 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:01,360 You're looking for a spouse who is kind. 304 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:06,640 You get one who is unkind and you're in trouble #2 he's 305 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:10,200 looking for a woman who's willing to go the extra mile to 306 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,760 meet the needs of those around her. 307 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,680 Notice here that he's looking for someone that's not just 308 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,040 going to allow him to have a drink, but it's going to offer 309 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,440 outside of him asking to offer to water the camel. 310 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,960 So we're looking not only for a woman who is kind, we're looking 311 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,960 for a woman who is generous. Young people, listen to me. 312 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,280 You're looking for a spouse who's not just kind, but you're 313 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:32,560 looking for one who is generous. You get one who's selfish, 314 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:38,680 you're in trouble #3 a woman, he says, that is willing to work 315 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:39,920 hard. Why would we say that? 316 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:43,360 Because I want you to hear a little camel ology that I'm 317 00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:45,000 going to give you about what he's just asked. 318 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,320 Are you ready? Watering 10 camels? 319 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:52,120 They say the average water jar that a woman would have carried 320 00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:54,560 to the well during this day would have held about 3 gallons 321 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:58,520 of water. And then they say that camels, 322 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:04,720 after a long trip with no water, can drink up to 25 gallons each 323 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:12,800 at the gas pump. Do the math 3 into 250 means 324 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:16,000 over 83 trips to the well to the through. 325 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:21,520 The Bible says she did it until the camels quit drinking. 326 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:24,760 Ladies and gentlemen, he was looking for a woman willing to 327 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:26,480 work hard. Let me tell you, young people, 328 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:28,440 listen to me. You're looking for a spouse 329 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:32,680 who's kind, who is generous, and one who has watched this, not 330 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,560 lazy. You marry a lazy person, you're 331 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,640 in even bigger trouble. Just mark it down. 332 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:39,960 You're looking for that kind of person. 333 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,400 What's God going to do? Will God be faithful to provide? 334 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,320 Will He answer the servant's prayer? 335 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,920 He's been faithful all these years to Abraham. 336 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:51,720 Is he going to continue to be faithful? 337 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:54,560 Listen to verse 15. Before he had finished speaking, 338 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:58,320 praying. Behold, you know who Rebecca 339 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,440 shows up. God doesn't answer all our 340 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:04,120 prayers immediately, but sometimes he, sometimes He does. 341 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,120 Amen. Just like that, before he'd even 342 00:20:07,120 --> 00:20:10,480 gotten the prayer out of his mouth, God provides again. 343 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,520 When you say yes to God's call, you get what you get. 344 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,840 God's plan and God powerfully works for those who want His 345 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:20,440 plan. Rebecca is the granddaughter of 346 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,080 Abraham's brother Nahor. She steps out, water jar on her 347 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:25,600 shoulder. Could she be the one? 348 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:29,040 The Bible says not only is she beautiful, but she has saved 349 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:31,600 herself for marriage. Young people, please do the 350 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,920 same. You'll save yourself trouble and 351 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:37,400 heartache if you'll do the same. She fills her water jar and the 352 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,280 servant makes his move. I can't help but think the 353 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:41,240 servant is a little aggressive right here because it says he 354 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:43,240 doesn't walk up to this lady. Kind of nonchalant. 355 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:45,040 Hey, we've never met, can I introduce myself? 356 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,800 He runs up to this woman, it's like first one on the scene. 357 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,160 God, let's go for it. He runs up to her, rolls out the 358 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:54,360 plan, ask for a drink. Sure enough she says yes and 359 00:20:54,360 --> 00:20:57,040 then offers to water the camels. And this is the jaw on the floor 360 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:58,560 moment. He's looking at her right, 361 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:00,560 wondering what in the world this is amazing. 362 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,160 God, could just could she be the one? 363 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:04,200 Could she be? He doesn't even know her name 364 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:05,520 yet. He doesn't even know she's from 365 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,800 the right family yet. And he's busted out the jewels 366 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:12,320 about the average value of like an average year's salary. 2 gold 367 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:17,200 bracelets, a gold ring, He's acting in faith, going on God at 368 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,560 this point and then she communicates her identity and 369 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:25,600 her family and he drops to his knees to worship God. 370 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:29,960 The second thing in your notes, if I skip the first one, the 371 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,600 first one was the call of God comes with the baton. 