1 00:00:09,270 --> 00:00:11,510 You have your Bible, and I hope you do go and make your way to 2 00:00:11,510 --> 00:00:14,950 Genesis chapter 18. Genesis chapter 18. 3 00:00:14,950 --> 00:00:18,870 We'll be looking at verses one through 21 as we continue our 4 00:00:18,870 --> 00:00:22,510 series that we've titled Answering God's Call. 5 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:28,160 Just a special thanks to all of you who are involved in our 6 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,800 foster care ministry in the life of our church. 7 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,600 Just one of the many ways we seek to share and to show the 8 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,360 love of Christ. And so thank you to Andy and Lee 9 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,240 Russell for all you guys do to lead and spearhead this 10 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,160 ministry. So many others that serve in 11 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:44,600 support roles. It's great to have Rick Jackson 12 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,360 who served with Faith Bridge and helps and supports him in so 13 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,920 many ways. It's a product foster care 14 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,760 awareness month. So we're just continually 15 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,040 drawing attention to opportunities and ways that God 16 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,960 would have a step into ministry opportunities by his Spirit in 17 00:00:59,960 --> 00:01:03,280 order to be the hands and the feet of Jesus. 18 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,920 So Amen for all that you do and praise God for just all the ways 19 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,520 you've been involved in seeing what we saw to begin this 20 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:11,720 service, right. I don't have time to go into all 21 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,160 the stories, but kind of go back to one of those. 22 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,000 One of those guys that was baptized is the husband and 23 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,240 father involved in a family because his kids were invited to 24 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,720 church by another families. Kids in the life of our church, 25 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,400 Colin Cat Smith and their kids offering an invitation to 26 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:26,280 church. And then guess what? 27 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,800 A whole family coming and realizing what God has in store 28 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:31,960 for them and celebrating that today and beyond. 29 00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:34,520 I could say more, otherwise I wouldn't have time to preach, so 30 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,960 I'm not. But listen, just thank you for 31 00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:38,920 being the church. Thank you for sharing the 32 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:40,720 gospel. Thank you for being bold with 33 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:42,960 your faith. This is what we mean when we say 34 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:47,200 as you go, you go to make disciples is to share and show 35 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,320 the love of Christ and to speak the gospel. 36 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,400 Invite people to come and see and taste and see the Lord is 37 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,320 good, right? Amen. 38 00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:00,840 So well, if you have your Bible there in Genesis 18, I hope it's 39 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:05,200 becoming clear by now why we've titled this series Answering 40 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,880 God's Call. Because every time we flip to a 41 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:12,760 new chapter in this book, we're at a new stage of Abraham being 42 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,920 asked to answer God's call on his life. 43 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:17,760 And this is what life is all about. 44 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,520 No, my call and your call is not exactly the same call as 45 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,320 Abraham's call. But God's plan and purpose for 46 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:28,080 all of us is to answer and say yes to his call on our lives. 47 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,640 That's where the abundant life in Christ has lived. 48 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,240 That's where God's plan for your life and mind is realized as we 49 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,920 say yes to God's call on our lives and we're watching this 50 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:41,560 unfold in His life so that we can take and apply what the 51 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,760 Bible says should be happening and applied in our lives. 52 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:49,560 So the truth I want you to see from Genesis 18 is simply this. 53 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,320 And I'm going to have to explain it because it's probably not 54 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:53,080 going to make much sense when I first say it, but here it is. 55 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:58,000 You ready. God includes you to use you. 56 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:03,320 God has included you to use you. Now before I explain what I mean 57 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,920 by that, let me just go ahead and say that lots of Christians, 58 00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:08,440 lots of believers actually don't believe that. 59 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,880 Now they'll say they believe that, but by the way they live, 60 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,880 they betray the fact that they actually don't really believe 61 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:16,680 that. In fact, I hear it all the time. 62 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,120 In fact, this past weekend I was at an event with a pastor friend 63 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,160 of mine in Tennessee called the called the Total Archery 64 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:24,640 Challenge. I like shooting a bow and arrow. 65 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,040 This was a weekend of shooting bows and arrows together. 66 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,360 So 2 pastors and another guy get together to do that. 67 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,200 We had a great time and I'm talking with my pastor friend 68 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,160 about things going on in his church and he tells me about a 69 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,600 man that I know, mutual friend that survives pancreatic cancer. 70 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:39,760 He thought surely the doctor thought surely he would not 71 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,240 survive. He does tells his pastor, I know 72 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:46,160 God's got a calling on my life. But Tim, I'm, I'm divorced. 73 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:47,440 I don't feel like God can use me. 74 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,120 And there's a believer struggling with the fact, 75 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,000 struggling to believe that God has included him to use him. 76 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:59,640 Let me be more specific, right? Lots of Christians live like 77 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,800 this. They live like God wanted to 78 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,760 save them but then be done with them. 79 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,160 Lots of Christians live like God's grace was good enough to 80 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,360 forgive them, but not to use them. 81 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,320 Lots of Christians live like God love them enough to rescue them 82 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,519 from hell, but he doesn't like them enough to use them to get 83 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:24,640 anybody else into heaven. Lots of Christians live like God 84 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,040 wants to include them in His plan of salvation, but not use 85 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:29,760 them in the mission of salvation. 