MAR 13 2022 | Genesis: Behind the Curtain S1E8 | Abraham

Sea Change Church · Genesis: Behind the Curtain · "Abraham" Pastor Harry Wilson · March 13, 2022
Genesis 27:30–38
Automated transcript. Not reviewed for accuracy.

My name is Kimberly caliburg. I volunteer with the college group young adults also known as yes. You're welcome. All right, today's scripture reading is from Genesis 16 1 through 10. Now Sarai Abram's wife had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar. So she said to Abram the Lord has kept me from having children go sleep with my slave. Perhaps I can build a family through her.

Abram agreed to what Sarai said so after Abram had been living in Canaan 10 years. Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram you are responsible for the wrong. I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms. And now that she knows she is pregnant. She despises me.

May the lord judge between you and me. Your slave is in your hands a room said do with her whatever you think best. Then Sarai mistreated Hagar so she fled from her. The angel of the Lord found Hagar nearest spring in the desert. It was the spring that is beside the road to sure. And he said Hagar slave of Sarai. Where have you come from? And where are you going? I'm running away from my mistress Sarai she answered.

Then the angel of the Lord told her. Go back to your mistress and submit to her. The angel added I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count the word of the Lord. it All right. All right. Well, once again, my name is Harry good to be with everyone today. We know now who they truly Sanctified and spiritual are who show up on spring forward so good for you good for you guys. Well, well done.

Well done. We're continuing in a series about about it's called Genesis behind the curtain and it's about The Narrative of Abraham, right? And we've been following this whole Narrative of Abraham and we find ourselves today. In Genesis chapter 16 and I'm just going to jump right in and I want to read the first four verses together. So it says this starting at verse 1.

Now Sarai Abram's wife had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar. So she said to Abram the Lord is kept me from having children go sleep with my slave. Perhaps I can build a family through her. Abram agreed to what Sarai said so after Abraham had been living in Cain in 10 years Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar and she conceived and when she knew she was pregnant. She began to despise her mistress.

So I want to as we as we come to this point in the story and this is the last episode in this in this series before we move on to a new series as we come to this point in the story. I want to I want to backtrack a little bit to summarize. Okay. How did how did we get to this point? How do we get here? And first we know? That God had made Abram a promise.

He promised him that he would multiply his descendants. He promised him a son. He confirmed that with his wife Sarai and then in Genesis chapter 15 as Joe spoke about last week. He confirmed that promise through a vision so we know that God has made a promise. For a son yet. We get to Genesis 16 and no no son. God's promise still unfulfilled and survived finds herself getting impatient as her and her husband only age as they wait on the promise of God and finally she starts to think well, maybe I could take these matters into my own hands. Maybe God needs a little bit of help. And so I'm gonna help God out, you know, it's a good place you're in a good place. You're like God needs my help, right? That's a good spot. Not a good spot to be in and so she says, you know, I'm a help God out. Maybe this is the way he wants the promise to be fulfilled. So I'm gonna take my slave girl Hagar and I'm gonna give her to my husband and ultimately what she does is she tries to take a shortcut right? She tries to shortcut to get to the promise and I put in your notes that there are no shortcuts to the promises of God. We can't take a shortcut to get to the promises of God and And there's a great lesson. I think learned in our in history in the in the Catholic church in the 1500s. They there was the practice of the selling of indulgences and an Indulgence was where I could go ahead and I could purchase a a certificate that had the seal from the pope on it that said that I was purchasing the Forgiveness of my sins. So I could go ahead and I could purchase the Forgiveness of my sins and receive this Indulgence. In fact, I could purchase forgiveness of sins for other people.

I could purchase forgiveness of sins for dead people who had passed away who are in whatever afterlife there or they were in and I could I could go ahead and help fund the Catholic church and and receive these indulgences and ultimately what I'm doing is I'm buying my way to Salvation. It's a shortcut and we know it doesn't work. Right because we know what the scripture says. We know Ephesians chapter 2 says that salvation is a gift by the grace of God.

