"Mama's Big Helper"

Introduction: It is difficult to Pastor a Church these days. Where are the families? It seems everyone comes from, or is a part of, a disfunctional family today. God offers hope for the homeless!

Broken homes can happen in the best of families. It happened to Abraham and Sara. The birth of Abraham’s son, Ishmael to Hagar is an example of godly people yielding themselves to the desires of the flesh. All sin is based on a lack of faith in God’s provision.

In the way of introduction, I want to mention how much sin hurts. It causes grief. Notice all of the people who were hurt as a result of Abraham’s lack of faith:

1. It caused God to grieve.

When we fail, it grieves the heart of God.

2. It caused Issac to grieve.

The party that was held in his honor would be turned to tears because of the mockery of his older brother. Sin always mocks us.

3. It caused Sara to grieve.

There is no greater grief that to see your child hurting.

4. It caused Abraham to grieve.

Although Ishmael was the child of Hagar the handmaiden, Ishmael was also the son of Abraham. Divorce hurts not only the heart of the child, but also the heart of the divorced parent.

5. It caused Hagar to grieve.

Hagar had been used and disgarded. She was simply being tossed out like yesterday’s garbage.

6. It caused Ishmael to grieve.

Can you imagine the sad conversation that Ishamael and his mother must have had as they were forced to leave and take the refuge in the wilderness? Where is my Father? When will I see my Father again? How could my Father do this to me? Etc. What saddess is in the heart of a child who has been abandoned by his parent.

7. It causes us grief today!

When you go to the corner gas station and you note the price of gas going up and up, remember that the problems that we have have in the middle east stem from the conflict between two brothers... the Fathers of the Jews and the Arabs!

I preached this message on "Mother’s Day Sunday." Is there any hope for our disfunctional families today?

Here is a simple four point outline for "Hagar’s" consideration:

1. God knows.

(Heb 4:15 KJV) For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Our high priest knows the conflicts that we are going through. God saw Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness.

2. God cares.

He is touched with our infirmities. He heard the cries of Ishmael.

3. God has the power to do something about it.

(Heb 4:16 KJV) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

This verse tells us that God has the power to help us. There are some people who may know about our needs, but they do not care about us. There are some people who know about us, and they care about us, but they have no power to help us!

4. God will help us, if we will but ask.

James 4:2 says, "Ye have not, because ye ask not."

Notice the invitation of Hebrews 4:16 is to come boldly unto his throne of grace. We must learn to pray. Both Hagar and Ishmael were crying out to God in prayer in our text in Genesis 21.

Conclusion: Please note that it does not say that God will cause our problems to go away in Hebrews 4:16, it says that God will "help us in our time of need."

Have you thought about what help God would send to Hagar? Yes he would open up her eyes to see the water, but her ultimate help would come from Ishmael, her son.

Her "problem child" would become "Mama’s Big Helper."

The Bible says that Ishmael became an archer. Can you imagine the first time that young Ishmael came home with venison for his Mother to cook!

There is hope for the disfunctional family. May God help us to lean on him as we go through the wilderness trials of our lives!