86 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:35,920 Because of this, lots of believers miss out on the call 87 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:40,800 of God on their lives if they would simply believe the fact 88 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:45,960 that God has included them, called them, save them, pick 89 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,680 them on His team, a part of the family of God. 90 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:52,240 Why? To be used to be used to expand 91 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:54,840 the mission and the truth of others hearing and coming to 92 00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:57,120 know the love of God in Christ for them. 93 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,320 Listen to the word of God as I read Genesis 18 beginning in 94 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,680 verse one, we're going to read through verse 15 to begin with. 95 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:08,280 And the Lord appeared to him. That's to Abraham by the oaks of 96 00:05:08,280 --> 00:05:12,280 Mamre as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 97 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,680 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men 98 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,680 were standing in front of him. And when he saw them he ran from 99 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,160 the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, and 100 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:29,240 said, Oh Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass 101 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,120 by your servant. Let a little water be brought, 102 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,360 and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while 103 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,840 I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and 104 00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:41,480 after that you may pass on, since you have come to your 105 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:43,880 servant. So they said, Do as you have 106 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,480 said. And Abraham went quickly into 107 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,160 the tent to Sarah, and said, Quick three, say as a fine 108 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:54,520 flour, knead it and make cakes. And Abraham ran to the herd and 109 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,320 took a calf tender and good, and gave it to a young man who 110 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,280 prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk in 111 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:04,640 the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them, and he 112 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:08,080 stood by them under the tree while they ate. 113 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:12,200 Then they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? 114 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,960 And he said, she's in the tent. And the Lord said, I will surely 115 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,720 return to you about this time next year and Sarah your wife 116 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,400 shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the 117 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,120 tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, 118 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,880 advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to 119 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,400 be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, 120 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,160 saying, After I am worn out and my Lord is old, shall I have 121 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,880 pleasure? The Lord said to Abraham, Why 122 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:43,200 did Sarah laugh and say, Shall I indeed bear a child now that I 123 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,960 am old? Is anything Don't miss this? 124 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:54,200 Is anything too hard for the Lord at the appointed time? 125 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,800 I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall 126 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,920 have a son. But Sarah denied it, saying I 127 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:03,760 did not laugh, for she was afraid. 128 00:07:04,280 --> 00:07:08,040 He, that is the Lord said no, but you did laugh. 129 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:13,760 Abraham is doing a little front porch, sitting in the heat of 130 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,560 the day out in front of his tent. 131 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:19,400 When from the sound of the text, it doesn't seem like he sees 132 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,520 them coming from a long way off. It seems like all the sudden 133 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,000 boom, there the three were in front of him. 134 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,560 Abraham's reaction, Abraham's reaction is a little strange. 135 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,200 I I don't believe he did this with every random guest that 136 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:35,520 came walking by in the heat of the day, but he immediately does 137 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:39,160 something strange for a Middle Eastern, especially 100 year old 138 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,800 Middle Eastern man. All right, dude takes off on a 139 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:45,240 dead Sprint. He immediately runs to greet 140 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,520 them, and then furthermore, he does something even more strange 141 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,480 besides run as he immediately bows down before these three 142 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:54,520 men. Now, some people want to argue 143 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,320 that maybe Abraham doesn't know who he's talking with. 144 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:00,760 I actually believe he knows exactly who he's seeing, who 145 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:02,720 he's witnessing in front of him. Why do I say that? 146 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:05,840 Number one, because of the way Abraham is acting. 147 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,320 Surely he doesn't do this for every guest #2 the Lord has 148 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,520 appeared to Abraham before. This is not something he's 149 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,200 experienced for the first time, right? 150 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,040 This is a continuation of something that has happened in 151 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,280 his life. I believe Abraham knows exactly 152 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:23,920 who this is the Lord and two angels appearing in human flesh 153 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:25,920 with him. Either way, whether or not he 154 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:29,240 knows who it is or not, he says, oh Lord, stop and stay. 155 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,000 Let me get a little water to wash your feet. 156 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,480 It's so interesting how he's he is under promising and over 157 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,000 delivering here. Just watch this. 158 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,320 All right, he's let me get just a little bit of water, just a 159 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,559 morsel, just a bite of bread so you can rest in the shade, be 160 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,640 refreshed for just a second before you continue your journey 161 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:49,960 on right The three, the three visitors accept Abraham 162 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:55,480 Abraham's offer and Abraham recruits Sarah to start kneading 163 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,320 the dough and baking the cakes. And then Abraham goes and gets 164 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:03,280 some choice, a prime USDA beef. Now, if you've ever been at the 165 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:06,960 restaurant and you're like, man, this has been what, 30-45 hours 166 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:08,720 since we ordered? And you're thinking, you know, 167 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:10,920 you've heard the phrase they have to go find the cow, right? 168 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:13,080 Literally, they had to go find the cow. 169 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,200 This is not like stop and go get gas and a drink, right? 170 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,360 This is like, hey, stay the day. This is take time. 171 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,320 I'm about to usher lavish hospitality. 172 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,160 He goes and gets the best that he's got, right. 173 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,000 He's got to prepare it from scratch, actually from alive to 174 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:28,600 scratch, then ready to eat. All right. 175 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:33,040 So he recruits Sarah a spares no expense here. 176 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,760 And on top of that, Abram doesn't actually sit and eat 177 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,000 with him. He does what they would do in 178 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,280 their culture to, again, lavish hospitality. 179 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,440 If you've ever travelled internationally, you might 180 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,760 notice it'll make you very uncomfortable at first. 181 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,920 But you know, in America, if the waiter or waitress is too much 182 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:51,480 by your table, what do you kind of like? 183 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:53,880 You're kind of like, hey, we're good. 184 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:55,200 You can, you can back off, right? 