From The Desk Of Toby Powers
Pastor of Truth Baptist Church
Bremen, GA
www.trumpetoftruthonline.org
GOING WITH GOD
Genesis 24:42-67
Intro: There are 4 important characters in today’s text. Abraham, his servant, Isaac, and Rebekah. These four typify for us the search and call for sinners to come to the Savior. Abraham is a picture of the Father; the Servant, the Holy Ghost; Isaac, the Son; and Rebekah, the sinner who comes to know the Lord.
Abraham asks of his servant to go into a far away land and there find a bride to bring home to his son Isaac. The servant goes unto the place commanded him and comes upon a well. He asks favor of God on him and a sign from the Lord that the right woman who he is to speak with would offer him water for himself and for all his camels. Rebekah, who was the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother, met the servant at the well and fulfilled the sign the servant asked of the Lord precisely. The servant introduced himself to the woman, asked to meet with her family, and that is where our text picks up.
When it came time that the servant must leave to go back to his master, he asks for Rebekah to go with him. The family tried to get them to stay longer, but time would not permit. So Rebekah was called to answer, “Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.” I want to preach on “GOING WITH GOD.” If you will go with God, there will be a:
I. CHOICE: It was a question, “Wilt thou?” She chose, “I will.” It is more than a choice, but going with God is a choice. You can choose to go or refuse to go!
A. Personal: v. 57, she had to answer for herself. Nobody else can choose to go with God for you. It must be a personal matter.
B. Powerful: Those three little words “I will go” changed her life forever! The choice to go with God, walk with God, serve God, love God will powerfully change your life!
II. COMMITMENT: “I WILL go.” Not maybe, or I’ll think it over, or take into consideration! She committed to go! Commitment: a contractual engagement involving the fulfilment of an obligation. To give over to another the care or use of something; to entrust. To pledge oneself to a particular position or course of action. Spiritual Commitment: identification and involvement with the person and purpose of Jesus Christ. Commitment brings about a responsibility to availability! Commitment requires:
A. Movement: She had to “go”. The Word of God requires movement of us. Jesus is always calling sinners to come and saints to go. The world wants us to stop going with God and run with them! Commit to go with God!
B. Motivation: You will:
1. Face Opposition: from within (too busy, love of comfort, not convenient to your current lifestyle or goals). And from without (persecution and tribulation).
2. Find Provision: there is grace to carry out service to God. God’s work done in God’s way will not run out of God’s supply.
III. CLINGING: She let go of her family and held to the servant. Jesus said if a man would be his disciple he had to forsake all (mother, father, brothers, sisters, and his own life also), deny himself, take up his cross and follow the Lord! She would cling to:
A. Promise: The promise of a groom for love, marriage, and a family. Whenever she would feel discouraged with the journey, she just considered the promise.
B. Provisions: v. 47, the first time the servant ever saw Rebekah, he gave her a gift. v. 53, He gave her and her family “precious things.” I cling to the provisions of God! He has given to me and to my family precious things, provisions for life, and also provisions for living! He reminds me daily that he is all that I need!
C. Presence: v. 61, She left home with the servant. v. 66-67, She stayed with the servant all the way to Isaac. She traveled every mile of the journey in his presence!
IV. COVENANT: Marriage Ceremony and Covenant!
A. The Meditation: v. 63, Isaac is out meditating. I believe he was thinking about the bride his servant was bringing home! Our groom is thinking about us! And while he thought about her, he saw the caravan of camels coming.
B. The Moment: v. 64, She saw him! She had been asking questions, anticipating the time, and thinking of what she would say, but her faith became sight... She saw him! “She lighted off the camel.” This “lighted” is from a Hebrew word that means to fall over, pass out, to drop dead, to fall off, to collapse, to trip and fall disorderly. She did not gracefully dismount her camel and calmly approach him; she saw him and it overwhelmed her! She got so excited she tripped and fell off the camel in haste to get down. It finally was him! What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see!
C. The Message: v. 65-66, The servant testifies.
D. The Marriage: v. 67, Isaac became her groom. And he loved her. It was more than love at first sight; it was love before they saw one another.
Conclusion: In today’s world, we have people who wonder how long a marriage will last. But there was no question about that in this time. People who were married were married for the rest of their lives. When Isaac married Rebekah, it was forever, and that is how long we will be with the Lord. I Thess 4:17 “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
The question is, “Wilt Thou Go With This Man?” Will you go with God? You need to voice it. Say it out loud. Let the devil know, the world know, tell your flesh and your friends... I WILL GO!
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