PROPHET
Genesis the book of Beginnings sermon, I believe 30 and we're on chapter 15. So I'm feeling pretty good about that. Alright, so we're going to we're going to be in chapter 15 of Genesis this morning. And what I'd like to do is just read the entire passage first. So here we go. After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. Fear, not Abram. I am your Shield your reward shall be very great. But Abrams said oh Lord. What will you give me for I continued childless say of my house is Damascus Offspring and a member of my household will be my heir. And behold the word of the Lord came to him this man shall not be your are your very own son. Shall be your heir. And he brought him outside and he said look towards the heaven number the stock if you're able to number them and he said to him so shall your offspring? And he believed the Lord and he counted it to him as righteousness. He said to him. I am the Lord who brought you out from Earl the Chaldeans to give you this land.
But he said oh Lord Oh Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it? He said to him bring me a heifer three years old a female goat 3 years old a ram 3 years old a turtle dove and a young pigeon and he brought him all these and cut them in half and Lady each half over against the other but he did not cut the birds in half. And when Birds of Prey came down on the carcasses Abram drove them away as the sun was going down a deep sleep fell on Abram and the whole Dreadful and great Darkness fell upon him. And the Lord said to Abram know for certain that your Offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not there. They will be servants there and they will be afflicted for 400 years, but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve and afterward they shall come out with great possession. As for you, you should go to your father's in peace. You shall be buried in a good old age and they shall come back here in the 4th generation for the iniquity of the amorites is not yet complete. When the sun is gone down it was dark, but hold a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces on that day the Lord made Covenant with Abram saying to your Offspring I give this land from the river of Egypt to the Great River the river Euphrates to the land of the Canaanites the kenizzites the Cadman I the hit sides the parasites the rest. I am the amorites the Canaanites the girgashites and the jebusites this is the word of the Lord.
We continue in this journey with Abram. man chosen by God not because of anything he had done not because of his strength or his possessions not because of his piety or religiousness Abram leave dinner of the Chaldeans. He probably worshipped the god of the Chaldeans. But God chose him. God called him. God had a plan that he was going to use a bro. about
ultimate heart and intent is to have a
man together
partnership
pictures in the Sun
employment Denny
Then it sounds good.
I was in such a Zone. Is going to be the best sermon ever.
whatever
so God. once his world to be a place where he dwells with his people. but because of Mankind's constant rejection Rebellion Mankind's choice to go for him God has separated himself cast and kind from the garden from his presence, but he does not give up on his original intention. God will have this is absolute certainty. God will have his creation made whole. Heaven and Earth will be rejoined God will dwell with his.
The way that she has chosen to bring it about is to work with the very Rebels who rejected him in the first place. And so he chooses this man ever.
And company makes these incredible promises to him. and here in chapter 15. Takes it to a whole new level. Let's let's start walking through the first one after these Banks The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision after these things up. The me remind you of what these things are in the in the narrative structure. It's what's happened in the last two chapters after God called Abraham and brings them into the land. The famine comes upon the land and what does Aunt Abram do he he leaves he goes out away from where God told him to be in search of Farrah pastures the ends up in Egypt and he ends up in trouble cuz he doesn't want to claim his wife as his wife and farro takes her and then play games, and it's drama and terrible and finally they all get all figured out and Farrell pay them off to get him out. And they come back to the land there he built altars and he begins to Worship the Lord and he has some conflict with his his his relative lots. And so they separating lot who who
Who is experiencing the blessing of God through Abram? Choose as though to go away from Abram to once again go somewhere that looks better. And so he moves to this Lush Valley where the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are in a season of time warfare broke out as it always have And in another king and his Kingdom's rose up and did battle against. Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah some other cities destroyed them took them captive including locked. Abram finds out about it takes his the members of his household goes and destroys and defeats these enemies rescues not only lots and his family but rescues all the other captives from the other cities and and comes back. When he comes back there, he's met by the king of Sodom and they'll so met by the king of Salem. No keys are there. Mmm, so after these things takes us right back to the end of chapter 14. No keys of that king of Salem brought out Bread and Wine. He was Priest of God most high. and he blessed him and said Blessed Be Abram by God most high possessor of the heavens and the Earth And blessed be God most high who is delivered your enemies into your hand and Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
We have this dramatic victory. This this potential disaster that is averted and and and and Redeemed by God himself. It was God that gave Abram Victory it was God that delivered lot. It was God that intervene on their behalf. This is what no keys of that proclaims God has for you Abram. So Abram offers the keys of that content of everything that he has but if you remember,
He refuses to give anything.