185 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,680 Well, if you go internationally, they're going to stand typically 186 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:02,000 right there and wait and watch you eat and wait on your every 187 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,360 minute need, which is exactly what Abraham does. 188 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,800 He's not eating with them. He is waiting on them, serving 189 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:11,320 them to the greatest capacity possible. 190 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,160 Eventually the conversation during the meal goes like this. 191 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:17,680 Where is your wife, Sarah? And again, that's an odd 192 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:20,560 question, unless this is somebody that number one knows 193 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:22,160 who she is and knows her by name. 194 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:25,680 All right, well, she's in the tent, Abraham says. 195 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:29,720 And then just as casually and coolly as if he's talking about 196 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,440 the weather, he's like, hey, by the way, but this time next year 197 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:33,880 I'm going to return and she's going to have a baby. 198 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,360 Sarah. The whole time's got ear pressed 199 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,920 up against the tent. She's listening with all she's 200 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,360 got, right? Again. 201 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,600 That's odd. Unless she knew these were some 202 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:48,280 VI PS that she ought to be listening, that Abraham's acting 203 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,480 crazy, running around like a chicken with his head cut off to 204 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,600 get him served, right? She's listening into their 205 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:54,920 conversation, wanting to know what they're saying. 206 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,960 She hears this, all right? And and, and her immediate 207 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:03,760 reaction is, is, is actually pretty funny, but Jesus does in 208 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,080 the flesh there doesn't think it's funny, but, but, but here's 209 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:07,800 what he says. It says the Lord there like 210 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,520 capital, the Lord. So obviously at this point, they 211 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:12,320 know the identity of who they're talking with. 212 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,600 And not only does he know her name, he can read her internal 213 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,640 quiet not expressed out loud thoughts, right. 214 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,680 And so hearing these words of a son being born to her. 215 00:11:22,680 --> 00:11:27,000 She's 90 Abrams 100 not out loud, but in size inside she 216 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,560 says, my worn out body. And then here's a real problem. 217 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:34,160 My old husband. Am I going to have the pleasure 218 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:39,040 of a child after my monthly visitor left hadn't seen that in 219 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,640 decades. God case, you haven't missed 220 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:47,600 that. She laughs inside Jesus, there 221 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:49,840 in the flesh again. What is this gal? 222 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,360 This is what we've called a Christophany and appearance of 223 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,480 the Son of God, who's existed from eternity past, who spoke 224 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:59,720 creation into existence, but who did not take on human flesh and 225 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,240 become fully human while remaining fully God until he was 226 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:04,040 born of Mary, just like he was promised. 227 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:07,440 But it always existed, and yes, appeared even in bodily form in 228 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:11,120 the Old Testament, which you have an appearance of here and 229 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:15,440 here. He asked why to her husband. 230 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:20,320 Why did your wife laugh? Now you got to think Abram 231 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:23,320 didn't hear a laugh, right? I'm wondering what's going 232 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:26,760 through his mind. And then he speaks her very 233 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,960 thoughts. If Abram and Sarah don't know 234 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,800 who this is, now they do. And then the Lord drops. 235 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:37,120 The question, is anything too hard for the Lord? 236 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:39,520 Is anything too hard for the Lord? 237 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,200 The first thing, the first lesson that we learn from these 238 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:47,280 first 15 verses is this. Nothing is impossible with God. 239 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:52,480 God can use anybody in any situation. 240 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,920 God can use anybody in any situation. 241 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,600 Why? Because nothing is impossible 242 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:01,200 with God. Is anything too hard for the 243 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:02,720 Lord? Obviously he's asking a 244 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:04,640 rhetorical question. Why are you laughing? 245 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:07,840 Is anything too hard for God? Do you not believe that nothing 246 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,360 is impossible with him? Let me just break down for a 247 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,880 moment what happened with Sarah? Because this happens to us too. 248 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:15,560 We may not laugh out loud at God, but often times we laugh on 249 00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:18,880 the inside. So #1 her laughter starts y'all 250 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:23,360 by lack of faith in God. Now, again, a lot of Christians, 251 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:25,440 most Christians would say, I believe God can do anything with 252 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,280 anybody. Nothing is impossible with God. 253 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,240 But as soon as they go through a hard thing or they fail in a in 254 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,720 a big way, or they stumble and all of a sudden they feel like 255 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:34,280 they're unusable, guess what they say? 256 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,280 They sound like that guy my pastor was describing. 257 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,520 Yeah, but God can't use me. Yeah, God save me. 258 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:40,320 Yes, I plan, I hope is in heaven. 259 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:42,920 Yes, Jesus has forgiven me, but I just don't feel like God can 260 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,720 do anything with me. So she's got a lack of faith in 261 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,200 God, which leads to laughing at God, not on the outside, but on 262 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:51,320 the inside. And then after laughing at God, 263 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,200 she's afraid of God because she's lied to God. 264 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,120 And then she's rebuked by God. That's a bad cycle to be in. 265 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:04,040 You ever been in it? You ever had some lack of faith 266 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,480 in God that's LED you to maybe not mock God, but quite 267 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:11,560 honestly, you kind of just laughed under your breath, said 268 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:15,640 no, that's not possible, God. That's not a good idea, God, 269 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,960 that can't happen. And then lack of faith in God 270 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,960 led to being afraid or maybe sin, like lying to God, then 271 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:27,240 maybe being rebuked by God. That's the cycle, the result of 272 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,360 not believing all things are possible with God. 273 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,240 Are you believing? Let me ask you this question. 274 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:38,640 Are you believing right now? Anything is too hard for God. 275 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:44,640 Let me be more specific. Does it seem too hard to you to 276 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:51,800 be who God has called you to be? Does it seem too hard to you to 277 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:53,320 do what God has called you to do? 278 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:57,400 Does it seem too hard to you to say no to sin in temptation? 