372 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,000 The call of God always comes with the baton. 373 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,880 But the second one is this is the call of God includes seeking 374 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:44,960 God for success. The call of God includes seeking 375 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:46,240 God. What what am I trying to what 376 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:51,200 I'm trying to say there is that success truly only comes from 377 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:54,760 God, but it requires seeking God for it. 378 00:21:55,360 --> 00:21:59,920 We have not because we ask not one of my favorite proverbs, 379 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:01,520 this Proverbs chapter 2, verse seven. 380 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:02,760 I love this. I mean, this will blow your 381 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,200 mind. He stores up that he is God. 382 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:10,640 He stores up success for the upright. 383 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:16,320 God's got silos in heaven storing up success, storing up 384 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,920 wins for those who walk uprightly for with him, those 385 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,080 who seek His will and say yes to his call. 386 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:26,400 God wants us to win in his plan. He wants to work powerfully on 387 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,720 our behalf for His will to be realized in our life. 388 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:30,800 He's literally stores up success. 389 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:32,120 And that's what he's giving here. 390 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:36,320 The godly realize that any and all true success in life 391 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:38,560 ultimately and only comes from God. 392 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:43,600 And it's been said that success inflates the ego of the worldly, 393 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,960 but it humbles the godly because the godly realize where that 394 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,040 success comes from. And it's not from them. 395 00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:52,160 It's ultimately not from their blood, sweat, and tears. 396 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,080 Even though God asks you to give it, it's ultimately not from 397 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:56,680 your intelligence. Even though God has given you 398 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:00,520 it, ultimately it comes from God. 399 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:04,480 This is why the servant reacts the way he does, because he is 400 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:05,960 giving credit where credit is due. 401 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:08,240 Y'all. Genesis 24 is a living, 402 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:10,640 breathing illustration of a verse you know well. 403 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,600 Proverbs 3, five and six, it says trust in the Lord with what 404 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,600 all your heart lean not in your own understanding. 405 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,840 Even though God's given us a level of understanding, but He's 406 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:22,320 asked us not to lean in ultimately on it, but trust Him 407 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:24,440 with all of our heart. Acknowledge Him in all of ways. 408 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,080 In other words, ask God for success that only He can give in 409 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:31,440 all of our ways, and then what? Then He'll make your pass 410 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,120 straight. Now sometimes that means 411 00:23:34,120 --> 00:23:35,840 straight through the hardest thing you've ever experienced in 412 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,360 your life, but you wouldn't want to be on any other path. 413 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,240 Then you'll know. Then you'll confirm. 414 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:45,880 Then he'll empower you to be in his exact place and plan of your 415 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:47,880 that he's designed for your life. 416 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,000 Y'all. I'm going to summarize verses 29 417 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,520 through 51. But next thing you know, Rebecca 418 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:57,200 is running to her family with the news and they see her 419 00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:58,800 running and they come running towards her. 420 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,080 Laban, her brother, meets her in the middle and then the servants 421 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:06,280 not far behind and they then offer the servant incredible 422 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:09,520 hospitality and they sit food set food in front of him. 423 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:13,280 But he says, listen, I can't eat a bite until I use my mouth to 424 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:16,000 tell you exactly a story that you wouldn't believe. 425 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,080 But what I why I've come and the assignment that I'm on. 426 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:20,880 I got to tell you something you wouldn't believe. 427 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:22,760 I want you to hear it detail by detail. 428 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,120 And he walks into the plan about Abraham's blessing and God's 429 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:28,640 blessing on his life and the confidence Abraham had in 430 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:31,120 sending him and then the plan at the well and then it going down 431 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:33,960 exactly like he had asked just just just like that. 432 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:37,840 The first person he sees and the response after he pops the 433 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:42,760 question for real to the family is in verse 50 through 51. 434 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,320 It says the thing has come from the Lord. 435 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,120 We can't speak good or bad. Why? 436 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:56,760 Because the Lord has spoken. Behold, Rebecca is before you, 437 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,880 take her and go and let her be the wife of your master's son. 438 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:06,960 As the Lord has spoken #3 the call of God comes with the 439 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:10,480 Providence of God. You say, Pastor Kyle, what in 440 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:12,400 the world does that mean? Let me tell you what that means. 