1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,520 All right, friends, we are going to be reading in Genesis chapter 2 00:00:04,520 --> 00:00:07,640 26 today. So if you have a Bible, you can 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,680 turn there. If you don't, there should be 1 4 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,720 underneath your seat. And if you don't own a Bible, 5 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:14,960 that is our gift to you, so you can take that with you. 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:21,000 So Genesis chapter 26, you can find that on page 19. 7 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,680 All right. Genesis 26 Now there was a 8 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,760 famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,520 days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:35,360 Abimelech, king of the Philistines. 11 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:39,240 And the Lord appeared to him and said, Do not go down to Egypt, 12 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,440 dwell in the land of which I shall tell you, sojourn in this 13 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,320 land, and I will be with you and will bless you. 14 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:50,360 For to you and your to your offspring, I will give all these 15 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,120 lands. And I will establish the oath 16 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:55,600 that I swore to Abraham your father. 17 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,440 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and will 18 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:05,040 give to your offspring all these lands, and in your offspring all 19 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,200 the nations of the earth shall be blessed. 20 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,200 Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my 21 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:14,000 commandments, my statutes and my laws. 22 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,120 So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked 23 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,160 about his wife, he said She is my sister. 24 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,480 For he feared to say, My wife thinking less the men of this 25 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,160 place, she'll should kill me because of Rebecca, because she 26 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,800 was attractive in appearance when he had been there a long 27 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,360 time. Abimelech, king of the 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,080 Philistines, looked out of the window and saw Isaac laughing 29 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,880 with Rebecca, his wife. So Abimelech called Isaac and 30 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,400 said, Behold, she is your wife, How then could you say she is my 31 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,520 sister? Isaac said to him, Because I 32 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,040 thought lest I die because of her? 33 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,480 Abimelech said, What is this you have done to US? 34 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,040 One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and 35 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:01,960 you would have brought guilt upon us. 36 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:05,760 So abimelech all the warned, all the people, saying, Whoever 37 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:09,240 touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. 38 00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:13,920 And Isaac sowed in the land and reaped in the same year a 39 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:16,840 hundredfold. The Lord blessed him, and the 40 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:21,080 man became rich and gained more and more until he became very 41 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,520 wealthy. He had possessions of flocks and 42 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,520 herds and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him. 43 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,000 Now the Philistines has stopped and filled with earth all the 44 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:37,160 wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham. 45 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:42,680 His father and Abimelech said to Isaac, Go away from us, for you 46 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,840 are much mightier than we. So Isaac departed from there and 47 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,000 encamped in the valley of Gerar and settled there. 48 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,240 And Isaac dug again the wells of water that had been dug in the 49 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,720 days of Abraham his father, which the Philistines has 50 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,600 stopped after the death of Abraham. 51 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,520 And he gave them the names that his father had given them. 52 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:07,840 But when Isaac's servants dug in the valley and found there a 53 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,840 well of water, the herdsman's of Gerard quarreled with Isaac's 54 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,680 herdsman, saying, The water is ours. 55 00:03:14,920 --> 00:03:18,640 So he called the name of the well Isaac, because they 56 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:22,320 contended with him. Then they dug another well, and 57 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:27,520 they quarreled over that also. So he called it, it its name 58 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,320 Sitna. And he moved from there and dug 59 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,600 another well, and they did not quarrel over it. 60 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:37,960 So he called. So he called its name Rebel, 61 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,120 saying, From now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall 62 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,960 be fruitful in the land. From there he went up to 63 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:49,680 Beersheba, and the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, 64 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,320 I am the God of Abraham your father. 65 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,600 Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your 66 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,400 offspring for my servant Abraham's sake. 67 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,680 So he built an altar there, and called upon the name of the 68 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:04,720 Lord, and pitched his tent there. 69 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:10,440 And there Isaac's servants dug a whale, when Abimelech went went 70 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:16,440 to him from Gerar with his advisor and Fico, the commander 71 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,279 of his army. Isaac said to him, Why have you 72 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,600 come to me, saying that you hate me and have sent me away from 73 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,480 you? They said, We see plainly that 74 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,320 the Lord has been with you. So we said, Let there be a swarm 75 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,120 pack between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant 76 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,520 with you that you will do us no harm, just as we have not 77 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,680 touched you and have not done to you nothing but good, and have 78 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,400 sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the 79 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,400 Lord. So he made them a feast, and 80 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,400 they ate and drank. In the morning they rose early, 81 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,680 early, and exchanged oaths, and Isaac sent them on their way, 82 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:55,640 and they departed from him in peace. 83 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:00,040 That same day Isaac's servants came to him and told him about 84 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,800 the well that they had dug, and said to him, We have found 85 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,440 water. He called it Sheba, therefore 86 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,040 the name of the city of therefore the name of the city 87 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:14,720 is Beersheba to this day. When Esau was 40 years old, he 88 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,080 took Judith, the daughter of Birai the Hittite to be his 89 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,520 wife, and Basima the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 90 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,920 And they made life bitter and Isaac for Isaac and Rebecca. 91 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:27,600 And this is the word of the Lord. 92 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:35,520 Good morning. What's going on? 93 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,720 Port City family and friends. Good. 94 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:40,680 It's good to be with you all. My name is Tanner. 95 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,960 Y'all here at Port City we're trying to live with God as his 96 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,480 children, trying to be a church family and then live into the 97 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:50,000 mission of God together. We, we believe the scriptures 98 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,840 teach Jesus lived those three directions with God, with other 99 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,560 followers of the Lord and then towards people who don't know 100 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:58,640 him. And y'all, the reality is we got 101 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,360 one life that's it then it's over. 102 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,320 Only one life will soon be passed only was done with Christ 103 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,760 will last and we are trying to leave it on the field. 104 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,600 We are not perfect. I'm a huge Sinner. 105 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,600 The more you get to know me, the more sin you're going to see. 106 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,000 That's how it works with everybody. 107 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,720 But we have a great Savior. We've got a great opportunity to 108 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:19,760 live an awesome adventure with him together. 109 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,280 And that's what we trying to do for Norfolk's good, our joy and 110 00:06:23,280 --> 00:06:24,800 God's glory. So if you're looking for a 111 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,680 church family, you want to have some fun and just leave it on 112 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,000 the field not not hold anything back. 113 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,800 This is a great place for you and we hope to have you with us. 114 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,120 So I do want to pray one more time. 115 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:38,720 We need God's help to understand and not just understand with our 116 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:40,160 minds, but the eyes of our heart. 