279 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:01,360 Does it seem too hard to you to take every thought captive to 280 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,160 obey Christ? Does it seem too hard for for 281 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:07,160 you to have a godly marriage, or to have a godly Christian home 282 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,280 or to forgive someone? Does it seem too hard for you to 283 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:12,760 keep praying for that family member, that coworker, that 284 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:15,720 child, or that grandchild that is yet to trust Christ? 285 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,320 It seems like they never will. Does it seem too hard for you to 286 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:22,200 face and walk faithfully through the circumstances where God has 287 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,400 you? Is anything right now? 288 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,360 Are you believing anything is too hard for God? 289 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:31,840 You don't want to go down that cycle that that path puts you on 290 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,080 because nothing is impossible with Him. 291 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,320 Do you believe? Do you believe God has included 292 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:43,000 you to use you? Why don't you listen to verses 293 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:48,560 16 through 21? Then the men set out from there, 294 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:53,000 and they look down towards Sodom, and Abraham went with 295 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:57,680 them to set them on their way. And the Lord said, Shall I hide 296 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:01,640 from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall 297 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,840 surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of 298 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:06,160 the earth shall be blessed in him? 299 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:11,520 For I have chosen him that he may command, that he may command 300 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:15,960 his children and his household after him, to keep the way of 301 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:19,920 the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord 302 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,440 may bring to Abraham what He has promised him. 303 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:26,360 Then the Lord said, because the outcry against Sodom and 304 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,760 Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to 305 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:34,040 see whether they have done all together according to the outcry 306 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,880 that has come to me, and if not, I will know. 307 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:42,480 You see, after the meal, the three visitors continue toward 308 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,760 Sodom and Gomorrah, the destination of their journey. 309 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,560 And as a gracious host, Abraham doesn't just say goodbye in the 310 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,160 living room or the foyer. He doesn't even shake their hand 311 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:53,760 and hug him and say goodbye on the porch. 312 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:56,840 As a good host in this day and time and culture, he would have 313 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,600 travelled a part of their way with him. 314 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:01,800 And obviously by this point, there's a little separation 315 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:05,359 between the four because now Abraham and the Lord are having 316 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:08,400 a conversation here and the angels with them maybe are a 317 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,400 little bit ways apart. And the Lord ask a question out 318 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:13,280 loud that he already knows the answer to. 319 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,319 Shall I hide from Abraham? What? 320 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,720 What I'm about to do. Let me just go and give you this 321 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,400 second lesson we learned. We're going to explain it. 322 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:22,280 Here it is. You ready? 323 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:26,960 God shares his secrets with his friends, they say. 324 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,400 Kyle, that sounds odd. Well, let me explain. 325 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:33,240 I think it will become far more clear that God shares His 326 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,560 secrets with His friends. You see, Abraham is going to 327 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:44,440 have the privilege of hearing the will of God because Abraham 328 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,960 is in a personal relationship with God. 329 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,600 Abraham's about to get inside. He's about to get a heads up. 330 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:54,080 He's about to get inclusion in the will of God that's about to 331 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:55,360 unfold. Why? 332 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:59,680 Because he is in a friendship. He is in a personal relationship 333 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:01,960 with God. This is what I mean by God 334 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:03,440 shares his secrets with his friends. 335 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:04,400 Let me see if I can be more clear. 336 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:07,400 Are you ready? Hey, Noah, friend of God, build 337 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:09,640 a boat. I got a little secret for you. 338 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:14,200 It's about to rain. Like a lot. 339 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:19,680 I bet Noah was glad God shares his secrets with his with his 340 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,160 friends. Hey, Moses, I'm going to let my 341 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,240 people go. I want you to go to Egypt and 342 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,280 say to Pharaoh. Let my people right. 343 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:29,960 God shares his secrets with his friends. 344 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:33,560 How about King David? Hey, David, a son of yours is 345 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:36,760 going to sit on the throne and rule and reign forever. 346 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,120 You walk before me blamelessly and in righteousness. 347 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:44,480 Hey, Daniel, I want you to write what you read and what you what 348 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,360 what what you've heard and what I've said so that people will 349 00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:50,200 know what's to come in latter years and generations. 350 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:53,040 Hey, Nehemiah, I'm going to restore my people to their land. 351 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:55,880 I want you to go back and build the wall of Jerusalem. 352 00:18:56,120 --> 00:18:59,720 Hey, disciples, all authority has been given to me in heaven 353 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,680 and on earth. Therefore then go and what? 354 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:04,600 Make disciples? Why? 355 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,000 Because I am Lord, I am ruler, I'm in charge of all. 356 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:09,560 And then how about the Apostle Paul? 357 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:13,680 I love this Paul says whether in the body or out of the body, I 358 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:16,080 don't know. I couldn't tell you, he said, 359 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,360 but I know a man talking of himself caught up to the 3rd 360 00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:22,160 heaven. So much so I saw things, I 361 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,840 experienced things that I can't put into human language. 362 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:27,440 Listen, you read those books people say they saw in heaven. 363 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:29,960 Paul says I went there and you can't put what I saw in human 364 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:36,720 language, so just be careful. God shares His secrets with his. 365 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,520 What did Jesus say in John 1515? No longer do I call you 366 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,320 servants, for the servant does not know what his master is 367 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,080 doing. But I have called you. 368 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,880 There it is. For all that I've heard from my 369 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:54,160 Father, I've what I've made known to you, y'all. 370 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:57,080 I've shared all my secrets. I've shared with you the will of 371 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:01,120 God with you. Find any friend of God, man or 372 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:03,440 woman in Scripture. Find a friend of God. 373 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:08,080 You will find a person that whom God shares his will and his ways 374 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:08,600 with. Why? 375 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,840 Because he's included us in order to use us. 376 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:14,920 This is exactly what God is doing with Abraham. 