And so not by Merit, so no man can boast right? So there's no there's no way I can purchase my sin in Romans. It says that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. So it's a gift from God to us. Can't purchase it. I can't shortcut it. It requires faith and repentance and the gift of Grace from God. There's no shortcut and shortcuts don't work. There's a in that time there's a man named tetzel. I think we have his picture for you as well.

Tetle there, he is good looking guy and tattoo was he was an Indulgence preacher. He was an Indulgence preacher. So he go town to town and he would he'd preach these sermons and he'd say don't you care about your family? No, I don't you care about your family. Of course you do and you could pay for the sins of your brother Noah and he's like Harry he's got a lot of sins. Of course, I'll pay for the sins of my brother and they would rack up this money. He preached these sermons and and he'd leave towns and he have had this money and there's there's this time where a nobleman from the town came up to him and he asked tetzel. Well tetzel.

Can I can I pay for a future sin. Can I pay for a sin? That's gonna happen in the future. Tesla says, of course, of course. Put the Futures coming. So we got to do let's do this exchange quickly. We got to do this now, right? And so so they do they do this future. They do this exchange and he buys forgiveness for his future sin.

And then tattoo leaves town and he's and he's on his way back probably to Rome and on his way. He gets he gets jumped. He gets beat up. He gets robbed and all the money. He had just made gets taken and of course the man taking his money looks at him and says that was my future sin. Paid for done way to work the system guy. Yeah, what's this? Tell us? What's this? Tell us?

Shortcuts don't work. In fact things get really ugly when men and women try to interfere with the promises of God when we try to make the promises of God come about on our own accord. It does not work. We have to be a people that trust in the word of God. To be a people that trust in God's word. It's a difficult thing to do one practice. I have in my life that I try. I don't do this perfectly, but I try to adhere to I call it an open door policy and I try to live by this the best I can and and basically what it is for myself is is I try not to go kicking down doors that God is not open to me. I try not to scheme to get what I want. I try to just go through the doors that God has opened to me as long as if it's an Open Door opportunity and it aligns with my with Biblical values.

And God's opened that door I'll go through that door obediently. But there's a lot of doors in my life. I like to be open that have not been opened to me and I try not to go kicking down those doors. I summarize this in your notes. I said an open door policy is a life that is attentive to God given opportunities. These opportunities reveal themselves by their alignment with Biblical values.

They require no scheming or conniving but patient obedience. This policy is directly opposed to the devil's desire for us to be a people that kicked down doors that have not been open to us. So I try I try not to kick down doors. And and honestly if God's giving us an Open Door like God does he gives a promise right to Abram he gives a promise to Sarai and it's an open door, but open doors at times take patience.

And if it's a door from God, it's not going to get jammed or stuck. It's not going to get accidentally locked. We don't got to kick it down. We need to trust in the word of God. And then let's let's go ahead and look at verses 5 through 6 together. So five through six starting at five says then Sarai said to Abram you are responsible for the wrong. I am suffering.

You are responsible for the wrong. I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms. And now that she knows she is pregnant. She despises me. May the lord judge between you and me. Your slave is in your hands. Abram said do with her whatever you think best. Then Sarai mistreated Hagar so she fled from her. It amazes me when you read the Bible just how human these stories are. Just how human and in this moment, right the wife says to the husband husband go do this thing the husband's like, okay and so the husband goes and he does that he does the thing and he comes back to the wife and he's like wife I did the thing and wife like why would you do that?

None of us have had that conversation ever before and and that's that's what happens here. What'd you do that? I don't know is your fault. No, it's my oh no. All right. Marriage is hard. Okay, clean our doing really well in case you're wondering she's sitting in the back though. Usually in the front. All right. I'm worried. Are you? Okay? Anyway Abram we know we know in this story right? Abram goes he does the thing and he we know he's more than culpable but it is surprising it is. Well, it's interesting. How surprised Soria is.