117 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,800 What the Bible would say would be illuminated to understand 118 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:44,640 what God is revealing to us in his words. 119 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,960 So let's pray one more time. Almighty God our Father, we know 120 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:51,200 that you are here. We got we, we know that you're 121 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:53,000 near, we know that you are with us. 122 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,360 You see all, you know all that, you know our very thoughts of 123 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,400 our hearts right now. You know the anxieties, 124 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,840 everything. So God, we just pray there for 125 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:05,360 the next little bit. God you would unfold truth to 126 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,640 us. God, you would help us to see 127 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,040 you as you really are, and you would change us. 128 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,160 We love you. We pray in Jesus name, Amen, 129 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,280 y'all. Some days you just wake up and 130 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,160 the day has a buzz to it. You know what I mean? 131 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,720 Like maybe you're going to lunch with a friend or your boss is 132 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:23,640 buying lunch for everybody and you're just pumped. 133 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,680 You're just like you waking up like songs like I got to feel 134 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:27,240 it. You know? 135 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,080 It's just in you. Maybe a new show is coming out 136 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,240 that Friday night and you're just pumped, OK. 137 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,960 Other days are not like that. OK, It's raining, you overslept. 138 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,120 In 10 minutes, your kids are walking in the room, the day 139 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,400 feels away from you already, and you're just irritated. 140 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:46,920 You know? Here's what's amazing about 141 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,160 being a human being, though, is that you get to tell yourself a 142 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,000 story that makes the day matter, right? 143 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,960 Like you create purpose. So on the day it's raining, you 144 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,040 immediately console yourself with, let's just stop by 145 00:07:58,040 --> 00:07:59,760 Starbucks on the way. Let's do it. 146 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,600 And you just made the day matter to yourself. 147 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,240 You gave yourself a story that made it matter, right? 148 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,960 To be a human being is to be a storyteller. 149 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,440 It is. You are telling yourself a story 150 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,960 all the time. You ask yourself questions, you 151 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:16,640 talk to yourself. That's how you were made. 152 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,040 So what I want to do today is give you 3 questions you can ask 153 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:24,800 yourself anytime, anywhere. You can ask it of any passage of 154 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:26,000 scripture, which we're going to do. 155 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,160 And I would encourage you to start your day on your knees 156 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:30,840 asking yourself these three questions. 157 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:33,640 OK, they're circular, not linear. 158 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:35,240 They feed off each other, but here they are. 159 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:40,240 Who is God? Who am I? 160 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,520 What am I going to do? Who is God? 161 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:45,840 Who am I? What do I do now you can start 162 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,720 your day on your knees recite the Lord's Prayer, Psalm 23 and 163 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,880 if you're praying those well, what those do is start with the 164 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:55,320 Lord is my shepherd. So it starts with God is my 165 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,920 that's who I am I'm his sheep. So I need to do what the 166 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:01,040 shepherds say OK, who is God who am I what do I do who's God, who 167 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,000 am I what do I do and that reorients you into a story helps 168 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,480 you recognize you did not create yourself, you are not self-made 169 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,280 you are God made all those things right and the order is 170 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,200 important. God starts the order and then 171 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,040 us, and then and you know what to do, because if you don't do 172 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:20,160 that, the e-mail from your boss or the needs of the day, the 173 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,720 demands of the day, or your body's urges to avoid pain and 174 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,520 seek pleasure at all costs just take you through the day, OK? 175 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,720 But you can reorient yourself to reality pretty simply that way. 176 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:32,840 And today we're going to do that with the story in Genesis 177 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:34,240 chapter 26. We're going to say, what does 178 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:35,880 this teach us about God? What does this teach us about 179 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:37,880 humanity? And what are we going to do? 180 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:40,760 All right, how's that sound? If you are ready, let me hear 181 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:41,560 you say I'm ready. Ready. 182 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:44,840 All right, question number one, what does this passage teach us 183 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,440 about God? There's like a million things, 184 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:48,760 but we're going to stick to three. 185 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,880 And we've preached on this story before a few weeks ago, just on 186 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,640 the presence of God. God's omnipresence is the fancy 187 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,280 word for that. OK, But we're revisiting it this 188 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,560 week to look at more of the Isaac Abimelech kind of dynamic. 189 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:04,200 All right, so let's read verses one through 5 one more time. 190 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,760 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine 191 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:11,640 that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerard, to 192 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,400 Abimelech, king of the Philistines. 193 00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:16,080 And the Lord appeared to him and said, Do not go down to Egypt, 194 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:17,680 dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. 195 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:21,280 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and we'll bless 196 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:22,720 you. For to you and to your offspring 197 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,440 I will give all these lands, and I'll establish the oath that I 198 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,320 swore to Abraham, your father. I will multiply your offspring 199 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,440 as the stars of heaven, and will give to your offspring all of 200 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:32,200 these lands. And in your offspring all the 201 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,920 nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed 202 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,720 my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and 203 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,960 my laws. OK, Have you ever you're 204 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:44,720 watching a movie or something, you're like maybe it's 205 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:46,160 animating. You're like, I know that voice. 206 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:47,920 Who is that? Like I've heard this voice. 207 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:49,560 Who is that guy? And then some of y'all had that 208 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:51,520 personality. Like you can't even watch the 209 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:53,320 movie no more until you figure out where you've seen him, 210 00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:55,000 right? And then you try to prove it to 211 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,120 your spouse or your friend or whatever. 212 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,200 Like it was episode 2 season 6, OK, I knew it. 213 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,200 And the more new, like subtle the reference, the more you're 214 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:03,040 proud of yourself. OK? 215 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,160 Well, like to modern people, when a story feels similar in 216 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,280 the Bible or like you've heard it before, we get weirded out. 217 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:11,400 We're like, this seems like something I've seen before. 218 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:14,600 And I don't like that feeling. Y'all, the Bible is going out of 219 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:16,440 its way to say, you've seen this before. 220 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:20,880 OK, We preached on it last year, but almost this exact setting 221 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,800 happens in the life of Abraham, OK, happens in Genesis 12 and in 222 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,760 Genesis 20. In 12, he goes down to Egypt. 223 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,760 In 20, he deals with another king named Abimelech. 224 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:33,400 And to US modern people were like, was it the same person? 