377 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,240 This is exactly what God wants to do with you and with me. 378 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,400 Do you believe that? You really believe God wants to 379 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:27,160 share with you things that He wants to include you in so that 380 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:29,760 he can use you. This is God's fun. 381 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:31,520 This is why God's put the Holy Spirit in you. 382 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,600 I read this morning in my quiet time Colossians chapter 2 text 383 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,160 that I've read before that just jumped out to me like crazy 384 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,280 again, but it spoke of who Christ is in Colossians 2. 385 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:42,960 And Paul writes statements that go like this. 386 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:48,400 In him the fullness of deity dwells bodily. 387 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,920 And then Paul describes just earlier before he says that, 388 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:55,760 that the one who indwells us is who none other than Jesus, the 389 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,720 Son of God by his Spirit indwells us, and in him the 390 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:02,200 fullness of deity dwells bodily. You are, if you are a believer, 391 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,560 the fullness of God dwells in you by the Spirit of Jesus 392 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,160 Christ through the Holy Spirit who's called you to Himself. 393 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:10,520 You don't have, you don't lack anything. 394 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:12,840 You need to have to be used by God. 395 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:15,280 God has included you in order to use. 396 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,760 You've got no excuse. All the ones you want to use 397 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,600 don't matter and don't count. God has breath in your lungs and 398 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:23,560 you're on His team. He's included you in order to 399 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:25,320 use you. Do you believe that? 400 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:32,240 Why does God want to share with Abraham what is about to happen? 401 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,280 Because it has everything to do with the calling of God on His 402 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,240 life. This is how God will include you 403 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:41,080 in His plan based on His calling on your life. 404 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:43,560 He pulls Abraham aside because why? 405 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,440 Because God has called Abraham to be the one that he's going to 406 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,640 start with, through whom he's going to being and bring about a 407 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:51,720 great and mighty nation, through whom he's going to bring about 408 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:53,520 blessing to all the peoples of the earth. 409 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:55,560 And guess what? God is about to deal directly 410 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,600 with some peoples of the earth. Abraham's about to have a front 411 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:01,320 row seat to what God's going to do with some peoples of the 412 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,920 earth that are walking in outright, outright rebellion 413 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,520 against him. And God wants Abraham to realize 414 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:10,920 the criticalness of his calling, that God, through him, let's the 415 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:15,240 world see what it is to walk with God, to know him so that 416 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,560 what's about to happen doesn't continue to happen. 417 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,400 Now, I want to talk about this for a moment. 418 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,760 God is about to pour out judgement on the peoples of the 419 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,040 Jordan Valley because of their extreme wickedness. 420 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,680 And God is not about to do this flippantly. 421 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,440 He's not throwing a temper tantrum as an immature God in 422 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,480 the sky that throws lightning bolts. 423 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:46,880 God is not in a rage. God is not acting in a way that 424 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:51,840 sometimes he's caricatured. In fact, he's going out of his 425 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,680 way to investigate the situation personally before doing anything 426 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,480 about it. Of course, God knows all and 427 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:01,000 sees all. He doesn't have to come down to 428 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:02,680 see what's going on in the Jordan Valley. 429 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,440 But he does so and says that he does so. 430 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,840 So you and I know how the patience and mercy of God and 431 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,760 the thoroughness of the justice of God before acting. 432 00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:14,760 The third thing I want you to see here is that there is no 433 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,440 injustice with God. There is no injustice with God. 434 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:22,640 Let me be real honest with you. One of the accusations made 435 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,000 against God, often by unbelievers who people who 436 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,920 reject the gospel that's made against God, made against the 437 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:31,440 Bible, is how could he, how could he, how could he wipe out 438 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,080 entire cities, an entire people group, right? 439 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,280 Entire families? If that's who God is, I don't 440 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:40,680 want anything to do with him. Have you heard that before? 441 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:47,520 The Bible says here that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was crying 442 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:52,720 out to God. The level of injustice, the 443 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,800 level of wickedness, the level of pain and oppression, the 444 00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:01,680 level of abuse, the level of rebellion, hard hearted know God 445 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,600 we're going to live our way. The level of destruction, the 446 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:10,960 level of the absolute turmoil and chaos of unleashing the 447 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:14,640 havoc of people, men and women living their own way against God 448 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,720 was literally it affecting all the people from kids and 449 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,280 families in the community and the society and beyond. 450 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,280 All of it was crying is as if creation was crying out. 451 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:26,120 Is there a God who would ever make this right? 452 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:28,160 Is there a God who could reverse this pain? 453 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:30,040 Is there a God who could bring justice? 454 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:32,560 Is there a God who could do away and make this right? 455 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:34,000 Is there a God who could hit reset? 456 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,000 Is there a God who is holy that can do anything about human sin? 457 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,280 The sin of the city was crying out for justice. 458 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:44,560 Is there a judge? Is there a judge in all the 459 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:49,480 universe who would be willing in His Holiness and mercy and His 460 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:52,440 goodness to step in and do anything about this? 461 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:58,520 Or are we left all alone? Another thing you'll hear a 462 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:02,800 false statement about God is you'll hear sometimes people 463 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:05,840 say, well God was that way in the Old Testament, but he, he, 464 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:07,960 he got better with Jesus in the New Testament. 