SERMON OUTLINE:
Foolishness.
• The fear of man (vs 11)
• The rationalization of sin (vs 12)
• The old sinful nature (vs 13)
Faithfulness.
• They were kept safe (vs 14)
• Sarah was kept pure (vs 4-6)
• Abraham was recalled (vs 7)
Forgiveness.
• Abimelech forgives Abraham (vs 6-16)
• God forgives Abraham (vs 17)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• A man opened a new business and his best friend sent him a floral arrangement:
• When the friend popped in to see him a few days later;
• He was shocked to see that the shop had sent a card saying; “Rest in peace”.
• When he called the florist to complain.
• The florist said; “Well, it could be worse.
• Somewhere in the city is an arrangement in a cemetery that reads;
• “Congratulations on your new location”.
• TRANSITION: Mistakes of course, are part of life;
• Even the so-called greats have made them!
Ill:
• In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene II,
• Caesar asks Brutus, "What is't o'clock?" Brutus replies, "Caesar, 'its strucken eight."
• The great Bard had forgotten that mechanical clocks;
• Were not invented until 14 centuries after Caesar's death.
• So mistakes are part of life;
• And we will see in today’s passage that Abraham & Sarah are about to make a big one!
Now for Abraham & Sarah this chapter is Déjà vu:
• Abraham and his wife have already committed this type of mistake before;
• (You can read about it in Genesis chapter 12 verse 10 to chapter 13 verse 4)
• Years earlier they faced an almost identical situation;
• The choice to trust in God or to try scheming their way out of the situation.
• On that occasion instead of trusting God and relying on him;
• They lied, they schemed, they deceived!
• They tried to handle the situation in their own wisdom.
Note:
• As we pick up the story of Abraham and Sarah;
• There is a twenty-five year gap between these two incidents.
• The question that jumps out of the chapter is this one;
• Have they learnt to trust in God or will they make the same mistake.
• We all grow older in the faith, but God wants us to grow UP in our faith;
• Have they matured, have they a deeper confidence that God will meet their needs?
• For all believers life is very circular;
• God allows certain situations to reoccur in our lives;
• To see if we are just growing older in the faith,
• Or are we growing UP in our faith;
Ill:
• At a certain Children’s hospital;
• A boy had a reputation for wrecking havoc with the nurses and staff.
• Embarrassed by his behaviour his mother tried to blackmail him into being good.
• She made a deal with him,
• If you can behave for 24 hours;
• When I come back tomorrow I will give you a pound.
The next day the mother returned and looking her son straight in the eye said;
“I’m not going to ask the nurses or staff if you have behaved, I’m going to ask you.
You must tell me yourself, do you deserve the pound?”
• After a few minutes silence the boy said;
• “You had better give me 10p”
• TRANSITION: Maybe we can identify with that boy;
• Even after we have trusted Christ for many years:
• We can find ourselves making the same mistakes over and over again!
• Even though we should be at the stage of receiving the pound;
• Sadly, we are still struggling at the 10p, 20p 30p stage!
Stories in the Bible like this one in Genesis about God’s people failing;
• Are not there to encourage us to fail,
• Rather they are there as warnings,
• Reminding us again that we must always keep on trusting!
• The moment we think we have arrived, that we can handle it in our own strength;
• Then we are in big trouble! We are an accident waiting to happen!
• ill: A common road sign that you see says: ‘Work in progress’.
• I like that sign, it is a reminder;
• That was true for Abraham & Sarah and it is certainly true for us as Christians!
Quote: Alan Redpath:
“The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment,
the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime”.
• We are all works in progress;
• Who need to keep looking to God for strength and wisdom;
• And remember the dangers of being self-sufficient!
(1). Foolishness.
1“Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.”
We are not told why Abraham moved from where he was to this new location in Gerar:
• But it would appear to a foolish decision and not a wise one;
• He was living in Hebron (that name means “Fellowship”).
• He moves to Gerar (that name means “Lodging-place”)
• So figuratively the narrative tells us he has moved from being with God in friendship;
• To acting like a lodger (coming and going whenever he wants to)
Ill
• Many a teenager (myself included) have heard those rebuking comments from parents;
• “You treat this place like a hotel!”
• They mean you are not contributing anything to this family;
• You just eat and sleep here and then you’re off somewhere else.
• TRANSITION: I wonder if that describes Abraham’s spiritual life;
• He was trusting in God when it was convenient to him,
• And self-sufficient the rest of the time.
Ill:
• A farmer tells the story of how one of his sheep would often wander off;
• And head towards the rocky cliff face,
• The grass on these mountains is very sweet and the sheep like it,
• In fact the sheep will jump down ten or twelve feet to reach the grass,
• The problem is that they can't jump back up again, and so they are stuck.