225 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,920 How many years? It's like could be the same 226 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,160 king, could be years later be another king named Abimelech, 227 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:43,480 could be in the family. OK, but to the original audience 228 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,840 and the the author of Genesis is more than likely Moses, so he's 229 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,520 writing these down for the first time during the Exodus 230 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,200 generation. Think about how comforting this 231 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:56,280 would be to them. They're hearing a story of God 232 00:11:56,280 --> 00:12:00,200 protecting them in the midst of a foreign king during a famine 233 00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:03,680 in a foreign land. And if you trust me, all will be 234 00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:05,000 well. It looks like that king is in 235 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,000 control, but they're not. And soon you will leave with 236 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,000 more than you came with. Does that sound like a theme 237 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,760 you've heard before? It's called the Exodus theme, 238 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,880 which happens major once in the book of Exodus, but we see it a 239 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:20,760 lot in Genesis, both in Abraham and Isaac's life. 240 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:25,720 So just a quick recap of what chapter 26 is happening so we 241 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,520 can get our bearings. Basically, God says don't go 242 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:29,640 down there. I'm with you. 243 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:31,480 I'm going to be with you. You good? 244 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:34,800 Isaac doesn't exactly trust him at first. 245 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,280 OK? And Abimelech sees him hanging 246 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:39,720 out with his wife and he's like, yo, he didn't tell me that was 247 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,040 your wife. You lied to me. 248 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:43,760 OK, So Isaac was a liar from his fear. 249 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:48,160 And then God protects Rebecca. Then you see a bunch of these 250 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:50,760 exchanges between the herdsmen of the land and the wells. 251 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,080 And it was like digging a well. Then they would quarrel over it. 252 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,520 They would move on, dig over a well, quarrel, move on. 253 00:12:55,680 --> 00:12:58,960 And it kept saying just like Abraham did, Isaac did blank. 254 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,640 OK, They finally move on. And finally God appears to Isaac 255 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,600 again and he bows down and worship, trust him. 256 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:10,600 And then Abimelech comes back to Isaac and says, yo, God has 257 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:14,680 clearly been with you. And Isaac no more is scared. 258 00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:16,440 And he's like, OK, let's make a treaty. 259 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,600 End of chapter. Y'all understand what's 260 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:21,240 happening. OK, so here's what I teach about 261 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,720 God. First thing, God is consistent. 262 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,880 Y'all God is consistent. If any part of that audience was 263 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:32,600 thinking, does God play favorites? 264 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,120 Did he like Abraham more than Isaac? 265 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,280 Will he be different? Is God different now? 266 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:40,120 Is it a new like no, God is still God. 267 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,480 Who he was to Abraham, he's going to be to Isaac. 268 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:50,040 God is not Moody. Praise the Lord, yo. 269 00:13:50,560 --> 00:13:53,600 Inconsistency creates insecurity, you know that, 270 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:57,200 right? I remember being a teacher when 271 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:00,600 on a Monday I have my coffee and I planned the lesson. 272 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,240 I had differentiation for different types of students and 273 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:05,080 learners and learning environments. 274 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,760 And then on Tuesday when my head was hurting and they irritated 275 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:11,200 me and the scores came back and I didn't like it was a worksheet 276 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,680 day. OK, because I'm Moody. 277 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,120 I'm finite. I'm irritable. 278 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:19,680 What you do to me impacts me and it makes me want to respond a 279 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,520 certain way. God is not like that. 280 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:25,720 God is who he is because he's God. 281 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,440 We don't make him something he's not. 282 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:33,880 We can't pull like God is God. God is an actor, not a reactor. 283 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,120 God is initiator. God is creator. 284 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,960 God is good. That's who he is, and he's being 285 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:44,440 that because he's him. God always is who he is. 286 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:46,640 It wasn't like I'm going to be this way to Abraham and I'm 287 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:50,720 going to be this way to Isaac. God is God, He is who he is. 288 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,920 Second thing we learn about God is that he is covenantal. 289 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,200 Covenantal. That means he is a covenant 290 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,880 maker, covenant keeper. It said in verse 3, sojourn in 291 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,360 this land and I'll be with you and bless you for to you and to 292 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:07,200 your offspring. I will give all these lands and 293 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:11,480 I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham, your father. 294 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:16,920 What that means y'all is that God didn't start a contract with 295 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,320 Abraham that if he breaks it, God breaks it. 296 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:23,880 He, he initiated a covenant. Covenant means I'm a do it. 297 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:28,560 And those of y'all that remember the covenant wasn't like 5050. 298 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:31,120 It was God will do this through you. 299 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:35,400 He chose you, Abraham and Isaac and the the whole family, right, 300 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:39,200 Which is a family of faith, not just physical lineage. 301 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:44,360 And so God is a covenant keeper, not a contract maker. 302 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,880 Yo, what that means is God did not set up this covenant because 303 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:51,960 he was like empty and needing praise and needing help. 304 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:54,560 And he could get it if Abraham would just do his part. 305 00:15:54,920 --> 00:16:00,080 God is busting at the seams, overflowing with a bounding this 306 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:01,960 of who he is. He's a fountain that just is 307 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,320 popping. OK, He's not needy. 308 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,720 So it is such good news that God is still who he is because he's 309 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,200 God and Isaac isn't Isaac. Does that make sense? 310 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,800 Like it isn't contingent on Isaac being him, it's God 311 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:21,400 created a covenant that he's going to keep, which is so 312 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:24,800 comforting. God is giver, He is initiator, 313 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,440 He is creator, He is sustainer. He came to Abraham. 314 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,160 Why? Because He did. 315 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:34,560 Why is He being faithful to the covenant? 316 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:36,880 You start with Abraham because that's who He is. 317 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:39,720 Why does He love sinners like you and like me? 318 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:44,400 Because He does. We don't pull it out of him. 319 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:46,360 He just is it. Do you get that? 320 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,080 Like He loves you because He loves you. 321 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:52,280 And if there's any contingencies, now there's 322 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,560 conditions to His unconditionality. 323 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:56,840 Amen. Somebody God unconditionally 324 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,760 loves you through the person of Jesus Christ and allows you to 325 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:02,280 see Him as He is. And your response to that is to 326 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,599 repent and believe. That's how you receive all that 327 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:07,560 He is to you. But God is who he is. 328 00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:14,079 That's such comforting news. And we see in this text that 329 00:17:14,079 --> 00:17:16,800 he's in his covenantal consistency. 330 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:22,240 He wants to be close to Isaac, this fearful just kind of bum 331 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,079 who just keeps blowing it. He wants to come near to Isaac 332 00:17:25,079 --> 00:17:27,359 and keeps revealing himself to him. 333 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,920 As we talked about a few weeks ago, God is always here and 334 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:34,000 sometimes he comes near. God is omnipresent. 335 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,600 The other day I told one of my kids, like they asked me, they 336 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:40,320 said Dad is God here right now? And I said Yep. 337 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:46,280 And they go see you on the roof. It was awesome because we've 338 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:47,720 been talking about God's omnipresence. 339 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:48,840 Let's say, yeah, God's always here. 340 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:50,960 And they immediately said on the roof, right? 341 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,280 It's like that's how our brains think of omnipresence. 342 00:17:55,280 --> 00:18:00,000 God is always here, and sometimes he comes near and he 343 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,480 comes near to Isaac in this way. And for those of us who know God 344 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:06,720 through Christ, the Spirit indwells you. 345 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:09,560 OK. And notice that in his 346 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:13,520 consistent covenantal guiding. One thing I want you to notice. 