465 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:12,160 Let me read you what the Bible says. 466 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:17,400 Matthew 1014 and 15. Jesus says if anyone will not 467 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:21,440 receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from 468 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,640 your feet when you leave that house or town. 469 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:27,120 Truly I say to you, it be it will be more bearable on the day 470 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:29,920 of judgement for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that 471 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:34,360 town. Matthew 1123 and 24 This is 472 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:37,600 Jesus again. And you Capernaum, will you be 473 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,000 exalted to heaven. You'll be brought down to Hades, 474 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:46,360 for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it 475 00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:49,680 would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be 476 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,920 more tolerable on that day of judgment for the land of Sodom 477 00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:55,280 than for you. So here's some bottom line 478 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:57,520 realities of the universe we got to reckon with. 479 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:05,080 God is either holy or he's not. Man is either sinful or he's 480 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:12,000 not, and mankind's sin either demands divine judgment from a 481 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,520 holy just judge of the universe or it does not. 482 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:20,000 But if it does not, ladies and gentlemen, explain to me why God 483 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,160 the Father would so love the world that He would send his one 484 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:23,880 and only Son to die in your place. 485 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:27,520 Pierce through hands and feet so that the holiness of God could 486 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:31,120 be demonstrated and actually satisfied, all the while the 487 00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:33,920 judgment, the just judgment of God for all of mankind. 488 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:37,720 Sin could be paid for out of a God who is both loved and holy 489 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,520 at the same time, because He is holy and we are sinful, and yet 490 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:44,400 we are offered rescue from it because of the holy love and 491 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:51,080 justice of God. Friends, there is no injustice 492 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,680 with God. Don't let anybody else tell you 493 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:58,040 otherwise. Back to Abraham, God's call in 494 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:02,720 his life is to become a great nation and to be a blessing to 495 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:03,760 all the other nations of the earth. 496 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:05,800 How? I want you to notice this 497 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:07,000 closely in the text. How? 498 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:13,400 By living according to the way of the Lord, demonstrating the 499 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,040 Bible says righteousness and justice for the world to see. 500 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:21,520 God is saying in his mercy Abraham, my call on your life is 501 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,200 to live in such a way so that even through your descendants 502 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,200 the world can watch and see there is a God in heaven and 503 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,240 there is a way He has called us to live and there is a way to 504 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:34,160 know Him and walk with him. I want the world to see Abraham, 505 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:36,760 me through you and your descendants. 506 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,920 This call on Abraham's life is the same call on our lives in 507 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:44,160 Cartersville, GA today for the world to see there is a God and 508 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,960 he is good to come and see and taste and see that God is good. 509 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:48,240 Why? Because I'm watching through 510 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:50,360 your life. I'm watching God do through you 511 00:27:50,360 --> 00:27:52,760 or I'm watching God through me do something that I don't see 512 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:54,840 anywhere else. And I want to know what you know 513 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:56,400 and who you know and how you know it. 514 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:01,960 This is the call on his life and mine #4 is this God's call on 515 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:06,880 our lives is to live and share the way of the Lord. 516 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:10,920 Our call, God's call on our lives is to live and share the 517 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,400 way of the Lord. Jesus puts it so clear in the 518 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,560 New Testament, right? He says to his guys, hey, I'm 519 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,520 not calling you to fish for fish any longer. 520 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:19,800 That was fun. But I'm calling you to fish for 521 00:28:20,360 --> 00:28:22,160 this is going to be a whole lot more fun, All right? 522 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:27,240 He says you're going to be my what witnesses starting right 523 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:30,440 here in Jerusalem to the what ends of the ends of the earth. 524 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:33,400 He says you're to be the salt of the earth, the light of the 525 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:34,920 world. Paul's going to put it another 526 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,240 language. Paul writes you are ambassadors 527 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:41,840 for Christ as if God was making his appeal to the lost through 528 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:43,200 you. Paul says also you're going to 529 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:47,960 be like living letters of Christ for the world to read and see to 530 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:52,200 know there's a God in his love. So friends, our lives literally 531 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:56,480 are to be billboards of the gospel wherever we live, work 532 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,720 and play. And and in case you, in case 533 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:10,560 this kind of hasn't sunk in for you yet, most Christians, I 534 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:16,880 believe, miss out on the most exciting part of living the 535 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:23,480 Christian life. Let me, let me be honest, like 536 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:27,640 every day, yes, it's supposed to start with you and God. 537 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:31,720 Listen, I wouldn't trade my quiet time with God for nothing, 538 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,480 all right? But you, you're not going to 539 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:39,800 usually find me jumping up and down and crying about 6:00 AM 540 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:42,560 when it's just me and God. I mean, they're day. 541 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:44,000 There are days. Maybe that happens. 542 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:53,930 But you know, when I jump up and down and throw a party, most 543 00:29:53,930 --> 00:29:56,490 Christians get bored. Being a Christian. 544 00:29:58,570 --> 00:30:01,640 You know why? Because their lives are not 545 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:04,520 being lived as gospel billboards for the world to see. 546 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:10,160 And as a result, their party pooping on God's greatest call 547 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,800 on their life. And no wonder. 548 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:14,760 It's sad, boring, and complacent. 549 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:17,320 Because guess what? If your life is not leading to 550 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:19,840 seeing anybody, I guarantee if anybody in this room had 551 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,240 anything to do with what they just saw, you're like, I want to 552 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,360 do that again. God, give me another chance 553 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,800 today to do that again. That was fun. 554 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:31,240 That's worth living for right there. 