refuses to receive anything from the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah the other kings that he had rescued that was his right, but that's how things worked in the ancient near East it if if he had by his military Victory he claimed he had rightful claim to the goods and possessions that he had recovered. but Abram refuses to take Anythink from the other tanks and any declares I'm not going to do it so that no one can say that you have made me Rich. No one can say that you have made me great. I will not take anything from you.
This is the contact that gets us to 15 verse one after these things. After these things the word of the Lord. Heym the Abram stop there for a second again. Because I think when we hear this phrase the word of the Lord what immediately Pops in your mind.
The word of the Lord what immediately Pops in your mind. My guess is Bible. Because that's that's where we're at. When we think o the word of God the word of the lord. We think I got my Bible some of you you got your big old King James. You just ready to smack people with others of us, you know, we've moved on to electronic copies. We when we hear the word of the lord, we think written scripture. That's how we've been conditioned culturally to think about this kind of phrase. Now. I want you to think about that. Does that make any kind of sense in this context? Was there any written scripture at this time? No, the problem is we read a text like this in the word of the Lord came as like a giant Bible came walking up to him or what what's going on here? What's going on here? This is what we call Fee logically up the off any an appearance of God. God showed.
We're going to see this all throughout the Journey of the Patriarchs in the rest of Genesis. You need to get this into your mind. He's involved in his creation.
We we live in a culture that because of the Enlightenment and modernism. We've inherited a very powerful kind of Dia Stickman quality the God made the world but now she's stepped away. He's the the clockmaker that wound it up and now he's off playing golf or something. God is not involved in the creation now everything's up to us, but that is not the message of the scriptures. That is not the story than being cold in Genesis. We don't have a guy that's disinterested and detached from his creation. We have a god that is intimately involved. There's nothing that happens, but he does not know or see and he is moving and shaping it in a Direction. So what we have here is God showing
the word of the Lord came to Abram God comes to talk to him. We're going to see this more and more and over and over again in the Book of Genesis. He came to him in a vision. Univision this is not a a dream or Daydream. We've actually seen this word before in the Book of Genesis. We saw it in the garden when Adam was by himself in a helper suitable for him could not be found. So God put him into a vision a deep sleep at a slumber trance. In other words. God came and talked with Adam and in that revealed some things to him. Some things showed him the creation of Eve and their connection. Now we have this exact same realities exact same words this exact same kind of encountering experiencing experience happening to Abram. Just like God came and gave adam a vision of what he was doing in the creation of womankind and their equality as images. Now God comes and gives Abrams a vision of what God is going to do in and screw Abram
Listen to what? He says God comes when he says fear, not Abram. Don't Be Afraid which is one of the most common Expressions that you find any time God shows up it will anytime a Divine being shows out the angel show up fear not don't be afraid
fear, not Abram Don't Be Afraid don't be driven by fear
for I in your Shield I knew she listens military language, which makes sense because Abrams just come out of a military battle and he's had this Victory a victory that much either they said God gave him. No Keys lyrics set it now. God comes and says it. Abram you don't have to be afraid I mean Shield. I've got you. I've got you Ava Don't Be Afraid. Don't be afraid no matter. How big or how bad your enemy is. I'm your Shield. I've got you. And your reward shall be very gray. If I was going to translate that, I would translate it and your booty. She'll be very great because I like the word booty. That's literally what the word the term there means though. It means spoils games Victory from Battle makes all the sense in the world in the context. Doesn't it Abrams just had this Mighty Victory, but he refused to take the booty to take the spoils. Without God comes and says, hey don't be afraid. I am your Shield. I've got you and your reward.
