Hang On
David Tack- October 18, 2013- Life Care Center, Jacksonville FL
There are some that say that the nails did not hold Jesus to the cross; and, I agree with this. Some go further and say Jesus had to actually hold onto the nails to keep the nails from ripping through the frail flesh.
This morning I want to look at the simple phrase of “Hang On”
Hanging On Can Be Defined As:
1. To cling tightly to something.
2. To continue persistently; persevere.
3. To keep a telephone connection open.
4. To wait for a short period of time.
VIDEO CLIP OF HANGING ON: This is what happens when you fail to hang on---- you fall on your back!
John Walton says of circumstances: “The only way to understand how God works is to see circumstance as one of his agents. They . . . cannot be seen as independent of God or divorced from him for even a second. There is no such thing as circumstance apart from God” (Walton)
THIS MORNING I WANT TO REVIEW THE TUMULTUOUS LIVES OF: (1) Abraham; (2) and, David!
ABRAHAM
1) Called to leave everything behind (Ur) to become a nomadic wanderer
2) Wife (Sarai) remained childless for years
3) Initiated manmade solution with Egyptian handmaid Hagar resulting in Ishmael
4) Required to send Ishmael and Hagar away because of Sarai’s jealousy
5) Isaac designated as the undoubted heir; the Abrahamic Covenant would continue.
THIS BRINGS US TO CHAPTER 22: The plateau of Abraham’s Faith Development!
IN CHAPTER 22 GOD COMMAND’S ABRAHAM TO SACRIFICE ISAAC AS A BLOOD SACRIFICE AND BURNT OFFERING
Genesis 22:2- “He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
WOW, Abraham had better have something to cling onto securely. How about the promise of God?
LET’S LOOK AT:
Genesis 15:5- “And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
Genesis 17:5- “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.”
For Abraham this was a time to keep that faith line open between God and himself!
Illustration: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD
. . . EBENEZER & JEHOVAH JIREH. The first word means ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us’ and the second, ‘The Lord will see to it or provide.’ One looked back while the other looked forward. One reminded him of God’s faithfulness and the other of God’s assurances.
Let’s Look At: Abraham’s Response of Faith (Gen 22:5)
1) We will go- You hang on through IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE
2) We will worship- Sacrifice was a form of worship. So, how to you worship when the very sacrifice God requires is your son of promise?
3) We will come back- You hang on by faith in God’s promise of RETURN
Hold on! God will make the necessary provision: Genesis 22:13- “And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
Today are you facing an Abrahamic proportioned Trial? HOLD ON, HOLD ON, AND HOLD ON! Believe God . . . He is able to make the needed provisions!
David
DAVID AND THE TURMOIL OF HIS FAMILY
David started his walk with God with great communion. David, the shepherd boy spent numerous hours in deep isolation with God. David defeated the great Philistine soldier Goliath and routed Israel’s arch enemies- The Philistines. God had chosen David as His anointed and David was a man after God’s heart! THEN SOME THINGS HAPPENED
David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband) (2 Samuel 10-11).
David repented of his actions (Psalms 32 & 51).
Psalm 51:7- “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
STILL HERE ARE SOME THINGS DAVID WAS FACED WITH:
1) Amnon (David’s firstborn) raped his half-sister Tamar (2 Sam. 13:1-14).
(11) But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister. . . .”But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.”
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH ONE WHOM YOU LOVE DEARLY VIOLATES YOUR TRUST? HOLD ON AND PRESS ON . . . BELIEVE GOD IS WITH YOU IN THE VALLEY OF DISPARITY? Would you rather go through the valley alone; or, holding onto God’s unchanging hand?
2) Two years later Absalom (David’s third son and Tamar’s full brother) murdered Amnon (2 Sam. 13:23-29). 2 Sam 13:28-29a: “Then Absalom commanded his servants, "Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant." (29a) So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded.
- In verse 38- We see Absalom fled and stayed in Geshur for 3 years (Talmai the king of Geshur was the father of Maacah, Absalom's mother . . . Absalom’s Grandfather)!
David’s Reaction: 2 Sam. 13:31- “Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments.”
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE KILLS YOU IN THEIR HEARTS? HOLD ON AND TAKE IT TO THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: DAVID has now lost (1) son to death (Amnon); (1) son to (runaway and eventual rebellion) (1) daughter as a rape victim . . . . And there is more to come: DAVID, NEEDS TO HANG ON!
Absalom revolted, driving David from Jerusalem
2 Sam. 15:13-14 “And a messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom. (14) Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword."
SO WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE HURTS AND BETRAYS YOU? HOLD ON; SEEK REFUGE IN GOD’S LOVE!
Absalom went into David’s concubines - 2 Sam. 16:21-22: “Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened." (22) So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
WHAT DO YOU DO IF SOMEONE DISHONORS YOUR REPUTATION? HOLD ON . . . VENGENCE BELONGS TO THE LORD …. HE WWILL REPAY!
Adonijah tried to usurp the throne from Solomon (1 Kings 1:5, 43).
(5) Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
(43) Jonathan answered Adonijah, "No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king,
WHAT DO YOU DO IF SOMEONE TRIES TO TAKE AWAY EVERYTHING YOU HAVE WORKED FOR! HOLD ON; GOD IS SOVEREIGN! LOOK AT JOBS CIR.
DAVID’S MAINTAINS HIS FAITH IN GOD
1) 1 Kings 1:29- “And the king swore, saying, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity.”
2) Psalm 32:7- “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.”
Illustration
PLUNGING TO MURKY EARTH: SOURCE: (Story told by Gene Appel).
A family was out vacationing at the lake one summer. Dad had been puttering out by the boat house. Two of his sons, a 12-year old and a 3-year old were down playing along the dock. The 12 year old was supposed to be watching his little brother, but he got distracted. The 3 year old, little Billy thought that would be a good time to check out the shiny aluminum fishing boat tied up at the end of the dock. So he went to the dock and put one foot on the boat, and one foot on the dock. He lost his balance and fell into the water, which was about 5 or 6 ft deep.
The splash alerted the 12-yr old who let out a piercing scream. Dad came running from the boat house, jumped into the water, swam down, but unable to see anything, came up for air. Sick with panic, he went right back down into this murky water, and began to feel everywhere around the bottom. He couldn’t feel anything. Finally, on his way up, he felt little Billy's arms locked in a death grip on one of the posts of the dock, about 4 ft under water. Prying the boy's fingers loose, they burst up together thru the surface to fill their lungs with life giving air.
Finally when the adrenaline had stopped surging, and nerves had calmed down a little bit, the Father asked his son, “What on earth were you doing down there hanging onto the post so far under the water? And little Billy’s answer was a classic, laced with the wisdom only a toddler could give. He said, "I was just waiting for you dad. Just waiting for you."
Friends, today we celebrate that 2000 yrs ago, the God of the universe left the glory and the splendor of heaven, a place where there was no pain and no sickness, no accidents, no hurt, and no death.
And he plunged into this dark, murky world on a rescue mission, a rescue mission for all of us who are drowning, a rescue mission for all of us who are barely hanging on, a rescue mission for all of us who are lost in the darkness.
References:
SermonCentral.Com. Illustrations for: Hang On. Looking Back: Looking Forward http://www.sermoncentral.com/Illustrations/. Accessed October 18, 2013.
SermonCentral.Com. Illustrations for: Hang On. Plunging to the Murky Earth http://www.sermoncentral.com/Illustrations/. Accessed October 18, 2013.
Walton, John H. Genesis. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001. 104.