555 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:33,480 Like God. I mean, no, it's not better than 556 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:35,960 knowing God itself, but the only thing next to it is seeing 557 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,640 somebody else come to know and see and taste and see the Lord 558 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:40,480 is good. Just like you. 559 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:42,480 I just want John writes in his letters that our joy may be 560 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:45,000 complete and our joy may be full right that he's sharing with 561 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:46,880 them. But I get that most Christians 562 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,280 are bored because they're quite honestly wrapped up in their own 563 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,200 party and it me and God and no more and not worried about 564 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:55,680 anybody else's life and living and their life's not advertising 565 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:57,640 the gospel. Nobody's learning Jesus lived, 566 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,920 died, was buried, rose again from you, from them, and 567 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,360 therefore they're missing out and they think the Christian 568 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:04,840 life's boring there. You know what happens then? 569 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:07,320 Then they go out and try to taste and chase everything the 570 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:10,400 world has to offer, and then they're dissatisfied with that 571 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:12,680 thinking that could satisfy the hole in their heart and they're 572 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:14,840 missing out on God's greatest call on their life. 573 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:19,960 They're shooting bows and arrows up in Tennessee, having a good 574 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:24,680 time with my pastor friend lived out God's calling on his life. 575 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:28,840 We're asking the guy, young guy, he's like 18, what direction to 576 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:31,480 a course. Tim, my buddy, introduces 577 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:33,400 himself to him. I'm just thinking about shooting 578 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,000 my bow and air and Tim's like, Phineas, do you know Jesus? 579 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:41,080 I'm like, oh, here we go. Phineas is like I'm working on 580 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:42,800 it. That means no. 581 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:46,560 By the way, if you know Jesus, you don't say that. 582 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:54,400 Tim says Phineas he made you, He loves you, he sees you, he has a 583 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,360 plan for your life. He sent his son to die for you. 584 00:31:57,360 --> 00:31:59,960 He paid the price of your sin. If you call on Jesus name to 585 00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:04,040 save you asking for forgiveness, you can be saved. 586 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,440 And I'll, I'll be honest, right? Nothing else we did up there 587 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,480 mattered any more than that 35 seconds. 588 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:20,380 I'm going to be honest. Most of what we do to make 589 00:32:20,380 --> 00:32:25,460 money, most of what we do to have fun, most of what we do to 590 00:32:25,460 --> 00:32:28,580 have the house in the car and the vacations and all the stuff 591 00:32:28,580 --> 00:32:32,860 that we want doesn't mean anything compared to the 35 592 00:32:32,860 --> 00:32:35,700 second conversations you can have every day. 593 00:32:37,460 --> 00:32:42,000 And I guarantee you it'll be far more exciting and you'll throw a 594 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,440 party like no other party when you see it lead to that right 595 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:49,280 there. God's call in our lives is to 596 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:51,280 share and show the way of the Lord. 597 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:53,480 I've got one more part of this passage I want to show you, and 598 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:55,200 it really deals with parents. All right? 599 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,000 So if you're a parent or going to be a parent, a grandparent, I 600 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,640 want you to I want you to lean in verse 19. 601 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:04,760 It says Abraham, what am I calling to do and how you to do 602 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:06,960 it? He says that I that he that is 603 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:12,000 may Abraham may and don't miss this word, command his children, 604 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:13,520 the parents. I want you to stay with me. 605 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:17,240 Command his children. You ready on 3123. 606 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:20,360 Command his children. The world will tell you don't 607 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:24,160 command your kids to do anything more about that in a second 608 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,680 command his kids and his household after him to keep the 609 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:31,760 way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice. 610 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,320 But I don't want you to miss is one of the keys to Abraham's 611 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,720 life here in calling was to be a faithful husband, a faithful 612 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:41,000 father and leader of his family. This is just one of the many 613 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,160 places in Scripture that we see this following final principle 614 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:48,160 this morning is that parents are responsible for teaching their 615 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:52,600 children the things of God. Parents are responsible for 616 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,240 teaching their children the things of God. 617 00:33:56,480 --> 00:34:00,880 And did you notice what specific word God said was to 618 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,880 characterize Abraham's parenting when it came to his kids 619 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:06,760 learning the will and the ways of God? 620 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:08,480 Did you notice that the word, it starts with AC. 621 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:10,360 It's an imperative that means a command. 622 00:34:10,639 --> 00:34:15,760 I just said the word, sorry, command, command. 623 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:18,320 Now, hey, do y'all want y'all want to think about this? 624 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:20,480 We're going to have a family meeting. 625 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:24,600 We're going to negotiate. No. 626 00:34:24,679 --> 00:34:28,880 As for me in my house, Abraham, you're to say we're going to 627 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:30,719 what? We're going to serve. 628 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:33,520 Like when Joshua said that he wasn't giving the other members 629 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:36,120 of the family an option. He was saying, you live in my 630 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:38,040 house. This is the way we do. 631 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:43,440 This is the way we do life. All right, So what is Abraham 632 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:44,840 commanding? To command his kids. 633 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:47,560 He's to command them. Two things to be spent to learn 634 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:51,840 the ways of God and to then obey the ways of God. 635 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:53,840 Now I want you to be, I want to be very clear. 636 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:58,320 God did not say here, Abram, command your kids to believe 637 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:04,320 because he can't. He can't make the choice for 638 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:08,600 your kids and neither can you. The command is to instruct. 639 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,280 The command is to hold accountable to what you've 640 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,760 instructed. It's up to between God and your 641 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,520 children and grandchildren, whether they actually believe 642 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:18,960 and receive. All right, but this is a way of 643 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:23,720 life you're to set in your home. Learning and obeying the ways of 644 00:35:23,720 --> 00:35:27,600 God is not to be optional in a Christian home. 645 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:30,240 I'm going to say this. It upsets you. 646 00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:32,920 This is just true. But if, if, if learning and 647 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:36,360 living the ways of God is an option in your home, you are not 648 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:39,200 biblically parenting the way the Bible says to do it. 649 00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:45,000 You're just not. I didn't say you could force 650 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:46,920 them to believe. I'm just saying you're not doing 651 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:50,040 it the way the Bible says do it. Now let me just also be clear. 