347 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:17,640 Notice is he doesn't write down every step of everything that's 348 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,960 going to happen for Isaac. So our expectation should not be 349 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,040 the type of relationship just 'cause he's consistently himself 350 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,240 in covenantal. That doesn't take away your 351 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,240 agency. It doesn't take away who you are 352 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,840 and your freedom and in your response and how you trust him 353 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:37,000 or don't, OK, He didn't say in Isaac, here's how the next 25 354 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,040 minutes are going to go, but you're going to eat some 355 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:40,600 alphabet soup. Then you're going to have a 356 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:42,120 bullet. You know, like it doesn't work 357 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:44,600 like that. OK, so we're seeing what this 358 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:46,480 relationship with this guy looks like. 359 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:52,240 Third thing, God was and is aiming for the nations. 360 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:55,960 God was and is aiming for the nations. 361 00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:00,440 And verse four I will multiply your offspring as the stars of 362 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,440 heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands and in 363 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:08,040 your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. 364 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,760 Y'all, the whole premise of the Abrahamic covenant of which 365 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,600 Christ is the fulfillment and the church stands in it. 366 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:23,000 We are in the family of Abraham by faith, OK, y'all, the whole 367 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:26,880 basis of it was I'm going to go through you to get to everybody 368 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:31,200 what I want to be to all. I will be to 1 and they will 369 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,280 know what it's like to have me as their God by looking at you. 370 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,000 I want to get to all, and I'm going to do it through the one. 371 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,840 And God chose Abraham, and the truer and greater Abraham would 372 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,360 eventually come. The truer and greater Isaac 373 00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:47,920 would eventually come. But the goal was always the many 374 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,800 through the One. The goal is the nations. 375 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,280 And that's where it will end, is the wedding feast, the marriage 376 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,840 supper of the lamb. That's where we're headed. 377 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:01,240 Where there is a people of all peoples, all nations, races, 378 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:05,120 ethnicities, languages, people groups praising God. 379 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:08,080 That is what He wants. Is 1 people of all peoples 380 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:12,720 praising him OK? Those are a few of the things we 381 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,480 learn about God in this passage. What does this passage teach us 382 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:19,400 about humanity? There are really 3 characters in 383 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,160 the story right? You got God, you got Isaac, and 384 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:25,760 then you got Abimelech. OK and so we learn a lot from 385 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:29,640 from each of them. Let's start with with Abimelech. 386 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:33,240 OK? Through Abimelech we realize 387 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:35,480 that we suppress that we are made. 388 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:39,440 OK, so you noticed the whole exchange when it was read where 389 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,240 basically that Isaac's in the land. 390 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,160 He didn't go down to Egypt because God said don't go there. 391 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,840 So he stays in Gerar. So Abimelech runs Gerar and he 392 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:54,160 tells people this is my sister. And Isaac's logic is if people 393 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,400 know it's my wife, they'll kill me and take her, which is a lie, 394 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:01,000 which is the exact same thing that Abraham did back in chapter 395 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,840 20, which you can go look at. OK, Now Abimelech looks out the 396 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,480 window and sees this man hanging out with his wife. 397 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,640 It's kind of a play on words in the Hebrews says it sees him 398 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,920 laughing with his wife, which scholars would say means if you 399 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:16,160 notice the the name Isaac means son of laughter. 400 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,160 So it basically means Isaac was Isaac king. 401 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:21,400 Like Isaac was laughing, the laughter person was laughing. 402 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,920 He was being himself. He saw him being himself with 403 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:25,560 his wife. And he was like yo that ain't 404 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:29,400 your sister, that's your wife. And then look at what he says in 405 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:32,760 verses 10 and 11. Abimelech said what is this you 406 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,280 have done to US? One of the people might easily 407 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:38,600 have lame with your wife and you would have brought guilt upon 408 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:40,120 us. So Abimelech warned all the 409 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:43,440 people saying whoever touches this man or his wife shall 410 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:48,520 surely be put to death. Y'all this is a big statement. 411 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,360 This is a foreign king with no relationship to Yahweh. 412 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:59,440 No Bible saying that would have been wrong. 413 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,120 Wrong. He just created a category of 414 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:05,120 like that would have been guilt worthy of an action. 415 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:09,400 So we have a foreigner, not society imposing upon him 416 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,760 morality and guilt. Y'all do you, do you understand 417 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:13,920 kind of where I'm going? He is saying what Romans one 418 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,040 tells us, which is that everybody knows there's a God. 419 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:19,800 We all know it. You know what we all do with 420 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:21,840 that information? We suppress it. 421 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,800 We suppress the plain truth that what you do matters, that 422 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:29,200 somebody's watching, that guilt is a real thing, has not been 423 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:33,440 imposed upon you by by your parents or or by society trying 424 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,200 to keep everybody in order. It is baked into you that you 425 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,120 know there is a God to whom you are accountable. 426 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,880 But what we do with that information is we suppress it. 427 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:45,440 Somebody say suppress. We say that word a lot around 428 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,120 here because that's part of what sin is. 429 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,600 Sin is looking at the truth and going, it's throwing the 430 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:52,160 shoulders out. I want to give you all a 431 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,560 suppression story. This this is an unreal story. 432 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,720 OK? Me and my man Ron in a past life 433 00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:02,920 were student pastors, OK? And this one time we ran an 434 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,560 event and there were students and adult volunteers and we 435 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,360 needed to have a meal. We were there a long time. 436 00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:09,520 So like, let's get some Bojangles. 437 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,520 Let's bless the people one time, not get Little Caesars and we 438 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:15,320 spend the extra money, we get the Bojangles. 439 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,160 And you know, being the kind of leaders of the event, we had a 440 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:20,240 lot to do. And you know, we're eating a 441 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:22,240 piece of chicken every like 30 minutes. 442 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:24,280 The kids are smashed at running off, coming back, asking us 443 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:25,600 questions. We feel like we're in parent 444 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:27,080 mode. OK, well, finally we're down 445 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:28,640 there eating. There's some adults coming in 446 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:30,280 and out. My plate is sitting here. 447 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,720 I'm eating Ron's is there? Ron had eaten a couple pieces of 448 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:35,240 chicken. Couple fries have been nibbled 449 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:37,120 on, couple of biscuits. Y'all getting it? 450 00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:41,440 It was clearly a plate that had been hey, a grown man walks in 451 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:47,160 the room in his 50s, walks in, sits down, looks at the plate, 452 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:52,520 shrugs his shoulders, picks up a piece of chicken and eats it. 453 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,240 Oh, do you understand what just happened? 454 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:04,840 He ate another man's chicken off his plate, and he knew exactly 455 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:06,280 what he was doing. How do I know that? 456 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:08,000 Because I watched him shrug his shoulders. 