You think what the king of Sodom had to offer you is good. I'm the king of the universe.
Aaron don't be afraid. Don't worry. Don't let fear seabin and deceive you on your Shield your reward. It's going to blow your mind. Cuz we very gray. And Abram being the righteous perfect. Non-human. Thank you Lord very much. I will completely trust you with everything.
but Abrams said he says it respectfully. Oh Lord God.
Lord God what's it matter? What are you give me? Give me gold. Give me Silver. Give me she'd give me Cattle. Give me riches. Give me this. Give me that. What what does it matter?
Then what will you give me for I continue. childless He's not young man in his twenties in his thirties and spice probably up into his sixties or seventies at this point. He's an old dude.
if the shoe fits
and you can still see it. Is it all good? And he's got no kids. What's the matter God? What can you give me a childless the air of my house is Eliezer of Damascus. He says again Abrams said behold. You've given me no offspring. so seed
a member of my household will be my heir.
Here's Abrams reality. He knows he's mortal. Abrams not nearly as narcissistic and selfish as most of us are in our culture. He's actually concerned about his legacy. He's thinking about what comes after him. He doesn't dies with the most toys wins. He believes he who dies with the most toys still dies. He's Thinking Beyond. So what does it matter if I have all the gold and all the riches and all the way? I don't have anyone to pass it on to. It'll go off to somebody of my own household. It's unclear in in the text that some of those some of the some of these phrases are really difficult in the most difficult to translate in the Book of Genesis. It could mean that he has adopted one of his servants into his family. That was kind of a custom in the ancient near East you didn't have an offspring maybe you could adopt somebody and they would become your air. It could mean that somebody he knows this guy Eleazar who's the king of another place is going to take whatever he has when he died doesn't matter. The point is she doesn't have offspring.
so his situation
contradicts the general view of Genesis that divine blessing leads to a man being fruitful and multiply Now what we saw all right at the beginning. Blessing the blessing of God is to be fruitful and multiply. Now cheer is Abram who's been chosen by God. Says. I'm your sheet of your reward will be great. He's being blessed by God, but he has no spring.
Not not even just the general Revelation that but when God called him back in Genesis 12 because I will make you a great nation.
Bless you. Make your name great so that you will be a blessing.
April's got a case.
I don't have an offspring. Pass it on. Doesn't rebuke him. God doesn't chastise him. God doesn't shame him. for a lack of faith for doubting for questioning This is I think an important. application out of this time it is okay to have real intense, maybe even combative conversations with God. He's big enough to handle it. God does not want you to come to him. and pretend like you got it all together. When you don't got it all together. God wants us to come as we are Abraham's accusing. I'll be unfaithful to his own promise. I got doesn't rebuke him or chastise him.
God responds with Grace and love
Is behold the word of the Lord came to him?
This man shall not be here are. Your very own son. Shelby your hair
Dad just comes to addresses the issue. Listen, I hear you. I understand. Abram fear not I am your Shield. Your reward will be great that man will not be your are your very own son. Shelby rare hang on to that thought for next week when we get to chapter 16.
He brought him outside and said look towards the heavens. and Number the Stars if you're able to number that ancient peoples Probably knew the Stars way better than any of us 2. One they didn't have a light pollution. So they were able to see them because of their lack of Technology not lack of intelligence. Not lack of understanding their lack of Technology. They were very familiar with the Stars they use them to navigate and guide and they think they had very detailed chart. Of the movements of the Stars. I thought about them differently than we do. They didn't know they were giant balls of gas and nuclear explosions all that didn't understand any of that but they understood the stars and end it was well-known in the ancient world, even though they they tracked it that they knew nobody could count all the stars.
So God uses this very common ordinary moments.
Rhetorical know you can't what you see this this innumerable numbers just like that. That's what your offspring are going to be looked towards have a number the stars if you're able to number them you said to them. So shall your Offspring be?
