Genesis 15....
This week, we will look at God speaking
to this man, Abram, and he’ll be left with a decision and that is whether or
not he can trust God.
This is the question for us all.
Beginning in Genesis 15:1. “After this” – and what he’s
referring to here is in Chapter 14, Which Dan shared with us last week.
Abram went off and fought a great battle
to release his not so intelligent nephew, Lot. And what Lot was doing there I
don’t know...
He also met Melchizedek, who was
priest and king of Jerusalem. So after
this great battle and meeting this great man, ( download the message)
This is where we pick up the
story, where God is again speaking to Abram. And when God speaks it means He has something to say.
(Tiger and canary)
vs 1 “the word of the Lord came to Abram” –
I want say this about God. God is free to reveal himself and
communicate in any way that he determines is most effective, beneficial – it is his right.
God can speak to us, the Bible
says, through creation. Psalms,
through what he has made.
God can speak to us (Romans 2
says) through our conscience.
God can speak to us, obviously, through his Word.
God can speak through an angel.
God can speak through circumstances.
God could speak through a dream. He does that with Joseph at
the end of the book of Genesis.
And here, God’s going to reveal
himself through a vision.
God will speak in any way that he desires
to people that he wants to reach.
Maybe we could ask God to speak to and .....
Surprise Ebenezer in jail in Eretria to meet his needs....
God will surprise Ta ha...
Know anyone else? Shout out their name.....
I personally never had a vision or
a dream.
And these things happen today.
I was reading that in some closed countries
under different religious rule where Christian missionaries are not allowed to
go.
Now there are reports of Muslims
coming in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ because they will go to bed and have a
dream, and in that dream, they will die and they will stand before the Lord
Jesus Christ to give an account for their life.
And they wake up and realize that
Jesus is real and they become Christians. Why? Because God know where people are at and He can surprise them
knowing....
He gets their attention....
So God breaks through in a vision
and here’s what he says. Abram....He . “Don’t
be afraid,”
The shepherds we hear about at Christmas Don’t be afraid!!!!
Mary at the tomb Don’t be afraid....!
“Abram....Don’t be afraid.” “OK I’ll try not to be...”
But doesn’t the Bible tells us to
just fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (1 Sam 12:24) and he does....But its not be scared of the Lord...
C. S. Lewis describes; Numinous" taken
from the Latin. It is a fear as to filled with awe, in which you "feel
wonder and a certain shrinking" or "a sense of inadequacy to cope
with such a visitation". It is a fear that comes forth out of love for the
Lord.
I'm FEARFUL OF MY WIFE!!!!
I'm full of fear of hurting her. "Filial fear" (the fear of
offending someone whom one loves).
But of course get a visitation from
God or and angel and there is bound to be a surprise...imagine Mary in the
kitchen and suddenly and Angel!!! Fear
Not Mary!!!...You Scared the life out of
me!!!
Now, Abram at this point is an old
man.... in his 90s.
Starting to become Anxious
about his time left on this earth.
And so, what God is saying here is
this: “Abram, pay attention to me. Don’t be afraid of what’s happening in
your life and circumstances.
I have a plan
for you. If you trust me, everything’s gonna be just fine. There’s nothing to
worry about.”
And then he gives two beautiful
images about himself.
First, “I am your shield,” and second, “I am your very
great reward.”
Two beautiful images...Dan last
week told us of the battle he had just fought and won.
Already proved that he is a shield
Because Abram with his 318 men went up against this huge war machine.
“Abram, you know why you won that war....Because its all about me not
you!!!! Because I’m your shield.. I protected you. I defended you. I gave you a
victory.”
And this picture of God being our
shield is continued through scripture.
Ephesians 6 in the New
Testament where it tells us that as God’s people we are in a war. It’s not just
against people but against powers, domains, and spirits.
I'm a labourer, teacher mechanic,
student...what do we know about the spirit world. Principalities and powers--But He does.
What this means is we, as a little
church, are up against a real enemy that’s spiritual.....Jesus believes and encountered a literal Satan.
With real demons. With Real spiritual
attacks. This is a real enemy who really
wants to do us harm.