• Now even though the farmer hears the sheep bleating in distress.
• He leaves it there for a few days, until they have eaten all the grass.
• And he deliberately waits for the sheep to grow weary and cannot sand.
• And only then will he put a rope around him,
• And he will go over the cliff edge and rescue that lost sheep.
• Someone once asked the farmer:
• “Why don't you go and fetch back the sheep when you first hear it bleating?"
• He reply was insightful;
• "Because sheep are foolish, they would resist me;
• And probably fall over the edge over the edge of the cliff and be killed!"
• TRANSITION: That farmer had to wait until they were no longer self-sufficient;
• Then he could help them.
• Abraham had to learn that lesson;
• As do we today; one of big problems as Christians is that we still want to call the shots!
• We sing, “Jesus is Lord”, but too often it is us who is calling the shots!
Note:
• There is no hint from the Bible;
• That Abraham’s move was out of any wrong motives or unbelief.
• But what Abraham did was to put himself in a venerable situation.
• He put himself & Sarah into an awkward situation – into enemy territory!
• Gerar was just about in the boundaries of the Promised Land,
• But there was a problem with it…
• The Philistines inhabited it!
• In fact, most likely Gerar was a royal city for the Philistines.
• A city where Abimelech the King lived.
Abraham put himself & Sarah into enemy territory!
• These circumstances Abraham put himself into were not healthy.
• And therefore he should have seen warning lights and fled;
• But sadly he did not!
Application:
• That is a lesson for us also:
• We always need to always be alert for sin; but we need to be especially diligent;
• When you know you’re in enemy territory, it’s probably best to run!
• Do not put yourself in situations where you are likely to fail.
• ill: Problem with drink then keep out of pubs!
• Ill: Problem with pornography don’t surf the net on your own at night.
• ill: Problem with debt, then do not own a credit card!
• ill: Problem with……………. You fill in the blanks
• Each one of us are aware of our weaknesses and areas of temptation;
• Each one of us need to learn to read the warning signs!
• And each one of us needs to draw strength from God to win the victory!
Quote: H.E. Fosdick
“He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to.
It is the means that determine the end”.
• Each one of us are aware of our weaknesses and areas of temptation;
• Each one of us need to choose wisely the roads on which we travel!
NOTE:
• There are three areas in which we see the foolishness of Abraham demonstrated:
• In fact all three reasons are given to us by Abraham himself:
• After Abimelech rebukes him for his foolish actions.
(A). The Fear of Man (vs 11):
11 “Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'”
• The first reason for failure is the fear of man;
• His not looking to God but looking at people.
• Notice the irony of this verse:
• Abraham is guilty of what he judged Abimelech to be.
• Not fearing, not trusting God.
• Abraham was more concerned about what Abimelech could do to him;
• Instead of what the Lord could do for him.
• Instead of trusting the Lord to keep his word and protect him,
• Abraham displays unbelief and tries to handle the situation according to his wisdom!
• Quote: Proverbs chapter 29 verse 25:
• “The fear of man brings a snare”.
Ill:
• Is there anything sadder or more pathetic than an animal in a snare;
• The more the animal struggles to escape the greater harm it does to itself!
• TRANSITION:
• Abraham looked at other people and was afraid;
• He needed to focus on God and find courage!
Verse twelve gives us the second reason for such a foolish act:
(B). The Rationalization of Sin (vs 12):
“Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother;
and she became my wife.”
• Notice the warped thinking of Abraham;
• He says to Abimelech that he did not really lie to him;
• Because he only told him a half-lie, not a whole lie.
Abraham is doing is rationalizing his sin in this verse:
• Sarah was Abraham’s half-sister;
• They shared the same father (Terah) but had different mothers.
• Now Abraham’s first responsibility to Sarah is that of husband, not half-brother.
• Yet, because he was scared he might lose his own life, he lies!
• To protect himself;
• Abraham tells Abimelech what he calls a half-lie, not a whole lie.
• We tend to think that half-truths are not as bad as outright lies;
• But actually they are worse!
Quote:: F.B. Meyer:
“A lie consists in the motive quite as much as the actual words,
a half-truth has just enough fact in it to make it plausible and just enough deception to make it dangerous”
Quote:: Austin O’Malley:
“Those that think it permissible to tell white lies soon grow colour-blind. “
Personal Application:
• One of the characteristics of a Christian;
• Should be that they tell the truth!
• A Christian's commitment to truth derives from God's attribute of truth.
• God is truth and Jesus himself said; “I am the…. Truth”.
• Again and again in the letters of the New Testament;
• We are told to speak the truth - honesty should be the hallmark of the Christian!
• Telling the truth is not merely an intellectual exercise,
• Nor even simply a moral imperative.