And he believed the Lord.
a simple friend you believe Lord.
And he counted it to him as righteousness one of the most important verses in Genesis. Ivar says we're going to see a little bit later that's quoted over and over again in the New Testament. Abram stands and is often described as the father of Faith because of this moment this reality God speak and promises and Abram belief. believe the Lord trusted him. Not not just intellectually. This is not a Oki, I believe that's separate from action. Believe the Lord. Okay. I'm going to walk with you not going to walk away from you. I'm going to believe.
And that belief.
Does auntie who's the Heat?
And God counted it to him. as righteous
this face this trust this acceptance of God and his word as true. God looks upon that face. Trust End credits it to him. Accounts it to him. as righteous
we look at righteousness in the scriptures. It's almost always in the context of
activity
Irr acts are righteous or unrighteous. But here the activity is the activity of believing. Rust steam accepting depending on and living out of that. And that's Act of Faith that belief.
God counts righteous
That's thinking for just a moment.
God looks upon
the challenge of righteous Is that you can do righteous acts? from an unrighteous heart
and nobody can tell the difference. except but a righteous a Minds a being a person of Faith who is trusting God.
That produces real righteousness. This is the righteousness that God Longs for not simply Behavior behavior that flows out of a heart.
Abram trusted got in that would not have been easy.
Don't don't miss that.
Abrams an old dude He has no kids old dudes. and their old wives don't get pregnant.
In order for him to trust God. It's got to go against everything he knows about how life works. But he's trusting the author of life. Abraham believed God and it was credited him counted to him. as righteous he said now this is where I titled the sermon profit because we don't often think of Abram as a prophet but he was a great property call a profit later on in Genesis chapter 20. I think he's a prophet because a prophet is one who received word from the Lord and delivers it this is exactly what happens here. Now in this type of Abram is going to serve and function. I love the scriptures. Yeah, this is good. He's going to serve him function as a as an image a type of Israel that's going to come. And let's remember the context here Genesis is written by Moses to the people after they've been delivered out of Egypt and they're on the way to the promised land. So everything is writing in this is the help them understand where they came from God is who is rescue them out of slavery in Egypt.
What we see here now is that Abrams stands as this type of what's going to happen to the nation of Israel his descendants. But not only that he serves as a type of Jesus the true servant was going to come and deliver as Messiah. He starts out. I am the Lord. This is one of the few times in Genesis that that the word there is Yahweh the Covenant name of God. I am Yahweh the Lord who brought you out from Earl the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess. Is exact same phraseology that we find an exodus 22:20 verse to I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt and delivered you from slavery establishing something with Abram. I'm the Lord who brought you out from her the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.
and Abrams like
How am I going to know that?
Ome we can pick on him, but I think that's totally reasonable. That's perfectly understandable thing to say. Just made all these great promises. Just declared your face. That's righteousness. You're good with me. I got comes on your God brought you out. I'm going to give you land. How do I know what's going to happen? Once again, God doesn't rebuke him. Why doesn't chastise him or shame him or punish him? An answers him. Look how am I know that I shall possess it. Said to him. I want you to do genesis. There's just lots of stuff. That's weird cuz it's from a different culture at a different time and they have different Customs a different experiences. And so it's it's just it's weird. It's going to seem strange and difference to us. That doesn't mean it's wrong or bad. It just means it's
And let me be just brutally honest with you. I don't think anybody really knows what's going on here. I think there's a vision and I think we can easily understand what it means. It's describing a ritual. But we don't have understanding of its not replicated in the scriptures. It's not even really replicated in ancient near Eastern literature. God says here's what I want to do. Go get me a three-year-old heifer three year old female goat three old Ram. Most of us don't even know the difference between any of those right we go to the store we get our meat out of the freezer. I want you to go get me a turtledove and young pigeon. They're all sacrificial animals. Go get me a sacrifice.
They brought to him all these. Any Cuts them in half? Outside just weird. It's sticky.
Cut them in half.