457 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:13,680 The shrug, it was crazy. I was like, did he really just 458 00:24:15,360 --> 00:24:18,680 grab the chicken and ate it? I just, I will never forget it 459 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:20,520 as long as I live. OK. 460 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:25,080 That shoulder shrug is what every human being does. 461 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,960 And we can use Google. We can look up information that 462 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,960 makes us discredit the truth. We can look up, we can say that 463 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,520 we were hurt by somebody that followed in legitimate pain in 464 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:38,640 the church, legitimate stuff we should talk about legitimate 465 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,280 hard questions, reasons for doubt. 466 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:43,000 All that's good. But behind all that, if you keep 467 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,440 pulling that yarn ball, what's behind all of it? 468 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:48,160 Somewhere in that soul is this right here. 469 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:52,600 Don't care or don't want it, don't want it to be true. 470 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:55,200 Don't care that it's true. That is suppression. 471 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:58,000 This king bears witness to the fact that that would have been 472 00:24:58,000 --> 00:24:59,640 wrong. That matters, y'all. 473 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:02,720 In our secular moment, our culture knows it's true. 474 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:08,240 We hear words like karma, the gods of X show like every show 475 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,480 you watch, like the survivor gods are doing X right now. 476 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:13,320 What? Like think about that statement 477 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,960 or karma or something like that, y'all, This is true. 478 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:20,560 OK, 2017, there is a natural disaster in our country through 479 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:24,360 the form of a hurricane. And a certain actress who felt 480 00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:27,480 that our country had made some bad decisions recently vocalized 481 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:31,440 that the Hurricanes were to pay us back for our recent decisions 482 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,320 as a country. Mother Nature is what she said 483 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:38,520 was behind it. Think about how insane that 484 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:40,760 statement is. Mother Nature is paying us back. 485 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:43,040 Mother Nature doesn't exist, friend. 486 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:45,760 You know, like God exists, you know, and like, now let's talk 487 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,520 about, OK, is there a governing of the universe? 488 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,040 There's so many. What our country is or our 489 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:53,840 culture is trying to do is create a world where there's 490 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:55,840 energy without accountability, right? 491 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:57,800 Like, there's this flow and vibes. 492 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:00,400 And think about how many words are like energy words, Like, 493 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,640 where's that coming from? Like the word vibe, what does 494 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,120 that mean? Like is there a like frequency 495 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:08,320 somewhere? But what we want is the energy 496 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:12,280 without the accountability. Y'all even abimelech knows yo 497 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:14,920 that would have been wrong. And I'm accountable to somebody 498 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:16,280 for that wrong. So don't do it. 499 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,880 OK? Second thing we learned about 500 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,560 humanity in the story is that we can be blessed. 501 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:28,200 Somebody say blessed, we can be blessed. 502 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:31,840 So what happens? You probably noticed it a lot. 503 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:35,960 There was the the digging of wells that Abraham once dug. 504 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:38,440 Wells are important for water, OK? 505 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:40,800 We noticed he would dig them up and then they would have a 506 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,520 quarrel with the herdsmen of that area who tried to reclaim 507 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:45,480 that territory. And Isaac, to his credit, was 508 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:49,440 like, hey, you know, let me let me not let me not get all up in 509 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:50,880 arms. I'll go find a new spot, dig a 510 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,680 new whale. He was handling it well, not not 511 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:57,000 overreacting, OK. And then finally finds enough 512 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:58,440 space. The Lord reappears to him. 513 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,360 He worships. And then Abimelech, after all 514 00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:02,840 this process between the fake wife sister thing and all the 515 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:08,440 whales comes to him and in verses 30 or 2829, check them 516 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,600 out with me, says this, he comes to him. 517 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:16,080 So the king approaches him. It says we see plainly that the 518 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:20,160 Lord has been with you. So we said, let there be a swarm 519 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:22,720 pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant 520 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,200 with you, that you will do us no harm. 521 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,120 Just we have not touched you and done anything to you, nothing 522 00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:28,680 but good, and I've sent you away in peace. 523 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:31,320 You are now the blessed of the Lord. 524 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:37,640 Abimelech calls him blessed. You know, a lot of people think 525 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:43,200 of being blessed as a status. Your circumstances dictate 526 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,720 whether you're blessed, right? Like if I got stuff, if I got 527 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:48,440 money, if I. And depending on your story, 528 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:51,000 your history, maybe you think you'll be blessed if you get 529 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,560 enough stuff, if you retire early, if you got no boss, if, 530 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,920 if somebody wants you, you know, if you're happy, if you're 531 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:01,600 comfortable, whatever your your vision of the blessed life is. 532 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,360 But y'all, what's unique about why he says he's blessed? 533 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:11,760 He says the Lord is with you. Y'all blessing in the Bible is 534 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:16,800 relational. It's not that the circumstance 535 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,400 doesn't matter, but it's primarily relational. 536 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,240 And if there was any ambiguity about that, Jesus makes that 537 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,040 abundantly clear. The Son of Man has nowhere to 538 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:31,120 lay his head right. Like Jesus was a wanderer who 539 00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:33,800 died with no, no 401K. OK. 540 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,480 If there was any question of like, to be blessed means you 541 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:40,480 got to build some kind of stuff you could put your hand on. 542 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:44,080 Jesus showed us that to be blessed is primarily relational. 543 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:46,920 It's to be in alignment with God and with people. 544 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,720 And we see that in Isaac. We see this king who has the 545 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:54,880 stuff, who has the power, who has the money, who can get 546 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:58,680 whatever he wants at any given time, coming to somebody else 547 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:02,840 and saying the Lord is with you. You've got something I don't 548 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:05,680 got. You got God, you are blessed, I 549 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,520 am not. And Isaac at the start of the 550 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:10,080 conversation is in fear, isn't he? 551 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:11,680 He's like, what do you guys want? 552 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:15,000 And then quickly he realizes this dude's afraid of me because 553 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,320 of God, you know, like this guy is catering to me. 554 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:22,080 So y'all, I just want to point out that to be blessed is to 555 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:24,680 know God. If you know God, you've got it 556 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:28,360 made. What else do you think you have 557 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:32,520 to have believer to be blessed y'all? 558 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,120 And I'm all for being honest and authentic about where there's 559 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:36,960 pain or where there's longings of good gifts. 560 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:39,280 We still want. I got good gifts I still want. 561 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:42,920 OK. But if you know God, you have it 562 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,560 made. You are blessed. 