• Truth telling should flow naturally from our moral character,
The third reason for Abraham’s foolish action is found in verse thirteen
(C). The old sinful nature (vs 13):
“And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." ' "
Ill:
• If you take a pig from his mud-wallow in the farm yard,
• Wash him, spray him with perfume,
• Tie a pink bow about his neck, and let him loose;
• I guarantee that pig will quickly go back to wallowing in the mud.
• Because even though you've changed his looks,
• You've not altered his nature!
• You have changed his outward appearance but not his inward nature!
• So he continues to do what comes naturally.
• TRANSITION: As followers of Jesus;
• Unless we allow him to change us on the inside (our nature),
• We will in time always revert back to type!
That is what we see here with Abraham and Sarah:
• We see their old natures taking dominance in their lives:
• In Genesis chapter 15 verse 6 God gave this couple a name change;
• He went from Abram to Abraham. She went from Sari to Sarah.
• But those new names did not change their old natures.
• They were born sinful, and therefore sinful by nature and sinful by practice.
• Evidence of that old sinful nature at times was very evident;
• i.e. We see it demonstrating itself here in this chapter.
• Abraham the great man of faith,
• At times did not have the faith to trust in his God!
• i.e. He allowed other people to intimidate him,
• i.e. He allowed his own logic to confuse him,
• i.e. And he allowed his own sinfulness to corrupt him.
Personal application:
• There is a big difference between Old Testament believers like Abraham & Sarah;
• And New Testament believers like you and me.
• All New Testament believers have been given the Holy Spirit!
• He has been given us to help us!
• In the Old Testament the Spirit came for a while and then left them.
• In the New Testament the Spirit takes up residence in every believers life.
• So every New Testament believer is in better shape than Abraham & Sarah!
• When it comes to the battles of life.
• God has given us the helper to keep us on the right track!
Ill:
• Man with two fighting Pit bull terriers.
• One black and one white.
• Gamblers were annoyed and frustrated;
• Because at different fights one or the other dog would win.
• A very good and trusted friend asked him;
• “How come you can determine which dog wins the fight”
• The man replied:
• “It’s not complicated, the winner is the one I feed in the build up to the fight!”
• TRANSITION:
• As Christians if we want to walk in victory we need to feed on the things of God.
• And if we want to walk in defeat, we only need to feed our sinful appetites.
(2). Faithfulness.
If you read this chapter for the first time and you did not know who Abraham was:
• You would probably think Abimelech was the believer;
• And that Abraham was the non-believer.
• After all it is Abimelech who comes out of this with credit;
• And it is Abraham who comes out of it in shame.
• How good it is to know that we may at times be unfaithful to God;
• BUT he always remains faithful to us!
Ill:
• In the 14th century Martin Luther;
• Was one of the most influential leaders of the protestant reformation
• This man who used of God in a great way;
• Also was given to times of deep dark depression.
• One time he got really down and depressed and locked himself away in a room;
• He wouldn’t come out for anything or anyone.
• His wife Kathy tried to coax him out of the room with no success.
• Finally she went and dressed with a black veil, and black gloves,
• Totally decked out in black and went into the room with Martin Luther.
• Martin asked her, “Dear Kathy, who died?”
• She replied, “Why God died, Martin.”
• Martin jumped to his feet in an outburst of emotion and said,
• “That’s blasphemy woman how dare you talk like that?”
• To that she replied, “yes it is Martin, and so is the way you’re living.”
• He got up out of the room and went and wrote the hymn:
“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:”
• This song has been called
• “The greatest hymn of the greatest man of the greatest period of German history”
• TRANSITION: Sometimes we may think;
• That our disobedience means that we have forfeited all of God’s promises and protection.
• We blew it and therefore we are on our own!
• But that is not the case; God often blesses us despite our failings.
• God doesn’t bless us because we deserve it;
• God blesses us because he is faithful, he is good, he is loving, he is graceful.
• Well the heart of God is always full of compassion for his children:
• Three ways God blessed Abraham:
(a). they were kept safe.
• Abraham’s plan of passing Sarah off as his sister;
• Was a disaster waiting to happen.
• Humanly speaking this act could have killed dead;
• Any hope that they had of having a son of their own.
• Humanly speaking it could have destroyed God’s plan;
• Of making a nation from this one couple.
• Humanly speaking it could rob the world of a saviour!
• For Jesus himself was a son of Abraham!
• Abraham’s plan of passing Sarah off as his sister;
• Was a disaster waiting to happen.
Note:
• I am sure Abimalech would normally have killed anyone like Abraham;
• He would have treated badly anyone who had the nerve to lie, embarrass & deceive him.
• Yet with Abraham there is no punishment;
• Instead verse 14: tells us Abimelech gave him gifts of sheep, cattle and slaves.
• Not only was Abraham kept safe;
• Incredibly his wealth actually increased!