He doesn’t want us to love each
other. He wants us to be bitter, angry, unforgiving, mean-spirited, and
divided.
Recognize some so called
Christians you know?
He doesn’t want us to be devoted
to the Lord Jesus he wants us to be lazy.
He doesn’t want Christian marriages
last. He doesn’t want the children to be raised in loving Christian homes.
Satan doesn’t like you !!!! So
what do we do?
As one of my friends used to say; get under the
spout where the glory runs out....we
hang out under the shield. God is
our protector. He’s our defender.
And he says, “Abram, I’m your shield. I know everything about you now ......
It’s like Hebrews 12:2 says. Fix your eyes on me trust me...
Stay under my protective covering.
Hang out with me.. Let’s have this ongoing relationship. Let yourself be mentored, be
disciples so you can grow in knowledge of me and tell people of what you know
about me... I’ll will fight for you I will protect you.”
Abram had just won a war in Genesis 14. He
had all the spoils of victory he could’ve taken for himself, a large fortune,
made himself very wealthy. Did he take any of his money?
And God is reminding him that HE is his very great reward.
Job 22:21-27 Read .....Is the Lord you r gold and silver...
Chapter 12.....God said Leave your country....
Chapter13. So Abram left...
But now in 15: He hesitates! he is feeling
worried.
This man of faith is struggling...
vs 2. BUT BUT BUT.....
He’s confused, and the question is whether he
can trust God!
God takes him outside and looks toward
heaven...your descendants will be as many as the stars...
do you know what Abrams doing..?
He is looking back toward a wife who is
following him in Zimmer frame...Im really old now....God I think you got it
wrong!!!
He is stressed with the largeness of the promise
and he says to himself...IMPOSSIBLE...
Luke 18:27 Listen to the words of Jesus...
Amplified Bible (AMP)
27 But He said, What is impossible
with men is possible with God.
But there are times when you read the Word of
God, you read the promises of God, “I’ll forgive all your sins. I’ll never
leave you. I’ll never forsake you. I will bless you. I will protect you. I will
do you good, not harm.
I will work out all things for the
good of those who love me and are called according to my purpose.” You read all
those promises ...but then you look at your life and you say, “God, I just don’t see it. God,
You like Abraham have left your land...but
life at times tough in this freezing land of Norway!!
Ab says you’ll never leave me, but I feel alone.
You say that you’ll work everything out, but it just seems
like it’s not coming together....the language is difficult, I cant find a job
at all.
I don’t have all my culture and family or even
the food I'm used to .
God, I don’t understand.”
This is the place that Abram finds himself in.
God is right there with him and he is saying BUT BUT!!!
HOLD ON!!! IS He is doubting God to His face?
YES...DOUBT IS NOT unbelief...
But doubt and unbelief are two different
things....
Faith is big enough for doubt. Doubt can be positive.
Its what we do with or doubt that matters...Im
your shield your reward......therefore
we take the Doubt to GOD JUST LIKE ABRAM.
Take the BUTS to Lord I'm struggling, I don’t
understand, I don’t see it, I don’t taste it I'm frustrated with all that is
going on or not going on. Help me understand it?
Doubt is absolutely part of faith and growth.
Unbelief is when you walk away and say, and we
turn our back on God and basically say that God is a lying.
Where does he take his doubt, He takes it to
God.
“O Sovereign
Lord,” – what he can see is that it is not all abut him and tired little
body Its about Sovereign Lord!!!!
So many people treat God as like a
free Amazon.
By pushing the buy now button we
can push God into doing it my way in my time.
Ab has tried that! When he and Sahrah decided to help
God out with His promise...
And Hagar (servant) gave Abraham a son: and Abram
called his son's name, Ishmael.
For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son is his old
age .... And Abraham called him Isaac.
Here’s the problem. Jack Garratt is not Sovereign.
I don’t have a throne, I’m not the
king of kings, lord of lords,.
Faith is knowing who the Sovereign Lord.....is.
This is not a guy who’s turned his back on God.
This is a man who wants to know God more deeply and fully.
He’s in a hard place, but his heart is in the
right place of wanting to push into God
so that he might move forward in a right relationship. The depth he now goes into God is the depth
he can go into this great reward of people and land.
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