441 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:18,160 It is the all knowing, all powerful, always present, 442 00:25:18,360 --> 00:25:23,400 unstoppable hand of God that enables the plan of God to 443 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,160 happen in our lives no matter what. 444 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:31,520 When we say yes to God's call, when we say yes, when you're in 445 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,160 the middle of God's call, there's nothing able to stop. 446 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:40,080 Who can stand against the Lord? If God is for us, who could be 447 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:42,560 against this? No weapon formed against you 448 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,040 shall prosper. When you've said yes to the call 449 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:47,920 of God in your life, there's nothing that can stop God 450 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:51,120 powerfully working on your behalf when you've said yes. 451 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:55,200 This is the reality of Matthew 633, that Jesus says if you'll 452 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:58,200 seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, guess 453 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:01,520 what, all these other things will be added unto you. 454 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:02,920 That doesn't mean you'll have everything you want. 455 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:06,640 That just means every other part to the tiniest detail of God's 456 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:09,720 plan for your life and what you need is going to be provided 457 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:13,000 providentially. If you just put first Jesus and 458 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,400 His plan, God's going to take care of the rest. 459 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:19,360 Say yes to God's call on your life. 460 00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:22,440 Then you get God's plan and then God's power working powerfully 461 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:24,560 in your life for that plan to be realized. 462 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:28,040 Now I'm going to read verse 52 through 61. 463 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:33,440 Follow along with me. When Abraham's servant heard 464 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:37,360 their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 465 00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:40,800 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold 466 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:43,120 and garments, and gave them to Rebecca. 467 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:47,400 He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 468 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:51,400 And he and the men who are with him ate and drank, and they 469 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,240 spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, 470 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,160 he said, Send me away to my master. 471 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,400 Her brother and her mother said, let the young woman remain with 472 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:03,120 us a while, at least ten days after that she may go. 473 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,600 But he said to them, do not delay me, since the Lord has 474 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:11,920 prospered my way, send me a way that I may go to my master. 475 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,080 They said, let us call the young woman and ask her. 476 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:19,760 And they called Rebecca and said to her, Will you go with this 477 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:24,240 man? She said, I will go. 478 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:29,640 So they sent away Rebecca and their and their sister, and her 479 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,360 nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 480 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:36,040 And they blessed Rebecca and said to her, Our sister, may you 481 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,280 become thousands of 10 thousands, and may your 482 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,120 offspring possess the gate of those who hate him. 483 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,840 And then Rebecca and her young women arose and rode on the 484 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,160 camels and followed the man. Thus, the servant took Rebecca 485 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:53,240 and went his way. As you can imagine, the servant 486 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:57,400 is eager to return to Abraham, his master. 487 00:27:58,160 --> 00:27:59,720 I mean, right? Have you ever found that perfect 488 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:03,080 Christmas gift that you just can't wait for the person that 489 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:05,480 you found that Christmas gift for to open it up? 490 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:07,200 You can't wait for Christmas to arrive. 491 00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:10,560 You can't wait to see their joy. You can't wait to to celebrate 492 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:13,120 that with them. Rebecca's family, as you can 493 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:16,200 imagine, is not quite as excited for them to leave, for obvious 494 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:18,800 reasons. She's about to move a world 495 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:20,920 away. It's not like they're going to 496 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:22,600 see her in a few months at Christmas. 497 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:27,440 Let me tell you the truth here. That's not always easy. 498 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:34,760 But not everyone will celebrate the call of God on your life. 499 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:41,960 Not everyone will celebrate the call of God on your life. 500 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:47,120 There comes a point when the call of God is just between you 501 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:50,040 and God. Mama can't help you. 502 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:54,880 Daddy can't help you. Friend, brother, sister, best 503 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,280 friend. Your pastor can't help you. 504 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:01,440 There comes a point in time when God asked you and you alone to 505 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:04,400 respond to him not mediated by anything else. 506 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:08,560 Now looking to the opinion of anyone else what your answer 507 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:11,840 will be, it's going to come down to between you and God. 508 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:14,400 You have to decide for yourself. Rebecca here in the first part 509 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:18,000 of verse 58, will you go with this man? 510 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,720 Her family has witnessed the handiwork of God. 511 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:22,520 They've already said this is of God. 512 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:26,200 How can we speak against it? And yet overnight their feet got 513 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:28,520 cold. Will Rebecca's feet get cold? 514 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,520 Will she say yes? Will she walk down the aisle? 