(b). Sarah was kept pure.
• Sarah could have had sexual intercourse with Abimelech;
• Her relationship with Abraham could have been changed forever,
• Yet God intervened:
• Verse 4 tells us that Abimelech had not "gone near her",
• Verse 6: God says to Abmielech; “I did not let you touch her”
• Which means he had not had sexual intercourse with her,
• So Sarah had not committed adultery.
• God had over ruled in this situation and Sarah was returned safe and pure to Abraham!
Not only was she kept pure but her reputation was saved as well (verse 16):
“To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offence against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated."”
(c). Abraham was recommissioned.
• Notice how God refers to Abraham in verse 7:
• “He IS a prophet”, He does not say “He WAS a prophet”.
• In fact Abraham is told by God;
• That he is the only thing standing between Abimelech and death!
• It will be the prayers of Abraham that change the situation.
• Despite all his failings God in his mercy still chooses to use him!
In Conclusion:
• God would have us grow through the front door of obedience;
• Rather that the backdoor of failure.
• The backdoor of failure is a longer and more difficult route;
• But the end result is still encouraging to know;
• That even our failures can be an opportunity for growth.
• And God in his goodness and mercy;
• Still chooses to bless us despite our failings and our sinfulness!
• Each Christian like Abraham and Sarah;
• Have the opportunity to grow through obedience and even through their failures;
Quote:
• C.S. Lewis in the Screwtape Letters vividly describes Satan’s strategy:
• “He gets Christians to be preoccupied with their failures; from then on, the battle is won”
God on the other hand wants us to learn from and grow through our failures:
• Each Christian like Abraham and Sarah;
• Have the opportunity to grow through their failures;
(3). Forgiveness.
Ill:
• Clara Barton, was the founder of the American Red Cross,
• Someone unhelpful person reminded her one day;
• Of a vicious deed that someone had done to her years before.
• But she acted as if she had never even heard of the incident.
• "Don't you remember it?" her friend asked.
• Barton's reply, "No, I distinctly remember forgetting it."
Quote: C. S. Lewis:
“Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.”
• TRANSITION: Forgiveness is hard!
• It is hard because the injured party has to do the hard thing;
• And the offender seems to get away with it!
• In these verses there are two examples of forgiveness.
• One human and one divine.
(A). Abimelech Forgives Abraham (vs 6-16).
Verses 6-7:
“Then God said to Abimelech in a dream, ‘Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.’”
• When God speaks to Abimelech the pagan;
• He (the pagan) responds promptly (vs 7): “Early in the morning”
• He is not out for revenge on Abraham;
• He has just encountered the God of Abraham in a dream,
• He knows that Abraham is his only hope of pleasing this newly discovered God;
• And so Ambimelech protects and blesses Abraham.
• And forgiveness is the end result.
(B). God Forgives Abraham (vs 17).
“Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, 18 for the LORD had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.”
• God then shows he has forgiven Abraham:
• By listening to his prayer and answering it;
• Forgiveness and healing took place.
Ill:
• When the great inventor Thomas A. Edison:
• Was working on a crazy contraption called a light bulb;
• It took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together.
• The story goes that when Edison was finished with one light bulb,
• He gave it to a young boy helper, who nervously carried it up the stairs.
• Step by step he cautiously watched his hands,
• Obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work.
• You’ve probably guessed what happened by now;
• The poor young fellow dropped the bulb at the top of the stairs.
• It took the entire team of men twenty-four more hours to make another bulb.
• Finally, tired and ready for a break,
• Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs.
• He gave it to the same young boy who dropped the first one –
• That’s true forgiveness.
• TRANSITION: That is the kind of forgiveness that God shows to us:
• When we mess up;
• And when we come to him in genuine repentance for forgiveness!
• God forgives and does not disqualify us from ministry!
• Classic example Abraham.
Ill:
• He was recommissioned.
• We noticed how God referred to Abraham in verse 7:
• As a Prophet, He does not say “He WAS a prophet”.
• It was the prayers of Abraham;
• That stood between Abimelech and death or Abimalech and life!
• Despite all his failings;
• God in his mercy still chooses to use him!
Question: Can you remember what caused this mess in the first place?
Answer:
• Abraham disobeyed God because he believed that
• "Surely there was no fear of God in this place."
• Yet verse 8b says that they were "very much afraid."
• In other words they had the fear of God!
• This tells us that;
• The reason for Abraham disobedience and distrust was totally unnecessary!
• God had been watching out for Abraham all along.
• If only Abraham had trusted him in this situation;
• He could have been spared this embarrassing incident!
• And all the sadness, guilt and regret that it caused!
The verse that summarises this passage for me is Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5-7:
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil."
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=qkeoWI9ckawmRgsnrrOnee6p5hAB36UM