What's on this side and on this side doesn't doesn't cut the birds in half. Is there two small what is that? You just popped their heads off? How they did it. You have to like it how they do it. taste like chicken
Tattoo put some in half and half and a half. Now you got you got the three animals and the two birds. I got five animals cut in half. So you got five on this side V on this side and you just wait. Mmm, so as he's waiting Birds of Prey come down on the car pisses, I can remember Vision. I don't know but it's clear in the text whether this actually physically happened or whether she's Simply Having a vision or dream. It actually doesn't matter. Right, it doesn't matter because the point is not in the actual thing that happen. It's what God is trying to communicate Abram has asked for a sign. This is God's sign. This is a response. The importance in it is going to be symbolic and metaphorical. Hey, it's a vision. It's a sign. As we've seen over and over again numbers matter in these things.
I just think with me for a second. Do we have the sign been given by God in this sign we have death than blood and Slaughter. Now we've got five animals turned into 10. Placed on the side and Abram is in the middle and he's chasing off the birds that are coming down. And as we continue and I already read it himself with Abram through the middle.
What are the things in Scripture?
combine the number 10 the presence of God as darkness and Fire and God leading his people through the middle.
If you haven't read the second book of the Bible called accident.
That's exactly what happened. But God tells him right here in this text now as the sun was going down to Deep Sleep falls on neighbor and behold Dreadful and great Darkness fell upon him and the Lord said to Abram know for certain that your offspring.
Abram asked how will I know that my Offspring will get this land this land and guy comes and he says that your Offspring will be in a foreign land a land that is not theirs and they will be slaves there.
He will be afflicted. 400 years
Play Abraham's Prophet God's giving him Revelation about what's to come Abram you asked. How can you know that you're going to get this land? Well, it's not going to be nearly as easier clean as you thought it was going to be. in fact your descendants they're going to grow you're going to have great Offspring but they're going to find themselves in a foreign land as sojourners. Not just sojourners slave. They will be afflicted for 400 years. Actually 430 years, but who's counting as it's not about Precision God repeats himself here in a minute and called it for Generations. The point is
For this season of time your Offspring is going to be in Egypt. Doesn't name Egypt. That's what it is. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve. And afterward they will come out with grapes possession. We read the story of Moses as a baby in his little Ark floating down the Nile rescued and raised in Fairless house killing a man when he grew older running away and hiding in the wilderness meeting. The burning bush coming back with an errand and Leading the People against pharaoh and imperil refusing to let them go and God moving One play to play 3 Play 4. I like Six Flags, seven more.
Until the great and Dreadful 10th plague the death of the firstborn the angel of the Lord come and finally fell Reliance in the people are released and sent out and they're not sent out empty-handed. They are burdened down with gold and silver The Riches of Egypt on their way out exactly what God promised Abram in Genesis 50
But as soon as they leave pharaoh. a seller's remorse once his slave back once his gold back gets his army goes and chases them Corners them up against the Red Sea. God is there how is God there with them? cloud of darkness by Dan a pillar of Fire by night
people are terrified. Why'd you bring us out here to die when they're enough graves in Egypt?
God says Get Ready God separates the water on one side and on another and the pillar of fire leads them through on dry land. Pharaoh's Armies come in the birds of prey come in. God releases the water and destroys the oppressor.
God is not as prophesying what's going to happen in the Excellence Deliverance of Israel Deliverance of Abraham's offspring. 400 years before I have
as for you you're going to die.
When is the man wants to die and then comes the Judgment you will die. You'll go to your father's in peace will be buried in a good old age.
and they we'll come back here in the 4th generation.
for the iniquity of the amorites
not yet complete. I find that last little phrase just fascinating.
Here's here's what that reveals to me.
There is always more going on. Then what we see your p****.
God is working and God's ways are not like our ways. And God doesn't view time the way that we do time. Thousand years is like a day to Him scripture say about trying to give us a mathematical precision. Trying to describe the reality that God sees time differently than we do. And that God is at work. One of the most important spiritual truth. I think that I've ever learned is that we cannot mistake God's leniency. for weakness
don't mistake God's silence for inattentiveness.