652 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:53,520 There is a way that you can do this harshly and overbearingly 653 00:35:53,520 --> 00:35:55,600 that will send them running for the hills. 654 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:01,880 And so in some ways our culture has pendulum swung over to this 655 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:04,760 gentle parenting where we're so passive we negotiate with our 2 656 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:09,400 year olds and we were being duped by the devil. 657 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:13,480 You know what Proverbs says here, Listen to this Proverbs 658 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:16,840 2915, the proverb says leave a kid alone and what you're going 659 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:21,480 to get is shame. The rod and reproof give wisdom. 660 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:24,920 You hear that? The rod and reproof give wisdom, 661 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:28,920 but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. 662 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:34,520 I don't want to get too personal here, but I just, I just want to 663 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:39,200 say this because I, I realize not everyone has had this 664 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:43,600 privilege, but I was a benefactor of a mom and dad who 665 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,640 took that parenting principle seriously. 666 00:36:48,120 --> 00:36:51,920 And listen, the wood has been laid to my backside, OK? 667 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:55,800 So I can talk as a testimony, as a satisfied customer, all right. 668 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:02,960 But I can tell you that they did it in the way that the Bible 669 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,960 says do it, OK? And listen to me. 670 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,760 My father never, ever spanked me in anger. 671 00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:12,960 He never did it out of control and he never did it without me 672 00:37:12,960 --> 00:37:16,240 knowing exactly what I had done wrong and what I should have 673 00:37:16,240 --> 00:37:20,240 done right in its place. I, I'm just going to be honest, 674 00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:22,880 my kids are really, I wish I, my kids could say the same, but 675 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:24,160 they're not going to be able to say the same. 676 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:27,800 Can I just tell you how I feel? They will not be able to say the 677 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:31,760 same. But my father would sit me down 678 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:33,240 on the bed and he'd say, son, I'm going to be up there in a 679 00:37:33,240 --> 00:37:37,800 moment and we'd have a conversation and then we would 680 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:43,560 experience the consequences and he would depart for me to think 681 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:45,280 about it for a month. He'd come back in about 5 682 00:37:45,280 --> 00:37:49,200 minutes and wrap his arm around me and saying, Kyle, I want you 683 00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:50,680 to never forget how much I love you. 684 00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:54,520 What you did was wrong and you experienced the consequences of 685 00:37:54,520 --> 00:37:56,080 that. And guess what? 686 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:58,360 When you leave my home, the consequences probably be far 687 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:00,400 worse for bad decisions that don't honor God. 688 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:04,960 But I pray one day you'll learn under my roof how to avoid those 689 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:09,200 consequences. I praise God my parents did not 690 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:14,720 leave my rear end alone. I'm just going to put it like 691 00:38:14,720 --> 00:38:20,840 that, as odd as that sounds, praise God. 692 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:25,840 Parents, God has included you to use you. 693 00:38:27,240 --> 00:38:31,360 OK, your kids need three things from you spiritually. 694 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:33,640 Are you ready? They need a knowledge of what 695 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:35,160 you believe. If your kids leave your house 696 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:37,320 and they don't know what you believe, what the Bible says, 697 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:40,840 you've got to teach them what you believe #2 an understanding 698 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:45,480 of why you believe it and #3 an example of how to live it. 699 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:49,640 An example of how to live it. God has included you to use you. 700 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:51,520 I'm going to call John and praise team out. 701 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:55,600 I'm going to finish this way. If you've ever found yourself on 702 00:38:55,600 --> 00:38:59,760 a team, be whatever sport or activity it is, one of the first 703 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:02,360 questions somebody's going to ask you is what position do you? 704 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:05,920 Will you play? In other words, how do you 705 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:09,280 uniquely contribute? What are your gifts? 706 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:11,200 What are your talents? How were you built? 707 00:39:11,240 --> 00:39:15,440 What do you do for the team that helps the team win? 708 00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:23,040 All right, you're included on the team so you can be used on 709 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:27,040 the team in a specific way. God has included you on the team 710 00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:30,240 so he can use you on the team in a specific way. 711 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:32,880 If you're inhabited by the Holy Spirit, you've been gifted by 712 00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:35,880 the Holy Spirit to be used in a specific way. 713 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:43,280 What position are you? Are you playing? 714 00:39:45,720 --> 00:39:48,000 Or does the Christian life feel pretty boring because you're not 715 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,800 even in the game? What position are you playing? 716 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:55,560 Have you realized God has included you in order to use 717 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:57,680 you? You know This is why we say the 718 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:00,760 mission of our church is to love people to life in Jesus Christ. 719 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:04,520 You know why? There's not a, there's not 720 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:09,800 another even close second reason to live compared to that, to 721 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:11,320 love people to life in Jesus Christ. 722 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:16,000 That's why we say our vision is to soak our growing community 723 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:19,760 with the gospel of Jesus Christ, to see our growing community 724 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:23,040 saturated with it. Because my goodness, there's not 725 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:27,240 a more exciting thing to live for, to see people's lives 726 00:40:27,240 --> 00:40:29,880 changed. I don't know if you need to 727 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:34,080 trust Christ today. If you need to say Jesus, I need 728 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,760 to get in the game. If you need to say Lord, I want 729 00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:38,760 to say yes to the calling. Oh my God, I don't even know 730 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:41,160 what the calling is. I'm just ready and willing to 731 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:43,480 say yes. If you will clarify for me, I'll 732 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:45,520 surrender. I surrender. 733 00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:47,520 I want to say yes. Would you guide me in what that 734 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:49,840 yes is? I'm going to stand here. 735 00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:51,960 We'll have encouragers close and we're going to sing and worship 736 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,120 and you respond. Heavenly Father God, I want to 737 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:56,960 ask that right now, in this next few moments, we'd say yes to 738 00:40:56,960 --> 00:40:59,120 you. If someone needs to say yes for 739 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:03,000 salvation, yes for service, yes to the call, all the above. 740 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:06,000 Whatever it is, God have your way, just as we are in our 741 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:07,360 lives. In Jesus name we pray. 742 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:08,840 Amen. Would you stand with me? 743 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:11,520 We're going to sing you. Come as the Lord leads you. 744 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:12,240 We'll wait for you.