Follow The Spirit Series

Lesson 03 of the Followers Me

Lead by The Spirit

Grady Henley

Gen. 24:1-22.

Key Verse:

1 Tim 3:14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

1 Tim 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

INTRODUCTION:

The life of Abraham is a great study of the struggles a soul endures as they learn to walk by faith. What is recorded about this great man takes place in what we call the ‘autumn of life’ for he is well into old age. Even so, by the time his life is over, he affected the life of every man on this planet to this very day. He is, in word and deed, a type of God the Father.

The life of Abraham is also a beautiful story filled with numerous applications for us. In Genesis 24 we find the story of the servant of Abraham going into a far country to find a bride for Isaac, the promised seed of Abraham. He sent his trusted servant on a very difficult mission with several seemingly impossible obstacles to overcome. Obstacles like:

(1) Find a bride for my son, Gen 24:5.

(2) The bride must be from my homeland, Mesopotamia

(3) Convince the future bride of the wealth and worthiness of my son

(4) The bride must come willingly, Gen 24:6.

(5) The servant must protect her on the journey back to the son.

How would you like to be this servant and be given a mission that seems impossible to fulfill? How would you like to:

· Find a wife for another man’s son?

· Furthermore, how would you like for this man to be your master?

· After you came home with the wife, how would you deal with living under their dominion should the marriage be less than blissful?

As one ponders this seemingly innocent story it grows more complicated and tense as the plot develops.

If someone gave you such a charge, would you not say as did the servant of Abraham, Gen 24:39…Peradventure the woman will not follow me. This faithful servant wanted to know what to expect from his master. Things like:

1. What if the woman I find for your son does not want to follow me?

2. Do I keep looking until I find one that is willing?

3. Suppose the second one I find is not a pretty as the first one, what then?

4. Suppose I find one but she is not from your home country, do I bring her back?

5. What if your son does not love the woman, will I be held responsible?

If we give it honest consideration, we realize that the responsibility Abraham gave to his servant is the same one God gave to us: find a bride for my Son. Perhaps you never thought of you ministry as such. Regardless, that is what we are trying to do.

The servant of Abraham wasted no time in doing his duty. He immediately sought the Lord for direction. He was successful. In his success we have a guide for us on our quest as well.

I. THE GREAT COMMISSION, Mat 28:18-20.

Now that we know we have a commission and have vowed to do the Master’s bidding:

1. Where do we look?

2. What qualification must be met?

3. Can we force anyone to come along with us?

4. What will we use to convince people of the Son’s worth?

5. How are we going to protect those that join our ranks on the trip home?

6. Will the Son be pleased?

Have you thought of the answer you will give unto the Lord one of these days for the charge that He placed in your hands? That charge being to go into the world and preach the gospel so that the Son of God might one day meet His bride? Keep in mind that His wife cannot be just any woman.

1. His wife is special.

2. She is a virgin without spot or blemish.

3. She has a very special Groom awaiting her.

Where are you going to find such a creature in a world filled with vile, detestable, filthy, and vain people? Mission (Im)possible? If we follow the words of God in this story relating to the bride of Isaac, we will find the answer. God never sends us to do His will by telling us to follow our own devices until we figure out what He wants done. We must follow His lead and His instructions.

A. The Servant’s Commission, Gen. 24:2-3.

Abraham commissioned his servant to act in his stead in that he acted as an ambassador for his master. When the servant spoke, his words carried the full weight of the one that sent him. This faithful servant did not have any formal papers bearing a government emblem or a family crest or seal. All he had was his personal testimony and the oath that he swore unto Abraham. His only assurance of a prosperous journey was the angel of he Lord, v. 7, would go before him and his task would be completed.