The amorites these people that are living in the land of promise are wicked people who have rejected got embraced other gods and our living.
incredible lives of evil and Rebellion
God has offered himself to them over and over again and over and over again, they have rejected him and so God has given them what they ask for life without him.
I hear modern. atheists in antagonist against the faith all the time saying Where is God what is the stripe down these evil people?
Just wait.
this way
God will not be mocked a man will reap what he sow. this way that doesn't explain. It doesn't justify does irrational if it does have two he's got Moses is where me to do it. I just buy me to do it. You're not going to get to see it. You're going to be buried.
So I'm going to do it why what could be liquid if the amorites is not yet complete.
There's a whole other thing going on. I'm not only working with you, but I'm working over here and I'm actually going to use you to be a part of this. I'm going to use you and your Offspring to bring judgment upon the amorites here, but you're not going to see it cuz it's not going to happen for a few hundred years, but don't worry Abram. I've got it under control.
There's a lesson in there about patience and I know none of us want lessons about patience. but we need
Oh how we need I think today how desperately we need a lesson in Sovereign patient.
the belief that God will not be mocked the belief that God does see and that the righteous will be rewarded. And the wicked will be punished.
Don't mistake God's leniency for weakness.
When the sun is going down, it was dark behold the smoking fire pot a flaming torch passed between these pieces. Actual torch in a smoking fire-pot forged the word for a forge that you would maybe do some cooking with it. But maybe you'd make weapons are other things with it. I don't know if this actually came and moved or this a vision I can it doesn't matter. This is this is the sign that Abram ask for in the sign that God gives and so here we have this this this this symbols of fire and purification.
create come and pass in between God will lead Abram through.
I'm not daily. The Lord makes a covenant with Abram.
There's a lot of different types of covenants in the scripture.
Covenant is simply a promise a definition of a relationship. List out the responsibilities that the rolls the rewards of that relationship.
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying to your offspring. I give this land. From the river of Egypt to the Great River the river Euphrates to the land of the Canaanites the kenizzites cabinets the Hittites the perizzites the right Pam the ammonites the K-9 security shade no condition.
This is a unilateral cover. God makes it. I'm I'm promising this to you. The sign of that promise was the vision that he just gave I'm going to make this happen. I will give you this late.
Abram Astro Sign and God gives not the sign he wanted.
What's the sign mean? You will have offspring. Your Offspring will have this land. And God says I myself. flash that this will happen
at the heart of this text Abraham believed God and it was counted him.
I mentioned earlier that that that phrase that verse is quoted over and over again in the New Testament. No more significant passages is found in Galatians chapter 3 the church in galatia started out really well with the message of Jesus. They responded in faith. They trusted that what Jesus had done in the proclamation of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus was God's sign. The Salvation had now come not just for the Jew before the Gentiles. Will they God is reconciling the world to himself through Jesus by
Abaya sensity Now by geography not by piety and religious performance The God is reconciling the world to himself through faith in the one that God sent Jesus. They started out well, but a group. Had come in. And distracted them that's not enough to be righteous. It's not enough to believe it's not enough to trust. It's not enough to align yourself. You've got to align yourself, but you've got to do these things below. You got to be circumcised. You got to stop eating bacon. You've got to honor the Sabbath you have to do these things if you don't do these things. You're not righteous.
And many in the church, we're being led astray. They were being led away from face. in Christ being sufficient 2 effaced Plus I got to believe in Jesus and do these thing.
Paul writes. Oh you foolish Galatians
Who's the witch?
Before your eyes that Jesus Christ Jesus the King was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me let me ask you this. He says did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with?
How did start how did God come to you? How did you receive God's Own Spirit? God's life God's presence in your life. How did you receive that? Did you receive it? Because you performed some obligations. Did you receive it? Because you were circumcised in the flash. Did you receive it?
Eyeworks even works of the law, which is good. not for gaining salvation Did you receive it by works of the law or did you receive it by hearing with faith?
Are you so foolish? Did you think that you begin by the spirit? Are you now being perfected by The Flash?