515 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:37,280 Will she say yes to God's plan? So obvious plan for her life or 516 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:41,120 not. Notice their words, 3 words in 517 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:48,000 verse 58. I will go forth and finally, not 518 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:52,040 finally, but forth in your notes is that the call of God will 519 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,920 sometimes require faith to walk alone. 520 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:01,520 The call of God on your life will sometimes require faith to 521 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:05,200 walk alone, y'all? Rebecca did what her family did 522 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,560 not want her to do. When they asked her, she didn't 523 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:10,920 say Mama, what do you think brother, What do you think? 524 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:12,240 She already knew what they thought. 525 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:17,400 At that point it really didn't matter what their opinion was. 526 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:21,400 What only mattered was whether or not she was going to be 527 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:25,840 faithful to respond to the call of God on her life. 528 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:30,480 Can you imagine the level of courage and faith it took for 529 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:35,560 her to climb on that camel and go hundreds of miles away to a 530 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:38,400 land she had never seen? To marry a man she had never 531 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:41,320 met? But what she did know was that 532 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:47,040 the handiwork of God was clear and she was asked to go about it 533 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,680 by faith. Talk about a blind date. 534 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:57,640 But let's be honest, the Bible says life for us as believers is 535 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:03,560 a lot like a blind date to be lived not by sight, but by by 536 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:06,800 faith. That's exactly what she says yes 537 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:10,600 to. I will go y'all when she says 538 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,000 that she not only puts herself in the smack middle of God's 539 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,120 plan, that's going to help Isaac be in the smack middle of God's 540 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,280 plan for him. That's going to help Israel be 541 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:22,960 in God's plan and that's going to allow the plan of God to 542 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:27,160 unfold even for the nation's is through this family. 543 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:31,320 God would bring about the promise to bring about his son 544 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:33,360 for all the nations of the earth. 545 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:37,200 As I read Sarah's not but Rebecca's response here I will 546 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:39,280 go. I can't just but help Fast 547 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,240 forward and think about the response of Jesus the son of God 548 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,760 to God the Father. When you think about that in the 549 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:47,880 fullness of time, God would send his son because God so loved the 550 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:50,360 world that whosoever would believe in him. 551 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,720 The God so loved the word that he sent his one and only son. 552 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,880 But I don't skip the part, that's pretty important there, 553 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,040 that whosoever would believe in him should not perish, but have 554 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,160 everlasting life. Can you imagine though? 555 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,280 We don't have these 3 words exactly recorded. 556 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:06,320 Can you just imagine though? Because we see this exemplified 557 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,400 with Jesus on earth. Can you imagine Jesus the Son 558 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,760 saying to God the Father, I will, I will go. 559 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:15,640 And that same attitude he carried the night before. 560 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:18,160 He was the night he's arrested in the garden. 561 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:21,160 And again, all alone. The disciples, he'd ask to pray 562 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,000 with him and for him, but guess what? 563 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,640 They kept falling asleep. This was going to be between him 564 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:31,360 and God the Father alone. He would say yes to the cross. 565 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:35,040 He'd have to say yes alone. He'd have to walk a road alone, 566 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,240 sweat drops of blood alone. Carry that wood by himself. 567 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:43,200 Be hung there for you and for me, paying the price for our 568 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:48,240 sin, going to the grave, all saying yes to the Father for 569 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,240 your sake and for mine, so that one day we could too say yes to 570 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:53,680 God's plan for our life. Jesus says I will go. 571 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:58,600 Rebecca says I will go. Have you say it said I will God, 572 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:02,080 I'll go. Have you said yes to God's plan, 573 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:05,200 yes to God's call. When you do, you get his plan. 574 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:09,840 And then God works powerfully for those who want His plan. 575 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:13,160 Listen to the final verses beginning in verse 62. 