Today’s Sermon Notes: 1-18-2025
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Father Abraham
A Sermon Series
“The Fallen Hero and the Promise Protected”
Genesis 12:10-20
Introduction
Exploding whale in Florence, Oregon 1970 – Unintended Consequences
Abram Faces Mounting Pressure (v. 10)
10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
There is also the building of stress upon Abram, 1) his wife was barren, he had no one to pass the promised blessing of God on to, 2) He didn’t know where he was going, so he was always on the move; Hebrews 11:8 in talking about Abram, “And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” So he is never settled, He wanders from Shechem, Bethel, Negev – the land was promised to his future children, but he owned none of it, except for a burial plot for his wife (eventually). 3) He is leaving all that he knows, the people there were strangers to him – it was just his immediate family. 4) at some point in this journey his brother and father have passed away, and he leaves his other brother behind, 5) he becomes responsible for Lot his brother’s son 6) and now there was also a famine.[1] All of these life’s situations push Abram toward growing in his walk with the Lord.
Watch out when you feel pressure starting to build so that you do not return to your sin (the predictable sin that you return to when life gets hard).
Judges 13:21-23 “The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” 23 But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these.”
Acts 16:10 “And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them . . . v. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, . . . v. 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
Isaiah 31:1 “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!”
Each step we take, each opportunity we have to make a decision is a step closer to God, or one that takes us further away.
Matthew 14:26-31 “But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Steps Toward Failure: Focus Only on the Problem.
Steps Toward Faith: Define the problem, But Trust God and His Plan For Your Life.
Abram Develops His Own Plan (vv. 11-15)
11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
Steps Toward Failure: Look Out Only For Yourself and Abandon All Your Responsibilities.
Steps Toward Faith: Remember The Promises and the Call Upon Your Life.
Abram Faces The Consequences of His Decisions (vv. 17-20)
17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.
Genesis 13:3-4 “And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.”
Steps Toward Failure: Double Down on Your Sin, Keep Making Excuses.
Steps Toward Faith: Repent and Return to God’s Promises.
Conclusion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0CT8zrw6lw
Cleveland Balloon Fest 1986 Disaster
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[1] James Montgomery Boice, An Expositional Commentary, Genesis 12-36 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books, 1998) 472.
[2] Boice, 476.
[3] From the Egyptian mindset, if you mess with God’s people there will be plagues. This seems to be lost in Egyptian history, so that when Moses shows up it has long since been forgotten.
[4] C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament In Ten Volumes, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985) 198.
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