Did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the spirit to you? Who works miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing? with faith
fundamental approach to God and how God deals with his people it's nothing new. And it's just as powerful and prevalent today and in the church today as it was then.
The idea that God will only accept me. God's only pleased with me if I do the right thing.
Or if I don't do the wrong thing.
Her story just this week of a pastor that was asked to preach at a church. And so you went to the church and he got there and he was just wearing jeans and a nice button up shirt and inform only got there and realized it was at one of those churches or everybody was wearing like very formal and he was preaching and the ushers were giving him the I like dare you. He was out in the narthex the entry entryway any any saw this girl walking in from the parking lot. She look like she just got out of bed. Her hair was disheveled makeup was running you could tell she was upset. This woman was going through something. She was hurting.
And in her pain she came to church she came to God she was coming looking for help looking for hope. When she walked in Usher's immediately moved up to her and this Usher they've been giving him the stink. I said of this woman young lady in this church. We wear our best for God.
And the woman turned around and walked away.
I offer hundreds of these stories in my life. hundred thousands people that have come to the church because they believe the God is there and if they come because they needed to come because they're hurting they, because they're looking for help and instead of finding the message of Hope and help their the met with legalistic religious obligations and duties. If you want Jesus, you better clean yourself up. You'll never clean yourself up enough for Jesus. Jesus came to clean outside.
Jesus plus anything is nothing.
Jesus plus nothing is everything.
foolish Galatians, you've exchanged the pearl of great price the mystery and beauty of the gospel free grace of God for a religious burden and obligation that no one's ever been able to fulfill
Just cuz Abram. believe God and it was counted unto him as righteousness.
The story of Genesis implies that the sons of Abraham must be met a face just like Abraham was a man of Faith. They must be man of Faith, but it is the men of fate or sons of Abram.
when we believe God just like Abrams believe God it is counted to us. as righteous we are set free. We are rescued. We're redeemed were remade were renewed or love were adopted were accepted for New Creations in Christ. When we do good works blow out of that. Of course, they too
Let's be clear and let's be stray. No one's accepted. because of how they perform no one's accept it because of how they obey. except for one Jesus the perfect spotless Lamb of God Is his righteousness his face?
I love how this all ties together I just do. Abram goes off to Egypt has some problems God brings him out of Egypt loaded with the well. Says that's going to happen to your Offspring Abraham's descendants end up in a in Egypt as slaves for another 30 years. Brings Moses brings them out loaded with the wealth of Egypt.
third time Is the kicker? Jesus
Mary and Joseph flee from the persecution of Heron the genocide brought about by the birth of Jesus Where do they flee?
This is why we get in the New Testament. Out of Egypt. I called my son.
Egypt I called my son.
Jesus is the true and greater Abram. Is the true and greater Israel. He is the true servant of Yahweh. Just exactly what God calls him to do. It's his righteous. his faithfulness that becomes our not through our performance. Not through works of the law or of The Flash. but by
Just as Abraham believed God. And it was counted to him as righteousness. No, then it is those of faith.
Who are the sons of Abraham?
Tulsa face who are the sons of Abraham
not just the genetics. It's not just having that same blood or DNA sequence. Those who live like Abram are the sons of Abraham.
scripture for seeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith preached listen to this preach the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying in you
show all the nations be blessed. So then those who are a fake. Are blessed along with Abraham? the man
Abraham was righteous because he believed God we are righteous if and only if we believe God.
And we believe the one that he sent. The one who we sang about earlier is the exact and perfect representation of God. If you want to know what God is like you look at Jesus.
Genesis 15 to me
the captivates me and
it amazes me at the the wisdom and The Sovereign power of God. To work his way in his plan.
I just in a lifetime. but in Thai through multiple layers of complexity things that we could never figure out God orchestrates His Sovereign will and way. in spite of
our Brokenness insect What a beautiful. What an amazing father and creator? Who calls? Trust him. Jubilee What he says? Will, the path? Abram believe and was counted to him as righteousness. Oh God, May Weebly.