576 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:18,720 Now Isaac had returned from Beer Laharoy and was dwelling. 577 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:22,200 And then the gib and Isaac went out to meditate in the field 578 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,960 toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and 579 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:26,720 saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 580 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:30,400 Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she 581 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:33,800 dismounted from the camel and said to the servant, Who is that 582 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,640 man walking in the field to meet us? 583 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:39,240 The servant said, It is my master. 584 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,520 So she took her veil and covered herself. 585 00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:45,920 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 586 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,320 And then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah, his mother, 587 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:52,960 and took Rebecca, and she became his wife and he loved her. 588 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:59,640 So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death 500 miles to the 589 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:05,200 South, obviously several days later, after the return trip had 590 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,639 already commenced for for Rebecca. 591 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:15,360 One particular evening, Isaac goes out to meditate in the 592 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,120 field. I think you could read right 593 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:19,760 past that, but it'd be a mistake. 594 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:22,880 I want you to realize what Isaac is doing. 595 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:25,960 Let me be more specific. Isaac goes out that evening to 596 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:30,960 get alone with God. Isaac goes out that evening to 597 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:35,560 have his quiet time. Isaac goes out that that evening 598 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:37,840 to spend time with God in prayer. 599 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:41,560 He goes out to get a loan to hear from God and to be with God 600 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:43,480 and to grow in his relationship with God. 601 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,679 I think this was something he was in the habit of daily doing. 602 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:51,840 You see, you would too on this particular day if you knew your 603 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:53,639 bride could show up that you never laid eyes on. 604 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:56,760 And yet this is something I think you had a habit here of 605 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,040 doing every day. And he was in position, right 606 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:04,400 with his eyes on the Lord, walking with God and doing what 607 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:06,800 he did every day. That put him in position to be 608 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,960 the first one to see on the horizon coming, the one that God 609 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:15,200 had provided for him as a bride #5 I want you to write this 610 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:18,440 down. The call of God counts on 611 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:23,840 getting alone with God. The call of God counts on 612 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,960 getting alone with God. There was a famous French 613 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:31,120 mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher by the 614 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:33,280 name of Blaise Pascal who said this. 615 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:39,320 He said all of humanity's problems stem from man's 616 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:43,640 inability to sit quietly in a room alone. 617 00:35:43,640 --> 00:35:45,880 Let me translate what he was saying. 618 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:51,160 In other words, he says all our problems stem from our failure 619 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:56,440 to be in and spend time in the presence of God alone. 620 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:01,920 You see, it was Isaac's decision that day to get alone with God 621 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:06,920 that positioned him to be the first one to witness the will of 622 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:10,680 God unfolding in his life. If you don't hear anything else 623 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,000 I say this morning, I want you. I want you to hear this. 624 00:36:14,240 --> 00:36:18,000 This one is so critical that the call of God in our lives depends 625 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:24,200 on getting along with God so often, so often. 626 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:30,720 More times than not, the thing that we need most, the answer 627 00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:35,160 that we're so desperate for. The answer to the question we 628 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:38,840 need that we've been asking. The direction that we need to 629 00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:42,880 go, the where we need to be. The how we need to do something 630 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:45,560 to the response or the next step that we're looking for. 631 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,720 The crucial decision that's on the line, the whatever it is 632 00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:53,960 that we're facing next in life. More often than not, the answer 633 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:59,560 can be found and found alone when you get a loan with God. 634 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:03,800 When you like David says, where else does my help come from? 635 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,800 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 636 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:11,240 No wonder the Bible tells us to look to Jesus, the author and 637 00:37:11,240 --> 00:37:13,360 finisher of our faith, to keep our eyes on him. 638 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:15,680 Isaac had gone out to put his eyes on God. 639 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:22,920 Isaac didn't go chasing camels. We so often go chasing camels. 