563 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:49,720 The blessing isn't coming. You already have it. 564 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,520 And if the blessing becomes contingent on that next thing, 565 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:58,760 the goal posts will move. You know this and I pray there 566 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,240 comes a time and everybody under the sound of my voice is life 567 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:05,720 where somebody approaches you and says you are blessed and 568 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:09,440 says tell me why comes to you and says there's just something 569 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,120 about your marriage. There's something about the way 570 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:12,720 you're raising your kids. There's something about the way 571 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:14,920 you're handling your singleness. There's something about the way 572 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,760 you're raising your family. There's something about you gave 573 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:19,600 up that opportunity that I couldn't have given up. 574 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:21,880 There's something about what you said back to the boss or the 575 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:24,640 fact that you let them think it was you and it wasn't you and 576 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:26,760 you took the L for that. There's something about you. 577 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,800 You got something I don't got. Will you tell me what it is? 578 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,440 And I pray on that day we have a better answer than even just, 579 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:37,960 I'm a Christian. They need to hear I know God 580 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,600 like, I genuinely know God. God just loves me, man. 581 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:46,640 Like, and when I tell you I know God, I, I don't want us on that 582 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:48,520 day to tell them how good we are at loving God. 583 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,840 I want us to be able to declare God loves me, man. 584 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,640 It's crazy, but he does. And hopefully that's what Isaac 585 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:59,280 shared with him that day. Third thing we learned about 586 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:02,720 humanity here is that we sway between fear and trust. 587 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,520 Those of us who are following the Lord, like Isaac in this 588 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:10,080 case, we see a negative example. He's fearful, he's afraid, he 589 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:12,280 lies about his wife, says it's my sister. 590 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,760 And then in a positive instance, he finally kind of is like, man, 591 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:18,640 I'm going to trust the Lord. He gets on his knees. 592 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,800 He he, he worships, he builds an altar, he calls upon the name of 593 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,280 the Lord. So we see this swaying back and 594 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:30,400 forth and we see that if you want to make it into a formula, 595 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,080 the way it works walking with God is you get His presence and 596 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:37,440 very limited info, and then you have to live a life of trust. 597 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,160 You're not like to walk with God. 598 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:43,400 You don't get some test with all the answers. 599 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,000 That's not how it works. You know God and then you walk 600 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:47,920 through life, you get His presence. 601 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,000 That's what Isaac gets. Isaac had his presence felt like 602 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:52,760 that wasn't enough, lied about his sister. 603 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,520 Then later in the story, God says I'm with you, man. 604 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:57,880 I come with you, tells him again, I'm with you. 605 00:31:58,480 --> 00:31:59,920 And then finally I just like, I trust you. 606 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:02,760 Then Abimelech says come here and he's like, OK, it's not like 607 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:04,400 he knew how that interchange would go. 608 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:07,200 He didn't know he could have gotten beat down. 609 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:09,640 You know, like, hey, I'm tired of you messing with our wells 610 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:11,600 and our water and I'm a beat you down. 611 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:14,840 But Isaac stood his ground because he knew the Lord was 612 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:16,880 with him. So I just want some of y'all to 613 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:21,000 hear that risk is a part of life. 614 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:26,480 Like risk is it? But notice on both sides, it's 615 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:28,520 risk. Whether you trust him or you 616 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:30,720 live in fear, both are a risk. Are you with me? 617 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:33,520 So like, who did Isaac risk the first time? 618 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:36,960 By not trusting God, he risked his wife, right? 619 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:39,880 She was vulnerable because of his fear. 620 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:44,760 She was put in harm's way. So when we don't trust God, we 621 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:47,920 play the self preservation. What fear does is it makes you 622 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:48,920 survive. That's what it does. 623 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:52,360 Your brain is wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure. 624 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:57,760 Avoid the hard path, risk everything to keep yourself 625 00:32:57,760 --> 00:32:59,840 safe. So you're still going to risk. 626 00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:03,360 It's just all resources, time, energy, money will be leveraged 627 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:04,720 towards yourself. Preservation. 628 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,920 Once you know God is with you and you trust him and you have 629 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:12,200 limited information but you have his presence, the risk shifts 630 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:16,400 from self preservation to blessing others and now he puts 631 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,760 himself in harm's way instead of risking others welfare. 632 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:23,000 Y'all track it with me. So you're going to live a life 633 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:28,440 of risk either way. It's not like if you say I'm out 634 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:29,880 on the Lord or you just walk in fear. 635 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,600 I have to have everything spelled out for me or I'm out. 636 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:35,600 It's not like your life becomes super clear and simple all of a 637 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,040 sudden. It's still a highly risky life 638 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:40,120 you're living. You have no control of whether 639 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,200 you wake up tomorrow or not. Facts. 640 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,240 What the believer gets is the assurance of God's presence. 641 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:51,520 You get promises of God and you get to walk in risk and you get 642 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,040 a God who even when you're afraid and blow it. 643 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:56,840 Do you notice that he doesn't come to Isaac and say, how dare 644 00:33:56,840 --> 00:34:00,880 you do that with your sister? He didn't come to him like that. 645 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,400 He didn't come to him like an employee who had blown it. 646 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:06,160 He just comes to him and says, hey man, I told you I'd be with 647 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:06,920 you. I'm with you. 648 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,159 He comes like a father to a son saying I'm with you. 649 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:12,760 He didn't even bring up his past failure. 650 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:16,199 Isn't it amazing that it's possible to know God and not 651 00:34:16,199 --> 00:34:21,480 fear His presence? God comes to you and it's 652 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:23,280 comforting. God comes to you and it's all 653 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:24,639 love. God comes to you and it's all 654 00:34:24,639 --> 00:34:26,719 good. Y'all. 655 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:30,000 It is possible for God's presence coming near, not to 656 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:34,480 send you away, but to comfort you in the path to God's 657 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:37,440 presence. Going from discomforting to 658 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:39,480 comforting is the person of Jesus. 659 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:42,719 You know what Jesus did thousands of years after? 660 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:46,080 Our story here today is in his life, Death, burial, 661 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:48,600 resurrection. He lived the life Isaac failed 662 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:51,880 to live. Yo, Isaac basically sold his 663 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:53,360 wife out like that's what he did. 664 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:57,240 That's what we do. We live in fear. 665 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:00,240 So we're not saying if you can trust God enough, God will love 666 00:35:00,240 --> 00:35:02,600 you. We're talking about a God who 667 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:07,880 chooses people that are going to blow it and doesn't threaten 668 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:11,800 them to get them to live better, but comes to them in their fear 669 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:16,600 and dislodges their fear through his presence and his payment for 670 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:18,800 their failure. That's the gospel. 671 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:22,800 That's the cross is God's payment to come near to you in 672 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,880 love because he has done everything to take away all the 673 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:28,960 ways you've blown it. That's the gospel. 674 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:34,400 See, I'll trust isn't magical. It's it's a clumsy stumbling 675 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:36,920 like you don't there's no day coming where you know how it's 676 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:38,960 all going to go. I don't know if I'll be here 677 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,000 next week. I really I don't know that like 678 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,320 I don't know for sure what this week will bring. 679 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:46,360 I have no control. Neither do you. 680 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:49,000 Your life will be risky this week either way. 681 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:52,880 But when you trust God and know Him and know He's coming near to 682 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:56,840 you and joy like a Father, it takes us from just leveraging 683 00:35:56,840 --> 00:35:59,920 every moment to minimize pain and preserve ourselves to man. 684 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:03,040 God says I'm more blessed when I give it all away and live for 685 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:04,320 the glory of God and the good of others. 