Sermon Tone Analysis

Where Christianity, Islam, and Judaism collide.

Consider using the quote form Matt Smetheurst Twitter.

GAME:

Box Folding.

2 Teams:

1 v 1 Fold the box the fastest.

Fold, then look up the verse and Read.

Genesis 9:1.

Genesis 1:28.

Genesis 11:4.

Genesis 12:2-3.

Genesis 21:5.

Genesis 22:2.

Genesis 22:7-8.

Genesis 22:14.

Genesis 22:18.

Hebrews 11:18-19.

____________________

Quick review from 3 weeks ago.

God’s command to Noah was:

Genesis 9:1 “1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.”

This echoes God’s command to Adam and Eve:

Genesis 1:28 “28 And God blessed them.

And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

In contrast, The Tower of Babel was in direct opposition to God’s command.

Genesis 11:4 “4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.””

In Genesis 12 we see Abraham.

So from Genesis 1 through Genesis 11, We see two things:

God’s Commands to mankind to fill the earth.

God’s choice given to man to trust Him or not.

Both of these are broken at the tower of babel…

“Lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

- direct opposition to fill the earth and subdue it.

Come, let us build ourselves a city… let us make a name for ourselves...” - Direct opposition to God’s glory.

_________

Now we come to Genesis 12-15.

GOd gives Abram 4 promises:

I will make you a great nation (12:2)

I will make your name great (12:2)

I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse.”-

(12:3)

All peoples on earth will be blessed through you (12:3)

Abram trusts…

Until he didn’t

And that brings us to tonight…

2 Timothy 2:11-13

2 Timothy 2:11–13 (ESV)

11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

Key for tonight:

God’s ways are not our ways.

Do we trust HIM to work out the details in HIS way?

When God promises Abram and Sarai to give them children, Abram is 75.

Years later, God solidifies that promises again

Genesis 15:5-6 “5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.”

Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

His offspring will be numerous… but He’s old… and has no offspring!

Abram trusts… until he doesn’t…

Genesis 16:1-2 “1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children.

She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children.

Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.”

And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.”

The end of vs. 2 is short, but says alot.

Abram listened to the voice of Sarai...

What happened to the voice of God?

Genesis 16:16 “16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.”

It’s been 11 years since God’s promise!

11 years…

Abram forgot the promise of God…

Abram and Sarai rushed the promise of God…

They took control, rather than wait.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

God’s delays are not God’s denials…

*repeat that*

Because of God’s delay and Man’s desire for control, 4 people are now in a mess.

God’s ways are not our ways… do we trust Him?

Ishmael is the result of man’s wisdom and impatience.

Ishmael becomes the father of the Arab nations.

Read Genesis 16:12 “12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.””

Broadly speaking, not speaking for every individual, but broadly, Abram and Sarai’s decision leads to much conflict in the middle east that still exists to this day!

Ishmael is the result of man’s self-interests to make a name for himself.

Isaac… Isaac is the result of God’s ways not being our ways.

God’s ways are not our ways!

When we trust Him, often times, His ways look confusing on the front end, but make sense on the back end.

DO WE TRUST HIM? That’s so important to what we believe.

In conclusion to Abraham’s story, we will go to Genesis 22.

Read Genesis 22:1-3 “1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning ... and took ... his son Isaac.

And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.”

Abraham is now north of 100 years old.

God’s promise to Abraham that he would make him a great nation was 25 years ago in the past.

Abraham has learned, God’s ways are not our ways.

He’s learned to trust Him.

but will he trust God with this?

Sacrificing His own son?

Genesis 22:6-8 “6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son.

And he took in his hand the fire and the knife.

So they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.”

So they went both of them together.”