640 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:26,600 God, I want this and God I want that and God, I want this. 641 00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:29,120 God, I'm going to be unhappy unless you do this, unless you 642 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:30,520 do that and God, I need to know this. 643 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:34,760 And we run to and fro, crazy and frantic when what we need to 644 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:37,800 daily do, most of our problems are the result of simply not 645 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:41,920 getting alone and listening to the only one who has the answer, 646 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,360 who can give success, who has the plan if we'll just say yes, 647 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:48,160 and who then will work powerfully on our behalf to see 648 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:51,240 it. And Isaac Simply put his eyes on 649 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:55,160 God and guess what? The next thing he sees, the 650 00:37:55,160 --> 00:38:02,040 camel's coming. The call of God in our lives 651 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:05,560 depends on a willingness to get along with God. 652 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:08,120 I'm going to say it like this. If you're not daily getting 653 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:11,760 alone with God, you are missing out on a lot on a lot of God's 654 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:14,040 plan for your life. You don't even know it. 655 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:20,080 If you're not daily getting along with God because you're 656 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:23,200 not asking and you're not sensitive to it, you're not 657 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:26,600 looking and your eyes are not in the right place and the will of 658 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:28,960 God and the plan of God that is better than your is, it will 659 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:33,920 what will pass you by if you're not looking in the right places 660 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:38,960 for it. When you say yes to God's call, 661 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:43,680 you get His plan and God works powerfully for those who want 662 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:48,440 His plan. You see, the deal is that sermon 663 00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:50,600 that I heard in high school. The camels are coming. 664 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:55,880 I don't remember what he said in the sermon, but I've remembered 665 00:38:55,880 --> 00:39:00,040 the point from the title. And I don't know if he said this 666 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:02,800 or not, but this is just a phrase, just another text of 667 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:05,080 Scripture that God put on my mind as I contemplated and 668 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:07,160 thought through this. But you know, another promise of 669 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:10,760 God comes in Psalm 23 from the same psalmist that says that 670 00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:13,040 where does my help come from? And he closes it like this. 671 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:19,400 He says surely goodness and mercy will what follow. 672 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,560 He doesn't say I got to go chasing after it. 673 00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:26,440 It says they're going to trail me on both heels. 674 00:39:28,240 --> 00:39:33,040 Surely the camels of God's goodness and mercy will follow 675 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:38,000 you all the days of your life if you will just say yes to God's 676 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:40,480 call, because then you're going to get His plan. 677 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,920 And then God's going to work powerfully for that plan to come 678 00:39:43,920 --> 00:39:47,880 to fruition by His Providence, which is unstoppable for those 679 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:51,120 who want His plan. And ladies and gentlemen, 680 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:54,960 friends, that is what we want. Father, I pray that we would be 681 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:58,840 people who say yes to your plan. God, I pray that if someone is 682 00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:01,920 in the room today that has never said yes to your plan of 683 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:04,840 salvation through your son Jesus, that today would be the 684 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:06,920 day. God, I pray they would say yes. 685 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:10,000 They would confess with their mouth that you are Lord, believe 686 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:12,520 in your heart, their heart that you were raised from the dead. 687 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:14,640 Father, they'd be even willing to step out and maybe come talk 688 00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:17,200 to me and. And make the decision that would 689 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:19,520 change their life forever. And God, I pray for anyone else 690 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:21,840 in the room that's just not getting alone with you each day. 691 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:24,360 Or they're not seeking you. They're not asking you for 692 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:26,040 success. God, they're not, they're not 693 00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:29,240 seeking and and trusting in your Providence and in your power, 694 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:31,200 their Father. They're trusting and chasing 695 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:33,840 camels in their own abilities rather than your abilities. 696 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:37,880 And God, I just pray that you'd reroute them, reorient them in 697 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:40,640 their priorities. And God help us realize when we 698 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:45,360 just Simply put you first and get alone with you and say yes 699 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:50,040 to you, that your goodness and your mercy will not fail to 700 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:54,240 trail us and protect us and provide for us. 701 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:58,120 So God help us say yes. Help us say yes in Jesus name I 702 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:00,080 pray, Amen. Would you stand with me? 703 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:02,840 I'm going to be here at the front if you'd like to come talk 704 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:05,440 with me or pray with me or get on your knees at this altar to 705 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:07,280 say yes to God in whatever way he's calling you. 706 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:10,720 You say yes no matter what it takes, you come, say I will go. 707 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:12,360 When God calls, you, come.