Like it's amazing that she's surprised that these consequences roll her way. It's kind of it's it's interesting and I put in your notes that too often you and I we invite harm and then we're surprised at the consequences. Too often, we invite harm and then we're surprised at the consequences. I remember there's a time I was in I was in eighth grade and I was I was playing volleyball not on a team in PE. I'm not tall enough to plan a team and and so we're playing volleyball and I'm at the front because I'm really competitive and we're playing and and there was a there's a girl who was really tall and she's in the back and she wasn't participating at all. She didn't want to play and And so, you know, we're playing and then she starts critiquing and she starts kind of insulting our own team and critiquing us.

And finally I I turn around to her and I say I say, you know, why don't you're not playing we could really use you but you're not playing so instead of critiquing. Why don't you just stop talking and stand there like you've been doing that'd be great. I said something really eloquent like that and then She says to me. Well, why don't you why don't you shut your mouth or I'm gonna come over there and I'm gonna punch you in the face.

and I looked at her and I said Do it, right. And then I resumed to like this how you play volleyball right Garrett. Yeah, I resume to you know playing volleyball and and then you know how you feel a presence behind you. You just feel that presence why I turn around and I met with the skinniest bonyest fist to the face that I've ever received in my life and I've received a few fists to the face and she punches me in the face and I looked at her and I was I was shocked.

She really punched me in the face. I didn't believe she'd do it. But I had invited it right I had told her I told her come punch me in the face. She punched me in the face and then I'm surprised by it and I couldn't I couldn't there's nothing I could do about it. Right? I just looked around and hoped another teacher saw and no teachers saw thank you public school. And so I just invited the content. I I invited consequences and then I was surprised when I got them.

And and this happens to us. In fact, I believe this story is telling us something this story is saying that this is what we do. We sin we invite consequences. We're surprised at consequences. This is something we do it's a pattern and I know that because this story is a recapitulation of what happened in Genesis chapter 1 through 3 of The Narrative in the garden that narrative in the garden this Harkins right back to that story. It's showing us that this happens again. And again, it repeats go to go to Genesis chapter 1 in your mind Genesis chapter 1 God makes man and woman in His image, right and and then He blesses them. He says be fruitful and multiply.

Go to Genesis chapter 12 in your mind. God takes Abram and he says Abram go look at the stars. Look at the stars. So will I multiply your descendants? It's the same blessing. It's be fruitful and multiply go back to Genesis chapter 3 Genesis chapter 3 Eve not trusting in the promise of God wanting to take her own route. Take what's good in her eyes. She takes the fruit that is supposed to make her like God, even though God's already said she's been made in the image of God and she takes the fruit and she gives it to her husband.

our story today Sarai not trusting in the promises of God takes her slave girl. and gives it to her husband and again, the men are culpable, right? We know that that Adam eats and Abrams sleeps and the and the the consequences Falls they may as the men indulge and listen to their wives and then and then the blame game comes right next Genesis chapter 3. What happens Adam Adam it before God. God comes and Adam says the woman you gave me.

Will she gave me the fruit to eat? So Adams blaming both God and his wife so he's doing really good and then you get you get Eve who says well, it's the serpent the serpent deceived me come back to the story. We're in today, sir. I comes to her husband. May the wrong done to me Beyond you. This is on you. Abrams says, oh she's your slave girl.

She's your slave girl, you do with her, whatever you wish whatever you think best by the way, Abram she's no longer just so I slave girl. Is she because the text says that you've made her a wife. You've made her a wife and thus she has all the rights of a wife yet. Abram demotes her back to slave girl and says no, she's yours you do with her. Whatever you you wish. It's the blame game.

It's the same thing. It's a recapitulation of Genesis chapters 1 through 3. It's the same story because the Bible is telling us this is what we do. It's part of our nature. We sin. We hurt one another we take what's Best in our own eyes at the expense of another and at the expense of ourselves. I put your notes that that sin. Sin is the preeminent issue for all Humanity?