686 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:06,360 Let's do it. You know I'll risk it in that 687 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,600 direction instead of self preservation. 688 00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:13,840 OK, So what should we do in light of this passage? 689 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:20,720 Three quick things that I'm done #1 locate ourselves within God's 690 00:36:20,720 --> 00:36:23,440 unfolding story. You got to locate yourself in 691 00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:27,520 the story you're in. OK, so we live in an era 692 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:31,560 different than Isaac. OK, so in Isaac's case, the 693 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:36,280 nations of the earth came to him to say you are blessed. 694 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:38,040 We could tell you got it made, right? 695 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:41,080 Like you got it made. You are blessed yo. 696 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:43,680 Isaac lived in a more of a come and see era. 697 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:47,160 The Old Testament model was that God said you will be a light to 698 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,320 the nation. So the idea was always for the 699 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:50,760 nation's through the chosen people. 700 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,000 But the way it happened was through the temple. 701 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,520 It was through the tabernacles through them hearing about the 702 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:58,720 exodus story and knowing that the they are in this physical 703 00:36:58,720 --> 00:37:00,600 location and that's where they go to worship. 704 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:04,000 And it was very location bound to come and see kind of model. 705 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,480 Zion lifted up. Read the Psalms like that's 706 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:08,520 that's why the the Psalms of ascent. 707 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:10,560 They're traveling to Jerusalem, right? 708 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:15,760 We live, y'all, in a go and tell era where God does not live. 709 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,320 Never did he. But now the clarity of what is 710 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:20,760 meant by God does not live in temples. 711 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,280 He does not live in things built by human hands. 712 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:28,240 We who trust in Christ are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 713 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:32,200 We live in a new era, y'all, where Jesus was the bridge 714 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:34,760 between heaven and earth. He tabernacled among us. 715 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:37,520 He was The Walking, breathing temple. 716 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:41,240 That's who He is and then in his death, burial, resurrection, 717 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:46,280 ascending and sending of the Spirit, we become the temple and 718 00:37:46,280 --> 00:37:50,480 He sends us out not to tell people to come to us, we go to 719 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:52,280 them. Now we live in a go and tell 720 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:54,320 era. We go to people. 721 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:56,480 That's what we do. If you are in Christ, you are a 722 00:37:56,480 --> 00:37:59,720 go and tell person where you live, work and play into the 723 00:37:59,720 --> 00:38:01,800 ends of the earth for the glory of God and the good of people. 724 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:05,280 That's who you are. You are the temple, and what 725 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:08,280 that does is it secures your identity. 726 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:13,840 Like I live in a story where everything about me is settled 727 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:16,120 in the person of Jesus. I've got nothing to prove. 728 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,720 If you are in Christ, all of your sin is gone. 729 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:22,640 The Father sees you as a child of God. 730 00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:26,880 You got nothing to prove. Your identity is secure. 731 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:31,440 If you die tomorrow, God is pleased with you not because of 732 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:33,880 what you did do or the bad things you didn't do, but 733 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:36,360 because of what Christ did. That's the gospel. 734 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:40,800 Your identity is totally secure. And then your purpose, the 735 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:44,320 reason you still exist and continue to get to glorify God, 736 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:49,120 is through the story of Jesus. So Jesus gives me my identity 737 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:53,960 and now his story is my purpose is to take this news, to take 738 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:57,080 God's presence with me everywhere I go and tell people 739 00:38:57,080 --> 00:39:00,000 about it and show them that they can be blessed, that they can 740 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,640 know God. So to locate yourself in the 741 00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:06,520 stories and say, who am I? You are in Christ. 742 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:10,080 There is no you apart from Him. You are more than a brand. 743 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:12,200 You are more than a number of followers. 744 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:13,680 You are more than your bank account. 745 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:17,280 You're more than if you own a home by 30 or if you're this by 746 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:20,960 this age or whatever it is that our world makes us feel behind 747 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:22,680 on. That's not who you are. 748 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:26,800 You are in Christ and your purpose is not to just build 749 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,960 those things and run that race. Your purpose is to live into 750 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:35,680 God's story for you in this go and tell era #2 live with 751 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:38,640 confidence before God and intimacy. 752 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:43,320 Y'all what intimacy God wants to give you in your life with Him. 753 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:47,680 He wants to come so near. Friends, when we preached on 754 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:50,480 this a few weeks ago, we were in Psalm 139 a lot. 755 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:55,120 Psalm 139 is one I encourage you to memorize of just is that your 756 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:57,880 normal experience of God's nearness in your life. 757 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:03,400 God is so near to you. He is nearer than on the roof. 758 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:06,080 Amen. Like he's here, He's here, man. 759 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:09,360 Like he is here and everything you do, He is here and he wants 760 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:13,960 to come near and He wants to know you the way you think We're 761 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:17,280 intimate with each other. Like just think about all the 762 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:18,480 things you long for in your life. 763 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:20,720 They're all intimate things, probably with another person. 764 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:23,800 Something like a spouse or a friend or a child. 765 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:27,560 All of those pale in comparison to how God the Father wants to 766 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:29,760 love on you and just show you His goodness. 767 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:31,560 He's abounding His steadfast love. 768 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:33,720 He wants to just give it all away to you. 769 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,040 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him. 770 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:40,840 Good and upright is the Lord. He wants to show you the way. 771 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:42,760 He wants to show you how to live. 772 00:40:43,240 --> 00:40:45,800 He wants you to come towards Him when you're afraid, not away 773 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:47,840 from Him. What intimacy does y'all is? 774 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:50,960 It moves you towards God when you blow it, not away from Him. 775 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:55,600 You won't be less sinful tomorrow, but you can be more 776 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:57,600 dependent. Does that make sense? 777 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:01,360 So tomorrow the goal, the goal every Sunday isn't that you're 778 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:04,880 more morally pure. Like I hope in some kind of way 779 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:08,920 that happens, but my calculation is I don't see myself getting 780 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:11,600 less sinful. I think what increases is your 781 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:14,680 awareness that God wants you to come near him even when you blow 782 00:41:14,680 --> 00:41:16,520 it. That's what changes in life. 783 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:19,720 That's what God is after. He's not trying to guilt you 784 00:41:19,720 --> 00:41:22,520 into more moral perfection. He's trying to invite you into 785 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:24,920 his presence day after day after day. 786 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:26,760 Move towards God, not away from him. 787 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:30,920 And for some of you, I just want you to hear God wants you to 788 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:35,400 come to him. You have not done that yet. 789 00:41:35,720 --> 00:41:37,320 You've learned a lot of facts about God. 790 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:42,400 You have a story maybe involving church or Bible or something, 791 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:46,720 but you know you don't know God, like relationally, intimately 792 00:41:46,720 --> 00:41:48,760 nearly. And God wants to know you 793 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:51,760 through the person of Christ. You need to repent and trust him 794 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:57,440 and run to the Father. Third, take gospel risks. 795 00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:02,280 Somebody say risk, y'all risk is going to be your life one way or 796 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:03,800 the other. You don't know nothing. 