Think about this for a moment: An all knowing God knew that man and woman would disobey Him but yet decided to create them anyway! If God is our Creator and knew that we would disobey Him, why did He create us?
And isn’t it interesting that God reveals His powerful judgment on wickedness, like He did to Sodom and Gomorrah, but yet allow sinful people to populate the earth anyway! When Adam and Eve sinned, why didn’t God just totally give up on humans. Why did God save Noah and his family and drowned everyone else? Why doesn’t God just destroy every human being for all have sinned against Him?
Why does God do such things??
1. God is Almighty and is in control! God has a plan!
2. God is Holy! God has do deal with sin!
3. God is loving! God will have mercy on people. God desires to share Himself to people; this is why God allows people to multiply, even though all people sin.
God gives opportunities for people to accept His mercy!
This morning we will see in one chapter, God revealing all these characteristics about Himself. Please open your Bibles to Genesis 20…………….
Abraham, a believer of God, made 2 mistakes in this passage. What was Abraham’s first mistake??
Did God tell Abraham to move? The text doesn’t tell us!
Did Abraham pray to God about the move? We can’t say!
What we know is this; Fear came to Abraham and Sarah when they moved! I think Abraham and Sarah moved because they were afraid of what they saw regarding Sodom and Gomorrah. They just witnessed something like an atomic bomb in their backyard, killing thousands of people; And, remember when Abraham tried to negotiate with God; I think Abraham thought he won and God would not destroy Sodom! Fear is a main topic in Genesis 20. Look again at v11…….
Fear came to Abraham when they got to Gerar and fear likely made Abraham move to Gerar.
But the first mistake that Abraham made was Abraham moved without counsel from God!
Do you think Abraham would have had fears if he was confident in God?
Have you ever been so lost that fear came over you?
I remember driving in New York City many years ago and we took the wrong exit and ended up in the middle of the Inner City! Seeing the fear in my wife Elsa’s face made my fears even stronger! Peace came when we were able to get back on the main highway. Like a suburban family being lost in the inner city, people will be lost without the guidance of God, and fear will result!
Now, was Abraham right in calling his wife a sister?
Calling Sarah a sister may be half true, because Sarah was a halfsister. But it wasn’t about telling halftruths was it?
The second mistake that Abraham made was, Abraham and Sara had selfish motives! Abraham called Sarah his sister because he was afraid for his own self!
And because of their selfish motives, disaster could have happened! If not for God’s intervention, Sara would have ended up a concubine of King Abimelech! Also, didn’t Abraham try this lie in Egypt earlier and God was not pleased? Abraham did not learn from his past!
Maybe Abraham was having signs of Alzheimers!
Whatever it was, Abraham made mistakes!
Thank goodness, God is merciful!
God saved Abraham and Sarah from their fears, selfishness, and memory loss!
Now look again at v6…………….
God hears all, knows all, and is in control of all situations.
In v10-13 we note that the King confronted Abraham but this time Abraham told the whole truth! Why did Abraham finally told the truth? Don’t you think that Abraham again realized that God is in control and was working in his life and Abimelech’s? And what happened after Abraham told the truth? Abimelech gave Abraham riches!
Now, Abimelech could have refused to listen to God! But, Abimelech did what God told him to do and he and his family were blessed!
Because of their sins, God could have just wiped out Abraham, Sarah, Abimelech and the entire city, but God gave them opportunities to repent! God gave mercy to Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech!
Now, we read in Romans 3:23, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God! Can we prove that God’s Word is true? Do you know anyone who has never lied, never had a bad thought, never stole a single thing, never uttered a bad word, never made a mistake, and did everything that God says? God’s Word is true! Everyone, including all living today, have sinned against God! God is Almighty and Holy and has the right to wipe out every person because they are sinners!
But God is loving and is always in control. Therefore, since sinful people are still living today and the world population continues to grow, God must still be giving mercy and providing everyone an opportunity to repent! 1 Peter 3:18 tells us, For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. Turn your Bibles to Revelation Chapter 10, page_____ Read along with me v5-7………..
God is in control and will one day completely judge the world! It is no joke! The end is near! Why do you think there are so much troubles in our own country and the rest of the world today? What is the mystery that we all must understand? Please turn to Colossians 1:26-27, page……
Today, God gives mercy only through Jesus Christ!
Anyone who has not accepted God’s mercy through belief in Jesus Christ will be forever judged. If you have never done so, believe in Jesus Christ today. In a moment, you will have an opportunity to pray to God and confess you are a sinner in need of God’s mercy through Jesus Christ. Open your heart today and receive Jesus Christ as your only Savior and God!
God tells us that Believers of Christ have all the riches from heaven and the hope of glory of Jesus Christ. And so, unlike Abraham and Sarah, Christians are not to live in fear!
How can we avoid fears?
Fear comes when we do not live by faith!
We are to live by faith! How do we live by faith?
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God! Romans 10:17
And Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:4…………
We will not live by faith and we will have fears when we do not read daily and believe the Word of God.
And we read in James 2:17, In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
We are not living by faith and we will have fears when we don’t take action on what God says.
God was merciful to Abraham, Sarah, and Abimilech. God is merciful to us by giving us Jesus Christ. Live by trusting Jesus Christ and doing what He says and you will have nothing to fear!