And it cannot be solved by human invention rather it necessitates divine intervention. The preeminent issue and we need divine intervention. It's the main issue and we got a lot of issues in this world, right? You guys could you guys you guys are up to date? You know all the issues we have in this world. I mean name your issues.

We got them. And we tend to think we can solve these issues by human means like education education is a great thing. I'm pro-education right? I'm getting my masters right now yet. Education can't solve all our problems because our our and though it's good. I'm not saying don't I'm saying human invention things like education and wealth and whatever else we want to throw at problems will not fix the problems will not stop us from hurting one another because it's what we do. We have a sin issue it goes deeper than that.

And so we need divine intervention. And where do we get it? Well, let's look at verses 7 through 10. So Sarah a Hagar is just fled from from Sarai and then verse 7 the angel of the Lord found Hagar near the near a spring in the desert. It was the spring that is beside the road to shore. And he said to Hagar Slayer slave of Sarai.

Where have you come from? And where are you going? I'm running away from my mistress Sarai she answered. Then the angel of the Lord told her go back to your mistress and submit to her. The angel added I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count. So we see here. What do we get? We get divine intervention.

God shows up. He meets Hagar by a spring. But it's not quite the divine intervention we expect is it? He first shows up and he says to her. He asks her two really good questions. He says Where have you come from? And where are you going and we could spend a lot of time on those questions. Those are really good questions. We don't have time that we could do another sermon on those questions, but if you are in a place of hardship.

If you're in a place of struggle, if you're in a place where you're lost great questions to ask yourself is where have I come from? What is God done for me in my life? How did I end up here? Where have I come from? And now where am I going? What's my trajectory? What am I shooting for? What am I aiming at? And is it good? Is it Life Giving is it right?

Because they're good questions to ask ourselves in times of struggle, but the surprising part comes in the next part. So he asks her. Where have you come from? Where are you going she responds. I'm running away from my Mr. Sarai and then here it is. He says to her go back. and submit to her go back and submit to her. That doesn't sit. Well when you read that the first time I think what do you mean God go back?

Like if I if I was intervening for Hagar In This Moment, that would not be my advice my I would I would be like, hey gar you go girl. Get out of there. You don't need them. You're you're an independent woman who don't need no Abraham, you just get out of there and and take my fastest donkey and you go and you start a business, right? Like let's go that's like be my advice for her and that's not that's not what that's not what God says though.

God says go back. and submit to her and I think we have to we have to understand a couple things one. As the story shown is often what we think is best what looks so right that if we're not Consulting God, it could look real right and might be real wrong. That God's plan looks different than my plan. And the next is if we if we step back and we look at who Hagar is we can see why what God is telling her to do right now is likely the best thing for Hagar.

Because if we remind ourselves Hagar is a slave girl who is probably in her teens. She's pregnant alone wandering the desert. At a time where if you were a female and you were pregnant and you were wandering you could have been mistaken for a prostitute as you didn't have a husband you could have been mistaken as someone who was fleeing from their husband because they had an affair you'd had all this negative stigma around you and now she's alone in the desert. She's fleeing so she has no resources Hagar will likely not survive.

And so God says to her. Go back. submit and then he gives her a blessing. In fact, he gives her the same blessing that he gives Abram and Sarai so I will multiply your descendants go back and submit and Sarai does and I believe it saves her life. In fact, I believe this is this is salvation by submission, which is the title of sermon it's salvation by submission.

She saved because she submits not to not to survive but to God God said go back. and she submits to the word of God and she goes and she then she submits to Sarai Go back. For us in our story. Christ It's Christ. That is our unexpected divine intervention. I put it in your notes Christ is our unexpected divine intervention. He offends our sensibilities by showing us a path which requires submission death to self and faith in a crucified savior.

Yet it is by the tread of this path that we find life. This is the divine intervention. We so desperately need. Is a savior to show up to take on our sin yet what the Savior looks like? It's not what quite what we'd expect a savior to look like. Instead what we're told is it's a savior who was beaten mocked and hung up to die.

