Causing our own problems in the Life of faith!
What will God do when I screw up?
Genesis 16
Blame
In a recent Peanuts cartoon, Lucy approaches Charlie Brown with a paper and pen and says, “Here, sign this. It absolves me from all blame”. Then she goes to Shroeder with the same paper and says, “Here, sign this. It absolves me from all blame”. Finally she comes to Linus: “Here, sign this. It absolves me from all blame”. As she walks away Linus says, “Gee, that must be a nice document to have”.
Fess up to the wife or lie to the cops?
Jorge Alberto Mejia allegedly chose to lie to the cops, the Marin Independent Journal reports.
It seems that Saturday Mejia was driving his wife’s brand new Ford Focus to a casino in Geyserville, Calif., when he ran it into a wall.
At first, Mejia told police he had been kidnapped by two gun-toting thugs and had deliberately crashed the Focus in a successful effort to get free.
Monday, his story started to fall apart, the IJ says: "As investigators questioned Mejia on the details of his account, he admitted he made up the tale, police said." He was worried about how his wife would react to the news, San Rafael police spokeswoman Margo Rohrbacher told the newspaper. Mejia, 35, now may face criminal charges. (2/13/07)
I Unwilling to Wait 16:1-3
A. God had promised a son 15:4, 12:2 “father of great nation”
B. But “10" years had past and no baby.
II Unwilling to Accept Blame
A. Sin has inevitable consequences
B. You can’t figure all the widespread consequences of sin
C. Position of Power changes many people v4b
-those who love less have power in relationship
-The question is what will they do with it?
-Will they mistreat others? Feel and show superiority ?
-Use position of power for personal benefit instead of good for all
D. The BLAME GAME v5
Center Field
In Discipleship Journal, Don McCullough wrote: “John Killinger tells about the manager of a minor league baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered him to the dugout and assumed the position himself. The first ball that came into center field took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth. The next one was a high fly ball, which he lost in the glare of the sun—until it bounced off his forehead.
The third was a hard line drive that he charged with outstretched arms; unfortunately, it flew between his hands and smacked his eye. Furious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by the uniform, and shouted. ‘You idiot! You’ve got center field so messed up that even I can’t do a thing with it!’
Wake Up Calls, Ron Hutchcraft, Moody, 1990, p. 46
1. Sarah blames Abe for doing what she said for him to do.
What if he said no? Sarah would say “You are rejecting me!
Don’t you care about my feelings?
-She even brought God into it to decide between them,
And you only do that when you think he will choose you side and curse
Abraham
2. Abe blames Sarah v6 - And refuses to get involved -avoids helping solving the problem
He did not want to get between his wives.
3. Until we take responsibility for the situation it will never be solved
4. Usually plenty of blame to go around.
1. Sarah shouldn’t have brought up the proposition, blamed others when it backfired,
And mistreated Hagar.
2. Abraham shouldn’t have went along with his wife. Holding out waiting on God
And should have stepped in to help solve since he was involved.
3. Hagar shouldn’t have flaunted it, and despised her
Upper Lip
One evening several college students spread limburger cheese on the upper lip of a sleeping fraternity brother. Upon awakening the young man sniffed, looked around, and said, “This room stinks!” He then walked into the hall and said, “This hall stinks!” Leaving the dormitory he exclaimed, “The whole world stinks!”
Today in the Word, May, 1990, MBI, p. 8
III Unwilling to Find A Positive Solution v6b RETALIATION
A. Given permission by Abraham to solve the situation
B. Thinking only of her self Sarah harshly treated Hagar- Mean in every way
Retaliate
Pastor Ray Stedman told the story of some Americans who were stationed in Korea during the Korean War. While there, they rented a home and hired a local boy to cook and clean for them. These Americans were a bunch of jokesters, and they soon began to take advantage of the young boy’s naiveté. They’d smear Vaseline on the stove handles so that when he’d turn the stove on in the morning he’d get grease all over his fingers. They’d put little water buckets over the door so that he’d get deluged when he opened the door. They’d even nail his shoes to the floor during the night. Day after endless day, the little fellow took the brunt of their practical jokes without saying anything. No blame, no self-pity, no temper tantrums.
Finally, the men felt guilty about what they were doing, so they sat down with the young Korean and said, “Look, we know these pranks aren’t funny anymore, and we’re sorry. We’re never gonna take advantage of you again.”
It seemed a bit too good to be true to the houseboy. “No more sticky on the stove?” he asked.
“Nope”
“No more water on door?”
“Nope.”
“No more nail shoes to the floor?”
“Nope, never again.”
“Okay,” the boy said with a smile, “no more spit in soup.”
C. Hagar could have said - I didn’t ask for this. You made me. I was but your servant. I could not refuse you. What if I had refused you?
D. Hagar ran away from the harsh treatment.
Many run away from their problems. We all have at times. It rarely solves them.
-Some run to Alcohol, Drugs, Gambling, Porn, Prostitutes,
IV Unwilling to Leave this Situation a Mess - God steps in v7
Aren’t you glad God will not leave our messes unfixed.
A. God Questions Hagar
-A little strange, he didn’t seem to confront Abe and Sarah to go after her
-Calls by name, and position, and questions where she came from, and where she was going?
B. God Confronts Hagars rebellion
-She is commanded to return to the abusive situation trusting God.
-She is commanded to lay down her rebellion and submit to Sarah’s authority.
C. God Offers Encouragement to Obey with a Prophetic Promise v10
1. Lets her know the Lord is aware of her mistreatment by Sarah.
2. Many decedents - the greatest thing in that culture
3. You will have a son, His name is Ishmael
4. Prepared her for a difficult Son - Wild -Fighting against everyone.
-He will be at odds with brothers
Imagine the scene when she returns to the home of Abe and Sarah. Sarah says, “The little tramp thinks she’s coming back, she got another thing coming. Abraham thinks, “Oh no another cat fight, and I’m gonna be in the middle.” But Hagar says, “The God you talk about met me and told me to drop my rebellion and come back.” Will you forgive me?”
V Unwilling to Remain the Same v13 (Hagar)
A. God had become personally real to her.
B. God was no longer just the God of her master, but He was hers too
C. God can work good out of our biggest messes.
David and Bathsheba mess, later brought about Solomon.
VI Willing to Learn the Lesson of Faith 21:8
A. God does not just want to keep bailing you out of your messes
B. God wants you to learn the lesson from the pain in this life of faith.
C. Around 20 years later in Genesis 21:8 they faced a new crisis.
1. Sarah upset that Hagar son making fun of hers and all the old venom came back
-see the struggles of blended families
2. Sarah demanded Abe send her away for good.
3. Abe loved his son and didn’t want to.
4. This time he got God’s direction for the situation.
5. God said the time is right send her away and I will take care of her and a great nation will result.
6. This times they gave her preparations (food and water) for the journey.
7. The water runs out, and Hagar depressed can’t watch him die
8. God heard again and intervenes showed them a well of water.
9. God was with them as he grew up.
Conclusion: You can not make a mess bad enough that God will abandon you. He will help you out of it if you turn to him. In his great mercy he even relieves some of the consequences. He does not remove all of them, or we would not learn the lesson, and would quickly return to the quicksand.