797 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:07,480 You don't know nothing. Like you don't know anything 798 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:11,080 like in terms of like I heard it said that risk is a reality 799 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:12,720 because we have limited information. 800 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:16,880 You don't know like if you knew you would die in a year, you 801 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:19,360 would live your next year different than if you didn't 802 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:22,080 know that. But you don't know that, right? 803 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:25,800 So because you don't know, it's inherently like a life of risk 804 00:42:25,800 --> 00:42:29,000 that you live the risk of potential loss, harm. 805 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,200 It's true. I'm not going to tell you that 806 00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:34,640 walking with God is easy, but I am going to tell you there's a 807 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:38,760 cost of non risk for God too. Like your joy is on the line, 808 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:40,920 other people's good is on the line, right? 809 00:42:41,520 --> 00:42:44,960 Our kids joy, our neighbors joy. There's a lot on the line one 810 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:48,120 way or the other. And what we creep towards is 811 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:51,240 just leveraging all risk to preserve self, to preserve 812 00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:55,120 comfort, to preserve ease. And I just want us to think 813 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:58,080 about where that's happening and be like, are we OK with that? 814 00:42:58,560 --> 00:42:59,720 Is that how we want to keep doing it? 815 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:04,640 Y'all take some risks. In Jesus you don't know what's 816 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:08,360 going to happen, but you know. In Jesus you don't know, but you 817 00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:11,360 know. You don't know but you know some 818 00:43:11,360 --> 00:43:12,200 of y'all like, what does he mean? 819 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:15,520 I mean, you don't know, but you know. 820 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:19,560 Here's what I mean. I mean that Jesus is going to 821 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:21,280 make all things new. Jesus coming back. 822 00:43:21,280 --> 00:43:23,800 He loves you. If suffering happens to you, 823 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:24,920 it's not because he don't love you. 824 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:27,560 OK, hard things going to happen. Life is hard. 825 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:31,400 Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. I don't know what's going to 826 00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:32,880 happen tomorrow, but I know God loves me. 827 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:38,920 You don't know, but you know. You know enough to know what you 828 00:43:38,920 --> 00:43:42,120 don't know. And you know even though you 829 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:44,240 don't know. So I guess what I'm trying to 830 00:43:44,240 --> 00:43:48,120 say is take some risks for what matters and for what lasts, 831 00:43:49,520 --> 00:43:50,760 y'all. And it's going to, you're going 832 00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:53,600 to, you're going to feel like you don't know what you're doing 833 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:56,480 when you take risks. Nobody knows what they're doing. 834 00:43:57,840 --> 00:43:59,720 You think of some mature believer somewhere. 835 00:43:59,720 --> 00:44:00,560 They don't know what they're doing. 836 00:44:00,800 --> 00:44:03,280 I promise you they don't. And if they do, they might have 837 00:44:03,280 --> 00:44:06,080 some system they know how to control, but they don't know 838 00:44:06,080 --> 00:44:07,440 what they're doing. You know what I mean? 839 00:44:07,680 --> 00:44:10,360 They they've learned how to trust God in certain ways. 840 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:13,440 They've seen God show up, right? But we don't know what we're 841 00:44:13,440 --> 00:44:16,040 doing, y'all. I don't know how to lead nobody 842 00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:18,960 to Christ. I know how to tell people I know 843 00:44:19,080 --> 00:44:22,000 Jesus. Y'all just stumble through 844 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:24,720 something with somebody, share the gospel. 845 00:44:24,720 --> 00:44:26,280 Like the scariest thing you could think of. 846 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:29,320 Give some money away, move somewhere with intentionality. 847 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:33,680 There are dreams in you for the Kingdom that God intends to come 848 00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:35,680 alive. And usually while we don't is we 849 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:37,360 feel stupid, afraid or we don't know how. 850 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:42,480 And I just want to say it's OK to risk and find another person 851 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:44,640 maybe who will take that risk with you. 852 00:44:46,280 --> 00:44:49,480 Y'all take the risk, Share the gospel, invite by somebody to 853 00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:51,960 something, send them a song. If you think of a person when 854 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:54,240 you listen to a sermon, send it to him and say, hey, I want to 855 00:44:54,240 --> 00:44:56,520 talk about this. I've been doing that with one 856 00:44:56,520 --> 00:44:58,280 person I love recently. I think I'm wearing them out. 857 00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:01,080 But you know what? It's a risk to not send it. 858 00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:03,320 Do you get my point? It's a risk to send it. 859 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:07,080 It's a risk to not send it, OK? I love them and I want them to 860 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:08,280 know I love them and God loves them. 861 00:45:08,280 --> 00:45:09,520 What am I going to do? You know? 862 00:45:09,520 --> 00:45:12,560 And then you pray your face off. You with me, pray your face off. 863 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:13,720 Take a risk. There's your sermon. 864 00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:18,200 OK y'all, we just finished up Survivor last night. 865 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:20,480 OK, I'm a Survivor guy. Some of y'all know that. 866 00:45:20,760 --> 00:45:24,160 And here's the thing about Survivor, when you really like 867 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:26,520 somebody in the show, when it gets down to about it's a, it's 868 00:45:26,520 --> 00:45:28,720 a voting off base game starts with 20 people and you vote 869 00:45:28,720 --> 00:45:30,600 people off down to one, they win $1,000,000. 870 00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:33,240 There you go. OK, when it gets down to like 7 871 00:45:33,240 --> 00:45:35,600 people left, If you really like somebody and they don't have a 872 00:45:35,600 --> 00:45:38,720 good resume, like resume means like if they're not going to win 873 00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:41,880 the million and you know it, you're screaming at the TV, do 874 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:49,480 something, take a risk even if you get voted off because you're 875 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:54,800 risking it by not you think state of the three, you ain't 876 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:59,520 getting no votes. My God, no one do something and 877 00:45:59,520 --> 00:46:01,280 you're just screaming it at the TV. 878 00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:05,240 Are y'all tracking with me? The point is it's not a risk 879 00:46:05,240 --> 00:46:08,120 just to do it and get voted off. It's a risk to not do it and sit 880 00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:10,400 there and lose. Do you get what I'm saying? 881 00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:13,240 It's a risk either way. Some of y'all, I just want to 882 00:46:13,240 --> 00:46:18,960 hear man, this is that moment in your life where somebody 883 00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:23,000 somewhere by the Spirit of God is screaming do something. 884 00:46:23,160 --> 00:46:26,320 Does that make sense? And I listen not to make God 885 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:27,560 love you. God loves you. 886 00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:29,840 That's why I'm screaming it at the TV. 887 00:46:29,840 --> 00:46:32,080 Does that make sense? God's love for you is not on the 888 00:46:32,080 --> 00:46:34,840 line, but your joy and the good of others is. 889 00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:38,240 There's situations right in front of you where God wants to 890 00:46:38,240 --> 00:46:41,240 do things bigger and more than you could ever imagine. 891 00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:44,240 In the gap between that happening and not happening is 892 00:46:44,240 --> 00:46:48,920 our risk and our joy. That's the crazy thing. 893 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:50,480 We get so much joy from the risk. 894 00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:53,720 We could trust them. The Spirit of God is with you. 895 00:46:57,040 --> 00:46:59,360 We all take risks. We do it all the time. 896 00:46:59,360 --> 00:47:02,120 We risk money, we risk, we risk reputation. 897 00:47:02,120 --> 00:47:06,840 I'm even risking this rhyme. The question isn't if, but to 898 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:08,400 what end. You will risk it all. 899 00:47:08,400 --> 00:47:10,320 Will it be for our comfort to be wanted? 900 00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:14,280 Control to avoid feeling small? My prayers that we will risk it 901 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:15,960 all for Christ, the lover of our soul. 902 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:17,680 He is good, He is God, He is King. 903 00:47:17,680 --> 00:47:21,400 Let's give him total control. So whether you live another 904 00:47:21,400 --> 00:47:24,840 week, another year, another 10, you say you will be able to say 905 00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:27,320 you left it all on the field, not for yourself, but for him. 906 00:47:27,760 --> 00:47:33,040 His love for you is not on the line, but your joy in him sure 907 00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:36,080 is in risking trust. So we we learn that we are 908 00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:38,040 loved. We learn that we are his. 909 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:43,320 Let's pray together. Almighty God, our Father, Lord, 910 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:47,760 thank you that Isaac just risk trust and just gave up control 911 00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:49,400 and just laid it all on the line. 912 00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:54,200 And Lord, he wasn't perfect, but your son was in our place. 913 00:47:54,200 --> 00:47:57,480 And God, now we just get to be the beloved kids that get to 914 00:47:57,480 --> 00:48:00,120 live in an adventure with you. And I just pray for my friends, 915 00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:02,280 those who are not in Christ, that they would see that there's 916 00:48:02,280 --> 00:48:05,520 a great opportunity before them to trust you to walk with you. 917 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:07,320 I pray for those of us who are in Christ. 918 00:48:07,360 --> 00:48:12,160 God, would we, by your spirit would we, would we leave it all 919 00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:16,360 in the field and just full joy live salvation without regret. 920 00:48:16,360 --> 00:48:18,000 We pray in Christ's name, Amen.