And then the Christian Mantra becomes. Okay now Christians you go ahead and you pick up your cross and follow him. Right, it's offensive to us yet. It's the only way to life because it's Christ who takes our sin. It's Christ to imputes to us righteousness and goodness and Perfection and Holiness. It's Christ who beats death in a sense to the father. It's Christ who makes our our place in heaven, it's Christ who sends the spirit that we might know him. And so it's only by the tread of this path in which we're saved.

So we must submit. in faith to Christ and I put in your notes that Faith fundamentally is an act of submission. Faith fundamentally is an act of submission. It's to trust in something greater than myself. To put my faith in a narrow path to take counsel not from my feelings or from this world, but to take counsel from the spirit of God and the word of God. It's an act of submission to submit in faith.

Thomas the campus, I love this quote. He says this Carry the Cross patiently and with perfect submission and in the end it shall carry you. Man, I just think that's so true. I think we start out and we're learning what it means to be a Christian. Sometimes we're excited. But as as we're learning through it and and it's heavy it can be heavy on us as we learn and and grow and in sanctification and walking with Christ and and then all of a sudden as we continue on in our journey by the end of it you find out that it's Christ in the work of Christ on the cross that's been carrying you through.

That we might carry our cross with perfect submission and in the end we find that it's him who's carried us. And and we'll close we'll close with this. and this is a This is important. Finally. It's it's to look at Hagar's reaction and it's not in these first 10 verses. So if you have your Bibles, you can look further down in this chapter, but how does Hagar react?

Well, she gives God a name. She names God. She calls him Elroy. An Elroy means the God who sees me you're the God who sees me and then she she her son. She names her son Ishmael. Well Ishmael means the God who hears and listens. So Hagar has the God who hears me the God who sees me. And and who's Hagar? Well Hagar's name even means so gener.

She's the Sojourner or it means Foreigner. So it tells us even by the story that God hears and sees the lost the Sojourner The Foreigner the other than That's who God hears and Sees In This Moment. The God who hears me and sees me and maybe some of you here. Maybe you've just been going through it. Maybe it's just been a hard time and it's been trial.

after trial after trial and difficulty and I want you to be encouraged by the fact that you have a God who sees you you have a God who hears you you have a God Like Hagar who wants to counsel you and guide you and bless you and Turn you the right direction. That's your God. But ask yourself this question. Where have you come from?

And where are you going? Are you seeking after him? How do you end up here? Are you chasing after what's good? Are you seeking after his face? Are you learning more about him and growing closer to him? Where you come from? And where are you going Hagar was running towards her death. What are you running towards? That she runs towards her death God meets her and turns her and tells her to go the unexpected way take this unexpected route that very few people take Jesus calls it the narrow road, right?

And it's the same for us would we take the narrow road the unexpected way the way that all your friends would say, what are you doing? Why are you at church on Spring Forward? What are you doing? What's going on in your life? Why would you go wait? There's this big easy fun, and we're open road. Come on. Says but there's a narrow road that few take and it leads to life. Will you take the narrow road and when all your friends say, what are you doing come this way? You can say no. No, I'm following the counsel of my God.

following the Council of my God Amen let's let's I'll just invite you to stand and we'll pray and You know we talked about blessing today and we're a church that loves to give a blessing at the end of the service. So if you feel comfortable, you can go ahead and extend your hands as I pray for you this morning. Father we just we we are grateful.

to know that you are a God who hears and sees You're not a God who creates and leaves but you're a God who hears and sees and father for us in this moment for us today. God I pray a blessing. Lord that your spirit would be with us that it would guide us that it would counsel us. They would move in our hearts and our minds. That we would seek your face that we would chase after you that we would be filled god with your spirit.

That if we're running towards death God your your spirit would come and turn us towards life. That we might know you more. fill us with your peace Lord and whatever circumstance we find ourselves we ask for your peace and your comfort. We love you Jesus and we pray this in your name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Hey, we love you guys. Happy Sunday. We'll see you next week. Peace.